ABRAHAM
ABSTRACTION
BELLARMINE
CERRO
CODE WEST
CROP REPORT
DECLAN'S WARRIOR
DEN'S LEGACY
FEAR THE KITTEN
FREEDOM CHILD
GENERAL ELECTION
INCOGNITO
INFINITE MAGIC
MR PALMER
MY NAME IS MICHAEL
NARVAEZ
NOBLE TUNE
POWER BROKER
RYDILLUC
SR. QUISQUEYANO
SUNBEAN
SUPER NINETY NINE
TIZ A MINISTER
TRANSPARENT
TREASURY BILL
VYJACK
WAR ACADEMY
WINNING CAUSE
ABRAHAM (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: WinStar Farm LLC & Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC
Breeder: Dixiana Farms LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Distorted Humor (Forty Niner, Danzig's Beauty)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Tabarin (El Prado (IRE), La Cucina (IRE))
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 7-4-10-2-1 (24) 2.00
Foal Date: April 8, 2010
$300,000 Keeneland September 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 17, Maiden Special Weight, Gulfstream Park, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Abraham attended the pace, took command in upper stretch, opened up by 2 1/2 lengths, battled Fiddler Blue in late stretch, and lost by a nose.
Feb. 16, Maiden Special Weight, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Abraham won, timed in 1:52.91 on a sloppy track at GP. A late-running The Candidate was second. Abraham, ridden by John Velazquez, led at each call in fractions of :23.49, :47.83, 1:13.11 and 1:39.60. The Candidate, sixth of seven at the first call and 4 1/2 lengths behind, was four lengths behind with a furlong left, then lost by one.
March 24, Grade III Sunland Derby, Sunland Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Abraham finished third, but it was Govenor Charlie who won in track-record time as the 6-5 favorite. He broke a mark in place for over 50 years, timed in 1:47.54. It was the third track record of the day. Saint Prado took the lead up the backstretch, closely followed by Abraham and Govenor Charlie. Those two moved up to flank the pacesetter, with Abraham on the inside. The quarter-mile had gone in :22.74 and the half in :46.22. Approaching the far turn, Abraham stuck a neck in front, but Saint Prado fought back, and Govenor Charlie wasn't about to back down. With six furlongs in the books in 1:09.96, longshot Show Some Magic made a wide move, and the four of them hit the far turn heads apart.
Govenor Charlie got away from the field leaving the turn, and Show Some Magic's momentum carried him into second. They finished that way, with Govenor Charlie prevailing by five lengths. Abraham stayed on for third, beaten 8 1/4 lengths for it all.
April 20, Grade III Illinois Derby, Hawthorne Race Course, 1 1/8 Mile. Abraham finished fourth. When leaving the gate, he was slammed by one of local horses, Dakota Mac. Taken out of his game, he progressed from eighth to third while wide. In the stretch, he was tired but kept trying. A stewards inquiry was conducted after second finisher Fordubai, another of the local horses, veered four paths into the path of Abraham, interfering with him during the stretch run. However, no change was made, and the existence of the inquiry does not appear on the Equibase chart that was posted after the race.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, Abraham was nosed out of the show position by Go Get the Basil and was beaten 15 1/2 lengths by the front-running Freedom Child, who was timed in 1:49.09 on a sloppy-sealed track. He only briefly challenged the winner during the early going.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Unraced.
ABSTRACTION (KY)
Trainer: David Carroll
Owner: My Meadowview Farm
Breeder: My Meadowview, LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Pulpit (A.P. Indy, Preach)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Andujar (Quiet American, Nureyev's Best)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-9-17-0-0 (36) 3.24
Foal Date: May 1, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 13, Abstraction breezed four in :48.20 (6/40) at CD.
On May 20, Abstraction breezed five in :59.40 (1/24) at CD.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 2, Maiden Special Weight, Fair Grounds, Six Furlongs. Under Leandro Goncalves, Abstraction debuted with a runner-up result. Sixth of eight early, he he was four lengths back. He went two-to-three wide in the turn and finished up with interest. Doc Almon bested him by 2 1/2 lengths. The winning time was 1:11.22.
March 13, Maiden Special Weight, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. For 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, Abstraction was among five that ran. He was among four 3-year-olds, and there was one 4-year-old. The track was fast. Four were scratched. Under Leandro Goncalves, Jr. Abstraction was sent off as the 9-5 second choice and won by 9 3/4 lengths, timed in 1:42.58. Without ever being asked, he was finally given permission and quickly distanced himself from the field. The chart call: "Abstraction was rated while off the rail on the first turn, became very eager while under heavy restraint on the backstretch, continued under restraint early on the far turn, was let out in the vicinity of the five-sixteenths pole, shifted three wide shortly thereafter, took the lead after turning into the stretch, accelerated clear with the rider poised like a statue in the saddle and drew off to win easily."
March 16 NOTE: David Carroll said on March 15, “Yes, I thought his race was very impressive, but I’ve always thought a lot about him since Mr. Riggio sent him to me. He’s beautifully bred, and that’s a credit to Mr. Riggio’s bloodstock advisor Lincoln Collins, who is putting together a very good band of mares for Mr. Riggio. Hopefully, this horse is just the first in the start of something big. It’s a pleasure to get a good horse to train for an owner like him because he’s the kind of owner who always puts the horse first. I’ve trained for some owners who sometimes let their horses get lost because they have their own personal agendas.
“We’re not going to jump on the Derby trail with this horse. He’s a Pulpit, so we’re going to give him a chance to develop so we can see just how good he is. As a 2-year-old, he developed a hairline fracture of the right hind pastern, so we stopped on him and that was probably a blessing in disguise. But he’s such a long-striding colt I was really looking forward to seeing him go two turns. When we found that race for him this week, he ran like he trained in the mornings, and he’s been awfully impressive in the mornings here.
“(The Preakness is) a possibility but not a probability. I would think we would probably plan more toward something like the Belmont and work backwards from there.”
April 27, Frederico Tesio Stakes, Pimlico, 1 1/16 Mile. Abstraction was bottled up most of the way, but when he finally angled out for clear sailing, he spurted to the lead and drew away to win by 2 1/4 lengths under Leandro Goncalves at 4-5 odds. He completed the race in 1:46.16. Heat Press nipped Rienzi for second.
Leandro Goncalves: “I was trapped the whole way and he gave me everything he had. He helped me push horses out of my way and get out. When I got him outside at the 3/16 pole, I asked him. That’s the key. You get him outside and he has that big kick and he switched leads and it was pretty much over. He keeps getting better and better as he has matured. He has a lot of talent.”
David Carroll: “He’s a very improving horse who has always shown talent. Today was a big step forward with the ship and a paceless race. But he showed today he has a big heart. He’s always a horse who trains with talent. He has to go out there and do it. It was a great learning experience for him. He was trapped down inside. He got a lot of dirt. He had to make room and once he did he picked it up nicely and galloped out strong. He’s got talent and hopefully he’ll keep improving.
"...We are not making any commitments to the Preakness. Where his next race will be, I have no idea.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Unraced.
BELLARMINE (KY)
Trainer: Ken McPeek
Owner: Magdalena Racing (Susan McPeek)
Breeder: John W. Phillips
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Magna Graduate (Honor Grades, Peacock Alley)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Aly Capri (Alydar, Reigning Countess)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 7-6-15-0-0 (28) 2.73
Foal Date: Feb. 26, 2010
NEXT RACE: TBD.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
His debut was at 1 1/16 mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9. Under Joel Rosario, he finished a close second to Kid LIghtning at 20-1 odds. He was steadied entering the first turn and came from seventh of 12 on the backstretch.
Second time out and again under Joel Rosario, Bellarmine he ran 1 1/8 mile on the dirt and again finished second, this time to Freedom Child. He was steadied again, on the first turn. The race was timed in 1:50.96. He was fifth of eight in the early going.
Bellarmine broke his maiden in his third start while ridden by Julien Leparoux. It came on the main track at Keeneland on April 13. Running 1 1/6 mile in 1:45.03, Bellarmine prevailed over Seal Team Four -- at 95-1 odds-- by two lengths. Twelve ran. Bellarmine was sixth after a half-mile.
May 4, Entry Level Allowance, Churchill Downs, 1 1/16 Mile. On a track rated fast after it had taken some rain, Bellarmine held off a hard-charging Code West to win by a neck under Victor Lebron. He was second after a half-mile, then took charge. The race was timed 1:43.24.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Unraced.
CERRO (IRE)
Trainer: Graham Motion
Owner: Team Valor International
Breeder: Manganaro LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Mr. Greeley (Gone West, Long Legend)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Ballette (IRE) (Giant's Causeway, Russian Ballet)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-2-18-2-0 (30) 1.73
Foal Date: April 15, 2010
$19,516 Tattersalls October 2011. Purchased privately by the owner.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 12, Cerro breezed four in :50.00 (3/12) at FAI.
On May 18, Cerro breezed five in 1:03.60 (5/6) at FAI.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 1, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. At 6-1 odds, Cerro finished third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths by Bradester. He tracked sixth of 10 under Joel Rosario but ran one-paced, anywhere from four to six lengths back of the lead at each call.
Jan. 26, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Cerro got the second win of his career at 2-1 odds in a field of six. Ridden by Javier Castellano, Cerro was put on the lead and reeled off fractions of :23.69, :47.64, 1:11.65 and 1:37.10 before finishing in 1:50.29. He prevailed over Sky Captain (2-1) by 2 1/2 lengths. Two races later, 3-year-old Ore won an allowance at the same distance in 1:51.05.
Graham Motion: “That was a legitimate race, so I guess, obviously, you’ve got to start thinking about 3-year-olds on the dirt. I feel like every time he has run it’s been a process of getting him fit. I’ve kind of given him an excuse each time he’s run. I think he’s on the improve.”
Jan. 26 NOTE: A Gulfstream Park note reminds us that Michael Phelps and longtime coach Bob Bowman joined the Cerro partnership after his Jan. 1 race.
Jan 30 NOTE: “He’s got a lot of turf pedigree. We already know he handles the grass, and he handles dirt too. The Palm Beach might be a good option, rather than throw him into a race like the Fountain of Youth,” trainer Graham Motion said. “We feel like it’s a little bit early for that, for him." Should all go well in the Palm Beach, Motion said the Irish-bred Italian import could earn his way to the Derby in the Grade III Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 23.
Feb. 13 NOTE: “We’ll be weighing our options. Most likely we’ll be going to the Palm Beach, but we’ll take a look at the Fountain of Youth as well.” trainer Motion said.
Feb. 17 NOTE: “We definitely plan to enter (the Fountain of Youth), and as long as we get a decent post position we’ll run. If he doesn’t, we’ll go back to our original plan, which is to run in the Palm Beach," trainer Motion told DRF.com.
Feb. 23, Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Cerro and Joe Rocco chased fast fractions and paid the price. Cerro was fourth, then second, then third at the first three calls, and he ran the first six furlongs in just over 1:09. He finished sixth, beaten 11 1/2 lengths. Majestic Hussar set fractions of :23.11, :45.45 and 1:08.85. The time for winner Orb was a solid 1:42.24.
March 25 NOTE: On March 23, Barry Irwin said Cerro would not start again until he put in two consecutive good workouts.
April 20, Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/16 Mile. Cerro finished fourth after chasing the pace, briefly gaining command at the top of the stretch, being outgamed by winner Winning Cause and failing to hold off General Election and Pick of the Litter. The chart call: "Cerro vied for the early lead off the inside, dropped back a bit before a half, came again approaching the stretch to challenge, gained a short lead with a furlong to go and held on gamely."
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Cerro broke his maiden in a debut race in Milan, Italy in June. Brought to the U.S. by Team Valor, he was entered in the Grade III Pilgrim on turf at Belmont Park and finished sixth of seven, beaten 18 1/4 lengths by Noble Tune. He stalked in third, bid briefly and dropped back.
In his final race of the year, Cerro finished fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Undrafted going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park. He again stalked in third, bid, and this time hung a bit to be outfinished.
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: As of May 19, possibly the Belmont Stakes.
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.
CROP REPORT (KY)
Trainer: Graham Motion
Owner: Team Valor International
Breeder: Liberation Farm
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado (IRE), Cappucino Bay)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Amarillo (Crafty Prospector, Popachee)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 11-3-8-4-0 (26) 2.25
Foal Date: May 31, 2010
$35,000 Keeneland January 2012.
$41,334 Arqana Saint-Cloud May 2-Year-Old Breeze Up.
NEXT RACE: TBD.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 23, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile (T). Crop Report, using first-time Lasix, was way behind the field early, looking a little lost out there while almost 10 lengths in arrears. He finally got his feet under him in the stretch and finished well to be third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Black Onyx. Joel Rosario was up. The race was timed in 1:40.99.
March 17 NOTE: Scratched from a GP 1 1/16-mile dirt allowance after drawing post 11.
March 23, Rushaway Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Barry Irwin, head of Team Valor International, who sponsored the Rushaway, said Crop Report wouldn't go to the Kentucky Derby, citing his May 31 foal date and immaturity. However, he said the colt might be a good candidate for the Belmont Stakes. Joel Rosario, aboard Crop Report, was at the rear of the six-horse field up the backstretch, but he asked Crop Report heading into the final turn and took the lead in mid-stretch to put away pacesetter Divine Ambition. The race was timed in 1:45.66.
David Rock, assistant to Graham Motion: “I was a little concerned. We hoped he would show a little more speed, but we knew he would finish up. The horse gave himself a lot to do. He’s European and a big horse, so maybe the gate’s a little small to him. Owners are talking about running him in the Blue Grass Stakes. The further distance certainly will help.”
Joel Rosario: “"(The last race) was his first time here (in the United States). He proved today that he can run, but I was kind of worried when we passed the 3/8 pole. But he was catching horses so quickly, he got the job done today. I was concerned coming around the far turn because it took a while for him to get going. When we started running, he just went. At the top of the stretch, he was moving a lot better than the horse on the inside. After that, I just let him get it together."
Barry Irwin of Team Valor International: On presenting the winner’s trophy to himself: “It’s pretty weird! I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but I guess I was. It’s the first time I ever sponsored a race, and it was fun. I think we’ll do it again.”
On the race: “I don’t know if he did improve today, to tell you the truth. He might have run the same race he ran at Gulfstream. We’ve never had a horse like this. He’s a May 31st foal. When he works in the morning, when he’s in motion, he’s as good as Animal Kingdom. But he’s so immature and so klutzy away from the gate that he gives up five, seven, eight lengths at the start. He’s not going to make the Derby, but I think he’s an exciting prospect for a race like the Belmont.
On a possible start in the Blue Grass: “I don’t know. We’ll see how he comes back. He did kind of sharpen up since the last race since we put blinkers on him. But you saw him. He just isn’t interested in the race in the beginning.”
THE NEXT DAY: The Peter Pan on May 11 was mentioned as being a possible next race.
April 28 NOTE: Looking for a workout.
April 28 NOTE: Bradley Weisbord reported to TDP via twitter that Crop Report "bled badly" in the Rushaway and was sent to WinStar Farm "for some R and R" with the plan to get him back to training around May 15. He said that the Belmont Stakes is unlikely but still possible.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Crop Report raced twice at Newmarket and was bought by the current owner. Seventh in his debut going a mile on soft turf. He won the second time out on Oct. 24, once again running a mile on soft ground. He was timed in only 1:44.50 but prevailed by 12 lengths. He led throughout and was well clear at the furlong marker under Ryan Moore.
DECLAN'S WARRIOR (KY)
Trainer: Nick Zito
Owner: Lucky Shamrock Stable
Breeder: Lucky Shamrock Escrow
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy, Dream Supreme)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Comanche Star (Saint Ballado (CAN), Deceit Princess (CAN))
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 6-5-16-1-0 (28) 2.11
Foal Date: Feb. 5, 2010
NEXT RACE: Declan's Warrior is entered in the Gygistar Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park on May 22.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 16, Declan's Warrior breezed four on the training track in :47.40 (1/20) at SAR.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 9, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Declan's Warrior finished second by a head to Park City, who got up just in time to get the win in 1:17.53.
March 8 NOTE: “I’m excited about him” said trainer Zito. “Not as a potential Derby horse, but maybe a horse that could come around a little later like Bernardini did and take those big steps up each time. You have to look at some of these allowance races for 3-year-olds here at this time of year as if they were a graded stakes.”
March 9, Entry Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 7 1/2 Furlongs. Declan's Warrior dead-heated for the win with Narvaez. The third finisher, Acclaim, was 4 1/4 lengths back. The two winners joined at the wire after Declan's Warrior led Narvaez by a length at the furlong marker. The time was 1:29.74. Jose Lezcano was up. Six ran. The chart call: "Narvaez tracked the pace, angled out for the stretch run, then rallied to be just up to dead heat with Declan's Warrior (who) chased the pace three wide, rallied to take over leaving the turn, then was all out to finish on even terms for the win."
April 6, Grade III Bay Shore Stakes, Aqueduct, Seven Furlongs. Patiently ridden by Jose Lezcano, Declan’s Warrior took advantage of a multi-horse scramble for the early lead and charged down the center of the track to win. The last horse he overtook was Clearly Now -- to prevail by a head. Declan’s Warrior raced in seventh as Retreive, Salutos Amigos, and Clearly Now battled for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.03. Declan’s Warrior was near the rail on the turn, and never further back than four lengths. Clearly Now, the 3-1 second choice, emerged with a tenuous lead in midstretch, but Declan’s Warrior gradually bridged the gap and shot past the leader with 20 yards left. The time was 1:22.09.
Nick Zito: “First time he ran, breaking his maiden at Belmont, that’s how he came. He came with a run. I told Jose, don’t take him out of his game, because that’s a no-no. We’ve done that since we were kids, you know, you take a horse out their game, and it never works. In this particular situation, it worked out. The speed got going, and he got going in the end.
“What can I say? It’s such a special day for me. My wife Kim, is the principal owner, as you know. So it’s a special day for us. She loves her horses. She keeps telling me, the ones that we breed, you have to give them good homes, don’t put them in claiming races. I guess there should be more people like her. On the other hand, I’m glad this worked out and the people that stuck by me, I’m happy for them. I think he’s just a beautiful horse. He’s so consistent. He could be a special horse. Honestly, he could be better than we think. Let’s just keep taking our time and go from there.”
Jose Lezcano: “I was a little worried because there was so much speed today, but I had to ride my horse the way he wants to run – let him sit and try to catch them at the end. He did it. When I asked him the last part, he really kicked good and won the race.”
April 8 NOTE: Trainer Zito was non-committal regarding Declan’s Warrior’s next start on April 7, mentioning a wide range of possibilities such as the Derby Trial on April 27 at Churchill Downs, the Preakness on May 18, and the Woody Stephens or Easy Goer on June 8 on the Belmont Stakes undercard. “We’ll have to figure out something,” said Zito. “If he stays at that distance, we always have the King’s Bishop” in August at Saratoga.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Scatched after the track came up sloppy.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Excerpt from Steve Haskin at Bloodhorse.com on Jan. 6: Not too much to tell yet based on his only start back in October at Belmont, in which he closed like a rocket from far back to just get up by a neck going 5 1/2 furlongs in a sprightly 1:03 4/5. Sent off at 34-1, he dropped back to last from the rail and saved ground every step of the way. He closed relentlessly after appearing to beaten at the eighth pole.... No distance concerns at all in female family...."
DEN’S LEGACY (FL)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Westrock Stables
Breeder: Gaye Swartz
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado (IRE), Cappucino Bay)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Sunshine Song (War Chant, Remember the Day)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 2-4-10-2-0 (18) 1.57
Foal Date: Jan. 28, 2010
$150,000 Keeneland November 2010.
NEXT RACE: TBA. Declared out of Kentucky Derby consideration on April 23.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 26, Den's Legacy worked four in :47.20 (3/34) at SA.
On May 4, Den's Legacy worked six in 1:16.20 (6/8) at SA.
On May 12, Den's Legacy worked five in 1:01.00 (16/50) at SA.
On May 20, Den's Legacy worked four in :48.20 (7/36) at SA.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 5, Grade III Sham Stakes, Santa Anita, One Mile. As expected, Goldencents won this race as the 2-5 chalk, but it was't all that easy. He finally got by pacesetter Manando in deep stretch and prevailed by 1 1/2 length. Den's Legacy stalked those two and got up later than Goldencents to take second, and Manando held third, beaten two lengths, with the next runner 15 more lengths back. Five ran. The time was 1:36.50. The chart call: "Den's Legacy broke out a bit, stalked the pace inside, bid along the rail in deep stretch and edged a rival for the place."
Garrett Gomez: “I wanted him a little bit closer, so I put him closer. He traveled well enough but he just didn’t have the same punch as he normally does. He did a lot more work early on today, though. He ran well, he still only got beat a length and a half, so he still ran a good race; he runs no matter where you put him.”
Feb. 2, Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. Den's Legacy finished second, and his stable mate Flashback easily dispatched the short field. Going into the first turn and up the backstretch, Flashback had a narrow advantage while being pressed by He's Had Enough. Den's Legacy was third while Little Jerry trailed in the field of four.
Rouding the second bend, Flashback began pulling away, and the race was over. He prevailed by 6 1/4 lengths. Den's Legacy was second after getting the best of He's Had Enough in upper stretch. Those two ran together to the wire, with Den's Legacy a half-length better. Little Jerry finished last.
The 1 1/16-mile race was timed in 1:42.95. Flashback's splits were :24.17, :48.69, 1:12.17 and 1:36.53.
Garrett Gomez: “I just wanted to get away in good shape. I outbroke (Flashback) but we all know the gray horse is faster than my horse. We got up there but the gray horse set his own fractions and was able to go slow enough. It’s kind of hard to outkick a nice horse, especially when you go 48 and change.”
March 16, Grade II Rebel Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Will Take Charge won the race by a head over Oxbow. 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.
Robby Albarado, aboard Den's Legacy. "We had a great trip, nice rail trip. This horse ran great. You'll hear a lot more from him."
March 17 NOTE: Den's Legacy was cut above his hock in the Rebel stakes. The hock is the large joint on the hind leg. He'll be fine.
April 6, Grade I Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Under Robby Albarado, Den's Legacy ran a dull sixth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, after attending Falling Sky's pace up the backstretch. With a furlong left, he was only a head off the lead.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Den’s Legacy broke his maiden in his third start. That was a six-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar. He won the Grade III Generous Stakes at one mile on turf at Hollywood Park on Nov. 24. Other notable accomplishments were a second in the one-mile Zuma Beach Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, and a second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview Stakes going six furlongs on turf at The Great Race Place.
Dec. 15, Grade I CashCall Futurity, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. Switched to dirt, Den’s Legacy made a run from well off the pace in the CashCall. Den's Legacy was 13-1 odds and finished 2 1/2 lengths back of Fury Kapcori in third. But it was Violence, never far back in the field of 11, who got up in the stretch run to prevail by 1 1/4 length. The winner was timed in 1:43.50. Den’s Legacy was ninth of 11 after six furlongs and closed late. Oxbow was another 5 1/4 lengths back in fourth. The stretch call: Den’s Legacy chased inside, split horses into the second turn, continued three deep, then four wide into the stretch and bested the others."
Den’s Legacy finished 2012 with a record of 8-2-3-1.
FEAR THE KITTEN (IL)
Trainer: Mike Maker
Owner: Frank D. Irvin
Breeder: Kenneth L. Ramsey & Sarah K. Ramsey
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Kitten's Joy (El Prado (IRE), Kitten's First)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Dynaryhthm (Dynaformer, Relic Rhythm)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 2-1-15-2-0 (20) 1.11
Foal Date: March 1, 2010
No auction history.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 19, Grade III Lecomte Stakes, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. Fear the Kitten and Shaun Bridgmohan finished third, beaten 13 lengths by the front-running Oxbow. Golden Soul was second, beaten 11 1/2 lengths. Fear the Kitten was last of nine after the first quarter-mile and was unable to close behind a moderate pace, although Oxbow was clearly superior on this day.
Feb. 18, Grade III Southwest Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Fear the Kitten and Rosie Napravnik finished a distant second. He closed after being ninth of 10 at the first three calls. Super Ninety Nine met no resistance in winning by 11 1/4 lengths. Under Rafael Bejarano, Super Ninety Nine went to the lead and stayed there on a track rendered sloppy by two downpours late in the card. With Heaven's Runway stalking him, Super Ninety Nine cut out fractions of: 23.33, :47.49 and 1:12.29 before finishing in 1:44.84. The chart call: "Fear the Kitten, void of early foot, began to move in the three path in the far turn, came five wide into the lane, came in slightly when straightened for home, rallied willing for the place while not a threat to the winner."
Feb. 21 NOTE: Fear the Kitten will probably run next in the Grade III Spiral on March 23, trainer Maker said.
March 23, Grade III Spiral Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/8 Mile. Fear the Kitten was ridden on the rail by Rosie Napravnik and was moving like a winner, but he got caught behind a faltering Mac the Man with about six furlongs in the books and lost several lengths taking back. He kept trying and finished fifth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Black Onyx. The chart call doesn't tell the whole story: "Fear the Kitten contended toward the inside, advanced between horses through the second turn, angled out entering the stretch and was making up ground."
April 13, Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/8 Mile. After breaking from post 14 and saving ground in tenth and eleventh position, Fearless Kitten finished fifth, beaten four lengths by Java's War. His owner said before the race that they would point to the Belmont Stakes if they didn't make the Kentucky Derby.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, Fear the Kitten never impacted the race and finished sixth of nine, beaten 17 lengths by the front-running Freedom Child, timed in 1:49.09.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Fear the Kitten broke his maiden at first asking going 1 1/16 mile at Keeneland on Oct, 24. Fourth of seven after a half-mile, he got up to score by three-quarters of a length under Julien Leparoux. He was the 2-1 favorite. It was a $40,000 maiden claiming race.
Fear the Kitten returned to action on Nov. 7, and he won -- again by three-quarters of a length -- in a one-mile alowance on dirt at Churchill Downs. He was 11-1. He was last of six at the first call.
Fear the Kitten closed out his year with a fifth-place finish in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 24, beaten 4 3/4 lengths by Uncaptured.
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.
GENERAL ELECTION (KY)
Trainer: Kellyn Gorder
Owner: WinStar Farm LLC
Breeder: Meg Buckley & Mike Buckley
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Harlan’s Holiday (Harlan, Christmas in Aiken)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Menekineko (Kingmambo, Maison Close)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 6-1-13-4-0 (24) 1.29
Foal Date: Feb. 23, 2010
$70,000 Keeneland September 2011.
$150,000 OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training
A half to multiple Grade I placed Ready’s Echo.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 30, General Election breezed four in :48.00 (4/37) at KEE.
On May 7, General Election breezed five in 1:01.60 (2/23) at KEE.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 1, Entry Level Allowance, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. General Election finished sixth of seven, beaten 14 1/4 lengths by Departing. The chart call: "General Election raced inside early on the initial turn then moved out, shifted further out entering the backstretch, was reserved towards the rear, went five wide on the turn, came six wide into the stretch and failed to respond.
March 2, John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Albin Jimenez guided General Election past a melee at the start and avoided trouble in the stretch to come home a 13-1 winner. After contesting the pace, Giant Finish completed the race half a length behind in second. For Greater Glory was another three-quarters of a length back in third. Admiral Kitten stumbled badly out of post 5. Mellow Fellow lunged out of post 3 and came over onto both Admiral Kitten and Let’s Run, who broke from post 4. Mellow Fellow then shot to the lead and set a :23.65 and :47.80 pace as 2-1 favorite Bye Bye Bernie and Giant Finish tracked him.
General Election, who broke from post 7, avoided the tangle and settled five wide and far back. He made a bold move on the turn and went wider yet into the stretch, wisely removed from what became a roller derby contest to his inside. Both Giant Finish, who led briefly after six furlongs, and For Greater Glory, who came from far back, were caught in the bumpfest that marked the stretch run. When the Polytrack settled, final time for the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia Memorial was 1:46.13.
Kellyn Gorder: “He really hadn’t run well on the dirt at Fair Grounds. He won his first race on dirt, so we thought he just didn’t get hold of the race track at Fair Grounds. We tried blinkers, and that didn’t work. We were deciding between the OBS Stakes or here, and we decided to send him here. I told Albin to lay mid-pack and make a nice run. We knew there was plenty of speed in the
race, so it set up good for us. I thought this race came up tough.”
March 23, Grade III Spiral Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/8 Mile. General Election finished tenth of 12, beaten 17 3/4 lengths by Black Onyx, after he ran last or next-to-last at every other call in the race. The chart says: “General Election failed to respond.”
April 20, Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/16 Mile. General Election finished second, beaten a length by Winning Cause, after closing from last of 10. He was still ninth after six furlongs.
Kellyn Gorder: “I wish it had been a little farther today. I'll talk to Elliott (Walden of owner WinStar Farm). We weren't thinking Derby with him. Maybe the Preakness.”
Joe Rocco Jr.: “He ran a really great race. I thought we'd be a little closer. He didn’t like the kickback in his face that much, but on the second turn I was able to drop in and save a little ground. On the second turn, I thought, ‘Wow, I still have some horse.’ I found some room outside to pitch out and he came running nice. He ran a great race. If it was a little farther, he might have gotten it.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
General Election won his debut on Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs running seven furlongs.
Dec. 26, Entry Level Allowance, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. Mylute literally ran away with this one, winning by 10 3/4 lengths while timed in 1:44.30. General Election was second, followed a neck by Lattin Devil. Mylute stalked third of six, got ahead after six furlongs in a dawdling 1:15.00 and drew off, while General Election was away slowly and sixth of six in the early going. The chart call: “General Election was unhurried while off the inside, moved closer with a half-mile to run, was roused while three wide on the far turn, came under the whip outside the quarter-pole and narrowly earned the place while no match for the winner."
INCOGNITO (KY)
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Owner: Darley Stable
Breeder: Darley
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew, Weekend Surprise)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Octave (Unbridled's Song, Belle Nuit)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 7-16-20-0-1 (44) 3.00
Foal Date: Feb. 10, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 12, Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, One Mile. Incognito finished third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Elnaawi. He finished well and galloped out well.
Feb. 17, Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, One Mile 70 Yards. Incognito was beaten only a neck by Mr Palmer, who went on to win the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel. The race was timed in 1:43.32. The third finisher was 6 1/2 lengths back.
March 16, Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, One Mile. Running in a heavy snowfall and favored at 4-5 odds, Incognito won under a hand ride administered by Mike Luzzi, timed in 1:37.62. He sat behind Tapulous, the second choice, went ahead when asked and cruised home. Seven ran.
April 13, Allowance/Optional Claiming, Aqueduct, One Mile. At 8-5 odds, Incognito was shut off for most of the stretch and clipped heels with one of his opponents before he found space and made a late surge to get up at the wire by a nose. It was a performance that turned heads. Under Mike Luzzi, Incognitow was timed in 1:36.79.
May 2 NOTE: “He had a crazy race last time where he was in tight and clipped heels and came on to win,” said trainer McLaughlin. “A really nice horse, but he has to keep stepping up. We know Incognito wants (the Belmont distance).”
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, Incognito never impacted the race and finished fifth of nine, beaten 15 3/4 lengths by the front-running Freedom Child, timed in 1:49.09.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
He raced once and finished fifth, beaten 12 1/2 lengths by Long River going a mile and 70 yards at Aqueduct.
INFINITE MAGIC (KY)
Trainer: Bobby Ribaudo
Owner: Team Valor International
Breeder: Grapestock LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): More Than Ready ()
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Truly Enchanting (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE), )
Dosage Profile (Points) Index:
Foal Date: March 1, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
After winning a 1 1/4-mile handicap race at Lingfield on Feb. 1, he was purchased by his current owner and brought to the United States.
April 14, Second Level Allowance, Keeneland, 1 1/16 Mile (T). Infinite Magic rallied from last of seven to win by a nose, timed in 1:42.57 under Edgar Prado. He was sent off 9-2 odds and beat 6-5 favorite Are You Kidding Me by almost a length.
May 2 NOTE: “It’d be easy to keep him on the grass – there’s a grass overnight stakes (on the day of the Peter Pan) – but when people invest money and take shots with 3-year-olds they’re hoping they can do something they haven’t done yet,” said trainer Ribaudo. “It’d be nice to see if he can handle the dirt, and then there’d be a lot of options for him. You don’t want to compare him to Animal Kingdom, but he did the same thing with Animal Kingdom, and everyone thought he was nuts. He ran on the synthetic, and the next thing you know he’s in the Derby on the dirt and he wins.
“(April 28) was an easy breeze, but he travels well on (dirt), and we make sure to train him every day on the main track and take him to the paddock,” Ribaudo added. “Nothing seems to bother him. There’s nothing we don’t like about the way he travels, but in the afternoon you have to get dirt in the face, and sometimes that’s what they don’t like.”
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, Infinite Magic never impacted the race and finished ninth of nine, beaten 32 lengths by the front-running Freedom Child, timed in 1:49.09.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Infinite Magic began his career in England, where he won one of four starts with two seconds, all over synthetic surfaces.
MR PALMER (KY)
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: Michael Lauffer & Gregory McDonald
Breeder: J. Mike Lauffer, James Lauffer & Greg McDonald
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Pulpit (A.P. Indy, Preach)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): In Truth (Quiet American, Quite Honestly)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-9-13-0-0 (30) 3.62
Foal Date: Feb. 25, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 17, Aqueduct, Maiden Special Weight, One Mile 70 Yards. Mr. Palmer broke his maiden in his sixth start under Junior Alvarado at 1-2 odds in a field of six. He was on the lead after a half-mile and was timed in 1:43.32.
March 9, Private Terms Stakes, Laurel Park, 1 1/8 Mile. After hopping at the start and breaking last, Mr Palmer settled behind eight others under Junior Alvarado and stayed there through the first turn. Alvarado began to urge his mount entering the backstretch and really got to work on the son of Pulpit approaching the far turn, taking him eight wide into the stretch. He reached Where’s Dominic and Battier just past the eighth pole, roared by them and galloped away, crossing the finish line in 1:51.35 for the nine-furlong distance. He finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of Battier, with Seventeenohsix taking third. Mr Palmer was the favorite.
Junior Alvarado: “He broke a step slow but I wasn’t worried. The race was just starting. There were a lot of horses on the inside so I tried to kick on with him and when I asked him to run he definitely took off. I really love the way he runs, he’s so professional.”
Co-owner Michael Lauffer, who had Shackleford in the 2011 Preakness: “Maryland racing has been awful good to us. You gotta get excited about these three-year-old colts this time of year. We’re going to try to put this horse on the Derby and Preakness trail if he’s good enough. He’s a horse that’s getting better every race. He finally woke up. Now he’s won two in a row. He loves the distance. He’s just a horse with a lot of heart that gives you everything he’s got.”
April 6, Grade I Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Mr Palmer was seventh the first three calls and rallied to finish fourth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Verrazano, who was timed in 1:50.27. The chart call: "Mr. Palmer raced along the outside, was put to some encouragement after completing three-quarters, altered course coming to midstretch and rallied to secure the last major check."
April 28 NOTE: Looking for a workout.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Mr Palmer raced five times without breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Turfway Park and Aqueduct. He hit the board twice.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL (KY)
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: Wachtel Stable, Barry Butzer & Dominion Bloodstock
Breeder: Sun Valley Farm
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Macho Uno (Holy Bull, Primal Force)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Graciously Soft (Vindication, Siberian Fur)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-1-6-0-0 (12) 3.00
Foal Date: Jan. 30, 2010
$30,000 RNA Keeneland November 2010.
$22,000 RNA Keeneland September 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 1 NOTE: Bill Mott has replaced David Cotey as trainer for My Name Is Michael.
Feb. 2, Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes, Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/16 Mile. My Name Is Michael made a belated late run to get third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Falling Sky. Dynamic Sky made a late run but fell just short. My Name Is Michael and Joel Rosario got going later than Dynamic Sky. After hopping at the start, Falling Sky was soon on the lead. He cut out fractions of :23.49, :47.68 and 1:12.61 while being closely pursued by Divine Ambition. Balino and Dynamic Sky stalked. Rounding the far turn, Falling Sky continued on the front while Dynamic Sky began to gear up. At the furlong marker, Falling Sky was still two lengths ahead of Dynamic Sky. The latter one inched into that margin but came up a neck short at the wire. Falling Sky was timed at 1:44.79.
Feb. 16 NOTE: My Name Is Michael won't run in the Fountain of Youth. Trainer Mott said he developed a fever earlier this week.
March 23, Grade III Spiral Stakes, Turfway Park, 1 1/8 Mile. My Name is Michael finished eighth as the post-time favorite. He was seventh at the first three calls.
April 13, Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/8 Mile. My Name Is Michael finished seventh of 14 at 24-1 odds. He was eighth, sixth, then seventh and was beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Java's War.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, My Name Is Michael briefly challenged the front-running winner Freedom Child, but he couldn't keep up and finished seventh, beaten 22 lengths to a time of 1:49.09.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
His four races as a juvenile all come at Woodbine, where his sole win of the year came in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Oct. 14. Last time out, he was second to Avie's Quality in the Display Stakes on Dec. 1.
NARVAEZ (KY)
Trainer: Agustin Bezara
Owner: Stipa Racing Stable, Inc.
Breeder: Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm, LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Holy Bull (Great Above, Sharon Brown)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Miss Lulu (Unbridled, Ms. Margi)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-9-6-0-3 (26) 3.33
Foal Date: March 17, 2010
$40,000 Keeneland September 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
March 9, Entry-Level Allowance, Gulfstream Park, 7 1/2 Furlongs. Declan's Warrior dead-heated for the win with Narvaez. The third finisher, Acclaim, was 4 1/4 lengths back. The two winners joined at the wire after Declan's Warrior led Narvaez by a length at the furlong marker. The time was 1:29.74. Javier Castellano was up. Six ran.
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 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.
April 20, Grade III Illinois Derby, Hawthorne Race Course, 1 1/8 Mile. Narvaez finished seventh, beaten 10 lengths by Departing.
May 11, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, Belmont Park, 1 1/8 Mile. On a track rated sloppy/sealed, Narvaez was third after six furlongs but finished eighth of nine, beaten 31 3/4 lengths by the front-running Freedom Child, timed in 1:49.09.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Narvaez raced three times, winning once and off the board the other three times. All his races were at one turn at Calder. That win came in his third start running seven furlongs at Calder, timed in 1:25.94, on November 18.
NOBLE TUNE (KY)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owner: Martin S. Schwartz and Dell Ridge Farm LLC
Breeder: Dell Ridge Farm LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Unbridled's Song (Unbridled, Trolley Song)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Serena's Cat (Storm Cat, Serena‘s Tune)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-9-9-0-2 (30) 3.62
Foal Date: Jan. 20, 2010
$300,000 RNA Keeneland September 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 19, Noble Tune breezed five on turf rated good in 1:00.40 (1/6) at BEL.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 13 NOTE: Noble Tune and stable mate Balance the Books could both eventually race in the Blue Grass Stakes, according to a Twitter post by Jennie Rees.
Jan. 19 NOTE: “I’d like to run (Balance the Books and Noble Tune) once, on turf, before Keeneland, then run in the Blue Grass on Polytrack,” trainer Brown told DRF.com. “If they run poorly in the Blue Grass, that would be it for the Triple Crown and we’d go back to turf. But if they run well in the Blue Grass, I’d consider running them in the Derby, or at least giving them a workout on the dirt at Churchill Downs beforehand to see if they handle it.”
Feb. 27 NOTE: Trainer Brown looking for something shorter than 1 1/8 mile for Noble Tune's 2013 debut. “With Noble Tune, his first race back, I want to start him off at a slightly shorter distance if I can. I’m not positive what race that’s going to be yet,” the trainer said.
March 9, Entry Level Allowance, Tampa Bay Downs, One Mile (T). After laying back in eighth of nine, Noble Tune went into the clear, wide in the stretch, and made a furious run to win by a nose, timed in 1:35.05 under Johnny V. Are You Kidding Me was second after closing from sixth. Pataky Kid, who looked like a winner a hundred yards out and who was always prominent, finished third. The chart call: "Noble Tune was unhurried early, made an inside advance to contention, angled out six wide for racing room then closed fast to be up in the final strides."
May 3, Grade III American Turf, Churchill Downs, 1 1/16 Mile (T). Noble Tune and Javier Castellano laid close to a moderate early pace, then surged up the rail in the stretch to prevail by 1 3/4 length, timed in 1:41.63. He was easily the best.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Noble Tune raced three times, all on turf. He broke his maiden first time out, then won the Grade III Pilgrim Stakes, and capped off his juvenile season finishing second in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Dec. 13 NOTE: Noble Tune returned to the track at Palm Meadows this week after having a month off. Trainer Brown said he is hoping Noble Tune will return to action in early March.
Dec. 20 NOTE: Pete Denk said at Bloodhorse.com: “All three of his career starts have come on turf, but I am listing him because I think Noble Tune is one of the most talented two-year-old colts in America. His second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf was excellent. He is fast and he handles herd chaos beautifully. Pedigree and smooth action bode well for him to try new surfaces.”
POWER BROKER (KY)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Gary & Mary West
Breeder: Jamm Ltd.
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Pulpit (A.P. Indy, Preach)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Shop Again (Wild Again, Shopping)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-8-12-0-0 (28) 3.67
Foal Date: Feb. 15, 2010
$360,000 Keeneland September 2011.
NEXT RACE: As of May 12, possibly the Belmont Stakes.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 13 NOTE: Been away from the worktab a long time.
Feb. 14 NOTE: Power Broker had his first workout since disappointing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last Nov. 3, going three furlongs at Santa Anita in 37 flat, according to trainer Baffert. “I just freshened him up,” Baffert said.
March 17 NOTE: Steve Haskin tweets that a decision for Power Broker's nex race will be made after his Monday workout.
April 6, Grade I Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 Mile. Power Broker finished fifth, beaten 14 lengths, after running fourth or fifth of eight at each call.
April 10, Second Level Allowance Race, Churchill Downs, 1 1/16 Mile. Under Rosie Napravnik at 4-5 odds, Power Broker won this race for 3-year-olds and up after pressing early fractions of :24.18 and :48.21 while four wide on the first turn in a field of 6. He took the lead on the backstretch, getting six furlongs in 1:13.06 and a mile in 1:38.13 and then drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths, timed in 1:44.59 on a sloppy/sealed track. Cary Street was second, Suns Out Guns Out third, beaten 7 1/4 lengths.
April 12 NOTE: Marty McGee tweets that trainer Baffert said in a text that the Belmont Stakes could be next for Power Broker.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
His first three races were on Del Mar's synthetic and turf, and he hit the board in each of them without winning.
Sept. 29, Grade I FrontRunner Stakes, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. Hustled by Rafael Bejarano from post 10, Power Broker was in good position on the first turn, albeit three wide. Stable mate Carving cut out moderate splits of :47.53 and 1:12.45, with Know More pressing him. Still three
wide on the second turn, Power Broker got on even terms. He took a slight lead at the top of the stretch, and that turned into a 6 1/2-length blowout timed in 1:44.44. Know More stayed on for second; Capo Bastone came from eleventh of 11 to get third, beaten seven lengths, and Carving easily held on for fourth.
Bob Baffert: “I was really high on this horse before we went to Del Mar. I thought he was a top horse. He let me down when he ran down there, and I was a little disappointed. Then he came back and he didn’t work that well. Then he worked really well the other day. I was thinking of putting him on the grass. After that last race, I switched him up. It worked out.”
“It’s too early (to talk about the Kentucky Derby)," Baffert added.
Rafael Bejarano: “This horse has turned out really good. I’m surprised with the way he ran today, he was amazing. It was the first time he ran on this track at this distance and it looked like he loved this track. It’s important to be on the lead right now, and it was easy to find early position right away.”
Oct. 14 NOTE: “Power Broker went really nice,” trainer Baffert said.
Oct. 17 NOTE: Still confirmed for the Juvenile.
Oct. 18 NOTE: “I’m not real worried about (the Lasix ban for) my horses, because they’ve never shown any signs of (bleeding), and we give very low doses of Lasix,” trainer Baffert said. “But on race day you never know. We won’t know until they race.”
Nov. 3, Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. Power Broker did not break well and was wide hitting the first turn. Unlike his most recent effort, however, it seemed to take a lot out of him and he finished fifth, beaten five lengths.
Rafael Bejarano: “The number eight (Fortify) rushed out of the gate, and I tried to get position, but he went out and pushed me way wide on the first turn. It probably cost me the race.”
Nov. 28 NOTE: Power Broker will skip the CashCall Futurity. “He needs to fill out,” trainer Baffert said. “He’s a very light horse.”
RYDILLUC (KY)
Trainer: Gary Contessa
Owner: Dellatore-Bobo Green, Shay Lerner, Baker, Baker et al
Breeder: Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds, LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado (IRE), Cappucino Bay)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Swift and Classy (Clever Trick, Sociable Duck)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 4-5-7-2-0 (18) 2.27
Foal Date: Jan. 21, 2010
$150,000 Fasig-Tipton Timonium May 2012.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 3, Rydilluc breezed five in 1:01.60 (5/10) at BEL.
On May 13, Rydilluc breezed a mile in 1:43.67 (1/1) at BEL.
On May 19, Rydilluc breezed a mile on turf rated good in 1:42.09 (1/1) at BEL.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Rydilluc won an entry-level turf allowance by nearly six lengths at Gulfstream on Jan. 5.
March 3, Grade III Palm Beach Stakes, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/8 Mile (T). Rydilluc prevailed over Charming Kitten by 3 1/2 lengths, timed in 1:48.18 while being ridden out by Edgar Prado. Rydilluc assumed a stalking position just off the pacesetting Dad’z Laugh during a first half-mile in a pedestrian :49.59. The 2-1 second betting choice edged to the front on the far turn without any encouragement from Prado before sprinting away from his rivals in the stretch. Charming Kitten, the 8-5 favorite ridden by John Velazquez, closed well to finish second, a neck ahead of Reporting Star, who had a stalking trip under Eduardo Nunez.
Gary Contessa: “You see what he looks like turning for home with the stride he’s got. He’s an amazing horse. I think we have to go to the Spiral or Blue Grass and take a shot. He’s nominated for the Spiral and he’s nominated for the Blue Grass and I’ve seen a lot of horses that did this – turf to Poly – and showed up in the Derby. So we’re not ruling it out.
“As good as he runs on turf he runs on dirt. I just got to toss that first race (on dirt). I don’t know if you saw him in the paddock, but he’s a handful. Maybe he just blew his race that day and just wasn’t mentally prepared.
“At the top of the stretch and he kicks in like that and draws off, my heart is in my throat. That’s what keeps us getting up in the morning – a horse like this. It’s going to be fun getting to the bottom of it and find out exactly what he is.”
Edgar Prado: "The way he ran last time was very impressive and I was very happy how he ran and came out of the race. He has been working great. Charming Kitten is a nice horse, but today was Rydilluc's day, and he passed the test. He came back fresh and happy, he's such a nice horse."
March 4 NOTE: “The Spiral comes up in just 20 days, so he’d have to be kicking the walls down, if not we’ll just wait for the Blue Grass,” trainer Contessa said.
March 8 NOTE: Trainer Contessa tweets that the Blue Grass, not the Spiral, is now probably next for Rydilluc.
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.
Gary Contessa: “He ran good. That shows us we’re keeping him on the turf. He came back really blowing and hard. That’s a sign he didn’t handle the track. I thought we were home free, but he really ran great.”
Edgar Prado: “He ran good. He tried hard. The post position didn't help too much. But I was able to drop to the rail and save some ground. He was comfortable there. When I asked him to run, he kicked in. He just got outrun the last part.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Rydilluc debuted on dirt on Oct. 13, going a mile at Belmont Park, with a distant fifth-place finish in which he was never a factor. Six ran. Delhomme won, and Long River was second.
Switched to turf at Aqueduct on Nov. 23, he prevailed by 4 1/2 lengths, timed for the mile in 1:38.63. Efficient Market was second. Ten ran.
SR. QUISQUEYANO (FL)
Trainer: Luis Olivares
Owner: Rosa Stephany Taveras
Breeder: Do-Little Farm LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Exclusive Quality (Elusive Quality, First Glimmer)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Royal Navy (Polish Navy, Little V.)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 2-2-6-0-0 (10) 2.33
Foal Date: March 7, 2010
$5,500 OBS 2011 January Mixed Sale.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 20, Sr. Quisqeyano breezed four in :49.60 (15/73) at CRC.
On April 27, Sr. Quisqeyano breezed five in 1:01.80 (2/20) at CRC.
On May 4, Sr. Quisqeyano breezed four in :47.80 (1/72) at CRC.
On May 18, Sr. Quisqueyano worked five in 1:01.00 (1/20) at CRC.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 1, Gulfstream Park Derby, Gulfstream Park, One Mile. 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. But 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 swept past the tiring Undrafted and lengthening his lead to the wire. The time was a stout 1:34.39.
Joel Rosario: "We were second best. When we were turning for home Itsmyluckyday and Paco Lopez made a move and when he asked him to go, we were just second best today. He still ran well and finished good. My horse is kind of one pace, so hopefully next time we'll do better."
Jan. 26, Grade III Holy Bull Stakes, Gulfstream Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Sr. Quisqueyano broke poorly and was bumped. He finished eighth, beaten 38 2/4 lengths by Itsmyluckyday. He wasn't in contention at any point in the race. The chart call: "Sr. Quisqueyano broke in and bumped at the start, settled in near the back of the pack, stalked the pace two to three off the inside and failed to respond in the drive."
April 6, Calder Derby, Calder, 1 1/8 Mile. Sr. Quisqueyano (4-1) crushed his competition, beating second finisher Speak Logistics (4-5) by 7 1/2 lengths, timed in 1:52.71.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Sr. Quisqueyano won his first three starts and was second in his next three, all of them at Calder. His third outing was the one-mile Seacliff Stakes, which he won by 13 3/4 lengths; Those second-place finishes came in the one-mile, 70-yard Foolish Pleasure Stakes won by Itsmyluckyday, the six-furlong Birdonthewire Stakes won by Brave Dave, and the seven-furlong Jack Price Juvenile Stakes also won by Brave Dave.
SUNBEAN (LA)
Trainer: Mike Maker
Owner: Brittlyn Stable, Inc.
Breeder: Brittlyn, Inc.
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Brahms (Danzig, Queena)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): X Strawdnair (Malagra, Zacado Zacado)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 7-4-9-0-0 (20) 3.44
Foal Date: April 14, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 7, Sunbean breezed four on a good track in :49.40 (11/18) at CDT.
On May 14, Sunbean breezed five in :59.40 (1/7) at CDT.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 1, Restricted Allowance, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards. Under Coby Hernandez at 3-5 odds, Sunbean took this race restricted to Louisiana-breds in 1:44.10 as a first-time gelding, a little faster than Departing ran two races earlier. He was used hard in the stretch to get up over Butcher by 1 3/4 length. His trip wasn't the easiest. The chart call: "Sunbean went three wide on the first turn, settled just off the pace on the outside, was roused while four wide on the far turn, rallied outside in upper stretch and closed strongly to win going away."
The Risen Star comes up on Feb. 23, but Stall said if more time is needed between starts, the March 16 Rebel at Oaklawn Park would be considered for Sunbean. Stall has stalls at Oaklawn.
Feb. 23, Gentilly Stakes, Fair Grounds, One Mile 70 Yards (Off Turf). Sunbean was the dominant winner in this race restricted to Louisiana-breds. Timed in 1:42.76, Sunbean was sixth of eight after a half-mile. He struck the lead in upper stretch and drew off to prevail by 4 3/4 lengths at 4-5 odds.
March 26 NOTE: “Some people nominate all their horses to the Triple Crown right away, but we don’t do that,” said trainer Stall of Departing and Sunbean. “We waited until we thought these two horses were ready to take the next step and now we think they are ready to do that. Everything is looking good for both our horses on Saturday, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
March 30, Grade II Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 Mile. Sunbean finished eighth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths by Revolutionary and a time of 1:50.28. Sunbean had significant traffic trouble in the stretch. The chart call: "Sunbean settled well back in the field, moved closer with a half-mile to run, advanced inside on the far turn, steadied while blocked at the quarter-pole, continued blocked in upper stretch, steadied again nearing the furlong marker, altered course to the outside and also lost any chance."
THE NEXT DAY: Pam Fitzgerald, assistant to trainer Al Stall Jr., said Sunbean is fine."Sunbean got absolutely slammed a couple of times yesterday, but he seems to be alright.”
April 20, Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/16 Mile. Sunbean went off as the favorite but never impacted the race and finished fifth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. The chart call: "Sunbean, within striking distance three wide, moved out five wide midway through the second turn and lacked a late bid."
Gary Stevens: “My trip was good. He started trying to lean out with me a little bit around the final turn. He was going great when he was up against it, cruising with the winner. I had my eye on the winner and I was getting a great trip. When I started to ask him a little bit, he got timid. I am not sure he handled the Polytrack real well. I was very happy where I was early on; they weren't going that fast but he was well within himself. I was right off the eventual winner early on and very happy where I was.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
On Dec. 8, Sunbean raced for the first time at Fair Grounds and finished second to Warren's Rebel at six furlongs. He broke his maiden on Dec. 31, winning the restricted Louisiana Futurity by a half-length as the 2-1 favorite in a field of nine.
SUPER NINETY NINE (KY)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Tanma Corporation
Breeder: Northwest Farms LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Pulpit (A.P. Indy, Preach)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Exogenetic (Unbridled's Song, Tangled Up in Blue)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-9-11-0-0 (28) DI = 4.09
Foal Date: April 10, 2010
$200,000 Keeneland September 2011.
$260,000 OBS June 2012.
NEXT RACE: TBA. Declared out of Kentucky Derby consideration on April 23.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 31, Entry Level Allowance, Santa Anita, One Mile. Appealing Tale (5-2) finished third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths. Super Ninety Nine (3-2) rebounded from his Dec. 28 loss winning while going two turns for first time. He was timed in 1:35.11. Super Ninety Nine attended the pace of :22.83 and :46.47 set by Appealing Tale while Code West (5-2) 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 chart call: "Appealing Tale sped to the early lead, set the pace inside, fought back inside the winner on the backstretch and second turn, weakened in the stretch but held third."
THE NEXT DAY: Bob Baffert said Super Ninety Nine came out of his race well and will run in a stake next time out.
Feb. 18, Grade III Southwest Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Super Ninety Nine met no resistance in winning by 11 1/4 lengths. Under Rafael Bejarano, Super Ninety Nine went to the lead and stayed there on a track rendered sloppy by two downpours late in the card. With Heaven's Runway stalking him, Super Ninety Nine cut out fractions of: 23.33, :47.49 and 1:12.29 before finishing in 1:44.84. There was nothing even remotely close to him from the furlong marker to the wire. It was a straight 6-7-8-9 superfacta as longshot Fear the Kitten rallied to finish second, albeit a distant one, followed by longshot Heavens Runway -- who was second behind Super Ninety Nine in the early going -- and the late-running Channel Isle, another longshot.
Bob Baffert by phone: “Rafael called me before the race, and I just told him to let him get away from there and do his thing. Turning for home, I could see he had plenty of horse. It’s exciting. This is the time of year when these 3-year-olds start getting exciting. We’ll get him back home and see how he does. We know he likes the track now. I don’t like to plan ahead, and with these young horses, you just never know. We’ll definitely have something for the Rebel.”
March 16 NOTE: Jim Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, said on March 15, “His weight’s good, his color’s good, he’s happy.” The colt arrived at Oaklawn from Southern California on Thursday.
March 16, Grade II Rebel Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Super Ninety Nine finished fifth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths by Will Take Charge, who won the race by a head over Oxbow. 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.
Jim Barnes, assistant trainer to Bob Baffert regarding Super Ninety Nine:"No real excuses at this point. We had the trip we expected. He was able to sit off the pace like we wanted."
Rafael Bejarano, on Super Ninety Nine: "I was really comfortable in the beginning, but then my horse flattened out after that."
April 6, Grade I Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 Mile. Goldencents, ridden brilliantly by Kevin Krigger, won the race. Krigger and Goldencents got after it right away. When Super Ninety Nine shot the lead from the gate, he was almost immediately engaged by Goldencents off his flank to the outside. The pair cut out splits of :22.72 and :46.48, reminiscent of the fast early pace in the San Felipe. But this time it was different. Krigger took hold of Goldencents and rated him through a third quarter-mile in 24 seconds, and Super Ninety Nine, ridden by Martin Garcia, maintained a short lead. Flashback and Garrett Gomez stalked two lengths back, give or take, in fourth, then fifth, then third going into the far turn.
Krigger let out the reins on Goldencents circling the turn, and they grabbed the lead in upper stretch. When Flashback came after them, Goldencents quickened and opened up two lengths on the even-money favorite. Flashback remained resolute and trailed by a length at the furlong marker, but he lost a little ground the rest of the way in and finished second by 1 1/4 length. Everything else was far up the track. Super Ninety Nine stayed on for third, beaten 9 3/4 lengths. The winning time was 1:48.76.
Bob Baffert, Flashback, second and Super Ninety Nine, third: “We were all in a good position turning for home. When we got to the outside the other horse, he just quickened on him. The winner ran a really good race. They ran pretty fast times. Super Ninety Nine was in a good spot. He probably doesn’t want to go that far."
May 18 NOTE: Looking for a workout.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Super Ninety Nine won his debut race on Oct. 7 going seven furlongs at Santa Anita. He was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint after becoming cast in his stall that morning.
Nov. 22, Hollywood Park, Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes, Seven Furlongs. Super Ninety Nine, favored at 4-5 odds, was beaten a half-length by 11-1 stable mate Really Mr Greely, who led throughout. Super Ninety Nine, who had a little tougher trip under Rafael Bejarano, came from fourth of five to make his belated bit between horses. The time was 1:22.84. The chart call: “Super Ninety Nine three deep early, chased outside a rival, came out into the stretch and finished willingly between foes on the line.”
Dec. 28, Entry Level Allowance, Santa Anita, Six Furlongs. Super Ninety Nine clunked home fourth of six after running fourth at each call. He couldn’t keep up with Distinctiv Passion, who romped home in 1:08.61 on the lead all the way.
TIZ A MINISTER (CA)
Trainer: Paul Aguirre
Owner: S.A.Y. Racing LLC
Breeder: Dahlberg Farms LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Ministers Wildcat (Deputy Minister, Hollywood Wildcat)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Tiz a Mistress (Cee's Tizzy, Gambling Mistress)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 3-0-7-0-0 (10) 1.86
Foal Date: Feb. 8, 2010
$2,700 RNA Barretts Equine Limited January 2011.
$6,500 Barretts Equine Limited 2011 California Cup Yearling Sale.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 12, Tiz A Minister worked four in :48.80 (19/53) at BHP.
On May 19, Tiz A Minister worked five in 1:01.20 (19/59) at BHP.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Tiz a Minister started his year by finishing second in a one-mile turf starter allowance at Santa Anita on Jan. 10.
Jan. 26, California Breeders Championship Stakes, Santa Anita, One Mile. The contest saw an upset of 4-5 favorite Omega Star when Tiz A Minister made one run from tenth and last to win by 1 1/4 length. Tiz a Minister, ridden by Garrett Gomez at 9-1 odds, was timed for the mile in 1:36.56. Julien Leparoux was up on Omega Star, who came from a stalking fifth position to grab the lead in the stretch, only to be bypassed by the winner inside the furlong marker.
Paul Aguirre, Tiz a Minister: “I told him, ‘All the other jocks have let him creep a little bit; he just wants to make one run.’ I thought he was crazy where he put him, but Garrett, he’s really a genius on the back of a horse. Nobody else can get a horse to run like that. If you hold this horse and make one run, he’ll run every time, and he’d run once a week if you’d let him. Nothing seems to bug him. He’s right back in the feed tub and ready to run again.”
Garrettt Gomez, Tiz a Minister: “It was an exact copy of what happened in the last race. This little horse was running. I cranked him up, he settled in behind them and he traveled well. He was really turned off all the way on the backside and when I had to get him up a little bit, he did so willingly. When I angled him out he really did go to running and I got him to switch leads. He ran down Julien’s horse. Julien’s horse wasn’t lying down, my horse was actually running.”
March 9, Grade II San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. Hear the Ghost came from nowhere to win, and Tiz a Minister also closed to get up for third. Salutos Amigos set the tone for a wild and woolly San Felipe when he went to the front into the first turn. Flashback and Goldencents sprinted behind him, the first quarter-mile timed in :22.97. Goldencents and Flashback easily put away Salutos Amigos and ran up the backstretch in fast fractions of :45.95 and 1:09.94. While it was the game plan of Goldencents' connections to sit off of Flashback -- they broke from posts 3 and 2 respectively -- the opposite configuration unfolded as Flashback hammered Goldencents with pressure from the outside.
As that pair battled through the far turn, Hear the Ghost and Corey Nakatani were unleashing a rally that carried them to the front inside the furlong grounds. Flashback held on for second, beaten a half-length, while Goldencents caved in to another closer, Tiz a Minister. The latter one was beaten a length for it all and was 1 1/4 length ahead Goldencents at the finish. Hear the Ghost was timed in 1:42.34.
Paul Aguirre, trainer of Tiz a Minister: “If it weren’t Garrett Gomez, I’d be waiting over here for the ambulance. But Garrett’s got a way with those horses. That’s a victory to me, to be in the same category as these two horses. I know they’re Derby horses, but I’m really proud of him. I would think there’s a strong chance (of going to the Santa Anita Derby). The owner wants to stay here, so we probably will.”
March 16 NOTE: “I don’t have a jockey for him right now if we run in the Santa Anita Derby, but if we go in the Blue Grass, Gomez would be available to ride him back,” trainer Aguirre said. Fair Grounds press office has Tiz a Minister going next in the Louisiana Derby.
April 6, Grade I Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 Mile. Tiz a Minister lagged behind in eighth of eight, then made a mile rally to finish fourth, beaten 12 1/2 lengths. He was 13 1/2 lengths behind at the first call. The chart call: "Tiz a Minister, unhurried and angled to the inside early, saved ground off the pace, came out on the second turn and again into the stretch and improved position but was not a threat."
April 17 NOTE: Trainer Aguirre said he is interested in running in the Kentucky Derby if he can get in.
April 27, Snow Chief Stakes, Betfair Hollywood Park, 1 1/8 Mile. After breaking from post 8, Corey Nakatani took Tiz a Minister over to the rail and wound up far back of the field in the backstretch. He made a move on the second turn, splitting horses, but then was swung out wide hitting the stretch and lost ground again. He finished third, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Surfcup and a time of 1:50.80. Fighting Hussar was second, beaten a half-length.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Tiz a Minister raced seven times and won once, an open-company 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Hollywood Park on Nov. 11. That was his sixth race. Up to then, he had three seconds and a third to his credit. In his 2012 finale, his seventh race of the year, he finished fourth in the seven-furlong King Glorious at Hollywood won by Weewinnin.
TRANSPARENT (FL)
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Owner: Darley Stable
Breeder: Hardacre Farm LLC
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Bernardini (A.P. Indy, Cara Rafaela)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Habiboo (Unbridled's Song, Blushing Ogygian)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-11-12-0-0 (28) 3.67
Foal Date: March 7, 2010
$725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 26, Transparent breezed four in :47.05 (1/18) at BEL.
On May 4, Transparent breezed four in :50.80 (39/46) at BEL.
On May 20, Transparent breezed four in :50.20 (2/2) at GTC.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
After breaking his maiden on Jan. 26 going a mile and 70 yards on the inner track at Aqueduct, Transparent was sent into stakes company and finished a forgettable sixth in the Grade III Gotham Stakes.
April 4, Entry Level Allowance, Aqueduct, One Mile. Racing against only three competitors, Transparent came out on top, timed in 1:35.62. It was the margin that raised eyebrows -- he won by 10 3/4 lengths. Sent off at 1-2 odds, he was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.
May 8 NOTE: Withdrawn from consideration from the Peter Pan Stakes.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Transparent was winless in five starts at Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct. He hit the board twice.
TREASURY BILL (KY)
Trainer: Ron Ellis
Owner: Gary and Mary West
Breeder: Edward A. Seltzer & Beverly Anderson
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo, Charming Lassie)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Wow Me Free (Menifee, Double Wow (CAN))
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 7-2-13-4-0 (26) 1.48
Foal Date: Feb. 2, 2010
$230,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky 2011.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 27, Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita, 6 1/2 Furlongs. In a field of six, Treasury Bill was 11 lengths off the pace and almost six lengths behind the fifth runner after a quarter-mile on a wet-fast track. He came very wide into the stretch and had a lot to overcome at that point -- but he won in a time of 1:16.73. Joe Talamo was aboard.
Feb. 10 NOTE: “We’re just trying to get untracked for some of the bigger Derby preps. This will get another race under his belt, give him a little more experience and we’ll move on to two turns,” said trainer Ellis about Treasury Bill's next start in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes.
Feb. 17, Grade II San Vicente Stakes, Santa Anita, Seven Furlongs. Shakin It UP extracted himself from trouble in time to win. Belvin was on the early engine and took the field up the backstretch in splits of :22.88 and :45.62, with Caballo del Cielo in closest pursuit. Shakin It Up stalked in fifth, then third, about three, then 1 1/2 lengths back. Treasury Bill, looking inexperienced, trailed the field of six, seven lengths off the pace at the first call and four back at the second.
Going into the turn, Caballo del Ceilo took on Belvin. With a furlong left, he had the lead, while Belvin began a retreat. Around the bend, Shakin It Up and David Flores found themselves behind horses, but a seam opened after they straightened out. Shakin It Up took that opportunity to charge through while Treasury Bill and Joe Talamo went the overland route. Shakin It Up outsprinted Treasury Bill to the finish line, timed in 1:22.48 and prevaiing by a length.
Joe Talamo, aboard Treasury Bill: “He finished real strong. I was real proud of him from coming out of a maiden race to run a race like this today. He was kind of dragging me up there today, which I like, because he usually gets off the bit the last part and comes running, but I thought that was a great effort today."
Ron Ellis, trainer of Treasury Bill: “He started to pull Joe a little earlier than I thought he would down the backside. He got up a little bit closer and got forced a bit wide, but he ran hard, he ran game. I didn’t really think he could compete with these kind of horses going seven furlongs, so I’m very happy.
“The plan was, timing wise, was a month from now, go to the Rebel at Oaklawn. I think we might go there. The West’s have Flashback, who will run in the races here, so they don’t want to hook them up together. So the plan is to go to the Rebel.”
March 16 NOTE: “I think he’s sitting on tilt right now. He’s been working unbelievable," said Joe Talamo on March 15.
March 16, Grade II Rebel Stakes, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Connections reportedly said Treasury Bill spun his wheels on the track. He did not break that well, but everyone was expecting him to make a late run, not be involved early. Whatever the reason, he never got going and finished eighth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths by Will Take Charge. The chart call: "Treasury Bill, squeezed back at the start, lacked speed, raced in some traffic turning for home, lacked a late punch when clear for the drive."
May 11, Came Home Stakes, Betfair Hollywood Park, Seven Furlongs. Treasury Bill finished third of five, beaten 5 3/4 lengths after making a belated, non-threatening late run. The winner, Let Em Shine, took the early lead and didn't back up. He was timed in 1:21.65.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Treasury Bill debuted sprinting at Hollywood Park on Nov. 9, finishing third to War Academy and Denzel.
VYJACK (KY)
Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez
Owner: Pick Six Racing
Breeder: Machmer Hall
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday, Leslie's Lady)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Life Happened (Stravinsky, Round It Off)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 6-0-6-2-0 (14) 1.80
Foal Date: Feb. 11, 2010
$600,000 Keeneland September 2011.
A gelding.
NEXT RACE: TBD. Pulled from Preakness consideration on May 13. Turf racing may be in his future.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Jan. 5, Grade II Jerome Stakes, Aqueduct, One Mile 70 Yards. Favored Vyjack handled two turns and an unexpectedly tough opponent in 41-1 Siete de Oros to remain undefeated -- but he had to fight hard for it. Vyjack raced alongside Mudflats during the opening half-mile in :47.58. Moving into the lead headed into the far turn, Vyjack came out when passed on the inside by Siete de Oros straightening for home. He was kept to task by Cornelio Velasquez and prevailed by a head after a lengthy duel. Vyjack’s winning time was 1:40.67. The time was 3/5 of a second faster than the Busanda Stakes for 3YO fillies on the same card.
Rudy Rodriguez: “The owner and I already discussed this; now we’ll just back off a little bit and wait for the Gotham. Hopefully, he’ll show up again. He’s still learning and hopefully he keeps learning. He was very game. He shows us in the morning he’s that way. I really don’t want to see him on the lead because he’ll kind of want to wait for horses. Hopefully this race will wake him up a little bit and put him more in the game because he’s got a lot of talent.”
Cornelio Velasquez: “My horse, I think, is a good horse, but he’s a little green. He doesn’t pay too much attention during the race. He tried to get out, and at the quarter pole the other horse came inside. He passed me and my horse changed leads, but I had a lot of horse. My horse tried to get out, fought a little bit, changed leads, and came back again.”
Feb. 10 NOTE: “He’s got a strong head. I don’t know if he’ll be able to relax. Let’s hope,” trainer Rodriguez told DRF.com on Feb. 7. “We try to do everything we can in the morning – put him behind horses, change his attitude, let him hang around the track. If he wants to be a good horse, he’ll need to settle a little bit more.”
Feb. 16 NOTE: Joel Rosario will ride Vyjack in the Gotham.
Feb. 26 NOTE: “I just think Cornelio is better with horses that aren’t as aggressive,” owner Wilkenfeld told DRF.com. “I just felt they were fighting each other a little bit. I thought there were other guys that were a good fit, and when (Joel Rosario) became available, I decided to make a change. It was not an easy thing to do. We had a lot of success together; it was just something I thought gave us our best shot to win going forward.”
March 2, Grade III Gotham Stakes, Aqueduct, 1 1/16 Mile. Using a strong late kick, Vyjack remained undefeated with a come-from-behind victory. Ridden patiently by Joel Rosario, early on Vyjack was tenth of the 11 runners, well off the early pace set by West Hills Giant, who cut out the initial quarter-mile of :24.16. The pacesetter went on with fractions of :48.69 and 1:12.72. Transparent was second going up the backstretch, followed by Escapefromreality and Overanalyze, who broke well from the outside post 11 under John Velazquez. Rounding the far turn, West Hills Giant stayed on despite his 33-1 odds, while Overanalyze, the 8-5 favorite, was being ridden by Velazquez. Transparent was staying with the leader in second, and Escapefromreality was beginning to falter.
West Hills Giant led the field down the stretch, but he was run down by Vyjack, the 2-1 second choice. Vyjack took the overland route to get up for the win by 2 1/4 lengths. He was timed in 1:44.09. Elnaawi , who ran mid-pack into the stretch, also got up late to get third, and Siete de Oros was fourth after running with Elnaawi throughout the trip.
Rudy Rodriguez, winning trainer: “He’s a good horse. I wasn’t worried when he was last. He’s that type of horse. I was hoping to see him that way. You don’t want to gun the horse all the time. He was able to relax good and be comfortable. He showed that he’s a really good horse … I told Joel just not to move too soon, let him do his race. I don’t think we’ve gotten to the bottom of him yet.”
Looking forward to the Kentucky Derby? “We’ll see. We’ll take it one step at a time, hopefully he’ll keep improving. I’m excited about him, that’s for sure. We thought maybe this horse could take us there. So far he’s proven he can belong with this kind. Hopefully he can keep going.”
Will he run in the Wood Memorial on April 6? "He’s fresh. We gave him two months off for this race. We’ll talk with the owner and see what he wants to do.”
Joel Rosario, winning jockey: “A perfect trip. He had always showed a lot of speed, but he was very relaxed today. I let him do whatever he wanted. He looked very good today. He was very relaxed. He broke OK, and I didn’t want to get in a hurry. I just let him do whatever he wanted to do. He was pretty relaxed behind horses, and he did everything right. Turning for home, I was pretty far behind, but that’s where he wanted to be. He passed (West Hills Giant), and then he just kept on going.”
March 13 NOTE: On March 15, trainer Rodriguez will begin serving a 20-day suspension for two medication positives found in 2012 -- the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Flunixin in post-race samples taken from Heiden on April 7, 2012, and Alston Gunther on Nov. 21. He'll be back by the Wood Memorial. Rodriguez is the leading trainer at Aqueduct and used to work for Rick Dutrow, Jr.
April 6, Grade I Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 Mile. Verrazano narrowly after being sent off as the 4-5 crowd favorite, and Normandy Invasion passed Vyjack late to get second. Verrazano stalked the early pace set by longshot Chrisandthecapper though moderate fractions of :24.89 and:49.62. Normandy Invasion wasn't far back, initially sitting six lengths off the leader, then three with a half-mile run. Vyjack was outside of Normandy Invasion at that point. Verrazano quickly disposed of Chrisandthecapper six furlongs into the race -- timed in a tepid 1:13.74 -- and just as suddenly seemed to go into idle mode on the far turn as Velazquez peeked over his shoulder to see what was behind him. The jockey urged him on, and Verrazano responded with a mile in the books in 1:37.72 -- and Vyjack coming to him in the stretch. Verrazano repelled that charge and hit the wire just after Normandy Invasion rumbled up past Vyjack to get second by the length of a neck. The winning margin was 3/4 of a length, with Vyjack beaten by one. Verrazano was timed in 1:50.27.
Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of third-place finisher Vyjack: “We were happy the way he ran. The other horse is a nice horse. He placed himself in a very good position. I was hoping the horse on the lead would go a little faster. He didn’t have the kick he had the other day, but we were happy the way he ran.
On whether he’s still thinking about the Kentucky Derby: “I have to talk to the owner and see what he decides. I think they already booked everything up, so I guess we’re going, I think that the plan is to go.”
Joel Rosario, jockey aboard third-place finisher Vyjack: “It was a different race than the Gotham. He ran well. Remember, the horse who won is a good horse, too, you know? We were rolling turning for home, but the other horse had an easier trip than I had. I had a good trip, but he probably wanted a little more speed. They were rolling turning for home. My horse is quick, but I couldn’t catch the other one. He gave me everything he had.”
THE NEXT DAY: Vyjack bled in the Wood Memorial, owner David Wilkenfeld said.
April 14 NOTE: Bloodhorse.com reports that Vyjack exited the Wood Memorial with a lung infection and has gotten regular treatments in a hyperbaric chamber at Fair Hill Training Center. The story attributes the information to Bruce Jackson, who operates the rehab facility. At first, it was said by owner David Wilkenfeld that Vyjack had bled a "2 on a scale of 5," but it turned out to be mucus and a slight lung infection, according to the Bloodhorse.com story. Vyjack was vanned to Fair Hill by trainer Rudy Rodriguez, where he had received his early training by Jackson. "The lung infection has completely cleared, and being here at Fair Hill and taking it easy for a little while has done him a world of good," Jackson said. Jackson added he did not know how long it will be before Vyjack is taken to Churchill Downs. The original plan was to ship him this date.
May 4, Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 Mile. Vyjack finished eighteenth, beaten 52 3/4 lengths by Orb and a time of 2:02.89 after chasing a hot early pace, then stopping.
Rudy Rodriguez – “The rider told me that he ran right off on him. Once he did that, he didn’t have any chance.”
Garrett Gomez – “He broke in on me. I think he was ducking from the crowd. He was all wound up; I couldn’t get him to settle. I tried to stay back, but he had to go. I let him out a bit in order to try to let him even out, but it didn’t work.”
May 11 NOTE: Trainer Rodriguez has been charged on with another Banamine overage from a race on April 21. He's served a 20 day suspension for two such overages; and this makes two more overages that he's facing now.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Nov. 10, Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, 6 1/2 Furlongs. It was Vyjack’s debut. Retrieve was the 7-5 favorite, and Clawback was the 3-1 second choice, but it was 17-1 Vyjack that won the day. Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, Vyjack was second of 10 tracking Clawback from the get-go, then in an all-out battle with him, and hit the wire 1 3/4 length ahead of Clawback. The time was 1:15.48.
The exciting chart call: “Vyjack disputed the pace from the outside, doing so from between rivals for most of the way around the turn, got released from a snug hold near the three-eighths pole, was set down spinning into the lane, battled on nearly terms with Clawback making his way through the furlong grounds, held the slimmest of leads at the eighth pole, continued heads apart with the aforementioned opponent for another sixteenth, kicked clear, crossing the finish under hand urging."
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. He 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: "Vyjack stalked outside, bumped lightly with Tweet Me entering the turn, ran by the pacesetter turning for home, drew away, drifted out and was kept to the task."
Dec. 31 NOTE: “He’ll be stretching out, going around two turns, and trying the inner track for the first time,” said trainer Rodriguez. “It will be a learning experience for him, and for us. It’s a very competitive race, but he’s been training very well.”
WAR ACADEMY (KY)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Michael Tabor, John Magnier, Derrick Smith
Breeder: Doug Branham
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat, Mariah's Storm)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Cabbage Key (A.P. Indy, Mayville's Magic)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 5-6-31-0-0 (42) 1.71
Foal Date: Feb. 12, 2010
$450,000 Keeneland September 2011.
NEXT RACE: TBD.
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On May 2, War Academy breezed four in :47.40 (6/22) at CD.
On May 9, War Academy breezed five in :59.60 (1/15) at CD.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Feb. 7 NOTE: “I just wanted to sharpen him up,” trainer Baffert said, explaining War Academy's Feb. 4 gate work. “I don’t know what I’m doing yet (for his next race)."
Feb. 17, Grade II San Vicente Stakes, Santa Anita, Seven Furlongs. War Academy finished fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Shakin It Up. The chart call: "War Academy stalked between horses on the backstretch and turn, bid between rivals in midstretch and was outfinished."
March 15, Entry Level Allowance, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 Mile. At 4-5 under Mike Smith War Academy was 5 1/2 lengths behind stable mate Manando with three furlongs left to run, but he overcame the deficit and more to easily win. He crossed the finish line with his ears pricked in 1:43.42, prevailing by 3 1/2 lengths. War Academy broke from post 5 in a six-horse field and rated kindly throughout, tracking fractions of :24.41, :48.64 and 1:11.89.
Mike Smith: “He might be my horse, Bob. What I like so much about him is there’s so much room to improve. He was well, well within himself today."
Bob Baffert: “I’m going to run him in a big prep, he’ll hit one of the big preps. I don’t know where yet, but it’ll be a hundred points whatever it is. We’re goin’ for the bonus round…Mike’s always been real high on this horse.”
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. Sent off as the post-time favorite, War Academy was eased. Subsequently, nothing could be found wrong with him.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
Nov. 9, Maiden Special Weight, Hollywood Park, 6 1/2 Furlongs. This was his debut. War Academy broke his maiden at even-money odds, beating Denzel by 1 3/4 lengths. He was third of six, a couple of lengths back, in the early going. Martin Garcia rode. Russdiculous, at 6-5, finished fourth. The chart call: “War Academy broke in a bit, stalked outside a rival, came three deep into the stretch, bid three wide in midstretch, gained the lead past the eighth pole and inched away under left handed urging and steady handling late."
WINNING CAUSE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Alto Racing LLC (Gil Moutray)
Breeder: Galleria Bloodstock
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): (Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat, Mariah's Storm)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Raffishing Look (Kingmambo, Touch of Truth)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 6-1-29-4-0 (40) 1.16
Foal Date: Feb. 19, 2010
POST-RACE WORKOUTS
On April 29, Winning Cause breezed four in :48.20 (7/43) at CD.
On May 4, Winning Cause breezed four in :47.60 (6/43) at CD.
On May 13, Winning Cause breezed four on the training track in :49.00 (3/24) at SAR.
On May 19, Winning Cause breezed five in 1:02.00 (2/7) at SAR.
PERFORMANCE AT AGE THREE
Winning Cause made his 2013 debut with a second-place finish in the six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct. That was followed by a fifth in the six-furlong Java Gold Stakes. In his third start of the year, he won a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland -- his second win at the track.
April 20, Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes, Keeneland, 1 1/16 Mile. Todd Pletcher has five Kentucky Derby prospects, and although he's not considered Winning Cause to be a Derby horse, it was possible he had six at the conclusion of this race. Timed in 1:43.93, Winning Cause came from mid-pack after running behind honest fractions of ;23.76, :47.66 and 1:12.45 set by River Rocks, who was attended by Cerro. Winning Cause took command in upper stretch, outgaming Cerro at that point, and held off 34-1 longshot General Election and Pick of the Litter at the wire, prevailing by a length. Cerro was fourth, beaten 1 1/2 length.
Todd Pletcher: “To be honest, we weren’t sure (how he'd run). We were stretching him out and stepping up into a graded stakes off two weeks’ rest. The main reason is he’s two for two at Keeneland going into this. We know he likes the surface and thought it was worth taking a shot. I guess you can never have too many (Kentucky Derby horses), but we never really talked about that with this colt. We’ll see how he comes out of it and see. We’re just happy to have this one.”
Julien Leparoux: “From the one hole, I couldn’t ask for a better trip. In the first turn, he put me in a good spot and I got room to get him out there, and he just cruised around there and finished strong. He’s the kind of horse that fights back. The more you ask him the more he goes. I kind of know him from last time, and I knew I was going to get there.”
PERFORMANCE AT AGE TWO
After less than stellar efforts going two turns on turf at Saratoga in his first two starts, Winning Cause was cut back to sprint distances and broke his maiden going seven furlongs at Keeneland in his third and final start of the year on Oct. 18.
