Trainer Aidan O'Brien completed a Guineas double at Newmarket Sunday, not with hot favorite Maybe, but with unheralded 25-1 shot Homecoming Queen. Unlike stablemate Camelot, who had to fight from off the pace for Saturday's Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas, Homecoming Queen ran her rivals ragged on the front end in Sunday's Group 1 One Thousand Guineas and romped by nine lengths.
Both of Saturday's Grade 3 turf winners at Belmont Park were said to be doing well at their respective barns Sunday morning, with Phipps Stable's Boisterous resting comfortably after taking the $150,000 Fort Marcy, and Phillips Racing Partnership's Winter Memories basking in the glow of her $150,000 Beaugay victory.
It was a record-breaking 138th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby as a crowd of 165,307, the largest in history, gathered on a beautiful day at Churchill Downs to watch Reddam Racing LLC's California-based I'll Have Another rally to defeat favored Bodemeister and win the roses that go to the winner of America's greatest race.
Dullahan, who just failed to reach Bodemeister when finishing a neck behind in third in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, is on the fence to run in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 12.
Chadds Ford Stable's Union Rags was "bright" Sunday morning after his troubled seventh-place finish in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
Team Valor International and Mark Ford's Went the Day Well sported a cut on his right front ankle suffered during his fourth-place Kentucky Derby finish that "didn't seem like a big deal" to trainer Graham Motion, who reported that his colt otherwise "seemed fine."
Trainer Bob Baffert said his two Kentucky Derby runners, Bodemeister and Liaison, came out of Saturday's at Churchill Downs race in good shape.
Take Charge Indy will undergo surgery this week to remove a bone chip in his left front ankle, an injury he sustained during the running of Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Trainer Pat Byrne said that the injury is not career threatening and that the colt could be back under tack in about 60 days.
Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and Risen Star runner-up Mark Valeski arrived at Belmont Park from Kentucky Sunday afternoon in advance of his next start in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan.
Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy, who finished a tailed-off 19th in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, will be sent for X-rays after showing signs of a problem during his cooling-out period.
Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Student Council got off the mark as a freshman sire Saturday, as Private Tutor was awarded the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/studentcouncil1st.pdf"> 6TH</a> race at Pimlico. Following objections lodged by Private Tutor's rider Wesley Ho, and by Horacio Karamanos aboard Hamp, the stewards ruled that the first-past-the-post Video Storm caused interference entering the turn. Video Storm was demoted to fourth, and Private Tutor thus became the official winner.
Morning Line successfully opened the new Southern California phase of his career in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/mervynleroy12.pdf"> Mervyn LeRoy Handicap</a> at Hollywood Park, rolling to a front-running victory for new trainer John Shirreffs. Formerly a smart performer for Hall of Famer Nick Zito, the son of Tiznow had been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery last August, but had been trained to the minute for his comeback.
Jockey Eddie Castro gained 2,000th North American win as Phillips Racing Partnership's Winter Memories captured an easy victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/beaugay12.pdf">Beaugay Stakes</a> at Belmont Park. The odds-on favorite charged to the lead with ease passing the sixteenth pole, then was geared down for the final 70 yards, taking the victory by 2 1/4 lengths.
Ridden by Javier Santiago for trainer Chris Grove, Pretension broke alertly in the 1 1/16-mile test but relinquished the lead to My Adonis as the field entered the first turn. Santiago kept after the favorite, pressing him closely to the top of the lane, where his mount edged to a narrow lead. The son of Bluegrass Cat battled My Adonis into defeat, while Brimstone Island rallied past the favorite to take second.
The Romans-trained Silver Max had likewise dominated Friday's Grade 2 American Turf, and earlier Saturday, Shackleford landed the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes. Little Mike made it a hat trick, one race before Dullahan would represent the barn in Derby 138.
Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/senorita12.pdf">Senorita Stakes</a> at Hollywood Park took a tragic turn when Bobnia crossed under the wire a nose winner only to break down seconds later. The Malibu Moon sophomore miss suffered injuries to her right fore fetlock and had to be euthanized on the track, according to the <i>Daily Racing Form</i>.
Trainer Buff Bradley had his Bowman's Band filly Groupie Doll cranked to run a huge race Saturday in the Grade 1, $334,500 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/humanadistaff12.pdf">Humana Distaff</a> at Churchill Downs. Not only did Groupie Doll emphatically beat some of the nation's best older filly and mare sprinters, she set a new track record doing so.
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor's unbeaten Camelot lived up to his reputation with a battling victory in Saturday's Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, fueling already heady hopes that he could be European racing's next superstar. Bred more for the Group 1 Epsom Derby than this straight mile of the season's first British classic, the Aidan O'Brien pupil relished the fact that it turned into a test of stamina, as he stayed on strongly to outduel Gallic invader French Fifteen.
After an eventful 24 hours, jockey <a target="_blank" href="http://youtu.be/gLflSzDsuoo">Rosie Napravnik</a> returned to Belmont Park Saturday afternoon with her first Grade 1 victory and a bit of racing history in tow.
Emory A. Hamilton's homebred Hungry Island had been no match for Marketing Mix in their past two meetings, but gained sweet revenge in Saturday's Grade 2, $223,400 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/distaffturfmile12.pdf"> Churchill Distaff Turf Mile</a> on Derby Day. Perhaps enjoying the overnight rain that left the turf officially rated good, the Shug McGaughey trainee picked up well down the stretch to run down Tapitsfly, leaving favored Marketing Mix back in a lackluster fourth.
Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge's homebred Shackleford has made eight starts since taking the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico last May, but hadn't been able to score in that time until Saturday when gutting out a length victory in the Grade 2, $441,600 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/churchilldownsstakes12.pdf"> Churchill Downs Stakes</a> on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
Unbeaten world champion Frankel proved that he's come through his recent injury scare with flying colors, as the Juddmonte Farms homebred looked like his sparkling old self in a racecourse gallop Saturday.
A history-making 138th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday concluded with record total wagering, near-record attendance of 112,552 and an historic victory by jockey Rosie Napravnik, who rode Brereton C. Jones's Believe You Can to victory to become the first woman to win America's premier race for three-year-old fillies.
After lagging farther off the pace than usual in the early stages of Saturday's Grade 3, $150,350 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/twinspires12.pdf">Twin Spires Turf Sprint</a> at Churchill Downs, Houyhnhnm Stable's Great Attack turned in an explosive rally in the final furlong and passed 3-2 favorite Bridgetown in the final strides to secure the win by three parts of a length in the five-furlong test. The 4-1 third choice in a field of 12, Great Attack returned $10.80, $4.60 and $3.60.
Broadway's Alibi was doing fine Saturday morning after her second-place finish behind Believe You Can in Friday's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Stable manager Anna Ford reported that the three-year-old daughter of Vindication will ship to Belmont Park on Sunday.
Brereton Jones' homebred Kentucky Oaks heroine Believe You Can came out of the race in great shape, trainer Larry Jones said while accepting congratulations at his barn early on Kentucky Derby Day.
Jockey Rosie Napravnik became the first woman rider to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on Friday when piloting Believe You Can to victory over a stubborn Broadway's Alibi at Churchill Downs. The race was delayed a half-hour after a powerful storm blew through the area, but the delay apparently didn't affect the Proud Citizen filly, who finished 1 1/8 miles over the fast track in 1:49 2/5.
The two wagering favorites dominated Friday's Grade 3, $110,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/eightbelles12.pdf">Eight Belles</a> for three-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs, with even-money choice Contested taking over from pacesetter Good Deed at the three-sixteenths pole and drawing away to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and campaigned by his wife, Jill, Contested returned $4.20, $3 and $2.80.
Fresh off a dominating, wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland, Mark Bacon and Dana Wells' Silver Max dished out the same treatment to his rivals in Friday's Grade 2, $238,200 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/amturf12.pdf">American Turf</a> at Churchill Downs. The biggest difference was the winning rider. With Robby Albarado off his mounts after reportedly being arrested Friday morning for domestic violence, Rafael Bejarano picked up the mount and gave him a textbook ride.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Stephanie's Kitten pounced to a stakes record-setting victory in Friday's $184,800 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/edgewood12.pdf">Edgewood Stakes</a> at Churchill Downs, setting her up for a bold assault on the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot June 22. The winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf over the same course last November, the even-money favorite completed 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:40.94, best in 27 runnings of the Edgewood.
Stakes records continued to fall at Churchill Downs Friday as Mort Fink's homebred Successful Dan was timed in 1:41 in winning the Grade 2, $337,800 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/alysheba12.pdf">Alysheba</a> for older horses. Not only was it the fastest time achieved in the nine-year history of the event, but it also bested the previous track-record time of 1:41 1/5 set by Brass Hat in 2007.
Chicagoland racing fans who annually enjoy the Arlington experience may be unfamiliar with the name of jockey Jeffrey Sanchez, but the 26-year-old native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has rapidly made a strong, positive impression among the nation's more discerning horsemen on other major league circuits.
William S. and Graydon Patterson's Juanita kept pace with 2-5 favorite Plum Pretty on the front end of Friday's Grade 2, $327,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/latroienne12.pdf">La Troienne Stakes</a> at Churchill Downs before putting that rival away and just holding for the win as St. John's River came with a game late rally in the final strides. Sent off the 16-1 fifth pick, the Mineshaft filly ran 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:42 4/5 to pay $35.40, $13.20 and $5.
As Saturday's Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas draws near, attention is already turning toward the Epsom Derby Festival on June 1-2.
The Group 1, £376,500 One Thousand Guineas, run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Sunday, has attracted 18 runners. The final field for the first fillies' classic of the season includes the well supported ante-post favorite Maybe, who rounded off an unbeaten juvenile campaign with a smooth victory in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in August. The daughter of Galileo and her stablemate Homecoming Queen, who won the Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial in April, will be bidding to give their trainer Aidan O'Brien a second success in the race after Virginia Waters' runaway victory in 2005.
<p align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="2">MAY 4, 2012</font></b></p> <p>by James Scully</p> <p>Saturday's Kentucky Derby has a pair of top contenders in Bodemeister and Union Rags, but I've never seen a Kentucky Derby field so deep with viable win options. A compelling case can probably be made for half the field.</p> <p>I've identified eight logical win candidates (in alphabetical order) -- Bodemeister, Creative Cause, Dullahan, Gemologist, Hansen, I'll Have Another, Take Charge Indy and Union Rags -- and could've included Alpha and Daddy Nose Best in the mix as well.</p> <p>With such a competitive field, the post position draw was critical and I felt Bodemeister (post 6) and Union Rags (post 4) were hurt by the draw. </p> <b> <p>Bodemeister</b> excelled from post 11 against a soft field in the Arkansas Derby, earning the top last-race BRIS Speed rating (105), but he's an inexperienced colt who was late to develop and probably needed an outside post to have his best c
Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. may be a new name on the Arlington racing program this summer, but she's hardly a new name to racing fans around the nation.
<i> <b><font face="Arial" size="4">KENTUCKY DERBY THEY SAID IT</font></b></i>
Zayat Stables LLC and Michel and Tiffany Moreno's Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Bodemeister galloped 1 1/2 miles Thursday, the morning after drawing post 6 in the 20-horse field.
Few in the crowd on Saturday will feel the emotional weight of the Kentucky Derby quite like the team with a chance to relive the great opportunity that took them to the pinnacle of American racing 12 months ago.
The waiting and anticipation is now almost over with the first classic of England's 2012 Flat turf season, Saturday's Group 1, £376,500 Two Thousand Guineas on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. Final declarations were made Thursday morning, and 18 colts are set to go to post in the famous mile contest.
Get Stormy failed to turn an uncontested lead into a repeat victory in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland three weeks ago, but will have an opportunity to make amends in his title defense of Saturday's Grade 1 $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. The nine-furlong grass test, the traditional race before the Kentucky Derby, highlights a blockbuster Derby Day undercard that includes four other graded stakes.
Sassy Image won numerous battles in the race for champion female sprinter honors in 2011, but ultimately lost the war when Musical Romance was awarded top honors after winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in Sassy Image's absence. The two will square off for a second time in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs over seven furlongs.
The finish of Friday's Grade 2, $300,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/latroienne12">La Troienne</a> could wind up looking a lot like that of the 2011 Kentucky Oaks as Plum Pretty and St. John's River renew acquaintance over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. The La Troienne is the first of six stakes on the Kentucky Oaks Day program.
Winter Memories, whose explosive turn of foot propelled her to four graded stakes wins last season, including the Grade 1 Garden City, makes her four-year-old debut Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/beaugay12">Beaugay</a> at Belmont Park. The gray daughter of El Prado should find the conditions ideal in the 1 1/16-mile grass test as she's undefeated in three attempts over Belmont's two turf courses.
Grace Hall, who exits an impressive 6 1/2-length tally in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, arrived at Churchill Downs late Tuesday morning following a flight from South Florida, where she had been training at Palm Meadows Training Center for a start in Friday's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
A pair of grass stakes for three-year-olds attracted overflow fields on Friday's Kentucky Oaks Day undercard at Churchill Downs. The Grade 2, $200,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/americanturf12">American Turf</a> at 1 1/16 miles, features a wide-open cast of males, while Breeders' Cup heroine Stephanie's Kitten looks to be favored in the $150,000 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/edgewood12">Edgewood</a> for fillies, also at 1 1/16 miles.
Rousing Sermon is expected to be a longshot in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, but his final pre-Derby workout Tuesday pleased Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Alpha visited the track at Churchill Downs for the first time this year on Tuesday morning when he galloped approximately 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Rob Massey.
