Thoroughbred Racing Roundup
May 15th, 2012By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
It was a weekend for looking ahead in Thoroughbred racing — to the Preakness Stakes, to Singapore, to the Epsom Derby, to Royal Ascot and beyond.
While there were some big races at Belmont Park and Hollywood Park, even those looked like preliminaries for the summertime fixtures that lead inevitably, as the leaves turn, to the Breeders’ Cup in the fall.
Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another was firmly ensconced at Pimlico, waiting for his chance this coming Saturday to take a second step toward the elusive Triple Crown. Black Caviar won for laughs again in Australia, presumably en route to Royal Ascot. Three-year-olds also were gearing up for the big races in England and Canada.
And even though Cirrus Des Aigles is taking a pass on the longer race, outstanding fields were gathering in Singapore for next weekend’s Singapore Airlines International Cup and KrisFlyer Sprint.
Here’s how things looked — overseas first — through the ever-cloudy crystal ball:
Australia
Black Caviar won again — for the 21st straight time without defeat — in her final scheduled run against intramural competition Saturday in the AUS-Group 1 Good wood Stakes at Morphetville. With regular rider Luke Nolan’s foot firmly on the brakes, the super mare made all the going and won by 1 1/2 lengths over We’re Gonna Rock.
“I’m not a punter,” Nolan said. “I don’t worry about margins. As long as she bloody wins, I don’t care.”
The planned next stop for the 6-year-old Bel Esprit mare is the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23. That would be her first try outside Australia and promises to be a more demanding challenge. Trainer Peter Moody, who considered but ultimately rejected a trip to Dubai for Black Caviar, noted Saturday that things must remain in order to keep the England trip on the agenda.
“As long as she pleases us the next three weeks, we’re on the plane to England,” he said. “As long as she’s happy, it’s all systems go.”
Epsom Derby preps
Saturday’s Group 3 Derby Trial at Lingfield turned up at least one, and possibly two, candidates for the Epsom Derby as Main Sequence ran his undefeated streak to four with a win over the favorite, Shantaram.
Shantaram got first run to the lead between horses turning for home but Main Sequence came right behind him and to his inside, got past and held well for the victory. That pair was clearly superior to the other six starters, with just 3/4 length separating them and six lengths separating Shantaram from the rest of the pack. Winning trainer David Lanigan said Main Sequence, owned by the Niarchos family, also is entered for the French Derby but has “earned his place at Epsom.”
On Friday at Chester, Astrology easily bested three opponents in the Stobart Barristers Dee Stakes. At the end, he was 11 lengths better than Oxford Charlie with Kingsdesire and Uriah Heep strung out further behind. Astrology, a Galileo colt, ran the 13 1/2 furlongs in 2:21.57 over soft going. Joseph O’Brien rode for his father, Aidan O’Brien. The colt is not committed to the Derby. Bonfire was withdrawn from the race because of the soft going.
Akeed Mofeed, listed for months among the favorites for the Derby, has suffered a training setback and will be reaimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Irish Derby, according to trainer John Oxx. The Dubawi colt has a win and a second from three starts.
France
At Longchamp in Paris, a trio of longshots swept Sunday’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains for 3-year-old colts, with the better-fancied starters caught up in tight traffic. Lucayan got home first, a short neck better than Veneto and another short neck ahead of Furner’s Green, who suffered a fatal breakdown after crossing the finish line. Joseph O’Brien, riding for his father, Aidan, was thrown from Furner’s Green when the colt fell but O’Brien was not injured. Dabirsim, the favorite with Christophe Soumillon up, was caught up in the bottleneck and finished sixth. Gregorian was fifth and Dragon Pulse finished ninth. The 1 mile on good to soft going took 1:37.11. Winning trainer Francois Rohaut said he still sees room for improvement and will consider the St. James’s Palance for Lucayan, a son of Turtle Bowl.
In the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches for 3-year-old fillies, Beauty Parlor ran her record to 4-0, surviving a late scare from the O’Brien invader, Up. Winning trainer Elie Lellouche said he is not sure he is ready to travel with Beauty Parlor just yet and may opt for Chantilly rather than Royal Ascot.
Japan
Whale Capture broke through to victory in Sunday’s Group 1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo Race Course, catching pacesetting Queen’s Barn midway through the stretch run and going on to win by 1/2 length over Donau Blue. Marcellina finished third. Apapane, last year’s winner, settled for fifth. Whale Capture was in the top three in each leg of last year’s Japanese filly Triple Crown. The Victoria Mile, however, was her first win at the Group 1 level. With Norihiro Yokoyama aboard, Whale Capture finished in 1:32.40. She is a daughter of Kurofune.
Meanwhile, back in North America:
Belmont Park
Trainer Larry Jones said Mark Valeski wasn’t quite in peak form for last week’s Kentucky Derby, so he didn’t start him in the Run for the Roses. Earlier this week, Jones said he thought his Proud Citizen colt was locked and loaded for Saturday’s $200,000, Grade II Peter Pan Stakes and Mark Valeski proved him right. After waiting behind the pace, Mark Valeski and jockey Rosie Napravnik came to longshot pacesetter Right to Vote at the eighth pole and edged clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths over that rival. Street Life finished third, The Lumber Guy finished sixth and Le Bernardin was last of 10. The 9 furlongs went in 1:48.31.
“I kept thinking to myself,†Jones said. “‘Well, if we win this thing by a bunch, I’m going to wonder if I should have been at the Derby,’ but we made the right decision.” He said he will consider the Belmont Stakes as Mark Valeski’s next start, “especially if Bodemeister and them rip each other apart in the Preakness. We’ll see how the Preakness turns out and who’s left available. We’re sure not going to rule it out. We know where Belmont is.”
Currency Swap took the point in Saturday’s $85,000 You and I Stakes for 3-year-olds, opened a daylight lead and got home first by 3/4 length over Brian. Hardened Wildcat finished third. Currency Swap, a High Cotton colt, ran the 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.43 with Raviv Maragh up.
Going to Kukaro set the pace in Saturday’s $85,000 Genuine Devotion Stakes for fillies and mares, then was all-out to survive by a nose over Trix in the City. Miss Liberty finished third. Going to Kukaro, a 4-year-old Speightstown filly, ran the 6 furlongs over the firm inner turf course in 1:09.02 with Javier Castellano up.
Hollywood Park
Drill worked to the lead between the leaders at the sixteenth pole in Saturday’s $100,000, Grade III Lazaro Barrera Memorial for 3-year-olds, then held on to beat American Act by 1/2 length. Gun Boat finished third and Boompa completed the order of finish. Drill and Gun Boat were both saddled by Bob Baffert. Drill, a Lawyer Ron colt, ran the 7 furlongs in 1:22.88 with Martin Garcia in the irons. Mike Marlow, who saddled Drill in Baffert’s absence, said his boss thought Drill, “ran well and Gun Boat might need blinkers. He was hanging a little the last eighth of a mile. But I think Drill is just a better horse. It’s a good thing Gun Boat was the other horse or he might not have let him out. Drill kind of likes a target, just like he got today.”
Woodbine
Dixie Strike settled at the back of the field early in Sunday’s $250,000, Can-Grade III Selene Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, moved up along the inside approaching the stretch turn and got by the pacesetting, odds-on favorite, Tu Endie Wei, to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Katie Get Excited finished third. Dixie Strike, an Ontario-bred Dixie Union filly, finished the 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:43.79 with Patrick Husbands up.
“I gunned her away and then she wasn’t comfortable,” said Husbands. “I just left her alone and she got her legs together. She showed me that she was the best today.”
Dixie Strike, trained by Mark Casse, was an early favorite for the June 24 Queen’s Plate off her victory in the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs. After Sunday’s win, she will be among the favorites for both the Plate and for the Woodbine Oaks on June 3.
Strait of Dover stalked the pace in Saturday’s $150,000 (Canadian) Marine Stakes for 3-year-olds, took over when asked by jockey Justin Stein and drew off to win by 6 1/2 lengths over Classic Bryce. Holiday Promise finished third. Strait of Dover, a British Columbia-bred colt by English Channel, ran the 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:43.44, boosting his stock as a favorite for the June 24 Queen’s Plate.
“With him sitting that close, I knew he had to be doing it quite easy,” said winning trainer Dan Vella. “We talked about settling him, and trying to get him off the bridle because we want to go a mile and a quarter. Obviously, he did that. It was very exciting the whole way.”
Calder Race Course
The odds-on favorite, Fort Louden, collared pacesetting Hello Prince with a furlong to run in Saturday’s $75,000 In Summation Stakes for 3-year-olds and worked clear to win by 2 lengths over that rival. It was another 8 1/2 lengths back to Angelofdistinction in third. Fort Louden, an Awesome of Course colt, ran the 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.51 with Luis Jurado up.
Redbud Rose pressed the pace in Saturday’s $75,000 French Village Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, came even with the early leader turning for home, led comfortably and held on to win by 3/4 length over Miss Quisqueya. Citizen Advocate finished third. Redbud Rose, a daughter of Awesome of Course, finished in 1:11.29 under Luis Saez.
