Nineteen Declared For Saturday’s 2000 Guineas
Ten Sovereigns | Racing Post
A field of 19 is set go postward for Saturday’s G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after final declarations were made Thursday morning. Aidan O’Brien has streamlined his team down to two with G1 Futurity Trophy victor Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and G1 Middle Park S. hero Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) seeking to extend the trainer’s record haul to ten. Ryan Moore will ride Ten Sovereigns, with Donnacha O’Brien on Magna Grecia.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain, post time: 3.35 p.m.
QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £523,750, 3yo, c/f, 8fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 8 Advertise (GB) Showcasing (GB) Dettori Meade 126
2 12 Al Hilalee (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Buick Appleby 126
3 15 Azano (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) Havlin Gosden 126
4 16 Dark Vision (Ire) Dream Ahead Fanning Johnston 126
5 2 Emaraaty Ana (GB) Shamardal D Egan K Ryan 126
6 6 Great Scot (GB) Requinto (Ire) Kingscote Dascombe 126
7 9 Kick On (GB) Charm Spirit (Ire) Murphy Gosden 126
8 19 King of Change (GB) Farhh (GB) Levey Hannon 126
9 1 Madhmoon (Ire) Dawn Approach (Ire) Hayes K Prendergast 126
10 17 Magna Grecia (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire) D O’Brien A O’Brien 126
11 7 Momkin (Ire) Bated Breath (GB) Heffernan Charlton 126
12 13 Name The Wind (GB) Toronado (Ire) McDonald Tate 126
13 11 Royal Marine (Ire) Raven’s Pass Soumillon bin Suroor 126
14 4 Set Piece (GB) Dansili (GB) Crowley Palmer 126
15 18 Shine So Bright (GB) Oasis Dream (GB) de Sousa Balding 126
16 3 Skardu (GB) Shamardal J Doyle Haggas 126
17 14 Sporting Chance (GB) Kodiac (GB) Cosgrave Crisford 126
18 5 Ten Sovereigns (Ire) No Nay Never Moore A O’Brien 126
19 10 Urban Icon (GB) Cityscape (GB) Marquand Hannon 126
Kingman’s Calyx Sensational On Pavilion Return
| 4th at ASC, Gr. Stk, £80,000 | G3 Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial S. (Pavilion S.) | (6f) | Winner: Calyx (GB), c, 3 by Kingman (GB) |
Calyx | racingfotos.com
By Tom Frary
Long absent and much missed, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) burst back onto the scene in Wednesday’s G3 Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial S. over the same six-furlong strip over which he had proven so high-class in last year’s G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. Always travelling with ease on the outer of the small group over two lengths off the pace, the Juddmonte homebred was set alight by Frankie Dettori once finding himself in front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Electric from there, the 1-3 favourite hit the line with four lengths to spare over the highly-regarded Elsworth runner No Nonsense (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) in this race registered as the Pavilion S.
“He was amazing,” commented a bowled-over Dettori. “He’s blessed with so much speed, I think sprinting is his thing. He’s a serious horse and there is lots to look forward to.”
Prior to the inauguration of the Commonwealth Cup, the likes of Calyx were generally forced into showing up for the 2000 Guineas with a lack of sprinting options available. That Classic was considered after stablemate Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) went by the wayside recently, but connections are content they made the right call as Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe explained afterwards. “It had always been in our minds to go a mile, because the mile races are so important. From that point of view, we had to find out if he is sprinter or a miler and it is probably better to find out in a race like this rather than get to the six-furlong pole in the 2000 Guineas, have a hard race coming down the hill and then find out he doesn’t stay,” he said.
After the brave call to avoid Newmarket, the big sprint tests are firmly on the winner’s agenda. “It looks like he wants to be a sprinter, I would say, and that is what Frankie thought,” Grimthorpe added. “We have always said that he has been training nicely, there is no doubt about that. It was just a question of trying to pick the right race for him after such a long layoff. That was John [Gosden]’s main concern. Calyx has been working with a staying horse and settling well, but I think he is a different animal on the racecourse. He certainly has that zip and, although he settled pretty well in the race, I think the way he quickened there suggests six furlongs is going to be his business.”
Gosden was also unequivocal about pointing at the Royal meeting’s six-furlong Group 1 contest over the G1 St James’s Palace S. “Calyx is bred to be a miler, but he likes to sprint. All being well, we will be back here for the [June 21] Commonwealth Cup,” he confirmed. “It is a great race for the 3-year-olds and I think that is clearly the way to go now. I’ve been training him diligently to be a miler, but when he goes out there he wants to be a sprinter and that’s great. I haven’t encouraged him to do that, that’s just him.”
Pedigree Notes
Calyx has done what his G3 Prix d’Aumale-winning dam Helleborine (GB) (Observatory) failed to do and win a group race as a 3-year-old, but that may be harsh on that G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up as she may have run into troubles after her juvenile campaign. She is a full-sister to the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup heroine African Rose (GB), whose daughter Fair Eva (GB) (Frankel {GB}) looked a potential world-beater when capturing the G3 Princess Margaret S. at two before losing her way. The second dam is the G3 Lancashire Oaks third New Orchid (Quest For Fame {GB}), who is a half-sister to the G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire Distant Music (Distant View) who was third in a vintage renewal of the G1 Champion S. at three. Helleborine also has a yearling colt by Muhaarar (GB) and a filly foal by Frankel (GB).
Wednesday, Ascot, Britain
MERRIEBELLE STABLE COMMONWEALTH CUP TRIAL S. (PAVILION S.)-G3, £80,000, Ascot, 5-1, 3yo, 6fT, 1:12.20, g/f.
1–CALYX (GB), 127, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Helleborine (GB) (GSW & G1SP-Fr, $218,924), by Observatory
2nd Dam: New Orchid, by Quest For Fame (GB)
3rd Dam: Musicanti, by Nijinsky II
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $178,742. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–No Nonsense (GB), 127, c, 3, Acclamation (GB)–Gift of Music (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-David Elsworth. £17,200.
3–Konchek (GB), 127, c, 3, Lethal Force (Ire)–Soar (GB), by Danzero (Aus). (85,000gns Ylg ’17 TAOCT). O-AlMohamediya Racing; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Clive Cox. £8,608.
Margins: 4, HF, HD. Odds: 0.30, 33.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Signora Cabello (Ire), Pocket Dynamo, The Cruising Lord (GB), Well Done Fox (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Omaha Beach Favored From Gate Twelve in Derby 145
The field is set for the 145th Kentucky Derby | Coady
By Steve Sherack
LOUISVILLE, KY – Post positions three and 12 were the only two stalls remaining of 20 when Omaha Beach (War Front)’s name was called by announcer Travis Stone as the draw for the 145th GI Kentucky Derby rolled along before a packed house in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs late Tuesday morning.
It was the latter slot that was assigned to Fox Hill Farm’s streaking GI Arkansas Derby winner, tabbed as the 4-1 morning-line favorite by Mike Battaglia, at the traditional pill pull.
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella is a well-documented 0-for-six in the ‘Run for the Roses,’ with his best finish a fifth-place effort from Soul of the Matter back in 1994. He most recently saddled Action This Day (sixth) and Minister Eric (16th) in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.
Was that the post Mandella preferred of the two that remained?
“Yeah it was, but none of the posts were bad,” Mandella said. “You’re just lucky to be here for the Derby. Mike [Smith] will probably let him run out of there, and having the 12 post, he’ll have the option of being able to size up how fast they’re going and he’ll use his best judgement.”
Fellow Hall of Famer Bob Baffert will have three shots at tying the legendary Ben Jones for a record sixth Derby win, led by last year’s juvenile champion and 5-1 second-choice ‘TDN Rising Star’ Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) (post 16). Joel Rosario has the mount.
Fellow Baffert ‘Rising Stars’ Roadster (Quality Road) and Improbable (City Zip), co-third choices at 6-1, will break from post 17 and post five, respectively.
Roadster turned in an impressive stretch rally to defeat stablemate Game Winner by a half-length in the GI Santa Anita Derby. With Smith opting for Omaha Beach, Roadster will be piloted for the first time by Florent Geroux.
Last year’s GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity winner Improbable was second-best to Omaha Beach with first-time blinkers in the Arkansas Derby after losing his cool in the starting gate. The shades will come off Saturday.
As noted by Stone at the draw, Improbable’s post 17 is 0-for-40 in the Derby.
“Anything but the one or two, I’m fine with that,” Baffert said of the draw. “I think the good horses all drew well. There are a lot of nice horses in this race. Omaha Beach, he deserves to be the favorite. We’ll just see how it plays out.”
Along with Game Winner, owners Gary and Mary West will also have their pink-and-black silks carried by homebred Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) (post seven, 10-1), unbeaten winner of the GI Florida Derby.
Juddmonte Farms will be represented by GII Wood Memorial S. hero Tacitus (Tapit), who will break from post eight with Jose Ortiz in the irons. The homebred son of champion Close Hatches (First Defence) is listed at 10-1 on the morning line.
Backstretch buzz horse By My Standards (Goldencents), upset winner of the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, drew post three and is quoted at 20-1.
Gary Barber’s War of Will (War Front), a very disappointing ninth as the 4-5 chalk after suffering a minor muscle strain soon after the start in the Fair Grounds centerpiece, drew the dreaded rail. He previously annexed the GIII Lecomte S. and GII Risen Star S. in impressive fashion.
“You know what, it could be worse I think,” trainer Mark Casse said of War of Will’s draw. “Our horse is really on his game so he’ll come away from there running. We’ll probably be on the lead. I think we’ll probably be on the lead and play catch me if you can. And you know if we come away from there like he normally does, we’re going to come away from there running.”
KENTUCKY DERBY-GI, $3,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m, post time: 6:46 p.m. ET
1 War of Will (War Front), Gaffalione, Casse, 20-1
2 Tax (Arch), Alvarado, Gargan, 20-1
3 By My Standards (Goldencents), Saez, Calhoun, 20-1
4 Gray Magician (Graydar), Van Dyke, Miller, 50-1
5 Improbable (City Zip), Ortiz Jr., Baffert, 6-1
6 Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), Castellano, Weaver, 20-1
7 Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), Saez, Ja Servis, 10-1
8 Tacitus (Tapit), Ortiz, Mott, 10-1
9 Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry), Santana Jr., Walsh, 30-1
10 Cutting Humor (First Samurai), Lanerie, Pletcher, 30
11 Haikal (Daaher), Maragh, McLaughlin, 30-1
12 Omaha Beach (War Front), Smith, Mandella, 4-1
13 Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), Velazquez, McGaughey, 15-1
14 Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}), Pimentel, Trombetta, 15-1
15 Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), Leparoux, Tsunoda, 50-1
16 Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Rosario, Baffert, 5-1
17 Roadster (Quality Road), Geroux, Baffert, 6-1
18 Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy), Court, Asmussen, 30-1
19 Spinoff (Hard Spun), Franco, Pletcher, 30-1
20 Country House (Lookin At Lucky), Prat, Mott, 30-1
AE Bodexpress (Bodemeister), Landeros, Delgado, 30-1
fonte TDN
