mike maker | Horse Racing Free Tips

Black-Eyed Susan Adventure

Godolphin's Adventuring (Pioneerof the Nile) rides a two-race win skein as she tries to add her first graded victory in Friday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico. Second choice on the morning line at 4-1, the homebred hit the board in her first two starts–both off-turf tests–at the Fair Grounds late last season. Well supported in her Feb. 16 reappearance at the New Orleans oval, the daughter of dual Grade I winning Questing (Hard Spun) came from just off the pace to romp by 6 1/2 lengths before adding another to the win column in Turfway's Bourbonette S. going a mile over the synthetic Mar. 27.

“Obviously, she's very well bred,” said trainer Brad Cox. “We're hopeful that she'll be able to handle the mile and an eighth. She certainly appears that she can.

“She broke her maiden in an off-the-turf race on the dirt and performed extremely well. She was able to get the job done on the synthetic and she works well enough on the dirt to give us the confidence to try a graded stake on the dirt. We're looking forward getting her up there.”

Explaining the decision to bypass the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks, Cox added, “She had enough points to go in the Kentucky Oaks, but we thought the Black-Eyed Susan made more sense. Plus, she wasn't nominated to we'd have had an extra large fee to run.”

“I really like her…She's already a stakes winner, but we need to, hopefully, get some graded wins.”

Boama Corporation's Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) broke her maiden second out stretching to a mile at Santa Anita last October. In a pair of starts facing short fields at that venue this term, the half to GSW and GISP Chitu (Henny Hughes) posted a head victory in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 7 before succumbing by a half-length to Soothsay (Distorted Humor) in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 3. Both races were contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will re-join the 9-5 program favorite who breaks from the 10 hole.

“She's run well,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I was going to run her in the Kentucky Oaks, but it came up way too tough. That's one of the toughest Kentucky Oaks I've seen. I didn't want to put her through that. I said, 'We'll wait for the Black-Eyed Susan. You try to spot your horses, give them a chance where they have a chance to win.”

Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife (Declaration of War) went winless in her first three starts last year–all on turf–before graduating in her first try on dirt at Churchill in October. Runner up going a mile in a Churchill optional claimer Nov. 28, she was a nose winner in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 13 before running third behind winner Search Results (Flatter)–who subsequently finished a close-up second in the Kentucky Oaks–in a nine-furlong GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct Apr. 3.

“She's a filly we've always been high on. She makes a fabulous impression,” said trainer Mike Maker. “She had a couple of months off and got a little behind, but she's doing well and we're looking forward to it.”

Joel Rosario gets the call on Army Wife, who breaks from Post 1.

Alex and JoAnn Leiblong's Willful Woman (Nyquist) come into this off an optional claiming victory in the slop at Oaklawn Apr. 9. Prior to that, she finished seventh in the Mar. 6 GIII Honeybee S.

“She lost it at the break,” Alex Lieblong said of the Honeybee. “She was looking at something in the infield when they popped the gate and then got flustered when she missed it. It was just one of those deals where we were like, 'Ok. Let's start over.' That's what we did with the allowance. I hated that we missed the series there, but it might wind up being one of those deals where it worked out for the best, if you just give them time.”

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Equibase Analysis: Monarch’s Glen Poised To Upset Elkhorn For Maker

Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Elkhorn Stakes is one of two marathon 1 1/2-mile graded stakes during the Keeneland spring meeting. This race is for males and the Bewitch Stakes next week is for females. Ten horses entered the Elkhorn this year and most have top credentials in similar races.

In terms of career earnings, the field is led by Channel Cat, winner of over $950,000 in his career in similar races. However, the now 6-year-old is returning from three months off and hasn't won since taking the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes in August of 2019. Similarly, Cross Border has earned in excess of three-quarters of a million dollars but hasn't won since last July when victorious in the Lubash Stakes. Next there's 2019 Elkhorn runner-up Red Knight, who also captured the similar Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland last fall, and is returning from a five month layoff.

Say the Word has run much more recently than Channel Cat and Red Knight as he was beaten less than one length when second in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes. Another horse worth noting is Tide of the Sea, who won the Grade 2 William L. McKnight Stakes in January before a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes in February. North Dakota proved capable against similar horses when capturing the Grade 3 Red Smith Stakes last November. A newcomer to marathon stakes on turf is Monarch's Glen, a recent acquisition by trainer Mike Maker, who saddled the winner of the Elkhorn in 2016, 2019, and last year.

Fantasioso makes his U.S. debut after importing from his native Argentina, where he won five of 23 races and was second in six others. Epic Bromance is trying stakes competition for the first time off a wire-to-wire win at 11 furlongs last month. Crafty Daddy rounds out the field, having returned from four months off at the end of March to finish third in the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes. He has never run farther than a mile and one-eighth whereas most of the others are proven at this distance.

Trainer Mike Maker has become well-known the past few years for winning these kinds of long turf races, and his record at Keeneland particularly bears that out. A STATS Race Lens query looking at Maker's record on turf at Keeneland reveals he has saddled three of the last six winners of the Elkhorn Stakes, as well as one of the winners in the fall equivalent of this race, the Sycamore Stakes.

Maker has three entrants in this race in the form of Cross Border, Monarchs Glen (GB) and Tide of the Sea, and of the trio I fancy Monarchs Glen more than the other two, particularly as I suspect he will go to post at the highest odds of the three. Monarchs Glen won five of 11 races in the U.K. and Dubai before importing to the U.S. in the spring of 2019. He was so well regarded in Europe that in his final start, in the fall of 2018, he ran in the Group 1 ($1.7 million) Qipco Champion Stakes against Cracksman and Crystal Ocean. Since then he won just one of 12 U.S. starts before being entered into a $75,000 claiming race this January. Claimed out of a third place effort in that race, Monarchs Glen finished ninth and fourth before being claimed once more, this time by Mike Maker.

The fact that the horse was claimed for $62,500 out of his most recent start and can earn the winner's share of $120,000 may be incentive enough to think Maker capable of winning this race again, but recalling 2019 Sycamore winner Marzo was a recent claim before the victory by Maker, as well as many of Maker's other stakes winners were acquisitions where he saw something other trainers had missed, makes me believe Monarchs Glen can run well although he's never raced this far.

Being by champion Frankel out of a Lear Fan mare is the reason I believe this trip is what he wants. Additionally, the 110 Equibase Speed Figure he earned winning last November matching the figures of horses already proven at the level such as Say the Word (111) and Red Knight (114) so he may only need to repeat his best effort to post the upset win.

Say the Word won the Northern Dancer Stakes at this 12 furlong turf trip last November, certainly the biggest win of his career to that point. Three races later and after moving to the barn of trainer Phil D'Amato in California, Say the Word once again ran a big race, missing by three-quarters of a length to multiple grade stakes winner United in the San Luis Rey Stakes. With the meet's leading jockey in Luis Saez getting on and with a career-best 111 Equibase Figure from his most recent race to repeat or improve upon, Say the Word would be no surprise if he was right in the thick of the action on the wire.

Red Knight fits perfectly here with one small exception and that is he hasn't raced since November. On the other hand, Red Knight finished second of 10 last September in the Kentucky Turf Cup following more than seven months off. Following that effort, Red Knight won the Sycamore Stakes at this distance on the Keeneland turf, earning a very strong 114 figure which would make him competitive here if repeated. Jockey James Graham rode Red Knight in the Sycamore, not before or since, and gets back on so that is a positive sign as well.

Honorable mention goes to Tide of the Sea, another horse trained by Mike Maker. Likely to be the early pacesetter, Tide of the Sea used his early speed to win the William L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park in wire-to-wire fashion in January. However, not only did that effort yield at 104 figure about seven to 10 points lower than the main contenders above, Epic Bromance is another horse in this field who appears to be a need-the-lead type, so I think Tide of the Sea may not get the easy lead he needs to win. Nevertheless, he could be a part of the exacta and finish second at the very least, just as he's done in four of 11 lifetime races.

The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Channel Cat (111), Crafty Daddy (108), Cross Border (115), Epic Bromance (103), Fantasioso (ARG) (112) and North Dakota (98).

Win Contenders:
Monarch's Glen
Say the Word
Red Knight

Elkhorn Stakes – Grade 2
Race 9 at Keeneland
Saturday, April 17 – Post Time 5:30 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Half on Turf
Four Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $200,000

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Old Friends Pensioner Slim Shadey Euthanized With Leg Fracture Following Colic Surgery

Two-time graded-stakes winner Slim Shadey has died. The 13-year-old gelding had been a pensioner at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement farm based in Georgetown, Ky., since 2019.

Old Friends attending veterinary, Dr. Bryan Waldridge, released this statement: “Slim Shadey showed signs of colic and was referred for further diagnostics and treatment. Exploratory surgery revealed a twisted large intestine that was corrected. Unfortunately, he fractured a hind leg recovering from anesthesia. Bone fractures during recovery from anesthesia are uncommon, but an inherent risk of equine anesthesia.”

Slim Shadey was bred in Great Britain by Phil Cunningham and spent two seasons racing throughout England and Ireland. He made his U.S. debut for Cunningham and trainer Simon Callaghan in 2012 at Santa Anita, kicking off what was to become his banner season.

In February of 2012 Slim Shadey captured his first graded-stakes, the Grade 2 San Marcos at Santa Anita (a race he would capture again in 2013). Then, in September of that year, Slim Shadey took the top spot in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship, which served as a stepping stone to a run in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf, where he finished eighth.

By 2014 Slim began a series of claims to trainers David Jacobson and John Servis (for owner Michael Dubb), before ending with owner Michael Hui and trainer Mike Maker in June of 2018 at Belmont Park.

Retired in 2019, Slim Shadey ended his career with 83 starts, 14 wins, and earnings of $1,278,855.

“Slim Shadey was on Old Friends' radar for nearly two years,” said Old Friends President Michael Blowen. “Between Michael Dubb and Michael Hui, I knew he was in great hands. When Hui called to say he was ready I was overjoyed. Today I was equally devastated,” Blowen continued. “You try to do what's best and, even then, it doesn't always work out.”

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Cross Border Faces Seven in Pan American

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border (English Channel), a late-closing third behind Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the Jan. 23 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, will try to take advantage of that foe's absence and some extra real estate when he goes postward in the 1 1/2-mile GII Pan American S. at Gulfstream Park Saturday.

“He ran another big race last time and was flattered the other day by Colonel Liam,” trainer Mike Maker said. “We expect another strong effort from him.”

Colonel Liam returned from the Pegasus to win the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at Fair Grounds last weekend.

Cross Border was second over the Gulfstream course in last year's 1 1/2-mile GIII W. L. McKnight S. and inherited his first graded win when Sadler's Joy (Kitten's Joy) was disqualified from the victory in the GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga last summer.

“He's run well here, but he shows up everywhere,” Maker said. “He's a horse that never disappoints and loves his job.”

Sadler's Joy will need to snap a nine-race losing streak if he is to win his second Pan American Saturday. The 8-year-old veteran earned his first graded victory in that race in 2017. He was most recently fourth in the Jan. 23 McKnight.

“He's doing as well as ever, so hopefully we'll get another good trip out of him and go from there,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “We just keep him on a regular routine, training-wise. You look at his work tab and you don't see the fancy, fast works or anything; just normal, kind of routine works just to keep him ticking over between races.”

Last year, Sadler's Joy went 0-for-8 with third-place finishes in the GII Mac Diarmida S. at Gulfstream and GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and GI Manhattan S. at Belmont Park. He was disqualified from first to fourth for interference in the Bowling Green.

“If he wasn't in the barn, it'd be pretty strange. When that day comes, it's going to be a sad day when we don't see him walking down the shedrow anymore,” Albertrani said. “He's just been one of those types of horses that tries every race. He puts everything into every time he runs and its' just a pleasure having a horse like that.”

Trainer Bill Mott will be seeking his seventh Pan American win when he saddles Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon). The 4-year-old is coming off a troubled third-place finish in the Feb. 27 Mac Diarmida.

“His last race was a mile and three-eighths and he was finishing up very well when he finally got out, which was a little late in the game,” Mott said. “He came running and got up for third and deserves a chance in the Pan American. I think he's going to turn into a useful horse going that trip.”

Moon Over Malibu won the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Ground Derby last September at Kentucky Downs.

“We stretched him out at Kentucky Downs last fall in their derby and he won that,” Mott said. “That was a little longer race. He doesn't seem to run the turns real well, so it seems like the slower pace of the longer races helps him get around the turns a little better.”

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