Another two juvenile maiden special weights -- one for fillies and one for colts -- are on this afternoon's card at Saratoga. Let's see whose running:
Saratoga Race 2
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$40,000
Six Furlongs
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Beautiful But Blue 6-1
1A Clever Spirit 6-1
2 Castles Burning 6-1
3 Suave N Sassy 15-1
4 Shesabronxbomber 7-2
5 Erin Enchanted 3-1
6 Sally's Dream 10-1
7 Princess Phoebe 10-1
8 Bellacourt 6-1
9 Lady Samuri 15-1
10 Goldie's Reward 10-1
It's hard to believe it, but this race does not contain a Todd Pletcher-trained first time starter!
The morning line favorite is Erin Enchanted, trained by William Badgett, Jr. The late-running daughter of Lion Heart has shown no early speed so far, but nevertheless, she has a potent late run that has enabled her to finish third and second in her two races to date. Her last two workouts haven't been anything phenomenal, but she should be running strongly at the finish here. Rajiv Maragh has the mount.
Shesabronxbomber, trained by Larry Rivelli, is the second choice. By Afleet Alex, she finished third in her only start to date, a 5-1/2 furlong main track maiden special weight at Belmont Park. Coincidentally, that was the same race in which Erin Enchanted finished second, 5 3/4 lengths in front of Shesabronxbomber. However, the latter has since turned in a great five furlong work and I wouldn't be surprised if she improves enough to defeat Erin Enchanted in her second start. She will be ridden by Corey Nakatani.
Amazingly, the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place finishers from that same race are running here as well! In order of their finishing position, they are Sally's Dream, Suave N Sassy, and Bellacourt. The first mentioned of the trio, a daughter of the Japanese-bred Utopia, finished just a neck behind Shesabronxbomber while running a very good race. Trained by Mark Hennig, Cornelio Velasquez has the mount on her today.
Suave N Sassy, trained by John Hertler, is a daughter of Suava. Since finishing fifth in the above-mentioned maiden race, which was her first start to date, she has turned in no workouts. This makes we wonder a little bit about her fitness, but she is eligible to improve in the second start of her career. Jean-Luc Samyn will ride her.
Bellacourt raced pretty greenly in the early stages of the race before finishing sixth, a neck behind Suave N Sassy. But the daughter of Lion Heart, trained by James Lawrence, II, has subsequently trained well at Fair Hill and may be set to run an improved race. Eddie Castro has the mount.
Beautiful But Blue and Clever Spirit are the coupled entry owned by Chester and Mary Broman. Both are unraced, with the former being a daughter of El Corredor and the latter a daughter of Smarty Jones. Beautiful But Blue, trained by Thomas Bush, has only recorded five workouts but her last, five furlongs in 1:01.05, was pretty good. She will be ridden by Javier Castellano. All of Clever Spirit's workouts have been very slow, so I'm sure that this race will do a lot for her fitness. She may not be ready to win first time out, but the Ramon Hernandez-trainee might be one to watch in the future. She will be ridden by Frederic Lenclud.
Castles Burning, trained by David Fawkes, is an unraced daughter of Hook and Ladder. Her workouts haven't been anything spectacular, but with Ramon Dominguez in the saddle she must be respected.
Princess Phoebe has been turning in some decent workouts at a variety of tracks for trainer Eric Reed. A daughter of Defer, she will be making her debut today. Manoel Cruz has the mount.
Then there is Lady Samuri, trained by the famous two-time Kentucky Derby-winning LeRoy Jolley, is 15-1 on the morning line. She has been turning in consistently good workouts for some time now at Saratoga and while she's going to be a longshot, she may just have what it takes to hit the board. A daughter of First Samuri, she will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Finally, we come to Goldie's Reward. Trained by George Weaver, the daughter of Grand Reward has been turning in some average works at Saratoga but will have the services of top jockey John Velazquez in what will be her debut race.
My picks are:
1 Shesabronxbomber
2 Erin Enchanted
3 Beautiful But Blue
Saratoga Race 4
Maiden Claiming
2yos
$29,000
5-1/2 Furlongs
Entries:
1 Yonder 'tis 12-1
2 Silver Max 10-1
3 Professor Fate 5-1
4 King and Crusader 5-1
5 Bunker's Ledge 15-1
6 Enrico Pallazzo 3-1
7 Seawalker 20-1
8 Lionator 20-1
9 Afleet Bandit 8-1
10 Moreforyourmoney 5-1
11 Two and Twenty 8-1
Once again -- a maiden race at Saratoga that does not contain a Todd Pletcher-trained juvenile!
I shan't go into the details of every horse in the race, for there are many and this post is long enough already. I shall just briefly go over the favorites.
The morning line choise is Enrico Pallazzo, a Kathy Ritvo-trained son of Scat Daddy. In his career debut, he finished fifth and last behind subsequent Sanford Stakes (gr. II) winner Overdriven and J C's Pride, who returned to break the Saratoga five-furlong track record. Considering the caliber of the competition he was facing, Enrico Pallazzo may be ready to dominate here, seeing that he is taking a big drop in class. Eddie Castro has the mount.
Professor Fate, King and Crusader, and Moreforyourmoney are all 5-1 on the morning line, and all are unraced. Professor Fate, a son of Lion Heart, has been training fairly well for Eddie Kenneally and will be ridden by Javier Castellano. King and Crusader, another son of Lion Heart, has been training even better for David Fawkes and has Ramon Dominguez in the saddle. Moreforyourmoney is a son of Value Plus and has been breezing well from the gate for trainer Michael Hussion. John Velazquez will ride the promising-looking juvenile.
I shall pick Moreforyourmoney for the win.
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 30th
Saratoga Race 2
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$54,000
Six Furlongs
Giant Surprise looked like a star in the making when he drew away for a stunning 4 1/4 length victory against a field of quality maidens. Owned by Repole Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, the juvenile broke fairly well and went straight to the lead under John Velazquez. Officer Prado chased him all the way around the track but without success, and Giant Surprise dominated en route to a final clocking of 1:10.23. Unfortunately, he was vanned off after the race. Hopefully there was nothing seriously wrong with the Giant's Causeway son. Officer Prado stayed on well for second, a head in front of the late-running Invocation. Favored Stealcase, Timely Tally, Dixie Minister, Doctorious, A Cat Thaf Flies, and Lostandfoundagain completed the order of finish.
Saratoga Race 6
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$56,000
8.5 Furlongs (Turf)
Todd Pletcher won the other maiden special weight of the day for juveniles with favored Captain Webb. Ridden by John Velazquez, the son of English Channel sat third early on behind a slow pace of :24.42 and :50.56 set by Honor Call and Master Achievement before blowing past them in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths. The final time was 1:45.25. Daddy Nose Best rallied for second despite steadying off heels at the quarter pole and may have been the best horse in the race. Saturday Classic got up for third under Shaun Bridgmohan. Honor Call, Tizahomerun, Master Achievement, Magical Moment, Quiet Danger, and Colbert trailed the field. Furman Bisher was pulled up on the first turn and vanned off.
July 29th
Saratoga Race 9
Maiden Claiming
2yo Fillies
$35,000
5-1/2 Furlongs
Caviar N Champagne completely outclassed her ten rivals in this event, drawing away under John Velazquez to win by 7 1/2 lengths. Trained by Allen Iwinski, the daughter of Formal Dinner went straight to the lead and was absolutely never challenged en route to her decisive victory in 1:05.95 at 14.60-1. 33-1 shot Bye Love You rallied from off the pace for second, a neck in front of favored Purses Galore. Buccella, Angel Love, Torch Me, Trust N Madam, Downhill Joey, Expect Thunder, My Viva Loca, and Wesley's Aunts completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 30th, 2011
Two more promising-looking maiden special weights for juveniles are carded this afternoon at Saratoga. They are the second and sixth races on the card, and one of them contains a horse that looks like a potential stakes winner to me.
Saratoga Race 2
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
6 Furlongs
Entries:
1 Giant Surprise 3-1
2 A Cat That Flies 8-1
3 Officer Prado 4-1
4 Dixie Minister 15-1
5 Stealcase 7-2
6 Doctorious 6-1
7 Invocation 8-1
8 Timely Tally 8-1
9 Lostandfoundagain 20-1
On the rail is the morning line favorite Giant Surprise. He is the above-mentioned potential stakes winner. A well-bred son of Giant's Causeway, the colt is owned by Repole Stable, trained by Todd Pletcher, and will be ridden by John Velazquez. As most of you likely know, these are the connections of last year's two-year-old champion Uncle Mo and current two-year-old sensation Overdriven. These connections alone would probably be enough to earn this colt favoritism in a maiden race, but when you add this to the fact that he has been training exceptionally well, you have a colt who looks ready to win first time out.
The second choice is Stealcase, a son of Lawyer Ron. Trained by Mark Casse, he is an unraced colt but has been turning in some terrific workouts. Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on this promising-looking juvenile.
Officer Prado is also a major contender. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Officer has raced once before, finishing fourth in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. It was a very strong performance, and he is eligible to improve in his second career start. Corey Nakatani has the mount.
Doctorious, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, already has a race under his belt. In a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, he closed well from last to be up for third. He will be racing for the first time on Lasix today and has trained well for this start. The son of Smart Strike will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
In gate two is the 8-1 shot A Cat That Flies. A son of Fusaichi Pegasus, he will be making his first start today after turning in some nice three- and four-furlong breezes over the last two months. Trained by Nick Zito and owned by Robert LaPenta, I wouldn't be surprised if A Cat That Flies eventually turns into a very nice horse, but I don't believe he is ready to win in his rebut race. Ramon Dominguez has the mount.
Invocation and Timely Tally are the other 8-1 shots in this race. The former, a son of Pulpit, has been training fairly well for John Kimmel and will be ridden by David Cohen. The latter is a son of Mr. Greeley trained by Ian Wilkes, and he too has been training well. In the saddle is Julien Leparoux.
Finally, we come to the longshots Dixie Minister and Lostandfoundagain. Dixie Minister, a son of Dixie Union, is trained by Dallas Stewart and finished ninth and last in his only race to date. He has not turned in any really notable workouts since then and appears to be a very big longshot on the surface here. He will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.
Lostandfoundagain, trained by Ernest Smith, has been in training at Suffolk Downs and ships in for this race. A son of Lost Soldier, Jose Esinoza has the mount.
My picks are:
1 Giant Surprise
2 Office Prado
3 Stealcase
Saratoga Race 6
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$51,000
8.5 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
1 Furman Bisher 15-1
1AStreet Fight (Scratched)
2 Tiz a Homerun 4-1
3 Saturday Classic 6-1
4 Quiet Danger 10-1
5 Colbert 5-1
6 Captain Webb 3-1
7 Magical Moment 8-1
8 Honor Call 15-1
9 Master Achievment 15-1
10 Daddy Nose Best 6-1
11Speightscity (Scratched)
12Takemebaktoartemus (Scratched)
13Whinston C (Scratched)
14Dullahan (Scratched)
The morning line favorite is yet another Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden colt Captain Webb. A son of English Channel, he is unraced but has been training just beautifully. He breezed five furlongs on the Saratoga turf in :59.18 on July 20th and subsequently turned in a good half-mile breeze on the dirt to keep him sharp. I believe that he is ready to win in his very first race.
Tiz a Homerun, trained by Graham Motion, has been training well at Fair Hill in Maryland and could be something special. Graham Motion is one of the best trainers in this country at preparing horses for turf races, so one should definitely not count out Tiz a Homerun. Unfortunately, he has drawn the rail, which isn't the easiest spot to break from, but the son of Tiznow looks very promising. Jose Lezcano has the mount.
I won't go into great detail on the rest of the horses, simply because this post is getting long as it is, but I shall briefly mention a few others that I feel could contend here.
One is Saturday Classic, a son of Any Given Saturday. He turned in a :59.88 five-furlong workout over the Saratoga turf on July 20th, and the Mark Casse-trainee looks like a promising youngster.
Colbert finished second beaten a neck in a one-mile maiden special weight at Ellis Park, but that was on a sloppy main track and this is Saratoga, where the competition is tougher.
Magical Moment finished seventh in his only race to date, but went from 12 1/2 lengths behind at the eighth pole to only 5 1/2 lengths at the finish. I believe he may just have what it takes to win a race like this.
My selections are:
1 Captain Webb
2 Magical Moment
3 Tiz a Homerun
I shall post the results of the previous two days of racing tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the races at Saratoga!
-Keelerman
Saratoga Race 2
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
6 Furlongs
Entries:
1 Giant Surprise 3-1
2 A Cat That Flies 8-1
3 Officer Prado 4-1
4 Dixie Minister 15-1
5 Stealcase 7-2
6 Doctorious 6-1
7 Invocation 8-1
8 Timely Tally 8-1
9 Lostandfoundagain 20-1
On the rail is the morning line favorite Giant Surprise. He is the above-mentioned potential stakes winner. A well-bred son of Giant's Causeway, the colt is owned by Repole Stable, trained by Todd Pletcher, and will be ridden by John Velazquez. As most of you likely know, these are the connections of last year's two-year-old champion Uncle Mo and current two-year-old sensation Overdriven. These connections alone would probably be enough to earn this colt favoritism in a maiden race, but when you add this to the fact that he has been training exceptionally well, you have a colt who looks ready to win first time out.
The second choice is Stealcase, a son of Lawyer Ron. Trained by Mark Casse, he is an unraced colt but has been turning in some terrific workouts. Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on this promising-looking juvenile.
Officer Prado is also a major contender. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Officer has raced once before, finishing fourth in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. It was a very strong performance, and he is eligible to improve in his second career start. Corey Nakatani has the mount.
Doctorious, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, already has a race under his belt. In a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, he closed well from last to be up for third. He will be racing for the first time on Lasix today and has trained well for this start. The son of Smart Strike will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
In gate two is the 8-1 shot A Cat That Flies. A son of Fusaichi Pegasus, he will be making his first start today after turning in some nice three- and four-furlong breezes over the last two months. Trained by Nick Zito and owned by Robert LaPenta, I wouldn't be surprised if A Cat That Flies eventually turns into a very nice horse, but I don't believe he is ready to win in his rebut race. Ramon Dominguez has the mount.
Invocation and Timely Tally are the other 8-1 shots in this race. The former, a son of Pulpit, has been training fairly well for John Kimmel and will be ridden by David Cohen. The latter is a son of Mr. Greeley trained by Ian Wilkes, and he too has been training well. In the saddle is Julien Leparoux.
Finally, we come to the longshots Dixie Minister and Lostandfoundagain. Dixie Minister, a son of Dixie Union, is trained by Dallas Stewart and finished ninth and last in his only race to date. He has not turned in any really notable workouts since then and appears to be a very big longshot on the surface here. He will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.
Lostandfoundagain, trained by Ernest Smith, has been in training at Suffolk Downs and ships in for this race. A son of Lost Soldier, Jose Esinoza has the mount.
My picks are:
1 Giant Surprise
2 Office Prado
3 Stealcase
Saratoga Race 6
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$51,000
8.5 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
1 Furman Bisher 15-1
1A
2 Tiz a Homerun 4-1
3 Saturday Classic 6-1
4 Quiet Danger 10-1
5 Colbert 5-1
6 Captain Webb 3-1
7 Magical Moment 8-1
8 Honor Call 15-1
9 Master Achievment 15-1
10 Daddy Nose Best 6-1
11
12
13
14
The morning line favorite is yet another Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden colt Captain Webb. A son of English Channel, he is unraced but has been training just beautifully. He breezed five furlongs on the Saratoga turf in :59.18 on July 20th and subsequently turned in a good half-mile breeze on the dirt to keep him sharp. I believe that he is ready to win in his very first race.
Tiz a Homerun, trained by Graham Motion, has been training well at Fair Hill in Maryland and could be something special. Graham Motion is one of the best trainers in this country at preparing horses for turf races, so one should definitely not count out Tiz a Homerun. Unfortunately, he has drawn the rail, which isn't the easiest spot to break from, but the son of Tiznow looks very promising. Jose Lezcano has the mount.
I won't go into great detail on the rest of the horses, simply because this post is getting long as it is, but I shall briefly mention a few others that I feel could contend here.
One is Saturday Classic, a son of Any Given Saturday. He turned in a :59.88 five-furlong workout over the Saratoga turf on July 20th, and the Mark Casse-trainee looks like a promising youngster.
Colbert finished second beaten a neck in a one-mile maiden special weight at Ellis Park, but that was on a sloppy main track and this is Saratoga, where the competition is tougher.
Magical Moment finished seventh in his only race to date, but went from 12 1/2 lengths behind at the eighth pole to only 5 1/2 lengths at the finish. I believe he may just have what it takes to win a race like this.
My selections are:
1 Captain Webb
2 Magical Moment
3 Tiz a Homerun
I shall post the results of the previous two days of racing tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the races at Saratoga!
-Keelerman
Friday, July 29, 2011
BREEDERS’ CUP COUNTDOWN – July 29th, 2011
This week’s “Breeders’ Cup Countdown” marks the debut of a new style for this post. Rather than my usual system of going through each contender for all of the major races, I shall instead focus more on the “prep race” aspect of each event, going over the major contenders and what they need to accomplish to get them to the Breeders’ Cup with a good chance at winning. I shall also include a new section called “General News”, which will cover numerous topics of interest concerning the Breeders’ Cup in addition to the prep races. I hope you enjoy this new style!
General News
Over the last week or so, several injuries to prominent Breeders’ Cup contenders have saddened horse racing fans across the country.
First off, there was Awesome Maria’s condylar fracture. A winner of all four of her starts this year, including an impressive three-length triumph in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I), she was one of the leading older mares in this country and was pointing toward this weekend’s Ruffian Handicap (gr. I). Sadly, she injured her leg in a workout on July 18th, and although the injury is not very serious – she could most likely return to the races and run just as well as before – she is out for at least the rest of the year.
Then came the announcement that Pool Play, the last-to-first winner of the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I), had suffered a torn tendon that will keep him out of action until at least 2012. The horse was making his first start on dirt in the Stephen Foster, and looked to have a very bright future over the surface. Sadly, the injury is probably career-ending.
Finally, Hollywood Gold Cup winner First Dude has been retired due to a strained tendon, likely suffered during his narrow victory in the Gold Cup. The four-year-old colt had won three straight races and was considered by many to be the leading older male in the country. Although his career is over, I am glad that he did finally get a grade I win after losing so many prestigious top-level events last year.
In other news, the undefeated European sensation Frankel will not be coming for the Breeders’ Cup. After winning the Sussex Stakes (Eng-I) in stunning fashion over a magnificent horse in Canford Cliffs, it was announced that Frankel might may his final start of the year in the Juddmonte International (Eng-I)
Cougar II Handicap: Setsuko Goes for Stakes Win
Grade I stakes-placed Setsuko will attempt to secure his first stakes victory late this afternoon in the $125,000 Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) at Del Mar.
Setsuko is beginning to remind me a lot of First Dude, thanks to his apparent inability to win a major race. Last year, First Dude – having broken his maiden – managed to finish second in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), third in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), third in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), third in the Haskell (gr. I), third in the Travers (gr. I), and third in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. III) without winning a single stakes race. Likewise, Setsuko has only a maiden win to his credit but has finished second in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), Californian Stakes (gr. II), and Sham Stakes (gr. III).
Does Setsuko want to win? There are theories that some horses simply don’t want to win races, but I don’t believe that holds true here because Setsuko was really trying hard when beaten a nose in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I). He has merely been very unlucky.
Today, he drops a bit in class off of a decent fourth-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) and stretches out in distance to try and secure his first major victory. Today’s Cougar II Handicap is a mile and a half in distance, a full quarter-mile longer than Setsuko has ever raced before. Whether or not this will help him remains to be seen, but Setsuko has always struck me as a horse that wants a lot of distance. If he should succeed in winning the Cougar II – which is a “Win and You’re In” prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon – he could potentially establish himself as a one of the leading contenders for that race.
His main competition will probably come from Bourbon Bay, a very successful turf router attempting to transfer his turf form to synthetics. He’s proven himself time and time again at this distance and further – he won the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. II) going 1 ¾ miles – but he is not proven over synthetics. His lone start over an all-weather track, in the 2009 Sham Stakes (gr. III) on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface, yielded a distant fourth-place finish behind The Pamplemousse. Granted, at that time he was nowhere near the horse that he is now, but I’m not perfectly sure that he will handle Del Mar’s synthetic track as well as he handles turf.
Just what Breeders’ Cup race Bourbon Bay is pointing to remains to be seen. While he has been very successful going a mile and a half on turf – the conditions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. I) – his eleventh-place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) in Dubai signals that he may just not be up to defeating the best turf horses in Europe, which could make a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf very difficult. However, if he is to win the Marathon this afternoon, it would open up a whole new possibility for the five-year-old gelding. He would still have to prove his merit on a traditional dirt track, over which the Breeders’ Cup Marathon will be run this year, but the weaker competition in that race would help Bourbon Bay’s chances at finding Breeders’ Cup success this year.
None of the other horses are really expected to contend for the top two positions, and to be perfectly honest I would be pretty surprised if Setsuko and Bourbon Bay don’t run 1-2. It should be a great race.
Curlin Stakes: A Star for Allen Jerkens?
A small field of six sophomores, reduced from seven due to the scratch of Will’s Wildcat, is scheduled to head to post this afternoon for the feature race of the Saratoga card, the $75,000 Curlin Stakes. Named for the amazing two-time Horse of the Year, the morning line favorite in the Curlin Stakes is the up-and-coming Bold Warrior. Trained by the legendary Allen Jerkens, the colt finished a strong second in his debut race before dominating a six-furlong maiden special weight by three lengths in the sharp time of 1:09.25. He then turned in a brilliant performance in a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race, winning under a light hand ride by 3 ¼ lengths in a sharp 1:22.16.
It has been a long time since Allen Jerkens has trained a really good racehorse. This is the trainer who upset Secretariat with two different horses. This is the trainer who pulled off so many memorable upsets over Kelso with his star Beau Purple. This is the trainer who has won over 3,800 races.
Would it not be magnificent if Allen Jerkens was to finally train another top-caliber racehorse? With Bold Warrior, he may just have one. Should Bold Warrior succeed in winning the Curlin Stakes this afternoon – his first try around two turns – then he could potentially go on to races like the Travers (gr. I) or Super Derby (gr. II). A win in one of these races could propel him toward the Breeders’ Cup, and if all goes well, a shot at a championship.
But first let’s see if he can win the Curlin.
Other contenders in this race who will be looking to upset Bold Warrior are Prime Cut and Raison d’Etat. The latter, a lightly-raced son of A.P. Indy, will be making his first start against winner. Last time out, he broke his maiden by 7 ¾ lengths at Belmont Park, running a mile and a sixteenth in 1:41.88. Trained by William Mott, he looks like a very talented colt with a lot of potential. If he was to win this race impressively, he could head to the Travers with a legitimate shot at winning.
Prime Cut is a stakes-tested colt, having finished second in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. III) and third in the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II). An attempt to win a classic in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) garnered an eleventh-place finish, but this drop in class should greatly help his chances today.
Turbo Compressor is the other horse that fascinates me. Last time out, the Todd Pletcher-trainee set a solid pace in the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) before tiring to finish third behind a pair of Haskell (gr. I) contenders in Pants On Fire and Concealed Identity. Prior to that, he won an allowance race by 13 ½ lengths. He seems to be an improving colt and, in my opinion, has a big chance at winning this race.
Finally, a notable return. . .
In the third race today at Saratoga, the 2010 Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Ice Box will make his return in a stakes-quality allowance optional claiming race at a mile and an eighth. After finishing second in last year’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I), he went off form and failed to hit the board in four subsequent starts. His final start of 2010 was the Monmouth Cup Stakes (gr. II), where he finished a dull fifth. After a long break filled with minor setbacks, he is finally ready to return to the races.
Convocation, runner-up in the 2010 Suburban Handicap (gr. II), will likely be sent off as the favorite. Last time out, he finished fourth in this year’s Suburban Handicap, but seems to be on the improve and should be ready to turn in a winning effort.
The other entries are Ron the Greek, the 2010 LeComte Stakes (gr. III) winner; Wilkinson, the 2011 LeComte winner, Anak Nakal, the 2008 Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) winner, and Northern Giant, who hit the board in a pair of graded stakes races last year. Whether or not Ice Box wins this race is not important; rather, I would just like to see him turn in a good return effort.
Tomorrow, I shall write up another post regarding Saturday’s racing action, including the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) at Del Mar. But until then, enjoy today’s race everyone!
-Keelerman
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 28th, 2011
Only one maiden special weight for juveniles is on today's Saratoga card, but nevertheless, it looks like an intriguing one. For one thing, it is a route race -- a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$51,000
8.5 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1La Capella (Scratched)
2 Crazy Party 3-1
3 Tiana 8-1
4 Illegally Blonde 4-1
5 Regalo Mia 12-1
6 Honey Talk 8-1
7 Formative 6-1
8 Vapour Musing 5-1
9 Southern Drifter 15-1
10Salsa Mambo (Scratched)
The morning line favorite is Crazy Party, a daughter of A.P. Indy. Owned by the same stable that owns three-time Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Goldikova, Crazy Party is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be making her debut. She has been turning in some good workouts over the Saratoga turf and I believe that she is capable of winning first time out. John Velazquez has the mount.
Illegally Blonde looks to have an advantage here by merit of experience. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the daughter of Mineshaft finished a very strong third in her lone start to date, a six furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. In that race, she broke poorly and trailed the field by fifteen lengths in the early stages before rallying furiously to be beaten just two lengths. She will have to prove herself on turf today, but she should relish the distance of this race. She will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Graham Motion, one of the best trainers in the country with turf horses, has Vapour Musing in this race. An unraced daughter of the German-bred Manduro, she has turned in some good workouts over the all-weather track at Fair Hill in Maryland and looks like a serious contender here. Owned by Team Valor International, Eddie Castro has the mount.
Formative, an unraced daughter of Dynaformer, may just have what it takes to win first time out. Trained by William Mott, the filly is bred to route on turf and has been breezing consistently for some time now at Saratoga. A pair of those works were on turf, so at least she has a bit of experience over the surface. She will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Tiana and Honey Talk, both 8-1 on the morning line, have racing experience already. The former, a Rick Dutrow-trained daughter of Offlee Wild, finished a distant fifth in a six-furlong turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park after a less-than-perfect trip. Honey Talk, a daughter of Distorted Humor, finished ninth of 10 in a five furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs for trainer Neil Howard. Both fillies are eligible to improve while making their second starts, especially Honey Talk.
Regalo Mia, a Florida-bred daughter of Sligo Bay, will be making her first start here. Trained by Michelle Nihei, she has had only five workouts in preparation for this race but they have been good. On July 16th she worked a half-mile handily in :47.54 from the starting gate. Prior to that, she had breezed the same distance in good time on turf. A maintenance work on July 22nd sets her up for what I believe could be a very good performance today.
Finally, there is Southern Drifter. The daughter of Dixie Union has raced twice before, finishing sixth in a five furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, and eighth in a similar six furlong event just over a month later. In the latter race, she finished 7 3/4 lengths behind Illegally Blonde, so she is obviously going to have to improve a great deal to win this race. But she will be racing on Lasix for the first time, stretching out in distance, and switching surfaces -- all of which could yield an improved performance. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Corey Nakatani has the mount.
My selections for this race are:
1 Crazy Party
2 Vapour Musing
3 Honey Talk
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 27th
Saratoga Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$51,000
Five Furlongs
J C's Pride turned in an absolutely spectacular performance yesterday to break his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths. Second in his debut race to Sanford Stakes (gr. II) winner Overdriven, J C's Pride was expected to come through with a sharp victory in his second race and was thus sent off as the odds-on favorite at 0.30-1. But I doubt anyone expected what was about to occur.
J C's Pride broke quickly under Jose Lezcano and sprinted away to take the early lead. He rattled off an opening quarter mile in :21.87 like it was nothing. Second choice Mr. Style attempted to make a run at him turning for home, but J C's Pride left him behind easily and coasted under almost no urging to win in a stunning performance. But what was even more incredible was the final time of :56.54, breaking an eighteen year old track record of :56.71 set by Fabulous Force on August 18th, 1993. Trained by Robert Barbara, J C's Pride is a son of Henny Hughes and may make his next start in the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I).
Mr. Style, from the barn of Todd Pletcher, chased J C's Pride all the way around the racetrack to finish second by 8 3/4 lengths over Delta Ranger, who broke very slowly but still managed to get up for third. Added distance and maturity may just turn Delta Ranger into something special. Ventura Bar, Chalybeate Springs, and Hard Nosed completed the order of finish.
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$53,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
State of Play looked simply terrific winning his debut race under Ramon Dominguez. A son of War Front, the colt tracked a pretty quick pace of :21.93 and :45.27 set by Woods Hole and Sark before blowing past them in the stretch to win under little urging by 2 1/2 lengths. Owned by Team Valor International and trained by Graham Motion, State of Play stopped the clock in 1:02.99 and looks like a very promising juvenile indeed. Sark held well to finish second, a half-length clear of the late-running Arthur. Tiger Walk raced greenly to finish fourth, while Situational Ethics, favored Doctor Chit, Texas Josh, and Woods Hole trailed the field.
-Keelerman
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$51,000
8.5 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1
2 Crazy Party 3-1
3 Tiana 8-1
4 Illegally Blonde 4-1
5 Regalo Mia 12-1
6 Honey Talk 8-1
7 Formative 6-1
8 Vapour Musing 5-1
9 Southern Drifter 15-1
10
The morning line favorite is Crazy Party, a daughter of A.P. Indy. Owned by the same stable that owns three-time Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Goldikova, Crazy Party is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be making her debut. She has been turning in some good workouts over the Saratoga turf and I believe that she is capable of winning first time out. John Velazquez has the mount.
Illegally Blonde looks to have an advantage here by merit of experience. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the daughter of Mineshaft finished a very strong third in her lone start to date, a six furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. In that race, she broke poorly and trailed the field by fifteen lengths in the early stages before rallying furiously to be beaten just two lengths. She will have to prove herself on turf today, but she should relish the distance of this race. She will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Graham Motion, one of the best trainers in the country with turf horses, has Vapour Musing in this race. An unraced daughter of the German-bred Manduro, she has turned in some good workouts over the all-weather track at Fair Hill in Maryland and looks like a serious contender here. Owned by Team Valor International, Eddie Castro has the mount.
Formative, an unraced daughter of Dynaformer, may just have what it takes to win first time out. Trained by William Mott, the filly is bred to route on turf and has been breezing consistently for some time now at Saratoga. A pair of those works were on turf, so at least she has a bit of experience over the surface. She will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Tiana and Honey Talk, both 8-1 on the morning line, have racing experience already. The former, a Rick Dutrow-trained daughter of Offlee Wild, finished a distant fifth in a six-furlong turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park after a less-than-perfect trip. Honey Talk, a daughter of Distorted Humor, finished ninth of 10 in a five furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs for trainer Neil Howard. Both fillies are eligible to improve while making their second starts, especially Honey Talk.
Regalo Mia, a Florida-bred daughter of Sligo Bay, will be making her first start here. Trained by Michelle Nihei, she has had only five workouts in preparation for this race but they have been good. On July 16th she worked a half-mile handily in :47.54 from the starting gate. Prior to that, she had breezed the same distance in good time on turf. A maintenance work on July 22nd sets her up for what I believe could be a very good performance today.
Finally, there is Southern Drifter. The daughter of Dixie Union has raced twice before, finishing sixth in a five furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, and eighth in a similar six furlong event just over a month later. In the latter race, she finished 7 3/4 lengths behind Illegally Blonde, so she is obviously going to have to improve a great deal to win this race. But she will be racing on Lasix for the first time, stretching out in distance, and switching surfaces -- all of which could yield an improved performance. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Corey Nakatani has the mount.
My selections for this race are:
1 Crazy Party
2 Vapour Musing
3 Honey Talk
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 27th
Saratoga Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$51,000
Five Furlongs
J C's Pride turned in an absolutely spectacular performance yesterday to break his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths. Second in his debut race to Sanford Stakes (gr. II) winner Overdriven, J C's Pride was expected to come through with a sharp victory in his second race and was thus sent off as the odds-on favorite at 0.30-1. But I doubt anyone expected what was about to occur.
J C's Pride broke quickly under Jose Lezcano and sprinted away to take the early lead. He rattled off an opening quarter mile in :21.87 like it was nothing. Second choice Mr. Style attempted to make a run at him turning for home, but J C's Pride left him behind easily and coasted under almost no urging to win in a stunning performance. But what was even more incredible was the final time of :56.54, breaking an eighteen year old track record of :56.71 set by Fabulous Force on August 18th, 1993. Trained by Robert Barbara, J C's Pride is a son of Henny Hughes and may make his next start in the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I).
Mr. Style, from the barn of Todd Pletcher, chased J C's Pride all the way around the racetrack to finish second by 8 3/4 lengths over Delta Ranger, who broke very slowly but still managed to get up for third. Added distance and maturity may just turn Delta Ranger into something special. Ventura Bar, Chalybeate Springs, and Hard Nosed completed the order of finish.
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$53,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
State of Play looked simply terrific winning his debut race under Ramon Dominguez. A son of War Front, the colt tracked a pretty quick pace of :21.93 and :45.27 set by Woods Hole and Sark before blowing past them in the stretch to win under little urging by 2 1/2 lengths. Owned by Team Valor International and trained by Graham Motion, State of Play stopped the clock in 1:02.99 and looks like a very promising juvenile indeed. Sark held well to finish second, a half-length clear of the late-running Arthur. Tiger Walk raced greenly to finish fourth, while Situational Ethics, favored Doctor Chit, Texas Josh, and Woods Hole trailed the field.
-Keelerman
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 27th
Two more fascinating maiden special weight races for juveniles are scheduled to be run today at Saratoga. They are the third and fifth races on the card, which also features the Lake George Stakes (gr. II) where More Than Real and Winter Memories will meet for the first time since finishing 1-2 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. II) last year.
Saratoga Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
Five Furlongs
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Delta Ranger 15-1
2 Mr. Style 2-1
3 J C's Pride 1-1
4 Hard Nosed 6-1
5 Chalybeate Springs 8-1
6 Ventura Bar 12-1
The heavy favorite on the morning line is J C's Pride, a very promising son of Henny Hughes. Trained by Robert Barbara, the colt has raced once before, finishing second to Sanford Stakes (gr. II) winner Overdriven in a maiden special weight. Since then he has been training well and looks ready to break his maiden today. Jose Lezcano has the mount.
The second choice is Mr. Style, a Todd-Pletcher trained son of Bluegrass Cat. This will be his first start, but he has been training exceptionally well and looks like a promising juvenile indeed. He will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Hard Nosed is also unraced, but he has the connections to be a superstar. Trained by Nick Zito, the son of Hard Spun has leading rider of the meet Javier Castellano in the saddle. However, he has only had three half-mile breezes to get him ready for this race and I would not be surprised at all if this is really just a learning experience for the colt. I think that he will improve with time and age.
Chalybeate Springs is a D. Wayne Lukas-trained son of Dynaformer. Being a son of Dynaformer, I would not be surprised if this colt improves the farther he runs, as Dynaformer tends to get very good stayers and is a good source of stamina. Chalybeate Springs has raced twice before, finishing fifth in a maiden special weight and fifth in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III). This will be his first start on Lasix, but he has only recorded one breeze in the last month, so he may not be perfectly fit for this race. Manoel Cruz has the mount.
Ventura Bar has a start under his belt already, a strong second in a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight despite a rough trip. But that race was on turf, so this son of Officer is going to have to prove that he can handle the dirt today. Trained by Ken McPeek, Alan Garcia has the mount.
Finally, there is Delta Ranger. He has drawn the rail, which probably isn't the best spot for him, but the unraced son of Mr. Greeley could be something special. He has been training steadily for trainer Michelle Nihei and will have Jesus Castanon in the saddle. I would not be surprised if he turns in a good performance.
My selections for this race are:
1 J C's Pride
2 Mr. Style
3 Chalybeate Springs
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Politicallycorrect (Scratched)
1A Ten W Forty (Scratched)
2 Situational Ethics 15-1
3 Doctor Chit 5-2
4 Woods Hole 10-1
5 State of Play 6-1
6 Sark 5-1
7 Arthur 10-
8 Texas Josh 15-1
9 Tiger Walk 8-1
Todd Pletcher has a pair of runners in this race, Doctor Chit and Woods Hole. The former, a son of War Chant, has never raced before but worked five furlongs in a very sharp :59.72 on the Saratoga turf course in preparation for this race. With John Velazquez in the saddle, he looks like a deserving favorite in this spot. As for Woods Hole, the son of Kitalpha has been breezing for some time now at Delaware Park, but does not show any turf works. He has top rider Javier Castellano in the saddle, but he has a lot to overcome in order to win this race.
Sark is the second choice on the morning line. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the son of English Channel already has three starts under his belt. In his first start, he was third in a five-furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. He then finished third in a similar 4-1/2 furlong event behind the twice stakes-placed Power World. In his most recent race, when traversing five furlongs on turf, he finished a close fourth beaten just 1 3/4 lengths. It looks to me like Sark is going to be tough to beat this afternoon. Cornelio Velasquez has the mount.
On the other hand, State of Play looks like a serious contender too. Owned by Team Valor International and trained by top turf trainer Graham Motion, the son of War Front has been training nicely at Fair Hill in Maryland and has shipped in for this race. I have a feeling that this colt may be something very special indeed. Ramon Dominguez will ride.
Tiger Walk also looks promising. Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, the son of Tale of the Cat has been turning in some nice breezes over the all-weather track at Sagamore Farm. This will be his debut race, but with Jose Lezcano in the saddle I think he could be a serious contender.
Then there is Arthur, a son of Artie Schiller who seems to be bred for the turf. Trained by Kathy Ritvo, the colt has breezed over the Saratoga turf twice and looks very promising. Rajiv Maragh has the mount.
Texas Josh has only breezed four times in preparation for this start, but the son of Istan has good connections in the form of trainer Nick Zito and jockey Corey Nakatani. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Texas Josh needs this race for experience and isn't completed fit yet.
Finally, we come to Situational Ethics. Trained by Mark Hennig, the son of Broken Vow has never raced before but has turned in many breezes at Belmont Park over the last two months. However, none of them have been on turf, so if Situational Ethics is to win what will be his debut race he will have to handle the turf course, over which he has no experience. Alan Garcia has the mount.
My picks for this race are:
1 State of Play
2 Doctor Chit
3 Sark
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 25th
Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
Five Furlongs
Select Cat awarded the bettors who sent her off as the 1.35-1 favorite by winning the five-furlong maiden special weight event in decisive fashion. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the daughter of Tale of the Cat was making her first start. Over a sloppy sealed main track, Select Cat went straight to the lead while being tracked by Spring Breeze and Barbados Beauty. Passing the quarter pole John Velazquez asked his mount for more run and Select Cat responded impressively, drawing away to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Spare Change rallied to be second under Julien Leparoux, while Barbados Beauty held on to third. The final time was :58.94. Spring Breeze, Siberian Wildcat, and Miss Bikini Bottom completed the order of finish.
Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$51,000
5-1/2 Furlongs
Although this race was originally scheduled to be run of the turf course, it was rained off due to rainstorms which left the main track sloppy and sealed, as mentioned above. But apparently Morning Shine didn't care, for she thoroughly dominated her five rivals in what was her very first race. A daughter of Lion Heart trained by Steve Asmussen, the filly bumped with favored Volcat at the start but recovered to track the early pace set by Sweet Cat while racing three wide. Cat Girl was tucked in along the inside of the leading pair, and entering the homestretch those three were on virtually even terms. But Morning Shine had them measured, drawing away in the final eighth of a mile to win by 5 1/2 lengths under Julien Leparoux. Sweet Cat was best of the rest while finishing second, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of Volcat. The latter just edged out Cat Girl for third. Fly to the Sky and Run a Risk trailed throughout. The final time was 1:05.15.
-Keelerman
Saratoga Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
Five Furlongs
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Delta Ranger 15-1
2 Mr. Style 2-1
3 J C's Pride 1-1
4 Hard Nosed 6-1
5 Chalybeate Springs 8-1
6 Ventura Bar 12-1
The heavy favorite on the morning line is J C's Pride, a very promising son of Henny Hughes. Trained by Robert Barbara, the colt has raced once before, finishing second to Sanford Stakes (gr. II) winner Overdriven in a maiden special weight. Since then he has been training well and looks ready to break his maiden today. Jose Lezcano has the mount.
The second choice is Mr. Style, a Todd-Pletcher trained son of Bluegrass Cat. This will be his first start, but he has been training exceptionally well and looks like a promising juvenile indeed. He will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Hard Nosed is also unraced, but he has the connections to be a superstar. Trained by Nick Zito, the son of Hard Spun has leading rider of the meet Javier Castellano in the saddle. However, he has only had three half-mile breezes to get him ready for this race and I would not be surprised at all if this is really just a learning experience for the colt. I think that he will improve with time and age.
Chalybeate Springs is a D. Wayne Lukas-trained son of Dynaformer. Being a son of Dynaformer, I would not be surprised if this colt improves the farther he runs, as Dynaformer tends to get very good stayers and is a good source of stamina. Chalybeate Springs has raced twice before, finishing fifth in a maiden special weight and fifth in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III). This will be his first start on Lasix, but he has only recorded one breeze in the last month, so he may not be perfectly fit for this race. Manoel Cruz has the mount.
Ventura Bar has a start under his belt already, a strong second in a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight despite a rough trip. But that race was on turf, so this son of Officer is going to have to prove that he can handle the dirt today. Trained by Ken McPeek, Alan Garcia has the mount.
Finally, there is Delta Ranger. He has drawn the rail, which probably isn't the best spot for him, but the unraced son of Mr. Greeley could be something special. He has been training steadily for trainer Michelle Nihei and will have Jesus Castanon in the saddle. I would not be surprised if he turns in a good performance.
My selections for this race are:
1 J C's Pride
2 Mr. Style
3 Chalybeate Springs
Saratoga Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yos
$50,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Politicallycorrect (Scratched)
1A Ten W Forty (Scratched)
2 Situational Ethics 15-1
3 Doctor Chit 5-2
4 Woods Hole 10-1
5 State of Play 6-1
6 Sark 5-1
7 Arthur 10-
8 Texas Josh 15-1
9 Tiger Walk 8-1
Todd Pletcher has a pair of runners in this race, Doctor Chit and Woods Hole. The former, a son of War Chant, has never raced before but worked five furlongs in a very sharp :59.72 on the Saratoga turf course in preparation for this race. With John Velazquez in the saddle, he looks like a deserving favorite in this spot. As for Woods Hole, the son of Kitalpha has been breezing for some time now at Delaware Park, but does not show any turf works. He has top rider Javier Castellano in the saddle, but he has a lot to overcome in order to win this race.
Sark is the second choice on the morning line. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the son of English Channel already has three starts under his belt. In his first start, he was third in a five-furlong main track maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. He then finished third in a similar 4-1/2 furlong event behind the twice stakes-placed Power World. In his most recent race, when traversing five furlongs on turf, he finished a close fourth beaten just 1 3/4 lengths. It looks to me like Sark is going to be tough to beat this afternoon. Cornelio Velasquez has the mount.
On the other hand, State of Play looks like a serious contender too. Owned by Team Valor International and trained by top turf trainer Graham Motion, the son of War Front has been training nicely at Fair Hill in Maryland and has shipped in for this race. I have a feeling that this colt may be something very special indeed. Ramon Dominguez will ride.
Tiger Walk also looks promising. Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, the son of Tale of the Cat has been turning in some nice breezes over the all-weather track at Sagamore Farm. This will be his debut race, but with Jose Lezcano in the saddle I think he could be a serious contender.
Then there is Arthur, a son of Artie Schiller who seems to be bred for the turf. Trained by Kathy Ritvo, the colt has breezed over the Saratoga turf twice and looks very promising. Rajiv Maragh has the mount.
Texas Josh has only breezed four times in preparation for this start, but the son of Istan has good connections in the form of trainer Nick Zito and jockey Corey Nakatani. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Texas Josh needs this race for experience and isn't completed fit yet.
Finally, we come to Situational Ethics. Trained by Mark Hennig, the son of Broken Vow has never raced before but has turned in many breezes at Belmont Park over the last two months. However, none of them have been on turf, so if Situational Ethics is to win what will be his debut race he will have to handle the turf course, over which he has no experience. Alan Garcia has the mount.
My picks for this race are:
1 State of Play
2 Doctor Chit
3 Sark
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 25th
Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
Five Furlongs
Select Cat awarded the bettors who sent her off as the 1.35-1 favorite by winning the five-furlong maiden special weight event in decisive fashion. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the daughter of Tale of the Cat was making her first start. Over a sloppy sealed main track, Select Cat went straight to the lead while being tracked by Spring Breeze and Barbados Beauty. Passing the quarter pole John Velazquez asked his mount for more run and Select Cat responded impressively, drawing away to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Spare Change rallied to be second under Julien Leparoux, while Barbados Beauty held on to third. The final time was :58.94. Spring Breeze, Siberian Wildcat, and Miss Bikini Bottom completed the order of finish.
Race 5
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$51,000
5-1/2 Furlongs
Although this race was originally scheduled to be run of the turf course, it was rained off due to rainstorms which left the main track sloppy and sealed, as mentioned above. But apparently Morning Shine didn't care, for she thoroughly dominated her five rivals in what was her very first race. A daughter of Lion Heart trained by Steve Asmussen, the filly bumped with favored Volcat at the start but recovered to track the early pace set by Sweet Cat while racing three wide. Cat Girl was tucked in along the inside of the leading pair, and entering the homestretch those three were on virtually even terms. But Morning Shine had them measured, drawing away in the final eighth of a mile to win by 5 1/2 lengths under Julien Leparoux. Sweet Cat was best of the rest while finishing second, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of Volcat. The latter just edged out Cat Girl for third. Fly to the Sky and Run a Risk trailed throughout. The final time was 1:05.15.
-Keelerman
FRANKEL WINS THE SUSSEX STAKES!
Although it was billed as a match race, the group I Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in England ended up being all about one horse: the undefeated sophomore Frankel.
Only four horses were entered in the prestigious event, with English 2,000 Guineas (Eng-I) winner Frankel sent off as the favorite over Canford Cliffs, who had defeated the three-time Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Goldikova in his previous start. Prior to the running of the Sussex, racing fans all over the world were wondering whether the proven four-year-old Canford Cliffs was up to defeating the remarkable Frankel, undefeated in seven starts against his own age division but who had never faced an older horse.
As it turned out, the race wasn't even close. Frankel broke well and went straight to the lead under Tom Queally. Canford Cliffs settled into second under Richard Hughes, with Rio de la Plata and Rajsaman trailing the closely-bunched field. Frankel continued to lead the way unchallenged until approaching the final quarter of a mile, when Canford Cliffs made a run along the rail to try and challenge him. But when Queally asked Frankel for run, the response was simply breathtaking. Frankel exploded away from his rivals with an incredible turn of foot, leaving Canford Cliffs far behind en route to an astonishing six length victory. Canford Cliffs, who drifted outward in the final stages of the race, finished second while Rio de la Plata claimed third.
It was perhaps Frankel's most impressive performance to date. The ease at which the Henry Cecil-trained colt left his rivals behind was simply amazing. The colt is now a perfect 8-for-8.
-Keelerman
Only four horses were entered in the prestigious event, with English 2,000 Guineas (Eng-I) winner Frankel sent off as the favorite over Canford Cliffs, who had defeated the three-time Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Goldikova in his previous start. Prior to the running of the Sussex, racing fans all over the world were wondering whether the proven four-year-old Canford Cliffs was up to defeating the remarkable Frankel, undefeated in seven starts against his own age division but who had never faced an older horse.
As it turned out, the race wasn't even close. Frankel broke well and went straight to the lead under Tom Queally. Canford Cliffs settled into second under Richard Hughes, with Rio de la Plata and Rajsaman trailing the closely-bunched field. Frankel continued to lead the way unchallenged until approaching the final quarter of a mile, when Canford Cliffs made a run along the rail to try and challenge him. But when Queally asked Frankel for run, the response was simply breathtaking. Frankel exploded away from his rivals with an incredible turn of foot, leaving Canford Cliffs far behind en route to an astonishing six length victory. Canford Cliffs, who drifted outward in the final stages of the race, finished second while Rio de la Plata claimed third.
It was perhaps Frankel's most impressive performance to date. The ease at which the Henry Cecil-trained colt left his rivals behind was simply amazing. The colt is now a perfect 8-for-8.
-Keelerman
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 25th, 2011
Two more maiden special weights for juveniles are scheduled for today at Saratoga. Both are for fillies, and both look like they could contain some future stakes winners. They are the third and sixth races on the card.
Race 3:
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
5 Furlongs
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Barbados Beauty 2-1
2 Select Cat 8-5
3 Spring Breeze 8-1
4 Spare Change 5-1
5 Siberian Wildcat 5-1
6 Miss Bikini Bottom 15-1
The slight morning line favorite is Select Cat, a Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Tale of the Cat. She has never started before, but turned in a :47.55 half-mile work handily from the gate in preperation for this race. John Velazquez has the mount, and one should never count out a horse with connections like Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez
Barbados Beauty is another filly with good connections that seem to indicate she may be something special. She is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez. Like Select Cat, Barbados Beauty has never raced before, and will have to overcome breaking from the railm but has been training well for this race and should be ready to run.
Spare Change and Siberian Wildcat are the co-third choices at 5-1. Spare Change is an unraced daughter of Bernardini trained by Shug McGaughey. Her workouts have not been anything special -- they could even be considered rather slow -- but Julien Leparoux is in the saddle, and you never know what kind of surprises McGaughey may have up his sleeve. Siberian Wildcat is trained by Gary Contassa and will be ridden by Rajiv Maragh. By Wildcat Heir, Siberian Wildcat turned in a good five furlong breeze for this race and may be ready to win what will be her first start.
Spring Breeze, trained by Carlos Martin, has had an unusual work pattern. After a bunch of three-furlong breezes, he worked five furlongs on July 8th, then three furlongs again on July 14th, and a half-mile on July 21st, just four days ago. Not exactly your usual gradual increase in workout distance! Edgar Prado has the mount on the Congrats filly.
Finally, we come to Miss Bikini Bottom. The only horse in the field with racing experience, the daughter of Saint Anddan finished fourth of five in a five-furlong maiden special weight on June 30th at Belmont Park. She did have some excuses, for she bumped another horse at the start and raced greenly throughout the race, but she is likely going to have to improve considerably to defeat these fillies. Trained by William Lagorio, she has been breezing at Suffolk Downs and will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez.
My top three selections in this race are:
1 Select Cat
2 Spare Change
3 Barbados Beauty
Race 6:
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Cattaraugus (Scratched)
2 Fly to the Sky 10-1
3 Cat Girl 4-1
4 Sweet Cat 7-2
5 Morning Shine 5-1
6 Volcat 5-1
7 Run a Risk 5-1
8 Delightful Song (Scratched)
9 Dancin N Prancin (Scratched)
Yet another Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden two-year-old is entered here at Saratoga in the form of Sweet Cat, the morning line favorite. Interestingly, she is also owned by Todd Pletcher. This is likely a learning experience for the filly, who has only four workouts under her belt with none of them on turf. A daughter of Kitten's Joy, it will be interesting to see if she stays on turf or moved to dirt in the future.
The other "cat" in this field is Cat Girl, the second choioce on the morning line. Unlike Sweet Cat, Cat Girl has racing experience. On June 29th, she finished third in a six-furlong turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park. With that start under her belt, the Frank Alexander-trainee should be ready to win this time around. Rajiv Maragh has the mount.
Morning Shine, trained by Steve Asmussen, has never raced before but has been breezing steadily at a variety of tracks. The daughter of Lion Heart will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and looks very promising.
Volcat has raced twice before, finishing fifth in a five-furlong main track maiden special weight and then second in a six furlong event. Trained by Ken McPeek, she seems to be improving and will have Manoel Cruz in the saddle.
This brings us to Run a Risk, an unraced daughter of Distorted Humor. Trained by George Arnold II, she breezed five furlongs in sharp fashion in preparation for this race and will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Finally, we find Fly to the Sky. An unraced filly that has been training at Calder, the daughter of Lone Star Sky is trained by David Fawkes and has been turning in some decent breezes. Jose Lezcano will have the mount.
My selections for this race are:
1 Cat Girl
2 Morning Shine
3 Sweet Cat
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 23rd
The second race at Saratoga, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight, went to Laurie's Rocket in impressive fashion. Trained by Dallas Stewart, he sat off of a very quick pace of :21.72 and :44.90 set by Whinston and How Do I Win before blowing past them for a 1 1/4 length victory. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the son of Bluegrass Cat stopped the clock in 1:04.74. Whinston ran very well in defeat to finish second, one length clear of odds-on favorite How Do I Win from the Todd Pletcher barn. Covert Ops, Zellers, Mr. Continental, and Harry Consolidator completed the order of finish.
July 24th
The second race on the Sunday card was won impressively by the first-time starter Dehere of the Cat. The race was a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight for New York-Bred two-year-olds. A son of Discreet Cat, the bay colt tracked a moderate pace set by Half Lit before wearing the latter down for a one length victory in 1:05.73. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the colt was ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez. Tug of War finished third, followed by Readthebyline, Cybertron, favored Swag Daddy, and Utopian Dream.
The ninth race of the card was the Sanford Stakes (gr. II). The overwhelming favored at 0.30-1 was Overdriven, a Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden son of Tale of the Cat owned by Repole Stables. The exact same connections of last year's two-year-old male Eclipse champion Uncle Mo.
Overdriven managed to evoke memories of Uncle Mo with an authoritive four-length triumph in the $150,000 event. After biding his time just off of the pace set by Black Rhino, the colt flashed past the pacesetter and drew away to a decisive victory in a sharp 1:10.60. Power World, runner-up in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) last month, rallied late for second yet again while proving no threat to the winner. Jacks in the Deck, winner of the Futurity Stakes (gr. II) last month, just managed to overhaul a fading Black Rhino for third. Moonrush and Tarpy's Goal completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Race 3:
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
5 Furlongs
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Barbados Beauty 2-1
2 Select Cat 8-5
3 Spring Breeze 8-1
4 Spare Change 5-1
5 Siberian Wildcat 5-1
6 Miss Bikini Bottom 15-1
The slight morning line favorite is Select Cat, a Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Tale of the Cat. She has never started before, but turned in a :47.55 half-mile work handily from the gate in preperation for this race. John Velazquez has the mount, and one should never count out a horse with connections like Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez
Barbados Beauty is another filly with good connections that seem to indicate she may be something special. She is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez. Like Select Cat, Barbados Beauty has never raced before, and will have to overcome breaking from the railm but has been training well for this race and should be ready to run.
Spare Change and Siberian Wildcat are the co-third choices at 5-1. Spare Change is an unraced daughter of Bernardini trained by Shug McGaughey. Her workouts have not been anything special -- they could even be considered rather slow -- but Julien Leparoux is in the saddle, and you never know what kind of surprises McGaughey may have up his sleeve. Siberian Wildcat is trained by Gary Contassa and will be ridden by Rajiv Maragh. By Wildcat Heir, Siberian Wildcat turned in a good five furlong breeze for this race and may be ready to win what will be her first start.
Spring Breeze, trained by Carlos Martin, has had an unusual work pattern. After a bunch of three-furlong breezes, he worked five furlongs on July 8th, then three furlongs again on July 14th, and a half-mile on July 21st, just four days ago. Not exactly your usual gradual increase in workout distance! Edgar Prado has the mount on the Congrats filly.
Finally, we come to Miss Bikini Bottom. The only horse in the field with racing experience, the daughter of Saint Anddan finished fourth of five in a five-furlong maiden special weight on June 30th at Belmont Park. She did have some excuses, for she bumped another horse at the start and raced greenly throughout the race, but she is likely going to have to improve considerably to defeat these fillies. Trained by William Lagorio, she has been breezing at Suffolk Downs and will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez.
My top three selections in this race are:
1 Select Cat
2 Spare Change
3 Barbados Beauty
Race 6:
Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies
$50,000
5-1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Cattaraugus (Scratched)
2 Fly to the Sky 10-1
3 Cat Girl 4-1
4 Sweet Cat 7-2
5 Morning Shine 5-1
6 Volcat 5-1
7 Run a Risk 5-1
8 Delightful Song (Scratched)
9 Dancin N Prancin (Scratched)
Yet another Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden two-year-old is entered here at Saratoga in the form of Sweet Cat, the morning line favorite. Interestingly, she is also owned by Todd Pletcher. This is likely a learning experience for the filly, who has only four workouts under her belt with none of them on turf. A daughter of Kitten's Joy, it will be interesting to see if she stays on turf or moved to dirt in the future.
The other "cat" in this field is Cat Girl, the second choioce on the morning line. Unlike Sweet Cat, Cat Girl has racing experience. On June 29th, she finished third in a six-furlong turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park. With that start under her belt, the Frank Alexander-trainee should be ready to win this time around. Rajiv Maragh has the mount.
Morning Shine, trained by Steve Asmussen, has never raced before but has been breezing steadily at a variety of tracks. The daughter of Lion Heart will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and looks very promising.
Volcat has raced twice before, finishing fifth in a five-furlong main track maiden special weight and then second in a six furlong event. Trained by Ken McPeek, she seems to be improving and will have Manoel Cruz in the saddle.
This brings us to Run a Risk, an unraced daughter of Distorted Humor. Trained by George Arnold II, she breezed five furlongs in sharp fashion in preparation for this race and will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Finally, we find Fly to the Sky. An unraced filly that has been training at Calder, the daughter of Lone Star Sky is trained by David Fawkes and has been turning in some decent breezes. Jose Lezcano will have the mount.
My selections for this race are:
1 Cat Girl
2 Morning Shine
3 Sweet Cat
PREVIOUS RESULTS
July 23rd
The second race at Saratoga, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight, went to Laurie's Rocket in impressive fashion. Trained by Dallas Stewart, he sat off of a very quick pace of :21.72 and :44.90 set by Whinston and How Do I Win before blowing past them for a 1 1/4 length victory. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the son of Bluegrass Cat stopped the clock in 1:04.74. Whinston ran very well in defeat to finish second, one length clear of odds-on favorite How Do I Win from the Todd Pletcher barn. Covert Ops, Zellers, Mr. Continental, and Harry Consolidator completed the order of finish.
July 24th
The second race on the Sunday card was won impressively by the first-time starter Dehere of the Cat. The race was a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight for New York-Bred two-year-olds. A son of Discreet Cat, the bay colt tracked a moderate pace set by Half Lit before wearing the latter down for a one length victory in 1:05.73. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the colt was ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez. Tug of War finished third, followed by Readthebyline, Cybertron, favored Swag Daddy, and Utopian Dream.
The ninth race of the card was the Sanford Stakes (gr. II). The overwhelming favored at 0.30-1 was Overdriven, a Todd Pletcher-trained/John Velazquez-ridden son of Tale of the Cat owned by Repole Stables. The exact same connections of last year's two-year-old male Eclipse champion Uncle Mo.
Overdriven managed to evoke memories of Uncle Mo with an authoritive four-length triumph in the $150,000 event. After biding his time just off of the pace set by Black Rhino, the colt flashed past the pacesetter and drew away to a decisive victory in a sharp 1:10.60. Power World, runner-up in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) last month, rallied late for second yet again while proving no threat to the winner. Jacks in the Deck, winner of the Futurity Stakes (gr. II) last month, just managed to overhaul a fading Black Rhino for third. Moonrush and Tarpy's Goal completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Saturday, July 23, 2011
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS ANALYSIS
A small but compact field of three-year-old fillies is scheduled to head to post this afternoon for the 2011 edition of the grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The historic event, won by such greats as Ruffian, Open Mind, and Davona Dale, features three grade I winners and a pair of grade II winners.
The 2-1 morning line favorite is Royal Delta, a William Mott-trained daughter of Empire Maker. A very lightly raced filly, she won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) last time out at Pimlico in May. Her performance was stellar that day as she bided her time off the pace before rocketing her way to victory. A foot bruise caused her to miss just a bit of training a while back, but now she is ready to run again and looks to continue to build on her promising reputation.
Plum Pretty, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), is the co-second choice at 3-1. Trained by Bob Baffert, she won the Sunland Park Oaks in March by an incredible 25 lengths before holding off all challenges to win the Kentucky Oaks by a neck. She caught a very mild fever shortly before her next and most recent race, the Hollywood Oaks (gr. II), which may have contributed to her runner-up effort behind Zazu that day. However, she turned in a sharp six furlong work for this race and should run better today.
It's Tricky is the other 3-1 shot on the morning line. A daughter of Mineshaft, she is 4-for-5 in her career, which includes a stunning victory in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) last time out. She still has a bit to prove -- her her Acorn victory came in the slop and around only one turn, while today's CCA Oaks is around two turns -- but she looks like a talented looking filly with a lot of potential.
Buster's Ready is 7-2 on the morning line. After finishing second to Royal Delta in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, she turned in a dominating performance to win the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) by 4 1/4 lengths over Joyful Victory. She has been improving with every race and if she continues to improve today, she may just be good enough to win this race.
Finally, there Joyful Victory, 6-1 on the morning line. After flying to extraordinarily easy victories in the Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) and Fantasy Stakes (gr. II), she finished fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks and second to Buster's Ready in the Mother Goose. While it is clear that she will have to step up and run better in order to win this race, she may just be capable of doing that.
Whoever wins this race will likely assume leadership of the division, which is currently wide open.
My picks are:
1 Royal Delta
2 Plum Pretty
3 Buster's Ready
-Keelerman
The 2-1 morning line favorite is Royal Delta, a William Mott-trained daughter of Empire Maker. A very lightly raced filly, she won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) last time out at Pimlico in May. Her performance was stellar that day as she bided her time off the pace before rocketing her way to victory. A foot bruise caused her to miss just a bit of training a while back, but now she is ready to run again and looks to continue to build on her promising reputation.
Plum Pretty, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), is the co-second choice at 3-1. Trained by Bob Baffert, she won the Sunland Park Oaks in March by an incredible 25 lengths before holding off all challenges to win the Kentucky Oaks by a neck. She caught a very mild fever shortly before her next and most recent race, the Hollywood Oaks (gr. II), which may have contributed to her runner-up effort behind Zazu that day. However, she turned in a sharp six furlong work for this race and should run better today.
It's Tricky is the other 3-1 shot on the morning line. A daughter of Mineshaft, she is 4-for-5 in her career, which includes a stunning victory in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) last time out. She still has a bit to prove -- her her Acorn victory came in the slop and around only one turn, while today's CCA Oaks is around two turns -- but she looks like a talented looking filly with a lot of potential.
Buster's Ready is 7-2 on the morning line. After finishing second to Royal Delta in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, she turned in a dominating performance to win the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) by 4 1/4 lengths over Joyful Victory. She has been improving with every race and if she continues to improve today, she may just be good enough to win this race.
Finally, there Joyful Victory, 6-1 on the morning line. After flying to extraordinarily easy victories in the Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) and Fantasy Stakes (gr. II), she finished fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks and second to Buster's Ready in the Mother Goose. While it is clear that she will have to step up and run better in order to win this race, she may just be capable of doing that.
Whoever wins this race will likely assume leadership of the division, which is currently wide open.
My picks are:
1 Royal Delta
2 Plum Pretty
3 Buster's Ready
-Keelerman
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 23rd, 2011
There is only one two-year-old maiden special weight race scheduled to be run this afternoon at Saratoga, where the feature race of the day is the grade I Coaching Club American Oaks. Still, it looks like an interesting one and I wouldn't be surprised if some nice horses emerge from it.
Saratoga Race 2
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Laurie's Rocket 5-1
2 Zellers 12-1
3 Harry Consolidator 20-1
4 Mr. Continental 6-1
5 Covert Ops 8-1
6 Whinston 8-5
7 How Do I Win 5-2
The morninge line favorite is Whinston, a Steve Asmussen-trained son of Pomeroy. He has raced once before, finishing a distant fourth in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. But he didn't get the greatest of trips in that race and should turn in an improved effort today.
How Do I Win is an intriguing horse. Owned by Repole Stable, trained by Todd Pletcher, and to be ridden by John Velazquez, he has the connections to be a star. He turned in a bullet five furlong work in :58.89 handily from the gate on July 16th, and may be set to win in the first race of his career.
Laurie's Rocket brings experience to this race, having one start under his belt already. In his debut, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, he made a five-wide rally at nearly 48-1 to finish second, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Bonaparte. The latter subsequently returned to finish sixth of seven in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III), although he really didn't perform to badly there. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Laurie's Rocket will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.
The fourth choice is Mr. Continental, and unraced son of Corinthian. Trained by Nick Zito, the colt has turned in some good looking workouts and may be sitting on a big effort. Leading rider Ramon Dominguez will be in the saddle, so don't be surprised if Mr. Continental wins impressively.
Convert Ops is another unraced colt, but the son of Smoke Glacken has been working steadily at Belmont Park for Shug McGaughey. Alex Solis will have the mount.
Zellers finished seventh in his only race thus far, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, he would have to show considerably more to be a contender here today. Robby Albarado will ride.
Finally, we come to Harry Consolidator. Trained by Doodnauth Shivmangal, he has never raced before but has breezed four times in the last three weeks. Rajiv Maragh has the mount on the son of Consolidator.
My selections for this race are:
1 How Do I Win
2 Laurie's Rocket
3 Whinston
Enjoy the race!
Previous Results
July 22nd
In the fifth race of the day, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies, My Miss Aurelia pulled off a mild upset under Julien Leparoux to score at 3-1. After tracking a solid early pace of :22.02 and :45.02 set by Delightful Magic, My Miss Aurelia tackled the pacesetter in the homestretch and drew clear late to win by an impressive length. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Smart Strike out of the Storm Cat mare My Miss Storm looks like a potential star. The final time was 1:03.59.
Stopshoppingmaria finished two lengths further back in third after stumbling at the start.
In the seventh race, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special for New York-bred two-year-old fillies, Pure Gossip pulled off a stunning upset at 37-1. Under Alex Solis, the daughter of Pure Prize stayed on the rail all the way around the racetrack, shot clear along the rail, and drew away to score impressively by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time was 1:04.89, considerably slower than My Miss Aurelia ran just two races earlier. Pure Gossip is trained by Philip Serpe. Lenders Way finished second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Wildcat's Smile.
Finally, in the ninth race, the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) for two-year-old fillies, odds-on favorite Georgie's Angel drove past Gypsy Robin in the stretch of the six-furlong event to win by a length and a half. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the daughter of Bellamy Road rated comfortably three wide in third before launching her bid for the lead. She is now 2-for-2 and the early leader of her division. She stopped the clock in 1:10.68. True Feeling made a strong bid for second, finishing 5 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Force de La Nature. Gypsy Robin tired late to end up fourth.
-Keelerman
Saratoga Race 2
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Laurie's Rocket 5-1
2 Zellers 12-1
3 Harry Consolidator 20-1
4 Mr. Continental 6-1
5 Covert Ops 8-1
6 Whinston 8-5
7 How Do I Win 5-2
The morninge line favorite is Whinston, a Steve Asmussen-trained son of Pomeroy. He has raced once before, finishing a distant fourth in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. But he didn't get the greatest of trips in that race and should turn in an improved effort today.
How Do I Win is an intriguing horse. Owned by Repole Stable, trained by Todd Pletcher, and to be ridden by John Velazquez, he has the connections to be a star. He turned in a bullet five furlong work in :58.89 handily from the gate on July 16th, and may be set to win in the first race of his career.
Laurie's Rocket brings experience to this race, having one start under his belt already. In his debut, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, he made a five-wide rally at nearly 48-1 to finish second, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Bonaparte. The latter subsequently returned to finish sixth of seven in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III), although he really didn't perform to badly there. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Laurie's Rocket will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.
The fourth choice is Mr. Continental, and unraced son of Corinthian. Trained by Nick Zito, the colt has turned in some good looking workouts and may be sitting on a big effort. Leading rider Ramon Dominguez will be in the saddle, so don't be surprised if Mr. Continental wins impressively.
Convert Ops is another unraced colt, but the son of Smoke Glacken has been working steadily at Belmont Park for Shug McGaughey. Alex Solis will have the mount.
Zellers finished seventh in his only race thus far, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, he would have to show considerably more to be a contender here today. Robby Albarado will ride.
Finally, we come to Harry Consolidator. Trained by Doodnauth Shivmangal, he has never raced before but has breezed four times in the last three weeks. Rajiv Maragh has the mount on the son of Consolidator.
My selections for this race are:
1 How Do I Win
2 Laurie's Rocket
3 Whinston
Enjoy the race!
Previous Results
July 22nd
In the fifth race of the day, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies, My Miss Aurelia pulled off a mild upset under Julien Leparoux to score at 3-1. After tracking a solid early pace of :22.02 and :45.02 set by Delightful Magic, My Miss Aurelia tackled the pacesetter in the homestretch and drew clear late to win by an impressive length. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Smart Strike out of the Storm Cat mare My Miss Storm looks like a potential star. The final time was 1:03.59.
Stopshoppingmaria finished two lengths further back in third after stumbling at the start.
In the seventh race, a 5-1/2 furlong maiden special for New York-bred two-year-old fillies, Pure Gossip pulled off a stunning upset at 37-1. Under Alex Solis, the daughter of Pure Prize stayed on the rail all the way around the racetrack, shot clear along the rail, and drew away to score impressively by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time was 1:04.89, considerably slower than My Miss Aurelia ran just two races earlier. Pure Gossip is trained by Philip Serpe. Lenders Way finished second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Wildcat's Smile.
Finally, in the ninth race, the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) for two-year-old fillies, odds-on favorite Georgie's Angel drove past Gypsy Robin in the stretch of the six-furlong event to win by a length and a half. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the daughter of Bellamy Road rated comfortably three wide in third before launching her bid for the lead. She is now 2-for-2 and the early leader of her division. She stopped the clock in 1:10.68. True Feeling made a strong bid for second, finishing 5 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Force de La Nature. Gypsy Robin tired late to end up fourth.
-Keelerman
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Juveniles at Saratoga -- July 22nd, 2011
Because so many terrific two-year-olds and future Kentucky Derby starters debut every year at Saratoga, I thought that it would be interesting to begin a series of posts focusing on all of the maiden special weight races run there this summer. It will be fascinating to look back on these posts a year from now and see where the winners of each race ended up. If we're very lucky, we might even watch the debut of a 2012 Kentucky Derby winner!
The first race that we shall cover is the fifth race this afternoon, a $50,000 old maiden special weight for fillies. Eight were entered, but one has scratched.
Here are the entries:
Race 5
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Stopshoppingmaria 6-1
2 Delightful Magic 7-2
3 My Miss Aurelia 5-2
4 Bourbonesque 20-1
5 Refining 6-1
6I Know You Know (Scratched)
7 Party of Interest 12-1
8 Bargain Blitz 3-1
I'll shall make this brief, for we will have many more races to go through before the meet ends, but here I go.
I will not be surprised if Stopshoppingmaria ends up going off at lower odds than 6-1, simply because of her connections. Owned by Repole Stables, she is trained by Todd Pletcher and to be ridden by John Velazquez -- the exact same connections of last year's two-year-old colt champion Uncle Mo. A daughter of More Than Ready out of Skybox, this will be her debut race. The rail might not be the best place for her to start, but don't be surprised if she turns in a stunning effort today.
Delightful Magic is another first-time starter. Trained by Mark Casse, she has turned in some very good workouts recently, including three furlongs in :35.17 from the gate on July 16th. A daughter of Mineshaft out of Magic Kitty, Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on the promising-looking filly.
My Miss Aurelia fascinates me. A daughter of Smart Strike out of My Miss Storm Cat, she breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 just three days ago. Trained by Steve Asmussen, she is owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, who own the magnificent sprinter The Factor. With Julien Leparoux in the saddle, I suspect that My Miss Aurelia may be sitting on a winning debut.
Bourbonesque is the longest shot in the field at 20-1. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, she has shown little in two starts, finishing eighth in both. However, this will be her first start on Lasix, which could yield an improved performance. Alan Garcia will ride the filly, who is a daughter of Dynaformer out of Rhineland. Seeing this pedigree, I wouldn't be surprised if Bourbonesque improves with more distance.
Refining is the only non-Kentucky-bred in the field, being a Florida-bred. By Malibu Moon out of Good Cause, the Bill Mott-trainee has never raced but has shown some good breezes and may be sitting on a strong effort.
Party of Interest has a nice pedigree, being by Bernardini out of the Seeking the Gold mare Search Party, but the Shug McGaughey-trainee hasn't show the greatest of workouts among these starters. This will be her first race, and she should be able to work out a nice trip from gate seven, but she'll have to run well to win this race. Alex Solis has the mount.
Finally, there is Bargain Blitz. A daughter of Rahy out of Freedom of Speech, she has raced twice so far with mixed results. In her first race, she reared at the start and ended up finishing last. In her next start, she broke cleanly and pressed the pace three wide and led passing the eighth pole before finishing second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Trained by Neil Howard, Robby Albarado has the mount.
Race 7
The seventh race at Saratoga is a $40,000 maiden special weight for New York-bred two-year-old fillies. Eleven have entered, ten of which have never raced before. Because of this, there really isn't a whole lot to say about them, but I'll mention some of the more intriguing contenders.
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Kibosh 6-1
1A Project Runaway 6-1
2 Pure Gossip 8-1
3 Lenders Way 8-1
4 Cinnamon Stick 15-1
5 Sing Like A Bird 3-1
6 Karma Police 5-1
7 Barrel of Joy 20-1
8 The Funky Express 10-1
9 Wildcat's Smile 4-1
10 Proud and Charming 12-1
Cinnamon Stick is the only horse in the field to have raced before. In his lone start, she finished fifth of sixth in a five furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park behind the promising filly Hook It Up. Trained by Cloum O'Brien, the daughter of Freud out of Super Blue will be ridden by Ryan Curatolo. Her recent workouts haven't been phenomenal, but she is eligible to improve in her second start.
The morning line favorite is Sing Like A Bird, a daughter of Lawyer Ron out of Birthday Wire. She has shown some good workouts and will be ridden by one of the leading riders in the country, Ramon Dominguez. She will break from gate four and should get a good trip.
Javier Castellano, one of the leading riders in New York, will be aboard second-choice Wildcat's Smile. By Forest Wildcat out of Serenity's Smile, she had had a pair of strong five-furlong breezes recently and could be sitting on a winning performance.
Karma Police has been training well at Keeneland, but thus has no experience at all on dirt. Still, with Rajiv Maragh in the saddle, the Eoin Harty-trainee may have a shot at pulling a minor upset at 5-1.
Race 9 - Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Post Position
1 Force de La Nature
2Five Star Momma (Scratched)
3Dorothy's Aurora (Scratched)
4 True Feelings
5 Alydarla
6 Gypsy Robin
7 Vukovar
8Flashy Lassie (Scratched)
9 Georgie's Angel
The morning line favorite, and perhaps the most intriguing horse in the race, is Georgie's Angel. Owned by Sheffer Racing Stable, the daughter of Bellamy Road out of Lalka is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be ridden by John Velazquez -- always a promising duo. Georgie's Angel won her only start to date, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. She stopped the clock in a quick :51.23 while winning by 6 1/4 lengths in a gate-to-wire performance. She will have to stretch out to six furlong today, but she is going to be a tough filly to beat and looks like a potential star.
Gypsy Robin is the second choice. Trained by Wesley Ward, she has had an interesting career thus far. After breaking her maiden in April at Keeneland by 7 1/2 lengths, she shipped to Royal Ascot in England to compete in the group II Queen Mary Stakes, where she finished seventh. She will have to prove herself on dirt today, but looks like a strong contender. Jeffrey Sanchez will ride.
Force de La Nature broke her maiden going five furlongs at Churchill Downs by 1 1/4 lengths, defeating the above-mentioned Bargain Blitz, who will be running in the fifth race at Saratoga today. How well Bargain Blitz performs could give a clue as to how well Force de La Nature will compete today. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Julien Leparoux has the mount.
The cleverly-named Alydarla is going to be a longshot -- simply because she has never raced before -- but with only six fillies scheduled to compete, she might just be able to secure a major piece of the purse. She has been training very well for James Chapman and has the top rider Edgar Prado in the saddle. I have this suspicion that she may run better than expected.
True Feeling won her only race to date, a five-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park. She was visually impressive there, charging from off the pace to win by 3 3/4 lengths. However, she will have to turn in an improved performance to contend in a strong race like this one. Jeremy Rose will ride the Anthony Dutrow-trainee.
Finally, there is Vukovar. She won her only start, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Parx Racing, by 6 1/2 lengths. While very impressive, Vukovar is going to have to turn in a very strong performance to beat this field. David Cohen has the mount on this Eric Guillot-trained filly, who did turn in a sharp five-furlong workout for this start.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
The first race that we shall cover is the fifth race this afternoon, a $50,000 old maiden special weight for fillies. Eight were entered, but one has scratched.
Here are the entries:
Race 5
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Stopshoppingmaria 6-1
2 Delightful Magic 7-2
3 My Miss Aurelia 5-2
4 Bourbonesque 20-1
5 Refining 6-1
6
7 Party of Interest 12-1
8 Bargain Blitz 3-1
I'll shall make this brief, for we will have many more races to go through before the meet ends, but here I go.
I will not be surprised if Stopshoppingmaria ends up going off at lower odds than 6-1, simply because of her connections. Owned by Repole Stables, she is trained by Todd Pletcher and to be ridden by John Velazquez -- the exact same connections of last year's two-year-old colt champion Uncle Mo. A daughter of More Than Ready out of Skybox, this will be her debut race. The rail might not be the best place for her to start, but don't be surprised if she turns in a stunning effort today.
Delightful Magic is another first-time starter. Trained by Mark Casse, she has turned in some very good workouts recently, including three furlongs in :35.17 from the gate on July 16th. A daughter of Mineshaft out of Magic Kitty, Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on the promising-looking filly.
My Miss Aurelia fascinates me. A daughter of Smart Strike out of My Miss Storm Cat, she breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 just three days ago. Trained by Steve Asmussen, she is owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, who own the magnificent sprinter The Factor. With Julien Leparoux in the saddle, I suspect that My Miss Aurelia may be sitting on a winning debut.
Bourbonesque is the longest shot in the field at 20-1. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, she has shown little in two starts, finishing eighth in both. However, this will be her first start on Lasix, which could yield an improved performance. Alan Garcia will ride the filly, who is a daughter of Dynaformer out of Rhineland. Seeing this pedigree, I wouldn't be surprised if Bourbonesque improves with more distance.
Refining is the only non-Kentucky-bred in the field, being a Florida-bred. By Malibu Moon out of Good Cause, the Bill Mott-trainee has never raced but has shown some good breezes and may be sitting on a strong effort.
Party of Interest has a nice pedigree, being by Bernardini out of the Seeking the Gold mare Search Party, but the Shug McGaughey-trainee hasn't show the greatest of workouts among these starters. This will be her first race, and she should be able to work out a nice trip from gate seven, but she'll have to run well to win this race. Alex Solis has the mount.
Finally, there is Bargain Blitz. A daughter of Rahy out of Freedom of Speech, she has raced twice so far with mixed results. In her first race, she reared at the start and ended up finishing last. In her next start, she broke cleanly and pressed the pace three wide and led passing the eighth pole before finishing second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Trained by Neil Howard, Robby Albarado has the mount.
Race 7
The seventh race at Saratoga is a $40,000 maiden special weight for New York-bred two-year-old fillies. Eleven have entered, ten of which have never raced before. Because of this, there really isn't a whole lot to say about them, but I'll mention some of the more intriguing contenders.
Here are the entries:
Program #/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Kibosh 6-1
1A Project Runaway 6-1
2 Pure Gossip 8-1
3 Lenders Way 8-1
4 Cinnamon Stick 15-1
5 Sing Like A Bird 3-1
6 Karma Police 5-1
7 Barrel of Joy 20-1
8 The Funky Express 10-1
9 Wildcat's Smile 4-1
10 Proud and Charming 12-1
Cinnamon Stick is the only horse in the field to have raced before. In his lone start, she finished fifth of sixth in a five furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park behind the promising filly Hook It Up. Trained by Cloum O'Brien, the daughter of Freud out of Super Blue will be ridden by Ryan Curatolo. Her recent workouts haven't been phenomenal, but she is eligible to improve in her second start.
The morning line favorite is Sing Like A Bird, a daughter of Lawyer Ron out of Birthday Wire. She has shown some good workouts and will be ridden by one of the leading riders in the country, Ramon Dominguez. She will break from gate four and should get a good trip.
Javier Castellano, one of the leading riders in New York, will be aboard second-choice Wildcat's Smile. By Forest Wildcat out of Serenity's Smile, she had had a pair of strong five-furlong breezes recently and could be sitting on a winning performance.
Karma Police has been training well at Keeneland, but thus has no experience at all on dirt. Still, with Rajiv Maragh in the saddle, the Eoin Harty-trainee may have a shot at pulling a minor upset at 5-1.
Race 9 - Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III)
Entries:
Program #/Horse/Post Position
1 Force de La Nature
2
3
4 True Feelings
5 Alydarla
6 Gypsy Robin
7 Vukovar
8
9 Georgie's Angel
The morning line favorite, and perhaps the most intriguing horse in the race, is Georgie's Angel. Owned by Sheffer Racing Stable, the daughter of Bellamy Road out of Lalka is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be ridden by John Velazquez -- always a promising duo. Georgie's Angel won her only start to date, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. She stopped the clock in a quick :51.23 while winning by 6 1/4 lengths in a gate-to-wire performance. She will have to stretch out to six furlong today, but she is going to be a tough filly to beat and looks like a potential star.
Gypsy Robin is the second choice. Trained by Wesley Ward, she has had an interesting career thus far. After breaking her maiden in April at Keeneland by 7 1/2 lengths, she shipped to Royal Ascot in England to compete in the group II Queen Mary Stakes, where she finished seventh. She will have to prove herself on dirt today, but looks like a strong contender. Jeffrey Sanchez will ride.
Force de La Nature broke her maiden going five furlongs at Churchill Downs by 1 1/4 lengths, defeating the above-mentioned Bargain Blitz, who will be running in the fifth race at Saratoga today. How well Bargain Blitz performs could give a clue as to how well Force de La Nature will compete today. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Julien Leparoux has the mount.
The cleverly-named Alydarla is going to be a longshot -- simply because she has never raced before -- but with only six fillies scheduled to compete, she might just be able to secure a major piece of the purse. She has been training very well for James Chapman and has the top rider Edgar Prado in the saddle. I have this suspicion that she may run better than expected.
True Feeling won her only race to date, a five-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park. She was visually impressive there, charging from off the pace to win by 3 3/4 lengths. However, she will have to turn in an improved performance to contend in a strong race like this one. Jeremy Rose will ride the Anthony Dutrow-trainee.
Finally, there is Vukovar. She won her only start, a 4-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Parx Racing, by 6 1/2 lengths. While very impressive, Vukovar is going to have to turn in a very strong performance to beat this field. David Cohen has the mount on this Eric Guillot-trained filly, who did turn in a sharp five-furlong workout for this start.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
Opening Day at Saratoga!
Are you ready?
This afternoon, one of the most prestigious race meets in the country begins at Saratoga race course in New York. Countless graded stakes races will be run, with several past and future champions likely to race there. And don't forget the incredible maiden special weight races -- Uncle Mo, To Honor and Serve, Astrology, Anthony's Cross, and More Than Real were among the juveniles that debuted at Saratoga last year.
The 2011 meeting kicks off with a ten-race card that features two stakes races, the $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) for two-year-old fillies, and the $75,000 James Marvin Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.
The first race of the day is a $43,000 allowance race at a mile and a sixteenth of the turf for New York-bred three-year-olds and upward. The 7-2 morning line favorite is Gamblin Fever, who has actually only won twice in 37 starts but has been racing rather well as of late. A five-year-old gelding, he possesses a serious late turn of foot, and has run second in two straight allowance races similar to this one at Belmont Park.
The lightly-raced five-year-old Boat, who actually only made his debut in late 2010, is the second choice on the morning line. He too has been running well in allowance company, but finished 5 1/4 lengths behind Gamblin Fever last time out.
The Noz broke his maiden here at Saratoga last year, but has not finished better than third in six starts since then. Last time out, he was third in a seven-furlong turf allowance race. Perhaps he will enjoy the stretch-out in distance, but I believe that he will have to run an improved race to contend here.
Fizzano, a three-year-old gelding, will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez and is the co-third choice along with The Noz. He is coming off of a victory in a maiden special weight going a mile and a sixteenth of turf, where he was allowed to set a dawdling pace before drawing away for a 2 1/4 length victory.
Dual Citizen was eased in his last start, but has previously performed well and has the early speed to go to the lead. If he gets involved in a speed-duel with Fizzano, it could be bad for both of them, but if the pace in slow Dual Citizen could take them gate-to-wire. I'm going to guess that he bled or something similar in his last start and will run an improved race today.
Warrior Up, Rocky World, Mr. Hooker, and Tapitdar complete the field.
My top three picks are:
1 Dual Citizen
2 Gamblin Fever
3 Boat
More analysis on other races will follow!
-Keelerman
This afternoon, one of the most prestigious race meets in the country begins at Saratoga race course in New York. Countless graded stakes races will be run, with several past and future champions likely to race there. And don't forget the incredible maiden special weight races -- Uncle Mo, To Honor and Serve, Astrology, Anthony's Cross, and More Than Real were among the juveniles that debuted at Saratoga last year.
The 2011 meeting kicks off with a ten-race card that features two stakes races, the $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) for two-year-old fillies, and the $75,000 James Marvin Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.
The first race of the day is a $43,000 allowance race at a mile and a sixteenth of the turf for New York-bred three-year-olds and upward. The 7-2 morning line favorite is Gamblin Fever, who has actually only won twice in 37 starts but has been racing rather well as of late. A five-year-old gelding, he possesses a serious late turn of foot, and has run second in two straight allowance races similar to this one at Belmont Park.
The lightly-raced five-year-old Boat, who actually only made his debut in late 2010, is the second choice on the morning line. He too has been running well in allowance company, but finished 5 1/4 lengths behind Gamblin Fever last time out.
The Noz broke his maiden here at Saratoga last year, but has not finished better than third in six starts since then. Last time out, he was third in a seven-furlong turf allowance race. Perhaps he will enjoy the stretch-out in distance, but I believe that he will have to run an improved race to contend here.
Fizzano, a three-year-old gelding, will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez and is the co-third choice along with The Noz. He is coming off of a victory in a maiden special weight going a mile and a sixteenth of turf, where he was allowed to set a dawdling pace before drawing away for a 2 1/4 length victory.
Dual Citizen was eased in his last start, but has previously performed well and has the early speed to go to the lead. If he gets involved in a speed-duel with Fizzano, it could be bad for both of them, but if the pace in slow Dual Citizen could take them gate-to-wire. I'm going to guess that he bled or something similar in his last start and will run an improved race today.
Warrior Up, Rocky World, Mr. Hooker, and Tapitdar complete the field.
My top three picks are:
1 Dual Citizen
2 Gamblin Fever
3 Boat
More analysis on other races will follow!
-Keelerman
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Opening Day at Del Mar!
The sun is shining this afternoon at Del Mar, where the historic racetrack will kick off it's 2011 meet with a fine card of ten races, featuring the one-mile on the turf Oceanside Stakes, won by leading older horse Twirling Candy last year.
The first race on the card is one-mile main track allowance optional claiming race for three-year-olds and up. The morning line favorite is Eye On Jacob, a lightly-raced son of A.P. Indy trained by Bob Baffert. Winner of a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park in 2009, he apparently suffered some sort of setback after that for he did not race again until May 2011 where he ran fourth in a Hollywood Park allowance race. Two subsequent performances in similar races yielded a second and a third. He is not entered to be claimed today, and has Joel Rosario in the saddle, so he should have every chance at securing a second career victory today.
Times Gone By is the second choice, most likely due to his close fourth-place finish in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. I) a few starts back. But since then, he has finished fifth in an allowance race, last of nine in the San Francisco Mile Stakes (gr. III), and third in a $50,000 claiming race.
Interestingly, Times Gone By will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano. He and Joel Rosario have been the two leading riders in California for some time now, and the races for meet titles between them are often quite close. I think it's nice that in the first race of the Del Mar meet, they will be riding the two favorites.
In the Oceanside Stakes, following five scratches, nine horses will head to post. The morning line favorite at 5-2 is Mr. Commons, making his first start since finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). His lone start on turf came in a maiden special weight earlier this year, which he won in brilliant fashion by 5 1/2 lengths. Trained by John Shirreffs, the colt will be ridden by Mike Smith and should have every chance at victory.
His main competition will likely come from Extensive, winner of the Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs back in April. In his lone start since then, he finished a strong third in the Arlington Classic Stakes at Arlington on May 28th.
Joel Rosario will be aboard Fort Hastings, a lightly-raced son of Aragorn who has done all of his racing in Europe. This will be his first start in the United States and his first for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. 6-1 on the morning line, he too could have a good shot at winning this race.
The last race I shall mention is the fourth on the card, a five furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies. There are many intriguing fillies in the race, with the morning line favorite being Cha Cha Latte, who finished second in her only start to date. Trained by Kathy Walsh and to be ridden by David Flores, she has drawn the far outside post position but could break through with an impressive victory today.
There are two first-time starters in the race: Smoke Train, a Dean Greenman-trained filly with Mike Smith in the saddle; and Weemissfrankie, a Peter Aurton-trained filly with Rafael Bejarano aboard.
It's going to be a great day of racing! Enjoy!
-Keelerman
The first race on the card is one-mile main track allowance optional claiming race for three-year-olds and up. The morning line favorite is Eye On Jacob, a lightly-raced son of A.P. Indy trained by Bob Baffert. Winner of a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park in 2009, he apparently suffered some sort of setback after that for he did not race again until May 2011 where he ran fourth in a Hollywood Park allowance race. Two subsequent performances in similar races yielded a second and a third. He is not entered to be claimed today, and has Joel Rosario in the saddle, so he should have every chance at securing a second career victory today.
Times Gone By is the second choice, most likely due to his close fourth-place finish in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. I) a few starts back. But since then, he has finished fifth in an allowance race, last of nine in the San Francisco Mile Stakes (gr. III), and third in a $50,000 claiming race.
Interestingly, Times Gone By will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano. He and Joel Rosario have been the two leading riders in California for some time now, and the races for meet titles between them are often quite close. I think it's nice that in the first race of the Del Mar meet, they will be riding the two favorites.
In the Oceanside Stakes, following five scratches, nine horses will head to post. The morning line favorite at 5-2 is Mr. Commons, making his first start since finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). His lone start on turf came in a maiden special weight earlier this year, which he won in brilliant fashion by 5 1/2 lengths. Trained by John Shirreffs, the colt will be ridden by Mike Smith and should have every chance at victory.
His main competition will likely come from Extensive, winner of the Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs back in April. In his lone start since then, he finished a strong third in the Arlington Classic Stakes at Arlington on May 28th.
Joel Rosario will be aboard Fort Hastings, a lightly-raced son of Aragorn who has done all of his racing in Europe. This will be his first start in the United States and his first for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. 6-1 on the morning line, he too could have a good shot at winning this race.
The last race I shall mention is the fourth on the card, a five furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies. There are many intriguing fillies in the race, with the morning line favorite being Cha Cha Latte, who finished second in her only start to date. Trained by Kathy Walsh and to be ridden by David Flores, she has drawn the far outside post position but could break through with an impressive victory today.
There are two first-time starters in the race: Smoke Train, a Dean Greenman-trained filly with Mike Smith in the saddle; and Weemissfrankie, a Peter Aurton-trained filly with Rafael Bejarano aboard.
It's going to be a great day of racing! Enjoy!
-Keelerman
Saturday, July 16, 2011
BLIND LUCK WINS THE DELAWARE HANDICAP!
In a thrilling stretch duel, champion 3yo filly of 2010 Blind Luck edged her longtime rival Havre de Grace in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) this afternoon at Delaware Park.
Under Garrett Gomez, the filly broke a step slowly but quickly settled into the fourth spot in a five horse field as Life at Ten and Thundering Emilia set the pace. 3-5 favorite Havre de Grace, coming off of an easy win in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) last month, was a bit headstrong in third, hauling her rider Ramon Dominguez into the race early on. Love's Blush trailed the field.
Through moderate fractions the positions remained unchanged, but moving into the final turn Havre de Grace inched up on the outside and then blew past the leaders, entering the homestretch with the lead. But Blind Luck had been kept closer to the pace by Garrett Gomez, and the two fillies confronted each other with three-sixteenths of a mile to go.
An amazing stretch duel ensued, with both fillies clinging together and opening up a huge lead on the rest of the field. In the final yards, Blind Luck stuck her head in front and kept it there to cross the wire the narrow winner. The daughter of Pollard's Vision stopped the clock in 2:01 1/5 seconds.
Havre de Grace lost nothing in defeat, putting up a magnificent fight. Life at Ten held off Love's Blush for third, with Thundering Emilia just behind them.
-Keelerman
Under Garrett Gomez, the filly broke a step slowly but quickly settled into the fourth spot in a five horse field as Life at Ten and Thundering Emilia set the pace. 3-5 favorite Havre de Grace, coming off of an easy win in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) last month, was a bit headstrong in third, hauling her rider Ramon Dominguez into the race early on. Love's Blush trailed the field.
Through moderate fractions the positions remained unchanged, but moving into the final turn Havre de Grace inched up on the outside and then blew past the leaders, entering the homestretch with the lead. But Blind Luck had been kept closer to the pace by Garrett Gomez, and the two fillies confronted each other with three-sixteenths of a mile to go.
An amazing stretch duel ensued, with both fillies clinging together and opening up a huge lead on the rest of the field. In the final yards, Blind Luck stuck her head in front and kept it there to cross the wire the narrow winner. The daughter of Pollard's Vision stopped the clock in 2:01 1/5 seconds.
Havre de Grace lost nothing in defeat, putting up a magnificent fight. Life at Ten held off Love's Blush for third, with Thundering Emilia just behind them.
-Keelerman
Guest Blog at Bloodhorse.com!
I am pleased to announce that I have written a guest blog post for Jason Shandler's "Breeders' Cup Chat" at Bloodhorse.com. The post covers the Delaware Handicap this afternoon--where Havre de Grace and Blind Luck will meet for the sixth time--as well as the Virginia Derby.
If you would like to read it, click here.
-Keelerman
If you would like to read it, click here.
-Keelerman
Saturday, July 09, 2011
CAPE BLANCO WINS THE MAN O' WAR!
Irish invader Cape Blanco denied Gio Ponti his third consecutive win in the $600,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. I) this afternoon at Belmont Park when he held off the latter for a two length victory in the historic event.
Sent off as the 3-1 second choice under Jamie Spencer, the four-year-old colt broke cleanly from the far outside post position and sprinted away to challenge Mission Approved for the early lead. Mission Approved, winner of the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I) last time out, broke like a rocket from the rail and went straight to the lead as usual. Boisterous was settling into third, followed by Al Khali, Bearpath, and the two-time Man o' War winner Gio Ponti, who trailed the field.
The early pace was not very quick, with Mission Approved running the opening fractions :23 3/5 and :50 1/5. Mission Approved continued to lead until the field entered the far turn, where Cape Blanco moved up to take a narrow advantage. In the meantime, Gio Ponti was swinging into contention on the far outside and was gaining ground rapidly.
Entering the homestretch Cape Blanco held a narrow lead over Mission Approved, but the latter had something left and was fighting on gamely. Gio Ponti was closing in with every stride, but Cape Blanco stayed on strongly to the finish to win by two lengths in 2:14 3/5.
Gio Ponti finished a clear second over Boisterous, with Mission Approved tiring very late in the race to finish a close fourth.
-Keelerman
Sent off as the 3-1 second choice under Jamie Spencer, the four-year-old colt broke cleanly from the far outside post position and sprinted away to challenge Mission Approved for the early lead. Mission Approved, winner of the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I) last time out, broke like a rocket from the rail and went straight to the lead as usual. Boisterous was settling into third, followed by Al Khali, Bearpath, and the two-time Man o' War winner Gio Ponti, who trailed the field.
The early pace was not very quick, with Mission Approved running the opening fractions :23 3/5 and :50 1/5. Mission Approved continued to lead until the field entered the far turn, where Cape Blanco moved up to take a narrow advantage. In the meantime, Gio Ponti was swinging into contention on the far outside and was gaining ground rapidly.
Entering the homestretch Cape Blanco held a narrow lead over Mission Approved, but the latter had something left and was fighting on gamely. Gio Ponti was closing in with every stride, but Cape Blanco stayed on strongly to the finish to win by two lengths in 2:14 3/5.
Gio Ponti finished a clear second over Boisterous, with Mission Approved tiring very late in the race to finish a close fourth.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS’ CUP COUNTDOWN ---- July 9th, 2011
The Hollywood Gold Cup! The Man o’ War! The Princess Rooney! The Smile Sprint! Today’s lineup of Breeders’ Cup prep races is a magnificent bunch.
In the Hollywood Gold Cup, leading older male Twirling Candy takes on Game On Dude and Setsuko in a Santa Anita Handicap rematch, with Awesome Gem trying to fend them off to score a repeat victory in the historic race.
In the Man o’ War, three-time Eclipse award-winning Gio Ponti will attempt to win the event for the third straight year, but will have to defeat the rapidly improving former claimer Mission Approved in order to do so.
In the Princess Rooney, leading female sprinter Sassy Image takes on two-time grade I winner Champagne d’Oro in what should prove to be a thrilling race. Let’s take a closer look at these and the other great races coming up later this afternoon. . .
Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I)
This historic grade I, mile and a quarter event has been won by countless good horses over the decades, with Seabiscuit taking its inaugural running. This year’s edition could potentially produce a true leader for the older males division, which lacks anything that even resembles a leader.
The morning line favorite at 4-5 is the above-mentioned Twirling Candy. An immensely talented four-year-old son of Candy Ride, the colt won the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita last December, sprinting the seven furlongs in track record time. An overwhelmingly easy victory in the Strub Stakes (gr. II) set him up for a run in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), where he was bumped hard and repeatedly at the top of the stretch before backing up to finish fifth. Three months later, he returned to the races in the Californian Stakes (gr. II), where the front-running colt showed a new dimension by closing strongly from off the pace to win under a hand ride. That was his most recent start to date, and if he runs back to it he should win today’s Gold Cup. But Twirling Candy has had some issues with rating and relaxing in the past, and we still don’t know if he can succeed in a ten furlong race of this caliber.
Other leading contenders are the two “Dudes” from the Baffert barn, Game On Dude and First Dude. It seems impossible that two horses with dude in their name – from the same crop no less – would meet up as often as they have. They met for the first time in the 2010 Florida Derby (gr. I), where First Dude ran fifth and Game On Dude seventh. They met again in the Belmont Stakes, where First Dude ran third and game On Dude fourth. Most recently, they ran sixth and first, respectively, in the Santa Anita Handicap. Although First Dude has defeated Game On Dude in two of their three meetings, Game On Dude seems to be in better form this year. It will be interesting to see who does better this afternoon.
Awesome Gem, winner of this race in 2010, goes for a repeat victory. He’ll be a bit of a longshot, but he defeated heavily favored Rail Trip in this race last year, so he has some experience defeating heavy favorites. He is a true mile and a quarter horse, so if Twirling Candy falls apart in the final eighth of a mile, Awesome Gem may just be able to pick up the pieces.
Setsuko, runner-up in the Santa Anita Handicap to Game On Dude, didn’t race again until the Californian Handicap, where he ran second to Twirling Candy. He didn’t get the cleanest of trips that day, and should be sharper this time out, but he’ll have to run his best to win a race like this.
Miss Match, a close third in the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) last time out, gets into the race with only 110 pounds and is thus receiving twelve from Twirling Candy. A distance loving mare, she won the Santa Margarita Invitational (gr. I) over the very nice filly Switch earlier this year and – if she gets a perfect trip – may be good enough to secure a sizable piece of the purse.
Soul Candy, fourth in the Californian, and Dark Cove, third in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes, complete the field.
Man o’ War Stakes (gr. I)
Can Gio Ponti win his third straight Man o’ War Stakes? That is the question that all are asking. The champion turf male in this country for two straight years, the Man o’ War has been part of his Eclipse-award winning resume on both occasions. With the division still wide open this year, a victory in the Man o’ War could potentially launch Gio Ponti on his way to an unprecedented third straight championship.
But he has a worthy rival facing him this year in Mission Approved. The colt, who was available to be claimed twice last year, entered the 2010 Man o’ War Stakes as a 53-1 shot. Despite his huge odds, he succeeded in slowing the pace down to a crawl and nearly held off Gio Ponti, who closed his final quarter mile in :21 and change to win by a neck.
Setbacks kept Mission Approved away from the races for eleven months after that. The seven-year-old horse returned to the racetrack in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I) against Gio Ponti. Once again, Mission Approved slowed the pace down to a crawl. This time, he was not caught. He blazed home his final quarter mile over a yielding track in :23.88 to win by a length and a quarter over Bim Bam, who held second by a neck over the late-running Gio Ponti.
Who will win the 2011 Man o’ War? Whether it’s Gio Ponti or Mission Approved, you can bet that they’ll put on a good show.
. . . on the other hand, it’s fairly possible that neither will win. Foreign invader Cape Blanco, a group I winner in Europe, has been entered. Beaten just a length in this year’s Dubai World Cup – a race in which he finished ahead of Gio Ponti – he has proven to be an extremely talented competitor on turf and may prove just too good for Gio Ponti and Mission Approved to handle. At the very least, the colt – who has good tactical speed – will ensure an honest pace.
Al Khali, fourth in the Manhattan; Bearpath, second in the Louisville Handicap (gr. III); and Boisterous, winner of the Three Coins Up Stakes last time out, complete this talented lineup of turf males.
Swaps Stakes (gr. II)
A compact field of five sophomores is scheduled to head to post for the 2011 edition of the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park. The 6-5 morning line favorite is the up-and-coming Bob Baffert-trained Coil, winner of his last three starts. Last time out, he flew to a sharp victory in the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) in his two-turn debut. With Martin Garcia in the saddle, I would not be surprised if the colt totally dominated his opposition this afternoon.
On the other hand, I would not be surprised if Runflatout catches him today. The colt, who broke his maiden sprinting six furlong in 1:07.70, was charging late at the finish of the Affirmed Handicap to fall just a length short of Coil. With an extra sixteenth of a mile to run today, he may just be able to catch Coil this time around.
Uncle Sam, eighth in the Lone Star Derby on the turf and a close second in the Alydar Stakes; Dreamy Kid, fourth in a recent allowance optional claiming event; and Spud Spivens, third in the Affirmed, round out the field.
Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I)
Champagne d’Oro and Sassy Image are the two big names here. Champagne d’Oro, winner of the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) and Test Stakes (gr. I) last year, proved herself to be among the best female sprinters of 2010. This will be her first start since El Encino Stakes (gr. II) back in January at the end of an extremely long campaign. Sassy Image was a classy stakes winning two-year-old, but setbacks kept her away from the races for much of her three-year-old season. But this year, she has proved herself to be a talented sprinter by taking the Humana Distaff (gr. I) and the Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) to establish herself as the leader of the division.
The only other horse expected to give the top two contenders a run for their money is Derwin’s Star. Winner of the Charles Town Oaks last year, she has only made one start in 2011, that being a dominating victory in a 6-1/2 furlong allowance optional claiming race at Parx Racing despite a bit of traffic issues. Although Champagne d’Oro and Sassy Image bring better credentials to the table, Derwin’s Star may be good enough to beat them both. It should be a good race.
Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. II)
Noble’s Promise was showed a great deal of talent and two and three. This year, he has a shot at being a champion.
The male sprinter division lacks any form of a leader this year, with last year’s champion Big Drama unraced since a strong victory in the Mr. Prospector at the beginning of the year. Thus, Noble’s Promise has as good a shot as any at claiming leadership of the division.
After finishing a troubled fifth in his 2011 debut, the Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II), Noble’s Promise impressively defeated the inconsistent but talented Atta Boy Roy in the Aristides Stakes (gr. III) in his most recent start. A late-running sprinter with the tactical speed to secure good position early, Noble’s Promise should be a dangerous contender here if he takes to the Calder strip.
Other logical contenders are Giant Ryan, winner of four straight races including the Ponche Handicap here at Calder; and This Ones for Phil, distant second to the budding superstar Trappe Shot in the True North Handicap (gr. II) last time out.
Irrefutable, winner of two straight allowance races for Bob Baffert’s Royal Tricon, second to Giant Ryan in the Ponche; and How’s Your Halo, winner of the 2009 Ponche in his last victory, complete the field.
* * * * *
Those are the big races of this Saturday. Of course, there are many other fine stakes races to watch, including a fabulous three-stakes card at Arlington, but I’m afraid I can’t cover them all. But you never know where a Breeders’ Cup contender will come from, so if anything impressive happens in a race I didn’t mention, I’ll be sure to write up the details and tell you about it.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
In the Hollywood Gold Cup, leading older male Twirling Candy takes on Game On Dude and Setsuko in a Santa Anita Handicap rematch, with Awesome Gem trying to fend them off to score a repeat victory in the historic race.
In the Man o’ War, three-time Eclipse award-winning Gio Ponti will attempt to win the event for the third straight year, but will have to defeat the rapidly improving former claimer Mission Approved in order to do so.
In the Princess Rooney, leading female sprinter Sassy Image takes on two-time grade I winner Champagne d’Oro in what should prove to be a thrilling race. Let’s take a closer look at these and the other great races coming up later this afternoon. . .
Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I)
This historic grade I, mile and a quarter event has been won by countless good horses over the decades, with Seabiscuit taking its inaugural running. This year’s edition could potentially produce a true leader for the older males division, which lacks anything that even resembles a leader.
The morning line favorite at 4-5 is the above-mentioned Twirling Candy. An immensely talented four-year-old son of Candy Ride, the colt won the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita last December, sprinting the seven furlongs in track record time. An overwhelmingly easy victory in the Strub Stakes (gr. II) set him up for a run in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), where he was bumped hard and repeatedly at the top of the stretch before backing up to finish fifth. Three months later, he returned to the races in the Californian Stakes (gr. II), where the front-running colt showed a new dimension by closing strongly from off the pace to win under a hand ride. That was his most recent start to date, and if he runs back to it he should win today’s Gold Cup. But Twirling Candy has had some issues with rating and relaxing in the past, and we still don’t know if he can succeed in a ten furlong race of this caliber.
Other leading contenders are the two “Dudes” from the Baffert barn, Game On Dude and First Dude. It seems impossible that two horses with dude in their name – from the same crop no less – would meet up as often as they have. They met for the first time in the 2010 Florida Derby (gr. I), where First Dude ran fifth and Game On Dude seventh. They met again in the Belmont Stakes, where First Dude ran third and game On Dude fourth. Most recently, they ran sixth and first, respectively, in the Santa Anita Handicap. Although First Dude has defeated Game On Dude in two of their three meetings, Game On Dude seems to be in better form this year. It will be interesting to see who does better this afternoon.
Awesome Gem, winner of this race in 2010, goes for a repeat victory. He’ll be a bit of a longshot, but he defeated heavily favored Rail Trip in this race last year, so he has some experience defeating heavy favorites. He is a true mile and a quarter horse, so if Twirling Candy falls apart in the final eighth of a mile, Awesome Gem may just be able to pick up the pieces.
Setsuko, runner-up in the Santa Anita Handicap to Game On Dude, didn’t race again until the Californian Handicap, where he ran second to Twirling Candy. He didn’t get the cleanest of trips that day, and should be sharper this time out, but he’ll have to run his best to win a race like this.
Miss Match, a close third in the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) last time out, gets into the race with only 110 pounds and is thus receiving twelve from Twirling Candy. A distance loving mare, she won the Santa Margarita Invitational (gr. I) over the very nice filly Switch earlier this year and – if she gets a perfect trip – may be good enough to secure a sizable piece of the purse.
Soul Candy, fourth in the Californian, and Dark Cove, third in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes, complete the field.
Man o’ War Stakes (gr. I)
Can Gio Ponti win his third straight Man o’ War Stakes? That is the question that all are asking. The champion turf male in this country for two straight years, the Man o’ War has been part of his Eclipse-award winning resume on both occasions. With the division still wide open this year, a victory in the Man o’ War could potentially launch Gio Ponti on his way to an unprecedented third straight championship.
But he has a worthy rival facing him this year in Mission Approved. The colt, who was available to be claimed twice last year, entered the 2010 Man o’ War Stakes as a 53-1 shot. Despite his huge odds, he succeeded in slowing the pace down to a crawl and nearly held off Gio Ponti, who closed his final quarter mile in :21 and change to win by a neck.
Setbacks kept Mission Approved away from the races for eleven months after that. The seven-year-old horse returned to the racetrack in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I) against Gio Ponti. Once again, Mission Approved slowed the pace down to a crawl. This time, he was not caught. He blazed home his final quarter mile over a yielding track in :23.88 to win by a length and a quarter over Bim Bam, who held second by a neck over the late-running Gio Ponti.
Who will win the 2011 Man o’ War? Whether it’s Gio Ponti or Mission Approved, you can bet that they’ll put on a good show.
. . . on the other hand, it’s fairly possible that neither will win. Foreign invader Cape Blanco, a group I winner in Europe, has been entered. Beaten just a length in this year’s Dubai World Cup – a race in which he finished ahead of Gio Ponti – he has proven to be an extremely talented competitor on turf and may prove just too good for Gio Ponti and Mission Approved to handle. At the very least, the colt – who has good tactical speed – will ensure an honest pace.
Al Khali, fourth in the Manhattan; Bearpath, second in the Louisville Handicap (gr. III); and Boisterous, winner of the Three Coins Up Stakes last time out, complete this talented lineup of turf males.
Swaps Stakes (gr. II)
A compact field of five sophomores is scheduled to head to post for the 2011 edition of the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park. The 6-5 morning line favorite is the up-and-coming Bob Baffert-trained Coil, winner of his last three starts. Last time out, he flew to a sharp victory in the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) in his two-turn debut. With Martin Garcia in the saddle, I would not be surprised if the colt totally dominated his opposition this afternoon.
On the other hand, I would not be surprised if Runflatout catches him today. The colt, who broke his maiden sprinting six furlong in 1:07.70, was charging late at the finish of the Affirmed Handicap to fall just a length short of Coil. With an extra sixteenth of a mile to run today, he may just be able to catch Coil this time around.
Uncle Sam, eighth in the Lone Star Derby on the turf and a close second in the Alydar Stakes; Dreamy Kid, fourth in a recent allowance optional claiming event; and Spud Spivens, third in the Affirmed, round out the field.
Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I)
Champagne d’Oro and Sassy Image are the two big names here. Champagne d’Oro, winner of the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) and Test Stakes (gr. I) last year, proved herself to be among the best female sprinters of 2010. This will be her first start since El Encino Stakes (gr. II) back in January at the end of an extremely long campaign. Sassy Image was a classy stakes winning two-year-old, but setbacks kept her away from the races for much of her three-year-old season. But this year, she has proved herself to be a talented sprinter by taking the Humana Distaff (gr. I) and the Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) to establish herself as the leader of the division.
The only other horse expected to give the top two contenders a run for their money is Derwin’s Star. Winner of the Charles Town Oaks last year, she has only made one start in 2011, that being a dominating victory in a 6-1/2 furlong allowance optional claiming race at Parx Racing despite a bit of traffic issues. Although Champagne d’Oro and Sassy Image bring better credentials to the table, Derwin’s Star may be good enough to beat them both. It should be a good race.
Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. II)
Noble’s Promise was showed a great deal of talent and two and three. This year, he has a shot at being a champion.
The male sprinter division lacks any form of a leader this year, with last year’s champion Big Drama unraced since a strong victory in the Mr. Prospector at the beginning of the year. Thus, Noble’s Promise has as good a shot as any at claiming leadership of the division.
After finishing a troubled fifth in his 2011 debut, the Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II), Noble’s Promise impressively defeated the inconsistent but talented Atta Boy Roy in the Aristides Stakes (gr. III) in his most recent start. A late-running sprinter with the tactical speed to secure good position early, Noble’s Promise should be a dangerous contender here if he takes to the Calder strip.
Other logical contenders are Giant Ryan, winner of four straight races including the Ponche Handicap here at Calder; and This Ones for Phil, distant second to the budding superstar Trappe Shot in the True North Handicap (gr. II) last time out.
Irrefutable, winner of two straight allowance races for Bob Baffert’s Royal Tricon, second to Giant Ryan in the Ponche; and How’s Your Halo, winner of the 2009 Ponche in his last victory, complete the field.
* * * * *
Those are the big races of this Saturday. Of course, there are many other fine stakes races to watch, including a fabulous three-stakes card at Arlington, but I’m afraid I can’t cover them all. But you never know where a Breeders’ Cup contender will come from, so if anything impressive happens in a race I didn’t mention, I’ll be sure to write up the details and tell you about it.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
Saturday, July 02, 2011
EXFACTOR WINS THE BASHFORD MANOR!
Exfactor simply blew the doors off his six rivals in the $100,000 Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) for two-year-olds at Churchill Downs, drawing away for a daylight victory in the six furlong event.
Under Calvin Borel, the colt settled off of a very fast early pace set by Friscan, who ran the opening quarter in :21.59. 4-5 favorite Sum of the Parts was tracking the pace in second.
Turning into the homestretch Sum of the Parts confronted Friscan for the lead, but both were easily passed by Exfactor, who turned in a simply explosive stretch run. He was on the lead in seconds and powered home to win in 1:10.30. It was the third win of the day for Calvin Borel.
Power World rallied well for second, while Friscan turned back Sum of the Parts for third.
-Keelerman
Under Calvin Borel, the colt settled off of a very fast early pace set by Friscan, who ran the opening quarter in :21.59. 4-5 favorite Sum of the Parts was tracking the pace in second.
Turning into the homestretch Sum of the Parts confronted Friscan for the lead, but both were easily passed by Exfactor, who turned in a simply explosive stretch run. He was on the lead in seconds and powered home to win in 1:10.30. It was the third win of the day for Calvin Borel.
Power World rallied well for second, while Friscan turned back Sum of the Parts for third.
-Keelerman
TEAKS NORTH WINS THE UNITED NATIONS!
Teaks North engaged favored Stacelita in a stretch duel and held off a late run from Chinchon to win the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. I) by three-quarters of a length.
Under Eddie Castro, the colt settled off of the early pace set by Pulsion, who sprinted away to a sizable early lead. Racing rank in second was Sleepless Knight, followed by Bourbon Bay. Stacelita was toward the rear of the pack, with Chinchon trailing the field, nearing twenty lengths behind Pulsion early on.
Entering the homestretch for the first time Pulsion slowed the pace down, going from a quick :23 3/5 opening quarter to a slow :48 2/5 for the half-mile. He continued to slow the pace through three-quarters in 1:14 4/5.
Suddenly he had company. Sleepless Knight drew up on the outside, and suddenly Stacelita was on top of him. Stacelita had made a bold run past a number of horses and took over the lead under no urging from jockey Joe Bravo as the field rounded the final turn. Bravo took a look back turning for home, then asked his filly for run. Entering the final stretch, the French mare appeared to be on her way to becoming the first filly or mare to win the United Nations.
But Teaks North was charging up on the outside, and gained the lead inside the final sixteenth. Chinchon was rallying furiously, and Stacelita was game, but Teaks North held on for a three-quarter length victory. He ran the mile and three-eighths race in 2:13 1/5.
Chinchon edged out Stacelita for second, while Bourbon Bay came home fourth.
-Keelerman
Under Eddie Castro, the colt settled off of the early pace set by Pulsion, who sprinted away to a sizable early lead. Racing rank in second was Sleepless Knight, followed by Bourbon Bay. Stacelita was toward the rear of the pack, with Chinchon trailing the field, nearing twenty lengths behind Pulsion early on.
Entering the homestretch for the first time Pulsion slowed the pace down, going from a quick :23 3/5 opening quarter to a slow :48 2/5 for the half-mile. He continued to slow the pace through three-quarters in 1:14 4/5.
Suddenly he had company. Sleepless Knight drew up on the outside, and suddenly Stacelita was on top of him. Stacelita had made a bold run past a number of horses and took over the lead under no urging from jockey Joe Bravo as the field rounded the final turn. Bravo took a look back turning for home, then asked his filly for run. Entering the final stretch, the French mare appeared to be on her way to becoming the first filly or mare to win the United Nations.
But Teaks North was charging up on the outside, and gained the lead inside the final sixteenth. Chinchon was rallying furiously, and Stacelita was game, but Teaks North held on for a three-quarter length victory. He ran the mile and three-eighths race in 2:13 1/5.
Chinchon edged out Stacelita for second, while Bourbon Bay came home fourth.
-Keelerman
FLAT OUT WINS THE SUBURBAN HANDICAP!
Flat Out drove past favored Rodman in the stretch of the Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park to post a dominating victory in the historic race and stake his claim as one of the potential leading older horses in the country.
Under Alex Solis, the colt settled into fifth early on as heavily favored Rodman, coming off a runner-up effort in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), set the pace. He was being tracked by Colizeo and Hymn Book, with Convocation sitting fourth. Icabad Crane trailed the field.
On the far turn, Flat Out eased into contention four wide as Rodman led the way into the homestretch. Then Solis asked his mount for run and Flat Out responded with an incredible burst of speed, driving away to win by six or seven lengths in a blazing 1:46.64.
Hymn Book out-dueled Rodman for second.
-Keelerman
Under Alex Solis, the colt settled into fifth early on as heavily favored Rodman, coming off a runner-up effort in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), set the pace. He was being tracked by Colizeo and Hymn Book, with Convocation sitting fourth. Icabad Crane trailed the field.
On the far turn, Flat Out eased into contention four wide as Rodman led the way into the homestretch. Then Solis asked his mount for run and Flat Out responded with an incredible burst of speed, driving away to win by six or seven lengths in a blazing 1:46.64.
Hymn Book out-dueled Rodman for second.
-Keelerman
KENSEI WINS THE SALVATOR MILE!
Kensei rallied strongly on the far outside and held off a late charge from Soaring Empire to win the $200,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (gr. III) by three-quarters of a length.
Under Edgar Prado, Kensei settled into the three-path in the early stages, sitting in third behind a moderate pace set by Rule and Morning Line. The latter, sent off as the 9-5 favorite, broke a step slowly and was hustled hard by jockey Eddie Castro to get into contention early. Friesan Fire was on Kensei's inside racing fourth, followed by Cactus Charlie, Motovato, and Soaring Empire.
On the far turn, Eddie Castro asked Morning Line for everything and the colt took the lead from Rule as Kensei ranged up into contention. Turning into the homestretch, Morning Line had every chance at victory but could not sustain his run. Surprisingly, Rule was not yet done and came with another rally to take the lead back briefly.
But Kensei was charging strongly and took over the lead nearing the eighth pole. Rule fought hard, and Soaring Empire was coming late, but Kensei held on gamely for the victory.
The final time was 1:36 4/5. Soaring Empire finished second, a neck in front of Rule. Motovato, Morning Line, Cactus Charlie, and Friesan Fire completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Under Edgar Prado, Kensei settled into the three-path in the early stages, sitting in third behind a moderate pace set by Rule and Morning Line. The latter, sent off as the 9-5 favorite, broke a step slowly and was hustled hard by jockey Eddie Castro to get into contention early. Friesan Fire was on Kensei's inside racing fourth, followed by Cactus Charlie, Motovato, and Soaring Empire.
On the far turn, Eddie Castro asked Morning Line for everything and the colt took the lead from Rule as Kensei ranged up into contention. Turning into the homestretch, Morning Line had every chance at victory but could not sustain his run. Surprisingly, Rule was not yet done and came with another rally to take the lead back briefly.
But Kensei was charging strongly and took over the lead nearing the eighth pole. Rule fought hard, and Soaring Empire was coming late, but Kensei held on gamely for the victory.
The final time was 1:36 4/5. Soaring Empire finished second, a neck in front of Rule. Motovato, Morning Line, Cactus Charlie, and Friesan Fire completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
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