Tag: Triple Crown

Rocket Can's determined victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull elevated the colt to sixth position in this week's NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll. Trained by Bill Mott and ridden to victory by Junior Alvarado, the son of Into Mischief got 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.97.

Also moving up this week is Newgate, winner of the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert.

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

TOP THOROUGHBRED POLL

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Prominent international jockey Lafranco “Frankie” Dettori may be on the path to one of the few achievements that has evaded him over the course of his career, the Kentucky Derby, but there remain multiple roadblocks along the way.

One of Dettori's stated goals when he announced he would spend the winter riding at Santa Anita Park was to find a mount for the Derby.

He told publicity: “Fingers crossed, I might stumble into a very good 3-year-old that would take me to Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May.”

That dream might be a bit closer to reality after this weekend. Dettori guided the Bob Baffert-trained Newgate to victory in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Saturday, saluting the winner's enclosure with his signature flying dismount.

“I'm having the time of my life,” Dettori told DRF this week. “I'm enjoying the riding.”

Were it not for the suspension against Baffert by Churchill Downs, the win would have earned Newgate 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Instead, pending the results of a court hearing in Louisville last week, Baffert may have to turn all of his top 3-year-olds over to other trainers by Feb. 28 in order to allow them to accrue points toward this year's Run for the Roses.

If Baffert's lawyers are unable to secure an injunction against Churchill Downs' suspension, Newgate would likely be transferred to a different trainer to pursue the Kentucky Derby; in 2022, Baffert-trained Derby hopefuls were transferred to his former assistant, Tim Yakteen, to run in their final preps and at Churchill Downs. Were that to happen again in 2023, Dettori might not keep the mount.

That uncertainty, wrote Racing Post columnist Peter Scargill, leaves the Italian-born Dettori in limbo. He still has the option of returning to England to ride in the 2,000 Guineas, scheduled for the same day as the 2023 Kentucky Derby on May 6, in which he would ride one of the early-season favorites, G1 Dewhurst winner Chaldean.

“Baffert's past may end up undermining his position of dominance and has left Dettori in a Classic limbo,” Scargill wrote.

Either way, it will be the last opportunity Dettori has to win a Classic race; the champion jockey plans to retire at the end of the 2023 season.

“There's plenty of things to unfold from now until the Derby,” Dettori hedged, speaking to DRF after Saturday's victory.

The post ‘Classic Limbo’: Frankie Dettori’s First Saturday In May Remains Up In The Air Despite Newgate Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Graded-stakes placed Prove Right will stretch out to nine furlongs for the second time in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, a Kentucky Derby qualifier offering 20-8-6-4-2 points to the top-five finishers.

The Withers was originally scheduled for Feb. 4 but was re-scheduled after racing at Aqueduct was canceled Friday and Saturday due to extreme cold and sustained high winds. The Withers will be re-drawn on Wednesday and could include a couple more horses in addition to the initial field of six that included Prove Right along with Ninetyprcentmaddie, General Banker, Arctic Arrogance, Andiamo a Firenze and Hit Show. Possible Withers additions include Classic Catch, Jungfrau and Thirsty John.

Trained and co-owned by James Chapman with S Tsujimoto, Prove Right boasts a record of 11-2-1-2 with starts at distances ranging from four to nine furlongs, including a strong third in the one-mile Grade 3 Nashua here in November.

The $15,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, who has already banked nearly 10 times his auction price, followed the Nashua with a distant off-the-board effort in the nine-furlong G2 Remsen here on Dec. 3 over a sloppy and sealed track before wheeling back on eight day's rest to win an optional-claiming sprint at Laurel Park.

“He's always a really good-feeling horse, so we've taken different shots with him,” Chapman said. “He ran a really good race in the one-turn mile and the next race it was muddy and he was looking at the grandstand when they broke. If he gets shut off or in a little trap, he just throws his head up and throws a fit. But that [the Remsen] was a tough race, and he came right back and won real easy going short.”

The Justify bay exited his Laurel score to finish a distant last-of-5 in the Turfway Prevue on Jan. 7, sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs over the synthetic.

“He had a little mucus,” Chapman said. “But I just don't think he liked it [Tapeta]. He just pinned his ears and didn't like it. He likes a deep racetrack.”

Chapman said he expects the well-bred bay should handle the added ground being out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Joe'sgoldenholiday, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Goldencents.

“He's supposed to run further than six furlongs. He has decent pedigree behind him,” Chapman said.

Chapman and Tsujimoto will look to complete a Saturday stakes sweep here with the undefeated Drew's Gold, who is expected to enter the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a six-furlong sprint for sophomores.

The Violence bay graduated on debut in May at Churchill Downs sprinting five furlongs in a key restricted maiden tilt that saw the runner-up, Undalay, and third-place finisher, Top of My Game, win at next asking.

Drew's Gold returned to action on Jan. 28 at Laurel Park and registered an 83 Beyer with a 3 3/4-length score in a 5 1/2-furlong optional-claimer.

“He's a really nice horse,” Chapman said. “He had a little setback after his first race – it was just baby stuff, but I gave him more time than he actually needed.”

Chapman indicated a good effort Saturday could propel Drew's Gold to the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores on March 4 which offers 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“I don't want to stretch him out second time back and if he's what I think he is, there's that mile race in March,” Chapman said.

The $25,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the multiple stakes-winning Vindication mare Frolic's Revenge, is a half-sibling to stakes-winner American Frolic.

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On Saturday, February 18, Louisiana Derby Preview Day at Fair Grounds Race will feature a pair of key 3-year-old stakes — the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2), which was extended from 1 1/16 to 1 1/8 miles three years ago, and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), for fillies to be contested at 1 1/16 miles.

The top five finishers in each race earn 50-20-15-10-5 points, respectively, on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Possibles for the Risen Star with (trainer): Curly Jack (Tom Amoss), the Iroquois (G3) winner and runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2); Determinedly (Mark Casse), the third-place finisher in the Gun Runner and last-out local allowance winner; Jungfrau (Bill Mott), a recent maiden winner via DQ at Gulfstream; Single Ruler (Keith Desormeaux) a recent local maiden winner; Sun Thunder (Ken McPeek) who finished fourth in the Southwest (G3); Tapit's Conquest (Brad Cox), who finished behind second to Determinedly on Fair Grounds' Road to the Derby Day undercard Jan. 21; and Two Phil's (Larry Rivelli), runner-up in the Lecomte and Street Sense (G3) winner.

Trainer Brad Cox reports that Lecomte winner Instant Coffee, who is currently second with 32 Kentucky Derby points behind Forte, will bypass the Risen Star and likely await the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 25.

According to Fair Grounds Racing Secretary Scott Jones, Cox is likely to have another entrant or two in the Risen Star. Based on timing and the fact they are on the grounds, Champagne (G1) runner-up and recent Oaklawn allowance winner Verifying and the Victory Formation, the undefeated Smarty Jones victor, would appear to be the most likely.

Also according to Jones, trainer Steve Asmussen is likely to have at least one Risen Star participant, most likely from a group that includes Disarm, a maiden winner at second asking at Saratoga who has posted four local works; Echo Again, who pulled up in the Lecomte but posted a five-furlong work on Feb. 2; and the Grade 3-placed Red Route One, who was second in the Southwest.

Probables for the Rachel Alexandra (with trainer): Chop Chop (Cox), a stakes winner on turf and the runner-up in the Alcibiades (G1) and Silverbulletday on dirt; Hoosier Philly (Amoss), the undefeated winner of the Rags to Riches and Golden Rod (G2); Knockyoursocksoff (Chris Block), a Grade 2 runner-up on both turf and dirt; and Vahva (Cherie DeVaux), who recovered to finish third as the favorite after a compromised start in the Untapable.

Nine of the last 26 winners of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) also participated in the Rachel Alexandra, including Monomoy Girl (2018) and Serengeti Empress (2019), who recently bagged the double.

2019 – Serengeti Empress, won both
2018 – Monomoy Girl, won both
2015 – Lovely Maria, 2nd in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks
2014 – Untapable, won both
2012 – Believe You Can, 4th in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks
2008 – Proud Spell, 2nd in the Rachel, won the Kentucky Oaks
2005 – Summerly, won both
1999 – Silverbulletday won both
1997 – Blushing K.D., won both

Four stakes for older horses will also be presented on the February 18 program — the $250,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) at nine furlongs on turf, the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf ,and the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Possibles for the Mineshaft (with trainer): Big Blue Line (Paul McGee); Farmington Road (DeVaux); Forza Di Oro (Cox); Happy American (Neil Pessin); Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart); King Fury (McPeek); Mr. Wireless (Bret Calhoun); Pioneer of Medina (Todd Pletcher); Super Corinto (Amador Merel Sanchez), and Tawny Port (Cox).

Trainer Brendan Walsh reports that Godolphin's Banishing, an impressive Dec. 26 maiden winner who was scratched from the Jan. 21 allowance race following a minor setback the night before the race, is on target to return in a Louisiana Derby Preview Day undercard race. The son of Ghostzapper returned to the local workbtab on Sunday, Feb. 5, logging five furlongs in 1:01.

First post for the Saturday, Feb. 18 “Louisiana Derby Preview Day” card will be noon (CT), and the races will be drawn one week earlier.

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