Dreamer's Disease | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cohen: Keepmeinmind ‘One Of The Top Two I’ve Ever Sat On’

The only time David Cohen hasn't ridden Keepmeinmind was the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Cohen was still in the race, though, choosing to ride another horse for his main client, 2019 Oaklawn training champion Robertino Diodoro.

Cohen was aboard Dreamer's Disease, who was part of a torrid early pace in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile before tiring to finish sixth, 9 ¾ lengths behind powerful winner Essential Quality. Those same hot fractions helped Diodoro's other entrant, Keepmeinmind, finish third, beaten two lengths, after being last of 14 through a half-mile in a lively :45.31.

In retrospect, Cohen recalled several months later, it was a case of zigging when he should have zagged.

“I did have the choice,” Cohen said. “I have amnesia when it came to that, really. We worked them against each other a couple of times and this guy (Keepmeinmind) couldn't keep up with the other one. The other one was outworking him. Worked them both, rode them both.”

Cohen will be back aboard Keepmeinmind, when he makes his long-awaited 3-year-old debut in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Saturday at Oaklawn. Keepmeinmind, a late-running son of Laoban, was among eight horses entered Tuesday for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, Oaklawn's third of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Cohen, Oaklawn's leading jockey in 2019, rode Keepmeinmind three times last year, including a last-to-first maiden-breaking victory in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs in his last start. Prior to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Keepmeinmind finished second, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Essential Quality, in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 3 at Keeneland. Dreamer's Disease, ridden by Cohen, punched his ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a front-running allowance victory going a mile on the Breeders' Futurity undercard.

“I've always loved Keepmeinmind, but he was never there mentally,” Cohen said. “In his races, he was sucking back and I knew there was more horse underneath me. And then in the morning, we worked these two against each other and the other one was outworking him. It was a tough decision. I had one speed horse, one coming from behind.”

Cohen said his Breeders' Cup choice was made easier because both horses raced for their breeder, Southern Equine Stable LLC, adding it indicated he would ride both back – even if Dreamer's Disease won.

“I think I told them that this horse is better today, but he won't be in a month from now,” Cohen said, referring to Dreamer's Disease. “He got burnt up on the front end. We had like four different waves of pressure. Once one stopped, another one came. Once he got tired, another one came. I was fine with my decision, but it had a lot to do with knowing that I wasn't giving up a mount for good.”

Reunited with Cohen for the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Keepmeinmind was last of nine late on the second turn before passing two rivals on the inside turning for home and the remainder of the field on the outside in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. Keepmeinmind was the 2-1 favorite after going off 52-1 in the Breeders' Futurity and 30-1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“On paper, there wasn't a lot of speed,” Cohen said. “I probably could have been a few lengths closer going into the (first) turn, but I just elected to get him to the back and let him relax and give us a few more options when it came to navigating where I wanted to go once I sat him down for his run. The issue that we were having with him in his first couple of starts was getting in tight and sucking out of there and then coming with a run. We threw blinkers on him and that seemed to really help that out. Before I sat him down for his run, I could have gone outside of some horses, but I still wanted to teach him something and let him do it the proper way. I probably had two, three extra gears there with him.”

Following the race, Keepmeinmind was sent to Kentucky's WinStar Farm and remained in light training there, Diodoro said, until shipping to Hot Springs in late December.

Cohen has regularly breezed Keepmeinmind in advance of his 2021 debut, which was originally scheduled to come in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn before the race was postponed twice because of severe winter weather. Diodoro opted to pass the delayed Southwest (won Feb. 27 by unbeaten champion Essential Quality) and point for the Rebel after Keepmeinmind's training schedule was interrupted by snow and brutal cold.

Cohen said Keepmeinmind has progressed mentally since the Kentucky Jockey Club and already ranks him with Grade 1-winning millionaire sprinter Proud Tower Too as the best horse he's ridden in his career. Cohen rode his first winner in 2004 and guided Golden Ticket to victory (dead-heat) in the $1 million Travers Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds in 2012 at Saratoga.

“Seeing him develop and being part of his early career, before he's ever run, a lot of times you get on these horses when they're already good,” Cohen said. “But the way he's doing it, and does it so effortlessly, he's still not even at his full potential. I've got to think he's one of the top two I've ever sat on.”

The Rebel is one of five stakes races to be run Saturday at Oaklawn, the others being the $150,000 Temperence Hill for older horses at 1 ½ miles, $200,000 Hot Springs for older sprinters, $350,000 Azeri (G2) for older females at 1 1/16 miles and the $500,000 Essex Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Racing begins Saturday at noon (Central), with probable post time for the Rebel, the 11th of 12 races, 5:16 p.m. The infield will be open, weather permitting.

The projected Rebel field from the rail out: Caddo River, Florent Geroux to ride, 122 pounds; Big Lake, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117; Hozier, Martin Garcia, 117; Get Her Number, Javier Castellano, 119; Twilight Blue, Brian Hernandez Jr., 119; Keepmeinmind, David Cohen, 119; Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 117; and Super Stock, Joe Talamo, 117.

The Rebel will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters. Keepmeinmind has 18 points to rank 12th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, according to Churchill Downs.

The Rebel is the final major local prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10.

The post Cohen: Keepmeinmind ‘One Of The Top Two I’ve Ever Sat On’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Laoban Receives Warm Bluegrass Welcome

The buzz started around this time last year. The first crop of 2-year-olds from Sequel New York's Laoban were fast.

In a TDN series last spring polling various juvenile consignors and buyers, the son of Uncle Mo was on several shrewd observers' lists as a predicted under-the-radar stallion.

“Laoban is a sneaky one that I'm not sure if a lot of people will notice,” Brandon Rice had said last March. “I can see that there's guaranteed speed, and I could see him having a break out year…They all have a pleasing physical type. Horses that stamp their progeny this way usually have at least some level of success.”

“There's been some buzz surrounding him by the breeze-up consignors,” Justin Casse had echoed. “He's by Uncle Mo, which should help with precocity, and he has the numbers. I think he has a chance to be a premier stallion in New York going forward.”

Casse was correct in hypothesizing Laoban's shot at becoming a premier stallion, but this year the young sire will have the opportunity to take it one step further by hosting his fifth book of mares in Kentucky.

One banner weekend at Keeneland's fall meet last year helped seal his destined Bluegrass move.

First his daughter Simply Ravishing took the GI Darley Alcibiades by over six lengths. Then the next day, his son Keepmeinmind ran second to Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

Later that month, it was announced that Laoban would be relocating to WinStar Farm.

“Coming from New York, he stood his last season for $5,000,” said WinStar's David Hanley. “The difference in quality of mares he's getting now off a $25,000 fee, with the kind of physicals that he gets, I think he really has the possibility to be a big success as a stallion.”

Laoban wrapped up the 2020 season in second place on the freshman sire earnings list. His other top performers included Ava's Grace, his first winner from July who ran back to a third-place finish in the GII Adirondack S., dual New York-bred stakes winner Laobanonaprayer and Dreamer's Disease, who broke his maiden on the turf and switched back to dirt to go wire-to-wire and win an optional claimer at Keeneland by 4 1/2 lengths.

“From the kind of mares that he bred to consistently get these kind of runners, I think it speaks a lot to his future as a stallion,” Hanley noted.

Laoban, along with another son of Uncle Mo in Darley's Nyquist, led their class by graded stakes winners last year after Keepmeinmind became Laoban's second when he took the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. in November.

When Keepmeinmind enjoyed a brief freshening at WinStar following his win in the Jockey Club, Hanley said he recalls being awed by the youngster.

“Wow, what a nice horse he is,” Hanley said. “Every time you see him on the track, he's such an impressive physical specimen and a beautiful mover. A disposition just like Laoban himself, really laid back.”

Laoban's momentum didn't stop over the winter as several of his weanlings carried hefty price tags at the breeding stock sales.

A colt out of Dixie Gem (Stonesider) was the highest-priced weanling at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed Sale, going for $150,000 to Machmer Hall.

At the Keeneland January Sale, a colt out of Making a Point (Freud) sold for $120,000 to Cavalier Bloodstock in the first session. Later in the week, a colt out of Jade (Colonel John) sold for $70,000 as the highest-priced short yearling of the third session.

Then at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale, his filly out of Best Reward (Grand Reward) topped the sale, going to Sand Hill Stables for $175,000.

Hanley spoke on visiting this youngest crop at the sales over the past months.

“As they came out, they all had that similar sort of balance. They stand up square and have a beautiful shoulder. They walk off just like he does. Then when you go look at the mares and you see how much he moves those mares up physically, I thought it was quite astonishing because he was literally stamping his stock and they had his qualities. All beautiful horses off a $7,500 stud fee.”

He continued, “Then you look at the horse himself and he's such an impressive individual. He's got such stature to him. He's got the most beautiful shoulder, length of leg and a beautiful long, clean neck. He's such a classy horse to be around. I think that was evident in his stock as well.”

The next few weeks could prove to be defining for Laoban's early success as several first-crop 3-year-olds aim towards a start on Derby weekend.

Keepmeinmind is expected to return to the starting gate in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park on Mar. 13 while Simply Ravishing remains uncommitted to her next start, but is ranked highly in Bill Finley's most recent TDN Oaks Top 10. Meanwhile Laobanonaprayer looks to get her first victory against open company in this weekend's Busher Invitational S., where a win would earn 50 points towards the Oaks.

Hanley said Laoban has been well received by Kentucky breeders since his arrival, but that he is confident their new addition will see more success before the first Kentucky-breds hit the track. After filling a book of 122 in his first year, Laoban bred a combined 230 mares in his next three years at Sequel.

“He had very impressive 2-year-olds off a stud fee of $7,500,” he said. “When you look at the pedigrees they're out of, he has really moved those mares up. [His progeny to date] don't have very exciting pedigrees, just very good physicals. When you look at the mares that are booked to him this year, he's got 130 mares booked at a fee of $25,000. If he can continue to stamp his stock and produce the kind of quality that he had out of those lesser mares, I think the future for Laoban is really exciting.”

The GII Jim Dandy S. winner is out of stakes-placed Chattertown (Speightstown) and his half-sister produced Mr. Hustle (Declaration of War), a champion 2-year-old in Canada. His extended family also includes three-time Grade I winner I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings).

“He's out of a Speightstown mare and her second dam is by Danzig,” Hanley noted. “Being an Uncle Mo, he's an outcross for a lot of mares. Physically, he fits a lot of mares. He's a big horse, but he's very well-made. He's a great horse to be around. He's doing great in the breeding shed, has settled in really well and we're very happy with how it's going with him right now.”

The post Laoban Receives Warm Bluegrass Welcome appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Breeders’ Cup Runner Dreamer’s Disease Headlines Sunday’s NYSSS Great White Way

After running sixth in last month's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Dreamer's Disease will make his Empire State debut and cut back to seven furlongs as part of Sunday's $250,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Great White Way for eligible state-sired 2-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.

One of three stakes on the finale of the 18-day fall meet at the Big A, the 38th running of the Great White Way will be joined by the $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies and the $100,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Owned by Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith, Dreamer's Disease started his career on dirt when eighth in July at Ellis Park. Trainer Robertino Diodoro moved the Kentucky-bred Laoban colt to turf for his next two starts, resulting in his second-out win on Aug. 8 at Ellis before running off the board in his stakes bow in the More Than Ready Juvenile on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.

After posting a 4 1/2-length sore in his return to the main track on Oct. 3 at Keeneland, Dreamer's Disease stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the most challenging race of his career in the Breeders' Cup. Serving as the pacesetter in leading the talented field of 14 through the opening three ports of call, Dreamer's Disease tired in the stretch but still earned a personal-high 80 Beyer Speed Figure for his sixth-place effort in a contest won by Essential Quality.

“He's training well and bounced out of the race really good,” Diodoro said. “We were going to give him a break but with this race here, and how he came out of it, we figured to give it a shot. The distance sets up well, especially coming off a mile and a couple of ticks, I think it's going to suit him quite well.”

Dreamer's Disease shipped from his base in Kentucky to New York on Wednesday.

“He flew up well and went out to the track just a little while ago, so I think it's all-systems-go right now,” Diordoro said.

Diordoro said his charge has improved physically since starting his career this summer and has given the connections positive signs after posting victories on both turf and dirt.

“He's versatile and long-term I think that's going to come in quite handy,” he said. “He's filled out more and that's helped him a lot, and mentally, he's matured. He's a little bit of a high-strung horse, but he's starting to mature over the last couple months.

“When the dust settles, I think he is a dirt horse,” he added. “Time will tell in his career, but anytime you have a horse that's versatile that can run on both surfaces, it definitely helps.”

Jockey Dylan Davis will pick up the mount from post 7.

Mathis Stable's Uno was an impressive 3 ¾-length winner in his debut on Nov. 12 over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct track. Like Dreamer's Disease, Uno is also by Laoban, and the Todd Pletcher trainee registered a 76 Beyer for his win.

A $255,000 purchase at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sale, Uno was bred in New York by Spruce Lane, Built Wright, Lynn Farm, Will Robbins and Copper Beach et al. Jose Ortiz, aboard for the victory, will have the return call from post 11.

Stakes-winner Hold the Salsa won the Bertram F. Bongard against fellow New York breds going the Great White Way distance on October 2 at Belmont Park. Stretched out to a mile on Big Sandy on Oct. 24, the Hold Me Back colt ran fourth in the Sleepy Hollow for owner and trainer Richard Lugovich.

Making his first appearance at the Big A, Hold the Salsa, who won his debut on July 12 at Belmont, will depart from post 8 with Junior Alvarado aboard.

Horn of Plenty will have the services of Kendrick Carmouche, who entered Thursday's live racing action as the meet's leading jockey as he looks to secure his first New York riding title. Trained by Mike Maker, the Emcee gelding won his first start on October 18 at Belmont before running fourth in the six-furlong Notebook over an Aqueduct main track rated good on Nov. 14. Horn of Plenty drew post 9.

Windy Nations, a first-out winner in August at Monmouth Park in a maiden-claiming sprint, will be making his first start since a runner-up effort against claiming company on Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs for trainer Mike Maker [post 12, Manny Franco].

Rounding out the field is The King Cheek, who broke his maiden at third asking on Nov. 9 at Parx for conditioner Jamie Ness [post 4, Luis Rodriguez Castro]; It's Gravy, looking for his first win after two runner-ups and third-place effort in three starts for trainer Kelly Breen [post 2, Joel Rosario]; New York One, who has won two of his last three starts for trainer James Chapman [post 3, Ferrin Peterson]; Market Alert, third in the Notebook on November 14 for trainer James Ryerson [post 6, Jose Lezcano]; Prospect Mountain, a first-out winner on November 15 at Aqueduct for trainer James Ferraro [post 1, Benjamin Hernandez]; Jacoba, who will be making his first U.S. start after three races at Woodbine for trainer Jeremiah Englehart [post 10, Jorge Vargas, Jr.]; and Jacks American Pie, stepping up to stakes company after four maiden special weight appearances for trainer Karl Grusmark [post 5, Charlie Marquez].

The Great White Way is slated as Race 8 on Aqueduct's nine-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

The post Breeders’ Cup Runner Dreamer’s Disease Headlines Sunday’s NYSSS Great White Way appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Time to analyze the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Camp Hope
Impressive debut
Launches him in the deep end
This is a big ask

#2 – King Fury
Matured last time out
He's bred for a day like this
Must keep progressing

#3 – Reinvestment Risk
He's the class leader
If we pretend to ignore
Jackie's Warrior

#4 – Likeable
Late-bloom potential
Given his form, pedigree
Eye him for a price

#5 – Essential Quality
Classy pedigree
Classy Grade 1 progression
All the tools are there

#6 – Keepmeinmind
Shock second last out
And he nabs Jose Ortiz
A “hit the board” threat

#7 – Jackie's Warrior
The mountain to scale
Does he meet the hype head-on
Or begin descent?

#8 – Classier
Others have done more
But you can't ignore his barn
Off a hot debut

#9 – Sittin On Go
His dad loved Keeneland
Short-stretch finish line won't help
His deep-closing ways

#10 – Dreamer's Disease
The lesser entry
Of the Diodoro pair
Put bluntly, he'd shock

#11 – Next
Dual surface winner
Gaudy last-out score misleads
Not sure it's his spot

#12 – Hot Rod Charlie
Found new life on dirt
Great fit for an “other than”
Not the Breeders' Cup

#13 – Rombauer
Switch to dirt paid off
Another that might be felled
By Keeneland's short stretch

#14 – Calibrate
He'll have to run wide
And show something he didn't
In his limp class jump

Prediction
Good day for Darley
“Quality” tops Likeable
Eight, three fill it out

The post The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post