Midnight Bourbon | Horse Racing Free Tips

Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Midnight Bourbon Aging Well

One Kentucky Derby qualifying points race was held over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, but there were a couple of other races worth looking at.

The points race was the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes from Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., a 1 1/16-mile contest offering 17 Derby points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1). While no winners of the Lecomte have gone on to capture the G1 Kentucky Derby, there are some notable successes in the not-too-distant past, including G1 Preakness winners War of Will (2019) and Oxbow (2013). Going back a few more years to 2007, you'll find Derby runner-up Hard Spun on the Lecomte winner's roster.

Tampa Bay Downs ran the Pasco Stakes, a starting point for the Oldsmar, Fla., track's Derby qualifying points races: the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis (17 points) and March 6 Tampa Bay Derby (85 points). The Pasco, run at seven furlongs, offered a $125,000 purse but no Derby points and has never produced a winner that had an impact on the Triple Crown.

Finally, California-breds were in the spotlight at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., including 3-year-olds in the Cal Cup Derby. While this might not be a points race, let's remember that a Lucky Pulpit colt named California Chrome launched his 3-year-old championship campaign (including Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins) with a victory in the Cal Cup Derby.

As I wrote in my first 2021 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card, the following grades are entirely subjective and based on my personal “eyeball test,” Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form, historical significance of the race and perceived quality of fields. I don't employ an “easy” curve in my grading.

Jan. 16: Lecomte Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Fair Grounds

Midnight Bourbon was second-choice in the wagering behind the Brad Cox-trained Into Mischief colt Mandaloun, the 4-5 favorite who came into the Lecomte undefeated in two starts: a six-furlong maiden win at Keeneland Oct. 24 and an allowance victory at Churchill Downs Nov. 28. Midnight Bourbon, trained by Steve Asmussen, chased the front-running (and likely distance challenged) Jackie's Warrior last time out when third in the G1 Champagne Stakes at a one-turn mile at Belmont Park Oct. 10. Michael Stidham-trained Proxy (by Tapit) won back-to-back maiden and allowance races around two turns in November and December at Fair Grounds after narrowly losing his debut at Monmouth Oct. 24. He was the 8-1 fifth choice in the betting.

Midnight Bourbon and Joe Talamo hold off Proxy and Mandaloun to win the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds

All three come from serious racing and breeding operations: Midnight Bourbon is a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Tiznow colt; Mandaloun is a Juddmonte Farms homebred; and Proxy is a Godolphin homebred produced from the outstanding racemare Panty Raid, winner of the G1 Spinster at Keeneland.

Midnight Bourbon has the goods pedigree-wise, being a half brother to G3 Salvatore Mile winner Pirate's Punch (by Shanghai Bobby); G1 Haskell winner Girvin (by Tale of Ekati); and G3 Iroquois winner Cocked and Loaded (by Colonel John). Now pensioned Tiznow, the two-time G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, has been an outstanding sire. He was a late developer, not debuting until late April of his 3-year-old campaign and winding up the year as the champion 3-year-old male and 2000 Horse of the Year. It wouldn't be a stretch to think Midnight Bourbon will age well.

Joe Talamo, subbing for jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard Midnight Bourbon, took it to his rivals early, outhustling Proxy and Mandaloun for the early lead and laying down 24 and change fractions all the way around the Fair Grounds oval and repelling bids from Proxy and a three-wide Mandaloun from the three-eighths pole to the wire, holding them at bay by one length. Trainer Cox said he might put blinkers on Mandaloun for his next start in the Risen Star, where he'll get a rematch with Midnight Bourbon.

The winner earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the Lecomte, a significant improvement from his previous best Beyer, 80, when second to late-running Sittin On Go at Churchill Downs in the G3 Iroquois Sept. 5 after making a bold move to the lead on the turn for home.

Midnight Bourbon ran his final sixteenth in 6.32 seconds and the final five-sixteenths in 30.85 in his first true two-turn test (he broke his maiden going a mile on the peculiar Ellis Park layout where they start coming out of a chute on the clubhouse turn).

Grade: B

Jan. 16: Pasco Stakes, seven furlongs, Tampa Bay Downs

The Bill Mott-trained Union Rags colt Nova Rags jumped off the Daily Racing Form past performances page as the only 3-year-old in the eight-horse lineup to contest a graded stakes, finishing fourth in the G3 Nashua at Aqueduct on Nov. 8.

Nova Rags was made the 13-10 favorite and ran to his odds, winning by 2 ¾ lengths under Samy Camacho despite going very wide throughout (five wide going into the final turn). Nova Rags covered seven furlongs in 1:24.55 and earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, three ticks lower than a 78 Beyer in his debut maiden victory at Belmont Park Oct. 10.

Nova Rags draws off late under Samy Camacho to win the Pasco Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths

Out of a Smart Strike mare, the Michael Shanley homebred should improve with distance and Hall of Famer Mott is known for his patience with all of his horses. It's hard to take much from this race, especially when you go back and look at how soundly he was defeated in the Nashua, where he lost by 14 ¼ lengths without apparent excuse.

Grade: D

Jan. 16: California Cup Derby 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita

Trainer David Hofmans added blinkers to Big Fish's equipment for this race restricted to California-bred or -sired horses after removing the hood two starts back. This a long-striding colt by the Dynaformer stallion Mr. Big who probably wasn't best suited when sent out for a 4 ½-furlong maiden test last June 19 in his debut, finishing second. After another sprint try on dirt where he finished third to Cal Cup Derby favorite Good With People, Hofmans moved Big Fish to turf, where he graduated against state-breds going one mile, then won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes against open company at the same distance.

Big Fish put in a big stretch run to win the California Cup Derby under Juan Hernandez

In the Cal Cup Derby, jockey Juan Hernandez allowed Big Fish to settle well behind the early leaders, commenced a drive around the three-eighths pole, saved ground into the stretch and ran down Good With People and Peter Miller stablemate None Above the Law. Big Fish won going away by 1 ½ lengths in a fairly pedestrian 1:46.37 for 1 1/16 miles, earning a 71 Beyer Speed Figure.

Hofmans now has options for the Legacy Ranch homebred, who comes from the same female family as Pasco winner Nova Rags. The fourth dam of Big Fish is Kaylem Ho, and Kaylem Ho is the second dam of Nova Rags. Kaylem Ho was a member of Mrs. Henry D. Paxson's excellent broodmare ban in the late 1970s in Pennsylvania.

Grade: C-

Coming up on Friday's opening-day card at Oaklawn is the Smarty Jones Stakes at a mile, with 17 Derby points offered. The following weekend, the Road to the Kentucky Derby gets more serious with the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park and Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita.

Previously: Jan. 3 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card

The post Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Midnight Bourbon Aging Well appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fair Grounds: Midnight Bourbon, Mandaloun Expected To Point For Risen Star

Steve Asmussen's assistant trainer Scott Blasi reports that Saturday's Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Midnight Bourbon came out of the race in fine order. Asmussen indicated following the win that the Winchell Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old son of Tiznow would be pointed to the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds In New Orleans, La. Midnight Bourbon earned 10 Kentucky Derby points for his Lecomte win and is currently third in the standings with 16 points.

According to trainer Chris Block, Lothenbach's Stables' Silverbulletday Stakes winner Charlie's Penny also exited her Kentucky Oaks points race is excellent shape.

“So far everything looks good,” Block said. “She ate up last night and this morning, walked real well and she seems bright and not too knocked out. The next logical plan would be to point towards the Rachel Alexandra (G2, $300,000 at 1 1/16 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds). What has pushed her forward is her mind and her determination. She's not a very big filly, king of average in size and a little bit on the narrow side, but all that is relative to what she can do herself. Yesterday she was helped by the (slow) pace, but so was everybody else, or so I would have thought. She rose to the occasion, now it's time to see if she can take the next step forward. It was really nice to win this race at Fair Grounds. My family used to send horses here for the winter with (the late) Richie Scherer, and management has been very kind to us.”

For her win, the Minnesota-bred daughter of Race Day earned ten points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Trainer Brad Cox reports that his pair of beaten favorites – Sun Path (fourth in the Silverbulletday) and Mandaloun (third in the Lecomte) – exited their respective races in good order. Sun Path will be given some time to regroup, while Mandaloun will likely get an equipment change next time out.

“I was super disappointed with the outcome of the Silverbulletday,” Cox admitted. “We don't see any physical issue with Sun Path. She appears to have come out of it well as of now. Obviously, we will back up a little bit. We won't run back in four weeks. We'll just try to train up to either the Honeybee (G3, March 6 at Oaklawn Park) or the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2, March 20). They would really be our only options moving forward. We need a little more time between races. She's going to be a little bit of a question mark until we run her again. She was doing so well leading up to this race (Silverbulletday).

“We still think he (Mandaloun) is a very good horse,” Cox said. “He raced wide around both turns. I thought it was a good experience. He showed up. He ran his race. I think we are going to add blinkers. I talked it over with the Juddmonte team and Florent (jockey Geroux). We kind of thought that ever since his first race. He came out it (Lecomte) so far so good. We will definitely look at coming back in the Risen Star.

“Gagetown raced well for his first time around two turns (second in a first level allowance earlier in the card),” Cox said. “Thought it was a good effort. Run was a little spotty. He was a little unsure of what was going on. It looked like he was going to be third, maybe even fourth, but he re-rallied and was actually running at the winner. He's still trying to figure it out. I wanted to get two sprints into him since he broke his maiden first time. I don't really think he's a 6-furlong horse, but I'm not so certain he's like a mile-and-an-eighth horse either. He's somewhere there in the middle.”

The post Fair Grounds: Midnight Bourbon, Mandaloun Expected To Point For Risen Star appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Week in Review: Will the Road to Louisville Run Through New Orleans?

After Saturday's GIII Lecomte S., one thing's for certain: the offspring of broodmare Catch the Moon have a strong affinity for that main track in New Orleans.

Three of the four graded stakes winners the Malibu Moon mare has produced are now a collective 5-for-6 over the Fair Grounds dirt after the one-length wire job by Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the first leg of the track's Road to the GI Kentucky Derby series.

Trainer Steve Asmussen's job will now involve trying to build upon that home-track advantage as Midnight Bourbon stretches out (likely in the next two sophomore preps at Fair Grounds) while making sure this $525,000 KEESEP colt saves a little something for Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

Midnight Bourbon's first stakes and two-turn win Jan. 16 came one year to the date that his older half-brother, Pirate's Punch (Shanghai Bobby), ran roughshod over a NW2X allowance field by 11 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds prior to peaking as a two-time Grade III stakes winner deeper in the season.

And Midnight Bourbon's 7-2 win Saturday for Winchell Thoroughbreds has echoes of the 2017 Fair Grounds campaign of half-brother Girvin (Tale of Ekati), who for separate connections parlayed victories in the GII Risen Star S. and GII Louisiana Derby into a starting spot in the first leg of the Triple Crown. An untimely quarter crack two weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby and trip woes in the race itself contributed to a 13th-place finish, but Girvin rebounded smartly later in the season to win the GI Haskell Invitational S.

Trainers plan meticulous seasonal unveilings for their top-tier sophomores, but this doesn't stop fate from intervening on a routine basis. Last Saturday's 1 1/16-miles Lecomte is a prime example.

The race was initially drawn up on the overnight as being glutted with early speed, but three of the five projected pacemakers ended up scratching. Then Ricardo Santana, Jr., who is Asmussen's go-to rider, couldn't travel to New Orleans because of a family medical situation, so Joe Talamo picked up the mount on Midnight Bourbon. When the gates finally opened, Santa Cruiser (Dialed In), who figured to be the top remaining Lecomte speed threat, got bumped and shuffled back, leaving him last in the field of eight.

Midnight Bourbon and Talamo took advantage of this unexpected pace vacuum, popping right on top from the rail and assuming command through moderate splits of :24.68 and :48.99.

The two horses closest in pursuit–the 8-1 Proxy (Tapit) and 4-5 favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief)–are no slouches, ranked at numbers five and nine, respectively, in the most recent edition of the TDN Derby Top 12. Proxy loomed boldly and got first run five-sixteenths out while Mandaloun appeared primed to pounce past them both at the quarter pole after going three wide on both turns.

Yet neither colt unleashed enough next-gear torque to seal the deal in the upper stretch, and Proxy and Mandaloun sparred back and forth for second while the freewheeling Midnight Bourbon cruised home in businesslike fashion.

His final time of 1:44.41 (0.14 seconds shy of the same-distance clocking by older horses in the GIII Louisiana S. three races earlier) translates to a very respectable 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Midnight Bourbon's win also indirectly buoyed the stock of Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), another top sophomore in the Asmussen barn who was announced Saturday as an Eclipse Award finalist for the 2-year-old male award. The Lecomte was Midnight Bourbon's first start since Oct. 10, when he ran a distant third in the GI Champagne S. behind Jackie's Warrior.

Although both of those colts are wintering at Fair Grounds, Asmussen is targeting the 1 1/16-mile GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15 at Oaklawn for Jackie's Warrior's 2021 debut. He indicated post-race Saturday that Midnight Bourbon would remain on a separate path, taking aim at the nine-furlong GII Risen Star S. Feb. 13 and then probably the 1 3/16-mile GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, both at Fair Grounds.

Those latter two preps mirror the path taken by half-brother Girvin four years ago. Although Midnight Bourbon belongs to the foal crop known for coming of age during the COVID-19 pandemic, Girvin's sophomore season was also affected by a disease outbreak.

Girvin broke his maiden sprinting at Fair Grounds in December 2016, then shipped out to train at the Evangeline Downs training center. A quarantine to try and contain equine herpesvirus prevented Girvin from returning to New Orleans to run in the January 2017 Lecomte S., although he was able to make it back to win both the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby later that spring.

Girvin had the benefit of cuffing around fairly weak fields in both of his Fair Grounds prep victories. But one trait that became more apparent the more he raced for trainer Joe Sharp and owner Brad Grady was his rounding into an unflappable, professional sort of racehorse who could handle varying pace scenarios and multiple levels of in-race pressure.

After his 13th place Derby effort (that necessitated the wearing of a bar shoe to help his quarter crack), I wrote in a TDN Derby recap that, “Despite being caught in tight at the break and losing all momentum on the far turn when boxed and blocked, one thing about Girvin's Derby that was true to his earlier efforts was that he maintained his composure despite those multiple adversities.”

If the ability to keep a level head under duress also runs in the family, that would be a powerful attribute for Midnight Bourbon to share with his older brother as the Derby pressure intensifies.

The distances of the Fair Grounds preps have been elongated since Girvin's campaign, but seeing two-time GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow parked atop Midnight Bourbon's pedigree suggests that the added sixteenth of a mile in both the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby shouldn't be outside of his scope.

Remember, last year was the first season that Fair Grounds extended the distances within the prep series, but because of the pandemic-necessitated switch of the Kentucky Derby from May to September, we never got a chance to see what impact those longer preps had on the rescheduled Triple Crown.

In addition to Midnight Bourbon, Girvin and Pirate's Punch, Catch the Moon also produced Grade III winner Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John). She is also the dam of a now 2-year-old Curlin colt that fetched $500,000 at KEESEP and a yearling colt by Quality Road. Perhaps those two unraced prospects will one day surface in New Orleans to further solidify the family tradition of excelling over the Fair Grounds main track.

The post The Week in Review: Will the Road to Louisville Run Through New Orleans? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Midnight Bourbon Holds Off Proxy, Mandaloun In Lecomte

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon took the lead from the start in Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots' $200,000 Lecomte (G3) for 3-year-olds and held that position to the wire en route to a one-length win over Proxy, who headed out heavily favored Mandaloun for the place spot. The winner amassed 10 qualifying points for Churchill Downs' May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Midnight Bourbon, the second-choice at 3.70-1, and Joe Talamo broke running and took the initiative immediately in the eight-horse field, while allowed to set leisurely fractions of 24.68 and 48.99 over a stalking Proxy at 8.90-1, and three-wide Mandaloun, who was odds-on at 4-5. Little changed off the far turn, as Talamo asked Midnight Bourbon, and the pair increased their advantage to two lengths, and held sway to the line, with Proxy proving a game second over Mandaloun. It was a large gap of 8 ¾ lengths back to fourth-place finisher Santa Cruiser, at 7.30-1. Midnight Bourbon covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.41 while defeating seven rivals. He boosted his career record to 5-2-1-2 with earnings of $221,420.

Midnight Bourbon was making his 3-year-old debut for trainer Steve Asmussen after an encouraging 2-year-old season that saw him hit the board in a pair of graded stakes. The son of Tiznow broke his maiden going one mile in his second start at Ellis Park in August, and ran a good second in Churchill's Iroquois (G3) on Kentucky Derby Day in September before finishing his season running third in Belmont Park's October 10 Champagne (G1). Asmussen, who won the Lecomte for the third time, was pleased with Midnight Bourbon's freshman campaign but he was confident the best was yet to come.

“Lovely horse, he's a beautiful individual,” Asmussen said. “Obviously he had run some solid races (at 2), but we were very much looking forward to getting him into two-turn races. His pedigree, we think that going further will help him. He's got a beautiful stride to him. He was away nice and cleanly and Joe (jockey Talamo) gave him a nice trip.”

Midnight Bourbon began his preparation for the Lecomte in November and showed a quartet of five-furlong works leading up to the race. The Lecomte was clearly just the starting off point to what Asmussen hopes is a big campaign, with races like the local February 13 Risen Star (G2) on Louisiana Derby Preview Day and March 20 TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) on the agenda.

“He's going to develop into an excellent 3-year-old,” Asmussen said. “Absolutely (when asked about the Risen Star). We were very excited to get him down here (to New Orleans) and get him in this series and stuff. With him being capable of what he is away from there, the ground that he covers, I think it's a natural fit.”

Talamo was a late replacement for jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., who took off all his Saturday mounts “because his girlfriend and baby are sick and he didn't feel comfortable leaving Louisville for various reasons,” according to his agent Ruben Munoz.

The veteran Talamo, who was born in Marrero, just 13 miles away from Fair Grounds, was ecstatic over the ultimate catch ride.

“It felt really good (to get the mount),” Talamo said. “Just really grateful to Steve for giving me the opportunity on him. Very, very classy horse. He broke like a rocket out of there and I just tried to be a good passenger from there. He settled like a champ and when those horses came to him down the lane, he fought (them) off, and he really galloped out very, very nice.”

Godolphin's homebred Proxy earned 4 Derby qualifying points and ran big in defeat for trainer Mike Stidham, as he was stepping up into his first stakes off a pair of local wins. The regally-bred son of Tapit broke his maiden here in November in his second career start and entered off a win in an optional-claimer December 18. Proxy won on the lead while setting slow splits in both starts, while showing some inexperience in the process, but showed a rating gear in the Lecomte, which has Stidham also looking forward to his colt's future.

“Very, very happy with that (run),” Stidham said. “He was a little green last time and both of his wins were on the lead so he didn't really learn a lot. But the way he dug in and held off the favorite (Mandaloun) in the end, and was getting to the winner, I couldn't have been happier. I think the farther the better; the mile and an eighth, and the mile and three-sixteenths of the Louisiana Derby is only going to help him. We needed him to do what he did today (to keep going on) and he did it.”

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Mandaloun, who earned 2 Derby qualifying points, was a strong favorite off a pair of sprint wins in Kentucky to start his career for trainer Brad Cox. The son of Into Mischief won on debut at Keeneland in October then won an optional-claimer at Churchill November 28, but he didn't finish as strongly while stretching out to two turns for the first time. Mandaloun sat an outside trip from a wide post under Florent Geroux but didn't kick in as expected through the stretch.

“I was in a good stalking position, two or three wide,” Geroux said. “My options were limited. The winner just kept going. It was very close for second. The way we started, that's the way we finished. Maybe it was the slow pace, but the horses in front of me had a better kick at the end.”

Calumet Farm's homebred Santa Cruiser, who dueled through hot fractions when breaking his maiden in his last start November 19 at Churchill, surprisingly lagged far behind in last but did run on nicely late for trainer Keith Desormeaux. The son of Dialed In earned 1 Derby qualifying point for his effort and is another who figures to move on to the Risen Star.

Updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard

The post Midnight Bourbon Holds Off Proxy, Mandaloun In Lecomte appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post