FEATURE PRESENTATION • G1 Kentucky Derby the 2009 Renewal of the GI Kentucky Oaks Saw Record 20 1/4-Length Margin of Victory, but It Was the Opposite
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010 For information about TDN, call 732-747-8060. BEST TO BE LUCKY AND GOOD FEATURE PRESENTATION • G1 Kentucky Derby The 2009 renewal of the GI Kentucky Oaks saw record 20 1/4-length margin of victory, but it was the opposite end of the spectrum on yester- day=s sunsplashed afternoon, with pink-silked Blind Luck (Pol- lard=s Vision) winning by a whisker over a valiant Evening Sarah K Andrew photo Jewel (Northern Afleet). AI knew she was going to kick in for me and show me NO SUN TO SHINE ON THE OLD KENTUCKY HOME that run,@ said winning rider Rafael Bejarano. AThe There=s some wild weather in store for Louisville, and stretch here is very long, but she kept trying hard until Friday=s sunshine will be a distant memory by the time the end and never stopped. She=s amazing.@ Cont. p2-3 they start singing AMy Old Kentucky Home.@ Rain will be moving into the area overnight, RACHEL OUTRIVALED IN LA TROIENNE and is scheduled to become very Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d=Oro) heavy by first post. National turned for home with the lead over Weather Service officials ad- Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled=s Song) in dressed the media Friday after- the GII La Troienne S. at Churchill noon. AWe expect a period of showers and thunderstorms to de- yesterday, and fans were treated to velop in the local area by around a battle royal. Unrivaled Belle went 10 a.m., and for it to last about stride-for-stride with the champ three or four hours,@ said Joe down the stretch and finally got her Ammerman of the NWS. AWe ex- grey head in front in the shadow of pect about an inch of rain from the wire. "Oh, man, my mare was Horsephotos that, though certain locations could get more. Then, breathing fire today,@ said winning rider Kent from the 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. timeframe, we are looking at Desormeaux. AI feel like the mouse that stole the scattered showers, or some light rain, and there could cheese.@ Cont. p3-4 be an isolated thunderstorm as well.@ Contradicting some reports, Ammerman added, AWe're not looking for any severe weather during the day. Thunderstorms in the morning could produce winds of around 40 miles per hour, and we expect southerly winds at around 15 to 20 miles an hour in the afternoon. The heavy rainfall shouldn't hit until after midnight." Churchill officials, who are still expecting a crowd of about 150,000, indicated that, short of a tornado warning, people would likely not need to evacuate the infield. Though heavy rain could produce flooding in the underground tunnel that leads from the grandstand to the infield, track personnel said the tunnel typically drains quickly under such circumstances. The lighting system installed by Churchill last year will enable the race to be safely lit in the event it is delayed significantly. The 2009 Derby, contested under dark skies and over a sloppy track, was won by the 50-1 Mine That Bird (Birdstone), and a similar scenario could be in the cards once more. AAny time the track gets like that, every longshot has a chance,@ said trainer Bob Baffert, who will saddle morning-line favorite Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike) and expected pacesetter Conveyance (Indian Charlie) this afternoon. But the Hall of Famer quipped, AThe gray horse won=t be eating any mud--he=ll be gone.@ Field p7 P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/1/10 • PAGE 2 of 19 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Friday, Churchill Downs Also Ran: Beautician, Ailalea, Amen Hallelujah, Crisp, KENTUCKY OAKS-GI, $584,300, CDX, 4-30, 3yo, f, Quiet Temper, It's Tea Time, Joanie's Catch, Champagne 1 1/8m, 1:50 3/5, ft. d'Oro, Age of Humor, Jody Slew, Bella Diamante. 1--BLIND LUCK, 121, f, 3, by Pollard=s Vision Blind Luck, denied a champion=s crown when she 1st Dam: Lucky One, by Best of Luck finished third by 3/4 of a length in the GI Breeders= Cup 2nd Dam: Twilight Spectre, by Imp Society Juvenile Fillies in November, confirmed her standing as 3rd Dam: Shall Return, by Fair Ruler the nation=s top three-year-old filly with this last-gasp ($11,000 yrl '08 FTKJUL; $10,000 RNA 2yo >09 score over Evening Jewel. After OBSAPR). O-Mark DeDomenico LLC, John Carver, closing out 2009 with a seven- Peter Abruzzo & Jerry Hollendorfer; B-Fairlawn Farm length triumph in the GI Hollywood (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Rafael Bejarano; Starlet S. Dec. 20, the chestnut $329,662. Lifetime Record: 10-7-1-2, $1,398,712. denied Evening Jewel by a nose in Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. the GI Las Virgenes S. Feb. 13, but Werk Nick Rating: A++. couldn=t overcome a questionable 2--Evening Jewel, 121, f, 3, Northern Afleet--Jewel of ride by Rafael Bejarano in the GI the Night, by Giant's Causeway. ($8,000 yrl '08 Santa Anita Oaks Mar. 6 and KEESEP). O-Braly Family Trust; B-Betty L & Larry Mabee (CA); T-James M Cassidy; $106,343. wound up third, a half-length be- A GARY YOUNG 2-YEAR-OLD-IN-TRAINING SALES RECOMMENDATION hind Crisp (El Corredor). Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer opted to test her 3--Tidal Pool, 121, f, 3, Yankee Gentleman--Sea on conventional dirt and shipped Rhythm, by Deputy Minister. ($120,000 yrl '08 her to Hot Springs for the GII Fan- Sarah K Andrew photo KEESEP; $220,000 2yo >09 OBSFEB). O-Westrock tasy S. Apr. 2. She kicked off the Stables LLC; B-David Garvin (KY); T-D Wayne Lukas; Racing Festival of the South with an impressive win at $53,171. Oaklawn, and many wondered whether she shouldn=t Congratulations Westrock with another Paramount Sales Grad face the boys in the GI Kentucky Derby, especially after early favorite Eskendereya (Giant=s Causeway) was Margins: NO, 2 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.30, 13.40, 9.30. withdrawn from consideration last Sunday. Cont. p3 859-873-7270 • www.airdriestud.com P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/1/10 • PAGE 3 of 19 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Kentucky Oaks cont. Friday, Churchill Downs Breaking from the five hole, Blind Luck assumed her LA TROIENNE S.-GII, $418,800, CDX, 4-30, 3yo/up, usual spot as the caboose, with Fantasy runner-up Tidal f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42 4/5, ft. Pool doing the honors up front through splits of :23.95 1--UNRIVALED BELLE, 120, f, 4, by Unbridled=s Song and :48.15. The favorite made eye-catching progress 1st Dam: Queenie Belle (MGSW, $624,790), by Bertrando while taking the overland route on the far turn, and 2nd Dam: Lady Argyle, by Don B. entered the stretch six 3rd Dam: Fleet Polly, by Fleet Discovery wide. Evening Jewel took ($260,000 yrl '07 KEESEP). O/B-Gary Seidler & Peter over in front of the stands Vegso (KY); T-William I Mott; J-Kent J Desormeaux; and Blind Luck still had $265,659. Lifetime Record: GISP, 8-5-2-0, $524,929. three lengths to make up Click for the eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree. at the eighth pole, but the Werk Nick Rating: A+. pink-silked filly collared her THREE CHIMNEYS Raised and Grazed dead-game rival with a fi- nal surge, and got the nod. 2--Rachel Alexandra, 124, f, 4, Medaglia d=Oro--Lotta AIt was tense enough for a Kim, by Roar. O-Stonestreet Stables & Harold few minutes waiting, but I McCormick; B-Dolphus C Morrison (KY); T-Steven M thought we got it on the Asmussen; $85,696. head-bob, and we were 3--Morena (Per), 118, m, 6, Privately Held--Charytin right,@ said trainer Jerry (Per), by Summing. O-Mount Brilliant Stable LLC; Hollendorfer after winning B-Gina -Santa Rosa (PER); T-Michael R Matz; $32,848. Horsephotos his third Kentucky Oaks. Margins: HD, 5, 8. Odds: 9.40, 0.20, 25.00. AA great ride by Rafael got Also Ran: Distinctive Dixie, Zardana (Brz), Be Fair. her there. When I bought her, I paid way more than the Second in her career opener at Keeneland last April, $40,000 claiming price, so we always anticipated she Unrivaled Belle was a smooth graduate at Monmouth would be a stakes horse. She=s delivered.@ It was an Aug. 26 before heading to Belmont, where she paired agonizing defeat for Evening Jewel=s connections. AOh, up an allowance score and the Real Prize S. Oct. 1 and man, that was hard,@ said trainer Jim Cassidy. ATough- Oct. 23. The big grey closed out her sophomore cam- est beat of my career--no question. I=ve been beaten paign with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the some dirty noses in Grade Is at other tracks, but given GI Gazelle S. at Aqueduct Nov. 28, then went west. the context here--Kentucky Oaks, all that money, huge Fourth in the GII La Canada S. on the Santa Anita syn- crowd, this was the toughest one of all.@ Click for the thetic Feb. 14, she got back on track with a wire-to- brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free wire score in Gulfstream=s GIII Rampart H. Mar. 20, and brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored was the third choice to the prohibitive choice here. by Taylor Made. Cont. p4 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 5/1/10 • PAGE 4 of 19 • thoroughbreddailynews.com La Troienne S.