Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from a huge weekend of racing action that included four key Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep races: the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, the $402,000
Month: March 2023
NYRA Offers Shipper Bonus
The New York Racing Association will offer bonuses to horses shipping in to race at Aqueduct in March and April. Trainers of horses that are not stabled at a NYRA track will see a bonus of $1,000 credited to the owner's account towards shipping expenses. This bonus excludes steeplechase races. The horse must be declared an official starter to be eligible. In addition, the horse will not be eligible if placed on a poor performance or veterinarian list.
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‘She Can Dig In Going Further’: Yuugiri On Target For Keeneland’s Madison
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset has a plan for Tsunebumi and Sekie Yoshihara's homebred Yuugiri and so far, that plan has worked to perfection after she moved to 2 for 2 this season at Oaklawn with a sharp victory in the Carousel Stakes for older females at six furlongs Feb. 25.
Brisset was using the Carousel as Yuugiri's audition for the Madison Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs April 8 at Keeneland. Yuugiri passed the test, earning high marks from Brisset for her push-button style in a 3½-length victory over the speedy Pretty Birdie.
Yuugiri, who was ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., dueled early with Pretty Birdie on the inside, dropped back on the turn, then ranged up on the outside turning for home. Yuugiri drew abreast of Pretty Birdie in midstretch and was pulling away at the finish. Favored Yuugiri covered the distance in 1:10.17 over a sloppy track.
“They ran :44 (for a half-mile) and he decided to take her back a little bit, gave her a breather and she re-engaged,” Brisset said. “We know she knows how to dig in. She won at a mile and a sixteenth. I told him, Ricardo, that it was up to him if he wanted to keep ding-donging all the way around. I would have been OK with that. At some point, somebody's got to give up and she likes a dogfight. She carried her speed going two turns last year, so I think seven furlongs, at some point, is going to be very dangerous for the others because she's got that speed to clear the field and she can dig in going further.”
The Carousel marked Yuugiri's third victory in four career starts at Oaklawn. She won the Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles last April and her Dec. 30 allowance comeback sprinting. Yuugiri is 3 for 3 in her career sprinting (all at six furlongs) and will remain around one turn this year, Brisset said, in pursuit of a Grade 1 victory to enhance her broodmare value.
“It (Carousel) just confirmed what we knew,” Brisset said. “Obviously, she's fast enough to sprint six furlongs, but I think seven furlongs can be even better.”
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Duke Wai Seeks Dubai Passage
Duke Wai (NZ) (Per Incanto)'s victory in the Devon H. at Sha Tin Sunday could trigger a start in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup undercard, trainer Pierre Ng confirmed following the race.
“If we get an invitation from Dubai, we'll go to Dubai. I would love to see him run in a straight 1200m race because, in the past, he's run very well in straight 1000m races here, but there's no straight 1200m races here,” Ng said of the 7-year-old, who took his career earnings to beyond HK$18 million with his ninth career win. “If he doesn't [go to Japan], we'll go through the motions again, going for the Group 2 and the Group 1 races here because he wasn't invited to Japan.”
In the Devon H. given an uncomplicated run from barrier one under Jerry Chau, Duke Wai claimed leader Nervous Witness (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}) in the last 100m before fending off Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) to win by half a length.
“He got the inside draw this time. Jerry knows him well. He just had to wake him up in the early stages and let him travel. Around the bend until the 300m, he was travelling quite strongly, and he finished off very well. After the race, Jerry told me Courier Wonder was never going to get past him,” Ng said.
In the Al Quoz Sprint, the veteran turf sprinter might clash with fellow Hong Kong speedsters Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) and Sight Success (Aus) (Magnus {Aus}).
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