Kentucky Derby
Charlatan (Speightstown) would've likely gone favored in most Santa Anita maiden special weights if not for the presence Sunday of Lane Way (Into Mischief)--who was third behind Charlatan's 'TDN Rising Star' and GII San Vicente S.-winning stablemate Nadal (Blame) here last month--and he made 6-5 look like a particular bargain after zipping away in dominant fashion to get the 'Rising Star' nod himself. Seizing the lead without having to work particularly hard for it, the chestnut bowled along through splits of :21.89 and :44.72. He looked like a lock entering...
The Week in Review, by T.D. Thornton When you think of the Fair Grounds and its series of GI Kentucky Derby preps, it's easy to conjure up images of stamina-centric closers who can stay all day. The track's imposing 1,346-foot home stretch--for decades billed as the longest in North America, until the reconfigured Los Alamitos surpassed it by 34 feet in 2014--is the primary reason. The other, which is new this year, is the elongated change in distance for the three races in the Fair Grounds' January-March prep series. Most...
Gold Street (Street Boss) will carry a three-race winning streak into Monday's $750,000 GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. The bay has been perfect since earning his diploma by seven lengths at fourth asking at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. He captured the Sugar Bowl S. in his stakes debut at Fair Grounds Dec. 21, then stretched to two turns for the first time for a front-running score with a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in this track's Smarty Jones S. Jan. 24. All three of his victories have come over...
Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Saturday's Results - Scabbard was sixth and Mailman Money was fourth in their respective divisions of the Risen Star. Ajourneytofreedom was seventh at Golden Gate. Bankroll: $1195. GIII Southwest S. - I really wanted to go...
Twelve months ago in the GII Risen Star S., the Bill Mott barn was represented by Country House (Lookin At Lucky), who was having his fourth career run and was exiting a maiden-breaking victory going two turns for the first time. Seeking to improve on that now-retired runner's second-place effort a year ago, Modernist (Uncle Mo) argued the pace from the inside and fought his way to a 12-1 upset over Major Fed (Ghostzapper). Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who battled up front with Modernist clung on for third, while even-money...
Sent off a generous 7-1, Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) secured an easy lead, set incredibly steady fractions up front and pulled away late to easily defeat GIII Lecomte S. hero Enforceable (Tapit) in the first of two divisions of the GII Risen Star S. Saturday afternoon at the Fair Grounds. Silver State (Hard Spun), who completed the exacta behind Enforceable last time, rounded out the trifecta. Drawn gate nine and looking to improve on his useful third-place effort in the Lecomte, Mr. Monomoy hit the ground running and dropped down...
MONEY MOVES (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Citizen Advocate, by Proud Citizen), a $975,000 OBS April purchase last year after a :10 flat breeze, figured things out late in his Saturday unveiling to begin repaying his owners' investment. Slowly away, he advanced some down the backside and on the turn but still had his work cut out for him as longshot Sagamore Mischief (Into Mischief) headed for home well in front. Money Moves found his stride down the center of the muddy stretch, however, and inhaled the pacesetter to score by...
The 2019 GI Kentucky Derby winner Country House (Lookin At Lucky--Quake Lake, by War Chant) has been retired following a bout with laminitis, according to a statement put out by the Country House ownership group Friday evening. The 4-year-old, campaigned by Mrs. Joseph Shields Jr., E.J.M. McFadden Jr. and LNJ Foxwoods, was promoted to first in the Derby after the disqualification of champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day), retires with two wins in seven starts and earnings of $2,120,175. Stud plans are forthcoming. "On June 27, Country House was sent...
6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $20,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-14, 3yo, 1m 40y, 1:38.88, ft. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS (c, 3, Constitution--Addison Run {SP}, by Unbridled's Song) had to overcome a few tense moments, but ultimately kicked off his sophomore season successfully Friday afternoon at Tampa. A nine-length debut winner sprinting in the Saratoga slop Sept. 2, the grey was second as the favorite behind a dominant performance from Maxfield (Street Sense) and ahead of last month's GIII Lecomte S. winner Enforceable (Tapit). His connections opted to skip a trip to the Breeders'...
Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week - Ajaaweed was far back early and finished third in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa. Bankroll: $1195. GII Risen Star S. (1st Div) - At 12-1, I'm willing to give Scabbard...
The Turf has no other odyssey quite like the one that ends at Churchill Downs. Where the Epsom original becomes ever less diverse, thanks to an inundation of two-bit speed in the European gene pool, the Kentucky Derby remains a faithful index of the grandeur and variegation of America's cultural self-image. From coast to coast, the thousands of potential winners who grazed their first spring pasture three years ago are now being winnowed down, trial by trial, to the 20 who finally share that momentous walk from the backside on...
Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) wasn't an expensive yearling, but he announced his Classic aspirations impressively last weekend in an early Gl Kentucky Derby prep. He won the 1 1/16-mile Glll Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, but sold for only $6,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. He was resold by New Hope AB LLC for $20,000 at the OBS April sale as a 2-year-old to trainer Patrick Biancone, who knows a quality staying pedigree when he sees one. Of course, Biancone trained the great All...