Wednesday Morning Notes
– Overshadowed by the upset in Tampa were the results of the San Felipe and Rebel Stakes, both of which delivered a couple serious contenders for the first Saturday in May. At Santa Anita, 7-5 favorite Georgie Boy, trying two turns for the first time, tracked Bob Black Jack and Gayego through tepid fractions before extricating himself from minor traffic and drawing away in the stretch to win by 3/4 of a length. The Kathy Walsh-trained colt came home in :5.77, running the last quarter in :23.56, for a final time of 1:42.35 and a 92 Beyer. Georgie Boy could start next in the Santa Anita Derby or Wood Memorial on April 5.
At Oaklawn, Sierra Sunset flattered Southwest winner Denis of Cork with a professional looking three-length win in the Rebel Stakes. Final time was 1:43.88, good for a 99 Beyer. Sierra Sunset, who’s been training exceptionally well at the track, will start next in the Arkansas Derby. Favored Z Fortune ran flat and finished fifth.
– If Georgie Boy does start in the Wood, it’ll be his first time racing over dirt. That he’s triumphed over four different synthetic surfaces (counting Santa Anita as two this winter), but never tried the organic stuff is a concern, although less so than lingering doubts about stamina. Both sire Tribal Rule (Storm Cat) and dam Ippodamia (Peterhof) won over dirt, but both won sprinting. You have to go back to Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel, sire of Peterhof, to find any distance influence. As easy as he looked on Saturday, his main competition were two other sprinters stretching out, and how he’ll do at nine furlongs and more remains questionable. Of course, Georgie Boy is 4×4 to Northern Dancer — given the vagaries of genes, maybe he’ll turn out to be a throwback to the 1964 Kentucky Derby winner.
– Tribal Rule stands for $5,000 at River Edge Farm, and no surprise, his 2008 book is full. In hopes of getting lucky again, Georgie Boy’s breeder-owner George Schwary has booked Ippodamia for another meeting with the stallion.
– With Robby Albarado committed to riding Country Star in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, Julien Leparoux picks up the mount on Denis of Cork, who could start next in either the Wood Memorial or the Illinois Derby. The latter prep gained a couple more potential starters in Winstar Derby winner Liberty Bull — who ran third to Denis of Cork and Sierra Sunset in the Southwest — and Golden Spikes.
– Their gaffe might not be as professionally embarrassing as Jim Cramer’s recent bad call, but it comes close: Three apprentice jockeys were banned for incompetence after a race at Kempton in which they allowed another horse an uncontested many-lengths lead right into the stretch. Oops.
2 Comments