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Baffert 1-2 In Los Alamitos Derby As Uncle Chuck Defeats Thousand Words

Less than one month removed from a daylight debut win, Uncle Chuck stepped into stakes company and impressed again, easily capturing the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby Saturday at Los Alamitos race course in Cypress, Calif.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Uncle Chuck, a 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo, tracked the pace outside Great Power for about six furlongs, looked like he might face a challenge from stablemate Thousand Words, but kicked away under Luis Saez to win by four lengths in 1:47.65 for the 1 1/8 miles.

The victory was the fourth in a row for Baffert in the Los Alamitos Derby and the fifth in seven years since daytime thoroughbred racing returned in 2014. The other winners include Gimme Da Lute (2015), West Coast (2017), Once On Whiskey (2018) and Game Winner last year.

The Los Alamitos Derby was added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby, with 20-8-4-2 qualifying points going to the four runners.

A $250,000 purchase out of the 2018 Keeneland September sale, Uncle Chuck, who is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, paid $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite. There was no place or show wagering in a race reduced to four starters after Anneau d'Or was scratched due to illness.

A road trip could be next for the very promising colt, who has banked $120,000.

“That was good,'' said Baffert. “At the top of the lane, I thought Thousand Words might get him, but at least that horse ran better.

“We're just learning more and more about Uncle Chuck. He's still pretty green, but he's got gears. (Saez) was excited about him and I think he's one of the top riders in the country. He said Uncle Chuck is still learning and has got a lot of improvement in him.

“The colt was full of himself when he came back. It's exciting. He's learning quickly and he has brilliance. I was impressed.

“I think we just saw something pretty special and he's been special from day one. He's bred to be any kind.''

Thousand Words, who won the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity last Dec. 7, finished seven lengths clear of the maiden Cosmo as the 9-5 second choice. Great Power completed the order of finish.

Racing without blinkers for the first time since he scored in his sprint debut last Oct. 26, Thousand Words was seeking his initial victory since capturing the G3 Robert B. Lewis March 7.

Saez, who gained the mount on Uncle Chuck since Hall of Famer Mike Smith was at Belmont Park to ride McKinzie in the Runhappy Met Mile, had a double for Baffert as he also won the first race aboard debuter Mohemian Rhapsody.

“(Uncle Chuck) broke great and I just left him alone,'' said Saez. “He was doing it easy all the way. When I showed him the whip in the stretch he took off. He's a very nice colt.''

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time for the final day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival is 1 p.m.

Through six days, Juan Hernandez tops the jockey standings with six wins, one more than Edwin Maldonado, who doubled Saturday. Baffert leads the trainers with four victories.

Apprentice Alexis Centeno, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his first U.S. win with Love Your Life in Saturday's second race.

Updated Kentucky Derby points leaderboard

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‘A Very Good Work’: Florida Derby Runner-Up Shivaree Preps For Blue Grass

Jacks or Better Farm's Shivaree breezed five furlongs in 1:01.65 Saturday at Gulfstream Park in South Florida in preparation for a scheduled start in the next Saturday's $600,000 Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland.

“It was a very good work – 1:01 and change and 1:14 and change in the gallop out,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.

Shivaree, who finished second behind early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Tiz the Law in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 28, is scheduled to ship to Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday for a start in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds.

“I hope he reproduces his Florida Derby race in the Blue Grass, then he'll get a big piece of it. If he doesn't get it all, he'll get a big piece of it,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.

The homebred son of Awesome of Course has demonstrated a tenacious racing style and an ability to 'fire' every time he has run since breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park West last November. He followed up his maiden score with back-to-back stakes victories in the six-furlong Limehouse and the Buffalo Man to open the 2019-2020 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park. Shivaree continued on to finish second in the seven-furlong Swale (G2) and the six-furlong Hutcheson before stretching out around two turns to finish a gritty second behind Tiz the Law in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby.

“He reminds me of the old-fashioned horses we had in the '90s when I was with Bill Mott. We had the [Allen] Paulson horses, horses that showed up every time,” said Nicks, who served as assistant trainer to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who conditioned such greats as two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, Fraise, Ajina, Escena and Geri. “They enjoyed what they did and didn't need much time between races.”

A half-brother to precocious multiple-stakes winner Garter and Tie, Shivaree could manage only one in-the-money finish in his first four career starts, which included a pair of even efforts in Florida Sire Stakes action, before breaking through with his eye-catching 9 ½-length maiden victory.

“After that he's like a different horse. I don't know what turned the key to him, but for some reason he has been a different animal than he was,” Nicks said.

Shivaree most recently finished third in a July 10 stakes-quality allowance while running for the first time since the Florida Derby, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Tampa Bay Derby (G2) runner-up Sole Volante after being involved in a contested early pace.

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Finnick The Fierce, Man In The Can Breeze In Advance Of Blue Grass

Arnaldo Monge and trainer Rey Hernandez's Finnick the Fierce and JRita Young Thoroughbreds' Man in the Can, two horses expected to make their next starts in the July 11, $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) during Keeneland's unprecedented Summer Meet, each turned in bullet works on the fast track at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday morning.

According to Keeneland clockers, Finnick the Fierce worked a half-mile in :46.20, the fastest of 90 works at the distance, and Man in the Can covered five furlongs in :59.60. His time was the fastest of 18 works at the distance.

Finnick the Fierce, a gelding by Dialed In, was third in the second division of the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park and at Fair Grounds was fourth in the Jan. 18 Lecomte (G3) and seventh in the Feb. 15 Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2). He is coming off a third-place finish behind another Toyota Blue Grass hopeful, Art Collector, in a June 13 allowance race at Churchill Downs.

A colt by Can the Man, Man in the Can has won his past three races: Rainbow Stakes on April 17 and Arkansas Breeders' Championship on May 1, both at Oaklawn, and an allowance race at Churchill on June 12. The latter win was by 1½ length over eventual Ohio Derby (G3) winner Dean Martini.

Ron Moquett was pleased with the work turned in by Man in the Can, who will be his first starter in Keeneland's most famous race.

“He handled the track really well,” Moquett said about the Arkansas-bred. “I was really glad to see that. It should set him up well for the race.”

Asked about the COVID-19 pandemic that is resulting in the Toyota Blue Grass being run in July during the unique Summer Meet, Moquett said, “We're living in uncertain times. With everything going on, it's been a really good thing to know we can continue to do what we need to do, and that's to take care of these horses.”

Moquett said Grade 1 winner Whitmore, who has earned more than $3 million, is scheduled to turn in a second work at Keeneland on Sunday. He said the 7-year-old gelding by Pleasantly Perfect, who races for Robert V. LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables and Head of Plains Partners, is being pointed at the Oct. 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) on opening day of Keeneland's Fall Meet with the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland the ultimate goal.

Among the other potential Summer Meet stakes horses that worked Saturday are:

July 10 stakes

Maker's Mark Mile (G1) – M and J Thoroughbreds and Riverside Bloodstock's Emmaus (IRE) (4 furlongs on turf in :50.40) for trainer Conor Murphy; Calumet Farm's Everfast (4 furlongs on turf in :50.20) for trainer Jack Sisterson.

July 11 stakes

Central Bank Ashland (G1) – Juddmonte Farm's Bonny South (5 furlongs on dirt in 1:00.40) for trainer Brad Cox.

Shakertown (G2) – Owner and trainer Wesley Ward's Bound for Nowhere (5 furlongs on turf in 1:05); Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables and Jean Wilkinson's Leinster (4 furlongs on turf in :50.2) for trainer Rusty Arnold; Inchy Bridge Stables' Sabador (FR) (4 furlongs on turf in :51.00) for trainer Conor Murphy; Jim and Susan Hill's Totally Boss (4 furlongs on dirt in :48.20) for Arnold.

Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association – Michael and Reiko Baum's Ivyetsu (4 furlongs on dirt in :49.00) for trainer Rusty Arnold; Manganero Bloodstock'sMariafoot (GB) (4 furlongs on dirt in :49.20) for trainer Cherie DeVaux; Marc Detampel, TSF Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen's Outburst (GB) (4 furlongs on turf in :51.00) for trainer Eddie Kenneally; Merriebelle Stable's Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) (4 furlongs on turf in :49.00) for trainer Ignacio Correas IV.

July 12 stakes

TVG Elkhorn (G2) – Silverton Hill's Hellorhighwater (5 furlongs on turf in 1:05) for trainer Darrin Miller; Bloom Racing Stable's Henley's Joy (5 furlongs on turf in 1:01.80) for trainer Steve Asmussen.

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$3.65-Million Cezanne Passes Two-Turn Test With Los Alamitos Victory

Heavily-favored Cezanne didn't disappoint in his debut around two turns for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, capturing the $45,000 feature Thursday at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

A $3.65 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-olds in training sale in March 2019, the 3-year-old son of Curlin and the Bernardini mare Achieving is now 2-for-2 after dispatching of Mongolian Legend and three others 26 days after breaking his maiden going 6 ½ furlongs.

After breaking from the outside under jockey Flavien Prat, Cezanne, who is owned by Michael Tabor, Michael B. Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and co-breeder St. Elias Stable, Cezanne sat off the pace set by stablemate Bronn, then took charge with a quick burst at the top of the long stretch and went on to win by 1 3/4 lengths as the 1-10 choice.

“I think he made the lead a little early and was kind of lost (late in the stretch) but I thought it was good,'' said Baffert. “We wanted to get a nice two turn race into him. He needed it and he ran pretty fast.

“I'm glad we found this spot. He's got a ways to go, but he's improving. We'll have to see how he comes out of this, but we'll try to find a little stakes race for him, probably out of town.

“He's a heavy horse and he needed that,” Baffert added. “After his first race he was blowing pretty hard, but today he wasn't as tired. He's getting fit. I was very happy with his race. The party continues.”

Cezanne was the sixth individual betting choice at 19-1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5 that closed on June 28. Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law was the favorite at 2-1.

Cezanne, who has banked $57,000 for his wins, returned $2.20 and $2.10. There was no show wagering.

Mongolian Legend, the longest shot in the cast of five at 33-1, paid $6.80. Bronn, who was making his first start since graduating at Los Alamitos last Sept. 8, Itsthattime and Never Easy completed the order of finish.

Racing resumes Friday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

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