WEATHER

PREAKNESS STAKES SATURDAY

Probable field of 12 largest in 8 years

It may not be the exciting Triple Crown series we have seen in recent years (Justify, American Pharoah) but one thing about this year’s PREAKNESS STAKES at Pimlico, it will be a super betting event.

The Kentucky Derby winner(s) COUNTRY HOUSE and MAXIMUM SECURITY are both out of the Preakness, and likely out for extended periods of time, so a mixed bag of sophomores will line up for the 2nd jewel of the Crown on Saturday.

The post position draw is Wednesday.

Canadian owned ANOTHERTWISTAFATE is an interesting candidate.

Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd.’s colt breezed six furlongs in a bullet 1:14.20 Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, his final timed workout prior to the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Trainer Blaine Wright sent Anothertwistafate out to work in company under jockey Juan Hernandez. It was his second breeze over the synthetic surface at the Albany, Calif. track since his second-place finish to Owendale, 1¾ lengths back, in the April 13 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

“It was a good work for us,” Wright said. “We broke him off behind horses, let him just cruise up to them at the quarter pole. He outworked them very easy and galloped out nice and strong. We’re right where we want to be, I hope.

Anothertwistafate earned an automatic berth in the Preakness with his win in the El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 16 at Golden Gate, this third straight victory at the track. He went on to finish second by a neck in the Sunland Derby (G3) on March 24 at Sunland Park before running in the Lexington.

The son of Scat Daddy was 23rd on the points list when entries were taken for the 20-horse Kentucky Derby (G1) field. Wright had already taken the son of Scat Daddy to California to prepare for the Preakness. Wright described Anothertwistafate as being enthusiastic about his training.

“He’s the type of horse that when you work him a half (mile) he works six furlongs,” Wright said. “He always gets a lot out of his breezes and gallops. He’s a big, long-striding horse. This will be five weeks between races, so I sent him out going a mile. We got a pretty good, stout work into him. Now all we have to do hopefully is travel.”

Wright said the colt galloped out the mile in 1:40.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will ride Anothertwistafate in the Preakness. It will be Ortiz’s third start in the Preakness. He was 10th on Term of Art in 2017 and fourth aboard Good Magic in 2018.
Anothertwistafate, who will ship to Pimlico Tuesday, will be the first Triple Crown starter for Wright, 44, a leading trainer at Emerald Downs in his home state of Washington. Wright maintains a year-round stable at Golden Gate Fields.

The Maryland Jockey Club’s racing office confirmed Sunday morning that Market King, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, will be entered for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course

The addition of Market King pushes the expected field to 12 horses, the largest field since 14 competed in 2011.

Lukas, 83, has saddled a record 43 horses in the Preakness and has won the middle jewel of the Triple Crown six times.

Market King, co-owned by longtime Lukas clients Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack, is a son of Into Mischief. He was third in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 16 and was 11th in the Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland, in his most recent start April 6.

Here is the prospective PREAKNESS FIELD:

PREAKNESS PROBABLE FIELD

Horse (last 3 Beyer Speed Figures from DRF)
Trainer 
Jockey 
Last Race

Alwaysmining  92, 96, 87
Kelly Rubley
Daniel Centeno
Tesio, 1st

Anothertwistafate  95, 94, 94
Blaine Wright
Jose Ortiz
Lexington, 2nd

Bodexpress  80, 96, 91 
Gustavo Delgado
undecided
Ky. Derby, 13th

Bourbon War  90, 93, 89
Mark Hennig
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Fla. Derby, 4th

Improbable  96 99, 95
Bob Baffert
Mike Smith
Ky. Derby, 4th

Laughing Fox 91, 89, 77
Steve Asmussen
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
OP Invitational, 1st

Market King D. Wayne Lukas  39, 83, 77

#rd Rebel Stakes

Owendale  (Into Mischief)  98, 74, 91
Brad Cox
Florent Geroux
Lexington, 2nd

Signalman  88, 83, 84
Kenny McPeek
Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Blue Grass, 3rd

War of Will 90, 78, 95
Mark Casse
Tyler Gaffalione
Ky. Derby, 7th

Win Win Win  89, 88, 89
Mike Trombetta
Julien Pimentel
Ky. Derby, 9th

LUIS SAEZ SUSPENDED 15 DAYS FOR DERBY RIDE

The drama of the KENTUCKY DERBY continued Monday when jockey Luis Saez, riding winner/but dq’d MAXIMUM SECURITY was suspended 15 days. The colt went out a few paths off the turn, either from a puddle, a photographer, a light, or something. However, the Kentucky Commission believes it was the jockey’s fault for not being able to control the horse.

FURY-OUS FINISH – Woodbine Oaks taking shape

You could have had SPEEDY SOUL for $10,000 two years ago at the CTHS Ontario yearling sale.

Offered by Joe Guerrieri’s Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, the plain dark bay gal is from the first crop of Ontario sire SOUPER SPEEDY, who was almost everyone’s pick to be a serious stallion influence in Ontario.

The stallion (who is by Indian Charlie) had his first crop well received for the most part but Speedy Soul was bought back by Guerrieri and she went on to win both of her starts as  2yo including the Muskoka Stakes.

Trained by Andrew Smith, Speedy Soul was put on the shelf early and she wintered in Ontario until late February when she went to Mark Casse in Ocala. She quickly returned to Canada and started in the Star Shoot Stakes but it was a troubled journey and she wound up 6th.

Patrick Husbands took over and blinkers were added for Sunday’s Fury at 7 furlongs and the trip was perfect.

Covered up and inside of a hotly contested pace battle between Silent Mistake and Intanga Rose, Speedy Soul, darted between fillies turning for home and grabbed the lead. She held off another Joey Gee product, HASTALAVISTABABY (also owned by Gary Barber and Team Valor) to win in 1:22.39 with a 79 Beyer Figure.

Hastalavistababy, by Drosslmeyer, was an $8,000 purchase by Joey Gee at the 2017 yearling sale from breeder Charles Hayden and Mark Casse also trains this late running filly. Another Casse student, WESTERN CURL, from the Chiefswood Stables was third.

Whether the 7 furlong Fury will have any bearing on the 9 furlong Woodbine Oaks is a question but certainly HASTALAVISTABABY looks like the one most likely to be a force at the distance.

But SOUPER SPEEDY has been a marvel at stud with his first crop. He is 5th currently in Canada on the leading sire list by progeny earnings and has 4 winners. Souper Speedy’s victories all came at 7 furlongs but he was 2nd in the 9 furlong Remsen Stakes as a 2yo.

The Woodbine Oaks on June 8 is coming up quickly and next week’s SELENE STAKES will be an important event for the Champion 2-year-old filly in Canada of 2018, BOLD SCRIPT.

In more SOUPER SPEEDY news, his cousin, THE 3YO FILLY PAINTING, won her career debut impressively at Woodbine on Sunday for Hill ‘n; Dale Equine Holdings, Glenn Sikura and Windsor Boys Racing. Painting is from the mare Handpainted who is a half sister to Souper Speedy’s mum Speed Succeeds.

Thoroughblog’s Top 10 Woodbine Oaks contenders:

1. BOLD SCRIPT
2. HASTALAVISTABABY
3. DESERT RIDE
4. TIZ BREATHTAKING
5. SPEEDY SOUL
6. PREFERRED GUEST
7. WESTERN CURL
8. CIURI
9. NOTICE ME
10. KITTEN’S GIRL

WOODBINE SATURDAY RE-CAP

87 Beyer Figure for Summer Sunday on Saturday

WILLIAM and ANNE SCOTT, keen members of the horse racing community in Ontario and dedicated yearling buyers, were beaming Saturday when their filly SUMMER SUNDAY won the BALLADE STAKES for Ontario sired fillies mares.

The $95,000 yearling purchase three years ago (co top price) is at home at Woodbine where she is now 5 for 5 after her victory Saturday. trained by Stuart Simon, the Silent Name (Jpn) – Dancing Allstar by Millenium Allstar speedster was touted by trainer Simon before the race and was bet hard by the fans who made her 5 to 2.

Back racing at Woodbine for the first time since winning last year’s Fury Stakes in late-April, Summer Sunday pressed the pace through a :22.89 quarter before taking over command from early leader Without a Doubt approaching the half-mile mark in :45.65. She then rebuffed the challenge of defending Ballade Stakes champion Scotty’s Model down the stretch to score by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:08.57, an 87 Beyer Figure.

Summer Sunday paid $7.80 to win as the slight 5-2 second choice to Silent Sonet, who stalked the pace and edged out Scotty’s Model by a neck to take second-place honours.

Summer Sunday previously earned stakes wins in the Nandi and Muskoka during a perfect three-race juvenile campaign at Woodbine. The promising miss, whose sophomore season was cut short after the Fury, returned to action last month at Keeneland before adding to her perfect local record today.

“She had a lower body injury that kept her out as we were preparing for the Oaks,” said Simon, explaining the layoff. “It was disappointing. The vets thought we should give her two to three months and with Mr. and Mrs. Scott’s patience, we said let’s give her six months and really make sure and I am glad we did. We have our horse back and she’s just been a real gift.

“I said she’s never been better and I think she proved me right now. She’s just a dream because she’ll run on, and she’ll run on different surfaces too so it’s pretty nice.”

TOP BEYER FIGURES FROM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT WOODBINE

All but Don’t Be So Salty are Ontario sired and/or BRED

87 SUMMER SUNDAY

84  DON’T BE SO SALTY

83 H IS JUST A NUMBER

83 SAILING HOME

DIALED IN: CHANNEL MAKER WINS ANOTHER G1

Canadian-bred CHANNEL MAKER earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure for his winning effort in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Man o’ War at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Wachtel Stable, it was the third graded stakes win and second Grade 1 to go along with his front-running score in last year’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Assistant trainer Leana Willaford said the 5-year-old English Channel gelding was in good order on a rainy Sunday morning at Belmont.

“He’s great. He jogged sound on the shank and cleaned up his dinner last night, so everything looks good,” said Willaford.

Channel Maker was making his third start of the campaign after finishing off the board in the Grade 2 MacDiarmida and the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Willaford said she was expecting a big effort from the classy chestnut.

“He ran excellent. The horse has been doing quite well. He looks good, he was working good and we expected a big effort from him,” said Willaford. “Sometimes, it takes them a little bit to get under way. We’re really happy with him.”

Winning co-owner Randy Hill said, “I always thought the horse could go to the front or lay off it. He has tactical speed and there was speed in the race today. Joel rode a perfect race and was right where he needed to be. The horse bounced back off of two sub-par performances. At the end of 2018 he was probably one of the fastest turf horses in America and that’s when I bought into him. I think he’s back. He ran a perfect race today. What can you say? It’s my first Grade 1 after 22 years.

Bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker is out of the stakes-winning dam In Return, a Sovereign Award-winning broodmare who also produced multiple Grade 1-winning Canadian-bred turf champion Johnny Bear.

Channel Maker competed in two-thirds on the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine in 2017 finishing fourth in the Queen’s Plate ahead of a narrow nose win in the 1 1/12-mile turf Breeders’.

Blossoming with age, Channel Maker has increased his annual earnings in successive seasons having banked $105,037 as a 2-year-old; $340,047 as a 3-year-old; $644,880 as a 4-year-old; and has already garnered $827,108 early into his 5-year-old campaign.

He is expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day, June 8.