Second Chances
By Steve Sherack
Editor’s Note: In this new series, TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. In this first installment, we kick things off with 3-year-olds Paradise Woods (Union Rags), Dr. Corday (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and Take Your Guns (Blame).
PARADISE WOODS (f, 3, Union Rags–Wild Forest, by Forest Wildcat) reported home a promising second as the 6-5 favorite after dueling through a hot pace in her six-furlong Santa Anita unveiling Jan. 26 (video).
The highly regarded bay had company from both sides through an opening quarter in :21.79. She began to shake clear some at the top of the stretch, but couldn’t withstand the late charge of Delitefull Lady (Dialed In), who powered clear by 3 3/4 lengths en route to ‘TDN Rising Star’ honors. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher Princess Julia (Distorted Humor), a daughter of champion Folklore (Tiznow).
Paradise Woods has posted three breezes for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella since, including a six-furlong move in 1:12.40 (4/37) Feb. 16.
“She’s going to run on Mar. 11 at Santa Anita,” Mandella revealed when reached for comment. “We still have high hopes… a lot of high hopes.”
Bred in Kentucky by the late Herman Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods is campaigned in partnership by Steven Sarkowsky and Martin and Pam Wygod. Her unraced dam Wild Forest, an $85,000 purchase by Damian and Braxton Lynch’s Royal Oak Farm at the 2015 KEEJAN sale, has also produced the stakes winner Forest Chatter (Dixie Chatter) and a Blame filly in 2016. She was bred back to Palace Malice. Her second dam is a half-sister to the late top sprinter Mr. Greeley and this is also the extended female family of GI Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.
DR. CORDAY (c, 3, Leroidesanimaux {Brz}–Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim), a half-brother to the recently retired leading turf sprinter and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Lady Shipman (Midshipman), overcame his share of adversity to finish a promising dead-heat fourth for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin going 7 1/2 furlongs on debut over the Gulfstream lawn Feb. 11 (video).
Overlooked a bit at 10-1 in a full field of 12, Dr. Corday was off a step slow and raced in ninth while saving ground through easy early fractions of :24.19 and :48.75. Third from last off the turn for home, he began to launch beneath Paco Lopez while racing in tight quarters and hit the wire in a wild blanket finish, just a half-length behind Chad Brown debut winner Escape Velocity (Lemon Drop Kid). Dr. Corday returned to the worktab with an easy four-furlong spin over the Palm Meadows turf in :53.90 (8/8) Feb. 24.
“We’re very proud of him and looking forward to his next race,” said owner/breeder Randall E. Lowe, who flew in from his Las Vegas base to attend the race. “Dr. Corday came out of his race great. We are pointing toward a Florida-bred race at a mile on the turf at Gulfstream on Friday, Mar. 3.”
Dr. Corday, a $150,000 RNA at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-Year-Old Sale, is a son of the five-time winner Sumthingtotalkabt, who was recently acquired privately by SF Bloodstock. The 14-year-old mare, also represented by a Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) 2-year-old colt and a Poseidon’s Warrior (Speightstown) yearling filly, has an upcoming date with 2016 champion grass horse Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}), per SF’s Tom Ryan.
TAKE YOUR GUNS (c, 3, Blame–Saratoga Cat, by Sir Cat) had his share of buzz behind him leading up to his unveiling after posting a pair of in company works with two-time Grade I winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief) in late January, and was sent off as the 2-1 choice in a 14-horse field going a mile at Gulfstream Feb. 18 (video).
He didn’t appear all that comfortable while racing in traffic in seventh while taking plenty of dirt through an opening quarter in :23.68. With the top two beginning to isolate themselves from the field at the top of the lane, Take Your Guns continued on in the stretch to finish an educational third, 10 lengths adrift of new ‘TDN Rising Star’ in Patch (Union Rags).
“[Trainer] Chad [Brown] liked him enough to nominate him for the Triple Crown,” owner/breeder John D. Gunther commented. “There was quite a bit of kickback at Gulfstream in his first race and he threw his head up a couple times. We expect him to run big in his next start.”
A $220,000 RNA as a KEESEP yearling, Take Your Guns is a half-brother to Gunther’s millionaire Last Gunfighter (First Samurai). Take Your Guns is the final foal from the late Saratoga Cat, a $50,000 KEENOV weanling purchase by Gunther in 1999 and a five-time winner of $186,153.
Irish War Cry Has Motion Entering New Territory
By Ben Massam
With a GI Kentucky Derby, a G1 Dubai World Cup and three Breeders’ Cup successes to his name, Graham Motion has reached the highest level of the game numerous times, but when ‘TDN Rising Star’ Irish War Cry (Curlin) enters the starting gate for Saturday’s GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, the British-born trainer will confront a new challenge: competing a top 3-year-old as the clear favorite in a Triple Crown prep race. Most recently, Isabelle de Tomaso’s undefeated New Jersey-bred colt played the role of upsetter in the Feb. 4 GII Holy Bull S., winning the race by 3 3/4 lengths and leaving heavily favored juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) in his wake [video]. But with Saturday approaching, Motion was reflective about his new spot on everyone’s Kentucky Derby radar.
“I don’t ever remember being in a position close to this,” Motion said. “Obviously, I’ve followed these races closely, like we always do. I’m not even sure I’ve ever been in a position to participate–[2011 Kentucky Derby winner] Animal Kingdom ran in an ‘a other than’ allowance race down here, and we certainly weren’t even thinking Derby at the time. In that respect, this horse is already much more accomplished, although it would be very unfair to compare the two of them.”
While champion Animal Kingdom is among the most versatile American horses in recent memory by virtue of his proficiency on all three racing surfaces, Irish War Cry presents Motion with a unique–but likely more straightforward–assignment as an undefeated 3-year-old placed squarely on the Kentucky Derby trail from the outset of his sophomore season.
“It’s been fairly uncomplicated,” Motion explained, speaking of his colt’s progression since the Holy Bull. “He’s come out of the race well. I had only planned on working him once, and that went very smoothly, so I’ve been very pleased with him. I think, as time goes on, he’s sharper and sharper. He’s really growing into a strong 3-year-old–which is what happens at this time of year.”
Irish War Cry has shown tangible improvement with each start–from his flashy late-running maiden score [video] to his hard-fought win over the talented O Dionysus (Bodemeister) in the Dec. 31 Marylander S. [video], and culminating with his decisive wire-to-wire victory in the Holy Bull. When confronted with the decision to enter the chestnut in one or two more Derby preps following his recent win, Motion’s instinct was to give his trainee the benefit of added seasoning.
“I try not to get too far ahead of myself in these situations,” Motion added. “Once I sat down and thought about him, he’s a relatively lightly raced colt. I think I’m in a position where if we are good enough to be around in the first weekend in May, he needs the experience. So I wasn’t really in a position to be passing up on [the Fountain of Youth].”
Regardless of the future racing schedule, Motion remains realistic about the challenges posed by Irish War Cry’s rapid ascendancy to the top of the 3-year-old heap.
“I do worry that I’ve asked a lot,” he acknowledged. “I’m glad that this time we get to run back at a distance that he’s already run at, so it’s been a good progression for him. He certainly seems to handle it very well; he seems to be a smart horse.”
Motion is well acquainted with the family of Irish War Cry, having conditioned four of the colt’s siblings for de Tomaso. Irish War Cry’s 5-year-old half-brother Irish Strait (English Channel) recently finished third in the GIII Tampa Bay S. in his graded stakes debut Feb.11, while Irish Defence (First Defence), a once-beaten 4-year-old half-sister to the pair, had her first workout of the year Feb. 23 at Fair Hill.
OTTB Changes Young Girl’s Life
By Christie DeBernardis
There is a common saying among the equestrian community that goes, “Every horse deserves, at least once in its life, to be loved by a little girl.” However, sometimes the opposite is true and the story of 12-year-old Olivia Roelke and her off-the-track Thoroughbred Dita (Suave) is a prime example.
Roelke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the fall of 2015 and later had what her mother Kim described as a breakdown.
“It seems her breakdown was related to this fall that she had [from a horse],” said Kim Roelke, a small animal veterinarian and horse owner. “We don’t really know what happened or why that prompted it. That was the incident that confirmed for sure what had already been diagnosed because she had these classic symptoms of a breakdown.”
Olivia Roelke’s breakdown caused her to miss several months of school and even left her incapacitated for a period of time. Her mother owned a horse that she kept at Bridget McNulty’s Misfit Farm in Hyde Park, N.Y., so the younger Roelke had grown up around horses, but she seemed to take a particular liking to McNulty’s 9-year-old Thoroughbred mare named Dita.
“After Olivia’s breakdown, I spoke to her mom because I know how therapeutic horses can be,” McNulty recalled. “She had a very strong connection with Dita, who is a very sweet horse. She was not a very social girl, but when she was with Dita, she was very expressive and very involved with the horse.”
The lifelong horsewoman continued, “I told her mom to bring her to the barn just to hang out with Dita. She did and Olivia got more confident and became more involved with things. Dita is like her soulmate. She got Olivia back into school, she’s back into riding, she’s communicating. It’s like that horse gives her the part of her she needs to function in life.”
Kim Roelke echoed similar sentiments, saying words could not accurately describe what Dita has done for her daughter.
“She had an extended period of incapacitation,” Roelke explained. “It was probably a good six to seven weeks of Olivia really not being able to function, but the last few weeks, there was desire to see Dita and get to the barn to give her some treats. Dita played a big role in giving her something to look forward to and to love. Liv has ridden many horses, but there is something about Dita in particular that created a very deep bond.”
McNulty lives a mile down the road from Vivien Malloy’s Edition Farm, where Dita was born and raised. Dita won once in 15 starts for Malloy and produced one foal, a now 3-year-old filly named Andale Julia (Here Comes Ben). Shortly after Andale Julia was weaned, Malloy donated Dita to McNulty and McNulty has now given the mare to Olivia Roelke.
“Vivien donated Dita to me and I asked Vivien if I could donate her to Olivia because I felt the child really needed the horse to get through life,” remarked McNulty, who is an emergency room critical care nurse in addition to being a hunter jumper trainer. “The teen years can be very tough for most people, so for people with emotional disorders it can be devastating. The past four weeks that Olivia has actually had the horse as her own, the child has gone through a transformation. Olivia’s mom sees a major difference in her at home and at school. It’s like Olivia has a purpose now.”
Olivia Roelke now attends a private school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and works with Dita every day after school as part of a local children’s riding program.
“Spending time with Dita has just been extremely joyful for Liv,” Kim Roelke commented. “Her relationship with Dita has brought her a sense of purpose. She has been thriving and Dita is something she has to look forward to all the time. She wants to please Dita. She wants to take care of Dita. She enjoys riding her and I think she feels a responsibility for Dita’s happiness, which makes her feel motivated and good about herself because she knows she is providing something for Dita as well.”
While Dita may not have been a star on the racetrack, she has proven she was destined for other things and will always be a star in the eyes of the Roelke family.
Smith Out to Conquer the ‘World’ With Arrogate
By Joe Bianca
In May of 2005, Mike Smith piloted a gray colt by one of his beloved former mounts to a 50-1 upset in the GI Kentucky Derby. Giacomo (Holy Bull) represented the jockey’s first career win in the Run for the Roses, and it should have been the springboard to new heights of success for the New Mexico native. Instead, the Derby score was an outlier during the toughest period for Smith’s business since he left Canterbury Downs to ride on racing’s biggest stages in 1989.
“I more or less did it to myself,” Smith said of the lull in his career. “I thought, ‘well I’ll just hang out in Kentucky for a little bit,’ and thought I’d ease my way back east for a little while.”
Smith, who moved to California in 2000 after riding in New York for the better part of a decade, returned to the Big Apple and rode just 81 winners in 2005, a total that was tied for 250th in the country.
It was a conversation with Giacomo’s co-owner, Jerry Moss, that got Smith’s career back on a fast track.
“I was given the opportunity to come back and ride a horse in California and in doing so, I went out to dinner that night with John Shirreffs and Mr. Moss,” Smith recalled. “Mr. Moss said, ‘What are you doing out there? Why don’t you just come back and ride all my horses?’ That was my opportunity. I literally went home, I packed, and I was back in California two days later. Then things just took off. I got back in town, put my nose to the grindstone and have kept it there ever since.”
Smith officially staked his return to racing’s upper echelon with another Moss charge, four-time Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), and he has been the regular rider of fellow champions Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro) in recent years. But it’s his partnership with another gray colt by another one of his beloved former mounts that has the potential to take the 51-year-old Smith’s career to its highest altitude yet.
Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song), a $560,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Juddmonte Farms, missed all of his 2-year-old season, but captured three of his first four starts as a sophomore, signaling considerable promise in each performance. Largely untested in his wins, however, he entered the Aug. 27 GI Travers S. as an unknown commodity. That could explain why Rafael Bejarano, who was in the irons for all three of Arrogate’s victories, opted to ride trainer Bob Baffert’s other entry in the race, the more established stakes winner American Freedom (Pulpit). Smith, who was already at Saratoga that day to ride Baffert trainee Drefong (Gio Ponti) in the GI King’s Bishop S., gladly took the pickup mount.
A breathtaking 13 1/2-length romp in a track record 1:59.36 later, Smith knew he had struck gold.
“I remember looking over at the [big screen] and thinking, ‘Oh man! Did he just open up by that many, that quickly?’” Smith said. “Then I saw that the time was under two minutes and I was floored. And I still thought that we had room to grow.”
That thought proved correct. Arrogate followed up his Travers romp by besting Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 5. Then, a week after being crowned Champion Three-Year-Old Male for 2016, he scored another devastating, track record-setting victory in the inaugural running of the $12 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational January 28 at Gulfstream Park.
“He’s incredible,” Smith exclaimed. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been on this kind of horse, with the speed and stamina that he has. It’s jaw-dropping. On top of all that, I don’t think we’ve gotten to see how good he really is yet, which is crazy. In seven starts, he’s already done things that the greats haven’t done.”
Equally impressive to Smith as Arrogate’s stratospheric talent level is how unflappable and easy-going the colt is.
“What’s great about him is his mannerisms,” Smith relayed. “He’s a big old laid back dude. He doesn’t know how special he is and he really doesn’t care. He just goes out and does his job and is just happy to get a carrot when he gets back to the barn. He’s not a diva, doesn’t need all kinds of stuff, he’s just a cool, laid back horse who’s just happy to hang out.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that Arrogate would ship to the United Arab Emirates to run in the March 25 $10 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup. The 2,000-meter test is one of the few prestigious dirt races that Smith has yet to land.
“Without a doubt,” Smith said when asked if he’s motivated by checking off the World Cup box on his resume. “It was so exciting to hear that news. I’m still jumping around just for the opportunity. He’s going have to go there and run his race, but I think he should run huge, especially with that long old lane.”
Smith and agent Brad Pegram are very selective about his mounts these days, taking just 33 assignments thus far in 2017. Yet he ranks far and away as the leading money-earner, thanks to Arrogate’s Pegasus heroics.
“I’ve been very blessed,” Smith said. “We’re having a whole lot of fun. I tell you, I don’t know if I’ve ever had this much fun.”
The fun may just be beginning. And the long, winding road from Holy Bull to Unbridled’s Song to Giacomo to Arrogate has returned Smith to the pinnacle of his profession. It’s likely to be a while before he comes back down.
Six to Watch for From Fasig-Tipton
By Brian DiDonato
This week’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale again featured a very promising group of 2-year-olds, including many who turned in extremely strong works. You don’t need me to tell you how good the toppers looked, so here are six prospects under $450,000 (in the bottom 75% or so of those who sold) who might be worth keeping an eye out for.
HIP 11, c, Union Rags–Woodford Girl, by Honour and Glory
Breeder: Lantern Hill Farm (Ky)
Consignor: Eddie Woods, Agent LIII
Buyer: Whitehorse & Three Chimneys
Price: $435,000
This $195,000 KEESEP acquisition immediately reminded me of his accomplished and precocious sire coming through the lane in his :10 2/5 breeze. He’s fairly compact, but extremely well-muscled and powerful-looking, and looks like he should come to hand pretty early. He got over the ground very fluidly and appears to have some speed.
HIP 21, c, Tale of the Cat–Awesome Bull, by Holy Bull
Breeder: Edition Farm (NY)
Consignor: Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent II
Buyer: August Dawn Farm
Price: $250,000
NFL Hall of Famer Bill Parcells has already enjoyed racetrack success with a New York-bred son of Tale of the Cat in MSW Saratoga Snacks, and he looks to be poised for a similar outcome with this latest purchase. Having previously sold for $160,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Preferred Sale, this Feb. 22 foal looked very athletic while really striding out nicely, stopping the clock in :10 2/5. By a racehorse sire, he seems capable of handling longer distances.
HIP 48, c, Curlin–Dress the Part, by Malibu Moon
Breeder: Lochlow Farm (Ky)
Consignor: Consigned by William B. Harrigan (Miacomet Farm Ltd.), Agent
Buyer: Mike Ryan, agent
Price: $170,000
He “only” worked in :10 4/5, but if this well-bred colt runs to his pedigree, we might be talking about him come this time next year. Purchased for $500,000 in utero at Fasig-Tipton November and then for $240,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, this relatively late foal (Apr. 22) is out of a mare who took some time to develop and who was a stakes-winning router at five. Dress the Part is also a full-sister to the undefeated, but ill-fated MGSW Onlyforyou. Hip 48 might not have run a hole in the wind from a time perspective, but he wasn’t pushed on too hard and showed off an athleticism that might suit him well as the trips get longer.
HIP 117, c, Paynter–Perfect Wave, by Boston Harbor
Breeder: Millennium Farms & Payner Syndicate (Ky)
Consignor: SGV Thoroughbreds (Steven Venosa), agent
Buyer: Steven W Young, agent
Price: $425,000
This is one of the first we’ve seen on the track from Paynter’s first crop, and if the rest are anything like him, look out. This $170,000 Fasig-Tipton October grad looked quick and athletic while breezing in a willing and fairly unpressured :10 1/5. His dam was two-for-two sprinting as a juvenile, but a SW/MGSP half-sister was later developing and preferred a route of ground. Hip 117 seems versatile himself, and could be quick and precocious while also able to handle added real estate.
HIP 150, c, Flat Out–Story Untold, by Old Fashioned
Breeder: Machmer Hall (Ky)
Consignor: Consigned by Q Bar J Thoroughbreds LLC (Jenn & Quincy Adams), Agent
Buyer: John C Oxley
Price: $400,000
A great pinhooking score as just a $50,000 FTKJUL yearling, this colt’s MGISW sire seemed to get better with age, but he looks like he inherited serious speed and precocity from his dam’s side. The :10 1/5 breezer is a half to Arella Rockstar (Astrology), a front-running debut winner last summer at Saratoga who took the GIII Matron S. off the claim for Rudy Rodriguez next out. Hip 150’s unraced dam is a half to Feline Story (Tale of the Cat), a freakishly fast 2-year-old who won her debut by almost 12, annexed the Astoria S. by daylight second up and grabbed the GIII Sorority S. by 5 3/4 lengths two starts later.
HIP 152, f, Malibu Moon–Stylish Wildcat, by Forest Wildcat
Breeder: Redmon Farm, LLC
Consignor: De Meric Sales, agent
Buyer: Lawley-Wakelin Bloodstock, LLC
Price: $285,000
Bred just like 2-year-old sale topper and speedy GSW juvenile Corfu, this $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga acquisition looked to be built downhill with a nice, big stride as she stopped the clock in :10 2/5. Her dam won the first two starts of her career at three, and was a front-running MSW turf sprinter. Her third dam, for what it’s worth, was 1985 champion juvenile filly Family Style.
In Their Footsteps: Anne Archer Hinkle
by Carly Silver
Editor’s Note: In Their Footsteps is an ongoing series on people who have followed their parents into the horse racing industry.
Over the centuries, many families have put down roots in Kentucky, but few boast such a deep connection as the eponymous residents of Hinkle Farms, located in Paris. Kentuckians for over 200 years, the clan has grown into a family tree with many successful branches. Its latest offshoot, 27-year-old Anne Archer Hinkle, has donned the equine mantle as director of bloodstock services for Hinkle Farms.
Anne was quick to note that the property hasn’t always had horses, but it’s always had Hinkles.
“My great-grandfather, Catesby Spears, bought the farm in 1926, and he used the farm for a lot of things and one of the things that he did was grow bluegrass seed,” Hinkle recalled.
Spears left the land to Anne Archer’s paternal grandmother, Sally Spears Hinkle, and her husband Buckner. They raised three boys on the farm, including its current co-owners, Anne Archer’s father, Tom, and her uncle Henry.
“My grandfather wanted to spark his sons’ interest somehow and he wanted to try to encourage them to get involved in some aspect with farming and land. So he went to Keeneland in the mid-’60s and bought two mares, and so it started,” Hinkel said. “I guess you could say Papa started off as the first generation of horsemen.”
By the 1990s, Henry and Tom had grown Hinkle Farms, which currently occupies about 1100 acres–440 of which are solely devoted to horses–into a successful boarding, breeding, and sales operation.
Always an animal lover, Hinkle has felt a deep connection to the farm, though she only lived there as a child, pitching in to help with work during the summers. She later attended boarding school in North Carolina before going to college at New York University and Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. After graduating in 2012 and deciding against enrollment in veterinary school, she expressed an interest in returning to her roots.
She received the green light from her father and uncle, and has been a full-time employee at the farm since January 2014. Her first task? To identify young prospective broodmares for the farm to purchase or claim, breed, and later pinhook. Once that market saw a decline in profitability, Hinkle’s role “shifted and morphed” into one that involves many different responsibilities, which differ from month to month.
Although each task is a team effort, Hinkle specializes in facilitating farm communication.
“[It’s] tricky in any business at all, but especially when you’ve got a team of guys taking care of dozens of horses,” she said.
During the fall and winter, her responsibilities range from supervising equine health records to deciding matings for the upcoming year. Once the November breeding sales are over, it’s time for the annual budget; this past year, it meant working on a clearer biosecurity protocol.
Hinkle also works with the broodmare band. Currently numbering 35 to 40 horses– about 30 of whom the Hinkles own–these mares produced some of 2016’s most talented runners, including Seeking Gabrielle, dam of 2015 champion juvenile colt and 2016 GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo). Currently in foal to War Front, the Forestry mare will visit leading sire Tapit in 2017. There’s also Madame du Lac (Lemon Drop Kid) and Crosswinds (Storm Cat), respective dams of the Grade I winners Divisidero and Weep No More–both of whom achieved Grade I success in 2016.
Nyquist, in particular, has made the past two years quite thrilling.
“I felt like I had just won the Breeders’ Cup and the Derby,” Hinkle enthused. “It was just the most incredible thing. And I’m kind of like a crier about happy things, and we were all just crying and happy, and it was probably me crying.”
Dennis O’Neill, who bought Nyquist for owner Reddam Racing, invited Anne Archer and her then-fiance to watch the Uncle Mo colt train at Keeneland.
“Even though we really didn’t have a part in what he had done, they were so nice about making us feel like we were a part of it,” she said, clearly beaming with pride.
And in between Grade I wins, Hinkle has created a new legacy of her own; she got married in June of last year, and hopes to continue in her father’s footsteps.
She concluded, “I feel really fortunate, because my dad has always worked with his brothers, and we all know that they get along so well and they’ve done so well working together…They were nice enough to let me tag along and it’s been really, really great.”
WinStar TDN Derby Top Twelve for Feb. 28
by T.D. Thornton
With only one major prep race last weekend (GII Risen Star S.), the winds of change only slightly resorted the TDN Derby Top 12. But expect that breeze to intensify this coming weekend, as sophomore stakes action in both Florida and New York will involve three horses within the Top 12 and an intriguing cast of under-the-radar horses vying for firmer footing on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.
1. MCCRAKEN (c, Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by Seeking the Gold)
‘TDN Rising Star’ O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY). T-Ian R. Wilkes. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 4-4-0-0, $310,848.
Feb. 14 TDN Top 12 Rank: 1
Last Start: 1st, GIII Sam F. Davis S., TAM, Feb. 11
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 26, 1st, Street Sense S., CD, Oct. 30
Next start: GII Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 11
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 20
Undefeated TDN Derby Top 12 kingpin McCraken will next target the Tampa Bay Derby, and watching him progress from his juvenile to sophomore seasons has been like observing an imposing wave forming far off the shoreline. Will he peak prior to the first Saturday in May or precisely on that date? Tough to tell this far out, because even though the pecking order of Triple Crown contenders is starting to sort itself out, the entire list will undergo a not-so-subtle shift starting Mar. 25, when the majority of the important Derby preps extend to nine furlongs. In this ‘TDN Rising Star’s’ favor for remaining near the top of the list are his keen, in-race sense of being in control without being overly aggressive, and an impressive ability to shift into multiple gears while responding willingly to encouragement in the late stages of races. Working against McCraken is the low-percentage path of productivity that is the Tampa route to Louisville, as only one Tampa Derby winner in 35 runnings has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby.
2. MASTERY (c, Candy Ride (Arg)—Steady Course, by Old Trieste)
‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Cheyenne Stables, LLC. B-Stone Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $425,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $271,200.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 2
Last Start: 1st, GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, LRC, Dec. 10
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Bob Hope S., DMR, Nov. 19
Next start: GII San Felipe S., SA Mar. 11
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Mastery
KY Derby Points: 10
Trainer Baffert has solidified next-race plans for his pair of TDN Derby Top 12 horses: Mastery will remain at Santa Anita for the Mar. 11 San Felipe S., while American Anthem (Bodemeister) hits the road to Hot Springs for an engagement in the GII Rebel S. Mar. 18. Baffert has said he will give his pair of May-foaled colts only two prep races prior to aiming for Derby berths, banking on raw talent over the benefit of repeated seasoning. This ‘TDN Rising Star’ owns an undefeated record, and his natural, efficient speed has been an obvious tactical weapon so far. But Mastery’s résumé also can be read as a path of least resistance, with a maiden win followed by two five-horse-field stakes scores, both run in the lull after the Breeders’ Cup. In his Feb. 21 six-furlong bullet workout, Mastery tracked older MGSP workmate Cat Burglar (Unbridled’s Song) at a measured clip before edging away in the final furlong, then smoothly shifting into another gear on his own power in the final hundred yards to the wire. “I love this horse,” Baffert told TDN after the move. “He went really well. He’s improving. He’s maturing. He’s doing it the right way.”
3. IRISH WAR CRY (c, Curlin—Irish Sovereign, by Polish Numbers)
‘TDN Rising Star’ O/B-Isabelle de Tomaso (NJ). T-H. G. Motion. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $295,460.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 4
Last Start: 1st, GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 4
Accomplishments: 1st, Marylander S., LRL, Jan. 23
Next Start: GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 4
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Irish War Cry
KY Derby Points: 10
‘TDN Rising Star’ Irish War Cry is an easy horse to like (in the sense of rooting for him) because he’s undefeated, has risen from underdog status on a smaller circuit to knock off the juvenile champ, owns an eye-catching turn of foot, and is conditioned by a thinking-man’s type of trainer who sets a tone of enjoying the ride at racing’s elite levels. But likeability from a betting-to-win-the-Derby standpoint isn’t quite as solid, because being a lightly raced, May-foaled, New Jersey-bred doesn’t exactly match the profile for vanquishing 20-horse fields at 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May. On Saturday, ‘Irish’ had his first and only workout in prep for this weekend’s Fountain of Youth S., breezing five furlongs in company with MGSW turfer Divine Oath (Broken Vow) in 1:01.65 (14/17) at Palm Meadows. “It’s going to be a little different this time,” Motion said, contrasting the Fountain of Youth to his colt’s Holy Bull S. score. “We didn’t have a target on our back last time … This time it’s going to be a little bit different because people will have expectations, as they should. Look, I just would like to see him run a similar race. He’s doing great and I see no reason not to run in the Fountain of Youth. We’re looking forward to it.”
4. AMERICAN ANTHEM (c, Bodemeister–Indy’s Windy, by A.P. Indy)
O-WinStar Farm, LLC, S F Bloodstock, LLC & China Horse Club. B-WinStar Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $180,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP; $435,000 2yo ‘16 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSP, 2-1-1-0, $51,200.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 5
Last Start: 2nd, GIII Sham S., SA, Jan. 7
Next start: GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 18
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 4
American Anthem has gained two positions by attrition on this list in the past three weeks, and No. 4 is a pretty lofty ranking for a 3-year-old who has not yet won a graded stakes. His upside is a tremendous reserve of untapped potential, and considering a four-time-Derby-winning trainer is calling the shots, that adds a level of confidence to his chances. Without a doubt, American Anthem has run the best last-out losing race of any horse ranked on the Top 12 (pinned on the inside by a more experienced foe, then kicked again determinedly to lose by a bob in the Sham S.). When the brawny bay ships to Oaklawn for the Mar. 18 Rebel S., he will be attempting to follow in the footsteps of sire Bodemeister (Empire Maker), another Baffert trainee who won the 2012 GI Arkansas Derby by nearly ten lengths, then subsequently finished second in both the Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. Baffert is on record as saying American Anthem needs to learn how to relax (he has trained without blinkers even though he races in them). As a lightly seasoned colt, he’ll need a measure of composure to handle the shipping experience to an unfamiliar track where the competition for the Rebel is bound to include a solid mix of local horses and several late-blooming shippers seeking Derby points.
5. EL AREEB (c, Exchange Rate—Feathered Diamond, by A.P. Indy)
‘TDN Rising Star’ O-M M G Stables, LLC. B-Dixiana Farms, LLC (KY). T-Cathal A. Lynch. Sales History: $100,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP; $340,000 2yo ‘16 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-0, $334,200.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 6
Last Start: 1st, GIII Withers S., AQU, Feb. 4
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Jerome S., AQU, Jan. 2, 1st, James F. Lewis III S., LRL, Nov. 19
Next start: GII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 4
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 20
A few days ago El Areeb was thrust back into the mix for Saturday’s Gotham S. after several weeks of weighing the pros and cons of either racing a colt who was giving all the signs of being ready, or trying to map out a schedule that gives him a breather. Stopping on an in-form, developing horse has its risks. Yet there are also risks in making plans that require shipping away from Aqueduct (where he has won two stakes by a combined 15 1/2 lengths), and in tweaking the ‘TDN Rising Star’s’ prep race schedule so it leaves imperfect gaps leading up to the Derby. Judging by the confident, well-within-himself way he carries himself in races, El Areeb appears to be a horse that does not require being babied, so why not let him do his thing in the Gotham? There are “a few less variables for us going [to Aqueduct],” trainer Lynch said. “Knowing that your horse likes the inner track is definitely an advantage. That can be a quirky track sometimes; some horses handle it and some don’t.” El Areeb is growing on me as the type of sophomore who might get cuffed around a bit the first time he finally engages stiffer competition, but his solid foundation and resiliency make it likely he’ll learn from the experience. He could solidify into a “wiseguy horse” by the time the Derby nears.
6. MO TOWN (c, Uncle Mo—Grazie Mille, by Bernardini)
‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Team D. B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (KY). T-Anthony W. Dutrow. Sales History: $200,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-0, $251,600.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 3
Last Start: 5th, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 25
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GII Remsen S., AQU, Nov. 26
Next start: Uncommitted
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Mo Town
KY Derby Points: 10
Horses ranked No. 6 and No. 7 on this week’s version of the Derby list belong to formerly higher-ranked 3-year-olds who sputtered in their seasonal debuts. Each showed so much spark at age two however, that it would be foolhardy to demote them further without seeing second chances. Mo Town flat-out never fired in the Risen Star S. despite attaining gift positioning behind a breakaway pacemaker. “Perfect trip,” jockey John Velazquez said after the race. “I just don’t think my horse was too happy with the surface.” Trainer Dutrow added, “I thought [Mo Town] broke well and got himself into position and just wasn’t able to maintain it. Johnny’s comments were that the horse was struggling over the surface and never got a hold of it. He felt strongly that it was a surface Mo Town didn’t care for. So, we will see if he was right or not. No disrespect to Fair Grounds’ surface–it’s one of the reasons we came–it just didn’t work out for him today.” Not relishing a racing surface over which he’ll probably never compete again certainly won’t ruin this ‘TDN Rising Star’s’ long-range plans, but let’s face it: A highly hyped horse with the top-shelf level of athletic prowess that Mo Town is blessed with shouldn’t be so drastically disadvantaged by the footing. A regroup is obviously in order, most likely at the nine-furlong distance he’s already proven he can handle. But the path to the Derby just got a tad more arduous for Mo Town.
7. CLASSIC EMPIRE (c, Pioneerof the Nile—Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief)
O-John C. Oxley. B-Steven & Brandi Nicholson (KY). T-Mark E. Casse. Sales History: $475,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, 6-4-0-1, $1,520,220.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 7
Last Start: 3rd, GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 4
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 5, 1st, GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 8; 1st, GIII Bashford Manor S., CD, July 2.
Next start: Uncommitted
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Classic Empire
KY Derby Points: 32
Classic Empire is in recovery mode after being derailed by a foot abscess in the Holy Bull S., a race where he appeared primed to pounce but didn’t show his characteristic kick from the three-eighths pole home. Trainer Casse reported Sunday via phone that the 2-year-old champ has been showing signs of his former self in light training at Palm Meadows: “We’ve been real happy with him the last few days. The plan is probably to breeze him towards the end of the week. We kind of feel like it’s not that big a rush. This was a pretty severe abscess, so we’re just kind of letting him get himself back together. Our feeling is that he can go into the Derby off of one race if need be. I think we’re just going to let him tell us. He’ll come back with an easy work, and as long as he handles that well, then come back with something a little stronger, then start thinking about what we’re going to do.”
8. GORMLEY (c, Malibu Moon—Race to Urga, by Bernstein)
O-Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Moss. B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY). T-John A. Shirreffs. Sales History: $150,000 RNA Ylg ’15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-3-0-0, $296,000.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 8
Last Start: 1st, GIII Sham S., SA, Jan. 7.
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI FrontRunner S., SA, Oct. 6
Next start: Either GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 11, or GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 18
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Gormley
KY Derby Points: 20
Will Gormley be sharing a plane ride to Arkansas with the Baffert-trained American Anthem so the two can renew their rivalry in the Mar. 18 Rebel S., or will he remain at his home base of Santa Anita to run against Mastery, the committed favorite for the Mar. 11 San Felipe S.? It’s a split, multifactorial decision for trainer Shirreffs, who has two Derby contenders for the same owners, including “On the Bubble” Grade III winner Royal Mo (Uncle Mo). Gormley is a quick, high-energy horse who already has three races of two-turn graded stakes experience, and the fact that he’s more nimble than flashy partially explains why he doesn’t have a reputation as an intimidating contender. His next race will go a long way toward figuring out where he stands in the Triple Crown hierarchy, because although Gormley doesn’t need to win his next prep by a pole to prove he belongs, he does need to assert himself a touch more aggressively against either one of the two California-based sophomores that are ranked above him on this list.
9. PRACTICAL JOKE (c, Into Mischief—Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor)
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc. & William H. Lawrence. B-Whispering Oaks (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg ‘15 KEEJAN; $240,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-3-0-1, $739,800.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 9
Last Start: 3rd, GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 5.
Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Hopeful S., SAR, Sept. 5; 1st, GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 8.
Next start: GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 4
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 14
He’s a two-time Grade I winner with bullet morning moves in three of his last five workouts, yet Practical Joke figures to go off as an under-the-radar horse in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth S. Even toward the end of his 2-year-old campaign, trainer Brown routinely described the Hopeful S. and Champagne S. winner as mentally ahead of his peers, and now that he’s been training forwardly in Florida for the past two months, the adjective “stronger” is often added to the mix when Brown describes the colt’s progression. Although positionally Practical Joke has closed from as far back as seventh to both win and hit the board in graded stakes, he wasn’t really that far off the action in terms of lengths, so the hunch here is that he won’t be attempting a prolonged back-of-the-pack run at 1 1/16 miles, especially if expected fave Irish War Cry is humming along loose on the lead like he was in his Holy Bull S. wire job. A good showing in the Fountain of Youth keeps Practical Joke in this section of the Derby Top 12; a decisive win vaults him into the top tier.
10. ONE LINER (c, Into Mischief—Cayala, by Cherokee Run)
O-WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club & SF Racing, LLC. B-Kingswood Farm (KY). T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales History: $150,000 Ylg ‘15 KEEJAN. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $373,800.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 11
Last Start: 1st, GIII Southwest S., OP, Feb. 20
Next start: Uncommitted
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 10
One Liner has an athletic build and the looks of a developing colt that will flesh out nicely as he puts on a bit more muscle, but he’ll need to improve his mental focus to handle the duress of the Derby experience. After his Southwest S. victory, jockey John Velazquez said he had to keep after the “relaxed” colt on the backstretch run to make sure he was aware of the horses in front of him, although once engaged, One Liner did respond with competitive aggression. In his Jan. 26 allowance sprint win at Gulfstream, One Liner earned an “asked to gallop out” chartcaller’s comment, which meant a right-handed tap of the whip at the wire was required to instruct the colt to keep his mind on business after cruising home unchallenged by 2 1/2 lengths. One Liner earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure (BSF) in the Southwest S., which ties for top BSF among all active 3-year-olds on the Derby trail (Classic Empire’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile win was the other). Experience can only improve One Liner, although he might get only one more start prior to taking aim at the Derby.
11. ILIAD (r, Ghostzapper—Little Swoon, by You and I)
O-Kaleem Shah, Inc. B-Sungyeoun Lim (KY). T-Doug F. O’Neill. Sales history: $50,000 Wlg ‘14 KEENOV; $80,000 Ylg ‘15 KEESEP; $285,000 2yo ‘16 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $147,345.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: 12
Last Start: 1st, GII San Vicente S., SA, Feb. 12
Next Start: Likely for GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 11
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs
KY Derby Points: 0
Save for his debut loss to American Anthem in a strong Dec. 3 maiden try, Iliad has taken over at the top of the stretch and extended his margins through the lane in each of his two victories since then. The most recent was a pace-pressured seven-furlong score in the San Vicente S. on Feb. 11, and he’ll have a daunting task in trying to repeat while stretching out to two turns against more battle-tested foes in the San Felipe S. on the second Saturday in March. In a :50.20 half-mile maintenance move last Friday (43/60), the ridgling worked solo, was never seriously urged, and gave the impression that he wanted to do more. He holds a tenuous position on the bottom tier of this list, because two major East Coast preps will be run the week before his next expected start at Santa Anita, and the TDN Derby Top 12 is likely to undergo a serious shakeup before he gets a chance to prove his mettle.
12. GIRVIN (c, Tale of Ekati—Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon)
O-Brad Grady. B-Bob Austin & John Witte (KY). T-Joe Sharp. Sales History: $140,000 RNA Ylg ‘15 KEESEP; $130,000 Ylg ‘15 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $274,400.
Feb. 21 TDN Top 12 Rank: N/A
Last Start: 1st, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 25
Next start: Likely for GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Apr. 1
Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs, Caulfield on Girvin
KY Derby Points: 50
There was a fair amount of pre-race chatter about Girvin being an overlooked local hopeful in the Risen Star S. Much of it centered on how swiftly he broke his maiden sprinting in December and then got caught up in the quarantine crisis at Fair Grounds, leaving him with only a Feb. 4 turf stakes prep (in which he was second) prior to Saturday’s return to dirt against graded stakes company. His 8-1 upset was admirable, but when you dissect the Risen Star, it comes across as being better on paper prior to the race than how it actually played out on the track. Neither of the two obvious favorites–Mo Town or Guest Suite (Quality Road)–ran a lick despite each getting their preferred trips position-wise. And winner Girvin skimmed the rail almost the entire way before shifting and drifting in the lane under intermittent urging while no true closers threatened him. The fact that he’s the new Derby points leader (50) does come with some status, but if Girvin continues to progress, jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. might eventually be forced to choose between him and the call he has on the No. 1 horse on this list, McCraken.
On the Bubble:
After drawing post 14 and initially telling the Fair Grounds notes team “I don’t mind being on the outside,” trainer Doug O’Neill scratched So Conflated (Eskendereya) from last Saturday’s Risen Star S., citing a poor post. The ridgling will instead detour to this weekend’s Gotham S. It could be the big bust-out race for So Conflated coming off his better-than-it-looks Jan. 21 California Derby win. But with the benefit of hindsight, having seen how the two top faves never fired in the Risen Star, it’s fair to say So Conflated might have a tougher time reeling in inner-track specialist El Areeb, especially if the race draws light in terms of other pace-pressers.
Takaful (Bernardini) didn’t have to fully extend himself, gliding five furlongs in :59.95 (1/17) while working solo at Palm Meadows last Saturday in preparation for this weekend’s Fountain of Youth S. engagement. This ‘TDN Rising Star’s’ monster maiden win at Belmont Park Oct. 29 generated considerable buzz about him being a leading Derby contender, but he’s been in regroup mode since finishing an okay third in the Remsen S. and caving badly without an apparent excuse when favored in the Jan. 2 Jerome S … The $ 1.2-million yearling Tapwrit (Tapit) appears on the cusp of breaking through to the Top 12, especially if he gives McCraken a run for his money in the Mar. 11 Tampa Bay Derby. He was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths by the No. 1 contender despite balking at the gate and enduring a difficult trip; trainer Todd Pletcher has indicated this is a colt that is really starting to get the hang of things and definitely could resonate as a late bloomer.
The trainers of the horses that ran 2-3-4 in the Southwest S. at Oaklawn last week–Petrov (Flatter), Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky), and Silver Dust (Tapit)–all reported they’re likely to take a crack at running back in the Rebel S. Mar. 8 at Oaklawn … Conquest Mo Money (Uncle Mo), a New York-bred based in New Mexico, is now 3-for-3, including two stakes wins, after winning Sunday’s $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park by two lengths over a field that included three maidens. Next up for him is the Mar. 26 GIII Sunland Derby.
fonte : TDN
