SUPER SAVER, from the great family of Numbered Account, wins the Derby. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
GREAT SAVE!
Pletcher gets one anyway after losing the big horse
No matter ESKENDEREYA had to miss the Derby. No matter trainer Todd Pletcher was left with four average-type horses for the 136th Derby.
No matter a sea of slop and a 20 horse field.
SUPER SAVER saved the day.
A homebred for WinStar (Bill Castner etc)., the Maria’s Mon colt rode the rail through the stretch under, who else, Calvin Borel, to win the 1 1/4 mile classic over a hard charging ICE BOX.
The colt, who was entered in a couple of 2yo sales but was withdrawn, was making the all important 3rd start off the layoff but gosh, it was a stretch to like him after his so-so runs this year.
He was one-paced in his opener,the Tampa Bay Derby when losing to Odysseus and then in the Arkansas Derby, the race that confounded a lot of handicappers when Line of David led all the way, Super Saver and Dublin both swarmed the leader at the head of the stretch but could never pass.
It made no sense.
But alas, at just 8 to 1, close to favoritism, Super Saver showed his love for Churchill (he won the Ky. Jockey Club there last year, and skipped away while so many others in the race had horrific journeys.
ICE BOX, worked out all winter by Woodbine’s top apprentice rider OMAR MORENO, got going too late after traffic, jockey Kent Desormeaux said he would have won on Paddy O’Prado had he not been stopped cold and landed 3rd.
The time of 2:04 2/5 was good for a 104 Beyer Figure, the best for Super Saver’s career.
Super Saver is from an impeccable female family. His 4th dam is the mighty NUMBERED ACCOUNT, dam of Private Account etc. The 3rd dam, Dance Number proved Not for Live and Get Lucky.
The 2nd dam, Get Lucky, produced Accelartor and last year’s Jerome winner Giralamo.
Super Saver’s dam Super charger, by A.P. Indy, is a winner.
WINSTAR owns horses that race at Woodbine for Mark Casse, have a gift shop on their website and host contests. Looks like a fun place to visit too.
While they got a bit mixed up after the race saying the dam Supercharger was a sister to Bluegrass Cat, hey, they were winning their first Derby too.
BUY THIS SHIRT AT WINSTAR’S WEBSITE!
RESENTLESS TAKES FURY
Polytrack simply on fire after light rain
Riding an impossibly fast Polytrack surface where maidens were scorching 7 furlongs in 1:21, RESENTLESS came off the winter layoff to win the Fury Stakes and stamp herself a leading conteder for what should be a simply wild WOODBINE OAKS.
The fillies are starting to look better than most of the 3yo colts (other than champion HOLLINGER) and Resentless, an Ontario sired gal who is very light on pedigree, ran away on the lead through 7 furlongs in 1:21 2/5 and won handily over a closing Roan Inish.
The latter was also coming off the winter layoff and she closed well in what was essentially the kind of race trainer Carolyn Costigan thought she would see from her filly who was not fully cranked.
Meanwhile, Don Ross’ Resentless has been bombing around in workouts and figured to be fully charged for the Fury.
She led through a soft first two furlongs in 22 4/5 and then charged home.
The Oaks is at 9 furlongs in June.
The Beyer Figure for Resentless (Trajectory – Wistla, Ascot Knight) was 87.
Her dam Wistla was unplaced in 8 career races.
Speaking of Woodbine Iaks, MOMENT OF MAJESTY hopped on the ever-crowded list with a front running score in an allowance race earlier on the Woodbine card. The filly, the last of the late Saint Liam’s, ran an 81 Beyer Figure in a super run for trainer Sue Leslie, who trains for Curtis Josseph. The former goalie owns the filly by himself now after breeding her with wife Nancy.
MOMENT OF MAJESTY was bought back as a yearling for $50,000.
More from Woodbine on the weekend coming up tomorrow.
RACHEL LOSES AGAIN
Jackson makes comments, Borel does not
JESS JACKSON, OWNER: “She went right to the shed. She’s on her toes. She ate her oats. She’s happy and sound. We’re happy with her. We love her anyway.
“We’re not trying to break track records yet. She needs another race or two under her belt, I think, before she’s back. And that’s what our hope is.”
Do you still hope that she might one day race against Zenyatta?
“Of course, but she’s not ready. Zenyatta might be ready, I don’t know, but after a six-month layoff you don’t ask a horse to come back. Look at all the horses he beat in the Woodward or the Preakness. They’re in this race (the Alysheba), four or five of them, and they’re not back yet.”
Would you tell her fans that they can expect to see her back?
“She’s not going to retire.”
What did you think of the crowd reaction coming onto the track?
“They love her, and deservedly. She’s done something no other filly’s ever done. That was last year and now we have to see when she gets back to her peak what she can do this year. And not pushing it. The point is she’s going to tell us when she’s ready and when she can finish in a little less than 12-flat all the way around than we’ll know that she’s got that extra kick she needs to really compete.”
Did you talk to Calvin after the race?
“No.”
Will you?
“Yeah.”
Were you satisfied with his ride?
“I don’t want to get into controversy. The jocks, God bless them, read the race the way they want to read the race and not always do we interrupt. Instructions in a given race are more up to the trainer than to me. … We didn’t want her in New Orleans to go on the lead. She went wide and she didn’t have enough at the end. That’s a normal progression. I’m not disappointed with those two races. They were both races against horses at their level that she was at in terms of condition. I don’t know how to say it but we love her and she’s going to improve, I hope. I expect she will. She could be 10 lengths better than she was today and when she shows me that I’ll know she’s back.”
Is the Stephen Foster under consideration or will you keep her against fillies?
“That’s undetermined, too. It’s interesting that they put her up one pound against the horse that beat her last time and put the other horse down one pound. But that’s for gamblers. I’m more concerned about the horse than handicapping. That said, I don’t think that weight difference was the difference.”
CALVIN BOREL (Jockey, Rachel Alexandra, second) – Borel’s agent Jerry Hissam: ”He’s not going to make a statement. She ran a big race and just got beat. That’s horse racing.”
STEVE ASMUSSEN (Trainer, Rachel Alexandra, second) – “She’s just not been as fast as last summer. She ran a good race, but not a great race. She does carry a lot more weight. Calvin (Borel) did absolutely nothing wrong today. I thought he got along with her great today. There’s an old adage in racing: You get paid for what you do, but you pay for what you do. I think there’s some hangover. What we have to realize is there has been improvement since her last race. We don’t need a knee-jerk reaction. The defeat last time put a lot of pressure on. You don’t run a horse expecting to get beat, especially Rachel.”
SHADWELL CASTOFF WINS 2000 GUINEAS
Makfi, by Dubawi wins at 33 to 1
REUTERS CANADA…
Shadwell Stud left to rue gut feeling over Makfi
By Geoffrey Riddle
NEWMARKET, England (Reuters) – The celebrations at Makfi’s shock 2,000 Guineas win at Newmarket on Saturday were probably drowned out by the groans emanating from former owners Shadwell Stud.
The decision to sell the then unraced Makfi in October last year came back to haunt his former owners after the horse – offloaded due to a “gut feeling’ that he would never perform at the highest level – sprang a 33-1 surprise.
The French raider, trained at Gouvieux near Chantilly by Mikel Delzangles, stormed to a one-and-a-quarter length victory on the Rowley Mile and easily accounted for the Richard Hannon-trained pair of Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs.
Makfi was bred by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud, but former trainer Marcus Tregoning and the Sheikh’s racing manager, Angus Gold, took the decision to sell because of injury problems.
“He had been immature and had problems with his knees and joints,” a crestfallen Gold told Reuters at the course.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCATRE6401FN20100501
and from THE GUARDIAN…
French conquer the 2,000 Guineas with 33-1 shock winner Makfi
There was no need to offer free entry at Newmarket yesterday, as 20,000 people made their way to the Heath for the 2,000 Guineas, but while many of the punters must have left with the beginnings of a tan, most punters will have had precious little to show for their afternoon on the Rowley Mile. Makfi, a 33-1 chance trained in France by Mikel Dezangles, took the first Classic of the season, beating horses at 16-1 and 12-1, while St Nicholas Abbey, the even-money favourite, was only sixth.
The backers’ sense of loss as they left the track yesterday evening will have been shared by Marcus Tregoning, who had Makfi in his Lambourn stable last season, and by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, his breeder and former owner. The colt, a son of Dubawi, an Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, was unraced when he was sent to the sales last October, where Dezangles picked him up for just 26,000gns.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/may/01/guineas-makfi-newmarket
Note: EARLE MACK, who often races horses at Woodbine, had AUDACITY OF HOPE in the big race at Newmarket this yesterday. He’s a Red Ransom colt.
