Kentucky Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kentucky Chaplaincy Looking Forward to Race for Grace

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy will host their 20^th annual Race for Grace, a dinner and fundraising event to support the ongoing work of the chaplaincy, on Monday, May 2 at 6:00pm. As a kickoff to Kentucky Derby week, the event will be held on Millionaires' Row in the clubhouse at Churchill Downs.

Nationally-recognized pastor Bob Russell will be the keynote speaker of the event and Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day will be the Master of Ceremonies.

“20 years ago, we said let's do this thing called the Race for Grace as a fundraiser on the Monday of Derby week and it's been a tremendous hit since,” Day said. “We've had some wonderful speakers and it's been very well-supported. It's a great way to kick off Derby week for a wonderful cause.”

Pat Day has been a devoted supporter of the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy for many years and recently stepped down from a six-year stint as the group's President.

“The Race Track Chaplaincy of America started over 50 years ago by an exercise rider named Salty Roberts,” Day explained. “He had a burden on his heart for the people he was working with at the racetrack, realizing that the hours that backside workers have limit their opportunity to go to a church of their choice. Salty's vision was to have a chaplain at every racetrack and training facility in the world. From that idea, the Race Track Chaplaincy of America was born.”

“They currently have over 50 chaplains ministering throughout the U.S. and affiliation with chaplains in other countries,” he continued. “The idea was based on being a ministry of presence. The chaplains walk through the barn area during training hours, being seen, cultivating relationships and providing hope and help.”

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy has chaplains on the grounds of Churchill Downs, Kentucky Downs, Ellis Park, Turfway Park and Belterra Park. In addition to holding weekly church services, chaplains host bible studies, meet with the jockey colony and gate crew at the start of each race day and more.

In 2006, the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy opened Christ Chapel, which was completely funded by donations from the community, on the backside of Churchill Downs. That same year they launched a Women and Children's Ministry, which now has two full-time staff members.

Joseph Del Rosario serves as the full-time chaplain at Churchill Downs. He spoke on the many activities hosted by the Chaplaincy throughout the year.

“We have our weekly chapel services, with one in English and one in Spanish,” he explained. “In between the services, we have a dinner to facilitate togetherness. We have our clothing closet, which is a free thrift store where people can get toiletries, bedding and clothes if they need it. Throughout the year we have cookouts, Bible studies, Easter celebrations and a Christmas party. Everything is community-wide; it's open to everyone.”

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy's Children's Ministry hosts many activities throughout the year | Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy

Rosario estimated that an average of 50 to 60 people attend each week's church service, although attendance fluctuates throughout the year to follow the racing calendar at Churchill Downs.

“Even when there isn't racing there are still families, particularly moms and kids, that stay back,” he noted. “We still serve them and have activities for them. In the past we've done sewing and knitting classes during that time.”

Rosario said the Chaplaincy aims to fulfill both the emotional and spiritual needs of the backside community.

“A lot of them come from outside the country,” he said. “They've come to take care of their family and their family has stayed back home. There's a lot of loneliness, which becomes the root cause to other secondary issues–substance abuse, people who keep to themselves or people who are more aggressive than they need to be.”

Rosario shared the story of one individual who recently began participating in Chaplaincy activities.

“When we have the clothing closet open, we usually have the kitchen open for a snack or a light lunch. It creates the opportunity for people to come in and sit so we can just talk and catch up. This man came in during one of those. I started talking to him and over time we built a relationship. I would visit him at his barn and he would come to chapel. We would talk about some of the issues he had in his barn. He felt people didn't like him so he would respond in an aggressive manner. We would talk through that and talk about what it means to love our neighbor. He's been getting a lot better with how he's relating to his co-workers.”

“Many backside workers are away from family so there's a great need for fellowship,” Day added. “We're offering programs to address the loneliness and just be a friend to them. The ministry is not just for backside workers, but for the racetrack at large.”

He continued, “For me personally, the racing industry has been so good to me and my family. Not only do I have a burning desire to share the gospel message, but this gives me an opportunity to give back to the industry a little bit of what I've received through it. I feel very privileged and honored to be a part of the Race Track Chaplaincy at large, but more specifically to the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy.”

Race for Grace was held virtually last year and was postponed in 2020, so the team at the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy is looking forward to a rewarding evening on the 20^th anniversary of the successful fundraiser. The event will have a silent auction with a collection of racing memorabilia as well as a live auction featuring a box for the 2023 Kentucky Oaks and Derby.

Individuals interested in ticket purchasing, sponsorships and donations can visit kychapliancy.org/race-for-grace.

The post Kentucky Chaplaincy Looking Forward to Race for Grace appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12 for Apr. 5

Seven horses among the current Top 12 will be in action Saturday in the last nine-furlong preps of the season. This past weekend's trio of stakes at Gulfstream, Oaklawn and Turfway dislodged former No. 1 contender Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), but no winners from those races vaulted into the upper echelon. The rankings below are independent from the “Road to the GI Kentucky Derby” points leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths. Access that list here.

1) SMILE HAPPY (c, Runhappy–Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Lucky Seven Stable. B-Moreau Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY). T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Sales History: $175,000 wlg '19 KEENOV; $185,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $364,810. Last Start: 2nd GII Risen Star S. Next Start: GI Toyota Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 30.

'TDN Rising Star' Smile Happy coasts into the second Saturday of April with a 2-for-3 record that includes assertive juvenile form and one forgivable loss at three. This confidently powerful son of Runhappy ($175,000 KEENOV; $185,000 FTKSEL) got pocketed, moved too late, then ran up on heels under a full head of steam while second in the GII Risen Star S. behind the No. 2-ranked Epicenter (Not This Time). But it only took two jumps after the wire for Smile Happy to gallop out abreast of that geared-down rival, and the 94 Beyer Speed Figure he earned for the runner-up effort added to his upward-trending three-race arc. On Saturday at Keeneland, Smile Happy will return to the scene of his career unveiling, an emphatic 5 1/2-length victory in which he accelerated in hand three-eighths out to win with panache over a short-stretch, 1 1/16 miles configuration.

Smile Happy already showed no signs of wilting at nine furlongs in New Orleans. But 10 furlongs in the Derby? Smile Happy's sire was the 2015 champion sprinter. But his dam-sire, Pleasant Tap, was third in the 1990 Derby and won champion older horse honors in '92, and Derby winners like Super Saver and Pleasant Colony aren't too far back on each side of Smile Happy's pedigree.

2) EPICENTER (c, Not This Time–Silent Candy, by Candy Ride {Arg}) O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC. B-Westwind Farms (KY). T-Steven M. Asmussen. Sales History: $260,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 6-4-1-0, $1,010,639. Last Start: 1st GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby. KY Derby Points: 164.

Epicenter brings nearly impeccable credentials to the Derby: He breaks like a pro, attains speed-centric positioning, withstands up-tempo paces, fights when challenged, finishes strongly, is capable of triple-digit Beyers, has won at 1 3/16 miles, has won at Churchill, and has only lost once (barely) in the past six months. Yet he's facing several historical hurdles.

Trainer Steve Asmussen is 0-for-23 in the Derby, the longest active drought on record. Epicenter's most recent prep, the GII Louisiana Derby, which dates to 1894, has only yielded two horses who crossed the finish wire first in the Kentucky Derby (in 1924 and 1996). And only two horses since 1929 have won the first leg of the Triple Crown off a six-week break like Epicenter will be trying to do (Animal Kingdom in 2011 and Needles in 1956 did it; Authentic's 49-day layoff in 2020 occurred when the Derby got rescheduled to September). If Epicenter winds up being the third choice or higher in the Derby, he could represent betting value.

3) MESSIER (c, Empire Maker–Checkered Past, by Smart Strike) 'TDN Rising Star' O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable & Siena Farm LLC. B-Sam-Son Farm (ON). T-Tim Yakteen. Sales History: $470,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, $285,600. Last Start: 1st GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Next Start: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 0.

As he primes for his final prep in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby, Messier–looking ahead one race–will be attempting to be the first Canadian-bred since Sunny's Halo in 1983 to win the Kentucky Derby. The only other Canadian-bred to win the Derby? The great Northern Dancer in 1964. Given the connection between his home country and hockey star namesake (Mark Messier), the Toronto Sun recently profiled this 'TDN Rising Star' and $470,000 FTKSEL bay by Empire Maker. “He's big, robust, long-striding, athletic, well-balanced and most importantly, mentally a very focused colt,” said Tom Ryan of SF Racing, part of Messier's multi-partner ownership. “He knows his job and he enjoys his job.” Ryan further told the Sun that the recent training transition from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen has gone “incredibly well” under the “unfortunate” circumstances related to Baffert's suspension. “Messier, himself, he doesn't know. He's settled into his new surroundings very well. He's being cared for at the same elite level with Tim as he was with Bob. The foundation has already been laid and now it's just a matter of hoping we can maintain him and he continues on that upwards trajectory and he can be competitive at the elite level.”

4) MO DONEGAL (c, Uncle Mo–Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) O-Donegal Racing. B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales History: $250,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-0-2, $221,800. Last Start: 3rd GIII Holy Bull S. Next Start: GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 12.

Mo Donegal hasn't been to work in the afternoon in two months, but his stock has ticked upward based on the subsequent graded stakes wins racked up by the winner, runner-up, and seventh-place finisher out of the GIII Holy Bull S. This $250,000 KEESEP Uncle Mo bay ran a trip-troubled third as the beaten fave in that Feb. 5 stakes, and he'll be stretching back out to his most recent winning distance and surface when he goes as the likely chalk in Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct.

Although the GII Remsen S. itself has fallen off the map as a producer of Derby winners (only three horses won both stakes in the last 58 years–Thunder Gulch, Go For Gin and Pleasant Colony)–it was still pretty impressive back in early December to see Mo Donegal bump and grind through a hard-fought final furlong in :12.33 to prevail by a nose over the well-regarded Zandon (Upstart).

5) ZANDON (c, Upstart–Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause) O-Jeff Drown. B-Brereton C. Jones (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales History: $170,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 3-1-1-0, $139,500. Last Start: 3rd GII Risen Star S. Next Start: GI Toyota Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 14.

Provided he makes the qualifying cut, Zandon will go into the Derby with three consecutive nine-furlong preps, which is something you don't generally see these days–especially when the colt in question will only have four lifetime starts.

Considering this $170,000 KEESEP colt has only a MSW sprint win to his credit, he's been well supported by Derby prognosticators all winter long, chiefly on the premise that he's persevered well through two rough/unlucky trips in the GII Remsen S. and the GII Risen Star S.

On Saturday, Zandon will partner with Flavien Prat for the first time, and it's also a little out of the ordinary to see such a highly ranked horse be ridden by four different jockeys in as many starts. But here's another stat to chew on in case you don't think this lightly raced Chad Brown trainee belongs with the top of the crop: The only horses who have ever finished in front of Zandon are ranked at Nos. 1, 2 and 4 on this list.

6) SIMPLIFICATION (c, Not This Time–Simply Confection, by Candy Ride {Arg}) O-Tami Bobo. B-France & Irwin Weiner (FL). T-Antonio Sano. Sales History: $50,000 wlg '19 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 7-3-1-2, $515,350. Last Start: 3rd GI Curlin Florida Derby. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby. KY Derby Points: 74.

Although he finished third in the GI Florida Derby, Simplification delivered the performance that rates above the two rivals who beat him. He applied direct pressure to front-running Classic Causeway, and even though he cracked that rival with little resistance 4 1/2 furlongs out, the move by jockey Jose Ortiz appeared premature when Pappacap (Gun Runner) immediately launched a go-for-broke bid that hooked both of them into a far-turn slugfest through the fastest quarter-mile segment (:23.44) of the race. When confronted anew by White Abarrio (Race Day) at the head of the lane, Simplification made the eventual winner work until the eighth pole to wrest command, and this colt hung in as well as he could without being pumped dry before Kentucky Derby day. He's sixth on the points list for Louisville, where his tactical speed and résumé of five 90-plus Beyers will rate him as a legit threat in the 15-1 range.

7) WHITE ABARRIO (c, Race Day–Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief) O-C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC. B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY). T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Sales History: $7,500 ylg '20 OBSWIN; $40,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $823,650. Last Start: 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby. KY Derby Points: 112.

He's smaller in stature and his auction history ($7,500 OBSWIN; $40,000 OBSMAR) is more modest than most of his peers, but this athletic Race Day gray has punched above his weight through a five-race career. Yes, you can argue that White Abarrio's two graded stakes scores came over his home court at Gulfstream when he encountered clear sailing while favorites either ran into trip trouble (the Holy Bull S.) or embroiled themselves in a tactical meltdown (the Florida Derby). But at some point, even detractors have to acknowledge the admirable fact that White Abarrio keeps finding ways to win. It's also to his credit that his only loss was a respectable third in the most meaningful juvenile prep race from last autumn (the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.). White Abarrio gave up real estate on both turns Saturday, yet he has a nimble enough way of going to think that he could have an advantage fighting for position in a crowded 20-horse race like the Derby.

8) EMMANUEL (c, More Than Ready–Hard Cloth, by Hard Spun) 'TDN Rising Star' O-WinStar Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC. B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY). T-Todd A. Pletcher.
Sales History: $350,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $69,600. Last Start: 4th GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Next Start: GI Toyota Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 5.

We won't see the entries until Wednesday, but the Blue Grass S. could shake out with 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel as the controlling speed. That's provided this physically imposing son of More Than Ready reverts to seeking the lead like he did in his first two victories against MSW and allowance company. In the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., this $350,000 KEESEP colt rated from off the pace while four and then five wide on the turns, but his middle move was decent enough considering the lost ground (229 feet more than the winner) and it being his first try against graded stakes company. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Blue Grass on three previous occasions (Carpe Diem 2015, Monba '08 and Bandini '05).

9) FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (c, American Pharoah–Just Louise, by Five Star Day) O-MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm LLC. B-Springhouse Farm (KY). T-Richard E. Mandella. Sales History: $300,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-3-1-1, $434,000. Last Start: 1st GII San Felipe S. Next Start: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 50.

What Saturday's Santa Anita Derby will lack in depth should be more than offset by the headline match-up of Forbidden Kingdom vs. Messier. The race promises to be a classic clash of true California speed horses, although this front-running son of American Pharoah ($300,000 FTKSEL) will probably be asked to tone down his blitzing early pace presence while Messier might be in the process of honing his quickness out of the gate. Messier won their only previous head-to-head (the GIII Bob Hope S. back in November), but Forbidden Kingdom has emerged as a stronger, more intimidating colt at age three with 94- and 98-Beyer wirings in a pair of Grade II stakes.

10) EARLY VOTING (c, Gun Runner–Amour d'Ete, by Tiznow) O-Klaravich Stables, Inc. B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales History: $200,000 ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $181,500. Last Start: 1st GIII Withers S. Next Start: GII Wood Memorial, AQU, Apr. 9. KY Derby Points: 10.

Should Early Voting win Saturday's Wood Memorial, he'd go into the Derby with a 3-for-3 lifetime record, all at Aqueduct. An all-New York Derby campaign is a little offbeat these days, but this $200,000 KEESEP buy has been cautiously handled as a late bloomer who has already wired a nine-furlong stakes. The Wood pace pressure should be torqued up a notch or two, but Early Voting's style so far has been based on sustained intensity, and his MSW win in a one-turn mile showed he can deal with multiple threats on the front end while still having enough power left in reserve to swat away stern stretch bids.

11) CHARGE IT (c, Tapit–I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Whisper Hill Farm (KY). T-Todd A. Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GISP, 3-1-1-0, $230,400. Last Start: 2nd GI Curlin Florida Derby. Next Start: Uncommitted. KY Derby Points: 40.

'TDN Rising Star' Charge It uncorked the type of performance in the Florida Derby that whets the appetite to see what he will do over longer distances with a little more seasoning. The open question is whether his three-race foundation is enough to launch him into contention as a ready-for-prime-time Derby horse.

This Whisper Hill Farm homebred was briefly favored prior to the closing of odds on Saturday, which is saying a lot considering the son of Tapit was making his first two-turn attempt against Grade I company. He definitely got a good schooling out of the experience–bumped out of the gate, learned how to rate while covered up under mild restraint, and ran well in spots through the lane while excusably green. But he really had to be roused by jockey Luis Saez from the far turn all the way to the wire, and he ran up on White Abarrio's heels twice in the final quarter mile while also losing momentum from repeatedly veering in and out. There were some noticeable spurts of interest through the stretch. But when you consider that four other horses had already taken turns on the lead after three consecutive sub-24-second quarter splits and a fourth quarter that devolved to :25.87, Charge It couldn't seal the deal when handed a soft :14.09 final eighth.

12) BARBER ROAD (c, Race Day–Encounter, by Southern Image) O-WSS Racing, LLC. B-Susan Forrester & Judy Curry (KY). T-John Alexander Ortiz. Sales History: $15,000 wlg '19 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: GISP, 8-2-3-1, $650,720. Last Start: 2nd GI Arkansas Derby. Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby. KY Derby Points: 58.

I'm going to lob a bomb onto the caboose of this week's Top 12 by making a case for hard-charging Barber Road, described by his trainer, John Ortiz, as a “tough little horse.”

This unsung gray by Race Day ($15,000 KEENOV) nearly always outruns his odds despite traffic woes, and his attempted takedown of the shifting and drifting leader in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby got derailed by Barber Road's running up onto the back end of a tiring pacemaker before refocusing with grit to snatch second from the favorite–all while losing a shoe amid the chaos.

Barber Road has eight races under his belt, has run well at Churchill (a 6 1/4-length win and a second, beaten half a length), and has gained ground and position in the stretch of every race at age three. True, he hasn't won a race since Nov. 10, and then against far lesser company. But longer distances are within the scope of his pedigree, which is anchored on the bottom by damsire Southern Image, who in 2004 at age four won two Grade I routes at Triple Crown distances (the Santa Anita H. and the Pimlico Special H.) before losing by a nose in the nine-furlong GI Stephen Foster H.

On the Bubble (in alphabetical order):

Blackadder (Quality Road): An undesirable draw of post 12 scratched this $620,000 KEESEP colt out of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway and into Saturday's Blue Grass S. at Keeneland.

Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway): Homebred for Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper has the points to get into the Derby, but not the positive momentum after his inexplicable caving to last while on the lead in the Florida Derby. Starting status for Louisville TBD.

Cyberknife (Gun Runner): High-energy colt ($400,000 FTKSEL) dislodged jockey in post parade and was four wide through first turn before getting first (and only) run on a tiring pacemaker on the far turn of the Arkansas Derby. One bid behind him fizzled, another got blocked. Veering out late while clear in 92-Beyer score over soft field.

Ethereal Road (Quality Road): D. Wayne Lukas-trained $90,000 KEESEP colt gave up four paths of ground on both turns in the slowly run Rebel S., yet led from the quarter pole until 50 yards before the wire. Because Lukas did not want to run Ethereal Road in the same race as the filly Secret Oath (Arrogate), who was third as the fave in the Arkansas Derby, this colt must travel to a much tougher spot in the Blue Grass S.

In Due Time (Not This Time): Three-time sales grad ($9,500 KEENOV; $35,000 KEESEP; $95,000 OBSAPR) owns 20 qualifying points (ranked 27th) based on second in Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.

Morello (Classic Empire): Undefeated, 96-Beyer GIII Gotham S. victor ($140,000 KEENOV; $200,000 FTKSEL; $250,000 EASMAY) gets two turns for the first time in Wood Memorial. Will he hook up on the front end with Early Voting?

Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb): Runner-up in GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (FTKSEL $330,000) and winner of two subsequent Turfway stakes on Tapeta surface was declared a “go” for the Derby by trainer Kenny McPeek on Monday.

The post TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12 for Apr. 5 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Week in Review: Charge It Looks Like a Future Star

No matter how talented a horse might be, going from a maiden win into a race like the GI Curlin Florida Derby is supposed to be too much to ask. You're not seasoned, experienced or battle tested, and those things matter. That's why I thought 3-1 was a ridiculous price on Charge It (Tapit) in Saturday's Florida Derby. Was I ever wrong.

After finishing second in his debut in January, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt returned Feb. 12 to win a Gulfstream maiden by 8 1/2 lengths. It was a big effort and it earned him a 93 Beyer and the 'TDN Rising Star' designation, which put him in the same ballpark as many of the top 3-year-old colts out there. But he hadn't beaten anything of note and, in the Florida Derby, would be going up against some of the stars of the 3-year-old division. Simplification (Not This Time) was coming off a win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., White Abarrio (Race Day) had won the GIII Holy Bull S. and Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) was coming off back-to-back wins in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. All three looked like legitimate candidates for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Charge It didn't win. He finished second behind White Abarrio, losing by 1 1/4 lengths. He finished a length in front of third-place finisher Simplification.

But his race was better than it looks. He ran like a horse who doesn't have the game figured out yet. White Abarrio got the jump on him on the far turn and assumed command after getting past Simplification and Pappacap (Gun Runner), but Charge It was far from done. By the sixteenth-pole, Charge It had moved into second and had about two lengths to make up. From there to the wire, he ran like a big goofball.

Here's the footnote from the race: “…(Charge It) angled four wide near the quarter pole, lugged in under right-handed urging in upper stretch then again near the sixteenth pole, angled back outside of the winner leaving the sixteenth marker, switched back to the left lead and inched closer while still appearing to try to lug in under hand urging.”

“Super pleased with the effort,” Pletcher said. “To get a real education in a race like that was very encouraging. He got a little green down the lane. He kind of drifted in behind [White Abarrio] and felt like if he could have just run straight that last 100 yards, he was going to be right there. But I thought it was a huge effort, considering everything. Overcame some adversity, took some dirt, and did a lot of things right. Just didn't quite polish it off.”

Said jockey Luis Saez, “He was a little bit everywhere at the top of the stretch, but, man, he has so much talent. I think he got a good education from this race. He's going to be a nice horse.”

Charge It figures to benefit immensely from the experience and run even better in the Derby. That doesn't mean he will win the Derby, where he will face a field even tougher than the one he squared off against Saturday at Gulfstream, and his inexperience remains a factor. But by year's end, after races like the GI Runhappy Travers S. and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, who will be regarded as the top member of this division? Charge It will absolutely be part of the conversation.

That would be good news for owner Mandy Pope, who has spent millions at the sales, primarily on broodmares, but has yet to come up with her first star. She bought Charge It's dam, I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie), for $2.2 million at the 2013 Keeneland September sale. I'll Take Charge is a half-sister to Grade I stakes winner Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) and Grade I winner and Eclipse Award champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song). I'll Take Charge won only one of five career starts, earning just $82,400, but seems ready to pay her owner back with what could be a stellar career as a broodmare.

Classic Causeway's Race is a Mystery

Sent off at 7-2 in the Florida Derby, Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) had been among the more consistent members of the 3-year-old colt division, which makes his clunker in Saturday's race all the more perplexing. The winner of the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby led early on but was all done on the far turn. He finished 11thh and last, beaten 21 1/4 lengths.

The race left his trainer, Brian Lynch, to guess what happened.

“Everything seems good. He scoped good and came back good this morning,” Lynch said. “It's a bit of a head-scratcher. We'll digest it and go on from there. Everything is up in the air now. We'll let the dust settle and we'll make a decision in a few days.”

Secret Oath to the Kentucky Oaks

Trainer Wayne Lukas confirmed Sunday that Secret Oath (Arrogate) will go next in the GI Kentucky Oaks after finishing a game third against the boys Saturday in the GI Arkansas Derby.

“I don't want to run her in a 20-horse field and at an extra eighth of a mile,” Lukas said. “That would be asking a lot of her. We'll look at the Oaks and see what we can do after that. I'm not saying we won't step outside the box again at some time. But at this point the Oaks is the logical place to go.”

Lukas has nothing to apologize for. The 7-5 favorite in a $1.25-million race with Kentucky Derby points up for grabs, Secret Oath was last down the backstretch before launching an eye-catching six-wide move on the far turn. She swept past horses, but simply couldn't keep it up. Nonetheless, it was a big effort.

“For her, the race didn't come together smoothly like we would have liked it,” Lukas said. “She got shuffled back at the start and down the backside that horse [Ben Diesel] was laying on us a little bit and we couldn't get away from him. That monster move that she made on the far turn, you had to expect her to flatten out in the last sixteenth. If she could have made that move all the way to the wire we would be open to the world. She made a beautiful move for roughly three-eighths. It was a monster move.”

In the Oaks, Secret Oath will vie for favoritism with Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), last year's 2-year-old filly champion and the recent winner of the GII Fair Grounds Oaks.

Uriah St. Lewis Does It Again

Parx-based trainer Uriah St. Lewis came into Saturday's card at Aqueduct with a record of 0-for-30 on the year, not really a surprise since he is a low-percentage trainer. He may not win a lot, but he somehow finds a way to get the most out of horses who aren't that talented.

For the St. Lewis-trained Forewarned (Flat Out), the bottom line is that the Ohio-bred 7-year-old has now earned $870,883 in his career. That's his total after he won Saturday's $150,000 GIII Excelsior S. Saturday at Aqueduct. This is what St. Louis does. He runs his horses, by modern day standards, often and isn't afraid to throw them into races where they appear to be in over their heads. Last year, Forewarned won the Queens County S. at Aqueduct at odds of 42-1.

Then there's Discreet Lover (Repent). St. Lewis ran him in the 2018 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup when it looked like he didn't have a prayer. All he did was win at odds of 45-1 to earn $433,125. He retired in 2020 with $1,452,735 in career earnings.

The post The Week in Review: Charge It Looks Like a Future Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cyberknife Fine after Arkansas Derby Win

Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) exited his win in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby in fine shape and is expected to ship to Louisville Tuesday to continue preparations for the May 7 GI Kentucky Derby. The colt, who was making his second stakes appearance after a sixth-place effort in the Jan. 22 GIII Lecomte S., continued a trend of frisky behavior Saturday at Oaklawn when dumping jockey Florent Geroux in the post parade.

“I was too far away to do anything about it, but Florent was able to jump up on him by himself,” Cox said. “He's feeling good [Sunday]. It's a nice, crisp morning and if you watched him walk around here, you definitely wouldn't think he ran a mile and an eighth yesterday. He's got a lot of energy.”

Cox also trains lightly raced Zozos (Munnings), who earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort in the Mar. 26 GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road (Race Day) is on target to be the first Kentucky Derby starter for trainer John Ortiz, but the colt will remain at Oaklawn for the time being.

“Right now, we don't have any plans of moving him,” said Ortiz. “He sprung a shoe, so we're going to get that fixed first and address that. He got banged around there down the stretch, but he's just a tough little horse.”

Secret Oath (Arrogate), third while facing colts for the first time in the Arkansas Derby, will return to her own division for the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks.

Secret Oath made a sweeping six-wide move on the second turn to reach contention before weakening late to finish three-quarters of a length behind Barber Road.

“She was tired,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday. “That move she made was a terrific move for a filly at this stage of her career, to keep going. Watching it live, I thought she's probably going to hang a little bit here. She almost had to. It was a monster move. But when she came back, she was tired. The beautiful thing is we've got five weeks now. I said that before the race and now it gives us some direction. We're not thinking Derby. Now, we're focused on what we should be–the Oaks–and we've got five weeks to get back in form.”

Lukas said Secret Oath and stablemates Ethereal Road (Quality Road) and Ignitis (Nyquist) will ship Tuesday to Churchill Downs. Ignitis, third in the Smarty Jones S., is pointing for the Apr. 8 $400,000 Lafayette S. at Keeneland. Ethereal Road, the GII Rebel runner-up, is scheduled to make his next start in the Apr. 9 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Ethereal Road has 20 points to rank 24th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

The post Cyberknife Fine after Arkansas Derby Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post