Ghostzapper Top 10 Sire By A RUNNER INDEX 3.26 higher than Into Mischief, Tapit, etc. ADENA SPRINGS THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 BLOODHORSE.COM/DAILY KENTUCKY BENOIT PHOTOS BLOCKBUSTER? Bolt d’Oro, McKinzie Set for San Felipe Showdown See page 4 IN THIS ISSUE 8 Gronkowski Wins European Road to the Derby Points Race 9 Free Drop Billy Cuts Back in Gotham Stakes 13 Goldencents Progeny Surprise with Precociousness BLOODHORSE DAILY Download the FREE smartphone app PAGE 1 OF 25 CONTENTS 4 Bolt d’Oro, McKinzie Set for San Felipe Showdown 8 Gronkowski Wins European Road to the Derby Points Race 9 Free Drop Billy Cuts Back in Gotham Stakes 11 Color of Super Saturday Could be Godolphin Blue 13 Goldencents Progeny Surprise with Precociousness 14 Atomicka is Daddy Long Legs’ First Black-Type Winner 15 Zoustar Colt Tops Inglis Melbourne Yearlings Book 2 16 Juveniles Gear Up for Golden Slipper 17 Gotham Stakes Just a Start for Native Dancer 18 Results 19 Entries 25 Leading Lists RICK SAMUELS ON THE COVER Bolt d’ Oro (left) wins the 2017 FrontRunner Stakes McKinzie (right) wins the 2018 Sham Stakes BLOODHORSE DAILY APP Providing updated news and analysis throughout the day. Plus view recent stakes, allowance and MSW race videos, entries and more! Download the free mobile app at BloodHorse.com/Daily BLOODHORSE DAILY Editorial Director John K. Keitt, Jr. BloodHorse Daily Editor Claire Crosby Asst. Daily Editor Director of Advertising Sales Mary LaRue (Reeder) Scott Carling Senior Bloodstock Columnist Regional Sales Managers ZOE METZ Bill Oppenheim Shirley Dievert Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ grade 1 winner Dream Tree works four Visuals Director Kristi Heasley furlongs in :48 4/5 March 7 at Santa Anita Park Anne M. Eberhardt Ellen Lambertus Creative Services Amanda Ramey Kerry Howe Contact Us: Digital Media Group Editor: [email protected] Erin Morgan Asst. Editor: [email protected] Christine Wittmer Advertising: [email protected] BLOODHORSE DAILY THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 PAGE 2 OF 25 We have 7 Goldencents 2-year-olds, and I am happy “ with all of them. They have great attitudes and move very well over the track, but most of all they“ want to train. I believe Goldencents will be one of the top freshman sires in 2018. –Ciaran Dunne, Wavertree Stables BOLT D'ORO, McKINZIE SET FOR SAN FELIPE SHOWDOWN By Jeremy Balan t @BH_JBalan t's the time of year when ques- Itions start to get answered on the Triple Crown trail. The early season preps can underwhelm, as the cream of the crop has yet to square off, but a race like the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) March 10 at Santa Anita Park has the potential to be a blockbuster. There's an undefeated horse, BENOIT PHOTO Bob Baffert shares a moment with McKinzie after his Sham Stakes win at Santa Anita Park two more last-out graded stakes winners looking to prove themselves, and a returning of 2017 who just edged Bolt d'Oro "He was that much better than divisional frontrunner from last in the voting for the honor. Sent (his competition as a 2-year- season. The potentially potent off at odds of 3-5 in the March old), but I can't wait to watch mixture may be diluted by an 3 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth him race this year," Ruis said. "I expected storm in Southern Stakes (G2), the Curlin colt finished think we're about where we were California over the weekend, but if an even third, 4 1/2 lengths behind heading into the (grade 1) Del conditions end up closer to ideal, winner Promises Fulfilled. Mar Futurity (a race Bolt d'Oro the first showdown of the trail While McKinzie is undefeated won by three-quarters of a length, could be afoot. from three starts, including a 3 which preceded his emphatic, 7 "This is when they start to 1/2-length victory last time out 3/4-length score in the grade 1 separate themselves. We're all just in the Jan. 6 Sham Stakes (G3) at FrontRunner Stakes). This is where trying to get there," said trainer Santa Anita, Ruis Racing's Bolt I feel he is right now. Do I think Bob Baffert, who will look to win d'Oro is entering his 3-year-old he's good enough to win? I do. his third San Felipe in four years debut off his only loss Nov. 4 in the Does he have to win? No. with Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile "We just want a good showing and Paul Weitman's McKinzie. "I (G1) at Del Mar, where he finished and to be firing on all cylinders know McKinzie is a good horse. I third behind Good Magic. going into the Santa Anita Derby know Bolt d'Oro is a good horse. … Owner and trainer Mick Ruis (G1)." But we saw last weekend what can openly acknowledges how much the Ruis allayed concerns about Bolt happen. Things don't always work Eclipse Award voting rankled him— d'Oro's perceived knocks, including out. You want to move forward. Bolt d'Oro had a pair of grade 1 wins how the bay colt tends to break You don't want to be taking steps on his record and had a severely slowly from the gate. A slow break back. wide trip in the Breeders' Cup, while surely didn't help his wide trip in "March madness—this is when Good Magic broke his maiden in the Breeders' Cup, and he also got it starts. You don't want your the race—and is fiery in his defense off to a slow start in his maiden- bubble busted too early." of the Medaglia d'Oro colt, whose breaking win in August and in the Baffert's reference was to Good sophomore season was delayed Futurity. Magic, the champion 2-year-old because of some body soreness. (continued on page 6) BLOODHORSE DAILY THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 PAGE 4 OF 25 t Colt ex Laugh Often (half-sister to a SW and closely related to G2SW Wicapi), bred by Lambholm Filly ex Coco’s for Real (dam of a SW, full-sister to G3SW Friel’s For Real, family of Songbird), bred by Stonehedge LLC t t Filly ex Marfa's Squall (dam of two SW’s and grandam of G2SW Just Wicked), bred by Tim and Reggie Beeson Unbeaten Gr.1-winning Champion 2YO by MEDAGLIA D’ORO • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • Aisling Duignan, Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace or Scott Calder. Tel: 859-873-7088. Fax: 859-879 5756. BOLT D’ORO, McKINZIE SET "The question now is—he won a graded stakes at seven FOR SAN FELIPE SHOWDOWN furlongs, now can he go a mile and a sixteenth? The way he won the San Vicente and the way he's been (continued from page 4) working on the racetrack, we think we have a chance." The field is rounded out by Robert B. Lewis second But the critique built with his penultimate work choice Peace (who finished fifth in that race) and for the San Felipe Feb. 26 at Santa Anita under jockey second-place Lewis finisher Ayacara (GB). Off at 2-1 in Javier Castellano. Just after the gates opened, Bolt the Lewis, Peace never looked like himself in his first d'Oro was two lengths behind his stablemate and start with blinkers and has been given another shot on workmate, and had to be asked by Castellano to get the Triple Crown trail by trainer Richard Mandella. But into position. Once into his stride in the backstretch, those blinkers are long gone. however, the colt settled and blew past his workmate in "To make a long story short, I burnt the blinkers," the stretch. Mandella said. "He's not going to run with them. He's "He's not as bad out of the gate as everybody says trained really well lately, and I'm going to go back to he is. That was the only time I've worked him out of the the idea that I still think he's a good horse. We won't gate, and (his workmate) Eskimo Roses is the fastest know if we won't try. He just did some strange things horse out of the gate I've got," Ruis said. "It looked bad, with the blinkers on. I've never seen a horse react that but in four strides he was where he needed to be. It way—he never picked his head off the ground. was very deceiving, and I wanted him behind and have "I do feel he didn't run his race the other day. some dirt kicked in his face." Otherwise, I wouldn't be kidding myself." If the San Felipe plays out the way it looks on paper, The San Felipe may look like a heavyweight bout Bolt d'Oro, who drew the rail in a field of eight, will for now, but it could be hampered by wet conditions get plenty of dirt kicked in his face, most likely from (forecasts show a 70% chance of rain in Arcadia, Calif.). the horse just to his right, Michael Lombardi's last-out While Baffert said McKinzie would run in "rain, Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) winner Lombo. sleet, or snow," Ruis was adamant he would not run Off at 8-1 in the 1 1/16-mile Lewis, after a 3 Bolt d'Oro on an off track. 1/2-length maiden win sprinting two weeks prior, "I'm scratching if it's sloppy," said Ruis, who Lombo figures to be the pacesetter once again in the indicated a backup plan would be to run Bolt d'Oro in San Felipe, which is at the same distance.