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Skelly Scorches Rivals In Count Fleet Sprint

One of the most progressive horses to race during this year's meet at Oaklawn Park, Red Lane Thoroughbreds' Skelly (Practical Joke) took Saturday's $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. by the scruff of the neck and never gave any of his rivals a chance, as he led past every pole for an impressive first victory at the stakes and graded stakes level.

Having earned the right to contest a race of this caliber off big-figure allowance scores in the slop Feb. 25 and over a fast strip Mar. 17, the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase graduate was the fleetest of the fleet and took the field through an opening quarter-mile in :21.44 as he put several lengths on the chasers. Going great guns and maintaining the advantage for the run around the turn, the dark bay was by the half in a slick :44.46 and kicked home nicely to take it by a convincing margin. 'TDN Rising Star' Strobe (Into Mischief) raced three wide the trip and kept on bravely to be second in his stakes debut, while favored Tejano Twist (Practical Joke), last-out winner of the GIII Whitmore S. over the course and distance, was third.

It was the 100th Oaklawn stakes victory in the Hall of Fame career of trainer Steve Asmussen.

“That is exactly what happened [taking advantage of speed-favoring track],” the conditioner commented. “He's definitely the quickest half-mile of the [Asmussen trio] and showed it today. The racetrack's playing for that to be effective.”

Pedigree Notes:

Skelly becomes the 21st worldwide black-type winner and 14th group/graded winner for Practical Joke, whose California-based son Practical Move will be one of the top couple of choices for the GI Kentucky Derby in three weeks' time.

A $250,000 purchase out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, Skelly was led out unsold on a bid of $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida the following March. A May 14 foal, Skelly is out of a daughter of the three-times stakes-placed Game for More, whose own produce include the versatile MGSW & GISP Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}); GI Acorn S. third Gio Game (Gio Ponti); Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), runner-up in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile; and the promising Japanese-based 3-year-old colt Great Sand Sea (Into Mischief).

Adande is due to Silver State for her 2023 foal.

Saturday, Oaklawn
COUNT FLEET SPRINT H.-GIII, $500,000, Oaklawn, 4-15, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:09.20, ft.
1–SKELLY, 117, g, 4, by Practical Joke
1st Dam: Adande, by Bwana Charlie
2nd Dam: Game for More, by More Than Ready
3rd Dam: Ermelinda, by Sea Hero
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($250,000
Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $350,000 RNA 2yo '21 FTFMAR). O-Red Lane
Thoroughbreds LLC; B-H. Allen Poindexter (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $295,750. Lifetime Record:
8-4-3-0, $549,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Strobe, 119, c, 4, Into Mischief–Flashing, by A.P. Indy.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $91,000.
3–Tejano Twist, 124, g, 4, Practical Joke–Haley's Lolipop, by
Cuvee. O-JD Thoroughbreds LLC and Joey Keith Davis; B-Tom
Durant (KY); T-Chris A. Hartman. $45,500.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, 3/4. Odds: 6.00, 2.50, 1.80.
Also Ran: Surveillance, Pirate Rick, Payne, Cogburn, Edge to Edge, Radical Right, Candy Man Rocket.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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All Rise: Army Mule’s Federal Judge Drops the Gavel on Debut

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and Wet Paint (Blame) weren't the only 3-year-olds to impress on Oaklawn Park's loaded GI Arkansas Derby program.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Federal Judge (c, 3, Army Mule–Congarette, by Congaree) announced his presence with authority on the undercard, kicking off his career for trainer Rodolphe Brisset with a razor sharp, front-running performance, good for a flashy 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

He broke sharply from post five beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. and quickly cleared his six rivals, including a trio of older horses, at debut odds of 7-1. Taking some pressure from his outside through an opening quarter in :22.10, the bay was headed by a rival on the far turn. Federal Judge was still going strong, however, and blasted off once Santana got busy in the stretch to win going away by 4 1/2 promising lengths. The final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:09.87.

“Very excited with his performance and can't wait to see him run against winners and see where we go from there,” WinStar Farm President/CEO & Racing Manager Elliott Walden said.

“Rudy had told me that he worked very well with Royal Spa (Violence), who ran [ninth behind Wet Paint] in the [GIII] Fantasy, and he was encouraged by that. But I think Rudy's the kind of guy who doesn't overtrain them for their first start, so you kind of see where they really are. I was very pleased to see him run like he did because I think a lot of that's on natural ability.”

Hailing from the first crop of unbeaten GI Carter H. winner Army Mule, Federal Judge is the second foal and first to the races for two-time winner Congarette. From the same female family as GI Super Derby winner Home At Last (Quadratic) and graded winners Niner's Home (Forty Niner) and Indy Groove (A.P. Indy), Federal Judge, bred in Florida by Caperlane Farm, brought $40,000 as an OBSWIN yearling and $200,000 as a FTKJUL yearling. Army Mule, already responsible for seven black-type winners, commands a $12,500 stud fee at Hill 'n' Dale Farm.

“His dad was very talented,” Walden said. “[WinStar General Manager] David Hanley and I loved [Federal Judge] at the sale at Fasig-Tipton July. He was the one horse that we wanted to come away with. He had a setback at two and we had to take a little chip out of the top joint of his knee.”

Walden concluded, “He ran a big number–we're really excited about what lies ahead. We're moving him back to Kentucky to Rudy's stable this week, then we'll try to pick out something that makes sense either late at Keeneland or at Churchill or Belmont.”

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No Foul Claim, Inquiry or DQ, Yet Geroux Suspended for Winning Oaklawn Ride

Jockey Florent Geroux has been suspended two days by the Oaklawn Park stewards for “careless riding while allowing his mount to cause interference multiple times” after a winning ride in the Apr. 1 $200,000 Hot Springs S. that did not involve a foul claim, posted inquiry, or a disqualification.

The penalty was handed down in a Monday ruling. Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky) scored by a length as the 9-5 second choice in Saturday's eighth race for owner Ten Strike Racing and trainer Brad Cox.

Eyeing Clover, who was racing with blinkers removed for the first time in his four-race career, caught a flyer out of post two, but then got outgunned for the lead by two outside rivals. Geroux conceded the top spot to save ground, but landed in a tight spot at the fence on the heels of the horse running second. He then shifted outward and appeared to briefly affect the momentum of the two trailers in the five-horse race.

Oaklawn announcer Jim Byers described the trouble as Eyeing Clover having to “steady sharply around that club turn.” The Equibase chart stated the colt “fell back off the leader early in the first turn, [was] rank [and] fell back soon after.”

Eyeing Clover briefly bumped with a rival just prior to splitting horses entering the far turn. In upper stretch, he drifted slightly prior to straightening out approaching the short-stretch wire.

The stewards specified Saturday, Apr. 8, and Friday, Apr. 14, as the dates Geroux must sit out, adding that, “During the term of his suspension, if named to ride in designated stakes races he may ride in them, but then must serve a replacement day of suspension for each day that he rides in a designated stake.”

It is unclear if Geroux will be appealing. A phone message left with his agent, John Panagot, did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.

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Ocean Reef Racing Buys into Derby-Bound Confidence Game

Ocean Reef Racing, a Key Largo, Florida-based syndicate made up of nine partners, has bought an interest in GII Rebel S. winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) from the colt's owner, Don't Tell My Wife Stable. Confidence Game is expected to make his next start in the GI Kentucky Derby for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

William “Billy” Paytner, who heads the Ocean Reef syndicate, would not disclose the percentage that was purchased, but said that it was less than 50% and that Don't Tell My Wife will remain the principal owner.

“Although I split my time between Versailles and Key Largo, I'm a Louisville native, so I'm over the moon,” Paynter said. “Our stable has only been in racing for about three years and never in a million years did I think we could have a horse in the Derby in our first three years. I can't even imagine what might happen. I'm going to be a nervous wreck until they come out of the starting gate on Derby day. It's very exciting for myself, my family and all my partners. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.”

“We are thrilled that Billy and his partners at Ocean Reef Racing have joined us on this amazing ride with Confidence Game, and look forward to going on this exciting journey with them,” said Don't Tell My Wife's Kirk Godby. “It was just five years ago that we had My Boy Jack run in the Derby and it's truly incredible to be back again. All the credit goes to trainer Keith Desormeaux, though, who continues to prove his elite horsemanship in buying young horses and getting them to this level. I can't thank him enough.”

When it comes to the Derby, Confidence Game was flying under the radar until he pulled off the upset in the Rebel at 18-1. With James Graham aboard, he won by a length. The Ocean Reef team noticed the effort and was soon in touch with Godby.

“I knew Kirk from Fort Worth through some business connections when I went to SMU business school,” Paynter said. “We liked the Candy Ride side of his pedigree and that he's out of a Bernardini mare, Eblouissante. Eblouissante is a half-sister to Zenyatta. But it wasn't even a thought until the Rebel. That race weighed heavily on our decision. There were the wet conditions and how he won and galloped out. That was very impressive. They have a pretty good track record. This is their second Derby horse and they were in the Oaks last year [with Candy Raid]. I haven't gotten to know Keith Desormeaux yet, but I am looking forward to racing with him. He obviously has a good track record.”

Paynter said the stable has been trying to focus on buying more expensive horses, but having a horse in the Derby was not necessarily a goal.

“At the level we've been buying at, we thought getting to the Derby was a possibility, but it never crosses your mind until it actually happens,” he said. “To be honest, we didn't expect to have a Derby horse. This is one of those pinch yourself moments.”

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