Hello Broadway beats Imperial Council in a maiden race at Saratoga on Aug. 30, 2008.
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Imperial Council wins at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 14
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Imperial Council a Valentine's Day allowance winner at Gulfstream Park
Photo: Adam Coglianese
Mambo Meister, who has recorded all nine of his lifetime wins at Calder Casino & Race Course, is the one to beat in the $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap (gr. III) Dec. 11 at the South Florida racetrack.
Together Indy rallied under Kent Desormeaux to win the seven-furlong Commonwealth Stakes (gr. II) by a length at Keeneland April 10, capturing his first graded race in his synthetic track debut for trainer George Weaver.
Trainer Michael Trombetta aims for a repeat victory April 10 in Keeneland's Commonwealth Stakes (gr. II) with a pair of entrants in the $250,000 event, Congressional Page and Not for Silver.
West Point Thoroughbreds and partners' Mr. Fantasy and Sequoia Racing's Imperial Council will each try to become the first 3-year-old to win the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) since Honour and Glory did it back in 1996, but will have to conquer a full field of older horses on May 25 at Belmont Park to make it happen.
Kiaran McLaughlin has been saying for several weeks that Charitable Man is one of the most talented 3-year-olds in the country and he only needed some more seasoning to show it. On May 9 in the $200,000 Peter Pan (gr. II), the son of Lemon Drop Kid backed up his trainer's words, taking over at the top of the lane and powering to a 3 3/4-length score under Alan Garcia.
The lone graded stakes winner in the field, Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren's Charitable Man will continue on his comeback trail when lining up for the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) May 9 at Belmont Park.
Despite missing the break, then being caught in traffic at the top of the lane, I Want Revenge split horses in mid-stretch and went on to win the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) in remarkable fashion April 4 at Aqueduct.
Featuring previews of the Santa Anita Derby (including words from Bob Baffert and Julio Canani), Wood Memorial, and Illinois Derby, and recaps of the Florida Derby and the UAE Derby. Plus, updates on Charitable Man and Dunkirk.
Saturday's big three Kentucky Derby preps should be pretty formful, with one or two standouts in each race. But, there's a lot more to these races than who is going to win. While they are all prestigious events, let's not forget the fact that they are indeed preps.
Triple Crown Talk blog, with host Jason Shandler, analyzes the Wood Memorial, and the Santa Anita and Illinois Derbies. Plus, join Jason and Dick Downey from the TheDowneyProfile.com for a live chat at noon Eastern on April 4.
Jason, Suzanne, and the Wizard analyze the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and the Santa Anita Derby. Watch Video
A field of eight was drawn for the 1 1/8-mile main track test, which is the final Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands prep for 3-year-olds in New York.
The top three finishers from the Gotham Stakes (gr. III), headed by runaway winner I Want Revenge, are among the probable starters for the 85th running of the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct on April 4.
March means many things to owners and trainers of horses on the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trail. There's the nail-biting, the sleepless nights, and the early morning phone calls that every owner dreads. And for many it sadly means the end of the road.
Shipping in from California and making his first start on natural dirt, I Want Revenge put away Mr. Fantasy at the top of the stretch and scored by 8 1/2 convincing lengths in the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) March 7 at Aqueduct.
Triple Crown Talk blog, with host Jason Shandler, offers Gotham Analysis and Selections.
Looking at the Thoro-Graph numbers for Saturday's Gotham, there is one horse whose numbers stand out far above the others. That's not to say someone won't make a big move forward and he won't regress, but for speed purposes right now he stands alone, and is "the most likely winner," according to Thoro-Graph's Jerry Brown.
On paper, the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) has turned out to be one of the most intriguing and highly-anticipated prep races of the season, as a number of promising 3-year-olds will attempt to answer questions about their ability to go on to the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I), and possibly the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
March means horses shuttling all over looking for graded earnings and moving forward on the Kentucky Derby trail. One of the more interesting 3-year-olds is Imperial Council, who will head up to New York for the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) March 7, which promises to be a bang-up race.
Although there was nothing over the weekend to knock your proverbial socks off, there were a few races that could steer you toward a horse or two as potential Derby material. With the Southwest Stakes having just been run, we'll briefly discuss the race and go over it in more detail next week.
Few maiden winners have garnered the kind of respect Imperial Council has, and the Shug McGaughey-trained 3-year-old will attempt to justify his high regard as a potential Kentucky Derby horse when he makes his long-awaited debut in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Because the Top 30 list took up a great deal of Monday's column, we'll go double duty this week and catch up on some updates and ramblings and look at the Risen Star Stakes.
With the first Derby Dozen list scheduled for early February, this is a good time to make up a Top 10 list of horses who haven't accomplished enough just yet to make the official list, but who have a good chance of making it in the near future.
It looks as though the upcoming crop of Derby contenders will be the most stamina-laden in years, with powerful pedigrees, especially on the female side, in abundance.
Yes, it is early to start thinking about Kentucky Derby future bets, but this is the time of year when you can find the megabombs if you're willing to put your money on a wing and a prayer.
| Trainer | Claude R. McGaughey III |
|---|---|
| Jockey | Rajiv Maragh |
| Owner | Sequoia Racing |
| Breeder | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. |
| Imperial Council View Five-Cross Pedigree | Empire Maker | Unbridled |
| Toussaud | ||
| Jaramar Rain | Thunder Gulch | |
| Jaramar Miss |
| Sale / Hip | Type | Buyer | Consignor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEESEP2007 Hip 664 |
Yearling | RBTS, agent for Sequoia Racing | Lane's End, agent | $130,000 |
| Dortmund |
| Upstart |
| American Pharoah |
| Texas Red |
| Far Right |
| International Star |
| Itsaknockout |
| Rachel Alexandra |
| Far From Over |
| California Chrome |
