But he hasn't had a starter since Bravazo (Awesome Again) in 2018 and hasn't had a winner since Charismatic in 1999. But the drought is over as the 88-year-old training legend has managed to accumulate enough points (65) with GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Just Steel (Justify) that the colt, barring injury, is guaranteed a spot in the Derby starting gate.

“I'm really excited about being back, but I don't want to be back without a legitimate chance,” Lukas said. “I've already heard 'My Old Kentucky Home' and seen our silks out there on the track. I don't need to go through that. I am interested in trying to get a good horse there.”

Just Steel was seventh, beaten 10 lengths, in the GII Rebel S. and looked to be in over his head that day facing some of the best in the division. But he ran a much-improved race in the Arkansas Derby, finishing second behind Muth (Good Magic) at odds of 32-1.

It was just the type of effort Lukas was looking for from his colt.

“I've been managing this horse a little bit and trying to get him really good,” he said. “He stands 17 hands and he weighs 1,300 pounds. He's a big growthy horse that I didn't want to push a lot in March and April. I wanted to have him good enough so that I could sneak in on the points. But I didn't want to push hard on him.”

With Lukas yet to fully tighten the screws, he is expecting a much-improved performance come Derby Day.

“I finally put a mile work into him to get him ready,” Lukas said. “He's got some quality about him. If I can use the next month to tighten on him a little bit I think he will keep the race honest. I think he will take a quantum leap forward. I could see him improving something like 10 points from the last race to this race. I expect him to jump forward quite a bit.”

That Lukas is back in the Derby isn't necessarily a surprise. For the first time in a few years he has deep-pocketed clients that are spending serious money at the sales. Just Steel runs for BC Stables LLC, the stable name for the partnership of John Bellinger and Brian Coelho.

“I'm very happy for those clients,” he said. “These are my new guys and they have really stepped up financially. They are our No. 1 clients. The yearlings they bought last year are outstanding. I'm more interested in getting them to the Derby than I am getting myself back there. I was really happy after the Arkansas Derby knowing we have gotten them into the Derby.”

Lukas is also holding out hope that Seize the Grey (Arrogate) will earn enough points in Saturday's GI Blue Grass S. to also make it into the Derby field. Owned by MyRacehorse, he was third last time out in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

“He's a solid horse. And he's got 600 owners, so if we can get him in we'll make a lot of people happy.”

While Lukas will be the oldest trainer taking part in this Derby, his 25-year-old jockey, Keith Asmussen, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, will be among the youngest and the least experienced. But Lukas has taken a liking to him and is using him not only on Just Steel but his GI Kentucky Oaks candidate Lemon Muffin (Collected). Asmussen started his riding career in 2020 and this will be his first mount in a Triple Crown race.

“I go back a long way with his family,” Lukas said. “His grandfather and grandmother and I are very close friends. We went from South Dakota to Laredo, Texas together. We combined our stables. We've been close family friends forever. The young Keith has got such a good horse background and he is a really smart rider. He's got a master's degree, for crying out loud. He listens and he does what you want him to do. He makes very good decisions in the race. I understand experience-wise he is lacking but he's a real cool customer. He doesn't get all caught up in it. He is very solid. I will not be changing jockeys.”

Just Steel won't be one of the favorites, but Lukas has won plenty of big races with horses few people gave a chance to. He's won four Derbies but never lost the desire to win a fifth. It's just taken him a while to get back there, and he plans to make the most of the opportunity.

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When it comes to Secret Oath, who's undefeated by 23 combined lengths in her last three starts and set to try the boys in the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby, Stevens has a unique perspective. It was he who in 1988 piloted Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) to only the third win by a filly in the GI Kentucky Derby. Like Secret Oath, Winning Colors was trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas, never afraid to try something unconventional with his horses.

“Wayne has never been afraid to jump outside the box, and I think in today's times, with a lot of negativity going on surrounding our industry, this is a feel-good story,” Stevens said. “And Wayne has always been about this sport. He's 100% the best ambassador that we've ever had. People have asked me, 'Is [Secret Oath] anything like Winning Colors?' I actually think from what I'm seeing in the mornings, she may be better than Winning Colors. She's got a different style, she loves to sit off the pace and be a stalker and accelerate. She's got brilliant acceleration for a dirt horse–almost like a turf horse. When she drops [her head] and puts in her kick, she gets it over with in a hurry. Now, granted, she's been running against fillies, but I think there's a lot more in the tank than what we've seen.”

Stevens was later asked about the recent news that Southern California's top two jockeys, Flavien Prat and Umberto Rispoli, would be moving their tack to New York this spring, and whether or not he was surprised.

“No, I wasn't at all,” he said. “I thought that this move would have come a couple of years ago, to be quite honest with you. We've all seen the success Flavien has had when he's traveled to the East Coast. He and Umberto are climbing into what I consider the toughest jockey colony, possibly in the world. But you've got to think about the future, and I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. We see the smaller field sizes in Southern California, and that's one reason I'm in Arkansas right now with Geovanni Franco and Tiago Pereira. They're very good riders who were sixth, seventh on the list of people's choices, and when [tracks] are running shorter fields and multiple trainers have multiple entries in these short fields, it doesn't leave a lot of crumbs for the rest.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, West Point Thoroughbreds, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, Canterbury Park and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers reacted to a Franklin County judge denying Bob Baffert a stay of his suspension, celebrated the drastically improved breakdown record of California tracks, and Finley reads an extraordinary reply to his story on Jorge Navarro starting his prison sentence.. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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Riding at Churchill Downs, Gaffalione began the race week on Thursday with two victories, then two three-win days Friday and Saturday including the Grade 3 Winning Colors, culminating with two wins on Sunday. His 10 wins were for eight different trainers.

Trainer Greg Foley tapped Gaffalione to ride Sconsin for the first time in the Grade 3 Winning Colors for fillies and mares four-years-old and up going six furlongs on the main track. Sconsin broke from the rail in the field of five and comfortably tracked the leading trio of Rising Seas, Frank's Rockette and Tipsy Gal after a quarter mile. Gaffalione guided Sconsin to the outside on the turn and blew past those foes to draw off and win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:08.80.

“Everything set up like we thought it would,” Gaffalione said. “The speed went on and set quick fractions. We were able to sit back and bide our time. When I put her out at the top of the lane she finished the job.”

The Winning Colors was Gaffalione's seventh graded stakes victory of the year.

Gaffalione, the 2015 Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, currently sits atop the jockey standings at Churchill Downs with 23 wins through May 23. His weekly statistics were 26-10-3-5 for a win rate of 38.4 percent and an in-the-money percentage of 69.2. He led all jockeys in purse earnings with $577,310.

Gaffalione out-polled Alex Birzer who recorded nine wins, Jose L. Ortiz with $306,378 in purse earnings, Jose Andres Guerrero with eight wins for the week and Mike Smith who won the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes.

The post Tyler Gaffalione’s 10 Victories Earn Jockey Of The Week Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be live on Saturday, May 22 on FS2 from 1-3 p.m., and from 4-11:30 p.m., featuring the live programming at Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. On Sunday, May 23, “America's Day at the Races” will air on FS2 from 1-3 p.m., and from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.

Saturday, May 22

4:35 p.m. ― $200,000 Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derek Smith's 4-year-old filly As Time Goes By, a 9 ¼- length winner last time out in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes, and Bo Hirsch's two-time Grade 1-winning 5-year-old mare Ce Ce, are set for a showdown in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Santa Maria at Santa Anita Park at 1 1/16 miles. Regally bred, As Time Goes By, the 2-5 morning line favorite, is a dark bay daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of Take Charge Lady, by Dehere. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, As Time Goes went wire to wire in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita on April 24. Prior to that score, she finished second to last year's 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita. Ce Ce is trained by Michael McCarthy, fresh off saddling Rombauer to victory in last Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. In 2020, Ce Ce, a chestnut daughter of Elusive Quality won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn and the Beholder Mile. She tuned up for Saturday's race by winning a 7-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita on April 17. Victor Espinoza has the mount from post 3.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA052221USA2-EQB.html

5:12 p.m. ― $100,000 Seek Again Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

Eight older horses (with two also-eligibles) have been entered for Belmont's Seek Again at 1 mile on turf, with Juddmonte's 6-year-old Flavius, who has run at seven U.S. tracks since arriving from Ireland in 2019, the 2-1 morning line favorite. Trained by Chad Brown, and breaking from post 10 under Javier Castellano, Flavius was beaten a length while finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6. Brown also saddles the 5-year-old Delaware (GB), who won Aqueduct's listed 1-mile Danger's Hour on April 10. West Point Thoroughbreds, William T. Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning's 4-year-old Decorated Invader returns to Belmont where last year the son of Declaration of War won the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge and was second in the Grade 2 Hill Prince for trainer Christophe Clement. Decorated Invader also won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga after the Pennine Ridge. In his first start of 2021, Decorated Invader finished third in the Danger's Hour. Joel Rosario rides Decorated Invader from post seven. The Thomas Bush-trained 4-year-old Get Smokin won last year's Hill Prince, and has a victory this year in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes. Get Smokin will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post five.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL052221USA9-EQB.html

7:19 p.m. ― $100,000 Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

CYBT, Michael Dubb, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano's Going Global (IRE), unbeaten in three starts in 2021 since arriving from Ireland, and Kaleem Shah's Madone, a four-time winner, lead seven 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf. Going Global, trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden from post six by Flavien Prat, has won in succession the Grade 3 6-furlong Sweet Life, the listed 1-mile China Doll and the Grade 3 1 1/8-mile Providencia Stakes, all at Santa Anita. Madone, trained by Simon Callaghan and ridden by Juan Hernandez from post seven, won her first three starts last year, which included the listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita. In November, she finished eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland, unable to sustain a drive after the turn for home. Her 2021 debut was in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes on May 1. After stumbling at the start, the bay daughter of Vancouver (AUS) stayed just off the rail in the upper stretch and then surged between horses to win by a length. Pizzazz, owned by Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass, won the California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields on April 24 for trainer Richard Mandella.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA052221USA7-EQB.html

7:57 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs on FS2

Frank Fletcher Racing's Frank's Rockette and Lloyd Madison Farms' Sconsin are the likely favorites headlining six older fillies and mares in the Grade 3 Winning Colors, going 6 furlongs at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bill Mott, Frank's Rockette, a seven-time winner, has been off the board just once in 13 starts. That one start was against males in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, where she finished 11th. Prior to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Frank's Rockette won the Grade 3 Victory Ride, the Grade 2 Prioress and the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap. She made two listed starts at Oaklawn Park this year, winning the American Beauty and finishing second by three-quarters of a length in the 6-furlong Carousel on April 10. A 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, Frank's Rockette will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post two. Sconsin, trained by Greg Foley, was second by 1 ½ lengths to champion female sprinter Gamine in the Grade 2 Derby City Distaff on May 1 at Churchill. Last September, Sconsin, a 4-year-old by Include, won the Grade 2 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com, also at Churchill. Sconsin will break from post four under Tyler Gaffalione.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD052221USA5-EQB.html

10:11 p.m. ― $110,000 Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2

Maram's Delta's Kingdom seeks her first win of 2021 as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $110,000 Keertana at Churchill Downs, one of 10 older fillies and mares entered for the 1 1/2-mile test on turf. Trained by Bill Mott, Delta's Kingdom, a 5-year-old by Animal Kingdom, finished second in the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland on April 23. Ridden by Florent Geroux from post eight, Delta's Kingdom also finished second in the Grade 2 La Prevoyante at Gulfstream in January. Silverton Hill's Pass the Plate, third in the Bewitch, finished second in Churchill's Grade 3 Mrs. Revere last November for trainer Paul McGee. Rafael Bejarano rides Pass the Plate from post five. Bal Mar Equine's 5-year-old gray/roan Dalika (GER), won the Albert M. Stall Memorial on Feb. 13 at the Fair Grounds, a race named after the father of her trainer, Al Stall Jr. Miguel Mena has the mount from post 10.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD052221USA9-EQB.html

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The Winning Colors, run at six furlongs, is the featured event Saturday night for Downs After Dark – Country Saloon presented by Budweiser. The evening features 11 races, live music, line dancers and more. First post is 6 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the featured Winning Colors goes as Race 5 at 7:57 p.m. Also on tap Saturday night is the $110,000 Keertana Overnight Stakes, run at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up. The Keertana is slated as Race 9 at 10:11 p.m.

Sconsin exits a gallant effort behind top sprinter Gamine in the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day. The 4-year-old homebred daughter of Include was victorious in last year's $300,000 Eight Belles (G2) for trainer Greg Foley. Through 11 starts, she's recorded three wins, three seconds and one third with stout purse earnings of $453,512.

Sconsin drew post No. 4 in the Winning Colors and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

Chief among Sconsin's main rivals in the Winning Colors is the speedy Frank's Rockette. The multiple graded stakes-winning daughter of Into Mischief started her 4-year-old season with a victory in the $150,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn and finished second to Edgeway in the $250,000 Carousel. Frank's Rockette has been nearly flawless in her 13-race career with seven wins and five runner-up efforts. Her only off-the-board finish came in last year's $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) against colts and geldings.

Florent Geroux will ride the Bill Mott trainee from post 2.

The complete field for the Winning Colors from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Rising Seas (Corey Lanerie, Ben Colebrook); Frank's Rockette (Geroux, Mott); Tipsy Gal (Colby Hernandez, Dallas Stewart); Sconsin (Gaffalione, Foley); Bayerness (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux); and Headland (Martin Garcia, Steve Hobby).

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday evening calls for mostly sunny skies with highs in the upper 80s.

General admission to Downs After Dark is $12 and it includes a reserved seat on the first floor and official program. No one under the age of 18 will be admitted to the track unless they are accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Limited premium dining packages are available starting at $69 per person. Outdoor-third floor box seats are on sale for $27 per person. Reserved seating can be purchased online at www.ChurchillDowns.com/Tickets.

Bal Mar Equine LLC's multiple stakes winner Dalika leads a field of 10 fillies and mares that were entered in Saturday night's $110,000 Keertana Overnight Stakes, run at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The Keertana is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 10:11 p.m.

Trained by Al Stall Jr., Dalika has six victories in her 20-start résumé with solid purse earnings of $404,005. In her last victory, the 5-year-old mare won the $100,000 Al Stall Memorial at Fair Grounds, named in memory of Stall Jr.'s father. Other stakes wins on her ledger are the $75,000 Blushing K.D. and $184,000 One Dreamer.

Miguel Mena has the call from post No. 10.

The complete field for the Keertana from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Naomi Broadway (BRZ) (Joe Talamo, Paolo Lobo); First Course (Drayden Van Dyke, Vicki Oliver); Ya Beauty (GB) (Julien Leparoux, Eric Reed); Temple City Terror (Adam Beschizza, Brendan Walsh); Pass the Plate (Rafael Bejarano, Paul McGee); Tweety Show (Julie Burke, Ron Isbell Jr.); Sursum Corda (Corey Lanerie, Ian Wilkes); Delta's Kingdom (Florent Geroux, Bill Mott); Cambeliza (James Graham, Arnaud Delacour); and Dalika (GER) (Mena, Stall).

The post Sconsin Wheels Back To Face Short Field In Winning Colors appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The striking dark bay wasn't the only filly to win that classic, however. Although Rachel Alexandra is the only filly to win a classic in the 21st century, four other fillies had won the Preakness in the preceding century. Flocarline had been the first filly to win a Preakness in 1903, then Whimsical won the race in 1906, Rhine Maiden won in 1915 (the same year that Regret won the Kentucky Derby), and Nellie Morse won in 1924.

Although it was 85 years after Nellie Morse until another filly won the Preakness, 10 more had tried the classic during the interim. The most famous of these had been the champions and Kentucky Derby winners Genuine Risk (Exclusive Native) in 1980 and Winning Colors (Caro) in 1988.

In 1980, the fetching chestnut Genuine Risk had become the second Kentucky Derby winner in three years for the Raise a Native stallion Exclusive Native. Neither Exclusive Native nor his sire had made any waves in the classics during their racing careers, but both had proven notably more capable of getting classic stock as sires.

Raise a Native sired 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Majestic Prince, as well as Alydar, who finished second in each of the Triple Crown races behind Affirmed, the first classic winner by Exclusive Native.

Both Affirmed and Genuine Risk were scopy chestnuts with quality; their good looks made them noticeable on the racetrack and helped win thousands of fans for racing. Following her historic Derby success 65 years after Regret, Genuine Risk then finished second in a controversial Preakness when she was carried wide coming into the stretch by subsequent winner Codex (Arts and Letters). An objection lodged against the winner was not allowed.

Genuine Risk went to the Belmont Stakes, even without the Triple Crown as the historic attraction, but this time the beloved filly finished second to the mud-loving Temperence Hill (Stop the Music), who later was voted the champion 3-year-old colt.

No other filly previously had raced in each of the races of the Triple Crown, and Genuine Risk showed her high class and athletic ability as she finished in the money in each race. As a result, Genuine Risk ranks as one of the great race fillies of the past 50 years.

But just eight years later, another filly ran in each of the Triple Crown races.

A thrashing big filly, Winning Colors had brought $575,000 as a Keeneland July yearling, and the leggy daughter of the gray stallion Caro took some time to strengthen and fill out her big frame. After winning a pair of races at two, she advanced rapidly to top-class form in winning the Santa Anita Derby and then the Kentucky Derby. In the latter race, Winning Colors defeated the previous season's top juvenile colt, Forty Niner (Mr. Prospector) by a neck, with Risen Star (Secretariat) in third.

Brought back by trainer D. Wayne Lukas for the Preakness and a possible tilt for the Triple Crown, Winning Colors was challenged early and aggressively by Forty Niner, and at the finish, Risen Star was the fast-closing winner, with Winning Colors in third.

Both classic winners came back for the Belmont Stakes, and Risen Star prevailed by 15 lengths in the fast time of 2:26 2/5, which at the time was the second-fastest Belmont ever run behind only his great sire's 2:24. Since 1988, Easy Goer and A.P. Indy each have won the Belmont in 2:26.

Winning Colors had made the early pace, tried to stay with Risen Star when he was winding up his convincing impression of Secretariat, and finished unplaced in sixth. Winning Colors never won another top-level race, but the lovely gray did finish second in both the G1 Maskette and Breeders' Cup Distaff to the unbeaten Personal Ensign (Private Account).

In the latter race, run under cold and wet conditions at Churchill Downs later in 1989, Winning Colors had taken the lead and controlled the race to such an extent that Personal Ensign appeared to have little chance of even hitting the board as the field came into the stretch. The imperturbable bay filly refused to give up, gained with every stride through the stretch, and won her 13th and final start in one of the most exciting and heroic efforts imaginable.

These fillies secured the status of supreme champions by overcoming adversity and capturing victory when the probability or circumstances didn't favor them. If Swiss Skydiver can live up to these supreme examples of the race filly, she will make the Preakness one more great race to remember.

The post Bloodlines Presented By BloodstockAuction.Com: Swiss Skydiver Set To Join Sorority Of Top Fillies To Test Preakness Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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