Tag: Triple Crown

Forte's resume is so imposing that the son of Violence has been installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park.

The confidence of some may have been shaken when the Todd Pletcher-trained colt drew Post 11 for the prestigious Triple Crown prep…. until they reminded themselves that Forte will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

A jockey doesn't win numerous Eclipse Awards and 3500 races without being able to work out a trip – something that Ortiz has done on a regular basis during the current Championship Meet at Gulfstream, where he has won 113 races, nearly 50 victories more than his closest pursuer.

Ortiz's confidence in Forte certainly hasn't been shaken by an outside post position.

“He does everything I ask him. He's always there for me,” said Ortiz, who has been aboard Forte for all of his six career starts, including victories in the March 4 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga.

Forte has all the attributes of a horse that can overcome adversity.

“He has a beautiful stride. He's a beautiful mover,” Ortiz said. “The way he is built as a 3-year-old now is impressive. He looks so good and he's been doing everything good on the track when it's time to run.”

Should circumstances require Ortiz to ask Forte to gain position earlier than he might want, he is convinced that the 2022 champion juvenile will be up to the challenge.

“He can stay all day on his stride. He has a turn of foot but he stays. He stays with that speed – that's good on dirt,” Ortiz said..

Perhaps, Forte's strongest attribute is his competitive nature.

“He sees the competition and he goes for it,” Ortiz said.

Having teamed for five victories in six starts, Forte and Ortiz have formed a bond of sorts.

“I know him a little better. I know what he wants to do and how he likes to run. I have a lot of confidence in him. I trust him. I trust him,” Ortiz said. “His mind is for sure changing. He's doing things a little better. He doesn't hesitate. He's not like a 2-year-old anymore. He's figured out what he needs to do, which makes it good for me.”

The post ‘He Sees The Competition And He Goes For It’: Florida Derby Favorite Forte Has Earned Ortiz’ Trust appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Andrew Warren and Rania Warren's Raise Cain, who won the Grade 3 Gotham in rallying fashion on March 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack, will likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass on April 8 at Keeneland, according to trainer Ben Colebrook.

Raise Cain, a bay son of Violence, made his graded debut a winning one in the Gotham, closing from 5 1/2 lengths off the pace to land an impressive 7 1/2-length victory at odds of 23-1 under Jose Lezcano. Raise Cain, who was nominated to the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 8 at the Big A, has worked back once since his victory, breezing a half-mile in 49 seconds on March 22 at Keeneland.

“He's been training great and put on weight,” said Colebrook. “He'll breeze again tomorrow at Keeneland. I think he really gets it now and now he's confident and feeling good. I think he's sitting on a big race wherever we go. It's exciting.”

Colebrook, who is based in Kentucky, said the ability to run at home, along with Lezcano's potential commitment to ride Wood Memorial aspirant Arctic Arrogance, has made him lean towards the Blue Grass rather than a return to the Empire State.

“We're not sure if Lezcano would ride us or Arctic Arrogance,” said Colebrook. “I don't think the Blue Grass will be a full field and it's one of those things where if we can run in our own backyard, it will take a strong reason for us to go to the Wood. But, it could still happen if something changes with defections and it's still on our radar. We're taking it day by day.”

Raise Cain earned 50 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby for his Gotham victory. Both the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass offer 100-40-30-20-10 qualifying points to the top-five finishers, respectively.

Colebrook had also nominated stakes-winner Scoobie Quando to the Wood Memorial for the same ownership, but said the son of Uncle Mo is also pointing toward the Blue Grass or the Grade 3 Lexington on April 15 over the same oval, awarding 20-8-6-4-2 qualifying points.

Scoobie Quando, who was last seen finishing second in the John Battaglia Memorial on March 4 over Turfway Park's synthetic, has made all three starts at Turfway and has never raced over the dirt. Colebrook said he had planned to run the colt in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks, which was won impressively by Two Phil's on March 25 at Turfway, but skipped the race due to a minor issue.

“He had a little issue – nothing major – where he missed the Jeff Ruby, but that was kind of a blessing in disguise with the way Two Phil's ran,” said Colebrook. “We'll go back to Plan B, which is the Blue Grass or the Lexington. He hasn't shipped, so the fact there's two races here [is better]. I think if we're going to try something new, let's try it at home. There's too many unknowns to ship to New York.”

The post Gotham Winner Raise Cain ‘Sitting On A Big Race,’ Likely To Appear In Blue Grass Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Will Walden is leaning toward a return to New York with Cypress Creek Equine's Clear the Air for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong event is the final local Kentucky Derby qualifier, offering the top-five finishers points based off a 100-40-30-20-10 allotment.

Clear the Air earned five points following a troubled fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 at the Big A and is currently 56th on the leaderboard. Breaking from the inside in the full field of 14, Clear the Air maintained rail-skimming position from seventh over the muddy and sealed going before going four wide in upper stretch and checking around the three-sixteenths pole. He continued to find more down the lane and finished 10 3/4 lengths in arrears of the victorious Raise Cain.

“It wasn't really what we drew up on paper going into it. I know when you get a bunch of horses running around in the slop, it almost never goes according to plan,” Walden said. “Raise Cain got some momentum. He went inside and we went outside. The hole we were going for closed at the three sixteenths. When you get fully stopped on a big horse, it can be hard to re-rally. But he started picking off horses and started to get going. But by that time, it was too late in the game. If he doesn't get stopped, I think he ends up second or third.”

Prior to the Gotham, Clear the Air endured another troubled trip when fourth in a one-mile optional-claimer on Feb. 11 at Turfway Park – his lone two-turn start. A close third early on, Clear the Air was shuffled back around the far turn but made a valiant effort to finish 3 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Wadsworth, who finished fourth in Saturday's G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Fifth on debut last summer at Ellis Park, he returned to racing action with vigor, breaking his maiden sprinting six furlongs on Jan. 6 at Turfway Park.

Walden said he was encouraged by the two-turn effort.

“It's a question we want to answer. He's a big, long stretchy horse and he's very efficient. The way he breezes and gallops out, he looks like a two-turn horse,” Walden said. “He also did run two turns at Turfway going a mile. That was again a horrible trip. He never got out of cover until well inside the sixteenth pole. But the two turns that day never seemed to be an issue. He looked loaded the whole time.”

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Clear the Air is the third progeny out of the More Than Ready mare Marsali. Clear the Air's third dam is 1997 Champion Older Mare Hidden Lake. He was purchased for $95,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Walden pointed out that Clear the Air is a late foal with room to blossom.

“He won't officially be a 3-year-old until May 5. I've felt all along that this horse has all the talent in the world,” Walden said. “I believe he has graded stake type of potential. I don't know exactly when the lightbulb will fully go off. He's still big and green, but if things go right for him, he can put it together. It wouldn't shock me if he went up there and ran really big.”

The post ‘He’s Still Big And Green’: Will Walden Hopes ‘Lightbulb’ Goes Off For Clear The Air In Wood Memorial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pin Oak Stud's Empirestrikesfast has been added to the list of late Triple Crown nominations after a clerical error was discovered. The connections paid the $6,000 before Monday's deadline but the colt's name was omitted from the list of 12 others published on Tuesday.

Trained by Bill Mott, Empirestrikesfast broke his maiden on March 11 at Gulfstream Park.

The son of Empire Maker joins fellow late Triple Crown nominees Brave Emperor (IRE), Chase the Chaos, Coffeewithchris, Eye Witness, Henry Q, Interlock Empire, King Russell, Kolomio, Mr. Peeks, Nautical Star, Ninetyprcntmaddie and Wild On Ice.

In total, there are now 382 eligible 3-year-olds to compete in the Triple Crown series which consists of the Kentucky Derby, $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (GI) and $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (GI).

Any horse not nominated during the early or late phases can become Triple Crown eligible through a supplemental nomination payment due at the time of entry for each Triple Crown race: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($150,000), and Belmont ($50,000).

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