- Luxembourg got the big money at 3-5, but Bernardini (5.70) got the win in the G3 Withers at the Big A. Looks like a nice horse for Darley, but seems like a pretty easy way to pick up a graded stakes win in just his third start. It was a four horse field with nothing resembling a stakes winner.
Nonetheless, there are no asterisks assigned to black type, and it’s another stakes winner for AP Indy, his 5th thus far in 2006. He’s out of a Quiet American mare, and that’s the same cross as the Derby contender AP Warrior. Bernardini’s dam is Cara Rafaela, a Grade 1 winner (Hollywood Starlet), and 2nd or 3rd in six others. Tom Albertrani said he’s a possibility for the Preakness.
Nice rating job on the lead by Cornelio Velasquez aboard winning Pommes Frites in the G3 Beaugay on the grass. Their ¾ split of 1:13 4/5 was a fifth slower than a maiden state-bred affair two races prior, and that allowed the daughter of Dynaformer to hold off the overlaid Naissance Royale in a driving final sixteenth of 6.07 seconds. This four-year old filly has shown excellent improvement in 2006 for Bill Mott. She’s the sixth stakes winner this year for her sire, a total which includes, of course, Barbaro.
- Pletcher’s Coach Kent (Forestry) was beaten at 7-10 in his last two starts, so the fans sent him off at 3-5 today. To me, that’s good money after bad, and I say that even though he graduated by seven lengths.
Mister Trieste rallied for third after a bad start in the Derby Trial. I figured that would be good enough for B. Wayne Hughes to send him to the Derby, but he indicated otherwise after the race, saying the chances were "very slight." If he comes out, Flashy Bull could be in and Sunriver would be #21. Flashy Bull has no shot in the Derby, and his West Point Thoroughbred owners likely know that; but what better publicity for the outfit to have a horse run in the Kentucky Derby?
Flashy Bull was just edged by his stablemate Jazil in Saturday’s workout; both were timed in 1:00.40 for five furlongs. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was impressed enough with Jazil that he spoke on the telephone with owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum in England to persuade him to come for the race.
McLaughlin said Sheikh Hamdan corrected him on the pronunciation of the Seeking the Gold colt's name. Sheikh Hamdan pronounces it "Jazz-ul," as opposed to "Jazz-eel." [Thoroughbred Times]Got that?
3 Comments:
...though you'd never know it by reading the Racing Form (or even Bloodhorse), the Kentucky Derby isn't the only big race for 3yo colts next weekend...that's right, they're ALSO running the 2000 Guineas over in England, at Newmarket to be precise...this prestigious Group One race is run at a flat mile, and marks the beginning of the European racing season...most of the big 3yo milers run here....about a month after the 2000 Guineas, they run the big one, the English Derby (also known as the Epsom Derby or Vodafone Derby)...after that one comes the Irish Derby, rounding out what amounts to the European Triple Crown, though some horses pass on the 2000 Gunieas, and NOBODY passes on the Kentucky Derby (not if they can help it, anyway)...the English and Irish Derbies are each run @ 1 1/2 miles...so is the French Derby, a big race in it's own right, but for some reason not deemed as important as the other two (i think because it conflicts schedule-wise, and therefore contains mostly French horses...that said, many bad-ass colts do come out of the French Derby...Bago and Sulamani each won it on their way to big showings in the Arc de Triomphe (run over the same course and distance @ Longchamp)...anyway, here are the odds for next Sunday's 2000 Guineas...interestingly, one of the co-favorites for the English Derby (Visindar) is passing on the race...the other favorite (Horatio Nelson) is running, however you'll notice that he's not favored in this one...i guess he's more of a stayer, and not as quick as some of the milers here...
2000 GUINEAS
George Washington 2/1
Sir Percy 4/1
Amadeus Wolf 13/2
Horatio Nelson 6/1
Art Museum 10/1
Asset 12/1
Killybegs 12/1
Opera Cape 14/1
Olympian Odyssey 20/1
Red Clubs 25/1
Palace Episode 33/1
Secret World 33/1
...correcting a factual error...the French Derby is actually run @ Chantilly...the Arc is of course run @ Longchamp...btw, when looking that up, i saw that Dalakhani was another who won the French Derby recently, then won as the favorite in the Arc...i can't believe i forgot about him, i actually bet him in the Arc that year...suffice to say the French Derby produces some very nice horses, despite playing second fiddle to the English and Irish Derbies...btw, speaking of the Irish Derby, i saw that Grey Swallow has arrived in California, and will be running @ Hollywood Park shortly...that should be interesting...he won the Irish Derby (over English Derby winner North Light) two years ago...i believe he's been out of action for quite a long time though...
...more overseas stuff...i just read that Deep Impact won again over in Japan, no suprise there...but apparently he destroyed the track record, this after blowing the start and trailing the field early...his closing fractions were reportedly "unheard of"...for those of you unfamiliar with Deep Impact, he's the #1 horse in Japan, and quite possibly the best horse ever to run over there...he remained in the country last yera to take the Japanese Triple Crown, but it's rumored he'll travel to Europe for a crack at the Arc later this year...it's also within the realm of possibility that he could show up for the Breeders Cup, though that's considered unlikely...incidentally, he's not BC-eligible and would need to be supplemented...anyway, there's an article about the race on the Bloodhorse site if anyone's interested...
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