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Baffert Seeks Fourth Straight Los Al Derby Win With Duo Of Thousand Words, Uncle Chuck

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will try to win the Los Alamitos Derby for a fourth consecutive year when he sends out Thousand Words and Uncle Chuck Saturday.

The Grade III, $150,000-guaranteed Derby, which is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, is part of a stakes doubleheader on the next-to-last day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival. Bellafina, a seven-time graded stakes winner, tops the field of older fillies and mares in the Grade II, $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M at 6 ½ furlongs. Post time Saturday is 1 p.m.

The Los Alamitos Derby will go as race six and has a scheduled post time of 3:28 p.m. PDT while the Great Lady M. will be the eighth of nine races and is scheduled for 4:28 p.m.

Baffert, whose Los Alamitos Derby win streak commenced with eventual 3-year-old champion West Coast in 2017 then continued with Once On Whiskey (2018) and Game Winner a year ago, will be seeking his fifth win in the contest since daytime thoroughbred racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014. He also won with Gimme Da Lute in 2015.

With the postponement of the Kentucky Derby from May 2 until Sept. 5 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Los Alamitos Derby is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby'' this year. The winner of the local Derby will receive 20 points towards earning a berth in the starting gate the first Saturday of September. The runner-up will receive eight points, the third place finisher four and the fourth place finisher two.

A son of Pioneerof the Nile and the Pomeroy mare Pomeroys Pistol, Thousand Words will try to become the first horse to win both the Los Alamitos Futurity and Derby. Shared Belief won the final running of the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park in 2013 and the inaugural running of the Los Alamitos Derby the following year.

Owned by Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Spendthrift Farm LLC, Thousand Words hasn't been out since finishing far back over a sloppy track as the 5-2 favorite in the Oaklawn Stakes April 11 in Arkansas. He's won three of five and earned $235,500.

An Uncle Mo colt out of the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, Uncle Chuck was an impressive first out winner June 12. He went gate-to-wire against four opponents in the race at one mile, cruising to a seven length victory for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. The win was worth $30,000 for Uncle Chuck, a $250,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2018.

Defeated a neck by Thousand Words in the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity in his final start as a 2-year-old, Anneau d'Or will be seeking his first win of 2020 for Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd. and trainer Blaine Wright.

The Medaglia d'Oro colt out of the Tapit mare Walk Close was most recently fourth in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby June 6, finishing nearly six lengths behind winner Honor A.P.

He's 1-for-6 in his career with a bankroll of $442,000.

Great Power will race for the first time since finishing a distant third behind Charlatan at one mile March 14.

Trained by Simon Callaghan for JSM Equine LLC, Qatar Racing Limited and breeder Lakland Farm, the Blame colt out of the Unbridled's Song mare Lifeinthefastlane was a first out winner going short last Sept. 29. He earned $36,840 in his two starts.

A five-start maiden, Cosmo will make his first afternoon appearance on a surface other than turf for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale.

Owned by Edward Hudson, Jr. and Lynne Hudson, the Distorted Humor colt out of the Grand Slam mare Sky Glow has banked $18,500 while hitting the board twice. In his most recent start at one mile, Cosmo was third, three-quarters of a length behind favored winner Tiberius Mercurius June 19.

From the inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Derby: Cosmo, Abel Cedillo rides, 122 pounds; Great Power, Drayden Van Dyke, 122; Thousand Words, Flavien Prat, Uncle Chuck, Luis Saez, 122 and Anneau d'Or, Victor Espinoza, 122.

In the Great Lady M., Bellafina will return to Los Alamitos for the first time since she finished second in her career debut two years ago to the day. The daughter of Quality Road finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Katieleigh as the 1-2 choice July 4, 2018.

Since that defeat, Bellafina, who is owned by Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith and trained by Simon Callaghan, has won half of her 14 starts and earned $1,512,975.

She ended a six-race losing streak with a one-length score in the Grade III Desert Stormer May 17.

Sneaking Out returns to California after going 1-for-2 on the road to begin her 2020 campaign for owner-breeder KMN Racing LLC and Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

The 4-year-old Indian Evening filly out of the Kitten's Joy mare Maddie's Odyssey won as the favorite April 25 at Oaklawn Park before finishing fifth of eighth in the Grade III Winning Colors May 30 at Churchill Downs.

The California bred has won four of 10 lifetime and earned $311,441.

Amuse cuts back in distance and goes turf to dirt in her second of the year for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella after finishing third in an optional claimer at one mile June 14.

The 5-year-old Medaglia d'Oro mare showed the way before weakening in the final eighth of a mile in her first start in more than 14 months.

Owned by a partnership that includes Claiborne Farm, Perry Bass II, Ramona Bass and Adele Dilschneider, Amuse has won two of six and earned $85,511.

Runner-up to Bellafina when nearly 43-1 in the Desert Stormer, Hang a Star will be seeking her third lifetime win in the Great Lady M.

Owned by the same owner-trainer combination – Seltzer Thoroughbreds and Ian Kruljac – that won this race in 2016 with eventual female sprint champion Finest City, Hang a Star has banked $108,311 in seven starts. She is a daughter of Tapizar and the Vindication mare Homecoming Dance.

Zusha will shorten up for her first race since finishing a distant fifth in the Grade I Beholder Mile March 14.

Trained by Gary Mandella for Rafael Steinbruch, the 5-year-old daughter of Congrats and the Storm Cat mare Icy Tea has won two of 20 and banked $218,893. In her lone start at Los Alamitos, Zusha finished second behind Queen Bee to You in the Grade III Bayakoa last Dec. 8.

Fifth after disputing the pace in the Desert Stormer, Artistic Diva will try to stay perfect at Los Alamitos for Hronis Racing LLC and trainer Juan Leyva.

The lightly-raced 5-year-old Munnings mare was a gate-to-wire winner in her local debut last Sept. 13. She's won half of her six starts and earned $143,450.

Winless in five starts in 2020, Donut Girl will step into graded company for the first time after finishing fourth of nine in an optional claimer on turf June 19.

A $20,000 claim by owner-trainer Brian Cunningham May 16, the 5-year-old Smiling Tiger mare out of the Any Given Saturday mare Saturday's Girl has won four of 21 and earned $170,582. She has won locally, scoring a come-from-behind win over a wet fast surface during the 2019 Winter meet when trained by Matt Chew.

From inside out, the field for the Great Lady M. Stakes: Bellafina, Flavien Prat rides, 124 pounds; Artistic Diva, Victor Espinoza, 119; Sneaking Out, Martin Garcia, 119; Donut Girl, Geovanni Franco, 119; Hang a Star, Umberto Rispoli, 119; Amuse, Drayden Van Dyke, 119 and Zusha, Tiago Pereira, 119.

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Blue Grass a Possibility for Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) has been nominated for both the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GII Toyota Blue Grass S., both to be run July 11 at Keeneland, and trainer Ken McPeek said he will give strong consideration to both races for his 3-year-old filly.

“I’ll probably run her in the Ashland, but there are a lot of things to consider,” McPeek said. “For one, I have another nice filly for the Ashland in Envoutante (Uncle Mo). With all these 3-year-old races being run around the same time, I’d imagine the field for the Blue Grass will be a little diluted. There’s also the weights. She carried 124 in her last start (win in the GII Santa Anita Oaks) and she’d only have to carry 118 if she were to go in the Blue Grass. Most of the colts in the race are going to have to jump up in weight. Who’s to say how much of a factor that would be. A filly has never won the Blue Grass so it would be a nice achievement.”

Other factors include the purses of each race and their grades. The Blue Grass is a $600,000 race but a Grade II. The Ashland purse is $400,000 and the race is a Grade I.

“Winning a Grade I is important with a filly,” McPeek said. Swiss Skydiver has won three graded races but has yet to notch a Grade I victory.

McPeek said he will not make his decision until the day of entry and will keep an eye on what horses are going in each race.

“We’ll do our research and figure it out,” he said. “An old-timer once told me don’t make an important decision until you absolutely have to. If there’s going to be 14 in the Blue Grass and just six or seven in the Ashland we’ll probably go in the Ashland. If the size of both fields is going to be about the same we can wait and make our decision when it is time to enter.”

A start in the Blue Grass could open up the doors for additional starts against males for Swiss Skydiver. A win would give her 100 Kentucky Derby points, more than enough to get into the field for what will be the second leg of the Triple Crown this year. Swiss Skydiver is nominated to the Triple Crown.

After showing little in her first two starts this year, Swiss Skydiver won the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths and followed that with a win in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. With Mike Smith aboard, she won the Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths.

The post Blue Grass a Possibility for Swiss Skydiver appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Got Him At The Right Time’: Ohio Derby Winner Dean Martini May Target Ellis Park Derby

Dean Martini made his first start at Ellis Park last Aug. 4, finishing second at 24-1. Now, after winning last Saturday's $500,000 Ohio Derby, Louisville-based Raise the BAR Racing's 3-year-old gelding could be coming back to Henderson for the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9.

“It's definitely under consideration,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “Absolutely timing-wise we'll look at the race at Ellis.”

It was Dean Martini's second start for his new owners and Amoss after they claimed him out of a $50,000 maiden-claiming race at Churchill Downs, which made him a winner on his eighth attempt. Yet even in defeat, there was only one race in which Dean Martini did not run well. That was his second start, which came at Del Mar in California.

Dean Martini won by 6 3/4 length the day he was claimed, the only time he was in a claiming race. He returned to finish a good second after breaking from post 12 in an allowance race won by Man in the Can, a strong contender for Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. That encouraged Amoss to go hunting bigger game in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, whose runner-up was stakes-winner South Bend and whose third-place finisher was 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award champion Storm the Court.

Amoss is a disciple of the Ragozin handicapping sheets, which chart form cycles by taking into account variables such as ground lost, traffic trouble and how fast or slow the track is playing in assigning a number for each horse's race. The lower the number, the faster the performance, regardless of what the official time might be.

“I liked the fact that he was a horse who looked like on the 'sheets' that he was developing,” Amoss said of the claim. “The day we claimed him, he ran a very big race. In the allowance race, he ran just as well…. I just got lucky. I didn't do anything special with this horse. He came in great shape. I think I got him at the right time. I claimed a horse that was in the process of developing, getting better. I did nothing more than pick up where the old barn left off.”

Raise The BAR Racing's name is a shout out to the first letters of the first names of partners Brad Rives, Annie Jessee and Rick Riney — along with the fact that they're all lawyers, and they might also occasionally have gone to a bar. Diane Jessee, Annie's sister in law, also is a partner.

The Ohio Derby victory fell on the 81st birthday of former Kentucky governor Brereton Jones, who with his son Bret bred Dean Martini, bloodhorse.com noted.

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Belmont Winner Tiz The Law ‘Getting A Little Bit Tough’ In Morning Workouts

In his first breeze since winning the Belmont Stakes on June 20, Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law worked four furlongs in 50.06 seconds.

According to the Daily Racing Form, jockey Manny Franco kept Tiz the Law steady through the first quarter mile in 26.71 seconds, then moved up to complete the second quarter in 23.18 seconds. In order to go slow early, trainer Barclay Tagg ponied the 3-year-old Constitution colt all the way to the five-eighths pole.

“That was (Tagg's) plan and that was great for me because he's getting a little bit tough,” Franco told the Daily Racing Form. “That made it easier for me.”

Up next, Tiz the Law is expected to take on the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 8, en route to the rescheduled Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.