DERBY DAY 147 IS HERE! - Thoroughbred Daily News
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SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 DERBY DAY 147 IS HERE! by Steve Sherack LOUISVILLE, KY - Beautiful spring weather, enthusiastic racing fans dressed to impress and the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. This, of course, wasn't the case last year, far from it, as the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down and forced both the GI Kentucky Oaks and Derby to be held spectator-free over Labor Day weekend. Masks, temperature checks and social distancing are more of the norm these days as limited crowds of between 40,000-50,000 (40-50% reserved seating, 60% premium dining areas and 25-30% infield) have been welcomed back beneath the Twin Spires. Cont. p3 MUTASAABEQ FACING GUINEAS DESTINY The late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Mutasaabeq is bred to win the 2000 Guineas, and he will attempt to do just that on Saturday. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe.
2021 Stud Fee: $175,000 LFSN
Curlin - The Classic Sire
Congratulations to: Owner Shadwell Stable,
Breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC,
and Trainer Todd Pletcher.
Malathaat sold as a yearling
for $1,050,000.
www.hillndalefarms.com
LGB, LLC 2021
2021 Stud Fee: $175,000 LFSN
Curlin - The Classic Sire
Congratulations to:
Owner Juddmonte,
Breeder Juddmonte Farms Inc.,
Trainer William Mott
www.hillndalefarms.com
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Senior Contributing Editor Saturday, May 1, 2021
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Ortiz, Jr. congratulates winning rider John Velazquez. | Horsephotos
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TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Derby Preview cont. from p1
Last year's Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will look to
become the first native of Louisville to saddle a Derby winner.
He has unbeaten 2-year-old champion and 2-1 morning-line
favorite Essential Quality (Tapit) as well as Mandaloun (Into
Mischief). The latter, despite a no-show in his final prep in the
GII Louisiana Derby, has become a bit of a talking horse on the
Churchill backstretch leading up to the main event.
Redemption for jockey Luis Saez? Disqualified from first for
causing interference aboard Maximum Security in 2019, Saez
has the call aboard Essential Quality.
Essential Quality & trainer Brad Cox | Horsephotos
Chad Brown has been in good form as he prepares the very
live GII Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up Highly Motivated (Into
Mischief), beaten just a neck by Essential Quality. Looking for his
first win in the Derby, Brown asked to sit next to Hall of Famer
Bob Baffert at the Kentucky Derby Trainers' Dinner for some
advice.
AI've been working him over there all night and I finally cracked
him,@ Brown said at the event. AHe leaned over to me and said,
'If you want to win the Derby, you're best chance is, you got to
sneak into Churchill Friday night and put grass seed all over the
main track.' He actually didn't say that, but it's something he
would say!@
Baffert, currently tied with Ben Jones for the most Kentucky
Derby victories with six, will be represented by the
overachieving GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up
Medina Spirit (Protonico). The GIII Robert B. Lewis S. winner,
just a $1,000 OBSWIN yearling, brought a mere $35,000 as an
OBSOPN juvenile.
The unbeaten Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World
(Candy Ride {Arg}), meanwhile, figures to go off as the race's
second choice. He will look to emulate unbeaten Derby winners
Big Brown and Barbaro, who also kicked off their careers on grass.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Derby cont. The blanket features a University of South Carolina logo to
help spread awareness for The Jake Panus Walk-on Football
Endowed Scholarship. Donations to the scholarship fund can be
made here: https://donate.sc.edu/JakePanusScholarship.
The supporting cast on the Kentucky Derby undercard
includes: the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, GI Churchill
Downs S., GI Derby City Distaff S. and three other graded races.
Saturday=s Kentucky Derby coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. ET
on NBCSN. The action shifts to NBC Sports at 2:30 p.m. ET for a
live five-hour telecast. Post time for the Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.
Happy Derby!
Rock Your World | Horsephotos
Two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Todd Pletcher will
saddle four--GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda
(Curlin); GII Wood Memorial S. one-two Bourbonic (Bernardini)
and Dynamic One (Union Rags); and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks second
Sainthood (Mshawish). There's been plenty of talk about Known
Agenda drawing the rail, but we'll see how much of factor it is
with the new 20-horse starting gate, which debuted in 2020.
Who's made the best physical appearance during training
hours? Mandaloun, as previously noted, the stunning gray Soup
and Sandwich (Into Mischief) and Rock Your World are certainly
right at the top of the list.
Kentucky Derby starting gate | Coady Photo
As far as getting over the surface, Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow),
Known Agenda and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) were all
traveling very nicely during their morning preparations.
In case you missed it, the aforementioned GII Louisiana Derby
winner Hot Rod Charlie has been sporting a special blanket
honoring the late Jake Panus, who passed away at 16 last August
when he was a passenger in a car involved in a DUI accident.
TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
KING FURY TO SCRATCH FROM DERBY AKing Fury spiked a 104 fever this afternoon after he galloped
this morning. He went off his feed. We obviously have to do the
right thing--I feel gutted for [owners] Paul Fireman and Goncalo
Torrealba and [jockey] Brian Hernandez and all the people who
have worked so hard to get him to this race, but unfortunately,
he is not 100%,@ McPeek said. AThis is a horse who has been
doing well all week--anyone who watched him train had to be
impressed, I know I was. We felt pretty confident going into this
race. We had a big chance. We're obviously going to scratch
him, on veterinarian advice--which is an easy one. We'll take
him out, regroup and point to another race. I think you'll
probably see this horse pointed for the [Aug. 28 GI] Travers,
which I think is a great spot.@
King Fury | Horsephotos
Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena
Racing's King Fury (Curlin) will be forced to scratch from
Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever Friday, his
trainer Ken McPeek announced via a video on twitter. The
$950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and last-out
GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner was drawn in post 16 and Malathaat (Curlin) victorious in battle of the unbeatens in Oaks
was 20-1 on the morning line. (click to watch)
MALATHAAT
W I N S T H E K E N T U C K Y O A K S (G1)
CO N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O T H E CO N N E C T I O N S
OWNER
Shadwell Stable
BREEDER
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
CO N S I G N O R
Denali Stud
BUYER
Shadwell Estate Co.
Your Next Opportunity for success is at the
September Yearling Sale, September 13 – 25
ENTER NOW
T h e W o r l d sYe a r l i n g S a l e . c o mTDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 6 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
EMOTIONAL OAKS WIN FOR SHADWELL
Malathaat outside Search Results | Coady Photo
by Steve Sherack
LOUISVILLE, KY B His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al
Maktoum is smiling somewhere tonight.
Shadwell Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin)
outslugged Search Results (Flatter) by a neck in a battle of
unbeatens in a GI Kentucky Oaks for the ages Friday at Churchill
Downs. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to Will's Secret (Will
Take Charge) in third.
Sheikh Hamdan, who campaigned countless champions and
Classic winners across the globe, passed away at 75 in late
March.
AA million things have been going through my mind,@ Shadwell
Stable's Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols said.
AYou know, losing the boss the way we did and him coming off a
great year--he was the leading owner in Europe last year. And
we have many good horses in our stable this year. And having
Malathaat step up and give him an Oaks win is, you know, more
than we could ask for.@
Nichols continued, AHe loved the sport. Even in his advanced
years, he didn't lose his passion for it. He was a very, very close
friend. He was a lot of times a father figure, sometimes like a
brother, sometimes like a friend. But he was always the boss. I
loved him dearly. He'll always be missed.@
Favored at 5-2, the $1.05-million Keeneland September
Yearling purchase was squeezed and bumped at the start as the
lively and pinked-out Oaks day crowd of 41,472 let out a roar as
the field of 13 was on its way beneath sun-splashed skies.
Malathaat, who made it four-for-four in a hard-fought
GI Central Bank Ashland S. victory at Keeneland last out Apr. 3,
recovered nicely, and got into a good rhythm beneath Johnny
Velazquez heading into the clubhouse turn in a four-wide fifth as
Travel Column (Frosted) led through a :23.60 opening quarter.TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 7 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Oaks cont. Search Results briefly held a narrow advantage in the stretch
Search Results, heroine of the GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 3, sat in and fought on bravely from the inside, but just couldn't
third, meanwhile, ready to pounce with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons withstand Malathaat, who ground her way by for the lilies.
as Malathaat was two spots back in fifth through a half mile in In a touching moment just past the wire, Ortiz gave his highly
:47.47. respected elder statesman several pats on the back as the two
Search Results and Malathaat both began to rev up three and galloped out in tandem.
four wide to take on the pacesetter approaching the quarter AShe didn=t get away the best, but I got a spot with her,@
pole and the stage was set. Velazquez said. AShe was running well and when I turned for
home, I had a target [Search Results] to send her after. We got
up next to her and my filly went by. Then she waited a bit; she
does that. The other filly came back, but I could tell I was still in
control. I never thought I was going to do anything but win.@
It was the fourth Oaks win for Pletcher and the second for
Velazquez, who teamed with the future Hall of Famer to take
the 2004 renewal with Ashado. Pletcher's other two Oaks
victories were with Princess of Sylmar in 2013 and Rags to
Riches in 2007.
Malathaat's ultra-talented dam Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy)
was an unlucky fourth for Pletcher as the favorite in the 2013
Oaks.
AI commented coming over that her dam finished fourth in this
race and got off to a really poor start, got basically eliminated,@
Pletcher said. AWhen she didn't jump real well the first stride or
two and then got jostled around, I was concerned we were
Coady Photo going to have the same misfortune we had with her dam.@TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 8 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Oaks cont.
Pletcher continued, AI thought Johnny made a key decision to
quickly try to get her back into position after that. And I felt a lot
better after about a sixteenth of a mile once he got to a good
stalking position, had her in the clear, and had her in a rhythm.
Then it was just a matter of hopefully there was enough pace on
up front that they would come back to her a little bit. It was
great ride for a great filly and a great team. We are very
fortunate to have her.@
Pletcher & Velazquez | Coady Photo
Pletcher began training for Shadwell just last year when
longtime trainer and fellow former D. Wayne Lukas assistant
Kiaran McLaughlin announced his retirement.
AI remember three or four days after the sale, I saw Kiaran
McLauglin,@ Pletcher said. AAnd I said, 'Kiaran, are you getting to
get that Dreaming of Julia filly?' He said, 'I think so, yeah.' And I
said, 'Man, great, I love that filly.' When I met with Rick and his
team at Shadwell before we started training for them, I saw the
filly was on the roster. I was really hoping she would come our
way.@
Oaks-winning connections | Coady PhotoTDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 9 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Oaks cont.
Malathaat, a 'Rising Star' debut winner at Belmont last
October, stretched to a one-turn mile with a flashy, runaway
victory in Aqueduct's Tempted S. a month later. She made her
two-turn debut a winning one, concluding her juvenile campaign
with a 3/4-length tally in the GII Demoiselle S. Dec. 5. Originally
ticketed to kick off her season in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks,
Malathaat was re-routed to the Ashland while observing a
10-day mourning period for Sheikh Hamdan.
Friday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS-GI, $1,250,000, Churchill Downs,
4-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1--MALATHAAT, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Dreaming of Julia (GISW, $874,500), by A.P.
Indy
2nd Dam: Dream Rush, by Wild Rush
3rd Dam: Turbo Dream, by Unbridled
'TDN Rising Star' ($1,050,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Shadwell
Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd
A Pletcher; J-John R Velazquez. $713,000. Lifetime Record:
5-5-0-0, $1,125,150. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Search Results, 121, f, 3, by Flatter
1st Dam: Co Cola (GSP), by Candy Ride (Arg)
2nd Dam: Yong Musician, by Yonaguska
3rd Dam: Alljazz, by Stop the Music
($310,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-Machmer
Hall (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $230,000.
3--Will's Secret, 121, f, 3, by Will Take Charge
1st Dam: Girls Secret, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Well Monied, by Maria's Mon
3rd Dam: Queen of America, by Quiet American
O-Willis Horton Racing LLC; B-Willis Horton Racing LLC (KY);
T-Dallas Stewart. $115,000.
Margins: NK, 2 3/4, NO. Odds: 2.50, 5.70, 26.50.
Also Ran: Clairiere, Travel Column, Millefeuille, Maracuja,
Pauline's Pearl, Coach, Crazy Beautiful, Moraz, Pass the
Champagne, Competitive Speed. Scratched: Ava's Grace.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by
TVG.TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 10 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Oaks Pedigree Notes:
Malathaat is one of 14 Grade I winners for the mighty Curlin,
who was represented two races earlier by GII Eight Belles S.
winner Obligatory. She is bred on the same cross as last year's
GI Woodward H. hero Global Campaign and recent GI Santa
Anita H. victor Idol.
The legendary A.P. Indy is the sire of the dams of no fewer
than 30 highest-level winners, including recent G1 Dubai World
Cup winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper).
Malathaat is the third foal--first to race--out of Dreaming of
Julia, a daughter of MGISW Dream Rush. Dreaming of Julia has a
2-year-old colt by Medaglia d'Oro, a yearling full-sister to
Malathaat and foaled a Medaglia d'Oro filly earlier this spring.
The ultra-talented Dreaming of Julia, a Stonestreet homebred
and Pletcher-trained 'TDN Rising Star' herself, registered a
career high in Belmont's GI Frizette S. at two. Her resume also
included a 21 3/4-length victory in the GII Gulfstream Oaks,
good for an astronomical 114 Beyer Speed Figure, a runner-up
finish in the GI Mother Goose S. and a third-place finish in the
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
This is also the same female family of MGSW Dream Pauline
(Tapit) and stakes-winning young sire Atreides (Medaglia d'Oro).
Rick Nichols hoists the Oaks trophy | Coady PhotoTDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 11 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Tour (Street Sense) seemed to be trapping champion Essential
Quality (Tapit) in an asphyxiating triangle of brilliance. But
nothing makes a backstretch professional madder than pundits
announcing, even as the winner is hosed down, that this looks
like it must have been an "average" Derby. If you think a Grade I
race of any description can ever be easy, just try winning one.
And then come back to us.
IF THE HARDBOOT FITSY
by Chris McGrath
Don't know about you, but I'm not really looking for a Hall of
Fame horse out there. I would gladly settle for the one of those
blurred snapshots of the adolescent sophomore crop, with
plenty left to play for in the GI Preakness S. Just so long as we
can guarantee an evening of uncomplicated euphoria for
connections of the fated horse among 20 who have already
confounded the odds even to enter the gate for the GI Kentucky
Derby (presented by Woodford Reserve).
Because they will be able to tell you, Saturday evening, that
there's no such thing as an ordinary Derby winner. Okay, so this
Coady Photo
is not quite the race we pictured a few weeks ago, when Life Is
Good (Into Mischief) and Greatest Honour (Tapit) and Concert Cont. p12TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 12 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
This Side Up cont. just 18 and ended up ushering himself and Forego into the Hall
That said, personally I would welcome like an old friend a fairly of Fame.
nondescript Derby this time. Because the strands embroidered Incidentally, colleague T.D. Thornton reminded us this week
into the fabric of the race over the past couple of years could that Monarchos was followed by Giacomo four years later as the
really do with some support stitching that offers a little less eighth gray winner. To say that Essential Quality would be
color, and maybe a little more durability. ending a gray "drought" since, however, slightly overstates the
To many of us, it felt more important last year to stage the matter from an English point of view. The Epsom Derby, first run
Triple Crown races on their usual dates than at their usual in 1780, has been won by just FOUR grays--and none since
venues. As it was, Churchill's three priorities at the time 1946!
appeared to be Churchill, Churchill and Churchill, and their Arguably Ward's most significant legacy is Sky Mesa, as
unilateral postponement to September (ultimately unavailing, consistent a stakes sire as he is bred to be, Monarchos being
with the turnstiles still locked) rendered the series a nonsense, one of many modern Derby winners to have disappointed at
with a nine-furlong Belmont in June, and a Preakness stud. Let's hope that promising starts by American Pharoah and
shoehorned into October. Nyquist will help stop the rot, because we certainly we haven't
As for the melodrama of the previous year, and everything had too many recent races like 2007, with a podium of Street
that has since happened to one of the central characters, I get a Sense, Hard Spun and Curlin (not to mention Scat Daddy down
headache just thinking about it. And you know what, whatever the field).
the race may owe the owners of its first disqualified winner,
connections of Country House (Lookin At Lucky) would probably
find someday winning the damned thing "properly" no less
cathartic.
Actually there was nothing too ordinary about the year before,
either, albeit at the opposite end of the spectrum of edification.
For Justify (Scat Daddy) performed a vital service for the breed
in underscoring the recent rebuke of American Pharoah
(Pioneerof the Nile) to those who had spent a generation
peddling the heresy that a five-week Triple Crown had become
obsolete. In fact, one of the incidental drawbacks of 2020 was
that some, celebrating the intervals between races, were so
quick to renew their complicity with the commercial erosion of
the breed.
Somehow, then, this race finds itself on a streak of
O Besos training this week | Horsephotos
sensationalism. On the one hand, anything and everything that
contributes to the Derby tapestry can only heighten the historic The only horse in this whole field by a Derby winner is
sense in both aspiration and achievement come the first O Besos--and his sire, Orb, has just been sold to Uruguay, having
Saturday in May. But right now it would feel great just to been discarded virtually overnight by the market. From the
showcase some of the abiding virtues that have underpinned family of Ruffian, I would love to see him have the last laugh on
the breed, through good times and bad: above all, a fidelity to the fast-buck commercial breeders.
those attributes in the Thoroughbred that make this stampede-- Hometown trainer Greg Foley certainly fits the hardboot bill.
20 horses going flat out at the same, critical stage of their His late father Dravo, who started out as a jockey and then
development, balancing speed and stamina on the fulcrum of trained for 48 years, saddled 1,123 winners as a stalwart of
the two-minute mark--the ultimate measure of its sustainability. River Downs and Hazel Park. He never did turn up an elite
In other words, give me a hardboot winner. performer, but Greg's sister Vickie won the GI Woody Stephens
This week our community grieved the loss of John T. Ward, Jr., S. a couple of years ago, with Saturday's GI Churchill Downs S.
20 years after he saddled Monarchos to become the only Derby entrant Hog Creek Hustle (Overanalyze), and Greg has also
winner bar Secretariat to break two minutes. That was an raised the bar: his 1,429 winners since 1981 are now headed by
old-school masterpiece, built on lore inculcated by two Sconsin (Include), in the GII Eight Belles S. at the "Derby" meet
preceding generations: father, uncle, grandfather. Uncle Sherrill, eventually staged last September and set to face Gamine in
for instance, had saddled his first winner at Kenney Park when Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff. Cont. p13TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 13 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
This Side Up cont. It also provided the perfect distraction for me. A day out in the
O Besos has to buck the Derby speed trend, established since sun and fresh air would keep my mind away from the
his sire came from the clouds, but looked made for a test like excitement and anxiety that will surely befall me this evening.
this when closing through the final three-sixteenths in the My wife Michelle and I met with our equine manager, Jeff
GII Louisiana Derby in :18 2/5. Okay, the six-week lay-off isn't Hayslett of Taylor Made Farm. Jeff has been working with us for
exactly old-school, but O Besos has been working like a horse almost 25 years and has been extremely influential with our
sitting on a breakout. And if you think a horse like this could only breeding program. I consider him our most valuable advisor
win an ordinary Derby, well, suits me: Cinderella had to be when it comes to our mares and matings; rarely do we make a
measured for a slipper, but a hardboot would do just fine. major decision on that front without seeking his advice.
We looked at newborn foals by Bernardini, Hard Spun,
Distorted Humor, More Than Ready, Medaglia d=Oro and
Kitten=s Joy and mares carrying Street Sense, Uncle Mo,
Constitution, Nyquist, War of Will and Medaglia d=Oro foals. I
was reminded of how much our breeding program has
developed over the years. We used to own mares in foal to O.K.
By You, Rare Performer, Young Bob, Big Burn, Cannonade, Rare
Brick, etc. Not that we are pedigree snobs by any means. In fact,
we have been very lucky buying prospects by less-proven
A PRE-DERBY DAY OF DISTRACTION stallions (our champion filly Jaywalk is a daughter of Cross
The NFL Draft is one of my favorite non-sporting events of the Traffic, Helium is by Ironicus, and Do It With Style was by Pancho
year. Since I was a little kid, I pored over NCAA guides, NFL Villa). But now we focus on mating to more commercial stallions
magazines and mock drafts. It is probably one of the primary in our breeding program and buying athletes with less popular
reasons why I wanted to be a sportscaster/writer when I was pedigrees for our racing operation.
growing up. I always marveled at professionals who could This weekend I will review my notes and Jeff=s insights with my
consistently and accurately predict if a college player was going parents and sketch out a game plan for the upcoming yearling
to be a professional athlete. sales. The majority of our foal crop will be entered into one of
the upcoming sales and we handicap which sale will be the best
venue for each. Some foals will require extra time due to a late
foaling date. They will be pointed to the [Fasig-Tipton] October
Sale, as are some of the less commercially pedigreed ones. We
will also discuss which of our top prospects will be entered into
the Fasig-Tipton Select Sale and which ones will be pointed for
the Keeneland September Sale. But all the yearlings are
discussed and graded with our full intention on trying to
maximize their sales price.
So just like the NFL scouts, we too are attempting to project
and pre-determine which of our athletes have the best
attributes for future success.
On our drive back to Louisville my phone started to explode
with the report that King Fury (Curlin) was scratched out of
tomorrow=s Kentucky Derby. That news shook me to the core
Michelle Green with a DJ Stables yearling and reminded me that although we are one day away from
by West Coast | Jon Green photo running, we are still a long way from watching our horse
So, one day before the Kentucky Derby, I took a page out of compete in the Derby. The racing gods are a cruel and fickle
that book and went to Lexington to look at our mares, foals and crew.
yearlings. My primary goals were to take conformation notes on Jon Green is the General Manager for DJ Stable, and is
our horses, discuss which ones would be entered into the chronicling his Kentucky Derby experience with Helium in the
upcoming yearling sales and get an idea of how our current 2021 Derby.
group of mares were doing physically.TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 14 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Friday, Churchill Downs Edgewood S., the Eclipse-winning conditioner sent out last
LA TROIENNE S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES.COM-GI, year's GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil to a
$500,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, convincing victory as the chalk.
1:42.69, ft. Three-for-three under the Twin Spires already,
1--SHEDARESTHEDEVIL, 123, f, 4, by Daredevil Shedaresthedevil was hard ridden to make the lead and was
1st Dam: Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats able to slow it down from there to post comfortable splits of
2nd Dam: Andria's Forest, by Forestry :23.99, :47.94 and 1:11.74. They stacked up behind the leader
3rd Dam: Andriana B., by Far North heading for home, and Shedaresthedevil briefly looked like she
($100,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $20,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; might get beat--most likely by rail-skimming Envoutante--but
$280,000 2yo '19 KEENOV). O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC, Qatar she dug deep and found more in midstretch to pull clear again
Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); under the line.
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $303,800. Lifetime Record:
13-7-2-3, $1,807,318. *1/2 to Mojovation (Quality Road), GSP,
$196,388. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: B.
2--Envoutante, 118, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Enchante (MSP, $153,172), by Bluegrass Cat Shedaresthedevil | Coady Photo
2nd Dam: Wear, by Arch
3rd Dam: Abrade, by Mr. Prospector AShe loves to race at Churchill; she showed it again today,@
($250,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC rider Florent Geroux said. AThey made me work hard for this.
and Three Chimneys Farm; B-Jumping Jack Racing LLC (KY); When we turned for home, she kept her head up and I could tell
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $98,000. she was digging in. Those other fillies came to her but she
showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit and I knew she wasn=t
going to let them by.@
3--Finite, 118, f, 4, by Munnings Acquired by Flurry Racing Stables for $280,000 out of the 2019
1st Dam: Remit (MSW, $257,556), by Tapit Keeneland November sale off a pair of stakes placings at two,
2nd Dam: Free Spin, by Olympio the bay was transferred from Simon Callaghan to Cox with
3rd Dam: Spin n Win, by Private Account previous co-owner Qatar Racing staying in for a piece. She was
($200,000 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, second to eventual MGSW stablemate Bonny South (Munnings)
Reiman, Thomas J., Dickson, William and Easter, Deborah A.; in an Oaklawn allowance last February, and annexed that
B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. venue's GIII Honeybee S. that March. A well-beaten third behind
$49,000. future champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the
Margins: 1, 2, HF. Odds: 1.70, 3.70, 10.60. GIII Fantasy S. May 1, she was a six-length optional claiming
Also Ran: Bajan Girl, Dunbar Road, Paris Lights, Sanenus (Chi). winner under the Twin Spires the following month before
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free dominating the GIII Indiana Oaks in July.
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Let go at 15-1 for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks, she proved
TVG. best on the day while beating both Swiss Skydiver and odds-on
You can't keep the Brad Cox barn down for long. One race Gamine (Into Mischief), who would go on to earn an Eclipse
after previously unbeaten heavy favorite Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope herself as champion female sprinter.
de Vega {Ire}) finished a head-scratching fifth in the GII Cont. p15TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 15 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
La Troienne cont. Friday, Churchill Downs
Given the rest of the season off after a third in Keeneland's GI ALYSHEBA S. PRESENTED BY SENTIENT JET-GII, $400,000,
Juddmonte Spinster S. Oct. 4, Shedaresthedevil bested Letruska Churchill Downs, 4-30, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:41.39, ft.
(Super Saver) by a head in Oaklawn's Mar. 13 GII Azeri S. That 1--MAXFIELD, 120, c, 4, by Street Sense
performance was flattered significantly when Letruska returned 1st Dam: Velvety, by Bernardini
to down Shedaresthedevil's superstar stablemate Monomoy Girl 2nd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
(Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17. 3rd Dam: La Affirmed, by Affirmed
AThis is huge,@ said Cox. AShe has been training really well O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh; J-Jose
coming up to this. We freshened her up after the Spinster last L Ortiz. $245,520. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-6-0-1, $908,782.
year. We didn=t want to try and chase the [GI] Breeders= Cup Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
Distaff. It was obviously the right move. She=s moved forward at eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
four. She=s shown that in her two starts. She has a lot of fight
and determination down the lane. She showed that again today
down the lane. She=s now a Grade I winner at four. We=ll target 2--Visitant, 118, h, 5, Ghostzapper--Peppermint Lounge, by
the Breeders= Cup Distaff and work our way back from that. Distorted Humor. O/B-Williamson Racing LLC (KY); T-William E
There some obvious races in New York and one at Del Mar we Morey. $79,200.
are thinking about.@ 3--Chess Chief, 123, h, 5, Into Mischief--Un Blessed, by
Mineshaft. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '17 FTSAUG). O-Estate of James
Pedigree Notes: J Coleman Jr; B-Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-Dallas Stewart.
Shedaresthedevil is one of two Grade I/graded winners for her $39,600.
sire Daredevil with the other being Swiss Skydiver. She is also
one of five stakes winners for the young stallion, who was
repatriated from Turkey by Lane's End to stand the 2021 Margins: 3 1/4, 4 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.50, 11.70, 7.90.
seasson. The 4-year-old filly is one of three graded victors and Also Ran: Roadster, Sonneman, Attachment Rate. Click for the
nine black-type scorers out of a daughter of Congrats. She is Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free
bred on the same More Then Ready/A.P. Indy Cross as MGSW Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by
Hungry Island. The winner's dam Starship Warpspeed is also TVG.
responsible for a juvenile filly named Blackheartedgypsy Maxfield bounced back from his first-ever defeat to kick off
(Speightster), purchased for $50,000 at KEESEP by Flurry Racing Derby weekend's graded stakes action as a heavy favorite in
Stables; a yearling filly by Exaggerator; and an Uncle Mo colt Friday's GII Alysheba S. A head-turning winner of the
foaled Mar. 26. Shedaresthedevil hails from the family of GSW & GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, the Godolphin
MGISP Crafty C.T. (Crafty Prospector). homebred was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup, but resurfaced
a winner in the track-and-trip GIII Matt Winn S. last May and
looked perfectly poised to take advantage of the pushed-back
Triple Crown schedule last term. He was soon diagnosed with a
condylar fracture, however, and eventually resurfaced to take
the Dec. 19 Tenacious S. and Feb. 13 GIII Mineshaft S. at Fair
Grounds, leading many to believe he was the best older horse in
the country. Favored at 11-10 when attempting to get 10 panels
in the Mar. 6 GI Santa Anita H., the Godolphin homebred could
only manage third, beaten two lengths, behind a pair of locally
based runners.
Away without incident from the outside six post, Maxfield
settled in midpack out in the clear under stout restraint behind
splits of :23.91 and :47.48. He ranged up ominously entering the
home bend, poked a head in front near the quarter pole and
edged away from resilient pacesetter Visitant before widening
the gap late.
Geroux gets five from the outrider | Coady Photo Con t. p16TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 16 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Alysheba S. cont. This is also the family of graded winners Good Samaritan
AI was very confident all the way around,@ said winning pilot (Harlan's Holiday), Brave Nation (Pioneerof the Nile), Country
Jose Ortiz, who hadn't been on Maxfield since the Matt Winn. Cat (Storm Cat), Della Francesca (Danzig) and Bernstein (Storm
AWe were right where I wanted to be. When it came time to go, Cat).
he was there for me. He=s one of the nice ones.@
Trainer Brendan Walsh added, AI just told Jose to get him in a
nice rhythm, he likes to roll along and get into that cruising
speed. He=s an adaptable horse, so he=s easy to ride under
whatever the circumstances. Physically he=s a stronger horse, as
time=s gone on, he=s gradually filled out and he=s up to his full
maturity, which is exciting. He loves this track, and he hasn=t
done anything wrong. But actually he hasn=t done anything
wrong at any track where he=s run. He=s just a very good horse."
Maxfield | Coady Photo
Friday, Churchill Downs
EIGHT BELLES S. PRESENTED BY SMITHFIELD-GII, $300,000,
Churchill Downs, 4-30, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.89, ft.
1--OBLIGATORY, 118, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Uno Duo (SW, $171,300), by Macho Uno
2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
Maxfield | Coady Photo
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
Pedigree Notes: O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I Mott;
Maxfield's pedigree has Godolphin all over it from top to J-Jose L Ortiz. $172,980. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $217,780.
bottom, sired by Street Sense--a son of the operation's Street Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Cry (Ire)--and out of fellow Sheikh Mohammed homebred Rating: A++.
Velvety, a daughter of Street Sense's barnmate Bernardini. He is
one of 11 Grade I winners, 35 graded winners and 78 black-type 2--Dayoutoftheoffice, 122, f, 3, Into Mischief--
winners by Street Sense. Maxfield is also one of 11 Grade I Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie. O-Blazing Meadows Farm
victors, 28 graded scorers and 49 black-type winners out of a & Siena Farm LLC; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Timothy E Hamm.
daughter of Bernardini, whose status as a top broodmare sire $55,800.
seems to increase each week.
Godolphin went to $3.1 million at the 2000 KEENOV sale to 3--Make Mischief, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief--Speightful Lady, by
acquire Maxfield's second dam, MGSW Caress (Storm Cat), in Speightstown. ($285,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-Gary Barber;
foal to Coronado's Quest. Caress is responsible for Grade B-Avanti Stable (NY); T-Mark E Casse. $27,900.
I-winning sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit) and MGSW Golden Velvet
(Seeking the Gold), who is the dam of graded winners Lucullan Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 16.50, 3.10, 23.60.
(Hard Spun) and Innovative Idea (Bernardini). Maxfield was only Also Ran: Souper Sensational, Abrogate, Li'l Tootsie, Caramel
Velvety's second foal and she has since produced the 3-year-old Swirl, Slumber Party, Cantata, Euphoric, Windmill, Kalypso.
colt Dubai Vision (Medaglia d'Oro) and a juvenile filly by Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free
Medaglia d'Oro. Her 2020 colt by Street Sense died and she was Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by
bred back to Uncle Mo for 2021. TVG.TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 17 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Eight Belles cont. she=s a better one-turn horse. I think five weeks away, they run
Longshot Obligatory cut back and came flying to run down the [GI] Acorn. I have no reason to believe she can=t get a mile.
returning GISW Dayoutoftheoffice Friday. Fourth on debut after And sometimes the two-turn deal could be a greenness thing.
a rough start sprinting at Belmont in October, the Juddmonte The pace today turned out good. We both knew there was a
homebred donned cap and gown over a one-turn mile at tremendous amount of speed in the race. She was able to close
Gulfstream Feb. 7. She was last seen finishing a somewhat into it. She had a good kick. You just hope it didn=t take too
one-paced fourth in the Mar. 20 GII Fair Grounds Oaks behind much out of her, she got the win and I think she earned a ticket
Travel Column (Frosted), Clairiere (Curlin) and Souper into a good race like the Acorn.@
Sensational (Curlin).
Obligatory dropped straight to the back early as last year's Pedigree Notes:
GI Frizette S. heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The late Khalid Abdullah's operation paid $700,000 for
runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice chased a quick pace from third Obligatory's third dam Nijinsky Star at the 1987 Keeneland
that yielded opening splits of :21.89 and :44.46. The favorite November sale. Already the dam of that year's GI Kentucky Oaks
took over heading for home and looked on her way to victory, runner-up Hometown Queen (Pleasant Colony), Nijinsky Star
and Obligatory swung very wide but still had plenty to do. Like a would later become the grand dam of Hometown Queen's
grey blur, Obligatory inhaled foes down the center of the track GSW/GISP son Bowman's Band (Dixieland Band) and of the
and blew by Dayoutoftheoffice in the final strides. Grade I winners Sightseek (Distant View) and Tates Creek
(Rahy). Second dam Willstar produced French Group 1 winner
and graded producer Etoile Montante (Miswaki), as well as the
dam of last year's GII Fair Grounds Oaks heroine and recent
GIII Doubledogdare S. winner Bonny South (Munnings).
Obligatory is the second foal to race out of Uno Duo, who
never raced beyond seven furlongs and was a restricted stakes
winner on the Aqueduct inner track. Uno Duo has a 2-year-old
filly by Arrogate and a yearling colt by the same late superstar.
She most recently visited Into Mischief.
Obligatory is the 41st graded winner and 79th stakes winner
for top sire Curlin. She is the third graded winner, second in the
Northern Hemisphere, out of a mare by Macho Uno--2015 Eight
Belles winner Promise Me Silver (Silver City) was the other.
Obligatory (outside) | Coady Photo
AIt was just like I planned it,@ said winning jockey Jose Ortiz,
who had piloted Maxfield (Street Sense) to victory earlier on the
card in the GII Alysheba S. AI told [Juddmonte general manager]
Garrett [O=Rourke] and [trainer] Bill [Mott] that there was going
to be a lot of speed on the rail on paper. I was going to sit on her
and give her one good move. The first part was nice and easy.
The second part she came running. According to the numbers,
and I don=t know numbers, but they said she could win the race
and they were right. She=s a filly that is improving a lot.@
This was the third victory in this event for Mott.
AI think she was a little confused when she ran two turns in
New Orleans,@ the Hall of Famer said. AShe ran a very big effort
at Gulfstream, had a little trouble, had to check coming around,
you could see visually it was a very good effort. We thought she
was good enough to go to the Fair Grounds Oaks, I think she=s
good enough, but she=s green and the two turns confused the Ortiz & Mott celebrate | Coady Photo
heck out of her. Maybe we could find out down the road thatTDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 18 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Friday, Churchill Downs Sent off at 4-1, Gift List tracked from a ground-saving third as
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY NEWPORT RACING & the chalk dictated terms, clocking early splits of :24.32 and
GAMING-GII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, :49.03. Biding her time on the backstretch run, Gift List dove
1:42.52, gd. between horses to overtake Aunt Pearl at the top of the stretch
1--GIFT LIST (GB), 118, f, 3, by Bated Breath (GB) and powered clear instantly, roaring home to a dazzling score.
1st Dam: Birthstone (GB) (GSW-Fr), by Machiavellian Barista filled the place spot. Aunt Pearl was one-paced in the
2nd Dam: Baya, by Nureyev lane and was swallowed up by the field to be fifth at the line.
3rd Dam: Barger, by Riverman AOff the last race, in her first U.S. debut, she gave a great run
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (23,000gns that day, in a race that had no pace,@ said trainer Brian Lynch.
Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-James Ortega AShe=s really trained so well from her last start to this, even
Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Brian A Lynch; J-Javier Castellano. though we had to work her on the dirt, which was a new thing
$182,280. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng, 7-3-4-0, $281,814. Click for to her. She was very comfortable getting over it, and was getting
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: C+. plenty out of her works. I had a good feeling going into this race,
2--Barista, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Callista, by Tapit. that if Aunt Pearl were to stub her toe, we=d have a good shot.
($100,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Miacomet Farm & Michael A She was a big obstacle, no doubt. Undefeated filly. Breeders=
Pietrangelo; B-Courtlandt Farm (KY); T-James E Baker. Cup winner. But we all know, and I=ve run into it myself with
$58,800. Oscar Performance, some of them take to this course and some
just don=t. It had a little bit of give in it today, and my filly had
3--Line Dancing, 118, f, 3, Speightstown--Choreograph, by some good races on soft and heavy turf. Maybe that had
Dynaformer. O/B-Bass Stables LLC (KY); T-Michael R Matz. something to do with it.@
$29,400. AI didn=t have any special instructions today; just play the
break and go from there,@ said winning rider Javier Castellano.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2HF, NO. Odds: 4.40, 23.10, 21.40. AShe broke fine and I got a very good spot. Then when I asked
Also Ran: Queen of the Green, Aunt Pearl (Ire), Postnup, Zaajel. her she gave me some amazing acceleration. She was a special
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free winner today.@
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by A second-out graduate at Newcastle Aug. 2, Gift List won again
TVG. at Redcar 27 days later. Runner-up next out at Newmarket
Oct. 3, she was second again in the Radley S. at Newbury
Oct. 24. Privately purchased by the Amermans and sent to Brian
Lynch, she was second in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. when
making her U.S. debut Apr. 3.
As for the beaten favorite, BSW/Crow Bloodstock tweeted:
AAunt Pearl came out of the race sound. Unfortunately she bled
3/5, her first time bleeding. She ran her entire 2yo year without
Lasix, and we are hopeful we will be able to get her back to top
form this season. When she is at her best, she has devastating
speed that carries.@
Pedigree Notes:
Gift List is the 11th graded winner and 17th black-type scorer
for her sire Bated Breath. Her GSW dam Birthstone is a daughter
of GSW & G1SP Baya (Nureyev) and a half-sister to SW & MGSP
Gift List | Coady Photo
Songcraft (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Birthstone has only produced
Gift List scored her first Stateside victory in style with a one foal since the winner, a now juvenile filly by Havana Gold
dominant score in Churchill's GII Edgewood S. Friday. Previously (Ire).
undefeated favorite Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), last
seen winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, faded to
fifth.TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 19 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Saturday, Churchill Downs that we knew was there. We saw it at Houston. We sent him
TWIN SPIRES TURF SPRINT S. PRESENTED BY SYSCO-GII, back to the farm [after Sam Houston] and Rosie (Napravnik,
$250,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.29, gd. Sharp's wife) let him be a horse for 30 days and legged him back
1--FAST BOAT, 122, g, 6, by City Zip on the farm. We brought him back in, worked him three times,
1st Dam: Yellow Boat, by Lemon Drop Kid and luckily we got some sun and wind today. He likes this turf
2nd Dam: Wye River, by Pleasant Colony course too, he's three-for-four on it, and everything fell into
3rd Dam: Rive Du Sud, by Nureyev place. Brad Grady has been very patient with the horse over the
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($95,000 RNA 4yo '19 FTKHRA). years and given him plenty of spacing between races."
O-Brad Grady; B-R. S. Evans (KY); T-Joe Sharp; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$145,700. Lifetime Record: 24-9-1-3, $541,849.
2--Sombeyay, 122, h, 5, Into Mischief--Teroda, by Limehouse.
($125,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $230,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP;
$240,000 RNA 4yo '20 FTKHRA). O-Swifty Farms Inc.; B-J D
Stuart & Mueller Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Peter Miller. $47,000.
3--Classy John, 122, g, 5, Songandaprayer--Kitty's Got Class, by
Old Forester. ($12,000 2yo '18 EQL2YO). O-Valene Farms LLC;
B-Tom Curtis & Wayne Simpson (LA); T-Dallas Stewart.
$23,500.
Margins: HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: 4.20, 4.90, 22.30.
Also Ran: Diamond Oops, Carotari, Johnny Unleashed, Smart
Remark, Just Might, Guildsman (Fr), Ambassador Luna, Fiya.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Fast Boat | Coady Photo
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by
TVG. Pedigree Notes:
Reformed claimer Fast Boat motored home to make the grade Fast Boat is the 34th graded winner for his late sire, and
Friday under the Twin Spires. Claimed from Christophe Clement second out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare, along with 2016
and breeder Shel Evans for $40,000 in 2018, the bay ran for as champion female sprinter Finest City. Lemon Drop Kid is now
little as $15,000 subsequently before scoring a breakout responsible for the dams of 25 graded winners. The winner's
allowance tally over the Fair Grounds sod the following March. 2-year-old Quality Road half-brother was a $200,000 KEESEP
He was third in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint S. that yearling buy by DJ Stable. Dam Yellow Boat produced a Tonalist
August, and finished up the season with starter and allowance colt last year.
tallies. Stakes-placed in his first two tries last year, he earned a
career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for an optional claiming win
here in June but continued to struggle a bit to break through in
stakes company. He was a close fourth in Keeneland's
GII Shakertown S. in July, fifth in his next two and fourth once
again before out-necking Caratori (Artie Schiller) in the Pulse
Power Turf Sprint S. at Sam Houston Jan. 31.
Fast Boat was taken far back early as favorite Fiya (Friesan
Fire) found himself caught in a heated speed duel. He advanced
out wide entering the stretch, and seemed to idle slightly as he
found his footing at the head of the lane, but hit another gear in
the final sixteenth to out-kick California invader Sombeyay.
"With him its surface and, for some reason, all the rest of us
love New Orleans and he's the exception,@ said trainer Joe
Sharp. AHe was training too well, like his old self, but when we'd
lead him over in the afternoon, we wouldn't see the Fast Boat Oaks Day at Churchill Downs | Coady PhotoCARACARO THE ONLY 1ST YEAR
UNCLE MO
TO KY IN 2021
G1 3YO at Saratoga
Fastest 3YO Mile at
2020 Gulfstream
Championship Meet
– TDN RISING STAR
Placed in G1 Travers S. to
4X G1W TIZ THE LAW
101 BEYER
SHARE
THE UPSIDE
AVAILABLE
Stud Fee: $6,500 S&N
Out of the WAR FRONT mare Peace Time,
daughter of G2W and G1 KY OAKS
runner-up SANTA CATARINA
859.252.3770 www.crestwoodfarm.comTDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 20 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
COLONEL LIAM FAVORED IN ULTRA- Like Domestic Spending, Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) is a
Hollywood Derby winner, having scored in 2018, and has since
COMPETITIVE TURF CLASSIC by Alan Carasso returned from a 2-year vacation to win three of five starts. The
6-year-old beat recent Elusive Quality S. winner Casa Creed
(Jimmy Creed) in the GIII Tropical Park Turf S. at Gulfstream
Jan. 9, but was bumped at the start of the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile
at Santa Anita Mar. 6 and was seventh, though not beaten far,
behind the talented Hit The Road (More Than Ready). Ride a
Comet rallied from last of nine to round out the exacta
underneath Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) when last seen in
the GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland Apr. 9, but he clearly
handles this trip and is sneaky here at a price. A Grade I victory
would be very meaningful for this half-brother to GI Belmont S.
winner Tapwrit (Tapit).
Colonel Liam | Hodges photography GAMINE LOOKS LONG GONE IN DERBY CITY
Saturday's GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic brings together DISTAFF by Alan Carasso
this country's best turf runners currently in training, and Robert
and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) has an opportunity
to cement his status at the top of the heap in a race with several
winning chances.
The $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned
$1.2-million OBS April breezer is four-for-five on the grass, his
lone defeat coming at the hooves of Domestic Spending (GB)
(Kingman {GB}) when beaten a half-length into fourth in the
Saratoga Derby last August. Given some rest following that hard
effort, the immaculately bred gray colt has been untouchable
since, with victories in the Tropical Park Derby, the GI Pegasus
World Cup Turf--with Lasix off, by rule--and a latest success in
the GII Muniz Memorial S. at the Fair Grounds Mar. 20. He races
without Lasix again Saturday, but the waters are considerably
deeper. Gamine schooling earlier this week | Coady
Domestic Spending would go on to frank the form of his
Saratoga success in his lone other sophomore appearance, a 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) is the 1-5 morning-
fast-finishing defeat of the re-opposing Smooth Like Strait line favorite for Saturday's GI Derby City (ex Humana) Distaff,
(Midnight Lute) in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Nov. 28. and, facing just five other rivals that lack anything near her
With Irad Ortiz, Jr. sticking with Colonel Liam, trainer Chad front-running prowess, she could go off an even shorter
Brown has reached out to Flavien Prat for the ride. proposition than that.
Digital Age (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is the defending Now six-for-seven lifetime as her once-disputed Oaklawn
champion, having returned a juicy 8.60-1 when closing from allowance victory has now been reinstated, Gamine was other-
ninth of 10 to score by 3/4 of a length in September. He is best worldly at trips around one turn during her championship
forgiven for his 11th in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November, season in 2020, winning the one-mile GI Longines Acorn S. by
as the trip was likely on the short side and he found himself last 18 3/4 lengths last June and the seven-furlong GI Longines Test
early with too much to do against Grade I milers. Whereas he S. by seven lengths in August.
had the benefit of race fitness last summer, he races first off a
six-month absence here. Cont. p21TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 21 OF 24 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • MAY 1, 2021
Derby City Distaff cont.
The $220,000 KEESEP yearling, who topped the 2019 Fasig-
Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale at $1.8 million,
simply did not stay the nine furlongs of the GI Kentucky Oaks,
finishing third (subsequently disqualified) to Shedaresthedevil
(Daredevil) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), but she righted the
ship in no uncertain terms, besting the fleet Serengeti Empress
(Alternation) by
6 1/4 lengths in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
Nov. 7. The champion female sprinter galloped around on a
loose lead when supplemented to the GIII Las Flores S. at Santa
Anita Apr. 4, and Saturday's race could play out identically.
Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) is the defending champ of
the Derby City Distaff, a race that marked her first career
top-level success. The seven-furlong specialist, also winner of
the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at three, outbobbed Serengeti Jackie's Warrior | Coady
Empress to win this last year, then ran with credit to be third, Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro)
beaten a nose for second, in the Filly and Mare Sprint. At her defeated next-out Keeneland maiden romper and Justify (Scat
best when there is a good pace ahead of her, the bay dead- Daddy)'s 'Rising Star' half-brother Stage Raider (Pioneerof the
heated for second with Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) in Nile) by 8 1/2 lengths to graduate first time out over seven
the GI Madison S. at Keeneland Apr. 3, as the victorious Kimari
furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23. The homebred validated
(Munnings) raced closer to a moderate pace and held sway late.
1-10 favoritism in a one-mile allowance in Hallandale Mar. 11,
Sconsin (Include) earned her way into the F/M Sprint courtesy
but he wasn't quite ready for prime time when sixth, beaten five
of an off-the-pace success in the GII Eight Belles S. on Oaks day
lengths, behind the Todd Pletcher-trained, Derby-bound duo of
last year. Fourth at Keeneland in November, she exits a seventh
Bourbonic (Bernardini) and Dynamic One (Union Rags) in the
in the Madison.
GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 3. Prevalence worked a
bullet three furlongs in :35 2/5 (1/5) over the Churchill main
track Apr. 24.
Dream Shake (Twirling Candy) caused a bit of a dust-up in his
JACKIE'S WARRIOR FACES 'RISING STAR' career debut, winning by 4 3/4 lengths at 20-1 and earning a
CHALLENGE IN PAT DAY MILE by Alan Carasso 96 Beyer Speed Figure in a 'Rising Star'-worthy performance.
J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) Third to fellow 'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the
returns to one turn for the first time since winning the GII San Felipe S. and to Derby second choice Rock Your World
GI Champagne S. last October as the likely favorite in Saturday's (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, he,
GII Pat Day Mile beneath the Twin Spires. too, can benefit from this cutback in distance.
A $95,000 Keeneland September purchase, Jackie's Warrior is This race has been known to toss up the occasional long-priced
perfect in four starts up to a mile, having stamped himself as the winner and Sittin On Go (Brody's Cause) could be a live
leader of his generation with powerful front-running victories in outsider. A debut graduate sprinting at Ellis Park last August, he
the GII Saratoga Special S. and GI Hopeful S. ahead of a defeated Derby entrants Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) and Super
5 1/2-length tally in the Champagne that made him the one to Stock (Dialed In) to upset the GIII Iroquois S. over course and
beat in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In close attendance to a distance on the Derby undercard last September. Beaten nearly
very demanding pace on Breeders' Cup Friday, the scopey bay 50 lengths combined in his last three tries around two turns, the
colt poked a head in front between calls in the final stages, but chestnut will try to make a run from out of it in a race that
weakened last to finish fourth, beaten just over three lengths appears to be loaded with speed.
behind champion Essential Quality (Tapit), in an effort better
than it looks on paper. Connections understandably gave him
one more chance to board the Triple Crown train in the
GIII Southwest S. over a sloppy Oaklawn strip Feb. 27, but he
tired after getting things very much his own way up front and FIND US ON FACEBOOK
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