Recapping the results and notes from racing yesterday – 10 hours of action.. below is also the live blogging section from yesterday morning..
VICAR’S IN TROUBLE had no trouble leading all the way on a drying out (dried out) Fair Grounds dirt strip that certainly favoured his style. He was ridden by Rose Napravnik who also won the Fair Grounds Oaks on UNTAPABLE. FAIR GROUNDS PHOTO – Hodges Photgraphy
LOUISIANA DERBY – 97 BEYER FOR VICAR’S IN TROUBLE
Little itty bitty VICAR’S IN TROUBLE, owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s , so impressive winning the Grade III Lecomte Stakes here by 6 ¾-lengths Jan. 18 but compromised by an unfavorable outside post in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes Feb. 22 when he finished third, returned to his winning ways with 3 ½-length front-running victory in Saturday’s $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots with Fair Grounds’ soon-to-be four-time defending jockey champion Rosie Napravnik aboard.
With his impressive Saturday score that puts him once again in the national spotlight in this spring’s Kentucky Derby picture, the Mike Maker-trained Vicar’s in Trouble became the first Louisiana-bred to win the Louisiana Derby since the Timphony family’s Heaven Again accomplished the same feat in 1990. The win earned Vicar’s in Trouble 100 points and a position in the Kentucky Derby starting gate at Churchill Downs five weeks from now on May 3.
After establishing early fractions of :23.56 and :47.86, Napravnik kept the small but compactly-built son of Into Mischief going with good handling and the eventual winning result was never seriously in doubt. Vicar’s in Trouble accomplished the nine-furlongs in 1:50.77, returning mutuels of $8.60, $4.40 and $3 and increased his lifetime earnings to $788,900 with three wins from five trips to the post.
“You know he’s a tiny horse but he’s got a great big heart,” said Napravnik.
PEDIGREE REFRESHER – VICAR’S IN TROUBLE is from the Canadian-bred mare VIBRANT (Vicar – Ms Paragon), bred by Beclawat Stable. Ms Paragon is another Beclawat mare, a daughter of Tank’s Prospect out of Jabot.
CONSTITUTION – 99 BEYER IN FLORIDA DERBY
A $400,000 yearling purchase, the Tapit 3yo CONSTITUTION is a fighter just like WILDCAT RED (yellow bridle). They battled to the wire in the Florida Derby – photo from GULFSTREAM MEDIA – Kenny Martin
WinStar Farms’ unbeaten CONSTITUTION out-battled the very tough WILDCAT RED and won the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby on Saturday. The Florida Derby has produced the winners of 57 Triple Crown events. Gulfstream Park’s signature race also provides one last opportunity for inexperienced 3-year-olds to prove that they belong in the Triple Crown.
Making only his third lifetime start and his stake debut in the Grade 1 Triple Crown prep, Constitution showed he belonged with the big colts Saturday at Gulfstream, emerging from a furious stretch battle with multiple graded-stakes winner Wildcat Red with the hard-fought victory by the margin of a neck.
“I’m very, very proud of him. It’s a testament to the quality of horse he is – to go from a maiden to an allowance to a Grade 1 and to show a different running style and get some dirt in his face and put in an effort like that against much more seasoned horses,” said Todd Pletcher, the defending 10-time training champion at Gulfstream. “It was a huge effort.”
The Florida Derby offered 170 qualifying points for the first leg of the Triple Crown, with 100 points for the win, 40 for place, 20 for show and 10 for fourth.
The victory in the 63rd Florida Derby automatically qualified Constitution for a spot in the starting gate on May 3.In addition to getting the better of Wildcat Red, the winner of the $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (G2) and the $200,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G3) at the current Champions Meet, Constitution prevailed over such experienced stakes performers as Gulfstream Park Derby winner General a Rod and 6-5 favorite Cairo Prince. Cairo Prince, who hadn’t run since capturing the $400,000 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream on Jan. 25, sat off the early pace and could not get closer than fourth behind Constitution, Wildcat Red and General a Rod.
“He got out to make his move at the 3/8-pole like we thought and he flattened out. Maybe the nine weeks (off) was telling on him; maybe the inside was better; it’s hard to say, but we’ll regroup and move on to May 3,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, referring to the first leg of the Triple Crown.Wildcat Red, who had already earned his way into the Triple Crown in the Fountain of Youth, will join Constitution and possibly Cairo Prince.
“We lost the rail at one point and Castellano was smart enough to take the rail at the top of the stretch, and that was it,” said Wildcat Red’s trainer Jose Garoffalo. “We were very happy with the race. If the horse comes back in good shape, we are going to go to Louisville.”
Constitution, who will try to become the first horse since Apollo (1882) to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown after going unraced as a 2-year-old, was equal to the challenge of taking on more seasoned colts Saturday. Outsprinted by Wildcat Red and General a Rod heading into the first turn, Constitution was tucked on the inside behind the early pace setters by jockey Javier Castellano. Wildcat Red showed the way along the backstretch through fractions of :24.01 and :48.19 for the first half, tracked by General a Rod to his outside and tailed by Constitution right behind him.
Wildcat Red continued to show the way under John Velazquez around the far turn as Joel Rosario urged on General a Rod and Luis Saez put Cairo Prince into a drive turning for home. Wildcat Red showed the way into the stretch while drifting out a bit, leaving room for Constitution and jockey Javier Castellano, setting up a stretch battle that generated a trackside roar from the fans. In the end, it would be Constitution emerging with a victory over the tenacious Wildcat Red, giving his trainer his fourth win on the afternoon and his jockey his fifth victory on the card.
“It didn’t unfold exactly like we had planned. We were thinking we’d be in the same stalking position that General a Rod was in. When that didn’t happen, Javier called an audible and tucked into a good spot. He felt there might be a good opportunity to slip inside Wildcat Red at some point. He was able to cut the corner and get through there,” Pletcher said. “You know when he gets in a battle with Wildcat Red it’s going to be a battle. It gives you confidence moving forward, knowing he got some education and got some dirt in his face.”
Constitution, a son of Tapit from the 1-time winner Baffled, by Distorted Humor, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.16 to earn $600,000 for the partnership of WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables.
ALL THINGS DUBAI
AFRICAN STORY, by Pivotal, wins the Dubai World Cup. A 7yo gelding owned by Godolphin, the Saeed Bin Suroor trained fellow was 5th in this race last year. VANESSA NG PHOTO/WWW.HORSE-RACES.NET
2:08 – DUBAI WORLD CUP #19 is won by……..AFRICAN STORY – Godolphin 1-2-3 – WINNER was a bust last year in this race 5th beaten 7 by Animal Kingdom and e was 2nd and 6th behind Prince Bishop this year in 2 races. No matter, the pace here was on the soft side and he simply tracks on the rail and then edged past the pacesetter, his mate Mukhadram to win. Winning rider Silverstre De Sousa stood up before the wire as these riders tend to do. AFRICAN STORY is a 7yo gelding by Pivotal out of Blixen by Gone West. He is 7 for 18 in his career – had won $1.4 million before this payday.
From post 13 Mukhadram shot to the lead, very rank, wildly clear of the field to the backside…Ron the greek, wide and tracked in 4th, African Story chased in the stretch and then bid to the lead…..
16 horses moving into the gate for the $10 million DUBAI WORLD CUP – HILLSTAR is my pick.
5 MINUTES TO THE WORLD CUP – #19
1:50 – Hong Kong horse MILITARY ATTACK is 4 to 1 fave in World Cup – would be 3rd win for the jock Moreira, 2nd for trainer Moore. Military Attack is Group 1 winner on grass , never been on the synthetic…
1:46 DAILY RACING FORM reporting that MARS dies of a heart attack during the Sheema Classic – 4yo Galileo colt had not done much in 2 races this year, 7th both times. Had won 1 of 8 starts.
1:30 – sidenote again – if SLUMBER does not win the Pan Am at Gulfstream today I won’t believe it!
1:27 GENTILDONNA, with the win gets close to being ALL-TIME MONEY WINNING THOROUGHBRED – has to beat T.M OPERA O for has $16.2 million in earnings
1:21 – DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC – horse bolted during race, MARS, wiped out a few rivals – but if you watched JUST A WAY win, then you were all over GENTILDONNA, who surged to victory for Japan, beating CIRRUS DES AIGLES. The winner is a 5yo mare who was 2nd to Just a Way in October then she won the Japan Cup. She was coming off a curiously poor run in February but bounced back here for her 9th win in 15 races. She is by Deep Impact (by Sunday Silence) out of Donna Blini, by Bertolini. Owned by Sunday Racing, this gal has won some $16,000,000 in purses!
1:14 – DAILY RACING FORM freelance ALEX CAMPBELL informs Thoroughblog PHIL’S DREAM is not competing in Jacques Cartier and will be in New Providence instead – lack of recent workouts for the gelding is of some concern
1:07 – JUST WATCHED A NICE BEGINNER BY TAPIT – la Madrina, win debut at Gulfstream, half sister to Verrazano. Blew past a 3 to 5 shot who had run hard in her debut
1:02 – Dubai Sheema Classic is $5 million and 1 1/2 mile on the grass – American guy TWILIGHT ECLIPSE is 2 to 1 for West Point Thoroughbreds
12:58 – RUMOURS GOING WILD NOW regarding KEENELAND – Ray Paulick hints in tweet that track will be changed to dirt. Now THAT would be shocking.
12:53 – the first race at Gulfstream Park in Florida was back at 12 noon – two Canadian-bred 3yos were in that tough maiden allowance – ALPHA HIGH, a half brother to champion MARITIMER, was a modest 4th after chasing the pace while CHRIS’S BREW was farther back for Terra Farms. The winner was a good looking son of Tiago called VIVA MAJORCA.
12:38 – DUBAI DUTY FREE – worth $5 million – 1 1/8 miles – turf – JUST A WAY came from a way back to romp in this race in 145 .55, won by a long margin for Japan. He is a 5yo horse by Heart’s Cry ( a son of Sunday Silence) out of Siby by WILD AGAIN. Owned by Yamatoya Akatsuki, trained by Naosuke Sagai. Horse is now 5 for 18, and the winner’s share of some $3 million pushes his earnings to almost $7 million. It was his 3rd straight win and he won the Group 1 Teeno Sho over Gentildonna in October.
wow – AMBER SKY and TOAST OF NEW YORK ARE TRENDING ON TWITTER
Up next – DUBAI DUTY FREE with The Fugue, Dank and others
11:45 – STERLING CITY (AUS) – is trained by James Moore, 2nd win on the night for jockey JAON MOREIRA – 6yo gelding is by Nadeem (by Redoute’s Choice 0 So Gorgeous by Brief Truce – all Aussie breeding. He is 8 for 20 in his career now and he was making his first start on a synthetic track.
11:44 – GOLDEN SHAHEEN – 6 furlongs – 1-2 finish for HONG KONG – – STERLING CITY, bred in Australia, wore down RICH TAPESTRY in the final strides to win this $2 million Group 1
TOAST OF NEW YORK: by Thewayouare out of a mare who won $250 – Kentucky Derby bound after UAE DERBY WIN. VANESSA NG photo
11:07 AMBER SKY is a son of that super sire Exceed and Excel (Aus) and he is an Australian bred 5yo gelding out of Truly Wicked by Rubiton. Owner i Hung Kam po, trainer is Ricky Yiu, jockey – J Moreira – gelding is now 7 for 14 in his career, he is a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong
AMBER SKY, photo by Vanessa Ng
11:03 – AL QUOZ SPRINT – 5 furlongs on the turf. $1 million.. AMBER SKY – for HONG KONG, leads all the way and wins, SHEA SHEA came fro last to be 3rd
10:59 – more on TOAST OF NEW YORK – a $77,000 buy back at Goffs in October of 2012, bought back by Camas Park Stud
10:56 coming up AL QUOZ SPRINT WITH LAST YEAR’S WINNER SHEA SHEA
10:55 – TOAST OF NEW YORK, owned by a leading jump-racing owner, Michael Buckley, Trainer Jamie Osborne wanted to prove this colt was better than an earlier 78 rating – sent him to Wolverhampton to win 2 races by combined 28 lengths. Colt is going to Kentucky Derby – trainer Osborne’s first good horse since 2003’s MILK IT MICK.
10:35 – Coolmore stallion THEWAYYOUARE, from family of Rags to Riches
10: 27 TOAST OF NEW YORK, a $35,000 Keeneland yearling purchase in January 2 years ago – STALKED THE SLOW PACE and won the UAE DERBY, kentucky bred by THEWAYOUARE (Kingmambo) out of Claire Soleil by Syncline – bred by Jackie Ramos, Frankie Ramos and Ashleigh Stud – owned by Michael Buckley. trained by Jamie Osborne
10:26 – 27 flat for first 2 furlongs, SAFETY CHECK setting clos pace, TOAST OF NEW YORK chasing
10:22 – 3 Triple Crown nominees in the field for UAE DERBY – GIOVANNI BOLDINI, TOAST OF NEW YORK and SIR JOHN HAWKINS
10:16 – favoured for upcoming UAE DERBY is the very pretty GIOVANNI BOLDINI, one of 3 US breds in the field – he is by War Front out of Dancing Trieste, by Old Trieste. Colt was a $675,000 Fasig Tipton yearling – he was 2nd in Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf last year
10:14 – the UAE DERBY, 14th running coming up – could produce a Kentucky Derby starter – it has had a lot of Derby starters in the past, no top 4 finishers…
10:10 – Meanwhile, while pondering the JACQUES CARTIER nominations for April 13 at Woodbine – no PHIL’S DREAM on the list of noms…working like a bear
10:08- no betting in Dubai at track – so Godolphin, Saeed Bin Suroor show sportsmanship and bow down from the claim of foul – not sure horse would have come down, but eeks, can you imagine what would happen in North America is that happened – ouch!
10:05 BIZARRE – TRAINER SAEED BID SUROOR, of Cavalryman, has WITHDRAWN claim of foul in Gold Cup made by the jockey – result stands – 30 to 1 shot CERTERACH of Ireland has won the Gold Cup – JOSHUA TREE showed some speed but faded
10:02 – jockeys and trainers of top 2 finishers in with stewards, being shown on the feed on HPI – very cool – discussing the claim of foul
10:00 – Inquiry into finish – winner came in a bit and Cavalryman had to alter course a bit – can’t see the winner coming down
9:53 – CERTERACH is also by Halling, if now 4 for 19 in his career, 1 win in last 2 years came this season in January, Paul Rooney owns, Michael Halford trainer – Jamie Spencer, rider
9:51 WOW, CERTERACH (Ire) hold off a very troubled CAVALRYMAN to win the Gold Cup, $1 million, 2 miles
9:48 — Gold Cup underway, 2 miles on turf, JOSHUA TREE is leading
CAVALRYMAN is an 8 year-old by Halling, owned by Godolphin, he has won 8 of 34 races and $2.5 million – won this race last year
9:41 some $10,000 placed to win on CAVALRYMAN (GB) – he’s 1-1 in 15 horse Gold Cup field
up next in 19 minutes – the GOLD CUP – 2 miles, Grade 2 featuring Woodbine’s favourite guy – JOSHUA TREE!
9:22 – next race for VARIETY CLUB, the Hong Kong Mile on May 4
9:17 – SOFT FALLING RAIN chased and was 2nd while the filly FLOTILLA came from miles behind the slow pace to be 3rd
VARIETY CLUB, now 16 for 22 in his career by Var – La Massine, by Secret Prospector, bred in South Africa
9:13.A.M. – VARIETY CLUB leads al the way to win the GODOLPHIN MILE, $1 million – South African hero who had won 15 of 21 races coming in…son of VAR, who is a son of FOREST WILDCAT…from stall 15 in 16 horse field. South African owners M and I Jouste, trainer Joey Ramsdan – jockey Antoin Marcus
8:55 a.m. – 15 MINUTES to Godolphin Mile, current favourite is last year’s Mile winner SOFT FALLING RAIN (National Assemnly) – he is 5 to 2 and is number 5. Owned by Sheikh Hamdan, trained by Mike de Kock…
Glory Awaits (Mile) has been perky on each of his morning visits to the track, and was again on his toes when completing his preparation with an easy canter on the all-weather track. “He’ll do his usual thing on Saturday,” said his trainer, Kevin Ryan. “He likes to be up there with the pace but I’ll leave the tactics to his jockey (Jamie Spencer), who knows him well. This has been the plan all winter and I’m delighted everything has gone smoothly in getting him here.” VANESSA IG photo
8:00 a.m. …Good morning – Saturday in southern Ontario, it’s grey right now but weather should be pleasing, 4- 6 degrees Celcius, some 175 horses worked yesterday at Woodbine – the first stakes race of the season, the APRIL 13 JACQUES CARTIER has 15 nominations including multiple champion ESSENCE HIT MAN: trainer Larry Cappuccitti has told Thoroughblog the old timer is coming back for 2014 although he has not had a workout yet. Those prepping right now for the Jacques Cartier are PASO DOBLE, DIMENSION and SOMETHING EXTRA.
Where are you watch the races this morning? Dubai card gets underway shortly, by 9 a.m. follow along here! By the time the Florida derby is run – it will be almost 7 o clock tonight!
