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Caramel Swirl Returns To Churchill Downs After Raven Run Win

Godolphin's Caramel Swirl, narrow winner of Saturday's Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run over Joy's Rocket, returned to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night to trainer Bill Mott's barn.

The victory kept Caramel Swirl's record at Keeneland perfect as she had posted a 10¼-length maiden-breaking score at the Lexington, Ky., track in April.

The Lexus Raven Run also featured another bang-up effort by Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Joy's Rocket, who in her other Keeneland start posted a three-length victory in the Songbird Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard last November.

“It was a head bob; her head was up and the other filly had her head down at the wire,” said Ronny Werner, assistant to Joy's Rocket's trainer, Steve Asmussen. “She is fine this morning. She ran hard. She loves this track and she showed it when she won that stakes last year.”

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Caramel Swirl Rallies Late To Win Raven Run At Keeneland

Seventh in the field of eleven early, Caramel Swirl did not let traffic stop her from making a bid for the lead in the Grade 2 Raven Run. Over a fast track at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., the daughter of Union Rags went five-wide around the far turn to find racing room and outlast Joy's Rocket to win by a head.

Breaking cleanly from post eight, Junior Alvarado positioned Caramel Swirl toward the back of the pack early behind the leader Strong Silent and Cilla in second. Three-wide on the backstretch, traffic forced Alvarado to take his filly even wider on the far turn to find running room in the Keeneland straight. As Cilla took over the lead in the early stretch, Caramel Swirl and Joy's Rocket rallied to her outside. The two were head to head as they passed Cilla in late stretch, Caramel Swirl eking out a short lead as they approached the finish line.

At the wire, Caramel Swirl held the advantage over Joy's Rocket with Cilla in third. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:23.42.

Find this race's chart here.

Caramel Swirl paid $8.60, $5.60, and $4.40. Joy's Rocket paid $19.60 and $10.40. Cilla paid $7.40.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Godolphin, Caramel Swirl is out of the Smart Strike mare Caramel Snap. She is trained by Bill Mott. With her win the G2 Raven Run, the 3-year-old filly has three wins in seven starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of 9-3-3-1 and career earnings of $317,300.

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Cox-Trained Coach Favored In Oaklawn’s First 2021 Kentucky Oaks Prep

Oaklawn's road to the Kentucky Oaks begins Saturday with the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 mile.

Probable post time for the Martha Washington, which drew a field of six, is 3:06 p.m. (Central). It goes as the fifth of nine races on the program. First post Saturday, Day 5 of the scheduled 57-day meeting, is 1 p.m.

The Martha Washington will offer 17 points (10-4-2-1, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) April 30 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks is the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Oaklawn's Kentucky Oaks points series continues with the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 6 and the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The Honeybee will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5) to the top four finishers, with 170 points (100-40-20-10) up for grabs in the Fantasy.

Oaklawn-raced horses flourished on last year's revamped road to the Kentucky Oaks. Honeybee winner Shedaresthedevil captured the Kentucky Oaks, which was moved from early May to early September because of COVID-19. Fantasy winner Swiss Skydiver finished second in the Kentucky Oaks before toppling males in the Preakness, the traditional second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, in her next start.

Trainer Brad Cox, who also trained Shedaresthedevil, has the 7-5 program favorite Saturday in Coach, who won her first three career starts before concluding her 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind stablemate Travel Column in the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

“There's some speed in there and it's a small field,” Cox said. “Hopefully, the speed doesn't get too far away from her. It's a 1-mile race, it's a great purse, and, hopefully, she can start her march toward, what we hope, is the Kentucky Oaks. That would be the ultimate goal with her.”

After starting her career with two blowout victories at Indiana Grand, Coach won the $98,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes Oct. 25 at Churchill Downs in her two-turn debut. She was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the Golden Rod, also at 1 1/16 miles.

“She does like Churchill,” Cox said. “She's a good filly. She stepped up and had a great 2-year-old season and, hopefully, she'll improve as a 3-year-old. She's definitely been training like she's improved. We like the way she's been training at Oaklawn. I feel like she's moved forward with her training. Hopefully, she can transfer that to the afternoons.”

The projected Martha Washington field from the rail out: Joy's Rocket, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 122 pounds, 5-2 on the morning line; Novel Squall, Ramon Vazquez, 115, 15-1; Coach, Florent Geroux, 122, 7-5; Will's Secret, Jon Court, 115, 6-1; Lady Lilly, David Cabrera, 119, 9-2; and Sylvia Q, Martin Garcia, 115, 5-1.

Joy's Rocket will be making her two-turn debut for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after winning the $75,000 Letellier Memorial Stakes Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds in her last start. Asmussen, a two-time Martha Washington winner, also will send out Golden Rod seventh Lady Lilly.

Will's Secret exits a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf maiden special weights victory Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds for trainer Dallas Stewart and breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark.

Horton won the 2015 Martha Washington with champion Take Charge Brandi.

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Another Milestone For Asmussen As Joy’s Rocket Gives Hall Of Famer 100th Stakes Victory At Fair Grounds

A journey that began in November 1995 when Valid Expectations won the Old Hickory reached its zenith on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., as trainer Steve Asmussen set a remarkable milestone, winning his 100th career stakes at the local oval when Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Joy's Rocket beat Mariah's Princess by 1 ½ lengths in the $75,000 Letellier Memorial for 2-year-old fillies.

Joy's Rocket had shown plenty of speed in her first five starts but settled into an outside stalking position under Ricardo Santana Jr. as longshot Double Whopper set the early pace. Joy's Rocket took the lead entering the far turn and was quickly engaged by 2.90 second-choice Mariah's Princess, who appeared to get on even terms in early stretch but succumbed late, with the winner getting 6 furlongs in 1:10.17 as the .80-1 favorite. Charlie's Penny rallied for third.

For Asmussen, the win was just another milestone in a career full of them, as the Gettysburg, S.D., native has won three Triple Crown races, six Breeders' Cup races and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 2008-09. He owns over 9,000 wins, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2016. The Letellier wasn't his only milestone win at Fair Grounds. Earlier this year he captured the 1,000th stakes of his career when Finite won the Silverbulletday in January, though it was Valid Expectations who came to mind in the winner's circle.

“Our first stakes win was here with Valid Expectations,” Asmussen fondly recalled. “He he was a very special horse to the barn and his win here in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Eve in 1995 put us over a million in earnings for the first time ever. Fair Grounds has been extremely important in the development of the barn.”

Joy's Rocket, a daughter of Anthony's Cross, has proven precocious and versatile from the start, winning on debut at Churchill Downs in June then traveling north to Woodbine to win the My Dear over the Tapeta in August. She next headed to Saratoga, where she was second in the Bolton Landing on turf later in August before running fourth while stretching out to a mile in Belmont Park's Frizette (G1) in October. Asmussen cut Joy's Rocket back in Keeneland's November 6 Songbird and she responded with a game, gate-to-wire. Now 4-for-6 lifetime, she showed a new dimension stalking the early pace in the Letellier, which could bode well going longer in the future.

“To let that filly (Double Whopper) to go about her business, I think it speaks well's for Joy's Rocket going further,” Asmussen said. “She's a very professional filly and Ricardo knows her and has a lot of confidence in her.”

Mariah's Princess was game in defeat and looked like a potential upset candidate off the far turn, as she gave the favorite a big scare. The daughter of Ghostzapper entered off a track and distance MSW win November 28 for trainer Phil Bauer, and while she couldn't see it out late, jockey Miguel Mena was impressed.

“We learned she is a very nice horse and she got beat by a very nice filly,” Mena said. “It was good to get her some black-type and we'll have to see what the future holds for this nice horse. She spotted some experience to the favorite but she can build off this.”

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