Tag: Triple Crown

Trainer Edward Barker said Iris Smith Stable's multiple New York-bred stakes winner Shipsational will make his next start on April 2 at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The Midshipman chestnut, who finished third in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, is currently in 15th position on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 14 points.

“We're going to run in the Florida Derby. We're down here already and I think it's going to be a lot easier on the horse. We'll take our shot there and if we get enough points that's fine. If not, Plan B,” Barker said. “We'll run him back in three weeks – third off the layoff – and I don't have to train him hard. If we're fortunate enough to get enough points, it's five weeks to the Kentucky Derby which is perfect.”

Shipsational exited post 8 under Manny Franco in the Tampa Bay Derby and tracked wide from fifth position in the early running. He advanced wide into the second turn and stayed on strong down the lane to finish third, 2 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Classic Causeway and just a neck back of runner-up Grantham.

“We got hung out really wide on both turns and you absolutely cannot win being wide on both turns. You'd have to be 10 lengths the best horse,” Barker said. “He ran good and I'm pleased with how he ran. He tried. If we had an inside post it would have been a lot different.”

The $210,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase graduated by 6 3/4-lengths at first asking in July at Saratoga Race Course, sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over a sloppy and sealed main track. Two starts later, Shipsational stalked and pounced to victory in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard in September over a fast Big Sandy.

He followed with a gate-to-wire score on October 30 in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track to best Overstep, a well-regarded $360,000 yearling sale purchase trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

Shipsational trained over the winter at Tampa Bay Downs and made his sophomore debut under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, closing to finish second to Classic Causeway in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on Feb. 12.

“He showed a lot of talent from his first win on and I figured if I was ever going to take a shot at the Derby that this is the year to do it,” Barker said. “We came down here in early December and trained over this track and he's doing exceptionally well. He came out of the race really good.”

Barker said Castellano will return to the irons in the Florida Derby.

“He rode the horse really good in the Sam Davis and he knows the horse,” Barker said. “You haven't seen the best of this horse, yet.”

Bred in New York by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone, Shipsational is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Regal Approach, who is a half-sister to 2015 Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap-winner Mr Maybe.

The post ‘You Haven’t Seen The Best Of This Horse, Yet’: Barker Confident In Florida Derby Hopeful Shipsational appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Klaravich Stables' Early Voting worked in company Friday in preparation for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The G3 Withers winner went a half-mile in 48.47 seconds over the Belmont Park training track with stablemate and last year's Withers winner Risk Taking.

The nine-furlong Wood Memorial is the last local Kentucky Derby qualifier, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers. Early Voting is currently 23rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points earned from his Withers score.

“The horse is coming along really well,” said trainer Chad Brown. “He's been doing well since the Withers and he's been doing everything the right way. He's still on track for the Wood.”

Unbeaten in two starts, Early Voting captured his debut going a one-turn mile on December 18 at Aqueduct before capturing the Withers by 4 1/2 lengths over Un Ojo, the next-out winner of the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

Grantham, the fourth-place finisher in the Withers, came back to run second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 12.

“It was great for him to finish ahead of those horses in only his second start. As a trainer, it gives you a lot of confidence coming out of a key race,” Brown said.

A son of last year's leading freshman sire Gun Runner, Early Voting was bought for $200,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the unraced Tiznow mare Amour d'Ete – a half-sister to 2004 Champion Sprinter and influential stallion Speightstown.

The four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner said fellow Klaravich Stables color bearer Reinvestment Risk is possible for the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 9 at the Big A. The 4-year-old son of Upstart registered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure for a last-out winning effort in an allowance optional claimer in February at Gulfstream Park.

Reinvestment Risk was twice Grade 1-placed as a juvenile behind Jackie's Warrior in the Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course and the Champagne at Belmont before finishing tenth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. He made one start last year, finishing a distant third to eventual stakes-winners Following Sea and Wudda U Think Now in a June allowance event at Belmont.

Reinvestment Risk was purchased for $280,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by De Meric Sales. He is out of the Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil.

Jeff Drown's Zandon remains on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass on April 9 at Keeneland, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Upstart sophomore made his 2022 debut in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 19 at Fair Grounds Race Course, where he missed the break but rallied from tenth to finish third.

“He missed the break, but I was happy to see him persevere. He got a lot out of the race fitness wise,” Brown said.

A debut winner in October at Belmont, Zandon was narrowly beaten in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at Aqueduct. Both stakes placings have earned Zandon a collective 14 points on the Derby trail, where he is 14th on the leaderboard.

Brown sent out Highly Motivated to finish a hard fought second in last year's Blue Grass behind eventual Champion 3-Year-Old Essential Quality. Unraced since finishing tenth in last year's Kentucky Derby, Highly Motivated has worked consistently for Brown at Payson Park Training Center in Florida. Brown said the son of Into Mischief should be ready to return to action in April.

The post Early Voting ‘Doing Everything The Right Way’ Ahead Of Wood Memorial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jockey Geovanni Franco had a chance to compare rides Thursday morning at Oaklawn, breezing Secret Oath for a scheduled start against males in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 and another potential starter in Call Me Jamal.

One ride went considerably faster than the other.

Secret Oath, the most dominant horse during the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, recorded a five-furlong bullet (:59.40) just after the track opened at 7 a.m. (Central) for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and Briland Farm of breeder/owners Robert and Stacy Mitchell. The surface was rated fast.

Clockers caught Secret Oath covering her first eighth of a mile in :12, a quarter-mile in :23.80 and 3 furlongs in :36 before galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:12.40. It was the fastest of 34 works registered at 5 furlongs. It also marked the first time Franco had been aboard Secret Oath, who has won her three starts at the meeting, including two stakes, by a combined 23 lengths. She is scheduled to face males for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.

“The filly, that's a running machine, man,” Franco said moments after breezing Call Me Jamal. “She was nice. That's a great experience for me. I was the work rider for Lukas and I'll do it again if he needs me. She felt good. That's a good feeling, man.”

Franco, who returned to Oaklawn this season after a four-year absence, is represented by agent Gary Stevens, the retired Hall of Fame rider and a close friend of Lukas. As a trainer and jockey, they teamed to win the 1985 Arkansas Derby with Tank's Prospect and the 1988 Kentucky Derby with another filly, Winning Colors.

Lukas tapped Franco to breeze Secret Oath because her regular rider, Luis Contreras, was out of town.

“Luis went home for a couple of days to be with his family and I know he'll be sick that I worked her without him,” Lukas said about 90 minutes after Secret Oath's work. “But having said that, the day came up and I thought he was going to be back, but he doesn't get in until 10 o'clock this morning. Geovanni did a beautiful job. He did a good job. He filled in nicely. I told Franco, I said: 'Luis owes you one now.'”

The five-furlong drill marked the second work for Secret Oath since her 7 ½-length victory in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 26. From the first crop of deceased champion Arrogate, Secret Oath won a Dec. 31 allowance race by 8 ¼ lengths and the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Jan. 29 by 7 ¼ lengths.

Secret Oath already has secured a spot in the Kentucky Oaks – the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies – after collecting 60 points for victories in the Martha Washington and Honeybee. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Secret Oath had been a candidate for Oaklawn's final Kentucky Oaks prep, the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 2, before Lukas opted for the Arkansas Derby. Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy.

Lukas said Thursday's breeze will be the most taxing for Secret Oath leading up to the Arkansas Derby. She worked a half-mile in :48.40 March 8 and is scheduled to have her final pre-race breeze March 25, Lukas said.

“A little sharper than the next one,” Lukas said. “We let her finish a little bit. I think she went the last quarter in :23 and change, so you know we saw her skip through there. But she did it the right way. It was a really solid work. These are ways of measuring where you're at and it's a measuring stick, these works. We're not concerned at this point on conditioning. We're trying to find out how sharp we've got her and everything showed up that way. So, now we just have to keep her happy.”

Roughly two hours after breezing Secret Oath, and immediately following the surface renovation break, Franco climbed aboard Call Me Jamal for a five-furlong work. Like Secret Oath, Call Me Jamal breezed by himself and covered the distance in 1:01. Clockers caught Call Me Jamal, a gelded son of Malibu Moon, in :37.40 for his opening 3 furlongs and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:14.

“I think he keeps improving and today I felt like he worked good,” said Franco, aboard for both of the gelding's victories at the meeting. “Hopefully, he keeps improving and keeps on getting his heart bigger.”

Call Me Jamal's two 1 1/16-mile victories at Oaklawn include a sharp entry-level allowance score Feb. 26. Trainer Mike Puhich said moments after the work that Call Me Jamal remains under consideration for the Arkansas Derby and the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 9 at Keeneland.

“I'm leaving the door open both ways, but I'm probably leaning more towards here,” Puhich said. “The Blue Grass is going to come up just as tough. I think Lukas' filly is the best 3-year-old I've seen run all year, in my opinion, from a fan's standpoint.”

Puhich said he was pleased with Call Me Jamal's work, which marked his second since the allowance victory. Call Me Jamal broke his maiden Dec. 18. The third-place finisher from that race, the Lukas-trained Ethereal Road, returned to break his maiden in eye-catching fashion Jan. 29 and finish second, beaten a half-length, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. The Rebel is the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby. Ethereal Road is pointing for the Blue Grass, Lukas said.

“He did everything we asked,” Puhich said. “He did great. I just told him (Franco) to let him work on his own the first part, then gallop on out. If he liked the way he felt, let him finish up a little bit. Everything was perfect. If we stay here, there's always a chance we can beat Lukas. But I'm not going to be able to outdress him.”

Nominations to the Arkansas Derby close Friday, with post positions to be drawn March 27. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility to the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

The Arkansas Derby field continues to take shape, with Secret Oath, Un Ojo for trainer Ricky Courville, Barber Road (John Ortiz), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), We the People (Rodolphe Brisset) and Cyberknife (Brad Cox) among the projected starters. Un Ojo, Barber Road and Chasing Time finished 1-3-5, respectively, in the Rebel, while We the People is unbeaten in two career starts the meeting. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert also is expected to be represented in the Arkansas Derby.

Oaklawn-based Barber Road is scheduled to work Saturday morning, trainer John Ortiz said.

The post ‘A Running Machine’: Secret Oath Fires Bullet Toward Arkansas Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Unbeaten in two starts, both as a 3-year-old, We The People will make his stakes debut on the Kentucky Derby trail. Co-owner Elliott Walden (WinStar Farm) told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday that the son of Constitution will make his next start in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 2.

The $1.25 million race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., offers points on a scale of 100-40-20-10.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, We The People won at first asking on Feb. 12, crossing the wire 5 3/4 lengths the best in a time of 1:38.93 over the fast main track. On March 12, the colt was similarly impressive in a first-level allowance which he won by five lengths.

“We the People has shown a very high cruising speed in all his workload and his first two races,” Walden told DRF. “That is a very good tactic because he can make horses work hard around him and still have a good closing kick. Obviously, his next race is going to test him a little bit more, but we are very excited about his future.”

Bred in Kentucky by Henley Farms, We The People is out of the unraced Tiznow mare Letchworth, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Harmony Lodge (Hennessy) from the family of millionaire Graeme Hall (winner of the 2000 edition of the Arkansas Derby). Machmer Hall purchased the colt for $110,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November, and resold him for $220,000 at the next year's Keeneland September sale. WinStar purchased the colt for $230,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select Sale of 2-year-olds in training, and co-owns him with Siena Farm and CMNWLTH.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

The post ‘Excited About His Future’: Undefeated Colt We The People To Test Derby Trail In Arkansas appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post