Wednesday Morning Notes - April 19

- Gorella returns in the 7th at Keeneland on Wednesday as racing resumes after the Easter break. The last we saw this now threefour-year old filly, she was trying to rally up the rail against the boys in the Breeders Cup Mile; she settled for third, beaten less than a length. She earned a 108 Beyer, and appears to lay all over this N3X allowance race in her 4 yo debut. There are a couple of nice turf fillies in Pletcher’s Safari Queen and Yes Beth, who got good in Kentucky last fall, and makes her first start in November for Steve Flint. But considering that Gorella was knocking heads with the likes of Leroidesanimaux and Artie Schiller, you’d think she can handle these. She’s 3-5 in the morning line. Her trainer Patrick Biancone has won three out of 18 races at this meeting, but he’s 0 for 3 with favorites thus far.

In The Gold makes her second start of the year for Zito in the featured 8th, the Doubledogdare Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth. She was nowhere in her 4 year-old debut, the Shirley Jones, which was a Grade 2 won by Splendid Blendid, so this should be easier. Marty McGee touted her in the Form, and Zito is 9 for 19 at the meeting. But he has lost his last two in a row after all, and that includes Little Cliff, 8th by 40 some-odd lengths, and there’s at least one thing I was right about in the Blue Grass.

I’ve never been crazy about In The Gold, and I’m going to try and beat her with Pool Land (Silver Deputy). She was also making her 4 year-old debut in the Shirley Jones, and finished a couple of lengths in front of In The Gold after a slow start. Now Pletcher, winning only at 25% at the meet, stretches her back out to a two turn route; she was an impressive two for two once around the Big A inner track. She’ll have to improve her figs to compete with Lady Pegasus and maybe Private Gift if she improves on her seasonal debut, in which she flopped at 4-5, but we saw Pletcher do that recently with Spun Sugar, and the price may be right on this one to do the same.

Well, that’s two-thirds of a cold Pick Three. The ninth is a turf allowance, and there are really just three contenders on paper. Spider Powder, Shawnee Dancer, and Obi Wan Kenobi are the only horses with current turf form. But none of them really look that great – Spider Powder has the highest figs against the best company, but is 1 for 9 lifetime and a bit of a plodder. So since I’m getting away with the first two legs so cheap, I’ll probably look to spread and hope for some first time turfer to pull an upset.

- Becky Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock sold the high seller at Keeneland today, a NY-bred son of Fusaichi Pegasus. He’s out of an AP Indy mare, a stakes winning full sister to Stephen Got Even. He wasn’t the horse who got the highest bid though. A bid of $2.395 million for a daughter of AP Indy out of the millionaire and Distaff/Test/Ballerina winner Dream Supreme was not enough to meet George Steinbrenner’s reserve. Consignor Niall Brennan spoke of the magnanimous Boss:

“Mr. Steinbrenner was giving them the opportunity to buy into the family, and I guess they just couldn't see the light. The market just wasn't there for her. They had one chance." [Daily Racing Form]