Drew’s Gold Works For Amsterdam

Trainer Jim Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto's Drew's Gold (Violence), who suffered the first defeat of his career when a game runner-up to Arabian Lion (Justify) in the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park June 10, breezed a half-mile in :47.88 over the Saratoga main track Thursday morning and is expected to make his next appearance in the GII Amsterdam S. July 29.

“He worked really good. He's never really been a good workhorse alone but as he's gotten older, he's more into it,” Chapman said. “I told [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] if you can follow someone, he's going to work a lot better for you. He got in behind a Rudy [Rodriguez] horse that horse was 15 lengths in front of him leaving the half. At the wire, he was still three or four lengths in front of him and then after the wire, he just blew by him.

“He's a beautiful mover anyways, but he really likes this track,” Chapman continued. “Hopefully, he can get this thing done in nice shape and we want to win the next one going seven-eighths,” he said, referring to the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at the Spa Aug. 26.

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Drew's Gold sold for $25,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2021 and won his Churchill debut last May. Gone for 8 1/2 months thereafter, he resumed with a handy Laurel allowance score Jan. 28 befor winning the Jimmy Winkfield S. and Gold Fever S. at Aqueduct prior to his Woody Stephens try. Drew's Gold has amassed $302,620 to date in earnings.

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Hit Show Exits Withers in Fine Shape

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday's GIII Withers S. in fine shape, according to Brad Cox's Belmont-based assistant trainer Dustin Dugas.

“He looked good this morning,” Dugas said. “He cooled out well yesterday and came back in good shape. He was at the front of the stall, and bright eyed this morning. We're happy with him and he was happy with himself.”

Hit Show's potential next starts include the Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial.

“He's always been a horse that we thought would be better with more ground, based off pedigree, how he runs and what he's shown us in his races,” Cox said. “I think we will obviously look at the Kentucky Derby and one race between now and then. What race that is, I don't know yet. It very well could be the Wood Memorial. He obviously likes the racetrack there and we'll see how things go.”

Another Triple Crown nominee based in New York for Cox is Gold Square's Slip Mahoney (Arrogate), who broke his maiden in his third start at Aqueduct Jan. 21. Before that maiden-breaking score, Slip Mahoney was beaten just a neck when second behind subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) last December. He was fourth behind Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Litigate (Blame) in his November debut.

The gray colt is now being pointed towards the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S.

“He ran against some really good horses in his last two races,” Cox said. “He held his own and he's a nice colt. He's marching towards the Gotham. That's where he'll start next, and we're excited about him. He showed some heart and determination in his last two and I think he's one that will get better with doing it in the afternoon. He's been a little tough to get to the races, but once he got there, he's shown up and run every time.”

Slip Mahoney breezed a half-mile in :49.77 (39/87) over the Belmont training track Saturday.

“He came back great. He looked good yesterday,” said Dugas. “He's another one who ate up everything last night and was ready to go this morning. Dylan [Davis] was on him yesterday and he was happy with it, too.”

Slip Mahoney is out of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) and his third dam is the blue hen mare Get Lucky (Mr. Prospector).

Drew's Gold (Violence) will target the Apr. 8 GIII Bay Shore S. following his win in Saturday's Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct.

Of the decision to aim for the seven-furlong Bay Shore rather than the one-mile Gotham, which will offer Kentucky Derby points, co-owner and trainer James Chapman explained, “I'd rather just keep taking it step-by-step with him and run him in the seven-eighths race. He's doing super. He came out of the race like he didn't even run.”

Drew's Gold, who is co-owned with Stuart Tsujimoto, is unbeaten in three lifetime starts. The six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield was his longest effort to date.

“Who knows until you run around two turns, but it doesn't seem like the distance has affected him. The further that he goes, he just wins by more,” Chapman said.

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Heartwood to Rancho San Miguel

Multiple stakes winner and graded placed Heartwood (Tapit–Maple Forest, by Forestry) will take up stud duties next year at Rancho San Miguel in California. He will stand the 2021 season for $2,500, live foal guarantee. The 6-year-old, who races for the partnership of Stuart Tsuimoto and David Bernsen, won the 2019 King Cotton S., as well as two other stakes races. He was second in the 2018 GIII Fall Highweight H. and third in that year’s GIII Mr. Prospector S.

Heartwood is expected to make two additional starts in graded company at Santa Anita in January before retiring to stud. He currently has eight wins from 33 starts and earnings of $486,891.

“We are excited to offer West Coast breeders a stallion prospect of this magnitude by North America’s most successful sire of the modern era,” said Rancho San Miguel owner and manager Tom Clark. “Not only does Heartwood hold distinction as Tapit’s only dirt stakes winner available in California, he boasts the same broodmare sire as North America’s leading freshman sire of 2020, Nyquist.”

Clark continued, “As a direct male descendant of the breed-shaping stallion A.P. Indy, he also complements our existing stallion roster, which includes sires from the Mr. Prospector, Relaunch and Storm Cat lines.”

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