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Ageless Rated R Superstar Strong In Second Essex Win

Nine-year-old Rated R Superstar, who was a multiple graded stakes winner before being claimed by his present connections for $50,000 in January 2021, proved he can still run with the best of them with his second stakes victory of the meet in Saturday's $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3).

The victory marked the first career graded stakes win for four-time leading Oaklawn owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Frederico Villafranco.

Under a confident ride by David Cabrera, Rated R Superstar, who earlier in the meet won the Fifth Season Stakes, raced in sixth early as Plainsman and Thomas Shelby battled on the front end through fractions of the :23.20 and :47.18 for the first half mile.

The winner was four wide turning for home, gained command inside the furlong marker and kicked clear late to win by 2 ¼ lengths over Plainsman in 1:43.12 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track.

Beau Luminarie came flying late and just missed second by neck for third. Thomas Shelby fought hard to finish a neck back in fourth.

“We got a clean trip down the stretch,” Caldwell said. “I knew at the top of the stretch, I looked at my wife and said, 'We've got a chance.' The first thing I told Federico (Villafranco) when I walked into the paddock, I said: 'There's closers coming in today, so it gives us a good shot.'

“The horse was doing good. I was at the barn yesterday and he tried to bite me, so I knew he was doing great. He's a classy horse. Like I've said, I'm blessed to have him in our stable. He's been a blessing to us. As long as he wants to run, we're going to let him run and if he's doing really good, we're going in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).”

The Oaklawn Handicap, at 1 1/8 miles, carries a $1 million purse and is set for April 23.

Rated R Superstar, a son of Kodiak Kowboy who won the Essex Handicap in 2019 for other connections, improved his career record to 11-10-8 in 59 starts and has now made $1,589,014 in career earnings. In his second start following his claim by Caldwell, he finished second in the 2021 Essex. He returned $18.

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Florida-Breds Set To Take Stage In Florida Cup

Registered Florida-breds will be showcased March 27 when they compete for $660,000 in stakes purses in the 19th annual Florida Cup at Tampa Bay Downs.

Anyone who has been a fan of the Oldsmar oval for more than a few years owns a bucketful of Florida Cup memories, and for some, It's Me Mom's scintillating victory in the 2012 Sprint remains the top thrill of all. The 4-year-old homebred filly defeated a field of six males, speeding home in a still-standing, track-record time of 1:08.67 for the six-furlong distance under jockey Jorge Vargas.

A number of horses have used victories in the Florida Cup to go on to more prestigious achievements, including World Approval, victorious in both the 2015 Sophomore Turf and the 2017 Turf Classic; Imperial Hint, winner of both the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore and the 2018 Sprint; and Catalina Red, who won the 2016 Sprint.

This year's Florida Cup consists of three races apiece on both the main dirt track and the turf course, with three races for 3-year-olds, two for horses 4-years-old-and-upward and one for fillies and mares 3-and-upward. Entries will be drawn Thursday in the Tampa Bay Downs Racing Office.

The Florida Cup races are as follows (each offers $110,000 in purse money):

Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs, main track
Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, 3 -year-old fillies, 7 furlongs, main track
Equistaff Sophomore Turf, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16-mile, turf course
Grey Goose Turf Classic, 4-year-olds-and-upward, 1 1/8-mile, turf course
Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, fillies and mares 3-and-upward, 1 1/16-mile, turf course
NYRABETS Sprint, 4-and-upward, 6 furlongs, main track

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Mutuel Field Favored In Pool 4 Of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Eight weeks in advance of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1), the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” was the 4-1 favorite when Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) closed Sunday evening.

Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner and Risen Star (G2) runner-up Smile Happy was the 6-1 second betting choice and San Vicente (G2) and San Felipe (G2) winner Forbidden Kingdom was third choice at 7-1.

This marked the 15th time in the last 20 years that the mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” was favored in the March future pool.

Horses in order of favoritism in the three-day March 11-13 KDFW Pool 4 (trainer, odds and $2 Win will pays): #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (4-1, $10.40); #19 Smile Happy (Kenny McPeek, 6-1, $15); #10 Forbidden Kingdom (Richard Mandella, 7-1, $16.60); #4 Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch, 10-1, $23); #8 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, 13-1, $28.40); #3 Charge It (Todd Pletcher, 17-1, $37.20); #14 Morello (Asmussen, 17-1, $37.20); #18 Simplification (Antonio Sano, 19-1, $40); #6 Early Voting (Chad Brown, 19-1, $41.60); #22 Zandon (Brown, 22-1, $46); #21 White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph Jr., 22-1, $47.80); #13 Mo Donegal (Pletcher, 24-1, $50.40); #23 Zozos (Brad Cox, 30-1, $62.20); #16 Rattle N Roll (McPeek, 31-1, $64); #9 Ethereal Road (D. Wayne Lukas, 32-1, $67.40); #7 Emmanuel (Pletcher, 33-1, $69.60); #5 Cyberknife (Cox, 36-1, $74.80); #20 Un Ojo (Ricky Courville, 36-1, $74.80); #1 Barber Road (John Ortiz, 39-1, $80.20); #11 In Due Time (Kelly Breen, 48-1, $99.40); #17 Shipsational (Eddie Barker, 51-1, $104.20); #12 Major General (Pletcher, 65-1, $132.60); #2 Call Me Midnight (Keith Desormeaux, 68-1, $138.20); and #15 Pioneer of Medina (Pletcher, 71-1, $144).

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager, offered for a 24th consecutive year, enables bettors to wager on possible Kentucky Derby contenders in advance of America's greatest race at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The $3 million Kentucky Derby will be run for the 148th consecutive year on Saturday, May 7.

In the lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which was conducted concurrently with the KDFW, unbeaten champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu closed as 5-2 favorite over runaway Honeybee (GIII) winner Secret Oath, who was 7-2.

The final odds for the Oaks Future Wager: #7 Echo Zulu (Steve Asmussen, 5-2, $7.60); #18 Secret Oath (D. Wayne Lukas, 7-2, $9.80); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies” (6-1, $15); #14 Kathleen O. (Shug McGaughey, 9-1, $20.40); #15 Nest (Todd Pletcher, 14-1, $31); #21 Venti Valentine (Jorge Abreu, 15-1, $32.40); #13 Juju's Map (Brad Cox, 22-1, $47); #20 Turnerloose (Cox, 24-1, $50); #19 Shahama (Todd Pletcher, 24-1, $51.80); #2 Ain't Easy (Phil D'Amato, 27-1, $56.20); #1 A Mo Reay (Pletcher, 36-1, $75.40); #5 Bubble Rock (Cox, 37-1, $77.80); #6 Classy Edition (Pletcher, 38-1, $78.40); #11 Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun, 41-1, $85.80); #3 Awake At Midnyte (Doug O'Neill, 45-1, $92.80); #16 Nostalgic (Bill Mott, 46-1, $94); #10 Goddess of Fire (Pletcher, 51-1, $105.80); #9 Favor (Pletcher, 71-1, $145.20); #17 Sandstone (Kenny McPeek, 81-1, $165.80); #4 Bernabreezy (Matt Shirer, 84-1, $171); #12 Ice Orchid (John Ortiz, 88-1, $178.60); #22 Veterans Highway (Rusty Arnold, 93-1, $189.20); #23 Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset, 108-1, $218.60); and #8 Fannie and Freddie (Al Stall Jr., 154-1, $310.60).

Betting on all future wagers over the three-day period was up 16.7% to $550,030. Last year's March handle totaled $471,494.

Total handle for the March 11-13 KDFW pool – the fourth of five wagering pools in advance of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby – was $374,702 ($284,503 in the Win pool and $90,200 in Exactas), up 16.2% compared to last year's $322,477 ($231,632 in the Win pool and $90,844 in Exactas).

Betting on the Oaks Future Wager totaled $90,737 ($64,480 in the Win pool and $26,257 in Exactas), a 15.9% increase versus last year's $78,290 ($57,219 in the Win pool and $20,771 in Exactas).

The Oaks/Derby Future Double, which requires fans to correctly select the winners of both the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks(G1) on May 6 and the next day's Kentucky Derby, handled $84,591, a 19.6% jump compared to last year's $70,727.

The year's fifth and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool is set for Thursday, March 31 through Saturday, April 2. Different from the first four pools of the KDFW, the fifth and final Pool 5 will close prior to the first Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series race on April 2.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

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Three Tie For Fastest Furlong at Final OBS March Show

On the final day of a weather-delayed breeze show, the workouts were uninterrupted to wrap up the 2022 OBS March Under Tack show.

Three horses shared the co-fastest quarter-mile work of :20 4/5:

Series Star, hip 446, a dark bay/brown Violence colt out of graded stakes winner Freedom Star, by Street Cry, is consigned to the sale by Eddie Woods as agent.
Hip 456 is a bay colt by first-season sire Awesome Slew out of the Into Mischief mare, Genau. From the family of graded stakes-winning millionaire and OBS March grad Western Pride, he is consigned to the sale by Ocala Stud.
Hip 521, a bay colt by Into Mischief consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds as agent, is out of the Street Cry mare Jellicle Song, herself out of the Grade 1-winning millionaire Precious Kitten.

Five horses shared the second fastest quarter time of :21 flat:

Hip 461, a gray/roan Frosted colt consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds as agent is out of Ginza, a full to multimillionaire, Breeders' Cup winner, and OBS graduate Stephanie's Kitten.
Hip 530 is a bay Practical Joke colt out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare, Juliette Ava, herself a half to Grade 1 winner, Siphonic. He is consigned by Eddie Woods as agent.
Hip 542, a bay Medaglia d'Oro colt, is out of graded stakes placed stakes winner, Kelly's Humor, by Midnight Lute. He is also consigned by Eddie Woods as agent.
Hip 548, a bay colt by West Coast out of Kimono, by Flatter, is a half to stakes winner Keke Kimono. He is again consigned by Eddie Woods as agent.
Hip 604, a bay colt by Speightster is out of Manitou Moon, by Shanghai Bobby. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Fierce Lady and the colt is consigned by Pick View as agent.

Six horses tied for the fastest furlong in :09 4/5:

Hip 437, Mor Speed, a chestnut colt by freshman sire Mor Spirit was the first to break the 10-second barrier today. He is out of the winning Indian Charlie mare, Follow My Tail, a daughter of group stakes winner Freefourracing.
Hip 438, a dark bay/brown Bolt d'Oro colt consigned by Top Line Sales LLC as agent, is out of Foolish Cause, by Giant's Causeway, herself a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Get Stormy. The colt is a half to stakes winner Foolish Humor.
Hip 534, a chestnut filly by Midshipman out of the Tapit mare Kalistoga Girl, who is out of stakes winner Calendar Girl. She is consigned to the sale by Cruzin' Thoroughbreds as agent.
Hip 544, a chestnut Shackleford filly out of Key Is to Win, by Dixie Union, is closely related to graded stakes winner Tiz the Bomb from the consignment of Longoria Training & Sales as agent.
Hip 545 consigned by Hawk's Rest LLC, is a dark bay/brown Uncaptured colt out of Keyvacious, by Teuflesberg, making the mare a half to dual-champion Deland.
Hip 631, a chestnut colt by Goldencents consigned by Jose Munoz, is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Ms Hallie and from the family of Grade 1 winner and OBS grad In Summation.

The OBS March Sale begins Tuesday, March 15 at 1pm ET with hips 1 – 316. The sale continues Wednesday, March 16 at 10:30am with hips 317 – 635.

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