Monday, November 28, 2011

Senada & Cheetah Get Rematch in La Prevoyante Friday

Lael Stable’s 4-year-old filly Senada posted a hard-fought 17-to-1 upset victory last out in the Dowager Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 23 for trainer Barclay Tagg with Robert Scarborough’s 4-year-old English-bred filly Cheetah third as the favorite for trainer Christophe Clement, and they will clash again Friday in the $100,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (G3) at Calder Casino & Race Course.

The 40th edition of the La Prevoyante is run over the same 12-furlong distance on turf as the Dowager with a wide-open field of 11 fillies and mares drawn for the race that will share top billing on Calder’s closing day program with the $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf.


Jockey Edgar Prado gets a return call on Senada as the $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Pulpit bids for a first Graded stakes victory. Senada finished second in an overnight stakes and third in the Glens Falls Stakes (G3) at Saratoga prior to the Dowager, both races won by Augustin Stable’s Emerald Beech, who also will line-up for the La Prevoyante.

Jockey Rajiv Maragh picks up the mount on Cheetah for Clement, who has won the La Prevoyante four times previously, twice with Coretta. A roan/gray daughter of Tiger Hill, Cheetah was a ‘Listed’ stakes winner racing 12 furlongs on Polytrack in England last year and won the Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) at Delaware Park in July going 11 furlongs on turf.

Emerald Beech will be ridden by Alex Solis and bids to bounce back from a fifth-place finished last out in the 12-furlong Long Island Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct on Nov. 12 with some trouble in the race. The 5-year-old homebred by Maria’s Mon ran evenly to finish fourth behind Stacelita in the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 1 after the Glens Falls victory.

An intriguing prospect in the field is Green Hills Farm’s 5-year-old Chilean-bred Casablanca Smile with Javier Castellano named to ride for trainer Shug McGaughey. The daughter of Ocean Terrace hasn’t run since finishing second behind Changing Skies in this race on Jan. 2 early this year after romping home a seven-length winner of Keeneland’s Dowager Stakes in the fall of 2010.

Completing the field for the La Prevoyante are Brinkerhill Farm’s Millennia, Jeffrey Sanchez; Glen Hill Farm’s Holidaysatthefarm, Freddie Lenclud; Vann Bran Stable’s Ventania, Jorge Calderon; Edward Seltzer’s Petite Riviere, Daniel Centeno; Charles Fipke’s Thislilsoulofmine, Paco Lopez; Luis Duco Stable’s Coffee Run, Antonio Gallardo; and Teresa and David Palmer’s Tesoro de Amor, Juan Leyva.


Mr. Ryder Likely Choice in Tropical Turf

Trainer Christophe Clement has a solid contender in the La Prevoyante with Cheetah and may have the favorite in the Tropical Turf Handicap with Brushwood Stable’s 4-year-old colt Mr. Ryder and Joe Bravo in the saddle after they teamed up for a strong third-place effort last out in the Knickerbocker Stakes (G3) on ‘yielding’ turf at Belmont on Oct. 15, beaten less than a length for it all.

Mr. Ryder is a chestnut son of Giant’s Causeway purchased for $800,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sales and had won three straight before the Knickerbocker – allowance races at Belmont and Monmouth Park and the Sussex Stakes at Delaware Park – all on turf.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has a contender with Black Rock Stable’s 3-year-old Silver Medallion and Javier Castellano named to ride. The son of Badge of Silver finished a game third last out in the Commonwealth Turf (G3) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 after a runner-up effort in an allowance race at Woodbine in early October in his first start for Pletcher.

Silver Medallion was trained last winter by Steve Asmussen, winning the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf at Santa Anita and the El Camino Real Derby (G3) on the Tapeta synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields in February. He went on to finish fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April and fourth in the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland later that month before heading to the sidelines until the Woodbine allowance.

Certain to attract attention while making his stakes race debut in the field of nine drawn for the Tropical Turf will be Frank Calabrese’s 6-year-old gelding Chosen Empire with Elvis Trujillo named to ride for trainer Nick Canani.

A son of Empire Maker, Chosen Empire was a $30,000 claim at Gulfstream Park in April and has won all four of his starts since by clear margins, beginning with a $25,000 claimer here at Calder in May, another $25,000 claiming test at Saratoga in July, an ‘a other than’ allowance at Monmouth Park in August, and most recently an allowance over the Calder course on Oct. 7.

Completing the field for the Tropical Turf are Willis Family Stable’s Grove Hall, Eduardo Nunez; Stronach Stable’s Mobilizer, Jeffrey Sanchez; Boice Brook Stable’s Perfect Footprint, Jaime Rodriguez; David Wilmot’s Stormy Lord, Justin Stein; Henco Inc. and partners’ Tannersville, Luis Jurado; and Robert Harvey’s Hollinger, Paco Lopez.