The recent announcement that the Charles Town Classic (gr. II) will be worth $1.5 million in 2013 -- with one million going to the winner -- could have a major impact on the racing scene in future years.
The nine-furlong race has been slowly garnering prestige during the past several years, thanks to a couple of factors. First off, its rich purse -- previously an even million -- made it one of the richer races in the country. Furthermore, its positioning in mid-April makes it a very appealing spot for the spring's best older males, with only the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) competing against it for top horses.
But despite the massive purse, the Charles Town Classic has had a bit of difficulty drawing top-name horses. Perhaps the unique nature of the race -- being a three-turn nine furlong event -- scares off some good horses that might otherwise compete.
However, the purse increase should enable the race to draw its highest quality field ever next year. A million dollars to the winner? There are only a handful of races in the entire country -- the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Turf, and Kentucky Derby -- that pay much more than that. Furthermore, that's over three times what the winner of the Oaklawn Handicap receives, making the race a very lucrative goal for horses coming out of the Santa Anita Handicap or the Donn Handicap.
True, the race remains a three-turn affair, and there will always be horses that pass it for that reason. But there a very few opportunities to race for a million dollars in prize money, and I'm hopeful that that added incentive will help the race draw a truly spectacular field next year.
-Keelerman
Friday, November 30, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Dance Card triumphs in Gazelle Stakes
Narrowly favored Dance Card may have drifted out considerably in the final eighth of a mile, but the three-year-old filly was still much the best in the $350,000 Gazelle Stakes (gr. I), winning by four dominating lengths.
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Dance Card got off to a good start from post position two and quickly went to the front, setting fractions of :23.92 and :48.62 while being tracked by My Wandy's Girl. Wildcat's Smile and Lady Cohiba were also fairly close to the pace, while Jemima's Pearl, Book Review, and Sea Island were at the rear of the field.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.67, My Wandy's Girl attempted to challenge Dance Card for the lead, but the latter filly had plenty left in the tank, and burst away to lead by 2 1/2 lengths passing the eighth pole. She drifted out a great deal in the final eighth of a mile, but it wasn't enough to stop her from winning, as she continued to extend her advantage to the wire to win by four lengths in 1:50.39.
Sea Island closed fast to edge My Wandy's Girl for second, while Lady Cohiba, Book Review, Jemima's Pearl, and Wildcat's Smile completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and owned by Godolphin Racing.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Dance Card got off to a good start from post position two and quickly went to the front, setting fractions of :23.92 and :48.62 while being tracked by My Wandy's Girl. Wildcat's Smile and Lady Cohiba were also fairly close to the pace, while Jemima's Pearl, Book Review, and Sea Island were at the rear of the field.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.67, My Wandy's Girl attempted to challenge Dance Card for the lead, but the latter filly had plenty left in the tank, and burst away to lead by 2 1/2 lengths passing the eighth pole. She drifted out a great deal in the final eighth of a mile, but it wasn't enough to stop her from winning, as she continued to extend her advantage to the wire to win by four lengths in 1:50.39.
Sea Island closed fast to edge My Wandy's Girl for second, while Lady Cohiba, Book Review, Jemima's Pearl, and Wildcat's Smile completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and owned by Godolphin Racing.
-Keelerman
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Uncaptured digs deep in Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes
Favored Uncaptured held off a prolonged challenge from Frac Daddy to win the $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) on November 24th at Churchill Downs by a neck.
Ridden to victory by Miguel Mena, Uncaptured got off to a quick start from gate four and soon settled into second place as Track Rocker led the way through fractions of :24.37 and :49.16. Frac Daddy and Dewey Square were also close the pace, while Lew and Mike, Joha, Positively, Indiano Jones, Will Take Charge, Tesseron, Java's War, Fear the Kitten, and Silver Tongued were the trailers.
Rounding the turn Uncaptured and Frac Daddy advanced together to take command of the lead from Track Rocker, and following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.91, the pair turned for home with virtually nothing between them. Passing the eighth pole Frac Daddy had the narrowest of advantages, with the rest of the field 3 1/2 lengths behind them, but as the wire neared, Uncaptured reclaimed the lead and held it to the wire to win by a neck. The final time for a mile and a sixteenth was 1:44.97.
Dewey Square rallied fast in the final furlong to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Uncaptured. Tesseron was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth, while Fear the Kitten, Java's War, Positively, Track Rocker, Joha, Silver Tongued, Indiano Jones, Lew and Mike, and Will Take Charge completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Mark Casse and owned by John Oxley.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Miguel Mena, Uncaptured got off to a quick start from gate four and soon settled into second place as Track Rocker led the way through fractions of :24.37 and :49.16. Frac Daddy and Dewey Square were also close the pace, while Lew and Mike, Joha, Positively, Indiano Jones, Will Take Charge, Tesseron, Java's War, Fear the Kitten, and Silver Tongued were the trailers.
Rounding the turn Uncaptured and Frac Daddy advanced together to take command of the lead from Track Rocker, and following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.91, the pair turned for home with virtually nothing between them. Passing the eighth pole Frac Daddy had the narrowest of advantages, with the rest of the field 3 1/2 lengths behind them, but as the wire neared, Uncaptured reclaimed the lead and held it to the wire to win by a neck. The final time for a mile and a sixteenth was 1:44.97.
Dewey Square rallied fast in the final furlong to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Uncaptured. Tesseron was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth, while Fear the Kitten, Java's War, Positively, Track Rocker, Joha, Silver Tongued, Indiano Jones, Lew and Mike, and Will Take Charge completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Mark Casse and owned by John Oxley.
-Keelerman
Stay Thirsty goes out a winner in the Cigar Mile
Stay Thirsty, who had not won a race since the 2011 Travers Stakes, managed to end his career on a winning note this afternoon when he edged the spectacular filly Groupie Doll by a nose in the $350,000 Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct.
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Stay Thirsty was a bit slow to get going and soon found himself racing in fourth as Buffum and Coil dueled for the lead through fractions of :23.80 and :47.04. Groupie Doll was right behind them on the outside in third, while Hymn Book was the trailer.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.11, Groupie Doll moved up to take over the lead from Coil and appeared to be on her way to victory, but Stay Thirsty found another gear in deep stretch, closing fast in the four path to edge the filly by a nose. The final time for one mile was 1:35.47 seconds.
Coil finished third, followed by Buffum and Hymn Book.
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole. The duo also teamed up to win the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) and Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) earlier on the card with Overanalyze and Unlimited Budget, respectively.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Stay Thirsty was a bit slow to get going and soon found himself racing in fourth as Buffum and Coil dueled for the lead through fractions of :23.80 and :47.04. Groupie Doll was right behind them on the outside in third, while Hymn Book was the trailer.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.11, Groupie Doll moved up to take over the lead from Coil and appeared to be on her way to victory, but Stay Thirsty found another gear in deep stretch, closing fast in the four path to edge the filly by a nose. The final time for one mile was 1:35.47 seconds.
Coil finished third, followed by Buffum and Hymn Book.
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole. The duo also teamed up to win the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) and Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) earlier on the card with Overanalyze and Unlimited Budget, respectively.
-Keelerman
Overanalyze edges Normandy Invasion in thrilling Remsen
In one of the most memorable renewals of the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (gr. II) in recent years, Overanalyze held off a terrific challenge from Normandy Invasion in the Aqueduct homestretch to win the nine-furlong juvenile race by the smallest of margins.
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Overanalyze flashed speed from the starts and soon found himself racing in second early on as Delhomme set fractions of :23.99, :48.07, and 1:12.54. Vegas No Show, Stormy Len, Irsaal, and Keep the Canoli were also fairly close to the pace, while Micromanage, Quinzieme Monarque, and Indy's Illusion were the trailers.
As the field made their way around the far turn, Delhomme and Overanalyze began to separate themselves from the remainder of the field. In the meantime, Normandy Invasion was in the process of making a spectacular rally along the inside, and turning for home, he appeared to be on his way to a decisive triumph.
However, Overanalyze had something left in the tank, and battled on gamely when challenged by Normandy Invasion in mid-stretch. The two put on a spectacular show from the eighth pole home, with Overanalyze emerging the winner in a head-bobbing finish. The final time was 1:50.13 seconds.
Delhomme stayed on well to complete the trifecta, while Quinzieme Monarque rounded out the top four.
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Overanalyze flashed speed from the starts and soon found himself racing in second early on as Delhomme set fractions of :23.99, :48.07, and 1:12.54. Vegas No Show, Stormy Len, Irsaal, and Keep the Canoli were also fairly close to the pace, while Micromanage, Quinzieme Monarque, and Indy's Illusion were the trailers.
As the field made their way around the far turn, Delhomme and Overanalyze began to separate themselves from the remainder of the field. In the meantime, Normandy Invasion was in the process of making a spectacular rally along the inside, and turning for home, he appeared to be on his way to a decisive triumph.
However, Overanalyze had something left in the tank, and battled on gamely when challenged by Normandy Invasion in mid-stretch. The two put on a spectacular show from the eighth pole home, with Overanalyze emerging the winner in a head-bobbing finish. The final time was 1:50.13 seconds.
Delhomme stayed on well to complete the trifecta, while Quinzieme Monarque rounded out the top four.
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole.
-Keelerman
Unlimited Budget hangs on in Demoiselle
The well-regarded juvenile filly Unlimited Budget received a brilliant ride from John Velazquez to win the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) this afternoon at Aqueduct by a length.
The Mike Repole-owned/Todd Pletcher-trained filly was sent off as the second choice at even-money, slightly higher than 4-5 favorite Emollient. Facing only three rivals, Unlimited Budget got off to a good start at the beginning of the nine-furlong race and soon took command of the early advantage. Giant Cats Eye was racing on the outside in second, while Emollient was down along the rail in third and eager to go on. Flash Forward was the trailer.
Following an opening quarter mile in :24.36 seconds, Emollient found racing room along the rail and shot through to challenge Unlimited Budget for the lead. Together, the pair ran the half-mile in :48.73 seconds, with Unlimited Budget leading the favorite by a neck. However, rounding the far turn, Velazquez asked his filly for run, and Unlimited Budget responded by opening up on Emollient and re-claiming the rail, forcing the favorite to shift outside for racing room.
Entering the homestretch, Unlimited Budget held the lead by about a length and a half, but Emollient was staying on strongly and loomed a threat for the victory. The two fillies dueled through the length of the stretch, but Emollient was never able to get closer than about a length, which was the margin that Unlimited Budget held to the wire.
The final time was 1:52.16 seconds. Giant Cats Eye and Flash Forward completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
The Mike Repole-owned/Todd Pletcher-trained filly was sent off as the second choice at even-money, slightly higher than 4-5 favorite Emollient. Facing only three rivals, Unlimited Budget got off to a good start at the beginning of the nine-furlong race and soon took command of the early advantage. Giant Cats Eye was racing on the outside in second, while Emollient was down along the rail in third and eager to go on. Flash Forward was the trailer.
Following an opening quarter mile in :24.36 seconds, Emollient found racing room along the rail and shot through to challenge Unlimited Budget for the lead. Together, the pair ran the half-mile in :48.73 seconds, with Unlimited Budget leading the favorite by a neck. However, rounding the far turn, Velazquez asked his filly for run, and Unlimited Budget responded by opening up on Emollient and re-claiming the rail, forcing the favorite to shift outside for racing room.
Entering the homestretch, Unlimited Budget held the lead by about a length and a half, but Emollient was staying on strongly and loomed a threat for the victory. The two fillies dueled through the length of the stretch, but Emollient was never able to get closer than about a length, which was the margin that Unlimited Budget held to the wire.
The final time was 1:52.16 seconds. Giant Cats Eye and Flash Forward completed the order of finish.
-Keelerman
Data Link much the best in Citation Handicap
5-2 second choice Data Link proved much the best in Saturday's $250,000 Citation Handicap (gr. II) at Betfair Hollywood Park, rallying past favored Ultimate Eagle in the homestretch to win by a decisive 2 1/4 lengths.
With jockey Garrett Gomez aboard, Data Link flashed a bit more speed than he usually does, settling about three lengths off of the lead in fourth as Ultimate Eagle coasted through moderate fractions of :24.17 and :47.87 seconds. Tale of a Champion and Temple's Door were next in line, while Jeranimo, Doubles Partner, and Interaction were the early trailers.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.83 seconds, Ultimate Eagle turned for home comfortably in front of the field, but Data Link was charging fast on the outside and was just a half-length back passing the eighth pole. He wore down Ultimate Eagle shortly thereafter and closed his final sixteenth in a spectacular :5.82 seconds to win the 1 1/16th miles race in a quick 1:41 flat.
Ultimate Eagle held second over the late-running Doubles Partner, while Jeranimo, Temple's Door, Tale of a Champion, and Interaction completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Shug McGaughey and owned by Stuart S. Janney III.
-Keelerman
With jockey Garrett Gomez aboard, Data Link flashed a bit more speed than he usually does, settling about three lengths off of the lead in fourth as Ultimate Eagle coasted through moderate fractions of :24.17 and :47.87 seconds. Tale of a Champion and Temple's Door were next in line, while Jeranimo, Doubles Partner, and Interaction were the early trailers.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.83 seconds, Ultimate Eagle turned for home comfortably in front of the field, but Data Link was charging fast on the outside and was just a half-length back passing the eighth pole. He wore down Ultimate Eagle shortly thereafter and closed his final sixteenth in a spectacular :5.82 seconds to win the 1 1/16th miles race in a quick 1:41 flat.
Ultimate Eagle held second over the late-running Doubles Partner, while Jeranimo, Temple's Door, Tale of a Champion, and Interaction completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Shug McGaughey and owned by Stuart S. Janney III.
-Keelerman
Shackleford ends career on winning note in Clark Handicap
The gritty Shackleford ended his campaign on a winning note Saturday afternoon when he held off sustained bids from Take Charge Indy and Bourbon Courage to win the $400,000 Clark Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs by a length.
Ridden to victory by Jesus Castanon, Shackleford got off to a very good start and found himself in front by a length and a half following an opening quarter mile in :24.31 seconds. Take Charge Indy and Mission Impazible were his closest pursuers, while Eye of the Leopard, Lunar Victory, and Bourbon Courage comprised the group of mid-pack runners. Cease, Stealcase, and Fast Falcon were the early trailers.
Shackleford continued to lead the way through rather slow fractions of :48.65 and 1:12.49, and thus had a great deal left in the tank when Castanon asked him to run in the homestretch. The big chestnut colt opened up a commanding advantage in mid-stretch, passing the eighth pole clear by 2 1/2 lengths, but Take Charge Indy and Bourbon Courage were closing in well on the outside and appeared capable of pulling off the upset. However, Shackleford proved extremely game in the homestretch, holding off their challenges despite drifting outward to win by a length in 1:49.12 seconds.
Take Charge Indy edged out Bourbon Courage for second by a head, while Lunar Victory finished another 6 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Mission Impazible, Cease, Stealcase, Fast Falcon, and Eye of the Leopard completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Dale Romans and owned by Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge,
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Jesus Castanon, Shackleford got off to a very good start and found himself in front by a length and a half following an opening quarter mile in :24.31 seconds. Take Charge Indy and Mission Impazible were his closest pursuers, while Eye of the Leopard, Lunar Victory, and Bourbon Courage comprised the group of mid-pack runners. Cease, Stealcase, and Fast Falcon were the early trailers.
Shackleford continued to lead the way through rather slow fractions of :48.65 and 1:12.49, and thus had a great deal left in the tank when Castanon asked him to run in the homestretch. The big chestnut colt opened up a commanding advantage in mid-stretch, passing the eighth pole clear by 2 1/2 lengths, but Take Charge Indy and Bourbon Courage were closing in well on the outside and appeared capable of pulling off the upset. However, Shackleford proved extremely game in the homestretch, holding off their challenges despite drifting outward to win by a length in 1:49.12 seconds.
Take Charge Indy edged out Bourbon Courage for second by a head, while Lunar Victory finished another 6 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Mission Impazible, Cease, Stealcase, Fast Falcon, and Eye of the Leopard completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Dale Romans and owned by Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge,
-Keelerman
Friday, November 23, 2012
Demoiselle Stakes Entries: Emollient and Unlimited Budget square off
Promising maiden winners Emollient and Unlimited Budget are among the favorites in the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II), to be held on Saturday at Aqueduct.
The nine-furlong race for two-year-old fillies is a very early prep for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. Other contenders include the stakes-placed Coconut Shrimp and debut winner Miss Patricia.
Post Positions:
1 Emollient
2 Miss Patricia
3 Unlimited Budget
4 Flash Forward
5 Coconut Shrimp
6 Giant Cats Eye
7 Ruby Lips
-Keelerman
The nine-furlong race for two-year-old fillies is a very early prep for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. Other contenders include the stakes-placed Coconut Shrimp and debut winner Miss Patricia.
Post Positions:
1 Emollient
2 Miss Patricia
3 Unlimited Budget
4 Flash Forward
5 Coconut Shrimp
6 Giant Cats Eye
7 Ruby Lips
-Keelerman
Remsen Stakes Entries: Ten entered in nine-furlong Derby test
A field on ten two-year-old colts will get valuable experience around two turns when they head to post for the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday at Aqueduct, an early prep for the 2013 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
The morning line favorite at 2-1 is Delhomme, who broke his maiden last month at Belmont Park traversing a mile in 1:35.52. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the promising son of Dixie Union looks like a deserving favorite given the wide-open nature of this race.
Other contenders include Normandy Invasion, who broke his maiden here at Aqueduct by 9 1/4 lengths; Micromanage and Overanalyze, a promising pair owned by Mike Repole; and Vegas No Show, runner-up in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) last time out.
Post Positions:
1 Vegas No Show
2 Irsaal
3 Micromanage *
4 Delhomme
5 Keep the Canoli
6 Indy's Illusion
7 Overanalyze *
8 Stormy Len
9 Quinzieme Monarque
10 Normandy Invasion
* coupled entry
-Keelerman
The morning line favorite at 2-1 is Delhomme, who broke his maiden last month at Belmont Park traversing a mile in 1:35.52. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the promising son of Dixie Union looks like a deserving favorite given the wide-open nature of this race.
Other contenders include Normandy Invasion, who broke his maiden here at Aqueduct by 9 1/4 lengths; Micromanage and Overanalyze, a promising pair owned by Mike Repole; and Vegas No Show, runner-up in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) last time out.
Post Positions:
1 Vegas No Show
2 Irsaal
3 Micromanage *
4 Delhomme
5 Keep the Canoli
6 Indy's Illusion
7 Overanalyze *
8 Stormy Len
9 Quinzieme Monarque
10 Normandy Invasion
* coupled entry
-Keelerman
Cigar Mile Handicap Entries: Groupie Doll bids for Horse of the Year
The spectacular filly Groupie Doll has already sewn up the Eclipse award champion female sprinter of 2012. On Saturday, she will stake her claim to Horse of the Year honors when she takes on six talented colts in the $350,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct.
Trained by Buff Bradley, Groupie Doll brings a five-race winning streak into the Cigar Mile, which includes blowout wins in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I), Humana Distaff (gr. I), and Vinery Madison Stakes (gr. I). Regular rider Rajiv Maragh will be aboard.
Her primary opposition is expected to come from Stay Thirsty, beaten a head in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) last time out; Hymn Book, winner of the Donn Handicap (gr. I) back in February; Jersey Town, winner of this race in 2010; and Coil, winner of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) two starts back.
Post Positions:
1 Stay Thirsty
2 Associate
3 Buffum
4 Jersey Town
5 Hymn Book
6 Coil
7 Groupie Doll
-Keelerman
Trained by Buff Bradley, Groupie Doll brings a five-race winning streak into the Cigar Mile, which includes blowout wins in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I), Humana Distaff (gr. I), and Vinery Madison Stakes (gr. I). Regular rider Rajiv Maragh will be aboard.
Her primary opposition is expected to come from Stay Thirsty, beaten a head in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) last time out; Hymn Book, winner of the Donn Handicap (gr. I) back in February; Jersey Town, winner of this race in 2010; and Coil, winner of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) two starts back.
Post Positions:
1 Stay Thirsty
2 Associate
3 Buffum
4 Jersey Town
5 Hymn Book
6 Coil
7 Groupie Doll
-Keelerman
Gazelle Stakes Entries: Dance Card, Book Review headline field
Dance Card, who won the Belle Cherie Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths last time out, and Book Review, romping winner of the Imperial Gesture Stakes and Charles Town Oaks, are the primary contenders in Saturday's $250,000 Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) at Aqueduct, one of four prestigious graded stakes races on the card.
But while both fillies boast strong credentials, the most intriguing horse in the race is My Wandy's Girl, who won thirteen of her seventeen starts at Camarero racecourse before shipping to Aqueduct and taking the 6-1/2 furlong Pentelis Stakes by a length. She enters the Gazelle with a nine-race winning streak, and a victory would establish herself as one of the most exciting fillies in the country heading into 2013.
Jemima's Pearl, runner-up in the Remington Park Oaks last time out, and Lady Cohiba, runner-up to Book Review in the Imperial Gesture, are also expected to contend.
Post Positions:
1 Lady Cohiba
2 Dance Card
3 Wildcat's Smile
4 Jemima's Pearl
5 Sea Island
6 Book Review
7 My Wandy's Girl
-Keelerman
But while both fillies boast strong credentials, the most intriguing horse in the race is My Wandy's Girl, who won thirteen of her seventeen starts at Camarero racecourse before shipping to Aqueduct and taking the 6-1/2 furlong Pentelis Stakes by a length. She enters the Gazelle with a nine-race winning streak, and a victory would establish herself as one of the most exciting fillies in the country heading into 2013.
Jemima's Pearl, runner-up in the Remington Park Oaks last time out, and Lady Cohiba, runner-up to Book Review in the Imperial Gesture, are also expected to contend.
Post Positions:
1 Lady Cohiba
2 Dance Card
3 Wildcat's Smile
4 Jemima's Pearl
5 Sea Island
6 Book Review
7 My Wandy's Girl
-Keelerman
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Entries: Uncaptured takes on deep field
Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) winner Uncaptured, winner of five of his six starts, is expected to be favored against a dozen rivals in Saturday's $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, an earlier prep for the Kentucky Derby.
The Mark Casse-trainee was spectacular in winning the Iroquois, overcoming traffic issues to win going away by 5 1/2 lengths. A repeat of that effort would make him very tough to beat in the Kentucky Jockey Club, although it is worth noting that the Iroquois was run around only one turn, whereas Saturday's race will be contested around two. Uncaptured's lone defeat came when traversing two turns in the Grey Stakes (gr. III) at Woodbine, his only start under such conditions.
Should Uncaptured fail to fire his best shot, there are plenty of other horses that could step up and beat him. Positively, runner-up in the Iroquois, is one such colt. Trained by Patrick Byrne, the son of Distorted Humor is bred to excel around two turns, and has hit the board in all four of his starts here at Churchill. Expect to see him charging late from off-the-pace under jockey Calvin Borel.
Other contenders include Joha, winner of the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) two starts back; Dewey Square, unbeaten and untested in two starts for trainer Dale Romans; Tesseron, runner-up in the Grey Stakes while defeating Uncaptured; Frac Daddy, who broke his maiden at Churchill by 9 3/4 lengths; and Java's War, the troubled third-place finisher in the Breeders' Futurity.
Post Positions:
1 Java's War
2 Lew and Mike
3 Fear the Kitten
4 Uncaptured
5 Track Rocker
6 Frac Daddy
7 Will Take Charge
8 Tesseron
9 Dewey Square
10 Joha
11 Indiano Jones
12 Positively
13 Silver Tongued
-Keelerman
The Mark Casse-trainee was spectacular in winning the Iroquois, overcoming traffic issues to win going away by 5 1/2 lengths. A repeat of that effort would make him very tough to beat in the Kentucky Jockey Club, although it is worth noting that the Iroquois was run around only one turn, whereas Saturday's race will be contested around two. Uncaptured's lone defeat came when traversing two turns in the Grey Stakes (gr. III) at Woodbine, his only start under such conditions.
Should Uncaptured fail to fire his best shot, there are plenty of other horses that could step up and beat him. Positively, runner-up in the Iroquois, is one such colt. Trained by Patrick Byrne, the son of Distorted Humor is bred to excel around two turns, and has hit the board in all four of his starts here at Churchill. Expect to see him charging late from off-the-pace under jockey Calvin Borel.
Other contenders include Joha, winner of the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) two starts back; Dewey Square, unbeaten and untested in two starts for trainer Dale Romans; Tesseron, runner-up in the Grey Stakes while defeating Uncaptured; Frac Daddy, who broke his maiden at Churchill by 9 3/4 lengths; and Java's War, the troubled third-place finisher in the Breeders' Futurity.
Post Positions:
1 Java's War
2 Lew and Mike
3 Fear the Kitten
4 Uncaptured
5 Track Rocker
6 Frac Daddy
7 Will Take Charge
8 Tesseron
9 Dewey Square
10 Joha
11 Indiano Jones
12 Positively
13 Silver Tongued
-Keelerman
Golden Rod Stakes Entries: Gal About Town favored in wide-open race
Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II) runner-up Gal About Town is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $150,000 Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday at Churchill Downs, an 8.5-furlong race for two-year-old fillies that is an earlier prep for next year's $1 million Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Other prominent entrants include Broken Spell, runner-up in both the Darley Alcibiadies Stakes (gr. I) and the P. G. Johnson Stakes; Cloudy Vow, third in the Pocahontas; and Danalake, sixth in the Pocahontas but winner of the Our Mims Stakes three starts back.
Post Positions:
1 Pow Wow Wow
2 Danalake
3 Broken Spell
4 Silver Strike
5 Cloudy Vow
6 Street of Gold
7 Liberated
8 Seaneen Girl
9 Gal About Town
-Keelerman
Other prominent entrants include Broken Spell, runner-up in both the Darley Alcibiadies Stakes (gr. I) and the P. G. Johnson Stakes; Cloudy Vow, third in the Pocahontas; and Danalake, sixth in the Pocahontas but winner of the Our Mims Stakes three starts back.
Post Positions:
1 Pow Wow Wow
2 Danalake
3 Broken Spell
4 Silver Strike
5 Cloudy Vow
6 Street of Gold
7 Liberated
8 Seaneen Girl
9 Gal About Town
-Keelerman
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Hollywood Prevue Stakes Entries: Bob Baffert enters four runners
The $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes, a local prep for the $750,000 CashCall Futurity (gr. I) here at Betfair Hollywood Park next month, has drawn five entrants -- four of which are trained by Bob Baffert.
The master trainer has won the Prevue Stakes on five occasions, and the odds are stacked in his favor to add another -- even ignoring the talent of his runners, there is an 80% chance that Baffert will win the race.
His starters include Super Ninety Nine, who scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint earlier this month after becoming cast in his stall. The son of Pulpit broke his maiden first time out sprinting seven furlongs and figures to be the favorite in today's seven-furlong affair. The super-impressive debut winner Shakin It Up is also expected to be well-bet, while Z Big Apple and Really Mr Greely are the two longer-shot Baffert entrants.
Heir Kitty, a daughter of Wildcat Heir trained by Peter Miller, is the lone runner in the race not trained by Baffert. Coming off of a fifth-place finish in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I), she is expected to be one of the longer shots in the race.
Post Positions:
1 Heir Kitty
2 Shakin It Up
3 Z Big Apple
4 Really Mr Greely
5 Super Ninety Nine
-Keelerman
The master trainer has won the Prevue Stakes on five occasions, and the odds are stacked in his favor to add another -- even ignoring the talent of his runners, there is an 80% chance that Baffert will win the race.
His starters include Super Ninety Nine, who scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint earlier this month after becoming cast in his stall. The son of Pulpit broke his maiden first time out sprinting seven furlongs and figures to be the favorite in today's seven-furlong affair. The super-impressive debut winner Shakin It Up is also expected to be well-bet, while Z Big Apple and Really Mr Greely are the two longer-shot Baffert entrants.
Heir Kitty, a daughter of Wildcat Heir trained by Peter Miller, is the lone runner in the race not trained by Baffert. Coming off of a fifth-place finish in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I), she is expected to be one of the longer shots in the race.
Post Positions:
1 Heir Kitty
2 Shakin It Up
3 Z Big Apple
4 Really Mr Greely
5 Super Ninety Nine
-Keelerman
Clark Handicap Entries: Shackleford looks to rebound
2011 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Shackleford will look to end his career on a winning note when he takes on nine rivals in the $400,000 Clark Handicap (gr. I) on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Dale Romans, the four-year-old son of Forestry has had a wonderful career, winning the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) and Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II) in addition to his Preakness victory. He has also placed in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), Haskell Invitational (gr. I), Carter Handicap (gr. I), Florida Derby (gr. I), Kelso Handicap (gr. II), and Indiana Derby (gr. II).
His career finale was expected to come in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) earlier this month, but a poor start compromised his chances there, and Shackleford wound up finishing seventh. It was then decided to give him one final opportunity to go out on a win.
His primary opposition is expected to come from Pool Play, winner of the 2011 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) here at Churchill; Cease, runner-up to Pool Play in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II) last month; Mission Impazible, who finished second in this race last year; and Lunar Victory, a New York-bred that has won six of his last seven starts.
Super Derby (gr. II) winner Bourbon Courage, Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Take Charge Indy, Travers Stakes (gr. I) third-place finisher Fast Falcon, Ontario Derby (gr. III) winner Stealcase, and 2009 Queen's Plate Stakes winner Eye of the Leopard complete the field.
Post Positions:
1 Pool Play
2 Eye of the Leopard
3 Shackleford
4 Bourbon Courage
5 Cease
6 Take Charge Indy
7 Fast Falcon
8 Stealcase
9 Mission Impazible
10 Lunar Victory
-Keelerman
Trained by Dale Romans, the four-year-old son of Forestry has had a wonderful career, winning the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) and Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II) in addition to his Preakness victory. He has also placed in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), Haskell Invitational (gr. I), Carter Handicap (gr. I), Florida Derby (gr. I), Kelso Handicap (gr. II), and Indiana Derby (gr. II).
His career finale was expected to come in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) earlier this month, but a poor start compromised his chances there, and Shackleford wound up finishing seventh. It was then decided to give him one final opportunity to go out on a win.
His primary opposition is expected to come from Pool Play, winner of the 2011 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) here at Churchill; Cease, runner-up to Pool Play in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II) last month; Mission Impazible, who finished second in this race last year; and Lunar Victory, a New York-bred that has won six of his last seven starts.
Super Derby (gr. II) winner Bourbon Courage, Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Take Charge Indy, Travers Stakes (gr. I) third-place finisher Fast Falcon, Ontario Derby (gr. III) winner Stealcase, and 2009 Queen's Plate Stakes winner Eye of the Leopard complete the field.
Post Positions:
1 Pool Play
2 Eye of the Leopard
3 Shackleford
4 Bourbon Courage
5 Cease
6 Take Charge Indy
7 Fast Falcon
8 Stealcase
9 Mission Impazible
10 Lunar Victory
-Keelerman
Called to Serve makes the grade in Discovery Handicap
Called to Serve, coming off of top-three efforts in three consecutive stakes races, finally broke through with a big victory when he exploded past odds-on favorite Willy Beamin in the homestretch to win the $150,000 Discovery Handicap (gr. III) by 4 3/4 lengths.
Ridden to victory by Joel Rosario, Called to Serve bumped with Our Entourage at the start and soon dropped back into fifth place as Willy Beamin led the way through fractions of :24.63 and :49.36. Adirondack King and Our Entourage were his closest pursuers, followed then by Guilt Trip, Called to Serve, and Stephanoatsee.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.29, Called to Serve was guided to the far outside by Rosario and asked to begin his run. The colt responded with a strong burst of speed that carried him into the lead at the top of the stretch, and from there, the race was over. He accelerated his final eighth of a mile in a quick :12.37 to hit the finish line in front by 4 3/4 lengths while stopping the timer in 1:49.77 seconds.
Willy Beamin held second in a three-horse photo finish over Stephanoatsee and Adirondack King, while Guilt Trip and Our Entourage completed the order of finish.
A three-year-old gelded son of Afleet Alex, Called to Serve is trained by Nick Canani and owned by Mark C. Ferrell.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Joel Rosario, Called to Serve bumped with Our Entourage at the start and soon dropped back into fifth place as Willy Beamin led the way through fractions of :24.63 and :49.36. Adirondack King and Our Entourage were his closest pursuers, followed then by Guilt Trip, Called to Serve, and Stephanoatsee.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.29, Called to Serve was guided to the far outside by Rosario and asked to begin his run. The colt responded with a strong burst of speed that carried him into the lead at the top of the stretch, and from there, the race was over. He accelerated his final eighth of a mile in a quick :12.37 to hit the finish line in front by 4 3/4 lengths while stopping the timer in 1:49.77 seconds.
Willy Beamin held second in a three-horse photo finish over Stephanoatsee and Adirondack King, while Guilt Trip and Our Entourage completed the order of finish.
A three-year-old gelded son of Afleet Alex, Called to Serve is trained by Nick Canani and owned by Mark C. Ferrell.
-Keelerman
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Goldencents goes gate-to-wire in Delta Jackpot Stakes
Champagne Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Goldencents picked up his first stakes victory on Saturday afternoon when he held off a late run from favored Bern Identity to win the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) by 1 1/2 lengths.
Ridden to victory by Kevin Krigger, Goldencents flashed speed from the start and led the way by a head over Heaven's Runway following an opening quarter mile in :22.64 seconds. Show Some Magic and Hightail were also close to the pace, while Central Banker, Know More, Bern Identity, Itsmyluckyday, and Mylute were the early trailers.
Goldencents continued to lead the way through fractions of :46.22 and 1:11.18, but rounding the final turn Mylute launched a powerful five-wide bid that carried him into contention as the field turned for home. He appeared to have the momentum to take the lead and win the race, but Goldencents found another gear at the top of the stretch and re-opened his advantage. Bern Identity overcame a difficult trip to finish a fast-rallying second, but was 1 3/4 lengths short of Goldencents at the finish. The final time for 1 1/16th miles was 1:44.89 seconds.
Mylute flattened out late to finish third, while Hightail, Central Banker, Itsmyluckyday, Heaven's Runway, Know More, and Show Some Magic completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Doug O'Neill and owned by W. C. Racing, Dave Kenney, and RAP Racing.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Kevin Krigger, Goldencents flashed speed from the start and led the way by a head over Heaven's Runway following an opening quarter mile in :22.64 seconds. Show Some Magic and Hightail were also close to the pace, while Central Banker, Know More, Bern Identity, Itsmyluckyday, and Mylute were the early trailers.
Goldencents continued to lead the way through fractions of :46.22 and 1:11.18, but rounding the final turn Mylute launched a powerful five-wide bid that carried him into contention as the field turned for home. He appeared to have the momentum to take the lead and win the race, but Goldencents found another gear at the top of the stretch and re-opened his advantage. Bern Identity overcame a difficult trip to finish a fast-rallying second, but was 1 3/4 lengths short of Goldencents at the finish. The final time for 1 1/16th miles was 1:44.89 seconds.
Mylute flattened out late to finish third, while Hightail, Central Banker, Itsmyluckyday, Heaven's Runway, Know More, and Show Some Magic completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Doug O'Neill and owned by W. C. Racing, Dave Kenney, and RAP Racing.
-Keelerman
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Zenyatta's half-sister, Eblouissante, wins debut
Could she be the second coming of Zenyatta? Emulating her half-sister's nearly perfect career will not be easy, but the three-year-old filly Eblouissante showed a great deal of promise in romping to victory in a 1 1/16th miles allowance race on Friday at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Ridden to victory by Corey Nakatani, Eblouissante was off just a touch slowly, and thus found herself racing in seventh place early on, about five lengths behind the front-running Saturday Nite Ride, who was setting a moderate pace of :23.87 and :48.07. Urania, Belonging, and Chestnut Moon were racing close to the pace, followed by Out for Revenge, Playful Humor, Eblouissante, and Spin the Blues.
Rounding the far turn, Nakatani guided Eblouissante to the outside, and the filly responded with terrific acceleration that carried her past the majority of the field. With her white shadow roll bobbing up and down, it looked like Zenyatta all over again.
In the homestretch, Saturday Nite Live put up a decent fight and maintained the lead past the eighth pole, but Eblouissante proved much too good, drawing off with powerful strides to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:45.27 seconds.
Chestnut Moon rallied late to edge Saturday Nite Live for second, while Belonging, Spin the Blues, Urania, Playful Humor, and Out for Revenge completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Eric Kronfield and trained by John Shirreffs.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Corey Nakatani, Eblouissante was off just a touch slowly, and thus found herself racing in seventh place early on, about five lengths behind the front-running Saturday Nite Ride, who was setting a moderate pace of :23.87 and :48.07. Urania, Belonging, and Chestnut Moon were racing close to the pace, followed by Out for Revenge, Playful Humor, Eblouissante, and Spin the Blues.
Rounding the far turn, Nakatani guided Eblouissante to the outside, and the filly responded with terrific acceleration that carried her past the majority of the field. With her white shadow roll bobbing up and down, it looked like Zenyatta all over again.
In the homestretch, Saturday Nite Live put up a decent fight and maintained the lead past the eighth pole, but Eblouissante proved much too good, drawing off with powerful strides to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:45.27 seconds.
Chestnut Moon rallied late to edge Saturday Nite Live for second, while Belonging, Spin the Blues, Urania, Playful Humor, and Out for Revenge completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Eric Kronfield and trained by John Shirreffs.
-Keelerman
Wise Dan spectacular in Breeders' Cup Mile
Wise Dan put him self squarely in the picture for Horse of the Year when he coasted away from a top-class field in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I), winning by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-running Animal Kingdom.
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Wise Dan flashed speed from the start of the one-mile turf race and soon found himself racing in third, 1 1/2 lengths behind pace-setting Obviously. Suggestive Boy was right behind in second, while Excelebration, Mr. Commons, and Willcoxx Inn comprised the group of mid-pack runners. Moonlight Cloud, Animal Kingdom, and Jeranimo were the early trailers.
Through spectacular fractions of :23.34, :46.16, and 1:08.81, Obviously continued to lead the way, but coming into the homestretch, Wise Dan shifted to the outside to challenge for the lead. The two top milers briefly engaged in a battle for command, with Wise Dan emerging the winner by 1 1/2 lengths in the spectacular time of 1:31.78.
Animal Kingdom overcame a great deal of traffic to edge out Obviously for second, while Excelebration, Mr. Commons, Jeranimo, Suggestive Boy, Moonlight Cloud, and Willcox Inn completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Charles Lopresti and owned by Morton Fink.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Wise Dan flashed speed from the start of the one-mile turf race and soon found himself racing in third, 1 1/2 lengths behind pace-setting Obviously. Suggestive Boy was right behind in second, while Excelebration, Mr. Commons, and Willcoxx Inn comprised the group of mid-pack runners. Moonlight Cloud, Animal Kingdom, and Jeranimo were the early trailers.
Through spectacular fractions of :23.34, :46.16, and 1:08.81, Obviously continued to lead the way, but coming into the homestretch, Wise Dan shifted to the outside to challenge for the lead. The two top milers briefly engaged in a battle for command, with Wise Dan emerging the winner by 1 1/2 lengths in the spectacular time of 1:31.78.
Animal Kingdom overcame a great deal of traffic to edge out Obviously for second, while Excelebration, Mr. Commons, Jeranimo, Suggestive Boy, Moonlight Cloud, and Willcox Inn completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Charles Lopresti and owned by Morton Fink.
-Keelerman
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Trinniberg sharp in Breeders' Cup Sprint victory
The three-year-old colt Trinniberg made amends for his poor showing in last year's Breeder' Cup Juvenile Sprint when he held off fellow sophomore The Lumber Guy to win the $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) by three-quarters of a length.
Ridden to victory by Willie Martinez, Trinniberg flashed his typical early speed from the start, challenging Sum of the Parts for the lead through an opening quarter mile in :21.41 seconds. Fast Bullet and The Lumber Guy were also close to the pace, followed by Amazombie, Poseidon's Warrior, Smiling Tiger, Jimmy Creed, Gantry, Hamazing Destiny, Justin Phillip, Coil, Boxeur des Rues, and Capital Account.
Following a half-mile in a blazing :43.73 seconds, Trinniberg took command of the lead and quickly opened up a commanding advantage, coasting past the eighth pole in front by 1 1/2 lengths. The Lumber Guy put in a strong, sustained rally to challenge for the victory, but Trinniberg had enough left in the tank to hold on for victory in the spectacular time of 1:07.98 seconds.
Smiling Tiger put in a good late rally to edge Sum of the Parts for third, while Justin Phillip, Fast Bullet, Coil, Amazombie, Jimmy Creed, Hamazing Destiny, Gantry, Capital Account, Boxeur des Rues, and Poseidon's Warrior completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Shivananda Parbhoo and owned by Sherry Parbhoo.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Willie Martinez, Trinniberg flashed his typical early speed from the start, challenging Sum of the Parts for the lead through an opening quarter mile in :21.41 seconds. Fast Bullet and The Lumber Guy were also close to the pace, followed by Amazombie, Poseidon's Warrior, Smiling Tiger, Jimmy Creed, Gantry, Hamazing Destiny, Justin Phillip, Coil, Boxeur des Rues, and Capital Account.
Following a half-mile in a blazing :43.73 seconds, Trinniberg took command of the lead and quickly opened up a commanding advantage, coasting past the eighth pole in front by 1 1/2 lengths. The Lumber Guy put in a strong, sustained rally to challenge for the victory, but Trinniberg had enough left in the tank to hold on for victory in the spectacular time of 1:07.98 seconds.
Smiling Tiger put in a good late rally to edge Sum of the Parts for third, while Justin Phillip, Fast Bullet, Coil, Amazombie, Jimmy Creed, Hamazing Destiny, Gantry, Capital Account, Boxeur des Rues, and Poseidon's Warrior completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Shivananda Parbhoo and owned by Sherry Parbhoo.
-Keelerman
Little Mike holds on in Breeders' Cup Turf
17-1 shot Little Mike, making only his second start at a mile and a half, rallied to a clear advantage in mid-stretch and held off a late run from Point of Entry to win the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) by a half-length.
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Little Mike showed speed from the start, but the five-year-old gelding -- who usually races on the lead -- found himself in third early on as Turbo Compressor and Optimizer sprinted clear through fractions of :23.83, :46.77, and 1:10.80. Trailblazer, Slim Shadey, and Treasure Beach were next in line, followed by St Nicholas Abbey, Point of Entry, Shareta, Cogito, Dullahan, and Kindergarden Kid.
Rounding the final turn, Trailblazer made a bold run on the far outside to challenge for the lead, but was beaten to the front by Little Mike, who split horses with terrific acceleration to take command of the advantage. Point of Entry put in a strong late rally through the final eighth of a mile to secure second, but simply didn't have enough time to catch the winner, who hit the wire in front by a half-length while stopping the clock in the spectacular time of 2:22.83, the fastest Breeders' Cup Turf in history and just .03 seconds off of the world record.
St Nicholas Abbey put in a good run to finish third, while Trailblazer rounded out the superfecta. Shareta, Kindergarden Kid, Cogito, Slim Shadey, Dullahan, Treasure Beach, Optimizer, and Turbo Compressor completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Dale Romans and owned by Priscilla Vaccarezza.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Ramon Dominguez, Little Mike showed speed from the start, but the five-year-old gelding -- who usually races on the lead -- found himself in third early on as Turbo Compressor and Optimizer sprinted clear through fractions of :23.83, :46.77, and 1:10.80. Trailblazer, Slim Shadey, and Treasure Beach were next in line, followed by St Nicholas Abbey, Point of Entry, Shareta, Cogito, Dullahan, and Kindergarden Kid.
Rounding the final turn, Trailblazer made a bold run on the far outside to challenge for the lead, but was beaten to the front by Little Mike, who split horses with terrific acceleration to take command of the advantage. Point of Entry put in a strong late rally through the final eighth of a mile to secure second, but simply didn't have enough time to catch the winner, who hit the wire in front by a half-length while stopping the clock in the spectacular time of 2:22.83, the fastest Breeders' Cup Turf in history and just .03 seconds off of the world record.
St Nicholas Abbey put in a good run to finish third, while Trailblazer rounded out the superfecta. Shareta, Kindergarden Kid, Cogito, Slim Shadey, Dullahan, Treasure Beach, Optimizer, and Turbo Compressor completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Dale Romans and owned by Priscilla Vaccarezza.
-Keelerman
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Shanghai Bobby digs deep to win Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Favored Shanghai Bobby had to fight hard, but got the job done on Saturday in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), holding off a challenge from He's Had Enough to win the race by a head and sew up the juvenile championship in the process.
Ridden to victory by Rosie Napravnik, Shanghai Bobby didn't get off to the best of starts, but recovered to track Title Contender around the first turn and down the backstretch through quick fractions of :45.55 and 1:10.28. Speak Logistics was also fairly close to the pace, followed then by Monument, Fortify, He's Had Enough, Power Broker, and Capo Bastone.
Coming off the final turn, Napravnik asked her mount for run, and Shanghai Bobby responded by bursting clear of Title Contender and opening up a clear advantage. However, a side effect of this bold run was that Shanghai Bobby completely lost his focus, allowing He's Had Enough to get right up along side him and challenge for the lead. Fortunately, Shanghai Bobby dug back in to preserve the victory while stopping the clock in 1:44.58 seconds.
Disappointing was Power Broker, who got hung wide around the turn before failing to present a challenge. Capo Bastone made a nice middle move to reach contention, but failed to match strides with the top two in the stretch while finishing up third. Fortify rounded out the top four.
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Starlight Racing.
-Keelerman
Mizdirection up late in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
Mizdirection, sent off at 6-1 after being 20-1 on the morning line, unleashed a brilliant rally in the Santa Anita homestretch to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. I)
Ridden to victory by Mike Smith, Mizdirection back in mid-pack early on Starspangledbanner, Chosen Miracle, and Great Mills set blazing fractions of :21.11 and :42.39. Reneesgotzip was also close to the pace, while Unbridled's Note was racing toward the rear of the fourteen-horse field.
Turning for home, Starspangledbanner still had the lead, but Reneesgotzip and Great Mills soon took over the lead and appeared to be going strongly. But then, Unbridled's Note and Mizdirection charged into contention on the outside, with the latter filly edging out the colt in the end to win by a half-length.
Reneesgotzip held on to finish third, while Great Mills rounded out the superfecta.
The winner is trained by Mike Puype and owned by Jungle Racing, Danny Grohs, William Strauss, Borris Beljac, and Kevin Nish.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Mike Smith, Mizdirection back in mid-pack early on Starspangledbanner, Chosen Miracle, and Great Mills set blazing fractions of :21.11 and :42.39. Reneesgotzip was also close to the pace, while Unbridled's Note was racing toward the rear of the fourteen-horse field.
Turning for home, Starspangledbanner still had the lead, but Reneesgotzip and Great Mills soon took over the lead and appeared to be going strongly. But then, Unbridled's Note and Mizdirection charged into contention on the outside, with the latter filly edging out the colt in the end to win by a half-length.
Reneesgotzip held on to finish third, while Great Mills rounded out the superfecta.
The winner is trained by Mike Puype and owned by Jungle Racing, Danny Grohs, William Strauss, Borris Beljac, and Kevin Nish.
-Keelerman
Tapizar much the best in Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
15-1 shot Tapizar proved much the best in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) this afternoon at Santa Anita Park, drawing clear in the homestretch to win the prestigious race by a couple of lengths.
Under a perfect ride from Corey Nakatani, Tapizar broke well, and after being five-wide briefly on the first turn, the son of Tapit settled into the second position, tracking Emcee through fractions of :22.77 and :46.58. Delegation and Jersey Town were also close to the pace, while Shackleford -- who stumbled at the start -- was on the outside in fifth. Rail Trip, Fez Biz, Second City, and John Scott were the early trailers.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.72, Tapizar kicked clear of Emcee and opened up a commanding advantage. Rail Trip put in a good late run in between horses to be second best but was no match for the winner, who cruised home in easy fashion to win by about three lengths while stopping the clock in 1:35.34 seconds.
Delegation stayed on well to finish third, while John Scott rallied belatedly on the far outside to complete the superfecta.
The winner is trained by Steve Asmussen and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds.
-Keelerman
Under a perfect ride from Corey Nakatani, Tapizar broke well, and after being five-wide briefly on the first turn, the son of Tapit settled into the second position, tracking Emcee through fractions of :22.77 and :46.58. Delegation and Jersey Town were also close to the pace, while Shackleford -- who stumbled at the start -- was on the outside in fifth. Rail Trip, Fez Biz, Second City, and John Scott were the early trailers.
Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.72, Tapizar kicked clear of Emcee and opened up a commanding advantage. Rail Trip put in a good late run in between horses to be second best but was no match for the winner, who cruised home in easy fashion to win by about three lengths while stopping the clock in 1:35.34 seconds.
Delegation stayed on well to finish third, while John Scott rallied belatedly on the far outside to complete the superfecta.
The winner is trained by Steve Asmussen and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds.
-Keelerman
Groupie Doll spectacular again in Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
Heavily favored Groupie Doll sewed up the Eclipse award as champion female sprinter and may have put herself in contention for Horse of the Year when she burst clear of Dust and Diamonds in the Santa Anita homestretch to win the $1,000,000 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I) by daylight.
Ridden to victory by Rajiv Maragh, Groupie Doll was a bit slow to get going during the opening furlong of the race and thus found herself five-wide in sixth-place early on as Teddy's Promise and Dust and Diamonds set fractions of :22.23 and :44.19 seconds. Strike the Moon and Turbulent Descent were also fairly close to the pace, followed then by Musical Romance, Groupie Doll, and Great Hot. Rumor, Belle of the Hall, and Switch were the early trailers.
Going round the turn, Groupie Doll began to accelerate, passing horses with ease as the homestretch approached. Up front, Dust and Diamonds had put away Teddy's Promise and appeared to be going very strongly, but proved no match for Groupie Doll in the homestretch, as the heavy favorite drew clear with powerful strides to win in spectacular fashion while stopping the clock in 1:20.72.
Dust and Diamonds held second over the late-running Switch, while Belle of the Hall rounded out the top four.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Rajiv Maragh, Groupie Doll was a bit slow to get going during the opening furlong of the race and thus found herself five-wide in sixth-place early on as Teddy's Promise and Dust and Diamonds set fractions of :22.23 and :44.19 seconds. Strike the Moon and Turbulent Descent were also fairly close to the pace, followed then by Musical Romance, Groupie Doll, and Great Hot. Rumor, Belle of the Hall, and Switch were the early trailers.
Going round the turn, Groupie Doll began to accelerate, passing horses with ease as the homestretch approached. Up front, Dust and Diamonds had put away Teddy's Promise and appeared to be going very strongly, but proved no match for Groupie Doll in the homestretch, as the heavy favorite drew clear with powerful strides to win in spectacular fashion while stopping the clock in 1:20.72.
Dust and Diamonds held second over the late-running Switch, while Belle of the Hall rounded out the top four.
-Keelerman
George Vancouver brilliant in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victory
9-1 shot George Vancouver gave trainer Aidan O'Brien his second straight win in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf when the son of Henrythenavigator burst clear of the field in the Santa Anita homestretch to win the one-mile turf race in decisive fashion.
Under a terrific ride from Ryan Moore, George Vancouver was content to settle back into sixth place early on as Summit County led the way through fractions of :22.48 and :46.47. I'm Boundtoscore and Gervinho were racing right behind him in second and third, while Brown Almighty and Lines of Battle were also close to the pace. Then came George Vancouver, with Joha, Dundonnell, Noble Tune, Know More, Dry Summer, Balance the Books, Artigiano, and Fantastic Moon trailing the field.
Rounding the final turn, Joha and Know More commenced wide rallies to contend for the lead, but Dundonnell and George Vancouver were both moving strongly in between horses, and when the field straightened for home, the pair burst clear together and hooked up in a battle for the lead. However, the battle was short, with George Vancouver leaving his rival behind en route to an exceptional victory, stopping the clock in the magnificent time of 1:33.78 seconds.
Noble Tune put in a good run for second, while Balance the Books also came on late to secure third over Dundonnell.
-Keelerman
Under a terrific ride from Ryan Moore, George Vancouver was content to settle back into sixth place early on as Summit County led the way through fractions of :22.48 and :46.47. I'm Boundtoscore and Gervinho were racing right behind him in second and third, while Brown Almighty and Lines of Battle were also close to the pace. Then came George Vancouver, with Joha, Dundonnell, Noble Tune, Know More, Dry Summer, Balance the Books, Artigiano, and Fantastic Moon trailing the field.
Rounding the final turn, Joha and Know More commenced wide rallies to contend for the lead, but Dundonnell and George Vancouver were both moving strongly in between horses, and when the field straightened for home, the pair burst clear together and hooked up in a battle for the lead. However, the battle was short, with George Vancouver leaving his rival behind en route to an exceptional victory, stopping the clock in the magnificent time of 1:33.78 seconds.
Noble Tune put in a good run for second, while Balance the Books also came on late to secure third over Dundonnell.
-Keelerman
Breeders' Cup Saturday 2012
12:52 Central Time: Happy Breeders' Cup Saturday everyone! Another nine Breeders' Cup races are on the schedule for this afternoon, many of them containing deep fields with no obvious standouts. The day is beautiful, with temperatures expected to peak at just over eighty degrees.
I hoping that my selections Saturday fare better this year than they did last year. In 2011, I picked three of six winners on Friday, but then watched as my picks went 1-for-9 on Saturday. This time around, I have once again picked three winners on Friday, and I'm hopeful that I can keep my momentum going today.
The first two races on the card have already been run. The first was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Sprint Preview Stakes, which went off with a five-horse field. The results of the race seemed to confirm that yesterday's speed bias still exists -- the positions remained almost completely unchanged from start to finish as Ramon Dominguez guided Unusual Way to an easy win over Switch to the Lead and Truly Marie, who tracked her throughout.
The second race was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview Stakes, which was won in impressive fashion by Gabriel Charles. Making his debut on turf for trainer Jeff Mullins, the colt settled back just off the pace before bursting clear in the stretch to win by several lengths.
The next race on the card is the seven-furlong Damascus Stakes on the main track, where we should get a better feel for whether yesterday's bias still exists.
1:15 CT: Don't let the results of the Damascus fool you -- the track is still speed favoring.
True, Politicallycorrect did rally from off-the-pace to get the victory -- and rallied on the outside to boot -- but the fact that Private Zone held on to finish second after dueling with Mile High Magic through a half-mile in :43.88 seconds tells me that this track is still just as kind to speed as it was yesterday.
The only concern now is that the jockeys may be figuring out the nature of the track and actually overcompensating it -- Martin Pedroza aboard Private Zone and Rafael Bejarano aboard Mile High Magic both intent on getting to the front at all costs, and in the end, I think it cost them both. So it seems that the type of ride that will work today is an aggressive-but-patient type -- go to the lead if the pace is reasonable, but be patient and take back if it looks like an intense duel is developing.
Oh, and by the way, the track is also very fast in addition to being speed-favoring. The final time in the Damascus was an exceptional 1:20.86 seconds.
2:26 CT: George Vancouver got a great ride from Ryan Moore and I think that made the difference in the end, as the son of Henrythenavigator, as the colt saved ground throughout and then split horses gamely to win the Juvenile Turf with a brilliant turn-of-foot over Noble Tune, who took the overland route around the far turn and couldn't make up the necassary ground.
Somewhat disappointing was the well-regarded Dundonnell, who did not take the tight turns particularly well and couldn't quicken well enough in the stretch.
Next up is the Filly and Mare Sprint, where the nearly unstoppable Groupie Doll is favored at 3-5. Dust and Diamonds is also receiving a lot of play at 9-2, and could make things interesting since the bias will most likely be in her favor.
2:53 CT: Wow.
During the early stages of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, I figured Groupie Doll couldn't possibly win. Not only was jockey Rajiv Maragh having to urge her to stay in contention, but Groupie Doll was caught five-wide as well -- over track favoring inside speed. All told, it looked like a perfect recipe for an upset.
But then Groupie Doll began to accelerate around the turn, and by the time the field entered the homestretch, the race was over. With huge, powerful strides, Groupie Doll put away Dust and Diamonds -- who had tracked pace-setting Teddy's Promise through fractions of :22.23 and :44.19 before taking command of the lead -- and drew off from there, winning by daylight in the sharp time of 1:20.72. What a performance.
If Horse of the Year voting were to be held right now, I would have to side with Groupie Doll. Her record for the year stands at three grade I wins and a pair of grade IIs. Even if Horse of the Year doesn't go her way, she has sewn up champion female sprinter honors.
3:26 CT: In the days leading up to the Breeders' Cup, I questioned whether or not Dirt Mile favorites Shackleford, Emcee, and Jersey Town would be able to handle the two-turns after spending much or all of their careers racing around one-turn. Apparently, I had the right idea -- all three colts failed to hit the board while a quartet of two-turn horses filled out the superfecta.
Unfortunately, I wasn't quite able to land on the right two-turn horse. My selection, the veteran gelding Rail Trip, ran well from off-the-pace to secure second, but no one was catching Tapizar today. Coming off of a poor showing in the Kelso Handicap (gr. II), the four-year-old son of Tapit showed much more speed today, tracking Emcee through fractions of :22.77, :46.58, and 1:10.72 before kicking clear in the stretch and drawing off for an impressive victory. Delegation and John Scott rounded out the top four.
As for Shackleford, nothing really seemed to go his way. Somewhat antsy in the paddock, the Dale Romans-trainee stumbled coming out of the gate and had to work hard early to get back in contention, which surely sapped any late kick he might have had otherwise. It was a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise excellent career -- Shackleford is to be retired to stud next year and this is expected to be his final start.
The Turf Sprint is next. Mizdirection is currently the 4-1 favorite, down from 20-1 on the morning line.
4:15 CT: Well, it was unfortunate that good old California Flag couldn't go out a winner, but at least he ended his career safe and sound. Seeing that he's run in every single edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint thus far, the race is going to feel somewhat empty next year when he's not in the starting gate.
But let's give some credit to the victorious Mizdirection, and to her trainer, Mike Puype. The filly had not raced since May, but demonstrated a spectacular turn-of-foot in the homestretch to get up and beat Unbridled's Note by a half-length. The latter colt made a winning move himself, grabbing the lead in deep stretch before being run down late. Reneesgotzip struck the front for a few brief moments after rating just off the lead, but was out-kicked by the top two.
It was interesting to see Starspangledbanner run as well as he did. The top sprinter in Europe and Australia two years ago, he was retired to stud in 2011 but failed as a stallion and was put back in training. His 2012 campaign hadn't been great coming into this race, but the veteran of twenty-one starts showed spectacular speed from the outside, setting fractions of :21.11 and :42.39 before tiring late. All in all, I thought it was a really good effort.
By the way, Mizdirection was ridden to victory by Mike Smith, who brought his total number of Breeders' Cup victories to 17. He will have opportunities to add to that total later this afternoon when he rides Amazombie in the Sprint, Suggestive Boy in the Mile, and Mucho Macho Man in the Classic.
4:57 CT: That was quite a horse race! Shanghai Bobby looked beaten at the top of the stretch, but re-broke when challenged by He's Had Enough and held on to win the Juvenile by a head, sewing up the juvenile championship in the process.
The race unfolded pretty much how I expected it to. Shanghai Bobby didn't get off to the best of starts, but recovered to track Title Contender around the first turn and down the backstretch through quick fractions of :45.55 and 1:10.28. Then, jockey Rosie Napravnik, aboard Shanghai Bobby, asked her mount for run and the colt responded by bursting clear of Title Contender and opening up a clear advantage. However, a side effect of this bold run was that Shanghai Bobby completely lost his focus, allowing He's Had Enough to get right up along side him and challenge for the lead. Fortunately, Shanghai Bobby dug back in to preserve the victory while stopping the clock in 1:44.58 seconds.
Disappointing was Power Broker, who got hung wide around the turn before failing to present a challenge. Capo Bastone made a nice middle move to reach contention, but failed to match strides with the top two in the stretch while finishing up third.
The Turf is up next, and interestingly, Point of Entry is a fairly heavy favorite at 2-1. St Nicholas Abbey, last year's winner, is 9-2, while Shareta and Trailblazer are both 5-1.
5:26 CT: When Little Mike was entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf, I think that most handicappers tossed him out on consideration because of his poor showing last time out in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. I) -- his lone start at a mile and a half. This fact, coupled with the fact that his two grade I wins came as the result of easy leads, resulted in five-year-old gelding being sent off at 17-1.
However, Little Mike ran more like a 1-5 shot in the Breeders' Cup Turf, tracking a quick pace in third before rocketing into the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off a late run from Point of Entry to win the race in 2:22.83, the fastest Breeders' Cup Turf in history. In fact, it was one of the fastest clockings for the distance in history -- the world record is 2:22.80, set by Hawkster here at Santa Anita many years ago.
St Nicholas Abbey rallied well for third, but was being out-kicked by Point of Entry at the finish and simply wasn't good enough. Trailblazer loomed a serious threat around the turn, but may have moved a bit prematurely and wound up finishing fourth. Shareta rallied late for fifth after being much too far behind turning for home.
Up next, the wide-open, fourteen-horse Sprint, where just about anyone has the credentials to win.
6:05 CT: Trinniberg picked the right time to turn in the performance of his life. With Rajiv Maragh aboard, the three-year-old colt tracked a quick pace set by fellow sophomore Sum of the Parts, took the lead turning for home, and held off a late from from still another three-year-old The Lumber Guy to win by a length in 1:07.98.
There were a number of disappointments in this race. Defending winner Amazombie failed to fire after being in a pretty good position down the backstretch. The Bob Baffert-trained trio Coil, Capital Account, and Fast Bullet also failed to get involved.
Somewhat surprising, however, was Smiling Tiger. Making his first starts since June, many believed that the multiple grade I-winning five-year-old had lost a step, as his last victory came in July 2011. But at odds of 20-1, he rallied well to get up for third. Good job, Smiling Tiger!
6:56 CT: There's no denying that Wise Dan was the best horse in the Mile. Against arguably the highest-quality field of the entire Breeders' Cup, the five-year-old gelding tracked a blazing pace of :46.16 and 1:08.81 before kicking clear in the homestretch and coasting to decisive triumph. His final time of 1:31.78 seconds broke the course record.
Animal Kingdom put in an exceptional rally to edge Obviously for second, while Excelebration failed to seriously quicken in the stretch and finished fourth. Moonlight Cloud failed to handle the tight turns and failed to contend.
With the victory, Wise Dan is now squarely in the picture for Horse of the Year, depending on what happens in the Classic. Should Game On Dude and Ron the Greek triumph, I would think that they would garner the honor. But if they both lose, I believe Wise Dan's terrific season will be recognized as the best of the year.
8:29 CT: Game On Dude didn't get the trip he needn't, breaking slowly and checking early before winding up seventh after a brief run on the far turn, but even with a perfect trip, he might not have been able to catch Fort Larned. That colt was downright game in the homestretch, holding off a challenge from Mucho Macho Man to win the Classic by a neck.
Well back in third was Flat Out, while Ron the Greek edged Richard's Kid for fourth. Game On Dude finished seventh.
That wraps ups the 29th running of the Breeders' Cup. It was a fun two days of racing, with plenty of upsets, some dominating favorites, and many terrific performances.
Now, let the Kentucky Derby Trail begin!
I hoping that my selections Saturday fare better this year than they did last year. In 2011, I picked three of six winners on Friday, but then watched as my picks went 1-for-9 on Saturday. This time around, I have once again picked three winners on Friday, and I'm hopeful that I can keep my momentum going today.
The first two races on the card have already been run. The first was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Sprint Preview Stakes, which went off with a five-horse field. The results of the race seemed to confirm that yesterday's speed bias still exists -- the positions remained almost completely unchanged from start to finish as Ramon Dominguez guided Unusual Way to an easy win over Switch to the Lead and Truly Marie, who tracked her throughout.
The second race was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview Stakes, which was won in impressive fashion by Gabriel Charles. Making his debut on turf for trainer Jeff Mullins, the colt settled back just off the pace before bursting clear in the stretch to win by several lengths.
The next race on the card is the seven-furlong Damascus Stakes on the main track, where we should get a better feel for whether yesterday's bias still exists.
1:15 CT: Don't let the results of the Damascus fool you -- the track is still speed favoring.
True, Politicallycorrect did rally from off-the-pace to get the victory -- and rallied on the outside to boot -- but the fact that Private Zone held on to finish second after dueling with Mile High Magic through a half-mile in :43.88 seconds tells me that this track is still just as kind to speed as it was yesterday.
The only concern now is that the jockeys may be figuring out the nature of the track and actually overcompensating it -- Martin Pedroza aboard Private Zone and Rafael Bejarano aboard Mile High Magic both intent on getting to the front at all costs, and in the end, I think it cost them both. So it seems that the type of ride that will work today is an aggressive-but-patient type -- go to the lead if the pace is reasonable, but be patient and take back if it looks like an intense duel is developing.
Oh, and by the way, the track is also very fast in addition to being speed-favoring. The final time in the Damascus was an exceptional 1:20.86 seconds.
2:26 CT: George Vancouver got a great ride from Ryan Moore and I think that made the difference in the end, as the son of Henrythenavigator, as the colt saved ground throughout and then split horses gamely to win the Juvenile Turf with a brilliant turn-of-foot over Noble Tune, who took the overland route around the far turn and couldn't make up the necassary ground.
Somewhat disappointing was the well-regarded Dundonnell, who did not take the tight turns particularly well and couldn't quicken well enough in the stretch.
Next up is the Filly and Mare Sprint, where the nearly unstoppable Groupie Doll is favored at 3-5. Dust and Diamonds is also receiving a lot of play at 9-2, and could make things interesting since the bias will most likely be in her favor.
2:53 CT: Wow.
During the early stages of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, I figured Groupie Doll couldn't possibly win. Not only was jockey Rajiv Maragh having to urge her to stay in contention, but Groupie Doll was caught five-wide as well -- over track favoring inside speed. All told, it looked like a perfect recipe for an upset.
But then Groupie Doll began to accelerate around the turn, and by the time the field entered the homestretch, the race was over. With huge, powerful strides, Groupie Doll put away Dust and Diamonds -- who had tracked pace-setting Teddy's Promise through fractions of :22.23 and :44.19 before taking command of the lead -- and drew off from there, winning by daylight in the sharp time of 1:20.72. What a performance.
If Horse of the Year voting were to be held right now, I would have to side with Groupie Doll. Her record for the year stands at three grade I wins and a pair of grade IIs. Even if Horse of the Year doesn't go her way, she has sewn up champion female sprinter honors.
3:26 CT: In the days leading up to the Breeders' Cup, I questioned whether or not Dirt Mile favorites Shackleford, Emcee, and Jersey Town would be able to handle the two-turns after spending much or all of their careers racing around one-turn. Apparently, I had the right idea -- all three colts failed to hit the board while a quartet of two-turn horses filled out the superfecta.
Unfortunately, I wasn't quite able to land on the right two-turn horse. My selection, the veteran gelding Rail Trip, ran well from off-the-pace to secure second, but no one was catching Tapizar today. Coming off of a poor showing in the Kelso Handicap (gr. II), the four-year-old son of Tapit showed much more speed today, tracking Emcee through fractions of :22.77, :46.58, and 1:10.72 before kicking clear in the stretch and drawing off for an impressive victory. Delegation and John Scott rounded out the top four.
As for Shackleford, nothing really seemed to go his way. Somewhat antsy in the paddock, the Dale Romans-trainee stumbled coming out of the gate and had to work hard early to get back in contention, which surely sapped any late kick he might have had otherwise. It was a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise excellent career -- Shackleford is to be retired to stud next year and this is expected to be his final start.
The Turf Sprint is next. Mizdirection is currently the 4-1 favorite, down from 20-1 on the morning line.
4:15 CT: Well, it was unfortunate that good old California Flag couldn't go out a winner, but at least he ended his career safe and sound. Seeing that he's run in every single edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint thus far, the race is going to feel somewhat empty next year when he's not in the starting gate.
But let's give some credit to the victorious Mizdirection, and to her trainer, Mike Puype. The filly had not raced since May, but demonstrated a spectacular turn-of-foot in the homestretch to get up and beat Unbridled's Note by a half-length. The latter colt made a winning move himself, grabbing the lead in deep stretch before being run down late. Reneesgotzip struck the front for a few brief moments after rating just off the lead, but was out-kicked by the top two.
It was interesting to see Starspangledbanner run as well as he did. The top sprinter in Europe and Australia two years ago, he was retired to stud in 2011 but failed as a stallion and was put back in training. His 2012 campaign hadn't been great coming into this race, but the veteran of twenty-one starts showed spectacular speed from the outside, setting fractions of :21.11 and :42.39 before tiring late. All in all, I thought it was a really good effort.
By the way, Mizdirection was ridden to victory by Mike Smith, who brought his total number of Breeders' Cup victories to 17. He will have opportunities to add to that total later this afternoon when he rides Amazombie in the Sprint, Suggestive Boy in the Mile, and Mucho Macho Man in the Classic.
4:57 CT: That was quite a horse race! Shanghai Bobby looked beaten at the top of the stretch, but re-broke when challenged by He's Had Enough and held on to win the Juvenile by a head, sewing up the juvenile championship in the process.
The race unfolded pretty much how I expected it to. Shanghai Bobby didn't get off to the best of starts, but recovered to track Title Contender around the first turn and down the backstretch through quick fractions of :45.55 and 1:10.28. Then, jockey Rosie Napravnik, aboard Shanghai Bobby, asked her mount for run and the colt responded by bursting clear of Title Contender and opening up a clear advantage. However, a side effect of this bold run was that Shanghai Bobby completely lost his focus, allowing He's Had Enough to get right up along side him and challenge for the lead. Fortunately, Shanghai Bobby dug back in to preserve the victory while stopping the clock in 1:44.58 seconds.
Disappointing was Power Broker, who got hung wide around the turn before failing to present a challenge. Capo Bastone made a nice middle move to reach contention, but failed to match strides with the top two in the stretch while finishing up third.
The Turf is up next, and interestingly, Point of Entry is a fairly heavy favorite at 2-1. St Nicholas Abbey, last year's winner, is 9-2, while Shareta and Trailblazer are both 5-1.
5:26 CT: When Little Mike was entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf, I think that most handicappers tossed him out on consideration because of his poor showing last time out in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. I) -- his lone start at a mile and a half. This fact, coupled with the fact that his two grade I wins came as the result of easy leads, resulted in five-year-old gelding being sent off at 17-1.
However, Little Mike ran more like a 1-5 shot in the Breeders' Cup Turf, tracking a quick pace in third before rocketing into the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off a late run from Point of Entry to win the race in 2:22.83, the fastest Breeders' Cup Turf in history. In fact, it was one of the fastest clockings for the distance in history -- the world record is 2:22.80, set by Hawkster here at Santa Anita many years ago.
St Nicholas Abbey rallied well for third, but was being out-kicked by Point of Entry at the finish and simply wasn't good enough. Trailblazer loomed a serious threat around the turn, but may have moved a bit prematurely and wound up finishing fourth. Shareta rallied late for fifth after being much too far behind turning for home.
Up next, the wide-open, fourteen-horse Sprint, where just about anyone has the credentials to win.
6:05 CT: Trinniberg picked the right time to turn in the performance of his life. With Rajiv Maragh aboard, the three-year-old colt tracked a quick pace set by fellow sophomore Sum of the Parts, took the lead turning for home, and held off a late from from still another three-year-old The Lumber Guy to win by a length in 1:07.98.
There were a number of disappointments in this race. Defending winner Amazombie failed to fire after being in a pretty good position down the backstretch. The Bob Baffert-trained trio Coil, Capital Account, and Fast Bullet also failed to get involved.
Somewhat surprising, however, was Smiling Tiger. Making his first starts since June, many believed that the multiple grade I-winning five-year-old had lost a step, as his last victory came in July 2011. But at odds of 20-1, he rallied well to get up for third. Good job, Smiling Tiger!
6:56 CT: There's no denying that Wise Dan was the best horse in the Mile. Against arguably the highest-quality field of the entire Breeders' Cup, the five-year-old gelding tracked a blazing pace of :46.16 and 1:08.81 before kicking clear in the homestretch and coasting to decisive triumph. His final time of 1:31.78 seconds broke the course record.
Animal Kingdom put in an exceptional rally to edge Obviously for second, while Excelebration failed to seriously quicken in the stretch and finished fourth. Moonlight Cloud failed to handle the tight turns and failed to contend.
With the victory, Wise Dan is now squarely in the picture for Horse of the Year, depending on what happens in the Classic. Should Game On Dude and Ron the Greek triumph, I would think that they would garner the honor. But if they both lose, I believe Wise Dan's terrific season will be recognized as the best of the year.
8:29 CT: Game On Dude didn't get the trip he needn't, breaking slowly and checking early before winding up seventh after a brief run on the far turn, but even with a perfect trip, he might not have been able to catch Fort Larned. That colt was downright game in the homestretch, holding off a challenge from Mucho Macho Man to win the Classic by a neck.
Well back in third was Flat Out, while Ron the Greek edged Richard's Kid for fourth. Game On Dude finished seventh.
That wraps ups the 29th running of the Breeders' Cup. It was a fun two days of racing, with plenty of upsets, some dominating favorites, and many terrific performances.
Now, let the Kentucky Derby Trail begin!
Breeders' Cup Saturday 2012 Selections
Happy Breeders' Cup Saturday, everyone! As good as
Friday's Breeders' Cup races were, today's promise to be even better, with
another nine terrific races on the schedule. Let's start handicapping!
Juvenile Turf
1. George Vancouver 2. Dundonnel 3. Noble Tune
There's no denying that Dundonnel is the horse to
beat, by merit of his win in the group III Acomb Stakes and subsequent
runner-up effort in the group II Champagne Stakes, but I'm going to take a
chance with George Vancouver. The Aidan O'Brien-trainee has only won one
of his six starts, but three back he finished a very strong second to the top
colt Reckless Abandon in the group I Prix Morny. Given his apparent fondness
for firm turf, I expect him to turn in a top performance today. I can see just
about any horse rounding out the trifecta, but I'll take a shot with Noble
Tune, who showcased brilliant turn-of-foot in winning the Pilgrim Stakes
(gr. III) last time out. Gervinho is also intriguing off of his solid win
in the Zuma Beach Stakes here at Santa Anita, and Brown Almighty looms a
potentially live longshot off of his troubled third in the Bourbon Stakes (gr.
III) last time out.
Filly and Mare Sprint
1. Groupie Doll 2. Musical Romance 3. Dust and Diamonds
The spectacular Groupie Doll may end up being the
heaviest favorite out of all the fifteen Breeders' Cup races, thanks to her
four straight graded stakes victories this year. Coming off of an exceptional
win in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II), which she won by 6 1/2
lengths, the four-year-old filly appears capable of adapting to any pace
scenario and should be able to work out a good trip from gate nine. Musical
Romance won this race last year, and has trained very well for a defense of
her title, but only time will tell if she can match strides with Groupie Doll. Dust
and Diamonds won the Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) last time out, but was
helped by the fact that the two favorites failed to fire and were giving her a
substantial weight break. Stretching out a sixteenth of a mile further, she
could potentially lead this field a long way if yesterday's speed bias shows up
again, but I don't think she can hold off Groupie Doll under even weights. Switch
has run second in two straight editions of this race, and although she may
not be in quite the same form this year as in years past, this is her home
track, and seven furlongs is her best distance.
Dirt Mile
1. Rail Trip 2. Jersey Town 3. Shackleford
I find this race rather tricky to interpret, so I'm going
to take a chance with a long shot. Rail Trip has been able to flash
brilliant speed in the past, and while he may be slightly better on synthetic
tracks than dirt, he has turned in good efforts over the latter surface in the
past. His last effort wasn't great, but he was fighting against a speed bias. I
envision him settling along the inside early on before shifting out and giving
his best shot in the homestretch. Shortening up from longer races, and with
plenty of two-turn experience, it might be enough to get him the win. Jersey
Town has had hoof issues in the past, but his terrific win in the Kelso
Handicap (gr. II) against a bias -- coupled with his subsequent training --
signal that he's back in top form. Note, however, that it's been a long time
since he's gone two-turns. Shackleford would be the one to beat in a
one-turn mile, but lost the Kelso despite having a bias in his favor and
although he did win the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) around two-turns last year, he
does seem to be simply better around one. Emcee should be able to work
out a good trip stalking Shackleford, but stretching out around two-turns for
the first time is a concern for him.
Turf Sprint
1. California Flag 2. Unbridled's Note 3. Reneesgotzip
I always tend to over-think this race and talk myself out
of a fairly obvious winner. I did it two years ago with Chamberlain Bridge, and
I did it last year with Regally Ready. So this year, I'll just go with my gut
feeling that California Flag is the best horse in the race over the
course and will not be beat. True, he has drawn post one, which may be a
disadvantage, and true, there are plenty of other front-runners in this race.
But he's 5-for-7 on the downhill turf, has run well off long layoffs before,
and has been training well. Perhaps he can end his career on a high note. Unbridled's
Note won the Eddie D Stakes (gr. III) over this course last time out, and
-- being a closer -- he should not be affected by the potentially blazing pace.
Reneesgotzip has never run on turf, much less downhill turf, but has a
strong turf pedigree and is an exceptionally fast sprinter. Word is that she's
trained well over turf, too.
Juvenile
1. Shanghai Bobby 2. Title Contender 3. Power Broker
Much like the Juvenile Fillies yesterday, I'm having trouble
figuring this race out. For the moment, I'm leaning toward Shanghai Bobby because
he should be able to work out an excellent trip stalking Title Contender during
the preliminary stages of the race, and from there, he should be able to finish
up strongly. But if speed on the rail is the bias again today, I may have to
formulate another plan that has Title Contender on top, as I can't
envision a scenario where he does get the lead from gate one. Power Broker was
exceptional in winning the FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) under the same conditions
as today's race, but did have a bias in his favor and must now overcome
starting from gate nine. Capo Bastone looms an intriguing longshot off
of his rallying third in the FrontRunner, but would stand no chance if yesterday's
bias carries over to today. Should I change my selection, I'll be sure to post
it during one of my live updates.
Turf
1. Shareta 2. St Nicholas Abbey 3. Point of Entry
In the days leading up to this race, I was prepared to
pick Trailblazer for the win, based off of his terrific runner-up effort
in the Arroyo Seco Mile (gr. II) here at Santa Anita last time out. But he
apparently kicked his stall yesterday, and while he's sound this morning, my
confidence in him has been shaken. Thus, I'll go with Shareta. This
French filly absolutely relishes firm ground -- which she will get here -- and
has been running very well this year despite encountering less-than-ideal
conditions. In fact, two starts back, she beat subsequent Arc de Triomphe
winner Solemia by two lengths in a group I, signaling that she is certainly one
of the best turf horses in the world on her best day. St Nicholas Abbey won
this race last year, but comes into this year's edition at the end of a very
long and difficult campaign. Perhaps he can repeat, but it won't be easy. Point
of Entry has won three straight grade I races and should enjoy the
conditions, but has never faced horses of this caliber before. Slim Shadey
could potentially build up a big lead early on while spending the first couple
furlongs of the race on the downhill turf, and looms as an intriguing longshot
if he can maintain it long enough.
Sprint
1. Fast Bullet 2. Amazombie 3. Jimmy Creed
California sprinters are tough to beat in any given
Breeders' Cup, and when you give them a home-court advantage, they're just
about unstoppable. Thus, my selections shall reflect that. Fast Bullet has
only raced twice, and has not run since last November, but I think he's got the
speed to take the early advantage, seize command of the rail, and never look
back. With thirteen other horses behind him, there's bound to be some traffic
and many runners could suffer from rough trips. Amazombie won this race
last year and has run well this year too, but is coming off of a sub-par effort
in Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (gr. I). He's trained well since
then, but as a mid-pack runner, he'll have to get a clean trip. Jimmy Creed ran
well to be third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, but will have to
overcome breaking from post two.
Mile
1. Moonlight Cloud 2. Excelebration 3. Wise Dan
After watching brilliant acceleration win both the
Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Filly and Mare Turf yesterday afternoon, I have
the feeling that the Europeans Excelebration and Moonlight Cloud will
be up to the task of denying the super-talented Wise Dan in the Mile.
Wise Dan deserves absolute and complete respect, for his victories in the
Woodbine Mile (gr. I), Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. I), and Fourstardave Handicap
(gr. II) were exceptional. But, I don't think he has quite the same
turn-of-foot as the two Europeans, both of which are coming off of group I wins
against good company. Picking between them is hard, but I'll side with
Moonlight Cloud because I feel that her sprinters speed will enable her to get
the jump on Excelebration in the homestretch. Let's also give utmost respect to
Obviously, who has terrific early speed and the ability to sustain it a
long way. So long as he holds a large enough advantage turning for home,
catching him will be very, very difficult.
Classic
1. Game On Dude 2. Mucho Macho Man 3. Pool Play
Noting how the track played yesterday, I can't envision Game
On Dude losing. With his high cruising speed and the ability to blow races
wide open on the far turn, I think he may end up dominating the race. Mucho
Macho Man also has high cruising speed and has draw a perfect post for his
racing style, but catching Game On Dude is not going to be an easy task at all.
Pool Play is 2-for-2 on dirt, and should relish a mile and a quarter. If
the pace is quick, expect to see him making up ground at the finish. Let's also
take a moment to mention Nonios as a potential longshot candidate, as
the talented three-year-old has run well in very good company this year and is
training quite well.
-Keelerman
Friday, November 02, 2012
Royal Delta earns repeat win in Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic
Favored Royal Delta took advantage of a lackluster performance from the speedy Questing to earn a repeat victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) this afternoon at Santa Anita, going to the lead and never looking back en route to a 1 1/2 length victory.
Ridden to victory by Mike Smith, Royal Delta broke well and flashed speed from the start, racing away to grab a half-length advantage over Love and Pride after an opening quarter mile in :22.69 seconds. Include Me Out, My Miss Aurelia, and Awesome Feather were also close to the pace, followed by Class Included and Grace Hall. Questing was the trailer after breaking poorly and failing to get involved. She was soon eased, although it appeared after the race as though she had no injuries.
So with the expected leader failing to showcase her typical speed, this left Royal Delta on the front end -- quite a change for the four-year-old filly, who usually runs from off-the-pace. But the change in tactics clearly didn't faze her, as she continued to lead the way through blazing fractions of :45.81 and 1:09.80.
Rounding the far turn, Include Me Out made a menacing bid to challenge Royal Delta for the lead, and appeared capable of taking command of the race. My Miss Aurelia was also in with a shot along the inside. But during the final three-sixteenths of a mile, Royal Delta dug deep and found more, turning back their bids to win the nine-furlong race in the good time of 1:48.80 seconds.
My Miss Aurelia stayed on willingly to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Include Me Out. Grace Hall turned in a belatedly rally to secure fourth over Love and Pride, while Awesome Feather, Class Included, and Questing completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Bill Mott and owned by Besilu Stables. A daughter of Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess, she is expected to remain in training as a five-year-old, with the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) in March being her first goal.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Mike Smith, Royal Delta broke well and flashed speed from the start, racing away to grab a half-length advantage over Love and Pride after an opening quarter mile in :22.69 seconds. Include Me Out, My Miss Aurelia, and Awesome Feather were also close to the pace, followed by Class Included and Grace Hall. Questing was the trailer after breaking poorly and failing to get involved. She was soon eased, although it appeared after the race as though she had no injuries.
So with the expected leader failing to showcase her typical speed, this left Royal Delta on the front end -- quite a change for the four-year-old filly, who usually runs from off-the-pace. But the change in tactics clearly didn't faze her, as she continued to lead the way through blazing fractions of :45.81 and 1:09.80.
Rounding the far turn, Include Me Out made a menacing bid to challenge Royal Delta for the lead, and appeared capable of taking command of the race. My Miss Aurelia was also in with a shot along the inside. But during the final three-sixteenths of a mile, Royal Delta dug deep and found more, turning back their bids to win the nine-furlong race in the good time of 1:48.80 seconds.
My Miss Aurelia stayed on willingly to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Include Me Out. Grace Hall turned in a belatedly rally to secure fourth over Love and Pride, while Awesome Feather, Class Included, and Questing completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Bill Mott and owned by Besilu Stables. A daughter of Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess, she is expected to remain in training as a five-year-old, with the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) in March being her first goal.
-Keelerman
Zagora bursts clear in Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf
9-1 shot Zagora kept the streak of Breeders' Cup upsets alive on Friday afternoon when she out-kicked Marketing Mix in the final furlong of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. I) to win by about three-quarters of a length.
Ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, Zagora secured a perfect position early on, down along the rail in the fourth position as Star Billing and Marketing Mix led the way through fractions of :24.70 and :48.72. In Lingerie was poised three-wide on the outside in third, while Stormy Lucy, The Fugue, Up, and Nahrain were in mid-pack. I'm A Dreamer, Ridasiyna, and Lady of Shamrock were the early trailers.
The positions remained relatively unchanged down the backstretch, but rounding the final turn, Marketing Mix moved up to take the lead from Star Billing and appeared to be on her way to victory. The Fugue was full of run, but lacked racing room and had no time to extract herself.
But then, Zagora dived to the outside and unleashed a powerful stretch kick. With swift acceleration, she surpassed Marketing Mix and drove clear for victory. The final time for ten furlongs was 1:59.70.
The Fugue finished third without ever getting a clear path, while Ridasiyna rallied well late to be fourth.
Ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, Zagora secured a perfect position early on, down along the rail in the fourth position as Star Billing and Marketing Mix led the way through fractions of :24.70 and :48.72. In Lingerie was poised three-wide on the outside in third, while Stormy Lucy, The Fugue, Up, and Nahrain were in mid-pack. I'm A Dreamer, Ridasiyna, and Lady of Shamrock were the early trailers.
The positions remained relatively unchanged down the backstretch, but rounding the final turn, Marketing Mix moved up to take the lead from Star Billing and appeared to be on her way to victory. The Fugue was full of run, but lacked racing room and had no time to extract herself.
But then, Zagora dived to the outside and unleashed a powerful stretch kick. With swift acceleration, she surpassed Marketing Mix and drove clear for victory. The final time for ten furlongs was 1:59.70.
The Fugue finished third without ever getting a clear path, while Ridasiyna rallied well late to be fourth.
Beholder turns back Executiveprivilege in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
In the days prior to the Breeders' Cup, trainer Richard Mandella was leaning toward running his talented filly Beholder in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint rather than the more prestigious Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). But on the morning that entries were due, Mandella changed his mind, and Beholder was entered in the Juvenile Fillies.
That decision paid off in a huge way on Friday afternoon at Santa Anita when Beholder turned back a late run from the previously unbeaten Executiveprivilege to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by 1 1/4 lengths.
Ridden to victory by Garrett Gomez, Beholder broke quickly from gate one and quickly raced away to set the pace while Kauai Katie tracked her on the outside. Executiveprivilege was getting a beautiful trip in third, three or four lengths behind Beholder, followed then by Dreaming of Julia, Spring in the Air, Renee's Queen, Broken Spell, and Almost an Angel.
Coming round the final turn, Executiveprivilege made a run along the inside of Kauai Katie to reach contention, but by that point, Beholder had opened up a sizable advantage. Executiveprivilege gave it a good try, but drifted out a bit in the final furlong and couldn't make up the necessary ground. Thus, Beholder held on to win at odds of 7-2.
Dreaming of Julia put in a mild run to edge Kauai Katie for third, but was no match for the top two.
-Keelerman
That decision paid off in a huge way on Friday afternoon at Santa Anita when Beholder turned back a late run from the previously unbeaten Executiveprivilege to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by 1 1/4 lengths.
Ridden to victory by Garrett Gomez, Beholder broke quickly from gate one and quickly raced away to set the pace while Kauai Katie tracked her on the outside. Executiveprivilege was getting a beautiful trip in third, three or four lengths behind Beholder, followed then by Dreaming of Julia, Spring in the Air, Renee's Queen, Broken Spell, and Almost an Angel.
Coming round the final turn, Executiveprivilege made a run along the inside of Kauai Katie to reach contention, but by that point, Beholder had opened up a sizable advantage. Executiveprivilege gave it a good try, but drifted out a bit in the final furlong and couldn't make up the necessary ground. Thus, Beholder held on to win at odds of 7-2.
Dreaming of Julia put in a mild run to edge Kauai Katie for third, but was no match for the top two.
-Keelerman
Flotilla bursts clear in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
11-1 shot Flotilla, shipping in from France, showcased terrific turn-of-foot in the final furlong to win the $1,000,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I) on Friday at Santa Anita Park.
Ridden to victory by Christophe Lemaire, Flotilla was content to settle back in mid-pack early on as Tara From the Cape led the way through moderate fractions of :23.14, :47.39, and 1:11.16. Moonwalk, Flashy Ways, and Waterway Run were her closest pursuers, followed then by Watsdachances, Oscar Party, Spring Venture, Flotilla, Sky Lantern, Summer of Fun, The Gold Cheongsam, Nancy O, Kitten's Point, and Infanta Branca.
Turning for home, at least a half-dozen horses were in contention for the win, but that half-dozen was soon reduced to just too: Watsdachances and Flotilla. The two matched strides briefly at the sixteenth pole, and it appeared as though the finish would be close, but Flotilla found another gear in the final hundred yards and drew off late to win the race in convincing fashion. The final time was 1:34.64.
Summer of Fun rallied well for third, while Tara From the Cape rounded out the superfecta.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Christophe Lemaire, Flotilla was content to settle back in mid-pack early on as Tara From the Cape led the way through moderate fractions of :23.14, :47.39, and 1:11.16. Moonwalk, Flashy Ways, and Waterway Run were her closest pursuers, followed then by Watsdachances, Oscar Party, Spring Venture, Flotilla, Sky Lantern, Summer of Fun, The Gold Cheongsam, Nancy O, Kitten's Point, and Infanta Branca.
Turning for home, at least a half-dozen horses were in contention for the win, but that half-dozen was soon reduced to just too: Watsdachances and Flotilla. The two matched strides briefly at the sixteenth pole, and it appeared as though the finish would be close, but Flotilla found another gear in the final hundred yards and drew off late to win the race in convincing fashion. The final time was 1:34.64.
Summer of Fun rallied well for third, while Tara From the Cape rounded out the superfecta.
-Keelerman
Calidoscopio rallies for victory in the Marathon
The Argentinean-bred Calidoscopio, sent off at odds of 17-1, turned in one of the most spectacular runs this writer has ever seen to win the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. II) this afternoon by three or four lengths.
Under a perfect ride from Aaron Gryder, Calidoscopio dropped way, way behind the leaders early on, trailing the field by at least twenty lengths during the early stages of the race. In the meantime, Jaycito and Commander were the early leaders, with Atigun and Juniper Pass also showing speed. Balladry, Grassy, and Fame and Glory were next, followed by Romp, Eldaafer, Sense of Purpose, Almudena, Not Abroad, and Calidoscopio.
Moving down the backstretch for the final time, about five or six furlongs from home, Calidoscopio made his run for the lead. With sudden acceleration, he roared past a tiring Fame and Glory and Almudena, and sustained his momentum around the turn. In the meantime, Atigun had taken over the lead from Jaycito and appeared to be moving very strongly.
Turning for home, Juniper Pass and Grassy moved up to challenge Atigun for the lead, but all three were quickly inhaled by Calidoscopio, who had split horses around the turn before shifting to the outside for racing room. With massive strides, the nine-year-old horse swallowed up his rivals and left them far behind, coasting for an easy win in 2:57.25 seconds.
Grassy edged out Atigun for third, while Juniper Pass rounded out the top four.
Under a perfect ride from Aaron Gryder, Calidoscopio dropped way, way behind the leaders early on, trailing the field by at least twenty lengths during the early stages of the race. In the meantime, Jaycito and Commander were the early leaders, with Atigun and Juniper Pass also showing speed. Balladry, Grassy, and Fame and Glory were next, followed by Romp, Eldaafer, Sense of Purpose, Almudena, Not Abroad, and Calidoscopio.
Moving down the backstretch for the final time, about five or six furlongs from home, Calidoscopio made his run for the lead. With sudden acceleration, he roared past a tiring Fame and Glory and Almudena, and sustained his momentum around the turn. In the meantime, Atigun had taken over the lead from Jaycito and appeared to be moving very strongly.
Turning for home, Juniper Pass and Grassy moved up to challenge Atigun for the lead, but all three were quickly inhaled by Calidoscopio, who had split horses around the turn before shifting to the outside for racing room. With massive strides, the nine-year-old horse swallowed up his rivals and left them far behind, coasting for an easy win in 2:57.25 seconds.
Grassy edged out Atigun for third, while Juniper Pass rounded out the top four.
Hightail breaks his maiden in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint
In a race that lost a lot of its lust due to the scratches of Super Ninety Nine and South Floyd, it was only fitting that a maiden would win the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint, which is exactly what happened when Hightail rallied through an opening along the rail to win the six-furlong sprint by a nose, earning his first victory from nine starts in the process.
Ridden to victory by Rajiv Maragh, Hightail got off to a good start and soon settled back into fourth place along the rail as Merit Man and Ceiling Kitty dueled through fractions of :22.41 and :45.94. Hazardous was poised on the far outside in third, while Sweet Shirley Mae trailed the compact field of five.
Turning for home, jockey Patrick Valenzuela asked Merit Man for run, and the colt responded by turning back a challenge from Hazardous and opening up brief lead. But then Hightail came running along the inside, shooting through with a decisive run that saw him open up a neck advantage. Merit Man tried to battle back, but the wire came too soon, and the 1-2 favorite lost by a nose.
Sweet Shirley Mae rallied mildly for third, while Hazardous and Ceiling Kitty completed the order of finish.
Hightail's victory gave trainer D. Wayne Lukas his 19th victory in a Breeders' Cup race, and his first since 2005. The colt is owned by Bluegrass Hall LLC.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Rajiv Maragh, Hightail got off to a good start and soon settled back into fourth place along the rail as Merit Man and Ceiling Kitty dueled through fractions of :22.41 and :45.94. Hazardous was poised on the far outside in third, while Sweet Shirley Mae trailed the compact field of five.
Turning for home, jockey Patrick Valenzuela asked Merit Man for run, and the colt responded by turning back a challenge from Hazardous and opening up brief lead. But then Hightail came running along the inside, shooting through with a decisive run that saw him open up a neck advantage. Merit Man tried to battle back, but the wire came too soon, and the 1-2 favorite lost by a nose.
Sweet Shirley Mae rallied mildly for third, while Hazardous and Ceiling Kitty completed the order of finish.
Hightail's victory gave trainer D. Wayne Lukas his 19th victory in a Breeders' Cup race, and his first since 2005. The colt is owned by Bluegrass Hall LLC.
-Keelerman
Breeders' Cup Friday 2012
1:19 Central Time: Happy Breeders' Cup Friday 2012, everyone! We've got six terrific Breeders' Cup races to be run later this afternoon, including the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I), which feature seven grade I winners.
It could not be a more beautiful day at Santa Anita Park. Although it was a bit hazy this morning, it has cleared up well and the sun is out. There have been five scratches from Breeders' Cup races -- Super Ninety Nine from the Juvenile Sprint, Worth Repeating from the Marathon, Sustained and Moulin de Mougin (the latter an also-eligible) from the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Nereid from the Filly and Mare Turf.
The first race of the day, a nine-furlong allowance race on the turf, has just been run. The winner was the Carla Gaines-trained Big Bane Theory, a three-year-old colt that rallied from sixth with an explosive turn-of-foot to win going away in a sharp 1:47.08. Clearly, the turf is as quick as it could possibly be.
The winning rider was Joe Talamo, who is the leading rider of the meet by a substantial margin. Later today, he will be aboard Jaycito in the Marathon, Flashy Ways in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Include Me Out in the Ladies' Classic.
1:56 CT: Joe Talamo is having a very good day.
Make that a very good day.
The jockey just swept the early double when he guided Big Tiz to a determined victory in a 6-1/2 furlong allowance race on the main track. Big Tiz did not get an easy trip at all, dueling in between D'princess and Magical Band through blazing fractions of :21.88 and :44.34 before opening up in the stretch and holding off a late run from Miss Oops to win by about a half-length in 1:17.12. Mark Glatt trains the four-year-old daughter of Tiznow, who ran second in the 2010 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I).
Hard to draw conclusions on the possibility of a track bias based off of just one race, but it is worth noting that the top three finishers all showed speed, and to be perfectly honest, I would have expected to see Big Tiz tire just a bit more than she did after such a quick pace . . .
Next race on the card is a seven-furlong main track allowance race for three-year-olds and upward. Macho Dorado has opened as the 5-2 favorite. Joe Talamo does not have a mount.
2:28 CT: Yes, I would say the track is speed-favoring.
The third race of the day is in the history books, and the winner was 7-1 shot Basmati, with Mario Gutierrez aboard for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Paul Reddam. The three-year-old colt received a trip similar to the one Big Tiz got one race earlier, dueling with Macho Dorado and Got Even through blazing fractions of :22.08 and :44.08 before hanging on gamely to win the seven-furlong allowance in a quick 1:22.75.
Macho Dorado finished about three-quarters of a length back in second, followed along the rail by Got Even. Hmm . . .
3:07 CT: South Floyd is a late scratch from the Juvenile Sprint. Merit Man is now the favorite at 1-2, and with no other speed horses left in this race, he looks like a very deserving favorite.
3:38 CT: Thanks to a pair of scratches, this year's Juvenile Sprint went off with the smallest field (5 horses) in Breeders' Cup history, so it seemed fitting that a huge longshot should win. Hightail, who had not won a single race from eight previous starts, rallied along the fence to upset heavily favored Merit Man by a nose at odds of 15-1. The D. Wayne Lukas-trainee was not a complete surprise -- he had run well in stakes company -- but it's hard to believe that the colt managed to break his maiden in a $500,000 stakes. I'm pretty certain that's some sort of a record.
I was surprised by Merit Man's defeat, not just because he towered over the field in terms of credentials and speed figures, but because of the slow pace. The colt was able to get away with fractions of :22.41 and :45.94 -- compared to :22.08 and :44.08 in a seven-furlong allowance one race earlier -- yet still allowed Hightail to come and get him in the stretch.
Next up is the Marathon.
4:39 CT: Calidoscopio's victory in the Marathon will be remembered by I as one of the most spectacular moments in Breeders' Cup history.
Dead last early on -- some twenty lengths off the pace -- it looked as though the nine-year-old Argentinean-bred shipper was not going to fire. But turning on to the backstretch, he began to pick off tiring horses with sudden acceleration. He sustained this incredible move throughout the final turn, splitting horses gamely before shifting to the outside for racing room. And then -- just when he should have been tiring from his big run -- he simply exploded, swallowing up rivals left and right before romping to a spectacular victory.
What a performance.
Now, having watched the first two Breeders' Cup races, I no longer think that there is a strong speed bias. There might be a minor one, but if it were overwhelming, Merit Man would have romped in the Juvenile Sprint -- and Calidoscopio would not have rallied from last like he did.
Next up is the Juvenile Fillies Turf, where Sky Lantern is currently the 5-2 favorite over 3-1 shot Spring Venture. Summer of Fun at 40-1 looks intriguing.
5:08 CT: Three Breeders' Cup races, three double-digit upsets. Following the 15-1 and 17-1 victories by Hightail and Calidoscopio, French raider Flotilla showcased a brilliant turn-of-foot in the final eighth of a mile to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I) at odds of 11-1.
A couple of horses affected by traffic were Waterway Run, who lacked racing room throughout the stretch, and Infanta Branca, who had to check along the rail while in the process of making a run.
The Juvenile Fillies is up next . . .
5:45 CT: As I mentioned on my selections post this morning, making the decision between Executiveprivilege and Beholder in the Juvenile Fillies is not easy. Originally, I had settled on Executiveprivilege, but after watching the first four dirt races on the card, I decided that just enough of a speed bias was evident to warrant switching to Beholder. Fortunately, I made the right decision, as Beholder held off Executiveprivilege's late run to win by about 1 1/4 lengths.
Executiveprivilege looked like a winner at the top of the stretch, but drifted out badly under pressure in the final furlong. Hard to say if it cost her the race, but it is worth noting that she has done that before -- in the Del Mar Debutante, when she closed fast despite drifting to nab Beholder right at the wire.
6:30 CT: The Fugue had a very difficult trip, and never got a clear run in the stretch, but let's give credit to Zagora. Earlier this summer, many were writing her off as past-her-prime, but the Chad Brown-trainee rallied strongly in the final furlong of the Filly and Mare Turf to win in decisive fashion over a very game Marketing Mix.
Next up is the Ladies' Classic, where seven grade I winners and an eight-time stakes winner will square off over nine furlongs. I expect to see Royal Delta near the front early on, challenging Questing and/or Awesome Feather for the early lead -- much like she did against It's Tricky in the Beldame.
Whatever happens, it should be a terrific race.
8:56 CT: When I said I expected Royal Delta to show speed, I meant the pace-pressing kind of speed that she showed in the Beldame -- not the sprinter-like speed that she showcased in winning the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic for the second straight year.
The complexion of the race changed drastically when Questing broke poorly and failed to get involved, trailing the field under the wire for the first time before being eased around the first turn. Apparently, she was uninjured -- she simply didn't feel like running.
But with the expected leader out of the race, jockey Mike Smith seized the initiative aboard Royal Delta and took command of the lead, setting blazing fractions of ::45.81 and 1:09.80. My Miss Aurelia and Include Me Out both loomed menacingly around the turn, but in the final furlong, Royal Delta simply had too much left, and held on for a classy 1 1/2 length victory.
All told, it was another wonderful day of racing. Tomorrow's action is even better, with nine Breeders' Cup races on the schedule, including the much-anticipated Breeders' Cup Classic. Enjoy the racing!
-Keelerman
It could not be a more beautiful day at Santa Anita Park. Although it was a bit hazy this morning, it has cleared up well and the sun is out. There have been five scratches from Breeders' Cup races -- Super Ninety Nine from the Juvenile Sprint, Worth Repeating from the Marathon, Sustained and Moulin de Mougin (the latter an also-eligible) from the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Nereid from the Filly and Mare Turf.
The first race of the day, a nine-furlong allowance race on the turf, has just been run. The winner was the Carla Gaines-trained Big Bane Theory, a three-year-old colt that rallied from sixth with an explosive turn-of-foot to win going away in a sharp 1:47.08. Clearly, the turf is as quick as it could possibly be.
The winning rider was Joe Talamo, who is the leading rider of the meet by a substantial margin. Later today, he will be aboard Jaycito in the Marathon, Flashy Ways in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Include Me Out in the Ladies' Classic.
1:56 CT: Joe Talamo is having a very good day.
Make that a very good day.
The jockey just swept the early double when he guided Big Tiz to a determined victory in a 6-1/2 furlong allowance race on the main track. Big Tiz did not get an easy trip at all, dueling in between D'princess and Magical Band through blazing fractions of :21.88 and :44.34 before opening up in the stretch and holding off a late run from Miss Oops to win by about a half-length in 1:17.12. Mark Glatt trains the four-year-old daughter of Tiznow, who ran second in the 2010 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I).
Hard to draw conclusions on the possibility of a track bias based off of just one race, but it is worth noting that the top three finishers all showed speed, and to be perfectly honest, I would have expected to see Big Tiz tire just a bit more than she did after such a quick pace . . .
Next race on the card is a seven-furlong main track allowance race for three-year-olds and upward. Macho Dorado has opened as the 5-2 favorite. Joe Talamo does not have a mount.
2:28 CT: Yes, I would say the track is speed-favoring.
The third race of the day is in the history books, and the winner was 7-1 shot Basmati, with Mario Gutierrez aboard for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Paul Reddam. The three-year-old colt received a trip similar to the one Big Tiz got one race earlier, dueling with Macho Dorado and Got Even through blazing fractions of :22.08 and :44.08 before hanging on gamely to win the seven-furlong allowance in a quick 1:22.75.
Macho Dorado finished about three-quarters of a length back in second, followed along the rail by Got Even. Hmm . . .
3:07 CT: South Floyd is a late scratch from the Juvenile Sprint. Merit Man is now the favorite at 1-2, and with no other speed horses left in this race, he looks like a very deserving favorite.
3:38 CT: Thanks to a pair of scratches, this year's Juvenile Sprint went off with the smallest field (5 horses) in Breeders' Cup history, so it seemed fitting that a huge longshot should win. Hightail, who had not won a single race from eight previous starts, rallied along the fence to upset heavily favored Merit Man by a nose at odds of 15-1. The D. Wayne Lukas-trainee was not a complete surprise -- he had run well in stakes company -- but it's hard to believe that the colt managed to break his maiden in a $500,000 stakes. I'm pretty certain that's some sort of a record.
I was surprised by Merit Man's defeat, not just because he towered over the field in terms of credentials and speed figures, but because of the slow pace. The colt was able to get away with fractions of :22.41 and :45.94 -- compared to :22.08 and :44.08 in a seven-furlong allowance one race earlier -- yet still allowed Hightail to come and get him in the stretch.
Next up is the Marathon.
4:39 CT: Calidoscopio's victory in the Marathon will be remembered by I as one of the most spectacular moments in Breeders' Cup history.
Dead last early on -- some twenty lengths off the pace -- it looked as though the nine-year-old Argentinean-bred shipper was not going to fire. But turning on to the backstretch, he began to pick off tiring horses with sudden acceleration. He sustained this incredible move throughout the final turn, splitting horses gamely before shifting to the outside for racing room. And then -- just when he should have been tiring from his big run -- he simply exploded, swallowing up rivals left and right before romping to a spectacular victory.
What a performance.
Now, having watched the first two Breeders' Cup races, I no longer think that there is a strong speed bias. There might be a minor one, but if it were overwhelming, Merit Man would have romped in the Juvenile Sprint -- and Calidoscopio would not have rallied from last like he did.
Next up is the Juvenile Fillies Turf, where Sky Lantern is currently the 5-2 favorite over 3-1 shot Spring Venture. Summer of Fun at 40-1 looks intriguing.
5:08 CT: Three Breeders' Cup races, three double-digit upsets. Following the 15-1 and 17-1 victories by Hightail and Calidoscopio, French raider Flotilla showcased a brilliant turn-of-foot in the final eighth of a mile to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I) at odds of 11-1.
A couple of horses affected by traffic were Waterway Run, who lacked racing room throughout the stretch, and Infanta Branca, who had to check along the rail while in the process of making a run.
The Juvenile Fillies is up next . . .
5:45 CT: As I mentioned on my selections post this morning, making the decision between Executiveprivilege and Beholder in the Juvenile Fillies is not easy. Originally, I had settled on Executiveprivilege, but after watching the first four dirt races on the card, I decided that just enough of a speed bias was evident to warrant switching to Beholder. Fortunately, I made the right decision, as Beholder held off Executiveprivilege's late run to win by about 1 1/4 lengths.
Executiveprivilege looked like a winner at the top of the stretch, but drifted out badly under pressure in the final furlong. Hard to say if it cost her the race, but it is worth noting that she has done that before -- in the Del Mar Debutante, when she closed fast despite drifting to nab Beholder right at the wire.
6:30 CT: The Fugue had a very difficult trip, and never got a clear run in the stretch, but let's give credit to Zagora. Earlier this summer, many were writing her off as past-her-prime, but the Chad Brown-trainee rallied strongly in the final furlong of the Filly and Mare Turf to win in decisive fashion over a very game Marketing Mix.
Next up is the Ladies' Classic, where seven grade I winners and an eight-time stakes winner will square off over nine furlongs. I expect to see Royal Delta near the front early on, challenging Questing and/or Awesome Feather for the early lead -- much like she did against It's Tricky in the Beldame.
Whatever happens, it should be a terrific race.
8:56 CT: When I said I expected Royal Delta to show speed, I meant the pace-pressing kind of speed that she showed in the Beldame -- not the sprinter-like speed that she showcased in winning the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic for the second straight year.
The complexion of the race changed drastically when Questing broke poorly and failed to get involved, trailing the field under the wire for the first time before being eased around the first turn. Apparently, she was uninjured -- she simply didn't feel like running.
But with the expected leader out of the race, jockey Mike Smith seized the initiative aboard Royal Delta and took command of the lead, setting blazing fractions of ::45.81 and 1:09.80. My Miss Aurelia and Include Me Out both loomed menacingly around the turn, but in the final furlong, Royal Delta simply had too much left, and held on for a classy 1 1/2 length victory.
All told, it was another wonderful day of racing. Tomorrow's action is even better, with nine Breeders' Cup races on the schedule, including the much-anticipated Breeders' Cup Classic. Enjoy the racing!
-Keelerman
Sustained scratched from Juvenile Fillies Turf
Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. III) runner-up Sustained has been scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I) after showing signs of lameness.
The two-year-old daughter of War Front was off in her right foreleg, according to trainer Dale Romans. It is not a serious issue.
The scratch of Sustained will allowed Infanta Branca to draw into the race off of the also-eligibles list.
-Keelerman
The two-year-old daughter of War Front was off in her right foreleg, according to trainer Dale Romans. It is not a serious issue.
The scratch of Sustained will allowed Infanta Branca to draw into the race off of the also-eligibles list.
-Keelerman
Super Ninety Nine scratched from Juvenile Sprint
Super Ninety Nine, the second choice in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint, has been scratched from the race after becoming cast in his tall early this morning.
The speedy son of Pulpit was entering the Breeders' Cup off of an impressive victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight, and the Bob Baffert-trainee was viewed as one of the primary contenders in the six-furlong race. But after he scraped himself up in his stall, the decision was made to scratch.
Super Ninety Nine's defection leaves the Juvenile Sprint with a field of six, led by Tim Conway Stakes winner Merit Man and the grade I-placed filly Sweet Shirley Mae.
-Keelerman
The speedy son of Pulpit was entering the Breeders' Cup off of an impressive victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight, and the Bob Baffert-trainee was viewed as one of the primary contenders in the six-furlong race. But after he scraped himself up in his stall, the decision was made to scratch.
Super Ninety Nine's defection leaves the Juvenile Sprint with a field of six, led by Tim Conway Stakes winner Merit Man and the grade I-placed filly Sweet Shirley Mae.
-Keelerman
Worth Repeating scratched from Breeders' Cup Marathon
Worth Repeating, one of the favorites in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. III), has been scratched from the race with a minor suspensory injury.
The six-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was entering the Marathon off of a terrific victory in the Ralph M. Hinds Handicap at Fairplex Park, which he won by five lengths over Quail Hill and Juniper Pass. Trained by Mike Machowsky, the horse had also run well in the twelve-furlong Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) this summer, establishing himself as one of the better stayers in this country.
The injury is not serious, and the horse is expected to return to racing later this year.
The scratch of Worth Repeating will leave the Marathon with a field of thirteen, led by the talented three-year-old Atigun, the multiple group I-winning European shipper Fame and Glory, and Maryland Millions Classic winner Not Abroad.
-Keelerman
The six-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was entering the Marathon off of a terrific victory in the Ralph M. Hinds Handicap at Fairplex Park, which he won by five lengths over Quail Hill and Juniper Pass. Trained by Mike Machowsky, the horse had also run well in the twelve-furlong Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) this summer, establishing himself as one of the better stayers in this country.
The injury is not serious, and the horse is expected to return to racing later this year.
The scratch of Worth Repeating will leave the Marathon with a field of thirteen, led by the talented three-year-old Atigun, the multiple group I-winning European shipper Fame and Glory, and Maryland Millions Classic winner Not Abroad.
-Keelerman
Breeders' Cup Friday 2012 Selections
It's hard to believe that the Breeders' Cup is finally
here. It always seems as though it kind of sneaks up on you arrives before
you've even finalized your selections . . .
That was the case this year as well -- when it comes to
the Breeders' Cup, I'm pretty much still making picks just minutes before post
time for a given race -- but here are my selections for Friday's races, which
will be run later this afternoon. For added fun, J.R.'s selections will
accompany mine and we can see who does better. Enjoy!
Juvenile Sprint
Keelerman: 1. Super Ninety Nine 2. Merit Man 3. Sweet
Shirley Mae
J.R.: 1. Merit Man 2. Sweet Shirley Mae 3. Super Ninety
Nine
Trained Bob Baffert won this race last year with the
speedy Secret Circle, and now sends out the intriguing Super Ninety Nine.
The son of Pulpit doesn't really have a early-maturing speed pedigree, but
looked great breaking his maiden going seven furlongs by 1 1/4 lengths. Cutting
back in distance a bit, expect him to settle just off the pace early on before
finishing up well in the homestretch. Merit Man showed fine form
breaking his maiden first time out and backed that up with a dominating 5
1/2-length victory in the Tim Conway Stakes. He does hold a tactical advantage
over Super Ninety Nine in terms of early speed, but will surely face early pace
pressure from South Floyd and possibly Hazardous, which could
make things slightly difficult for him. For third, I like the Wesley Ward filly
Sweet Shirley Mae, who rallied from well back to get second in the
Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga. The daughter of Broken Vow has also show a
great deal of early speed, and should be coming late for a major piece of the
purse.
Update -- with Super Ninety Nine having scratched from the race, my new selection is Merit Man.
Update -- with Super Ninety Nine having scratched from the race, my new selection is Merit Man.
Marathon (gr. III)
Keelerman: 1. Calidoscopio 2. Juniper Pass 3. Eldaafer
J.R.: 1. Jaycito 2. Eldaafer 3. Grassy
To be perfectly honest, there are at least a half-dozen
horses that I could have picked to win and been confident in my chances. Fame
and Glory has been a top-notch horse in Europe for years, but hasn't been
in great form recently and will have to prove he can handle the dirt. Atigun
has established himself as a good three-year-old stayer by finishing third in
the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and fourth in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) and Jockey
Club Gold Cup (gr. I), but will have to prove himself against older horses. Commander
has a great deal of speed and could potentially steal the race in
gate-to-wire fashion if the pace is slow enough. Eldaafer won this race
in 2010 and seems to be coming into this race in terrific form. Grassy
is a nice graded stakes competitor on grass that will be trying dirt for the
first time. Jaycito hails from the barn of Bob Baffert and seems to be
rounding back into form following a so-so summer campaign. Juniper Pass
won the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. II) at this obscure
fourteen-furlong distance in 2011 and is proven over the Santa Anita main
track. Not Abroad looked terrific winning the Maryland Millions Classic
and has run well at twelve furlongs, but the distance may be a bit far for him.
But the horse I find most intriguing is Calidoscopio, a nine-year-old
group I winner that most recently won the group II General Belgrano in
Argentina. Trained by Guillermo Frenkel, the veteran of thirty-nine starts has
been training quite well at Santa Anita -- without a saddle on most occasions
-- and while South American form can be questionable in America, there's no
doubt that this guy can run all day, and traversing a mile and three-quarters,
that should be a huge asset in his favor.
Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I)
Keelerman: 1. Spring Venture 2. Sky Lantern 3. Oscar
Party
J.R.: 1. Sky Lantern 2. Flashy Ways 3. Spring Venture
This is one of the deepest races of the entire Breeders' Cup,
but in the end, I believe there are a couple of standouts. The filly I am most
confident in is Spring Venture, who absolutely blew the doors off her
rivals in the Natalma Stakes (gr. II) two starts back and is unchallenged in
three starts. Her turn-of-foot is simply breathtaking, and while the
competition will be tougher today, I feel she's up to the challenge. Remember,
Natalma runner-up Spring in the Air came back to win the Darly Alcibiades
Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland. Sky Lantern, shipping from Europe for
trainer Richard Hannon, has never finished worse than second in five starts and
looked terrific winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes (gr. I) last time out. Also,
three starts back, she finished a good second to Europe's top two-year-old
filly Certify in a group III at Newmarket, further establishing her
credentials. The only reason I'm not picking her on top is because I just like
Spring Venture's chances slightly better. For third place, Flashy Ways,
Flotilla, Watsdachances, and Waterway Run are obvious possibilities,
but I think Oscar Party can rally for a piece. Beaten a neck in
the Jessmine Stakes (gr. III) after a tough trip, she certainly appears
eligible to improve on that effort and is trained by Wayne Catalano, who won
this race last year with Stephanie's Kitten. Also, you might want to take a
look at 30-1 shot Nancy O, who finished a troubed third in the Natalma
before being distanced in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) over dirt.
Juvenile Fillies (gr. I)
Keelerman: 1. Executiveprivilege 2. Beholder 3. Spring in
the Air
J.R.: 1. Kauai Katie 2. Beholder 3. Dreaming of Julia
To me, this is a rather tricky race to decipher. It's
hard not to like the chances of Dreaming of Julia and Kauai Katie,
but both face the difficult task of shipping from the East coast to win a
Breeders' Cup Juvenile race -- a feat that can be quite difficult. Of the pair,
I actually prefer Kauai Katie, despite her lesser credentials, as I feel her
victory in the Matron Stakes (gr. II) over a track somewhat unkind to speed was
exceptional. But for the top spots, I like Beholder and Executiveprivilege
-- but in which order is difficult to say. Executiveprivilege has terrific
credentials, being unbeaten in five starts, but the Bob Baffert-trainee took
advantage of a slow pace and a speed-favoring track to romp in the Chandelier
Stakes (gr. I), and really doesn't have an edge over he rivals in terms of
Beyer speed figures. Beholder was beaten a nose by Executiveprivilege in the
seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante (gr. I), and returned to win a six-furlong
allowance race by eleven lengths with a Beyer of 108, but is unproven at this
distance and will be breaking from post one. My final selection may be
influenced by how the track is playing, but I'm going to side with
Executiveprivilege for the time being.
Filly and Mare Turf (gr. I)
Keelerman: 1. The Fugue 2. Marketing Mix 3. Ridasiyna
J.R.: 1. Marketing Mix 2. Lady of Shamrock 3. The Fugue
This race has come up very deep, but I think The Fugue
is close to being a standout. The John Gosden-trained three-year-old filly
romped in the Nassau Stakes (Eng-I) two starts back under conditions similar to
these, and was beaten just a beck last time out by the talented Shareta in the
Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I). A versatile filly, she should be able to adapt
to just about any given pace scenario and finish up with a powerful
three-eighths of a mile run. Marketing Mix is the top North American
hopeful, as the Canadian-bred mare is coming off of a powerful victory in the
Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. I) here at Santa Anita, but received a pretty much
perfect setup that day and is now facing much tougher. Ridasiyna has won
four of her five starts, including the Prix de l'Opera (Fr-I) last time out,
but one could argue that she is a bit better over softer ground. In Lingerie
has never run on turf before, but the daughter of Empire Maker is 3-for-3
on synthetic tracks, which includes a strong victory in the Spinster Stakes
(gr. I) last time out. If she can transfer her form to turf, she'll most likely
get first run at the leaders, and from there, they'll have to catch her to beat
her. Nahrain, I'm A Dreamer, and Lady of Shamrock certainly
warrant respect too, as both have one grade I races this year, but you can't
pick them all!
Ladies' Classic (gr. I)
Keelerman: 1. Royal Delta 2. Awesome Feather 3. Questing
J.R.: 1. Awesome Feather 2. Royal Delta 3. Love and Pride
Of all the races on either day of the Breeders' Cup, this
is the one I am looking forward to most. The deep eight-horse field contains
three Eclipse champions, seven grade I winners, and one eight-time stakes
winner. But as strong as this field is, I can't really see past picking Royal
Delta. Winner of this race last year, the Bill Mott-trained filly is coming
off of a terrific victory in the Beldame Invitational Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont
Park, in which she pressured three-time grade I winner It's Tricky through
quick fractions before pulling away powerfully in the homestretch. Her
subsequent training has been excellent, and I think she's sitting on another
huge effort. Awesome Feather looked terrific in her most recent start,
an 11 1/4 length victory in the Nasty Storm Stakes at Belmont Park, and should
get a terrific trip just off the leaders. The only question is how she'll
handle the rise is class while making only her second start since January. Questing
won a pair of grade Is this summer in terrific fashion, including the
ten-furlong Alabama Stakes, and had legitimate excuses for her head defeat in
the Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) last time out. If the track is kind to speed --
which it usually is -- the daughter of Questing could take this field a long
way on the front end. Love and Pride is a bit overlooked, but the
two-time grade I winner has been at Santa Anita for weeks preparing for this
race and has been training very well. Expect to see her Grace Hall fits
with these on her best day, but is a bit inconsistent and had her travel
schedule goofed up by Hurricane Sandy. Include Me Out is a two-time
grade I winner and has run quite well here at Santa Anita, but a mile and a
sixteenth may be her best distance, and this is a really deep field. My Miss
Aurelia is unbeaten in six starts, including the Cotillion Stakes (gr. I)
last time out over Questing, but faces a much tougher pace scenario today and
will have to receive some racing luck to overcome breaking from post two. Class
Included has never finished worse than second in sixteen starts, and turned
in a good workout last week, but is taking a huge step up in class and may be
in a bit deep.
-Keelerman
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