Well-related Stonestreet Stables product Marsalis (Curlin–Hot Dixie Chick, by Dixie Union) stepped forward off a stellar debut outing to garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction Saturday at Fair Grounds. Beaten a head and 5 1/4 lengths clear of third in a salty GII Risen Star S. day heat won by Todd Pletcher-trained invader Momentous (Speightstown) Feb. 19, the Steve Asmussen pupil was off at 3-5 and soon showed why.
Off at 3-10 while breaking from the fence, the $340,000 Keeneland September RNA broke well but had to work a bit early to eventually make the front narrowly. He doled out an opening quarter of :21.76, and was challenged through a :44.80 half by longshot Lagoon (Runhappy) as that one launched a sweeping move. Marsalis re-broke at the head of the lane, put his stubborn foe away by midstretch, and was wrapped up late to don cap and gown by 2 1/2 lengths. Vinco (Quality Road), last year's $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic topper, bounced back from a non-show last out to complete the exacta. Lagoon checked in fourth.
Marsalis is the sixth foal out of his connections' speedy 'Rising Star' Hot Dixie Chick, winner of the 2009 GI Spinaway S. and already the dam of Pauline's Pearl (Tapit), MGSW, $1,038,500; and 'Rising Star' Union Jackson (Curlin), MSW & GSP, $273,874. The former took the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. Jan. 30 and was most recently a close second in the GII Azeri S. two weeks ago; while the latter, who stands at Sequel Stallions in New York, was represented by his first black-type winner earlier this month. Hot Dixie Chick is also a half to 2017 GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and Grade II winner Positive Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile). She produced a Constitution colt last term before being bred back to both Tapit and Quality Road.
A 'Rising Star' himself, Curlin has now sired 20 horses to earn that moniker. For more on Marsalis as part of Steve Sherack's Second Chances series, click here.
7th-Fair Grounds, $65,000, Msw, 3-26, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.40, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. MARSALIS, c, 3, Curlin 1st Dam: Hot Dixie Chick (GISW, $343,252), by Dixie Union 2nd Dam: Above Perfection, by In Excess (Ire) 3rd Dam: Something Perfect, by Somethingfabulous
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $50,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. *$340,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — On paper, it was horseracing's version of the 'Dream Team.'
Trainer Bob Baffert, a three-time winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup, and the charismatic Frankie Dettori, still riding at the peak of his powers into his early 50s, also with three World Cup trophies to his name. Each of those victories was achieved as the retained rider for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor, but the Italian maestro hadn't hoisted the hardware since Electrocutionist (Red Ransom) took the 2006 renewal at old Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.
Flavien Prat was in the irons when Country Grammer (Tonalist), winner of last year's GI Hollywood Gold Cup, came home a gallant second to Emblem Road (Quality Road) in the Feb. 26 G1 Saudi Cup first off a May absence. With Prat committed to G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and with other top-drawer riders having been snapped up, Baffert reached out to Dettori.
Strange bedfellows? Maybe so, but an effective combination it was, as Dettori gave the 5-year-old entire a positive ride and Country Grammer did the rest, running past a tiring 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) before holding off a resurgent Hot Rod Charlie to score by 1 3/4 lengths. Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) couldn't quite add an incredible sixth victory on the program for his country, but covered himself in glory once again, finishing third after filling the runner-up spot 12 months ago. Life Is Good failed to see out the trip after setting a strong early pace and settled for fourth.
The World Cup win was especially sweet for Amr Zedan, who has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows the Thoroughbred business can throw at an owner, all in the space of nine months. Having lost GI Kentucky Derby first-past-the-post Medina Spirit (Protonico) to a fatal incident last December, Zedan bought into Country Grammer with an eye on the 5-year-old's participation in the Saudi Cup in his homeland. On Saturday four weeks removed from the Saudi Cup and 600 miles of desert to the east in Dubai, all his emotions came to the surface.
“This win reminds me of Medina Spirit,” Zedan said. “He was a champion and these horses are all heart. I hope Medina Spirit is reinstalled as the Kentucky Derby winner, God willing. I can't believe I'm sitting here and my silks are here!”
An Inside Ride…
Heading into Saturday's race, the majority opinion was that if Life Is Good was to be stymied in adding the World Cup to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Pegasus World Cup, it would be because he beat himself. Gate one was potentially a fly in the ointment, but the burly 4-year-old pinged the gates and was allowed to make the running from off the rail, with Saudi Cup third Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) his bay shadow. Hot Rod Charlie was momentarily closest to the dueling leaders, but Dettori had made a key decision from the start to be positive with Country Grammer, hustling him along before railing through underneath Hot Rod Charlie to sit the box-seat trip.
There were no significant changes in the plot as they raced down the Meydan backstretch, as Life Is Good looked to be bowling along comfortably, still in the two or three path and going apparently better than Midnight Bourbon. Country Grammer was shaken up a touch with about a half-mile to race so as not to lose touch, while Hot Rod Charlie hit a flat spot at the three-eighths and looked to have run his race.
Life Is Good turned them in with a touch more than 400 meters to race, having once and for all turned away Midnight Bourbon. But as they entered the final furlong, it was clear that the favorite was running on fumes and was there to be had. Back into the bit, Hot Rod Charlie made ominous headway up the fence to loom a danger, but Country Grammer–a bit one-paced in upper stretch–did the best work and was along in time. Chuwa Wizard, near the tail early on, slalomed his way home to cash another good check.
“When the draw came out, I had just wanted to put him on the fence,” said Dettori, who treated the many fans on hand to one of his patented flying dismounts. “At the half-mile, I wasn't able to keep on with the front two, but in the end they came back to me. At the furlong pole, it was surreal as I knew I was going to win. It's just unbelievable. It's like a dream!”
Dettori won his first World Cup in 2000 aboard Dubai Millennium (GB) (Seeking the Gold) and added the 2003 renewal aboard Moon Ballad (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). He is now tied with Jerry Bailey for most World Cup wins by a jockey.
Longtime Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes oversaw Country Grammer's preparation into the World Cup, having also been along for the ride with Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) five years ago.
“It's been a long trip, Frankie just rode him awesome,” said Barnes. “He couldn't have done any better. The speed worked out just as we thought it would, he put him in a close enough spot that when he called upon him, he's a true mile-and-a-quarter horse and it kicked in.”
He added, “I give a lot of credit to Bob Baffert for his ability to come back and perform, it's what we do, we're great off a lay-off. I'm just so excited. This is my second with Bob and it is very, very special.”
Trainer Doug O'Neill suggested that some equipment changes might be in the offing for the runner-up.
“I think maybe blinkers might need to go back on–he broke okay, but then when he got behind horses, maybe that was it,” he said. “[Jockey] Flavien [Prat] said he took the kickback pretty well though, so we'll re-group and we'll give him plenty of time now and we'll huddle up and think of a game plan.”
Life Is Good's rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. put the defeat down to his mount's stamina.
“We led like we wanted. It was just the distance. The extra distance told,” he said.
The Finished Product…
A $60,000 Keeneland September graduate, Country Grammer fetched $450,000 as an OBS April breezer and would go on to win the GIII Peter Pan S. for Paul Pompa and Chad Brown in the summer of 2020. Following Pompa's sad passing late that year, Country Grammer changed hands for $110,000 at the dispersal of the owner's racing and breeding stock at Keeneland January in 2021, a number WinStar's Elliott Walden called 'surprising.' Second while racing handier to the pace than he had before in the GII Californian S., he stretched out nicely to 10 furlongs and struck from close up to take out the Hollywood Gold Cup before hitting the shelf. So well was he training that the decision was made to send him to Saudi without a prep and that approach has been richly rewarded.
Pedigree Notes:
Country Grammer's dam Arabian Song has a connection to the Emirates, as she was purchased by the Dubai-affiliated Rabbah Bloodstock for $40,000 at Keeneland September in 2009. Country Grammer is the fifth foal from the mare, who is also responsible for the 4-year-old filly Joyful Cadence (Runhappy), third in last year's GIII Miss Preakness S. and the three-length winner of a Mar. 20 Oaklawn allowance for owner William Simon's WSS Racing and trainer John Ortiz. Arabian Song was sold for $5,000 to Abdul Aziz Al-Ateeqi at Keeneland November in 2018 and foaled a filly in Saudi Arabia in 2019. Now named Gharz (KSA), she is twice placed from four starts at King Abdulaziz.
Country Grammer's third dam includes such Juddmonte standouts as GISW Etoile Montante (Miswaki); her MGSW daughter Starformer (Dynformer); recent GIII Hurricane Bertie S. winner Obligatory (Curlin); and MGSW Bonny South (Munnings).
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G1, $12,000,000, Meydan, 3-26, 3yo/up, 10f, 2:04.97, fs.
1–COUNTRY GRAMMER, 126, h, 5, by Tonalist 1st Dam: Arabian Song, by Forestry 2nd Dam: Prima Centauri, by Distant View 3rd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR; $110,000
'21 KEEJAN). O-Zedan Racing Stables, WinStar Farm &
Commonwealth TBreds; B-Scott & Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Frankie Dettori. $6,960,000. Lifetime Record:
GISW-US, 10-4-2-1, $10,851,685. *1/2 to Joyful Cadence
(Runhappy), GSP-US, $242,167. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hot Rod Charlie, 126, c, 4, Oxbow–Indian Miss, by Indian
Charlie. ($17,000 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $110,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT).
O-Roadrunner, Boat Racing, Strauss & Gainesway; B-Edward A.
Cox (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $2,400,000.
3–Chuwa Wizard (Jpn), 126, h, 7, King Kamehameha (Jpn)–
Chuwa Blossom (Jpn), by Durandal (Jpn). O-Shinobu Nakanishi;
B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Ryuji Okubo. $1,200,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, SHD.
Also Ran: Life Is Good, Midnight Bourbon, Remorse (Ire), Hypothetical (Ire), Aero Trem (Brz), Real World (Ire), Magny Cours. Scratched: Grocer Jack (Ger). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Delicada (Jpn) (Pyro) went for a gap from between horses in the dying strides and it proved a decisive move, as she was along for a neck victory in Saturday's Fukuryu S. (allowance) at Nakayama Racecourse. Facing no other rivals that had previously accumulated points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, Delicada has the right of first refusal for a berth in the race, having earned 40 points to shoot to the head of the class. She was not an original nominee to the Triple Crown series.
Perfect in two starts at Hanshin last term, each over the same 1800-meter distance, Delicada–the only filly in a field of eight– lined up here as the 7-1 third choice to fellow previously unbeaten Ho O Roulette (Jpn) (Roses In May). Away cleanly from gate four, the gray filly settled three wide and not far from the speed as the rail-drawn 3-10 favorite showed the way. Traveling without cover throughout, Delicada was scrubbed on three deep at the quarter pole, but appeared flat-footed in upper stretch. Ho O Roulette backed out of it abruptly with 150 meters to race, but Delicada responded to jockey Ryuji Wada's urgings and was up in the final few strides (see below). Notturno (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}–Sheikh's Serenade) was second ahead of 241-1 outsider Peisha Es (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}).
The winner, a daughter of Bronx Silver (Jpn) (Kurofune), is unlikely to take up the Derby assignment. The series leader, with 38 points, is Godolphin's Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat), who was to run in Saturday's G2 UAE Derby at Meydan. The homebred was not an original nominee to the Triple Crown and would need to be supplemented for $6,000 at the upcoming second closing stage.
Six trainers, including Wayne Potts and Juan Vazquez, have been informed by NYRA officials that they will no longer be allowed to stable at Belmont Park and that their horses must be off the grounds by Wednesday. However, all six will still be permitted to race at the NYRA tracks, at least for the time being.
The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening.
NYRA's decision to not outright ban the trainers stems from a ruling issued in the Bob Baffert matter last July by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The court ruled that trainers cannot be banned at the NYRA tracks without due process, starting with a formal statement of charges. Denying or revoking stalls may not fall under the same guidelines. It was not known Friday whether or not NYRA will eventually take the steps that would be required to ban any or all of the six trainers.
The other trainers notified that they would no longer be permitted to stable at the NYRA tracks are Marvin Richardson, Luis Miranda, John McAllen and Michael Simmonds. In addition, Bonnie Lucas, an assistant to Potts, was also denied stalls, which she applied for after Potts' stall application was denied.
“NYRA retains the exclusive right and discretion to grant, deny, revoke, or reduce stall space for licensed trainers at its properties,” NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said in a statement. “Following the completion of the stall application process for the 2022 spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack and 2022 spring/summer meet at Belmont Park, NYRA has denied stall allocations to trainers Wayne Potts, Juan Vazquez, Marvin Richards, John McAllen, Luis Miranda and Michael Simmonds. The trainers were notified of this decision earlier this week and will be required to vacate their current stalls or transfer horses under their care by Mar. 30. Bonnie Lucas, an assistant to Potts, submitted a stall application following the denial of stalls to Potts and her application was rejected.”
The statement continued: “No matter the point of origin, all horses shipping in to race at NYRA tracks are subject to the same level of health and safety scrutiny as horses stabled on NYRA property. These protocols are effective in mitigating risk, enhancing equine safety, and protecting the integrity of the sport in New York.”
Potts and Lucas were suspended last year for 30 days by the New Jersey Racing Commission, which charged that they defied a request from a state veterinarian to have a horse vanned off the track following a claiming race. Both have appealed. Potts also ran afoul of authorities during last year's Saratoga meet when it was alleged he violated rules regarding a claim, which resulted in a 30-day suspension. The New York Gaming Commission charged that the horse, Mach One (Air Force Blue), was claimed by Potts' owners Frank Catapano and Nicholas Primpas by trainer Amira Chichakly and then transferred to Potts. Potts claimed another horse from the same race and trainers are not allowed to claim more than one horse in any given race. Additionally, Potts was banned from the Maryland tracks in 2020 amid allegations that he was a paper trainer for Marcus Vitali.
Potts won a career-best 61 races last year and was the leading trainer at Monmouth. He said he has 47 horses in New York and plans to relocate them to a training center in New Jersey.
“I was shocked when they told me I wasn't being allocated stalls,” Potts said. “I supported the NYRA circuit strong the last two winters when they have short fields. If this is an act to clean things up, there are other people that should be gone before myself. I don't have a whole list of mediation violations. I have done some stupid things in life, but there are other people there that have done much worse than I have.”
When asked if he fears NYRA will eventually ban him outright, Potts said: “I don't think that will happen. I had a meeting today with the racing secretary and with Frank Gabriel. They said I am still free to enter and I can conduct my business as I was before. That's what I'm going to continue to do.”
Vazquez received two consecutive 15-day suspensions from the Pennsylvania Racing Commission after two of his horses tested positive for the dewormer levamisole in races at last year at Parx. One, Hollywood Talent (Talent Search), tested positive after winning the GIII Turf Monster S. at odds of 108-1. Vazquez has filed an appeal. Vazquez has numerous suspensions and violations on his record. In one ruling, issued in 2017 in Pennsylvania, it was noted that Vazquez had eight drug positives during a 23-month period. Vazquez, who did not return a phone call seeking comment, is fifth in the Aqueduct trainer standings.
While Potts and Vasquez are prominent trainers, the others are not. Richards is 0-for-6 on the year and has won only five races in a career that began in 2017. He is facing a suspension of up to one-year from the New Jersey Racing Commission after his horse, Awesomenewyear (New Year's Day) tested positive for the prohibited medications oxazepam and ibuprofen following a Sept. 3 race at Monmouth. He has six horses stabled in New York.
“That would be something that is easy for NYRA to lean on,” Richards said of the drug positives in New Jersey. “They can say you have a positive so we're not going to give you stalls. I can't say for sure that's what it is. It might be. I'm still at Belmont, so they haven't kicked me off the racetrack yet. Where am I going to go? I'll have find a place where I can put my horses up. I'll have to try to get stalls elsewhere. It will be a great inconvenience. I live right next to [Belmont]. I don't even want to think of not being at Belmont.”
The Racing Form, citing sources, reported that McAllen was denied stalls for allegedly demonstrating an inability to properly care for his horses. He is 2-for-54 on the year and said he has 12 horses at Belmont.
“If someone wanted to come and see my horses I'd have no problem showing them to you,” McAllen said. “They are 100% perfect.”
McAllen said he will look for stall space somewhere before eventually taking his stable to Monmouth Park.
Miranda has won with just 4 percent of his career starters and is 2-for-94 since 2020. Simmonds is 1-for-19 on the year after going 2 for 75 last year. It was not immediately clear why those trainers were denied stalls.
