Tag: Major Dude

Bolt d’Oro Colt is the Dude in Penn Mile

Spendthrift Farm's MGSW Major Dude (3, c, Bolt d'Oro–Mary Rita, by Distorted Humor) showed his class, overcoming a bit of trouble to gut out victory in the GII Penn Mile S. at Penn National Friday evening. The 2-5 choice looked to bobble slightly coming out of the gate before assuming a tracking spot behind the :23.17 and :47.85 fractions carved out by Recruiter (Army Mule). Tucked in third on the inside, Major Dude made an initial move on the backstretch, easing to within a neck shy of the front before abruptly shuffling back significantly as Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) made a bold move to take on and subsequently put away the frontrunner. Major Dude swung out, came on again–this time on the outside–under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to engage Behind Enemy Lines, and asserted himself late to win by three-quarters of a length, getting the turf contest for 3-year-olds in 1:33.73. Second choice Behind Enemy Lines held for second, while 98-1 Fletcher (Blofeld) finished third. Fletcher's trainer, James Lawrence, II, won the Penn Mile last year with Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front).

“We kind of squeezed and shuffled back there on the turn, and Irad got him out in the clear,” said Stu Hampson, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “Once he found clear running, he did it all himself. He's a really cool horse to be around and obviously a really talented horse. Hopefully, he'll have a big rest of his 3-year-old year.”

The Penn Mile marked the third graded win of Major Dude's career, something not lost on Jack Sisterson, trainer of runner-up Behind Enemy Lines. “You look at the form of [Major Dude], a big favorite. You've got the best trainer [Pletcher] training the horse. Let those guys enjoy the win, and hopefully we'll match up with Major Dude again and have another battle down the stretch.”

Major Dude was by far the most accomplished in the field coming into the Penn Mile and sported the highest Beyer Speed Figures, getting consecutive 90-plus numbers in his last three starts. Last seen finishing third on Derby Day in the GII American Turf S. after a second to eventual GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's (Hard Spun) in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks on Turfway Park's synthetic Mar. 25, Major Dude won the GIII Kitten's Joy S. in February at Gulfstream. Also winner of the GII Pilgrim S. at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet last October, the $550,000 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate was a stakes-placed winner on dirt before moving to the grass last fall.

Pedigree Notes:

Major Dude is one of three graded winners for sophomore sire Bolt d'Oro, who stands at Spendthrift Farm. The son of Medaglia d'Oro also has six black-type winners, including 2023 GIII Lecomte S. winner Instant Coffee and 2023 Layfayette S. winner Corona Bolt. Like Major Dude, Bolt d'Oro's May 6 Lazaro Barrera S. runner-up Navy Man is also out of a Distorted Humor mare. The current leading U.S. broodmare sire and pensioned WinStar stallion Distorted Humor is responsible for 137 winners out of his daughters.

The Penn Mile winner's dam is a full-sister to the dam of 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify), impressive victor of the May 20 Sir Barton S. at Pimlico after a runner-up finish in the Apr. 15 GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. The two graded stakes-producing full-sisters are out of a winning daughter of legendary Broodmare of the Year and undefeated champion Personal Ensign (Private Account). Major Dude's breeder, Clearsky Farms, picked up Major Dude's dam, Mary Rita, for $230,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. The mare has a juvenile colt named Radio Liberty (Audible), who was acquired for $150,000 at Keeneland September by BSW/Crow Colts Group/Spendthrift Farm/Gandharvi, and a 2023 colt by Charlatan born on Mar. 10.

Friday, Penn National
PENN MILE S.-GII, $400,000, Penn National, 6-2, 3yo, 1mT,
1:33.73, fm.
1–MAJOR DUDE, 122, c, 3, by Bolt d'Oro
               1st Dam: Mary Rita (SP), by Distorted Humor
               2nd Dam: Possibility, by A.P. Indy
               3rd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
($550,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Clearsky
Farms (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $232,800.
Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-2, $714,895. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Behind Enemy Lines (GB), 118, c, 3, Sioux Nation–Autumn
Snow (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
(88,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 90,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT;
€173,228 RNA 2yo '22 GOFFDU). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC,
Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing LLC; B-The Brigadier
Partnership (GB); T-Jack Sisterson. $77,600.
3–Fletcher, 116, c, 3, Blofeld–Missdixieactivist, by Activist.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-James C
Chandley (PA); T-James L. Lawrence, II. $42,680.
Margins: 3/4, 4HF, 1. Odds: 0.40, 3.50, 98.70.
Also Ran: Recruiter, Movisitor, Candidate, Tuskegee Airmen,
Upstate and Back.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Churchill Downs Workers Continue Derby/Oaks Preps

Spendthrift Farm's duo of GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and GII Jeff Ruby Steaks runner-up Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) had their penultimate works prior to Kentucky Derby Day when they each breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. The duo clipped through opening eighth-mile fractions of :12.60, :24.40 and :36.20. They galloped out together through six furlongs in 1:13.40.

“I think people gave Kingsbarns a discount because of the time of the Louisiana Derby,” Spendthrift Farm President Eric Gustavson said. “I don't think you should be penalized by going to the front and putting everyone else to sleep like he did. We're pretty confident coming into the Derby.”

“Both of them went pretty well,” added trainer Todd Pletcher. “I thought it was a good, steady work with a strong gallop out. Kingsbarns accomplished a lot in a short period of time. I thought his debut was very professional. It's hard to win going one-mile first time out and he did it getting an education being behind horses. For his first start I thought that was impressive. We went the Tampa Bay Downs route to get a two-turn allowance race into him. I thought that worked out well. He made a big step forward then in the Louisiana Derby.”

 

 

 

Pletcher reported Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence) will breeze Friday along with GI Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (Tapit).

Not to be outdone, the fillies pointing towards the GI Kentucky Oaks also occupied the work tab Thursday.

At 7:30 a.m., Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro) (five furlongs, 1:00.20), Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) (five furlongs, :58.80), The Alys Look (Connect) (five furlongs, 1:00.60) and Wet Paint (Blame) (five furlongs, 1:00.20) all recorded published workouts. About 90 minutes later, Gambling Girl (Dialed In) breezed a half-mile in :49.40.

Wet Paint, with jockey Flavien Prat aboard, began two lengths back of her stablemate Wet Paint, who was ridden by Florent Geroux, and finished even at the wire. Wet Paint completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13 while her stablemate finished in 1:13.40. Immediately following their work, Botanical, with jockey Chris Landeros in the irons, worked outside stablemate Flashy Gem. The duo galloped out six furlongs together in 1:13.40.

“I thought it was a really good morning for all of our fillies,” said trainer Brad Cox. “The Alys Look began about two lengths in front of Wet Paint and they finished well together and galloped out well together. I thought it was a very solid move. I let Botanical do a little bit more today than last week just to see how she'd really handle the dirt. She was actually here at Churchill last summer and we breezed her on the turf then and thought she handled it well. She didn't quite have a lot of early speed so that's why we started her going long on turf. Flashy Gem is a very good work horse and the two fillies ran first and second last time out at Turfway.”

 

 

 

Southlawn, trained by Norm Casse, started five lengths back of stablemate Burning Bright. The winner of the GII Fair Grounds Oaks worked through fractions of :24 and :35.20 with rider Rey Gutierrez in the saddle. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60, according to Churchill Downs Clocker John Nichols.

Gambling Girl worked with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. on board and was outside her Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince). The duo completed early fractions of :12.60 and :24.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.20.

GIII UAE Oaks winner Mimi Kakushi (City of Light) is on her way from Dubai to the U.S. and is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

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Pletcher Derby Crew Works Before Heading To Louisville

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) returned to training Friday morning for his last local work before shipping to Louisville to begin final preparations for the GI Kentucky Derby.

Working in company with Bright Future, a 4-year-old son of Curlin, the Derby favorite went a half-mile in :50.28 at Palm Beach Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher, according to Mike Welsch of DRF.

“With Forte we were just looking for a nice, easy first work back. He ran in the Florida Derby 13 days ago and he's getting ready to ship on Sunday to Churchill, so we just wanted to let him stretch his legs a little bit and not do too much,” Pletcher said. “It looked like he was just kind of in an open gallop out there, doing really well.”

 

 

 

Also breezing together for Pletcher Friday and bound for Louisville were Spendthrift Farm-owned pair Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) who were timed in :49.49 seconds for four furlongs, according to DRF. Kingsbarns is assured a place in the Derby starting gate with 100 qualifying points after his victory in the GII Louisiana Derby, good for eighth overall. Second in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, Major Dude–who is ranked 23rd–is on the bubble with 40 points.

“We were looking for a little more from Major Dude and Kingsbarns. I thought they both went really well [with] good enthusiasm and energy in their gallop-outs and seemed to be moving well so, overall, very pleased,” Pletcher said. “I thought they all went according to plan.”

Friday's works were a relief for Hall of Fame trainer after heavy rains swept through South Florida this week and threatened to disrupt their schedules.

“They've been doing well, they've been eating well, they've been galloping nicely. I was happy to get the works in on the day we scheduled,” he said. “We've had a lot of rain so I wasn't positive that was going to happen, but the track dried out nicely and we had good conditions for it.”

Pletcher also reported that Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) exited his Apr. 8 victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland in good order and will join his stablemates in Louisville over the weekend. The gray colt is ranked fourth in the Derby leaderboard with 150 points.

“Tapit Trice came back super, really good energy. He's been galloping the last few days at Keeneland,” Pletcher said. “He'll ship over to Churchill after training on Sunday. Knock on wood, so far so good.”

 

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Louisiana Derby Caps Prep Season At Fair Grounds

While the first Saturday in May is still six weeks away, the trail to the GI Kentucky Derby reaches its boiling point in New Orleans Saturday with the conclusion of the Fair Grounds prep series–the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. One of a pair of Derby points races happening within 20 minutes of one another Saturday, the Louisiana Derby offers 100-40-30-20-10 points and all but guarantees the winner a slot in the gate at Churchill Downs May 6.

Currently 10th on the leaderboard–the highest of the runners in the field–Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro) took the win in the second local prep race of the season–the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 21–after ending his juvenile campaign with a victory under the Twinspires in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox has swept the Fair Grounds prep races thus far with Jace's Road (Quality Road), winner of the Gun Runner S. Dec. 26. The Louisiana Derby will the his first start since a fifth in the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Jan. 28.

Making just his second start since being named a 'TDN Rising Star' at Saratoga last fall, Disarm (Gun Runner) makes his stakes debut Saturday off a second against allowance/optional claiming company at Oaklawn Feb. 19.

“He needed that race and he needs this,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “He's a talented horse playing catch up. From where we were at, I only felt we could get two runs in him (before a possible start in the Kentucky Derby), and the mile-and-three-sixteenths distance will move him forward. He's a horse who will stay on nicely but he needs some racing. He has a high talent level and deserves this chance.”

Undefeated in a pair of starts, Spendthrift Farm color-bearer Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) also makes his stakes debut for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Turfway Serves Up 'Well Done' Derby Prep

Bolt d'Oro has another potential leading contender on the trail in Turfway's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. with GIII Kitten's Joy S. heroine Major Dude also flying the Spendthrift Farm colors. Having contested his last four races on the turf, including another graded-stakes win last fall in Belmont's GII Pilgrim S., the colt tries the tapeta for the first time for a chance at the 100-40-30-20-10 points on offer.

An experienced dirt horse, Two Phils (Hard Spun) leaves Fair Grounds for Turfway after contesting the last two preps in New Orleans-coming in second to Instant Coffee in the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 21 and third when last spotted behind Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) in the GII Risen S. Feb. 18.

“At one point the horse did a two-minute lick for me one time over a synthetic surface and it was almost an eye-opening move,” said trainer Larry Rivelli of Two Phil's. “I've been trying to think of the easiest spot for the money and I think this will be the spot. If he absolutely hates the surface, that's on me. I'm sort of putting myself out there saying that I think he will run well over it. Working a half-mile or five-eighths is a lot different than running a race. That's when you find out if a horse doesn't like a surface. I'm pretty confident he will like it but like anything else in racing there could be a chance he doesn't like it. I didn't think he'd like the mud at Churchill (in the Street Sense) until he did.”

One contender who has experience over the surface is Congruent (Tapit), who faded to sixth behind Major Dude in the Kitten's Joy but rebounded with a win over the tapeta in the local prep, the John Battaglia Memorial S.

Art Collector Looks To Stay On Top

The newly-crowned GI Pegasus World Cup winner, Art Collector (Bernardini) looks to keep rolling into New Orleans in the GII New Orleans Classic S.

He'll face another son of the late Darley great in Gary and Mary West's West Will Power, entered off a pair of runner-up efforts in the GI Clark S. and the GII Razorback H.

The field also includes GSW Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (Connect).

Hoosier Philly Right Back At It

Already sitting in eighth place on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, Tom Amoss's Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) cares more about redemption than points in Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks.

“I still think she's the best horse I have ever had in my barn,” Amoss said after his filly was a well-beaten third last time out in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 18.

She'll be challenged by a formidable pair in the Rachel Alexandra winner, 'TDN Rising Star'  Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), and Silverbulletday S. victor The Alys Look (Connect), who defeated GISP Chop Chop (City of Light).

While all three fillies are in the top 10 in points standings, the Fair Grounds Oaks does award a further 100-40-30-20-10 points towards the GI Kentucky Oaks.

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