For some, the results of the Triple Crown prep races on February 20th went absolutely perfect. For others, it could not have turned out worst. For me, the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) turned out to be a nightmare. Let's take a look at what happened over the past couple of days. . .
To begin with, there was the highly anticipated Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. The favorite was Buddy's Saint. He was my selection to win the race, (I also liked Jackson Bend) but more importantly he was my early selection for the Kentucky Derby. I could even picture the promising colt sweeping the Triple Crown.
The race turned out exactly how I hoped it wouldn't. At the start, Buddy's Saint was a step slow, but the worst was what happened going into the first turn. He was bumped multiple times by Aikenite and forced to check as Aikenite continued to bump him around. He dropped back to seventh after a quarter of a mile, and failed to threaten after that, ending up ninth. Fortunately, he was not injured, but he may not make the Triple Crown. We will know in a week or two.
Of course, it wasn't all gloom in the Fountain of Youth, for another potential Triple Crown contender emerged from the shadows. Sitting second for the first five furlongs or so, Eskendereya, a son of Giant's Causeway, took over the lead from a fading Lost Aptitude and drew off from there, winning by eight and a half lengths at odds of about 4-1. He performance was hugely impressive, and he has loudly announced that any colt who dares mess with him better be a monster himself. Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, he looks tough to beat in the Florida Derby a month from now. He has the pedigree to get a mile and a quarter and beyond. His dam is by Seattle Slew, and the remainder of his pedigree contains such great names as Storm Cat, Rahy, Blushing Groom, Glorious Song, Secretariat, Northern Dancer (twice), Bold Ruler (twice), Halo, Hail to Reason (twice), Native Dancer, Raise a Native, Round Table, Poker, and Ribot are the first names that catch my eye.
This next fact has absolutely nothing to do with his ability, but I find it interesting that he won the Fountain of Youth the day before his birthday. . . Happy Birthday Eskendereya!
That said, I shall return to the details of the race.
Jackson Bend, who sat in fourth for about five furlongs, moved up to second with three furlongs to go but could not stay with Eskendereya, but he did hang on to second place. Aikenite, who came away from the bumping incident unscathed, sat sixth early on but moved up throught the race to just miss second by three quarters of a length. It was another length back to Pleasant Prince, who grabbed fourth as the longest shot in the field. Following him was Ice Box, who raced last for a half mile before making a five wide run. He was unable to continue his advance, but did outfight Pulsion for the fifth spot. The latter raced far back through out and failed to rally. One and one quarter lengths behind him was Positive Split, who raced up close early before fading. Then it was Prince Will I Am, nearly four lengths Positive Split, but a good five lengths in front of Buddy's Saint. Finally, Lost Aptitude, who set the pace for the first half mile, ended up dead last, trailing the field by forty-five and a half lengths. He was twenty-three and three quarter lengths behind Buddy's Saint alone.
So here are the results of the race. . .
1 Eskendereya
2 Jackson Bend
3 Aikenite
4 Pleasant Prince
5 Ice Box
6 Pulsion
7 Positive Split
8 Prince Will I Am
9 Buddy's Saint
10 Lost Aptitude
. . . versus my selections.
1 Buddy's Saint
2 Jackson Bend
3 Pulsion
4 Prince Will I Am
5 Eskendereya
6 Aikenite
7 Ice Box
8 Positive Split
9 Pleasant Prince
10 Lost Aptitude
As you can see, I was very wrong about everything. Eskendereya ran a huge race, much better than I thought he would. I knew he had a shot at winning, but I figured the finish would be closer than it was. Obviously, I could not predict that Buddy's Saint would get bumped on the first turn, but I did have Jackson Bend pegged correctly. Still, I figured that he would run a better race than he did. Pulsion just didn't present the needed rally, and the same thing happened with Prince Will I Am. Aikenite ran better than I thought he would, as did Ice Box and Pleasant Prince. Finally, Positive Split ran about how I expected, and so did Lost Aptitude.
So getting back to Eskendereya, he appears to be the real deal. His pedigree is terrific, and he should have no problems going a mile and a half. I would not be surprised if Todd Pletcher finally got his first Kentucky Derby win. That said, let’s move on to the Risen Star Stakes. The race was a mile and a sixteenth in distance, and was run at Fair Grounds racetrack in Louisiana.
After much consideration, I selected Discreetly Mine as my choice for the race. I knew that he might not get the distance, but I thought that he had the class to pull it off.
As they broke from the gates, (I was listening to radio coverage of the race) I was surprised to hear that Discreetly Mine was being rushed up to take the lead. I had been positive that he would sit just off of the lead. I was concerned that he might run out of gas long before the finish, but when I heard the fractions of :24 3/5, :48 3/5, and 1:13 2/5 I realized two things: Discreetly Mine was going to be tough to catch and Ron the Greek wasn’t going to be coming from the clouds this time. At the wire, it was Discreetly Mine by a length and a half with Ron the Greek about four lengths back in sixth. Drosselmeyer just didn’t have the needed rally and finished fourth, but he was only beaten one and three quarter lengths for all the money. He should keep improving with more distance. Northern Giant, sent off at odds of nearly 54-1, ran a huge race, going three wide on both turns to finish third, a head in front of Drosselmeyer and a neck behind Tempted to Tapit, who at odds of 8-1 stalked in second the entire race and just managed to hang on to the runner up spot.
So here are the final results. . .
1 Discreetly Mine
2 Tempted to Tapit
3 Northern Giant
4 Drosselmeyer
5 Stay Put
6 Ron the Greek
7 Worldly
8 Letsgetitonmon
9 Mountain Justice
10 Hotep
11 Random Move
12 Bravo Whiskey
. . . versus my selections.
1 Discreetly Mine
2 Hotep
3 Ron the Greek
4 Tempted to Tapit
5 Stay Put
6 Drosselmeyer
7 Letsgetitonmon
8 Northern Giant
9 Worldly
10 Bravo Whiskey
11 Mountain Justice
12 Random Move
So, I was close in some ways and not close in others. I was completely wrong about Hotep, who was obviously not ready for this level of competition. Stay Put ran a really nice race, closing well off of the slow fractions while wide, and Northern Giant could potentially make it to the Kentucky Derby, which would give D. Wayne Lukas a second runner in that race if Dublin comes along as planned. Welcome back Lukas!
So here is how the race unfolded. . .
The gates opened and Northern Giant broke fastest of all. Discreetly Mine also broke alertly, with Random Move off to a good start as well. Tempted to Tapit broke just a step slowly, while Ron the Greek got off last of them all.
After the first quarter of a mile, it was Discreetly Mine on the lead by one and a half lengths, followed closely by Tempted to Tapit and Northern Giant. Sitting fourth was Worldly, with Random Move right behind him. Stay Put, Letsgetitonmon, and Ron the Greek were the trailers.
After the half mile pole, the top three positions were unchanged, with Tempted to Tapit inching closer to Discreetly Mine with and Random Move up into the fourth spot. Drosselmeyer, sixth after a quarter of a mile, was now fifth, while Ron the Greek had passed only Letsgetitonmon. Stay Put was still tenth, while Hotep was going nowhere. Worldly was beginning to retreat just a bit.
With only five sixteenths left to go, Drosselmeyer was continuing his advance, while Discreetly Mine’s lead had shrunken to a half of a length. Ron the Greek was floundering in eleventh, with a monumental 11 ¾ lengths to make up, while Stay Put had moved up to ninth. Meanwhile, Northern Giant was still running the race of his life, still a clear cut third.
As they turned for home, Discreetly Mine repelled the challenge presented by Tempted to Tapit, but Northern Giant and Drosselmeyer were both moving in, fully intending to snatch the victory from the front runner. Despite everything being against him, Ron the Greek was still managing to close off the insanely slow fractions, and was now only eight lengths off of the lead. Stay Put was also putting in a rally, moving into the fifth position, but while closing through the stretch, was unable to get up for fourth.
So that was how the race unfolded. As I said before, Discreetly Mine held on for the win, while Ron the Greek still managed to get sixth, beaten only four and a quarter lengths. So I greatly look forward to seeing Ron the Greek race again, perhaps next time with a little more distance and pace to chase.
Just an interesting note, of the twelve starters, four of them had made their last starts in other states, and eight of them had made their last start at Fair Grounds. The four shippers were Discreetly Mine, Tempted to Tapit, Northern Giant, and Drosselmeyer.
Now I shall move on to the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The biggest question surrounding this race was whether or not Dublin could turn in a good effort after having a breathing problem corrected. He proved to everyone there that he could, and that he was back to the form that saw him win the grade I Hopeful Stakes last year.
Unfortunately, he didn’t quite secure the win. Conveyance, the favorite, was undefeated in three starts prior to the Southwest Stakes and upped his record to four for four, registering a front running victory over Dublin, who closed fast late to grab second. It is now obvious that Dublin needs just a bit more ground, and that he should, barring another problem, be one of the main contenders for the Triple Crown. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the son of Afleet Alex looks bred to get at least a mile and a quarter, if not a mile and a half.
Getting back to Conveyance, the Bob Baffert trained son of Indian Charlie was very impressive, running the first three quarters of a mile in 1:10 3/5, but it looks as though he doesn’t want to go much farther than a mile. Still, he could be a menace if left alone on the lead. It was good to see him digging in at the finish to hold off Dublin by three quarters of a length. It showed that he has the courage to repel challenges, which is good to see in any horse, and is especially good if the horse is a candidate for the Triple Crown.
The big disappointment of the race was Dryfly, who was sent off as the second choice. The gelded son of Jump Start was coming off of a win in the Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile. He sat in third for three quarters of a mile before fading in the drive to finish ninth of ten. The big surprise of the race was Cardiff Giant, who made a good rally at odds of nearly 26-1 to secure a comfortable third. Mission Impazible, sent off at just under 8-1, was fourth at every call, raced three wide for much of the race and just didn’t have the needed rally. Still, it was a good race after breaking from post position ten.
So here are the final results of the race. . .
1 Conveyance
2 Dublin
3 Cardiff Giant
4 Mission Impazible
5 Crider
6 Domonation
7 Pleasant Storm
8 Cool Bullet
9 Dryfly
10 Kitty’s Turn
. . . versus my selections.
1 Dublin
2 Dryfly
3 Pleasant Storm
4 Convenyance
5 Mission Impazible
6 Domonation
7 Cariff Giant
8 Kitty's Turn
9 Cool Bullet
10 Crider
So I believe that this race was a good one and it proves to me that Dublin is the horse I thought he was, while it also showed that Dryfly may not be as good as I had suspected. Finally, congratulations to Conveyance, who succeeded in wiring the race when I though he couldn’t. If he can carry his speed beyond a mile, he could be dangerous at Churchill Downs.
OTHER RACE RESULTS
Of course, the three races that I discussed above were not the only races run last week that could have an influence on the Triple Crown. First off, there was the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. The race was won rather easily by the heavy favorite Connemara, who came from last after the first quarter of a mile to secure a length and a quarter victory over 26-1 Haimish Hy. Connemara, coming off of a second place finish in the California Derby, rebounded from that race to once again prove that he should be watched on the way to the Triple Crown. 10-1 Posse Power came in third, with Fog Alert coming home fourth. Finishing fifth was the 3-1 California Derby winner Ranger Heartley, who set the pace for much of the race before tiring in the drive. Still, he was only beaten by three and a quarter lengths. 4-1 Thomas Baines, third behind Ranger Heartley and Connemara in the California Derby, came home sixth. Very Fair, Bert’ N the Group, and Our Minesweeper trailed the field.
The second race of note was the seven furlong Hutcheson Stakes on the undercard of the Fountain of Youth. The winner was D’ Funnybone, who sat third for the first half mile before taking the lead to win by a length over second choice A Little Warm. 12-1 Ibboyee rallied to grab third, while Hear Ye Hear Ye, at 35-1, ended up in fourth after dueling for the lead. City Trooper, who stumbled at the start, came from last after a half mile to finish fifth at odds of 7-1. Wildcat Frankie, perhaps a bit tired after his hard fought allowance win only two weeks prior to the Hutcheson, set the pace for a half mile and faded to end up sixth at 4-1. Sum Champ never really threatened at 50-1. Radiohead scratched. D’ Funnybone, who looks like he could become an excellent sprinter, doesn’t exactly look like a Triple Crown horse, but you never know. A Little Warm presented a nice rally for second, but really never threatened the winner.
The third race that could influence the outcome of the Triple Crown was the Jim’s Orbit Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas. The winner was Coyote Legend, who ran a big race as the heavy favorite to win by eight and a half lengths. Finishing second was Big Texas Daddy, who also made a winning rally but just couldn’t go with Coyote Legend. The final time was nothing to rave about, being almost two seconds slower than the Southwest Stakes, but he did close his final eighth of a mile faster than Conveyance did while being virtually unchallenged. So Coyote Legend is definitely one to watch.
The fourth race of interest was the Turf Paradise Derby at Turf Paradise in Arizona. Dixie Commander emerged victorious in that race, defeating Indian Firewater. Dixie Commander seems to have a nice late run, and I would not really be surprised if he ran in the rich Sunland Derby in late March. Should he win, he could sneak into the Kentucky Derby a virtual unknown and surprise everyone. We’ll see what happens.
The fifth race of note was a nine furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park on February 21st. The heavy favorite was Colizeo, but he stumbled badly at the start. Still, he managed to race up on the lead for three quarters of a mile before he faded to finish fourth. The winner was Fly Down, a Nick Zito trained son of Mineshaft. He raced last for the first half mile before launching a three wide bid, just getting up to defeat First Dude. Both horses were sent off at just lower than 5-1. Thunder Perfect, who was the slight second choice, raced evenly to come in third. Last in the field of five was 10-1 Lonesome Street, who raced in third for a half mile before giving way. He ended up nearly forty-three lengths behind the fourth place finisher, and almost fifty behind the winner. Hopefully there is nothing wrong with him.
The sixth race probably won’t affect the Triple Crown, but is still worth mentioning. The Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, for three year old fillies, was won by Jody Slew, who just got up to beat Quiet Temper by a head. Devil May Care raced close up before fading. Chances are that none of the fillies will even start in a Triple Crown race, but they are still worth watching. 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra wasn’t even nominated to the Triple Crown at this point last year, and she came away with a victory in the Preakness Stakes.
Then of course there was a seven furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park. I was desperately hoping that Afleet Express would prove to everyone that he is a top class horse, but he ended up fifth, beaten four lengths by victorious Soaring Empire. And he wasn’t even closing. I’m positive that he will get better with more distance, but today was quite disappointing.
Although I didn’t discuss this race on my last post, it’s worth mentioning that last year’s Sanford Stakes winner Backtalk made a successful return to the races on Friday, winning the one mile Sportsman's Paradise Stakes at Delta Downs by a half length as the favorite. It was only a four horse field, but he had to come five wide to snag the victory. It was a good effort, and I would not be surprised if he makes it to one of the Triple Crown races. I can see him running well in the Kentucky Derby at impressive odds.
Last but not least, on my last post I mentioned that a horse named Gothic’s Peak would be running in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park. Unfortunately, he scratched. However, it couldn’t have been anything too serious because he is entered in another maiden race at Gulfstream Park this Saturday. Maybe everything will go right this time.
Now, I shall discuss what races will be run this Saturday, beginning with the. . .
SHAM STAKES (gr. III, Santa Anita Park, Race 8, January 27th)
9 Furlongs (Synthetic)
This is perhaps the most interesting race of the weekend, as it drew several promising colts who intend to prove that they are of Triple Crown caliber.
First off, there is The Program, a son of Harlan’s Holiday. The colt is coming off of a fine allowance victory over Indian Firewater, who in his next start finished second in the Turf Paradise Derby.
The Program, who is trained by Bob Baffert, should be able to adapt to any pace scenario. He will carry co-high weight of 118 pounds and will be ridden by Martin Garcia. He will start from post one.
But he won’t be alone, and the extremely promising Nextdoorneighbor figures to make him earn it. The son of Lido Palace comes into the Sham off of an unbelievable six furlong workout on January 15th. The colt was timed going the distance in 1:10 3/5 handily. He has already shown that he can go two turns, breaking his maiden on the third attempt going a mile and a sixteenth by four lengths in 1:43 4/5. I would not be surprise if he won the race. Still, he will have to break from post ten, and there is always the possibility that he could be caught wide going into the first turn. But perhaps he is talented enough to overcome it. He will carry 116 pounds, two less than The Program, and will be ridden by Mike Smith.
But Kettle River should also make his presence felt. The son of Congaree comes off of a win in a mile and a sixteenth allowance race in which he came from behind to score a three quarters of a length victory with The Program finishing third. He will carry the top weight of 118 pounds, along with The Program, and will be ridden by Brice Blanc. He has turned in some excellent workouts and should be coming late. He will break from post two.
Starting from post three will be Straightomidnight, who has already made eleven starts. He has only had one workout during the past sixty days, but it was a good one. He might be able to get a piece of the money.
In post four is Outlaw Man, who I can’t help but pull for. A short while back, I randomly selected him from the 366 horses nominated to the Triple Crown. The plan was that I would follow the selected horse wherever he went. I figured that the odds of him turning up anywhere along the Triple Crown Trail were fairly small, so imagine my surprise when I learned that he has been entered in a grade III prep race at Santa Anita! I was thrilled, and I was even more thrilled when I realized that he might actually have a chance at winning today. He comes into the Sham off of a nose victory in a nine furlong turf race on January 27th. Maybe he will get a piece of the money, and perhaps he could even pull off the upset and win the race. He will carry 116 pounds and will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who should be able to get the most out of him.
Moving on, there is Setsuko, who has been very consistent so far. The son of Pleasantly Perfect is trained by Richard Mandella and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano. He has turned in some better than average workouts and may be able to get a piece of the money.
Finally, we come down to Wolf Tail, Viva Macho, El Mirage King, an Alphie’s Bet. All will carry 116 pounds, and all have had average workouts. Everyone one seems capable of finishing on the board, but I also feel that El Mirage King could be in the mix. He comes into the race off of a win in a turf race, he will be ridden by Tyler Baze, and his workouts have been very good, the last one in particular. I can see him running an excellent race, and maybe even winning.
So here are my selections. . .
1 Nextdoorneighbor
2 The Program
3 Kettle River
4 Outlaw Man
5 El Mirage King
6 Setsuko
7 Wolf Tail
8 Alphie’s Bet
9 Straightomidnight
10 Viva Macho
It was very tough deciding who to put on top, but I finally chose Nextdoorneighbor because his workouts have been amazing and he has shown some great talent so far. The Program should run a nice race, and the finish should be very close. Kettle River has beaten The Program before, but I don't think this is his day. Outlaw Man should be making up some ground in the stretch, while El Mirage King should run a good race as well. As I am running out of time, I won't discuss the race any further, but my final thought is that I may have Setsuko too low, and that he is probably capable of winning the race. We'll see what happens.
JOHN BATTAGLIA MEMORIAL STAKES (Turfway Park, Race 11, February 27th)
8.5 Furlongs (Synthetic)
This is a race that I have been eagerly anticipating. As I had been hoping, Kera’s Kitten is entered to run. The winner of the WEBN Stakes last month should make his presence felt, and I feel that he has a good shot at winning, and possibly becoming the favorite for next month’s Lane’s End Stakes. Still, seven horses have turned out to challenge him, and I think that several of them have the potential to upset him.
First off, there is Lucky Chuck, whose workouts have been phenomenal. I would not be surprised at all if he won impressively. He is one to watch . . .very closely.
In the Paint is another horse that has a good shot at winning. The son of Tiznow comes off of a win in a maiden race at this track, and has had some fairly nice workouts to back him up. Not quite the level of workouts that Lucky Chuck has turned in, but he could at least grab some of the money.
Then there is Codoy, who is expected to be one of the favorites. The son of Bernstein placed in a graded stakes race last year, but has only a maiden win to his credit. His workouts have not been very impressive. Still, his one win did come at this track, so it’s possible that he just prefers this track to others.
Slewzoom, second to Kera’s Kitten in the WEBN Stakes, is back for another try. He has not had very impressive workouts, but they have been on dirt, and it’s possible that he is a better horse on the synthetic track at Turfway Park.
Then there is Vow to Wager, a son of Broken Vow. He had made three unplaced starts prior to winning impressively in a one mile maiden race at this track last month. If he continues to improve, he could be in the mix.
Finally, this brings us to Pathoki and Fish. Pathoki comes off of an allowance optional claiming race two weeks ago, while Fish comes into the race off of a poor showing in the WEBN Stakes. Fish has not had very good workouts, but they have been at Keeneland, and Keeneland has always had an unusual track surface, be it dirt or synthetics. Pathoki’s workouts haven’t been that bad, but they have been on dirt. We’ll see how he performs tomorrow.
So here are my selections for the race. . .
1 Kera’s Kitten
2 Lucky Chuck
3 Vow to Wager
4 In the Paint
5 Codoy
6 Slewzoom
7 Pathoki
8 Fish
Of course, it’s hard to say just how good Kera’s Kitten is, just as it’s hard to gauge Vow to Wager. I feel confident that Lucky Chuck is ready to run a big one, but I don’t think that Codoy is going to get it done today. He might, but I just don’t think so. This should be a good race, and I would not be surprised if the winner is the favorite for next month’s Lane’s End Stakes. I have the feeling that one of the horses entered here will end up in one of the Triple Crown races.
OTHER RACES TO WATCH
Also on Saturday is the Borderland Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico. Last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird finished second in this race last year, so it’s possible that a runner from this race could at least end up in one of the Triple Crown races.
The race is headlined by Tango Tango, who came home last of five in the February 13th Robert B. Lewis Stakes. He will only receive a two week gap between races, which seems a little bit fast. He’ll have eight rivals facing him, including Guiltbyassociation, who has only one win from five starts, and Chuchuluco, who won the six furlong Pepsi Cola Handicap last time out. I feel that the race is going to be very close, but I’m not sure that Tango Tango is capable of winning the race. He should be there at the finish, but perhaps not in front. We’ll see what happens.
Next up is an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, the third race on Saturday. The one mile race has drawn the Champagne Stakes winner Homeboykris, who comes off of a poor effort behind Winslow Homer in the Holy Bull Stakes last month. Also in the field is the promising General Maximus, who is undefeated in two starts sprinting. The question is: Can he get the one mile distance? It’s hard to say.
Then there is Radiohead, who scratched last week’s Hutcheson Stakes because of reasons I do not know. He should be in the mix.
Thomas Got Even could also have a shot at stealing the race. Gesu, Call Shot, and Quick Ride complete the field.
Of course, the second race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday should be watched as well. The morning line favorite in this one mile maiden special weight is Game On Dude, but I would not be surprised if Our Dark Knight was sent off as the favorite. Ridden by Julian Leparoux and trained by Nick Zito, I can see this horse winning big here and running in the Wood Memorial as a prep for the Kentucky Derby. Somehow, I think that Our Dark Knight may be something special. Still, he has to overcome post position nine, but at least he has a long run to the first turn. His workouts have been great.
Very little time left before I need to post this, so although I meant to discuss the following race in detail, I'm afraid I won't be able to. The race is the Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The eighth race on Saturday's card, the race is strictly for fillies, but who knows? One of them might end up in a Triple Crown race!
Anyway, the race drew eight entries, and they look pretty evenly matched. Bickersons, who comes off of a seven length win in last month's Forward Gal Stakes, should run a good race, but there is still the question of distance, can she get the extra furlong? We'll find out.
Then there is Christine Daae, who will carry only 116 pounds. She has had some great workouts and comes off of a nine length win in a seven furlong maiden race last month. The final time was 1:21 3/5, an incredibly fast time. She will be ridden by Corey Nakatani.
Sassy Image, who I believe is a very special filly, has not been received the way I thought she would be. If I recall correctly, she is the third choice on the morning line odds. I feel that her wins in the Golden Rod and the Pocahontas Stakes were excellent, and she has already proven herself in a one turn mile race. I think that she has an excellent shot at winning.
But don't forget Amen Hallelujah, who won the Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park last month before shipping to Florida for this race. She has turned in some excellent workouts since her arrival.
So it should be a great race. Moving on, there is the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park. Turbo Speed and Turf Melody should be able to run good races. However, Turf Melody's workouts have been very slow, but perhaps Fair Hills, where he has been training, is a slow track. Turbo Speed's workouts have been better, but still not great.
Then there is the Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklwan Park. Backwater Blues comes into the race off of a win at Oaklawn Park last month. His workouts haven't been too bad. I also have a feeling that the colt Don't Put It Back is sitting on a big one, carrying only 115 pounds. Can't wait to see what happens.
Finally, Richiegirlgonewild, who's last race was a ninth place finish behind Bickersons in the Forward Gal, is entered to run in a five furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park on February 28th. Her workouts have been quite good lately. She should run a good one.
And last but not least, here is a list of horses who have worked out over the past several days.
February 22nd
Fast Alex breezed four furlongs in :47 4/5 at Fair Grounds, the fastest of 81 workouts at that distance.
Concord Point worked six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
Lookin at Lucky worked six furlongs in 1:15 2/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
February 23rd
Backwater Blues breezed four furlongs in :49 flat at Oaklawn Park.
Amen Hallelujah breezed four furlongs in :48 flat at Gulfstream Park.
Gothic's Peak breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 at Gulfstream Park.
Crisp worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 handily at Hollywood Park.
February 24th
Homeboykris breezed four furlongs in :49 3/5 at Gulfstream Park.
She Be Wild breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat at Gulfstream Park.
American Lion worked four furlongs in :48 3/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
Bulls and Bears breezed six furlongs in 1:15 4/5 at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Evening Jewel worked five furlongs in 1:02 4/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
Macias worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
February 25th
Colonel Mustard worked four furlongs in :49 3/5 handily at Hollywood Park.
February 26th
Schoolyard Dreams breezed five furlongs in :59 4/5 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Uptowncharlybrown breezed five furlongs in 1:00 flat at Tampa Bay Downs.
Windy City Cat breezed four furlongs in :48 1/5 at Gulfstream Park.
Nordic Truce breezed five furlongs in 1:02 4/5 at Payson Park Training Center.
Sidney's Candy worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 handily at Hollywood Park.
Caracortado worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 handily at Santa Anita Park.
February 27th
Day of Destiny worked five furlongs in 1:01 flat handily at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Best Actor worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 handily at Gulfstream Park.
Noble's Promise worked five furlongs in :59 4/5 handily at Gulfstream Park.
Dave in Dixie worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 handily at Hollywood Park.
Outquest breezed four furlongs in :49 3/5 at Laurel Park.
Bim Bam worked four furlongs in :48 3/5 handily at Calder Race Course.
Turf Melody breezed five furlongs in 1:02 flat at Fair Hill.
-Keelerman
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