Tag: blogs

Three projected starters for the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 recorded their final workouts over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn.

The trio of workers included Un Ojo, the one-eyed gelding who recorded an upset victory in Oaklawn's final major Arkansas Derby prep, the Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 26, for Louisiana-based trainer Ricky Courville.

Un Ojo breezed by himself after the surface renovation break under Rebel-winning rider Ramon Vazquez and covered a half-mile in :48.80. The gelding galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

“Easy half, in hand,” said Clay Courville, who assists his father and regularly gallops Un Ojo. “Just a maintenance work. Northing hard. Just something to keep him happy.”

Un Ojo was breezing for the second time since winning the 1 1/16-mile Rebel at odds of 75-1. Un Ojo arrived Wednesday afternoon after a 5 ½-hour van ride from his south Louisiana base, The Training Center At Copper Crowne. Un Ojo returned to the work tab March 19 at The Training Center At Copper Crowne, clocking 5 furlongs in 1:03.

Working a half-mile approximately 15 minutes after the track opened at 7 a.m. (CT) was unbeaten We the People for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. We the People, as he normally does, breezed in company, this time with Triple Crown nominee and stablemate Kuchar, who is being pointed for the $150,000 Oaklawn Stakes April 23. We the People went in :47.80 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 under Brisset, his normal morning partner.

“Very good,” Brisset said. “Usual work for him. Same work we did last time before the allowance – :48, a minute and change – galloped out strong. Just a maintenance work at seven days. It was very good. Hopefully, he came out of it OK and we go from there.”

Also working in company just after the track opened was Ben Diesel for trainer Dallas Stewart. A full brother to multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Girls Secret, Ben Diesel recorded a 5-furlong bullet (:59) under regular rider Jon Court. Ben Diesel breezed with older stablemate Last Samurai, who won the $150,000 Poinsettia Stakes for 3-year-olds Dec. 11.

Post positions for the Arkansas Derby will be drawn Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (CT) in the Larry Snyder Winner's Circle. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

The Oaklawn racing department listed nine probables Saturday morning, with a handful of others still being considered for the 1 1/8-mile race. Confirmed starters are Barber Road for trainer John Ortiz, Ben Diesel, Call Me Jamal (Mike Puhich), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), Cyberknife (Brad Cox), Doppelganger (Tim Yakteen), Secret Oath (D. Wayne Lukas), Un Ojo and We the People.

Oaklawn-based Barber Road and Call Me Jamal are scheduled to have their final works for the Arkansas Derby Sunday morning, their respective trainers said.

Secret Oath, who will be facing males for the first time, has won her three starts at the meeting by a combined 23 lengths. She won a Dec. 31 allowance race at 1 mile by 8 ¼ lengths, $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 29 by 7 ¼ lengths and the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 26 by 7 ½ lengths. The Martha Washington and Honeybee were 1 1/16 miles.

Secret Oath, with 60 points for her Honeybee and Martha Washington victories, tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. The daughter of Arrogate had been under consideration for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 2 – Oaklawn's final major Kentucky Oaks prep – before targeting the Arkansas Derby.

Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy. Lukas finished third in the 1986 Arkansas Derby with another filly, Family Style, a week after she finished fourth in the Fantasy. Althea and Family Style were both Eclipse Award winners at 2.

Chasing Time and Ben Diesel finished 5-8, respectively, in the Rebel, while We the People exits a five-length entry-level allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles March 12. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start.

The Southern California-based Doppelganger had been with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a four-time Arkansas Derby winner – before being moved earlier this week to Yakteen, a former assistant. Baffert-trained horses were ineligible to collect Kentucky Derby qualifying points because of his two-year ban by Churchill Downs. He also is scheduled to begin serving a 90-day suspension April 4, sanctions stemming from the disqualification of his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, because of a medication violation.

Doppelganger, Grade 2 placed, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 Saturday morning at Santa Anita. Cyberknife went the same distance in 1:01.80 Saturday morning at Fair Grounds.

The $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1), the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies, is May 6 at Churchill Downs. The $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1), the first leg of the Triple Crown, is May 7 at Churchill Downs.

In addition to the Arkansas Derby and Fantasy, post positions also will be drawn Sunday for three other April 2 stakes races – $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses, $200,000 Carousel for fillies and mares at 6 furlongs and the $150,000 Temperence Hill for older horses at 1 ½ miles.

Among the Fantasy problems listed Saturday morning by the Oaklawn racing department were Beguine, Bubble Rock, Dream Lith, Heartyconstitution, I Feel the Need, Magic Circle, Under the Stars and Yuugiri.

The post Un Ojo Among Trio To Post Final Workouts For Arkansas Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Japan runners continued to shine on the world stage as Crown Pride ground out a classy victory Saturday in the $1 million UAE Derby Sponsored By Mubadala (G2) in the hands of Damian Lane.

Teruya Yosida's homebred son of Reach the Crown is trained by Koichi Shintani.

On a day when being close to the pace was important, it was local hope Summer Is Tomorrow who made the running and was traveling smoothly as the field entered the homestretch. Out a little wider, however, loomed Crown Pride and the pair singled out for a duel.

At the furlong marker, Summer Is Tomorrow appeared to have the measure of his Japanese rival, but his stride shortened and the Crown Pride's reserves of stamina told inside the final 100 meters for a victory by 2 3/4 lengths. Island Falcon finished third for Godolphin just over a length further back.

With four Thoroughbred races run on the Dubai World Cup card, Crown Pride's victory marked a third success for Japan after Bathrat Leon won the Godolphin Mile (G2) and Stay Foolish took the Dubai Gold Cup (G2). Japanese runners also fared well last month at the Saudi Cup meeting, winning four races.

Crown Pride, a nominee to the U.S. Triple Crown, covered about 1 3/16 miles (1,900 meters) in 1:59.76 on a track rated as fast.

Among U.S.-based runners, Gilded Age was 13th, Get Back Goldie was 15th, and Pinehurst, was last in the full field of 16 runners.

With his UAE Derby victory, Crown Pride, a nominee to the U.S. Triple Crown, earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 7.

Crown Pride, who has three wins from four starts, was racing outside of Japan for the first time and earned his first graded or group win Saturday.

“He stepped out okay but didn't travel too well thereafter and it just took a little bit to get him in a rhythm and get him going.” Lane said of Crown Pride after the UAE Derby. “I got crowded a little early but as I say he was able to stride through and take up position and it was plain sailing from there really. I was confident a long way out and although he made hard work of it in the straight, ultimately he was the toughest out there. He's a strong, tough horse and saw the distance out well.”

He added: “Whenever you jump aboard (a Japanese-trained horse) you can be confident they're going to be strong and they're going to run well and it's just a privilege to be a part of it.”

Bhupat Seemar, trainer of runner-up Summer Is Tomorrow, said: “This horse eats well, trains well, sleeps well – he is the perfect horse to have for any owner or trainer. Maybe we should have gone to the Guineas first and if he had a little bit of a longer race in him, he would have finished a little closer. The furthest he'd gone before today was seven furlongs, but he'd shown so much natural speed. At least we have a good horse for next year.”

He continued: “He's been sprinting before so pace comes naturally, the only thing was that the track was playing for speed as well so we thought we might have a little crack at it. Turning for home when he was still travelling, I thought he would pick up a little bit more but without that longer race to condition him he just gave out.

“I'd definitely consider the Kentucky Derby (G1), but I'd have to see if he's nominated or not first of all. That's the biggest thing. Why not though? There were some good horses behind him, a couple of Grade 1 horses from America, so now that he's had that run I think we'd have to think about it.”

3rd – Island Falcon, jockey Pat Cosgrave said: “The added trip was in his favour and he ran well.”

4th – Bendoog, trainer Bhupat Seemar said: “Very happy with his run, he just got on the rail and he got a lot of kickback but he's an immature horse and he ran one hell of a race.”

4th – Bendoog, jockey Tadhg O'Shea said: “He's a big shell of a horse and ran very good. He enjoyed a lovely trip around the inside and he drafted off the winner. He's a big horse and next year when he fills that big frame, there will be more to come.

9th – Azure Coast, jockey Antonio Fresu said: “My horse was uncomfortable going over the two turns and didn't handle the track very well and didn't perform.”

10th – Withering, jockey Adrie de Vries said: “It was alway going to be a very tough race. We weren't very lucky with the draw and my horse was hanging all the way and he wasn't comfortable. I would have liked to get something to get me into the ride, but he was wide always and didn't get a chance.

15th – Get Back Goldie, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr said: “My horse didn't handle the track very well, maybe he's just better on grass.”

The post ‘Pride’ Of Japan Scoots Clear in UAE Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Shipsational, who finished second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and third in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), is set to make his next start in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park, the Daily Racing Form reports.

Trainer Edward Barker told the Form he plans to switch jockeys from Manuel Franco back to Javier Castellano, who rode Shipsational in the Sam F. Davis. Shipsational broke from the No. 8 post position in both races, and Barker said wide trips compromised his chances both times.

The New York-bred colt, who is owned by Iris Smith Stable, has earned $75,000 from his two starts at Tampa Bay Downs. More importantly, at least to his hopes of racing in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 7, are the 14 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying points he picked up at the Oldsmar, Fla. track in his quest to secure one of the 20 available starting-gate spots in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.

Shipsational is currently 15th in the standings and likely would need at least a third or fourth-place finish to get there (the Florida Derby awards qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale).

Classic Causeway won both races and is No. 1 in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” standings with 66 points. He is expected to make his final start before the Kentucky Derby on April 9 in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Shipsational won a pair of New York state-bred stakes as a 2-year-old at Belmont Park, the Sleepy Hollow Stakes and the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes.

The post Jockey Switch For Shipsational in Florida Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post