Oaks and Derby Racing Roundup
January 10th, 2006by Robert Kieckhefer
Barbaro came into the Kentucky Derby undefeated, but with a lot of questions. He leaves Churchill Downs still undefeated and the only remaining question is whether anyone can prevent him from becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
The Kentucky-bred son of Dynaformer had won his first three starts on the grass and he hadn’t won since the Florida Derby, five weeks ago. Adding to the mix, he stumbled badly at the start of the Derby as jockey Edgar Prado hung on.
Barbaro recovered quickly, got excellent position right behind the speeding leaders and bided his time until the field hit the top of the stretch. Then, when Prado asked him for run, the dark bay colt simply blew away the competition. With only mild encouragement, he won by 6 1/2 lengths, with something left.
“He stumbled a little bit coming out of the gate,” Prado said. “But he recovered right away. You see what he did when I turned him loose. He took off like a rocket. I never had a doubt about this horse.Hopefully, we can get the Triple Crown.”
Only five other horses have won the Kentucky Derby as unbeatens. The last was Smarty Jones in 2004. The only one who went on to win the Triple Crown as an unbeaten was Seattle Slew in 1977.
Trainer Michael Matz was questioned about the five-week layoff between the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby – a longer vacation than most trainers like to give Derby contenders. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby off a five-week break was Needles in 1956. Now, Matz has a “fresh” horse with one-third of the grueling Triple Crown already under his belt.
“We have to think that way,” Matz said Sunday, after reporting Barbaro doing well. “We’re sort of taking one race at a time and we’ve got one down, two to go.”
Barbaro was headed home to Fair Hill in Maryland on Sunday. “Then we can get everyone there to regroup,” Matz added.
Lemons Forever dawdled near the back of the pack in Friday’s $500,000 Kentucky Oaks until the turn for home. Then, jockey Mark Guidry got the Lemon Drop Kid filly moving on the far outside and she swept by the field. At the wire, Lemons Forever was clear by 1 1/2 lengths, with Ermine second and Bushfire finishing third. Bushfire, however, then was disqualified to sixth for interference in the stretch, promoting Wait a While to show money.
Lemons Forever, trained by Dallas Stewart, ran the 1 1/8 mile in 1:50.07 and paid $96.20 to win. Her only previous stakes try was the Bourbonette Breeders’ Cup at Turfway Park in March, where she finished third.
“This is a great feeling,” said Stewart. “Great to be the trainer and the co-owner. Mark gave her a great ride. She lapped the whole field to come from last to win a big, big race.”
Guidry said he tried to find running room between horses for Lemons Forever, “but every time I found a seam or something, it closed up. I had horse and I did not want to get her stopped at all and she showed what I thought she could.”
On Saturday’s Derby undercard, Trickey Trevor, idle since February, returned with a bang by capturing the $200,000 Churchill Downs Handicap. After tracking the pace, the seven-year-old, Florida-bred son of Demaloot Demashoot shot to the lead in the upper stretch and went on to win by 3 lengths over With Distinction. Level Playingfield was third. Trickey Trevor, with Russell Baze aboard, ran the seven furlongs in 1:21.68. He finished seventh in the CDH last year after setting the pace.
Joint Effort rebounded from a pair of dull efforts to win the $100,000 La Troienne Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 3 1/4 lengths over Adieu, who was making her first start since a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall. Joint Effort, a Florida-bred filly by Runaway Groom, ran the 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.18 under Edgar Prado. She now has three wins and three seconds in six starts at Churchill Downs.
Mirabilis rolled to the lead at the top of the stretch in the $100,000 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile, opened up a big lead and held on to win by 1 length over Special Grayce. More Than Promised was third. Mirabilis was clocked in 1:35.93 with Patrick Valenzuela up. Mirabilis is a 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred daughter of Lear Fan. She had not won in three previous U.S. tries since shipping in from France late last year.
Pussycat Doll had to weave through some traffic in the $250,000 Humana Distaff but got the job done anyway, winning by 1 length over the favorite, Behaving Badly. Bending Strings was third. Pussycat Doll, a 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred filly by Real Quiet, ran the 7 furlongs in 1:21.62 for Garrett Gomez. She won the La Brea at Santa Anita two starts earlier with a big Beyer Speed Figure.
English Channel served notice on the Turf division with a hard-fought but impressive victory in the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. After pressing the pace under jockey Garrett Gomez, the 4-year-old Smart Strike colt went to the lead with just a sixteenth to run and held off the late charge of Cacique to win by 1/2 length. Milk It Mick was third. English Channel ran the 9 furlongs in 1:47.15.
English Channel was almost unbeatable last year against other 3-year-olds, then finished second to Shakespeare in the Turf Classic at Belmont and a fairly dismal fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He started this year’s campaign with a win in the Canadian Turf Handicap.
“His heart makes three of him,” Gomez said. “He’s a talented horse and he’s got a huge heart.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher said will point English Channel to the Manhattan at Belmont on June 10.
On Friday’s Kentucky Oaks undercard, Oonagh Maccool took the circle route around the leaders as the field turned for home in the $300,000 Louisville Breeders’ Cup Handicap for fillies and mares and then dominated the stretch run, winning off by 3 1/4 lengths. La Reason was second and Gallant Secret third. Oohagh Maccool, a 4-year-old, Irish-bred filly by Giant’s Causeway, ran the 1 1/16 mile in 1:42.96 under Rafael Bejarano. She came into the race off an impressive victory in the Rampart Handicap at Gulfstream in March.
“She acts like she’s something special. She really does,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. He said she will run back in the Fleur de Lis on June 17
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Man of Illusion, an impressive Australian import, rallied in deep stretch to catch Justice for Auston and win the $100,000 Aegon Turf Sprint by a neck. Atticus Kristy was third. Man of Illusion, a 5-year-old, ran the 5 furlongs on firm turf in 56.28 seconds with Julien Leparoux up. Man of Illusion was third in his only previous U.S. start – the Shakertown at Keeneland. Trainer Patrick Biancone said the Jaipur, at Belmont on May 28, will be the next stop for Man of Illusion.
Stream Cat rallied from last in a scratch-shortened field of six to win the $100,000 Crown Royal American Turf for three-year-olds by a neck over Go Between. Gaelic Storm was third. Stream Cat was making his first start since finishing eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall and only his second start on the grass. He had a chip removed from his right front knee after the Juvenile. He ran the 1 1/16 mile of the Crown Royal in 1:42.27 for apprentice jockey Julien Leparoux.
“Everybody wanted the lead and I just waited,” Leparoux said.
Trainer Patrick Biancone said he will ship his colt to Colonial Downs for the Colonial Turf Cup on June 24 and the Virginia Derby on July 15 – each worth $1 million.
Gouldings Green rallied nicely through the lane to win the $100,000 Alysheba Stakes by a head over Wild Desert, with Andromeda’s Hero third. Gouldings Green, a five-year-old, Kentucky-bred horse by Charismatic, ran the 1 1/16 mile in 1:42.37 for jockey Corey Lanerie. He ran a fading third in the Oaklawn Handicap in his last previous outing.
“I felt that this horse was really doing well,” said winning trainer Tony Reinstedler. “I felt he deserved a chance to win a stake.”
Magnificent Song came five-wide into the stretch and just caught Fiery Dancer in the shadow of the wire to win the $100,000 Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 1/2 length. May Night was third on this May afternoon. Magnificent Song, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Unbridled’s Song, ran the 1 1/16 mile on firm turf with Garrett Gomez in the irons.
“We might think about putting her back on the dirt at some point,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “But for right now, we’ll stick with what’s working.”
