Month: February 2024

Saturday’s Derby Prep Runners Look Ahead

All of the major runners in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby preps have come out of their respective races well according to releases by Aqueduct, Oaklawn and Gulfstream Park.

GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew) still had his connections flying high the morning after his upset win over 'TDN Rising Star' and Eclipse champion Fierceness (City of Light).

“He galloped out really strong [yesterday],” trainer Joe Orseno told Gulfstream Park media Sunday morning. “I don't think we got to the bottom of him yet. We're real happy with him, especially the way he looked this morning.”

As for future starts, Orseno added, “There's no question it will be the Fountain of Youth or the Florida Derby. I think it will be only one, but I don't know which one it will be yet. He's lightly raced. He's only run 5 1/2 [furlongs] and 7, and [Saturday] two turns. I think that being said, we have the opportunity to have a fresh horse on the first Saturday in May.”

In New York, the Pennsylvania-bred Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion), winner of the GIII Withers S., also responded well following his efforts Saturday.

“He came out of it very well, and I'm very happy with him,” said trainer Butch Reid, Jr. “He was very sharp and bouncing around the barn last night. He'll get a few days of rest on the farm, which will be nice.”

Reid Jr. indicated that, while future plans regarding a next start are still up for discussion, connections are considering the GII Wood Memorial S. April 6.

At Oaklawn Park, the GIII Southwest S. winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) is, per trainer Kenny McPeek, already being pointed at the GI Arkansas Derby after previously finishing fifth in the Smarty Jones S. Jan 1.

“We had a good feeling before the race,” said owner/breeder Lance Gasaway. “He wasn't ready for the long race, the Smarty Jones. He needed the race, so we felt pretty confident coming into the race. He [McPeek] can do it.”

Southwest runner up Just Steel (Justify) will make his next start in the GII Rebel S. Feb. 24 according to his trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“He's still carrying a little weight,” Lukas said. “He's a big, powerful horse and I think with racing, he'll drop some of that weight and he'll be a little bit better at finishing. I look forward to the next one [Rebel]. That one should be starting to get us where we want to be. I think he needs racing.”

Trainer Robert Medina noted that Saturday's third-place finisher Liberal Arts (Arrogate) will join Mystik Dan in bypassing the Rebel and likely going straight to the Arkansas Derby.

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After Lothenbach Dispersal, Pessin Looks To Regroup

For nearly 20 years, trainer Neil Pessin didn't have to worry about filling up his barn. His principal owner, Bob Lothenbach, kept sending horses his way. That included a Grade I winner in Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) and several useful allowance horses. Pessin was training a 22-horse stable and 19 of them were owned by Lothenbach.

“Bob was an excellent owner,” Pessin said. “He knew our field of expertise was training horses and his was the paper business. Anytime I asked for anything that involved the welfare of the horse he was on board for it.”

Everything changed in November when Lothenbach died suddenly at the age of 64. With the Lothenbach horses headed to a dispersal sale, Pessin was down to three horses and faced with the task of having to rebuild his stable, practically from scratch.

The only thing he knew for certain was that panicking was not the answer.

“I'm not nervous about my future,” Pessin said. “You can't worry about stuff you can't control. You just do what you can and hope for the best. I've learned that worrying doesn't do a whole lot except give me ulcers. Just take it in stride and see what happens. More people are worried about this than I am. We'll just see what happens. If an opportunity arises we'll take it. If it doesn't we'll see what the future holds. I'm not sure at the moment. Hopefully, we can survive. If not, we'll do something else.”

It doesn't look like Pessin will have to “do something else.” Out of the dispersal sale, which was done digitally by Fasig-Tipton, Pessin signed for five horses. They ranged in price from the $340,000 paid for Grade III stakes winner Happy American (Runhappy) to the $18,000 paid for maiden Hogslayers R I P (Union Rags). The horses will be owned by a five-member syndicate that Pessin put together in order to buy some horses out of the dispersal sale.

“Buying Happy American was pretty self explanatory,” he said. “There's a race coming up here at the Fair Grounds, the Mineshaft Stakes. The purse is $250,000 and the winner gets $150,000. He'll be one of the favorites. The $150,000 the winner will get would pay for almost half of him. He's worth it. He can compete in all the stakes around here. He can't beat the top horses, but if you spot him around he can be a very useful horse all year long.”

He also retained the gelding Kiss The Moon (Malibu Moon), who was bought by Anthony Spinazzola, who decided to keep the horse with Pessin.

That has left Pessin with nine horses.

The Lothenbach 2-year-olds will sell at OBS March.

“It's possible that I might buy some of the 2-year-olds,” he said. “If anyone is interested I'll go take a look at them. I bought 14 of them myself at the yearling sales. But if I don't have the money behind me to do it then I'm not going to be able to buy anything.”

He's had some feelers from owners interested in giving him horses and hopes some new horses will come his way from owners looking to compete at the Keeneland spring meet. But he's not going to go begging.

“I've never asked anybody for any horses and I'm not going to start now,” Pessin said. “Right now we have these five horses that we bought and three others in barn. I'll just have to go forward and see what happens. One way or another I'll be fine. You can't worry about what you can't change.”

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Test Confirms Positive EHV Case At Belmont; Barn Quarantine Extended To 21 Days

Cute Curls (Tapiture), a filly trained by Danny Gargan, was euthanized Saturday after displaying acute neurological symptoms. Cornell University has since returned a positive test result for EHV in Barn 15 at Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association announced Sunday. Barn 15 is now under a 21-day quarantine but no other horses have thus far presented symptoms. NYRA's veterinary department, headed by Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe, will oversee quarantine procedures and the 24 horses stables in Barn 15 will continue to be monitored.

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