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ALWAYS IN A TIZ
CODE WEST
FREEDOM CHILD
GIANT FINISH
GOLDEN SOUL
ITSMYLUCKYDAY
MICROMANAGE
MYLUTE -- Deleted May 23
ORB
OVERANALYZE
OXBOW
PALACE MALICE
POWER BROKER -- Deleted May 21
REVOLUTIONARY
UNLIMITED BUDGET
WILL TAKE CHARGE
ALWAYS IN A TIZ (KY)
Trainer: Dominick Schettino
Owner: MeB Racing Stables LLC & Brooklyn Boyz Stables
Breeder: Cobra Farm
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Tiznow (Cee's Tizzy, Cee's Song)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Calendar Girl (Elusive Quality, Lord Remember Me)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 3-0-5-0-0 (8) 2.20
Foal Date: Feb. 15, 2010
$175,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga 2011.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. David Cohen has been lined up to ride.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 28, Always in a Tiz breezed five in 1:02.00 (10/26) at BEL.
On May 22, Always in a Tiz breezed five in 1:01.20 (10/25) at BEL.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 21, Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/1/6 Mile. Will Take Charge won after a tough trip. Texas Bling finished a neck back in second after a ground-saving trip. He was edged in the shadow of the wire by a neck. Always in a Tiz, favored at 9-5 under Paco Lopez, closed to finish a head back of Texas Bling in third and was considered by some to be the best horse after the race. The fourth finisher, Stormy Holiday, was another 4 3/4 lengths back. The time was 1:38.64. The chart call: "Always In A Tiz, in the second flight while just off the inside, in some traffic in the second turn, steered out to be three wide turning for home, set down for the drive, coming late while widest of the first flight at the wire."
Feb. 18, Grade III Southwest Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. On a sloppy track, second betting choice Always in a Tiz rallied up the backstretch trying to collar Super Ninety Nine and Heaven's Runway, but he lost ground coming out of the turn. He finished fifth, beaten 17 1/2 lengths.
Feb. 21 NOTE: Always in a Tiz had a lung infection following the race. “We’re going to still shoot for the Rebel,” Anthony Bonomo Jr., general manager for the owner, told DRF.com. “With the points system, we need some big points now. We need to be one-two.”
March 3 NOTE: His connections are from New York, and he's still based in South Florida, but Always in Tiz remains on course for the Rebel at Oaklawn. He was returned to Florida after the Smarty Jones but remained at Oaklawn after the Southwest. “I spoke to (assistant) Carl (Alsop) and to Robby, and they both say everything went very well,” said trainer Schettino of a recent workout. “He scoped clean and the lung infection appears to be completely cleared up. I worked him in blinkers, and I’m hoping to send him one more time – a half-mile – in blinkers next week to get him ready. We are also hoping it doesn’t rain again, but what can you do?”
March 8 NOTE: Calvin Borel will breeze Always in a Tiz on Saturday at Oaklawn; they are pointing to the Rebel.
March 10 NOTE: “Perfect,” said Carl Alsop, assistant to trainer Schettino, about a March 9 workout. “It was just what we wanted. We’re glad to get Calvin. Robby was committed elsewhere, and we didn’t want to wait until the last minute and end up in a bad spot. We figured lock up a good one like Calvin and he’s galloped him and worked him." Borel said, “It was good. Really good. I’m impressed with him. He had blinkers on and I think it will help keep him focused.”
March 16 NOTE: Always in a Tiz skipped the Rebel.
April 6, Grade I Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Always in a Tiz finished ninth of 10, beaten 14 3/4 lengths. He was four wide on both turns and never impacted the race -- ninth or tenth at every call.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Sept. 4, Maiden Special Weight, Saratoga, 5 1/2 Furlongs. Always in a Tiz won over Clawback by a half-length and was timed in 1:04.13. He was the beneficiary of a chain reaction caused at the break when Stage Street veered out from post 1. Clawback, one of those affected, was five lengths back after a quarter-mile and finished second. Revolutionary, the 7-5 favorite, was knocked way off stride at the break, came from 14 lengths back after a quarter, and finished third, beaten only 1 1/4 length.
The chart call: "Always in a Tiz came away in good order, showed in front early, lost the lead to Stage Street (who had bothered numerous opponents at the break), then chased that rival on the outside, drew even near the five-sixteenths pole, leaned inward while gaining the lead approaching the three-sixteenths pole, put away Stage Street but was immediately challenged by Clawback, dueled gamely with that rival in the final furlong and prevailed under strong handling."
Dec. 9, Traskwood Stakes, Aqueduct, Seven Furlongs. Vyjack was much the best in this sloppy-track race, winning by 5 3/4 lengths over Always In A Tiz while timed in 1:24.38. Always in a Tiz and Rajiv Maragh was last of four early and couldn't keep up with the winner. Meanwhile, Vyjack and Cornelio Velasquez tracked Black Hornet for a half-mile, a couple of lengths back, then quickly got the jump on the small field. At the furlong marker, he was ahead by four lenths. The chart call: "Always in a Tiz raced off the pace, came wide into the stretch and rallied mildly outside."
CODE WEST (VA)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Gary and Mary West
Breeder: Edward Evans
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo, Charming Lassie)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Charitabledonation (Saint Ballado (CAN), In the Will)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 9-1-19-5-0 (34) 1.34
Foal Date: April 12, 2010
$340,000 Keeneland September 2011. Code West is a full brother to Charitable Man.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. Rosie Napravnik will be aboard.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 31, Entry Level Allowance, Santa Anita, One Mile. Super Ninety Nine (3-2) rebounded from his Dec. 28 loss winning while going two turns for first time. He and Rafael Bejarano were timed in 1:35.11. Super Ninety Nine attended the pace of :22.83 and :46.47 set by Appealing Tale (5-2) while Code West (5-2) and Martin Garcia sat in a pocket in third. Super Ninety Nine got the best of Appealing Tale in upper stretch, and Code West came along later to get second. The winner prevailed by 3 1/4 lengths. The chart call: "Code West, three deep early, stalked off the inside, went outside a rival into the stretch and was clearly second best."
THE NEXT DAY: Trainer Baffert said Code West came out of his race well and will run in a stake next time out.
Feb. 24, Grade II Risen Star Stakes, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. In a wild finish, a half-length separated the top four runners and the winner paid over $200. Ive Struck A Nerve upset at 135-1. He nosed out Code West by a nose after rallying from last in the 12-horse field. He was timed in 1:44.52. Code West was ridden by Martin Garcia.
Proud Strike and Code West vied for the early lead, cutting out fractions of :23.92 and :48.34. After six furlongs, Proud Strike was regressing, while Oxbow had overtaken Code West to make a short lead. Heading toward the stretch, Oxbow held a short lead while Palace Malice and Mylute had run up to join Code West. Two lengths separated them all. As they struggled to get to the finish line first, Ive Struck A Nerve came wide to nail the win at the finish line. Code West finished a half-length ahead of Palice Malice, who nosed out Oxbow for the show. Normandy Invasion finished fifth, beaten only 1 1/12 length after a rough start.
Martin Garcia: “I mean, my horse ran really good, and then I was in a really good position, and it looks like, that horse outside, he is surprising because my horse, he was really competitive in the stretch, but he never saw the horse outside, which is surprising."
March 30, Grade II Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 Mile. Code West finished sixth, beaten 7 1/4 lengths by Revolutionary and a time of 1:50.28. The chart call: "Code West raced two then three wide on the first turn, followed the leading duo from second, advanced three wide on the far turn, came four wide into the stretch, chased into upper stretch and tired."
April 17 NOTE: While Code West is targeting the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes on May 11, trainer Baffert told DRF.com he hasn't ruled out the Kentucky Derby -- if Code West moves up on the Derby points list. A defection or defections would have to occur. “I’ve got to make a decision in the next week,” Baffert said. Baffert also trains Super Ninety Nine, who is eligible for the Derby. It's interesting to note that DRF has Baffert's Den's Legacy at number 20 on their Derby points list, while Churchill Downs does not list Den's Legacy, who finished sixth in last Saturday's Arkansas Derby.
May 4, Entry Level Allowance, Churchill Downs, 1 1/16 Mile. Stuck between horses during a stalking trip as he turned for home, Code West accelerated down the stretch and came up a neck short at 1-2 odds. Bellarmine, who is a good horse won in a time of 1:43.24 after contending for the lead throughout. The track was rated fast in a drizzling rain and was downgraded to good before the next race.
May 18, Entry Level Allowance, Pimlico, 1 1/16 Mile. Code West won by 6 3/4 lengths at 2-5 odds in the field of 12 and was timed in 1:46.67 under Rosie Napravnik. The chart call: "Code West stalked the pace, advanced in the three path on the far turn, gained command in upper stretch, drifted out in midstretch then eagerly drew off under steady handling."
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
In his first two starts, Code West finished third running one turn at Del Mar each time. He was second by 2 3/4 lengths to Title Contender at Santa Anita the third time, running one mile. Ive Struck A Nerve was third, another 6 1/2 lengths back.
On Oct. 26, Code West broke his maiden in his fourth start -- and last one of 2012 -- going 1 1/16 mile at Santa Anita. He was 1-5 in a field of six. After stalking the early pace, he pressed it and then made a run from 5/16 of a mile to win by a length. The time was 1:46.26.
FREEDOM CHILD (KY)
Trainer: Tom Albertrani
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Spendthrift Farm LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy, Macoumba)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Bandstand (Deputy Minister, City Band)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-7-11-0-0 (28) 4.09
Foal Date: May 18, 2010
$350,000 Fasig-Tipton August 2011.
NEXT RACE: Belmont Stakes on June 8.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PEFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 9, Maiden Special Weight, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Freedom Child finished third beaten 2 3/4 lengths by St Vigeur. He was third or second at each call.
March 10, Maiden Special Weight, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Freedom Child set the pace and won by 5 1/4 lengths while timed in 1:50.96 under Elvis Trujillo at 5-2 odds. Eight ran. The fractions were :23.14, :46.83, 1:11.56 and 1:37.33. The chart call: "Freedom Child set the pace off the rail, drew away to commanding lead on the far turn, then remained well clear to the wire under urging."
April 6, Grade I Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Freedom Child raced for purse money only after getting tangled up with an assistant starter when the gate opened. He was seen as a pace factor but instead wound up in the nearly at the back of the field early in the race and finished tenth of 10.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Freedom Child got away from the gate a bit slowly, but that didn't last long as he led at each call to romp. He'd been bet down to 7-2 from a 12-1 morning line. In the process, the Belmont Stakes probably picked up at least one more entry. Under Luis Saez, Freedom Child set splits on a rain-soaked track rated sloppy/sealed of :23.51, :46.67, 1:10.88 and 1:35.95 before passing the finish line in 1:49.09 -- and winning by 13 1/4 lengths. Saint Viguer gained third a quarter-mile from home and moved up a spot from there to finish second. Abraham, third during much of the race, was nosed out for the show by longshot Go Get the Basil, who was beaten 15 1/2 lengths.
Tom Albertrani, winning trainer: “He was standing fine right until the time they were getting ready to break. He started getting his head up in the air and I think he got off a step slow. The plan was to be on the lead, and luckily he was able to quicken up leaving the gate and get to an easy lead. So, it worked out well. I was very pleased to see him win like that.
"I didn’t think he would actually draw away by that many lengths. Once I saw him on the lead like that, I was pretty confident at the half-mile pole by the way he was traveling. There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘ands’ about what could have happened in the Wood, but at least we have a nice horse. Hopefully, this might lead us to the Belmont.”
Luis Saez, winning jockey: “He was a little slow coming out of there. The last time he had a bad break. I just put him in the race and he responded perfect. In the chute he wanted to run, so I let him run. It was my first time winning a big race here. I’m so happy.”
Terry Finley, president of West Point Thoroughbreds, part owner: “We thought we were set to run well in the Wood; we just had a little bit of bad luck. The next day we put a circle around the Peter Pan.”
“With the pedigree, all the experts were talking about how the Malibu Moons would relish the off going, so we weren’t that concerned. They all have to run over the same race track. We thought we were coming in with a loaded gun. We knew there were some quality horses in there, but we thought if he had the chance to go down the backside on the lead and got his air, he’d be tough to beat.”
“I think we’re going to go to the Belmont Stakes in about four weeks. I hope Orb runs well in the Preakness and the whole world is watching...the Belmont Stakes, and I hope we have the chance to upset the apple cart.”
PEFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Freedom Child raced twice and didn't win. He was eighth in his debut, beaten 24 1/4 lengths by Stormy Len going seven furlongs at Belmont Park. Second time out, he was second in a one-mile maiden special weight, beaten two lengths by Orb.
GIANT FINISH (NY)
Trainer: Tony Dutrow
Owner: Sunrise Stables, Gary Tolchin, Aubrey Flanagan & Bob Smith
Breeder: Andrew Cohen
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway, Takesmybreathaway)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Apocalyptic (Hickman Creek, Sign Language)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 4-1-17-0-0 (22) 1.59
Foal Date: Jan. 31, 2010
No auction history.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 20, Giant Finish breezed four in :50.40 (2/4) at FAI.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 17, Entry Level Allowance, Aqueduct, One Mile 70 Yards. Giant Finish won again versus New York-breds, timed in 1:44.83 and prevailing by 2 3/4 lengths over Sinistra. Cornelio Velasquez was on him again.
March 2, John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Giant Finish came second to General Election, beaten a half-length. The time was 1:46.13. Giant Finish was a four-wide part of a pace battle on Polytrack and did well to hit the board after drifting out and bumping a competitor in upper stretch.
March 23, Grade III Spiral Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Giant Finish finished third after being in second place at the first three calls. Black Onyx won in his first stakes effort. Rated in fifth and sixth in the early going just behind Uncaptured, Black Onyx was never far off the pace. With a quarter-mile run in :23.74 and a half in :48.30, he was 4 1/2, then 2 1/2 lengths back of the pace set by Mac the Man. Mac the Man began to fade as the field headed for the far turn, impeding an oncoming Fear the Kitten. Taken by the Storm got the lead with six furlongs run in 1:13.00, with Giant Finish just behind and Black Onyx third, a length back of the lead. Uncaptured was right there in fourth position, where he'd been all the way.
Black Onyx challenged Taken by the Storm into the stretch and got by him inside the furlong marker for the win. Uncaptured stayed on for the place, beaten 1 1/2 length. Giant Finish was another length back in third, and it was another length to fourth and Taken by the Storm.
The race was timed in 1:51.98.
Jose Espinoza: “He took a very good position, and he kept dragging me all the way around. When I asked him to go, I thought he’d have a lot of kick in the end, but he just kept on with a steady run. He’s pretty much a professional horse. He has a lot of class.”
Mark Hubley, assistant to Anthony Dutrow: “Really pleased with the effort. He tends to hang a little bit, but I thought overall he ran well.”
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Giant Finish finished tenth, beaten 14 1/4 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after running mid-pack the majority of the trip.
Ray Handal (assistant to Tony Dutrow) – “He ran great. He ran hard. He’s tired and rightfully so. He ran a great race. We’re pleased with him.”
Jose Espinoza – “He didn’t handle the track very well. I had great position all the way around but he just wasn’t getting a hold of the track.“
May 23 NOTE: Giant Finish was confirmed for the Belmont Stakes on May 22. He surprised trainer Dutrow by finishing tenth in the Kentucky Derby. “I think the horse gave us a great effort and under all circumstances considered I respect him getting a chance in the Belmont," Dutrow said. “I’m not making any predictions, but I do think the mile and a half will be good for our horse.” A jockey hasn't been named.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Giant Finish won his debut on Nov. 3 going six furlongs at Aqueduct, timed in 1:11.13 racing against fellow New York-breds. He and Cornelio Velasquez employed a pressing style to get it done. Glowing Ember finished second, beaten 1 1/2 length, and the third finisher was five more lengths back.
His second and final race of the year came on Dec. 9 in the restricted Damon Runyon Stakes. Giant Finish was fifth, beaten 13 3/4 lengths.
GOLDEN SOUL (KY)
Trainer; Dallas Stewart
Owner: Charles Fipke
Breeder: Charles Fipke
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Perfect Soul (IRE) (Sadler‘s Wells, Ball Chairman)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Hollywood Gold (Mr. Prospector, Lady In Silver)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 11-5-18-4-0 (38) 1.92
Foal Date: May 14, 2010
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. Presumably Robby Albarado will be back on him.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 18 NOTE: I think he’s going to be kind of a ‘longer the better’ type of horse,” trainer Stewart said.
Jan. 19, Grade III Lecomte Stakes, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. Golden Soul finished second, but it was a little over 11 lengths second as Oxbow led throughout to win in 1:43.30.
Dallas Stewart: “I thought he finished great. It was a slow pace, and he finished well. We were second today, but we’ll take that. I hope (he'll be back in the Risen Star). As long as he comes out of this in good shape, that’s the way we’re headed.”
Brian Hernandez Jr.: “We were between horses the whole way, although he’s one of the rare few that’s able to handle being between horses the whole time. When I squeezed on him, he picked it up nicely; the winner was just a little more seasoned and a little bit better horse today. We ran a nice second. He finished good and I think the distance will help him. The further they go the better he’ll get. And it’s only his third start, so to step up like he did in the Lecomte, there’s no denying he’s a good horse.”
THE NEXT DAY: “(T)he colt gave a good effort... The pace in the Lecomte was pretty slow, but he was finishing good. As the distances get longer, then I think he’ll do better," trainer Stewart said.
Feb. 24, Grade II Risen Star Stakes, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. Golden Soul and Miguel Mena finished sixth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths. They were sixth or seventh at every point in the race. Ive Struck A Nerve rallied on the outside to win from last position at the first call. The time was 1:44.52. The chart call: "Golden Soul raced near the inside on the first turn, was reserved off the pace, came under urging on the far turn, swung five wide into the stretch and lacked the needed kick."
March 30, Grade II Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 Mile. Golden Soul was last of 14 at the first two calls and thirteenth after six furlongs. After making a sustained run from the 5/8 pole to the furlong marker, he finished fourth. Revolutionary and Mylute both came from far back to run one-two. Revolutionary took the overland route to win. Unhurried early, he was about a dozen behind a fast early pace, while Mylute was nine to 11 lengths back. Hip Four Sixtynine and Titletown Five alternated for the early lead with splits of :22.84 and :46.34. They tired to six in 1:11.84, and Revolutionary was only 2 3/4 lengths behind at that point, with Mylute four lengths back of the pace. Revolutionary launched a bid five wide in the far turn -- it looked like eight. Mylute, at 19-1, went four and five wide and briefly got the lead at the sixteenth pole but hung a bit, and Revolutionary prevailed by a neck over Mylute, timed in 1:50.28. Finishing third, three lengths farther back, was Departing. Fourth was Golden Soul, who was beaten 4 3/4 lengths.
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Golden Soul, the next-to-last horse to make the Derby field, came running late with Robby Albarado in the irons to finish second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89, and a length ahead of Revolutionary, who made a late charge up the rail. Golden Soul was fifteenth, 18 1/4 lengths behind after a half-mile.
Dallas Stewart – “We got beat by a great horse. He ran terrific. I’m so proud of Robby . He vindicated himself. He’s just a great rider and gave this horse a great ride. And Chuck Fipke, what can I say? One of the best (owners) ever.’’
Robby Albarado – “It was great. I thought I had a great chance turning for home. I saw Orb up there. I’m just thankful for the opportunity. It’s amazing to get the opportunity. It was stop and go. I was comfortable with the pace. Stop and go just a couple times. I got a great inside trip. I got him out. He came running.’’
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Golden Soul finished second in his debut at Churchill Downs on Nov. 8, beaten a head by Sayler’s Creek after rallying from ninth of 12 and splitting horses. The winning time was 1:37.08.
The colt finished strongly to win a Dec. 30 two-turn maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. Only five ran, but he won by 7 1/4 lengths. The 1 1/16-mile race was clocked in 1:46.86. Golden Soul was much closer to the early lead than he was in his debut.
Dec. 31 NOTE: “I think he’s a really good one, I really do. He’s trained so well, has a lot of talent and ran real well first-time out,” said trainer Stewart. “We’ve got some very high hopes for him. We’re going to take our time with him. He’s a late foal, May 14. I think he’s unlimited on distance. We’re going to do the smart thing and take our time. The Lecomte might be pushing it but we’ll have to wait and see.”
ITSMYLUCKYDAY (KY)
Trainer: Edward Plesa, Jr.
Owner: Trilogy Stable & Laurie Plesa
Breeder: Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Lawyer Ron (Langfuhr (CAN), Donation)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Viva La Slew (Doneraile Court, Viva La Viva)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 4-3-7-0-0 (14) 3.00
Foal Date: March 18, 2010
$47,000 Keeneland September 2011.
$110,000 OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training.
NEXT RACE: As of May 19, possibly the Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 1, Gulfstream Park Derby, Gulfstream Park, One Mile. Coming off a troubled fifth on turf in the Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream on Dec. 15, Itsmyluckyday dominated his five rivals, winning by 6 3/4 lengths under Paco Lopez. Itsmyluckday settled in fourth on the backstretch run of the one-turn stakes while close to the pace. He made a move on Undrafted, who had set very fast fractions. Itsmyluckyday challenged for the lead on the turn and sweptpast the tiring Undrafted in the stretch, lengthening his lead to the wire. Sr. Quisqueyano, the 5-2 second choice ridden by Joel Rosario, raced just behind the leaders throughout the race and finished second. The next runner was another 5 1/2 lengths behind. The time was a stout 1:34.39.
Eddie Plesa, Jr.: “This horse has been training great. Paco thinks this horse is better on the turf and still thinks he’s better on the turf. I have a problem with that. I know how good he’s been training. He loves the dirt. I don’t get Derby Fever until at least April. When I looked up at the fractions, I was somewhat concerned, but he just kept on going. I’m very pleased with his effort.
“We’ll evaluate what our options are. You’ve got the next race here, and you’ve got another one at Tampa. The main thing is: he’s had a full schedule. Let’s see how he comes out of this race and we’ll go from there.”
Paco Lopez: "I liked our position today, and last time we were on the grass we had a little trouble. I was in a good position so I pushed early to stay second. On the rail I waited and waited, looked back a few times but I knew I had a lot of horse left."
Jan. 26, Grade III Holy Bull Stakes, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Itsmyluckyday became the first horse to defeat Shanghai Bobby, and it took a track-record time to do it, 1:41.81, cutting .54 second off then 5-year-old Endorsement's mark from Feb. 1, 2012. Shanghai Bobby broke from post 1 on the lead under Rosie Napravnik. He was pursued most closely going into and up the backstretch by longshot Clearly Now. Behind those two was the eventual winner, Itsmyluckyday, written by Elvis Trujillo. Frac Daddy and Bern Identity vied for fourth position as the field ran toward the second turn. Heading into the turn, Shanghai Bobby and Itsmyluckyday separated themselves from the rest of the field. Shanghai Bobby led into the top of the stretch, but he was soon overtaken by Itsmyluckyday.
Shanghai Bobby went the first quarter-mile in :23.34 and got the half in :46.68. They winning margin was two lengths. Clearly Now finished third at odds of 42-1 and was beaten 13 1/2 lengths for it all. Another half-length behind him was another longshot, Joshua's Comprise at 132-1.
Eddie Plesa Jr.: "Words can’t describe it. It’s something everybody should feel. Anybody in this game deserves to have this feeling. I wish them all to have this feeling sometime….just not today.
Plesa said, subject to change, that he would point Itsmyluckyday next to the Grade I Florida Derby. Pletcher's original plan has been to do the same with Shanghai Bobby.
“I told Elvis,’If you’re seven-wide on the first turn and four-wide heading for home, you’re not going to win the race.' I just wanted the best horse to win the race; I believe that’s what happened today. I didn’t see anybody that had any big excuses as far as wide trips. That’s what I wanted for our horse; I wanted a fair chance to win the race. When we got to about the five-eighths pole, the half-mile pole, I felt real good, because I know he has a good kick. He couldn’t have been training any better or doing any better, so I was pretty confident that we were going to be right there.
“We’ll see how he comes out of the race, but I’d lean toward the Florida Derby. But he’s going to tell me what he wants to do. Then I’ll sit down with our partners and we’ll discuss it. It’s a 3-year-old. Everybody’s excited because of the Kentucky Derby. It’s hard not to get wrapped up in that.”
Elvis Trujillo: "I'm very thankful for Mr. Plesa, who gave me this opportunity to ride Itsmyluckyday. This was a very fast trip with two horses out in front and us right behind. This was the trip Mr. Plesa and I hoped for."
Feb. 8 NOTE: "We've already decided with the new points system, that if for some reason we don't get enough points in the next race, the Florida Derby, we won't go to the Kentucky Derby," trainer Plesa told Jennie Rees in USA Today. "Because I don't think I'm going to run him in a race between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby to get enough points to get into the race."
March 16 NOTE: “He worked perfect with Elvis,” said trainer Plesa. “He galloped out three-quarters in 1:14. I couldn’t be more pleased with him. We’re coasting from here. He’ll just have an easy half-mile breeze next weekend, and that’s it. It’s been a long wait, but I think we’ve done the right thing with him.”
March 26 NOTE: “It was a matter of him finding his niche,” trainer Plesa said. “I was waiting for the distance races all along. Did he far exceed anything that I thought? Absolutely. But I did expect him to be a distance horse.”
March 30, Grade I Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/18 Mile. Orb initially set up a couple of lengths behind the pace set by Merit Man, who was pressed by Narvaez. Itsmyluckyday and Elvis Trujillo were tracking those two outside of two-year-old champion Shanghai Bobby, who was on the rail after breaking from post 1. Merit Man and Narvaez went the first quarter-mile in :24.74 and the half in :48.56, and at the second call Orb was in fifth position, four lengths from the front.
Merit Man and Kent Desormeaux still led after six furlongs in 1:12.89, but Itsmyluckyday was getting closer. With a mile booked in 1:37.70, Itsmyluckyday was on the lead. But Orb was not to be denied. After circling four wide on the second turn, he caught Itsmyluckyday, the 8-5 post time favorite, inside the furlong marker. Orb separated himself from Itsmyluckyday to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths. Merit Man and Narvaez, both making their two-turn debuts, stayed on for third and fourth, beaten five lengths and 10 lengths, respectively. Shanghai Bobby finished fifth, 3/4 length behind Narvaez.
Orb was timed in 1:50.87.That was almost two seconds slower than Dreaming of Julia's 1:48.97 in the Grade II Gulfstream Oaks earlier on the card. She won by 21 3/4 lengths and is bound for the Kentucky Oaks.
Trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. (Itsmyluckyday) – “I expected him to win, and he didn’t. Am I disappointed? Yes, but I’m also very proud of him too. He’s done everything we’ve asked. I’ll be fine going to bed tonight with what he did. He won $200,000 today and $600,000 altogether.
“He ran his race. He just got outrun. The winner ran a fantastic race. We finished second, and that’s good enough to get to the Derby, which was our goal. I thought we were sitting in pretty good position and moved for the lead on the far turn, but Orb just outkicked him.”
April 18 NOTE: “I couldn’t be more pleased with the way he worked,” trainer Plesa told DRF.com. “The first half-mile is what it is, I just wanted him to finish up. I’ve been doing this a long time over here and they don’t tend to go much faster than 1:43 for a mile at Calder. Maybe one or two have but I don’t think I’ve had a horse finish like he did or gallop out so strongly after working a mile in that kind of time. He’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been. The 62 days between the Holy Bull and Florida Derby was just what we needed to do. He’s responded very favorably and is on top of his game right now.”
With exercise rider Bobby Gray aboard, Itsmyluckyday was timed by Mike Welsch in :26.82 and :53.82, then completed his final half-mile in :49.28 and final quarter in 24.80. Plesa said that it was as good a mile work as any horse he could remember at Calder. The move was deemed the final serious workout for Itsmyluckyday before the Kentucky Derby. Plesa's plans to put one more easy work into Itsmyluckyday before vanning him to Churcill Downs on April 26.
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Itsmyluckyday finished fifteenth, beaten 22 1/2 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after running sixth and seventh the the first three calls.
Eddie Plesa Jr. – “Elvis said he didn’t like the track. It was something I was concerned about, but we were all running on the same track.”
Elvis Trujillo – “He didn’t run his race. He just didn’t like the track.”
May 18, Grade I Preakness Stakes, Pimlico, 1 3/16 Mile. Itsmyluckyday finished second, beaten 1 3/4 length by Oxbow. The chart call: "Itsmyluckyday, four wide around the first turn, edged closer within himself nearing the far turn, came five wide for the drive, made a menacing run leaving the eighth pole but flattened out a bit late while saving the place."
Eddie Plesa Jr.: “I’m very pleased with the way he ran. He ran his race. He simply just got beat by a horse that was trained perfectly by Wayne Lukas. We did run our race, but we just weren’t lucky enough to win.”
John Velazquez: “My horse ran awesome. The speed didn’t develop the way I thought it would. I thought Oxbow would be third or fourth, then all of a sudden I look up and Bob Baffert’s horse gets left and Oxbow was on the lead all by himself. I worried then about my horse, but he ran great.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Itsmyluckyday was a four-length winner of the five-furlong Fasig-Tipton Dash on Aug. 25, improving his career record to three wins from five starts with $110,600 in earnings. The purse for the Foolish Pleasure would be $100,000.
Sept. 15, Foolish Pleasure Stakes, Calder, One Mile 70 Yards. Itsmyluckyday tracked in fourth, moved on the turn and led by two lengths with a furlong left. He won by three, timed in 1:45.45, at 7-2 odds. Initial fractions were moderate to slow, the first six furlongs timed in 1:13.51. Sr. Quisqueyano, favored at 1-2, finished second, followed 5 3/4 lengths by Joshua's Comprise. Itsmyluckyday benefitted when Sr. Quisqueyano and 47-1 outsider Billos Boy fought for early control of the race.
Manny Cruz, aboard the winner: “My horse can go to the lead, but there were a couple of others that wanted the lead, so I let them go and was happy to keep my horse covered up. All through the race, my horse gave me the choice to do whatever I wanted. And then when I asked him, that little horse, he gave me a big punch.”
Oct. 17 NOTE: “I talked to the partners in Itsmyluckyday and for them, geographically, it’s not what they wanted. He’d be 20-1 or higher in the Juvenile and they’ve been to California before with a horse and didn’t have any luck. We’ll just bypass the Breeders’ Cup and get him ready for the bigger races down here this winter,” trainer Plesa told DRF.com.
Nov. 17, Grade III Delta Downs Jackpot, Delta Downs, 1 1/16 Mile. Itsmyluckyday failed to impact the race and finished sixth, beaten 7 1/4 lengths. The chart call: "Itsmyluckday was unhurried early then rallied on the far turn while five wide to upper stretch then failed to menace in the stretch drive."
MICROMANAGE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Repole Stable
Breeder: Fiona Craig & Dermot Cantillon
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Medaglia D' Oro (El Prado (IRE), Cappucino Bay)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Catnip (Flying Paster, Beware of the Cat)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 1-2-5-2-0 (10) 1.22
Foal Date: March 9, 2010
$170,000 Keeneland September 2011. A well-named colt if there ever was one.
NEXT RACE: As of May 19, possibly the Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 5 NOTE: Micromanage was being pointed to the Jerome Stakes but was sidelined.
May 11, Entry Level Allowance, Monmouth Park, One Mile 70 Yards. At 2-1 odds on a sloppy track, Micromanage won his comeback and was timed in 1:43.97. He had a four-wide trip and got up to win by a neck under Joe Bravo.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Sept. 1, Maiden Special Weight, Saratoga, Seven Furlongs. Micromanage won his debut under Javier Castellano, but he did it by five lengths, making it an ultra-impressive debut. The time was 1:23.01. He was fifth after a quarter-mile, three lengths in arrears, then quickly moved up to contest the lead and was in charge shortly after the quarter-pole. Apex, a second-time Bill Mott trainee, was second. Favored Gulfport was third.
Sept. 3 NOTE: “Todd said he was very steady in the morning,” said owner Repole. “I asked him what he felt about the horse, and he said, ‘It’s a tough race, very tough race.’ He said the horse was working well but probably will need a race and was more concerned about how the horse finished and galloped out.”
Sept. 16 NOTE: Micromanage is under consideration for the Grade I Champagne.
Oct. 6, Grade I Foxwoods Champagne Stakes, Belmont Park, One Mile. Micromanage finished fifth, beaten 10 lengths by Shanghai Bobby, after running last of six early in the race. The chart call: "Micromanage, three wide entering the turn, was five wide exiting it (the widest of all), had no rally."
Todd Pletcher: “Archwarrior and Micromanage ran like horses who had only one start. Micromanage needed to do a little more. He was a little bit wide around the turn, and I think we learned a little something about the way he needs to be ridden; we probably need to place him in the race a little more. I thought both of those had credible performances."
Oct. 17 NOTE: Micromanage will not go to Breeders' Cup. Instead, the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct on Nov. 24. “I’m a pro-Lasix person,” owner Repole said. “It’s the one drug that can prevent a horse from bleeding and help a horse. I’ve spoken to a lot of veterinarians and a lot of trainers who have given me enough information to make me feel Lasix is a drug that horses need. For them to experiment on one of America’s biggest racing days and stages makes no sense. It’s kind of par for the course.”
Nov. 16 NOTE: Looking forward to the Remsen -- “I was disappointed in the Champagne,” trainer Pletcher said. “I think we learned something about the way he needs to be ridden. He needs to be involved in the early part of the race a little more. He’s the kind of horse that has a good cruising speed, and he needs to get into it as opposed to trying to make up ground in the stretch. The horse has trained very well before and since then, and we’re looking for an improved effort.”
Nov. 24, Grade II Remsen Stakes, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Micromanage managed to utterly disappoint his backers, finishing a dismal last-of-10 at 8-5 odds. He ran in mid-pack for a little over half the race, then folded his tent. The chart call: "Micromanage towards the inside, faded after completing six furlongs."
Dec. 6 NOTE: Micromanage, a disappointing tentth behind Overanalyze in the Remsen, will return to action at Aqueduct on Jan. 5.
ORB (KY)
Trainer: Shug McGaughey
Owner: Stuart S. Janney III & Phipps Stable
Breeder: Stuart S. Janney III LLC & Phipps Stable
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy, Macoumba)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Lady Liberty (Unbridled, Mesabi Maiden)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 11-12-15-0-2 (40) 3.21
Foal Date: Feb. 24, 2010
NEXT RACE: As of May 19, possibly the Belmont Stakes. Joel Rosario would presumably retain the mount.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 26, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Orb started slowly, had to be checked, then went from last to first in a quarter-mile, although the field was fairly compact at the time he made his move. But he did that from behind moderate fractions during the first six furlongs. He defeated a stubborn, front-running Duke of the City by a length and appeared to be waiting on horses after he got the lead inside the furlong marker. The fractions and final time were :24.32, :49.11, 1:13.58, 1:37.69, 1:51.05. Two races earlier, 3-year-old Cerro won an allowance at the same distance in 1:50.29.
The chart call: Orb raced in tight going into the first turn, steadied slightly and raced in the back in opening quarter, continued to pull in early stages, forced to settle in under patient handling, given permission to pick up the pace in the backstretch, edged up to the leader near the quarter pole, matched strides with Duke of the City into the stretch, shook free in the final sixteenth and continued clear to the wire."
Shug McGaughey: “He’s not fast, so (getting in trouble behind horses) going to happen sometimes. (Joel Rosario) was trying to keep him down in there. I’m glad, because that way he got a little schooling. I think there’s a lot left there. It was the first time I was able to get him stretched out around two turns. When I brought him down here this winter, I said ‘He might be a nice horse when we get him back to Aqueduct this spring.' I’m very pleased today.”“I’ve had trouble with him at the gate. The first two times I ran him, he was terrible in the gate. He came up against some good horses, too, like Violence."
Feb. 23, Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Too-swift early fractions were made to order for a late run by Orb. Majestic Hussar set fractions of :23.11, :45.45 and 1:08.85. Cerro was in closest pursuit up the back, followed by Sr. Quisqueyano, Violence and Elmutahid. Speak Logistics and Orb played it cool near the back of the nine-horse field. Violence edged closer to Majestic Hussar heading into the second turn and was within a half-length at six furlongs. Violence got to the furlong marker with a 1 1/2-length lead, but Orb, ridden by John Velazquez, was coming at them and surged past to beat Violence by a half-length. The time was a solid 1:42.24. Speak Logistics also closed, but not as quickly as Orb, to finish third, beaten 7 1/4 lengths.
The winner was getting six pounds from Violence. It was Orb's second race with Lasix.
Trainer Shug McGaughey: "I was watching on the television, so I couldn't see the fractions, but when they came into the picture I said to myself, 'If they slow down, he's going to catch them.' Of course, Violence kept going a bit, but I still thought we had him. When he made the lead, he did the same thing he did in the allowance race here, pulling himself up a bit. But that's just being young. The strides he has made this winter are just absolutely incredible...I think what happened is when Orb made the lead, he started looking around a bit. But I think Violence made him that much more competitive. I hope that's what it was.
"I don't know what his next outing will be, but we'll see and talk to the Phipps and Stuart Janney and see what they want to do and go from there."
Asked if he was worried about the Kentucky Derby: "I've been worried about it since I started rubbing horses in 1972."
"John Velazquez said everything went great. I was concerned about the one post and the mile and sixteenth. I would have liked it to have been 1 1/8 but it wasn't. So there was nothing we could do but it worked out."
John Velazquez: “There was a lot of speed, and I was actually able to get right where I wanted to be pretty early. I was told the horse likes to be on the outside, and by the time we got on the backside, I was able to switch him out, and he was going along nice and smooth. I actually had to ride him pretty hard from the half-mile to the quarter pole to keep position, and I hoped it wouldn’t take anything out of him for the stretch but it actually worked out great, so I was right where I wanted to be.”
March 26 NOTE: “Like I said after the Fountain of Youth, I wake up every morning thinking of winning the Kentucky Derby. I wish I’d won it a long time ago so I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore,” trainer McGaughey said. “The reason I don’t get Derby Fever is that I want to take the right horse.”
March 30, Grade I Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/18 Mile. Orb did what trainer McGaughey hoped he'd do, and that's take him a step closer to the Kentucky Derby. Orb and John Velazquez initially set up a couple of lengths behind the pace set by Merit Man, who was pressed by Narvaez. Itsmyluckyday was tracking those two outside of two-year-old champion Shanghai Bobby, who was on the rail after breaking from post 1. Merit Man and Narvaez went the first quarter-mile in :24.74 and the half in :48.56, and at the second call Orb was in fifth position, four lengths from the front.
Merit Man and Kent Desormeaux still led after six furlongs in 1:12.89, but Itsmyluckyday was getting closer. With a mile booked in 1:37.70, Itsmyluckyday was on the lead. But Orb was not to be denied. After circling four wide on the second turn, he caught Itsmyluckyday, the 8-5 post time favorite, inside the furlong marker. Orb separated himself from Itsmyluckyday to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths. Merit Man and Narvaez, both making their two-turn debuts, stayed on for third and fourth, beaten five lengths and 10 lengths, respectively. Shanghai Bobby finished fifth, 3/4 length behind Narvaez.
Orb was timed in 1:50.87.That was almost two seconds slower than Dreaming of Julia's 1:48.97 in the Grade II Gulfstream Oaks earlier on the card. She won by 21 3/4 lengths and is bound for the Kentucky Oaks.
Shug McGaughey: “I’m pretty excited about the first Florida Derby I’ve ever won. I’m just glad to see the horse take another step, and we’ll go from there. Johnny did a good job getting him in position. I got a little nervous on the turn when it looked like he backed up a little bit, but he switched on his right lead and came with his run. I do think he beat a nice horse that finished second.
“From the Fountain of Youth to now, he’s a different horse, physically and coat-wise. Hopefully, he’ll keep going forward. It’s really exciting. I’d never won the Fountain of Youth, and now to win the Florida Derby, it’s exciting. I’m happy for all the people who have put so much work into it. I’m just tickled to death for the Janneys and the Phippses than I am for myself. It’s a big thrill for me.
“The Derby is my dream, but we never tried to overdo it. Hopefully, this is the one who can take us there.
"He trained fairly sharp, and I told my son in the paddock, I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks OK and he won't be as far back. Now I didn't know they were going to go 24 and change either. So I wasn't too surprised where he was. The one thing you don't know is if it will take away from the run or not and, obviously, it didn't.
"I never wanted to run the wrong kind of horse because I know what the consequences would be. We're trying to set up to have horses that will run later on and keep going, so I've learned if you press on too early, maybe something will happen where they don't make it or they'll peak too soon. When I ran this horse the first time in September I didn't believe he would be a Derby horse, but we were hoping that somewhere along the line, one of the colts would go through the development stage and take us there, as we do every year."
John Velazquez: "The first jump from the gate wasn't very good so I had to kind of ask him to get into the game in the first turn. Trujillo (Itsmyluckyday) started coming out on the first turn..I let him out. I thought he was the horse to beat. So I followed him. I was right behind him. I wasn't too far from him. About the half-mile pole I said, 'I'm going to put a little pressure on him,' because it looked like he was going a little too easy. I got to him, we started moving together. At the three-eighths pole I showed the whip to my horse, and he kind of went to get him a little too soon. So I kind of sat against the horse. The reason I wanted to do that was I didn't want to get ahead way too soon in the race and then he'd be waiting. Once we did that, and I asked him, he responded right away. It was impressive. Once I asked him, he was there for me, and I couldn't ask for a better feeling than that.
"Once you get him out of the paddock and on the racetrack he's beautiful, he doesn't do anything wrong on the track. I like to warm him up with the pony and then jog him by myself and take my feet out of the irons, he's perfect. I think he just feels a little crowded in the paddock and that's it. Once he's on the track, he's very good."
Velazquez said trackside that Orb "definitely" has what it takes to win the Kentucky Derby.
Stuart Janney III (owner-breeder – Orb): Obviously, he is very calm, although he has shown some signs of a horse I had here some years ago (Coronado’s Quest). With him, you got the feeling you were trying to disarm a nuclear device. (Orb) acted up just a little, and I had a brief panic attack, but after he was saddled he was calm. He seems to be a horse that could take us there with his temperament and style.
"You know, you can be in this game so many different ways. You can buy them or, like I do, try to breed them. I was very lucky a lot of years ago to take over some very good bloodlines from my parents. And this was particularly a bloodline that was their best. So I feel a great sense of pride that we've been able to produce some very good horses out of this particular line because it goes back through my parents to my grandmother. And it's a lot of fun, frankly, to run this horse with Dinny Phipps. His father was...very special. I really wasn't necessarily going to get into the game. He came to me and said, 'I'll be your partner. I'd like it if Shug trains the horses we own together.'And for me it was wonderful because, first of all, I enjoy doing it and, secondly, I got the benefit of his advice and I also got a reasonably good trainer. So to do this with the extended members of my family is also a wonderful aspect of this."
(Note: Coronado’s Quest finished second in the 1998 Hutcheson Stakes and Fountain of Youth Stakes before a fifth-place finish in the Florida Derby.)
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Orb, whose odds were 8-1 minutes before post time, dipped to 5-1 favoritism shortly before the gates opened and then won. Timed in 2:02.89 over a sloppy/sealed track, Orb and Joel Rosario took advantage of a swift early pace and swooped to the lead in the stretch. Palace Malice set hot fractions of :22.57, :45.33 and 1:09.80. He was chased through those splits initially by Goldencents, Falling Sky, Vyjack, Verrazano and Oxbow. Falling Sky was the first of them to fall back, then Vyjack went by the wayside. That got the field, led by Palace Malice, to the beginning of the far turn, but he began to tire. Goldencents dropped from fourth position to fifteenth in the span of a quarter-mile. Oxbow surged around the turn, and Verrazano was running one-paced.
Leaving the turn, Normandy Invasion, ridden by Javier Castellano, was the first of the late runners to strike the lead and looked like a winner turning for home after a mile in 1:36.16. But Orb got by him with an eighth of a mile to run and edged away from the field to win by 2 1/2 lengths. After a half-mile, Orb was in sixteenth place, 18 3/4 lengths off the lead.
Shug McGaughey -- "I still think there's something there. I think there's more there. I don't think we've bottomed out. I think he's still learning how to run a little bit. All winter we saw that same thing. He would make the lead like he would go off and would kind of ease himself out. His allowance race, Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and even today when he made the lead kind of thing, Joel did the right thing by sort of letting him drift out a little bit to see that horse come, and then he went on and finished. But I've seen some things that make me think that there is more there."
Joel Rosario -- "Well, when I brought him over, I know he's the kind of horse, I know he keeps going, and I can see he can catch the horse in front really quick. As soon as I passed the last horse sometimes he likes to pull himself a little bit and kind of get after him a little bit, and he was going along well. It all worked out good."
May 23 NOTE: Orb galloped this morning, and trainer McGaughey listed the things he would have to see happen to strongly consider a run in the Belmont Stakes: "If everything’s right, he’s doing right, puts his weight back on, his energy level’s good," the trainer told DRF.com. “If we hit any stumbling block along the way there are plenty of other good opportunities.”
May 18, Grade I Preakness Stakes, Pimlico, 1 3/16 Mile. Orb finished fourth, beaten nine lengths by Oxbow. The chart call: "Orb bobbled inward at the break, recovered and moved up to be within range while saving ground around the first turn, eased off the inside and quickly reached a striking position between foes five furlongs out, dropped back a bit on his own entering the far turn, moved to the rail soon after, gave chase into the lane, angled out past the three sixteenths marker and finished with some interest between rivals."
Shug McGaughey: “I’m disappointed. It was a great opportunity. We were 3-5 and we finished fourth. I would be disappointed any time you had this kind of opportunity and didn’t get it done. I don’t think two weeks had anything to do with it. Oxbow ran back in two weeks. Itsmyluckyday ran back in two weeks, Mylute ran back in two weeks. I just think he got himself in a position where he wasn’t comfortable and then without the pace scenario in front of him; they really weren’t spread out a little bit more than maybe I’d hoped. That probably affected him more than anything else.
“The pace was slower than I anticipated. I thought the pace would be quicker. I thought maybe they would speed it up a little bit but they didn’t. I still thought we would close into it, but it just wasn’t his day. He was just never real comfortable once he got down in there. I’m disappointed. I’ll probably be way more disappointed tomorrow but I know the game. It is highs and lows, probably more lows than highs. We had a great run two weeks ago. My hat’s off to Wayne to win his sixth Preakness. That’s pretty remarkable.”
Joel Rosario: “He was in a good spot early in the race. They were going slow up front and he was fine. When I got to the half-mile pole, he had a hard time keeping up. I used my stick to try to get him going. He usually takes you there. He always runs hard. But today he never took off. He just steadied. Today was not his day.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Orb failed to break his maiden in his first three starts, but he got the job done on Nov. 24 in his fourth time out -- and his second time going a mile.
Nov. 24, Maiden Special Weight, One Mile, Aqueduct. Orb won by two lengths at 9-2 odds under Joel Rosario, who must've known he had a lot of horse. The final time was 1:38.73. Orb was sixth of seven midway through the race, behind moderate fractions. Freedom Child was second. Revolutionary, the 1-5 favorite, was third, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
"Orb was patiently allowed to settle into stride proceeding down the chute, picked up the pace noticeably upon setting foot on the backstretch, moved into contention with a four wide run on the turn, was under strong handling spinning into the lane, lost none of the momentum and continued to close in on the runner up, wore down that rival in the late stages and kicked clear, kept to the task at hand."
OVERANALYZE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Repole Stable
Breeder: Diamond A Racing Corp.
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Dixie Union (Dixieland Band, She's Tops)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Unacloud (Unaccounted For, Clouds Ambre)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-1-6-0-0 (12) 3.00
Foal Date: April 30, 2010
$380,000 Keeneland September 2011.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 19, Overanalyze breezed four on the training track rated good in :47.40 (3/34) at BEL.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
March 2, Grade III Gotham Stakes, Aqueduct, 1 1/16 Mile. Overanalyze ran in fourth up the backstretch and was in excellent position around the turn, but he had nothing left for the stretch run. He finished fifth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths by Vyjack. Visually, it didn't look as close as that.
Michael McCarthy, assistant to Todd Pletcher: “He’s got a race under his belt now. Todd and (owner Mike Repole) will put their heads together and figure out a spot for him next time.”
John Velazquez: “I was where I wanted to be, perfect position, nice pace. He didn’t come up with any run at all. When we got to the turn at the three-eighths pole, he let go and just didn’t come with any run at all. Sometimes they need to get back to the distance again; maybe he needed the race.”
March 30 NOTE: “I think Normandy Invasion’s race at the Fair Grounds was kind of sneaky good,” said trainer Pletcher on March 29. “Now, if you go based on my horse (Overanalyze) and Delhomme, yes you have to look at it as a negative key race. We keep looking, and every kind of speed figure shows it was a fast, big number race. But, I don't think the race was horrible. The way (Overanalyze has) been training, I think he's ready to move forward, and he's going to have to.”
April 8 NOTE: Rafael Bejarano to replace John Velazquez in the Arkansas Derby.
April 13, Grade I Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Overanalyze, in a major form reversal, came from off the pace to win in dominant fashion. Best by 4 1/4 lengths, he was timed in 1:51.94 as horses struggled to get home over Oaklawn Park's long stretch. Falling Sky, who set the pace in fractions of :23.32, :47.64, 1:12.57 and 1:39.22, fell back to fourth as the winner, Frac Daddy and Carve all got by him in the final eighth mile. Only a length separated the second, third and fourth finishers. Oxbow finished fifth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, after running ninth or tenth of 10 in the early going.
Rafael Bejarano: "This is my Derby horse, I'm pretty sure. Thanks to Mr. Pletcher for giving me the opportunity to ride him today. My horse broke really good. I placed him right behind the early speed because I didn't want to rush him. At the half-mile pole, He started to chase the horses on the lead and he kicked clear. I had a beautiful trip. Once we got to the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse left and saved something for the next race."
Mike Repole, owner of Overanalyze (via phone): “When Johnny got off him after the Gotham he said he flattened out probably needed the race. Todd was going to run Verrazano in the Wood, so we decided to split the two horses up and come here. I wasn’t surprised that he won, but I was shocked at how easy he won. I’m really blessed to have a filly (Unlimited Budget) for the Oaks and now a colt for the Derby.”
On trainer Todd Pletcher having three other Kentucky Derby horses – “If I can’t win, I’m always rooting for Todd. It’s a great trainer, but he’s an even better friend.
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Overanalzye finished eleventh, beaten 13 1/2 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after running in thirteenth to sixteenth position in the early going.
Todd Pletcher -- “I had a hard time trying to follow his trip. He appeared to have a bit of trouble, but he was trying to run on at the end.”
Rafael Bejarano – “I was going good, then I got hit and bumped at the half-mile (pole). It threw him off. Then we got going again and he came running in the stretch. But it was too late.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Overanalyze won his debut on Aug. 9 going five furlongs at Saratoga. That was followed by a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong, Grade I Hopeful on Sept. 3.
Sept. 30, Grade II Futurity, Belmont Park, Six Furlongs. Carried Interest ran tough between horses and emerged in the stretch from the multi-runner duel in command, only to see Overanalyze charge down the center of the track to win by 3 1/4 lengths, timed in 1:11.46. Overanalyze had all kinds of trouble early in the race. Initial splits were :22.80 and :46.43 set by Handsome Jack, with Carried Interest and favored Weekend Hideaway outside him. Carried Interest finished second, followed by Weekend Hideaway, who was three-quarters of a length back. Handsome Jack hung on for fourth.
Todd Pletcher: “We were hoping to maybe be in a stalking-type position, but he didn’t break great, then he got clobbered at the start and ended up way back. He recovered well and was running into the dirt, kept coming, showed a new dimension, finished really well and galloped out strongly. It was a pretty encouraging race.
“We have a few things to figure out with a few of these, and see how he comes out of it and go from there.”
John Velazquez: “He didn’t break. I’m thinking he’ll come out of there running, and he’s on the bit and then the gate opened and the horse next to me went ‘vroom.’ He closed up really good. You have to be happy with the way he did it. He took a little dirt and came running. He did it really good.”
Oct. 17 NOTE: Overanalyze will not go to Breeders' Cup. Instead, the Grade II Nashua at Aqueduct or Grade III Iroquois at Churchill Downs. “I’m a pro-Lasix person,” owner Repole said. “It’s the one drug that can prevent a horse from bleeding and help a horse. I’ve spoken to a lot of veterinarians and a lot of trainers who have given me enough information to make me feel Lasix is a drug that horses need. For them to experiment on one of America’s biggest racing days and stages makes no sense. It’s kind of par for the course.”
Oct. 28, Grade III Iroquois Stakes, Churchill Downs, One Mile. Overanalyze finished third, beaten eight lengths by Uncaptured. The chart call: "Overanalzye, with the early pace outside rivals, lost position into the turn, moved out five wide with less than three furlongs to go and improved his position while no threat."
Julien Leparoux: “My trip could have been better. He broke good, but coming to the turn he got squeezed and we kind of fell back after that. Then we ended up being wide, but he still came back in the stretch. He ran a good race, but he had a tough trip.”
Nov. 14 NOTE: Overanalyze will skip the Grade III Delta Jackpot and is now being pointed to the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24. “We decided to stay at Churchill since he was already there and felt the extra week would be beneficial,” Pletcher said. “I also wanted to get a two-turn race at Churchill into him and see how he handled it.” Pletcher won the race with Super Saver in 2009 and Gemologist in 2011. “It’s been a good race for us in the past,” Pletcher said. “Those two horses went on to win significant races afterward, and we also had Any Given Saturday run second in it. We feel like it’s important to get a good two-turn race into the 2-year-olds before you winter and prepare for the spring.”
Nov. 24 NOTE: Pletcher changes course and puts Overanalyze in the Remsen.
Nov. 24, Grade II Remsen Stakes, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Delhomme led at each call except the most important one, and that call went to Overanalyze, who was timed in 1:50.13. Delhomme set splilts in "12's" with six furlongs in 1:12.54, but he couldn't hold off the winner and second finisher Normandy Invasion. While Overanalyze tracked the early leader, Normandy Invasion swooped in from ninth of 10 during the early going only to lose by a nose. Delhomme was only three parts of a length back in third, while the fourth finisher was beaten 17 1/2 lengths.
The chart call: "Overanalyze got off a quick beginning, worked out a tuck into the two path nearing the end of the homestretch, patiently stalked Delhomme while parked just off that opponent's hind quarters, continued to do so until late on the far turn, was given his cue and issued a more earnest challenge as the field headed for the top of the stretch, fought with vigor with the previously mentioned rival from upper to midlane, had the runner up join the fracas with a furlong remaining, battled on nearly even terms from between rivals until the final seventy yards, went at it head with Normandy Invasion for the final few strides and showed gameness to win the bob and thus the race."
Todd Pletcher: “We thought he’d be prominent early. Actually, I thought he might be on the lead. He’s a horse that won first time out going wire-to-wire at Saratoga in :57 1/5. He’s got speed and the ability to carry it. He’s a ratable horse, tractable – smart horse. It looked like the horse who finished second had a lot of momentum, but actually, when he got to Overanalyze, it kind of emboldened (Overanalyze) and carried him on again.”
Ramon Dominguez: “When (Normandy Invasion) came to me, he actually got ahead of me. I wasn’t happy about that. My horse was taking sand by that point, but I kept after him and he kept on coming. I was very proud of the way he came back at the other horse. The other horse never stopped running. It was actually my horse doing the comeback. I was very pleased about that.
“Todd told me to let him run into the turn and to get him into a good spot. He had no problem at all laying second. He was doing it very easily.”
Mike Repole: “At the eighth pole, I would have said he’d get third place by about two lengths. I didn’t think he had a shot; the fractions were slow. He’s an experienced horse, a very, very gutsy horse. He’s won a stake at six furlongs and a stakes at 1 1/8 miles; he’s a very nice horse.”
Nov. 25 NOTE: “Everyone came back from their efforts in good shape,” said trainer Pletcher. “We’ll take them to Florida and sort it out from there.”
Dec. 6 NOTE: Overanalyze is in training at Palm Meadows but is likely to make his sophomore debut at Aqueduct in the Grade II Gotham on March 2. “(The Remsen) was a big effort. It looked like he was going to be passed, and he dug in and found a little bit more the last part,” trainer Pletcher said. “He’s pointing for the Gotham right now. That’s the early plan.”
OXBOW (KY)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Owner: Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley)
Breeder: Colts Neck Stables LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Awesome Again (Deputy Minister (CAN), Primal Force)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Tiz Amazing (Cee's Tizzy, Cee's Song)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 6-0-8-0-0 (14) 2.50
Foal Date: March 26, 2010
$250,000 Keeneland September 2011.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. Gary Stevens will be aboard again.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 19, Grade III Lecomte Stakes, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. Oxbow led from gate to wire winning by over 11 lengths as some of the horses behind him staggered through the stretch. The time was 1:43.30 after initial fractions of :48.58 and 1:13.34.
D. Wayne Lukas: “You guys [the media] didn’t even know he was in the race, did you? If you had to make a living handicapping you’d all starve to death. When Jon gets back here tomorrow, I’m going to make him give half the mount money back because he didn’t have to do anything. All he had to do is hang on.
“There is a certain amount of wisdom that he handled the surface well and shipped well, so that gives us another option. You like to see a horse handle the situation that you put him in. We took all the worst of it with shipping in yesterday and taking on your local guys all coming out of their own stalls and having works
over the racetrack. So we took all of the worst of it today and still got along pretty good. Now we’re a little tighter and in a little better shape if we come back to the Risen Star.
“This horse has a beautiful stride and a high cruising speed. When you watch the replay you see his ears are pricked and he’s just in a cruising speed the whole way around there.”
Jon Court: “I actually thought I’d be one-two-three, but Wayne said don’t be surprised if you find yourself on the lead. He just said to be relaxed, and he wanted to see him happy with a smile on in the bit, and he can win this race and that’s exactly how it turned out.”
“Where he goes from here is up to Brad Kelley and Wayne Lukas, of course, but I did see this horse progress from the first time I got to ride him. In fact, the day he won I told Joe Rocco Jr. that this horse has really improved a lot and I wish I could be on his back. I said, ‘You are going to really like him’ and he went on to win. As I mentioned, the progression he’s made in his training and in his races shows that he’s continued to pursue the prestigious levels so we’ll see where he goes from here.”
Feb. 7 NOTE: “Oxbow is just super right now,” said trainer Lukas on Feb. 6. “He’s really an amazing horse with the way he trains.”
Feb. 24, Grade II Risen Star Stakes, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. Oxbow and Jon Court finished fourth, beaten only a half-length. In a wild finish, a half-length separated the top four runners and the winner paid over $200. Ive Struck A Nerve upset at 135-1. He nosed out Code West by a nose after rallying from last in the 12-horse field. He was timed in 1:44.52. Code West was ridden by Martin Garcia.
Proud Strike and Code West vied for the early lead, cutting out fractions of :23.92 and :48.34. After six furlongs, Proud Strike was regressing, while Oxbow had overtaken Code West to make a short lead. Heading toward the stretch, Oxbow held a short lead while Palace Malice and Mylute had run up to join Code West. Two lengths separated them all. As they struggled to get to the finish line first, Ive Struck A Nerve came wide to nail the win at the finish line. Code West finished a half-length ahead of Palice Malice, who nosed out Oxbow for the show. Normandy Invasion finished fifth, beaten only 1 1/12 length after a rough start.
Jon Court: “I had a good, clean trip. He didn’t break really running. I didn’t want him to get in a hurry leaving there and burn himself out. He just sat off the pace; I knew he didn’t have to be on the lead. He ended up inheriting the lead, and I just straightened for home and sat down and went for the gusto like I did last time, but the last 40, 50 yards they overtook me."
March 5 NOTE: Will race next in the Grade II Rebel; Mike Smith named to ride.
March 16, Grade II Rebel Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Will Take Charge, ridden by Jon Court, won the race by a head over Oxbow, ridden by Mike Smith. As expected, Title Contender sped to a lead designed to set up a late run by fellow entry Treasury Bill -- a late run that never materialized. But the tactic may have been the undoing of Super Ninety Nine, who was never far from Title Contender. They were followed up the backstretch by Delhomme and Oxbow, then Oxbow and Delhomme, through fractions of :23.36 and :47.19. Hitting the far turn, Title Contender was done. Super Ninety Nine and Oxbow were in a battle for the lead, with Oxbow to the outside of the 6-5 post-time favorite. However, Den's Legacy and Will Take Charge were putting pressure on both of them. Six furlongs had gone in 1:12.39.
After the field turned for home, Super Ninety Nine found himself between Oxbow to his outside and Den's Legacy to his inside. Will Take Charge, who'd gone four wide on the turn, has lost a little ground. Bumped a bit, Super Ninety Nine faltered while the other three went on. Will Take Charge regrouped and came running to the outside of Oxbow to secure the win by a head. Den's Legacy was beaten two lengths. The time of 1:45.18 was a little faster than 6-year-old Tiz Miz Sue's 1:45.26 in the Grade III Azeri one race earlier at Oaklawn.
Mike Smith: "He ran awesome. He was doing things really easy. I didn't want to send him at the quarter pole because I knew it was a bit too early. But, it was the hand that was dealt to us."
March 26 NOTE: Mike Smith will ride War Academy in the Grade I Arkansas Derby, and Gary Stevens will replace Smith on Oxbow.
April 13, Grade I Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Oxbow finished fifth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, after running ninth or tenth of 10 in the early going. Overanalyze, in a major form reversal, came from off the pace to win in dominant fashion. Best by 4 1/4 lengths, he was timed in 1:51.94
Gary Stevens (via Twitter): "Things didn't go as planned. Happens a lot. Don't write Oxbow off for (the) Derby just now. Never count a Lukas horse out."
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Oxbow finished sixth, beaten 9 3/4 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after running sixth early and nearly grabbing the lead after a mile.
D. Wayne Lukas – Unavailable for comment.
Gary Stevens – “Coming into the stretch, I had a big smile on my face. I’m going to win my fourth. But five strides later, I was attacked from the outside for a couple strides, and they went on. He was brave. He never gave it up at all. He ran all the way to the finish line and galloped back proud, and I’m proud of him.’’
On coming out of retirement and riding in another Derby: “I’ve got a smile on my face I can’t wipe off. It was fun. It was fun, because he ran his race. He got a chance today, and he fired a big bullet, and that’s when it’s fun, when you get a good trip in this race and the horse is giving his all. And he did.’’
May 18, Grade I Preakness Stakes, Pimlico, 1 3/16 Mile. Oxbow won in front-running fashion, setting moderate fractions after not being seriously challenged by anything else in the nine-horse field during the early going. The chart call: "Oxbow was brushed by Will Take Charge leaving the gate, quickly recovered and cruised past Goldencents in the opening furlong, opened a daylight advantage under the wire the first time, remained off the inside while nicely rated down the backstretch, came under some hand urging leaving the five sixteenths marker, entered the lane four wide, responded when put to a strong drive leaving the three sixteenths marker and held firm to the wire."
D. Wayne Lukas: "Actually, we thought that maybe that Goldencents and a couple of those other horses might show a little bit more speed and we would not inherit the lead as easily as we did today. Gary was smart enough. When he threw up the 1:13 and change, I knew we were in good shape."
Gary Stevens: "We had talked about strategy, and I didn't expect to be on the lead as I said earlier. In these classic races, you don't give up anything that they give you free, and they gave me a free three-quarters of a mile today."
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Oxbow raced five times. In his third start, he was beaten eight lengths by Gulfport after setting the pace at Churchilll Downs. He broke his maiden the fourth time out. That was a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25. Looking Cool was second by 4 3/4 lengths. The race was timed in 1:22.97.
In his fifth and final start of 2012, Oxbow was shipped to Hollywood Park only to finish fourth in the Grade I CashCall, beaten nine lengths by Violence. He was fourth or third at each call; and was five wide in the first turn and three wide in the second one.
PALACE MALICE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Dogwood Stable
Breeder: W. S. Farish
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Curlin (Smart Strike (CAN), Sherriff's Deputy)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem, Whisperifyoudare)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 4-5-11-0-0 (20) 2.64
Foal Date: May 2, 2010
$25,000 Keeneland September 2011.
$200,000 Keeneland 2-Year-Olds in Training.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. Mike Smith will ride. Palace Malice will be blinkers off.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 19, Palace Malice breezed four on the training track rated good in :47.40 (2/34) at BEL.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 19, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, Seven Furlongs. This race was all about Majestic Hussar and Palice Malice, who ran one-two on the slop.Majestic Hussar and Jose Lezcano got the jump on Palace Malice and Javier Castellano and gradually increased their lead to three lengths before winning by 2 1/4. Majestic Hussar's time was 1:22.53 after six in 1:09.77. The third finisher was another eight lengths back. The chart call: "Palace Malice tracked just off the pace in early stages, asked to make a bid for leader nearing the far turn, shifted out five wide in the turn, continued to chase Majestic Hussar into the stretch and finished clearly second best."
Feb. 24, Grade II Risen Star Stakes, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. Palace Malice and Rosie Napravnik finished third, beaten a half-length after being eighth and ninth at the first two calls. In a wild finish, a half-length separated the top four runners and the winner paid over $200. Ive Struck A Nerve upset at 135-1. He nosed out Code West by a nose after rallying from last in the 12-horse field. He was timed in 1:44.52.
Proud Strike and Code West vied for the early lead, cutting out fractions of :23.92 and :48.34. After six furlongs, Proud Strike was regressing, while Oxbow had overtaken Code West to make a short lead. Heading toward the stretch, Oxbow held a short lead while Palace Malice and Mylute had run up to join Code West. Two lengths separated them all. As they struggled to get to the finish line first, Ive Struck A Nerve came wide to nail the win at the finish line. Code West finished a half-length ahead of Palice Malice, who nosed out Oxbow for the show. Normandy Invasion finished fifth, beaten only 1 1/12 length after a rough start.
Rosie Napravnik: “He was really not standing great in the gate and maybe got off just a step slow, so we lost some position but, having said that, I ended up getting an excellent trip. Was able to save ground when I wanted, I wasn’t forced to move early or late, so we got a good trip. He ran a great race, and we got beat half a length for everything, so for his first race two turns and all that, I think it was an excellent race.”
March 9 NOTE: Edgar Prado will ride Palace Malice in the Louisiana Derby on March 30. Rosie Napravnik rode him in the Risen Star but will be on Shanghai Bobby in the Florida Derby on March 30. “Our horse is doing great,” said Dogwood Stable's Cot Campbell. “He’s been getting a little gate schooling lately because he was somewhat of a reluctant load at Fair Grounds last month and also at Saratoga last summer. I think the plan Todd has right now for him is to breeze him a half on Sunday and then next Sunday go five-eighths with Edgar aboard."
March 23 NOTE: “Palace Malice is a horse we’ve always liked a lot,” said trainer Pletcher on March 22. “We’ve had high hopes for him from the beginning, and hopefully there is more to come. He got a little further back than I would have liked in his first two-turn race (the Risen Star), but we did finish in front of Oxbow in that race, and he went on to run real well when a close second in Oaklawn’s Rebel the other day."
Grade II Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 Mile. Palace Malice finished seventh, beaten 7 1/4 lengths by Revolutionary and a time of 1:50.28. Palace Malace had significant traffic trouble in the stretch. The chart call: "Palace Malice saved ground on the first turn, made a strong middle move, moved closer while off the rail on the far turn, waited while blocked from the quarter-pole to the furlong marker, had a bunch of rivals pass him in the process, moved to the outside and lost any chance."
April 13, Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/8 Mile. Java's War went from worst to first after a thrilling stretch run. He got up in the final strides to defeat Palace Malice. Fourth with 100 yards to run, Java's War was timed in 1:50.27 for the 1 1/8 mile.
Rydilluc, the 7-2 post-time favorite, and Undrafted contested the early pace in fractions of :23.81 and :48.04. After six furlongs, Rydilluc was 1 1/2 length on the lead in 1:12.76 -- and Java's War was last, where he'd been from the start. Rydilluc maintained the advantage on the turn while Palace Malice and Garrett Gomez, fourth after a half-mile, picked up a couple of horses on the rail to loom second. Turning for home, Gomez swung out Palace Malice to challenge the leader and got by him as they approached the sixteenth pole. But Java's War and Julien Leparoux were making a furious late run and got up by a neck at the finish.
Charming Kitten, sent off at 22-1 odds, got up for third with a significant late run himself. He was tenth after six furlongs and was beaten only a half-length for it all. Rydillic finished fourth, 1 3/4 length in arrears of Java's War. Another 2 1/4 lengths back in fifth was Charming Kitten, who was sent off at 36-1 odds.
Todd Pletcher: “I will talk to Mr. Campbell first, but (going to the Derby) was our game plan coming in. We are happy to get that part accomplished. This is his first start on Polytrack, but we thought he would handle it because he worked so well on it at the (Keeneland 2-Year-Olds in Training) sale. But until you run on it, you never really know. We were concerned about coming back in two weeks on short rest, but his energy level was good, and he seemed to bounce out of the race real well. We were feeling good about coming into this race.”
Garrett Gomez: “He did everything good. Todd wanted to see if I could get him closer. I warmed him up by himself -- kinda got his blood going and hopefully that would get him keyed up a little bit. He hopped away pretty well and got himself up in the race, traveled beautiful the whole time. I kinda let him inch up throughout the race. I ended up right behind Prado (on Rydilluc), and I was happy with that decision. I actually followed him all along the fence, popped him out turning for home, told him when to go get him, and he tried to go get him, He put his head down and went by him, but he just couldn't hold off (Java’s War). He ran good though."
Cot Campbell, President of Dogwood Stable, owner of Palace Malice: “What he did today was an accomplishment. I would say it is 80% to go to the Derby. It is a pleasure to run in it; it is the gold ring that everyone is looking to grab. The older I get, the more I think about it.”
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Palace Malice finished twelfth, beaten 13 1/2 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after setting ridiculous fractions of :22.57, ;45.33 and 1:09.80 with blinkers added.
Todd Pletcher -- “He just went too fast early. They went too fast with him, and he couldn’t keep up.”
Mike Smith – “He just was too aggressive. Those blinkers. He just wanted to go and I didn’t have much choice.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Palace Malice ran second to Carried Interest in his debut at Belmont Park on July 5. He won his second start, this one at Saratoga going 6 1/2 furlongs, after soon getting the lead under Javier Castellano. The win margin was 3 1/2 lengths, and the time was 1:16.48. He was a watched horse after that, but it wasn't to last very long.
Dec. 6 NOTE: Palace Malice, recovering from sore shins, is scheduled to breeze next week at Palm Meadows and is being pointed to an allowance race in February.
REVOLUTIONARY (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: WinStar Farm LLC
Breeder: W. S. Farish
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): War Pass (Cherokee Run, Vue)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Runup the Colors (A.P. Indy, Up the Flagpole)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-8-12-1-1 (32) 3.00
Foal Date: Feb. 20, 2010
$80,000 Keeneland September 2011.
$235,000 OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training.
NEXT RACE: The Belmont Stakes. Javier Castellano will be aboard Revolutionary, replacing Calvin Borel.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 2, Grade III Withers Stakes, Aqueduct, 1 1/16 Mile. Despite a very tough trip, Revolutionary got up in the last jump to win in a last-to-first effort. Timed in 1:44.32 under Javier Castellano, Revolutionary took victory from the grasp of the late-surging Escapefromreality to get up by a neck in an exciting finish.
Siete de Oros led the field of seven up the backstretch, setting fractions of :24.22, :48.18 and 1:12.48, with Escapefromreality initially in closest pursuit before being eased back to fifth by Jose Ortiz. Smooth Bert and Long River took up the slack, while Revolutionary dwelt in last after a half-mile and seventh of eight after six furlongs. At that point, the eventual winner was on the rail, 3 3/4 lengths off the pace. As heads turned for home, Long River began backing out of the fray. Siete de Oros was still on the lead with a furlong left in the race. Then Escapefromreality sailed by him and looked to be a winner, but Revolutionary would not be denied.
WinStar Farm CEO Elliott Walden said he was inclined to have Revolutionary shipped to Florida to race one more time before the Kentucky Derby.
Michael McCarthy, assistant to Todd Pletcher: “We were a little bit handicapped going into the race without having a work six days out, but the horse has been training well and gets a lot out of his gallops. The horse has a tendency to not get away cleanly and got himself a little farther back than we would have liked. Things went from bad to worse from there, but Javier didn’t panic and had faith in the horse. We’ve known all along the horse had ability. When you are pointing for the Derby, this is a huge steppingstone. That was a big, big step today against some proven horses.”
Javier Castellano: “He didn’t break that sharp, and I didn’t panic. I think the key with him is that you have to be patient. I could have gone around horses at the three-eighths pole because I had so much horse, but I just wanted to teach him something, have him learn something. I knew he could get it done; in my mind it was just waiting for the best opportunity to make a move. That’s exactly what I did, and he responded so well today.
"He’s a classy horse. He kind of got intimidated a little bit between horses, he’s a young horse, but I really like the way he did it. He split horses, finished very strong, and galloped out great. He’s a horse with potential. Handicapping the race, I would have liked to be close to the pace – second, third, or fourth. It didn’t work out that way, he didn’t break that good, and I ended up almost last on the first turn. But the way the race developed, he learned a lot and I think he’s going to go forward.”
Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing manager of WinStar Farm: “Very impressed. Obviously things didn’t go well out of the gate, but he hung in there and Javier did a nice job of being patient. Finally, when he got some room, he came running. When you’re looking at a race like the Derby, potentially down the road, to get that kind of experience, it’s invaluable. Nice race.
"I felt pretty good around the turn because they were so bunched up. It’s not like he was 15 back, he was eight back, but he was in trouble, so you never knew if he was going to get through. You knew if he did get through he’d have some horse. It was nice to see him come running like that. He couldn’t blow out a match in the winner’s circle. We’ll talk with Todd and we’ll see. I’d be inclined to take him to Florida and regroup until that last round of preps. Probably just one more race. This proved he’s worthy to keep on the trail. This race was worth three in terms of education.”
THE NEXT DAY: Revolutionary heading to Florida on Feb. 5 for one more race -- somewhere -- before the Kentucky Derby. “I was watching the replay of the race a little while ago, and there was nothing good about it except for the last two or three jumps,” said trainer Pletcher’s assistant, Michael McCarthy. “That may have been one of the worst winning trips I’ve ever seen.”
Feb. 5 NOTE: Shipping to Palm Meadows today.
March 23 NOTE: “After that last race in New York, we decided to ship Revolutionary to South Florida because of the better weather and the easier ship from South Florida to just about anywhere this time of year,” said trainer Pletcher on March 22. “We decided awhile back that the Louisiana Derby would make the most sense for him because he has a tendency not to break real sharply and that the long stretch at Fair Grounds would help overcome that. He’s not a bad gate horse; he just doesn’t do it very quickly.
Grade II Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 Mile. There are wide trips, and then there are wide trips. Revolutionary took the overland route to win. Revolutionary was unhurried early, about a dozen behind a fast early pace under Javier Castellano. Hip Four Sixtynine and Titletown Five alternated for the early lead with splits of :22.84 and :46.34. They tired to six in 1:11.84, and Revolutionary was only 2 3/4 lengths behind at that point. Revolutionary launched a bid five wide in the far turn -- it looked like eight. Mylute, at 19-1, briefly got the lead at the sixteenth pole but hung a bit, and Revolutionary prevailed by a neck over Mylute, timed in 1:50.28. Finishing third, three lengths farther back, was Departing. Fourth was Golden Soul, who was beaten 4 3/4 lengths.
Whit Beckman, assistant to Todd Pletcher: “It’s been a very fruitful trip to New Orleans. We come in here with the intent to win, and we’re disappointed when we don’t.
“He broke a little slow, which he’s been known to do in the past. Javier just recovered from there, got him out, took him wide down the backside, just steadily picking off horses and making up ground. He continued his move around the turn and came down to the end for the stretch and had to get down and ride him pretty hard but was able to get him there. He galloped out pretty well after the wire too so that shows a little extra distance shouldn’t bother him."
Kentucky Derby? “Provided everything’s good with him, all systems go.”
Javier Castellano: “It was a really beautiful trip. That’s the kind of horse we would like to take to the Kentucky Derby. He can do everything. He passed the test today and last time and way before. He is a lovely horse to ride and a come-from-behind horse, very much a true horse. He did everything the right way today. I really like him. I am looking forward big time.”
WinStar Farm Racing Manager Elliott Walden: “I think he’s got all the experience he needs, and it’s nice he got the points, so we are on to Kentucky. I saw him in the paddock. He doesn’t turn a hair. He goes around there like a puppy dog. When you get to Louisville, those kinds of things matter.”
April 12 NOTE: "It was a very, very tough decision," agent Matt Muzikar said of Javier Castellano's decision to ride Normandy Invasion. "These were some of our best clients; we just won a million-dollar race on Revolutionary and we ran huge with Normandy Invasion. WinStar are great supporters of ours and of course there's our man Todd. Javier really liked the way Normandy Invasion ran in the Wood; he thought two more strides and he would have caught Verrazano, and he thought he galloped out strong. There's pros and cons to every situation -- Revolutionary has a lot of heart and grit -- but it's just one of those things where we had to choose."
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Revolutionary and Calvin Borel finished third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after coming up the rail late. After a half-mile, he was eightheenth, 19 3/4 lengths off the lead. Golden Soul was second.
Todd Pletchder -- “I thought he ran super. He got shuffled back farther than we thought and he had to keep waiting to try to make up ground. But when he could start running, he did really well. He closed strongly and just ran out of ground.”
Calvin Borel, Revolutionary – "The only thing I was I could have done on the far turn was creep up closer on him. Turning for home, I still thought we had a shot to win,but he gave me a good turn of foot.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Sept. 3, Maiden Special Weight, Saratoga, 5 1/2 Furlongs. This was Revolutionary's debut. Always in a Tiz won over Clawback by a half-length and was timed in 1:04.13. He was the beneficiary of a chain reaction caused at the break when Stage Street veered out from post 1. Clawback, one of those affected, was five lengths back after a quarter-mile and finished second. Revolutionary, the 7-5 favorite, was knocked way off stride at the break, came from 14 lengths back after a quarter, and finished third, beaten only 1 1/4 length. The next horse was another 2 1/4 lengths back. Seven ran.
The chart call: "Revolutionary was clobbered at the start and forced hard into Monsignor J, then checked, spotted the front runners around six to seven lengths (at the outset), was ridden along at the rear, raced inside into the turn, shifted three wide outside the three-eighths pole, moved to four wide near the five-sixteenths, lugged in a bit near the three-sixteenths pole, was straightened by the rider, rallied on the outside and finished full of run in a really unlucky and good effort."
Oct. 13, Maiden Special Weight, Belmont Park, One Mile. Revolutionary was scratched.
Oct. 17 NOTE: Race at Belmont stays on turf, Revolutionary is scratched.
Oct. 28, Maiden Special Weight, Belmont Park Six Furlongs. In his debut, Little Distorted was 2.4-1 and beat heavily favored Revolutionary (1-5), who finished second by 2 1/4 lengths. The race was timed in 1:09.72. Main Man Mike (79-1) was another 8 1/2 lengths back in third. Eight ran.
Nov. 24, Special Weight, Aqueduct, One Mile. At 1-5 odds, Revolutionary finished third to Orb and Freedom Child, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. On the rail, he was sixth of seven at the first call, but he could not get to the top two, who were bookends initially. Orb was last of seven at the first call, and Freedom Child set the pace. Revolutionary didn’t get a good start, taken in hand inward to get away from an errant gate-breaker.
Dec. 28, Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, One Mile. Revolutionary won this race in a big way. Under Ramon Dominguez at even money, he was 8 1/2 lengths best. Transparent was second. The time was 1:36.52. The chart call: “Revolutionary raced three wide early, stalked the pace, bid approaching the quarter pole, took charge and drew away under mild urging."
UNLIMITED BUDGET (FL)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Repole Stable
Breeder: Ocala Stud
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Street Sense (Street Cry (IRE), Bedazzle)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Unlimited Pleasure (Valid Appeal, Cricket Box)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-1-6-0-0 (12) 3.00
Foal Date: March 12, 2010
NEXT RACE: As of May 19, possibly the Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 19, Unlimited Budget breezed four on the training track rated good in :49.00 (15/35) at BEL
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 23, Grade III Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. Unlimited Budget won for the third time in three starts. After stalking the pace under Rosie Napravnik fifth of 10 for a half-mile, she moved up on the second turn while three-to-five wide and by the furlong marker was four lengths ahead. The final margin was 3 3/4 lengths. She was timed in 1:45.38.
March 30, Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 Mile. Javier Castellano was up this time, and Unlimited Budget kept her unbeaten record intact at 4-5 odds, prevailing by 1 3/4 length in 1:43.22. She stalked third of seven early on and was four wide on both turns, then five wide heading for home. Two strikes of the whip, and she got clear of Flashy Gray, who finished second.
May 3, Grade I Kentucky Oaks, Churchill Downs, 1 1/8 Mile. With Javier Castellano up, Unlimited Budget (4-1) finished third to stable mate Princess of Sylmar (38-1), beaten 2 1/2 lengths. Beholder was second by a half. Unlimited Budget stalked in third or fourth much of the time, but she couldn't get by Beholder and couldn't hold off Princess of Sylmar. Early splits were :22.84, :46.79 and 1:11.84. The winning time was 1:49.17.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Unlimited Budget raced twice and won twice at Aqueduct. Her first start came on Nov. 9 at a mile, and she blew away her nine opponents, winning by nine lengths after pressing the pace. The time was 1:37.82 under John Velazquez. Her second start was on Nov. 24 in the Grade II Demoiselle Stakes at 1 1/8 mile on Remsen day. Ridden again by Johnny V, she won by 1 1/4 length in 1:52.16 against only three opponents. She led at each call.
