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Early Voting Puts in Final Preakness Prep

GII Wood Memorial S. runner-up Early Voting (Gun Runner) put in his final breeze ahead of the upcoming GI Preakness S. Friday morning at Belmont Park, going five panels in 1:00.63 in company with SW Miles D (Curlin).

Under jockey Jose Ortiz, The Chad Brown pupil went three-eighths in :36.40 before completing the five furlong move in 1:00.63 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 flat over the fast main track.

“He hit the times just as I wanted and he galloped out super,” Brown said of Early Voting. “If he comes out of the breeze in good shape, then he's on to Pimlico. Tentatively, I'm thinking of shipping the horse on Tuesday.”

Early Voting skipped the GI Kentucky Derby in favor of this spot. Brown made a similar move with the Klaravich co-owned Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) after he finished third in the Wood.

“There's a lot of similarities,” Brown said. “They both are lightly-raced, improving horses that are coming out of the Wood and could use a little more time and experience rather than throw them into a 20-horse field in the Derby.”

Miles D is slated for the GIII Pimlico Special S. Friday.

“Miles D worked inside, he's actually a little better outside, but it set it up that way today,” said Brown. “He got a lot of the work this morning. He missed a little time because he got sick before the Oaklawn Handicap, so we missed that race. He should appreciate the distance of the Pimlico Special.”

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The Return Of The Native

Since Charlie Appleby took up the mantle at Moulton Paddocks in 2013, Godolphin's fortunes on British soil have been back on the rise and there is no greater exponent of that trend than Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas leading light Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The way Appleby's runners have been sweeping up the Spring's black-type contests so far this term is reminiscent of the days when Henry Cecil's Warren Place was at its height and provides further evidence that Ballydoyle has a heavyweight of mutual prowess to trade blows with in these times. Native Trail, who may have been compromised if anything by having only seven furlongs to run over at two, looks the proverbial “good thing” that the yard's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) turned out not to be in this two years ago.

Simon Rowlands, in his excellent “Sectional Spotlight” feature on attheraces.com, is clear as to the hot favourite's advantage over his peers. “What sets him apart most is [a] giant stride, of a magnitude usually seen only in champions,” he stated in his most recent piece, having measured it at “a peak of 27.3 feet when 24.5 feet is the global average for flat horses”. He calls this “monster territory” and that is what the other 14 Guineas pretenders are up against.

Leading The Chase

OK, so what gets near the huge-striding royal blue colossus? Maybe Ballydoyle's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy winner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who with his similarly unbeaten tag is at least a worthy opponent. His electric finishing surge in a weak-looking renewal of the G2 Beresford S. provoked memories of the race's recent winners Sea the Stars (Ire), St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) and Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and he is undoubtedly the chief threat to Native Trail. Aidan O'Brien has taken on clear division-leaders Xaar (GB), Dubawi (Ire) and New Approach (Ire) in the past and managed to subdue them in this, so he knows more than most what it takes to down champions not hailing from the Rosegreen pantheon. There is every chance Luxembourg is a rare talent. Professional but not scintillating at Doncaster, he gave us a glimpse of his material in the Beresford where it was notable how old hand Seamie Heffernan reacted. Not renowned for his tendency to hype, he was abuzz in the winner's spot on that occasion.

According To Ryan

Another who errs on the side of caution when in analysis, Ryan Moore's unspoken gestures are often the ones to focus on and it is surely the case that almost nobody expected him to side with Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) over Luxembourg. Famously a man of few words, his Betfair blog can be read as a subtle warning. “We expect him to make his presence felt,” he said of the Westerberg flag-bearer as he prepares to halt Team Godolphin's momentum. Interestingly, he had insight to offer on the speed aspect of the race, Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}). “I think the faster 2-year-olds were some way inferior to their staying counterparts,” he states.

The Coroebus Dilemma

Godolphin's burgeoning talent Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is here very much on merit, but seems to be viewed as a longer-term prospect in the shadow of Native Trail and this education will not be lost on him. If he had one major weakness at two it was his painful honesty, seen most tellingly as he ripped off passing halfway in the G2 Royal Lodge S. before being eventually dragged back by Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Held on to for longer over the same course and distance in the G3 Autumn S., the bay who bears a resemblance to his sire has significant ground to make up on Native Trail on every score and it will be James Doyle's task to play the waiting game drawn as far away from his stablemate as is possible.

Winter Bloomers

Few would have predicted that Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}) and Checkandchallenge (GB) (Fast Company {Ire})–from contrasting ends of the ownership and training spectrum in Prince Faisal and Roger Varian and Andrew Hetherton and William Knight respectively–would be live Guineas outsiders when making their all-weather debuts in the colder months. The former was beaten in a Newcastle novice Feb. 19 before taking a huge leap forward in the nine-furlong Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket, while the race's fairytale horse Checkandchallenge was all style in Newcastle's Listed Burradon S. David Egan rates Eydon, whose state of wellbeing has forced connections' hands into putting him in this picture. “We went a slow pace in the Feilden, he had to show a lot of speed to get into the race and he did everything with ease.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Latest Additions Bring Cazoo Derby Entries To 93

There are now 93 entries for the £1.5-million G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs on June 4, following the close of the latest entry stage. Godolphin's Listed Cazoo Blue Riband Trial winner Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}) earned an automatic berth to the Classic, while the runner-up, Susan Roy's Grand Alliance (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), and Glory Daze (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), a maiden winner at The Curragh for the Glory Gold Partnership, were added to the nominations at a cost of £12,000 each.

Also entered in the Derby are the undefeated dual group winner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and the G1 National S. second Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who has also won twice at group level, for the Coolmore partners; and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the colours of the Nas Syndicate and A O'Callaghan. Third to El Bodegon in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud was Godolphin's Goldspur (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The G3 Autumn S. hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has also stood his ground in the royal blue.

Still signed on are group winners Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) for Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud, Flaxman Stables' Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}), Her Majesty The Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) among others. The Listed bet365 Feilden S. winner Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}), who bears the silks of Prince Faisal, also holds an entry.

There is a final £75,000 entry stage on Monday, May 30.

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Namur Hoping To Blossom In Oka Sho

Billed as the “Cherry Blossom Prize”, Japan's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres is the first Japanese Classic of the season, and a full field of 18 faces the starter on Sunday.

The diminutive three-for-four Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is the likely favourite, and she enters this test on the back of a victory in the Mar. 5 G2 Tulip Sho. Her only loss was in her third start, when a close fourth after a slow break and a rough trip to Circle Of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Lovely Your Eyes (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}), and Water Navillera (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}), in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Dec. 12. As her 2022 form has shown, the bay has progressed this term, but she must overcome breaking from gate 18, the widest post in the one-mile race. “I think she has pretty much fixed her form and only rose up in front a bit,” said trainer Tomokazu Takano.

Circle of Life graduated at second asking at Nakayama in September, then reeled off wins in the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo on Oct. 30 and at Hanshin in December. Her victory in the latter helped boost her to the title of Japan's Champion 2-Year-Old Filly for 2021. The bay was closer than normal to the pace in the Tulip Sho, where she finished third to a resurgent Namur and Pin High (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}).

“She was a bit more high-strung than usual in this last race, but now that she's let off some gas, if she can get a nice smooth trip and make the most of her late speed, I think she has a chance to revenge the loss,” said trainer Sakae Kunieda.

Although without a win at group level, Lovely Your Eyes did place third versus colts in the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. at Tokyo in November, and she was only a half-length off of Circle of Life in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. The Oka Sho will be her first appearance as a sophomore, and she is a member of G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas hero Logotype's first crop.

“She is refreshed now, both mentally and physically and has matured quite a bit,” said conditioner Yoichi Kuroiwa. “The jockey [Ryusei Sakai] rode her last week and liked what he felt. She is looking good. I think her weight will be up from her last start.”

The Group 1-placed Water Navillera won her first three starts at two, culminating with a victory in the G3 KBS Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. in November, defeating Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}). She was third in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, but produced a game effort to be fifth in the Tulip Sho, running on without a clear run and gaining on the leaders all the way to the line.

Click here for the group field.

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