Tag: Triple Crown

A quartet of 3-year-olds previously trained by embattled Hall of Famer Bob Baffert will be transferred to the barn of trainer Tim Yakteen for bids in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, reports the Daily Racing Form. Reincarnate was entered in Oaklawn's G2 Rebel under Yakteen's name on Monday, while the other three-Arabian Lion, Hejazi, and Carmel Road-appear in the nominations for the G3 Gotham Stakes with Yakteen listed as trainer.

Also on the Gotham nominations list, former Baffert trainee Fort Warren is now listed as being trained by Brittany Russell.

The news follows Friday's ruling that Baffert failed in his motion for injunctive relief against Churchill Downs Inc., which banned the trainer from all of its racetracks for two years following a positive drug test for betamethasone in Medina Spirit, the first-place finisher in the 2021 Kentucky Derby who was subsequently disqualified.

In 2022, prior to the final round of qualifying races, Baffert transferred two horses to his former assistant Yakteen that then would earn points and run in the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs altered its nomination form language for the 2023 Derby, stating that horses must be transferred by banned trainers before March 1 in order to earn points and run in the Derby.

Other promising 3-year-olds in Baffert's barn have not officially been transferred, including Arabian Knight, an early favorite for the 2023 Run for the Roses after a dominant win in the G3 Southwest Stakes.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

The post Four Baffert Trainees Transferred To Tim Yakteen For Kentucky Derby Bids appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Skinner, a sharp maiden winner going a mile Feb. 12 at Santa Anita after competing in pair of Grade 1 stakes last year, could try graded stakes company again on March 4 in the San Felipe (G2), trainer John Shirreffs said.

Skinner graduated in his 3-year-old bow when rallying from second-last under Victor Espinoza to win going away by 3¼ lengths. Last year while still a maiden, the Curlin colt out of graded stakes winner Winding Way, by Malibu Moon, was third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 11 and subsequently sixth in the American Pharoah (G1) Oct. 8 at Santa Anita.

Shirreffs said Skinner exited his maiden win in good order and the San Felipe is being considered.

“It could be next for him, but it comes up pretty quick,” Shirreffs said. “We'll see.”

Skinner, who was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, is campaigned by C R K Stable and is Triple Crown nominated. He was a $510,000 auction purchase by Mayberry Farm at last year's OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, where De Meric consigned him.

The San Felipe is a Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying race, with the top five finishers earning points toward eligibility on a 50-20-15-10-5 basis.

The post ‘We’ll See’: Recent Maiden Winner Skinner Could Aim For San Felipe appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds' homebred Circling the Drain, a West Coast gelding nominated to the Triple Crown, is set to make his second start of the year during a special Presidents Day holiday program Monday at Laurel Park.

Bred in Maryland and trained by Brittany Russell, Circling the Drain drew Post 5 under Jevian Toledo and is the 7-5 program favorite in Race 4, an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds going around two turns at about 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Circling the Drain already owns a win at the distance over his home track of Laurel, a front-running seven-length waiver maiden claiming score Dec. 9 in his second career start. Out of the Cozzene mare Who's Cozy, he has run second in his other two races, both behind Feeling Woozy, who finished third behind stakes winners Coffeewithchris and Prince of Jericho, the latter also trained by Russell, in Saturday's Miracle Wood.

“We've always liked Circling the Drain,” Russell said. “I always kind of thought he was turfy, but he also does nothing wrong on the dirt. He works well on the dirt and everything. He's a big horse that I think needs to race. I'd like to think with racing that he continues to improve.”

Circling the Drain debuted last November at Laurel, racing near the front while three wide to finish second, nearly six lengths ahead of third-place finisher and next out winner General Nooz in a seven-furlong maiden special weight.

Following his graduation, Circling the Drain encountered some early trouble in his first try against winners, getting bumped at the start and trailing the field early before making a five-wide move to get into contention and wind up second going one mile. Once again, he was well ahead of the horse in third, Byk, who also returns Monday from outermost Post 6.

Circling the Drain and Prince of Jericho were both among the 369 3-year-olds made eligible for the Triple Crown by the early Jan. 28 deadline at a cost of $600. He has been favored in each of his last two starts and figures to be well-backed again Monday.

Russell nominated Circling the Drain to the one-mile Miracle Wood, Laurel's second stop in its series of stakes for 3-year-olds on the road to the 148th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, but opted instead for the allowance. The series continues March 18 with the $100,000 Private Terms going about 1 1/16 miles and $125,000 Federico Tesio April 15. The 1 1/8-mile Tesio is a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Preakness.

“It's early in his 3-year-old year, so if he decides to step up and really start doing things right, one can dream, right?” Russell said. “He is a big, lovely horse. He takes to the training. In three starts he's been beat twice by the same horse, and I know that they like Feeling Woozy.

“He's done nothing wrong,” she added. “The ownership group – I think we all think the same way. We want to win the allowance. We want to allow him to kind of drag us into something bigger hopefully. We're going to try to win the allowance with him and hopefully we can think bigger next time.”

The post ‘One Can Dream, Right?’: Russell Hopes Triple Crown Nominee Circling The Drain Ready For Next Step At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ten Strike Racing's co-managing partner Marshall Gramm is hopeful that two-time winning sophomore Eyeing Clover can make his presence known on the Kentucky Derby trail in the $300,000 Gotham (G3) on March 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The one-turn mile Gotham is the penultimate local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards the top-five finishers points based off a 50-20-15-10-5 scale.

Eyeing Clover was a debut winner sprinting six furlongs on New Year's Eve at Oaklawn Park before shipping to Fair Grounds and defeating winners going the same distance on January 28 by 9 3/4 lengths. He is trained Brad Cox, who captured New York's most recent local qualifier when Gary and Mary West's Hit Show won the Withers (G3) on February 4.

According to Gramm, who manages Ten Strike Racing alongside Clay Sanders, a strong run in the Gotham would likely warrant a return to Oaklawn Park for the nine-furlong Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 1 – a 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier.

“The core of our partners are Arkansans and we wanted to use this step towards the Arkansas Derby. That's a race we'd really love to win and participate in,” Gramm said. “For us, the dream race is the Arkansas Derby, and the Gotham seems like a good steppingstone for it. We didn't want to quite jump up from an allowance to first time routing in the [Grade 2] Rebel [at Oaklawn Park] next week from a timing standpoint, and that race looks really tough. But the Gotham looks like it could be a really competitive race as well.”

Bred in Kentucky by Mike Abraham, Eyeing Clover is by Ashford Stud stallion Lookin At Lucky. He is out of the Forest Wildcat mare Floral Park, which makes him a half brother to graded stakes-winning female sprinter Heavenhasmynikki.

“We've been huge Lookin At Lucky fans and we think this one is going to get better as the distances get longer, though his female family is fairly sprint-based,” Gramm said. “We're excited about coming to New York for the Gotham and excited about the horse's future. They bred a speedy female family to Lookin At Lucky and it's given us an early developer. We have every reason to believe based on the sire that he should improve going longer and we hope the Gotham is that first step towards the Arkansas Derby.”

Gramm mentioned Ten Strike Racing's New York-bred mare Lucky Move as an example of a Lookin At Lucky offspring that took some time to mature. Lucky Move did not win her first stakes until she was a 6-year-old, capturing the Empire Distaff and Bay Ridge on the NYRA circuit. Ten Strike Racing claimed Lucky Move for $30,000 from a one-mile turf event in April 2019 at Churchill Downs.

“It took her a while to break her maiden and she won her a-other-than as a 5-year-old and won stakes races at six, but it was a long time coming,” Gramm said. “What makes Eyeing Clover so attractive is that he's an early-maturing Lookin At Lucky.”

Gramm credited bloodstock agent Liz Crow, who also serves as Ten Strike Racing's stable manager, for selecting Eyeing Clover for $55,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling aale.

“We've been working with Liz and she buys all of our yearlings and 2-year-olds. This was one that really jumped out at her,” Gramm said. “It was a fast-looking Lookin At Lucky, and she knew our affinity for the stallion and loved the female family as well. Hopefully, putting those two together can put us on the trail.”

Eyeing Clover will likely not be the only Gotham aspirant for Cox, who could also send out regally bred maiden winner Slip Mahoney. Owned by Gold Square, Slip Mahoney, by Arrogate and out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky, worked five furlongs in 1:01 over the Belmont Park training track on Saturday.

The post ‘The Dream Race Is The Arkansas Derby’: Eyeing Clover Tuning Up For Gotham Bid As Step To Oaklawn’s Marquee Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post