Wednesday Night Notes - Dec 28

- Bobby Frankel’s Ramsgate (Runaway Groom) had drawn some attention with his maiden win, a seven furlong win in 1:22 3/5 and a snappy final furlong of 11 4/5 seconds. Doesn’t take too much when one of the top trainer sends out a nice-looking two-year old to get a little Derby buzz going. Jay Privman mentioned him here; Haskin advised us to watch out for this one; and our own Walter from Las Vegas was so impressed that he placed a small Derby future on him.

So it was with much anticipation that Ramsgate went to the post as the 8-5 favorite at Santa Anita on Wednesday, and even more disappointment that he faded badly in his first try around two turns. On the other hand, the winner, Wanna Runner (El Corredor), won his second two-turn race in as many tries after two sluggish sprint efforts. This colt is out of a mare by Mt. Magazine, an unraced son of Mr. Prospector, who is a half sister to stakes winners Time Limit and Miss Indy Anna. Since he’s trained by Bob Baffert, I’m sure he’ll get a mention in Haskin’s next Derby column. Also disappointing in the race was second choice Refinery (Victory Gallop), who ran 4th at 2-1.

- A maiden race scheduled for Aqueduct on Thursday shows that not all the interesting late season two year old races are in California or Florida. In the third race, at six furlongs, Achilles of Troy and Hither Lane are the morning line favorites based on good prior efforts, particularly the latter, a half brother to stakes winner Day Trader coming off a solid second in his debut for Christophe Clement. But there are several well-bred first-timers here.

Causeway’s Storm (Giant’s Causeway) is out of the stakes winning West By West mare Gold From the West, a half to stakes winners Lake Music and Fifth Overture; he goes for sharp debut trainer Tom Bush. Napoleon T N T (Grand Slam), making his debut for Kiaran McLaughlin, is out of a Dehere half sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Lite Light; and he hails from an illustrious female family tracing back directly to La Troienne, his 7th dam. His 4th dam is Admiring, a foundation mare in her own right - this is the family of Derby winner Sea Hero, Hero’s Honor, Mozart, Congrats, and one of my all-time favorite race mares, Glowing Tribute.

Their He Goes (Silver Deputy) is a $500,000 yearling out of a Seattle Slew mare, and a half to winners Dorchester County and Easy Red. He ships in for Anthony Dutrow, whose shippers have been sharp recently – two winners (including 14-1 Toy Thief) and two seconds in his last four. But his brother Richard has perhaps the most interesting of all the colts making their debut here. Discreet Thievery (Cat Thief), besides having a cool name, is a half-brother to Belmont winner Commendable. That means that his second dam is Killaloe, the dam of Fappiano, and this is also the family of Keeper Hill and Clabber Girl. Dutrow popped his last first timer, Johnny Utah at 9-2, before the break. Discreet Thievery is 6-1 in the morning line, but I think he’d be very attractive at 9-2 in here, which would reflect both some tote action and decent value in a tough juvenile race that wouldn’t look out of place on a hot day upstate in August instead of a wintry day before a few spectators at the Big A.