Some trivia for you equine enthusiasts out there. Who is the only horse to have two graded stakes named after them?
The answer is Bayakoa (Arg).
The Ron McAnally trainee who won a pair of GI Breeders' Cup Distaffs has one at Oaklawn, while its counterpart takes place this Friday at Los Alamitos Racecourse.
The Grade III event out West pits morning-line favorite and Arizona-bred Desert Dawn (Cupid) versus six others going 1 1/16 miles. The 4-year-old filly trained by Phil D'Amato is loaded with class, even though she has not won since the GII Santa Anita Oaks over a year and a half ago.
Still, her speed figures put her at the top of this group as she cuts back after running fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff last month at Santa Anita.
Midnight Memories (Mastery) was third last out in the GI Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita, one spot ahead of Desert Dawn. Clocking some awfully fast times for trainer Bob Baffert these past few months, the dark bay could be fresh and ready to fire.
One entry who could play spoiler is the other half of D'Amato's uncoupled entry, Turnerloose (Nyquist). As a 3-year-old she won the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at 18-1, switched to turf and now has the chance to get back on the dirt.
A trio of GI Kentucky Derby contenders put in their final works ahead of next weekend's Run for the Roses. The only one of the three to work at Churchill Downs was GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart).
Working on his own at 7:30 a.m. over a fast track with regular morning partner Kriss Bon aboard, the Chad Brown pupil completed the five furlongs in 1:00.40 (7/43). Churchill Downs clockers caught Zandon in fractions of :12.80, :25, :36.80, 1:00.40 and out in 1:12.80 and 1:26.40.
“I just didn't want to take any chances with the weather forecast, even though it looks better for tomorrow,” Brown said. “The track is in fabulous shape. You're not going to get a better track to train over than we got this morning.
Working about the same time at Gulfstream Park was GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth winner Simplification (Not This Time), who worked five furlongs in 1:00.44 (1/10) for trainer Antonio Sano over a muddy track. Junior Alvarado was aboard for the work.
“I'm very happy with the work,” Sano said. “He went very easy and handled everything. The jockey said he was better than last week. It was a really, really good work for the horse…I am 100% confident in my horse. I know the race is very strong, but I'm confident in the horse. I think this is a better horse than Gunnevera (Dialed In).”
A few hours later at Santa Anita, Messier (Empire Maker), the runner-up in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:11.60 for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Six GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders had their final works Friday morning, including the Todd Pletcher-trained trip of Nest (Curlin) (4f :48.60), Shahama (Munnings) (5f 1:01.2) and Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) (5f 1:01) for next Friday's $1.25 million race over a fast track.
Working first during the 7:30-7:45 a.m. training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks runners was GI Central Bank Ashland S. victress Nest with Irad Ortiz in the irons. Working in company, Nest produced fractions of :24.20 and :48.60 and galloped out in 1:01 and 1:14.
“It's 21 days after the Ashland and it was a solid work,” Pletcher said. “She finished good and galloped out strong.”
Working together were GII Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up Goodess of Fire with Humberto Zamora aboard and G3 UAE Oaks winner Shahama with Oaks rider Flavien Prat aboard.
Shahama was on the inside with fractions of :25.40, :37.20, :49.20, 1:01.20 and out in 1:13.60, 1:26.20 and 1:40.40. Goddess of Fire had fractions of :25.20, :37, :49, 1:01 and out in 1:13.40, 1:26 and 1:40.20.
“I wanted them to do a little more than Nest,” Pletcher said. “They both finished well and galloped out strong.”
GII Fair Grounds Oaks runner-up Hidden Connection (Connect) breezed a half-mile in :50.20 for trainer Bret Calhoun Friday at Churchill under jockey Reylu Gutierrez.
“Her work last week was great and today, even though it was easier, it was just as impressive,” Gutierrez said.
GII Rachel Alexandra S. heroine Turnerloose (Nyquist) covered five panels in 1:01.20 under exercise rider Edvin Vargas.
“She's fit and ready to go,” trainer Brad Cox simply stated.
Also on the Churchill worktab was GIII Gazelle S. runner-up Venti Valentine (Firing Line). She worked five furlongs in 1:00.80, with splits of :13, :24.80 and :36.80, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.
“That's the way she gallops,” said Francisco Abreu, brother to trainer Jorge Abreu, who supervised the filly's workout. “The first part, she's a little anxious, then she calms down a little. It was just a maintenance work for her; she had a strong final work was a week ago.”
'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings), most recently runner-up to Epicenter (Not This Time) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 26, continued his preparations for the May 7 GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlongs work that was timed in 1:00.20 Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
Breezing in the company of his GI Longines Kentucky Oaks-bound stablemate Turnerloose (Nyquist), the Barry and Joni Butzow homebred was out at 5:30 a.m. and broke off about a length behind the GII Rachel Alexandra S. heroine before galloping along through fractions of :24 flat and :48.40. The move began at the half-mile pole and concluded with Zozos on even terms with Turnerloose at the seven-eighths marker. Zozos galloped out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.60.
“He's a really smart horse,” said jockey Florent Geroux, who will ride Zozos's GI Arkansas Derby-winning stablemate Cyberknife (Gun Runner) in the Derby. “He's starting to come into his own and it was a really nice work this morning. I settled back of [Turnerloose] and he finished up nicely with her. Both horses worked well.”
Zozos 5F from the half-mile pole 1:00.60. He started one length back of #KyOaks contender Turnerloose and finished even at the 7/8 pole. #KyDerbypic.twitter.com/5HiXJLY5yx
Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection (Connect) came out shortly after the Cox pair and covered a similar distance in 1:00 flat, pulling up six furlongs in a strong 1:12.60 with ReyLu Gutierrez aboard, who said the work was “awesome.”
Secret Oath (Arrogate) will face her peers in the Oaks, having finished third to Cyberknife and Barber Road (Race Day) in the Arkansas Derby and returned to the tab Friday morning. The Briland Farm homebred was timed in a slick :59.20 (:12.40, :23.60, :35.20), and Luis Saez, who takes over from Luis Contreras for the Oaks, was in to put the filly through her paces.
“I talked to [jockey] Luis [Contreras] after the race and he was sort of surprised with how much of an explosive kick she had at the three-eighths pole,” said Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, whose last Oaks victory came courtesy of Overbrook Farm's Seaside Attraction (Seattle Slew) in 1990. “With that explosive kick at that point in the race, it was a little too much too soon. She got shuffled back at the start and got into contention but it was too much to ask. We ran in the Arkansas Derby for a million-and-a-quarter [dollars] and I thought we were the best horse going into the race and I still think we were the best.”
Undefeated champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) makes her highly anticipated seasonal bow Saturday in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Flashing her talent with an impressive debut at Saratoga July 15, the $300,000 KEESEP acquisition had things her own way from start to finish in that venue's GI Spinway S. Sept. 5, winning by four lengths. She took no prisoners next out Belmont, romping by 7 1/4 lengths in the GI Frizette S. Oct. 3 and was equally dominant in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies S. at Del Mar Nov. 5. Her flawless season left no doubt of her status, making her the clear winner of the Eclipse award for top juvenile filly. With this delay to her sophomore season, Echo Zulu needs a victory to secure a spot in the GI Kentucky Oaks.
“We are excited to get started with her,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “She is doing extremely well. She has put in some impressive moves over the race track and she just trains beautifully like she always has.”
He added, “She drew the rail so we have to get away from there cleanly and Joel will have a good ways to the first turn to get her in good position. She has handled everything extremely well that we have thrown at her up to this point. We are giving the Fair Grounds Oaks its fair due. I don't want to talk about the next one until she runs in the Oaks here but certainly we have high hopes this year for her.”
Turnerloose (Nyquist) enters off a win in the local GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 19 at odds of 17-1. Opening her account with a pair of wins on grass, including the Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs in September, the dark bay was third in Keeneland's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 13, but faded to 14th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Nov. 5. She was making her first start on dirt last out in the Rachel Alexandra.
Hidden Connection (Connect) graduated by 7 1/2 lengths on debut at Colonial Downs in August and ran off to a 9 1/4-length score in the GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Sept. 18. Fourth to Echo Zulu in the Breeders' Cup, she filled the same spot behind Turnerloose in the Rachel Alexandra.
