Derby Works and Frankel

The first Saturday in May quickly approaches, racing enthusiasts have just one week left and the wait is over, America’s next Kentucky Derby champion will be crowned. Amidst the flurry of Derby activity that takes place over the Churchill Downs dirt track in the week preceding the race itself, contenders come out in droves for their daily gallops and last minute works.

On Friday Archarcharch solidified his status as one of the biggest Derby threats when he blazed five furlongs in :59 2/5, tying with three year old filly Arienza for the fastest time of 58 horses working the distance. Trainer Jinks Fires described the work as “perfect” and “super”.

On Saturday Florida Derby (gr.1) runner-up Shackleford burned up the track with a :58 4/5 five furlong move, easily earning the bullet as the fastest of 36 horses working the distance. Trainer Dale Romans was very pleased with the move, especially after seeing his trainee gallop out six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 and continue pulling hard on his rider.

Mucho Macho Man also turned in a solid five furlong move on Saturday, though much more conservative than the moves posted by Archarcharch and Shackleford. With jockey Rajiv Maragh up, the son of Macho Uno went five furlongs in 1:00 2/5. According to trainer Kathy Ritvo her star pupil gallops at least two miles a day so fitness will be absolutely no concern with this colt.

I personally can’t wait to see what kind of work Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty turn in for their joint venture on Sunday. Both colts seems to be thriving in Kentucky.

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Enough of the Kentucky Derby for now. I have become an ardently admitted Frankel super-fan. It started after his powerful romp in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Royal Ascot on September 25th last year, a race which he won by an astounding 10 lengths without being asked to run a single step. On Saturday Frankel stepped into the realm of super stardom when he powered home to win the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-1) at Newmarket by six lengths.

After finishing his juvenile season undefeated in four starts and earning honors as co-champion juvenile male, Frankel began 2011 with an easy win in the 7 furlong Greenham Stakes. He entered the Two Thousand Guineas as the lowest priced favorite since 1970 and proved his heavily backed favoritism was well grounded. Breaking from the gate Frankel was fastest into stride, opening up most than a length on the field within a matter of strides. From there the visually impressive spectacle only got better. Throughout the 1 mile journey Frankel continued to pull away under jockey Tom Queally, opening up more than 12 lengths on the field at the halfway point while under tight restraint. In the final furlong Queally finally released his mount and under a vigorous hand ride Frankel waltzed past the line, the winner by six lengths. Dubawi Gold and Native Khan made good runs to get up for second and third, finishing about 12 lengths clear of the rest of the field. The ease with which Frankel won the Two Thousand Guineas makes it almost laughable to call the prestigious event a race, it proved little more than a public display of pure dominance and speed for the Champion. The big question now is whether or not trainer Henry Cecil and owner Khalid Abdullah will send Frankel on to the 1 ½ mile Epsom Derby (Eng-1) June 4th. Up to now the three year old Galileo colt has never raced farther than 1 mile in distance and I have a sneaking suspicion that he might not be able to run his best at the classic distances. He has shown absolutely no weaknesses so far and “nothing gained, nothing ventured” so I kind of hope they take a chance and send him anyway. 

Kentucky Oaks Updates: Firing off Works

The 136^th Kentucky Oaks is just one week away. In seven short days one of the nation’s leading fillies will cross the line first to seize leadership of the division, or at least that how it seems it should work out on paper. In the real world who knows what could happen. Long shots have been having a heyday in recent Kentucky Derby preps but the only major upsets to happen most of this year in the Oaks division was when Daisy Devine turned the tables in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr.2) and when Lilacs and Lace lit up the tote board at odds of 48-1 in the Ashland Stakes (gr.1). Even those two upsets were won by fillies that had legitimate shots in their races and sported solid records, they were simply overlooked.

Stability and consistency seems to be the ‘name of the game’ for the Oaks fillies in 2011 and it appears that this year’s field of fourteen could come up full of all legitimate contenders. There are a few fillies I would toss as of now but honestly from a handicapping standpoint almost the entire prospective field has come up with strong form. Before we get into that though there is some Oaks news that needs telling.

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has thrown his skillet into the Kentucky Oaks fire with the recent purchase of three year old filly Her Smile, most recently seen finishing second to Hot Summer in the Comely Stakes (Gr.3) at Aqueduct on Wood Memorial day. The stakes winning daughter of Include has made seven lifetime starts since August of 2010 winning three including the 6 ½ furlong Donna Freyer Stakes at Philadelphia Park in which she defeated a very weak field. She started the year finishing fourth to Dynamic Holiday in the Florida Oaks on turf before finishing third to Wyomia in the Suncoast Stakes. Her second place finish to Hot Summer in the Comely was actually a very good performance, she just got outkicked in the stretch. Her 2011 record shows a promising progression from a fourth place finish to a third and finally a second place showing but I don’t think she’s ready to handle the Oaks field yet and win. She looked really good on the turf and I think she likes the 1 mile distance better than stretching out to 1 1/16 or 1 1/8. She’s a toss for me.

[Read the complete article here with a rundown of recent works and more at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation]

Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty

A week and two days, that’s how much time is left until the running of the 137^th Kentucky Derby (gr.1) on May 7^th. There’s been so much news relating to the prestigious race that it’s hard to know what to think or where to start when trying to break down the prospective contenders. The Factor is one of many to join the list of high-profile dropouts after undergoing a myectomy to correct a displaced palate the colt received during a 7^th place finish in the Arkansas Derby (gr.1) as the heavy favorite. It’s possible he could make the Preakness Stakes on May 21^st but trainer Bob Baffert made it clear there is no rush to get him back to the races prematurely. J P’s Gusto joined The Factor as another of the latest  drop-outs, opening up the door for both Shackleford and Twinspired to break their way into the top 20 on the Derby graded earnings list. Silver Medallion now becomes the latest horse on the outside looking in as he currently stands at #21 on the list.

With things constantly changing on the Derby scene you could probably just as easily choose a winner by throwing a dart at the 20 different contenders names while blindfolded as you could by pouring over the PP’s and recent works. Uncle Mo has a knack for making headlines no matter what he does and ever since his disappointing third place finish in the Wood Memorial (gr.1) he’s been making just as many, if not more, headlines then when he was the heavy Kentucky Derby favorite. Lately theories have been flying thick and fast as to the soundness of the Champion Two Year Old Male but owner Mike Repole has come out with definitive statements saying that Uncle Mo is 100% fit. When the GI Infection was discovered after his Wood loss things looked a little brighter for us ‘Mo’ supporters and now it appears the talented colt is coming around much faster and showing good signs of progress. He is reportedly back on his feed with greater enthusiasm and has been showing high energy levels and his GI infection seems to be clearing up well. On Tuesday morning he turned in a very promising work at Churchill Downs with workmate Calibrachoa that had both jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher pleased. He went the 5 furlongs in 1:01.80 while finishing a neck ahead of his older workmate under no urging and galloped out well past Calibrachoa. It’s safe to say my confidence in Uncle Mo has been seriously bolstered in the last few days. He's still my Derby pick.

Stay Thirsty looked terrible when finishing 7^th in the Florida Derby, sweating like a stuck pig in the post parade and appearing absolutely soaked after the race in the 90+ degree weather. According to Repole he hated the blinkers and didn’t handle the heat well at well. He and Todd Pletcher are calling the race a toss and moving forward with their charge. On Sunday things looked a whole lot brighter in the Stay Thirsty camp when the Bernardini colt fired off a bullet 5 furlong work over the Churchill Downs surface, covering the distance in 1:00.00 flat. It looks like stable mates Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty could be headed for the front of the class once again.

16 Is The New 9: Kentucky Oaks 10 Days Out

Exactly ten days until the May 6^th Kentucky Oaks and now we have a finalized number of fillies who are eyeing the prized contest. Sixteen talented three-year-old fillies have been listed as possibly contenders for the biggest sophomore filly race of the year and only two would be running without graded stakes earnings. The Kentucky Oaks (gr.1) field is limited to 14 starters and by the middle of next week we will know who the lucky fourteen are. Some notable sophomore fillies  that appear to be skipping the Oaks inclue Grade 2 winner Dancinginherdreams who finished 9^th in the Ashland Stakes (gr.1) on April 9^th.  Wyomia will also skip the Kentucky Oaks, pointing instead for the Black Eyes Susan Stakes (gr.2) at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes day.

Here in no particular order as the names of the 16 fillies under consideration for the Kentucky Oaks; R Heat Lightning, Joyful Victory, Kathmanblu, Daisy Devine, Lilacs and Lace, Zazu, Plum Pretty, St. John’s River, Holy Heavens, Bouquet Booth, Delightful Mary, Arienza, Summer Soiree, Suave Voir Faire, Royal Delta, Street Storm. I know I’m supposed to do the “Novel Nine” every week with only three honorable mentions but with only four more fillies listed as possibilities I’ll just go ahead and profile the whole bunch. [Read the complete post and see all 16 fillies ranked here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

The Lexington Stakes: Last Stop before the Derby

Check out my full post handicapping the Coolmore Lexington Stakes(Gr.3) at Thorofan.com:

The Grade 3 $200,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes is virtually the last stop on the Derby trail before the big dance on the First Saturday in May. First inaugurated in 1936, the 1 1/16 mile Lexington Stakes has drawn a short field of six colts, all with classic aspirations. Silver Medallion is the lone colt in the field who has a realistic chance of entering the Kentucky Derby gate on May 7^th but the rest could wind up in the Preakness Stakes two weeks after the Derby with the winner’s purse of $120,000. [Read Complete Post Here]

Winter Memories Returns

When last we saw Winter Memories the striking grey daughter of El Prado was crossing the line second behind More than Real after a challenging trip as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Now after more than five months away from the races the impressive filly will make her highly anticipated debut Thursday at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes against a deep field. In early September of 2010 Winter Memories exploded onto the scene with a stunning maiden victory on the Saratoga turf. After rating well off the pace she worked her way through on the inside of horses to reach contention at the head of the stretch, bursting through a small seam on the rail to win going away, easily the best. Exactly one month later she made the jump from maiden ranks straight to graded stakes company in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr.3) at Belmont Park. She turned the race into an absolute rout, coming from well off the pace to circle the field five wide into the stretch and rolling home under a strong drive to win by five lengths. She was subsequently a heavy favorite to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr.2) but failed to win after finally breaking free of traffic in the stretch too late to catch More than Real who flew home to win impressively. Leading Kentucky Oaks contender Kathmanblu finished a fast closing third by a neck behind Winter Memories. Winter Memories has posted eight works so far this year ranging in distance from 3 to 6 furlongs. Her latest move was a slow :51.90 four furlong move. She will be facing 13 other fillies on Thursday in the Appalachian and most notably among them will be Ruthenia, Smart Sting and New Normal.

Ruthenia is a full sister to graded stakes winner Rutherienne and is undefeated in two lifetime starts that came on the turf last year. She could go off as the second favorite off the strength of her two Belmont wins and has the services of esteemed turf trainer Christophe Clement. She has posted two slow four furlong moves in preparation for her 2011 debut.

Smart Sting is another filly who is undefeated in both her lifetime starts and will be making her second start of 2011 after winning an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 16th. She posted a solid five furlong work at Keeneland on April 12th that went in 1:00.40 and most recently went four furlongs in :48.40.

New Normal finished 8th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf far behind More than Real and Winter Memories. She previously had won the Natalma Stakes (gr.3) at Woodbine on September 18 in front running fashion, defeating More than Real in the process. She’s entering the Appalachian off a bullet :46.20 four furlong work at Keeneland that ranked as the fastest of 48 works at the distance.

For the sake of time I wasn’t able to handicap the entire field so I will be rooting for Winter Memories purely from a fan’s point of view. I loved her last year and hope to see her return to the winners circle again with a eye-catching turn of foot. I also really liked Ruthenia last year but I think Winter Memories is a little ahead of her in the game right now.

17 Days and Counting: The Novel Nine

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Just two weeks and four short days remain until the running of the 137^th Kentucky Oaks on Friday May 6th at Churchill Downs. In stark contrast to the current disarray that the three-year-old male division finds itself in with heavy Derby favorites falling by the way side left and right, the three-year-old filly division remains stronger than ever and appears to be headed for one of the deepest Oaks fields in modern history. With less than three weeks remaining to the most prestigious race in the nation for sophomore fillies and very few legitimate preps lingering on the horizon the hard part now comes down to sorting out the colorful cast of talented fillies all aiming for their chance at racing immortality.

Just two race went off this weekend with the potential to advance a legitimate Kentucky Oaks contender. The Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland was easily the premier three-year-old filly race of the weekend. The seven furlong race was won by five effortless length by Turbulent Descent but trainer Mike Puype has made it clear his charge will bypass the Kentucky Oaks in favor of the nation’s premier filly sprint races with her next goal being the Acorn Stakes (gr.1) at Belmont on June 11^th. Grade 1 winner Tell A Kelly last of five in the Beaumont Stakes in her three-year-old debut, showing none of her usual late kick.

The Instant Racing Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday served as the other legitimate Kentucky Oaks prep over the weekend with the Bob Baffert trained May Day Rose winning the 1 mile race in front running fashion over a solid field of fillies that included Dixie City, Hearts On Fire, Tapit Dancer and Scarlet Mist. The Grade 3 winning filly finished 4^th behind Zazu, Turbulent Descent and Plum Pretty in the Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr.1) and 5^th in the Santa Anita Oaks (Gr.1) behind Turbulent Descent and Zazu once again before winning the Instant Racing. She ran the mile in a solid time of 1:38.25 after relaxing well on the front end under jockey Martin Garcia. It’s unclear whether or not she will participate in the Kentucky Oaks but word should be out in a couple of days from Bob Baffert on what the plan for the filly will be.  [Read the complete Novel Nine post here at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation]

Smooth Win by Turbulent Descent in the Beaumont

Trainer Mike Puype could wind up looking like a genius by year’s end if Turbulent Descent continues to dominate her competition the way she has in five of her six lifetime starts. After finishing her juvenile season undefeated in three starts including the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet many people had the talented daughter of Congrats pegged as an early Kentucky Oaks favorite. She began 2011 with a solid second place finish to Zazu in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes, appearing a bit short in her three-year-old debut. In her second start she returned to winning form, holding off Zazu for a comfortable win in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr.1) on March 5^th. That win once again had people briefly talking Kentucky Oaks before Mike Puype put those aspirations to rest. After the Santa Anita Derby he stated his star filly would bypass the Kentucky Oaks in favor of shorter, one turn sprint races that he felt his she would thrive on and possible be even better at.

Apparently he was right, as Turbulent Descent romped to victory in her first start outside of California on Sunday, winning Keeneland’s Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes by 5 lengths with just a couple of taps from the whip. After tracking the pace in third position in the closely bunched field of five, Turbulent Descent moved up willingly on the far turn to take command entering the stretch. From that point on it was just a matter of how far she wanted to win by as she steadily opened up with little urging, crossing the finish line five lengths the best. She completed the Beaumont’s 7 furlongs in a solid time of 1:26.12 over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface. [Read the complete post here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

Seeing Golden Arch's in the Arkansas Derby

After watching the Arkansas Derby I’m beginning to question whether or not I really know anything about handicapping horse races or not. Everything in racing and especially the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown trail is so fragile, the circumstances and situations can change in the blink of an eye. Once you think you might have something figured out another bombshell gets dropped and that’s exactly what happened at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

In front of a packed house of more than 62,000 fans and spectators the field for the Arkansas Derby marched past the stands in the post parade, a field 13 talented three year olds all shooting for a chance to enter the Run for the Roses. As I sat watching the post parade it struck me how many of the contenders appeared to be thriving. Sway Away looked amazing warming up for the race and I was certain he was ready to run big, I even tweeted “Sway Away looks amazing in the post parade.” Brethren, Alternation, Elite Alex and Nehro also gave an excellent appearance. The Factor appeared kinds of dull to me in the Post Parade so I tossed him right away and made Sway Away, Brethren and Nehro my to three choices.

As the field lined up to enter the gate Dance City, in post position number eight but breaking from nine spots off the rail, began to act up as he was led to the gate. Kicking and bucking, the Todd Pletcher entry held up the race for the longest few minutes of the day, finally loading after numerous attempts. The Oaklawn gate crew did a stellar job handling the situation, allowing Dance City to calm down on his own without getting the horses already loaded stirred up.

Once the gates sprang it appeared The Factor was shooting straight out to his customary position on the front but from the far outside J P’s Gusto stormed up and seized the lead by more than a length under the wire for the first time with Dance City moving up quickly to overtake The Factor in second. Down the backstretch J P’s Gusto was winging it out on the front end, posting fractions of :22.54 for the opening quarter and running the half in :46.53 with the rest of the field a length behind and staying well within striking distance. As they approached the far turn J P’s Gusto was overtaken by a three horse sweep, led by Dance City with The Factor and Sway Away to his outside. Sway Away was moving the best and surged to the lead under a vigorous hand ride, looking like a serious threat even with such an early move. From behind Archarcharch swept past horses on the outside and moved into third as the The Factor faded and Nehro came charging from between horses in the middle of the pack. Down the stretch Sway Away began to tire quickly after his premature move and Dance City came back at him along the rail to take the lead once again, but on the outside Archarcharch was closing ground like a well-oiled machine. Within a matter of strides Archarcharch easily overtook Dance City but from behind Nehro was moving best of all, eating up the ground with giant strides on the grandstand side as they neared the wire.

Under the line Archarcharch barely managed to hold off Nehro by a neck with Dance City just over a length back in third and Sway Away 1 ½ lengths back in fourth. The Factor faded badly in the stretch to finish seventh as the heavy favorite. Trainer Bob Baffert said after the race that he believed the War Front colt had displaced his palate. I’m always impressed with how accurate Gary Stevens is when analyzing the race before post time and this time he was right on calling J P’ Gusto as the pacesetter with the addition of blinkers and stating that the entire makeup of the race would turn upside down if The Factor didn’t make the lead. With J P’s Gusto taking the lead right from the start with Dance City second it appeared to take The Factor completely out of his comfort zone, but who knows if he ran poorly because of the palate displacement or distance limitations. I’m not sure how to decipher The Factor’s poor showing but I suspect we’ll know more in a few days after Baffert has had some time to analyze the situation and sort things out.

Archarcharch, who won the Southwest Stakes in February before finishing third in the Rebel Stakes behind The Factor, will be shipping to Churchill Downs the beginning of next week to continue preparations for the Kentucky Derby.

The horse I was most impressed with in the Arkansas Derby was Nehro who easily outran his prerace odds to finish second by a neck and had so much momentum behind his finishing drive that he galloped out more the 5 lengths ahead of Archarcharch by the time they went into the turn past the wire. The Arkansas Derby marks the second consecutive time this colt has finished second by less than half a length after just missing in last month’s Louisiana Derby with a similar late run. He keeps improving and will be a strong contender in the classics over the next couple of months if that is where his connections decide to go.

What in the world was jockey Patrick Valenzuela thinking sending Sway Away to the lead so early under such a strong drive. He was a little rank early on but had settled nicely by the time the field was mid-way down the backstretch in a perfect stalking position. He still showed a tremendous drive as he entered the stretch but tired badly which is understandable after his half-way descent run in the Rebel probably left him a little short. He’ll still be an intriguing option in the Kentucky Derby.

I think it’s safe to say goodbye to Brethren on the Road to the Roses. He presented a great image in the post parade but faded like a spring flower in June down the stretch, finishing third to last in 11^th.

Alternation ran a good race to finish 5^th after a huge rally from dead last that he began just a little too late. This was only his fifth lifetime start and snapped his three race winning streak. His graded earnings won’t be enough to get him in the Derby but keep an eye on this son of Distorted Humor to make some noise in the 3-year-old male ranks later on in the season.

Dance City was entered to try and keep The Factor's speed in check but wound up running the best race of his young career for Todd Pletcher. He will an interesting runner to watch down the road as he continues to progress.

Returns in the Arkansas Derby were phenomenal with Archarcharch as the 8^th betting choice returning $416.80 exacta and a $1 trifecta worth $5,282.90. The superfecta returned a whopping $29,993.80.

The Arkansas Derby and Commander

The Arkansas Derby (gr.1) looks like The Factor’s race to lose but I’ve been burned too much in the last couple of weeks by favorites (Wood Memorial and Ashland Stakes anyone?) to play this one without any angles. With that being said I think The Factor is the class of this field and is poised to run big. In his last start the Bob Baffert trainee won the Rebel Stakes (gr.2) by six lengths, earning a 103 Beyer for his front running effort. The Rebel was his second straight Grade 2 victory after he captured the San Vicente in similar run away fashion. It is well documented that The Factor is an unratable speed ball who will be gunning for the lead right from the start. With 13 horses in the Arkansas Derby field he will have much tougher time setting the pace on his own terms.

Brethren’s star has probably fallen farther than any former leading Kentucky Derby candidate this year after his lackluster third place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr.2). After winning the first three starts of his career with impressive ease the bay colt failed to live up to expectations against a weak field in the Tampa Bay Derby. Trainer Todd Pletcher has decided to add blinkers to help Brethren focus in the Arkansas Derby, feeling that his charge lost focus when he got to the lead in the Tampa Bay Derby. He has fired off two five furlong bullets at Palm Meadows Training Center, the last move he completed in a fantastic time of :59.00 flat. It seems like he could be a little out of his element running against such a competitive field after failing so badly against a weak field last time but he’s been training much better for this race than he did for his last so don’t be surprised if he bounces back with a stronger run.

Sway Away was last seen finishing a troubled 6^th in the Rebel Stakes (gr.2) after smashing into the side of the gate at the break and knocking out some teeth. Before the Rebel Stakes Sway Away produced one of the most impressive late runs displayed by a three-year-old colt this year to finish second to The Factor in the San Vicente (gr.2). He has breezed twice over the Oaklawn dirt track in preparation for the Arkansas Derby. His last move, a six furlong move he completed in a final time of 1:12.60 came one week after he worked five furlongs in less than a minute. He should be ready to come back with a much stronger run than his incident-filled Rebel run suggests, he is a lot better than his six place finish there.

Alternation rides a three race win streak in the Arkansas Derby. On January 15^th Alternation defeated fellow Arkansas Derby contestant Elite Alex in an Allowance race at Oaklawn Park by a head after a stretch long battle that resulted in a three-way photo finish. He has a pedigree to die for on both sides of his family as a son of Distorted Humor and his dam, Alternate, is a daughter of Seattle Slew. His last two works at the 5 and 6 furlong distance have been easy moves that border on slow but despite that he could make an impact in the Arkansas Derby as he has proven his class at Oaklawn two time now.

Because of time restraints I won’t be able to write about the other three colts I want to keep an eye on Saturday, Elite Alex, Archarcharch and J P’s Gusto. Of those three Elite and Alex will enter off a speedy 6 furlong work completed in 1:11.60. If Calvin Borel finally gives him a good ride this colt will be heard from big time. J P’s Gusto enters off a sizzling 5 furlong work he finished in :58.60 to earn the bullet. If that April 9^th work doesn’t have him sharp for the Arkansas Derby I’m not sure what will.

Before I take off I have to make mention of a colt I think could be poised to become a major force amongst the sophomore ranks. In the January 15^th allowance race that Alternation won by a head over Elite Alex the Larry Jones trained Commander finished another neck back in third. Commander has one of the most fluid strides in a horse I have ever witnessed, it’s truly a thing of beauty. I remember reading Larry Jones saying that he believed this colt could be one of the best of this crop if he would only stop goofing off in his races. Jones feels Commander is just like a teenager out for a run with his buddies when he runs his races but he was finally able to get the colt to focus in his last start when he won an allowance race after swerving to the inside behind the two leaders at the top of the stretch, being righted by Calvin Borel, then swerving in sharply again before finally angling to the outside and winning in a casual hand ride. He runs Saturday at Oaklawn in the 1 mile Northern Spur Stakes.

Descending to the Beaumont Stakes

Keenland has been hosting some very exciting race that feature top class fields this season and they look to continue that trend on Sunday when a field of six three-year-old fillies lines up to compete in the 26^th edition of the Beaumont Stakes (gr.2). While the 7 furlong Beaumont has not proven to be a particularly impacting Kentucky Oaks prep in recent years there are several fillies worthy of Oaks consideration running this year.

Two time Grade 1 winner Turbulent Descent heads the field and will no doubt be the over whelming favorite off the strength of her four lifetime wins. Turbulent Descent began the year in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr.1) but finished second, proving to be no match for leading Kentucky Oaks contender Zazu. In her second start of the year she held off a fast closing Zazu in the 1 1/16 mile Santa Anita Oaks (gr.1), winning by a neck in a thrilling stretch drive. Despite her impressive score in the Santa Anita Oaks trainer Mike Puype announced his star filly would be pointed for the Nation’s premier sprint races, stating that his filly is at her best in one turn races. She should have little trouble handling the quality of the Beaumont field after having run in three straight Grade 1 races against some of the best fillies in training. Turbulent Descent will break from post position six and shares top weight of 123 pounds with Grade 1 winner Tell A Kelly. She has turned in four excellent works ranging from four to five furlongs in preparation for the Beaumont. [Continue reading the complete post here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

WRRB: A Little Bit of Everything

 

It’s recap time once again and this week was filled with headliner’s from the outset of last Thursday. To begin with Stay Thirsty and Shackleford arrived at Churchill Downs on April 7^th to continue preparations for expected runs in the Kentucky Derby. Both colts seem to have exited their respective runs in the Florida Derby (gr.1) on April 3^rd in excellent shape. Shackleford ran a terrific race to hold on for second by a nose after setting the pace, just failing to hold off Dialed In for the last few strides. Gotham Stakes (gr.3) winner Stay Thirsty finished a dull 7^th in the Florida Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher but his connections are hopeful that with four good weeks until the Derby he will return to form.

Premier Pegasus was officially removed from Triple Crown consideration on Thursday after a hairline fracture was discovered in his left front cannon bone. This was a huge blow to the sizable PrePeg fan base after the talented colt won the Sal Felipe Stakes (gr.2) by almost 8 lengths and was scheduled to run in the Santa Anita Derby (gr.1) where he was expected to be heavily favored. The son of Fusaichi Pegasus will miss about two months of training. He has been training in spectacular fashion for the Santa Anita Derby and it’s not hard to imagine that he would have been a heavy Kentucky Derby favorite with a win after Uncle Mo’s failed Wood Memorial run.

Less than 24 hours after the announced removal of Premier Pegasus from the Derby trail came the news that graded stakes winner To Honor and Serve had strained his left foreleg’s suspensory ligament and was also out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby. Last year the son of Bernardinai won the Remsen (gr.2) and Nashua Stakes (gr.2) to become one of the early Kentucky Derby favorites. He began his three-year-old campaign with a third place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr.2) and followed that up with another third place finish in the Florida Derby (gr.1) on April 3^rd. I really liked To Honor and Serve last year but had strong doubts the Bernardini colt would be able to win classic distance races.

If the loss of Premier Pegasus wasn’t enough of a blow to the Santa Anita Derby this year the race lost its second straight favorite when the Bob Baffert trained Jaycito was scratched from the race after battling a foot bruise for several days. A distance second behind Premier Pegasus in the San Felipe Stakes in his three-year-old debut, Jaycito will now aim for the April 23^rd Lexington Stakes (gr.2) as his final Kentucky Derby prep.

 

[caption id="attachment_1361" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="A. P. Indy - Anne M. Eberhardt"][/caption]

One of the most influential sires of the modern day, the great A. P. Indy has been pensioned after failing to impregnate any of the mares he was bred to this year. In his stellar stud career the son of Seattle Slew has sired more than 135 stakes winners. His most famous offspring include 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, 2006 Three Year Old Champion Male Bernardini and Rags To Riches, 2007 Champion Three Year Old Filly and the first filly in over a century to win the Belmont Stakes. The 22 year old stallion’s legacy will be carried on through sons Bernardini, Mineshaft and Malibu Moon and his grandson Tapit, all of whom have shown great potential in the breeding shed.

 

Mucho Macho Man turned in a bullet five furlong work at Gulfstream Park on April 9^th when he blazed over the track to post a final time of :58 1/5. The large bay colt lost a shoe at the start of the Louisiana Derby (gr.2) and finished third as the favorite in a decidedly uncharacteristic performance. The son of Macho Uno is looking strong less than four weeks away from the Kentucky Derby.

 

[caption id="attachment_1362" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Morning Line - Coglianese Photos "][/caption]

Morning Line was finally able to earn his Grade 1 stakes victory on April 9^th at Aqueduct in the Carter Handicap. The 4-year-old Tiznow colt has had some tough-luck finishes in his ten race career, but none as heartbreaking as his head defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr.1) last November. In the Carter Morning Line sat just behind the blazing early pace set by Sunrise Smarty before moving up as the field entered the homestretch and running down Apriority to register a 1 ½ length victory in a splendid time of 1:21.46. Trainer Nick Zito was very happy after the race stating that Morning Line has suffered two heartbreaking defeats in the both the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the Donn Handicap (gr.1) earlier in the year.

 

After Shakleford almost took the Florida Derby field on the front end at odds of better than 60-1 two weeks ago Lilacs and Lace did her best to produce a follow up act, taking the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes in front running fashion at odds of 48-1 in a shocking upset. Favored Kathmanblu finished third in her first try on Polytrack and Dancinginherdreams finished a shocking 9^th. Versatile filly Wyomia finished a strong second. All four fillies appear to be headed for the Kentucky Oaks next.

Win Willy has an uncanny affinity for Oaklawn Park and used that affinity to his advantage on April 9^th when he posted a surprising upset over favored Misremembered it the $350,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr.2). The 5-year-old son of Monarchos came flying from last in the stretch to overtake Misremembered for a 1 length victory.

Sometime you just can’t stop a Baffert trainer horse in the Kentucky Derby preps and Baffert proved once again on April 9^th that he knows better than anyone how to win the big preps when maiden winner Midnight Interlude came from far back to win the Santa Anita Derby by a head over Comma to the Top. This marks Baffert’s 6^th win in the Santa Anita Derby (gr.1). The winner showed tremendous ability when he was impeded in the stretch twice by Comma to the Top drifting out into his path, but despite checking sharply both time Midnight Interlude still got up for the win.

 

Fabulous Strike is back and man and I glad to see this classy sprinter returned to his winning way once again. After more than 18 months on the sidelines during which time the 8-year-old Smart Strike gelding underwent stem cell therapy for a tendon problem, Fabulous Strike returned a winner by 2 lengths in a six furlong allowance race at Penn National Race Course on April 9^th. He has won 12 stakes races to date and won or finished second in 20 of his 25 lifetime starts. I can’t wait to see what kind of season he puts together this year.

 

Toby’s Corner posted the biggest surprise of the weekend by far when he came flying late to overtake Uncle Mo and long shot Arthur’s Tale to win the Wood Memorial (Gr.1) at Aqueduct in front of a stunned crowd. Toby’s Corner is now under consideration for the Kentucky Derby needless to say. Uncle Mo had many questions to answer in his second race of the year and sadly did not produce the answers fans were expecting. With the presence of Uncle Mo in the race the Wood Memorial saw huge gains in both on-track handle and attendance. More than 12,000 came out to see the champion race, a huge increase from the 8,553 that came out for the 2010 running.

While the Wood Memorial and Santa Anita were subject to shocking results the Fantasy Stakes was run exactly as it appeared on paper. Joyful Victory looked far superior to her competition with the possible exception of Arienza and left little doubt as to who the best horse in the race was, running off to a 7 length hand-ridden victory. She will undoubtedly be one of the favorites in the Kentucky Oaks along with R Heat Lightning and Kathmanblu.

Evening Jewel returns to action today at Keeneland in the 7 furlong Vinery Madison Stakes.

Victory and Lace: The Novel Nine

The Wood Memorial may have been the most shocking upset of the season but Lilacs and Lace did her best to steal the spotlight this weekend with a 48-1 upset in the Ashland Stakes (gr.1) at Keeneland on Saturday. In a field that included heavy favorite Kathmanblu as well as multiple graded stakes winner Dancinginherdreams and Wyomia, Delightful Mary and Bouquet Booth, it was Lilacs and Lace who led almost gate-to-wire for the win.

Entering off a 4^th place thrashing in the Bourbonette Stakes (gr.3) behind Summer Soiree, Lilacs and Lace broke quickly form the gate and outgunned both Delightful Mary and Bouquet Booth for the lead. Kathmanblu and Dancinginherdreams raced side by side towards the rear of the tightly bunched field as Lilacs and Led them through an opening quarter in :24.04. Down the backstretch Kathmanblu moved up to sixth position with Dancinginherdreams second last. On the front end Lilacs and Lace continued to move comfortably under jockey Javier Castellano, Delightful Mary just a half length behind to her outside with Excited and Bouquet Booth close behind. Wyomia and Kathmanblu ran in fifth and sixth respectively, just noses apart as the field continued through a half in :47.95. Lilacs and Lace began to edge clear of Delightful Mary as she led the pack into the far turn.

Midway around the turn Kathmanblu began to close with a rush, moving up along the outside of horses as Wyomia cut through the middle of the pack to move into second coming off the turn. Lilacs and Lace held a one length advantage over Wyomia as the field thundered into the homestretch. From behind Kathmanblu was now just a length behind Wyomia and under a full drive. With a few taps of the whip Lilacs and Lace opened up by two lengths on Wyomia at the top of the stretch, Kathmanblu appeared to be struggling to make up ground on the front two as she raced down the middle of the track. With less than a furlong remaining Wyomia began to make up ground once again, cutting the lead Lilacs and Lace had extended down to just one length at the wire with Kathmanblu two lengths back in third.

The winner sports a record of 3 wins in her last five starts and is obviously getting better. Her win in the Ashland goes a long way in flattering the form of Summer Soiree who soundly defeated Lilacs and Lace in the 1 mile Bourbonette last month.

Kathmanblu appeared to tire slightly in her first start on Polytrack after beginning a strong run in the stretch. She should benefit from a fitness standpoint and will be going into the Oaks with massive amounts of foundation and conditioning.

Wyomia ran a great race to finish second and has to now be considered a serious Kentucky Oaks contender. She possesses a terrific closing kick and appears to be able to launch her best run from far back, mid-pack or just off the pace.

Dancinginherdreams finished a shocking last in the Ashland after failing to run a single competitive step in the race. Ever since her Forward Gal miss she has been moving backwards in each race. Either something is physically wrong with her or she has just lost the will to win. [Read the complete post here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

Joyful Victory Cruises in the Fantasy Stakes

Once again a filly showed up the boys as the weekend stakes action reached a climax with Champion Two Year Old Male Uncle Mo failing in his last Derby prep and the Santa Anita Derby field reduced to mostly second tier performers. It looks like Larry Jones retained the best of his sophomore fillies when Summer Soiree was transferred from his barn after a sale to Team Valor and Honeybee Stakes (gr.3) victor Joyful Victory remained behind.

Returning to Oaklawn Park just one month after romping home by more than 8 lengths in the Honeybee Stakes (gr.3), Joyful Victory turned in yet another brilliant performance to defeat Arienza by a pole in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes. As the field of four broke from the gate in the 1 1/16 mile test longshot Explosive Disco quickly overtook Arienza to take control of the lead. Joyful Victory broke sharply from the inside post and immediately settled in comfortably behind the two frontrunners under jockey Mike Smith. Honeybee Stakes runner up Holy Heavens took up her customary position at the back of the field, far behind the rest. Around the first turn Explosive Disco opened up by a length on Arienza, running the first quarter in a solid :22.89 with Joyful Victory another two lengths back and Holy Heavens four lengths farther behind. Down the backstretch Explosive Disco continued to pour it on as Arienza, Joyful Victory and Holy Heavens all began to edge closer to the lead. The half mile went in a rapid :46.60 with a length separating each contender from the next. [Read the complete post here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

Turning a Corner in the Wood Memorial

One of the biggest upsets in the history of the Wood Memorial (gr.1) took place on Saturday at Aqueduct racetrack when Uncle Mo posted the first loss of his brilliant career, finishing third in front of more than 12,000 stunned fans.

In my first visit to Aqueduct I was prepared to witness history in the making, prepared to watch Uncle Mo romp home in the Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial (gr.1) amidst a flurry of joyful celebration. I had played out a thousand different scenarios in my mind of what would happen when Uncle Mo turned in another spectacular victory on his way to the Kentucky Derby as one of the shortest priced favorites in recent history.

For a short while my Uncle Mo daydreams were alive and well. As I leaned over the rail, eyes glued to the champion approaching me on his way to the paddock, the crowd noticeably began to buzz, shouts of “Go Mo” began to fill the air. I snapped at least eight different shots as Uncle Mo passed by my location, shouting encouragement here and there between shots. Sadly the exhilaration did not last long.

As the gates burst open Uncle Mo shot forward and grabbed a quarter but didn’t miss a beat getting to the front of the pack. As the field thundered into the first turn Uncle Mo held a short lead over Duca with Starship Caesar close behind. Toby’s Corner ran in sixth as Uncle Mo posted the opening quarter mile in :23.49. Traveling down the backstretch the champion held sway, getting the half mile in a comfortable :47.98 as the field bunched up close behind. Uncle Mo still led as they entered the far turn and held a narrow advantage as they straightened into the stretch. With the wire now in sight John Velasquez set Uncle Mo down for the task at hand and Uncle Mo responded, opening up by one length. The crowd went wild as it appeared for an instant that he would pull away to post his fifth lifetime win and remain undefeated, but from well back longshot Arthur’s Tale made a bold run on the far outside to quickly seize the lead. Toby’s Corner meanwhile had shot up from mid-pack and drove between Uncle Mo and Arthur’s Tale to get up for the win by a neck.

Shocked doesn’t come close to expressing how surprising Uncle Mo’s huge upset was. He was supposed to be the next "great one" and in less than 2 minutes the picture perfect hero had collapsed like a house of cards hit by a summer breeze.

How does this now affect the Kentucky Derby picture? If The Factor wins the Arkansas Derby he will most likely become the Derby favorite but for now it’s Dialed In who most likely takes over the role as favorite. I have decided not to lose faith in Uncle Mo after just one loss. After only two 4 furlong works to prepare for a 9 furlong race Uncle Mo finished just 1 ¼ lengths behind Toby’s Corner, who has to now be considered a serious Derby contender. He obviously was short and needed more conditioning to run his best race, plus I’m sure the quarter grabbing didn’t help. He will need some sharp works before the Derby to run his best race at 10 furlongs. Hopefully Pletcher will have his star ready to run the race of his life on the first Saturday in May and give him some serious workouts in the mornings. No more of this 4 furlong nonsense if Uncle Mo is to stand any chance of running a competitive race in the Derby.

Below are some of the pictures I was able to take at Aqueduct on Saturday. Unfortunately I put it on the wrong setting for some of the pictures so some turned out slightly blurry and bright but I’ll post them anyway.[polldaddy poll=4887918]

 

[caption id="attachment_1312" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Glickman wins Race #2"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1313" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Kensei - 4th place finisher in The Carter"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1314" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Yawanna Twist - 3rd Place finisher in The Carter"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1315" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Aproirity - 2nd place finisher in The Carter"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1316" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Morning Line - Winner of The Carter"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1317" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Morning Line"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1318" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Toby's Corner"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1319" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="The Champ Himself"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1320" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Uncle Mo"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1321" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="In the gate for the Wood"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1322" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And They're Off!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1340" align="aligncenter" width="491" caption="Uncle Mo"][/caption]

Dreaming of the Ashland and Uncle Mo

This Saturday I will be heading to Aqueduct for my first in-person look at Uncle Mo in the $1 million Wood Memorial. I'll be taking a camera that I can hopefully capture some good shots with and will be posting about the race hopefully on Sunday. Until then check out my new post from Horse Racing Nation below on the Ashland Stakes (gr.) which is bursting at the seams with talent:

If the Florida Derby was touted as the deepest Kentucky Derby prep of the season for the colts than the $400,000 Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes is certainly the deepest filly prep of the year for the Kentucky Oaks. Entered in the premier race for 3-year-old fillies are no less than 4 graded stakes winners.

If the quality of the field was weighed in on scales as they stand in the gate, the scales would flip over towards the inside rail.

Breaking from post position number one is Grade 3 winner Bouquet Booth who will be making her third start of the year for trainer Steve Margolis. She began her 2011 campaign with a solid win in the SIlverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, winning by a neck over future Fair Grounds Oaks winner Daisy Devine. She closed out her juvenile year with a win in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (Gr.3) where she handily defeated Niji’s Grand Girl. She finished fourth to Kathmanblu and Inglorious in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr.3) after making a move at the top of the stretch that flattened out, snapping her three race win streak. She has posted three 5 furlong works since her Rachel Alexandra Stakes run, each one faster than the last with her latest move coming in 1:00.00 at Keeneland. She figures to be very close to the pace or on the lead.

Lilacs and Lace will break from post position two. She started the year with a 1 ½ length victory over Cathy’s Crunches in a super slow California Oaks and then finished fourth behind Summer Soiree in the Bourbonette Oaks on March 26^th. She has not posted any works since her Bourbonette Oaks thrashing two weeks ago and will have to pick up her game to be competitive in the 1 1/16 mile Ashland.

Wyomia breaks from post position three. Last year Wyomia won the 1 1/16 mile Mazarine Stakes (gr.3) over Woodbine’s all weather surface on the front end in a very impressive performance Turning back the challenge of Delightful Mary at the head of the stretch, Wyomia powered to a 2 ¾ length win in the Mazarine. She closed out her 2010 juvenile campaign with a 6^th place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr.1) before opening up 2011 with a win in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where she showed a new dimension. During her juvenile campaign the Vindication filly liked to be on the front end or contesting the lead but in the Suncoast she rated far off the pace before moving up as they field entered the homestretch, sweeping around fillies before darting to the inside of horses and running down Devilish Lady at the wire to win by a head in a hand ride. If either one of the favorites falter in the Ashland this filly could easily be there to pick up the pieces and become a serious Kentucky Oaks contender. [Read the complete post here at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation]

WRRB: Race Recaps and More

Inherit the Gold is becoming as valuable as his name suggests after the 5-year-old gelding won his fifth consecutive victory on Saturday at Aqueduct when he powered home to a 6 ¼ length win in the Excelsior Stakes (gr.3). Inherit the Gold made his graded stakes debut in the Excelsior as he rated under a snug hold in second behind a slow pace set by Understatement. As the field entered the stretch the striking grey moved up eagerly to take the lead under a vigorous hand ride by jockey Eddie Castro. From there he opened up by two lengths, running strongly and continuing to accelerate. He extended his lead to more than six lengths with a few taps from the whip before waltzing under the line in a flash of white. Final time for the 1 1/8 mile race was a fairly slow 1:50.34 but the time was of little consequence as the gelding finished well within himself.

The Rampart Stakes (gr.3) on Saturday was all about Awesome Maria. One of the quickest into stride out of the gate Awesome Maria rated comfortably off the pace set by Persuading in third with Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic victory Unrivaled Belle a length between in second. As the field entered the far turn of the 1 1/8 mile race Awesome Maria made a bold move on the outside, seizing the lead mid-way through the first turn. Entering the stretch the 4-year-old homebred filly began to extend her lead under a hand ride by jockey John Velazquez. She was 3 lengths in front at the 1/8 pole and by the time she crossed the wire she was 8 lengths ahead of second place finisher Successful Song. She is now undefeated in two starts this year and has won two race in-a-row, both Grade 3’s. Surprisingly not much has been made of Awesome Maria’s second consecutive romp, probably due to the fact that R Heat Lightning and Dialed In stole most of the headlines over the weekend and Uncle Mo is stealing all the rest. She really is a vastly improved filly this year and should be considered one of the top three older females so far this year.

Without Flashpoint to contest the 7 furlong Grade 2 Swale Stakes Travelin Man made easy work of the five horse field, winning the $147,000 contest by an easy two lengths. After rating in second just behind pacesetting Razmataz, Travelin Man moved up mid-turn, took the lead and never looked back, winning under jockey John Velazqeuz in a hand ride with an excellent final time of 1:21.94. The Swale was only the third start of the Trippi colts career. He sports a record of two wins and one second. It will be interesting to see how good he gets as the year progresses if he’s already finished second and won in Grade 2 races this early on in his career.

The Appleton Stakes has always been a personal favorite of mine seeing as it shares the same name as my last name. I’ve told everyone that will listen that I would love to own a horse someday that could run in the race and win. This year’s edition was my favorite edition by far since I began watching it back in 2007. Little Mike led gate-to-wire in the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes for his third graded stakes score of the meet, winning by one length over Riviera Cocktail with Asphalt a neck back in third.

S. S. Stone posted an easy win in the Grade 3 1 3/16 mile Skip Away Stakes on Sunday to remain undefeated in four starts at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old son of Birdstone came from just off the pace to take command of the field in the homestretch, motoring home to win by two lengths. Jackson Bend ran on well to take second by a length over favored Colizeo after drifting out badly in the homestretch but he was no match for the winner. I love Jackson Bend, he was one of my favorite 3-year-old colts last year but after taking a break after running third in the Preakness Stakes, he finished unplaced in four consecutive starts. Here’s to hoping he launches a winning campaign from here on out.

Amazombie produced a stellar effort in the Potrero Grande Stakes (gr.2) to outfight Captain Cherokee in a furious stretch drive at Santa Anita Park on Sunday, winning by a head. Over a deep field that included Crown of Thorns, M One Rifle, Atta Boy Roy and Ventana, Amazombie raced just off the pace set by M One Rifle in 6^th before moving in tandem with Captain Cherokee to overtake the leaders shortly after entering the homestretch. From there the two contestants battled head and head to the wire, with Amazombie gaining a slight advantage before the wire. Race favorite Crown of Thorns finished 7^th in his first start since last October’s Goodwood Stakes (gr.1).

Peppers Pride gave birth to a beautiful chestnut filly by Distorted Humor on February 19^th it was announced on March 31^st. Along with Zenyatta Peppers Pride holds the modern day record for the most consecutive wins by an American thoroughbred racehorse, retiring undefeated in 19 races.

Speaking of Zenyatta the immensely popular 2010 Horse of the Year was honored with the 2011 William H. May Award by the Association of Racing Commissioners International. The award is presented to an individual or group that has given “meritorious service” to the horse racing industry. This is the first time the honor has been awarded to an equine athlete.

R Heat Lightning and the Novel Nine

The 137^th Kentucky Oaks on May 6^th is stacking up to be one of the deepest and most diverse fields in history. Of the nine fillies on today’s list six are graded stakes winners, three have posted consecutive wins, 7 have never finished off the board in their last three starts and one is undefeated. I’ve been doing some serious analyzing of these nine fillies races over the weekend in an effort to rank them as fairly as possible. As I result I think I was able to compile a much more accurate list than last week but it was still tough deciding on the top three spots.

[Read to complete Novel Nine here at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation!]

Resounding Dial-tone in the Florida Derby

There is no question now; Dialed In is one of the best 3-year-old colts in the land after his impressive Florida Derby score over the deepest Kentucky Derby prep field of the year. Already the Mineshaft colt has won two graded stakes races in less than 3 months in only four lifetime starts for trainer Nick Zito and owner Robert LaPlenta.

Over a Gulfstream Park dirt strip that had been speed-favoring all day, Dialed In closed from dead last to capture the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Florida Derby. On the far outside of the 8 horse field, Flashpoint was expected to contest the early pace but was outrun early to the first turn by To Honor and Serve, Arch Traveler and Shackleford. Within a matter of strides jockey Julien Leparoux had Dialed In angled to the inside rail dead last, about four lengths behind the field. Halfway around the far turn Shackleford moved up along the outside of To Honor and Serve to take a narrow lead with Flashpoint right behind. Soldat sat just behind the leaders on the rail in fifth with Stay Thirsty to his outside and Bowman’s Causeway a half length behind.

Down the backstretch Dialed In was running well within himself, about 14 lengths off the solid pace set Shackelford who had run an opening quarter in :23.30. After a half in :46.35 Shackleford and To Honor and Serve began to pick up the pace with Flashpoint moving closer up as the field approached the far turn. From the back of the pack Dialed In began to roll, picking off horses with little urging from Julien Leparoux, his sights set solidly on the leaders. As they approached the top of the stretch it was still 68-1 shot Shacklford in front. To Honor and Serve tried to hold on as they swept into the stretch but began to weaken as Dialed In came flying from behind, now only 5 lengths from the front and still under a hand ride. With the stands now a bedlam of noise Dialed In continued to close with a fury, but there was no quit in Shackleford.

The wire loomed ahead as Shackleford’s lead quickly diminished beneath the unrelenting onslaught that Dialed In had unleashed. Blazing under the line it was Dialed in by a head with Shackleford running the race of his life in second. To Honor and Serve once again finished third after fading in the stretch. It was one length back to Flashpoint in fourth. Soldat, Arch Traveler, Stay Thirsty and Bowman’s Causeway completed the order of finish.

Gulfstream Park has been playing well to speed horses all season and it’s an immense show of Dialed In’s ability that he was able to overcome the track bias and defeat this high class field with such relative ease. Shackleford, To Honor and Serve and Flashpoint all contested the early lead and all finished in the money while Soldat and Stay Thirsty never fired and finished well behind.

Dialed In will now enter the Kentucky Derby as one of the solid favorites and a deserving one at that. The question that remains is this; can he win the Derby against colts like Uncle Mo, Premier Pegasus and The Factor in a 20 horse field where his come from behind style amid all the traffic will play against him. I am still of the opinion that Uncle Mo is the best this year but Dialed In looks incredible right now and is so young and lightly raced that he will probably continue to improve and get better with his next few races. One thing that is going to be a huge benefit for him in this year’s Kentucky Derby is all the speed on the front end.

It’s hard to say who was the most impressive sophomore runner this weekend with Dialed In’s awe-inspiring last-to-first Florida Derby win being so overpowering, but I belive there was one other 3-year-old graded stakes race that can give Dialed In a run for his money. [Read my post on R Heat Lightning here at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation]

Florida Derby and Gulfstream Oaks Recaps

I will be posting tomorrow afternoon about this weekend's Florida Derby and Gulfstreams Oaks. Unfortunately I've been sick since Saturday evening so I'm not feeling quite myself and wanted a little more time to digest the weekend racing results.

See you on Monday!

The Florida Derby: 'Big Five'

The Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 19^th was hyped for weeks beforehand as the deepest Derby prep of the year. Well, the Grade 1 Florida Derby blows the Rebel field out of the water. Five graded stakes winners are set to contest the Florida Derby on Sunday and four of them are almost unanimously listed in the top ten of most Kentucky Derby contender’s lists, five if you count Flashpoint.

Fountain of Youth (gr.2) winner Soldat is listed as the deserving 9-5 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old colts. Starting the year off with a 10 ¾ length romp in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in the slop, Soldat next took the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream over Gourmet Dinner and To Honor and Serve on February 26^th. He’s coming into the Grade 1 race off two strong 5 furlong works. On March 20^th he went in 1:00.60 and then ran 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 one week later on Sunday.

Dialed In will be making just his fourth lifetime start in the Florida Derby. He started the year with a terrific win in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr.3) on January 30^th in just his second career start, closing like an express train from far back to defeat Sweet Ducky and Gourmet Dinner handily. In his last start he finished second by half a length to older stablemate Equestrio in a 1 1/8 mile allowance at Gulfstream. He posted a fantastic half mile bullet on March 24^th, getting the distance in :47.55. Trainer Nick Zito has been giving the Mineshaft colt long gallops to keep him fit between works and is extremely confident in his charge.

Stay Thirsty is still working his way out of Uncle Mo’s shadow even after a solid 3 ¼ length winning performance in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes on March 5^th. He will be given blinkers for his second start of the year which trainer Todd Pletcher believes will help him focus more and not become intimidated running in tight quarters. He posted a relaxed 5 furlong move in 1:01.95 on Sunday that is much slower than the 5 furlong moves he was running before his Gotham Stakes win. It appears he may not be ready to run his best effort in only his second start of the year but owner Mike Repole is confident he will only get better as the distance increases and the 1 1/8 miles of the Florida Derby will be the longest he has ever run.

To Honor and Serve led many Derby Dozen lists at the start of the year along with Uncle Mo due to his impressive pair of Grade 2 wins as a juvenile last year in the Remsen and Nashua Stakes. He produced a flat performance in his 2011 debut in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, finishing a distance third to Soldat and Gourmet Dinner. He enters off a solid 4 furlong work he completed in a time of :49.00. He has recorded four works since his third place finish in the Fountain of Youth, two of those works he ran as bullets. Trainer Bill Mott has stated all along that the talented Bernardini colt would have only two Kentucky Derby preps this year in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. You can bet he’s going to make this race count for his charge.

When it was announced the undefeated Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes winner Flashpoint would run in the 9 furlong Florida Derby instead of the 7 furlong Swale Stakes on the same day things became much more interesting. A confirmed speed ball, Flashpoint will break from the far outside post while the other speed in the race, Soldat, will break from post #1. The question this front running son of Pomeroy needs to answer in the Florida Derby is whether or not her can carry his speed a distance and conserve his real running past 7 furlongs . If he is able to set reasonable fractions on the front end there’s a chance he could have some say as to the final outcome. If he rates that would be one of the biggest shocks of the year, to win he’ll have to pull of a ‘run them off your feet’ performance, something akin to The Factor.

Bowman’s Causeway, Shackleford and Arch Traveler complete the field and while anyone of them seem capable of moving forward if an upset were to take place it seems highly unlikely one of the ‘big five’ won’t win. If Flashpoint runs the way he has in both his career starts he should shoot straight out to the front with Soldat right there. Soldat will either need to refrain from contesting a heated pace or rate off it to produce his best effort with classy runners like Dialed In and Stay Thirsty closing from behind. To Honor and Serve could also play a part in pace scenario. Both his Grade 2 wins have come in front running fashion but with a speedball like Flashpoint winging it up front he’ll need to be a superhorse to hold the lead gate to wire this time. If any horse is set to benefit the most from a rapid pace scenario it will be Dialed In. If he stays well back as he has all year he might end up winning for fun like he did in the Holy Bull.[polldaddy poll=4832995]

Lightning Can Be Tricky: Gulfstream Oaks

The Gulfstream Oaks has come up with a diverse field of 7 three-year-old fillies set to contest the $300,000 race. Run in previous years as the Bonnie Miss Stakes the Grade 2 event is led by the Todd Pletcher trained R Heat Lightning, impressive winner of the Davona Dale Stakes last out, and the undefeated Kiaran McLaughlin trainee It’s Tricky.

R Heat Lightning will undoubtedly go off as the post time favorite as she enters off the biggest win of her young career when capturing the February 26^th Davona Dale by 7 ¼ lengths in one of the most dominant Kentucky Oaks preps of the season. Last year the talented daughter of Trippi won the Spinaway Stakes (gr.1) before running second in both the Grade 1 Frizette and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She finished fourth in the Forward Gal stakes in her first start of the year before exploding in the Davona Dale. She signified her readiness to run in the Gulfstream Oaks on Sunday when she posted a bullet :47.60 four furlong move, the fastest of 60 to work at that distance.

It’s Tricky is undefeated in three lifetime starts, all at Aqueduct. She won her maiden race last year on November 28^th before returning on January 26^th to win an Optional Claiming Allowance race in hand by more than four lengths. Her next start in the Busher Stakes on February 20^th was what really got people’s attention and earned her real respect. Racing in second all down the backside, It’s Tricky moved up around the far turn in the Busher and took the lead all on her own. In the stretch she exploded to a two length lead with relish when jockey Eddie Castro shook the reins at her. From there it was just a formality as to who would finish second as the Mineshaft filly won by 8 lengths, eased in the final few strides. She will be ridden by Alan Garcia in the Gulfstream Oaks for the first time since her maiden win. [Read the complete post Here on Kentucky Oaks Runner at Horse Racing Nation]

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