Tag: Triple Crown

Following his fourth victory in Oaklawn's last nine Kentucky Derby points races, trainer Brad Cox is now plotting the next moves for his army of 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Cox's prospect list grew Sunday when he sent out the 1-2 finishers in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby points races. Heavily favored Victory Formation, co-owned by prominent North Little Rock, Ark., businessman Frank Fletcher and Spendthrift Farm, remained unbeaten with a front-running three-length victory over Angel of Empire. Victory Formation (3 for 3) was making his stakes and two-turn debut.

Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Victory Formation covered 1 mile over a fast track in 1:38.14 to earn a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 91, a career high. Victory Formation ($3.20) equaled the shortest-priced winner in the Smarty Jones' 16-year history.

“He's a pretty smart horse,” Cox said during training hours Monday morning at Oaklawn. “I know I've said that several times, but he really is. He's a horse that doesn't overdo it. He's not too hard on himself and I think that's going to take him a long way and, hopefully, allow him to get more ground and, obviously, have a long career of racing.”

Cox said Victory Formation appeared to exit the Smarty Jones in good shape physically, adding next-race plans are pending for the son of 2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. Cox said Victory Formation is scheduled to return to Fair Grounds, where he has been based this winter. Victory Formation, Tapwrit's first stakes winner, remained at Oaklawn Wednesday morning. Cox also has a division of horses at Fair Grounds.

Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28, $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25 and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles April 1. Cox said “it's too early” to tell if Victory Formation will return to Oaklawn for other Kentucky Derby points races, particularly the Arkansas Derby, a race Fletcher covets the most.

“I'm well aware that Frank would like to win the Arkansas Derby, but we'll do what's best for the horse and see if he takes us there,” Cox said.

Cox said next-race plans are also pending for Angel of Empire, who breezed twice last month at Oaklawn in advance of the Smarty Jones. Angel of Empire, by champion and 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire, already owns two victories around two turns at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Angel of Empire received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 86, a 16-point jump from his previous best.

“Same thing,” Cox said. “The goal with him is to try and get him to the Kentucky Derby and try to win one of these Grade 1's along the way. I don't know which one. Once again, too early to tell. But he really stepped up. He showed me a lot yesterday. I thought he could. Told (Joe) Talamo in the paddock, he's a horse that's going to come running. He's going to stay on. I think with more ground, the better for him.”

Victory Formation earned 10 points toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby for his Smarty Jones victory. Angel of Empire received four points. Based on official rankings released late Sunday afternoon by Churchill Downs, Cox has six of the top 15 horses on the latest Kentucky Derby leaderboard – No. 4 Jace's Road (13 points), No. 5 Instant Coffee (12), No. 6 Victory Formation (10), No. 11 Loggins (four), No. 12 Verifying (four) and No. 15 Angel of Empire (four).

Cox also trains unbeaten Corona Bolt (by Bolt d'Oro), blowout winner of the $100,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes at 6 furlongs Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds; Giant Mischief (Into Mischief), runner-up in the $400,000 Remington Park Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 17 at Remington Park; Hit Show (Candy Ride), a sharp entry-level allowance winner at 1 mile Dec. 17 at Oaklawn; Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), who broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 1 at Churchill Downs; and Tapit Shoes (Tapit), who broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 3 at Fair Grounds.

Cox said he plans to start Corona Bolt, Hit Show and possibly Jace's Road in the Southwest. Jace's Road (Quality Road) was a 5 ½-length winner of the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds in his last start. Giant Mischief, Cox said, is pointing for the Rebel.

Cox said he also has a handful of unstarted horses that he believes still could make the Kentucky Derby trail. Zozos, for example, finished 10th in the 2022 Kentucky Derby for Cox after debuting in late January at Fair Grounds.

“Listen, it's not just the Derby,” Cox said. “It's the Triple Crown, right. Like it could be Preakness horses along the way.”

Cox, the reigning two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, won the 2021 Kentucky Derby (via disqualification) with Mandaloun and the 2021 Belmont with champion Essential Quality. Essential Quality launched his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Southwest.

Cox's first brush with the Kentucky Derby came in 2016 with Dazzling Gem, who won his first two career starts as a 3-year-old early in the Oaklawn meeting before finishing third in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and fourth three weeks later in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

“Obviously, Essential Quality and Mandaloun were the first two horses we ran in the (Kentucky) Derby,” Cox said. “As much as you think you can follow this stuff, and I have followed it pretty much my entire life, the experience of having those horses on the trail, it does mean a lot. I think there's a little bit of an advantage to having multiple horses on the trail because you don't have to get in a hurry or you don't feel like, 'Hey, look, this points race is coming up.' Dazzling Gem, kind of my first horse that was on the Derby trail, I did something that I probably wouldn't do again and that was run him in the Louisiana Derby and then the Arkansas Derby. Ultimately, probably could have got in (Kentucky Derby) off the AE, looking back at it. But I probably spent the horse and he never was quite as good as maybe he could have been if we have just taken a deep breath. But you get the Derby fever.

“I do think it helps you when you have multiples. We are in a good position, but, obviously, we have a lot of work to do. We're trying to give all these horses an opportunity to be the best they can be.”

The Smarty Jones was the 269th career Oaklawn victory for Cox. He has 29 career stakes victories in Hot Springs. In addition to the 2021 Southwest and 2023 Smarty Jones, Cox won the 2021 Smarty Jones with Caddo River and the 2022 Arkansas Derby with Cyberknife.

Cox entered Wednesday with 1,968 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. He won 31 races last season at Oaklawn to finish third in the standings.

The post ‘Trying To Give All These Horses An Opportunity’: Cox Plotting Triple Crown Plans For 3-Year-Olds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Aldana Gonzalez Racing LLC and Lisa and Steve Ballou's Dreaming of Kona was awarded the victory in Sunday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park following the disqualification of first-place finisher Legacy Isle.

The Mucho Macho Man, a one-turn mile stakes for 3-year-olds, was the first stop on the April 1 Road to the Florida Derby (G1).

David Walters, Dennis Smith, Anthony Smith, and trainer Rohan Crichton's Legacy Island led from start of finish while running a mile in 1:37.55 but was disqualified and placed second following a lengthy stewards' inquiry and a review of an objection by the rider of Dreaming of Kona, Scott Spieth, for drifting out approaching the finish.

The Mucho Macho Man was the first stakes victory for Dreaming of Kona, who finished third in the Dec. 3 Inaugural at Tampa Bay Downs following a sharp 5 ½-length debut victory over Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs.

“He won his first race so incredibly handily at Presque Isle, but the competition wasn't of this caliber. So, for him to put a performance like this in against this caliber of competition really kind of causes us to recalibrate our thoughts,” Lisa Ballou said.

Legacy Isle was hustled to the lead from the rail post position and quickly opened a clear lead along the backstretch, running the first quarter of a mile in a sharp :22.79 while chased a couple lengths back by Dreaming of Kona. Legacy Isle, with Jaramillo Emisael aboard, continued to show the way following a half-mile in :45.20  while shortening stride somewhat turning into the homestretch.

General Jim, the 2-1 favorite, loomed boldly on the rail at the top of the stretch, but jockey Luis Saez's efforts to find running room in the stretch were repeatedly thwarted by the tiring pacesetter and closest pursuer.

Despite setting fast fractions, Legacy Isle clung to the lead while shortening stride inside the final sixteenth when he drifted into the path of the equally game Dreaming of Kona. Despite falling short of victory by a half length, the Aldana Speith-trained son of Fast Anna was ruled the winner for being the victim of interference.

Dreaming of Kona ($41.40) finished a neck clear of a fast-closing Lord Miles. General Jim finished an unlucky fourth, another three-quarters of a length back.

In his recent Tampa Bay Downs stakes appearance, Dreaming of Kona finished four lengths behind Super Show, who won his fifth race in six career starts while capturing the Limehouse Stakes earlier on Sunday's program.

“I felt really good. I liked the way he broke. The last race he came in third against Super Chow, who won the stakes earlier today, and he got bumped at the break. I was very frustrated by that because I felt like that cost him,” Ballou said. “Today when I saw him break well I felt really good. I liked how Scott put him in that second position. He likes to be kind of in front, but this was the first time he had gone the mile distance, so we were a little bit concerned. I loved his position all the way around. Once they were turning for home I was like, 'He's got this,' because he always likes to surge in the end like that. He just keeps fighting. This is his third race. In the end, he always looks like he's got another 400 yards in him. It's crazy.”

Dreaming of Kona, a gray or roan colt by Fast Anna out of the Maria's Mon mare Pliant, has a 2-0-1 record from three career starts and $113,420 in purse earnings.

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Spendthrift Farm LLC and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.'s Victory Formation is a perfect three for three after living up to expectations as the heavy 3-5 favorite with his dominating victory in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Sunday at Oaklawn Park.

Victory Formation, ridden by Flavien Prat, broke on top and was never headed, setting early fractions of :23.20 and :47.75 for the first half mile. He was still well in hand as they turned into the stretch and drew off to win authoritatively by three lengths over his stablemate Angel of Empire, who closed well from seventh. The winning time for the one mile was 1:38.14 on a fast track.

Denington was third and was followed by Western Ghent, How Did He Do That, Ten Days Later, Communication Memo, and C J's Storm.

With the win, Victory Formation, collected 10 points towards eligibility in the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) and is now ranked sixth among the top 20 point-earners. Angel of Empire received four points and is ranked 15th. Denington, who already had one point, received three points for third and is now ranked 17^th with four total points. Western Ghent received two points for fourth and How Did He Do That got one point for fifth, but neither horse is in the top 20 currently. The Kentucky Derby field is limited to 20 horses.

Victory Formation, a Tapwrit colt out of the Smart Strike mare Smart n Sot, has earned $282,285 from his three career wins. He returned $3.20 for the win.

Bred in Kentucky Gainesway Thoroughbreds, the bay colt was a $340,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.

Smarty Jones Stakes Quotes:

Winning trainer Brad Cox (Victory Formation): “He's a nice horse. This horse has a great mind. He doesn't overdo it in the morning. He settles and I think the farther the better. He's got a lot of natural speed. He's able to put himself in good position and he was able to turn off and settle and finish up with good strides there. The breeding suggested he would go long. You never really know (go two turns) until they do it. He has to confirm it. We have opinions, horses have the answers. He gave us the right answer today.”

Cox on runner-up Angel of Empire: “Nice horse and the longer they go, the better he's going to get. Excited about him.”

Winning jockey Flavien Prat: “He broke really well. I didn't have much of a game plan before the race. I was just hoping to get him into the race and get a good spot. When he broke so well, he got us into the lead and from the point I was just cruising all the way around. He responded really well when I asked him to make a little move.”

Winning owner Frank Fletcher: “I loved it when I saw the (half-mile) time. I've learned to watch the times. He went in (:47.75) and that's pretty slow. I was worried he had to come out of the 8 (post) position and give a lot of energy. I thought he would be in the lead when he went into the first turn. So, I was watching the time. That's what kind of keys me, how fast they're going. Sometimes, they give out. He seemed to be well in hand.”

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The $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3), scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 8, marks the first stop on Santa Anita's Road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1).

A total of 19 soon-to-be 3-year-olds were nominated for the one-mile event, which awards Derby qualifying points on a scale of 10-4-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

Trainer Bob Baffert accounts for nine of the nominees. Leading that group are National Treasure, who exits a third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile; Havnameltdown and Newgate, the one-two finishers in the Grade 3 Bob Hope; and two-time turf stakes winner Speed Boat Beach, who was scratched from Friday's Eddie Logan on turf.

Other intriguing nominees include multiple stakes winner Packs a Wahlop and Spun Intended, a flashy maiden winner last month at Del Mar for trainer Mark Glatt.

If Packs a Wahlop were to run, he  would be trying dirt for the first time since his debut in June at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Jeff Mullins, the Creative Cause colt was subsequently moved to Southern California where he reeled off three-straight wins on grass including the Grade 2 Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Grade 3 Zuma Beach. Most recently, Packs a Wahlop tried the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf where he checked in eighth at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

The field for the Sham along with the remainder of Sunday's card will be drawn on Thursday.

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