Hill Sixteen sustained an unrecoverable injury during the Grand National.
Month: April 2023
Easy Works for Cox’s Derby Contenders
Two of trainer Brad Cox's four GI Kentucky Derby contenders turned in half-mile works at Churchill Downs Saturday, with GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Jace's Road (Quality Road) both credited with working, hours apart, in :48.20 (20/99).
Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire worked alongside stablemate Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), who was most recently seventh in the Louisiana Derby, just as the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Sporting blinkers while working outside his stablemate through early fractions of :12.40 and :24.40, Angel of Empire galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Cox's exercise rider Edvin Vargas was aboard for the move.
Two hours later, Vargas was again in the irons when West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables' Jace's Road worked in company with Smarty Jones S. winner Victory Formation (Tapwrit).
“It was a solid morning with three weeks out from the Derby,” Cox said. “It's always an exciting time of year and we'll see what happens in 21 days.”
Following Jace's Road's work, Cox's other Derby contenders, GI Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up Verifying (Justify) and GII Wood Memorial runner-up Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), galloped about 1 1/2 miles. Both are scheduled to work next Saturday.
The post Easy Works for Cox’s Derby Contenders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Chez Pierre To Head Back To Fair Hill After Marker’s Mark Mile Win, Modern Games To Return To England
In what was expected to be a showcase for Godolphin's reigning U.S. champion turf male Modern Games in Friday's Maker's Mark Mile (G1), the scene stealer turned out to be Lael Stables' Chez Pierre.
When Chez Pierre left his seven rivals in his wake in the upper stretch en route to a 3½-length score, the performance was something trainer Arnaud Delacour had seen before.
“He's got a great turn of foot, and he did the same thing last year in the Henry Clark (L) at Laurel,” Delacour said of Chez Pierre's 5½-length victory in that race. “Those were legitimate Grade 2 and Grade 3 horses, and he put them away in the blink of an eye. That was a wow moment.”
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Chez Pierre won the Maker's Mark Mile in a stakes record 1:33.46.
Chez Pierre is ticketed to return to Delacour's base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. A return to Kentucky in a few weeks for Churchill Downs' $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) to be run at 1 1/8 miles on May 6 is unlikely.
“Probably not. I wouldn't want to stretch him out and come back that quick,” Delacour said.
The victory by Chez Pierre was the sixth stakes win at Keeneland for Delacour and his first Grade 1. On Sunday, he will attempt to double up when he sends out Mark Grier's Opus Forty Two in the 38th running of the $400,000 Beaumont (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select.
“It is an ambitious spot,” Delacour said. “If we get a piece of it, we'd be delighted. She is adding blinkers because she has seemed to be losing focus at the end of her races.”
Regarding the other top finishers in the Maker's Mark Mile:
Modern Games is scheduled to return to England on Tuesday.
“He cooled out well and is a happy horse this morning,” head traveling lad Chris Connett said of the Charlie Appleby trainee. “He didn't disgrace himself. The winner ran a huge race. Modern Games ran hard, and it is a good starting point for the rest of his 4-year-old campaign.”
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's third-place finisher Up to the Mark, who was a neck behind Modern Games in his graded stakes debut, will head to Churchill on Sunday. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the Turf Classic is “under consideration” for Up to the Mark.
Kretz Racing's Cabo Spirit, who finished fourth as the longest price in the field at 52-1, will head back to Santa Anita Saturday and target the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) on May 29, according to trainer George Papaprodromou.
The post Chez Pierre To Head Back To Fair Hill After Marker’s Mark Mile Win, Modern Games To Return To England appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Kentucky Derby Favorite Forte Tentatively Set For Churchill Arrival Tuesday
Trainer Todd Pletcher's horses are set to move into Barn 39 at Churchill Downs over the next 72 hours.
On Sunday, Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Tapit Trice is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland at 10:30 a.m. (ET). Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Forte, along with TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Kingsbarns, are tentatively scheduled to arrive from South Florida early Tuesday morning. The duo are scheduled to van to Churchill Downs on Monday afternoon.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte breezed an easy half-mile in :50.23 Friday at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Fla.
The Violence colt, 2-year-old male champion of 2022, ranks first on the Kentucky Derby L:eaderboard with 190 qualifying points. He will arrive in Louisville as a solid favorite for the classic off five consecutive wins, including a resolute victory in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa and a powerful 4½-length season-opening triumph in the Fountain of Youth (G2) March 4 at Gulfstream.
The post Kentucky Derby Favorite Forte Tentatively Set For Churchill Arrival Tuesday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
