Tag: Kentucky Derby

Angel of Empire On To Kentucky After Big Saturday For Brad Cox

Brad Cox saddled a trio of winners Saturday at Oaklawn with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) taking the day's biggest prize in the GI Arkansas Derby. He also won the GIII Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with heavily-favored Wet Paint (Blame) and the Hot Springs S. with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky).

“It was a great day,” Cox said during training hours Sunday morning at Oaklawn. “It was good. Big performance from that colt yesterday, Angel of Empire. We'll load him on Tuesday and ship to Kentucky and see what we can come up with.”

Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Angel of Empire powered to a 4 1/4-length victory over longshot King Russell (Creative Cause) before an estimated crowd of 65,000.

“I've said it several times,” Cox said. “He's a horse we thought would get better with time and, obviously, age as well. And you know, he's obviously gotten better throughout the winter and he looks amazing. I think distance is probably an equalizer. He's not blessed with a tremendous amount of speed. He just kind of breaks. And he's not void of speed, but he kind of finds his way and they get away from him a little bit. But he settles. He's a very smart horse. Probably the biggest thing with him. Pretty big crowd here. There was a lot of noise in the paddock. Stands there and really presented himself well yesterday in the paddock and in the infield when we legged the riders up. He was on his toes, but he wasn't hot at all. He was feeling good. You could tell he was ready to run. Loved how he was acting mentally.”

Angel of Empire's eventual winning margin, 2 1/2 lengths in mid-stretch, ballooned in the run to the wire.

“Even in the gallop out, they weren't close to him,” Cox said. “Flavien had never sat on him and he came back said, 'Wow! This horse, the further, the better.'”

Angel of Empire collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Arkansas Derby victory, which pushed his overall total to 154, good enough for second on the leaderboard.

Cox said he doesn't have a jockey commitment yet for the Kentucky Derby.

“They'll sort themselves out over the next several weeks, between the Blue Grass, Wood and Santa Anita Derby,” Cox said. “We'll see what happens.”

Cox also notched his second career victory in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Fantasy S. with Wet Paint, a homebred who races for her breeder, Godolphin. Last of 10 early, Wet Paint rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over Taxed (Collected) to become only the second filly behind Eight Belles to sweep what are now Oaklawn's three Kentucky Oaks points races. Wet Paint also won the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28 and the GIII Honeybee Stakes Feb. 25. Saturday's race marked the filly's first try around two turns over a fast track after catching off tracks in both the Martha Washington and the Honeybee.

“Listen, we don't know until we try,” Cox said. “We didn't know until we ran yesterday. But her works here have been awfully good on dry tracks, so I felt pretty confident we'd get a big run from her as long as we got pace to run at. We got it. She's definitely one of the top fillies in the country.”

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Forte Guts It Out in Curlin Florida Derby

There's your favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) punched his ticket to Louisville with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Up against it from the get-go exiting from a much-discussed gate 11 draw in a field of 12 with a short run to the first turn, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate was off to an alert beginning and raced in traffic to the clubhouse turn before setting deep and with only a couple of rivals behind as the slow-starting Southern Californian invader Fort Bragg (Tapit) burned across to lead clear.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. had the big favorite worse than midfield and in about the five path nearing the half-mile marker, at which point he began to get busy. But so, too, did Mage (Good Magic), who raced at the tail early on, in the slipstream of Forte towards the end of the backstretch and got first run with a powerful sweep around the turn. Racing in a pocket for a stride or two, but with ample galloping room, Forte allowed Mage to go on with it and he dueled with Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief)–who had also sat a wide trip from a high draw–into the final furlong. But produced down the center, Forte did his best work through the line and was comfortably clear by a length at the end of the nine furlongs. Mage was second; Cyclone Mischief was third.

The Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with the first five finishers earning points on a 100-50-30-20-10 basis.

“I was worried, he had a lot to do turning for home,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher after a record-extending seventh Florida Derby victory. “He had to angle out really wide and kind of got a wide trip all the way around there, but he had a pretty smooth run it; he just had to lose a lot of ground to do it. It looked like he had a lot to do still at the eighth pole but then really kicked in the last part and found his best stride the last sixteenth.”

Pletcher continued, “He got a lot of experience today. The one good thing about here is you get a big crowd, a noisy crowd, long post parade, so they get exposed to a lot. That experience hopefully pays off down the road.”

Repole added, “I knew it was going to be a big test for him. I didn't mind him having the 11 post. I thought he got an incredible education. I, too, at the eighth pole was saying, we're going to get second or third, and he just kept going and going and going. It was pretty special.”

Forte captured three straight Grade I events during his championship season in 2022, capped by an impressive success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4. The dark bay returned to the races with a stylish tally in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4.

“He just continues to amaze us,” Pletcher said. “He gets better and better. He handled the stretchout to a mile an eighth great and actually probably ran a mile and three-sixteenths today. It gives you a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Pletcher had previously counted Scat Daddy (2007), Constitution (2014), Materiality (2015), Always Dreaming (2017), Audible (2018) and Known Agenda (2021) for Florida Derby victories.

Mage, a sharp debut winner going seven furlongs on the GI Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Jan. 28, was an unlucky fourth while making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth. Cyclone Mischief, also exiting the Fountain of Youth, made it two straight third-place finishes behind Forte.

Pedigree Notes:

Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola bought 43 yearlings for more than $16 million to top the sheets for the first of two straight years at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Forte was a $110,000 purchase out of that auction.

Forte is one of six Grade I winners for Violence. Forte's broodmare sire Blame has 12 stakes/six graded winners out of his daughters. Blame is also the sire of Saturday's impressive GIII Fantasy S. heroine Wet Paint, a leading contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline, with her now-juvenile colt by Uncle Mo hammering for $850,000 to Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. She lost her 2023 foal by Not This Time and was bred to Flightline in 2023. Her third dam is the MGSW Jeano (Fappiano), whose descendants also include champions Folklore (Tiznow) and Essential Quality (Tapit); Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and additional GISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon). The family traces tail-female to the great La Troienne through her Broodmare of the Year granddaughter by War Admiral, Striking.

Saturday, Gulfstream
CURLIN FLORIDA DERBY PRESENTED BY HILL 'N' DALE FARMS AT XALAPA-GI, $1,000,000, Gulfstream, 4-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.51, ft.
1–FORTE, 122, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
'TDN Rising Star'. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate
Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $576,600.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old colt, 7-6-0-0, $2,409,830.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mage, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($235,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $290,000 2yo '22 EASMAY).
O-OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing
LLC and CMNWLTH; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Gustavo
Delgado. $186,000.
3–Cyclone Mischief, 122, c, 3, Into
Mischief–Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini. 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC
and Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (KY);
T-Dale L. Romans. $93,000.
Margins: 1, 2, 2. Odds: 0.30, 4.70, 13.10.
Also Ran: Mr. Ripple, Fort Bragg, Il Miracolo, West Coast Cowboy, Jungfrau, Nautical Star, Mr. Peeks, Dubyuhnell, Shaq Diesel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Bold Act Stays Home but Kentucky Derby Possible for Brave Emperor 

Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) extended his winning streak to four to land Chelmsford City's Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions S. under talented young apprentice Harry Davies.

While the Godolphin colt earned 30 points in this final leg of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby, his trainer Charlie Appleby confirmed to TDN that Bold Act will not be aimed at the American Classic on May 6, heading instead towards a Derby trial at home.

“We're delighted he's won but in all honesty he's not a horse we've had on the radar for the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “It's a great race, and for the points initiative, it's fantastic, but for ourselves it wasn't something we were looking at moving on to.

Appleby added, “He's a nice horse and we'll look to step him up in trip and look at the Feilden or the Dante for him. Full marks to Chelmsford for being able to produce a race like that to provide a springboard to go on to the Kentucky Derby.”

Kentucky could still be on the cards for runner-up Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation), however. The Archie Watson-trained gelding already had 20 qualifying points to his name following his win in the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' Conditions S. at Kempton last month and he is now on 32, having been beaten just half a length by Bold Act

Tom Palin of the Middleham Park Racing syndicate which owns the five-time winner confirmed after the race, “We are strongly considering the Kentucky Derby.”

He continued, “He's a dude of a horse and he ran his heart out once again. I think if he'd had a dream passage up the inside he'd probably have got the job done again tonight. We'll have a good chat on Monday with the team. It's their decision if they want to spend the prize-money to go across [to America], but I see no reason not to have a grown-up conversation about it.”

On Friday, Archie Watson said of a potential Kentucky Derby bid for Brave Emperor, “How many times do you get the opportunity to have a runner in a race like that? Personally, I feel he would probably suit the Preakness more, but he's done nothing wrong. On pedigree you'd probably say that it would be worth giving the dirt a try, and also on the way he runs, because he does tend to grind it out. That style of running should suit the dirt, but I guess there are a lot of unknowns, like going up two furlongs for the Derby.

“He's as tough as nails and we definitely haven't got to the bottom of him. He responds well and is tough in a battle.”

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Wide Draw and All, Forte an Overwhelming Presence in Florida Derby

Big Brown (Boundary) took no prisoners from post 12 with a powerful, wire-to-wire performance in the GI Curlin Florida Derby before capturing the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2008.

It's champion Forte (Violence)'s turn now.

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, an eye-catching winner while kicking off his sophomore campaign in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 4, towers over his 11 rivals on paper in Saturday's Florida Derby. But with a well-documented short run to the first turn going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park, Forte must overcome a disadvantageous wide draw in post 11. He is the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

Regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. remains as confident as ever no matter the post.

“He does everything I ask him,” Ortiz said of the Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer. “He's always there for me. He can stay all day on his stride. He has a turn of foot but he stays. He stays with that speed–that's good on dirt. I know what he wants to do and how he likes to run. I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher added, “The Fountain of Youth couldn't have gone any better for us. As impressively as he's won a couple of these races, he's kind of come to the wire with his ears up taking everything in. Obviously, as these races get a little more difficult, he'll need to stay focused.”

The Florida Derby field also includes: last term's GII Remsen S. winner and disappointing GIII Sam F. Davis S. eighth-place finisher Dubyuhnell (Good Magic); last out GII San Felipe S. fifth-place finisher Fort Bragg (Tapit); and Fountain of Youth third Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief).

Gulfstream's absolutely stacked 14-race program features 10 stakes races, including the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks; GII Pan American S.; GIII Orchid S.; and GIII Ghostzapper S.

Wide-Open Arkansas Derby…

While the 11-deep GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn may lack a standout or star power like its Gulfstream counterpart, it should nonetheless present some fantastic wagering opportunities.

Red Route One (Gun Runner) and Reincarnate (Good Magic), a rallying second and third in a sloppy renewal of the local prep in the GII Rebel S. Feb. 25, could vie for favoritism. The former adds blinkers for Steve Asmussen. Reincarnate, a game winner of the GIII Sham S. Jan. 8 for previous trainer Bob Baffert, looks like the one to beat after an eventful trip in his first try for Tim Yakteen in the Rebel. He is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“We didn't have the best of luck last time,” Yakteen said. “Hopefully, we'll get a clean break away from there and Johnny [Velazquez] will play the break and put himself where he feels the horse is going to be most comfortable. Obviously, we'd like to be closer to the pace than necessarily be completely out of it like we were the last time.”

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) will be out for respect after upsetting the GII Risen Star S. at 13-1 for Brad Cox while GIII Holy Bull S. winner Rocket Can (Into Mischief) won't have to worry about facing Forte again just yet after finishing a solid second behind the current GI Kentucky Derby favorite in the Fountain of Youth.

The Arkansas Derby program also includes GI Kentucky Oaks prep GIII Fantasy S., featuring the highly regarded Godolphin homebred Wet Paint (Blame), and the GIII Oaklawn Mile S.

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