Determined Dan

Saturday, Churchill Downs 
WOODFORD RESERVE TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $559,100, CDX, 5-3, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47 3/5, fm. 
1–WISE DAN, 124, g, 7, by Wiseman’s Ferry 
     1st Dam: Lisa Danielle, by Wolf Power (SAf) 
     2nd Dam: Askmysecretary, by Secretariat 
     3rd Dam: Laquiola (Fr), by Lyphard 
O/B-Morton Fink (KY); T-Charles LoPresti; J-John R 
Velazquez. $329,310. Lifetime Record: 2x Horse of 
the Year, Ch. Turf Horse, Ch. Older Male, 29-21-2-0, 
$6,802,920. *1/2 to Our Royal Dancer (Roy), SW, 
$195,070; Successful Dan (Successful Appeal), 
MGSW & MGISP, $998,154. Werk Nick Rating: C+. 
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
2–Seek Again, 122, c, 4, Speightstown–Light Jig (GB), 
   by Danehill. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William 
   I Mott. $106,229. 
3–Boisterous, 120, h, 7, Distorted Humor–Emanating, 
   by Cox’s Ridge. ($350,000 HRA ‘13 KEENOV). 
   O-Gary Barber; B-Cynthia Phipps (KY); T-Todd A 
   Pletcher. $53,115. 
Margins: HD, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.50, 7.30, 10.70. 
Also Ran: Kaigun, Admiral Kitten, Guys Reward, Moro Tap, Finnegans Wake, Bright Thought, Skyring. 
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO. 
   It has been a while since two-time reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan was really and truly made to work in victory, but he was forced to call upon every ounce of class and determination to register a head success in defense of his title in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. After concluding a five-for-six campaign in 2012 that ended with his defeat of Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile, Wise Dan won his first five starts of 2013, including repeat victories in Saratoga’s 
   GII Fourstardave H.–under 129 pounds–and a course record-setting performance in the GI Woodbine Mile, but he was derailed by Silver Max (Badge of Silver) and settled for a runner-up effort in the GI Shadwell ‘Turf Mile’ Oct. 5. The 3/4-length winner of his second consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 2, the chestnut got a little more than three months off before gearing up for the GI Maker’s 46 Mile S. Apr. 11 at Keeneland, and he proved 3/4 of a length too tough for a valiant Kaigun (Northern Afleet). California raider Bright Thought (Hat Trick {Jpn}) won the start here and was joined three deep by Skyring (English Channel), as John Velazquez had difficulty getting a headstrong Wise Dan to switch off enough to get cover behind those two early. That finally occurred passing the winning post the first time, and the champion settled in for a couple furlongs, but sensing another potential traffic jam, Velazquez took Wise Dan three wide and into the clear midway up the backstretch. That maneuver allowed Joel Rosario aboard GI Hollywood Derby hero Seek Again to slide up the fence to be just off the heels of the pacesetters from fourth into the far turn. Wise Dan swept three wide at the quarter pole and had Bright Thought when he wanted, but Seek Again and Rosario remained glued to the fence and snuck through underneath the weakening front-runner at the furlong marker. Still about four away from the inside at that point, Velazquez steered Wise Dan down towards Seek Again for a closer look, put his head in front of his rival and willed his way to the victory. “He was pretty tough going a mile-and-an-eighth, but Johnny knows how to get him back,” winning trainer Charlie LoPresti commented. “He wrangled him back, it wasn’t very pretty, but he got him in the spot where he needed to be. If he wouldn’t have done that he would’ve been on the lead and would’ve seen daylight and he might’ve gone a little bit too fast up front. He needed to be tucked in. We thought second or third and that’s where he put him. When I saw the 48 I thought we were in real good shape where he was sitting.” And LoPresti believes his charge is still going in the right dirrection. “The way he has trained and the way he’s done, I would say, at this point in time, he’s better than he was last year,” he offered. “This was a little bit stiffer group of horses. Nothing against the horses last year, but with Point of Entry (Dynaformer) out it was pretty much his race last year.” LoPresti admitted he’d given a thought to the GI Stephen Foster H. for Wise Dan’s next start, but is more inclined to wait for a spot at Saratoga over the summer.