This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2024 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not quite as strong as they were a few weeks ago.
Tag: Racing
Hong Kong Right at Home in Winning Three of Four Longines International Races
Three of Hong Kong’s favorite horses delivered the goods Dec. 10 in the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse with 8-year-old Golden Sixty, recent Ladbrokes W. S. Cox Plate winner Romantic Warrior, and champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse all triumphant. The races ran the gamut from a tight, three-way finish in the Hong Kong Cup to authoritative scores in the Sprint and Mile.
Wolfie’s Dynaghost Seeks Fifth Win Of Year In Prairie Bayou At Turfway
Woodslane Farms recent Grade 2 winner Wolfie's Dynaghost will face a stellar field of 12 plus two also-eligibles that were entered for Saturday's 28th running of the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park.
The Prairie Bayou Stakes will be contested in Race 7 of nine. Post time for the 1 1/16-mile event is 8:55 p.m. (ET), first post is 5:55 p.m.
Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the accomplished Wolfie's Dynaghost has won nine starts from his 24-race career, including the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed) March 25 on the undercard of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at the Northern Kentucky track. Following his win in that race, Thomas campaigned the 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper across North America, including at Woodbine, where he was victorious in the Autumn Stakes (G2) Nov. 2 in his most recent outing. Jockey Tyler Conner will ride Wolfie's Dynaghost from post No. 7.
Also entered in the Prairie Bayou are the 2022 and 2021 winners of the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb and Like the King.
Tiz the Bomb, trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Brookdale Racing, has a perfect record from two starts at Turfway. Prior to his 2¼-length victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb held off a late charge of Stolen Base to win the John Battaglia Memorial. Tiz the Bomb will be in search of his first victory since the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He will start out of post 4 with Joe Talamo in the irons.
M Racing Group's Like the King will attempt to win his fifth-lifetime race in the Prairie Bayou. Like the King scored a 7-1 upset victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks and for the majority of his 4-year-old and 5-year-old seasons has been competing at Woodbine. The Mark Casse trainee will be ridden by Fernando De La Cruz from the rail.
Another accomplished runner in the field is Robert Hunt's recent Bryan Station Stakes (G3) winner Runaway Storm. Trained by Ethan West, the ultra-consistent Runaway Storm is a three-time winner from just five starts. The 3-year-old son of Midnight Storm has been based on the backstretch of Turfway Park for the majority of his career with now year-round training at the facility.
Five weeks ago, Runaway Storm rallied from just off the pace to defeat seven foes in the Bryan Station at Keeneland. Prior to that start, West shipped Midnight Storm to Colonial Downs where he finished third by 3 ½ length to Integration and Program Trading in the highly productive Virginia Derby (G3). Four of nine runners in the Virginia Derby returned to win stakes events – Integration (Grade 2 Hill Prince), Program Trading (Grade 1 Hollywood Derby), Runaway Storm (Bryan Station) and sixth-place finisher Gigante (the off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf). Runaway Storm will be ridden in the Prairie Bayou by Colby Hernandez out of post No. 6.
Following is the complete field for the Prairie Bayou Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Like the King (De La Cruz, Casse); Ocean Atlantique (Luan Machado Mike Maker); Temple (Axel Concepcion, Mike Maker); Tiz the Bomb (Joe Talamo, Kenny McPeek); Hush of a Storm (Gerardo Corrales, Billy Morey); Runaway Storm (Hernandez, West); Wolfie's Dynaghost (Conner, Thomas); Kitodan (Alex Achard, Eric Foster); Cellist (Martin Garcia, Rusty Arnold); War Bomber (IRE) (Orlando Mojica, Norm McKnight); Packs a Wahlop (Abel Cedillo, Billy Morey); Leave It to Kitten (Joe Ramos, Kathy Jarvis). Also-eligibles: Fair Dinkum (Axel Concepcion, Joe Sharp); Vintage Print (Gerardo Corrales, Paulo Lobo).
The Prairie Bayou Stakes is named in honor of the 1993 winner of the Jeff Ruby Stakes (formerly Jim Beam Stakes). Prairie Bayou, who was owned by Loblolly Stable and trained by Tom Bohannan, was the 4-1 favorite in that year's Kentucky Derby (G1) but finished second to Sea Hero. He would go on to win the Preakness Stakes (GI) two weeks later en route to earning the Eclipse Award a champion 3-year-old.
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Secret Reserve Hangs On For Steady Growth Win, Halts Winless Skid
Secret Reserve took Sunday's $100,000 Steady Growth Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, contested at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta.
It was an early scramble for the lead with Dun Drum emerging on top and Secret Reserve, with Leo Salles aboard, riding the rail to sit second, followed by Perfect Crime and Avoman. Dun Drum was a half-length ahead of Secret Reserve through a quarter in :24.01 and extended that lead to a length over Perfect Crime, while Secret Reserve was a further head back, after a half in :47.74.
Turning for home, Secret Reserve, winless in his past 10 starts, waited for an opening to emerge, as a host of others, including Avoman, Ron's Gizmo, and Grandson, second-last and last, respectively, at the half-mile mark, and 2-1 choice Cruden Bay, all came with a run.
Secret Reserve grabbed a tenuous lead in upper stretch before being headed by a rival, but the 5-year-old son of Giant Gizmo out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Suzie reclaimed the advantage and then dug in to cross the wire a head in front of 14-1 Grandson, who was supplemented to the race. Ron's Gizmo was third and Cruden Bay finished fourth. Artie's Storm, Rapid Test, and Town Cruise were scratched.
The final time was 1:43.91.
“I love this horse,” said Salles. “The trip is working very well. I could save ground all the way. He's not an easy ride, but I could control him well, and he waited for me.”
Secret Reserve, who had posted four thirds from eight starts this year for trainer Mike Mattine and owners Carlo D'Amato and Stacey Van Camp, recorded his fourth stakes score. The dark bay won the 2021 editions of the Elgin and Lake Superior, and last year's Bold Venture Stakes (G3), his most recent victory prior to the Steady Growth.
“He's a nice, honest horse and this year we had a lot of tough results,” said Mattine. “But he finally came through today. The inside was really good the last week or so and he had a good post. He stayed on the rail and saved ground.”
A US$6,764 purchase from the FAV Racing consignment at the 2019 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Secret Reserve, sixth in the 2021 Steady Growth, is now 6-1-6 from 21 starts. He was bred by Dr. B. Van Arem
He paid $9.60 for the victory.
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