Tag: Triple Crown

Unbeaten $2.3-Million Arabian Knight Off Kentucky Derby Trail

Arabian Knight, the $2.3 million OBS April purchase who was exceedingly impressive winning his only two starts by 12 3/4 lengths, is off the Kentucky Derby trail, according to a Saturday night statement posted on Twitter by owner Zedan Racing.

The Uncle Mo colt was the 6-1 second choice behind champion Forte in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager shortly after the Tweet was posted, with $17,688 bet to win on Arabian Knight from a pool of $150,406. This round of the Future Wager continues until 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 12.

“Trainer Tim Yakteen wasn't happy with his last work and we feel it's in Arabian Knight's best interest not to rush and allow him more time to develop,” the statement said. “We know he's a superior talent and our plan is to point him toward a summer and fall campaign.”

Arabian Knight won his first two races for trainer Bob Baffert, taking a seven-furlong maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths on the Breeders' Cup day program at Keeneland last Nov. 5, then rolling to a 5 1/2-length win over a sloppy track going 1 1/16 miles in Oaklawn's Grade 3 Southwest Stakes Jan. 28.

Because Baffert remains banned from Churchill Downs Inc. properties through this year's Triple Crown and his horses are unable to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points, owner Amr Zedan transferred Arabian Knight to Yakteen in order to comply with eligibility conditions of the Kentucky Derby that required any horses trained by Baffert to move to another stable prior to March 1.

Arabian Knight breezed once for Baffert after the Southwest, going three furlongs in :35.60 at Santa Anita on Feb. 13. The colt didn't work again for 19 days during a rainy period when training and racing at the Southern California track was interrupted because of the wet conditions.

He breezed five furlongs in :59.20 on March 4 after being transferred to Yakteen, then went six furlongs in 1:13.60 on March 9 in his latest move.

Zedan's Medina Spirit finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby but was subsequently disqualified after the corticosteroid betamethasone was detected in post-race testing. Zedan and Baffert have been engaged in litigation with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Churchill Downs over Medina Spirit's disqualification and Baffert's private property exclusion from Churchill tracks.

Bred in Kentucky by Corser Thoroughbreds LLC, Arabian Knight was a $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Scott and Evan Dilworth, then was consigned by Top Line Sales to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where bloodstock agent and private clocker Gary Young signed the ticket on behalf of Zedan for $2.3 million.

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Tapit Trice Wins Tampa Bay Derby With Strong Last-To-First Rally, Provides Pletcher Sixth Victory In Classic Prep

Tapit Trice rallied from last and stormed down the stretch with ground-devouring strides to win the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) by a comfortable two lengths Saturday at the Oldsmar, Fla. track.

With Luis Saez aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher, the Tapit colt was making his stakes debut and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.37 on a fast track. The win marked his second in as many starts this season as he came into Saturday's race off an allowance-optional claiming win over stablemate Shesterkin Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park.

Classic Car Wash was second, and Classic Legacy checked in third, 1 1/4 lengths back. Shesterkin finished seventh in the 12-horse field.

The Tampa Bay Derby is a Kentucky Derby qualifier and Tapit Trice earned 50 points toward eligibility for the May 6 classic at Churchill Downs.
Owned by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm and Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable, Tapit Trice returned $3 for the win. He has a 3-0-1 record from four career starts.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Tapit Trice was produced by Dunkirk mare Danzatrice. Whisper Hill purchase him for $1.3 million at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Pletcher notched his sixth Tampa Bay Derby win following  Tapwrit (2017)  Destin (2016), Carpe Diem (2015), Verrazano (2013), and Limehouse (2004).

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National Treasure Returns To Training After Setback

National Treasure has returned to light training after being scratched as the morning-line favorite in last Saturday's San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita due to a bruised foot.

Tom Ryan, managing partner of National Treasure's large ownership group, said in a Twitter post Friday that the connections are “very pleased with the progress he's made.

“Looking to get him back on the work tab when the latest weather system clears out,” Ryan said.

National Treasure was runner-up in the American Pharoah (G1) Oct. 8 at Santa Anita following his debut victory the previous month at Del Mar. He closed the season running third in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland. The Quality Road colt, who cost $500,000 at at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale, was third again when making his sophomore bow in the Sham (G3) Jan. 8 at Santa Anita. All four outings thus far came under trainer Bob Baffert. Last month, the colt was transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen.

The hope is National Treasure can have one more start in a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep to accrue the necessary qualifying points to run in the 1 ¼-mile classic May 6 at Churchill Downs. That could potentially come in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 8.

Yakteen said earlier this week he would wait until National Treasure has a work before deciding where he runs next.

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Major Dude, Congruent, Two Phil’s Among 83 Nominations To Jeff Ruby Steaks

Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude, a flashy two-time graded stakes winner, leads a cast of 83 talented 3-year-olds that are nominated to compete in the  $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2) March 25 at Turfway Park.

Nominations for the Jeff Ruby Steaks closed Thursday, along with its five supporting stakes on the spectacular day of racing in Northern Kentucky: the 41st running of the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks; the 23rd running of the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed); the 37th running of the $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes; the 41st running of the $250,000 Latonia Stakes; and the 36th running of the $250,000 Rushaway.

The 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby Steaks is a major steppingstone on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and provides qualifying points toward eligibility on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale to the top five finishers. The race helped launch the winner of last year's Kentucky Derby (G1), Rich Strike.

The Jeff Ruby Steaks will go as the finale on the 12-race card at 6:25 p.m. (ET). First post will be 12:45 p.m.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Major Dude is expected to invade from South Florida for the Jeff Ruby Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Bolt d'Oro's resume includes victories in the $200,000 Pilgrim (G2) and $175,000 Kitten's Joy (G3).

Other talented horses that could be targeting the Jeff Ruby Steaks include Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable's John Battaglia Memorial winner Congruent; Patricia's Hope and Phillip Sagan's Street Sense Stakes (G3) winner Two Phil's and Three Chimneys Farm's Leonatus Stakes winner Funtastic Again.

Coupled with its lucrative prize, the Jeff Ruby Steaks will award the top 5 finishers points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale towards a spot in the starting gate for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI).

In the Bourbonette Oaks, LNJ Foxwoods and Clearsky Farms' $150,000 Cincinnati Trophy heroine Botanical leads 45 nominees for the 1 1/16-mile Road to the Kentucky Oaks Championship Series contest. The Brad Cox-trained daughter of Medaglia d'Oro is expected to return in the Bourbonette Oaks in hopes of keeping her Turfway Park unbeaten streak intact.

Rich Strike is slated to be in action in the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic. The 81-1 upset winner of the Run for the Roses was originally targeting an international campaig, but his connections have opted to keep him in Kentucky and have stated they are targeting the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic as Rich Strike's first start as a 4-year-old.

For the complete list of Jeff Ruby Steaks nominations, click here.

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