On Saturday
– Rockport Harbor returns from a nine-month layoff in the Essex. “He’s been training very well,” said owner Rick Porter. “He’s gained some weight, and we’ve seen a lot of positive things. All systems are go.”
– This could be the year for California fillies in the Kentucky Oaks, if the Las Virgenes field is anything to go by. Wild Fit, second to Folklore in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will start, as will Dimplomat Lady, upset winner of the Starlet.
– Count Fleet winner Achilles of Troy looks like a lock in the Whirlaway. A very confident owner Ernie Paragallo says the $65,000 stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track will be Achilles’ last easy start. “After this race we’ll go tackling more talented competition.”
Quick Saturday Results
Barbaro remains undefeated. The Michael Matz-trained colt showed he could handle the switch from turf to dirt (or at least, from turf to slop) and deserved to be considered a legitimate Derby prospect, winning the Holy Bull Stakes by three quarters of a length over Nick Zito’s Great Point, who trailed the field in twelfth through the first half and closed impressively in the final yards to finish second. Barbaro stalked Aventura winner Doctor Decherd to the top of the stretch and then pulled away to briefly open up a three-length lead. It was a nice race, with a final time of 1:49.31. The fractions though show the Holy Bull slowing with each quarter, with splits of :23.1, :24.05, and :25.82. The final furlong was run in a weak :13.16. As Andrew Beyer notes in the Washington Post, Barbaro “was only .25 second faster than a fair group of mares who ran an hour earlier.” Given the numbers, the horse that really comes out looking the best in the race isn’t Barbaro, but Great Point. If he’d had a few more yards, the results could well have been reversed.
More: Barbaro earned a Beyer speed figure of 95 for the Holy Bull.
In the Hutcheson, “First Samurai ran faster than the track record for 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Trouble was, Keyed Entry ran faster.” Todd Pletcher’s colt ran faster from the beginning, speeding from the gate to take the lead from favorite First Samurai, who was making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. First Samurai ran about a length behind Keyed Entry for much of the race, and finished one and a half lengths back. At least the colt was capable of staying within striking distance (even if he couldn’t quite mount a strong challenge), unlike the rest of the field, which lagged nine lengths or more back when Keyed Entry and First Samurai hit the stretch.
Wow: Keyed Entry earned a 110 Beyer while setting a track record in the Hutcheson.
Bob and John looked terrific in the Sham Stakes, which was basically another workout for Bob Baffert’s hardworking Derby hopeful. Comfortably stalking the pace-setting Hawkinsville into the stretch, Bob and John easily drew clear to win by four and a half lengths. Disqualified in the Real Quiet last November, the Sham was Bob and John’s first official stakes win. “This will be the last powder puff race he gets,” Baffert said after the Sham. “From here on out, it’s going to be all heavyweights.” The March 4 Santa Catalina may be Bob and John’s next start.
I was wrong about High Limit. Very, very wrong. I said he couldn’t rate, but High Limit has proved that he’s more than capable of sitting off the pace and waiting for the right moment to run. That’s exactly what the four-year-old did in the Strub today, “the finest performance of his career.” Longshot Top This and That finished second, while Giacomo ran in his usual late rallying style to finish third.
Good Races Galore
I’m playing the Saturday races at Gulfstream and Santa Anita for the first time in several weeks and I’m doing it old school, marking up a paper copy of the Daily Racing Form. The Saturday edition of the Form came with an extra, a new glossy insert called “Gulfstream Scene” filled with aspirational ads padded by an ode to Frank Stronach (“The Stronach philosophy has always been to think big … Gulfstream represents Stronach’s greatest gamble, and possibly a model for the future of the sport”), an article in which really rich people express delight with their really nice homes, and another offering south Florida restaurant recommendations. It’s an upscale lifestyle magazine for horseplayers, which is nothing if not an interesting expansion of the Form’s brand …
Anyway, there’s a plethora of good races on Saturday. For older horses, there’s the Donn at Gulfstream and the Strub at Santa Anita. Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo makes his first start in eight months in the Strub, and he’s 6-1 on the morning line. There are plenty of good reasons he’s not the favorite — he’s making his first start in eight months, his speed figures are too low — but there are also plenty of reasons to like him. Giacomo comes into the race a big, strong four-year-old, says trainer John Shirreffs:
“You can see the difference in him now from the start of his three-year-old year. He’s filled out. He’s probably gained 150 pounds and he’s more aggressive now. I’m interested to see what he does in the race on Saturday because he is a little more on the muscle.”
He also has a steady workout tab, and, as the DRF’S Brad Free contends, “The Strub field is weak, and Giacomo is simply the best horse.”
The morning line favorite in the Strub is High Limit, who won the San Pasquale on January 7 going wire-to-wire. All of High Limit’s wins have come that way, and none have come in races longer than 1 1/16 mile. I’ll play against him for that reason alone — the colt hasn’t shown much facility rating and trying to go wire-to-wire for a full nine furlongs isn’t that easy, especially when there are competitors capable of running him down in the final yards, like Giacomo or the interesting shipper Dixie Meister. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt ran second in his last start, the New Orleans Handicap on January 7, and likes to come from well off the pace, as does Bob Baffert’s nonsensically named Hockey the General, who lost the Sir Beufort by a nose in December.
Also on Saturday: It’s a big day for Derby prospects, with the Hutcheson (featuring the three-year-old debut of First Samurai) and the Holy Bull (Barbaro tries to do on the dirt what’s he’s done on the turf) at Gulfstream and the Sham at Santa Anita. Bob and John, who won an allowance on January 20 after finishing third behind Brother Derek and Your Tent or Mine in the Hollywood Futurity in December, is one of six entered in the Sham. In addition to the recent race, the colt worked four furlongs in :47 3/5 on January 30 — he’s certainly fit. The only other starter of real interest is Sacred Light, an improving colt by Holy Bull who won his maiden by disqualification and then ran a big third in his next race off a five month layoff.
Oaklawn Notes
Nearly 22,000 people turned out for Oaklawn’s opening. “A packed apron watched as Swift Trieste edged Silly’s Brother in a photo finish that took several minutes for officials to decipher. When the results were known, a roar rose up from the apron that few tracks hear during a weekday program.”
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Taking advantage of a stretch duel between Catonight and Urban Guy, Celluloid Hero charged to the front along the rail to win Oaklawn’s opening day feature, the Dixieland Stakes. “He’s a pretty nice horse,” trainer Mac Robertson said. “It set up for him. They let him through on the rail. We got a perfect trip.” Tim Ritchey’s Urban Guy finished second, while the John Servis-trained Fidrych came up for third. Servis did better in the day’s fifth race, a maiden special weight, with Jolted and Jostled overcoming a wide trip to win his third career start.
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Menacing, one of Ritchey’s better three-year-olds, ran a disappointing tenth in Saturday’s eighth, a one-mile allowance/optional claiming. The colt dropped steadily back through the stretch after encountering a little traffic trouble while running fourth on the rail at the half.
Dance Daily Stuns Lukas
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, “who looked a little stunned,” won Monday’s Santa Ynez at Santa Anita, just not with the filly he thought he would. Likely 2005 Juvenile Fillies champion Folklore made her three-year-old debut in the race and, coupled with lightly regarded stablemate Dance Daily, went off as the 1-5 favorite. Taking the lead early, Folklore ran a “pedestrian half-mile,” then weakened in the stretch and finished third, three-quarters of a length behind winner Dance Daily and runner-up Talullah Lula. Looking on the bright side, Lukas said, “We kept it in the family … Folklore is already a Grade I winner and she will go on to bigger and better things, so we’re happy to get Dance Daily a graded stakes win.”
Saturday’s Results
Baghdaria refused to back down from a tough French Park in the Silverbulletday Stakes, winning by a nose over the previously undefeated odds-on race favorite. “I really thought we were beat at the furlong pole,” said Baghdaria’s jockey, Cliff Berry, “but she didn’t think so.” French Park was making her first start since the end of November. She may run next in the March 5 Miss Bonnie at Gulfstream.
Elsewhere: Brother Derek wins the San Rafael, Lawyer Ron the Risen Star. Details in Derby Watch.
Saturday Race Results
– From maiden winner to stakes winner and on the Derby Trail for sure: Doctor Decherd wins the Aventura by a nose.
– A fresh High Limit is a winning High Limit: Coming off a three month layoff, the Bobby Frankel-trained four-year-old eked out a victory in the San Pasqual, his first since last year’s Louisiana Derby.
– High Limit’s win was one of five for jockey Pat Valenzuela yesterday. Another was Itty Bitty Pretty’s mild upset over Sabatini in the Santa Ysabel.
– Funny Cide continues to confound: The six-year-old gelding raced near the back throughout the Mr. Prospector Handicap and finished second to last in his first start in seven months. Gaff won the race in a quick 1:08.5.
Weekend Results
Barbaro, “the most interesting little-known horse in the country,” won the Tropical Park Derby at Calder on Sunday by three and three-quarter lengths, bringing his record on the turf to 3-for-3. “He’s obviously a very talented horse,” said trainer Michael Matz, who’s contemplating trying the three-year-old on the dirt next. Matz has been doing well at Calder recently — Barbaro’s win was the fourth for the trainer in as many starts.
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At Santa Anita, Badge of Silver took to the turf in his debut on that surface, winning the San Gabriel Handicap on Sunday. “The race went exactly the way I thought it would,” said trainer Bobby Frankel. “I was a little concerned about the soft going, but he’s a good horse and he’s got a good turn of foot. We’ll probably stay on turf with him.” In Saturday’s La Brea, Pussycat Doll so dominated the field that trainer Bob Baffert headed to the winner’s circle when the filly passed the eighth pole. “I knew it was over…. She ran like she’d been training.”
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Trainer Mark Shuman headed into the Maryland Juvenile on Saturday wildly optimistic about Travelin Leroy’s chances in the race, and the public agreed, betting the two-year-old down to 3-5, but it was the overlooked Vegas Play trained by Grover Delp that won the stakes.
Diplomat Lady Upsets
Trainer Christopher Paasch thought he had something special in Diplomat Lady after the two-year-old filly bounced back from two defeats at Del Mar to win a six-furlong allowance race in 1:09.4 at Hollywood Park last month, earning an 85 Beyer for the performance. On Sunday, he knew for sure that he did when longshot Diplomat Lady broke on top of a crowded Starlet field and won the race by a neck over favorite Balance. Diplomat Lady’s win gave Paasch his first grade one victory. “I feel like jumping out of my skin,” said a very happy Paasch after. The filly was the longest shot to ever win the Starlet, paying $80.
Jockey Tyler Baze professed no surprise at Diplomat Lady’s performance:
“Honestly, I’m not surprised at all. Really,” he insisted. “Nobody thought anything about her, but I knew she had a great chance. The last time I rode her, I never even asked her to run. Then I worked her the seven-eights (1:26 2/5 Dec. 3) and she galloped out the mile really, really nice. I told Christopher Paasch I’d go anywhere to ride this filly, that she is really something special. I felt the favorite coming at the top of the lane, but I just kept riding my filly. She’s got an awfully big heart.”
Runner-up Balance, undefeated going into the Starlet, rated in third for much of the race, until the stretch when she made a very game effort to challenge Diplomat Lady for the lead. Diplomat Lady pulled away and it looked for a second that Balance might try again; she didn’t. The filly was clearly second best yesterday. Third place finisher Sabatini might be one to watch in future races — near the back of the field for most of the race, she made up nearly 13 lengths in the stretch.
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Diplomat Lady wasn’t the only upset winner in Sunday stakes. Banjo Picker, a 47-1 shot, won the Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct.
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Aqueduct’s winter break begins today; racing will resume on December 28 with a stakes race for New York-breds, a Pick 6 carryover, and quite possibly, a bankruptcy filing for NYRA. “How did things go so far?”
Purge Upsets in Cigar
Trainer Todd Pletcher may have struck out in the Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday despite having three of the five starters in the race (which was won by the Richard Dutrow-trained Wonder Lady Anne L), but the loss was more than made up for with wins in the day’s two other stakes. Heavy favorite Bluegrass Cat easily won the Remsen going gate-to-wire. The two-year-old has now won three straight and is Pletcher’s early Kentucky Derby hope. In the Cigar, longshot Purge scored an upset with an impressive come from behind rally in the stretch. It was the last race of the four-year-old’s career, which must be something of shame for his trainer. “I realize more why he did what he did today and why we didn’t do better with him the rest of the year,” Pletcher said. “Last year … I felt he could be as good as any older horse in the country. Things just didn’t jell early in the year.” At least things came together at the end. With a grade one win in his record, Purge is retiring to stud at the Vinery.
At Churchill Downs on Saturday: The unbeaten French Park ran down She Says It Best to win the Golden Rod Stakes. “She worked hard,” said jockey Mark Guidry. “She never gave up, just never gave up.” Private Vow redeemed his disappointing turn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and trainer Steve Asmussen is looking ahead to May. “He won a nice race,” said Asmussen. “He’s 4–for-6, a multiple graded-stakes winner and won a two-turn stakes at Churchill…. Now, without a doubt, you figure out how do you get back here on the first Saturday in May with the most horse possible? That’s definitely our quest.”
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Jessica Chapel writes and edits in Massachusetts. Railbird is a Thoroughbred horse racing blog published from June 2004 to July 2019. More / Contact
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