DerbyTrail
03-20-2006, 10:23 AM
HOPEFULS RISE, FALL, TREAD WATER IN EVENTFUL PREPS
By Steve Byk
DerbyTrail.com/At the Races and Beyond.com
Saturday’s quartet of sophomore stakes didn’t go as planned for many of the implied standouts, as favorites Achilles of Troy (Gotham), Bluegrass Cat (Tampa Bay Derby) and Bob and John (San Felipe) all were beaten by less heralded hopefuls Like Now, Deputy Glitters and A.P. Warrior. Meanwhile, at Oaklawn, Lawyer Ron came through smashingly in the Rebel in a tour-de-force performance that displayed a new wrinkle in Bob Holthus’ Langfuhr son’s arsenal.
The outcomes of the four 8.5f tests didn’t necessarily condemn the prospects of the colts that have been written about the most so far on the Derby Trail, as much as it displayed the depth, versatility and resilience of this increasingly exciting class of thoroughbreds. Indeed, the results buoyed the hopes of no less at least half a dozen sets of connections with Like Now, Sweetnorthernsaint, Greeley’s Legacy, Deputy Glitters, Red Raymond, Well Said, Point Determined and Racketeer all exiting their events having improved their position in the pecking order of this year’s Derby-intended.
While Achilles of Troy may have been injured grabbing a quarter in the Gotham, Kieran McLaughlin’s Like Now stretched out from sprint distance successes with aplomb. By Jules out of Pine Bluff mare Can’t Bluff Me, Like Now emulated standout and fellow Jules progeny Peace Rules by taking the field all the way around the Aqueduct Inner in measured fractions of :23.1, :24.0, :24.3 and :30.4. Under a heady ride by Fernando Jara, Like Now stopped the clock in 1:43.0 to earn an excellent 104 Beyer Speed Figure to go with the 100 he achieved when winning the 6f Caposella.
Like Now was not lost on Derby Trail readers as our fourth selection behind Sweetnorthernsaint, Achilles and Keyed Entry ($926.00 trifecta, $235.50 exacta). Called “most likely to stretchout as a son of Jules”, Like Now’s damsire was a Preakness winner, while his second dam is a daughter of 1979 Belmont upsetter Coastal. Further back in his Claiborne-influenced female family, eighth dam Dustwhirl is immortalized as the dam of “Mr. Longtail” himself, 1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway…
The rest of the Gotham superfecta followed Like Now all the way around the Ozone oval, with Todd Pletcher’s Keyed Entry “losing” the race down stretch as Like Now edged at least two lengths from the Hutcheson winner. Keyed Entry figured to show some affects from his enormous track record setting performance six weeks earlier, and his relentless attempt to catch the winner in his first two turn try was game.
While Keyed Entry looks like he will be challenged beyond the Gotham distance, Mike Trombetta’s Sweetnorthernsaint showed no such limitations. The son of Sweetsouthernsaint saw his three race win streak snapped but exited the Gotham having earned the admiration of Trail watchers with a brave try from an impossible AQU Inner post. At least three wide throughout the race, Sweetnorthernsaint was going best of the trifecta finishers at the end and was getting to the top pair under the shadow of the wire. He finished his first graded stakes try less than a length from Like Now and Keyed Entry, and looked “best” of all galloping out past the wire.
The exacta duo will need to prove their mettle on the Aqueduct main in the Wood, but Sweetnorthernsaint is likely to have gotten the most out of the Gotham experience, learning a rating lesson in his initial pairing with two-time Derby-winning Kent Desormeaux and thriving in the kind of trip colts get annually on the first Saturday in May. He also became the first runner in this crop to triple digit “Beyer” in three races this year, adding a 103 Saturday to his previous runs which earned a 104 (8f) and 102 (6f).
For Achilles of Troy, the Gotham proved a disappointment, as Ramon Dominguez piloted the Amonte-Paragallo Notebook grey through a difficult gauntlet which began was a sluggish start. We warned repeatedly in print and on the air last week that the recent turmoil that enveloped Paraneck Stable had potential to rub off on the Count Fleet-Whirlaway winner, and we won’t be convinced otherwise. Tension around a barn from human attendants is readily absorbed by horses, and Achilles’ tentative performance has all the markings of such an occurrence, and Scanlon’s Song “off” effort Sunday is further confirmation of the bad situation again pervading the stable that gave us the bizarre travail of Unbridled’s Song in 1996.
A “GLITTERING” TURNABOUT AT TAMPA
Second to Bluegrass Cat in the Sam Davis five weeks earlier, Deputy Glitters may have run his “Derby” in winning the Tampa version. The Tom Albertrani trainee, getting a significant 6# from Pletcher’s Bluegrass Cat, caught 66-1 shot Winnies Tigger Too at the top of the stretch at “Little Sandy” and maintained his advantage down the lane as Johnny Velasquez tried to rally wide on the Nashua-Remsen winner. He fell two lengths short as the 2-5 favorite.
For Tampa Terror Jose Lezcano and Deputy Glitters, the victory is an achievement of no small note with the Deputy Commander bay earning only his second laurel since his debut score in a $65,000 Saratoga maiden claimer last September. Embarrassed in First Samurai’s Champagne (Gr. I) and an also ran in the listed Huntington (Saint Daemon), the son of Glitterman mare Glitters was a distant fifth in his three year old debut, trailing Barbican, Laptop Computer and Ice N Lemon in a 1 mile Gulfstream N1X January 15. His success looks like it can be tied directly to the move to the Gold Coast, and TBD’s quirky surface.
Deputy Glitters did earn a 102 BSF for the effort, that coming on the heels of his 94 in the Davis and 92 in his career bow. He had posted solid Thoro-Graph figs of 5.75, 6, 8.75 and 4.5 coming into the Tampa Derby, with his lone poor showing coming in the sloppy Champagne. As the son of a dam by a sprinting sire, we wonder how effective Deputy Glitters can be at 9f and beyond, but at least Albertrani will get the chance to see.
For Bluegrass Cat, the placement was a frustrating, but hardly damning, experience. Coming off his seasonal debut in the Davis where he sustained a long drive to get by Deputy Glitters, Bluegrass Cat was a prime candidate for regression. Despite the failure, he showed tenacity and professionalism enduring a wide trip. With plenty of graded earnings in hand, proven at 9f and on hard packed ovals, WinStar’s bay Storm Cat son out of A.P. Indy dam She’s a Winner need only perform positively in his final Derby prep to punch his ticket to Louisville for a chance at a career best when it counts most.
For Nick Zito, the Tampa result represented a confirmation of his lack of anything resembling a Derby prospect, as Little Cliff finished fourth, a non-factor. Minutes earlier at the Big A, Hesanoldsalt was a distant seventh likely ending hopes for Live Oak of a second Derby presence in a row (High Fly).
REBEL DELIVERS VERDICT ON LAWYER RON
“Nothing further your Honor…” Case closed.
With 2005 giving us Closing Argument, Derby jurisprudence is now in its’ second year of law school with Lawyer Ron erasing any doubt in juries’ minds as to his credentials. The Bob Holthus’ chestnut colt passed his LSAT ASAP Saturday at Hot Springs, with a command performance in the Rebel which immediately recalled Smarty Jones’ exploits two Ozark winters back. A winner of four straight coming in, and five in a row on fast dirt, Lawyer Ron displayed a new dimension in the Rebel taking back under John McKee early before launching a wide bid into the turn for home and running away from a host of pursuers.
Much like the ’05 Derby-Preakness winner, Lawyer Ron fought to win the 1mile Southwest in advance of displaying his obvious dominance in the 8.5f Arkansas Derby prep. The son of Langfuhr through Lord Avie daughter Donation utilized a typically successful Derby-style run by running even fractions (:24.3,:23.3, :24.4, :31.0, 1:44.0) as part of an effort that was punctuated by the kind of move into the turn that frequently places rose run winners where they want to be after 8.5f at Churchill. Anyone that was unsure of the now dual Gr. III winner’s ability going forward should be convinced that there will again be a Triple Crown series stalwart that was Oaklawn-prepared.
Holthus not only exited the Rebel with a colt likely to enter the Derby among the favorites, but a second May 6 player in late-running Red Raymond, who has now earned nice checks in five stakes starts. Unlike Deputy Glitters, Red Raymond is a son of Deputy Commander with a stamina-influencing damsire in Waquoit. The chestnut colt looks to be developing “right on time”, and has had plenty of experience at the big plant at 4th and Central in Louisville.
Dan Pietz’ Steppenwolfer and Wally Bindner’s Well Said are both sons of Aptitude, and were part of the three horse also-ran contingent behind Lawyer Ron, with the trio separated two necks along with Red Raymond. Steppenwolfer looked to have reacted a bit from his career best try in the Southwest, and given his Pietz’ stated training cycle for the grey, may still have developmental upside for the two Derbies that are in his immediate plans. Well Said was impressive enough in his stakes debut for Bindner to soldier on with his dark bay grinder, though as a son of Valid Appeal dam, may have some distance limitations.
The race marked the return to the track of Steve Asmussen’s Private Vow, the double Gr. II winner who suffered a broken reign in the BC Juvenile rendering him helpless to factor. Asmussen maintains that he is campaigning the son of Broken Vow to peak “third off the layoff” in the Derby, and with the colt stopping badly at the eighth pole looked like a decidedly short runner finishing seventh. The poor showing came on the heels of Asmussen’s Storm Treasure finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Neil Howard and Will Farish’s Music School was part of the pace picture for three quarters, but again failed to be involved when it counted as he tired to eighth. This marks yet another disappointment for a Howard-campaigned son of A.P. Indy who annually draw praise as “regally bred” but under-perform when it counts.
EVERYBODY LOOKS GOOD AT ARCADIA
The one race of the day where nearly everyone had to be pleased was the San Felipe at Santa Anita. A.P. Warrior re-established his presence on the Derby Trail with a super-professional effort in his first start for John Shirreffs (Giacomo), while Bob Baffert and Bobby Frankel got useful and encouraging efforts from their entries. For A.P. Warrior, the win marked his first black type after a juvenile campaign full of promise and a sophomore winter full of discontent.
Abandoned in California by trainer Eion Harty when that Shadwell conditioner needed to bring a string to Florida, A.P. Warrior was wisely moved to the Shirreffs barn by traditionally loyal owner Stan Fulton. A.P. Warrior pushed his head to head matchups with Bob and John to 2-1 in the Gr. II affair, and next will try to decision Brother Derek, against whom he is 0-2, in the Santa Anita Derby.
Point Determined and Bob and John were second and third for Bob Beffert, and while the pair went off as second and first choice respectively, the silver haired, and tongued, training star had to be pleased with the efforts for different reasons. For Point Determined, it was another step in the right direction with the MD-bred Point Given bay beginning to demonstrate why he fetched $750,000 at last year’s Barrett’s sale. Some may term Bob and John’s third place finish a failure, but the Sham winner had a bad start, endured an awkward trip, and received a curious ride from Victor Espinoza as he circled five wide heading for home and raced on the worst part of the track down the stretch. Both will be prominent in what is shaping up to be a terrific Santa Anita Derby where all will challenge Brother Derek.
Frankel’s Racketeer finally stretched beyond three quarters, and did so credibly with a fourth place finish three lengths in arrears to the winner. He figures to benefit from the stakes and two turn debuts, and though spotting most of the West Coast hopes experience, looks to have a bright future.
The weekend’s results will shake up the “Top 30” considerably, and we’ll address that intriguing picture later in the week, as well as revisit our Derby-100 Beyer Analysis…
Hope you enjoyed the races..
Steve
By Steve Byk
DerbyTrail.com/At the Races and Beyond.com
Saturday’s quartet of sophomore stakes didn’t go as planned for many of the implied standouts, as favorites Achilles of Troy (Gotham), Bluegrass Cat (Tampa Bay Derby) and Bob and John (San Felipe) all were beaten by less heralded hopefuls Like Now, Deputy Glitters and A.P. Warrior. Meanwhile, at Oaklawn, Lawyer Ron came through smashingly in the Rebel in a tour-de-force performance that displayed a new wrinkle in Bob Holthus’ Langfuhr son’s arsenal.
The outcomes of the four 8.5f tests didn’t necessarily condemn the prospects of the colts that have been written about the most so far on the Derby Trail, as much as it displayed the depth, versatility and resilience of this increasingly exciting class of thoroughbreds. Indeed, the results buoyed the hopes of no less at least half a dozen sets of connections with Like Now, Sweetnorthernsaint, Greeley’s Legacy, Deputy Glitters, Red Raymond, Well Said, Point Determined and Racketeer all exiting their events having improved their position in the pecking order of this year’s Derby-intended.
While Achilles of Troy may have been injured grabbing a quarter in the Gotham, Kieran McLaughlin’s Like Now stretched out from sprint distance successes with aplomb. By Jules out of Pine Bluff mare Can’t Bluff Me, Like Now emulated standout and fellow Jules progeny Peace Rules by taking the field all the way around the Aqueduct Inner in measured fractions of :23.1, :24.0, :24.3 and :30.4. Under a heady ride by Fernando Jara, Like Now stopped the clock in 1:43.0 to earn an excellent 104 Beyer Speed Figure to go with the 100 he achieved when winning the 6f Caposella.
Like Now was not lost on Derby Trail readers as our fourth selection behind Sweetnorthernsaint, Achilles and Keyed Entry ($926.00 trifecta, $235.50 exacta). Called “most likely to stretchout as a son of Jules”, Like Now’s damsire was a Preakness winner, while his second dam is a daughter of 1979 Belmont upsetter Coastal. Further back in his Claiborne-influenced female family, eighth dam Dustwhirl is immortalized as the dam of “Mr. Longtail” himself, 1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway…
The rest of the Gotham superfecta followed Like Now all the way around the Ozone oval, with Todd Pletcher’s Keyed Entry “losing” the race down stretch as Like Now edged at least two lengths from the Hutcheson winner. Keyed Entry figured to show some affects from his enormous track record setting performance six weeks earlier, and his relentless attempt to catch the winner in his first two turn try was game.
While Keyed Entry looks like he will be challenged beyond the Gotham distance, Mike Trombetta’s Sweetnorthernsaint showed no such limitations. The son of Sweetsouthernsaint saw his three race win streak snapped but exited the Gotham having earned the admiration of Trail watchers with a brave try from an impossible AQU Inner post. At least three wide throughout the race, Sweetnorthernsaint was going best of the trifecta finishers at the end and was getting to the top pair under the shadow of the wire. He finished his first graded stakes try less than a length from Like Now and Keyed Entry, and looked “best” of all galloping out past the wire.
The exacta duo will need to prove their mettle on the Aqueduct main in the Wood, but Sweetnorthernsaint is likely to have gotten the most out of the Gotham experience, learning a rating lesson in his initial pairing with two-time Derby-winning Kent Desormeaux and thriving in the kind of trip colts get annually on the first Saturday in May. He also became the first runner in this crop to triple digit “Beyer” in three races this year, adding a 103 Saturday to his previous runs which earned a 104 (8f) and 102 (6f).
For Achilles of Troy, the Gotham proved a disappointment, as Ramon Dominguez piloted the Amonte-Paragallo Notebook grey through a difficult gauntlet which began was a sluggish start. We warned repeatedly in print and on the air last week that the recent turmoil that enveloped Paraneck Stable had potential to rub off on the Count Fleet-Whirlaway winner, and we won’t be convinced otherwise. Tension around a barn from human attendants is readily absorbed by horses, and Achilles’ tentative performance has all the markings of such an occurrence, and Scanlon’s Song “off” effort Sunday is further confirmation of the bad situation again pervading the stable that gave us the bizarre travail of Unbridled’s Song in 1996.
A “GLITTERING” TURNABOUT AT TAMPA
Second to Bluegrass Cat in the Sam Davis five weeks earlier, Deputy Glitters may have run his “Derby” in winning the Tampa version. The Tom Albertrani trainee, getting a significant 6# from Pletcher’s Bluegrass Cat, caught 66-1 shot Winnies Tigger Too at the top of the stretch at “Little Sandy” and maintained his advantage down the lane as Johnny Velasquez tried to rally wide on the Nashua-Remsen winner. He fell two lengths short as the 2-5 favorite.
For Tampa Terror Jose Lezcano and Deputy Glitters, the victory is an achievement of no small note with the Deputy Commander bay earning only his second laurel since his debut score in a $65,000 Saratoga maiden claimer last September. Embarrassed in First Samurai’s Champagne (Gr. I) and an also ran in the listed Huntington (Saint Daemon), the son of Glitterman mare Glitters was a distant fifth in his three year old debut, trailing Barbican, Laptop Computer and Ice N Lemon in a 1 mile Gulfstream N1X January 15. His success looks like it can be tied directly to the move to the Gold Coast, and TBD’s quirky surface.
Deputy Glitters did earn a 102 BSF for the effort, that coming on the heels of his 94 in the Davis and 92 in his career bow. He had posted solid Thoro-Graph figs of 5.75, 6, 8.75 and 4.5 coming into the Tampa Derby, with his lone poor showing coming in the sloppy Champagne. As the son of a dam by a sprinting sire, we wonder how effective Deputy Glitters can be at 9f and beyond, but at least Albertrani will get the chance to see.
For Bluegrass Cat, the placement was a frustrating, but hardly damning, experience. Coming off his seasonal debut in the Davis where he sustained a long drive to get by Deputy Glitters, Bluegrass Cat was a prime candidate for regression. Despite the failure, he showed tenacity and professionalism enduring a wide trip. With plenty of graded earnings in hand, proven at 9f and on hard packed ovals, WinStar’s bay Storm Cat son out of A.P. Indy dam She’s a Winner need only perform positively in his final Derby prep to punch his ticket to Louisville for a chance at a career best when it counts most.
For Nick Zito, the Tampa result represented a confirmation of his lack of anything resembling a Derby prospect, as Little Cliff finished fourth, a non-factor. Minutes earlier at the Big A, Hesanoldsalt was a distant seventh likely ending hopes for Live Oak of a second Derby presence in a row (High Fly).
REBEL DELIVERS VERDICT ON LAWYER RON
“Nothing further your Honor…” Case closed.
With 2005 giving us Closing Argument, Derby jurisprudence is now in its’ second year of law school with Lawyer Ron erasing any doubt in juries’ minds as to his credentials. The Bob Holthus’ chestnut colt passed his LSAT ASAP Saturday at Hot Springs, with a command performance in the Rebel which immediately recalled Smarty Jones’ exploits two Ozark winters back. A winner of four straight coming in, and five in a row on fast dirt, Lawyer Ron displayed a new dimension in the Rebel taking back under John McKee early before launching a wide bid into the turn for home and running away from a host of pursuers.
Much like the ’05 Derby-Preakness winner, Lawyer Ron fought to win the 1mile Southwest in advance of displaying his obvious dominance in the 8.5f Arkansas Derby prep. The son of Langfuhr through Lord Avie daughter Donation utilized a typically successful Derby-style run by running even fractions (:24.3,:23.3, :24.4, :31.0, 1:44.0) as part of an effort that was punctuated by the kind of move into the turn that frequently places rose run winners where they want to be after 8.5f at Churchill. Anyone that was unsure of the now dual Gr. III winner’s ability going forward should be convinced that there will again be a Triple Crown series stalwart that was Oaklawn-prepared.
Holthus not only exited the Rebel with a colt likely to enter the Derby among the favorites, but a second May 6 player in late-running Red Raymond, who has now earned nice checks in five stakes starts. Unlike Deputy Glitters, Red Raymond is a son of Deputy Commander with a stamina-influencing damsire in Waquoit. The chestnut colt looks to be developing “right on time”, and has had plenty of experience at the big plant at 4th and Central in Louisville.
Dan Pietz’ Steppenwolfer and Wally Bindner’s Well Said are both sons of Aptitude, and were part of the three horse also-ran contingent behind Lawyer Ron, with the trio separated two necks along with Red Raymond. Steppenwolfer looked to have reacted a bit from his career best try in the Southwest, and given his Pietz’ stated training cycle for the grey, may still have developmental upside for the two Derbies that are in his immediate plans. Well Said was impressive enough in his stakes debut for Bindner to soldier on with his dark bay grinder, though as a son of Valid Appeal dam, may have some distance limitations.
The race marked the return to the track of Steve Asmussen’s Private Vow, the double Gr. II winner who suffered a broken reign in the BC Juvenile rendering him helpless to factor. Asmussen maintains that he is campaigning the son of Broken Vow to peak “third off the layoff” in the Derby, and with the colt stopping badly at the eighth pole looked like a decidedly short runner finishing seventh. The poor showing came on the heels of Asmussen’s Storm Treasure finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Neil Howard and Will Farish’s Music School was part of the pace picture for three quarters, but again failed to be involved when it counted as he tired to eighth. This marks yet another disappointment for a Howard-campaigned son of A.P. Indy who annually draw praise as “regally bred” but under-perform when it counts.
EVERYBODY LOOKS GOOD AT ARCADIA
The one race of the day where nearly everyone had to be pleased was the San Felipe at Santa Anita. A.P. Warrior re-established his presence on the Derby Trail with a super-professional effort in his first start for John Shirreffs (Giacomo), while Bob Baffert and Bobby Frankel got useful and encouraging efforts from their entries. For A.P. Warrior, the win marked his first black type after a juvenile campaign full of promise and a sophomore winter full of discontent.
Abandoned in California by trainer Eion Harty when that Shadwell conditioner needed to bring a string to Florida, A.P. Warrior was wisely moved to the Shirreffs barn by traditionally loyal owner Stan Fulton. A.P. Warrior pushed his head to head matchups with Bob and John to 2-1 in the Gr. II affair, and next will try to decision Brother Derek, against whom he is 0-2, in the Santa Anita Derby.
Point Determined and Bob and John were second and third for Bob Beffert, and while the pair went off as second and first choice respectively, the silver haired, and tongued, training star had to be pleased with the efforts for different reasons. For Point Determined, it was another step in the right direction with the MD-bred Point Given bay beginning to demonstrate why he fetched $750,000 at last year’s Barrett’s sale. Some may term Bob and John’s third place finish a failure, but the Sham winner had a bad start, endured an awkward trip, and received a curious ride from Victor Espinoza as he circled five wide heading for home and raced on the worst part of the track down the stretch. Both will be prominent in what is shaping up to be a terrific Santa Anita Derby where all will challenge Brother Derek.
Frankel’s Racketeer finally stretched beyond three quarters, and did so credibly with a fourth place finish three lengths in arrears to the winner. He figures to benefit from the stakes and two turn debuts, and though spotting most of the West Coast hopes experience, looks to have a bright future.
The weekend’s results will shake up the “Top 30” considerably, and we’ll address that intriguing picture later in the week, as well as revisit our Derby-100 Beyer Analysis…
Hope you enjoyed the races..
Steve