Having already dominated Oaklawn Park's Southwest Stakes (gr. III) last month by over eleven lengths, California shipper Super Ninety Nine will return to the scene of his biggest victory to try and add the $600,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) to his record.
Trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the last three renewals of the Rebel, Super Ninety Nine is the 3-2 favorite on the morning line, and anything close to a repeat of his brilliant Southwest performance should put him in contention to win. However, the son of Pulpit has drawn the far outside post position in a field of eleven, which could make his task a bit more difficult.
His primary opposition is expected to come from Oxbow, brilliant winner of the LeComte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds; Treasury Bill, the fast-closing runner-up in the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita; Delhomme, a close third in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) last November; Will Take Charge, winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes; and Den's Legacy, second in both the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) and Sham Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita.
Post Positions:
1 Carve
2 Treasury Bill
3 Texas Bling
4 Delhomme
5 Hardrock Eleven
6 Den's Legacy
7 Will Take Charge
8 Stormy Holiday
9 Title Contender
10 Oxbow
11 Super Ninety Nine
-Keelerman
Showing posts with label Treasury Bill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Treasury Bill. Show all posts
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Shakin It Up very game in San Vicente victory
Shakin It Up showed a great deal of courage in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park, splitting horses at the eighth pole and rallying clear to win the seven-furlong sprint by one length.
Making his first start since a third-place finish in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. II) last November, Shakin It Up settled back into fifth place during the early stages of the race, about three lengths behind the front-running trio of Belvin, Caballo Del Cielo, and Mudflats. War Academy was directly to Shakin It Up's outside in fourth place, while Treasury Bill was the trailer.
Through fractions of :22.88 and :45.62 Belvin continued to lead the way, but Caballo Del Cielo moved up to claim the advantage entering the homestretch and was in front by a half-length passing the eighth pole. But to his inside, Shakin It Up had found an opening, and the favorite surged through under jockey David Cohen to take command. Treasury Bill closed in late to secure second, but didn't have enough time to reel in the winner, who reached the wire in the excellent time of 1:22.48 seconds.
Caballo Del Cielo held third, three-quarters of a length behind Treasury Bill and a similar margin ahead of War Academy. The latter colt briefly lacked racing room approaching the eighth pole, but failed to mount a serious challenge once clear. Mudflats and Belvin completed the order of finish, with the latter beaten just 2 3/4 lengths.
The winner is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Mike Pegram and Dennis Cardoza. A son of Midnight Lute out of the Vindication mare Silver Bullet Moon, Shakin It Up has now compiled a record of 2-1-1 from 4 starts, with earnings of $139,600.
-Keelerman
Making his first start since a third-place finish in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. II) last November, Shakin It Up settled back into fifth place during the early stages of the race, about three lengths behind the front-running trio of Belvin, Caballo Del Cielo, and Mudflats. War Academy was directly to Shakin It Up's outside in fourth place, while Treasury Bill was the trailer.
Through fractions of :22.88 and :45.62 Belvin continued to lead the way, but Caballo Del Cielo moved up to claim the advantage entering the homestretch and was in front by a half-length passing the eighth pole. But to his inside, Shakin It Up had found an opening, and the favorite surged through under jockey David Cohen to take command. Treasury Bill closed in late to secure second, but didn't have enough time to reel in the winner, who reached the wire in the excellent time of 1:22.48 seconds.
Caballo Del Cielo held third, three-quarters of a length behind Treasury Bill and a similar margin ahead of War Academy. The latter colt briefly lacked racing room approaching the eighth pole, but failed to mount a serious challenge once clear. Mudflats and Belvin completed the order of finish, with the latter beaten just 2 3/4 lengths.
The winner is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Mike Pegram and Dennis Cardoza. A son of Midnight Lute out of the Vindication mare Silver Bullet Moon, Shakin It Up has now compiled a record of 2-1-1 from 4 starts, with earnings of $139,600.
-Keelerman
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Triple Crown Countdown 2-17-13
As promised, here is part two of this week's Triple Crown
Countdown, covering the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita and a couple
of other noteworthy races at Santa Anita and Oaklawn.
Let's begin!
San Vicente Stakes (gr. II)
Seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park
Although this race does not offer any Kentucky Derby
qualification points, it is nevertheless a starting point for a number of
potential Derby candidates, including three -- Belvin, Shakin It Up, and War
Academy -- from the barn of Bob Baffert.
Not surprisingly, Baffert's trio are the three morning
line favorites, with Shakin It Up leading the way at 5-2. A son of
Midnight Lute, the colt has not run since finishing a troubled third in the
Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) at Betfair Hollywood Park last November. Note
that he was beaten just a neck by Super Ninety Nine on that occasion; Super
Ninety Nine being the favorite for the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) tomorrow
afternoon. He's been training nicely for his return, having turned in a couple
of sharp five-furlong works this month, and he appears to be the horse to beat.
Belvin
flashed potential when second in his November debut to subsequent stakes winner
Distinctiv Passion, and came right back one month later to romp in a 6-1/2
furlong maiden here at Santa Anita. Like Shakin It Up, he's been training very
well, and will have leading rider Rafael Bejarano in the saddle. The
interesting part is that he has shown so much talent sprinting, despite the
fact that he is a son of Empire Maker out of a Storm Bird mare. With a pedigree
like that, he should have no trouble stretching out further down the road.
War Academy has a similar profile, being by Giant's Causeway out of an A.P. Indy mare.
There's little doubt that route races are in his future, but he still showed
enough talent to break his maiden going 6-1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park last
November. He got sick shortly thereafter and didn't return to the work tab
until late December, but he's trained well since then and should be in the mix
today. I don't really expect him to win a race like this, as seven furlongs
looks to be way short of his best distance, but a decent effort should set him
up well for a two-turn graded stakes in the near future.
Moving past the Baffert trio, we find Caballo Del
Cielo and Treasury Bill. Both colts are coming off of hugely
impressive debut victories garnered through drastically different running
styles. Caballo Del Cielo, who is trained by Steve Asmussen, broke his maiden
sprinting 5-1/2 furlongs last month in gate-to-wire fashion. He ran the opening
quarter mile that day in a blazing :21.86 seconds, which makes it clear that he
could wind up the early leader in today's race. We know he's got class -- he
was beaten just 3 1/4 lengths as a maiden in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) last
fall -- but he was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Shakin It Up two starts back, and
it's hard to say if he's improved enough to turn the tables.
In contrast, Treasury Bill will be making his first
start against winners after rallying from out of the clouds to break his maiden
going 6-1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on January 27th. Like Belvin and War Academy,
seven furlongs is undoubtedly too short for him -- he's got a regal pedigree
that screams Kentucky Derby -- but don't be surprised to see him finishing
strongly late. My lone concern is that his maiden winner came over a wet,
sealed track; a track that seemed to be playing in favor of closers. It's
possible that his late kick could be somewhat compromised by today's fast
track.
Rounding out the field is Mudflats, who looked
good breaking his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths two starts back at Aqueduct over a
sloppy sealed track. Purchased privately thereafter and transferred to the care
of Doug O'Neill, Mudflats disappointing greatly in his only start since,
finishing seventh in the Jerome Stakes (gr. II) on January 5th. He's got the
speed to be in contention from the start, but it looks as though he'll have to
step up a few notches to beat this field.
Selections: Shakin It Up, Belvin, War Academy
Other Races of Note
At Oaklawn Park . . .
Race 7: Bob Baffert's Title Contender, who
finished last in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and CashCall Futurity
(gr. I) after breaking his maiden sharply in September, has shipped out for
this 1 1/16th miles allowance optional claiming race and should win without
trouble if at his best. Midas Dancer ran second to Gulfport and Fear the
Kitten in a pair of allowance races at Churchill last fall, and has never
finished worse than third in six starts. He looms the most likely winner if
Title Contender fails to bring his best race. Hornet finished
next-to-last in a strong renewal of the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes last
December, then returned to finish third behind Southwest Stakes (gr. III)
entrant Channel Isle in an allowance race here at Oaklawn. Another good effort
today would bode well for Channel Isle's chances tomorrow. Red Wings,
from the barn of D. Wayne Lukas, lost his first six starts before claiming a
narrow victory last time out. He's got a determined running style, but may not
be quite as good as the favorites in this spot.
At Santa Anita . . .
Race 3: This is the first division of a one-mile maiden
special weight that drew enough entries to be run as two races. The favorite is
Wine List, who has finished second in a pair of one-mile maiden races on
the turf. However, the colt I have my eye on is Misdeed, who finished
second by nearly eight lengths to the promising Tiz the Truth in a race similar
to this one two weeks ago. A victory by Misdeed today would, of course, further
stamp Tiz the Truth as a colt of high quality. Aleander, a troubled
seventh in his debut for Baffert on December 26th; and Handsome Dennis,
third in his debut sprinting three weeks ago, are other prominent contenders.
Race 5: The second division of this maiden race has drawn
arguably the stronger field, for it includes names like Footbridge and Syndicated
(2nd and 3rd to Curly Top in a recent one-mile MSW), Pure Loyalty (2nd
to Treasury Bill in that one's maiden victory), Govenor Charlie (2nd to
Let Em Shine in a 6f MSW; finished ahead of subsequent winner Salutos Amigos), Major
Affair (4th to the Demonic and Tiz the Truth in a 7f MSW), and Colburn (4th
to Tiz the Truth in that one's maiden victory.) Don't be surprised if the
winner of this race goes on to contest a major Derby prep race in the near future!
-Keelerman
Thursday, February 14, 2013
San Vicente Stakes: Bob Baffert enters three
Trainer Bob Baffert will have an excellent chance at winning Sunday's $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita, as he trains three of the six entrants.
His runners are Belvin, Shakin It Up, and War Academy. All three showed promise as two-year-olds, with Belvin breaking his maiden second time out; Shakin It Up finishing a close third in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III); and War Academy romping to victory in the lone start of his career. All three have been training sharply for their returns, and it wouldn't be out of the question for them to sweep the trifecta.
Their main opposition is expected to come from Cabello Del Cielo, who was brilliant in breaking his maiden here at Santa Anita last month; and Treasury Bill, who turned in an eye-catching rally to break his maiden on January 27th. Mudflats, who broke his maiden sharply two starts back before finishing seventh in the Jerome Stakes (gr. II), completes the lineup.
Post Positions:
1 Belvin
2 Shakin It Up
3 War Academy
4 Cabello Del Cielo
5 Mudflats
6 Treasury Bill
-Keelerman
His runners are Belvin, Shakin It Up, and War Academy. All three showed promise as two-year-olds, with Belvin breaking his maiden second time out; Shakin It Up finishing a close third in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III); and War Academy romping to victory in the lone start of his career. All three have been training sharply for their returns, and it wouldn't be out of the question for them to sweep the trifecta.
Their main opposition is expected to come from Cabello Del Cielo, who was brilliant in breaking his maiden here at Santa Anita last month; and Treasury Bill, who turned in an eye-catching rally to break his maiden on January 27th. Mudflats, who broke his maiden sharply two starts back before finishing seventh in the Jerome Stakes (gr. II), completes the lineup.
Post Positions:
1 Belvin
2 Shakin It Up
3 War Academy
4 Cabello Del Cielo
5 Mudflats
6 Treasury Bill
-Keelerman
Friday, February 01, 2013
Triple Crown Countdown 2-1-13
Tomorrow marks a very important day along the Triple Crown trail, with three official Kentucky Derby prep races on the schedule, as well as a multitude of other intriguing races. But before we delve into those races -- which we will be doing tomorrow -- here are a variety of thoughts that have been running through my head during the last week or so:
* Give Itsmyluckyday a ton of credit for his victory in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III). He flashed enough early speed to avoid getting caught too wide on the first turn, then wore down the champion Shanghai Bobby to win in track record time. While he doesn't have the strongest of ten-furlong pedigrees, he's certainly not bred to be a sprinter either, and his recent performances give the impression that he'll run all day. Shanghai Bobby also ran very well -- the rail might not have been the place to be last Saturday, and those were very honest fractions he set. Given that it was his first start since the Breeders' Cup, I would think that a much-improved effort is possible next time out.
* Determining the exact reason why Dewey Square was beaten 28 1/2 lengths in the Holy Bull may be impossible -- it was probably a combination of things, including a dislike for getting dirt kicked in his face for the first time. But while it might be tempting to forget about him as a Derby contender, let us recall that his trainer, Dale Romans, was able to save the day with 2011 Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford after that colt was beaten 23 1/2 lengths in the Fountain of Youth.
* A quick look back at the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile reveals that only one runner, Dynamic Sky, has gone on to win a race. Dynamic Sky, of course, won the Pasco Stakes last month at Tampa Bay Downs and will look to continue his success at Tampa in Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III). However, it might be wise to keep an eye on Speak Logistics, who was beaten just a half-length by Dynamic Sky in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Trained by Edward Plesa Jr., who sent out Itsmyluckyday to win the Holy Bull last week, Speak Logistics has been training sharply and will have Tampa's leading rider Angel Serpa aboard.
* It's beginning to sound as though Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) winner Uncaptured is playing catch-up along the Derby trail . . . a couple of foot issues have kept him out of serious training for many weeks, and while trainer Mark Casse does have the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) tentatively penciled in as Uncaptured's final Derby prep, his first race back remains undetermined. The Rushaway Stakes and the Vinery Spiral Stakes (gr. III) are options.
* Bob Baffert sent out a pair of good colts yesterday afternoon in Super Ninety Nine and Code West, who ran 1-2 in a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita. After settling back in second and third, respectively, for the opening half-mile, Super Ninety Nine and Code West both made bids on the outside of front-running Appealing Tale, with Super Ninety Nine getting the jump on his stablemate and holding him off easily to win by 3 1/4 lengths in the very sharp time of 1:35.11. For Super Ninety Nine, it was a dramatically better performance than the one he turned in on December 28th, when he was a dull fourth behind Distinctiv Passion in a six-furlong allowance sprint. For Code West, it was a very encouraging effort for his first start since October, and he should only get better with additional distance.
* Not that this really means anything, but every horse entered in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) is guaranteed to earn a qualification point toward the Kentucky Derby. I'm surprised more didn't enter for that reason alone -- but then again, maybe running fourth and earning one point just isn't worth the trouble.
* That was quite a debut performance from Big Lute this afternoon at Oaklawn. The son of Midnight Lute settled into the three-path early on before taking command around the turn and drawing off powerfully to win by 4 3/4 lengths, stopping the clock for six furlongs in the quick time of 1:10.43 seconds. Trained by Steve Hobby, Big Lute looks bound for a stakes race.
* There hasn't been a lot of talk about him, but Tour Guide has been quietly compiling a very good record at tracks across the country. Feast your eyes on these statistics: He finished second in his debut at Monmouth Park, then broke his maiden there a few weeks later. Then he ran fifth in the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park. Then he shipped to Churchill Downs and won an allowance optional claiming race. Then he went down to Fair Grounds and took the Sugar Bowl Stakes. Most recently, he shipped to Sam Houston Race Park in Texas and won the seven-furlong Allen's Landing Stakes by a half-length. Hard to say if he wants to go any further than that, but he'll get a chance to stretch out in either the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) or Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) later this month.
* Treasury Bill stamped himself as a colt to watch on January 27th when he rallied from out of the clouds to win a 6-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita by 1 1/4 lengths. Trailing by eleven lengths after the opening quarter, and by 7 1/2 with just five-sixteenths of a mile to go, Treasury Bill gobbled up ground in the homestretch like he'd joined the race at the quarter pole and finished up under a long hold late. Given his pedigree, additional distance should not be an issue.
* Another promising Santa Anita maiden winner was Saticoy, who flashed breathtaking speed to win a six-furlong maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths last Saturday. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the Gary Mandella-trainee blazed through fractions of :21.50 and :44.16 en route to a final clocking of 1:08.55 seconds. Storm Fighter, from the barn of Bruce Headley, tracked the pace throughout and wound up clearly second best in a performance that suggests he'll be ready to break his own maiden next time out.
* I was highly disappointed by Mountain Eagle's performance in a recent allowance race at Gulfstream Park. Coming off of a sharp maiden victory, I was expecting a breakthrough performance that would launch him en route to a major Derby prep. Unfortunately, he never really fired, giving way readily to be beaten 7 1/2 lengths after tracking a slow early pace. In the meantime, Orb overcame a slightly troubled trip to rally for victory, but he was clearly tiring at the finish and ran the final eighth in a slow :13.36 seconds. However, it's hard to say what to make of that, since he had just run the previous quarter mile in a strong :24 flat.
* Cerro's victory in the other division of Orb's allowance race says a lot about the quality of Bradester and Gunderman, both of whom beat him soundly in different allowance race on January 1st. But in my opinion Cerro may be better than both of them, for he was running against a track bias when beaten on New Year's Day. On a different note, it was encouraging to see Cerro flash more early speed last Saturday, as the ability to go to the lead or take back and wait will be a useful asset further down the road.
-Keelerman
* Give Itsmyluckyday a ton of credit for his victory in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III). He flashed enough early speed to avoid getting caught too wide on the first turn, then wore down the champion Shanghai Bobby to win in track record time. While he doesn't have the strongest of ten-furlong pedigrees, he's certainly not bred to be a sprinter either, and his recent performances give the impression that he'll run all day. Shanghai Bobby also ran very well -- the rail might not have been the place to be last Saturday, and those were very honest fractions he set. Given that it was his first start since the Breeders' Cup, I would think that a much-improved effort is possible next time out.
* Determining the exact reason why Dewey Square was beaten 28 1/2 lengths in the Holy Bull may be impossible -- it was probably a combination of things, including a dislike for getting dirt kicked in his face for the first time. But while it might be tempting to forget about him as a Derby contender, let us recall that his trainer, Dale Romans, was able to save the day with 2011 Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford after that colt was beaten 23 1/2 lengths in the Fountain of Youth.
* A quick look back at the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile reveals that only one runner, Dynamic Sky, has gone on to win a race. Dynamic Sky, of course, won the Pasco Stakes last month at Tampa Bay Downs and will look to continue his success at Tampa in Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III). However, it might be wise to keep an eye on Speak Logistics, who was beaten just a half-length by Dynamic Sky in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Trained by Edward Plesa Jr., who sent out Itsmyluckyday to win the Holy Bull last week, Speak Logistics has been training sharply and will have Tampa's leading rider Angel Serpa aboard.
* It's beginning to sound as though Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) winner Uncaptured is playing catch-up along the Derby trail . . . a couple of foot issues have kept him out of serious training for many weeks, and while trainer Mark Casse does have the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) tentatively penciled in as Uncaptured's final Derby prep, his first race back remains undetermined. The Rushaway Stakes and the Vinery Spiral Stakes (gr. III) are options.
* Bob Baffert sent out a pair of good colts yesterday afternoon in Super Ninety Nine and Code West, who ran 1-2 in a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita. After settling back in second and third, respectively, for the opening half-mile, Super Ninety Nine and Code West both made bids on the outside of front-running Appealing Tale, with Super Ninety Nine getting the jump on his stablemate and holding him off easily to win by 3 1/4 lengths in the very sharp time of 1:35.11. For Super Ninety Nine, it was a dramatically better performance than the one he turned in on December 28th, when he was a dull fourth behind Distinctiv Passion in a six-furlong allowance sprint. For Code West, it was a very encouraging effort for his first start since October, and he should only get better with additional distance.
* Not that this really means anything, but every horse entered in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) is guaranteed to earn a qualification point toward the Kentucky Derby. I'm surprised more didn't enter for that reason alone -- but then again, maybe running fourth and earning one point just isn't worth the trouble.
* That was quite a debut performance from Big Lute this afternoon at Oaklawn. The son of Midnight Lute settled into the three-path early on before taking command around the turn and drawing off powerfully to win by 4 3/4 lengths, stopping the clock for six furlongs in the quick time of 1:10.43 seconds. Trained by Steve Hobby, Big Lute looks bound for a stakes race.
* There hasn't been a lot of talk about him, but Tour Guide has been quietly compiling a very good record at tracks across the country. Feast your eyes on these statistics: He finished second in his debut at Monmouth Park, then broke his maiden there a few weeks later. Then he ran fifth in the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park. Then he shipped to Churchill Downs and won an allowance optional claiming race. Then he went down to Fair Grounds and took the Sugar Bowl Stakes. Most recently, he shipped to Sam Houston Race Park in Texas and won the seven-furlong Allen's Landing Stakes by a half-length. Hard to say if he wants to go any further than that, but he'll get a chance to stretch out in either the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) or Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) later this month.
* Treasury Bill stamped himself as a colt to watch on January 27th when he rallied from out of the clouds to win a 6-1/2 furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita by 1 1/4 lengths. Trailing by eleven lengths after the opening quarter, and by 7 1/2 with just five-sixteenths of a mile to go, Treasury Bill gobbled up ground in the homestretch like he'd joined the race at the quarter pole and finished up under a long hold late. Given his pedigree, additional distance should not be an issue.
* Another promising Santa Anita maiden winner was Saticoy, who flashed breathtaking speed to win a six-furlong maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths last Saturday. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the Gary Mandella-trainee blazed through fractions of :21.50 and :44.16 en route to a final clocking of 1:08.55 seconds. Storm Fighter, from the barn of Bruce Headley, tracked the pace throughout and wound up clearly second best in a performance that suggests he'll be ready to break his own maiden next time out.
* I was highly disappointed by Mountain Eagle's performance in a recent allowance race at Gulfstream Park. Coming off of a sharp maiden victory, I was expecting a breakthrough performance that would launch him en route to a major Derby prep. Unfortunately, he never really fired, giving way readily to be beaten 7 1/2 lengths after tracking a slow early pace. In the meantime, Orb overcame a slightly troubled trip to rally for victory, but he was clearly tiring at the finish and ran the final eighth in a slow :13.36 seconds. However, it's hard to say what to make of that, since he had just run the previous quarter mile in a strong :24 flat.
* Cerro's victory in the other division of Orb's allowance race says a lot about the quality of Bradester and Gunderman, both of whom beat him soundly in different allowance race on January 1st. But in my opinion Cerro may be better than both of them, for he was running against a track bias when beaten on New Year's Day. On a different note, it was encouraging to see Cerro flash more early speed last Saturday, as the ability to go to the lead or take back and wait will be a useful asset further down the road.
-Keelerman
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