Speech | Horse Racing Free Tips

McCarthy’s Ascent In Training Ranks Has Been Steady And ‘Smooth’

Michael McCarthy's humility came to the fore after he sent out City of Light to a dominating 5 3/4-length victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26, 2019.

“This horse is a gift,” the then 48-year-old trainer said. “Amazing.”

Modesty aside, McCarthy is a gift to racing. He added to his growing list of laurels last Sunday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., when he saddled Smooth Like Strait to an impressive 1 1/2-length triumph in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby, a race the trainer had been pointing to from the get-go.

Next up, if all goes well, is the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 28.

But first things first.

McCarthy is preparing Ce Ce, Speech, Rushie and Rombauer for starts in Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland on Nov. 6 and 7. Already G1 winners, Ce Ce and Speech will be cross-entered in both the Distaff at 1 1/8 miles and the Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs, with Rushie bound for the Dirt Mile and Rombauer for the Juvenile.

Three worked five furlongs Friday morning, Ce Ce and Rushie going in company receiving an identical 59.20 clocking, while Speech breezed with Tembo in the respective times of 1:00.80 and 1:01.

“I'm very pleased with all of their works,” said McCarthy, including Rombauer, who went five furlongs Thursday in 1:03.60. “They'll have one more breeze here and most likely ship for Kentucky on Nov. 1.”

McCarthy spent some 12 years working for Todd Pletcher before going on his own with a one-horse stable six years ago.

That one horse was provided by Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and McCarthy has steadily and readily moved forward since. In 2014 he won just over $200,000 in purses, doubled that in 2015, doubled it again in 2016 and yet again in 2017.

In 2018, with primary backing from the Eclipse group and Tulsa, Okla., businessman Warren K. Williams Jr. and his wife, Suzanne, McCarthy achieved a personal apex, thanks to City of Light.

The son of Quality Road earned $4 million for his Pegasus romp and put McCarthy on racing's global map. Not too shabby for a kid who was born in Youngstown, Ohio, moved with his family to Arcadia when he was five, graduated from Arcadia High School, then hit the track's backstretch, working his way up with the late Doug Peterson and trainer Ben Cecil.

But McCarthy reaped most of his knowledge as a neophyte with Pletcher. “He taught me dedication; total dedication,” McCarthy said. “He leads by example. He's there from sunrise to sundown. He's special.”

Said Pletcher: “Michael was a top-class assistant and I'm not surprised that he's succeeding now that he has his own stable.”

Or in a word, “amazing.”

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Déjà Vu: Shedaresthedevil Springs 15-1 Upset For Cox, Geroux In Kentucky Oaks

Nothing is quite the same in 2020, and horse racing has been no exception. Churchill Downs' cavernous, nearly empty grandstands stood watch over Friday's Kentucky Oaks, delayed from the first Friday in May to September by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Fans may not have been present this year, but trainer Brad Cox must have felt a strong sense of déjà vu when he saddled Staton Flurry and Qatar Racing's Shedaresthedevil to post a 15-1 upset in the 3-year-old fillies' classic. Just one race prior, Cox had sent out his 2018 Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl to win the Grade 1 La Troienne.

“This is why you wake up every morning to get to win races like this,” Cox said. “This filly has been really impressive coming into the race and when she breezed with Monomoy Girl a couple weeks ago, we knew how well she was training. There were some tough fillies in the Oaks this year with Swiss Skydiver and Gamine. We are so thrilled to win a race like this, again, in our backyard. This has been a phenomenal day with Monomoy Girl winning the La Troienne then winning the Oaks with Shedaresthedevil. These are the days you dream of.”

Jockey Florent Geroux rode both champion Monomoy Girl and Shedaresthedevil to victory on Friday, and booted home a total of four winners on the Kentucky Oaks card.

“She had a great trip,” said Geroux. “She broke very sharp and I was able to stalk Gamine all the way. That was the plan, but sometimes plans don't always work out. Perfect plan today. The only question was whether or not I was going to be able to run her down. My filly ran an amazing race. It's been an amazing day.”

Shedaresthedevil came into the Oaks with wins in three of her five starts this year, but her long odds reflected the fact that she hadn't been successful against the division's top contenders. Her wins came in the G3 Indiana Oaks, an allowance race, and the G3 Honeybee, while she'd been beaten 13 1/4 lengths by Kentucky Oaks rival Swiss Skydiver in Oaklawn's G3 Fantasy Stakes back in May.

“We've taken the conservative route with this filly, kind of dodged the bullets,” Flurry explained. “We did that with the hope that we'd have a fresh horse for this.”

The strategy seems to have worked out, as Shedaresthedevil pulled away to win the Kentucky Oaks by 1 1/2 lengths. It was also the fastest Kentucky Oaks in history as Shedaresthedevil ran 1 1/8 miles over the fast main track in 1:48.28, besting Bird Town's 2003 time of 1:48.64.

A total of nine 3-year-old fillies lined up for the nine-furlong contest, including the supremely talented Gamine, who'd won her last two races by a combined total of over 35 lengths. Gamine went off at odds of 3-5, while G1 Alabama winner Swiss Skydiver, who'd also earned 40 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby by facing males in the G3 Blue Grass Stakes, was the second choice at 5-2.

As expected, the speedy Gamine went straight to the lead from post position five, and Swiss Skydiver pushed through from her position on the rail to try to be second. Shedaresthedevil broke to her left, and muscled her way over to keep pace pressure on Gamine through the early stages, keeping Swiss Skydiver boxed in on the inside.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez kept a tight hold on Gamine through a first quarter in 23.39 seconds, but Geroux also had Shedaresthedevil under a good hold just a length off the leader. Swiss Skydiver and Tyler Gaffalione were at the rail in third, while Donna Veloce tried to push her way into contention between rivals in fourth.

Just after the half-mile in :47.92, Velazquez left the rail open for a few strides and Gaffalione tried to send Swiss Skydiver on through. He didn't make the gap and Velazquez aimed Gamine back at the rail, causing Gaffalione to check and wait for the overland route along the outside.

That veteran move by Velazquez gave Geroux an opportunity with Shedaresthedevil, and he took full advantage, getting first run on Gamine around the far turn. Swiss Skydiver ended up swinging three-wide at the head of the lane, but Shedaresthedevil had already set her sights on the passing Gamine and hitting the wire first.

Shedaresthedevil dug in to put away Gamine by the three-sixteenths pole, then held of the late bid from Swiss Skydiver on her outside to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Gamine checked in third, while Speech got up to finish fourth. The remaining order of finish was: Tempers Rising, Hopeful Growth, Bayerness, Donna Veloce, and Dream Marie.

Trainer Ken McPeek wasn't displeased with the effort from runner-up Swiss Skydiver.

“She ran super,” McPeek said. “That other filly (Shedaresthedevil) has been training extremely well. I've been watching her. Tyler (Gaffalione) rode her good. That's horse racing. There's no guarantees. She's been training super. I actually wasn't as worried about Gamine as I was about another filly running a bang-up race. That's what happened.”

Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert had been hoping for a stronger return to two-turn racing for the super-talented Gamine.

“She hadn't gone long and we can always second guess ourselves,” Baffert lamented. “Maybe I should have run her longer or whatever. But the winner was tough, you have to give her credit.

“(Gamine) just didn't have it. Turning for home, she was in a good spot and she was late switching leads and she never does that. I don't know if she just got tired or whatever. But down the backside he couldn't have been any better, he was in the perfect spot. She just didn't have it there.”

Shedaresthedevil (center, maroon cap) out-finishes both Swiss Skydiver (left) and Gamine (right) to win the Kentucky Oaks

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Shedaresthedevil is out of the winning Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed. Initially sold for $100,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale, the filly returned and did not meet her reserve when bidding stopped at $20,000 at the following year's Keeneland September sale.

Entered in race training with Norm Casse, Shedaresthedevil won on debut and was the first winner for her freshman sire, Daredevil, in June of 2019 at Churchill Downs. Qatar Racing purchased an interest in the filly and she was sent to west coast trainer Simon Callaghan, for whom she ran third in the G2 Sorrento, fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, and second in the Anoakia Stakes.

Sent back through the Keeneland November sale at the end of her juvenile season, Shedaresthedevil brought a final bid of $280,000 from Staton Flurry, and Qatar Racing stayed in for the ride. The filly was sent to trainer Brad Cox, and kicked off her sophomore year with a second-place finish to stablemate Bonny South in an allowance at Oaklawn Park. She added the pair of graded stakes wins to her resume over the course of 2020, and the Kentucky Oaks win improves her overall record to 5-2-2 from 10 starts for earnings of over $1.2 million.

“As bad as 2020's been for everybody, this makes it a little bit better, for us,” Flurry said from the winner's circle.

Co-owner Staton Flurry celebrates with friends after Shedaresthedevil brings home the Kentucky Oaks trophy

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Goliath Versus Davids In the Kentucky Oaks

In this corner comes ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Gamine (Into Mischief), a filly by one of the world’s hottest and most fashionable sires who was purchased for a seven-figure price tag at public auction and has whitewashed Grade I rivals by a combined 25 3/4 lengths in her last two starts.

Sharing space in the other corner is Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), a much more modest auction purchase, who is perfect in her last four against her own sex; and Speech (Mr Speaker), not quite as accomplished as her two chief rivals, but who should in no way be ignored in Friday’s GI Longines Kentucky Oaks.

A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Gamine fetched a record-breaking $1.8 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale and nothing has finished ahead of her in four career starts. Bar one start, none of her rivals has come close. A maiden winner at first asking by open lengths, she crossed the line a neck better than Speech in a first-level Oaklawn allowance in what is her lone two-turn start to date. Subsequently disqualified for a drug positive, she earned a 110 Beyer for an 18 3/4-length jaw-dropper in the GI Longines Acorn S. going Belmont’s one-turn mile June 20 (by comparison, Tiz the Law was given a 100 for his Belmont score). Shortening up to seven furlongs for the GI Longines Test S., she set the pace from the fleet Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and ran away from her to hit the line seven lengths to the good.

The nine-furlong distance is the obvious question mark for Gamine heading into Friday, but if three-time Oaks-winning trainer Bob Baffert is feeling the pinch, he isn’t exactly showing it.

‘We know she’s fast and she’s done [two turns] before so it’s not like it’s new,” he said. “We’re just blessed we have a filly like this. We gave a lot of money for her and it’s worked out. A lot of times you do that and they don’t work out. We’re just enjoying her.”

Gamine is expected to be the speed of the Oaks, but Tyler Gaffalione should have Swiss Skydiver within shouting distance from the start. The $35,000 long-time Ken McPeek client Peter Callahan invested in the chestnut at Keeneland September two falls ago has proven to be money very well spent. While the margins of her victories have been less imposing than those posted by Gamine, the performances have been no less dominating.

The victims look the same–she defeated Venetian Harbor in a highly rated renewal of Oaklawn’s GIII Fantasy S. in May, then ventured to Speech’s home turf and took down her colors in the GII Santa Anita Oaks the following month. Hardly disgraced when second to Art Collector (Bernardini) in an audacious attempt at the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, she thrashed her rivals in the GI Alabama S. when last spotted Aug. 15. McPeek is looking forward to the challenge directly ahead.

“We ran on the same racetrack that weekend at Oaklawn and I don’t think there’s a lot separating them,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to watch. That’s what makes me confident. [Bob Baffert’s] filly is going to have to do something she hasn’t experienced and it’s something we’ve done over and over all year.”

Speech figures to sit a good trip in the Oaks, tracking the top two. The Florida-bred earned a richly deserved Grade I last time out in Keeneland’s Ashland S. July 11, earning a figure competitive with what Gamine and Swiss Skydiver have put up going two turns. A $65,000 short yearling at the 2018 OBS Winter Mixed Sale, Speech was bought back on a bid of $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton July that summer and fetched $190,000 at OBS March 18 months ago.

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) was just touched off as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in just her second career start and makes his first start since soundly defeating Speech in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Mar. 8.

It seems only fitting that in the town the late Muhammad Ali called home, a true heavyweight battle looms in the minutes just prior to 6 p.m. Friday afternoon.

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Kentucky Oaks Notes: Gamine Gets First Look At Churchill, Swiss Skydiver ‘Just So Hickory’

A field of nine sophomore fillies will contest Friday's 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Eight of the fillies have now arrived at the Louisville, Ky. track, and each trained over the surface Tuesday morning.

BAYERNESS – Belladonna Racing's Indiana Oaks runner-up Bayerness returned to the track Tuesday following her half-mile move in :48.80 Sunday morning.

Rafael Bejarano has the call in the Oaks.

DONNA VELOCE – Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Donna Veloce had a get-acquainted jog around the main track at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning a day after arriving from her Southern California base.

John Stack was aboard the Simon Callaghan trainee who has compiled a 4-2-2-0 career mark that includes a runner-up finish in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

“Everything is good here,” said Callaghan's assistant Carlos Santamaria, who accompanied Donna Veloce on her morning jog on a pony. “We plan to take her to the gate and paddock Wednesday.”

Santamara said Callaghan would not be coming to Louisville for Friday's Oaks.

DREAM MARIE – Miracle's International Trading Inc.'s Dream Marie made a more settled impression Tuesday on her second morning at Churchill Downs since arriving from South Florida Sunday and galloped once around under exercise rider Ian Cravens.

“Yesterday, she had to look at the Twin Spires, today she was more relaxed,” trainer Matthew Williams said.

On Monday, the Graydar filly drew post position nine of nine.

“I love it, I'm very happy,” Williams said. “She'll be the last to load, which is one reason I love it. She had the one in the Monmouth Oaks (when fourth Aug. 1) and that hurt her chances in that race.”

GAMINE – Gamine, the even-money, morning line favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, took to the Churchill Downs track Tuesday morning for a jog alongside assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes having arrived in Louisville late Monday afternoon.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Gamine has yet to be headed in of her four career starts with her only defeat coming when she was disqualified for a medication overage in winning an allowance optional claiming race at Oaklawn Park on May 2. The daughter of Into Mischief elicited a final bid of $1.8 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds Training Sale and if she were to prevail Friday, she would become the highest-priced Oaks winner sold at public auction since Rags to Riches — a $1.9 million yearling purchase — was victorious in 2007.

“The two turns that's the whole thing with her, but we know she's fast and she's done (two turns) before so it's not like it's new,” trainer Bob Baffert said of Gamine. “We're just blessed we have a filly like this. We gave a lot of money for her and it's worked out. A lot of times you do that and they don't work out. We're just enjoying her.”

HOPEFUL GROWTH – St. Elias Stable's Monmouth Oaks (GIII) winner Hopeful Growth galloped 1 5/8 miles Tuesday at her Monmouth Park base and was scheduled to leave New Jersey at 5:30 p.m. for the overnight trip to Kentucky. She is scheduled to arrive between 7 and 8 a.m. Wednesday and will be staying with trainer Dale Romans, a longtime friend of trainer Anthony Margotta who will saddle the Tapiture filly.

“She's training very well,” Margotta said via phone. “She had a nice solid gallop. Dale (Romans) is a great, great friend and I feel very comfortable with him taking care of her.”

SHEDARESTHEDEVIL – Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stable and Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil galloped about 1 ½ miles Tuesday with Edvin Vargas up for trainer Brad Cox.

SPEECH – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech was on the track at her usual 5:30 time Tuesday morning, galloping about a mile and half under exercise rider Osman Cedeno.

The 5-1 third choice on the morning line, Speech drew post position four for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks on Friday.

“I think the draw was good for everybody,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Swiss Skydiver is naturally fast so the one hole should not bother her. And Gamine (from post five), she's going to do her thing.”

Swiss Skydiver taking everything in ahead of her Tuesday morning gallop at Churchill Downs.

SWISS SKYDIVER – Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Peter J. Callahan's multiple graded stakes winner Swiss Skydiver to the track for her regular morning exercise designed to keep her happy and allow her to “just stretch her legs” ahead of Friday's race.

On Monday, the Daredevil filly drew post position one of nine and was installed as the 8-5 second choice on the morning line.

“I'll have to study the pace, but all it takes is one horse to get off a little awkward to change everything, so we'll leave that up to Tyler (Gaffalione),” McPeek said. “I have seen the other horses train and there are some that are training really well. We'll have our work cut out for us either way.

“Nine horses, it's a good number. It's tough race to win. I learned that with Take Charge Lady. She was 4-5 several years ago and she got upset by Farda Amiga, who ran the race of her life. So there are no guarantees. Our filly is doing super.”

Swiss Skydiver has won four stakes this year between 1 1/16 miles and 1 ¼ miles, while her main rival Gamine, the even-money favorite, has only raced beyond a mile once in her four-race career.

“Her form is pretty well proven, so we've done our job. I think the question mark with Gamine is that she hasn't done two turns on a regular basis. When she did, she had to fight for it. We ran on the same racetrack that weekend at Oaklawn and I don't think there's a lot separating them. It's going to be fun to watch. That's what makes me confident. (Bob Baffert's) filly is going to have to do something she hasn't experienced and it's something we've done over and over all year.”

Although she is a lightly framed filly, McPeek says Swiss Skydiver always has distinguished herself from other top fillies he has had.

“They're all different. My filly is just so hickory. All week she's done nothing but dive into the feed tub. The biggest problem we have is keeping her settled when we don't feed her right away. That's a real rarity. Most fillies aren't this sturdy. She loves what she does and eating is her number one thing to do. It makes a trainer's job really easy.”

TEMPERS RISING – Mark and Nancy Stanley's Tempers Rising galloped about 1 3/8 miles Tuesday morning for trainer Dallas Stewart.

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