Angel of Empire | Horse Racing Free Tips

Angel of Empire On To Kentucky After Big Saturday For Brad Cox

Brad Cox saddled a trio of winners Saturday at Oaklawn with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) taking the day's biggest prize in the GI Arkansas Derby. He also won the GIII Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with heavily-favored Wet Paint (Blame) and the Hot Springs S. with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky).

“It was a great day,” Cox said during training hours Sunday morning at Oaklawn. “It was good. Big performance from that colt yesterday, Angel of Empire. We'll load him on Tuesday and ship to Kentucky and see what we can come up with.”

Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Angel of Empire powered to a 4 1/4-length victory over longshot King Russell (Creative Cause) before an estimated crowd of 65,000.

“I've said it several times,” Cox said. “He's a horse we thought would get better with time and, obviously, age as well. And you know, he's obviously gotten better throughout the winter and he looks amazing. I think distance is probably an equalizer. He's not blessed with a tremendous amount of speed. He just kind of breaks. And he's not void of speed, but he kind of finds his way and they get away from him a little bit. But he settles. He's a very smart horse. Probably the biggest thing with him. Pretty big crowd here. There was a lot of noise in the paddock. Stands there and really presented himself well yesterday in the paddock and in the infield when we legged the riders up. He was on his toes, but he wasn't hot at all. He was feeling good. You could tell he was ready to run. Loved how he was acting mentally.”

Angel of Empire's eventual winning margin, 2 1/2 lengths in mid-stretch, ballooned in the run to the wire.

“Even in the gallop out, they weren't close to him,” Cox said. “Flavien had never sat on him and he came back said, 'Wow! This horse, the further, the better.'”

Angel of Empire collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Arkansas Derby victory, which pushed his overall total to 154, good enough for second on the leaderboard.

Cox said he doesn't have a jockey commitment yet for the Kentucky Derby.

“They'll sort themselves out over the next several weeks, between the Blue Grass, Wood and Santa Anita Derby,” Cox said. “We'll see what happens.”

Cox also notched his second career victory in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Fantasy S. with Wet Paint, a homebred who races for her breeder, Godolphin. Last of 10 early, Wet Paint rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over Taxed (Collected) to become only the second filly behind Eight Belles to sweep what are now Oaklawn's three Kentucky Oaks points races. Wet Paint also won the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28 and the GIII Honeybee Stakes Feb. 25. Saturday's race marked the filly's first try around two turns over a fast track after catching off tracks in both the Martha Washington and the Honeybee.

“Listen, we don't know until we try,” Cox said. “We didn't know until we ran yesterday. But her works here have been awfully good on dry tracks, so I felt pretty confident we'd get a big run from her as long as we got pace to run at. We got it. She's definitely one of the top fillies in the country.”

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Angel of Empire Sprouts Wings in Arkansas Derby

Fourth choice at 9-2, but the only runner in the GI Arkansas Derby field with a win at nine furlongs, Angel of Empire (c, 3, Classic Empire–Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve) used that overlooked experience to his advantage and emerged looking like a world-beater. Racing midpack early, he ranged up and burst clear to win in hand and by daylight. King Russell (Creative Cause) was second, while Reincarnate (Good Magic) finished third. The Arkansas Derby was a GI Kentucky Derby points race and awarded points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale.

After a picture-perfect break from the gate, the field strung out as Two Eagles River (Cloud Computing) set the pace while Angel of Empire bided his time completely clear mid-field. Little changed through the :23.27 first quarter and :47.26 half, but Angel of Empire was on the move a half mile from home. He simply picked off horses on the turn, swept to the front at the top of the stretch, and drove clear. Flavien Prat waved the whip at him late, but the race was over. Two Eagles River threw in the towel in the stretch, while 58-1 King Russell had closed to hook up with 3-1 stalker Reincarnate. The two got the minor awards, but finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Angel of Empire. Favored Rocket Can (Into Mischief) was fourth, a head behind Reincarnate.

“It's huge,” said winning trainer Brad Cox, who also won last year's edition with Cyberknife (Gun Runner). “Big day. Very impressed with this horse, how he ran today. He came home quick, and he's a horse that the longer the better. Looking forward to getting him to the Kentucky Derby in five weeks.”

Angel of Empire was last seen Feb. 18 winning the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds at the same distance. Third in that race was last week's impressive GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Two Phil's (Hard Spun). Like Brad Cox's earlier-on-Saturday's-card GIII Fantasy S. winner Wet Paint (Blame), Angel of Empire broke his maiden last summer at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then gave the turf a try at Kentucky Downs. He didn't like the grass, but has been stellar since, taking an Indiana allowance by open daylight to close his juvenile campaign before opening 2023 with a second in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn.

Albaugh Family Stables picked up Angel of Empire for $70,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Racing manager Jason Loutsch said Saturday, “After seeing that race, I've got a lot of confidence. This is a horse I've been saying [since] day one wants to get the distance. He showed that twice at a mile and an eighth. He just keeps running. I thought he ran a great race today, and I'm excited for the first Saturday in May.”

The Albaugh Family Stables has two other contenders for the Kentucky Derby: their Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief) was third Saturday in the GI Florida Derby and their Jace's Road (Quality Road) was third in last week's GII Louisiana Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Angel of Empire is the first winner at the highest level for sire Classic Empire, who has two North American crops at the races. The Coolmore America stallion, champion 2-year-old colt of 2016, won the Arkansas Derby himself in 2017. Classic Empire has eight black-type winners and four graded winners. Angel of Empire is the only stakes winner for To Honor and Serve, who now stands in Korea, as a broodmare sire; however, To Honor and Serve's sire, Bernardini, is the damsire of Classy Edition, one of Classic Empire's graded winners.

Black Diamond Corp., co-breeder of Angel of Empire, bought his dam, Armony's Angel, for $67,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale with the Arkansas Derby winner in utero. A half to GSW Conquest Big E (Tapit), the now-7-year-old Armony's Angel has a 2-year-old colt named Third City (Collected) and a yearling full-brother to Angel of Empire named Raconteur. Third City was sold to Kenneth R. Kachel for $23,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale. The mare was not bred for 2023.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
ARKANSAS DERBY-GI, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m,
1:49.68, ft.
1–ANGEL OF EMPIRE, 122, c, 3, by Classic Empire
          1st Dam: Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve
          2nd Dam: Seeinsbelieven, by Carson City
          3rd Dam: Coragil, by Metfield
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Forgotten Land
Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp (PA); T-Brad H.
Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $739,375. Lifetime Record: GSW & SP,
6-4-1-0, $1,069,375. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–King Russell, 119, c, 3, Creative Cause–Believe You Will, by
Proud Citizen. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST
G1 BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-Brereton C. Jones
and Naber Racing, LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ron
Moquett. $227,500.
3–Reincarnate, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Allanah, by Scat Daddy.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($775,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E.
Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber,
Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Woods
Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $113,750.
Margins: 4 1/4, HF, HD. Odds: 4.70, 58.80, 3.30.
Also Ran: Rocket Can, Airtime, Red Route One, Two Eagles River,
Interlock Empire, Harlocap, Bourbon Bash. Scratched: Kolomio.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Wide Draw and All, Forte an Overwhelming Presence in Florida Derby

Big Brown (Boundary) took no prisoners from post 12 with a powerful, wire-to-wire performance in the GI Curlin Florida Derby before capturing the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2008.

It's champion Forte (Violence)'s turn now.

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, an eye-catching winner while kicking off his sophomore campaign in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4, towers over his 11 rivals on paper in Saturday's Florida Derby. But with a well-documented short run to the first turn going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park, Forte must overcome a disadvantageous wide draw in post 11. He is the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

Regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. remains as confident as ever no matter the post.

“He does everything I ask him,” Ortiz said of the Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer. “He's always there for me. He can stay all day on his stride. He has a turn of foot but he stays. He stays with that speed–that's good on dirt. I know what he wants to do and how he likes to run. I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher added, “The Fountain of Youth couldn't have gone any better for us. As impressively as he's won a couple of these races, he's kind of come to the wire with his ears up taking everything in. Obviously, as these races get a little more difficult, he'll need to stay focused.”

The Florida Derby field also includes: last term's GII Remsen S. winner and disappointing GIII Sam F. Davis S. eighth-place finisher Dubyuhnell (Good Magic); last out GII San Felipe S. fifth-place finisher Fort Bragg (Tapit); and Fountain of Youth third Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief).

Gulfstream's absolutely stacked 14-race program features 10 stakes races, including the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks; GII Pan American S.; GIII Orchid S.; and GIII Ghostzapper S.

Wide-Open Arkansas Derby…

While the 11-deep GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn may lack a standout or star power like its Gulfstream counterpart, it should nonetheless present some fantastic wagering opportunities.

Red Route One (Gun Runner) and Reincarnate (Good Magic), a rallying second and third in a sloppy renewal of the local prep in the GII Rebel S. Feb. 25, could vie for favoritism. The former adds blinkers for Steve Asmussen. Reincarnate, a game winner of the GIII Sham S. Jan. 8 for previous trainer Bob Baffert, looks like the one to beat after an eventful trip in his first try for Tim Yakteen in the Rebel. He is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“We didn't have the best of luck last time,” Yakteen said. “Hopefully, we'll get a clean break away from there and Johnny [Velazquez] will play the break and put himself where he feels the horse is going to be most comfortable. Obviously, we'd like to be closer to the pace than necessarily be completely out of it like we were the last time.”

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) will be out for respect after upsetting the GII Risen Star S. at 13-1 for Brad Cox while GIII Holy Bull S. winner Rocket Can (Into Mischief) won't have to worry about facing Forte again just yet after finishing a solid second behind the current GI Kentucky Derby favorite in the Fountain of Youth.

The Arkansas Derby program also includes GI Kentucky Oaks prep GIII Fantasy S., featuring the highly regarded Godolphin homebred Wet Paint (Blame), and the GIII Oaklawn Mile S.

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Reincarnate Named 5-2 Morning-Line Favorite For Arkansas Derby

Entries were drawn Sunday morning for next Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby and GIII Fantasy S., with Tim Yakteen's Reincarnate (Good Magic) and Wet Paint (Blame) for Brad Cox taking on the roles of morning-line favoritism at 5-2 and 8-5 respectively. Reincarnate drew the eight position with second choice Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) inside of him in gate six. Wet Paint also drew the six slot.

Making his first start for Yakteen since switching from the Bob Baffert barn, Reincarnate won the GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita Jan. 8 and was third behind Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Rebel S. last time out.

Wet Paint currently sits third on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and enters on a two-race win streak with victories in the Martha Washington S. and the GIII Honeybee S.

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