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Friday, November 18, 2005

Saturday Stakes

- Still a lot of good two year old stakes to be run this year, and you never know when a prospect will come out of one. It will all culminate on the left coast with the G1 Hollywood Futurity and Hollywood Starlet on Dec 17-18. Some Grade 2’s next weekend, with the Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod for colts and fillies respectively at Churchill, and the Remsen and Demoiselle at the Big A. This weekend, juveniles go on the turf in a couple of wide open-looking races at Laurel, the Selima for fillies and Laurel Futurity.

At Hollywood on Saturday is the G3 Hollywood Prevue; it’s considered a prep for the Futurity, which last year determined that Declan’s Moon would be the Eclipse winner. It's only drawn six this year, but Lauren Stitch in the Form sees pedigree potential in the field, especially in the 2-1 morning line favorite Bengal Lore. She explains his fascinating pedigree with a strong connection to Kelso. Bengal Lore (Tale of the Cat) also sports the highest Beyer in the field, having earned a 90 in a nose loss in the six furlong Sunny Slope at Oak Tree last month. He looks like he should be able to grab the lead from the two post, but needs to show he can stretch his speed to seven furlongs.

The Pharaoh goes from the outside post, and he should take some money based on second place finishes to BC Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy in the Del Mar Futurity, and Florida speedster In Summation. He’s by freshman sire Forest Camp, out of a mare by recently deceased Meadowlake. Forest Camp (Deputy Minister) has eleven winners thus far, he's doing quite well in the sales ring as well, with 59 yearlings having sold for an average of over $95,000 this year. Accordingly, his 2006 stud fee of $20,000 is an increase from 15K. Forest Camp is also the sire of Your Tent Or Mine, well-bet at 8-5 in his winning debut in September, and Valenzuela rides again.

Just a length back of The Pharaoh in the Del Mar Futurity was Old Thunder (Fusaichi Pegasus), and this is who I like. He followed up the Del Mar race with a dominating 8 length win in a maiden race at this seven furlong distance, covering the final three furlongs in an impressive 37 2/5 under a hand ride. The 83 Beyer continued a pattern of faster figs in each of his four starts, and he has a couple of nice long works for Ron McAnally.

- Also at Laurel is a Grade 1 sprint stake, the Frank J. De Francis Memorial at six furlongs. Might have been a nice spot to settle the sprint championship if you believe that it’s between Taste of Paradise and Silver Train, but both are done for the year (forever in the case of the former). Instead, we get the 4th and 5th place finishers from the Sprint, Atilla’s Storm and Elusive Jazz. A total of 14 horses go in this wide open sprint, which unfortunately, to me anyway, has just a little bit of a stench with the presence of likely favorite Tiger Heart. He’s yet another horse that has shown such improvement since being switched to the care of Richard Dutrow that it just has to make you wonder how he does it. This four year old by Scatmandu showed potential last year with a second place finish to Eddington in a route allowance race, but he had lost by a total of 36 lengths in his last four races before going from the care of Ken McPeek to Dutrow. Since then, he scored a 12 length win in a Belmont allowance with a 108 Beyer (at even money), and after another allowance win, ran second, just two lengths behind Taste of Paradise in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. How does he do it?

6 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Alan,

Do you believe that samples from Dutrow's horses will one day see the 'BALCO treatment?'

It was a shame that the governing bodies of the NTRA, NYRA, CHRB, and CDI were not asked to the hearings on Capitol Hill in regards to the drug testing.

Anyone can see that Robby Albarado, who is indirectly tied to the 'weight gate,' will never face something like McGwire, Sosa, and the rest of the MLB players. And why? Come hell or high water, nobody tied to Farish will be sanctioned for any alleged impropiety in racing. Farish was too busy getting Mineshaft to the 2003 Horse Of The Year Podium while "We were at war," as he was occupying the Ambassadorship to the United Kingdom.

Anonymous said...

DA STOOPS gets my vote.Sorry nothing to report politically.
Heres a funny thought;You get busted for being a commie and I'm implicated for enjoying your horse blog! It is just a horse blog..right?

Anonymous said...

...thought you might enjoy these workout reports, sounds like The Pharaoh is ready to rumble...

THE PHARAOH (Nov 12, 49.1h): Tight hold here in 25.1, 49.2 finishing with a nice pull in this solo spin. Grade B

THE PHARAOH (Nov 5, 46.2h): Full of run in 22.3, 46.1 moving with lots of energy at the wire then galloped out big in 59.0. Strong again. Grade B+

...also of note...

YOUR TENT OR MINE (Nov 15, 48.4h): Fast to the mile pole in 23.2, 35.2 (up there) galloping out well on the turn in 49.0. Plenty of talent here. Grade B

YOUR TENT OR MINE (Nov 9, 101.0h): On own here while working to the mile pole in 102.0. Easy drill. Grade B

...unfortunately, i have no reports on Old Thunder or Bengal Lore since their last races, as my guy is based at the track hosting the current meet (in this case Hollywood), and those two have been working @ Santa Anita...here are the works they had going into their last races, though...

OLD THUNDER (Oct 16, 59.0h): Good looking drill here finishing with nice late energy in 35.1, 59.0 out in 111.4. Sharp. Grade B+

BENGAL LORE (Oct 14, 59.1h): Good looking finish here, last 1/4 in 23.3 moving like a good thing late. Sharp. Grade B+

Anonymous said...

...while i'm at it, check out this first-timer in Race 2...

CADDYMASTER (Oct 15, 58.4hg): Just plain fast early, pulling Kent D. along in 23.0, 34.4 (up there) galloping big in 46.1 out again in 59.0. Very strong. Grade B+

...this horse also worked a 110.4 @ Santa Anita more recently, so no doubt he's the goods...

Anonymous said...

...just watched the 2nd @ Hollywood...three horses scratched, leaving a 5-horse field, and Caddymaster was bet down to 1/5...he then proceeded to run THIRD, with no apparent excuse...wow...

Alan Mann said...

1-5!?! The winner was 4th in a 40k maiden claimer in his last. Must have been the universal good thing on those works. Nothing special in his pedigree as far as I could see.