Thoroughbred Racing Weekend Advance
December 30th, 2011By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G2) will be run at Santa Anita this weekend.Gulfstream Park Photo
The weekend rings in a new year and, with it, the start of a new “Road to the Roses” for 2012 Kentucky Derby hopefuls. First up is Sunday’s $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby. This will be the inaugural running of the event, enabled by a new finish line that permits two-turn races at 1 1/16 miles around the Florida oval. Gulfstream officials wasted no time adding the race as a preliminary test for the March 31 Florida Derby.
Eleven were entered for the Derby, including six who bring only a maiden win into the fray. Among them is Gold Megillah, a Graham Motion trainee who took four starts to get his first win, then did it emphatically, by 18 1/2 lengths in a 1 1/16-miles, off-the-turf event at Churchill Downs.
“We’re looking forward to testing him with some of the other 3-year-olds,” said Motion, who saddled 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Gold Megillah is by Purim out of the Touch Gold mare Touch Me Once.
Nick Zito, who trained 2011 Florida Derby winner Dialed In, will saddle Casual Trick, a son of Bernardini, in Sunday’s race. He is another with a single win, also at Churchill Downs in a one-turn mile. “I thought right off the bat to see how good he is,” Zito said. “I think he’s really, really good.”
The only stakes winner in the field is Ancient Rome, who won the 6-furlong Spectacular Bid on Gulfstream’s opening day. The race provides a perfect opportunity to see if he has distance limitations. The son of Roman Ruler broke his maiden by 7 3/4 lengths at Delaware Park on Oct. 22 after a runner-up debut.
Another to watch is Silver Menace, who has won both his starts, including a 1 1/16-mile, two-turn allowance at Hawthorne Park on Nov. 26. He was purchased after that race by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and turned over to trainer Kathy Ritvo – the team that had Mucho Macho Man last year.
The Gulfstream Park Derby, as a new race, is ungraded. But the companion $100,000 Old Hat Stakes for newly turned 3-year-old fillies is a Grade III event and the 9-furlong race has attracted an interesting field. Among the eight scheduled starters are Say a Novena and Awesome Belle, the 10th and 12th finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4.
Both had excuses under the twin spires and a good showing on Sunday could keep either or both on a Kentucky Oaks trajectory. You also could play a religiously themed exacta with Say a Novena and Sacristy, a Pulpit filly who scored her first win Nov. 10 at Churchill Downs after two seconds on all-weather tracks at Arlington and Keeneland.
Elsewhere on a relatively modest holiday weekend stakes schedule:
Santa Anita’s Saturday card is topped by the $300,000, Grade I La Brea Stakes, featuring Turbulent Descent, who disappointed as the fifth-place finisher in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Eight others will take on the 3-year-old Congrats filly.
Trainer Mike Puype predicted to Daily Racing Form, “She’ll redeem herself on the 31st. I have no doubt about it.” Puype said Turbulent Descent endured a “murderous” trip in the Breeders’ Cup but still led into the stretch before fading as longshot Musical Romance got home first. “She’s the fastest 3-year-old filly out here,” the trainer added.
Gulfstream’s Saturday program headlines the $100,000, Grade III Mr. Prospector Stakes at 6 furlongs. Some of the contenders in the good, seven-horse field are Capt. Candyman Can, Apriority, Indiano, Zero Rate Policy, Nathan’s H.Q., and recent allowance winner The Hunk.
Sunday’s feature at Santa Anita is the $150,000, Grade II Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares at 9 furlongs on the grass. The race is the former San Gorgonio Handicap, renamed for the late trainer who won it seven of the 12 years before his death in 2009. City to City heads a field of six, with Turning Top a likely challenger.
There is a small flurry of last-gasp races for 2-year-olds on the weekend calendar.
Friday, Sunland Park offers the $100,000 Riley Allison Futurity at 6 1/2 furlongs and on Saturday, the $110,000 Red Hedeman Mile for New Mexico-bred juveniles. Fair Grounds has a pair of $50,000 events for state-bred 2-year-olds on Saturday at 6 furlongs.
Saturday’s $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita is 1 mile on the grass for horses enjoying their last day as 2-year-olds. The latter is notable for having not a single starter from Bob Baffert’s barn. What up with that?
Finally, a happy and prosperous New Year to all and best wishes to all Thoroughbreds on their common official New Year’s Day birthday.
