In a span of less than one hour, three major stakes races, acting as stepping stones to the 149th Kentucky Derby (G1), gave fans everything they could want as far as more top three-year-olds to cheer for in the world’s most famous race.

  • Trainer TODD PLETCHER, already with Florida Derby (G1) winner FORTE in the barn, watched TAPIT TRICE win a stirring renewal of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
  • LORD MILES and jockey Paco Lopez tilted the odds board with a gritty win at 59-to-1 in the Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct.
  • And how about Woodbine’s leading jockey KAZUSHI KIMURA, who had Japanese colt MANDARIN HERO in a photo finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), missing by a head to California hotshot PRACTICAL MOVE?
  • Mandarin Hero, the first horse to come from Japan to compete in the Santa Anita Derby, needs a bit of help to get into the Derby field as he sits 24th in points. See the updated points standings below.

A brief summary of each of the three big races on April 8:

TOYOTA BLUE GRASS (G1)

TAPIT TRICE, notorious for being sluggish out of the gate, was once again not quick to begin the 1 1/8 mile Blue Grass and jockey Luis Saez had to hurry him up to the first turn. The colt then ran out of room and had to cool his heels a bit before Saez could get him out in the clear. Tapit Trice, when moved up very wide down the backstretch, awaited his cue from his rider and powered to join the Brad Cox-trained VERIFYING (Justify) and he slowly edged past for the victory in 1:50, good for a 99 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

“He didn’t jump well, but then he gained a little momentum,” said Pletcher. “It got a little hairy going into the first turn, but when he was able to secure that spot (jockey) Luis (Saez) was able to take him out in the clear down the backside. That was the position we hoped to get into, and once he got into that stride I thought we were in good shape. Yeah (slow out of the gate), that’s him. We’re not going to make him into a quick horse. The distances, as they stretch out, we always felt like would make him better. I think (the 1¼ miles of the Kentucky Derby-G1 Presented by Woodford Reserve) is right in his wheelhouse.”

Tapit Trice is owned by Whisper Hill Farm of Mandy Pope and Gainesway Stable. He is the second foal of three-time stakes winner Danzatrice, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and champion filly Jaywalk.

Verifying, a $775,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Rebel Stakes behind Confidence Game when he chased a hot pace and tired.

SANTA ANITA DERBY (G1)

Odds-on choice Practical Move (Practical Joke – Ack Naughty by Afleet Alex)  has now won three straight graded stakes races, starting with the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December. He won the San Felipe (G2) with ease and looked like he was on his way to another big win heading to the far turn of the 1 1/8 mile Santa Anita Derby. Riding the rail under jockey Ramon Vasquez, Practical Move coasted along with his rider sitting up high in the saddle and moved to the lead around the turn with a host of rivals to his outside. Coming up along the rail was Mandarin Hero, who then switched out in the stretch under Kimura and chased the favourite hard to the wire. Practical Move, trained by Tim Yakteen, held on by inches in 1:48.69. The top two colts earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Practical Move is owned by Leslie and Pierre Amestory and Roger Beasley, The colt was bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners in Kentucky and was a $230,000 Ocala April two-year-old purchase. The colt’s dam Ack Naughty was a four-time winner of $300,000 and stakes placed. Her dam, winner Dash for Money, was bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs.

Mandarin Hero, by Shanghai Bobby out of Namura Nadeshiko by Fuji Kiseki (a son of Sunday Silence), has won four of six races.

WOOD MEMORIAL (G1)

A competitive field of 12 was assembled for the 1 1/8 mile Wood, which has struggled to produce a major Derby contender in recent years. Favoured HIT SHOW (Candy Ride (Arg))  had post 12 for Gary and Mary West and trainer Brad Cox and predictably had a wide trip behind a modest early pace. The scramble was on into the stretch as Dreamlike, a Todd Pletcher-trained maiden, grabbed a short lead with Lord Miles, trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. close by, Hit Show rallying and pacesetter Arctic Arrogance hanging tough. To the wire, four horses were separated by half a length and it was Lord Miles, a son of Curlin from the unraced mare Lady Esme, by Majestic Warrior, who had won for owner and breeder Peter Vegso.

Lord Miles, a debut inner at 6 furlongs at Gulfstream, was third in the Mucho Macho Man Stajes and then sixth and fifth in the Holy Bull and Tampa Bay Derby, respectively. In the latter he was more than five lengths behind Tapit Trice.

Peter Vegso also bred Lady Esme and 2nd dam Come a Callin, who produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caledonia Road.

Lord Miles paid $120 to win and his time of 1:51.17 was good for a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Here are the Derby points standings:

Rank Horse Points Owner(s) Trainer Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Forte 190 Repole Stable (Mike Repole) & St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola) Todd Pletcher $2,359,730
2. Practical Move 160 Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy & Roger K. Beasley Tim Yakteen $822,000
3. Angel of Empire 154 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh) Brad Cox $1,026,375
4. Tapit Trice 150 Whisper Hill Farm (Amanda Pope) & Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck) Todd Pletcher $783,500
5. Two Phil’s 123 Patricia’s Hope LLC (Vince Foglia) & Phillip Sagan Larry Rivelli $643,850

6. Lord Miles 105 Vegso Racing Stable Saffie Joseph Jr. $427,100
7. Derma Sotogake (JPN) 100 Hiroyuki Asanuma Hidetaka Otonashi $1,112,319
8. Kingsbarns 100 Spendthrift Farm LLC (Eric P. Gustavason) Todd Pletcher $600,000
9. Raise Cain 64 Andrew N. Warren & Rania Warren Ben Colebrook $232,500
10. Rocket Can 60 Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc. Bill Mott $284,025

11. Hit Show 60 Gary & Mary West Brad Cox $277,500
12. Confidence Game 57 Don’t Tell My Wife Stables (Kirk Godby) Keith Desormeaux $610,480
13. Verifying 54 Jonathan Poulin, Westerberg Limited (Michael Kussner), Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith & Michael B. Tabor
Brad Cox $369,750
14. Sun Thunder 54 R.T Racing Stable (Ramon Tallaj) & Cypress Creek Equine (Kevin Moody) Kenny McPeek $181,500
15. $-Wild On Ice 50 Frank Sumpter Joel Marr $366,400

16. Mage 50 OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC & CMNWLTH Gustavo Delgado $205,200
17. Blazing Sevens 46 Rodeo Creek Racing LLC (John Capek) Chad Brown $507,500
18. Reincarnate 45 SF Racing LLC (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf), Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin & Jason Monteleone),     Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke), Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC (W. Gregg Slager) &   Catherine Donovan Tim Yakteen $263,250
19. Jace’s Road 45 West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley) & Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh) Brad Cox $200,350
20. Continuar (JPN) Japan RTKD Invite Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd. Yoshito Yahagi $289,954

Note: UAE Derby third Continuar (JPN) has been extended an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby for accruing 40 points in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series. It appears unlikely that Brave Emperor (IRE) will accept the European Road to the Kentucky Derby invitation.

On the bubble:
21. Skinner 45 C R K Stable LLC (Lee & Susan Searing) John Shirreffs $174,500
22. Cyclone Mischief 45 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loustch) &
Castleton Lyons Dale Romans $137,525
— Dura Erede (JPN) 40 Three H Racing Co. Ltd. Manabu Ikezoe $774,897
23. Major Dude 40 Spendthrift Farm LLC (Eric P. Gustavason) Todd Pletcher $401,595
24. Mandarin Hero (JPN) 40 Hiroaki Arai Terunobu Fujita $339,041

 

 

Tags: 149th Kentucky Derby, Kazushi Kimura, Lord Miles, Mandarin Hero, Practical Move, Tapit Trice,

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