Kentucky Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘There Hasn’t Even Been Any Talk About Another Trainer’: Juvenile Winner Corniche Will Return To Baffert After WinStar Vacation

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Corniche will return to the barn of embattled trainer Bob Baffert after a freshening at WinStar, according to a report in the Daily Racing Form, despite the ban imposed on Baffert by Churchill Downs.

That action has made Baffert trainees ineligible for the next two editions of the Kentucky Derby, and also prevents horses trained by Baffert from accumulating any points toward the Run for the Roses.

Owned by Peter Fluor's Speedway Stable, Corniche is undefeated in three career starts, including the G1 American Pharoah Stakes. The son of Quality Road was a $1,500,000 purchase at the OBS April sale, selected by Marette Farrell.

“Peter wants to be loyal,” Farrell told DRF. “Corniche won the Breeders' Cup, and he's a possible 2-year-old champion. No decisions have been made — there hasn't even been any talk about another trainer, or who he'd go to if he needs to go to another trainer. If the time comes that a decision needs to be made, if it needs to be that way, we'll put our heads together and make a decision.”

Report: Corniche to Freshen at WinStar Before Returning to Baffert

Presumptive 2-year-old champion male and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Corniche (Quality Road) will be freshened briefly at WinStar Farm in Kentucky this winter before returning to Bob Baffert's barn, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Marette Farrell, who purchased the $1.5-million colt for Speedway Stable, said Corniche was sent to Kentucky last Wednesday.

“It's time to give him a little bit of a break,” Farrell told DRF. “Speedway likes to use WinStar for lay-ups. He can be turned out, graduate to a paddock, and they have a track, too. It's important to get a break mentally. A change of scenery is good for all of us.”

The ongoing subplot regarding Corniche and Baffert's other potential GI Kentucky Derby contenders is what the respective ownerships will do with their horses as the Derby, now a little over five months away, inches closer on the calendar. Baffert was suspended for two years from running horses at Churchill Downs after his Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for an overage of betamethasone in this year's Derby.

If that suspension holds, it would likely prompt owners to move their horses from Baffert in time to run in the May 7 Derby. But for now, Peter Fluor and KC Weiner's Speedway is staying loyal to Baffert, as Farrell said the plan is to return Corniche to Baffert's barn at Santa Anita after his freshening.

“Peter wants to be loyal,” she said. “Corniche won the Breeders' Cup, and he's a possible 2-year-old champion. No decisions have been made–there hasn't even been any talk about another trainer, or who he'd go to if he needs to go to another trainer. If the time comes that a decision needs to be made, if it needs to be that way, we'll put our heads together and make a decision.”

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Smiles, Everyone…Smiles

Smile Happy (Runhappy) built on a monster 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut victory on closing day at Keeneland Oct. 29 with an equally eye-catching score in Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Saturday at Churchill Downs, establishing himself as one of the early favorites for the GI Kentucky Derby about six months down the road.

Welcome to Fantasy Island, Lucky Seven Stable.

A generous 24-5 third favorite despite the domination of that towering 5 1/2-length graduation, Smile Happy landed in about fifth spot, just ahead of centerfield, as Street Sense S. hero Howling Time (Not This Time) found his way to the front and galloped them along at a sensible pace. Guided out into the clear to punch the breeze four wide and covering favored Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) down the backstretch, Smile Happy traveled ominously well within the grasp of Corey Lanerie and was poised to pounce despite a wide passage around the second turn. Advancing on his own courage as the field neared the entrance to the stretch, Smile Happy circled up four deep, hit the front a furlong and a half from home under a left-handed stick and stayed on powerfully for the win. White Abbario (Race Day) was a game, but no-menace third.

“You'd think this horse ran 10 times already with how mature he acts,” Lanerie said. “He's very rateable and easy to ride. I felt very confident with him at the half-mile pole. I could tell I had a lot of horse beneath me. I got him into the right spot and he really kicked clear in the stretch. He's got a bright future.”

Smile Happy capped a four-timer on the afternoon for trainer Ken McPeek, who said that Smile Happy would follow the Florida route back to Churchill next spring.

“We'll probably take it easy with him in December and January and start deciding his future in February.” said McPeek, who also won the 2001 Kentucky Jockey Club with Repent (Louis Quatorze) and was forced to scratch morning-line favorite Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) Saturday morning. “At this stage we have a lot of options on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It's a good problem to have.”

Pedigree Notes:

Smile Happy is the sixth black-type winner and second graded winner for the resurgent Runhappy, who also has GSW and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint third and fellow 'Rising Star' Following Sea flying the flag. The latter heads to next weekend's GI Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct.

One of 49 winners for his sire this year, Smile Happy is out of a half-sister to SW Miracle Mets (Metfield) and is his dam's most recent produce.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB S.-GII, $400,000, Churchill Downs, 11-27, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.94, ft.
1–SMILE HAPPY, 122, c, 2, by Runhappy
1st Dam: Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap
2nd Dam: Relax and Smile, by Relaunch
3rd Dam: Bunch of Smiles, by Graustark
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED
STAKES WIN. ($175,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $185,000 Ylg '20
FTKSEL). O-Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin); B-Moreau
Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Kenneth
McPeek; J-Corey J. Lanerie. $234,410. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $284,810. Werk Nick Rating: First SW on this cross.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Classic Causeway, 122, c, 2, Giant's Causeway–Private
World, by Thunder Gulch. O-Kentucky West Racing LLC &
Clarke M. Cooper; B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M.
Cooper Family Living Trust (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. $76,100.
3–White Abarrio, 122, c, 2, Race Day–Catching Diamonds, by
Into Mischief. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($7,500 Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $40,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-C2
Racing Stable LLC & La Milagrosa Stable, LLC; B-Spendthrift
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $38,050.
Margins: 3 1/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.80, 1.40, 6.70.
Also Ran: Ben Diesel, Howling Time, Vivar, Call Me Midnight, Red Knobs, Guntown, Texas Red Hot, Ready Pursuit. Scratched: Mannix (Ire), Rich Strike, Tiz the Bomb.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Kentucky Derby Museum Announces Holiday Open House

The Kentucky Derby Museum invites the community to shop local and gift Kentucky.

Thursday, Dec. 2, from 5 – 8 p.m.,The Derby Museum Store will offer 15% off its unique, collectible, Derby inspired gifts for shoppers this holiday season.

Shoppers can discover the perfect holiday gifts from an assortment of Kentucky Derby-themed food, apparel and collectibles. Special offers on exclusive tours of Churchill Downs and buy-one-get-one-free memberships at the Museum will also be offered. Guests will enjoy a festive atmosphere for shopping with live Christmas music, drinks and light bites, prize drawings and free gift wrapping.

Customers can drop by the Derby Museum Store, located inside the Kentucky Derby Museum at 704 Central Avenue in Louisville from 5 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Shoppers can feel good about each purchase, as all sales support the Museum's non-profit mission “To ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EXCITE EVERYONE about the extraordinary experience that is the Kentucky Derby!”

The post Kentucky Derby Museum Announces Holiday Open House appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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