With the Belmont Stakes now just ten days away, and with most of the prospective runners scheduled to turn in their final workouts this weekend, the work tab at Belmont was understandably a bit on the light side this morning, with only one potential Belmont starter turning in a breeze.
That horse was Guyana Star Dweej, who is expected to be one of the longest shots of all in the mile-and-a-half classic. Owned by Shivmangal Racing Stable and trained by Doodnauth Shivmangal, the son of Eddington breezed a half-mile in an easy :50.03, which was his first work since finishing second in an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont on April 27th.
As for I'll Have Another, he turned in another routine one-mile gallop under exercise rider Jonny Garcia. With no workouts planned between now and the Belmont, we will have to rely on his gallops to try and gauge how well he is training up to the biggest race of his life. All indications are that he is doing phenomenally well and should be sitting on another huge effort come June 9th.
***
In my last Belmont Stakes Countdown, I wrote, "It's probably too early to start looking for track biases that might affect the Belmont Stakes -- after all, the race is still twelve days away -- but with this [the Memorial Day racecard] being a huge day of racing, I wouldn't be surprised if the track is prepared for racing in similar fashion [to how it will be prepared on Belmont day]. So if every race on the main track were won in wire-to-wire fashion, we might want to look out for a similar bias come Belmont day."
Much to my surprise, a speed bias did emerge on Memorial day. The first grade I race of the day, the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares, was won by pace-pressing It's Tricky, who just wore down longshot Cash for Clunkers to win by about a half-length. Awesome Maria, the heavy favorite, was unable to mount a serious rally after racing off the pace.
The next grade I race was the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) for three-year-old fillies, in which Contested opened up an uncontested early lead and coasted home from there to win by five lengths. Zo Impressive and Aubby K rounded out the trifecta after racing in third and second, respectively, most of the way around the track.
The final grade I of the day was the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), where Shackleford took the race in gate-to-wire fashion despite running the opening half-mile in a blazing :44.73. Caleb's Posse did succeed in rallying from off the pace to finish second, overcoming the bias to be beaten just a nose.
The other main track races also showed serious evidence of a bias. In the first race on the card, a 57-1 shot was the pacesetter, and even the bias couldn't carry him to victory, but the eventual 1-2-3 finishers raced right behind him all the way around the track and settled the race between them in the stretch, with no one rallying from off the pace.
Race 3 was the next main track race, and once again speed dominated. Even Got Quiet, a 12-1 shot under Kent Desormeaux, sat just off of the early pace before taking over and drawing away to a nearly four-length victory under hand urging. Readthebyline did succeed in rallying from fifth to secure second, but was never too far off of the early pace. Fair Trade finished third after setting the pace. Smokem's Charm raced in fourth for most of the race and finished fourth. Bob and Jim raced fifth for much of the race and wound up fifth. The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth-place finishers all failed to rally whatsoever despite the fast early pace.
Race 6, the only other main track race on the card, was won by pace-pressing Buffum, whose dominating eight-length victory signaled that bias or not, no one was going to beat him. But most intriguing here was that pace-setting Star Harbour, who ran the opening half-mile in :44.90, managed to be beaten only a half-length for second by a pair of talented closers that should have blown right past him. Another highly capable closer, Gallent Fields, never rallied en route to a fifth-place finish.
In conclusion, I will be keeping my eyes open on Belmont day to see if a similar bias emerges.
***
A fascinating article by David Grening was posted on DRF.com yesterday, describing how I'll Have Another's trainer, Doug O'Neill, talked with Billy Turner -- the only living trainer of a Triple Crown winner -- on the subject of preparing horses for the Belmont Stakes. It's most definitely worth reading: http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-stakes-2012-oneill-consults-billy-turner-seattle-slews-trainer
-Keelerman
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
CONTESTED WINS THE ACORN STAKES!
Contested grabbed the early lead and never looked back in the $300,000 Acorn Stakes (gr. I) this afternoon at Belmont Park, winning by an easy five lengths over a talented field of sophomore fillies.
Ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, Contested bounded out of the gate and quickly opened up a three-length advantage while setting quick fractions of :22.64 and :45.19. Aubby K was racing in second, followed by Zo Impressive and On Fire Baby. Sacristy and Hard Mystery were content to trail the field.
Rounding the turn, Aubby K and Zo Impressive both made runs at Contested, drawing to within two lengths of the lead, but the Bob Baffert-trained front-runner easily turned them back and drew off powerfully to win the race by five lengths, stopping the clock for one-mile in 1:34.61.
Zo Impressive finished second, followed by Aubby K, On Fire Baby, Hard Mystery, and Sacristy. The winner is owned by Natalie J. Baffert and trained by Bob Baffert.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, Contested bounded out of the gate and quickly opened up a three-length advantage while setting quick fractions of :22.64 and :45.19. Aubby K was racing in second, followed by Zo Impressive and On Fire Baby. Sacristy and Hard Mystery were content to trail the field.
Rounding the turn, Aubby K and Zo Impressive both made runs at Contested, drawing to within two lengths of the lead, but the Bob Baffert-trained front-runner easily turned them back and drew off powerfully to win the race by five lengths, stopping the clock for one-mile in 1:34.61.
Zo Impressive finished second, followed by Aubby K, On Fire Baby, Hard Mystery, and Sacristy. The winner is owned by Natalie J. Baffert and trained by Bob Baffert.
-Keelerman
SHACKLEFORD WINS THE METROPOLITAN HANDICAP!
Shackleford added a second grade I stakes victory to his record this afternoon when he held off a late-charging Caleb's Posse to win the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) by a nose.
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Shackleford got off to an excellent start in the one-mile race and quickly raced away to set the early pace while being pressured by Jackson Bend. Favored To Honor and Serve was racing in third along the rail, followed closely by Saginaw and Caixa Eletronica. Those five were separated by only about two lengths, with a gap of five back to stretch-running Caleb's Posse.
Through stiff fractions of :22.77, :44.73, and 1:08.52, Shackleford continued to lead the way gamely, with Jackson Bend still pushing him hard on the outside. Rounding the turn, Caixa Eletronica made a sweeping bid to reach contention as well, and To Honor and Serve shifted to the outside for a run at the leader. Entering the homestretch, it appeared as though Shackleford would be passed by numerous horses in the stretch.
However, the gritty colt gamely turned back the challenges and continued to lead into deep stretch. Suddenly, on the far outside, Caleb's Posse surged into contention, closing the gap with every stride. It looked as though Caleb's Posse would secure the victory, but Shackleford tenaciously held him off to win by a nose in the quick time of 1:33.30.
To Honor and Serve finished third, followed by Caixa Eletronica, Jackson Bend, and Saginaw. The winner is trained by Dale Romans and has now won three graded stakes races, the others being the 2011 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and the 2012 Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II).
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Shackleford got off to an excellent start in the one-mile race and quickly raced away to set the early pace while being pressured by Jackson Bend. Favored To Honor and Serve was racing in third along the rail, followed closely by Saginaw and Caixa Eletronica. Those five were separated by only about two lengths, with a gap of five back to stretch-running Caleb's Posse.
Through stiff fractions of :22.77, :44.73, and 1:08.52, Shackleford continued to lead the way gamely, with Jackson Bend still pushing him hard on the outside. Rounding the turn, Caixa Eletronica made a sweeping bid to reach contention as well, and To Honor and Serve shifted to the outside for a run at the leader. Entering the homestretch, it appeared as though Shackleford would be passed by numerous horses in the stretch.
However, the gritty colt gamely turned back the challenges and continued to lead into deep stretch. Suddenly, on the far outside, Caleb's Posse surged into contention, closing the gap with every stride. It looked as though Caleb's Posse would secure the victory, but Shackleford tenaciously held him off to win by a nose in the quick time of 1:33.30.
To Honor and Serve finished third, followed by Caixa Eletronica, Jackson Bend, and Saginaw. The winner is trained by Dale Romans and has now won three graded stakes races, the others being the 2011 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and the 2012 Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II).
-Keelerman
IT'S TRICKY WINS THE OGDEN PHIPPS HANDICAP!
It's Tricky wore down a stubborn Cash for Clunkers in the final strides to win the $400,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) in gritty fashion, with last year's winner Awesome Maria finishing third.
Ridden to victory by Eddie Castro, who also won the Sand Point Stakes (gr. II) one race earlier, It's Tricky got off to a good start and settled into the second position early on as Cash for Clunkers set a quick pace of :22.68 and :46.78. Juanita and Awesome Maria were content to track the top two while racing together in third, while She's All In trailed early in a field of five.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.34, It's Tricky moved up to challenge Cash for Clunkers for the lead, and those two entered the homestretch locked together with little between them. Awesome Maria was attempting to rally on the far outside, but while she was able to match strides with the top two, she was unable to gain during the stretch run.
Close to the wire, it appeared as though Cash for Clunkers was going to pull off a surprising upset, but It's Tricky was able to wear her down inside the final sixteenth to win the race by a half-length, stopping the clock for 1 1/16th miles in 1:41.73.
Awesome Maria finished a clear third over She's All In, while Juanita trailed the field.
The winner is owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. The victory was It's Tricky's third in a grade I stakes, following wins in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) and Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) last year.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Eddie Castro, who also won the Sand Point Stakes (gr. II) one race earlier, It's Tricky got off to a good start and settled into the second position early on as Cash for Clunkers set a quick pace of :22.68 and :46.78. Juanita and Awesome Maria were content to track the top two while racing together in third, while She's All In trailed early in a field of five.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.34, It's Tricky moved up to challenge Cash for Clunkers for the lead, and those two entered the homestretch locked together with little between them. Awesome Maria was attempting to rally on the far outside, but while she was able to match strides with the top two, she was unable to gain during the stretch run.
Close to the wire, it appeared as though Cash for Clunkers was going to pull off a surprising upset, but It's Tricky was able to wear her down inside the final sixteenth to win the race by a half-length, stopping the clock for 1 1/16th miles in 1:41.73.
Awesome Maria finished a clear third over She's All In, while Juanita trailed the field.
The winner is owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. The victory was It's Tricky's third in a grade I stakes, following wins in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) and Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) last year.
-Keelerman
BETTER LUCKY WINS THE SAND POINT STAKES!
Better Lucky, lightly regarded at odds of 8-1, held off a desperate late charge from Regalo Mia to win the $200,000 Sand Point Stakes (gr. II) for three-year-old fillies this afternoon at Belmont Park.
Ridden to victory by Eddie Castro, the daughter of Ghostzapper broke inward at the start but quickly recovered to settle into the third position early on, right along the rail and just a few lengths behind pace-setting Preach Tome Daddy. The latter filly, under Julien Leparoux, was allowed to waltz through slow fractions of :25.60, :49.74 and being only mildly pressured by Zultanite. In the meantime, heavily favored Somali Lemonade was in last place while not showing any speed at all.
Rounding the far turn, Preach Tome Daddy continued to lead the way, but was soon fronted by longshot Zultanite, who burst clear of the field turning for home and quickly opened up a sizable lead. But just as quickly that lead evaporated as Better Lucky exploded through in between horses to grab the lead.
But the race wasn't over yet, as Regalo Mia soon came with her late run, charging furiously on the far outside under Javier Castellano. In an incredible photo finish, Better Lucky held off Regalo Mia by the narrowest of margins to secure her first stakes victory. Zultanite finished just a half-length behind in third, followed distantly by Somali Lemonade, Preach Tome Daddy, Modulate, Firehouse Red, and Dreaming of Cara.
The winner is trained by Thomas Albertrani and owned by Darley Stable.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Eddie Castro, the daughter of Ghostzapper broke inward at the start but quickly recovered to settle into the third position early on, right along the rail and just a few lengths behind pace-setting Preach Tome Daddy. The latter filly, under Julien Leparoux, was allowed to waltz through slow fractions of :25.60, :49.74 and being only mildly pressured by Zultanite. In the meantime, heavily favored Somali Lemonade was in last place while not showing any speed at all.
Rounding the far turn, Preach Tome Daddy continued to lead the way, but was soon fronted by longshot Zultanite, who burst clear of the field turning for home and quickly opened up a sizable lead. But just as quickly that lead evaporated as Better Lucky exploded through in between horses to grab the lead.
But the race wasn't over yet, as Regalo Mia soon came with her late run, charging furiously on the far outside under Javier Castellano. In an incredible photo finish, Better Lucky held off Regalo Mia by the narrowest of margins to secure her first stakes victory. Zultanite finished just a half-length behind in third, followed distantly by Somali Lemonade, Preach Tome Daddy, Modulate, Firehouse Red, and Dreaming of Cara.
The winner is trained by Thomas Albertrani and owned by Darley Stable.
-Keelerman
BELMONT STAKES COUNTDOWN -- May 28th, 2012
A trio of Belmont Stakes contenders turned in workouts yesterday, including a colt that hadn't even been under consideration for the race one week ago.
Perhaps the most prominent name of the work tab was Paynter, a highly-promising colt from the barn of Bob Baffert. Coming off of a highly impressive victory in an allowance race on the Preakness Stakes undercard, the colt wasn't expected to turn in much more than a maintenance work while breezing in company with his graded stakes-placed stablemate Brigand. However, it appears that no one told Paynter that, for he ended up breezing a bullet five-eighths in :59.26 at Belmont Park. This brilliant workout, coupled with the talent he has displayed in his short career, makes me suspect that this colt is coming into the Belmont Stakes in excellent fashion and could outrun his odds.
Also on the Belmont work tab was Alpha, winner of the Withers Stakes (gr. III) Count Fleet Stakes during the Aqueduct winter meet. A beautifully bred son of Bernardini, he failed to live up to expectations in the Kentucky Derby, finishing twelfth after getting upset in the paddock. Time will tell how well he reacts to the huge crowd which will undoubtedly be at Belmont to witness I'll Have Another's bid to win the Triple Crown, but yesterday's workout -- a solid five-eighths in 1:01.93 -- should help set him up for the race as best as possible.
At Calder Race Course, the star of the work tab was Ravelo's Boy, unraced since finishing fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) back in March. With jockey Alex Solis aboard, the colt breezed seven furlongs in 1:28.29, but the workout was far from an ordinary breeze. The complete story can be found at DRF.com: http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-stakes-2012-ravelos-boy-gets-green-light-run-belmont
In other Belmont news, Derby third-place finisher Dullahan arrived this morning following a van ride from Churchill Downs. His arrival means that nine of the twelve prospective Belmont starters are now at the track, with only Union Rags, Optimizer, and the above-mentioned Ravelo's Boy still to ship.
Also, Derby-Preakness winner I'll Have Another has continued to gallop with good energy at Belmont Park, but trainer Doug O'Neill has stated that the colt is unlikely to turn in a timed breeze between now and the Belmont.
***
A spectacular card is scheduled to be run this afternoon at Belmont Park, including three grade I stakes races on the main track. Among the prominent stars scheduled to run are Awesome Maria, It's Tricky, Contested, On Fire Baby, To Honor and Serve, Shackleford, Caleb's Posse, and Jackson Bend.
It's probably too early to start looking for track biases that might affect the Belmont Stakes -- after all, the race is still twelve days away -- but with this being a huge day of racing, I wouldn't be surprised if the track is prepared for racing in similar fashion. So if every race on the main track were won in wire-to-wire fashion, we might want to look out for a similar bias come Belmont day.
But let's set aside the Belmont Stakes for the moment and take a brief look at the field for the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I). A terrific field of six has turned out for this one-mile event, including five millionaires and four grade I winners. All are coming off of races in which they earned a triple-digit Beyer speed figure, and I really wouldn't be surprised if the race was run in 1:32 and change.
One only needs to glance at the names of the runners to realize that this is going to be one of the best races of the year. To Honor and Serve, Shackleford, Caleb's Posse, Jackson Bend -- throw in the admirable Caixa Eletronica and the rapidly-improving Saginaw -- what a race!
I won't list a pick for this event, simply because I don't have one. I'm not going to handicap this race. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting races in recent memory.
-Keelerman
Perhaps the most prominent name of the work tab was Paynter, a highly-promising colt from the barn of Bob Baffert. Coming off of a highly impressive victory in an allowance race on the Preakness Stakes undercard, the colt wasn't expected to turn in much more than a maintenance work while breezing in company with his graded stakes-placed stablemate Brigand. However, it appears that no one told Paynter that, for he ended up breezing a bullet five-eighths in :59.26 at Belmont Park. This brilliant workout, coupled with the talent he has displayed in his short career, makes me suspect that this colt is coming into the Belmont Stakes in excellent fashion and could outrun his odds.
Also on the Belmont work tab was Alpha, winner of the Withers Stakes (gr. III) Count Fleet Stakes during the Aqueduct winter meet. A beautifully bred son of Bernardini, he failed to live up to expectations in the Kentucky Derby, finishing twelfth after getting upset in the paddock. Time will tell how well he reacts to the huge crowd which will undoubtedly be at Belmont to witness I'll Have Another's bid to win the Triple Crown, but yesterday's workout -- a solid five-eighths in 1:01.93 -- should help set him up for the race as best as possible.
At Calder Race Course, the star of the work tab was Ravelo's Boy, unraced since finishing fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) back in March. With jockey Alex Solis aboard, the colt breezed seven furlongs in 1:28.29, but the workout was far from an ordinary breeze. The complete story can be found at DRF.com: http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-stakes-2012-ravelos-boy-gets-green-light-run-belmont
In other Belmont news, Derby third-place finisher Dullahan arrived this morning following a van ride from Churchill Downs. His arrival means that nine of the twelve prospective Belmont starters are now at the track, with only Union Rags, Optimizer, and the above-mentioned Ravelo's Boy still to ship.
Also, Derby-Preakness winner I'll Have Another has continued to gallop with good energy at Belmont Park, but trainer Doug O'Neill has stated that the colt is unlikely to turn in a timed breeze between now and the Belmont.
***
A spectacular card is scheduled to be run this afternoon at Belmont Park, including three grade I stakes races on the main track. Among the prominent stars scheduled to run are Awesome Maria, It's Tricky, Contested, On Fire Baby, To Honor and Serve, Shackleford, Caleb's Posse, and Jackson Bend.
It's probably too early to start looking for track biases that might affect the Belmont Stakes -- after all, the race is still twelve days away -- but with this being a huge day of racing, I wouldn't be surprised if the track is prepared for racing in similar fashion. So if every race on the main track were won in wire-to-wire fashion, we might want to look out for a similar bias come Belmont day.
But let's set aside the Belmont Stakes for the moment and take a brief look at the field for the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I). A terrific field of six has turned out for this one-mile event, including five millionaires and four grade I winners. All are coming off of races in which they earned a triple-digit Beyer speed figure, and I really wouldn't be surprised if the race was run in 1:32 and change.
One only needs to glance at the names of the runners to realize that this is going to be one of the best races of the year. To Honor and Serve, Shackleford, Caleb's Posse, Jackson Bend -- throw in the admirable Caixa Eletronica and the rapidly-improving Saginaw -- what a race!
I won't list a pick for this event, simply because I don't have one. I'm not going to handicap this race. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting races in recent memory.
-Keelerman
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: RAVELO'S BOY
Owner: Korina Stable
Trainer: Manuel J. Azpurua
Breeder: Stonewell Farm Stallions
Expected Belmont Jockey: Alex Solis
RACE RECORD
Age 3
5th Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II)
4th Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III)
5th Gulfstream Park Derby
Age 2
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
3rd Allowance
5th Allowance
8th Allowance
4th Allowance
6th Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
5th Maiden Special Weight
6th Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Ravelo's Boy in the past, click here.
Trainer: Manuel J. Azpurua
Breeder: Stonewell Farm Stallions
Expected Belmont Jockey: Alex Solis
RACE RECORD
Age 3
5th Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II)
4th Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III)
5th Gulfstream Park Derby
Age 2
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
3rd Allowance
5th Allowance
8th Allowance
4th Allowance
6th Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
5th Maiden Special Weight
6th Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Langfuhr | ||
| Lawyer Ron | ||
| Donation | ||
| Ravelo's Boy | ||
| French Deputy | ||
| Dance Tune | ||
| Dance for Free |
To read what I have written about Ravelo's Boy in the past, click here.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
BELMONT STAKES COUNTDOWN -- May 26th, 2012
A quartet of Belmont Stakes contenders turned in workouts this morning, covering distances from a half-mile to one-mile and at both Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.
At Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby (gr. I) third-place finisher Dullahan went out early in the morning and breezed a mile in 1:43 flat, galloping out nine furlongs in 1:57. The work was his second since the Derby, following a five-furlong breeze in 1:00 1/5 turned in last Saturday. The son of Even the Score seems to be training exceptionally well, and appears to have maintained good form since the Derby.
At Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby (gr. I) third-place finisher Dullahan went out early in the morning and breezed a mile in 1:43 flat, galloping out nine furlongs in 1:57. The work was his second since the Derby, following a five-furlong breeze in 1:00 1/5 turned in last Saturday. The son of Even the Score seems to be training exceptionally well, and appears to have maintained good form since the Derby.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ogden Phipps Handicap Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $400,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I), to be run on Monday at Belmont Park. The 1 1/16th miles race for fillies and mares has drawn a small but very talented field of five, including last year's winner Awesome Maria, four-time graded stakes winner It's Tricky, and La Troinne Stakes (gr. II) winner Juanita.
1 Cash for Clunkers
2 Awesome Maria
3 She's All In
4 It's Tricky
5 Juanita
-Keelerman
1 Cash for Clunkers
2 Awesome Maria
3 She's All In
4 It's Tricky
5 Juanita
-Keelerman
Acorn Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $300,000 Acorn Stakes (gr. I), to be run on Monday at Belmont Park. The one-mile race for three-year-old fillies is among the most prestigious races of the division, and has thus drawn a highly talented field of six, including Eight Belles Stakes (gr. III) winner Contested, three-time graded stakes winner On Fire Baby, and the highly promising allowance winner Aubby K.
1 Contested
2 Hard Mystery
3 On Fire Baby
4 Zo Impressive
5 Sacristy
6 Aubby K
-Keelerman
1 Contested
2 Hard Mystery
3 On Fire Baby
4 Zo Impressive
5 Sacristy
6 Aubby K
-Keelerman
Lone Star Park Handicap Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III), to be run on Monday at Lone Star Park. The 1 1/16th miles race has drawn a very talented field of eight, led by Nates Mineshaft, a two-time 2012 graded stakes winner, and the consistent grade II winner Apart.
1 Apart
2 Get in Da House
3 Night Party
4 Marilyn's Guy
5 Fog Alert
6 Nates Mineshaft
7 Golden Yank
8 Imco Spirit
-Keelerman
1 Apart
2 Get in Da House
3 Night Party
4 Marilyn's Guy
5 Fog Alert
6 Nates Mineshaft
7 Golden Yank
8 Imco Spirit
-Keelerman
Metropolitan Handicap Entreis and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), to be run on Monday at Belmont Park. The one-mile race is one of the most prestigious in the country, and while the 2012 edition may not have drawn a large field, there's no denying that the horses entered are among the most talented in the country.
1 To Honor and Serve
2 Shackleford
3 Caleb's Posse
4 Saginaw
5 Caixa Eletronica
6 Jackson Bend
-Keelerman
1 To Honor and Serve
2 Shackleford
3 Caleb's Posse
4 Saginaw
5 Caixa Eletronica
6 Jackson Bend
-Keelerman
Thursday, May 24, 2012
BELMONT STAKES COUNTDOWN -- May 24th, 2012
With the excitement building higher and higher as I'll Have Another's bid to become racing's twelfth Triple Crown winner continues, it's clear that the 2012 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) is going to be the race of the year. Will I'll Have Another accomplish what has not been done in 34 years? Or will he, like so many others before him, fall short in the Test of Champions?
Obviously, a race of this magnitude does not come around every week -- sometimes not even every year. So starting today -- and continuing onward until the day of Belmont Stakes itself -- I shall be posting more-or-less daily updates in regards to the race, focusing on how well I'll Have Another is training, whether jockey Mario Gutierrez is winning races at Belmont, any potential track biases that may emerge, and -- of course -- the dozen or so colts scheduled to face him.
So without further ado, let the Belmont Stakes Countdown begin!
***
Let's begin with recent training news. I'll Have Another was shipped to Belmont Park the day after the Preakness, a move practically unheard of. Most trainers prefer to keep their horses at home base until closer to the Belmont. However, trainer Doug O'Neill clearly feels that it is a valuable edge to get training done over the Belmont main track, which can be tricky for some horses to handle with its sandy surface. I agree. He galloped a mile and a half there this morning, and apparently looked great doing it. All indications are that he has come out of his Preakness victory in excellent fashion and continues to train well.
Union Rags and Dullahan, considered by many to be the two biggest threats to deny I'll Have Another the Triple Crown, both turned in solid breezes over the past couple of days. Union Rags went 1:01 flat at Fair Hill Training Center this morning in what was his first breeze since finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby. He will breeze once more between now and the Belmont. Dullahan also breezed five furlongs, getting the distance in 1:01 1/5 on May 19th.
Also on the work tab May 19th was Atigun, winner of an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Derby day. The son of Istan, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux in the Belmont, breezed a half-mile in an easy :50.23. He seems to be coming up to the Belmont in excellent fashion, and assuming he continues to train well during the coming weeks, he could be a very live longshot.
Five Sixteen, who will be a huge longshot in the Belmont based on his fourth-place finish in an allowance race last time out, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.91 this morning under Rosie Napravnik at Belmont Park.
Rousing Sermon, who finished eighth in the Derby with a rough trip, worked a half-mile in :47 1/5 at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 18th. He had been considered a Belmont Stakes contender following the Derby, but trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is now considering other options for the grade I-placed colt.
Liaison, the sixth-place finisher in the Derby and winner of the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) as a juvenile, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 flat at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 22nd. Trained by Bob Baffert, he could start in either the Belmont or the Californian Stakes (gr. II) against older horses on June 2nd at Hollywood Park.
The last colt to discuss is Alpha, runner-up in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and twelfth in the Kentucky Derby. On May 19th, he breezed a half-mile in :49.17 at Belmont Park. His strong mile-and-a-half pedigree, coupled with his proven ability over the track, could make him a major threat come Belmont day.
***
Jockey switches on major Belmont contenders have been filling the headlines over the last few days, and it's gotten to the point where one can hardly keep track of all the changes!
First off, both Union Rags and Dullahan will be ridden by new jockeys. Union Rags had been ridden by Javier Castellano as a juvenile, and by Julien Leparoux during the spring of this year, but will switch to John Velazquez for the Derby.
As for Dullahan, his regular rider Kent Desormeaux is being replaced in the Belmont by Javier Castellano, who had been without a Belmont mount following an injury to his expected mount, Gemologist.
Atigun and Five Sixteen will also have rider changes for the biggest race of their lives. Leparoux has picked up the mount on Atigun following his removal from Union Rags, while Rosie Napravnik is scheduled to ride Five Sixteen.
***
A number of potential Belmont contenders have dropped out of consideration during the last few days, most notably Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) winner Mark Valeski. The colt, trained by Larry Jones, had been considered doubtful for several days, and was pretty much confirmed as a non-starter today. The Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) on June 30th is being considered as a possible goal.
Rousing Sermon, as mentioned above, is also doubtful. It's difficult to say where he could turn up next, but the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) on June 3rd could be a logical possibility.
Another colt to drop out of contention is Stealcase, who finished third in the The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III) on April 28th. Trained by Mark Casse, the colt will instead point toward the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 16th. The Travers Stakes (gr. I) has been mentioned as a long-term goal for the promising colt.
On the other hand, one colt that had previously been on no one's radar entered the Belmont picture today, that horse being Ravelo's Boy. Trained by Manny Azpurua, the colt ran fairly well in a pair of Kentucky Derby prep races this spring at Tampa Bay Downs, finishing fourth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) and fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II). He suffered a minor hoof injury in the latter race which required a bit of time off, but he has turned in numerous workouts since then and breezed a half-mile in a quick :46 3/5 at Calder Race Course this morning. According to DRF.com, Azpurua will make a decision on whether to run in the Belmont following a workout on Sunday. Jockey Alex Solis, who was aboard for today's workout, could end up as the colt's rider if his connections decide to send him to the Belmont.
-Keelerman
Obviously, a race of this magnitude does not come around every week -- sometimes not even every year. So starting today -- and continuing onward until the day of Belmont Stakes itself -- I shall be posting more-or-less daily updates in regards to the race, focusing on how well I'll Have Another is training, whether jockey Mario Gutierrez is winning races at Belmont, any potential track biases that may emerge, and -- of course -- the dozen or so colts scheduled to face him.
So without further ado, let the Belmont Stakes Countdown begin!
***
Let's begin with recent training news. I'll Have Another was shipped to Belmont Park the day after the Preakness, a move practically unheard of. Most trainers prefer to keep their horses at home base until closer to the Belmont. However, trainer Doug O'Neill clearly feels that it is a valuable edge to get training done over the Belmont main track, which can be tricky for some horses to handle with its sandy surface. I agree. He galloped a mile and a half there this morning, and apparently looked great doing it. All indications are that he has come out of his Preakness victory in excellent fashion and continues to train well.
Union Rags and Dullahan, considered by many to be the two biggest threats to deny I'll Have Another the Triple Crown, both turned in solid breezes over the past couple of days. Union Rags went 1:01 flat at Fair Hill Training Center this morning in what was his first breeze since finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby. He will breeze once more between now and the Belmont. Dullahan also breezed five furlongs, getting the distance in 1:01 1/5 on May 19th.
Also on the work tab May 19th was Atigun, winner of an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Derby day. The son of Istan, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux in the Belmont, breezed a half-mile in an easy :50.23. He seems to be coming up to the Belmont in excellent fashion, and assuming he continues to train well during the coming weeks, he could be a very live longshot.
Five Sixteen, who will be a huge longshot in the Belmont based on his fourth-place finish in an allowance race last time out, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.91 this morning under Rosie Napravnik at Belmont Park.
Rousing Sermon, who finished eighth in the Derby with a rough trip, worked a half-mile in :47 1/5 at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 18th. He had been considered a Belmont Stakes contender following the Derby, but trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is now considering other options for the grade I-placed colt.
Liaison, the sixth-place finisher in the Derby and winner of the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) as a juvenile, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 flat at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 22nd. Trained by Bob Baffert, he could start in either the Belmont or the Californian Stakes (gr. II) against older horses on June 2nd at Hollywood Park.
The last colt to discuss is Alpha, runner-up in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and twelfth in the Kentucky Derby. On May 19th, he breezed a half-mile in :49.17 at Belmont Park. His strong mile-and-a-half pedigree, coupled with his proven ability over the track, could make him a major threat come Belmont day.
***
Jockey switches on major Belmont contenders have been filling the headlines over the last few days, and it's gotten to the point where one can hardly keep track of all the changes!
First off, both Union Rags and Dullahan will be ridden by new jockeys. Union Rags had been ridden by Javier Castellano as a juvenile, and by Julien Leparoux during the spring of this year, but will switch to John Velazquez for the Derby.
As for Dullahan, his regular rider Kent Desormeaux is being replaced in the Belmont by Javier Castellano, who had been without a Belmont mount following an injury to his expected mount, Gemologist.
Atigun and Five Sixteen will also have rider changes for the biggest race of their lives. Leparoux has picked up the mount on Atigun following his removal from Union Rags, while Rosie Napravnik is scheduled to ride Five Sixteen.
***
A number of potential Belmont contenders have dropped out of consideration during the last few days, most notably Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) winner Mark Valeski. The colt, trained by Larry Jones, had been considered doubtful for several days, and was pretty much confirmed as a non-starter today. The Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) on June 30th is being considered as a possible goal.
Rousing Sermon, as mentioned above, is also doubtful. It's difficult to say where he could turn up next, but the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) on June 3rd could be a logical possibility.
Another colt to drop out of contention is Stealcase, who finished third in the The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III) on April 28th. Trained by Mark Casse, the colt will instead point toward the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 16th. The Travers Stakes (gr. I) has been mentioned as a long-term goal for the promising colt.
On the other hand, one colt that had previously been on no one's radar entered the Belmont picture today, that horse being Ravelo's Boy. Trained by Manny Azpurua, the colt ran fairly well in a pair of Kentucky Derby prep races this spring at Tampa Bay Downs, finishing fourth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) and fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II). He suffered a minor hoof injury in the latter race which required a bit of time off, but he has turned in numerous workouts since then and breezed a half-mile in a quick :46 3/5 at Calder Race Course this morning. According to DRF.com, Azpurua will make a decision on whether to run in the Belmont following a workout on Sunday. Jockey Alex Solis, who was aboard for today's workout, could end up as the colt's rider if his connections decide to send him to the Belmont.
-Keelerman
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: UNSTOPPABLE U
Owner: Magdalena Racing (Susan McPeek) and Mojallali Stables, LLC.
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Breeder: Mojallali Stables, Inc.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Junior Alvarado
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Breeder: Mojallali Stables, Inc.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Junior Alvarado
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
| Danzig | ||
| Exchange Rate | ||
| Sterling Pound | ||
| Unstoppable U | ||
| Point Given | ||
| Naseem | ||
| Student Wife |
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: UNION RAGS
Owner: Chadds Ford Stable
Trainer: Michael Matz
Breeder: Phyllis M. Wyeth
Expected Belmont Jockey: John Velazquez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
7th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
3rd Florida Derby (gr. I)
1st Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
2nd Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
1st Champagne Stakes (gr. I)
1st Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Union Rags in the past, click here.
Trainer: Michael Matz
Breeder: Phyllis M. Wyeth
Expected Belmont Jockey: John Velazquez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
7th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
3rd Florida Derby (gr. I)
1st Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
2nd Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
1st Champagne Stakes (gr. I)
1st Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Dixieland Band | ||
| Dixie Union | ||
| She's Tops | ||
| Union Rags | ||
| Gone West | ||
| Tempo | ||
| Terpsichorist |
To read what I have written about Union Rags in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: STREET LIFE
Owner: Magnolia Racing Stable LLC and Hidden Brook Farm
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Mueller Thoroughbred Stable, Ltd.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Jose Lezcano
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II)
6th Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Broad Brush Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
8th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Street Life in the past, click here.
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Mueller Thoroughbred Stable, Ltd.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Jose Lezcano
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II)
6th Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Broad Brush Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
8th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
| Street Cry | ||
| Street Sense | ||
| Bedazzle | ||
| Street Life | ||
| Grindstone | ||
| Stone Hope | ||
| Fairest |
To read what I have written about Street Life in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: STEALCASE
Owner: John C. Oxley
Trainer: Mark Casse
Breeder: Secret Whispers Partnership
Expected Belmont Jockey: Shaun Bridgmohan
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III)
5th Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr. III)
6th Gotham Stakes (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
4th Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Stealcase in the past, click here.
Trainer: Mark Casse
Breeder: Secret Whispers Partnership
Expected Belmont Jockey: Shaun Bridgmohan
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III)
5th Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr. III)
6th Gotham Stakes (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
4th Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Langfuhr | ||
| Lawyer Ron | ||
| Donation | ||
| Stealcase | ||
| Cat Thief | ||
| Steal the Show | ||
| Shoreline |
To read what I have written about Stealcase in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: ROUSING SERMON
Owner: Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
8th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
3rd Louisiana Derby (gr. II)
5th San Felipe Stakes (gr. II)
3rd Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
2nd CashCall Futurity (gr. I)
2nd Real Quiet Stakes
1st Bob Benoit California Cup Juvenile Stakes
3rd I'm Smokin Stakes
3rd Graduation Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Rousing Sermon in the past, click here.
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
8th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
3rd Louisiana Derby (gr. II)
5th San Felipe Stakes (gr. II)
3rd Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
2nd CashCall Futurity (gr. I)
2nd Real Quiet Stakes
1st Bob Benoit California Cup Juvenile Stakes
3rd I'm Smokin Stakes
3rd Graduation Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Pulpit | ||
| Lucky Pulpit | ||
| Lucky Soph | ||
| Rousing Sermon | ||
| Awesome Again | ||
| Rousing Sermon | ||
| Rousing |
To read what I have written about Rousing Sermon in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: PAYNTER
Owner: Zayat Stables, LLC
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Diamond A. Racing Corp.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Mike Smith
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance
2nd The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III)
4th Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Paynter in the past, click here.
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Diamond A. Racing Corp.
Expected Belmont Jockey: Mike Smith
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance
2nd The Cliff's Edge Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III)
4th Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
Unraced
PEDIGREE
| Deputy Minister | ||
| Awesome Again | ||
| Private Force | ||
| Paynter | ||
| Cee's Tizzy | ||
| Tizso | ||
| Cee's Song |
To read what I have written about Paynter in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: OPTIMIZER
Owner: Bluegrass Hall
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Breeder: Bluegrass Hall
Expected Belmont Jockey: Corey Nakatani
RACE RECORD
Age 3
6th Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
11th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
9th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
2nd Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
9th Risen Star Stakes (gr. II)
6th Smarty Jones Stakes
Age 2
4th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
8th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
3rd Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
2nd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Optimizer in the past, click here.
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Breeder: Bluegrass Hall
Expected Belmont Jockey: Corey Nakatani
RACE RECORD
Age 3
6th Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
11th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
9th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
2nd Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
9th Risen Star Stakes (gr. II)
6th Smarty Jones Stakes
Age 2
4th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
8th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
3rd Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
2nd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Smart Strike | ||
| English Channel | ||
| Belva | ||
| Optimizer | ||
| A.P. Indy | ||
| Indy Pick | ||
| Fantastic Find |
To read what I have written about Optimizer in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: LIAISON
Owner: Arnold Zetcher
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: William A. Carl Estate
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
6th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
6th Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
4th San Felipe Stakes (gr. II)
8th Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
1st CashCall Futurity (gr. I)
1st Real Quiet Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Liaison in the past, click here.
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: William A. Carl Estate
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
6th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
6th Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
4th San Felipe Stakes (gr. II)
8th Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
1st CashCall Futurity (gr. I)
1st Real Quiet Stakes
1st Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| In Excess | ||
| Indian Charlie | ||
| Soviet Sojourn | ||
| Liaison | ||
| Victory Gallop | ||
| Galloping Gal | ||
| Indy Flash |
To read what I have written about Liaison in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: I'LL HAVE ANOTHER
Owner: J. Paul Reddam
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
Breeder: Harvey Clarke
Expected Belmont Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
1st Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
1st Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
6th Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (gr. I)
2nd Best Pal Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about I'll Have Another in the past, click here.
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
Breeder: Harvey Clarke
Expected Belmont Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
1st Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)
1st Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II)
Age 2
6th Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (gr. I)
2nd Best Pal Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Distorted Humor | ||
| Flower Alley | ||
| Princess Olivia | ||
| I'll Have Another | ||
| Arch | ||
| Arch's Gal Edith | ||
| Force Fiva Gal |
To read what I have written about I'll Have Another in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: GUYANA STAR DWEEJ
Owner: Shivmangal Racing Stable, LLC
Trainer: Doodnauth Shivmangal
Breeder: Lavin Bloodstock & Leroy S. Close
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
Trainer: Doodnauth Shivmangal
Breeder: Lavin Bloodstock & Leroy S. Close
Expected Belmont Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Unbridled | ||
| Eddington | ||
| Fashion Star | ||
| Guyana Star Dweej | ||
| Pine Bluff | ||
| Special Feeling | ||
| Specialization |
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: FIVE SIXTEEN
Owner: MeB Racing Stables LLC
Trainer: Dominick A. Schettino
Breeder: Machmer Hall
Expected Belmont Jockey: Rosie Napravnik
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
10th Maiden Special Weight
6th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Five Sixteen in the past, click here.
Trainer: Dominick A. Schettino
Breeder: Machmer Hall
Expected Belmont Jockey: Rosie Napravnik
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
10th Maiden Special Weight
6th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Candy Stripes | ||
| Invasor | ||
| Quendom | ||
| Five Sixteen | ||
| Salt Lake | ||
| Third Street | ||
| Bisque Doll |
To read what I have written about Five Sixteen in the past, click here.
Belmont Stakes Contender Profile: DULLAHAN
Owner: Donegal Racing
Trainer: Dale Romans
Breeder: Phil Needham, Judy Needham, & Bena Halecky
Expected Belmont Jockey: Javier Castellano
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I)
2nd Palm Beach Stakes (gr. III)
Age 2
4th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
1st Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
3rd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. III)
2nd Maiden Special Weight
5th Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Dullahan in the past, click here.
Trainer: Dale Romans
Breeder: Phil Needham, Judy Needham, & Bena Halecky
Expected Belmont Jockey: Javier Castellano
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I)
2nd Palm Beach Stakes (gr. III)
Age 2
4th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
1st Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
3rd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. III)
2nd Maiden Special Weight
5th Maiden Special Weight
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Unbridled's Song | ||
| Even the Score | ||
| Ashtabula | ||
| Dullahan | ||
| Smart Strike | ||
| Mining My Own | ||
| Aspenelle |
To read what I have written about Dullahan in the past, click here.
Belmont Contender Profile: ATIGUN
Owner: Shortleaf Stable, Inc.
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Expected Belmont Jockey: Julien Leparoux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
5th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
11th Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
Age 2
5th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Atigun in the past, click here.
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Expected Belmont Jockey: Julien Leparoux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
5th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
11th Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
Age 2
5th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Gone West | ||
| Istan | ||
| Ronda | ||
| Alpha | ||
| Dynaformer | ||
| Rimini Road | ||
| Evangelical |
To read what I have written about Atigun in the past, click here.
Belmont Contender Profile: ALPHA
Owner: Goldolphin RacingTrainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Breeder: Darley
Expected Belmont Jockey: Ramon Dominguez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
12th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
2nd Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Withers Stakes (gr. III)
1st Count Fleet Stakes
Age 2
11th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
2nd Champagne Stakes (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
To read what I have written about Alpha in the past, click here.
Breeder: Darley
Expected Belmont Jockey: Ramon Dominguez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
12th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
2nd Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Withers Stakes (gr. III)
1st Count Fleet Stakes
Age 2
11th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
2nd Champagne Stakes (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| A.P. Indy | ||
| Bernardini | ||
| Cara Rafaela | ||
| Alpha | ||
| Nijinsky II | ||
| Munnaya | ||
| Hiaam |
To read what I have written about Alpha in the past, click here.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
I'LL HAVE ANOTHER WINS THE PREAKNESS STAKES!
Let the Triple Crown talk begin!
I'll Have Another, winner of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) two weeks ago, successfully claimed the second leg of racing's elusive Triple Crown when he wore down Bodemeister in deep stretch to win the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) by a neck.
Under a brilliant ride from Mario Gutierrez, I'll Have Another got off to an excellent start in the 1 3/16th miles race before settling into the fourth position early on, a couple of lengths behind pace-setting Bodemeister. Creative Cause was a length behind in second, followed by Pretension down along the rail. Went the Day Well was close to the pace in fifth, followed by Teeth of the Dog, Tiger Walk, Cozzetti, Zetterholm, Optimizer, and Daddy Nose Best.
Through moderate fractions of :23.79 and :47.68, Bodemeister continued to show the way. Coming off of a runner-up effort in the Kentucky Derby, in which he had set a blazing pace of :22.32 and :45.39, Bodemeister's chances of winning the Preakness appeared to be going much better than in Louisville.
Rounding the far turn, Creative Cause made his bid for the lead, but was quickly turned back as Bodemeister burst clear of the field to open up a 2 1/2 length lead. He seemed to have plenty left in the tank, and it was looking as though he would accomplish what he had failed to do in the Derby.
But on the far outside, a brilliant chestnut colt was beginning a rally that would not be denied. With Gutierrez urging his colt on as hard as he could, I'll Have Another surged into contention on the far outside and began to cut into Bodemeister's lead. The front-runner was game, and even passing the sixteenth pole, it appeared as though he would avenge his Derby loss. But I'll Have Another proved simply too good, getting up in deep stretch to win by a neck while stopping the clock in 1:55.94.
Creative Cause finished third, nine lengths further back. Zetterholm and Teeth of the Dog rounded out the top five, while Optimizer, Cozzetti, Tiger Walk, Daddy Nose Best, Went the Day Well, and Pretension trailed the field.
The winner is owned by Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O'Neill. The colt has now won all four of his races this year, which aside from the Derby and Preakness includes the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II).
-Keelerman
I'll Have Another, winner of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) two weeks ago, successfully claimed the second leg of racing's elusive Triple Crown when he wore down Bodemeister in deep stretch to win the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) by a neck.
Under a brilliant ride from Mario Gutierrez, I'll Have Another got off to an excellent start in the 1 3/16th miles race before settling into the fourth position early on, a couple of lengths behind pace-setting Bodemeister. Creative Cause was a length behind in second, followed by Pretension down along the rail. Went the Day Well was close to the pace in fifth, followed by Teeth of the Dog, Tiger Walk, Cozzetti, Zetterholm, Optimizer, and Daddy Nose Best.
Through moderate fractions of :23.79 and :47.68, Bodemeister continued to show the way. Coming off of a runner-up effort in the Kentucky Derby, in which he had set a blazing pace of :22.32 and :45.39, Bodemeister's chances of winning the Preakness appeared to be going much better than in Louisville.
Rounding the far turn, Creative Cause made his bid for the lead, but was quickly turned back as Bodemeister burst clear of the field to open up a 2 1/2 length lead. He seemed to have plenty left in the tank, and it was looking as though he would accomplish what he had failed to do in the Derby.
But on the far outside, a brilliant chestnut colt was beginning a rally that would not be denied. With Gutierrez urging his colt on as hard as he could, I'll Have Another surged into contention on the far outside and began to cut into Bodemeister's lead. The front-runner was game, and even passing the sixteenth pole, it appeared as though he would avenge his Derby loss. But I'll Have Another proved simply too good, getting up in deep stretch to win by a neck while stopping the clock in 1:55.94.
Creative Cause finished third, nine lengths further back. Zetterholm and Teeth of the Dog rounded out the top five, while Optimizer, Cozzetti, Tiger Walk, Daddy Nose Best, Went the Day Well, and Pretension trailed the field.
The winner is owned by Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O'Neill. The colt has now won all four of his races this year, which aside from the Derby and Preakness includes the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II).
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Update #7
With just sixteen minutes remaining before post time, Bodemeister is still the favorite at 2-1 and I'll Have Another remains at 3-1, but a little bit of money has gone on Creative Cause and he is now the co-third choice with Went the Day Well at 5-1. Daddy Nose Best has also received a great deal of support and is currently 9-1. The longshots are Cozzetti and Pretension at 24-1 and 25-1, respectively.
-Keelerman
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Update #6
So -- having watched all of the five main track undercard races at Pimlico today, I have come to the conclusion that there isn't really any track bias. Speed horses have won, closers have won -- it seems you can come from just about anywhere with success. If there is any bias at all, it is an outside bias, but there doesn't appear to be anything serious.
The Preakness odds really aren't changing much at all, with Bodemeister still the favorite at 5-2 and I'll Have Another at 3-1. I'm starting to really like Creative Cause's chances here today, for the pace scenario should suit his running style and if there is an outside bias, he should be able to take advantage of it. Will I pick him to win? I haven't quite decided yet.
Of all the horses in the race, I think that Cozzetti offers the most value at 23-1. He has been training so well that it's not impossible that he could shock everyone and pull off a surprising upset.
Went the Day Well is receiving a bit more support than I figured he would, for he is currently the third choice at 9-2. I figured he would be closer to 6-1, but I guess a lot of people feel he could have won the Derby with a better trip; thus the betting support.
-Keelerman
The Preakness odds really aren't changing much at all, with Bodemeister still the favorite at 5-2 and I'll Have Another at 3-1. I'm starting to really like Creative Cause's chances here today, for the pace scenario should suit his running style and if there is an outside bias, he should be able to take advantage of it. Will I pick him to win? I haven't quite decided yet.
Of all the horses in the race, I think that Cozzetti offers the most value at 23-1. He has been training so well that it's not impossible that he could shock everyone and pull off a surprising upset.
Went the Day Well is receiving a bit more support than I figured he would, for he is currently the third choice at 9-2. I figured he would be closer to 6-1, but I guess a lot of people feel he could have won the Derby with a better trip; thus the betting support.
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Update #5
Todd Pletcher and Javier Castellano teamed up to win the $300,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. II) with Hudson Steele, who burst clear of the field at the top of the stretch to win the race by about 2 1/2 lengths over a late-running Humble and Hungry. Forte Dei Marmi wound up third, followed by Casino Host.
The next race on the card is the highlight of the day, the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Kentucky Derby runner-up Bodemeister continues to be the favorite at 5-2, with Derby winner I'll Have Another at 3-1. The complete odds are as follows:
1 Tiger Walk 19-1
2 Teeth of the Dog 12-1
3 Pretension 25-1
4 Zetterholm 16-1
5 Went the Day Well 9-2
6 Creative Cause 6-1
7 Bodemeister 5-2
8 Daddy Nose Best 9-1
9 I'll Have Another 3-1
10 Optimizer 18-1
11 Cozzetti 23-1
-Keelerman
The next race on the card is the highlight of the day, the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Kentucky Derby runner-up Bodemeister continues to be the favorite at 5-2, with Derby winner I'll Have Another at 3-1. The complete odds are as follows:
1 Tiger Walk 19-1
2 Teeth of the Dog 12-1
3 Pretension 25-1
4 Zetterholm 16-1
5 Went the Day Well 9-2
6 Creative Cause 6-1
7 Bodemeister 5-2
8 Daddy Nose Best 9-1
9 I'll Have Another 3-1
10 Optimizer 18-1
11 Cozzetti 23-1
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Update #4
Another stakes, another impressive winner. Awesomemundo, from the barn of Bob Baffert, rallied furiously in the homestretch to take the $100,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. III) by about a head over Todd Pletcher's Love and Pride. The latter filly sat second early on through fractions of :23.29, :47.58, and 1:12.28, then kicked clear of the field turning for home. She appeared to be on her way to an easy victory, but Awesomemundo rallied fast on the far outside under Mike Smith to secure the victory. There was a rider's objection lodged by the jockey of Love and Pride against Awesomemundo for alleged interference in the stretch, but the replay showed both horses to be at fault and the stewards ruled no change.
Next up is the nine-furlong, $300,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. II) on the turf. A large and evenly-matched field has turned out, led by Hudson Steele, Casino Host, Smart Bid, and Air Support. It should be a terrific race to watch.
-Keelerman
Next up is the nine-furlong, $300,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. II) on the turf. A large and evenly-matched field has turned out, led by Hudson Steele, Casino Host, Smart Bid, and Air Support. It should be a terrific race to watch.
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Update #3
The next two races of the Preakness card have been run, those being the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) and James W. Murphy Stakes. Both were won by trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will saddle Optimizer later today in the Preakness itself.
First up was the Maryland Sprint Handicap, in which Hamazing Destiny was the slightest of favorites over the younger Bandbox. Those two ended up finishing 1-2 in that order, with Hamazing Destiny opening up a three-length lead in the homestretch before coasting to an easy 1 1/2 length triumph. Bandbox also ran well in his first start since January, and should improve from here on out.
The James W. Murphy Stakes, a one-mile turf race for three-year-olds, was won in a mild upset by Lukas' Skyring, who went wire-to-wire under Joel Rosario in what was his second straight victory. After six straight starts on dirt and synthetic tracks, the colt seems to have found himself a home on turf. Easy Crossing finished about a neck behind in second, and a nose in front of Mr. Handsome, who had to adjust his course in deep stretch and might have won with a cleaner trip.
The next race on the card is the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes, where a field of eight fillies and mares are set to go. The current favorite at 6-5 is Awesomemundo, from the barn of Bob Baffert. However, with the success that Lukas has been having today, it might be wise to take a look at Absinthe Minded, who is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the La Troinne Stakes (gr. III) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. It is worth noting that Lukas' two winners today, Hamazing Destiny and Skyring, both ran on Derby weekend as well.
The Preakness odds haven't changed much during the last couple of hours, although the margin between favored Bodemeister and second choice I'll Have Another has decreased from 9-5 and 3-1 to 2-1 and 3-1.
-Keelerman
First up was the Maryland Sprint Handicap, in which Hamazing Destiny was the slightest of favorites over the younger Bandbox. Those two ended up finishing 1-2 in that order, with Hamazing Destiny opening up a three-length lead in the homestretch before coasting to an easy 1 1/2 length triumph. Bandbox also ran well in his first start since January, and should improve from here on out.
The James W. Murphy Stakes, a one-mile turf race for three-year-olds, was won in a mild upset by Lukas' Skyring, who went wire-to-wire under Joel Rosario in what was his second straight victory. After six straight starts on dirt and synthetic tracks, the colt seems to have found himself a home on turf. Easy Crossing finished about a neck behind in second, and a nose in front of Mr. Handsome, who had to adjust his course in deep stretch and might have won with a cleaner trip.
The next race on the card is the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes, where a field of eight fillies and mares are set to go. The current favorite at 6-5 is Awesomemundo, from the barn of Bob Baffert. However, with the success that Lukas has been having today, it might be wise to take a look at Absinthe Minded, who is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the La Troinne Stakes (gr. III) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. It is worth noting that Lukas' two winners today, Hamazing Destiny and Skyring, both ran on Derby weekend as well.
The Preakness odds haven't changed much during the last couple of hours, although the margin between favored Bodemeister and second choice I'll Have Another has decreased from 9-5 and 3-1 to 2-1 and 3-1.
-Keelerman
IL VILLANO WINS THE CHICK LANG STAKES!
Il Villano stormed past favored Innocent Man at the top of the Pimlico homestretch and drew away powerfully to win the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes in terrific fashion.
Ridden to victory by Jose Flores, Il Villano got off to a good start from gate eight and settled right behind the early pace set by previously undefeated Innocent Man, who rattled off fractions of :23.24 and :46.27 under jockey Joel Rosario. Laurie's Rocket, the second choice in the field of seven, was also fairly close to the pace.
Rounding the turn, Il Villano moved up to challenge Innocent Man for the lead, and blew right past him as they entered the homestretch. From there, the race was over, as Il Villano coasted to an easy victory while stopping the clock for six furlongs in 1:10.40.
Laurie's Rocket out-finished Innocent Man for second, while Trippi's Secret, Scaramagna, He Can Run, and Mandorla completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Jose Flores, Il Villano got off to a good start from gate eight and settled right behind the early pace set by previously undefeated Innocent Man, who rattled off fractions of :23.24 and :46.27 under jockey Joel Rosario. Laurie's Rocket, the second choice in the field of seven, was also fairly close to the pace.
Rounding the turn, Il Villano moved up to challenge Innocent Man for the lead, and blew right past him as they entered the homestretch. From there, the race was over, as Il Villano coasted to an easy victory while stopping the clock for six furlongs in 1:10.40.
Laurie's Rocket out-finished Innocent Man for second, while Trippi's Secret, Scaramagna, He Can Run, and Mandorla completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Stakes Update #2
The fifth race of the Preakness day racecard is in the history books, with slight favorite Wire Funds overcoming post thirteen to win the five-furlong sprint in excellent fashion.
The next race on the card is the second stakes race of the day, the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes for three-year-olds. A six-furlong sprint, the undefeated Innocent Man is the current favorite at 7-5. In his two starts to date, he has run the opening quarter each time in :21.48 seconds, and last time out, he ran the half in :43.22 seconds. With that kind of speed, it's very difficult to see him getting beat. However, Pimlico hasn't been all that kind to speedy front-runners during the last coupe of days, and while those kinds of runners have been able to win some races, it's possible that Innocent Man will set a fast pace and tire late. In that case, Il Villano should be ready to take advantage of the situation under jockey Jose Flores.
A pair of jockeys that will be riding in the Preakness Stakes later today have mounts in this race. Joel Rosario, who will guided Creative Cause in the feature, will be aboard Innocent Man. Optimizer's rider, Corey Nakatani, will be aboard Laurie's Rocket.
-Keelerman
The next race on the card is the second stakes race of the day, the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes for three-year-olds. A six-furlong sprint, the undefeated Innocent Man is the current favorite at 7-5. In his two starts to date, he has run the opening quarter each time in :21.48 seconds, and last time out, he ran the half in :43.22 seconds. With that kind of speed, it's very difficult to see him getting beat. However, Pimlico hasn't been all that kind to speedy front-runners during the last coupe of days, and while those kinds of runners have been able to win some races, it's possible that Innocent Man will set a fast pace and tire late. In that case, Il Villano should be ready to take advantage of the situation under jockey Jose Flores.
A pair of jockeys that will be riding in the Preakness Stakes later today have mounts in this race. Joel Rosario, who will guided Creative Cause in the feature, will be aboard Innocent Man. Optimizer's rider, Corey Nakatani, will be aboard Laurie's Rocket.
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Day Update #1
The track is fast and the turf is firm at Pimlico, so the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) should be run in terrific weather. Early wagering has Bodemeister as the fairly heavy favorite at around 9-5, with Derby winner I'll Have Another in the vicinity of 3-1.
The first thoroughbred races of the day have been completed -- there was also one Arabian race -- and no upsets have occurred thus far. In the opener, a five-furlong allowance optional claiming race on the turf, even-money favorite Varsity triumphed under Joe Bravo for trainer Christophe Clement. Race 2 was a 1 1/16th miles starter handicap on the main track, in which 3-5 favorite Baileys Beach claimed the victory under Javier Santiago.
Race 3 was the $100,000 Gallorette Handicap (gr. III) at 1 1/16th miles on the turf. Zagora was sent off at even-money and ran to her odds, rallying fast along the inside to score a convincing victory over longshot Speak Easy Gal.
Race 4 was a 1 1/16th miles allowance race for three-year-olds, in which Bob Baffert's Paynter was the heavy favorite at odds of 1-10. As it turned out, odds of 1-20 might have been more appropriate, for the colt displayed a tremendous turn of foot in the stretch to win going away in 1:42.96, signaling that the main track may be a bit on the slow side today. Brimstone Island finished second, which may or may not bode well for Pretension's chances in the Preakness later this afternoon. After all, Brimstone Island was beaten just a head last time out by Pretension in the Canonero II Stakes.
More updates to come!
-Keelerman
The first thoroughbred races of the day have been completed -- there was also one Arabian race -- and no upsets have occurred thus far. In the opener, a five-furlong allowance optional claiming race on the turf, even-money favorite Varsity triumphed under Joe Bravo for trainer Christophe Clement. Race 2 was a 1 1/16th miles starter handicap on the main track, in which 3-5 favorite Baileys Beach claimed the victory under Javier Santiago.
Race 3 was the $100,000 Gallorette Handicap (gr. III) at 1 1/16th miles on the turf. Zagora was sent off at even-money and ran to her odds, rallying fast along the inside to score a convincing victory over longshot Speak Easy Gal.
Race 4 was a 1 1/16th miles allowance race for three-year-olds, in which Bob Baffert's Paynter was the heavy favorite at odds of 1-10. As it turned out, odds of 1-20 might have been more appropriate, for the colt displayed a tremendous turn of foot in the stretch to win going away in 1:42.96, signaling that the main track may be a bit on the slow side today. Brimstone Island finished second, which may or may not bode well for Pretension's chances in the Preakness later this afternoon. After all, Brimstone Island was beaten just a head last time out by Pretension in the Canonero II Stakes.
More updates to come!
-Keelerman
2012 PREAKNESS STAKES ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS
Two weeks ago, we watched with bated breath as I'll Have Another closed furiously down the center of the racetrack to defeat an ultra-game Bodemeister in the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. This afternoon, these two horses face off again at Pimlico in teh 137th running of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the second leg of the coveted Triple Crown. Will I'll Have Another triumph again, and thus head to Belmont Park with a shot at becoming racing's twelfth Triple Crown winner? Will Bodemeister hang on for victory? Or will one of the other nine contenders step up and pull off a shocking upset? Let's start handicapping!
Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
1 3/16th miles on the main track
Entries:
As I did for the Derby, I shall break the eleven starters down into three catagories -- "Unlikely Contenders", "Medium Contenders", and "Win Contenders".
Unlikely Contenders
#3 PRETENSION - He is the only colt in this race with a win -- or even a start -- over the Pimlico strip, and for that I must give him some credit. But when pitted against somer of the better three-year-olds in the country, he finished fifth in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) and ninth in the Illinois Derby (gr. III). He's got a fair amount of early speed, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him try and press the pace from gate three, but I doubt that he has the speed to really challenge Bodemeister early.
#2 TEETH OF THE DOG - I'm having a hard time putting this colt in the "Unlikely Contenders" catagory, seeing that he did finish a strong third in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) last time out. But his trainer has stated that he considers this race as more of a prep for the upcoming Belmont Stakes (gr. I), which makes me suspect that this colt isn't fully cranked for this spot. In addition, I won't be surprised if this colt tries to challenge Bodemeister early, which could prove disastrous, as Trinniberg and Hansen discovered in the Derby.
#8 DADDY NOSE BEST - This colt didn't really have any excuses in the Kentucky Derby, for he was able to secure a near perfect position early before failing to fire whatsoever, winding up tenth. His two previous victories were impressive enough, but I do believe that this colt is best on synthetic or turf surfaces, and the 1 3/16th miles distance of this race is probably a tad bit too long for him. Julien Leparoux returns to the saddle, which is a good sign, but overall I have mixed feelings about this colt.
#10 OPTIMIZER - From time to time, this colt steps up and runs really well -- you don't finish second in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and third in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) if you don't have talent. But he is fairly inconsistent, and he has been beaten a combined 32 1/2 lengths in his last two starts. Perhaps his performance in the Derby was a bit better than it looked on the surface, and he has drawn a good post position for his preferred style of running, but it's difficult to see him stepping up enough to challenge for a superfecta spot in a race of this caliber.
Medium Contenders
#1 TIGER WALK - I have watched this colt all year, and despite his less-than-stellar finishes, there's something about him that makes me think he has hidden talent that he just hasn't displayed yet. I liked his bullet half-mile breeze on the 13th, and feel he could improve with the addition of blinkers. Gate one is obviously a question, but it's better than the outside post positions that he usually draws.
#4 ZETTERHOLM - He's got a pretty strong late kick that he has used successfully in three straight New York-bred races, including the Patsyprospect Stakes, and the possibility of a moderately fast pace today could help his chances. He doesn't have the strongest of pedigrees for the distance, being by Silver Train, but trainer Rick Dutrow has done well in the Preakness, and finished fourth in this race two years ago with another New York-bred Yawanna Twist.
#5 WENT THE DAY WELL - I was very impressed by his performance in the Derby, where he closed from far behind despite a poor trip to be beaten just 2 1/2 lengths. He has been improving with every start, and has trained well since the Derby, so there's not many reasons to think he won't run well. My only concern is that his late run in the Derby might have been more of an optical illusion formed by the tiring front-runners turning in such slow final fractions. This scenario tends to occur with frequency in the Derby -- remember Ice Box in 2010? Granted, Went the Day Well looked phenomenal in the Churchill homestretch, but he won't get the same pace setup today. Perhaps he is versatile enough to overcome it, and I will give him a great deal of credit if he is, but for the moment I'm leaning toward picking others.
#11 COZZETTI - This colt is perhaps just a bit underrated. He did run well enough during the spring to finish third in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) and fourth in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I), beaten little more than a neck for second in the latter race. Trainer Dale Romans is confident that the colt has more talent then he has displayed, and his :58 4/5 bullet work on May 14th signals that this colt may be sitting on a huge effort. Don't leave him out of your superfectas!
Win Contenders
#6 CREATIVE CAUSE - I have liked this colt a great deal since last year, and he was my #1 pick for the Derby for majority of the spring. I eventually jumped off the bandwagon for the Derby, mostly because I wasn't impressed with the way he was training. He actually didn't run badly at all in the Derby, winding up fifth beaten three lengths after going extremely wide on the far turn. He certainly won't have to go that wide today, and seeing that he has also been training well, and that the pace scenario of this race should be better suited to his running style, I won't be surprised if he adds a classic victory to his record.
#7 BODEMEISTER - What to do with Bodemeister? If he runs back to his Derby effort, then it's going to be difficult or impossible to beat him. With Trinniberg and Hansen out of the picture, chances are he will get to set a much slower pace, leaving him with more in the tank for the stretch run. The only concern here is that he may not handle the quick two-week turnaround, given that the Preakness will actually be his third race in five weeks. I'm sure Baffert wouldn't be running him here if he didn't think the colt was ready, but Bodemeister was primed for the race of his life leading up to the Derby and ran his eyeballs out. If he is the superstar that I believe he could be, then he won't have any issues with the two weeks and will add a Preakness victory to his record. If, however, he is just another very talented three-year-old, then he'll probably throw in the towel somewhere at the top of the stretch. I guess whether or not you pick him depends on how good a horse you believe he is.
#9 I'LL HAVE ANOTHER - There's nothing not to like about the Derby winner, who looked terrific in Louisville and seems to be training even better since coming to Pimlico. I like the fact that here are Pimlico for nearly two weeks, getting in valuable training over a track that some horses can have trouble handling. Chances are, he will have to challenge Bodemeister for the early lead to keep his rival from escaping with too slow an early pace, but he has the tactical speed to do that and the perfect post position to let him do the job right. Jockey Mario Gutierrez is going to have to ride him just ride -- applying just enough pressure to Bodemeister to tire him out, while not going so fast that he sets the race up for a closer like Creative Cause or Went the Day Well.
***
So who should I pick? My gut feeling is that Bodemeister isn't going to run as well here as he did in the Derby, where he had a speed-favoring, fast track to help his chances. Pimlico, while also a fairly speed-favoring track, didn't seem to have any bias yesterday, and probably won't today either.
So who does that leave us with? Well, if Bodemeister retreats on the far turn, or even at the top of the stretch, that would allow I'll Have Another to inherit the lead, and from that point on, I doubt anyone can catch him. But if Bodemeister hangs on longer than I expect him to -- say, he digs deep and doesn't let I'll Have Another past him until inside the eighth pole -- then I won't be surprised to see Creative Cause grinding away in the center of the racetrack to pull off a minor upset.
That said, here are my tentative selections:
1 I'll Have Another
2 Creative Cause
3 Bodemeister
4 Cozzetti
These selections assume that the track is playing the same way that it did yesterday -- somewhat tiring, without an obvious speed bias. These selections also assume that Bodemeister is going to tire somewhere in the vicinity of the top of the stretch. Should I notice any track conditions that change my opinion of how the race will be run -- or if I simply change my mind -- I will post my updated picks sometime before the race.
Now, here are J.R.'s selections:
1 Went the Day Well
2 I'll Have Another
3 Bodemeister
4 Zetterholm
J.R. believes that Went the Day Well is going to race much closer to the early pace today and finish up with a burst of speed to deny I'll Have Another and Bodemeister the victory, with Zetterholm rallying mildly to round out the superfecta.
Now, as has become a Triple Crown tradition, my hat has compiled its selections. Who knows which horses it will select today, but let me just say this: Line of David, Watch Me Go, and Went the Day Well have been it's last three Derby selections. :)
From the bottom up:
11 Pretension
Nothing too unusual about this selection.
10 Zetterholm
I like him better then this, but I can see why someone might pick him to finish tenth.
9 I'll Have Another
Okay. This is ridiculous.
8 Optimizer
Nothing special about this selection.
7 Cozzetti
Seventh wouldn't surprise anyone.
6 Daddy Nose Best
I guess the hat feels he'll rebound off of his poor Derby performance.
5 Bodemeister
Fifth? Perhaps I don't really like this colt to win, but this is a little bit unreasonable.
4 Went the Day Well
Nothing unusual here.
3 Tiger Walk
Okay. I like Tiger Walk as well as anyone else. But third? Ahead of Bodemeister, Went the Day Well, and I'll Have Another?
2 Teeth of the Dog
If Teeth of the Dog runs second in what is more of a prep for the Belmont, than he is virtually a lock to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. Clearly, the hat feels that is about to happen.
1 Creative Cause
Hey! For once, the hat has picked a low-odds horse for the top spot! Of course, it couldn't help but throw some longshots into the superfecta, but the hat actually has a decent chance at out-picking me for once!
UNDERCARD ANALYSIS
Race 3: Gallorette Handicap (gr. III)
1 1/16th miles on the turf course
The obvious favorite in this graded turf race for fillies and mares is Zagora, winner of the Diana Handicap (gr. I) last year. She began 2012 with a pair of graded stakes victories at Tampa Bay Downs, then finished fifth as the favorite in Keeneland's Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. I) while attempting to rally into a very slow pace. Given that there does seem to be more early speed in today's race, she should have every chance to rally to another victory.
If Zagora is to be upset, then I believe that Laughing will be the one to do it. The lightly-raced favorite finished a decent seventh in last year's E. P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I) at Woodbine, then returned this year to win an allowance optional claiming event in terrific fashion at Aqueduct. She'll have to be sharp to defeat Zagora, but with her tactical speed and incredible late kick, I won't be surprised at all if she pulls off an upset.
Race 8: Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III)
6 furlongs on the main track
This evenly-matched race has drawn a large field of ten, so good look finding the winner! Any one of at least five or six of these runners has an excellent shot at winning, so if you happen to stumble on to the winner, it's probably more due to luck than anything else! :)
Hamazing Destiny is the narrow morning line favorite, based perhaps on his strong second in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) and subsequent admirable efforts, but the fact is he hasn't won since September 2010 and hasn't been in the best of form lately.
Personally, I like Immortal Eyes, who ran second in this race last year. He is seven, and his best distance is probably 4-1/2 furlongs, but he has won six-furlong races in the past and possesses a great deal of early speed.
You might also want to take a look at Bandbox, a young sprinter whose best performances have come at seven furlongs. This race could be a bit short for him, and he hasn't raced since January, but he may appreciate the cutback and could get up for a piece.
Race 10: Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. III)
1 1/16th miles on the main track
There are a number of quality fillies in this race, but to me, it's hard to look past Bob Baffert's Awesomemundo. The promising filly won an allowance race on February 19th at Santa Anita by 7 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in the sharp time of 1:41.98. She hasn't raced since then, but Baffert feels she simply needs lots of time between starts. If she can repeat her allowance victory today, she will be tough to beat.
Another very logical contender is Absinthe Minded, a talented and consistent runner from the barn of D. Wayne Lukas. There's no denying that she has talent, for she has run second and third in the last two runnings of Oaklawn's Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I), but the fact is, she is 5-for-11 at Oaklawn and 1-for-20 elsewhere. I won't be surprised at all if she wins, but she seems to be better at Oaklawn than anywhere else.
For a longshot, you should take a look at Pinch Pie, who is 10-1 on the morning line. While the majority of her starts have come on turf, her dirt efforts include a third-place finish in last year's Alabama Stakes (gr. I) beyond champion Royal Delta and It's Tricky. Expect to see her rallying strongly from off the pace.
Race 11: Dixie Stakes (gr. II)
Nine furlongs on the turf course
This is a tough race to analyzie, as usual, for it has drawn a large and evenly-matched field of runners. Smart Bid is the morning line favorite based off of his fine victory in the Fair Grounds Handicap (gr. III) two starts back, but is coming off of a seventh-place finish in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. II). Air Support will also receive some support thanks to his victory in the Virginia Derby (gr. II) last July, but he has only raced once since then, finishing a somewhat dull fifth in a nine-furlong turf allowance race at Keeneland. Hudson Steele has a win over this track, and is making his second start off a layoff, but he'll have to turn in a career-best effort to win this race. Casino Host is in fine form, having won the above-mentioned Mervin H. Muniz Handicap last time out, and it would surprise no one if he triumphs.
This race is so evenly matched that I wouldn't be surprised if a major upset were to occur. Perhaps Trend, Humble and Hungry, or Boxeur des Rues could win? The first-mentioned colt is coming off of a pair of strong efforts in one-mile turf races at Gulfstream, and could possibly get the jump on his rivals.
Personally, I'm leaning toward selecting Hudson Steele or Trend, but I can certainly see any one of these horses winning. It should be a great race to watch.
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
Preakness Stakes (gr. I)
1 3/16th miles on the main track
Entries:
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | M. L. Odds |
| 1 | Tiger Walk | Ignacio Cortreas, IV | Kent Desormeaux | 30-1 |
| 2 | Teeth of the Dog | Michael Matz | Joe Bravo | 15-1 |
| 3 | Pretension | Chris Grove | Javier Santiago | 30-1 |
| 4 | Zetterholm | Rick Dutrow, Jr. | Junior Alvarado | 20-1 |
| 5 | Went the Day Well | Graham Motion | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 6 | Creative Cause | Mike Harrington | Joel Rosario | 6-1 |
| 7 | Bodemeister | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith | 8-5 |
| 8 | Daddy Nose Best | Steve Asmussen | Julien Leparoux | 12-1 |
| 9 | I'll Have Another | Doug O'Neill | Mario Gutierrez | 5-2 |
| 10 | Optimizer | D. Wayne Lukas | Corey Nakatani | 30-1 |
| 11 | Cozzetti | Dale Romans | Jose Lezcano | 30-1 |
As I did for the Derby, I shall break the eleven starters down into three catagories -- "Unlikely Contenders", "Medium Contenders", and "Win Contenders".
Unlikely Contenders
#3 PRETENSION - He is the only colt in this race with a win -- or even a start -- over the Pimlico strip, and for that I must give him some credit. But when pitted against somer of the better three-year-olds in the country, he finished fifth in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) and ninth in the Illinois Derby (gr. III). He's got a fair amount of early speed, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him try and press the pace from gate three, but I doubt that he has the speed to really challenge Bodemeister early.
#2 TEETH OF THE DOG - I'm having a hard time putting this colt in the "Unlikely Contenders" catagory, seeing that he did finish a strong third in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) last time out. But his trainer has stated that he considers this race as more of a prep for the upcoming Belmont Stakes (gr. I), which makes me suspect that this colt isn't fully cranked for this spot. In addition, I won't be surprised if this colt tries to challenge Bodemeister early, which could prove disastrous, as Trinniberg and Hansen discovered in the Derby.
#8 DADDY NOSE BEST - This colt didn't really have any excuses in the Kentucky Derby, for he was able to secure a near perfect position early before failing to fire whatsoever, winding up tenth. His two previous victories were impressive enough, but I do believe that this colt is best on synthetic or turf surfaces, and the 1 3/16th miles distance of this race is probably a tad bit too long for him. Julien Leparoux returns to the saddle, which is a good sign, but overall I have mixed feelings about this colt.
#10 OPTIMIZER - From time to time, this colt steps up and runs really well -- you don't finish second in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and third in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) if you don't have talent. But he is fairly inconsistent, and he has been beaten a combined 32 1/2 lengths in his last two starts. Perhaps his performance in the Derby was a bit better than it looked on the surface, and he has drawn a good post position for his preferred style of running, but it's difficult to see him stepping up enough to challenge for a superfecta spot in a race of this caliber.
Medium Contenders
#1 TIGER WALK - I have watched this colt all year, and despite his less-than-stellar finishes, there's something about him that makes me think he has hidden talent that he just hasn't displayed yet. I liked his bullet half-mile breeze on the 13th, and feel he could improve with the addition of blinkers. Gate one is obviously a question, but it's better than the outside post positions that he usually draws.
#4 ZETTERHOLM - He's got a pretty strong late kick that he has used successfully in three straight New York-bred races, including the Patsyprospect Stakes, and the possibility of a moderately fast pace today could help his chances. He doesn't have the strongest of pedigrees for the distance, being by Silver Train, but trainer Rick Dutrow has done well in the Preakness, and finished fourth in this race two years ago with another New York-bred Yawanna Twist.
#5 WENT THE DAY WELL - I was very impressed by his performance in the Derby, where he closed from far behind despite a poor trip to be beaten just 2 1/2 lengths. He has been improving with every start, and has trained well since the Derby, so there's not many reasons to think he won't run well. My only concern is that his late run in the Derby might have been more of an optical illusion formed by the tiring front-runners turning in such slow final fractions. This scenario tends to occur with frequency in the Derby -- remember Ice Box in 2010? Granted, Went the Day Well looked phenomenal in the Churchill homestretch, but he won't get the same pace setup today. Perhaps he is versatile enough to overcome it, and I will give him a great deal of credit if he is, but for the moment I'm leaning toward picking others.
#11 COZZETTI - This colt is perhaps just a bit underrated. He did run well enough during the spring to finish third in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) and fourth in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I), beaten little more than a neck for second in the latter race. Trainer Dale Romans is confident that the colt has more talent then he has displayed, and his :58 4/5 bullet work on May 14th signals that this colt may be sitting on a huge effort. Don't leave him out of your superfectas!
Win Contenders
#6 CREATIVE CAUSE - I have liked this colt a great deal since last year, and he was my #1 pick for the Derby for majority of the spring. I eventually jumped off the bandwagon for the Derby, mostly because I wasn't impressed with the way he was training. He actually didn't run badly at all in the Derby, winding up fifth beaten three lengths after going extremely wide on the far turn. He certainly won't have to go that wide today, and seeing that he has also been training well, and that the pace scenario of this race should be better suited to his running style, I won't be surprised if he adds a classic victory to his record.
#7 BODEMEISTER - What to do with Bodemeister? If he runs back to his Derby effort, then it's going to be difficult or impossible to beat him. With Trinniberg and Hansen out of the picture, chances are he will get to set a much slower pace, leaving him with more in the tank for the stretch run. The only concern here is that he may not handle the quick two-week turnaround, given that the Preakness will actually be his third race in five weeks. I'm sure Baffert wouldn't be running him here if he didn't think the colt was ready, but Bodemeister was primed for the race of his life leading up to the Derby and ran his eyeballs out. If he is the superstar that I believe he could be, then he won't have any issues with the two weeks and will add a Preakness victory to his record. If, however, he is just another very talented three-year-old, then he'll probably throw in the towel somewhere at the top of the stretch. I guess whether or not you pick him depends on how good a horse you believe he is.
#9 I'LL HAVE ANOTHER - There's nothing not to like about the Derby winner, who looked terrific in Louisville and seems to be training even better since coming to Pimlico. I like the fact that here are Pimlico for nearly two weeks, getting in valuable training over a track that some horses can have trouble handling. Chances are, he will have to challenge Bodemeister for the early lead to keep his rival from escaping with too slow an early pace, but he has the tactical speed to do that and the perfect post position to let him do the job right. Jockey Mario Gutierrez is going to have to ride him just ride -- applying just enough pressure to Bodemeister to tire him out, while not going so fast that he sets the race up for a closer like Creative Cause or Went the Day Well.
***
So who should I pick? My gut feeling is that Bodemeister isn't going to run as well here as he did in the Derby, where he had a speed-favoring, fast track to help his chances. Pimlico, while also a fairly speed-favoring track, didn't seem to have any bias yesterday, and probably won't today either.
So who does that leave us with? Well, if Bodemeister retreats on the far turn, or even at the top of the stretch, that would allow I'll Have Another to inherit the lead, and from that point on, I doubt anyone can catch him. But if Bodemeister hangs on longer than I expect him to -- say, he digs deep and doesn't let I'll Have Another past him until inside the eighth pole -- then I won't be surprised to see Creative Cause grinding away in the center of the racetrack to pull off a minor upset.
That said, here are my tentative selections:
1 I'll Have Another
2 Creative Cause
3 Bodemeister
4 Cozzetti
These selections assume that the track is playing the same way that it did yesterday -- somewhat tiring, without an obvious speed bias. These selections also assume that Bodemeister is going to tire somewhere in the vicinity of the top of the stretch. Should I notice any track conditions that change my opinion of how the race will be run -- or if I simply change my mind -- I will post my updated picks sometime before the race.
Now, here are J.R.'s selections:
1 Went the Day Well
2 I'll Have Another
3 Bodemeister
4 Zetterholm
J.R. believes that Went the Day Well is going to race much closer to the early pace today and finish up with a burst of speed to deny I'll Have Another and Bodemeister the victory, with Zetterholm rallying mildly to round out the superfecta.
Now, as has become a Triple Crown tradition, my hat has compiled its selections. Who knows which horses it will select today, but let me just say this: Line of David, Watch Me Go, and Went the Day Well have been it's last three Derby selections. :)
From the bottom up:
11 Pretension
Nothing too unusual about this selection.
10 Zetterholm
I like him better then this, but I can see why someone might pick him to finish tenth.
9 I'll Have Another
Okay. This is ridiculous.
8 Optimizer
Nothing special about this selection.
7 Cozzetti
Seventh wouldn't surprise anyone.
6 Daddy Nose Best
I guess the hat feels he'll rebound off of his poor Derby performance.
5 Bodemeister
Fifth? Perhaps I don't really like this colt to win, but this is a little bit unreasonable.
4 Went the Day Well
Nothing unusual here.
3 Tiger Walk
Okay. I like Tiger Walk as well as anyone else. But third? Ahead of Bodemeister, Went the Day Well, and I'll Have Another?
2 Teeth of the Dog
If Teeth of the Dog runs second in what is more of a prep for the Belmont, than he is virtually a lock to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. Clearly, the hat feels that is about to happen.
1 Creative Cause
Hey! For once, the hat has picked a low-odds horse for the top spot! Of course, it couldn't help but throw some longshots into the superfecta, but the hat actually has a decent chance at out-picking me for once!
UNDERCARD ANALYSIS
Race 3: Gallorette Handicap (gr. III)
1 1/16th miles on the turf course
The obvious favorite in this graded turf race for fillies and mares is Zagora, winner of the Diana Handicap (gr. I) last year. She began 2012 with a pair of graded stakes victories at Tampa Bay Downs, then finished fifth as the favorite in Keeneland's Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. I) while attempting to rally into a very slow pace. Given that there does seem to be more early speed in today's race, she should have every chance to rally to another victory.
If Zagora is to be upset, then I believe that Laughing will be the one to do it. The lightly-raced favorite finished a decent seventh in last year's E. P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I) at Woodbine, then returned this year to win an allowance optional claiming event in terrific fashion at Aqueduct. She'll have to be sharp to defeat Zagora, but with her tactical speed and incredible late kick, I won't be surprised at all if she pulls off an upset.
Race 8: Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III)
6 furlongs on the main track
This evenly-matched race has drawn a large field of ten, so good look finding the winner! Any one of at least five or six of these runners has an excellent shot at winning, so if you happen to stumble on to the winner, it's probably more due to luck than anything else! :)
Hamazing Destiny is the narrow morning line favorite, based perhaps on his strong second in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) and subsequent admirable efforts, but the fact is he hasn't won since September 2010 and hasn't been in the best of form lately.
Personally, I like Immortal Eyes, who ran second in this race last year. He is seven, and his best distance is probably 4-1/2 furlongs, but he has won six-furlong races in the past and possesses a great deal of early speed.
You might also want to take a look at Bandbox, a young sprinter whose best performances have come at seven furlongs. This race could be a bit short for him, and he hasn't raced since January, but he may appreciate the cutback and could get up for a piece.
Race 10: Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. III)
1 1/16th miles on the main track
There are a number of quality fillies in this race, but to me, it's hard to look past Bob Baffert's Awesomemundo. The promising filly won an allowance race on February 19th at Santa Anita by 7 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in the sharp time of 1:41.98. She hasn't raced since then, but Baffert feels she simply needs lots of time between starts. If she can repeat her allowance victory today, she will be tough to beat.
Another very logical contender is Absinthe Minded, a talented and consistent runner from the barn of D. Wayne Lukas. There's no denying that she has talent, for she has run second and third in the last two runnings of Oaklawn's Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I), but the fact is, she is 5-for-11 at Oaklawn and 1-for-20 elsewhere. I won't be surprised at all if she wins, but she seems to be better at Oaklawn than anywhere else.
For a longshot, you should take a look at Pinch Pie, who is 10-1 on the morning line. While the majority of her starts have come on turf, her dirt efforts include a third-place finish in last year's Alabama Stakes (gr. I) beyond champion Royal Delta and It's Tricky. Expect to see her rallying strongly from off the pace.
Race 11: Dixie Stakes (gr. II)
Nine furlongs on the turf course
This is a tough race to analyzie, as usual, for it has drawn a large and evenly-matched field of runners. Smart Bid is the morning line favorite based off of his fine victory in the Fair Grounds Handicap (gr. III) two starts back, but is coming off of a seventh-place finish in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. II). Air Support will also receive some support thanks to his victory in the Virginia Derby (gr. II) last July, but he has only raced once since then, finishing a somewhat dull fifth in a nine-furlong turf allowance race at Keeneland. Hudson Steele has a win over this track, and is making his second start off a layoff, but he'll have to turn in a career-best effort to win this race. Casino Host is in fine form, having won the above-mentioned Mervin H. Muniz Handicap last time out, and it would surprise no one if he triumphs.
This race is so evenly matched that I wouldn't be surprised if a major upset were to occur. Perhaps Trend, Humble and Hungry, or Boxeur des Rues could win? The first-mentioned colt is coming off of a pair of strong efforts in one-mile turf races at Gulfstream, and could possibly get the jump on his rivals.
Personally, I'm leaning toward selecting Hudson Steele or Trend, but I can certainly see any one of these horses winning. It should be a great race to watch.
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
Friday, May 18, 2012
ALTERNATION WINS THE PIMLICO SPECIAL!
Alternation rallied past pace-setting Endorsement and held off a tremendous late run from Nehro to win the $300,000 Pimlico Special Stakes (gr. III) this afternoon at Pimlico race course.
Ridden to victory by Luis Quinonez, Alternation settled into the third position early on in a field of nine as Endorsement led the way through quick fractions of :23.60 and :46.88. Yawanna Twist was racing in second, with Toby's Corner down along the rail in fourth. Cherokee Artist and Eighttofasttocatch were next in the field, while Mission Impazible, Nehro, and Hymn Book were the early trailers.
The positions remained relatively unchanges down the backstretch and around the far turn, with Endorsement continuing to show the way while racing strongly. However, Alternation and Mission Impazible were in the process of unleashing strong bids on the far outside, and as the field entered the homestretch, Alternation loomed up to challenge Endorsement for the lead. The two colts battled gamely through much of the stretch, with Alternation coming away with a narrow lead close to the finish.
Then Nehro came with his bid on the far outside, charging furiously under Corey Nakatani. The pair hit the wire together, and while it appeared as though Nehro might have gotten up for the victory, the photo finish revealed Alternation as the winner by a nose.
The final time for the 1 3/16th miles race was 1:57.60. Endorsement held on for third, while Mission Impazible, Hymn Book, Yawanna Twist, Toby's Corner, Cherokee Artist, and Eighttofasttocatch completed the order of finish.
The winner, who is now a perfect 4-for-4 in 2012, is owned by Pin Oak Stable and trained by Donnie Von Hemel.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Luis Quinonez, Alternation settled into the third position early on in a field of nine as Endorsement led the way through quick fractions of :23.60 and :46.88. Yawanna Twist was racing in second, with Toby's Corner down along the rail in fourth. Cherokee Artist and Eighttofasttocatch were next in the field, while Mission Impazible, Nehro, and Hymn Book were the early trailers.
The positions remained relatively unchanges down the backstretch and around the far turn, with Endorsement continuing to show the way while racing strongly. However, Alternation and Mission Impazible were in the process of unleashing strong bids on the far outside, and as the field entered the homestretch, Alternation loomed up to challenge Endorsement for the lead. The two colts battled gamely through much of the stretch, with Alternation coming away with a narrow lead close to the finish.
Then Nehro came with his bid on the far outside, charging furiously under Corey Nakatani. The pair hit the wire together, and while it appeared as though Nehro might have gotten up for the victory, the photo finish revealed Alternation as the winner by a nose.
The final time for the 1 3/16th miles race was 1:57.60. Endorsement held on for third, while Mission Impazible, Hymn Book, Yawanna Twist, Toby's Corner, Cherokee Artist, and Eighttofasttocatch completed the order of finish.
The winner, who is now a perfect 4-for-4 in 2012, is owned by Pin Oak Stable and trained by Donnie Von Hemel.
-Keelerman
IN LINGERIE WINS THE BLACK-EYED SUSAN STAKES!
Trainer Todd Pletcher swept the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) this afternoon at Pimlico race course, running 1-2 in the prestigious event with In Lingerie and Disposablepleasure.
With John Velazquez aboard, In Lingerie stumbled at the start before settling off the pace in the sixth position early on, a drastic change from her usual front-running style. Up front, the pace was being set by the even-money favorite Mamma Kimbo, an undefeated Bob Baffert trainee coming off of a victory in Oaklawn's Fantasy Stakes (gr. II). With Mike Smith aboard, Mamma Kimbo rattled off moderate fractions of :23.48 and :47.37 while leading by about a length over Glinda the Good and Welcome Guest. Plum and Disposablepleasure were the next pair, followed by In Lingerie, with Wildcat's Smile, Zucchini Flower and Oaks Lily content to trail early on.
As the field made their way around the final turn, Mamma Kimbo found another gear and briefly kicked away from her pursuers. However, she was soon confronted by Wildcat's Smile and In Lingerie, who made bold runs on the outside to challenge for the lead.
Entering the homestretch, Mamma Kimbo still led, by In Lingerie quickly powered by and opened up a clear lead. Disposablepleasure rallied strongly as well to finish second, but was never a threat to the winner, who coasted home by about a length and a half to win the nine-furlong event in 1:52.07.
Wildcat's Smile held third, while Mamma Kimbo tired to fourth.
-Keelerman
With John Velazquez aboard, In Lingerie stumbled at the start before settling off the pace in the sixth position early on, a drastic change from her usual front-running style. Up front, the pace was being set by the even-money favorite Mamma Kimbo, an undefeated Bob Baffert trainee coming off of a victory in Oaklawn's Fantasy Stakes (gr. II). With Mike Smith aboard, Mamma Kimbo rattled off moderate fractions of :23.48 and :47.37 while leading by about a length over Glinda the Good and Welcome Guest. Plum and Disposablepleasure were the next pair, followed by In Lingerie, with Wildcat's Smile, Zucchini Flower and Oaks Lily content to trail early on.
As the field made their way around the final turn, Mamma Kimbo found another gear and briefly kicked away from her pursuers. However, she was soon confronted by Wildcat's Smile and In Lingerie, who made bold runs on the outside to challenge for the lead.
Entering the homestretch, Mamma Kimbo still led, by In Lingerie quickly powered by and opened up a clear lead. Disposablepleasure rallied strongly as well to finish second, but was never a threat to the winner, who coasted home by about a length and a half to win the nine-furlong event in 1:52.07.
Wildcat's Smile held third, while Mamma Kimbo tired to fourth.
-Keelerman
AGAVE KISS WINS THE MISS PREAKNESS STAKES!
Agave Kiss went straight to the lead and never looked back in the $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes this afternoon at Pimlico race course, drawing away in the stretch to extend her unbeaten record to a perfect 6-for-6.
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Agave Kiss bounded out of the starting gate and quickly opened up a two-length lead in the six-furlong sprint while running the opening quarter mile in :23.06. Ageless was content to settle into the second position, followed closely by Say a Novena and Painted Woman. Millionreaonswhy, the second choice in the field of seven, was on the outside in fifth while Defy Gravity and Colonial Empress trailed the field.
Rounding the turn, Agave Kiss began to open up, and entered the homestretch with a commanding advantage. Millionreasonswhy attempted to rally on the far outside, but never threatened the eventual winner, who coasted home easily to win by five while stopping the clock in 1:10.40.
Ageless held on well to finish third, while Say a Novena completed the superfecta.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Agave Kiss bounded out of the starting gate and quickly opened up a two-length lead in the six-furlong sprint while running the opening quarter mile in :23.06. Ageless was content to settle into the second position, followed closely by Say a Novena and Painted Woman. Millionreaonswhy, the second choice in the field of seven, was on the outside in fifth while Defy Gravity and Colonial Empress trailed the field.
Rounding the turn, Agave Kiss began to open up, and entered the homestretch with a commanding advantage. Millionreasonswhy attempted to rally on the far outside, but never threatened the eventual winner, who coasted home easily to win by five while stopping the clock in 1:10.40.
Ageless held on well to finish third, while Say a Novena completed the superfecta.
-Keelerman
2012 BLACK-EYED SUSAN STAKES ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS
The main attraction of the Pimlico meet is always the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), which will be run tomorrow afternoon. But the second-biggest highlight is traditionally the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. III) for three-year-old fillies. Last year's renewal was won by Royal Delta, who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) and Alabama Stakes (gr. I) en route to an Eclipse award as the champion of her division. This year's edition has drawn a talented but lightly raced field of nine, including Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) winner Mamma Kimbo and Bourbonette Stakes (gr. III) winner In Lingerie. Let's start handicapping!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
PREAKNESS STAKES HANDICAPPING CONTEST
A couple of weeks ago, with the Kentucky Derby rapidly approaching, I announced that I was holding a "Kentucky Derby Handicapping Contest," with the winner receiving a free copy of the book "The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies." The rules were simple -- you simply sent in the name of your selection and if you were the first person to send in the correct answer, then you were the winner!
However, in an unusual turn of events, no one correctly selected I'll Have Another as the winner of Derby. I hadn't envisioned this scenario occurring, so I was left without an obvious answer to the situation. However, I believe I have come up with an appropriate solution -- hold another giveaway contest!
So if you still want to try and win that book, you have another opportunity! If you can correctly select the winner of Saturday's Preakness Stakes, and send in your pick before anyone else beats you to it, then the prize is yours!
All entries must be received by noon CST on Preakness day, May 19th, 2012. Only one entry per person, please! Send your selection to:
keelermancontest@gmail.com
Should you win the contest, you will receive a congratulatory email declaring you the winner. Your prize will be shipped out shortly thereafter.
That said, let the contest begin! Good luck!
-Keelerman
However, in an unusual turn of events, no one correctly selected I'll Have Another as the winner of Derby. I hadn't envisioned this scenario occurring, so I was left without an obvious answer to the situation. However, I believe I have come up with an appropriate solution -- hold another giveaway contest!
So if you still want to try and win that book, you have another opportunity! If you can correctly select the winner of Saturday's Preakness Stakes, and send in your pick before anyone else beats you to it, then the prize is yours!
All entries must be received by noon CST on Preakness day, May 19th, 2012. Only one entry per person, please! Send your selection to:
keelermancontest@gmail.com
Should you win the contest, you will receive a congratulatory email declaring you the winner. Your prize will be shipped out shortly thereafter.
That said, let the contest begin! Good luck!
-Keelerman
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Gallorette Handicap Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $150,000 Gallorette Handicap (gr. III), to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The 1 1/16th miles turf race for fillies and mares has drawn a small but talented field of seven, led by five-time graded/group stakes winner Zagora and the very promising filly Laughing.
1 Camelia Rose
2 Speak Easy Gal
3 Zagora
4 Idle Talk
5 Smart Sting
6 Baltimore Belle
7 Laughing
-Keelerman
1 Camelia Rose
2 Speak Easy Gal
3 Zagora
4 Idle Talk
5 Smart Sting
6 Baltimore Belle
7 Laughing
-Keelerman
Chick Lang Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes, to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The six-furlong race has drawn an excellent field of runners, led by the graded stakes-placed Il Villano and the talented Laurie's Rocket.
1 Scaramagna
2 Trippi's Secret
3 Innocent Man
4 Laurie's Rocket
5 He Can Run
6 Lemon Juice
7 Mandorla
8 Il Villano
-Keelerman
1 Scaramagna
2 Trippi's Secret
3 Innocent Man
4 Laurie's Rocket
5 He Can Run
6 Lemon Juice
7 Mandorla
8 Il Villano
-Keelerman
Maryland Sprint Handicap Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III), to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The six-furlong race has drawn a highly talented field of sprinters, including 2010 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) runner-up Hamazing Destiny and six-time stakes winner Immortal Eyes.
1 Immortal Eyes
2 Action Andy
3 Diski Dance
4 Wildcat Brief
5 Lay Line Force
6 My Cuz C J
7 Hamazing Destiny
8 Bandbox
9 Broad Rule
10 Ravalo
-Keelerman
1 Immortal Eyes
2 Action Andy
3 Diski Dance
4 Wildcat Brief
5 Lay Line Force
6 My Cuz C J
7 Hamazing Destiny
8 Bandbox
9 Broad Rule
10 Ravalo
-Keelerman
James W. Murphy Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes, to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The one-mile turf event has drawn a large and talented field of three-year-old colts, including Kentucky Derby starter Done Talking, the talented Gold Megillah, and Pilgrim Stakes (gr. III) winner Shkspeare Shaliyah.
1 Easy Crossing
2 Skyring
3 Lemon Juice
4 Going to Market
5 Shkspeare Shaliyah
6 Mr. Handsome
7 Done Talking
8 Two Months Rent
9 Hammers Terror
10 Gold Megillah
11 Adirondack King
12 Achilles
-Keelerman
1 Easy Crossing
2 Skyring
3 Lemon Juice
4 Going to Market
5 Shkspeare Shaliyah
6 Mr. Handsome
7 Done Talking
8 Two Months Rent
9 Hammers Terror
10 Gold Megillah
11 Adirondack King
12 Achilles
-Keelerman
Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. III), to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The 1 1/16th miles race for fillies and mares has drawn a talented field of nine, including Absinthe Minded, Awesomemundo, Strike the Moon, and Love and Pride.
1 Canadian Mistress
2 Absinthe Minded
3 Check Point
4 Daring Reality
5 Awesomemundo
6 Strike the Moon
7 Catch a Thief
8 Love and Pride
9 Pinch Pie
-Keelerman
1 Canadian Mistress
2 Absinthe Minded
3 Check Point
4 Daring Reality
5 Awesomemundo
6 Strike the Moon
7 Catch a Thief
8 Love and Pride
9 Pinch Pie
-Keelerman
Dixie Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $300,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. II), to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The nine-furlong turf event is scheduled to be run one hour before the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the highlight of the day's racecard. A large and talented field of eleven has turned out, led by graded stakes winners Smart Bid, Air Support, and Casino Host.
1 Vanguisher
2 Humble and Hungry
3 Hudson Steele
4 Straight Story
5 Trend
6 Boxeur des Rues
7 Smart Bid
8 Avenida Pass
9 Air Support
10 Forte Dei Marmi
11 Casino Host
-Keelerman
1 Vanguisher
2 Humble and Hungry
3 Hudson Steele
4 Straight Story
5 Trend
6 Boxeur des Rues
7 Smart Bid
8 Avenida Pass
9 Air Support
10 Forte Dei Marmi
11 Casino Host
-Keelerman
2012 Preakness Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), to be run on Saturday at Pimlico race course. The 1 3/16th miles event has drawn a moderately-sized field of eleven, led by Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner I'll Have Another and the runner-up from that race, Bodemeister.
-Keelerman
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | M. L. Odds |
| 1 | Tiger Walk | Ignacio Cortreas, IV | Kent Desormeaux | 30-1 |
| 2 | Teeth of the Dog | Michael Matz | Joe Bravo | 15-1 |
| 3 | Pretension | Chris Grove | Javier Santiago | 30-1 |
| 4 | Zetterholm | Rick Dutrow, Jr. | Junior Alvarado | 20-1 |
| 5 | Went the Day Well | Graham Motion | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 6 | Creative Cause | Mike Harrington | Joel Rosario | 6-1 |
| 7 | Bodemeister | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith | 8-5 |
| 8 | Daddy Nose Best | Steve Asmussen | Julien Leparoux | 12-1 |
| 9 | I'll Have Another | Doug O'Neill | Mario Gutierrez | 5-2 |
| 10 | Optimizer | D. Wayne Lukas | Corey Nakatani | 30-1 |
| 11 | Cozzetti | Dale Romans | Jose Lezcano | 30-1 |
-Keelerman
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
PREAKNESS STAKES COUNTDOWN -- May 15th, 2012
Yesterday morning, I made an attempt to write up an article concerning the numerous workouts turned in by Preakness Stakes candidates on the morning of May 14th. I was nearly finished when the fireworks exploded.
Basically, my post -- which is now completely useless -- describe the workouts of five horses, namely Cozzetti, Optimizer, Hierro, Isn't He Clever, and Daddy Nose Best. In the article, I made note of the fact that Cozzetti and Optimizer were definitely Preakness starters, whereas Hierro had just been confirmed and Isn't He Clever removed from consideration. I threw in Daddy Nose Best's work as an afterthought. He wasn't under consideration for the Preakness, but I thought I'd mention the Derby runner's workout anyway.
Basically, my post -- which is now completely useless -- describe the workouts of five horses, namely Cozzetti, Optimizer, Hierro, Isn't He Clever, and Daddy Nose Best. In the article, I made note of the fact that Cozzetti and Optimizer were definitely Preakness starters, whereas Hierro had just been confirmed and Isn't He Clever removed from consideration. I threw in Daddy Nose Best's work as an afterthought. He wasn't under consideration for the Preakness, but I thought I'd mention the Derby runner's workout anyway.
Preakness Contender Profile: GUYANA STAR DWEEJ
Owner: Shivmangal Racing Stable, LLC
Trainer: Doodnauth Shivmangal
Breeder: Lavin Bloodstock & Leroy S. Close
Expected Preakness Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
April 21st: 4f in :50.97 at Belmont Park.
Trainer: Doodnauth Shivmangal
Breeder: Lavin Bloodstock & Leroy S. Close
Expected Preakness Jockey: Unknown
RACE RECORD
Age 3
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Claiming
9th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Unbridled | ||
| Eddington | ||
| Fashion Star | ||
| Guyana Star Dweej | ||
| Pine Bluff | ||
| Special Feeling | ||
| Specialization |
LAST WORKOUT
April 21st: 4f in :50.97 at Belmont Park.
Preakness Contender Profile: DADDY NOSE BEST
Owner: Cathy and Bob Zollars
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Patricia Ann Elia Trust
Expected Preakness Jockey: Julien Leparoux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
10th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Sunland Derby (gr. III)
1st El Camino Real Derby (gr. III)
Age 2
5th Eddie Logan Stakes
1st Allowance race
6th Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. II)
3rd Summer Stakes Presented by TVG (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
May 14th: 4f in :53 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Daddy Nose Best in the past, click here.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Patricia Ann Elia Trust
Expected Preakness Jockey: Julien Leparoux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
10th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Sunland Derby (gr. III)
1st El Camino Real Derby (gr. III)
Age 2
5th Eddie Logan Stakes
1st Allowance race
6th Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. II)
3rd Summer Stakes Presented by TVG (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
7th Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Johannesburg | ||
| Scat Daddy | ||
| Love Style | ||
| Daddy Noes Best | ||
| Thunder Gulch | ||
| Follow Your Bliss | ||
| Follow the Money |
LAST WORKOUT
May 14th: 4f in :53 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Daddy Nose Best in the past, click here.
My Miss Aurelia Returns to the Work Tab
My Miss Aurelia, the undefeated champion 2yo filly of 2011, breezed three furlongs on May 15th at the Vinery Stable training track in what was her first work since her victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) last fall.
Trained by Steven Asmussen and owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, My Miss Aurelia recorded a perfect 4-for-4 campaign as a juvenile, with victories in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) and Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) among her other triumphs. Her efforts garnered her the Eclipse award as the champion of her division.
My Miss Aurelia breeze was timed in an easy :39 seconds flat, an excellent first-work back. The filly had been sidelined with a shin injury following her Breeders' Cup victory. Chances are excellent that she will be back to the races sometime during the next few months.
-Keelerman
Trained by Steven Asmussen and owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, My Miss Aurelia recorded a perfect 4-for-4 campaign as a juvenile, with victories in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) and Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) among her other triumphs. Her efforts garnered her the Eclipse award as the champion of her division.
My Miss Aurelia breeze was timed in an easy :39 seconds flat, an excellent first-work back. The filly had been sidelined with a shin injury following her Breeders' Cup victory. Chances are excellent that she will be back to the races sometime during the next few months.
-Keelerman
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Miss Preakness Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes, to be run on Friday at Pimlico race course. The six-furlong sprint race for three-year-old fillies has drawn a large and talented field of runners, including the undefeated Agave Kiss and the grade II stakes winners Millionreasonswhy and Gypsy Robin.
1 Colonial Empress
2 Painted Woman
3 Ageless
4 Millionreasonswhy
5 Say a Novena
6 Gypsy Robin
7 Agave Kiss
8 Singlet
9 Defy Gravity
-Keelerman
1 Colonial Empress
2 Painted Woman
3 Ageless
4 Millionreasonswhy
5 Say a Novena
6 Gypsy Robin
7 Agave Kiss
8 Singlet
9 Defy Gravity
-Keelerman
Pimlico Special Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $300,000 Pimlico Special Stakes (gr. III), to be run on Friday at Pimlico race course. The 1 3/16th miles race for older horses has drawn a very high quality field of ten, including Donn Handicap (gr. I) winner Hymn Book, 2011 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) runner-up Nehro, Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) winner Alternation, and the multiple grade II winner Mission Impazible.
1 Toby's Corner
2 Endorsement
3 Cease
4 Hymn Book
5 Cherokee Artist
6 Nehro
7 Mission Impazible
8 Yawanna Twist
9 Alternation
10 Eighttofasttocatch
-Keelerman
1 Toby's Corner
2 Endorsement
3 Cease
4 Hymn Book
5 Cherokee Artist
6 Nehro
7 Mission Impazible
8 Yawanna Twist
9 Alternation
10 Eighttofasttocatch
-Keelerman
Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II), to be run on Friday at Pimlico race course. The nine-furlong race is one of the most prestigious races for three-year-old fillies in the country, and the 2012 edition has drawn a quality field of nine, led by Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) winner Mamma Kimbo and Bourbonette Stakes (gr. III) winner In Lingerie.
1 Glinda the Good
2 Disposablepleasure
3 Welcome Guest
4 Mamma Kimbo
5 Oaks Lily
6 Plum
7 In Lingerie
8 Wildcat Smile
9. Zucchini Flower
-Keelerman
1 Glinda the Good
2 Disposablepleasure
3 Welcome Guest
4 Mamma Kimbo
5 Oaks Lily
6 Plum
7 In Lingerie
8 Wildcat Smile
9. Zucchini Flower
-Keelerman
Saturday, May 12, 2012
DRILL WINS THE LAZARO BARRERA STAKES!
Drill won the third sprint stakes of his career this afternoon when he rallied gamely in between horses to score a narrow victory in the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park.
Under a perfect ride from Martin Garcia, Drill settled into third place early on in a four-horse field as American Act set a pace of :23.52 and :46.92. Gun Boat, Drill's stablemate, was racing about a length behind in second, while longshot Boompa trailed the field.
Under a perfect ride from Martin Garcia, Drill settled into third place early on in a four-horse field as American Act set a pace of :23.52 and :46.92. Gun Boat, Drill's stablemate, was racing about a length behind in second, while longshot Boompa trailed the field.
MARK VALESKI WINS THE PETER PAN STAKES!
Mark Valeski made a sweeping bid around the turn to win the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) in game fashion over a determined Right to Vote.
Ridden to victory by Rosie Napravnik, Mark Valeski settled about four or five lengths off of the early pace set by 47-1 shot Right to Vote, who ran the opening quarter in :22.71 and the half-mile in :45.35 while leading by a length over The Lumber Guy. Le Bernardin was racing in third on the outside, followed closely by Big Screen, Hakama, and Mark Valeski. Master Rick and Good Morning Diva were next, while Summer Front and Street Life were the early trailers.
Ridden to victory by Rosie Napravnik, Mark Valeski settled about four or five lengths off of the early pace set by 47-1 shot Right to Vote, who ran the opening quarter in :22.71 and the half-mile in :45.35 while leading by a length over The Lumber Guy. Le Bernardin was racing in third on the outside, followed closely by Big Screen, Hakama, and Mark Valeski. Master Rick and Good Morning Diva were next, while Summer Front and Street Life were the early trailers.
TRIPLE CROWN COUNTDOWN -- May 12th, 2012
With this being the weekend between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, there isn't really a lot going on in terms of racing action for three-year-olds. However, there are a pair of graded stakes races that bear watching, led by the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II), a local prep for the upcoming Belmont Stakes. Let's take a look at who's running!
Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II)
Nine furlongs on the Belmont Park dirt track
Entries:
(Zetterholm and Teeth of the Dog have scratched, and will instead run in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) next Saturday)
Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II)
Nine furlongs on the Belmont Park dirt track
Entries:
| PP | Horse | Jockey |
| 1 | Right to Vote | Alex Solis |
| 2 | The Lumber Guy | M. J. Luzzi |
| 4 | Le Berardin | Eddie Castro |
| 5 | Mark Valeski | Rosie Napravnik |
| 6 | Good Morning Diva | Julien Leparoux |
| 7 | Hakama | John Velazquez |
| 8 | Big Screen | Rajiv Maragh |
| 9 | Master Rick | Corey Nakatani |
| 11 | Summer Front | Ramon Dominguez |
| 12 | Street Life | Jose Lezcano |
(Zetterholm and Teeth of the Dog have scratched, and will instead run in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) next Saturday)
Preakness Contender Profile: ZETTERHOLM
Owner: Winter Park Partners
Trainer: Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.
Breeder: Winter Park Partners
Expected Preakness Jockey: Junior Alvarado
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Patsyprospect Stakes
1st Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
11th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
May 13th: 5f in 1:01 2/5 at Pimlico.
Trainer: Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.
Breeder: Winter Park Partners
Expected Preakness Jockey: Junior Alvarado
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Patsyprospect Stakes
1st Allowance
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
11th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Old Trieste | ||
| Silver Train | ||
| Ridden in Thestars | ||
| Zetterholm | ||
| Lord at War | ||
| Holy Wish | ||
| Holy Moly |
LAST WORKOUT
May 13th: 5f in 1:01 2/5 at Pimlico.
Preakness Contender Profile: WENT THE DAY WELL
Owner: Team Valor International and Mark Ford
Trainer: Graham Motion
Breeder: James Patrick Delaney
Expected Preakness Jockey: John Velazquez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
2nd Maiden Weight for Age
2nd Maiden Weight for Age
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
April 28th: 5f in 1:01 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Went the Day Well in the past, click here.
Trainer: Graham Motion
Breeder: James Patrick Delaney
Expected Preakness Jockey: John Velazquez
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
1st Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr. III)
1st Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
2nd Maiden Weight for Age
2nd Maiden Weight for Age
PEDIGREE
| Gone West | ||
| Proud Citizen | ||
| Drums of Freedom | ||
| Went the Day Well | ||
| Tiznow | ||
| Tiz Maie's Day | ||
| Sweet Roberta |
LAST WORKOUT
April 28th: 5f in 1:01 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Went the Day Well in the past, click here.
Preakness Contender Profile: TIGER WALK
Owner: Sagamore Farm
Trainer: Ignacio Correas, IV
Breeder: River Bend Farm, Inc.
Expected Preakness Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
4th Gotham Stakes (gr. III)
3rd Withers Stakes (gr. III)
Age 2
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
10th Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
May 13th: 4f in :47 3/5 at Pimlico.
To read what I have written about Tiger Walk in the past, click here.
Trainer: Ignacio Correas, IV
Breeder: River Bend Farm, Inc.
Expected Preakness Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
RACE RECORD
Age 3
4th Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
4th Gotham Stakes (gr. III)
3rd Withers Stakes (gr. III)
Age 2
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
10th Maiden Special Weight
4th Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Storm Cat | ||
| Tale of the Cat | ||
| Yarn | ||
| Tiger Walk | ||
| Kris S. | ||
| Majestic Trail | ||
| Personal Glory |
LAST WORKOUT
May 13th: 4f in :47 3/5 at Pimlico.
To read what I have written about Tiger Walk in the past, click here.
Preakness Contender Profile: TEETH OF THE DOG
Owner: J.W. Singer LLC
Trainer: Michael Matz
Breeder: Royal Pegasus
Expected Preakness Jockey: Joe Bravo
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
May 6th: 5f in 1:01 at Fair Hill
To read what I have written about Teeth of the Dog in the past, click here.
Trainer: Michael Matz
Breeder: Royal Pegasus
Expected Preakness Jockey: Joe Bravo
RACE RECORD
Age 3
3rd Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I)
1st Maiden Special Weight
2nd Maiden Special Weight
Age 2
3rd Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Storm Cat | ||
| Bluegrass Cat | ||
| She's a Winner | ||
| Teeth of the Dog | ||
| Deputy Minister | ||
| Deputy Reality | ||
| Halo Reality |
LAST WORKOUT
May 6th: 5f in 1:01 at Fair Hill
To read what I have written about Teeth of the Dog in the past, click here.
Preakness Contender Profile: PRETENSION
Owner: Kidwells Petite Stable
Trainer: Christopher W. Grove
Breeder: Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC & A. Lakin & Sons Inc.
Expected Preakness Jockey: Javiar Santiago
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Canonero II Stakes
9th Illinois Derby (gr. III)
5th Gotham Stakes
1st Sweet Envoy Stakes
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
Age 2
2nd Damon Runyon Stakes
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
April 27th: 5f in 1:00 4/5 at Bowie
To read what I have written about Pretension in the past, click here.
Trainer: Christopher W. Grove
Breeder: Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC & A. Lakin & Sons Inc.
Expected Preakness Jockey: Javiar Santiago
RACE RECORD
Age 3
1st Canonero II Stakes
9th Illinois Derby (gr. III)
5th Gotham Stakes
1st Sweet Envoy Stakes
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
Age 2
2nd Damon Runyon Stakes
2nd Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Storm Cat | ||
| Bluegrass Cat | ||
| She's a Winner | ||
| Pretension | ||
| Street Cry | ||
| Main Streetin' | ||
| Main Topic |
LAST WORKOUT
April 27th: 5f in 1:00 4/5 at Bowie
To read what I have written about Pretension in the past, click here.
Preakness Contender Profile: OPTIMIZER
Owner: Bluegrass Hall
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Breeder: Bluegrass Hall
Expected Preakness Jockey: Corey Nakatani
RACE RECORD
Age 3
11th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
9th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
2nd Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
9th Risen Star Stakes (gr. II)
6th Smarty Jones Stakes
Age 2
4th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
8th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
3rd Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
2nd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
May 14th: 4f in :49 4/5 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Optimizer in the past, click here.
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Breeder: Bluegrass Hall
Expected Preakness Jockey: Corey Nakatani
RACE RECORD
Age 3
11th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)
9th Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
2nd Rebel Stakes (gr. II)
9th Risen Star Stakes (gr. II)
6th Smarty Jones Stakes
Age 2
4th Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II)
8th Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
3rd Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
2nd With Anticipation Stakes (gr. II)
1st Maiden Special Weight
PEDIGREE
| Smart Strike | ||
| English Channel | ||
| Belva | ||
| Optimizer | ||
| A.P. Indy | ||
| Indy Pick | ||
| Fantastic Find |
LAST WORKOUT
May 14th: 4f in :49 4/5 at Churchill Downs
To read what I have written about Optimizer in the past, click here.
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