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Shared Sense Tabbed As 5-2 Morning Line Favorite In Sunday’s Oklahoma Derby

A competitive field of nine horses were drawn Wednesday morning for Sunday's Grade 3, $200,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, with Indiana Derby winner Shared Sense being made the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

The 32nd Oklahoma Derby is set for the 10th race of 11 on Sunday. The stakes-laded program of action begins at 3pm with the Oklahoma Derby set for 7:12pm. All times are Central.

The three horses with top earnings in the field are close in talent and in odds with Dean Martini at 7-2. He comes in as the winner of the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby and the top money earner in the field of nine horses at $393,202. Rowdy Yates, trying to become only the third Oklahoma-bred to win the Oklahoma Derby (Clever Trevor in 1989 and Shotgun Kowboy in 2015), is second in earnings with $346,556, and listed as the third-choice in the morning line at 4-1 odds. He will carry the colors of L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla., and will be the hometown favorite, having won two stakes races over the Remington Park track as a 2-year-old last year. The favorite, Shared Sense, is third in earnings at $327,745.

Here's a closer look at your 2020 Oklahoma Derby field:

1 – Salow, 15-1

Owner: Tony Caver and D.K. Strickland of Cordova, Tenn.

Trainer: Terry Brennan

Jockey: Iram Diego

Undefeated Kentucky-bred colt by Distorted Humor, out of the Five Star Day mare Eve Giselle, is very lightly raced. He is two-for-two lifetime and both victories came over the turf. He won a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park in July at the Hallandale, Fla., track. He then followed that up with a win greensward at the first-level allowance level as the 2-1 favorite at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas on Aug. 2. He won his maiden race by 2-3/4 lengths and then scored by one length in allowance-company. He hasn't raced since Aug. 2, but has a bullet work at a half mile at Double M Training track in Arkansas, just outside of Hot Springs. He covered a half mile in :49.80 seconds breezing on Sept. 7. This will be the colt's first try in a stakes race. Earnings of $48,600.

2 – Creative Plan, 8-1

Owner: M and M Racing of Colleyville, Texas

Trainer: Karl Broberg

Jockey: Orlando Mojica

Another entrant with more experience on the turf than the dirt, but has shown a willingness to win. The gelded Kentucky-bred son of Creative Cause, out of the Divine Park mare Let's Park, has won four-of-seven in his career, two wins on the grass and two on the dirt or off-track. Five of his seven starts have come on turf courses. Both times he has started on the main track, he was a winner, however. His first win came on the turf course at Fair Grounds in New Orleans in a maiden claiming $30,000 race and he came home 3-1/4 lengths in front. His other three wins have come in allowance or allowance-optional claiming conditions at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Canterbury Park in Minnesota. His main track wins have both come at the one-mile distance. In his only stakes try, he ran third in the $100,000 Mystic Derby at Canterbury on July 15, beaten only one length. Trainer Karl Broberg has been the winningest conditioner in the country for six years. Earnings of $74,265.

3 – Rowdy Yates, 4-1

Owner: L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla.

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Stewart Elliott

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the leading trainer in the country by money earned this year and 15-time leading trainer and all-time winningest trainer at Remington Park. Asmussen is a Hall of Famer nationally and in Oklahoma. He is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for top trainer in the country. This colt by Morning Line, out of the Yes It's True mare Spring Station, has won 5-of-11 starts lifetime, four of those in stakes races. He is a two-time stakes winner over this track surface, taking the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Oct. 18, 2019, at six furlongs and the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Nov. 15, 2019. Both of his local stakes triumphs were against fellow Oklahoma-breds. Other than his Oklahoma stakes wins, he also took home the $100,000 Ellis Park Juvenile on Aug. 19, 2019 and the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park on Jan. 26 this year. Owners L and N Racing have sent out Lookin at Lee, who ran second in the Kentucky Derby, and Echo Town, a top sprinter/miler in the country this year.

4 – Liam, 15-1

Owner: Red Lane Thoroughbreds and JSM Equine of Lexington, Ky.

Trainer: Danny Pish

Jockey: Lane Luzzi

Another lightly raced Kentucky-bred colt, showing only three starts lifetime, but winning his only try around two turns last time out. This colt by Liam's Map, out of the Street Sense mare S S Pinafore, broke his maiden at 1 mile-70 yards by a full length in near wire-to-wire fashion. He began his career as a 2-year-old at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, sprinting six furlongs and finishing sixth, beaten five lengths. He improved in his second start, running second on Aug. 29 at Remington Park, his debut as a 3-year-old with maidens. Trainer Danny Pish stretched him out to a route race and he was the winner at 4-5 odds. Liam tries a stakes race for the first time. Earnings of $22,996.

5 – Shared Sense, 5-2

Owner: Godolphin Racing of Lexington, Ky.

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: Richard Eramia

This Kentucky-bred colt by Street Sense, out of the Bernardini mare Collective, won the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand on July 8 as the 5-2 favorite. He has been first or second in five-of-nine starts lifetime. Has not been out since running fifth to Art Collector in the Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9, but has worked forwardly at Churchill Downs at Louisville, Ky., since. Trainer Brad Cox is currently second in the country in money earned with his horses pocketing more than $11 million, second only to Asmussen's $14 million-plus.

6 – Code Runner, 10-1

Owner: Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Jockey: Lindey Wade

This Kentucky-bred colt by Honor Code, out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Nereid, was nominated to the Kentucky Derby, but never made it to the gate for the “run for the roses.” He did, however, compete in two graded stakes races this year, trying his wares in both the Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby. Code Runner was soundly defeated by two in this field while in Ohio, both Dean Martini and Rowdy Yates, but you can never discount horses out of Asmussen's barn. His best finish in stakes-company was a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town in West Virginia on Aug. 28. Earnings of $89,887.

7 – Avant Garde, 6-1

Owner: Gelfenstein Farm of Ocala, Fla.

Trainer: Jesus Lander

Jockey: Luis Quinonez

This gelded Kentucky-bred son of Tonalist, out of the Afleet Alex mare Dancing Afleet, is riding a four-race win streak at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., but all four victories have come in lesser company than he will face in a stakes race. Winning this race and the $120,000 portion of the purse would make possibly make him the “claim of the year.” Gelfenstein Farm claimed him for $10,000 out of a maiden race in Florida on Jun 10. Since the claim, trainer Jesus Lander has led him to the winner's circle in four races in a row, three of them around two turns. He has yet to race against stakes horses, but there's something to be said for a horse that likes to win and win easily. His four victories have come by a combined 17 lengths. His shortest victory margin has been 3-1/4 lengths. Earnings of $70,900.

8 – Mo Mosa, 8-1

Owner: Perry and Denise Martin

Trainer: Michael Maker

Jockey: Ramon Vazquez

This Kentucky-bred colt by Uncle Mo, out of the Eskendereya mare Roughing, competed in both the Grade 2, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. He did not fare well in those two huge races, but gets into this race off a win by 4-1/4 lengths in first-level allowance-company Aug. 22 at Ellis Park in his last start. He was a Kentucky Derby nominee but was moved off the Derby trail after poor performances in those graded stakes. Broke his maiden by 5-3/4 lengths at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky at the one-mile distance and won comfortably last time out at one mile by 4-1/4 lengths on Aug. 22 at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. Earnings of $78,020.

9 – Dean Martini, 7-2

Owner: Raise the BAR Racing and David Bernsen

Trainer: Thomas Amoss

Jockey: David Cabrera

This Kentucky-bred colt has two wins lifetime and nine in-the-money runs from 11 starts. Owned by Raise the BAR Racing and David Bernsen, who also owns a computer wagering business in Point Loma, California. This 3-year-old gelding by Cairo Prince, out of the Friends Lake mare Soundwave, won the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 27, beating Storm the Court (ran third), who was last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner. He followed that with a sixth-place run in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

Remington Park racing continues this week with a special Wednesday-Sunday night schedule. Wednesday through Saturday first post is 7:07pm with nine races each night. On Sunday, Oklahoma Derby Day, there will be 11 races starting at 3pm.

The post Shared Sense Tabbed As 5-2 Morning Line Favorite In Sunday’s Oklahoma Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sadler’s Joy Prepares for Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Woodslane Farm’s Sadler’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy) worked a half-mile in :50.03 over Belmont’s main track Wednesday morning in preparation for his fourth appearance in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Oct. 3. Trained by Tom Albertrani, the 7-year-old finished fourth in 2017 and third in the past two editions of the Joe Hirsch. A veteran of 32 career starts, the late-running horse boasts a record of 7-4-10 with purse earnings in excess of $2.6 million.

“We’ll be looking at the Joe Hirsch next weekend for him,” confirmed Albertrani. “He’s doing really well. He came out of his last race fine and continues to train well.”

Sadler’s Joy closed for third in a pair of starts at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, including the 10-furlong GI Manhattan S. July 4. After crossing the wire first in the 11-furlong GII Bowling Green at Saratoga Aug. 1, the chestnut was disqualified and placed fourth for lugging in. Most recently, Sadler’s Joy finished fourth in a soggy renewal of the GI Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga Aug. 29.

“I think you just throw out his last race over soft going,” said Albertrani. “His two races prior to that, he won the Bowling Green and unfortunately got disqualified. He ran well that day and he ran well in the Manhattan. For him, it’s a matter of getting the right trip and saving some ground. With his big move, winning or losing with him is all about the ground he loses or saves.”

Albertrani offered updates on a pair of turf-running stablemates as well. Mark T. Anderson’s Beau Belle (Giant’s Causeway) and Elizabeth Mateo’s Lovely Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) will both make their next starts in the Oct. 10 GI Flower Bowl S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ event to the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“They’re both doing well and we’ll probably aim for the Flower Bowl with both of them,” confirmed Albertrani.

Last time out, Beau Belle, with Luis Saez up, set a moderate pace in the Sept. 5 GII Glens Falls S. over 11 furlongs before staying on to finish third, a length back of winner Civil Union (War Front) and just missing the exacta by a nose to My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}). Stablemate Lovely Lucky, accompanied by Jose Lezcano, was fourth.

“Lovely Lucky was being hard held the first part of the race [:53.22 opening half mile] and I don’t think it helped her any to be held up quite like that,” said Albertrani. “I think the distance of her winning or losing, or even getting a little closer, would have been beneficial if Jose had let her use a little more of her stride. It may have helped Beau Belle being on an easy lead, but it made the other filly not want to settle and it hurt her in that respect. If it comes up the same scenario, I don’t think we’ll hold up Lovely Lucky and just let her go to the front because Beau Belle is better at settling.”

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‘We Can Be Competitive’: Max Player Heading To Preakness Stakes

Max Player is headed to the Preakness Stakes (G1), which as it currently stands will stamp him as the only horse to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown — plus Saratoga's Travers Stakes (G1).

Owned by George Hall and the SportBLX Thoroughbreds company he co-founded, Max Player finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), third in the Travers and most recently fifth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1). Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, winner of the 2007 Preakness with Curlin and the 2009 edition with the filly Rachel Alexandra, ran Max Player for the first time in the Derby, with New York-based Linda Rice previously training the Honor Code colt.

Hall won the 2011 Belmont Stakes with 24-1 shot Ruler On Ice. Max Player was his best finish out of four starters in the Kentucky Derby and his first to run in the Churchill Downs classic since Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Pants On Fire came in ninth in 2011.

“I'm very excited because I haven't been in the Preakness yet,” Hall said by phone. “Steve and I stay in close contact. He shares a lot of information with me, and we discuss things. So it's been great. We both agreed we'd take a lot of things into consideration before there was a decision.

“First, and most importantly, how was the horse feeling and was the horse up for it? Because we don't want to do anything that is not in the interest of the horse. After the Kentucky Derby, he looked like he wanted to keep running. Steve watched him closely, and he was in great shape. He's galloped well. He's breezed well. We felt the horse was at the peak of his game and is ready to run.

“The next thing is, are we going to be competitive? I really feel like we will be competitive. If you look at the Belmont Stakes, where we were third, he didn't have such a great trip. We got really caught behind a lot of horses and had to move around a lot and still wound up being third because he came on so strong at the end. In the Travers, he again came on strong to be third. It's no shame to lose to Tiz the Law, as everybody knows. We feel like he's a really good horse.

“When we started to look at the Preakness, I think the view is that he's in perfectly good health. He's in good shape, and he needs to develop. Reviewing the Kentucky Derby, he really came out of the gate slow (from post 1) and was far behind in the first jump. If we can get a little better trip out of the gate, maybe get a better post position and not fall so far behind and give him so much work to do at the end, we think that we can be competitive.”

Paco Lopez, known for getting horses into a race, has the Preakness mount on Max Player, Hall said. “That's what Paco is known for. Obviously, we want to stay in the race, but we have to be careful because he is going to be a closer, no matter what. I'm sure Steve will give Paco the correct instructions.”

Max Player won Aqueduct's 1 1/8-mile Withers Stakes (G3) on Feb. 1 after winning a maiden race at Parx on his second attempt. He did not run again until the June 20 Belmont, which this year also was 1 1/8 miles instead of the traditional 1 1/2-miles because of the COVID-forced changes to the 2020 Triple Crown.

“He had a long layoff before the Belmont, but then he's had a robust campaign since,” Hall said. “What's most important to us is that he stays healthy and has a good 4-year-old and hopefully 5-year-old career. We didn't really think there was negative toward running in the Preakness that would affect his long-term prospects as a 4-year-old. We're pretty excited about what he's going to do be doing in the future, too.”

Hall bred Max Player through his K & G Stables, named for his children Katherine and George, with the colt raised on his Annestes Farm in Versailles, Ky. Hall owns 86 percent of Max Player, with SportBLX Thoroughbreds owning the other 14 percent. Co-founded by Hall with Joe De Perio, SportBLX Thoroughbreds allows people to buy micro-shares in racehorses, similar in basic premise to Myracehorse, a minority owner in Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite Authentic.

More micro-shares in Max Player, which will come out of his majority interest, likely will be available for purchase next week, Hall said.

Asmussen also is running Monmouth Park's Pegasus winner Pneumatic in the Preakness, with Joe Bravo to ride.

The post ‘We Can Be Competitive’: Max Player Heading To Preakness Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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View From The Eighth Pole: The Skunk In Arizona Racing

“You don't get in a pissing match with a skunk.”

Those words were first conveyed to me in the mid-1970s when I was dealing with a political operative in Washington, D.C., who wasn't happy with something written by a newspaper columnist nationally syndicated by the company for which I was working.

While that may be good advice, sometimes you just can't avoid confrontations with skunks.

One example came from a recent letter from Turf Paradise general manager Vincent Francia to horsemen who race at the Phoenix, Ariz. track.

The letter, likely dictated to Francia by Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms, was both delusional and insulting. It said, in essence, if you want us to open Turf Paradise for an abbreviated race meeting in 2021, you'll have to find another organization besides the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to represent you. Either that, or the current board and executive director of the Arizona HBPA can resign, and then we'll consider opening for a live meet in January.

“Simms is trying to do the same thing with the horsemen that he did with the racing commission a while ago: divide and conquer,” said Robert Hutton, president of the Arizona HBPA. “His move to get rid of the HBPA is because he doesn't want anyone holding him to a standard.”

Simms and Francia are upset that Hutton and the Arizona HBPA took control of $2.1 million in the purse account generated primarily from Simms-controlled off-track betting facilities from the time live racing at Turf Paradise abruptly ended last March and horsemen were given short notice to leave the stable area.

“We were well within our rights,” Hutton said. “We want to take the purse money and give it to anyone who wants to run a live race meet in the state.”

The move came after Turf Paradise told the Arizona Racing Commission in August that it wouldn't be possible to run a 2020-'21 race meeting because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually every other track in the country has been able to meet the challenge of the pandemic and operate with or without fans on-site.

Turf Paradise said it wanted to hold the horsemen's purse money for a meeting at some time in the future. Never mind the short-term pain having no 2021 meet would inflict on horsepeople who have supported Turf Paradise for years or decades.

According to Hutton, Francia and Simms simply may be trying to buy time and keep churning profits out of their OTB network – which he said can only operate if there is live racing.

“No live racing, no OTBs. That's the law,” Hutton said. “In his settlement agreement with us in March, one of the things we agreed to was he (Simms) could have OTB signals until the end of the year. We're willing to stick to that, but that date is fast approaching.”

In response to Francia's Sept. 17 letter to horsemen, Hutton issued one of his own on behalf of the Arizona HBPA the following day

In it, he calls Francia's bluff and agrees to a January-May race meet on the following conditions:

That Simms “respect the horsemen's choice of representation and refrain from your attempt to tell us, the horsemen, who we can have as our representatives. Respect us, our choices, our leadership, our solidarity, and our industry.”
That Simms “honor the arbitration agreement and allow the AHBPA control of the horsemen's purse account (with the understanding that it will be used for purses during Turf Paradise's live meet). Additionally, reimburse AHBPA purse money from March 2020, when you killed the contract, to present, what the state law requires: 50% of the OTB revenue, when a contract is not in place.”
“The track must be safe for horses and people. Right now, the main track, the turf track and the training track are not fit to run on. The back side is full of trenches, power boxes with wires exposed, and the roads and bridle path are in terrible condition. The barns are, as always, dilapidated. And the clubhouse is uninhabitable. No doubt, to meet this condition, a safety inspection will be required.”

Hutton then added: “As an aside, the condition of your facility and grounds gives us pause as to the genuineness of your proposal. Could it be that you are simply after an AHBPA that you can control so that you will be able to collect revenues from OTBs without live racing and secure approvals for importing the signal without live racing, as you are now? If that is the case, then we will have racing on your terms which is no racing at all. Which would violate state law, and we would be forced to have the Commission regulate compliance.”

There is a skunk involved in Arizona racing, for sure, but it's not the horsemen who started this pissing match.

That's my view from the eighth pole.

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