Uncle Mo Makes Sophomore Debut in Timely Writer
BY GREG MELIKOV
Likely heavy favorite Uncle Mo will face five outclassed rivals in the $100,000 Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park.
The 2-year-old Eclipse champion, trained by Todd Pletcher, has been working well in South Florida at Palm Meadows since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by a 4 ¼ lengths with jockey John R. Velazquez aboard at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.
“The goal is to have this race set him up nicely for the Wood Memorial (on April 9) and to have a happy and healthy horse for the Kentucky Derby,” owner Mike Repole told the Daily Racing Form.
“He’s training so well at Palm Meadows and it is very similar to the surface at Gulfstream. The ship (distance) is 20 minutes versus a four and a half hours ship (to Tampa Bay Downs for the Tampa Bay Derby). The surface at Tampa is way different. We know he can get two turns. He proved that already in the Breeders’ Cup. I just thought that it was just the right move for the horse.”
The son of Indian Charlie’s opposition includes Rocking Out, the most dangerous rival with Julien Leparoux in the irons. The son of Include won his debut by 4 ¼ lengths at Aqueduct going six furlongs on Nov. 27 followed by a third-place finish in a mile allowance race on Feb. 13 as the 11-to-10 favorite. That’s the same distance as Saturday’s stakes contest.
Completing the field are Gallant Dreams, with Javier Castellano up; Rattlesnake Bridge, Jose Lezcano; Schoolyard Cat, Ryan Curatolo; and Madman Diaries, John Sanchez.
Pletcher also will send out Brethren in the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday. The son of Distorted Humor won the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 12.
Brethren’s half-brother Super Saver ran third in the 2010 Tampa Bay Derby before capturing the Kentucky Derby.
The field for the 1 1/8-mile contest includes Too Experience, runner-up in the Sam Davis Stakes, who ran first five times and second once in his seven-race career. Davis third-place finisher Watch Me Go and fourth-place runner Beamer are in the field.
Bench Points, an undefeated California-bred son of Benchmark is hoping to prove he’s a Triple Crown contender when he seeks his fifth victory in the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
Bench Points recorded victories in two $100,000 stakes races at Del Mar as a 2-year-old, and was an impressive allowance winner at Santa Anita on Feb. 11. But the San Felipe would be his first race around two turns and will determine whether he embarks further on the Triple Crown trail. He has no graded earnings to date.
Other possible runners are Albergatti, with Garrett Gomez up; Comma to the Top, Corey Nakatani; Jaycito, Martin Garcia; Premier Pegasus, Alonso Quinonez; Runflatout, Joel Rosario; and Surrey Star, Joe Talamo.
Fountain of Youth Features Stakes Winners
By GREG MELIKOV
The 65th Fountain of Youth (FOY) features promising 3-year-olds horses from stakes winners to talented runners stepping up in class in the Grade 2 on Saturday.
Four of the past dozen winners in Gulfstream Park’s second oldest stakes race scored in the Florida Derby:
Quality Road, 2009; Scat Daddy, ’07; High Fly, ’05; and Vicar, ’99.
Likely favorite in the $400,000 route is To Honor and Serve, a regally bred son of ’06 Preakness winner Bernardini. The colt makes his sophomore debut after capturing three straight last fall.
To Honor and Serve closed out his 2-year-old campaign with an impressive victory in Aqueduct’s Remsen on Nov. 27 at 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the FOY.
He has been working an hour north of the South Florida track at the Payson Park Training Center, where he recorded his fifth breeze of the year on Feb. 13 — covering five furlongs in 1:03.
The Bill Mott trainee is high on every list of contenders for the Kentucky Derby. He’s among several FOY runners that banked more than $200,000 in graded earnings, which determines who runs on the first Saturday in May if more than 20 are entered.
Gourmet Dinner leads several contenders with $700,000, thanks to the $600,000 he banked taking the Delta Downs Jackpot by 2 ¼ lengths Nov. 20.
The son of Trippi worked for the third time since January on Feb. 16 at Gulfstream, zipping a half-mile in 47 3/5, second fastest of 29 horses.
He’s coming off a third place finish in the Holy Bull on Jan. 30, beaten 1 ½ lengths and a neck behind undefeated Dialed In. The latter, however, is skipping the FOY as trainer Nick Zito opted for the recently created two-turn $100,000 Timely Writer on March 11, also at 1 1/8 miles.
Other likely starters that recently worked at Gulfstream are the one-two finishers in a contentious allowance contest at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 5.
Shackleford, the 2 ¼-length winner that survived a claim of foul by the third-place finisher, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 last Saturday. The son of Forestry goes for his third straight in four starts.
Casper’s Touch, the runner-up that endured a troubled trip most of the way, went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 Saturday.
The son of ’97 Belmont winner Touch Gold in his fourth outing was blocked inside in the backstretch, bumped and shut off entering the stretch, forced to take up sharply and alter course, but gained second by a nose.
Soldat, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up coming off a 10 ¾-length triumph in the slop last month at Gulfstream in allowance company, drilled four furlongs in 47 3/5 Saturday at Palm Meadows Training Center, second fastest of 48 works.
The son of War Front has never been worse than second in six starts, winning twice, but has never caught a fast track.
Two of the past FOY winners never made it to Churchill Downs. Eskendereya, shortly after capturing the Wood Memorial, was retired due to a leg injury when trainer Todd Pletcher noticed filling in his left front leg before his final work for the Kentucky Derby.
Quality Road was knocked off the Triple Crown trail when his right front foot was too sore for his final work less than a week before the 135th Derby because of a quarter crack.
Bribon Hopes Third Cigar Mile Try Is the Charm
By GREG MELIKOV
Bribon hopes the third time around is the charm in the 20th Cigar Mile at Aqueduct when the gelding makes his 37th start on Saturday.
In 2008, the 7-year-old finished third to Tale of Ekati. Last year, he was runner-up to Kodiak Kowboy losing by a head.
Bribon with six victories at a mile on the dirt has won more times than the main contenders combined. But he hasn’t scored at the distance since the Metropolitan Handicap last year on May 25 at Belmont Park.
He’s coming off a victory in the seven-furlong Bold Ruler on Oct. 30 at Belmont and is 2-1-1 in four outings at Aqueduct.
“He’s an interesting horse,” said Todd Pletcher, who over this year as trainer. “He’s bred to be a turf route horse, but is at his best sprinting on the dirt. He’s a really cool horse to be around, with a great personality. He’s got a big heart, loves the game, tries hard, and is talented to go along with it.”
The horse that has banked more than $1.1 million recorded three of his 16 wins on the grass.
Two main contenders are aiming to improve on their poor performances in this month’s Breeders’ Cup races.
Girolamo, 11th in the BC Sprint at six furlongs, won two times at a mile last year at Belmont. Vineyard Haven, sixth in the BC Dirt Mile, has a victory at the distance but that was in ’08 as a juvenile.
Rick Mettee, assistant to Godolphin Racing’s trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said both horses were compromised in those BC efforts at Churchill Downs.
“Girolamo got an inside draw in a big field, and I don’t think he is the kind of horse who is sharp enough to stalk a 44-and-change pace,” he said. “I think he has 45-and-change speed. Hopefully, the mile will suit him a little better.
“Vineyard Haven was drawn outside and stalked a very fast pace. It looked like for a brief second he’d be there turning for home, but then he faded a little bit. (Morning Line) was able to hang in there and finish second, but everybody else faltered in the last furlong.
“It looks like, on paper, that there isn’t a tremendous amount of speed going in the Cigar Mile, and he’s another one who should pull a better trip.”
The $250,000 Grade 1 was renamed in ’97 for the two-time Horse of the Year that captured the race three years earlier when it was run as the NYRA Mile.
Cigar ran a mile on dirt only twice, both times at Aqueduct where he won by seven lengths a month after capturing an allowance contest by eight lengths.
Those two victories were the start of a 16-race winning streak that equaled ’48 Triple Crown champ Citation’s modern-day North American record, which stood up until recent years. Cigar retired in ’96 after banking a record $9,999, 813 that stood until Curlin ended his career in ’08 with earnings exceeding $10.5 million.
The 27th BC: How to Play Seven of 14 Races
By GREG MELIKOV
Fourteen races featuring many good horses is difficult to handicap even spread over two days. So when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup I concentrate on contests I’m comfortable wagering on and seek classy horses with outstanding recent form.
Three of the six BC races on Friday’s female card at Churchill Downs caught my eye: a pair for 2-year-olds and the Ladies’ Classic.
Winter Memories, the morning line 2-1 favorite breaking from post 7, is the one to beat in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile. The daughter of El Prado likes to come from far back turning for home, but had the lead or was second in the stretch before drawing clear in both career starts defeating several taking her on again.
Her main challengers: More Than Real, post 11, ridden by hot jockey Garrett Gomez, and Near Normal, post 10, who has defeated the daughter of More Than Ready going wire to wire at the distance. Both are 10-1 and will be included in my exacta box.
The Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles features four contenders I’ll use in exotics. Undefeated Awesome Feather, the early 6-1 fourth choice breaking from post 4, has the top speed figure in the last, sweeping Calder’s Florida Stallion Stakes 2-year-old division.
I’m including morning line 7-2 favorite A Z Warrior, post 8, who won her debut on dirt in the Grade 1 Frizette; runner-up R Heat Lightning, 4-1, post 3; and Tell A Kelly, 9-2, post 12, never farther back in the stretch than second in her last and two previous two victories.
Any of the quartet I like could take the Ladies Classic at 1 1/8 miles. Two 4-year-olds offer the best early odds at 8-1: Malibu Prayer, post 3, and Unrivaled Belle, post 8. Each has a victory at the distance and in a Churchill Downs route.
The top two morning line choices break from the outside: Blind Luck, 9-5, post 10, and Havre De Grace, 4-1, post 11.
Havre De Grace edged Blind Luck by a neck in their last of three consecutive meetings, breaking a losing streak in graded stakes decided by no more than a neck.
On Saturday, I’m wagering on four of the eight BC contests starting with the Juvenile Turf at a mile. Four seems to be the number for me when considering contenders. So exotics it is again.
Pluck’s early odds are the lowest at 6-1. Winning twice and beaten a neck on three different grass courses made the difference even though he breaks from post 13.
In addition, I’ll use Air Support, 8-1, post 4, and Soldat, 8-1, post 9, both victorious in a graded stakes contest. And I’m tossing in Banned, 10-1, post 8, going for three in a row.
The Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles appears to a two-colt affair between Boys At Tosconova, 5-2, post 3, and Uncle Mo, 7-5, post 7, but the latter has an impressive win at a mile. I’m tossing in Stay Thirsty, 8-1, post 6, son of 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini bred for distance that’s 2-1-0 of 3.
I’m betting the BC Mile with my heart because Goldikova is going for the threepeat to make history. The morning line 6-5 choice breaks from post 10, a slot closer to the rail than last year when she won by a half-length at Santa Anita Park.
The 5-year-old mare has scored at the distance a dozen times and ran second thrice in 15 outings. I’m including two Grade 1 winners on grass in exotics: Gio Ponti, 4-1, post 3, and Proviso, 12-1, post 11.
Gio Ponti, 3 for 4 at a mile, shares the highest speed figure for eight furlongs, while Proviso is 4 for 8, including three victories at the distance this year.
Most racing fans will be cheering for Zenyatta to repeat in the BC Classic. Many horseplayers, however, are hoping the early 8-5 choice gets beat for a better payoff. Zenyatta who broke from post 4 in the ’09 in the 1 ¼ race drew post 8.
I’m pairing her on top of a trifecta with two males while hoping she stays undefeated in her 20th start:
Preakness champ Lookin at Lucky, 6-1, working exceptional well and going for his fourth straight breaking from post 12 that should keep him out of trouble early, and Blame, 9-2, post 5, with three victories at the Louisville track and winner of five Grade 1s in his last six contests.
Underneath I’m using Quality Road, 5-1, post 1; Haynesfield, 12-1, post 3; and Fly Down, 15-1, post 6.
Good luck in the 27th Breeders’ Cup.
Breeders’ Cup Spotlight Shines on Two Females
By GREG MELIKOV
It’s no longer a male’s world in the Breeders’ Cup as two of the most important races at Churchill Downs puts the spotlight on mares aiming to stage repeat performances.
There have been only eight repeat winners in the same BC race during the past 26 world championships. Five came in the 21st Century: Tiznow, ’00-01 Classic; High Chaparral, ’02-03 Turf; Midnight Lute, ’07-08 Sprint; Conduit, ’08-09 Turf; and Goldikova, ’08-09 Mile.
With her Oct. 2 victory in the Lady’s Secret Stakes, Zenyatta tied the modern North American thoroughbred streak of Peppers Pride, unbeaten in 19 consecutive contests, all in New Mexico.
Zenyatta will be gunning for No. 20 in a racing career that started on debut on Nov. 22, 2007. Her string of victories includes 11 Grade 1s, including the ’08 BC Ladies Classic and last year’s BC Classic.
The daughter of Street Cry has scored at five tracks this year, mostly on synthetic surfaces in California. The exception is two wins in the Apple Blossom on the dirt of Oaklawn Park.
Zenyatta heads one of the strongest fields in Classic history rich in experience on dirt, including Blame, the leading handicapping male, and Lookin at Lucky, the top 3-year-old.
Before being upset in Belmont Park’s Jockey Gold Cup by Haynesfield, Blame posted three Grade 1 triumphs at three different tracks, including the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Haynesfield led all the way in the Gold Cup, also defeating third-place finisher Fly Down, Belmont and Travers runner-up among the Classic contenders. The previous Grade 1 Whitney saw the son of Speightstown finish fourth behind Blame and two others heading to the Classic, Quality Road and Musket Man.
Lucky at Lucky, equally successful on synthetic and dirt surfaces, has won his last three graded stakes since a very his troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby. The victories include the Preakness at Pimlico and Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Ironically, the strongest Classic field gathered at Churchill Downs in ’98. The 10 horses included:
Coronado’s Quest, winner of Wood Memorial, Travers and Haskell, sprinted to the lead from the break, but never was ahead by more than a length for the first mile.
Pressing the pace in second for six furlongs was ’97 Classic champ Skip Away before fading to sixth. Silver Charm, ’98 Dubai World Cup winner that captured the previous year’s Preakness and Belmont, advanced to second with a quarter-mile to go.
And down the stretch they came. Traveling fastest of all was Awesome Again, victorious in the ’98 Stephen Foster and Whitney. The son of Deputy Minister split horses nearing the wire and prevailed by a length.
Silver Charm, who had gained a narrow lead entering the stretch, drifted wide, but held on for second by a neck over English champ Swain. A nose back in fourth was Victory Gallop, who captured the ’98 Belmont, while Coronado’s Quest faded to fifth.
Awesome Again completed his unbeaten 4-year-old season going 6 for 6. If Zenyatta takes this year’s Classic assured of a full 14-horse field on Nov. 6 after pre-entries were announced Wednesday, she’ll end up 6 for 6 as a 6-year-old and nail down Horse of the Year honors.
Meanwhile, Goldikova is going where no horse has gone before in BC history. The 5-year-old is gunning for her third straight victory in the Mile.
She won in ’08 by 1 ¼ lengths and repeated last year by a half-length, both times defeating 10 challengers on a firm Santa Anita Park grass course. Her record this year across the Atlantic is four wins and a second in five outings. The field for the third consecutive year is 11 if there are no withdrawals from the pre-entries.
BC Preview: How Surfaces at Churchill Downs Play
By GREG MELIKOV
The main track at Churchill Downs, which hosts a record seventh Breeders’ Cup Nov. 5-6, is much different than any other dirt surface in the United States.
Most tracks are comprised of limestone with dirt on top. The Louisville venue has no such base while the track is mixed with a deep layer of soil, clay and organic materials several feet underneath the surface.
However, even the compositions of dirt surfaces vary. Calder Race Course’s main track is a 12-inch base of sand and clay with a 4 ½-inch cushion comprised of sand and clay. The surface becomes a bit cuppy while drying out from rain.
At Monmouth Park, where the 24th Breeders’ Cup was staged, a good rain results in a dead rail for a day or so.
Churchill Downs is way different up to 24 hours following a rainstorm. It just might become the best strip in racing, one expert says, because the main track turns faster compared to its dry, unusually deep surface that many horses don’t like.
Annual rainfall in Louisville is evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month is May when the Kentucky Derby is staged – 4.49 inches. November averages 3.62 inches.
You might remember that the winner of the 136th Kentucky Derby wasn’t that far back on May 1 when the track came up sloppy and was sealed. Super Saver was fourth within easy striking distance of pacesetter Conveyance after six furlongs of the 1 ¼ miles, fourth saving ground on the inside.
The son of Maria’s Mon advanced to second with a quarter-mile left, took command in the stretch and drew away to triumph by 2 ½ lengths. Ice Box rocked from 11th to beat out Paddy O’Prado for second by a neck.
Closers didn’t have many good afternoons during the entire spring-summer meeting at Churchill Downs while speed did well in sprints and routes.
In 92 races at six furlongs on the main track from April 24 through July 4, according to Bristnet.com, 30 percent of winners went wire to wire.
In 56 contests at 1 1/16 miles, 25 percent of winners led at every call. In fact, early speed and stalking was the best running style on dirt as well as grass. In 25 turf sprints, there were an amazing 44 percent wire jobs.
Going back to ’06 BC Day on Nov. 4, four of the five winners in races on the fast main track had the lead by the stretch. Only Invasor in the Classic was second a half-length behind Bernardini, but prevailed by a length at the end of the 1 ¼ miles.
In the BC Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles, Street Sense was more than six lengths behind after six furlongs and was checked attempting to rally on the turn, but rocketed in the stretch to gain a four-length lead and won by 10 lengths.
Only Dreaming of Anna led every step of the 1 1/16 miles in the Juvenile Fillies, winning by 1 ½ lengths. Thor’s Echo gained the lead by a head at the quarter pole in the six-furlong Sprint and scored by four lengths.
In the three turf routes, one winner was in front by the stretch while the other two victorious runners were third. Ouija Board increased her 1 ½-length margin heading to the wire and triumphed by 2 ¼ lengths in the 1 3/8-mile Filly and Mare Turf.
Real Reason Why Lookin at Lucky Won’t Go in Travers Stakes 2010
By GREG MELIKOV
Shortly after Lookin at Lucky came up with a temperature last week following his impressive Haskell Invitational victory, trainer Bob Baffert announced on his Facebook page the colt would miss the Travers Stakes.
His daily reports on the colt’s progress were welcomed by many, including me, and some of them follow:
Aug. 3: No Travers for Lucky. Woke up with a little Temperature (102) but looks like he is not too sick…
Read full story: "Real Reason Why Lookin at Lucky Won’t Go in Travers Stakes 2010"...
Blame Wins The Whitney Handicap at Saratoga & A Spot In The Breeders’ Cup Classic
Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame, ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, won Sunday’s $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course August 7.
The Whitney Handicap is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” where the winner automatically gets a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic starting gate.
Trained by Albert Stall, Jr., Blame covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.88 and paid $8.80, $3 and $2.20. Quality Road, under jockey John Velazquez, placed second and returned $2.40 and $2.10. Musket Man with jockey Rajiv Maragh aboard came in third and paid $2.50 to show.
Read full story: "Blame Wins The Whitney Handicap at Saratoga & A Spot In The Breeders’ Cup Classic"...
Haskell Features Cream of Triple Crown Runners’ Crop
BY GREG MELIKOV
The cream of the 3-year-old crop that won or finished second in at least one of the Triple Crown legs collide on Sunday in the $1 million Haskell Invitational.
In addition, three runners have six Grade 1 triumphs to their credit. The Preakness champ Lookin at Lucky has accounted for three of them. His trainer Bob Baffert also has the number 4 in mind — he saddled the winner of Monmouth Park‘s premier race three times in the 21st Century.
Baffert can’t hide his excitement about his colt’s chances in the 43rd renewal…
Read full story: "Haskell Features Cream of Triple Crown Runners’ Crop"...
Jim Dandy Could Be a Bang Up Stakes Race
By GREG MELIKOV
The 47th Jim Dandy Stakes could be a bang up stakes race featuring several runners coming into the summer season with high hopes.
Race horse trainer Nick Zito is sending out Fly Down that’s been on the upswing since capturing the Dwyer on May 10 at Belmont Park by six lengths over Drosselmeyer. The son of Mineshaft came less than a length short of winning the Belmont Stakes on June 10 over the Dwyer runner-up.
Since then Fly Down has been training like a horse on a mission, working exceptionally well at Saratoga.
Read full story: "Jim Dandy Could Be a Bang Up Stakes Race"...
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