FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI MET MILE Godolphin=S It=S Tricky (Mineshaft) Made a Strong Case for the Title of Divisional Leader in Yesterday=S GI Ogden Phipps H
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TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2012 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here IT’S TRICKY ON TOP IN OGDEN PHIPPS FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI MET MILE Godolphin=s It=s Tricky (Mineshaft) made a strong case for the title of divisional leader in yesterday=s GI Ogden Phipps H. at Belmont, a mid-season event that nonetheless could have championship implications. Godolphin=s star 4-year-old registered her third graded win in three starts this season after fighting past Cash for Clunkers (Tiznow) for the 3/4-length win, with odds- on Awesome Maria (Maria=s Mon) finishing a no-excuse third. AShe=s a special filly,@ said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. AEddie [Castro] rode her very well. [Trainer] SHACKLEFORD HOLDS ON IN MET MILE Rick Violette=s filly [Cash for Clunkers] was tough... Shackleford (Forestry) set all the pace in Monday=s wow! We just did get there.@ Cont. p5 GI Metropolitan H. and just held on for a gritty nose victory over the furious late rally of Caleb=s Posse UN-CONTESTED IN THE ACORN (Posse). AI knew he was going to finish,@ said winning The main question put to Natalie Baffert=s Contested trainer Dale Romans. AIt was just a matter of whether (Ghostzapper) before Monday=s GI Acorn S. at Belmont they could get by him or not. He=s gutsy as they come. was whether she could stretch her considerable speed Hopefully, he=ll get the credit he deserves. He=s a to a mile. The former J “TDN Rising Star” J spectacular horse.@ answered the question authoritatively, sprinting clear Sent off at 3-1, Shackleford broke alertly and was from the start and cruising unmolested to a five-length soon at the head of affairs. He was hounded by victory. AThat's just what we wanted to see,@ said Jim Jackson Bend (Hear Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. AIt all depends No Evil) through on how you break. She basically caught a flyer, and fractions of :22.77 they stayed off of her. She went :22 and :45, so they and :44.73, with didn=t just give it to her. She was rolling right along. favored To Honor Javier [Castellano, jockey] said she reminded him of and Serve [Horse of the Year] Ghostzapper.@ Cont. p7 (Bernardini) a close- up third along the rail as Caleb=s Posse dropped some 10 lengths off the pace. Shackleford began to open up on his rivals Shackleford (inside) and after three-quarters Caleb’s Posse in 1:08.52, but Horsephotos Caleb=s Posse was finding his best stride in the middle of the track to give the Belmont faithful a Met Mile finish to remember. Romans is already looking forward to the continuing rivalry between the two 4-year-olds. AThese two have had a good rivalry,@ Romans commented. AIt=s their fourth time against each other, and they=re 2-2. Caleb=s Posse is a great horse, and it=s a good rivalry. Let=s see each other again. It was the race of the year, and it=s exciting to have been part of it, win, lose, or draw, with all of those good horses. And it lived up to its billing. To be a nose apart at the wire, I think it lived up to the hype.@ Cont. p3 In This Issue PEB’s TDN Sketch of the Week 60 Broad St., Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 747-8060 (732) 747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com Barry Weisbord, co-publisher [email protected] Sue Finley, co-publisher [email protected] Editorial [email protected] Jessica Martini, Editor-in-Chief Alan Carasso, Managing Editor Marie Kizenko, Senior Editor Peb’s TDN Sketch of the Week is available on Christina Bossinakis, Senior Editor www.pebsite.com Currently accepting commissions. Lucas Marquardt, Features Editor Steve Sherack, Racing Editor Brian DiDonato, Racing Analyst/Soc. Media Dir. Stakes Action Gallore... Justina Severni, Assistant Editor Michael Tabor’s (Val Royal {Fr}) gets Advertising Belle Royale (Ire) [email protected] up late to win the GI Gamely H. at Hollywood Park, Alycia Borer, Director of Advertising while Better Lucky (Ghoszapper) wins the GII Sands Lia Kusch, Senior Advertising Designer Point S. at Belmont Park. Belle Royale Sarah K. Andrew, Adv Assistant/Distribution Coverage begins p7 Benoit Amanda Crelin, Advertising Assistant Customer Service [email protected] Vicki Forbes, Director of Customer Service Information Technology Magic Millions Robert Williams, Director of IT Coolmore secures dual Group 1 winner Melito (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice [email protected] {Aus} for A$1.65 million at Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Gregg Casillo, DB Administrator, Programming Page 13 [email protected] Marketing Gary King, Marketing Manager [email protected] Camelot tops Derby Dozen TDN Newmarket Bureau: Cafe Racing G1 2000 Guineas winners leads the list of 12 colts entered in Saturday’s G1 [email protected] Epsom Derby. Sean Cronin Page 14 Tom Frary P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/29/12 • PAGE 3 of 15 • thoroughbreddailynews.com He wasted no time in making it back-to-back wins Metropolitan Mile Monday and, according to trainer Dale Romans, he is a horse who thrives on activity. AThe more work [Shackleford] does, the better he is,@ the trainer said. AI brought him out a little too soft early in the year. I was Shackleford Holds on in Met Mile (cont. from p1) too easy on him. We started cranking it up, and it=s AHe broke so good, I didn=t have to do much, and he paid off. The more I do with him, the more he likes it was doing it easy,@ John Velazquez said of his trip and the better he gets.@ aboard Shackleford. AEven as they were chasing him, Cont. p4 he was in hand the whole way and that=s what I liked about him. Because he was doing it so easy, I didn=t have to rush him. I saw the shadow [of Caleb=s Posse] coming, so I had to go real far out to get him. I was wondering if somebody was in between and was thinking, if nobody was there, I was going to go straight out, and that=s what made me win, because when I came out, he put up a fight. [He dug back in] big time.@ Shackleford earned an automatic berth to this year=s GI Breeders= Cup Dirt Mile with the victory and co- owner Michael Lauffer is ready to book his hotel. AOur two main goals for this year were to win the Met Mile and the Breeders= Cup Dirt Mile,@ Lauffer said. AWe=ve accomplished the first one and now we=ll go after the second. The AWin and You=re In@ is a great incentive.@ Shackleford went winless for nearly a year after his victory in the 2011 GI Preakness S., but got back on track with a game victory over sprint champion Horsephotos Amazombie in the May 5 GII Churchill Downs S. P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/29/12 • PAGE 4 of 15 • thoroughbreddailynews.com For Caleb=s Posse, winner of last year=s GI Breeders= Cup Dirt Mile, it was a third straight heartbreaking defeat. The 4-year-old missed by a neck in the Mar. 3 GIII Tom Fool H. and by a nose in the Apr. 7 GI Carter H. AWe=ll get over this,@ said trainer Donnie Von Hemel. AFor him to overcome the track bias and run like that, we=re very proud of him.@ INCREASES FOR MET MILE DAY Met Mil Day at Belmont Park saw double-digit increases in on-track and all-sources handle, according to figures released by the New York Racing Association yesterday. On-track handle was $2,296,972, up 13% from last year=s total of $2,031,127. All-sources handle on NYRA races was $14,444,665--up 10.7% from 2011. This year=s holiday attendance of 10,577 was up 15.7% from a year ago. Monday, Belmont Park METROPOLITAN H.-GI, $750,000, BEL, 5-28, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:33 1/5, ft. 1--SHACKLEFORD, 119, c, 4, by Forestry 1st Dam: Oatsee (SP, $106,945), by Unbridled 2nd Dam: With Every Wish, by Lear Fan 3rd Dam: Amo, by Hold Your Peace ($275,000 RNA yrl '09 KEESEP). O-Michael Lauffer, WD Cubbedge & Phillps Racing Partnership; B-Mike Lauffer & Bill Cubbedge (KY); T-Dale L Romans; J-John R Velazquez; $450,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-4-1, $2,741,381. *1/2 to Baghdaria (Royal Academy), MGSW, $725,433; Lady Joanne (Orientate), GISW, $987,094; Afleeting Lady (Afleet Alex), GSP, $205,305. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Foaled & Raised at Belvedere Farm EQB heart scan elite score for client • www.EQB.com KY-BRED QUALITY Shackleford co-owner Mike Lauffer Dam Purchased by Kern / Lillingston Horsephotos 2--Caleb's Posse, 121, c, 4, Posse--Abbey's Missy, by Slewacide. O-McNeill Stables & Cheyenne Stables We won and we’re in! LLC; B-Don C McNeill (KY); T-Donnie K Von Hemel; Shackleford=s connections earn: $150,000. *Automatic berth into the BC 3--To Honor and Serve, 120, c, 4, Bernardini--Pilfer, by Dirt Mile Deputy Minister. ($250,000 wlng '08 KEENOV; *$30,000 in pre-entry/entry fees $575,000 yrl '09 KEESEP). O-Live Oak Plantation; *$10,000 travel stipend B-Twin Creeks Farm, Larry Byer & Rancho San Miguel (KY); T-William I Mott; $75,000. $40,000 total value +$10,000 nominator award to Mike Lauffer and Bill EQB elite heart scan score for client • www.EQB.com Cubbedge Click here for the complete W&YI race schedule.