Tag: Triple Crown

Gold Square's impressive maiden winner Slip Mahoney posted his final breeze in preparation for Saturday's one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, covering a half-mile in :48.87 yesterday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

The Gotham is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series and awards the top-five finishers 50-20-15-10-5 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on the first Saturday in May.

Slip Mahoney, a gray son of Arrogate, was guided by jockey Trevor McCarthy through the work and went in company with unraced stablemate Global Image, a Liam's Map colt who sold for $300,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

“It wasn't as quick to watch it, but they moved pretty well,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox's Belmont-based assistant. “It was really good and he came out of it in great shape and we're all systems go. Trevor was happy with him and he's going to ride him Saturday.”

Slip Mahoney was last seen posting a determined head victory at third asking in a January 21 maiden going the Gotham distance at the Big A. There, he was piloted by Dylan Davis and battled Fast Boat to Skye for the early lead before that foe retreated and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crupi rallied from sixth-of-10 to challenge for the lead at the top of the lane. The pair quickly drew away from the rest of their rivals and dueled furiously down the lane until Slip Mahoney put his head down at the wire to secure the win. It was a further 15 lengths back to third-place finisher Good Rapport.

Slip Mahoney's victory came on the heels of a game runner-up effort to next-out allowance victor Tapit Trice on December 17 over the same distance and course.

“He showed personal growth and mentally and physically, he's one that's still figuring things out,” Dugas said of his progression between starts. “He plays around a lot and still needs to mature, but right now, he's just doing it off of raw talent. He's getting there, and with each breeze, you can see him mature. He's not regressing and doing things proper.”

A $150,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale, Slip Mahoney is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Got Lucky, who won the 2015 Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland. He is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed gelding Overtook and is a direct maternal descendant of influential mare Numbered Account.

Cox is also likely to send out Ten Strike Racing's undefeated Eyeing Clover in the Gotham on the heels of a dominant 9 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming score on January 28 at Fair Grounds. The son of Lookin At Lucky has trained regularly at the New Orleans oval since and is expected to arrive at Belmont Park on Tuesday.

The post ‘We’re All Systems Go’: Cox’s Promising Maiden Winner Slip Mahoney Breezes For Gotham, Unbeaten Eyeing Clover Also Likely For Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Confidence Game was scheduled to be vanned back to his Fair Grounds base late Sunday afternoon, roughly 24 hours after his one-length victory over Red Route One in Oaklawn's $1-million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux said late Sunday morning that Confidence Game emerged in good order physically from the Rebel, which propelled the son of Candy Ride to the top of the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 57 points. The Rebel offered 100 points (50-20-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs.

“He's happy,” Desormeaux said with a laugh. “He looks a lot more calm and happy than he was in that damn (indoor) paddock.”

Desormeaux said next-race plans are pending for Confidence Game, but he could return to Oaklawn for the $1.25-million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 1. The Arkansas Derby is Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby points race.

“For sure, TBA – depending on how he returns and it will give us a couple of weeks to let him rest and see how he bounces back, but all options are open,” Desormeaux said. “It could be in Arkansas, Louisiana, maybe even the Blue Grass, I don't know. Obviously, with our success here and the way we were treated, our first option is going to be the Arkansas Derby.”

Ridden Saturday by James Graham, Confidence Game ($39) was fifth through a demanding :46.17 half-mile before launching a four-wide move to the lead turning for home. Confidence Game opened a 1 ½-length advantage in midstretch and held late-running Red Route One safe in the final 100 yards.

Confidence Game received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 94, a career high, in the winning the Rebel over a sloppy track. His final time was 1:44.21. Confidence Game, exiting a third-place finish in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 21 at Fair Grounds, was racing on an off track for the first time Saturday.

“Everything worked in his favor,” Desormeaux said. “I was telling the ownership group last night that pace, I've watched races there for two days, and that pace was about two seconds faster than anything I had seen. So, it set up great for him. I don't know how many people buy into this, but as far as the pedigree was concerned, as far as propensity for the off track, he had the highest number. The off track probably helped us. Perfect trip. Here we are.”

Owned by Don't Tell My Wife Stables (Kirk Godby), Confidence Game won for the third time in seven starts to raise his career earnings to $785,525. Confidence Game was purchased by Desormeaux from consignor Lane's End for $25,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, his dam, the Bernardini mare Eblouissante, is a half sister to Hall of Famer Zenyatta.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said Red Route One will be considered for the $1-million Louisiana Derby (G2) March 25 at Fair Grounds, adding the distance (1 3/16 miles) makes the race attractive because of the colt's late-running style. Red Route One, last of 11, trailed by 18 ¼ lengths after the Rebel's opening half-mile. Red Route One (33 points) ranks fourth on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.

Red Route One finished 1 ½ lengths ahead of Reincarnate, who was making his first start outside California and first for trainer Tim Yakteen, a former assistant under Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Reincarnate lost early position after being squeezed shortly after the start, then having to check approaching the eighth pole.

Horses trained by Baffert are ineligible for Kentucky Derby qualifying points because of a Churchill Downs suspension, stemming from his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, being disqualified because of a medication violation. In addition to Reincarnate, Yakteen reportedly now trains several other promising 3-year-olds previously with Baffert. Reincarnate (15 points) is No. 14 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Asked following the Rebel if he would return with something for the Arkansas Derby, Yakteen said: “We'll come back.”

Trainer Brad Cox was seeking his fifth victory in Oaklawn's last 11 Kentucky Derby points races. Instead, 3-2 favorite Verifying and Giant Mischief, the 2-1 second choice, finished fourth and sixth, respectively, after chasing a fast pace.

“I was hoping to learn a good bit from yesterday's race,” Cox said Sunday morning. “I'm not sure I learned as much as I was looking or hoping to. That would be the best way to sum that up. That's the honest to God way I looked at the race. I really thought I was going to find out something yesterday and I don't know what I found out.”

Verifying was making his first start since a powerful 5 ¼-length entry-level allowance victory at 1 mile Jan. 14 at Oaklawn in his 3-year-old debut. The Rebel marked the 3-year-old debut of Giant Mischief, who concluded 2022 with a runner-up finish in the Remington Park Springboard Mile Dec. 17 at Remington Park. Verifying was bottled up turning for home under Florent Geroux and beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Confidence Game. Giant Mischief was beaten 6 ½ lengths.

“Verifying lost a lot of position from the quarter pole to the eighth pole,” Cox said. “He went from basically being fourth to eighth or ninth. You can't do that in these type of races with these good horses. In my eyes he remains on the Derby trail and is a contender. Giant Mischief was in contention turning for home. He hadn't raced in a while. May have needed the race. I wouldn't say he's off the trail at all. We'll regroup with the team and come up with a plan here in the near future.”

Cox won last year's Arkansas Derby with Cyberknife and said will be represented in the race again in 2023. Cox has six to the top 17 horses on the latest Kentucky Derby leaderboard released by Churchill Downs.

“We're going to be there,” Cox said. “I don't know with who.”

Verifying (14 points) is No. 16 on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. Bourbon Bash (five) is No. 30 after finishing fifth in the Rebel at odds of 77-1. Bourbon Bash will be considered for the Arkansas Derby, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday morning. Bourbon Bash was beaten six lengths in the Rebel after breaking from post 10.

“Should have been a lot closer,” Lukas said. “That 10 hole is a tough spot to overcome. He hit that (first) turn and I don't remember what number, what horse it was, but he hit him right in the hip and kicked him out there to the parking lot. He whipped him right out there. If they had changed positions and that horse had been on the other side, I think it would have made a hell of a difference. But any time you hit that turn and you lose your action and get kissed out there like that, that is brutal because now you have to get back in the race and make up all that ground. You're running, probably, three or four lengths further than the rest of the field.”

In addition to the Arkansas Derby, Lukas said he will look at other Kentucky Derby preps across the country for Bourbon Bash.

“I thought I saw enough to at least give him another chance,” Lukas said. “We can always drop back.”

Nominations to the Arkansas Derby close March 17.

The post Arkansas Derby ‘First Option’ For Rebel Winner Confidence Game, Runner-Up Red Route One Could Target Louisiana Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Klaravich Stables' Neural Network earned a career-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure in Saturday's $100,000 Gander, a one-mile test for New York-bred sophomores, where he was elevated to victory after crossing the wire second to a drifting Maker's Candy.

The son of Cloud Computing rated in fourth and stalked the pace set by D'ont Lose Cruz down the backstretch and was kept wide by jockey Manny Franco to make his bid for the lead at the top of the lane. The Jose Gomez-piloted Maker's Candy pounced from second position to take command from D'ont Lose Cruz at the eighth pole with Neural Network gaining with every stride to his outside. Maker's Candy drifted out in the late stages and impeded Neural Network's path, crossing the wire first but subsequently disqualified and placed second for interference.

It was the first stakes victory for Neural Network, who entered from a distant fourth-place finish in the Jerome against open company on January 7 over the same course and distance. There, he trailed in last-of-7 at the half-mile call and made a mild bid to be defeated 9 1/4 lengths by Lugan Knight.

“He ran very well and obviously he was herded out in the lane and the right call was made,” said Brown of the Gander. “It's nice to get him back on track.”

The Gander was Neural Network's first start with blinkers, something Brown said was key to his improvement.

“We've always thought a lot of this horse and it was uncharacteristic of him last time,” said Brown. “He was uninterested that day and didn't care for how the track was. We put a little blinker on him and he seemed to work a little sharper in his works.”

Brown added he will take his time in choosing a next start for the dark bay colt, but noted that the nine-furlong $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) on April 8 is, “not out of the question.”

“I have no plans yet for him, but we'll see how he trains moving forward,” said Brown.

A $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale purchase from consignor Legacy Bloodstock, Neural Network is out of the Street Cry mare Lapinski, a half sister to stakes winner Sunset Wish. He now boasts a 2-0-0 record from three career stats and $102,500 in total purse earnings.

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A colt from a family bred for success shuffled the deck on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail when Don't Tell My Wife Stables' Confidence Game swept to victory in Saturday's $1-million Rebel Stakes (G2) before a crowd of 42,000 at Oaklawn.

The 18-1 upset came under jockey James Graham and touched off a raucous celebration in the winner's circle while moving the colt to the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 57 qualifying points.

“He's really come into his own,” said trainer Keith Desormeaux, who worried the colt might leave his race in the paddock after acting up prior to the race. “He started off pretty immature, but as the races went on, he has improved things mentally, and physically.”

Confidence Game ($39) passed a pack of front-runners en route to the one-length win over Red Route One with Reincarnate in third. The winner and Giant Mischief bumped shoulders at the top of the stretch while other horses waited in traffic, leading to an objection that was disallowed by the stewards. The final time over a sloppy (sealed) track was 1:44.21.

“He had a ton left down the lane,” said Graham, who was also aboard for the colt's third-place finish in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds in his Jan. 21 previous start. “He keeps maturing and doing things the right way. I think the sky is the limit for him.”

Red Route One came from far back while charging at the winner in the stretch. Reincarnate suffered traffic trouble in his first start for trainer Tim Yakteen. The 3-2 favorite Verifying, stalked the pace but failed to find a clear path when pushed to the front and settled for fourth.

While Confidence Game's odds didn't indicate obvious success, close readers of his breeding lines could see his dam, Eblouissante (by Bernardini), is a half sister of Hall of Fame mare Zenyatta, who twice traveled to Oaklawn for dominant victories 2008 and 2010 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).

Confidence Game, bred in Kentucky by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine LLC, is 3-1-2 from seven career starts and earnings of $785,525.

Rebel Stakes Quotes

Winning jockey James Graham, Confidence Game: “I was able to settle him down when we were warming up so he got back in the things mentally. I was really happy with where I was early in the race. He wasn't doing too much too soon. He had a ton left down the lane. I'm just so happy for everyone involved and especially this horse. He keeps maturing and doing things the right way. I think the sky is the limit for him.”

Winning trainer Keith Desormeaux, Confidence Game: “He sort of lost his mind in the paddock, so I was worried until he got on the track. James got him to settle down out there. He's really come into his own. He started off pretty immature, but as the races went on, he has improved things mentally, and physically.”

Jockey Cristian Torres, second on Red Route One: “He definitely ran like I thought he would. I knew he was going to run huge. Steve (Asmussen) said the horse was doing very, very good. We were hoping for this kind of race and he did run well.”

Trainer, Steve Asmussen, second with Red Route One: “He's a nice 3-year-old. Obviously, we're anxious for the races to go further. Not positive we won't wheel him back in the Louisiana Derby (G2), a mile and three-sixteenths. Quit messing around and get him on out there.”

On Gun Pilot, seventh: “Just buried. Ate him the whole way.”

Trainer Tim Yakteen, Reincarnate, third: “He ran giant. The race didn't come out the way we had scripted it. That happens in racing, but my horse ran huge.”

Jockey Florent Geroux, fourth on favorite Verifying, fourth: “Actually, I liked the beginning, but not the ending. From the quarter pole home, it took me a very long time to find some room and all the horses in front of me, they were just stopping. It took me a long time to find some room. Got through late, but the race was already over.”

Trainer Brad Cox, fourth with Verifying and sixth with 2-1 favorite Giant Mischief: “Kind of set close to a hot pace. I really don't know what to make of it yet. Need to watch the replay. Obviously, going pretty quick early on. They both bounce out of it in good order, we'll see what happens.”

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