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‘They Put All Their Energy Into Running’: Prevalence Evokes Memories Of His Sire, Medaglia D’Oro

Godolphin's highly regarded Prevalence will make his stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds is the final local Kentucky Derby qualifier, awarding 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers.

Godolphin seeks its first Kentucky Derby win but could have as many as three entries on the first Saturday in May with unbeaten Champion 2-Year-Old Essential Quality, who runs in Saturday's Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland, and Group 2 UAE Derby winner Rebel's Romance.

If Prevalence is to join Godolphin's Derby contingent, he'll need to finish first or second in the Wood Memorial to garner the required qualifying points.

Unbeaten in two starts, the son of multiple champion-producing stallion Medaglia d'Oro has yet to start at graded stakes level. The talented bay colt shined going seven furlongs on debut on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, which he won by 8 ½ lengths in paid workout-like fashion.

The debut score had trainer Brendan Walsh and Godolphin USA president Jimmy Bell considering going right into graded stakes company in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park. However, a fever altered the colt's training schedule and the connections called an audible with Prevalence returning victorious in a one-turn optional-claiming mile on March 11 at Gulfstream.

“I really think that's the goodness of having an allowance race,” Bell said. “A lot of time you get that wow factor of a first performance and then you don't get that in their second race. In all fairness, it is their lifetime second start, so they are still figuring things out. That's more natural than an issue. Perhaps it's maybe a blessing in going back in an allowance race. He got good experiences in both races. To have those two races under his belt. They were both progressive steps.”

Prevalence breezed a stiff half-mile in 47.60 seconds at Palm Meadows Training Center on Sunday, the fastest of 30 works at the distance.

“His last work showed that his energy level was where it needed to be,” Bell said. “He went a half in 47 and 3 and galloped out as easy as possible, so his energy level right there said it all. He's an easy horse to read. You know where he's at and what he's feeling. Certainly, the extra time and having the Wood Memorial where it is on the calendar was important.”

Bell said the Wood Memorial will dictate the direction of the horse's sophomore campaign.

“When the race is finished, he'll answer all our questions and point us in one direction or another,” Bell said. “We want to let him show us what he is or isn't or what he can or can't do. Even if you can't run a mile and a quarter, there's good races and great careers that come underneath that.”

Prevalence represents Godolphin's legacy and that of his multiple champion-producing sire Medaglia d'Oro as well. The prolific stallion has stood at Darley Stud, Godolphin's breeding division, since 2009 and has been amongst the leading sires in North America.

Bell identified a similar mental strength between Prevalence and his sire.

“They both have that ability to respond to whatever and however,” Bell said. “They put all their energy into their running. I'm a big believer in mental toughness as well as physical ability. It's important to have it all from a physical standpoint but having it mentally all together is also important. During his racing career, Medaglia d'Oro showed up on a lot of big days and was very consistent. This one is consistent so far as well.”

Medaglia d'Oro, a three-time Grade 1-winner who captured the 2002 Travers, also is the sire of Wood Memorial aspirant Risk Taking, who likely poses the biggest threat to Prevalence.

“It would be nice to see a Medaglia d'Oro in the winner's circle,” Bell said.

Godolphin enjoyed a record-extending ninth triumph in the Group 1 $12 million Dubai World Cup last Saturday with Mystic Guide, which will be a tough act to follow for the lightly raced Prevalence.

Bell said Mystic Guide will get some rest and relaxation after a 3 ¾-length victory in the Dubai World Cup. The son of Ghostzapper trained by Michael Stidham was Godolphin's first North American-based and trained Dubai World Cup winner.

Bell said that Mystic Guide could return to action this summer at Saratoga Race Course.

“It's been a phenomenal 2021 for him and us both,” Bell said. “Watching him show us the talent he has and that he can get the mile and a quarter distance was gratifying to see. He'll get a pretty good break coming back home after two just unbelievable races this year We're talking more Saratoga-ish time of the year.”

Never worse than third in eight career starts, Mystic Guide won last year's Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga before a close second to Happy Saver in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. After a 4 ½-month layoff, he returned to action with a six-length win in the Grade 3 Razorback over a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park en route to Dubai.

“He showed that he can handle any kind of track it seems,” Bell said. “It's never an easy assignment to ship halfway around the world and bring your 'A' game. He handled it all very well. He showed that he's made a big development not only physically but mentally as well. It takes a certain type of horse mentally and physically to handle that travel on a big night. He certainly shined on the right evening.”

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All Graded Stakes Edition Of Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Aqueduct, Keeneland, Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host an all-graded stakes edition of the Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing action from Aqueduct Racetrack, Keeneland Race Course and Oaklawn Park.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

The sequence kicks off at Keeneland with the Grade 2, $200,000 Shakertown [Race 8, 4:57 p.m. ET], a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and upward led by 3-1 morning-line favorite Bound for Nowhere, who won the 2018 renewal for trainer Wesley Ward. A field of 13 turf sprinters includes Imprimis, who captured the 2019 Shakertown for trainer Joe Orseno; and the speedy Pennsylvania-bred The Critical Way, who will look to go gate-to-wire in search of a first graded stakes win.

Action switches to the Big A for the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle [Race 9, 5:20 p.m.], a nine-furlong test featuring eight sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers. Four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle stakes winners Search Results and The Grass Is Blue, while the Graham Motion-trained Mia Martina tries dirt for the first time after closing from deep to finish fourth last out in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks.

A field of nine sophomores assemble for the third leg of the wager in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino [Race 10, 5:58 p.m.], a nine-furlong test with 100-40-20-10 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line. The Brown-trained Risk Taking and Crowded Trade offer a strong one-two punch for Klaravich Stables.

Risk Taking, the last-out Grade 3 Withers-winner, will have the services of champion rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 4 as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Crowded Trade, runner-up by a nose in the Grade 3 Gotham, will be piloted by Big A winter meet leading rider Eric Cancel. Steep opposition will be provided by Prevalence, the undefeated Godolphin homebred son of Medaglia d'Oro for trainer Brendan Walsh; New York-bred Brooklyn Strong, the Grade 2 Remsen-winner trained by Danny Velazquez; and Canadian-bred Weyburn, who earned a dramatic nose win in the Gotham for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The penultimate leg, the Grade 1, $300,000 Madison [Race 10, 6:02 p.m.], will offer a field of seven older fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs on the Keeneland main track led by the Ward-trained Kimari. Owned by Ten Broeck Farm, the 4-year-old Munnings filly has won 5-of-9 starts including a last-out score in the Spring Fever in the slop at Oaklawn Park. The Group 1-placed filly romped to a 15-length victory on debut in her lone start at Keeneland. Bell's the One is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, boasting a record of 15-7-2-2 and purse earnings of $880,040 for trainer Neil Pessin. The 5-year-old Majesticperfection mare finished third in this event last year ahead of a nose score in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs. Grade 1-winner Fair Maiden and Grade 2-winner Sconsin add class to a talented field.

Closing out the sequence is the Grade 3, $600,000 Fantasy [Race 11, 6:54 p.m.], a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies at Oaklawn Park offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. The two-turn test will see a rematch between the second and third-place finishers from the Grade 3 Honeybee in Pauline's Pearl and Sun Path.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for Stonestreet Stables, Pauline's Pearl was dismissed at odds of 18-1 on the tote board in the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee on March 6, but closed between rivals to complete the exacta behind the victorious Will's Secret. Juddmonte Farms' Sun Path, trained by Brad Cox, earned a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure in an allowance win three starts back at Fair Grounds and has since finished fourth in the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds and a flat third last out in the Honeybee. Ava's Grace, third in the Grade 2 Adirondack last summer at Saratoga, could offer a lone speed threat stretching out for the first time for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit www.NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday April 3:
Leg A: Keeneland-Race 8 (4:57 pm) Shakertown (G2)
Leg B: Aqueduct-Race 9 (5:09 pm) Gazelle (G3)
Leg C: Aqueduct- Race 10 (5:58 pm) Wood Memorial (G2)
Leg D: Keeneland-Race 10 (6:02 pm) Madison (G1)
Leg E: Oaklawn Park-Race 11 (6:54 pm) Fantasy (G3)

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Veteran New York-Bred Mr. Buff Seeking Graded Status In Excelsior

Coming off a pair of stakes wins on the local strip, the venerable New York-bred Mr. Buff will look to finally break through in a graded stakes race on Saturday on Aqueduct Racetrack's main track when he lines up against six rivals in the nine-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior for 4-year-olds and up.

Off as Race 8 on the 11-race card, the Excelsior is part of an action-packed day at the Big A that features the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the final local prep for the Kentucky Derby offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers, as well as the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap, the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore and the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle, offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks.

Mr. Buff, who has already secured millionaire status, still stands out as a leading attraction. The Chester and Mary Broman homebred has 17 wins to his credit, 11 of them in stakes races, but has been unable to seal the deal in a graded race in five attempts.

Despite his graded woes, the 7-year-old son of Friend Or Foe has compiled an imposing resume. His ledger at Aqueduct features 10 wins and earnings in excess of $600,000.

After a distant fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap to begin the Big A winter meet on December 5, Mr. Buff rebounded with an encouraging runner-up performance in the Alex M. Robb for New York-breds just seven days later and has since rattled off wins in the Stymie and Jazil, the latter of which he accomplished by seven lengths at the Excelsior distance.

With his affinity for Aqueduct well established, his trainer John Kimmel hopes at long last the Excelsior will mark his first graded triumph.

“He's doing terrific,” Kimmel said of the chestnut gelding. “He's been acting great, breezing great, and he certainly has a good record at Aqueduct. He's been so consistent on this track that I have to think he's going to give another good performance. He's beaten a lot of graded winners, so we'll see what happens.”

Kendrick Carmouche, who was aboard for his runaway score in the Jazil when he came from just off the pace, will have the call from the outermost post.

“If he's ridden the right way I think he's going to win,” said Kimmel. “Kendrick understands the kind of horse he is; he knows he doesn't need to be committed to the lead. He can find his rhythm with that big stride of his and high cruising speed and hopefully he can make a comfortable lead, but if not Kendrick knows to be patient.”

An eclectic group of challengers will enter the starting gate to face Mr. Buff, with small barns being well represented in the Excelsior.

Limonite has been a revelation since being claimed by trainer Amira Chichakly three starts ago for $40,000. While Limonite began his career as a highly promising 2-year-old and a potential Kentucky Derby prospect in 2019, his development had plateaued by 2020 as he bounced around the claiming ranks in the latter half of the year.

His fortunes changed suddenly when haltered by Chichakly and owners Brian and Kerry Novak on January 30 at the Big A, and in his first start for his new connections, which came little more than a week later, Limonite exploded to a five-length win over optional claiming company.

Last out he proved that performance was no fluke with a game runner-up finish in the Stymie behind Mr. Buff, missing by just a half-length to that one in the end.

Fresh off his first NYRA jockey title at the Aqueduct winter meet, Eric Cancel will be aboard Limonite from post 4.

Backsideofthemoon, another popular older claimer, will rejoin the stakes ranks in the Excelsior after being taken back by trainer Robert Klesaris in his last start for $62,500. Like Mr. Buff, Backsideofthemoon has a history of running his best races at Aqueduct, and the 9-year-old even ran a career best race here on December 19 in the Queens County, which he won by six lengths with a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

He will break from post 3 with jockey Trevor McCarthy in the irons.

Representing the bigger stables will be trainer Todd Pletcher, who looks to saddle a horse-for-course with Haikal. Formerly under the care of now-retired trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, the Shadwell homebred made a name for himself over this track in early 2019, when he won the Grade 3 Gotham and looked like a legitimate Derby prospect before being forced to hit the sidelines following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial that same year.

Haikal nearly returned a winner at the Big A to begin his 2020 campaign, but three subsequent tries, all at Gulfstream Park, have produced underwhelming results.

“He didn't seem to like Gulfstream at all,” said Pletcher, who took over Haikal's training duties when McLaughlin retired early last year. “His form is good at Aqueduct. Hopefully by getting him back to Aqueduct, we'll get him back on course.”

Haikal will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the inside post.

Rounding out the field are Modernist [post 5, Junior Alvarado], a former graded winner for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who finished second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 3 Challenger; the Tom Albertrani-trained Tintoretto [post 6, Jose Ortiz] looking to improve off a fourth in the Stymie; and Grumps Little Tots [post 2, Manny Franco], who steps up in class for conditioner Rob Atras following a nose win in a $50,000 claimer traveling nine furlongs on February 26 at Aqueduct.

First post on Saturday's 11-race program is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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‘Best At One Turn,’ Drain The Clock Cuts Back For Bay Shore

A compact but competitive field of 3-year-old dirt sprinters has assembled for Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore at seven furlongs on the Aqueduct Racetrack main track led by Florida shipper Drain the Clock, who enters off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.

While the temptation for most connections would be to forge ahead on the Kentucky Derby trail after picking up 20 qualifying points in the Fountain of Youth, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and an ownership coalition of Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig have elected to abandon such quixotic pursuits and instead focus on shorter races with their talented sophomore.

A son of Maclean's Music out of an Arch mare, Drain the Clock has a sparkling record in sprint races, with only one blemish on his resume which came in the two-turn, seven-furlong Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs when an iron broke and he lost his rider. Aside from that mishap, the chestnut colt has four wins in dirt dashes, including a pair of open-length tallies at Gulfstream during their recent Championship Meet, and nearly wired the field last out in the Fountain of Youth but was run down late by a legitimate Kentucky Derby prospect in Greatest Honour.

“He's never got beat going one turn,” said Joseph, Jr. “He ran a credible race in the Fountain of Youth but I think he's best at one turn and we're hoping he'll show up and run his usual race.”

Looking for his fifth win from just seven starts, Drain the Clock will break from post 3 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard for the first time.

While Drain the Clock has undoubtedly compiled the most impressive resume of anyone in the Bay Shore, a quartet of hungry challengers has lined up behind him to take their shots.

The likely favorite's stiffest competition could come from the Pennsylvania-bred Beren, who is seeking his third straight victory as he makes his foray into New York via Parx Racing.

Trained by Butch Reid for St. Omer's Farm and Christopher Feifarek, it took Beren a little while to figure things out but he's been in solid form in 2021 as he broke his maiden by 6 1/4-lengths two starts ago and followed it up with a two-length score over a group of first-level optional claimers on March 3 at Parx.

“He's doing very well. He just had a nice little blowout, has won his last two and is brimming with confidence. It's a short field so why not take a chance,” said Reid. “He's really matured this year. He was a gangly horse as a 2-year-old but he's filled out nicely and looks good. He put on weight like a 3-year-old colt should and we're real excited about him.”

Beren will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 5.

Coming off a win in the slop at Oaklawn Park, the Steve Asmussen-trained Whiskey Double adds to the out-of-town flavor of the Bay Shore.

A bay son of Into Mischief, Whiskey Double took his debut early in his juvenile year on June 27 at Churchill Downs but didn't resurface again until January of this year, when he finished third in a sprint at Fair Grounds behind O Besos, who recently placed third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. After a dull effort going 1 1/16 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds, Whiskey Double responded well to a turnback in distance in his last start, in which he prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a six-furlong dash at Oaklawn.

Jose Ortiz will be aboard the Winchell Thoroughbreds color-bearer from post 4.

Not to be forgotten in this diverse Bay Shore cast, the local contingent will be represented by Too Boss and Garoppolo, who go out for trainers Todd Pletcher and Kelly Breen, respectively.

A gray son of El Padrino, the former broke his maiden over this same track and distance by 5 ½ lengths on January 17 with an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, but things went awry in his last start going two turns at Parx on a sloppy track and he finished fourth, beaten seven lengths. He'll look to bounce back from the inside post with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons.

Garoppolo, meanwhile, has been off since contesting the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course last year. Prior to his distant fourth-place finish in the Saratoga Special, the Outwork colt broke his maiden at Belmont Park, where he appears to be working well for his return over the adjacent training track. Owned by Mr. Amore Stable and to be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Garoppolo will depart from post 2 as he makes his 3-year-old debut.

Part of a stellar undercard for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the Bay Shore is one of five graded stakes races on the program, which also includes the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap, the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior.

The Bay Shore is slated as Race 4 on the 11-race card. First post is at 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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