Thoroughbred Racing Roundup
January 23rd, 2012By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
There was no keeping up with the Joneses Saturday at Fair Grounds as owner/breeder Brereton Jones and trainer Larry Jones won both the 3-year-old races. Both Mr. Bowling, winner of the $175,000, Grade III Lecomte Stakes, and Believe You Can, winner of the $125,000 Silverbullet Day Stakes, now are a good first step down the road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively.
Mr. Bowling, a Kentucky-bred Istan colt, ran in the second flight through the backstretch in the Lecomte, came three-wide around the leaders and got to the lead in the stretch. He then held on to win by a head over Z Dager. Shared Property was third. Dan and Sheila, running as an entry with Z Dager, finished fourth.
The winner completed the 1 mile and 70 yards on a fast track in 1:43.49 with Robby Albarado at the controls. He now has three wins from five starts, including a victory in the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park last October. The Lecomte was his first start since a third-place effort in the Grade III Iroquois at Churchill Downs Oct. 30.
“To be honest, we thought he was just starting to get good,” Larry Jones said. “He’s maturing at the right time. He really showed an affinity for this track when we got down here. I can tell he liked it better than anywhere we’ve been to this point.”
Jones said having both stakes winners in his barn helped Mr. Bowling. “He pretty well got himself ready. Having Believe You Can, they’ve been work mates. They got each other ready and it paid off.”
Brereton Jones, former governor of Kentucky, owns Airdrie Stud.
In other potential Kentucky Derby preps:
Howe Great led from the start in Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes over the Gulfstream Park turf course, then easily held on to win by 2 1/2 lengths over the late-running favorite, Lucky Chappy – also his stablemate. Empire Builder chugged in third. Howe Great, a Kentucky-bred Hat Trick colt (thus the reference to Gordie Howe), got the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.42 with Edgar Prado steering. He now has won three straight for Team Valor International and trainer Graham Motion, including his maiden win on the main track at Parx Racing last year.
“We saw the race just like everybody else did,” Prado said. “There was no speed on paper. We went to the front, slowed it down, and the rest was history. He had plenty left.â€
Motion, who is expected to take 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to the March 31 Dubai World Cup, said either Howe Great or Lucky Chappy could tag along and tackle the UAE Derby.
“We haven’t ruled out anything for either of them at this point,” he said, “including dirt.â€
At Santa Anita, Midnight Transfer transferred the lead from pacesetter Got Even late in the stretch run of Sunday’s $75,000 San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-olds, winning by a head over that rival. Let’s Get Crackin finished third and Drill finished fifth. Midnight Transfer, a Kentucky-bred Hard Spun colt out of the French Deputy mare French Satin, ran 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:14.25 with Joel Rosario aboard.
“I was thinking the other horse’s head was longer than mine,” winning trainer Carla Gaines said after sweating out a photo. “We’re hoping to stretch him out.” She said she will “look at” the $300,000, Grade II San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10.
Kentucky Oaks trail:
Believe You Can upset even-money favorite Summer Applause in Saturday’s $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, leading all the way as Summer Applause could only chase. Inny Minnie ran best at the end and just missed catching Summer Applause for place money. Believe You Can, a Kentucky-bred Proud Citizen filly, ran the 1 mile and 70 yards on a fast track in 1:42.34 with Rosie Napravnik handling the reins. Brereton Jones is the winning owner and breeder. Larry Jones trains the filly.
The daughter of Proud Citizen was making her first start since finishing sixth in the Grade II Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs Oct. 30. Before that, she won the Grade III Tempted Stakes at Belmont. She now has four wins from six starts but the Silverbulletday was her first try around two turns.
“We were confident that she’d go far,” Larry Jones said. “I’ve probably trained more (Proud Citizens) than anyone and if they are good sprinting, they are good going long.” He added, “Needless to say, we are going to keep her right here and go through the series here and we hope the major thing for the spring will be the Kentucky Oaks.â€
If the Joneses had a great day in New Orleans, Jerry Hollendorfer had a very good one at Golden Gate Fields in California. Hollendorfer trains and is part owner of the 1-2 finishers in Saturday’s $100,000 California Oaks. Lady of Fifty, the favorite, led comfortably throughout and finished first by 3 1/4 lengths. Sweet Nothings stalked the pace, lacked the needed punch to challenge the winner but held second, 1 1/2 lengths better than Run the Blues Away. Lady of Fifty, a Kentucky-bred After Market filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather surface in 1:46.04 with Russell Baze in the irons. She now has won four of her five starts, including three straight stakes, all at the Bay Area track.
“Everybody with a good 3-year-old is thinking about bigger races later on, and I’m thinking about them, too,” Hollendorfer said. “There is nothing left for her here, so she’ll have to go someplace else. But she has plenty of options. Sweet Nothings is also a nice horse.”
Dayatthespa rallied wide around the field entering the stretch run in Sunday’s $100,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park and outran Wholelottashakin late to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Frolic’s Revenge finished third. Dayatthespa, a New York-bred City Zip filly, ran the 1 mile on firm turf in 1:34.43 for jockey Javier Castellano. Dayatthespa ran a good second in the Natalma Stakes at Woodbine but then finished ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in her last previous start over a “good” Churchill Downs turf course.
“She likes the firm ground like it was today,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I don’t want to make an excuse for her Breeders’ Cup but Ramon (Dominguez, who rode at Churchill) said that it was probably too soft for her and she didn’t care for it.”
Lotta Lovin did a lotta runnin’ in the stretch in Saturday’s $50,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park, drawing off quickly to win by 7 lengths. The early leader, A.P. Diva, held second and Sweetnessngoodness was good enough for third. Lotta Lovin, a Pennsylvania-bred Repent filly, finished the 6 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:11.99 with Victor Lebron up. Saturday’s victory backed up her win in the Gowell Stakes and has trainer Mike Maker viewing a rosy future.
“I’m not concerned about stretching her out,” he said. “I’ve always felt she wanted to go long.”
In other racing:
Dubai
(By RICHARD GROSS)
New Zealand-bred 3-year-old Ip Man, saddled by Singapore-based trainer Steve Burridge with Panamanian jockey Oscar Chavez aboard, gave the Dubai World Cup Carnival an obvious international flavor and a series of firsts as the trio combined to notch the second track record of the day Saturday at Meydan.
Ip Man unleashed a dominating stretch run to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Primeval in a track record 1:22.66 at 1,400 meters on the all-weather Tapeta in the day’s final $110,000 Al Naboodah Group handicap feature.
It was the third win in only five starts for the son of Argentina’s Mr. Nancho and the second record-breaking performance of the day. Bawadi earlier won Saturday’s 1,900-meter Peugeot by 1/2 length over Ireland’s Bin Shamardal on the all weather in 1:57.04, breaking the record previously set by Allybar in the 2010 Al Maktoum Challenge II.
Burridge saddled his third winner in four starts at Meydan. The trainer indicated the UAE 2000 Guineas could be up next for Ip Man. “We did not know what to expect of him here in Dubai,” said Burridge after the win. “Hopefully he has a lot more to offer.”
Chavez took his second winner on as many mounts in as many days in Dubai. It was the perfect ending in a turn of events that saw the jockey add Saturday’s triumph to a Friday winner in a 1,200-meter conditions race on Captain Obvious. Chavez gained that mount after scheduled rider Benny Woodworth was injured in a fall last Sunday in Singapore.
It also was a second consecutive day of firsts at Meydan.
First City won her first UAE start Friday in the Group 2 Cape Verdi for fillies and mares, besting favored Mahbooba in the final strides of the 1,600-meter turf feature. Trainer Ali Raihe is pointing the winner to the Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup day, March 31.
Dubai racing circles are buzzing with the prospect that Australian sprint sensation Black Caviar might appear on World Cup day, either on the Tapeta or the turf. Trainer Peter Moody has entered the undefeated 6-year-old superstar mare for the first time outside Australia in both Group I World Cup day sprint races, the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on turf and the $2 million Golden Shaheen on the all-weather.
That could set up a showdown with fellow Aussie sprinter Sepoy, who is slated to run in the Golden Shaheen. The 3-year-old champion son of Elusive Quality was bred by Darley and is owned by Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed. The colt has won 10 of 11 starts and was ranked best 3-year-old turf sprinter in the world with a rating of 123 earlier this month by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
Black Caviar retained her crown as world’s best sprinter with a rating of 132.
Santa Anita
Frumious set a furious pace in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade II Palos Verdes Stakes, then kicked clear at the end to win by 5 3/4 lengths. Galientos was the best of the rest with Mensa Heat third. Recently crowned Eclipse Award winner Amazombie was a late scratch because of the wet-fast track condition. Frumious, a 6-year-old, California-bred Grindstone gelding, ran the 6 furlongs in 1:07.28 with Antonio Castanon in the irons. Euroears finished fourth and M One Rifle fifth. Frumious won his last two races – a $40,000 claimer and an optional claiming event in which he was not offered for sale. Mersad Metanovic, bloodstock agent for the owners and trainer Jeff Bonde, said Frumious might be considered for the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31.
“There’s nobody that can run with him,” Metanovic said. “Maybe they can catch him late, but they’re not going to go with him. That’s a fact.”
Include Me Out rallied to the lead turning for home in Sunday’s $150,000, Grade II La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies and scampered home first by 4 1/4 lengths. Great Hot finished second with the favorite, Tiz Flirtatious, third. Include Me Out, a Kentucky-bred Include filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.89 with Joe Talamo riding. Include Me Out won for the third time in seven lifetime starts and picked up her first stakes victory for trainer Ron Ellis, who said he is thinking deeply about the filly’s future.
“We’ll just kind of wait and see,” he said. “She’s got a half-sister that won a Grade I on the grass so we’ve got a lot of options, so we’ll kind of look at it, think about it and see where to go.”
Vamo a Galupiar rallied from last of seven to win Saturday’s $75,000 Megahertz Stakes for fillies and mares by 3 1/4 lengths over Celestial Kitten. Pick and Pray was third. Vamo a Galupiar, a 5-year-old Chilean-bred mare by Proud Citizen, got the 1 mile over firm turf in 1:34.95 with Talamo up.
Fair Grounds
Mr. Vegas led all the way to a mild upset win in Saturday’s $100,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap, holding on late to score by 1 1/2 lengths over Dubious Miss. Strike Impact finished third and the favorite, Suntracer, settled for fourth after a wide trip. Mr. Vegas, a 5-year-old, New York-bred Freud gelding, ran “about” 1 1/16 miles on good turf in 1:43.49 with Miguel Mena up.
Thiskyhasnolimit had things all his own way in Saturday’s $100,000 Louisiana Handicap, leading from the start and holding well to win by 1 length over Fast Alex. The favorite, Alma d’Oro, got home third. Thiskyhasnolimit, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred son of Sky Mesa, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.67 for jockey Shane Sellers.
Gantry and Cash Refund hooked up at the sixteenth pole in Saturday’s $75,000 F.W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes and battled to the wire with Gantry prevailing by a nose. The favorite, Joe Hollywood, was a nonthreatening third. Gantry, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred Pulpit gelding, ran the 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.56 with Richard Eramia in the irons.
Inspired opened a big early lead in Saturday’s $75,000 Pan Zareta Stakes for fillies and mares, then held off the favorite, Wild About Marie, to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Flash Mash finished third. Inspired, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred Unbridled’s Song mare, ran the “about” 5 1/2 furlongs on good turf in 1:03.47 with John Velazquez up.
Oaklawn Park
Absinthe Minded set a comfortable pace in Saturday’s $75,000 Pippin Stakes for fillies and mares, was headed by Tiz Miz Sue heading into the stretch but battled back and beat that rival by a neck. She’s All In finished third. Absinthe Minded, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred Quiet American mare, got the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.27 with Terry Thompson in the irons.
Gleaming came from last of eight to capture Sunday’s $50,000 American Beauty Stakes for fillies and mares by 1 3/4 lengths over Sassy City. Rattlin Gypsy finished third. Gleaming, a 5-year-old, Oklahoma-bred mare by Dehere, ran the 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.35 with Lindey Wade up.
Catching up with Martin Luther King Day racing action:
Oaklawn Park
Junebugred rated off the pace in the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds, found a way inside the leaders at the top of the lane and went on to win by a neck over the late-running Reckless Jerry. The favorite, the filly On Fire Baby, was 1 length farther back in third. Junebugred, a Kentucky-bred Corinthian colt, finished the 1 mile on a fast track in 1:38.45 with Joe Bravo riding.
“He’s not a big strapping colt, and he is so young,” said winning trainer Steve Hobby. “He’s still got quite a ways until his third birthday, so we will be thinking of that as we pick out a spot.” But he indicated the $250,000, Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 20 could be the next step toward the Arkansas Derby.
Junebugred, named for a fishing lure, is now 2-for-3, with a maiden win coming in a 1-turn mile at Aqueduct in November.
Santa Anita
Norvsky took advantage of a tough trip by the favorite, Jeranimo, to win the $150,000, Grade II San Gabriel Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over that rival. Jeranimo bobbled slightly at the start, forged his way to the lead and was under pressure, then finally yielded to Norvsky inside the sixteenth pole. The final margin was 1 1/2 lengths with The Usual Q.T. in third. Norvsky, a 6-year-old, California-bred Vronsky gelding, ran 9 furlongs on firm turf in 1:47.03 with Rafael Bejarano up.
“I was as surprised as anybody,” said winning trainer Don Warren. “I’m surprised that this horse could beat horses like Jeranimo and The Usual Q.T. It’s impressive.”
