Raise Cain Perfectly Timed at Wire in Keeneland’s Perryville

Snapping a six-race slide and returning to the winner's enclosure for the first-time since his GII Gotham S. win in the spring, Raise Cain (c, 3, Violence–Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid) nipped Dr. Venkman (Ghostzapper) in the shadow of the wire to score in the Perryville S.

The aforementioned GI Kentucky Derby prep race has been his only victory in 2023, and in pairing with a nose runner-up effort in the GIII Indiana Derby July 8 to familiar foe GSW & MGISP Verifying (Justify), has been the only time the son of Violence has been on the board this year. The 6-1 distant third choice here for the cut back in distance behind that returning rival and the eventual runner-up, Raise Cain was content to stalk from fourth as a leading trio battled it out on the front. Riding the rail into the turn but moved to the outside at the five sixteenths pole, he was rolling in the six path with a full head of steam entering the lane. Locking horns with Dr. Venkman after catching him late in the stretch, he nailed that rival in the shadow of the wire by a head as Post Time (Frosted) rallied from last to round out the trifecta.

 

“I think it's probably what he wants to do. His only wins were around one turn. He got us to the (GI Kentucky) Derby and he's been such an over-achieving horse, he really deserved it,” said Ben Colebrook. “I think (jockey) Luis Saez made the difference. He rode him great. I mean, all the riders have ridden him well, but Luis gives you that just extra little bit. That's probably what we needed today.”

The first black-type runner for his dam, Raise Cain joins a trio of siblings to get their picture taken on the mare's tally. Lemon Belle, out of MGSW Queenie Belle (Bertrando)–making her a half-sister to GISW & MGISP Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), dam of two-time champion MGISW Unique Bella (Tapit)–has a 2-year-old Frostelle (Frosted) as well as a 2023 Constitution colt and visited red-hot Justify for 2024. This is the female family of Canadian staple MGISP Sir Sahib (Fort Larned). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

PERRYVILLE S., $235,188, Keeneland, 10-21, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.58, ft.
1–RAISE CAIN, 118, c, 3, by Violence
         1st Dam: Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid
         2nd Dam: Queenie Belle, by Bertrando
         3rd Dam: Lady Argyle, by Don B.
($180,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $65,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Andrew N. and Rania Warren; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Ben Colebrook; J-Luis Saez. $153,063. Lifetime Record: GSW, 13-3-2-1, $577,066.
2–Dr. Venkman, 118, g, 3, Ghostzapper–Theory of Change, by Archarcharch. ($105,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Dan J. Agnew, Clint Bunch, Mark Cohen, and James Hailey; B-Ghostzapper Syndicate & Hidden Brook Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $39,500.
3–Post Time, 118, c, 3, Frosted–Vielsalm, by Fairbanks. ($85,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). O-Hillwood Stable LLC; B-Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman & Milton P Higgins III (MD); T-Brittany T. Russell. $19,750.
Margins: HD, 1 1/4, 5HF. Odds: 6.44, 1.26, 7.42.
Also Ran: Loyal Company, Verifying, Confidence Game.

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Raise Cain Works Five Furlongs In Kentucky Derby Tune Up

Raise Cain (Violence) worked five furlongs in 1:03.40 Thursday at Keeneland in preparation for an expected run in the GI Kentucky Derby. With regular work rider Isael Garcia aboard for trainer Ben Colebrook, Raise Cain produced fractions of :13.60, :26.80, :38.60, :51.40, 1:03.40 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:15.80.

“Nice and easy… finished well and galloped out well. Just what you're looking for,” said Colebrook. “He started out slow and then finished well.”

Colebrook, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter, plans to work Raise Cain next Thursday or Friday depending on weather before vanning to Churchill Downs May 1.

 

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Thursday’s Insights: Curlin Filly Looks To Lasso First Run

7th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yof, 1/16th, 4:12 p.m.
Trainer Ben Colebrook has a dossier of 'firsts' at Keeneland over the years and he will look to get QUEEN OF THE RODEO (Curlin) home on Thursday afternoon against a field of 11 more experienced runners. A $575,000 '21 KEESEP graduate, the dark bay filly is her stakes-winning mare Berned (Bernardini)'s first to make the races, but she also has a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and just reported a new filly on the ground by Into Mischief. Second dam GSW First Passage (Giant's Causeway) is a full-sister to Giant Win, who produced GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and G3 Saudi Derby winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy). Queen of the Rodeo will break from post 11 and have Tyler Gaffalione in the irons.  TJCIS PPS

6th-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 4:02 p.m.
With Aqueduct's turf courses open for business during the month of April, it is time to head to the inner where SACRED RHYME (Mendelssohn) will be making his maiden voyage for the ownership group of Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Jonathan Poulin. This $310,000 KEESEP purchase is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor Fire At Will (Declaration of War). Turf runs deeper here in the colt's dam Flirt (Kitten's Joy), who is out of Gamely Girl (Arch), responsible for GI Summer S. scorer Decorated Invader (Declaration of War, $617,823). Trained by Chad Brown and ridden from post two by Jose Ortiz, the bay colt will face another firster in John Oxley's TWIRLER (Twirling Candy). The $205,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling is trained by Bill Mott and will have the services of Kendrick Carmouche from post seven. TJCIS PPS

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Colebrook Sends Two Runners to Blue Grass Debut

Five weeks ago, Ben Colebrook had to jump through quite a few hoops to make sure he could see both of his top 3-year-old colts make the starting gate on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Without so much as pausing to get his picture taken after Raise Cain's (Violence) victory in the GIII Gotham S., the conditioner hopped on a plane bound for Kentucky to saddle Scoobie Quando (Uncle Mo) ahead of a runner-up effort in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway just over four hours later.

This time around, Colebrook decided to avoid the tumultuous travel schedule altogether, ensuring that he would be on-site to watch both of his stable stars perform, as the pair of colts are pointed for Saturday's $1 million GI Toyota Blue Grass S.

While Colebrook said it would have been ideal to keep the two sophomores–who are both campaigned by Andrew and Rania Warren–separate for their final Kentucky Derby preps, he opted against shipping Raise Cain back to Aqueduct for the GII Wood Memorial S. and ultimately decided it would be best to remain at their home track.

Raise Cain has already proven himself at Keeneland. The son of Violence broke his maiden and ran third in the Bowman Mill S. there last fall and then trained at the Lexington oval throughout the winter. Following his 7 1/2-length score in the Gotham, where he earned a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure going from eleventh to first over a muddy Aqueduct track, the bay has put in two works at Keeneland, most recently going four furlongs in :47.80 on Mar. 30.

“He came out of the Gotham in good shape and he's had two nice works here,” Colebrook explained. “He's familiar with the surroundings and he's won here before, so he's coming into the race really well.”

Entering his first Grade I contest as the third choice with morning-line odds of 9/2, Raise Cain will break from post 10 in an 11-horse field with Joel Rosario aboard. Colebrook explained why he believes the race–and the post position–will favor the colt's closing running style.

“On paper it looks like there will be some pace and hopefully from that outside post [he can] just get over and work out a trip like he did in the Gotham where he can make that one run and sustain it. We're just looking for a good race and something to build off of to hopefully go on to Churchill.”

While Raise Cain has already secured 54 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, his stablemate Scoobie Quando will need a breakthrough performance on Saturday for a chance at making it to the Derby starting gate.

Unraced at two, Scoobie Quando was confidently placed for his winning debut in the Turfway Prevue S. in January. He ran second in his next two starts at Turfway, getting lost in the pack and making late moves in both races.

“He went all the way back to last at the top of the stretch and then he flew home,” Colebrook said of the colt's second-place effort 3 ½ lengths behind Congruent (Tapit) in the John Battaglia last time out. “Nothing against the winner, who ran a great race, but I think the margin would have been closer and it would have been a horse race had we gotten out earlier.”

Scoobie Quando was initially slated for the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks on Mar. 25, but a minor skin issue the morning of the race forced him to scratch. While Colebrook considered running the son of Uncle Mo in the GIII Lexington S. on April 15, he ultimately decided that the timing of the Blue Grass would be the ideal setup for a Derby bid.

That initial setback from the Jeff Ruby scratch may have proven to be a blessing in disguise as Colebrook said that Scoobie Quando seems to have taken to the main track as he prepares for his dirt debut. The colt breezed a sharp five furlongs in :59.80 (1/13) over the Keeneland main track on Mar. 30.

“We worked him very aggressive on the dirt and he worked really, really well,” Colebrook noted. “[Jockey] Luan Machado was on him and thought he got over the dirt surface better than the Tapeta. So Scoobie over the dirt is a little bit of an unknown, but in the mornings he certainly seems like he really relishes the track.”

'Scoobie' may be the less experienced of Colebrook's two Blue Grass contender, but the trainer spoke highly of both horses.

“They're both very quality horses,” he said. “I think Scoobie has always shown a little bit more brilliance in his works. Raise Cain has always been kind of workman-like and does everything you ask of him. He was one that when you ran him first time, he didn't even know what was going on because he was so relaxed. He's just very reliable. Scoobie has certainly done nothing wrong so far, but he's just a little more inexperienced at this stage because he got a later start.”

A native of Central Kentucky, Colebrook grew up attending the Keeneland race meet with his father. The horseman is now in his eleventh year of training and Keeneland has become the setting for some of his best achievements. He saddled his first winner there in 2013, scored his first graded stakes win with Sparking Review in the GIII Pin Oak Valley View (Lemon Drop Kid) a year later, and celebrated his first career Grade I victory with Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in 2018. This weekend, he hopes to add another 'first' to the list as he saddles his first two runners for the famed track's premier Derby prep race.

“This will be my first time with a runner in the Blue Grass and to have two in it is crazier,” he said. “It's a dream come true just to have a horse that's good enough to run in the Blue Grass because I grew up watching the Blue Grass as a kid. It's one of the biggest preps for the Derby and it's here at our home track so it's a big deal to even be in the race. We're super proud of that and hopefully they both can give a good account of themselves, which I think they will.”

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