Month: April 2023

Blazing Sevens To Bypass Kentucky Derby, Shidabhuti To Skip Kentucky Oaks

Rodeo Creek Racing's Blazing Sevens, who ranks 17th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard, will bypass the Louisville classic May 6, according to Churchill Downs, which issued its updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard on Sunday.

Blazing Sevens' defection allows Louisiana Derby (G2) third-place finisher Jace's Road to draw into the Kentucky Derby (G1) field, which is limited to 20 starters.

Blazing Sevens, trained by Chad Brown, finished third in the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) earlier this month at Keeneland. He will be pointed to the Preakness (G1) May 20 at Pimlico, Daily Racing Form reports.

“I just feel this horse ran out of time really to develop to get to [the Derby] with a good chance to be competitive, meaning I'm looking to have a chance to win or be in the top 3,” Brown told the publication Sunday afternoon. “He's a race behind where he needs to be.”

Brown won the Preakness last year with Early Voting and in 2017 with Cloud Computing. Though both horses who had enough points to qualify for the Derby, both bypassed the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Santa Anita Derby (G1) third-place finisher Skinner ranks next on the Leaderboard and could draw into the Derby field should another defection arise between now and May 1, when entries are taken. Cyclone Mischief, who was third in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), would be next.

Peter Brant's graded stakes-placed Shidabhuti, who was third in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8 for Brown, will bypass the Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5.

Shidabhuti earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks for her victory in the Busher Invitational victory on March 4. She earned an additional 30 points when third in the Gazelle (G3) April 8 , giving her enough total points to be guaranteed a place in the Oaks starting gate.

Brown told the Form, the daughter of Practical Joke will keep to one-turn races.

Shidabhuti's Kentucky Oaks defection allows champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel to draw into the field, which is limited to 14 starters.

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Skinner Works At Santa Anita Toward Potential Kentucky Derby Start

Skinner continued his preparations for a potential start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when working six furlongs under Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza Sunday at Santa Anita.

Hitting the main track shortly after the 6:30 a.m. (PT) renovation break, Skinner broke off at the six-furlong pole and worked to the wire in an official time of 1:13.40.

“Victor worked him perfect,” said John Shirreffs, Skinner's trainer. “He went the first furlong in 13 seconds and change and gradually picked it up at every pole. I got him the last eighth of a mile in 11 seconds. Could have been :11 and a tick. He finished full of run.”

Unfortunately for Shirreffs and owners Lee and Susan Searing of C R K Stable, Skinner is currently sitting on the outside of the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. Following his third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 8, Skinner has 45 qualifying points, which ranks 22nd on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. He would need at least two defections to make the 1 ¼-mile classic on May 6.

On Sunday, Shirreffs said no travel plans have been made to ship Skinner to Churchill Downs.

“If we're not in, why would we go?” said Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with 50-1 long shot Giacomo. “It's a tough decision to make to go all the way there and then not get in.”

In 2017, Shirreffs entered in the Kentucky Derby both Gormely, that year's Santa Anita Derby winner, and Royal Mo, a Grade 3 winner who was tied for 20th in the standings with 30 points. Royal Mo did not make the race. Instead, the maiden Sonneteer, who also had 30 points thanks to running second in the Rebel (G2), earned the bid based on having more graded stakes earnings.

“We'll keep Skinner on his schedule. If we hear something early enough, we'd go,” Shirreffs said. “But if we don't, I don't know. I've been there before sitting on the outside and didn't get to run.”

Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, Skinner also ran third in the San Felipe (G2). The Curlin colt, a $510,000 purchase by Mayberry Farm at the 2022 OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, has a record of 1-0-3 from six career starts and $216,300 in earnings.

Skinner is not the only Santa Anita Derby alum who needs help to make the Kentucky Derby. Japan-based Mandarin Hero, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up, currently ranks 25th. He is scheduled to work on Wednesday and then ship to Churchill Downs the following day. If the colt does not make the Derby starting gate, the connections said they will await the Preakness (G1) on May 20 at Pimlico.

Also on Sunday, trainer Tim Yakteen reported his two expected Kentucky Derby starters, Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move and Reincarnate, each exited their works this weekend in good order. They are scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Saturday along with stablemates Kangaroo Court and Fort Bragg, both ticketed for the Pat Day Mile (G2), and Johannes, who will contest the American Turf (G2).

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Cox Sets Oaklawn Single-Season Record For Stakes Wins

Two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox set a single-season Oaklawn record for stakes victories by a trainer when heavily favored Merlazza captured Saturday's inaugural $150,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies going one mile at the Hot Springs, Ark. track.

The Valley of the Vapors represented the ninth stakes victory at the meeting for Cox, 43, who was honored with an Eclipse Award in 2020 and 2021 as the country's outstanding trainer.

Cox has 21 victories at the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting, with 43 percent coming in stakes company. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen won eight stakes races at the 2019 and 2021 Oaklawn meetings.

In addition to the Valley of the Vapors, Cox won the $250,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 1 with Victory Formation, $200,000 Martha Washington Jan. 28 with Wet Paint, $250,000 Bayakoa (G3) Feb. 4 with A Mo Reay, $300,000 Honeybee (G3) Feb. 25 with Wet Paint, $150,000 Purple Martin March 25 with Key of Life, $200,000 Hot Springs April 1 with Eyeing Clover, $600,000 Fantasy (G3) April 1 with Wet Paint and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 1 with Angel of Empire.

“Very good meeting,” Jorgito Abrego, who oversees Cox's Oaklawn division, said Sunday morning. “Obviously, thanks to the owners to give the opportunity to Brad. Brad's always picking the right spots for the horses. It's amazing. You look at nine stakes as part of our 21 wins – 40 percent stakes is very good. Win the Arkansas Derby, the Fantasy, those type of races, makes you keep going.”

Merlazza was making her stakes debut after winning two consecutive starts at Fair Grounds. She finished second, beaten a head, in her Jan. 21 career debut at the New Orleans track. Ridden Saturday by Joel Rosario, Merlazza ($3.20) overcame an imperfect pace setup to edge long shot Pink Ace by a length. The final time over a fast track was 1:40.75.

“After the slow fractions, I was kind of scared,” Abrego said. “They went a (half-mile) in :50 and I was thinking, 'This filly may not get there.' But good horses always find the right spot for a win. With a good horse, you don't really find an excuse. That filly ran really, really good and came back good. Now, we'll have to look for a graded stake.”

Merlazza, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro who races for breeder/owner Don Alberto Stable, has a 3-1-0 record from four lifetime starts and earnings of $191,650.

Cox narrowly missed a 10th stakes victory at the meeting, finishing second and third with Tapit Shoes and Victory Formation, respectively, in Saturday's inaugural $200,000 Bath House Row for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Tapit Shoes, who was making his stakes debut, was beaten a head by Red Route One, with Victory Formation a half-length farther back.

Cox has 286 career victories at Oaklawn, the first coming in 2009. All 37 Oaklawn stakes victories, including seven in 2021 (his previous single-season high), have come since 2015, coinciding with his rise to national prominence. Cox is personally based at Fair Grounds in the winter, with Abrego running his Oaklawn operation.

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