Like the King | Horse Racing Free Tips

M Racing Group LLC's Like the King (Palace Malice) parlayed a farther back than normal trip into a breakout victory in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, earning 100 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the process. Off at 7-1, the Wesley Ward pupil broke cleanly from the rail but was unhurried by Drayden Van Dyke and settled into a midpack spot while hugging the fence around the first turn. Dropping farther back down the backside behind a strong pace, he was switched out for clear sailing heading into the home bend and was one of five or six in with a chance at the top of the lane. He bumped with a pair foes in upper stretch, but kept on kicking to score by a length over Sainthood (Mshawish), whose rider launched an objection against the winner that was disallowed. California invader Hockey Dad (Nyquist) completed the trifecta.

“I got together with my agent (Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens) and [trainer] Wesley [Ward] and we decided to change up the tactics a bit today,” said Van Dyke, who hadn't ridden Like the King before and was previously based in California. “We went back and watched some replays of this horse and thought he doesn't really like to be up in the race. It ended up working out well for us. With moving my tack to Kentucky, this is a huge confidence booster going into the Keeneland meet.”

A well-beaten second on debut at Belterra last July, Like the King stretched out and switched to turf at that Ohio oval to graduate by 7 1/2 lengths in September. He was a distant third in a rained-off Keeneland allowance Oct. 24 before taking a local optional claimer over a flat mile Dec. 4. The chestnut most recently finished second in the prep for this, the John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 26. He endured some stretch traffic that day behind Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), who was scratched from the Jeff Ruby.

“We spaced out some of his races and I think it's helped because he's a big, rangy colt,” Ward said. “He's always shown an affinity for grass and that's why we kept him on the Tapeta surface this winter with this race in mind. I'm glad this came through and worked out with Gary. Now that he became an agent for Drayden, it's special to partner to win this race. Growing up, I always idolized Gary and it was a good combination to get us to this win today. We were in the Derby once before but had post 20 and Mr. [Michael] Tabor wanted to scratch (Pablo Del Monte, 2014). Now that we're here again it's very exciting.”

Saturday, Turfway Park
JEFF RUBY STEAKS-GIII, $240,040, Turfway, 3-27, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.22, ft.
1–LIKE THE KING, 123, c, 3, by Palace Malice
                     1st Dam: Like a Queen (SP, $125,125), by Corinthian
                     2nd Dam: Arcanum, by Unbridled
                     3rd Dam: Twin Bet, by Bet Twice
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($28,000
Wlg '18 KEENOV; $170,000 Ylg '19 OBSOCT). O-M Racing
Group, LLC; B-Horseshoe Racing, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward;
J-Drayden Van Dyke. $145,700. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1,
$203,880. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Sainthood, 123, c, 3, Mshawish–Lemon Hero, by Lemon Drop
Kid. ($100,000 Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $90,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP;
$62,000 Ylg '19 OBSOCT). O-WinStar Farm LLC and CHC INC.;
B-Edward Taylor & Springland Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$47,000.
3–Hockey Dad, 123, c, 3, Nyquist–Ann Summers Gold, by
Yankee Victor. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill.
$18,800.
Margins: 1, HD, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 10.90, 7.50.
Also Ran: Hard Rye Guy, Gretzky the Great, Moonlite Strike, Dyn O Mite, Awesome Gerry, King's Ovation, Smiley Sobotka, Tarantino. Scratched: Hush of a Storm. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Like the King was the third topper at the 2019 OBS October yearling sale when selling for $170,000 (see Rainbows Find Pot of Gold at OBS). He becomes the fourth graded winner from second-crop sire Palace Malice, whose own sire Curlin was also well represented on the Derby trail Saturday by GI Curlin Florida Derby hero Known Agenda. He is the first graded winner out of a mare by Corinthian. Dam Like a Queen was stakes-placed at two on the turf before eventually moving down the class ladder. Like the King was her first foal. She has a Maclean's Music 2-year-old gelding and a Fast Anna yearling colt and was most recently bred back to Palace Malice.

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A field of 11, headed by Joseph Morey Jr.'s Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), aim to take advantage of the Kentucky Derby points on the line in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Drawing the 2 hole, the William Morey trainee kicked off his career finishing eighth against $150,000 maidens on the dirt at Churchill last November, but rebounded in fine style to win with ease while trying the Tapeta for the first time going a mile a Turfway in December. A narrow winner facing optional claiming company Jan. 6, the New York bred recorded his biggest success to date when winning the 8 1/2-furlong John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 26. Aboard for all three wins, Santiago Gonzalez gets the call.

Hoping to turn the tables on Hush of a Storm is Battaglia third Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), the sole Grade I winner in the field. Campaigned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbreds, the Ontario bred was runner up in his career bow over the Woodbine turf last July before graduating in an off-turf test over that track's synthetic surface the following month before eking out a win in the grassy 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free S. Aug. 23. Favored for the Sept. 20 GI Summer S., the bay came home an easy 3 1/4-length winner, but failed to carry that form in his seasonal finale, tiring to sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland Nov. 6.

“After the Breeders' Cup, Gretzky had some minor ankle surgery and so, we missed some time with him,” said Mark Casse. “I knew if I was going to make a dirt start that I was going to have to race him two or three more times. So, the reason I went to the Battaglia was just simply because it's not as tiring.”

As for his Battaglia performance, Casse added, “He definitely was a little short, unfortunately. We drew the one [hole] and I told the rider, look, I want you to put him into the race. I don't like coming from the one and letting horses run by you and then they go in front of you and next thing you know, you're last. So, we asked him to run away from there. And unfortunately, he caught some pressure from a long shot that kind of ran ahead and was with him for three-quarters-of-a-mile. He put that horse away and then two more came at him, two more that had to be a lot fitter than we were, so I was proud of our horse.”

“I thought he tried and ran hard, staying back,” he concluded. “But more importantly, he's trained very well since then. And I'm excited. I'm very happy we picked up Chris Landeros to ride him. In my opinion, nobody rides Turfway Park like Chris Landeros. So, I think that's a big plus for us.”

While a top rung performance could pave the way to the Kentucky Derby starting gate, Casse indicated Canada's first jewel of the Triple Crown is far more likely for the colt.

“Is the derby a possibility? I wouldn't rule it out,” said Casse. “He would have to give us a tremendous performance though in the Jeff Ruby and then we'd have to come up with a plan on the Derby. But Queen's Plate is definitely in our crosshairs. And with him being a Canadian bred, it's a million dollars and it's such a prestigious race. We've been fortunate enough to win it a couple of times. We'd like to win it again.”

Also exiting the Battaglia, M Racing Group's Like the King (Palace Malice) makes the jump into graded company following a runner-up in the Battaglia. A runaway winner going a mile on the turf at Belterra last September, the Wesley Ward trainee finished third in an off-turf test at Keeneland a month later but found himself back in the winner's circle going a mile at Turfway Dec. 4. Drawing the inside stall this time, the colt will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

The post ‘Storm’ Rolling in For Jeff Ruby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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