Friday, March 12 2010
Kentucky Derby 136 Update (3.12.2010)
SOUTH / CHAMPION LOOKIN AT LUCKY RETURNS, TRIES DIRT IN REBEL – Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old of 2009, will kick of what trainer Bob Baffert hopes will be a campaign that leads to a victory on May 1 in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) in Saturday’s $300,000 Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.
A return to competition fewer than 50 days out from the “Run for the Roses” would merit plenty of attention in any case, but the 1 1/16-mile race will also mark the Smart Strike colt’s debut on traditional dirt, the type of racing surface he’ll have to handle in the big race at Churchill Downs. The champ has won five of six lifetime starts, with his only setback being a narrow defeat by Dubai-based Vale of York in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. He followed that loss with a victory in the CashCall Futurity (GI) over Hollywood Park’s synthetic Cushion Track.
Kentucky Oaks 136 Update (3.12.2010)
FLORIDA / CHAMPION SHE BE WILD LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK IN FLORIDA OAKS – When she was last seen in the Forward Gal (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park, reigning 2-year-old filly champion and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) winner She Be Wild finished a disappointing fifth in her first career start over traditional dirt.
Trainer Wayne Catalano gives She Be Wild another chance on dirt on Saturday as she seeks redemption in the $150,000 Florida Oaks (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs. Catalano is hoping for a sharp effort that will sharpen She Be Wild for a return to a synthetic surface in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes (GI) on April 3.
Tuesday, March 09 2010
From ‘A’ to ‘Z’ with Zardana Owner Arnold Zetcher
NEW ORLEANS (Monday, March 08, 2010) – The “buzz” concerning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra’s rivals in Saturday’s $200,000 New Orleans Ladies mostly surrounds the Brazilian-bred mare Zardana.
That’s because she is conditioned by John Shirreffs, who also trains Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra’s projected rival in Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom April 9.
Monday, March 08 2010
Kentucky Derby 136 Update (3.8.10)
NEW YORK / BRITISH INVADER AWESOME ACT ROLLS IN GOTHAM – Mrs. Susan Roy and Vinery’s British import Awesome Act displayed a clear affinity for traditional dirt in his first start over the surface and placed himself in contention for a start in the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) with a stylish victory in Saturday’s Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct.
Trainer Jeremy Noseda traveled from his Newmarket yard to watch his favored 3-year-old son of Awesome Again tackle the leaders with a four-wide rally on the far turn and spurt clear in the stretch under Julien Leparoux to hold off runner-up Yawanna Twist by 1 ½-lengths.
Kentucky Oaks 136 Update (3.8.10)
CALIFORNIA / CRISP REBOUNDS TO UPSET BLIND LUCK IN SANTA ANITA OAKS – A third straight Grade I stakes victory by Blind Luck In Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (GI) would have made the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee a near-prohibitive favorite for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, at Churchill Downs on April 30.
But the race provided another reminder of why races are contested on track and not on paper.
Blind Luck Edges Amen Hallelujah, Christine Daae As Favorite in 2010 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, March 7, 2010) – She suffered a surprising defeat over the weekend, but the faith of racing fans in Blind Luck was unshaken as trainer Jerry Hollendforfer’s filly was a start-to-finish favorite in Churchill Downs’ three-day 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager when the betting pool concluded Sunday evening.
Blind Luck finished a fast-closing third to Crisp in Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (GI) over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita, but remained the 4-1 fans’ choice in this year’s only pool of the 2010 Kentucky Oaks Future bet. But she had plenty of competition close on her heels from Amen Hallelujah, winner of the Davona Dale (GII) and the KOFW’s second choice at 6-1, and Christine Daae, who was the 7-1 third choice although she has yet to compete in a stakes race during her three-race career. The Mutuel Field, which included all 3-year-old fillies other than the 23 individual horses in Pool 2, also closed at 7-1.
Sunday, March 07 2010
Blind Luck Still Favored in Kentucky Oaks Futures Despite Upset Loos In Santa Anita Oaks
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday March 6, 2010) – She suffered a surprising defeat earlier in the day at the hands of Crisp in the Santa Anita Oaks (Grade I), but Blind Luck remained a solid 9-2 favorite to win the 136th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) as the second of three days betting concluded late Saturday in Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).
Blind Luck rallied strongly late, but had to settle for third as the heavy favorite in the Santa Anita Oaks. Yet the setback had little impact on overall odds in late wagering on the second of three days of KOFW betting. The daughter of Pollard’s Vision had been the pool’s 4-1 favorite following Friday’s opening day of the pool, and her odds drifted up only slightly after her setback at Santa Anita. The pool’s second choice at 6-1 is Christine Daae, who has yet to compete in a stakes race but scored an impressive win in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race last Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-old fillies other than the KOFW pool’s 23 individual horses, was the 7-1 third choice and Davona Dale (GII) winner Amen Hallelujah was next 9-1.
Eskendereya Now Individual Derby Futures Choice, But ‘All Others’ Still the Overall Favorite
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, March 6, 2010) – Fountain of Youth (Grade II) winner Eskendereya made a strong move on Saturday into the role the individual favorite for the 136th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), but the “All Others” bet remained the overall fans’ choice with one day remaining in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”).
Eskendereya, one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s record six KDFW betting interests, ended the day as the solid 6-1 favorite among the 23 individual horses in the pool, but the mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-olds other than those 23 horses, was the 3-1 overall favorite. Eskendereya was the 9-1 third choice over Friday’s opening day of Pool 2 betting. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Dublin, runner-up in the Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn Park, was the 8-1 third choice after Saturday’s betting, while reigning 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky’s odds rose to 9-1 and he ended the day as fourth choice.
Saturday, March 06 2010
‘All Others’ The Strong Favorite On Opening Day of 2010 Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, March 5, 2010) – Uncertainty surrounding the prospects of contenders for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) was evident during the opening hours of betting in second pool of Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) as the mutuel field, or “all others”, was the strong fans’ choice over favored individual horses Lookin At Lucky and Eskendereya.
The mutuel field, a betting interest that includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses in Pool 2, stood as the 2-1 favorite in the three-day pool late Friday evening. Reigning 2009 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky was the 7-1 second choice, while Eskendereya, winner of the Fountain of Youth (GII) and one of a record six KDFW wagering interests trained by Todd Pletcher, was a 9-1 risk.
Blind Luck Favorited on Opening Day of Oaks Futures
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday March 5, 2010) – Las Virgenes (Grade I) winner Blind Luck, a heavy favorite to score the fourth Grade I victory of her career in Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks, was the clear people’s choice on Friday’s opening day of betting in Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW).
Trainer and co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer’s star filly ended the day’s betting as a solid 4-1 favorite, and the daughter of Pollard’s Vision figures to become an even stronger bettor’s choice to give her trainer his second victory in the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, with a win on Saturday at Santa Anita. A win in the Santa Anita Oaks would be the filly’s third consecutive Grade I triumph and her fourth overall.
Friday, March 05 2010
Kentucky Derby 136 Update (3.5.10)
CALIFORNIA / TWO NEW NAMES IN SATURDAY’S RESHAPED SHAM – The weather-delayed $150,000-added Sham Stakes (Grade (III) at Santa Anita picked up two new names when entries were dropped for a second time for the 1 1/8-mile prep for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) that is now set for Saturday, March 6.
But the overall makeup of the race looks very familiar as 10 3-year-olds are set to enter the starting gate and only one is a stakes winner. The race was postponed for a week because of continued drainage problems in Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride course.
Kentucky Oaks 136 Update (3.5.10)
CALIFORNIA / BLIND LUCK FAVORED IN SANTA ANITA OAKS – Blind Luck, the favored individual filly in this week’s Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, figures to be a strong fans’ choice when she faces seven rivals in Saturday’s $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks (Grade I).
A victory in the 1 1/16-mile race over the track’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface would be Blind Luck’s fourth career Grade I triumph and solidify her status as the top West Coast hope for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI), which will be run on Friday, April 30 at Churchill Downs. Jockey Rafael Bejarano will ride the 3-year-old daughter of Pollard’s Vision, who is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and took Santa Anita’s Las Virgenes (GI) in her most recent start.
