FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016 THURSDAY=S TRACKSIDE REPORT LIKE MOTHER, by Steve Sherack LIKE DAUGHTER? LOUISVILLE, Ky. - An extremely brisk and cloudy morning greeted the GI Kentucky Derby/Oaks horses after some overnight rain left the main track Agood@ with another packed house in attendance two days out from the >Run for the Roses.= With the main track being harrowed during the renovation break, it Nyquist | Sherackatthetrack was business as usual during the special 15-minute training period reserved for the star 3-year-olds at 8:30 a.m. Cont. p3 Rachel=s Valentina | Coady US ARMY RANGER FIGHTS TO VASE WIN By Christie DeBernardis US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had to work for it, but he Stonestreet Stables homebred Rachel=s Valentina (Bernardini) kept his unbeaten record intact in Thursday=s G3 Chester looks to follow in her soon-to-be Hall of Fame dam Rachel Vase. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. Alexandra (Medaglia d=Oro)=s famous hoofprints with a victory in Friday=s GI Kentucky Oaks. While Rachel Alexandra only had to contend with six rivals in her 20 1/4-length demolition of the 2009 Oaks, her daughter headlines a strong field of 14 as the 3-1 morning-line favorite due to the absence of would-be favorite and undefeated champion Songbird (Medaglia d=Oro). Tabbed a >TDN Rising Star= after an impressive debut win at Saratoga Aug. 2, the Todd Pletcher pupil captured that venue=s GI Spinaway S. next out Sept. 5 and finished 5 3/4 lengths behind her Eclipse- winning rival when second in the GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31. Making her sophomore debut in Keeneland=s GI Ashland S. Apr. 9, the bay put away speedy >TDN Rising Star= Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) in the stretch only to be run down in the final strides by longshot Weep No More (Mineshaft) and finish a neck second. John Velazquez, who stayed in New York to ride Outwork (Uncle Mo) in the GI Wood Memorial S. on Ashland day, reunites with the filly here. AJohn has ridden at a very high level consistently for a very long time,@ Pletcher said. AI have great respect for the decisions he makes. In a tactical race like the Oaks, it is good to have a rider like him on your side.@ Cont. p5 PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] Friday, May 6, 2016 EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Associate Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Assistant Editors Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Kusch Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Danzing Candy gallops beneath the Twin Spires Thursday Advertising Assistants | Sherackatthetrack Brittlan Wall @bwallTDN August Pons @APonsTDN TDN DERBY EDITION Click here to view Social Media Strategist The TDN staff provides detailed analysis of all 20 Derby contenders and Nichola Henry @NicholaHenryTDN the two also-eligibles, plus a feature from Steve Sherack on Big Chief Racing. [email protected] Director of Customer Service TODAY’S GRADED STAKES Vicki Forbes EDT Race Click for TV [email protected] 10:10a Boodles Diamond Ormonde S.-G3, CHS -------------- ----- Director of Information Technology 1:26p La Troienne S.-GI, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN Ray Villa 2:08p Eight Belles S.-GII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN [email protected] 3:02p Twin Spires Turf Sprint S.-GIII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 4:02p Alysheba S.-GII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN International Editor 4:52p Edgewood S.-GIII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 5:49p Longines Kentucky Oaks-GI, CD TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN [email protected] 7:30p American S.-GIII, SA TJCIS PPs TVG2/NBCSN European Editor 9:57p Texas Mile S.-GIII, LS TJCIS PPs TVG/NBCSN Emma Berry [email protected] Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com HEADLINE NEWS $ PAGE 3 OF 11 $ THETDN.COM FRIDAY $ MAY 6, 2016 FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI KENTUCKY DERBY The sun very briefly made an appearance through an ominous sky as the speedy Danzing Candy (Twirling Candy), fitted with a bright yellow/orange browband and black shadowroll, and Oscar Nominated (Kitten=s Joy) went by, nicely lighting up the latter=s chestnut coat. The Ramsey runner, who has done all of his training at Mike Maker=s nearby Trackside base, bar his Thursday=s Trackside Report cont. from p1 workout beneath the Twin I decided to take in the action from a little bit of a different Spires Apr. 29, will be making vantage point away from the masses Thursday, watching from his first attempt on dirt in the about midway on the far turn. Derby. The G M B Racing duo of The Derby favorite Nyquist (Uncle Mo) had another good Paul Reddam | Sherackatthetrack morning, galloping smartly while under a snug hold as he Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), sporting rounded the bend. Owners Mr. and Mrs. Paul Reddam were on a dark nasal strip, and Tom=s Ready (More Than Ready), both hand Thursday morning as well, with the former speaking to displayed some high head carriage during their respective reporters back at the barn following the unbeaten champion=s gallops Thursday. trip to the track. Shagaf (Bernardini) and Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft) Mike Repole=s homebred Outwork (Uncle Mo), a narrow have been two of the prettier movers to watch train all week as winner of the GI Wood Memorial S. at the Big A, bounded by they continue to just glide over the surface during their morning with good energy once again as did Brody=s Cause (Giant=s preparations here. Causeway), who also continues to catch the eye. Trainer Dale Exaggerator (Curlin) jogged two miles going the wrong way Romans was joined by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer during with owner Matt Bryan of Big Chief Racing on hand to watch training hours, according to the ace Churchill notes team. from Texas. More on him in tonight=s special Derby edition. NATIONAL WEANLING & BROODMARE SALE 29 MAY – 3 JUNE | GOLD COAST MAY’S DREAM ESKIMO QUEEN IN STYLE GR1 WINNER BOUNDING GR1 WINNER GR1 WINNER GR1 WINNER PASADENA GIRL GR1 WINNER YOSEI GR1 WINNER PEGGY JEAN GR1 WINNER ALPHA MISS GR2 WINNER BELMONT CAT GR2 WINNER CHINCHILLA ROSE GR2 WINNER BRING ME THE MAID GR2 WINNER PURE ENERGY FONTITON GR2 WINNER VINTEDGE GR2 WINNER PERIGNON GR2 WINNER GR2 WINNER VORMISTA GR2 WINNER THE BREEDING STOCK CAPITAL OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE With 7 Group One winning mares, 88 Black Type winners including 37 Group winners, a further 79 Stakes Placed fillies or mares, and dams of 32 individual Stakes winners including 17 at Group level, the Gold Coast’s National Broodmare Sale is a must for those in the breeding industry. Weanling Sale graduates include Triple Crown’s Peggy Jean (Lot 756 in this year’s Broodmare Sale), Zoustar, Driefontein and the mighty Pierro. Don’t miss this year’s auction with 16 first season sires including: Camelot, Dawn Approach, Declaration of War, Dundeel, Fiorente, Shamus Award, Sizzling, The Factor and Zoustar. The 2015-16 sales season saw astute buyers achieve an average 89% increase in sale price for pin-hooks from the National Weanling Sale to the Gold Coast January Yearling Sale. NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, YOU CAN BUY WITH CONFIDENCE AT THE 2016 NATIONAL SALE VIEW THE CATALOGUE ONLINE AT WWW.MAGICMILLIONS.COM.AU OR DOWNLOAD VIA THE EQUINELINE CATALOG APP FOR iPAD For further details or information on attending the sale, please contact: Vin Cox [email protected] | T: +61 418 471 061 HEADLINE NEWS $ PAGE 4 OF 11 $ THETDN.COM FRIDAY $ MAY 6, 2016 Thursday=s Trackside Report cont. As usual, the gray Lani (Tapit) was the final Derby runner to THURSDAY=S DERBY CHATTER... exit the track shortly after 9 a.m. while continuing to extend his AA lot is being made about me being from Louisville. But it well-documented daily activities well beyond the special training wouldn=t mean any more to me than anyone else in this period. game. Once you come into this game, walk through the gate So who looks good out there in the flesh? Without considering at any racetrack and starting taking care of horses, you=ve any past performances, here are five horses (trust me, this was got to be thinking about Kentucky Derby. It would mean as not easy to narrow down), in alphabetical order, in my opinion, much to the Japanese who came over here to go back home who have stood out a bit from the rest each morning from and say, >Konnichiwa, everybody,= and wave the trophy.@ strictly a physical standpoint: Creator (Tapit), Exaggerator, --Dale Romans, trainer of Brody=s Cause (Giant=s Causeway) Mohaymen (Tapit), Outwork and Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect). and Derby also-eligible Cherry Wine (Paddy O=Prado). I=ll save my handicapping thoughts for this weekend=s Xpressbet.com Triple Crown Throwdown with my man Brian AI=ll have my thoughts on what I think should be our race DiDonato. strategy and my riders [Javier Castellano and John Velazquez] It looks like much warmer and sunnier weather is about to will have their ideas, too.