The trail to Derby 150 begins a much steeper ascent on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as the GIII Lecomte S. offers 3-year-old colts 20-10-6-4-2 that can be applied to Bank of Churchill.

This year's edition pits a field of eight against one another with the central question being: what happened to Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) in the December running of the Gun Runner S.?

The heavy favorite was unable to build on his Nov. 12 'TDN Rising Star' performance under the Twin Spires at second asking when he powered to the lead, torched a field of maidens by 10 1/4 lengths and posted a 97 Beyer for trainer Brad Cox.

The race shape in the Gun Runner was nothing of the sort for the Godolphin homebred, as he was forced to watch Track Phantom (Quality Road) take control towards the end of the backstretch and never relinquish the lead.

Track Phantom (center) with Nash (along the rail) | Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir

“It was great to see him [Track Phantom] win the race against a talented field, but especially with going as fast as they did early and showing enough quality to still respond,” said the winner's trainer Steve Asmussen. “I love how he's doing, very happy with him and how he's trained since the Gun Runner. I feel good about the draw and excited to run him again. Past success from there so we'll see what we can do.”

Of course, the pair will have others to contend with in this spot and chief among them is Lat Long (Liam's Map). The dark bay trained by Ken McPeek was never out of the money in all five of his juvenile starts against maiden special weight company starting at Churchill back in September. Facing the likes of GSW Dornoch (Good Magic) and Track Phantom himself, Lat Long broke through at Oaklawn Dec. 17 against his stablemate and next-out winner Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}).

“[Lat Long] has been a horse who is still trying to figure it out a bit,” McPeek said. “He's not all there yet. But we're going to try him at a higher level and see how he handles tougher company.”

Also after points is Can Group (Good Samaritan), who was last seen running fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita for trainer Mark Casse. Joining him will be two more Cox runners in Ethan Energy (Uncle Mo), who broke his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths at second asking over this surface Dec. 23, and Awesome Road (Quality Road). Bred by Claiborne Farm, the latter was a $600,000 Keeneland September purchase by Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing.

Saudi Crown Kick Starts His 4-Year-Old Campaign

Preceding the Lecomte is the GIII Louisiana S. for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16th on the main track. This race marks the return of Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). Now a 4-year-old, the gray debuted a winner by 4 3/4 lengths at Keeneland last April, then won against allowance company at Churchill Downs a month later.

Saudi Crown | Sarah Andrew

Finishing over the summer as the runner-up by a nose in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park and in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga, the Brad Cox trainee set the pace en route to the winner's circle in the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September. A popular pick in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the colt finished a well-beaten 10th to close out his year.

“I'm not treating it like he has to be on the lead,” Cox said. “He's a smart horse. He's capable of sitting off. When he broke his maiden, he sat off horses. I really don't think he has to be on the lead. It probably will be a situation where he will have to take a breath at some point, you can't just run all-out throughout.”

After Cox watched Saudi Crown drill five furlongs behind Nash Jan. 13 (1:00.20, 3/51), the trainer said, “It didn't quite set up as well as we expected. There were other horses out there and we got caught up with a little more company than we wanted. I was very, very happy with the breeze. He was a little wide through the lane and around the turn. Plenty fit. He had a good work the week before last. We just wanted him to cruise along the other day and he did. I think he's set up for a big spot.”

Opposing him in New Orleans are a number of seasoned challengers looking to set the tone for their own campaigns. Smile Happy (Runhappy) has not been seen since he ran fifth in the GI Stephen Foster S. at Ellis Park in July. The 'TDN Rising Star' has a resume which includes a pair of Grade II wins in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. as a juvenile and in last year's Alysheba S.–both at Churchill Downs.

Making the gate is deep closer GSW Red Route One (Gun Runner), defending winner and GISP Happy American (Runhappy) and GII Rebel S. hero Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Midnight Memories Faces Desert Dawn Once Again

Swinging out to Santa Anita Park on Saturday afternoon, the GIII La Canada S. has MGSW Midnight Memories (Mastery) taking on MGISP Desert Dawn (Cupid). The last time these two met as 4-year-old fillies in the GIII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 15, it was Midnight Memories who got the best of her rival by a length. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line, the Bob Baffert trainee will also have to contend with, among others, GISP Musical Mischief (Into Mischief) and Coffee in Bed (Curlin).

The post ‘Rising Star’ Nash Faces Track Phantom In Lecomte Rematch Headlining Saturday Graded Races appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Steve Asmussen-trainee began his career with a victory over the Kentucky Downs grass last year and owner Ron Winchell is a co-managing partner with Marc Falcone in Kentucky Downs and its sister The Mint Gaming Hall properties.

“I think since he had been successful there last year, we have always had our eye on Kentucky Downs to bring him back and run him this year,” said David Fiske, the longtime racing and bloodstock manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds. “Because he was successful and because the purses are what they are. We were hoping to get him into the richest race that made sense, and after winning (the $500,000 West Virginia Derby), the Dueling Grounds Derby looks like a real possibility.”

“It seems like all year long, he's been dropping out the back and the makes a big run, which is kind of like how a lot of turf races are run,” Fiske continued. “Slow early and fast late. Sometimes if there is enough pace in front of you and you can get there and sometimes you don't.”

Another Asmussen-trained graded-stakes winner from last weekend also is likely headed to Kentucky Downs. GIII Troy S. winner Cogburn (Not This Time) is set to contest the GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint, a six-furlong race Sept. 9 whose winner earns a fees-paid spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“I think obviously he has excelled on the turf, being undefeated, and gave me a great feel today,” Asmussen told Saratoga's publicity team after the Troy S. “I feel great to beat the field that we did and now we can think big. We hopefully have a Breeders' Cup horse. We have had one Turf Sprint winner in the past (2011 winner Regally Ready), so hopefully we have another one. We had planned on running here and then Kentucky Downs, but we'll see how we come out of this and figure out what we should do.”

The post West VA Derby Winner Red Route One Targets Dueling Grounds Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Outrun early, the homebred was third-last to make the first turn as Iowa Derby first-past-the-post One In Vermillion (Army Mule) and West Coast Cowboy (West Coast)–fifth in Altoona–eyeballed one another through honest splits. Red Route One began to make progress as he weaved his way through at the midway stage and was up into sixth, but still a good 10 lengths off the leaders as they hit the second turn. Going clearly the best of them nearing the stretch, though with several lengths to find, Red Route One was thrown onto his correct lead by Cristian Torres in the vicinity of the eighth pole and inhaled the front-runners shortly thereafter before kicking clear to score by daylight.

Runner-up in the GIII Southwest S. and again in the GII Rebel S., both sloppy-track affairs at his winter base at Oaklawn, Red Route One was left with too much to do in the GI Arkansas Derby and could do no better than a well-beaten sixth to Angel of Empire (Classic Empire). Winner of the Apr. 22 Bath House Row S. after failing to make the cut for the GI Kentucky Derby, Red Route One was a sound fourth to National Treasure (Quality Road) in the GI Preakness S. May 20 and was eased home a distant eighth when last seen in the GI Belmont S. June 10.

Pedigree Notes:

The 13th graded winner for his Three Chimneys-based stallion, Red Route One is out of an unraced daughter of Grade II winner Fun House, the dam of 2014 Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly and five-times Grade I winner Untapable, whose two most recent foals are Gun Runner colts of 2021 and 2023. Fun House also dropped GISW Paddy O'Prado (El Prado {Ire}) and the dam of GSW Majestic Eagle (Medaglia d'Oro). The deeper family includes Winchell standouts Olympio, Call Now and Early Flyer.

It comes as little surprise that the cross of Gun Runner over Tapit has proved fruitful, having accounted for the likes of GISW Society and other graded scorers Wicked Halo and Disarm. Another half-dozen of Gun Runner's black-type winners descend from other A.P. Indy-line sires. Red House sadly passed away at just five years of age in 2020.

Sunday, Mountaineer Casino & Resort
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Mountaineer Casino & Resort, 8-6, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.49, gd.
1–RED ROUTE ONE, 118, c, 3, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Red House, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Fun House, by Prized
                3rd Dam: Bistra, by Classic Go Go
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Cristian A. Torres. $297,500.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 12-3-2-1, $1,045,025. *Full to Red Run,
SW & GSP, $385,598. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–West Coast Cowboy, 118, c, 3, West Coast–Coco's Sweetie,
by Tenpins. ($35,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $170,000 2yo '22
OBSAPR). O-Gentry Farms (A.P. Gentry); B-Gary & Mary West
Stables Inc. (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $100,000.
3–One in Vermillion, 118, c, 3, Army Mule–Given Star, by
Any Given Saturday. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($26,000 Ylg
'21 ARZNOV). O-Jonathan Kalman; B-Richard Barton
Enterprises (CA); T-Esteban Martinez. $50,000.
Margins: 3, HD, 3HF. Odds: 3.90, 7.50, 3.30.
Also Ran: Raise Cain, Groveland, Lord Miles, Timesatappin, Knockout Guy, Looka Looka, Fartlek. Scratched: Dreaming of Kona, My Man Biggie, Russian Hammer, Tapit's Conquest.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/race-replays/0/202202261821OPM11/

The post Red Route One Rolls Home In the West Virginia Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

1) NATIONAL TREASURE (c, Quality Road–Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $500,000 ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-2-1-2, $1,335,000. Last Start: 1st GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 20.

National Treasure drew post one, added blinkers, and looked on paper to be the controlling speed in the GI Preakness S. After asserting command with little resistance through leisurely opening quarters of :23.95, :24.9 and :24.57, his wiring of the field was almost a foregone conclusion.

He did have to claw back the lead when Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) edged in front between calls in deep stretch, but this $500,000 FTSAUG son of Quality Road always had the upper hand. If anything, National Treasure was emboldened by the bumping and brushing with Blazing Sevens before finishing with purpose.

Most post-race analysis focused on those lethargic early splits that lulled the competition and kept National Treasure fresh. But how about that final three-sixteenths blitzed in :18.05?

National Treasure's clocking through that last furlong and a half of the race is almost too quick to believe. It ranks as the fastest since Summer Squall's 1990 Preakness, which was 18 seconds flat. Back then, timing was done in fifths and not hundredths of a second, so it's conceivable National Treasure's fraction ranks marginally faster. At the time, Summer Squall's closing three-sixteenths fraction was widely reported to be a Preakness record (Equibase charts that break out the final three-sixteenths date only to 1991). If National Treasure's clocking is for real, it has to be respected.

Back in March, National Treasure missed some training and an expected start in the GII San Felipe S. because of a quarter crack. His so-so fourth in the GI Santa Anita Derby must be viewed in the light that that nine-furlong try was his first race in three months. So now the question becomes was the Preakness his peak effort, or a bridge to better things in the Belmont?

The Preakness didn't seem to sap National Treasure. You'd have to think he won't get away with such a tepid tempo again in the Belmont. But he doesn't resonate as a needs-the-lead type to win. National Treasure will likely be placed somewhere near the front, and jockey John Velazquez should have the luxury of picking his preferred position over his home-court track.

Knowing that the three favorites ahead of him on the morning line all do their best running from midpack or farther back gives National Treasure a speed-centric advantage that is too intriguing to overlook at 5-1 odds. The Belmont will be his to win or lose on the far turn.

2) TAPIT TRICE (c, Tapit–Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,300,000 ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-4-0-1, $883,650. Last start: 7th GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 6.

The 1 1/2 miles distance and vast, expansive configuration of Belmont Park both play to the style of 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice. Yet there is an element of “now or never” baked into the equation when it comes to assessing his chances of not only winning the third leg of the Triple Crown, but using the victory as a springboard to dominance for the second half of the season.

His slow-to-go tactics have been well documented throughout the winter and spring. But even though this $1.3 million KEESEP son of Tapit habitually leaves the gate sluggishly and has to be scrubbed on for run so as not to lag too far behind the field, he very reliably unwinds with a prolonged, mid-race surge.

In both the GI Blue Grass S. (which he won narrowly despite looking beaten on the far turn) and the GI Kentucky Derby (where he was seventh after having his momentum stalled twice), Tapit Trice got rolling six furlongs from the finish. There are quite a few late-race runners at the top of this year's sophomore crop, but none of them have demonstrated they can launch a bid from that far out while finishing with authority.

By way of example, in the Blue Grass, Tapit Trice led the way home in a prolonged stretch fight through a final furlong timed in :12.40, which was the fastest final eighth for the Blue Grass since Keeneland switched back to dirt in the fall of 2014.

Tapit Trice came nine wide into the lane for the Derby after responding to far-turn rousing by Luis Saez. But when it was evident this burly gray was not going to hit the board, Saez decided to save Tapit Trice for another day. June 10 has been circled on the calendar ever since.

Forte Wednesday | Sarah Andrew

3) FORTE (c, Violence–Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, 7-6-0-0, $1,833,230. Last start: 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Apr. 1.

Twelve furlongs off a 10-week break for a “headline horse” who has posted declining Beyer Speed Figures (100-98-95) since capping a championship 2-year-old season with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. That sentence sums up all of the reasons to think twice about betting this 'TDN Rising Star' as the Belmont favorite.

Trouble is, this 6-for-7 son of Violence ($80,000 KEENOV; $110,000 KEESEP) is such a gifted athlete who carries himself with just the right mix of poise and panache that he could defy conventional value-handicapping wisdom and finally bust out in the Belmont, meeting or exceeding the lofty prognostications that have shadowed his career.

A bruised right front foot derailed Forte's Kentucky Derby chances, necessitating a scratch on the morning of the race. The 15-1 upsetter in Louisville ended up being Mage (Good Magic), who had given Forte a brief scare in the GI Florida Derby before Forte blew by him with his ears pricked in the final few jumps to the wire.

Although the race spacing for Forte is not ideal, and it's still an open question as to how much he's progressed since his juvenile campaign, the foot bruise has reportedly healed, and Forte should, in theory, have an easier time negotiating a field of just eight rivals on Saturday instead of the 18 he would have faced in the Derby. That's because one of Forte's strengths has always been his ability to carve out ideal mid-pack positioning under the guidance of Irad Ortiz, Jr., using that prime stalking spot as a launch pad for a far-turn blast-off that has only failed him once from seven starts.

A crowded, chaotic race like the Derby might have been a challenge for Forte, whose one tactical weakness is a lack of early acceleration to put himself clear of trouble at the front of the pack.

He's not as likely to encounter traffic woes in the Belmont, nor is he likely to be taken out of his game by being asked to go too fast too soon. Forte should be in it to win it three furlongs out. Then the test of this particular champion will begin.

4) ANGEL OF EMPIRE (c, Classic Empire–Armony's Angel, by To Honor And Serve) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp (PA); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $32,000 RNA wlg '20 KEENOV, $70,000 ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-1, $1,369,375. Last Start: 3rd in the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 6.

Angel of Empire ($32,000 RNA KEENOV; $70,000 KEESEP) will try blinkers on in the Belmont. Don't expect the equipment change to transform him into a frontrunner. The intent seems to be to get him a touch more focused in the initial stages of the race. In the Derby, this Pennsylvania-bred son of Classic Empire settled willingly for Flavien Prat before building steam and picking off most of the field with a grinding rail run. Off the final turn, he was eight wide and right behind eventual winner Mage, but when Mage ratcheted into a higher gear, Angel of Empire didn't produce a similar upper-stretch burst. He did torque it up a notch inside the eighth pole, but couldn't reel in Two Phil's (Hard Spun) for second.

His third-place finish as the 4-1 beaten Derby fave was commendable, but I'm not sure I fully buy into the projection that the effort equated to a 10-point jump in his best lifetime Beyer, from 94 to 104. By comparison, we've already seen that Mage couldn't reproduce his winning 105 Beyer as the only Derby entrant to run back in the Preakness, regressing from 105 to his previous plateau of 94.

That's not to say the Belmont's 1 1/2-miles distance isn't within Angel of Empire's scope. This colt has shown no problems sticking around to have a say in the finish as his race distances have increased. His dialed-in run through the lane in the GI Arkansas Derby came through a final eighth timed in :12.12, the fastest final furlong out of the nine 2022-23 Derby qualifying stakes at nine furlongs.

5) RED ROUTE ONE (c, Gun Runner–Red House, by Tapit) O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Lifetime Record: SW & GISP, 10-2-2-1, $732,525. Last Start: 4th in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 20.

To give you an idea of how slow the Preakness pace was, Red Route One-a stone-cold closer whose connections were intentionally trying to set him up for one run from far back-ranged up to be jointly second at the rail five-eighths out, just a length off eventual winner National Treasure.

“This race fell apart for a lot of reasons that nobody will be able to put their finger on,” trainer Steve Asmussen said post-Preakness, adding that he knows the same thing could happen in the third leg of the Triple Crown.

“You're not guaranteed to get pace in the Belmont. [But] he's kept very good company his whole career and was probably beaten [4 3/4] lengths in the Preakness in a race I don't think set up ideally for him,” Asmussen said. “Does he beat them under different circumstances? Who knows? But I do like the opportunity to run him a mile and a half.”

Red Route One didn't look comfortable while carrying his head high entering the Preakness backstraight. After briefly nipping at National Treasure's heels, Joel Rosario backed him down a bit, and it looked on the far turn as if a second, more substantial move was percolating. It never materialized despite Rosario's urging. The three horses he outfinished were the longest shots in the field of seven.

By Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare, I don't think anyone dismisses Asmussen's longer-the-better belief in this Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred. The question comes down to how fast can he cover that distance-which, of course, hinges on how fast the frontrunners cover the initial nine furlongs.

Hit Show Wednesday | Sarah Andrew

6) HIT SHOW (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Actress, by Tapit) O/B-Gary & Mary West (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-3-1-0, $494,375. Last Start: 5th in the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 6.

When most horses draw the dreaded one post for the Derby, you can almost automatically expect put a line through that race when you next see it in their past-performance block. Not so with Hit Show. This Candy Ride (Arg) homebred for Gary and Mary West enjoyed one of the most trouble-free trips from the innermost gate in recent Derby memory.

Hit Show broke alertly, and Manny Franco positioned him as he liked, gearing back to seventh through the turn, then easing off the fence to the four path right behind the speedsters with no one covering them up. Hit Show started to pick it up with a four-wide run 3 1/2 furlongs out, but the bid required brisk urging from Franco.

Hit Show was very much in it to win it turning for home. But after advancing to third, he had no response to further rousing via left-handed stick work. After being accosted by Mage, Hit Show  stayed on doggedly, with Franco keeping him to task to get fifth.

His Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial second was notable for Hit Show running second, beaten a nose, as the middle horse who got pinballed in a three-way stretch scrum while never backing down. As a May 9 foal, he's among the youngest of this year's Triple Crown crop, so the extra five weeks since his last start will presumably be to his benefit.

7) ARCANGELO (r, Arrogate–Modeling, by Tapit) O-Blue Rose Farm. B-Don Alberto Corporation(KY); T-Jena Antonucci. Sales history: $35,000 ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-0, $167,400. Last Start: 1st in the GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park May 13.

This $35,000 KEESEP son of Arrogate burst into Belmont S. relevancy with a 97-Beyer score in the GIII Peter Pan S. May 13.

Rated back to sixth for the early part of that nine-furlong race, Arcangelo came rolling into a two-horse speed setup. He snatched the lead a sixteenth from the wire, then got quite a tussle from favored runner-up Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), who not only survived the duel but re-seized the lead between calls before Arcangelo won a tight bob at the wire. They were 8 3/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Despite twice racing at a mile (Gulfstream) and once at 1 1/8 miles (Belmont), those were one-turn configurations, which will make Saturday's race Arcangelo's first two-turn attempt.

His 84-Beyer Mar. 18 MSW win at Gulfstream has not evolved into a productive race. Five of the six horses Arcangelo beat that afternoon have since come back to run, and all five have lost, including two as favorites.

8) TAPIT SHOES (c, Tapit–Awesome Flower, by Flower Alley) O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter and Michael J. Caruso. B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey & Tapit Syndicate(KY); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $300,000 ylg '21 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: SP, 5-1-1-1, $82,878. Last Start: 2nd in the Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn Apr. 22.

Tapit Shoes, a half-bother to last year's GI Haskell S. and Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife, exits a second-place try in the Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn.

Four, then three wide on the turns, this $300,000 FTKOCT colt by Tapit mounted a rally at the top of the lane, initially with his head cocked out to the grandstand in upper stretch before straightening out and digging in.

He at first had difficulty putting away the favored pacemaker when he drew alongside. Once he dispatched that rival, Tapit Shoes was nipped on the wire by out-of-the-clouds winner Red Route One. What his effort lacked in polish shouldn't diminish the underlying potential here.

Considering that was the first stakes try for this colt (who has a nice base of five races, all at 1 1/16 miles or longer), and keeping in mind that Tapit Shoes (May 17) is another late foal, like stablemate Hit Show, another progression forward isn't out of the question. The morning line says 20-1 is your price point to find out if that advancement is good enough to win.

9) IL MIRACOLO (c, Gun Runner–Tapit's World, by Tapit) O-Eduardo Soto; B-Willow Oaks Stable LLC (KY); T-Antonio Sano. Sales history: $75,000 ylg '21 KEEJAN; $190,000 RNA ylg '21 FTKOCT; $70,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: 10-2-3-0, $103,125. Last start: 1st in allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park May 11.

For the longest shot in the Belmont S., how about a colt whose name translates from Italian to “The Miracle”?

Il Miracolo ($75,000 KEEJAN; $190,000 RNA FTKOCT; $70,000 OBSOPN) enters the third leg of the Triple Crown coming off a 77-Beyer wiring of a five-horse allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream.

His previous five tries were stakes on the Derby trail in which Il Miracolo was beaten an aggregate 79 1/2 lengths.

This colt shares the same Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare cross as Red Route One.

The post Belmont Preview: Final Three Furlongs Will Yield The Drama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“He worked very well this morning,” trainer Bob Baffert's assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said. “It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race.”

National Treasure is owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be aboard for the 1 1/2-mile Classic.

Also working Monday was Winchell Thoroughbreds' Red Route One (Gun Runner), who posted a half-mile in :50.20 over Belmont Park's training track. The colt most recently finished fourth behind National Treasure in the Preakness.

“I thought he went beautiful,” Toby Sheets, trainer Steve Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant, said. “It was nice and fluid and he came back with good energy. I'm very happy with him. We wanted to be out on the track before it got really busy. He's doing everything right and I have no complaints.”

Raise Cain (Violence), winner of the GIII Gotham S. and most recently eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby will skip the Belmont, trainer Ben Colebrook confirmed Monday. The colt will instead go postward the following day in the GIII Matt Winn S., which was originally scheduled to be run at Churchill Downs, but will now be run at Ellis Park.

“It shifted to Ellis and the distance changed to a mile and an eighth…That kind of moved the needle,” Colebrook explained.

Post positions for the 155th Belmont will be drawn Tuesday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET.

Post positions for the 155th Belmont will be drawn Tuesday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET.

The post National Treasure, Red Route One Work for Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Trained by Steve Asmussen, who conditioned Creator (Tapit) to victory in the 2016 renewal, the chestnut worked on his own and NYRA clockers caught him galloping out five furlongs in 1:04.

“It was good, he seems like he got something out of it,” said Toby Sheets, Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant.

Third to 'TDN Rising Star' and future champion Forte (Violence) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at two, Red Route One was runner-up in the GIII Southwest S. and GII Rebel S., but was only sixth in the GI Arkansas Derby. He was victorious in the Bath House Row S. Apr. 22 and went for an early move at Old Hilltop while racing handier than is his custom and finished evenly.

RED ROUTE ONE posted a half-mile breeze over the Belmont Park main track this morning in preparation for the Belmont Stakes!

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the chestnut son of Gun Runner worked solo under sunny skies on this beautiful Memorial Day. pic.twitter.com/GhfY2eZu5U

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) May 29, 2023

The post Red Route One Breezes Towards Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“They went so slow early, he had so much horse that he couldn't pull him up at the end he told me,” Baffert said. “Arabian Lion, I'm not sure if he's up for the mile and a half, but he did run a big race yesterday. It could change. I have until tomorrow to make these calls. I could change my mind and send them back home on Tuesday. So long as they are eating well, which they are, and they came out of it well, I think I'll be keeping them here relaxed for a little bit and I don't have to ship them.”

Next up for GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Mage (Good Magic) is some time off. The colt, owned by OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH, will head to The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Ky.

“He was there from May of last year to October,” Restrepo said after checking on Mage at the Pimlico Stakes Barn Sunday morning. “We will get him turned out and do some training. Everything is great. The colt is fantastic, bright-eyed and his head is up. We could not be any happier with him after trying as hard as did in the Preakness. The kid is an iron horse.”

The next goal for Mage, who won the GI Kentucky Derby in his fourth start, will be the GI Travers S. at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 26.

“We will give him a little vacation and he will power up and we will figure out the best way to get to the Travers,” Restrepo said. “He has not missed a day and has been on the engine since January.”

Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) finished a head behind National Treasure in the second leg of the Triple Crown Saturday.

“We thought he ran exceptionally well,” said John Capek. “It's tough to be a little bit short on the winning side of things, but we are pleased with his progress.”

Blazing Sevens shipped back to New York early Sunday morning. Trainer Chad Brown has not said what the colt's next race will be.

“We will talk to Chad and see what is best for the horse for his next race,” said Capek.

Trainer Steve Asmussen saw enough in Red Route One's (Gun Runner) fourth-place finish that after the race he said the GI Belmont S. is the obvious target.

“You're not guaranteed to get pace in the Belmont. You win races because of pace, and you benefit from it periodically. And then other times you don't. This would have been the latter for him,” he added. “He is nearing $700,000 in earnings. He's kept very good company his whole career and was probably beaten [4 3/4] lengths in the Preakness in a race I don't think set up ideally for him. Does he beat them under different circumstances? Who knows? But I do like the opportunity to run him a mile and a half.”

While he did not contest the Preakness as the runner-up at the Kentucky Derby, Two Phil's (Hard Spun) is possible to return to Churchill Downs in June for the GIII Matt Winn S. according to trainer Larry Rivelli.

Rivelli stated Two Phil's could run in either the Matt Winn June 11 or the GIII Ohio Derby June 24 at Thistledown. Either would be used as a prep for the GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park July 22 and the GI Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 26.

The post Preakness Runners Plan Next Steps; Mage To Target Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

1) Mage
GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage won't be a heavy favorite on Saturday. In fact, he projects as the possible second choice in the betting based on the “fresh competition” angle in a Preakness that will feature no other starters who ran in the 18-horse Derby.

Pari-mutuel value notwithstanding, a Preakness victory is within the grasp of this white-blazed, chestnut son of Good Magic ($235,000 KEESEP; $290,000 EASMAY). He's a lighter-framed colt who might not have taken the pounding that a bigger runner would have in a demanding race like the Derby. And in the eight-horse Preakness, he figures to be more in touch with the pace, and will likely not have to give up as much real estate (four wide on the far turn before floating to the eight path) as he did in the Derby.

We've now seen Mage uncork two consecutive, sustained, late-race bids against Grade I competition. One was a slightly premature move in the GI Curlin Florida Derby that catapulted him to the lead, only to be reeled in by the vastly more experienced divisional champ Forte (Violence). The other was a more measured move under Javier Castellano in the Kentucky Derby in which Mage went from 11th to second between the five-sixteenths and the three-sixteenths poles before zeroing in on a tiring (but not quitting) leader while being kept to task under hand-hustling though the final furlong and a half.

Mage's 105 Beyer Speed Figure stands out as at least seven points better than any number his rivals have run so far, but it remains to be seen whether that rating holds up. It was 11 points higher than Mage's previous best, and to fully embrace it, you have to have faith that the 2-3-4 finishers in the Derby also realistically upped their Beyers by 4-10-10 points.

2) National Treasure
The draw of post one, the addition of blinkers, and the continued partnership with one of the game's premier front-end riders all point to John Velazquez seeking the lead in the Preakness with National Treasure.

This $500,000 FTSAUG son of Quality Road sports a past-performance block anchored by mid-90s Beyers and company lines featuring heavy divisional hitters. But there are also some gaps in his training, most notably time missed in early March because of a quarter crack that caused this colt to pass on an expected start in the GII San Felipe S.

Although he wasn't finishing with the authority of the top trio in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, National Treasure's fourth-place effort there can serve as a useful bridge to a better effort at 1 3/16 miles considering the nine-furlong try was his first race in three months.

Trainer Bob Baffert has saddled seven Preakness winners. Five of them were Kentucky Derby winners. The two who weren't both were beaten Derby favorites: Point Given (2001) and Lookin At Lucky (2010).

National Treasure | Jim McCue

3) First Mission
This Godolphin homebred by Street Sense debuted too late to make a run at Derby qualifying points, so after breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds in start number two on Mar. 18, his connections opted for the 1 1/16-miles GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland.

First Mission went off favored at 2-1, rolling out of the gate alertly, then conceding the lead while attaining inside position. He started to inch up 4 1/2 furlongs out over a short-stretch configuration, then reeled in an opening-up pacemaker who twice put him in tight at the fence through the stretch.

First Mission prevailed by half a length (98 Beyer), but it was the visual appeal of how he refused to be by intimidated by the more experienced Arabian Lion (Justify) that contributed to this colt being bet down to the 6-1 second choice in the Preakness future wager.

On Saturday you can get a better read on the Lexington S. by seeing how 2-5 morning line fave Arabian Lion runs in Pimlico's fourth race, the $100,000 Sir Barton S.

4) Perform
Perform required six starts to break his maiden, but since tasked with two turns for the first time, he's 2-for-2. This $230,000 KEESEP colt by Good Magic has also tangled with Mage once before, having run fourth, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by the eventual Derby winner, when that colt broke his maiden at Gulfstream back on Jan. 28.

Perform broke through with his first victory on the GIII Tampa Bay Derby undercard over one mile 40 yards, and both the second- and fifth-place finishers from that race came back to graduate in their next starts.

Let go at 10-1 odds in the $125,000 Federico Tesio S., Perform dropped out to last and looked unlikely to even hit the board on the far turn, lingering near last after a dueling duo had set a tepid pace and opened up by five turning for home.

Weaving through the pack, jockey Feargal Lynch switched Perform off heels of tiring rivals not once, but three times through the Laurel homestretch, at the three-sixteenth pole, the eighth pole, and again in the run up to the wire. The result was a head victory, and although the 85 Beyer came back a little light, this could be an example of “how he did it” resonating more than “how fast” in terms of overall impression.

“I hope we're finishing with Mage and can outkick him,” said Hall-of-Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “But I think that just the two turns on the dirt, the distance, the mile and three-sixteenths, the timing is pretty good. We've got plenty of time in between races. He had a good work here last Sunday with Lynch on him, and that's what made up my mind that, along with his owners, to say, 'Let's give it a chance.'”

Red Route One | Jim McCue

5) Red Route One
Red Route One has stamped himself as a capable one-run closer from far back. That means he's going to be picking off horses late, but how many runners he passes in the stretch is largely going to be at the mercy of the pace. The faster they go up front, the better the finish for this Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred.

By Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare (same cross as stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Disarm, who was fourth in the Derby), the potential for later development has always figured in Red Route One's progress. Recall that his sire ran third in the 2016 Derby, finished on the board in a series of graded stakes into the summer and fall, but didn't truly burst onto the scene until after the Breeders' Cup, when he won the GI Clark H., and then seven of his eight final races against top-class competition.

Red Route One has run respectably over firm and good turf, plus sloppy and fast dirt, so he handles various types of footing quite well. He went 7 1/2 months between his first and second lifetime victories, but closed with abandon to score in the $200,000 Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn, which was the Plan B option after failing to make the qualifying points cut for the Derby.

6) Blazing Sevens
Blazing Sevens ($140,000 KEEJAN; $225,000 FTSAUG), the third son of Good Magic entered in this Preakness field of eight, is the real handicapping conundrum among the trio. He hasn't won since the Oct. 1 GI Champagne S., yet his last two efforts have a “can't be as bad as they look” vibe about them.

Through his first five career tries, Blazing Sevens won twice and was beaten by champ Forte the other three times. Racing for the first time since the Breeders' Cup in the GII Fountain of Youth S., this colt got pinballed early and was never a factor, finishing eighth while beaten 26 lengths.

Stretched to nine furlongs in the Apr. 8 GI Toyota Blue Grass S., Blazing Sevens ran a so-so third, with the impression of that result blunted by the arresting stretch battle of the two dominant horses who finished six lengths ahead of him.

Blazing Sevens qualified for the Derby based on points, but was withdrawn by trainer Chad Brown to instead aim for the Preakness. Those skip-the-Derby tactics worked well for Brown in 2017 and 2022, when he won Baltimore's big race after opting out of Louisville with Cloud Computing and Early Voting, respectively.

Bettors who had a nose for that trend sniffed out 21-1 odds in the Preakness future wager, which is significantly higher than the 6-1 morning line ranking for Blazing Sevens.

Blazing Sevens | Jim McCue

7) Chase the Chaos
Chase the Chaos (Astern {Aus}) started his career in Minnesota, winning at Canterbury on the grass before running credibly over Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields in early winter.

One of his two wins there, in the Feb. 11 El Camino Real Derby (lifetime best 82 Beyer), gave him an automatic berth into the Preakness. But this $10,000 KEENOV gelding has been seventh and eighth in two starts since then.

He was outgunned in his only lifetime try over fast dirt in the Mar. 4 GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita, then was the beaten 5-2 fave when returning to Golden Gate for the Apr. 29 California Derby.

8) Coffeewithchris
The Preakness is always a little more interesting with a Maryland-bred long shot in the mix, and Coffeewithchris fits the bill as this year's local hopeful after having sold for $2,000 as an EASOCT yearling.

This gelding has been steadily competing in the series of sophomore stakes on the Maryland circuit, and he most recently raced to the front in the moderate-paced $125,000 Federico Tesio S., where he held well under pressure until upper stretch before regressing to fifth.

But they'll be going a bit quicker in the Preakness, and the 88-85-82 downward arc of the last three Beyers for Coffeewithchris doesn't bode well for his chances.

His sire, Ride on Curlin, finished second in the 2014 Preakness at 10-1 odds behind California Chrome. He competed in all three Triple Crown races (7th, 2nd, 11th), yet concluded his 22-race career never having won beyond six furlongs.

The post Preakness Preview: Mage Evolves From Underdog To Target appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

• GI Kentucky Derby winner and 8-5 Preakness favorite Mage (Good Magic) galloped 1 1/2 miles over the Pimlico surface and playfully reared as he exited the track. “He was showing off. He was showing off a little bit,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., the assistant and son of trainer Gustavo Delgado. “He was just feeling good.” He continued: “It was the same routine since we got here. He looked better, had more energy. He wanted to do more. His exercise rider–J.J. Delgado–said he's doing good.”
• 'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Lexington S. winner First Mission (Street Sense) had an easy gallop. “We had a great morning,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He galloped a little further today than yesterday but was every bit as good as yesterday.” The colt is tabbed at 5-2 on the morning line.
• National Treasure (Quality Road) had a “routine gallop,” per Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert.
• 'TDN Rising Star' and GISW Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) galloped about 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Peter Levia. “I think he is sitting on a big race,” said Jose Hernandez, assistant to Chad Brown. “I've got the same feeling with this one that I did with the others [winners Cloud Computing, 2017, and Early Voting, 2022]. This is a pretty nice horse to work with.”
• Red Route One (Gun Runner) arrived Tuesday afternoon. “He settled in nice, jogged a mile this morning on the track, and seemed to do everything right,” said Darren Fleming, assistant to Steve Asmussen. “Relaxing now.” He will paddock school Thursday.
• Perform (Good Magic) visited the Pimlico surface for the first time Wednesday morning. Just after he entered, a loose horse running the wrong direction passed close by. “It didn't really bother him, but he got buzzed pretty good,” said Anthony Hamilton, Shug McGaughey's assistant. “It was right as we got on the track. Obviously, it's not what you want, but [exercise rider] Noemi [Pauquet] did a great job. The horse was as professional as a horse could be in that situation. He is a feel-good horse and that woke him up a little bit. Then he went out and galloped a mile just like we wanted him to.” Perform was supplemented to the Preakness for a fee of $150,000.
• Chase the Chaos (Astern {Aus}) arrived from Northern California late Tuesday. “He traveled about 16 hours, but it looks like he handled it good,” said trainer Ed Moger, Jr. “He cleaned up his food and he was pretty happy this morning.”
• Local horse Coffeewithchris (Ride On Curlin) vanned to Pimlico from Laurel Park. “He's settled in. He's doing fine,” trainer John Salzman, Jr. said. “He's doing good. He's training perfectly. He's done everything I've asked of him. He's galloping, playing, and kicking, so at this point he's doing as good as he can do. If he goes forward a little bit I'm looking forward to him running a big race.”

The post Preakness 148 Contender Updates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gustavo Delgado, Jr., assistant to his father, Mage's trainer Gustavo Delgado, Sr., indicated before the draw that an outside post would be the team's ideal choice. Mage won the 18-horse Derby from post eight after lingering far back early and tipping about seven wide into the lane. Bred by Grandview Equine and owned by OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC, and CMNWLTH, Mage sports a  4-2-1-0 record and comes into the Preakness with earnings of $2,107,200. A $235,000 KEESEP yearling and $290,000 EASMAY 2-year-old, Mage first turned heads with a front-running sprint debut at Gulfstream Jan. 28 and qualified for the Derby by pushing champion Forte (Violence) within a length in the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

Mage will face seven new shooters in the 148th Preakness with Brad Cox's 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) second choice at 5-2. Cox, whose best finish in the May 6 Derby from his four starters was a fifth with Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), seeks his first Preakness win, but has a Derby to his name after Mandaloun (Into Mischief) was promoted to first in the 2021 edition. He also won the 2021 GI Belmont S. with Essential Quality (Tapit).

Other storylines of note to watch this year in the 1 3/16-mile Classic include Hall of Famer Bob Baffert's first Triple Crown starter–4-1 third choice National Treasure (Quality Road)–since Medina Spirit (Protonico)'s third in 2021. Baffert has a co-leading seven Preakness wins and seeks a record-breaking eighth. In addition, Chad Brown–who won last year with Early Voting (Gun Runner)–and Steve Asmussen both seek their third Preakness win. And finally, sophomore sire Good Magic has three of the starters in the eight-horse field. The Preakness is scheduled for 7:01 p.m. EDT as race 13 Saturday.

The entire field, from the rail out, with trainers, jockey assignments, and early odds is as follows:

#1 National Treasure (Quality Road) (Bob Baffert, John Velazquez, 4-1)

#2 Chase the Chaos (Astern {Aus}) (Ed Moger, Jr., Sheldon Russell, 50-1)

#3 Mage (Good Magic) (Gustavo Delgado, Sr., Javier Castellano, 8-5)

#4 Coffeewithchris (Ride On Curlin) (John Salzman, Jr., Jaime Rodriguez, 20-1)

#5 Red Route One (Gun Runner) (Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 10-1)

#6 Perform (Good Magic) (Shug McGaughey, Feargal Lynch, 15-1)

#7 Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) (Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 6-1)

#8 First Mission (Street Sense) (Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 5-2)

The post Mage Draws Post Three as 8-5 Preakness Favorite appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post