Tag: Triple Crown

Hit Show's dominant win in the Grade 3 Wither Stakes elevated the son of Candy Ride into the top ten of this week's NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden to victory by Manny Franco, Hit Show got nine furlongs over the Aqueduct dirt in 1:54.71 to be voted into seventh position.

Litigate, winner of the G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher, also makes his debut in the poll. The son of Blame was voted into 10th position.

Newgate, fifth in last week's poll, dropped out of the top ten after it was announced that the colt had been injured and was off the Derby trail.

The Top 3-Year-Old poll of 2023 continues to be led by Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte, a son of Violence trained by Todd Pletcher. The colt has not yet started this year, but is expected to target the Florida Road to the Kentucky Derby.

In second position is remains G3 Southwest winner Arabian Knight (Baffert), while G3 Lecomte winner Instant Coffee sits in third (Brad Cox).

The 3-Year-Old poll represents horses competing up and through the Triple Crown.

TOP THREE-YEAR OLD POLL

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With the Kentucky Derby 12 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-olds” closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and Champion 2-Year-Old Male Forte was the 8-1 second choice. Hoosier Philly, the lone filly in the 39 individual betting interests, closed as the 11-1 third choice.

Other horses who attracted interest from bettors: impressive allowance winner Tapit Trice (15-1); Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and Lecomte (GIII) winner Instant Coffee (22-1); Smarty Jones winner Victory Formation (23-1); and fast maiden winner Geaux Rocket Ride (25-1).

Horses in order of the public's betting choice (with trainer, Pool 4 odds and $2 Win Will Pays): #40 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (2-1, $6.92); #13 Forte (Todd Pletcher, 8-1, $19.06); #23 Hoosier Philly (Tom Amoss, 11-1, $25.24); #35 Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher, 15-1, $33.08); #24 Instant Coffee (Brad Cox, 22-1, $46.06); #39 Victory Formation (Brad Cox, 23-1, $48.90); #17 Geaux Rocket Ride (Richard Mandella, 25-1, $53.78); #4 Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown, 27-1, $56.76); #3 Banishing (Brendan Walsh, 27-1, $57.78); #27 Litigate (Todd Pletcher, 28-1, $59.02); #22 Hit Show (Brad Cox, 28-1, $59.44); #38 Verifying (Brad Cox, 34-1, $70.88); #31 Rocket Can (Bill Mott, 35-1, $72.50); #26 Kingsbarns (Todd Pletcher, 35-1, $72.56); #19 Giant Mischief (Brad Cox, 43-1, $88.02); #32 Shadow Dragon (Bill Mott, 46-1, $94.86); #28 Mage (Gustavo Delgado, 48-1, $99.74); #6 Curly Jack (Tom Amoss, 49-1, $100.80); #9 Disarm (Steve Asmussen, 50-1, $102.58); #18 General Jim (Shug McGaughey, 51-1, $104.08); #30 Red Route One (Steve Asmussen, 58-1, $118.92); #36 Tapit's Conquest (Brad Cox, 63-1, $128.16); #21 Gun Pilot (Steve Asmussen, 66-1, $134.94); #11 Eyeing Clover (Brad Cox, 73-1, $148.58); #7 Cyclone Mischief (Dale Romans, 76-1, $154.34); #2 Arctic Arrogance (Linda Rice, 78-1, $158.24); #29 Practical Move (Tim Yakteen, 83-1, $169.66); #33 Shopper's Revenge (Steve Asmussen, 90-1, $183.12); #10 Dubyuhnell (Danny Gargan, 90-1, $183.98); #12 First Defender (Steve Asmussen, 91-1, $185.58); #34 Slip Mahoney (Brad Cox, 93-1, $188.94); #37 Two Phil's (Larry Rivelli, 95-1, $192.04); #20 Gulfport (Steve Asmussen, 97-1, $196.52); #25 Jace's Road (Brad Cox, 104-1, $211.54); #1 Angel of Empire (Brad Cox, 112-1, $226.08); #5 Confidence Game (Keith Desormeaux, 119-1, $240.46); #8 Determinedly (Mark Casse, 124-1, $250.70); #15 Funtastic Again (Wesley Ward, 158-1, $318.20); #16 Game Change (Shug McGaughey III, 165-1, $332.86); and #14 Frosted Departure (Kenny McPeek, 186-1, $374.90).

Total handle for the Feb. 10-12 KDFW pool – the fourth of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) on Saturday, May 6 – was $340,880 ($259,489 in the Win pool and $81,391 in Exactas) – a 3.8% increase from last year's February pool. Through the first four pools, a total of $964,540 has been bet on Derby future wagers.

Inaugurated in 1999, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has been offered for a 25th consecutive year.

Other Future Wager dates are set for March 10-12 (Pool 5); and March 30-April 1 (Pool 6). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5 on March 10-12.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

The post ‘All Others’ 2-1 Favorite, Forte, Hoosier Philly Respective Second And Third Choices At Conclusion Of KDFW Pool 4 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Drew's Gold, trained and co-owned by James Chapman with Stuart Tsujimoto, remained undefeated through three career starts with a 4 1/4-length score in Saturday's $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a six-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Aqueduct.

The Kentucky-bred Violence colt overcame slow starts in his first two outings, but was away alertly under Jose Gomez and disputed the pace on Saturday, leading through splits of :23.47 and :47.81 over the fast main track.

The $25,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase opened up by 2 1/2-lengths at the stretch call and stopped the clock in a final time of 1:13.09. The emphatic score matched a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Chapman said a trip to the starting gate the day before the race was beneficial for the improving dark bay.

“Instead of just taking off, he'd watch the doors and they'd spook him,” explained Chapman. “But the gate crew is so good in New York, they let us take him to the gate the day before and instead of backing him out, we opened up the doors by hand and let him walk out the front to take a breath and chill out. It really helped him relax. With racing, he's only going to get better.”

Drew's Gold also benefitted from reuniting with Gomez, who had worked the horse multiple times at Belmont Park in advance of his prior scores. Drew's Gold ultimately shipped to Churchill Downs in May to win his debut sprinting five furlongs after breaking a step slow under Ricardo Santana, Jr.; and returned to action on January 28 at Laurel Park to defeat winners going 5 1/2-furlongs despite leaping in the air at the start with Jeiron Barbosa up.

“Jose's known the horse from way back,” Chapman said. “He breezed the horse the work before he won at Churchill when he was supposed to run at Belmont. We had that horse schooled and ready to go in behind horses. And then he worked him here once before he went to Laurel when the race didn't go here.

Drew's Gold could step up to graded company next out with an eye towards the seven-furlong $200,000 Bay Shore (G3) on April 8, which Chapman said is preferable to trying the one-turn mile $300,000 Gotham (G3) on March 4, which awards 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“I'd rather just keep taking it step by step with him and run him in the seven-eighths race,” Chapman said. “He's doing super. He came out of the race like he didn't even run.”

Chapman didn't rule out stretching Drew's Gold out in distance down the road.

“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.

Chapman and Tsujimoto attempted to complete a Saturday stakes sweep at the Big A in the Withers (G3), but their 80-1 longshot Prove Right settled for a distant fifth after attending the early pace with Gomez aboard.

The Justify bay, a $15,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, was a strong third in the one-turn mile Nashua (G3) here in November ahead of an off-the-board effort in the nine-furlong Remsen on December 3 which was contested over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct main track.

He would capture an optional-claiming tilt at 5 1/2-furlongs just eight days later at Laurel Park before finishing last-of-5 in the Turfway Prevue sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs on synthetic on January 7.

Prove Right was initially under consideration for the Jimmy Winkfield but when Drew's Gold exited his Laurel win in good order and was able to wheel back on two week's rest, Chapman decided to give Prove Right one more shot at nine furlongs.

“I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something and that maybe the horse didn't like the mud,” said Chapman. “Obviously, he's better sprinting than routing, but I wanted to take a chance with a short field. I thought he ran OK. He had a little mucus and snot coming out of the race. He just missed finishing fourth and picking up $15,000.”

Chapman credited Tsujimoto for his patience in campaigning young horses.

“We own the horses together and he's the best guy you could have as a partner,” Chapman said. “It's the reason we're able to do so well with the horses we buy because there's no heat with him on anything. If I tell him we need to give a horse 30 days, he's fine.”

Chapman said Prove Right will turn back in distance next out and could come under consideration for the Grade 3 Gotham if the field comes up light, but will keep all his options open.

The post ‘I’d Rather Just Keep Taking It Step By Step’: Drew’s Gold Could Aim For Bay Shore Instead KY Derby Points In Gotham appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Among trainer Brad Cox's 38 Triple Crown nominees are Gold Square's Slip Mahoney and Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous, who each look to have promising futures.

Slip Mahoney, a gray Arrogate colt, broke his maiden on January 21 going a one-turn mile at the Big A with Dylan Davis in the irons while making his third career start. He kept good company in his first two outings, finishing fourth in his November debut at Aqueduct, a race won by the Todd Pletcher-trained Litigate, who captured Saturday's Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.

Slip Mahoney followed that effort in December at Aqueduct with a runner-up effort to the Pletcher-trained Tapit Trice, who exited that race to romp by eight lengths in an allowance/optional claimer Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park that garnered a 92 Beyer.

Cox said Slip Mahoney is on target for the one-turn mile $300,000 Gotham (G3) on March 4 at Aqueduct, a Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying race that awards 50-20-15-10-5 points to the top-five finishers.

“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 over the Belmont training track on Saturday.

“He came back great. He looked good yesterday,” said Cox's Belmont-based assistant Dustin Dugas. “[In addition to Cox-trained Withers (G3) winner Hit Show] he's another one who ate up everything last night and was ready to go this morning. Dylan was on him yesterday and he was happy with it, too.”

Slip Mahoney is out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky. His third dam, Get Lucky, produced Grade 1 winner Girolamo and graded stakes winners Daydreaming and Accelerator as well as Supercharger, who is the dam of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. All are direct descendants of influential matriarch La Troienne.

Lightning almost struck twice for Cox on Saturday at Aquedcut when Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous was a close second on debut in a six-furlong maiden event for sophomores.

Sent to post as the favorite, the Into Mischief colt dueled in the stretch to the inside of longshot Toxic Gray and came up a head shy of victory. He earned a 90 Beyer for the solid runner-up effort.

Dugas indicated that Everso Mischievous, who also is Triple Crown-nominated, will likely get better with more distance.

“He's a nice horse. I think he's going to be one that goes a little further. Looking back, he needed that race yesterday,” Dugas said. “The horse who won ran on and got the jump on us. Being a first-time starter, our horse didn't have the kick to jump right back into the bridle, but he came back big. He thinks he won, so we'll take it.”

Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, Everso Dangerous is out of the graded stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Ever So Clever.

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