Thoroughbred Racing Roundup
July 12th, 2011By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
Those sorting out likely horses for November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic can move the residents of trainer Bob Baffert’s stable up a couple notches.
In a big weekend of racing from coast to coast, Baffert saddled First Dude and Game On Dude to a 1-2 finish in Saturday’s $500,000, Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup, relegating favorite Twirling Candy to show money.
Admittedly, it was close.
Game On Dude, under Chantal Sutherland, made all the going into the stretch. At that point, both First Dude and Twirling Candy came calling and the threesome battled to the wire with the final margins just a nose and a neck. Setsuko finished fourth.
First Dude, a 4-year-old, Florida-bred colt by Stephen Got Even, finished the 1 1/4 miles on the all-weather track in 2:01.57 with Martin Garcia handling the reins. It was First Dude’s third win in four starts since moving to the Baffert shedrow.
“When they hit the wire, I knew I’d won it,” the silver-haired conditioner said. “I just didn’t know which one. I was hoping for a dead heat. That would have been really cool. They both could have gotten a ‘Win and You’re In’ and really bust out the Breeders’ Cup. I didn’t know what I was going to do with him,” Baffert said of First Dude. “But now I can take him to Del Mar and run him in the Pacific Classic.”
John Sadler, trainer of Twirling Candy, said, “It looked like today he had a perfect trip and just didn’t have an excuse, so maybe we’ll look at the distance.”
Other races that might impact the Breeders’ Cup World Championship races Nov. 4 and 5 at Churchill Downs:
Classic
Baffert settled for second and third in Saturday’s supporting feature at Hollywood, the $150,000, Grade II Swaps Stakes for 3-year-olds. Dreamy Kid, saddled by Neil Drysdale, came from last of five to odds-on favorite Coil in the final yards by a head. Uncle Sam finished third. Dreamy Kid, dispatched at odds of 19-1 in the five-horse field, completed the 9 furlongs in 1:50.43 with Joe Talamo riding.
“He’s a nice, developing 3-year-old,” Drysdale said of Dreamy Kid, a Kentucky-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid. “Why did we jump him up and run here instead of an allowance race? We worked him the other day in blinkers and it made a huge difference.”
Baffert, meanwhile, said Coil will head east with the Haskell or the Jim Dandy in his plans.
Rattlesnake Bridge stumbled at the start of Saturday’s $150,000 Long Branch Stakes for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park, rated off the pace and was just up after a long drive to win by a nose over All of the Above. Little Drama finished third. Rattlesnake Bridge, a Kentucky-bred Tapit colt, completed 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.71 with Eddie Castro up.
“It was a great performance,” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He stumbled a little coming out of the gate and I actually thought he’d be a little further back with them going 22 3/5 for the first quarter.” Asked about a potential return trip in three weeks’ time for the $1 million Haskell Invitational, McLaughlin said, “We’ll talk it over. But we’d love to come back for the Haskell.”
Ladies Classic
St. John’s River ran last through most of Saturday’s $300,000, Grade II Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park, suddenly kicked into gear around the turn and swept five-wide around the field, eventually winning by a head in the final jumps. Strike the Moon led most of the way and held a comfortable lead at the top of the lane, then held second. All For Thee finished third. St. John’s River, a Kentucky-bred Include filly, ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.30 with Jose Lezcano up, picking up her first graded stakes win.
“I have had two (heart) bypasses and I thought I was going to need a third,” said winning trainer Andrew Leggio Jr. “I thought she was going to win the race, but I was concerned about this short stretch because she does not start getting running until the last eighth of a mile. With a little luck she would have won her last two races. My next stop is the Alabama at Saratoga.”
Turf
Cape Blanco took the lead early in the stretch run in Saturday’s $600,000, Grade I Man o’ War at Belmont Park and rather easily held safe the late-running favorite, Gio Ponti. At the wire, Cape Blanco was 2 1/4 lengths up, with Boisterous third. Cape Blanco, with Jamie Spencer up for his first American start, ran the 1 3/8 miles on the “good” inner turf course in 2:14.06. It was the 4-year-old Galileo colt’s first win from four starts this year in top international company.
“We always like to support American racing,” said Charlie O’Connor of Ashford Stud, representing the winning owners. “We thought his horse would suit the race. He proved we were right. The distance probably suited him … He’s back to his best form.”
That form was good enough last year for wins in the Irish Derby and the Irish Champion Stakes.
Tajaaweed tracked the pace in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade III Arlington Handicap, swept to the lead around the outside early in the stretch run and proved best in the late going, beating longshot Mister Mardi Gras by 1 1/2 lengths. Dean’s Kitten and Free Fighter was third and fourth, two necks farther back. Interaction, making his first start since finishing up the track in the Dubai City of Gold at Meydan in early March, finished up the track again and the other foreign entrant, German-based Sanagas, finished seventh. Tajaaweed, a 6-year-old son of Dynaformer, got the 1 1/4 miles over firm turf in the final local prep for the Arlington Million in 2:01.83 under James Graham. Tajaaweed finished third in last year’s Arlington Handicap and sixth in last year’s Million.
“We decided to stop on him last winter, turn him out, point for this race and the Million, said winning trainer Dan Peitz. “Nine months later, here we are and we’re on our way to the Million.”
One race earlier at Arlington, Willcox Inn stalked the pace early in the $200,000, Grade II American Derby, swept to the lead when asked by rider Robby Albarado and cruised home first by a comfortable 4 lengths. (Fours were wild as Wilcox Inn provided the middle of a 4-4-4 stakes Pick Three). The Kentucky-bred Harlan’s Holiday colt, earlier in the season victorious in the Arlington Classic, covered Saturday’s 1 3/16 miles on firm going in 1:54.56.
“The horse that was on the front stopped really abruptly midway up the backside, so we kind of inherited the lead,” said Albarado. “We were being pressed from the outside so I kind of expedited it from there but he was doing it well within himself and content doing it and he showed it finishing to the wire.”
Winning trainer Mike Stidham said Sunday Willcox Inn’s performance spoke for itself.
“I don’t need to say much. I knew before he ran what I hoped he’d do, and he did exactly what I hoped, and he came out of the race in great shape. We’re looking forward to running in the Secretariat.”
Filly & Mare Turf
Fantasia raced back of the pace through the early furlongs of Saturday’s $150,000, Grade III Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park, worked into contention entering the stretch and wore down the competition to win by 1 length. Romin Robin was a longshot second with My Baby Baby third. The favorite, Wasted Tears, led much of the way but faded to finish fifth. Fantasia, a 5-year-old, British-bred Sadler’s Wells mare, ran 1 3/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:53.82.
“I knew I needed to be a little closer, so I moved up a bit without using too much horse, and when I asked her she ran great,” said winning rider Rajiv Maragh.
The Modesty is the primary local prep for the Beverly D., filly/mare companion to the Arlington Million and winning trainer Jonathan Sheppard said Sunday that race is in his plans.
“Of course, we realize that the Beverly D. will be a big step up for us,” Sheppard said. “But after the way she ran yesterday, we’re looking forward to it.”
Saturday at Delaware Park, “nothing early was a ‘real cool hand’ as the winners of all three stakes came from last to score their victories. None came from further back than Cheetah in the $200,000, Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial. The 4-year-old, British-bred Tiger Hill filly started last of 12, found running room along the inside turning for home and passed them all, then showed her heels, winning by 3 3/4 lengths. Bubbly Jane was second and Dyna Waltz third. With Jose Lezcano up, Cheetah ran the 11 furlongs on “good” going in 2:13.13. Cheetah, trained by Christophe Clement, won for the fourth time in nine starts and picked up her first graded stakes victory.
“Mr. Clement told me let her break and rate her where you can,” Lezcano said. “In the stretch she had a fabulous kick and she is a very nice filly. At the quarter pole, everybody was looking a spot but I had so much horse, I had to wait for the right moment to be clear. She was very impressive.”
Never Retreat pressed the pace in Sunday’s $300,000 (Canadian) Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine, got by the tiring early leader and held off the favorite, Bay to Bay, by 1 1/4 lengths with the help of a little traffic early in the stretch run. Mekong Melody ran evenly to finish third. Never Retreat, a 6-year-old, Kentucky-bred Smart Strike mare, ran 9 furlongs on firm turf in 1:46.48 with Shaun Bridgmohan up. The winner is owned by Chicago-based Team Block and trained by Chris Block.
“She’s such an honest filly and she broke sharply and wanted to put herself in the game,” Bridgmohan said. “She’s an old pro. She does everything right and I just felt I was a winner because she was so comfortable at every point that I just let her do her thing.”
Filly & Mare Sprint
Sassy Image rallied from last of 10 and outfinished Musical Romance in the final yards to win Saturday’s $350,000, Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder by a neck. Indulgence got home third. Sassy Image, a 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred Broken Vow filly, finished the 6 furlongs on a “good” track in 1:11.61 for jockey Mike Smith. She now has three straight wins, all in graded stakes, following victories in the Humana Distaff and the Winning Colors, both at Churchill Downs. Overall, she has won half her 14 lifetime starts. Winning trainer Dale Romans said Smith reported Sassy Image wasn’t handling the track well early in the race.
“Considering that she didn’t like the track, it might have been her most impressive race ever,” Romans said. “We came here because the timing for this one after her last race was perfect and then to go to the (Aug. 27) Ballerina at Saratoga for her next start. Then it’s back home to Churchill for the Breeders’ Cup.”
Devilish Lady took a big step up in class in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade III Azalea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Calder Race Course, stalking the pace before taking over on the turn, then holding off White Merlot at the end by a head. My Pal Chrisy was third at a big price, well in front of the favorite, May Day Rose. Devilish Lady, a Florida-bred daughter of Sweetsouthernsaint, ran the 6 furlongs on a good main track in 1:11.70 under Daniel Centeno. She had been racing in minor stakes at Tampa Bay and Calder and the Azalea was her first graded stakes win. Winning trainer Antonio Sano, who claimed Devilish Lady for $16,000 last September, said she will continue “going short, no longer than seven furlongs. For now, she’ll get a short rest while we think about her campaign. We’ll consider going to Saratoga.”
Sprint
Giant Ryan got by pacesetting Irrefutable in the final strides to win Saturday’s $350,000, Grade II Smile Sprint Stakes at Calder, chalking up his fifth straight win in the process. The favorite, Noble’s Promise, finished strongly but settled for third. Giant Ryan, a 5-year-old, New York-bred son of Freud, got the 6 furlongs on a “good” track in 1:11.34 under Cornelio Velasquez. After starting the year poorly at Gulfstream Park, Giant Ryan blossomed against state-breds in New York and now has won seven of 13 lifetime starts. He earned a guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup through the “Win and You’re In” program. Shivananda Parboo, the winning owner and son of trainer Bisnath Parboo, said Giant Ryan went back to New York to beat state-breds to restore his confidence.
“If he’s all right, the main target would be the (Oct. 1) Vosburgh at Belmont Park, possibly with a race here before that if we can get one suitable,” he added. “If not, we might look somewhere else. If things went well in the Vosburgh and after, then we’d go to the Breeders’ Cup.
Indiano stalked the pace in Saturday’s $200,000, Grade II Carry Back Stakes at Calder, got by the leaders three-wide heading for home and cruised across the wire first by 3 lengths. Smash was second and Cal Nation third. Indiano, a Kentucky-bred Indian Charlie colt who started his career in Panama, got the 6 furlongs on a “good” track in 1:10.60 with Luis Saez in the irons.
Trainer Marty Wolfson said he believes Indiano can get a mile under the right conditions. “The one time we tried him at a mile I don’t think it was the distance, but more that he just didn’t care for the track,” the conditioner said. “I still think he’ll handle up to a one-turn mile … I’ll probably take him to Saratoga for something next.”
