Month: July 2022

A pair of top contenders for internationally-acclaimed trainer Aidan O'Brien arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday in Stone Age and Concert Hall for the 10-furlong first legs of the lucrative Caesars Turf Triple series.

Stone Age, bred and co-owned by Peter Brant with Coolmore partners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, will line up in the 13-horse Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational for sophomores; while Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Concert Hall takes on nine other rivals in the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies.

Stone Age was a prominent winner of the Group 3 Derby Trial in May at Leopardstown over 10 furlongs before finishing sixth last out in the 12-furlong Group 1 Epsom Derby on June 4.

O'Brien said he was impressed by the performance of Stone Age in the Derby Trial.

“He showed plenty of pace that day. He traveled very strongly and galloped through the line very well. There's a chance that going back to 10 furlongs might suit him better,” O'Brien said. “We thought he would have no problem with the mile and a half [last out], but there might be a chance that it was too far for him. He seems to have come out of the Derby well.”

The Galileo colt ran a strong second as a maiden in the Group 1 Criterium International in October at Saint-Cloud before graduating in March over 10 furlongs at Navan in his seasonal debut.

O'Brien said Stone Age is a well-built colt and should have the tactical ability to make a trip when leaving the outside post under returning rider Ryan Moore.

“He's a good moving horse and a good, strong traveler,” O'Brien said. “He's very happy to be forward and to take the lead. He's drawn wide, but he's very uncomplicated, we think.”

O'Brien and Moore teamed up last year to sweep both the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks with Bolshoi Ballet and Santa Barbara, respectively. He also captured the 2016 renewal of the Belmont Derby with Deauville in rein to Jamie Spencer.

O'Brien said the Belmont Derby provided a unique opportunity for Stone Age to race against fellow sophomores rather than take on older company in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse won last weekend at Sandown by Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-winner Vadeni over multiple Group 1-winning older horse Mishriff.

“We had the choice of going here [to New York] or going to the Eclipse and we decided to come to your race, which is a race we thought would suit him well,” O'Brien said. “Your race suits perfectly to give him another chance against his own age and then we can step up again against older horses after if we want.”

O'Brien will seek his third Belmont Oaks victory when sending out Group 1-placed Concert Hall, who enters off two fourth-place finishes at Group 1 level in the 12-furlong Epsom Oaks on June 3 and most recently when elevated from fifth in the 10-furlong Pretty Polly on June 26 at The Curragh.

O'Brien said Concert Hall ran deceptively well last out in a roughly run race won by La Petite Coco.

“She didn't have much luck inside the last couple of furlongs,” O'Brien said. “She got a bad enough bump and squeeze and had to stop and go back to last and come around them again. She was staying on well at the line.”

As a 2-year-old, Concert Hall won The Curragh's Group 3 Weld Park going seven furlongs and in April captured the listed Salsabil over 10 furlongs at Navan. She picked up Group 1 blacktype with a third-place finish in the one-mile Irish 1000 Guineas in May at The Curragh.

“She's straightforward,” O'Brien said. “She ran a great race in the Oaks at a mile and a half. She won her Oaks trial over a mile and a quarter. She's a Group 3-winner over seven furlongs. So, she's versatile and I think somewhere around a mile and a quarter might be her best trip.”

O'Brien said Concert Hall, a bay daughter of European classic winners Dubawi and Was, should appreciate the American style of racing with firm ground expected when she exits the outermost post 10 under Moore.

“She's a good mover. She's a compact filly and has a genuine way of galloping with her head out and down,” O'Brien said.

The Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational will again launch the male division of the Turf Triple series that encompasses the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16-miles on August 6 and the Grade 3, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 12 furlongs during the Belmont fall meet.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational commences the female division of the Turf Triple series, which will be followed by the Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks at 1 3/16-miles on August 7 and conclude with the Grade 3, $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks at 11 furlongs during the fall.

The post Aidan O’Brien: Belmont Derby ‘Suits Perfectly’ For Derby Trial Winner Stone Age appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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As the two-time reigning Eclipse Award champion trainer, Brad Cox wins a lot of races in a lot of places. That includes Indiana Derby Day at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where the Louisville product keeps a sizable division much of the year.

Cox has won at least one of the six open stakes that headline Indiana's most important race card each of the past five years. That includes two stakes apiece in 2019-2021 and three in 2018 after starting his streak with a sole victory in 2017.

The 43-year-old trainer hopes to keep his Indiana Derby Day mojo going Saturday with 2-for-2 Best Actor in the $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby and the duo of favored Interstatedaydream and Patna in the $200,000, Grade 3 Indiana Oaks. Cox swept both graded stakes in 2020 with Shared Sense taking the Indiana Derby and Shedaresthedevil the Indiana Oaks. In that surreal racing season that emerged amid COVID, Shedaresthedevil captured the delayed Kentucky Oaks in her next start, defeating champions Swiss Skydiver and Gamine in the process.

“It would be nice to sweep them again,” Cox said recently at Churchill Downs, adding with a laugh, “that's the goal. But we feel we've got a good shot in both races. It's been a big day where we normally can be effective. We're not maybe as spread about as we normally are, trying to have a runner in every stakes. But we're going to be active in the graded stakes.”

Seven of those 10 winners during Cox's Indiana Derby Day surge have been ridden by Florent Geroux, including the sweep with Shared Sense and Shedaresthedevil.

“It's very simple,” Geroux, who will ride Gary and Mary West's Best Actor and Flurry Racing's Interstatedaydream for Cox, said of their success on Indiana Derby Day. “Those horses are extremely well-spotted. Most of the time they are the heavy favorite or one of the top choices. It makes my job a lot easier.”

Best Actor captured his debut at Oaklawn Park at 1 1/16 miles, then took an off-the-turf, one-turn mile allowance race at Churchill. He's the 4-1 third choice in the field of 10 behind 5-2 favorite Rattle N Roll (who won last Saturday's off-the-turf American Derby at Churchill) and 7-2 Actuator, a “buzz” horse since romping in a very fast-run maiden race.

“It is back a little quick, back in four weeks off a big run,” Cox said of Best Actor's four-length victory on June 12. “ But he did bounce out of it in good order and had two works since. He looked great this morning.

“He took a little while to come around, but he really showed us a lot in his first run at Oaklawn going long first time, showed the ability to stay on. Brought him here to Churchill. It took us a little while to find the right race for him, the off the turf race he performed really well going a one-turn mile. He was up close to a very hot pace, finished up well. I truly believe he's a two-turn horse, based on pedigree, physically and how he trains. So back around two turns I think will only be a benefit. We're hoping the best is yet to come. I feel like it is. This will be a great opportunity for him to step in deeper water and hopefully perform well.”

Geroux wasn't aboard for Best Actor's races, but he has worked him in the morning.

“He always seemed to be a nice horse,” he said. “Rattle N Roll will be the favorite, he ran last week – beat me in the American Derby (with Geroux second on Kuchar). He won a nice race, and they say he's come back well. But he's coming back in one week, so that's a question mark.

“I also like the horse of Michael McCarthy's (Actuator). He won very easily last time, very impressive. It's only his second race this year. Same as my horse, there's a lack of experience.”

Interstatedaydream is the 9-5 favorite in the Indiana Oaks' field of eight 3-year-old fillies. The daughter of Classic Empire has won three of five starts, most recently Pimlico's Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan, with her defeats a second in Saratoga's Grade 2 Adirondack last year behind the multiple stakes-winner Wicked Halo and a third in Keeneland's Grade 1 Ashland Stakes won by Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes runner-up Nest.

“She's a nice filly obviously,” Cox said. “She showed a lot off the layoff this winter, ran a good race in the Ashland. I thought we did the right thing in not pressing forward to the Kentucky Oaks and letting her come around. It was six weeks to the Black-Eyed Susan, which I think came up a really, really good race. She was up close, did a lot of the running, stayed on well, came out of it in good order.

“We thought this would be a race where we wouldn't have to ship her a long way, and hopefully add another graded stakes to her resume. She's a good filly, and hopefully this is the next step toward bigger and better things down the road.”

Juddmonte Farms' Patna makes her first start around two turns in the Indiana Oaks. With Geroux riding Interstatedaydream, Horseshoe Indianapolis meet-leader Marcelino Pedroza picks up the mount.

“I kind of thought she might be a two-turn horse,” Cox said. “This is a great opportunity to give her a chance. I'm very happy with the way she's been training. She's a Juddmonte filly; they all have pedigrees. So obviously a placing would be huge for her and her family.”

The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

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