Preakness | Horse Racing Free Tips

Haskell Might Come ‘Too Soon’ For Medina Spirit, Baffert Says

Bob Baffert told the Daily Racing Form on Sunday that the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 17 might not be in play for his Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirt. The embattled trainer had previously suggested the Haskell as the colt's likely first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes.

“It might get here too soon,” Baffert told DRF. “I freshened him a little bit, but he's training every day.”

The Haskell is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar.

Medina Spirit has only breezed once since the May 15 Preakness, a three-furlong move at Santa Anita in 37.60 seconds on June 14.

The Protonico colt's Derby win is in jeopardy due to a positive post-race test result for betamethasone, a therapeutic medication that is not allowed on race day. Baffert and his attorney have claimed the positive is a result of a topical cream used to treat a case of dermatitis on the colt's hindquarters. Though the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has not yet held a hearing, required to disqualify Medina Spirit, but Baffert and his attorney have already filed suit against the commission asking a judge to grant further testing of the post-race samples.

The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Tinker With The Triple Crown?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That seems to be the prevailing attitude toward American horse racing's Triple Crown whenever agents of change suggest tinkering with the timing or distances of the trio of 3-year-old classics.

In an era when trainers are looking for a minimum of four to five weeks between races, is a Triple Crown that has three races over five weeks going to get the best, most competitive fields? No horses this year ran in all three races and it has become almost standard operating procedure for horses who lose the Derby to skip the Preakness. In other words, while many think the Triple Crown ain't broke, there are those who believe it ain't what it used to be, either.

In this week's edition of the Friday Show, publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills are joined by Jennifer Kelly to discuss possible changes to the Triple Crown. Kelly, in addition to having just joined the Paulick Report team as weekend editor, is the author of “Sir Barton And The Making Of The Triple Crown,” a biography of the first horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. She's currently working on a second Triple Crown book focusing on Gallant Fox and Omaha.

Nevills and Paulick also unveil the Star of the Week, brought to you by Woodbine, which gets its 2021 meet under way on Saturday.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Letters to the Editor: Rinaldo Del Gallo On Tapit

Sometimes a historical moment has to be pointed out. Australian (GB), Fair Play and Fair Play's son Man O' War each sired three GI Belmont S. winners. Lexington sired four Belmont winners who all won at Jerome Park. Now Tapit joins the illustrious ranks of Lexington.

Like Lexington, Tapit has now sired four winners of the Belmont: Essential Quality, Tapwrit, Creator and Tonalist. Tapit also sired Belmont runners-up Tacitus and Frosted, as well as Belmont third finishers Hofburg and Lani. An asterisk might be added for last year's fluke 2020 Belmont, which was 1 1/8 miles, where Tapit was the grandsire in the race won by Tiz the Law, sired by Tapit's son Constitution.

Broomstick sired three GI Preakness S. winners (and two GI Kentucky Derby winners). Bull Lea had three Kentucky Derby winners, as did Falsetto, Sir Gallahad (Fr) and Virgil. No horse has sired four winners of either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness.

So when we speak of a horse that has sired four horses of an American Classic such as Tapit, this is rarified blood only accomplished by the legendary Lexington.

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Friday’s Belmont Stakes Update

• John and Diane Fradkin's GI Preakness S. winner Rombauer (Twirling Candy) worked a half-mile in company Friday on the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the GI Belmont S. Rombauer, trained by Michael McCarthy, was clocked in :50.01 (53/86) beneath John Velazquez over the fast main track.

“I was very happy with the work,” McCarthy said. “I just wanted him to go ahead and get familiar with Johnny. It seemed like he was well in hand at all times. Johnny asked him to gallop out a little bit going underneath the wire and the horse seemed to respond nicely. I'm very happy with what I saw today.”

• Friday morning was a busy one for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher as he worked GI Curlin Florida Derby winner and GI Kentucky Derby ninth Known Agenda (Curlin), GII Wood Memorial winner and Derby 13th Bourbonic (Bernardini) and GIII Peter Pan S. third Overtook (Curlin) in their final moves for the Belmont.

Known Agenda, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, breezed in tandem with stablemate and fellow St. Elias Stable colorbearer, the GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H.-bound Dr Post (Quality Road), covering five furlongs in a bullet 1:01.12 (1/10).

“We got caught in behind a couple of horses and they were kind of off the rail and spread out a bit which made it a little tricky,” Pletcher said. “In the end, Irad thought it was good. He said that Known Agenda had more of a target, jumped into the bridle and was on the muscle. He finished up and galloped out well.”

About 10 minutes later, Bourbonic and Overtook worked a half mile in company in :48.49 (5/86). The pair galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80.

“He's a horse that at times will work like he's capable of stepping up,” Pletcher said of Bourbonic. “The one thing he does is gallop out strongly. He's always given indications that the distance would suit him.”

Pletcher added, “Overtook is historically not an overly ambitious work horse, but I thought he went well this morning. I was looking for him and Bourbonic to just show they have some decent energy. I think his two breezes since the Peter Pan have been better than what we were seeing beforehand, so I'm happy with that.”

• Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and 17th in the Derby after getting roughed up at the start, worked five furlongs in a bullet :58.40 (1/34) at Santa Anita Friday. “It was a good work,” trainer John Sadler said. “He ships to New York tomorrow. We hope to right the ship in the Belmont.”

• Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), winner of the GII Louisiana Derby and third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, drilled five furlongs before Friday's first race at Santa Anita in 1:00.48 (5/34). Jockey Flavien Prat was aboard for the move. “Very happy with his breeze today,” trainer Doug O'Neill said. “Flavien was happy with the way he did it and that makes me happy. He had a good strong gallop going into this work and now he's got a strong work and gallop-out going into the race. We just want to stay injury-free and we're pumped up and optimistic about a week from tomorrow. This horse is getting more and more confident and he's starting to separate himself from the others.”

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