Tag: Zandon

Wednesday’s Derby Report: Crown Pride & Taiba Works Highlight Busy Morning

LOUISVILLE, KY – Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) had Wednesday morning's 'Dawn at the Downs' crowd buzzing just three days out from the GI Kentucky Derby.

With the G2 UAE Derby winner continuing to warm up with his popular dressage-like jogging routine in the chute on a very cool and overcast morning, Todd Pletcher's troops of Charge It (Tapit), Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) were the first to hit the track for the special Derby/Oaks training period at 7:30 a.m.

Owner Jerry Crawford stood alongside the two-time Derby winning Hall of Fame trainer on the backstretch while closely monitoring Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's aforementioned GII Wood Memorial S. winner.

With jockey Christophe Lemaire's yellow helmet cap fittingly matching Crown Pride's Kentucky Derby saddle towel, the dark bay blitzed through a visually impressive half-mile bullet breeze in :46.60. Under a nice hold approaching the quarter pole with ears flicking back and forth, Crown Pride switched leads right on cue in the stretch and powered on through the wire as he continues to impress in his training.

The unbeaten Taiba (Gun Runner), credited with just a lone six-furlong breeze breeze since his sensational GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby win, blew out three furlongs beneath Joel Rosario in :38.40. The chestnut followed that same blueprint before his Santa Anita Derby win. Tim Yakteen's former late and legendary boss Charlie Whittingham is certainly smiling somewhere. One of the more efficient movers you'll see, Taiba brought $1.7 million as a Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale 2-year-old in training.

The top two choices on Mike Battaglia's Kentucky Derby morning-line, meanwhile, were also out stretching their legs during this action-packed 15-minute time slot. Slightly favored Zandon (Upstart) continues to stride out beautifully during his preparations beneath the Twin Spires for Chad Brown. Typically out for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen during the pre-dawn hours, Epicenter (Not This Time) looked the part as well while training much later than usual amidst the chaos.

With his neck bowed and sporting lots of blue and yellow equipment, no one stood out more than the stunning gray White Abarrio (Race Day).

The blaze-faced Zozos (Munnings) also caught the eye while galloping a powerful 1 1/2 miles along with his Brad Cox-trained stablemates Cyberknife (Gun Runner) and Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile).

Despite temperatures hovering in the 50s, Smile Happy (Runhappy) was a bit lathered on his neck during his routine gallop.

Back at the barn and still with cotton balls in his ears, Epicenter kept his cool before a big crowd of admiring media and fans while getting cleaned up as training hours began to wind down.

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Zandon Tabbed as 3-1 Kentucky Derby ML Favorite from Post 10

LOUISVILLE, KY – With all of the morning buzz surrounding Zandon (Upstart) since his dramatic come-from-behind victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., Mike Battaglia installed the handsome dark bay as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after drawing right in the middle in post 10.

The Jeff Drown colorbearer, a $170,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, has posted a pair of much-discussed breezes for Chad Brown following his breakthrough win at Keeneland, including a visually impressive five-furlong move in 1:00.40 (7/43) at Churchill Downs Apr. 29. Flavien Prat rides.

“Perfect,” Brown said of the draw. “We're ready to go.”

Epicenter (Not this Time), drawn on the inside in post three, was made the second choice at 7-2. The $260,000 KEESEP graduate enters off impressive victories for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen in the GII Risen Star S. and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Asmussen has failed to find the mark with 23 previous starters in the Run for the Roses.

“Like any race, you want to get away nicely from the gate and go from there,” Asmussen said. “How long he stands in there, how long it takes to load, 150,000 people staring at him–it's a lot. [Jockey] Joel [Rosario] is very confident in rhythm of the horse. So, if he is away cleanly Joel will let him be who he is.”

The top two choices have met once before. Zandon was back in third after a slow start and wide trip while making his first start of the season in Epicenter's front-running Risen Star score.

Louisville native Brad Cox, promoted to first with Mandaloun (Into Mischief) following the well-documented medication disqualification of the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico) in last year's Derby and subsequent suspension of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will look to put them back to back. He has entered the trio of Cyberknife (Gun Runner) (post 16), Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) (post 18) and 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) (post 19).

“I think with the Derby starting at the head of the stretch, and a quarter of a mile to the first turn, they'll be able to get into position,” Cox said.

Former Baffert runners, unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) (post 12) and 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) (post six), punched their tickets to Louisville for trainer Tim Yakteen following a one-two finish in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

Taiba, a $1.7-million Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-old purchase by Medina Spirit owner Zedan Racing Stables, looks to become the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby in just his third start since Leonatus in 1883. Messier, a 15-length winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., is the third choice on the morning-line at 8-1; Taiba is listed at 12-1.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, seeking his third win in the Kentucky Derby, will be represented by the trio of: GII Wood Memorial S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (post one), GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) (post eight) and Louisiana Derby third Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) (post 11).

Live coverage of the Kentucky Derby will be provided by NBC from 2:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (ET). Post time for the Derby is 6:57 p.m.

From the rail out, the complete field of 20 for the Kentucky Derby:

1-Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (10-1)

2-Happy Jack (Oxbow) (30-1)

3-Epicenter (Not This Time) (7-2)

4-Summer Is Tomorrow (Summer Front) (30-1)

5-Smile Happy (Runhappy) (20-1)

6-Messier (Empire Maker) (8-1)

7-Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) (20-1)

8-Charge It (Tapit) (20-1)

9-Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) (30-1)

10-Zandon (Upstart) (3-1)

11-Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) (30-1)

12-Taiba (Gun Runner) (12-1)

13-Simplification (Not This Time) (20-1)

14-Barber Road (Race Day) (30-1)

15-White Abarrio (Race Day) (10-1)

16-Cyberknife (Gun Runner) (20-1)

17-Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) (30-1)

18-Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) (30-1)

19-Zozos (Munnings) (20-1)

20-Ethereal Road (Quality Road) (30-1)

Also-Eligibles: Rich Strike (Keen Ice) (30-1) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) (30-1).

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Upstart Share Sells for $450K at Keeneland April

Offered as the final hip at Friday's Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale in Lexington, a share (2.5% fractional interest) in Airdrie Stud's Upstart (Flatter–Party Silks, by Touch Gold) was hammered down for $450,000 to Mike Freeny, who operates Dunquin Farm in nearby Paris, Kentucky, with his wife Pat.

A Grade II winner and placed no fewer than six times in Grade I company at distances between eight and nine furlongs, Upstart has been represented by three winners at the graded level, with two representatives from his second crop set to feature prominently at Churchill Downs next weekend. Jeff Drown's Zandon presented the stallion with his first Grade I winner when running out an extremely impressive winner of the Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 9 and continues to train forwardly towards next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. The sire's 3-year-old daughter Kathleen O. is undefeated from four starts to date, including a latest success in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Apr. 2, and is expected to vie for favoritism in the May 6 GI Longines Kentucky Oaks.

“I did expect to pay that for it, but that was my limit,” Freeny said. “He's got some good horses on the Derby trail and on the Oaks trail. He's a good producer and his horses are running and we're sure pleased to have a share.”

Airdrie's Bret Jones said the decision was made to offer the share in an effort to strike while the iron's hot.

“We thought the share had a chance to sell very, very well,” he said. “The timing is right. The stallion sure seems right. When you have a public auction, people get competitive and I've just met our partner, Mr. Freeny, for the first time and I couldn't be happier about it. We're very happy to have him come on board. We've got a lot to root for this coming weekend and I like our chances with Upstart having another big weekend a week from now.”

The Upstart share was the second-priciest offering at the sale. The Taylor Made-sales consigned hip 23, recent Carousel S. winner Acting Out (Blame), fetched $600,000 from Will and Sarah Farish. A full report will appear in Sunday's TDN.

—Additional reporting by Sue Finley

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Derby and Oaks Workers Active on Both Coasts

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.”

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