UPI Horse Racing Roundup – December 21, 2015
December 21st, 2015By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
Trainer Bob Baffert has lost Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to the breeding shed but is already prominent in the 2016 Kentucky Derby picture after sending out a pair of promising juveniles to a 1-2 finish in Saturday’s Los Alamitos Futurity.
The Futurity was a highlight of limited racing action on the pre-Christmas weekend. There were a few other races for the youngsters and stakes events of note both in New York and in the warm-weather racing jurisdictions.
Among the latter, X Y Jet showed he’ll be a sprinter to reckon with in 2016.
On the international front, there could be a budding young star — or two — in Japan, if the result of Sunday’s Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity is any measure. And the star 3-year-old filly couldn’t get past the colts in South Africa.
For the penultimate time in 2015, let’s do this.
Kentucky Derby preps
Baffert is a fixture in the Futurity, which moved to Los Alamitos after Hollywood Park fell to the wrecking ball, winning seven of them before he sent out Mor Spirit and Toews On Ice in Saturday’s renewal. To the surprise of none, those two battled down the stretch with Mor Spirit getting by Toews On Ice late to win by 1 1/4 lengths over his stablemate. It was another 6 lengths back to Imalreadythere in third. Urlacher finished fourth. Mor Spirit, a Pennsylvania-bred ridgling by Eskendereya, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.52 with Gary Stevens up. Martin Garcia rode Towes On ice. Urlacher and the top two all were supplemented to the race at a cost of $10,000 each. Mor Spirit, now with two wins and two seconds from four starts, was the runner-up in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in his previous outing.
“It was a little disappointing when this horse got beat last time,” Baffert said of Mor Spirit. “It looks like we’ve got him figured out, so now we just can sit back and pick some spots for him.” Baffert added Toews On Ice “ran game. The race shaped up different than I thought it would … but Martin didn’t panic and just sat there. He rode a good race, He just got run down by a good horse.”
Stevens said Mor Spirit has “really progressed since his first start and he’s going to get better and better with more experience and distance.”
With the win, Mor Spirit moved into a tie for third and fourth place on the Kentucky Derby starters list maintained by Churchill Downs. Nyquist tops that list with 30 points, followed by Exaggerator with 16. Mor Spirit and Brody’s Cause have 14 each. Towes On Ice moved into a tie for 13th place with 4 points.
Ishaq opened a big lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and held on to win by a neck despite running a bit erratically in the final sixteenth when his blinkers came loose and started flapping. Formal Summation was second and Jay’s Way finished third. Ishaq, a Harlan’s Holiday colt, ran 6 furlongs in 1:11.04 on a fast track with Pedro Cotto Jr. in the irons. He is 2-for-2 with both wins coming at Tampa Bay.
“He completely lost momentum when the blinkers started flapping, and he veered out for two jumps,” Cotto said. “But when he saw those other horses, he re-broke.”
Taylors Angiel went right to the front in Saturday’s $60,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds and just did hang on to beat the favorite, Twirling Cinnamon, by a nose. Hunker Down finished third, 4 3/4 lengths farther back. Taylors Angiel, a Private Vow gelding, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.04 with Roberto Morales up. The Texas-bred is now 2-for-2. He won easily at first asking at Delta Downs on Nov. 13.
“I really like the horse,” said Kevin Martin, assistant to winning trainer Karl Broberg. “He had been training really good and the owner and I had already picked this race out prior. I was a little scared going in with him being a Texas-bred against these, but he’s proven himself.”
2-year-old fillies
Hidden Treat stalked the pace in Saturday’s $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, took the lead turning for home and held on for a 1/2-length win over A Little Attitude. Kandoo finished third Hidden Treat, a Lemon Drop Kid filly out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Maraschino Red, got 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.57 for jockey Daniel Centeno. She’s 2-for-2 with the first win coming on the turf at Laurel Park in Maryland.
“She got a little tired at the end, which is understandable since it was her first race on dirt,” Centeno said. “But when (A Little Attitude) got next to her, she came back and started fighting again.”
Above Fashion stalked the early pace in Saturday’s $60,000 Letellier Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds, took over when prompted by jockey Colby Hernandez and inched away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Princess Kennedy was second, a neck in front of pacesetter Flashy Appeal. Above Fashion, a Paddy O’Prado filly out of the Holy Bull mare Holy Fashion, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.61. It was her third win and followed a third-place finish in the Grade III Delta Downs Princess but she appears no threat to next year’s Oaks aspirants.
“We think she’s a natural sprinter,” said winning trainer Ron Faucheux. We tried to route her. This is what she wants to do. We thought she would really like 6 furlongs on this track and she did.”
Japan
Undefeated favorite Air Spinel surged to the lead entering the stretch run in Sunday’s Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin Racecourse and looked well on his way to a third straight win. But then along came Leontes, swinging widest of all around the turn after racing near the back of the field. Under steady urging, Leontes got by Air Spinel in the final 100 meters and won by 3/4 length in just his second career start. It was another 4 lengths back to Shadow Approach in third. Leontes, with Mirco Demuro aboard, finished 1,600 meters on firm turf in 1:34.4. The top two are both by King Kamehameha. The dramatic finish was no great surprise, given Leontes’s pedigree. His dam, Cesario, won the Group 1 Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks, in 2005, then traveled to California to win the Grade I American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park. Cesario also produced 2014 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia.
“I had been told that this colt was powerful and he certainly showed that when I rode him in training on Wednesday,” Demuro said. “He was pretty keen but smart and an honest colt. It was his first time over a mile but he responded and really stretched well on the outside. He’s got a lot to look forward to in his 3-year-old season.”
Demuro has a lot to look back on this season with four Group 1 victories in Japan.
South Africa
Silver Mountain had conquered all in the 3-year-old filly division and so, just two weeks after winning the Cape Fillies Guineas, she was put up against the boys Saturday in the Group 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas at Kenilworth. The task was too much as it was Noah from Goa taking the lead 200 meters out, chased home 3/4 length later by Brazuca. Nassa was a short head farther back in third, with Silver Mountain a game fourth. Noah from Goa, a Tiger Ridge colt trained by Mike de Kock, scored his fifth win from six outings with Anthony Delpech up. De Kock’s son Matthew, deputizing for his father, said no plans have been made for Noah from Goa.
“He has had a hard season. Let’s see how he pulls up before we make any decisions,” the younger de Kock said.
Silver Mountain’s trainer had warned before the race she might be disadvantaged by the short turnaround from her last win.
Gulfstream Park
X Y Jet had extra in his afterburners in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes, completely dominating an impressive field and winning by 9 1/4 lengths. Grande Shores beat the rest, 3/4 length ahead of C. Zee. The favorite, Stallwalkin’ Dude, finished fifth with an even effort. X Y Jet, a 3-year-old Kantharos colt running against elders, got 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:08.56, ridden out by Emisael Jaramillo.
“We always thought this was a nice horse,” said winning trainer Jorge Navarro. “I guess we rushed him into things and he wasn’t prepared to be doing the things that we’re doing right now.”
The colt has won three straight races since stumbling at the start of the Grade II Swale Stakes in March, being eased late in that race.
“The last two times he ran at Gulfstream Park he stumbled really bad,” Navarro said. “That’s my main issue with him. Now he’s a 3-year-old. He’s more mature. I told the jock to just break and go.”
Solemn Tribute made the early going in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Park Derby, was headed at the quarter pole but came again to win by a head. Team Colors was up late to finish second, a neck in front of Watchyourownbobber. The favorite, Tweet Kitten, finished sixth. Solemn Tribute, a Medaglia d’Oro gelding, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:39.87 with Julien Leparoux up.
Tammy the Torpedo won a long stretch duel with Celestine to take Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks by a neck over that rival. Only two more necks separated those from Light In Paris and Iromea in third and fourth. The favorite, Osaila, finished last of a dozen. Tammy the Torpedo, a More Than Ready filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on the grass in 1:43.33 with Joel Rosario in the irons.
Tampa Bay Downs
Richies Sweetheart obviously enjoyed the change of scenery from Midwestern climes. The 4-year-old Illinois-bred filly made all the going in Saturday’s $100,000 Lightning City Stakes for fillies and mares and held off Katie’s Kiss at the end, winning by 1/2 length. Iroquois Girl was third. Richies Sweetheart, a daughter of Bring the Heat, ran 5 furlongs on firm turf in 56.18 seconds with Dean Butler at the controls. She won four of five races eaerlier this year, including the Turf Amazon at Parx.
Aqueduct
Financial Modeling led from the initial jumps in Saturday’s $100,000 Queens County Stakes and was never challenged, winning by 4 1/4 lengths over the favorite, Tommy Macho. Kid Cruz got there third. Financial Modeling, a 4-year-old Street Sense colt, ran 9 furlongs on the fast inner track in 1:49.60 with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. The colt, making his first stakes start, posted his fourth career win.
“We put him on the lead and he relaxed so good for me and when I asked him, he was there for me. He was ready,” Ortiz said. “He won last time on the grass for the first time and he won like a grass horse. Today, going back to dirt, he did it very impressively. I think he’s improving.”
Fair Grounds
Kitten’s Dumplings rallied from next-last of 10 to take a big lead in the stretch run of Saturday’s $60,000 Blushing K.D. Stakes for fillies and mares. But then the 5-year-old Kitten’s Joy mare had to find a little more to hold off Street of Gold before winning by a neck. Masquerade finished third. Kitten’s Dumplings, with Emmanuel Esquivel in the irons, ran about 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:46.64.
Ibaka overcame a stumble at the start and some traffic issues to win Saturday’s $60,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial by 3/4 length from Blarp. Potomac River was third. Ibaka, a 4-year-old gelding by Uncle Abbie, ran about 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:46.48 with Richard Eramia riding.
Cash Control had things well under control in Saturday’s $60,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes for fillies and mares, extending her early advantage into the stretch for a 2 1/2-lengths victory. Tiz Lately finished second but was set down to sixth for interference. That elevated Midnight Sweetie and Please Explain into the trifecta. Cash Control, a 4-year-old filly by Pioneerof the Nile, ran 1 mile and 70 yards on a fast track in 1:43.07 with Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons.
Eagle rallied to the lead in the stretch in Saturday’s $60,000 Tenacious Stakes and held on to win by a confident 1 1/4 lengths over Freestyler. Ride On Curlin was 5 lengths farther back in third. Eagle, a 3-year-old Candy Ride colt, flew home in 1:41.63 for 1 mile and 70 yards on the fast main track. Brian Hernandez Jr. had the mount.
Turfway Park
Dac rallied from far back in Saturday’s $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes, challenged for the lead on the turn and held clear in the lane to win by 1 length. Six Spot was second, 1 1/4 lengths to the good of the favorite, Midnight Cello. Dac, a 4-year-old gelding by Distorted Humor, ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:45.38 as jockey Rodney Prescott kept him clear of a nasty traffic jam early.
“It was kind of ugly in the first turn, but we were outside of everything and had a clean trip,” Prescott said.
The race is named for the winner of the 1993 Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway, who went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby and win the Preakness.
