http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.php en webmaster@horseraceinsider.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-23T17:26:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/monmouth-park-barn-notes-for-wednesday-may-23-2012/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/monmouth-park-barn-notes-for-wednesday-may-23-2012/#When:17:26:00Z PANTS ON FIRE RETURNS TO MONMOUTH STRIP IN SKIP AWAY STAKES Pants on Fire, who last raced at Monmouth when he finished fifth in the 2011 Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, breezed five furlongs over a fast track in 1:00.80 on May 19 in preparation for the $75,000 Skip Away Stakes on May 26. “It was a really good work and he is doing extremely well right now,” said trainer Kelly Breen. “He’s doing super. I’d like to get him back to his winning ways.” The 4-year-old colt, who won the Louisiana Derby before finishing 9th in the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Rosie Napravnik in the irons, captured an optional claiming allowance on March 12 at Gulfstream this year with Paco Lopez aboard. Napravnik was back aboard for the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap and the Grade 2 Charlestown Classic in April, but the colt didn’t fire and ended up fifth and sixth, respectively. Breen has named Lopez to ride the son of Jump Start in Saturday’s Skip Away, a mile and a sixteenth test for 3-year-olds an up. SURVIVAL AT THE SHORE CONTEST RETURNS THIS WEEKEND Monmouth Park’s popular Survival at the Shore Contest returns on Saturday, May 26 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 3. The rules for the contest are simple - the Challenge Commissioner will select three races on each live date from which players will select one horse from each and receive a mythical $2 across the board wager. In order to “Survive” the contest and continue on to the next racing day, any one of the player’s three selections must finish in the top three. As an added twist, players will get one “life preserver” which can be used to stay in the contest should the player fail to make their selections on any given race day or if the player’s selections fail to hit the board. While prizes will be awarded throughout the contest, the Grand Prize winner will be the player with the highest mythical bankroll come the contest’s end on Sept. 3. The Grand Prize winner will take home $2,500 in cash, while second place receives $1,000 and third gets $250. To learn more about Survival at the Shore or to sign up for the contest, visit http://www.survivalattheshore.com or http://www.monmouthpark.com. FOOD TRUCK WARS ROLL INTO MONMOUTH PARK THIS SUNDAY The first-ever Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars will roll into Monmouth Park this Sunday, May 27. Featuring 15 food trucks from across the eastern seaboard, the Food Truck Wars will feature cuisine ranging across all palette spectrums as participants battle to be named the People’s Choice for Best Food Truck. Participating food trucks include: Max’s Hot Dogs, Red Hook Lobster, Pudgy’s Street Food, Rickshaw Dumplings, Kona Ice, The Taco Truck, Lil Dans Gourmet, Dellano’s Food Service, The French Quarter – A Taste of New Orleans LLC, Mustache Mobile, Cupcake Carnival and Thai Elephant Truck. In addition, Monmouth Park’s beer garden returns featuring dozens of delicious brews. For just $10, fans receive 10 two-ounce samples plus a commemorative sampling glass. Food trucks will be serving from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The beer garden opens at 12 p.m., with live Thoroughbred racing getting underway at 12:50 p.m. Monmouth Park - Live 2012-05-23T17:26:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/csaba-and-miami-cat-to-represent-gleaves-in-saturdays-mambo-meister/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/csaba-and-miami-cat-to-represent-gleaves-in-saturdays-mambo-meister/#When:17:25:01Z MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (May 23, 2012) – Bruce Hollander and Cary Shapoff’s graded stakes-placed Csaba, along with Hollander, Shapoff, and trainer Phil Gleaves’ Miami Cat, headline a field of nine sophomore colts and geldings that are scheduled to cover one mile on the Calder Casino & Race Course turf Saturday for the $55,000 Mambo Meister. The race is named in honor of the popular Gleaves-trained gelding, a nine-time stakes winner at Calder that broke down during a routine morning workout on April 9. Csaba exits a commanding off-the-turf allowance victory at Calder on May 12 where the colt led at every call en route to a 5 ¾-length triumph. Earlier this season, the son of Kitten’s Joy crossed the wire third in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf where he finished less than three lengths behind runner-up Dullahan, who has since returned to win the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes and finish third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. Starting from post five in the Mambo Meister, Csaba will be ridden by Luis Saez. The rapidly developing Miami Cat has made just three starts during his brief career, finding the winner’s circle in two of those outings, including a 6 ¾-length win when stretched out around two turns for the first time in his last start, a May 8 entry-level allowance. The homebred son of Powerful Goer has drawn post two for his stakes debut and will be paired with jockey Fernando Jara. Luis Duco Stables, Inc.’s Empire Builder, third in the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream in January and most recently runner-up to Csaba in the aforementioned May 12 allowance, will look to remain unbeaten on the Calder turf when starting from post four in the Mambo Meister. Empire Builder broke his maiden on the Calder green last September before returning one month later to prevail in an entry-level allowance. The son of Kitten’s Joy will be ridden by Jonathan Gonzales. Also scheduled for a start in the Mambo Meister are Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti's Musical Flair and A and V Investments, Inc.'s El Romano, the respective third and fourth-place finishers in this year's off-the-turf running of the Calder Derby. Completing the field for the race is My Magic Touch Stable’s Farmers Marker, Sandra J. Brown’s Two Is to Many, Herman Van den Broeck’s Small Token, and New Phoenix Stable’s Imperador Sarava. The $55,000 Mambo Meister will go as the 10th race on an 11-race Saturday program with an approximate post time of 4:59 p.m. In addition to the Mambo Meister, the Saturday card from Calder will also feature the fourth and final leg of the rich Calder Starter Series, to be run at the distance of 1 1/16 miles on turf with a purse of $50,000. Fair Whit, Power Rules, and Barra d'Oro, the top three finishers from the May 12 third leg, return for Saturday’s turf tilt along with second-leg second and third-place finishers Nineinthenine and Bingo Bango Bongo, and series newcomers Liberty Cap and Let It Rock. The fourth leg of the Calder Starter Series will go as race seven with a post time of 3:34. Calder - Live 2012-05-23T17:25:01-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/spring-handle-numbers-increase-castellano-ness-win-meet-titles/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/spring-handle-numbers-increase-castellano-ness-win-meet-titles/#When:14:30:00Z BALTIMORE, 05-23-12---The Maryland Jockey Club concluded its spring meeting at Pimlico Race Course last weekend, posting average wagering figures which were 9% higher than the 2011 spring meet. The average daily handle went from $4.72 million to $5.17 million. The stand featured 29 live racing dates and 21 simulcast days. “It is significant news that the live and export numbers increased from a year ago,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “We finished strong as betting was up in May on nine of 11 days of live racing. Our handle improved $4.1 million on Preakness day and $3.1 million last Friday which helped the final numbers and I have to thank our racing office for carding two unbelievable cards.” Attendance was up nearly 9% at Pimlico as the Preakness day crowd increased from 107,398 to a record 121,309. Performances by Grammy Award winner Maroon 5 and Billboard Music Award winner Wiz Khalifa in the infield plus the presence of Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another in Baltimore for 12 days before the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown contributed to make it a must-see event. “We continue to enhance the infield experience since changing the beverage policy after the 2008 Preakness and got lucky as Maroon 5’s popularity skyrocketed after we booked them,” added Chuckas. “I don’t think you can put a dollar figure on what it meant having trainer Doug O’Neill bring the Kentucky Derby winner here two days after winning the Derby instead of just three days before the Preakness. Their presence increased our visibility in the market as Doug and his team became part of the community leading up to the big weekend.” Castellano, Ness, Midwest Thoroughbred, Inc. Capture Spring Meet Titles The eight-week Pimlico spring meeting ended Saturday afternoon with Abel Castellano, Jamie Ness and Midwest Thoroughbred, Inc. winning individual titles. The 29-day stand began at the historic home of the Preakness Stakes (G1) on March 30. Castellano won the first race of the meet and never looked back, dominating the rider standings with 41 victories, 22 more than Horacio Karamanos. The 28-year-old rode winners for 14 different trainers, including 23 for Ness. The duo teamed up for six multiple win days, including four on May 11. “I am so happy with the way the meet went,” Castellano said. “My agent Kevin Witte put in a lot of hard work and I wouldn’t have won the meet without him. I was winning races nearly every day (24 of the 29 days) as trainers gave me an opportunity to show them what I can do.” Castellano arrived in Maryland as a 19-year-old and has been a consistent top five rider in the state since. He captured his first career riding title during the 2003 fall meet at Laurel Park and waited nearly nine years for his second. “I was very young when I won that first title and almost expect it to happen all the time,” added Castellano, who has 73 winners in Maryland this year, three more than reigning champion Sheldon Russell. “Now I am married with two kids and another on the way and have more responsibility. I am taking things more seriously-putting in more work in the mornings. When the big-name riders came in last week and asked who the leading rider was, it made me happy that they knew I was.” Ness saddled 24 winners from just 65 starters during the stand, 13 more than Dane Kobiskie and Hugh McMahon. Ness leads the nation with 178 winners through May 22, including 47 in Maryland. “Riding for Jamie Ness is the best,” said Castellano. “I know that every horse is at 100 percent and riding horses like that increases your confidence. I work a lot of horses for him in the morning and love having the opportunity to ride for him.” Midwest Thoroughbreds topped the owner standings at Old Hilltop, finishing first 24 times from 64 starters, all with Ness. Pimlico - Live 2012-05-23T14:30:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/belmont-park-notes-may-22-2012/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/belmont-park-notes-may-22-2012/#When:14:27:00Z ELMONT, N.Y. – Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another was a “very happy horse” Tuesday morning as he continued to settle nicely into his new digs at Belmont Park, where on June 9 he will attempt to become the 12th horse to add the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. “He walked again this morning,” said Jack Sisterson, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill, of I’ll Have Another, who arrived Sunday from Pimlico. “He looks great, fantastic. He’s a very happy horse. The main thing with this horse is, we can ship him around, and he settles right in. He just takes everything into stride.” Sisterson said he remains impressed with how quickly J. Paul Reddam’s colt rebounded from his hard-fought victory over favored Bodemeister in the Preakness. Both horses earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure for the 1 3/16-mile race, tops among 3-year-olds this year. “Watching the replays of the race and looking at the numbers, you would think it would have taken a lot out of him, but that’s not the case,” he said. “He bounced back right out of the race in great shape, ate everything up in the morning, the day after he shipped, and again this morning, That’s the one thing you have to monitor after a race like that. He’s doing everything we wanted to see, and more.” Sisterson added that I’ll Have Another would return to the track sometime later this week, and that O’Neill was scheduled to arrive early next week to supervise the Flower Alley colt’s remaining training. * * * In 2002, Ken McPeek upset the Belmont Stakes with Sarava as War Emblem’s Triple Crown bid came to an end, and the trainer will have a chance to play spoiler a second time in 2012. McPeek’s Belmont-based assistant Lars Becdelamotte confirmed Atigun for the June 9 race and said he could be joined by lightly raced Unstoppable U. Shortleaf Stable’s Atigun passed tiring rivals to finish fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 14 before returning to win a Churchill Downs optional claimer by 1 ¼ lengths on May 5. He has breezed once at Belmont since shipping from Kentucky, turning in a 50.23 four-furlong move on May 19. “He’s shown he can run,” said Becdelamotte. “He just keeps running and running. A mile-and-a-half distance should fit him really well. He seems to like the Belmont track since he got up here.” Unstoppable U, owned by Magdalena Racing and Mojallali Stable, will compete at Belmont on June 9, either in the Belmont Stakes or the $90,000, 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer overnight stakes. Either race would be his stakes debut as he has made two starts to date, graduating by 2 ¾ lengths on March 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack and defeating fellow Belmont Stakes contender Guyana Star Dweej by 6 ¼ lengths in an April 27 optional claimer at Belmont. “We had a little bit of a slow start with him, but he’s a very talented horse and if we could have started a little earlier with him we could have been on the Derby trail,” said Becdelamotte. “Right now we have to see if we’re going to run in the Belmont or not. Right now, we’re leaning towards it, but there’s going to be a stake on the undercard he could run in, too. It’s a big test, but he’s very talented and very fast, so we’ll just have to see. Becdelamotte said Antigun will work a half-mile and Unstoppable U will work five furlongs on Saturday. Both are slated to cover five eighths on May 2. * * * Street Life, who is under consideration for the Belmont Stakes off a third in the May 12 Grade 2 Peter Pan, will return to the Belmont worktab “over the next few days,” according to Cherie DeVaux, assistant to trainer Chad Brown. “He came out of the race in good order and has been training very well,” said DeVaux. In the Peter Pan, Street Life made up 9 ½ lengths in the final half-mile as he rallied from last of 10 to finish 1 ¾ lengths behind the winner, Mark Valeski, who on Monday was reported to be doubtful for the Belmont. Owned by Magnolia Racing Stable LLC and Hidden Brook Farm, Street Life seeks his first victory since taking the Broad Brush overnight stakes on March 17 at Aqueduct. He sandwiched a sixth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial between the Broad Brush and the Peter Pan. * * * As part of the Memorial Day weekend festivities at Belmont Park, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will provide free admission to the track for all currently serving members of the armed forces. Natalie Loftin Bell, who tours with the USO Liberty Bells International performing troupe, will sing the national anthem in the winner’s circle before Sunday’s races, and will also present the trophy for the USO for the first race. Belmont Stakes - Live, Belmont Park - Live 2012-05-23T14:27:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/ill-have-another-content-at-belmont-could-soon-resume-training/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/ill-have-another-content-at-belmont-could-soon-resume-training/#When:14:07:00Z ELMONT, N.Y. – Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another was reported to be doing well the morning after he arrived at Belmont Park by van and will soon begin training on the Belmont main track, according to Jack Sisterson, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill. “He looks fantastic this morning,” said Sisterson. “He ate everything up last night and is a very happy horse. He walked the shedrow this morning. I have to speak with Doug, but it’s likely he will go to the main track at some point this week.” In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, I’ll Have Another made an inexorable charge to overtake pacesetter Bodemeister, who has been ruled out of consideration for the Belmont Stakes. “He came out of the Preakness fantastic, just like he came out of the Derby,” said Sisterson. “He acts like he never even ran a race.” I’ll Have Another, who is owned by J. Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Reddam Racing LLC, carries a four-race winning streak into the Belmont, having also won Santa Anita’s Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis in February and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April. He’ll be the 31st horse to head into the Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown, one of the most elusive prizes in sports. Since 1919, when Sir Barton became the first to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, only 11 horses have managed to sweep all three races, most recently in 1978 when Affirmed beat archrival Alydar by a head in the “Test of the Champion.” Five years earlier, Secretariat became the first horse since Citation (1948) to win the Triple Crown, with his 31-length Belmont triumph ending a 25-year drought, and in 1977 Seattle Slew became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner with his Belmont victory running his record to 9-0. Completing the roster of champions are Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), and Assault (1946). Beyond the 11 champions, the 1 ½-mile Belmont has tripped up 19 Triple Crown hopefuls, most recently Big Brown, who did not finish behind longshot winner Da’ Tara in 2008. There were consecutive Triple Crown tries from 2002-2004, with the Bob Baffert-trained War Emblem finishing eighth behind Sarava in 2002, New York-bred Funny Cide coming in third behind Empire Maker in 2003, and Smarty Jones being caught by Birdstone in the shadow of the wire before a record 120,139 fans in 2004. Belmont Stakes - Live, Belmont Park - Live 2012-05-22T14:07:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/gypsy-ring-game-in-new-providence/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/gypsy-ring-game-in-new-providence/#When:14:06:00Z TORONTO, May 21 - Paul Buttigieg's Gypsy Ring, under a strong ride by Justin Stein, held off a determined Paso Doble to win Monday's $125,000 New Providence Stakes, at Woodbine. Creeping Barrage, Executive Five and Red Eagle tussled for the early lead in the six furlong Polytrack event as Gypsy Ring and Paso Doble stalked the early pace. Following a quarter in :22.43 and a half in :45.56, Patrick Husbands manoeuvred Paso Doble up the rail, while Stein circled outside horses with Gypsy Ring overtaking the front-running Executive Five at the top of the lane. Gypsy Ring opened up a narrow lead, but Paso Doble kept on and the duo battled through the wire with Gypsy Ring taking the spoils by three-quarters of a length. Gypsy Ring stopped the clock in 1:10.72. Stein, who piloted Gypsy Ring to victory in the Debut Stakes on opening day, is a big fan of the Where's the Ring-Gypsy Genna gelding. "He's a really awesome horse," said Stein. "He has a tremendous amount of talent. He just gives me tons of confidence and when I come out here to ride him, I have a lot of fun. He's always given me his best." Stein admits his game plan was to keep close tabs on Paso Doble, who won the 2011 edition of the New Providence. "I was pretty happy with my trip," offered Stein. "I just wanted to keep an eye on the horse I figured was the one to beat and it worked out well." Gypsy Ring returned $4, $2.20 and $2.10, combining with Paso Doble ($2.20, $2.10) for a $7.60 exactor. Executive Five ($2.40) rounded out a triactor worth $16.40. Woodbine - Live 2012-05-22T14:06:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/preakness-winner-ill-have-another-heads-to-belmont-park-oneill-trained-colt/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/preakness-winner-ill-have-another-heads-to-belmont-park-oneill-trained-colt/#When:13:31:00Z BALTIMORE, 05-20-12 – I’ll Have Another’s connections loaded their Preakness Stakes winner onto a van Sunday morning at Pimlico Race Course to begin their journey to Belmont Park in their continuing quest to sweep racing’s Triple Crown. In front of a record crowd of 121,309, Reddam Racing’s chestnut colt edged Bodemeister by a neck in the 137th Preakness Saturday afternoon to become the first horse since Big Brown in 2008 to win the first two legs of the series. He will try to become the 12th horse to capture American racing’s most treasured prize – and the first since Affirmed in 1978 – in the Belmont Stakes on June 9. Trainer Doug O’Neill said the colt and his team are ready for the challenge. “My dreams always ended with winning the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “They never were followed up with winning the Preakness and going to the Belmont. That’s a new dream now I’m waiting to pull off.” O’Neill said that I’ll Have Another came out of the race well and was happy with his appearance when he arrived at the barn at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. “He looked great,” O’Neill said. “He had licked his feed tub. Once we cleaned the poultice off, his legs were ice cold. He had good energy.” I’ll Have Another was loaded onto a van at 9:05 a.m. for the journey to Belmont Park. The thrilling Preakness victory pushed I’ll Have Another’s record to 4-0 this season. He returned from a nearly five-month layoff due to sore shins with a win in the Robert Lewis (G2) on Feb. 4. On April 7, he added the Santa Anita Derby (G1) to his resume before winning the Kentucky Derby on May 5. O’Neill said the colt is well-suited to handle the demanding 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes, the longest of the three races and called “The Test of the Champion.” “He’s got the mind,” O’Neill said. “You’ve seen the way he’s handled the attention in Kentucky and here in Baltimore. He’s got a great confidence about him and he’s got the stride of a horse that a mile and a half won’t be a problem. He’s got the pedigree; so much stamina on the female side. “And he’s lightly raced. After winning the Bob Lewis it enabled us to give him plenty of time before his next start. He’s still a fresh, happy, thriving horse that just seems to be getting better and better.” Meanwhile, O’Neill is prepared for the attention and demands on his time that will come his way between the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. “Bring it on,” he said. “We’re ready.” O’Neill spent a few hours at the post-race party in the barn area hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club, but ended his celebrating around 10 p.m. “Lynette and I and the kids ended up going back to the hotel and getting room service,” he said. “And the kids were doing a lot of gymnastics moves off the bed. It was kind of a mellow evening once we got back into the hotel. “Here it was just a fun house party. We kept saying ‘I hope mom and dad don’t show up. We’re all going to be in trouble.’ It’s something I had never experienced before in my life, the amount of enthusiasm and positivity and love for horse racing. It was a dream come true for anyone involved in the business.” Assistant trainer Jack Sisterson and several members of O’Neill’s staff went with the colt to Belmont Park. O’Neill and his family were scheduled to fly home to California on owner J. Paul Reddam’s private jet. After checking on his horses at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, O’Neill said he would probably travel to New York in about a week. In all likelihood, O’Neill said, he won’t make any changes in I’ll Have Another’s training program during the three weeks leading up to the Belmont Stakes. “We’ll have to play that by ear,” he said. “It depends on the weather and all that stuff, but we’ll maintain the same type of exercise that he’s had. There’s the old line about you can’t take a sprinter and train him two miles and make a router out of him and you can’t take a router and work them three-eighths every week and make a sprinter out of him. “If we’ve got a true route horse, which we do, he’s going to maintain his fitness and his exercise. If they can go a mile and a half they will. And he will.” While the Derby and Preakness had similar storylines with I’ll Have Another catching and passing Bodemeister near the wire, O’Neill said his personal emotions watching the stretch runs were not the same. “Winning the Derby was an out-of-body experience. It was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe it.’” he said. “The Preakness, the expectations were obviously a lot higher. It was almost like, ‘C’mon boy, C’mon.’” O’Neill acknowledged that there were moments in the duel through the stretch that it looked like I’ll Have Another might not overtake Bodemeister. “He was running such a brilliant race and even if he had run second he would have run brilliantly,” O’Neill said. “You don’t want to run second when you run that good, and I’m glad he didn’t.” BODEMEISTER – After another agonizingly tough loss to I’ll Have Another in the Preakness, Zayat Stables and Michel and Tiffany Moreno’s colt was flown back to California Sunday morning. He will remain in training, but will skip the Belmont Stakes. “I’ve had enough,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert quipped. Baffert said that Bodemeister appeared to be in good condition before leaving the Pimlico Stakes Barn for Baltimore-Washington International Airport. “He was actually pretty happy today,” Baffert said. “He ate up, got on a plane and headed back to California. He came out of it really well.” Bodemeister set the pace in the Derby and the Preakness and each time I’ll Have Another managed to catch and pass him near the finish line. The Arkansas Derby winner turned in gallant performances in defeat. “He’s a pretty amazing animal,” Baffert said. “He didn’t act tired. After the race, he came back to the barn and he wasn’t as tired as he was after the Derby.” Baffert said I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister showed in the Derby and the Preakness that they are at the top of a talented crop of 3-year-olds. “They are two really good horses,” he said. “On any given year they could probably win those races. It was a tough year.” Baffert said that the Zayat Stables’ colt Paynter might start in the Belmont Stakes. Paynter, who won an allowance race in convincing style Saturday at Pimlico, was shipped to Belmont Park Sunday morning. “We’re going to train him there,” Baffert said. “If it looks like he snapped out of his race, we’ll run him in the Belmont if he looks really good.” CREATIVE CAUSE – The third-place finisher in Preakness 137 boarded a van Sunday morning to head for Baltimore-Washington International Airport for a scheduled 9 a.m. flight back to Los Angeles and his home base of Hollywood Park. “He came out of the race OK,” said trainer Mike Harrington minutes before putting the son of Giant’s Causeway on the van. “Back to California, regroup.” Harrington surprised some observers when he sent Creative Cause home after his fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, before bringing him back to Pimlico the following week for the Preakness. He said he is now contemplating one more cross-country venture to compete in the Belmont Stakes. “I’d say right now it’s 50-50,” said Harrington, who was scheduled to get on a flight Sunday evening with assistant/exercise rider John Cisneros for the trip home. “He ran his heart out,” Cisneros said. “He didn’t have any trouble at all. He ran hard, and I thought he was going to win it. Today he was very alert and happy. Actually he was jumping up and down when he was walking.” The Belmont would be Creative Cause’s sixth race midway through his sophomore season. The San Felipe (G 2) winner has only been out of the money once in 10 career starts, that coming in his fifth-place finish in the Derby. ZETTERHOLM – Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said Sunday that the Winter Park Partners’ Zetterholm appeared to come out of his fourth-place finish in the Preakness in good order. The New York-bred son of Silver Train was shipped back to Dutrow’s barn at Aqueduct Sunday morning. “I got what I wanted from the race,” Dutrow said. “I was hoping and praying for a third or fourth-place finish. We got the fourth-place finish and we left there satisfied, but I did not see my horse run big. I know he put in his little effort there, but I thought he could have run better. He didn’t change leads, which is very unlike him, and he didn’t get along so well with the track.” TEETH OF THE DOG – Trainer Michael Matz reported that J. W. Singer’s Teeth of the Dog exited his fifth-place finish in Saturday’s Preakness in good condition. “I was happy with the way he ran. He’s kind of inexperienced and he’s probably not as good as those horses right now,” said Matz from Fair Hill Training Center Sunday morning. Teeth of the Dog will be not run in the Belmont Stakes, but Matz has the horse that may well be Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another’s most dangerous foe in his quest for a Triple Crown sweep. Union Rags, who finished a troubled seventh in the Kentucky Derby, was held out of the Preakness to train for the Belmont Stakes. Union Rags captured the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park last fall. Matz is confident that Union Rags will be well suited to the 1 ½ -mile oval, the sweeping turns and the relatively deep racing surface. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” Matz said. “He’s won there before, so I don’t think that part of it will be a problem.” OPTIMIZER – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who won back-to-back stakes races on the Preakness undercard but finished sixth in the main event, exited Pimlico shortly after dawn with his entourage early Sunday for the long van ride back to Louisville. “He’s fine; he came out of the race in good shape,” Lukas said by phone while on the highway home. “We’re going to get home and Mr. Kelley (owner Brad) and I talked last night and we’re going to talk a little bit further when we get back.” Lukas said before the Preakness he believed the son of English Channel was probably better suited to the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes than either the Kentucky Derby or Preakness. He finished 11th in the Derby in some traffic, then got going late to split the field in the Preakness at odds of 23-1. “I would say we’re probable for the Belmont just because of the distance and the different configuration of the race track,” said Lukas, who has won the Belmont Stakes four times in his storied career. Lukas last took the Belmont in 2000 with long shot Commendable, following three consecutive victories from 1994-96 with Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch and Editor’s Note. “I’d say it’s 50-50 right now,” he said. “The winner (I’ll Have Another) is a nice horse, but we’re not going to hand it (the Triple Crown) to him. He’s got to earn it.” COZZETTI – The seventh-place finisher in Preakness 137 returned to his home base at Churchill Downs Sunday, where trainer Dale Romans will decide whether to continue on to Belmont or embark on a grass campaign to take advantage of his attractive turf pedigree. “I’m not sure,” Romans said when asked if he would go onto the Belmont Stakes with Albaugh Family Stable’s son of grass champion Cozzene. “We’ll regroup. We’ve got to figure out why he’s not running better. He’s a better horse than he’s shown. Once we get back to Kentucky, we’ll figure him out.” Even if Romans bypasses the Belmont with Cozzetti, he has another candidate that he’s more than a little excited about in Dullahan. “He worked Saturday morning (five furlongs in 1:00.20, second-best of 26) at Churchill,” Romans said of the Blue Grass winner and Kentucky Derby show finisher. “He’s on track for a big Belmont.” Romans, who won the 2011 Preakness with Shackleford, decided not to run in the Preakness and give Dullahan extra rest for the Belmont Stakes. “It should help him,” he said. “He’ll be a fresher horse.” WENT THE DAY WELL – Team Valor International and Mark Ford’s Went the Day Well was reported to have come out of a 10th-place finish in the Preakness in good order. “He seems OK. He has a couple of scrapes, but all in all, he’s good,” said trainer Graham Motion from Fair Hill Training Center Sunday morning. Motion could offer no concrete reason for the disappointing effort that followed a strong fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. “Maybe the Derby took more out of him that I realized. I just don’t know,” Motion said. Went the Day Well is unlikely to go on to the Belmont Stakes. “I think we’ll point to some of the summer races like the Travers,” Motion said. TIGER WALK – Trainer Ignacio Correas and his eighth-place Preakness runner were back at Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Farm Sunday morning, having departed Pimlico Saturday night for the 20-minute van ride home. “He came out of the race good,” Correas said. “He just walked today. He was probably a little tired.” The Preakness was Tiger Walk’s fourth race as a 3-year-old, all stakes, but his only in-the-money finish came in the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct in February in his seasonal debut. Correas said he thought the son of Tale of the Cat would probably not be heading to New York for the Belmont Stakes in three weeks. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I haven’t talked to Kevin about it yet. We’re going to talk during the week, but I don’t think so.” PRETENSION – Trainer Chris Grove reported from Bowie Training Center that Kidwells Petite Stable’s Pretension came out of his 11th-place finish in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes in good order. “He’s in great shape. No problems, “I think we’ll probably head for the Mike Lee in late June,” said Grove, referring to the Belmont Park stakes that’s restricted to New York-bred horses. Pimlico - Live, Preakness Stakes 2012-05-21T13:31:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/ill-have-another-wins-preakness-in-photo-finish-edges-bode-by-a-neck-in-que/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/ill-have-another-wins-preakness-in-photo-finish-edges-bode-by-a-neck-in-que/#When:13:28:00Z BALTIMORE, 05-19-12 – I’ll Have Another moved one step closer to a Triple Crown sweep Saturday at Pimlico Race Course with a thrilling narrow victory over a tenacious Bodemeister in the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes. Reddam Racing LLC’s 3-year-old colt, who defeated Bodemeister by 1 ½ lengths to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs two weeks earlier, was pushed to the limit to prevail by a neck over the Bob Baffert-trained pacesetter in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.The exciting rematch was witnessed by a record crowd of 121,309 at Pimlico, edging the 2005 Preakness when 121,263 packed Old Hilltop. The attendance, which included InfieldFest partygoers who were treated to concerts by six bands, featured headliners Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa, as well as a National Volleyball League tournament with Olympic gold medalists Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers. The 13-race thoroughbred card generated an all-sources handle of $80,463,005. The handle ranked as the sixth highest for Pimlico’s signature day. “The numbers say it all. We had a tremendous event,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “We knew in 2009 when we changed the landscape of the infield it would take three or four years to get to where we needed to get, and we are back. The crowd out there now is in the 21-35 group. They’re here to have a good time, not to cause mayhem. First-rate entertainment and world class racing is a winning combination.” Saddled by Doug O’Neill, I’ll Have Another, who received a flawless ride from Mario Gutierrez to win his fourth straight race this year without defeat, is now eligible to become the 12th Triple Crown champion in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 9. Bodemeister, the 8-5 favorite who is trained by five-time Preakness-winning trainer Bob Baffert, set the pace for most of the 1 3/16-mile spring classic under jockey Mike Smith, only to be caught in the shadow of the finish line by the Derby winner. I’ll Have Another, who was clocked in 1:55.90 under fair skies, returned $8.40 to win as the 3-1 second choice in the field of 11. Bodemeister finished 8 ¾ lengths clear of third-place finisher Creative Cause, the 6-1 fourth choice ridden by Joel Rosario. Zetterholm finished fourth, another three lengths back. I’ll Have Another settled off the early pace set by Bodemeister, racing on the outside in fourth place around the first turn and along the backstretch. The son of Flower Alley steadily advanced to third on the turn for home, before Gutierrez saved ground while slipping inside a tiring Creative Cause on the turn into the stretch in pursuit of Bodemeister, who opened a three-length lead in mid-stretch. I’ll Have Another took out after the leader and gradually stuck out his neck at the wire to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive. In the 1 ½-mile Belmont, the $35,000 purchase by J. Paul Reddam has the opportunity to join Triple Crown champions Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). Preakness Stakes Quotes Doug O’Neill (winning trainer in winner’s circle, I’ll Have Another) – “I’m just numb. I could see him and I felt like he was coming, but you never want to expect that he’s going to be in front. I saw him coming. It seemed like the stretch never ends. Thank God. Usually you want it to end. Incredible.” Mario Gutierrez (winning jockey, I’ll Have Another) – "This is not about me. We talked about it with Mr. Reddam and Mr. O’Neill. We wanted to be a little bit closer to Bodemeister this time because normally that horse runs a huge race. My horse has a tremendous kick in the end. He has been proving that in the last three races. He didn’t disappoint again today.” “I want to put the pressure a little bit on the side because the credit he earned all this. He has proven a lot of people wrong. I just have to prepare because I want to be at the same level as him. He’s an amazing horse. Bob Baffert (trainer, Bodemeister, 2nd) – “It's one of those things where it's good for the sport. It's good for the Belmont. It's tough. "I felt really good about where he was. He looked like he was traveling nicely down the backside and coming to the three-eighths pole, he just sat on him. The fractions were more reasonable today, so turning for home I really thought he was going to do it. He just got a little late there at the end. The winner's a good horse. It was a good horse race. I really can't complain. We didn't win it, but my horse ran his race. "The winner's a good horse. He'll get the respect now that he deserves. The California horses are really tough. They ran 1-2-3. I'm proud that as a trainer my horse showed up and he ran his race. He just got beat." Mike Smith (jockey, Bodemeister, 2nd) – “I thought I put him away but he (I’ll Have Another) reached up and got us with three strides. Two great horses and I give them all the credit for what they did.” Mike Harrington (trainer, Creative Cause, 3rd ) – “He just got outrun. He always brings his best race. He just couldn’t outrun those horses today. What can you do? You’ve got to try to win the race. Joel Rosario tried to win the race. I have no regrets. He probably won it for I’ll Have Another.” Joel Rosario (jockey, Creative Cause, 3rd) – Not Available for Comment. Richard Dutrow (trainer, Zetterholm, 4th) – “We’re happy. He’s not supposed to beat the top two, so we are really pleased with the way he ran today.” Junior Alvarado (jockey, Zetterholm, 4th) -- “He was there and was coming from behind. We were almost last and when I asked him, he started to pick it up. He ran a huge race.” Michael Matz (trainer, Teeth of the Dog, 5th) – “I thought he ran nice. I'm going to have to watch the replay over again. Joe (Bravo) was happy with him. He said he never gave up and tried real hard, and he's a horse that's only going to get better with experience and age." Joe Bravo (jockey, Teeth of the Dog, 5th) – “We ran our race today. The race didn’t develop the way we thought it would. He ran a good race. He was the most lightly raced horse of the whole bunch today. He never stopped trying. He’s got a great future.” D. Wayne Lukas (trainer, Optimizer, 6th) – “The two times I saw him go by he looked fine. It looked like he finished good. I thought he had a chance. We were in the clear turning for home.” Corey Nakatani (jockey, Optimizer 6th) – “I think we got fifth or sixth. The two horses in front were very, very tough today. There is not much more I can say.” Dale Romans (trainer, Cozzetti, 7th) – “It looked like he was going to make a big move and he just flattened out. He’s a good horse. He just hasn’t shown what he can do. I did get excited turning for home. It was an amazing race. We have a Triple Crown on the line. That’s good for racing.” Jose Lezcano (jockey, Cozzetti, 7th) – “I got him into the position I wanted. I asked him for a kick and he was kind of even.” Ignacio Correas (trainer, Tiger Walk, 8th) – “We gave it shot. It didn’t look like he had any trouble. I was happy for the winner and a chance for the Triple Crown. It is good for the sport.” Ramon Dominguez (jockey, Tiger Walk, 8th) – “I had an absolutely beautiful perfect trip and I was able to get him in good position laying fourth or fifth and in striking range. But when we reached the three-eighths pole he showed signs of getting tired and it was difficult for him to keep up.” Steve Asmussen (trainer, Daddy Nose Best, 9th) – “He kind of stumbled away from there and that’s how it went.” Julien Leparoux (jockey, Daddy Nose Best, 9th) – “He had a little jump at the gate. After that, he had a tough, tough race.” Graham Motion (trainer, Went the Day Well, 10th) – “No excuses. Johnny (Velazquez) said he ran out of horse down the backside. He was right with the winner and he really had no excuse. Just ran flat. John Velazquez (jockey, Went the Day Well, 10th) – “He broke a little slow. But I put him right where I wanted to be. In the first turn, I was right behind the leader and by the backstretch, I was done. I mean, he didn’t respond at all for whatever reason. Very disappointing.” Chris Grove (trainer, Pretension, 11th) – “ (Javier) Santiago put him where he wanted. It looked like Bodemeister had to use himself a little bit to get in front. We just got outran.” Javier Santiago (jockey, Pretension, 11th) – “I was able to stay close to the pace until about the three-eighths and from there, that was it.” Pimlico - Live, Preakness Stakes 2012-05-21T13:28:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/belmont-park-notes-sunday-may-20-2012/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/belmont-park-notes-sunday-may-20-2012/#When:13:25:00Z ELMONT, N.Y. – I’ll Have Another, who on June 9 will attempt to become the 12th horse to sweep the Triple Crown when he competes in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, arrived in barn 9 at Belmont Park at 2:53 p.m. Sunday after vanning north from Pimlico Race Course in Maryland. “We got kind of held up for about an hour and a half,” said Jack Sisterson, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill. “I have no idea where we were, but besides that the horse was happy. He was just looking out the window the whole time. He and Lava Man were together, they were just chatting away the whole time. We were at Pimlico almost two weeks and we shipped in a week before at Churchill, and now we’re here for the three weeks. So far, so good. It’s kind of working out for us, so we’re not going to change that. I think the sooner he gets over the track and gets familiar with the surroundings..... We’ll walk him tomorrow and then take it from there. One day at a time.” Earlier in the day at Pimlico, O’Neill could hardly contain his excitement as he reported that I’ll Have Another appears to have exited his hard-fought neck victory over Bodemeister in Saturday’s Grade 1 Preakness in fine fettle. “Bring it on! We’re ready to go. Super-pumped!” O’Neill enthused. “How he’s doing is going to dictate how we’re doing. This morning, he looks superb. “The fact he’s still fresh and happy, to have done what he’s done in the past few weeks and then show up the day after the Preakness and see him lick his feed tub, have good energy, and be cold-legged and sound, that gives me the confidence,” O’Neill added. “Obviously there will be fresh horses; Union Rags and Dullahan come to mind. They’re fresh-legged and ready to go but we’re pumped our horse came out of this race in great shape. As long as he stays injury-free we’ve got a big, big chance.” Owner J. Paul Reddam said he hopes he and everybody connected with I’ll Have Another will be able to enjoy what the next three weeks bring. “I have no idea what’s going to happen between now and June 9,” said Reddam. “I am going to tell everyone to try and keep the tension down. Enjoy it. If you want to be in the spotlight, knock yourself out. If you started singing on David Letterman, you probably carried it too far. But this is supposed to be fun.” I’ll Have Another would be the 31st horse to head into the Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown, one of the most elusive prizes in sports. Since 1919, when Sir Barton became the first to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, only 11 horses have managed to sweep all three races, most recently in 1978 when Affirmed beat archrival Alydar by a head in the “Test of the Champion.” Five years earlier, Secretariat became the first horse since Citation (1948) to win the Triple Crown, with his 31-length Belmont triumph ending a 25-year drought, and in 1977 Seattle Slew became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner with his Belmont victory running his record to 9-0. Completing the roster of champions are Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), and Assault (1946). Beyond the 11 champions, the 1 ½-mile Belmont has tripped up 19 Triple Crown hopefuls, most recently Big Brown, who did not finish behind longshot winner Da’ Tara in 2008. There were consecutive Triple Crown tries from 2002-2004, with the Bob Baffert-trained War Emblem finishing eighth behind Sarava in 2002, New York-bred Funny Cide coming in third behind Empire Maker in 2003, and Smarty Jones being caught by Birdstone in the shadow of the wire before a record 120,139 fans in 2004. In 1997 and 1998, Baffert-trained horses came up inches short of sweeping the series, with Silver Charm losing by three-quarters of a length to Touch Gold, and Real Quiet nosed out at the wire by Victory Gallop in a dramatic photo finish. In 1999, Charismatic finished third behind Lemon Drop Kid. Pensive (1944), Tim Tam (1958), Carry Back (1961), Northern Dancer (1964), Kauai King (1966), Forward Pass (1968), Majestic Prince (1969), Canonero II (1971), Spectacular Bid (1979), Pleasant Colony (1981), Alysheba (1987) and Sunday Silence (1989) also fell short in their quest for the Crown. Burgoo King (1932) and Bold Venture (1936) won the Derby and the Preakness, but did not start in the Belmont. * * * A strong contingent of horses will attempt to spoil I’ll Have Another’s Triple Crown bid when the 3-year-olds assemble at Belmont Park on June 9 for the 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion.” Chadds Ford Stable’s Union Rags will return to the site of his 5 ¼-length win in October’s Grade 1 Champagne as he looks to regain the winning thread following a pair of tough trips when third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 31 and seventh in the Derby on May 5. He is unbeaten in New York, having taken the Grade 2 Three Chimneys Saratoga Special by 7 ¼ lengths and also sporting a triumph in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. Dullahan, owned by Donegal Racing, fell 1 ¾ lengths short of emulating his half-brother Mine That Bird when he finished third in the Kentucky Derby. He has a pair of Grade 1 victories over Keeneland’s Polytrack to his credit, having won the Breeders’ Futurity in October and the Blue Grass on April 14. Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams’ Rousing Sermon completes the list of horses who will go directly to the Belmont Stakes after competing in the Kentucky Derby. The Grade 1-placed runner was eighth in the Derby. Optimizer, 11th in the Kentucky Derby and sixth in the Preakness for owner Bluegrass Hall, is probable to take another shot at I’ll Have Another. Mark Valeski, who skipped the Derby, will attempt to become the first horse to sweep the Grade 2 Peter Pan and Belmont Stakes since A.P. Indy pulled off the feat in 1992. Prior to his 1 ¼-length victory in the May 12 Peter Pan, Mark Valeski was second in both the Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds. Paynter, a facile winner of a Pimlico allowance on the Preakness undercard for owner Zayat Stables, has faced I’ll Have Another once before. In his second start, Paynter was fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, won by I’ll Have Another, and then was second in the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs. The list of horses who are slated to make their first Triple Crown start in the Belmont Stakes also includes Antigun, winner of a Churchill Downs optional claimer on May 5; Five Sixteen, fourth in an Aqueduct allowance on April 18; Guyana Star Dweej, runner-up in a Belmont optional claimer on April 27; Street Life, third in the Peter Pan; and Unstoppable U, who is unbeaten and untested in two starts in New York. * * * On Saturday morning at Belmont Park Godolphin Racing’s Alpha turned in his first timed workout since a 12th-place finish in the May 5 Kentucky Derby. The son of Bernardini, a two-time stakes winner at Aqueduct Racetrack this winter, covered four furlongs over the main track in 49.17. “We’re not deciding anything yet, we’re just going to watch things and let the horse tell us,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He’s doing great though; good work yesterday, in hand.” Magnuson also reported that dual Grade 1 winner It’s Tricky is scheduled to work Monday morning at Belmont Park in preparation for her start in the Grade 1, $400,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap, where she is expected to meet Awesome Maria, who carries a six-race win streak into the 1 1/16-mile race. * * * While anticipation for the June 9 Belmont Stakes has already started to build, the Memorial Day weekend races at Belmont Park are not to be overlooked. Belmont will present seven stakes May 26-28, with the Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap serving on Memorial Day as the weekend’s climax. To Honor and Serve, a leading contender for the Met Mile, completed major preparations for the race with a 1:00.03 five-furlong breeze over the Belmont training track on Sunday. The Live Oak plantation homebred has won four of his last five, including his two most recent starts, the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in November and the Grade 3 Westchester over the Met Mile’s course and distance on April 28. “He’s had two good works, and he seems to be looking good,” said To Honor and Serve’s trainer, Hall of Famer Bill Mott. “It looks like it’s a good race coming up. Nice horses here, without a doubt.” On Saturday, Principal Role will carry the torch for the Mott barn in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay, a 1 3/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares. The Sheepshead Bay will be the second North American start for the Juddmonte Farms representative, who won four listed stakes in England and Ireland at 1 ¼ miles and who was third in the Grade 3 on May 5 at Belmont. She breezed five furlongs on turf in 1:00.40 on Sunday. “The race she ran in the other day was a mile and sixteenth,” said Mott, in reference to the Beaugay. “She was closing at the end. I ran her in the Beaugay because I had no other place to run with more distance. She was ready at the end of April, and I couldn’t find a race, so I used the Beaugay to get started. She’s run quite a number of races at 10 furlongs, and she seemed to handle it OK. It could be the difference with her style.” On Sunday, Besilu Stables’ Royal Delta turned in her third breeze following her ninth-place finish in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March, with NYRA clockers catching her covering four furlongs in a bullet 47.52 seconds. “She could run a month,” noted Mott. “She’ll most likely go to the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs [Grade 2, June 16], or she could go to the Vanity the same day at Hollywood Park [Grade 1]. She’s doing very well. She had a nice work this morning, she had a nice work last week, and it looks like she hasn’t lost much from the trip.” * * * The Memorial Day card will feature four graded stakes, including three Grade 1 events. Trainer Todd Pletcher could have starters in all three Grade 1s as he plans to run Caixa Eletronica in the Met Mile and Awesome Maria in the Ogden Phipps Handicap, with Broadway’s Alibi under consideration for the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn. All three will breeze at Belmont on Monday, Pletcher said. Caixa Eletronica, claimed for $62,500 by Todd Pletcher on behalf of owner Mike Repole in 2011, pushed his earnings comfortably over the $1 million mark when he won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on April 14 in his most recent start. Third in last year’s Met Mile, the son of Arromanches seeks his first Grade 1 win. Awesome Maria is riding a six-race winning streak, including a score in the 2011 edition of the Phipps. A non-displaced condylar fracture forced her to miss eight months of racing following the 2011 Phipps before she returned at Gulfstream Park to win the Grade 3 Sabin and Grade 3 Rampart. Broadway’s Alibi, victorious in the Grade 2 Forward Gal at Gulfstream and Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct, was second by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 4. Like the Forward Gal and the Comely, the one-mile Acorn will be contested around one turn. “We just need to assess the breeze and see if she’s ready to run back [in the Acorn],” said Pletcher. “There are 24 days between the Oaks and the Acorn. Or we could wait for the Mother Goose. It’s a mile and a sixteenth, and she showed it’s well within her scope.” Belmont Park - Live 2012-05-21T13:25:00-06:00 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/rogue-romance-an-easy-winner-of-sunday-feature/ http://www.horseraceinsider.com/john-pricci-blog/rogue-romance-an-easy-winner-of-sunday-feature/#When:13:20:01Z LOUISVILLE, KY (Sunday, May 20, 2012) - Catesby Clay's Rogue Romance took the lead from pacesetter Achaemenes at the eighth pole and increased his advantage from there to win the $59,522 Sunday afternoon allowance feature at Churchill Downs by a widening five lengths. Rogue Romance, winner of the Bourbon (GIII) on the turf at Keeneland in his juvenile season, rated in third behind Achaemenes and Westshore through opening fractions of :23.66 and :47.92 and then moved into second ahead of Westshore soon after passing the half-mile pole. A 4-year-old chestnut son of Smarty Jones, Rogue Romance drew even with Achaemenes at the top of the stretch and that rival proved no match for the 2-5 favorite as Rogue Romance kicked clear in the final eighth of a mile. Trained by Ken McPeek, Rogue Romance covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:42.75 under Manny Cruz. The victory improved the record of Rogue Romance to 4-0-2 from eight lifetime starts and his earnings increased to $396,045 with Sunday's check of $36,360. Rogue Romance returned $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10. Achaemenes, ridden by Miguel Mena, returned $5 and $3.20 with Westshore, ridden by Calvin Borel, finishing another half-length back in third and returning $3.20 to show. Racing resumes Thursday with a nine-race program that includes a Super Hi-5 carryover of $8,089. Post time for the first race is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Super Hi-5 will take place on Race 9 at 4:59 p.m. Churchill Downs - Live 2012-05-21T13:20:01-06:00