Down the Shedrow with Doug O'Neill

Trainer Doug O'Neill had a sensational 2015 season courtesy of a string of talented 2 year olds led by undefeated champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo), who captured the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in addition to two other Grade Is. The Michigan native won a total of six graded events for juveniles last term, five of which were at the highest level including one at Saratoga.

With two strong GI Kentucky Oaks contenders and as many as four possible GI Kentucky Derby starters, O'Neill marches towards the first weekend in May with a strong hand. The 47-year-old conditioner has already had his Derby dreams come true once before in 2012 courtesy of Reddam Racing's champion I'll Have Another (Flower Alley), who went on to win the GI Preakness S. before being scratched late from the GI Belmont S. due to an injury which led to his retirement. This year it is another Reddam Racing champion, Nyquist, who appears to be O'Neill's strongest chance to take home the roses yet again

NYQUIST (c, 3, Uncle Mo)

Reddam Racing's Nyquist was a perfect five-for-five last term with wins in the GII Best Pal S., GI Del Mar Futurity, GI FrontRunner S. and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (video) to easily clinch the Eclipse for top juvenile male. The bay kicked off his sophomore campaign with an impressive victory in the seven-panel GII San Vicente S. Feb. 15 and ships to Gulfstream later this month to take on the undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit) in the GI Florida Derby Apr. 2.

“I felt really good about his win last time out. It was a great comeback race and he came out of it super. He actually worked [Thursday] morning. He went great. He went five furlongs in 1:01.40 and finished up strong and galloped out good. I am very happy with Nyquist.”

“[The Florida Derby] is going to be exciting. Mohaymen is the Derby favorite and he's done nothing but be impressive. We are excited to go down there and compete with him and see what happens.”

GOMO (f, 3, Uncle Mo)

J. Paul Reddam's operation also had a Grade I winner of the fairer sex last term in Gomo, who won Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 2 (video). Withdrawn from Breeders' Cup contention due to a bone chip shortly thereafter, the bay returned to the worktab just last month, most recently breezing five furlongs in 1:01.80 Mar. 4.

“Gomo is back working and she's doing well. We have the [GI] Santa Anita Oaks [Apr. 9] as a possibility for Gomo. If she is doing well enough to warrant a start in the Santa Anita Oaks, we will have to run good enough there to think [GI] Kentucky Oaks, but that is the tentative game plan.”

“[Facing fellow Santa Anita Oaks contender Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro)] is never good! Songbird is just so good. She is by far the best filly that we have seen. I know there are a couple of other good ones back East, but she is just a very special filly. We know going into it that if you are competing with her you are going up against a monster.”

LAND OVER SEA (f, 3, Bellamy Road)

Land Over Sea has spent the entirety of her young career chasing undefeated champion Songbird, finishing third to that rival in last term's GI Del Mar Debutante S. and second in the GI Chandelier S. Off the board behind a sensational performance from the Eclipse winner in the Breeders' Cup, the Reddam runner kicked off her sophomore campaign with a pair of runner-up efforts behind the “TDN Rising Star” in the GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6 and the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 5.

“I thought Land Over Sea ran super [in the Santa Ysabel]. I was really proud of her. She ran really well and came out of it in great shape. She tries really hard every time and we are looking to get away from Songbird next time. Land Over Sea is going to either the [GII] Fair Ground Oaks [Mar. 26] or the [GI Central Bank] Ashland [S. Apr. 9] for her next start.”

RALIS (c, 3, Square Eddie)

Reddam Racing also has a talented homebred sophomore in last term's GI Hopeful S. upsetter Ralis (video). The bay followed that breakthrough victory with a pair of sub par efforts, finishing sixth in the GI Champagne S. Oct. 3 and last of 14 in the Breeders' Cup. The Cal-bred colt worked five panels Thursday morning at Santa Anita in 1:02.20 in preparation for a start in the Mar. 19 GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park.

“Ralis worked [Thursday]. He worked great and he is going to the Rebel. It is a tough spot to come back to, but we think he is a top 3-year-old, so we are going to see how we perform in the Rebel and adjust from there. Hopefully he runs huge there and we are on to the big dance.”

“He was just a tired horse [after the Breeders' Cup]. In hindsite, the Hopeful took more out of him then he let on and I think you can see that from his next two efforts, which were really sub-par. We just intentionally gave him some time off to freshen him up and he has come back to work really well. We are hoping to see the Hopeful this time in Ralis and I think we will.”

DONWORTH (c, 4, Tiznow)

Second in last term's GIII Coolmore Lexington S., “TDN Rising Star” Donworth romped by 11 lengths in his final start for Regis Racing and trainer Graham Motion in Delaware's Stanton S. June 20. Sold as part of the Regis dispersal at the Keeneland November sale, the bay was picked up by Reddam Racing for $550,000 and transferred to O'Neill. He had his first start for these connections in Santa Anita's GII San Antonio S. Feb. 6, finishing third behind 2014 GI Clark H. winner Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), and he is scheduled to make his next start in Saturday's GI Santa Anita H., where he will face off with last term's Clark hero Effinex (Mineshaft).

“Donworth is doing super. He is doing really well. He came out of the San Antonio in great shape. He has had a couple of good maintenance works. He looks like he is going to run a big race on Saturday so we are very happy with him.”

FRANK CONVERSATION (c, 3, Quality Road)

The Reddam operation will also be represented during Dubai Gold Cup weekend in the form of G2 UAE Derby contender Frank Conversation. The bay heads to Meydan off a pair of victories over the Golden Gate synthetic in the Califoria Derby Jan. 16 and the GIII El Camino Real Derby Feb. 13 (video). He worked five furlongs Thursday in 1:02.20 at Santa Anita.

“He is doing super. He worked [Thursday] and did great. We are really excited about the UAE Derby with him. He ships out Sunday.”

“[Undefeated “TDN Rising Star” and UAE Derby contender] Polar River (Congrats) is kind of the Songbird over there. She is the real deal and we have a long way to ship and all that stuff, but Frank continues to train well and he is coming off two really solid races. I am eager to see how he fares there in California Chrome country.”

DENMAN'S CALL (g, 3, Northern Afleet)

Owned by Gilman Racing, Westside Rentals.com and W.C. Racing, Denman's Call was a convincing debut winner in Arcadia Jan. 9 and finished third behind his champion stablemate and MGSW Exaggerator (Curlin) in the San Vicente last time. The chestnut gelding is entered in Friday's San Pedro S. at Santa Anita.

“Denman's Call is doing super. He ran so good in the San Vicente and he came out of it great. We are really excited about the [San Pedro S.]. It's a short field, but it is full of quality, so he is going to have to run his race to be competitive and he is showing us he will.”

FOUND MONEY (c, 3, Square Eddie)

Reddam homebred Found Money, winner of the Santa Anita Juvenile S. last term, finished off his 2-year-old season with a victory in the King Glorious S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 12. Starting off this term with a fourth in the GIII Sham S. Jan. 9, the chestnut covered five furlongs in 1:03.40 Thursday morning.

“Found Money worked [Thursday]. He worked well. He is going to run in the new race [the Sunland Park Festival of Racing S. Mar. 20] at Sunland Park that used to be the [GIII] Sunland Park Derby. He is ready for that.”

SORRYABOUTNOTHING (c, 3, Repent)

A second-out graduate at Del Mar Nov. 15, Sorryaboutnothing finished a well-beaten seventh to Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19. The Fog City Stable, RAP Racing, ERJ Racing and Dave Kenney runner was last seen finishing eighth in the Sham.

“Sorryaboutnothing is entered for Sunday in a little stakes race on the grass. I am hoping the race fills. I am hoping changing surfaces with him will bring the a.m. to the p.m. He continues to work well. His maiden win race was very impressive and I think he's got a lot of talent.”

SHARLA RAE (f, 4, Afleet Alex)

Owned by Brous Stable, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, Sharla Rae added another Grade I to O'Neill's 2015 resume when posting a mild upset in the GI Del Mar Oaks (video) last August. The bay was never quite the same after that, finishing fifth in the GI Rodeo Drive S. and 10th in both the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf Oct. 31 and GI Hollywood Derby Nov. 28. She also just recently returned to the worktab, covering three furlongs in :38 flat in Arcadia Mar. 4.

“We gave her 45 days off after the Hollywood Derby. She's worked once or twice, but she is still a ways off from running. I am hoping to have a really great second half of the year with Sharla Rae.”

IMPERIOUS ONE (IRE) (c, 3, Royal Applause {GB})

Keh, Haymes, Sterling Stables, Vaccaro, Cahill, Little and King Arthur Farms' Imperious One made his first four starts in Europe before being transferred to O'Neill. Off the board in his U.S. debut in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. Nov. 29, the bay finished second in the Eddie Logan S. Dec. 31 and returned to win an Arcadia optional claimer Jan. 24.

“We gave him a little fresher. He is on the farm for 60 days. He got a little body sore on us so we sent him out to the farm for a little breather. We are very excited for the second half of the year with him. He is a special 3-year-old turf horse and it is frustrating because we want to see him run right now, but he has already shown how much talent he has got so we are going to do right by him and give him a little vacation.”

DOUBLE ESPRESSO (IRE) (f, 3, Mastercraftsman {Ire})

Double Espresso made two starts in Europe for the Bromheads, finishing fourth on debut at Dundalk Nov. 13 and second in her final start there Dec. 4. The bay breezed a half-mile in :48.60 at Santa Anita Mar. 5.

“We are probably about a month or so from getting her to her U.S. debut. She is a really nice filly and looks the part. Her connections have been really adamant with me to just be patient, so we are. We are looking at probably an early April start date with her.”

BODHISATTVA (c, 4, Student Council)

Previously trained by Jose Corrales, who owned the colt in partnership with Pan Am Racing Stable, Bodhisattva is a new addition to the O'Neill stable. Privately purchased by O'Neill himself, the Cal-bred captured the Federico Tesio S. last term, but finished off the board in three subsequent stakes tries, including the GI Preakness S. The chestnut made his first start for this barn last Saturday, finishing a late-running fifth in an Arcadia allowance.

“He ran a really good race the other day. He ran a fast closing fifth and came out of it well. We will look for a similar race for him in a month or so. He is a cool horse. He is a Cal-bred and I know the the previous connections so I made a deal to purchase him and bring him out to California. We are happy with his first start for us.”