Kentucky Derby pedigree profiles: Upstart
Upstart is the first winner from two starters out of his dam, the unraced Touch Gold mare Party Silks, so one must go back an additional generation for clues to his distance prowess.
Nicole RussoFeb 19, 2015
Upstart is the first winner from two starters out of his dam, the unraced Touch Gold mare Party Silks, so one must go back an additional generation for clues to his distance prowess.
Irish Mission and Tabreed will be bred this spring, but after running one-two in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante Handicap to end their 2014 campaigns, they earned at least one more start before going off to the breeding shed, and it comes Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Four straight Grade 1 wins and two Eclipse Awards in 2014 will be a tough act to follow for Main Sequence, who launches his much-anticipated 2015 campaign as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s $200,000 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park.
Many bettors probably will be scratching their heads when sorting through the large, competitive fields of 4-year-olds and up racing Saturday in the Mineshaft and Fair Grounds Handicap, a pair of Grade 3 races on the Risen Star undercard at Fair Grounds.
If you’re looking for future classic winners, a good place to start is the Fountain of Youth Stakes, which was first run in 1945 and will be renewed Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The 1945 and 1947 editions of the race were for 2-year-olds in December, but all the other runnings – 61 of them including three years when the race split – have been for 3-year-olds in February or March, and the roll of winners is a strong one.
The Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds is anything but clear-cut. This race could play out in too many ways to feel confident of much. In the Fountain of Youth, unless something dramatic changes, Upstart is supposed to win. It will be interesting to see if he can improve his Beyer again or settle into the 106 comfort zone.
Cinco Charlie has accomplished more than most young horses as a five-time stakes winner, and he will be out to keep the good times rolling Saturday at Sunland Park in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby. The 1 1/16-race is the final local stepping-stone to the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 22.
Wedding Toast makes her second start after a layoff as the obvious one to beat in the Grade 3, $100,000 Rampart, the first of eight Saturday stakes at Gulfstream Park.
After being assigned post 14 in the two-turn Canadian Turf, it’s questionable whether Main Sequence actually will start in the Grade 3 stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
In both of her starts last year, Jacaranda overpowered her rivals, cruising to daylight victories. She also wanted to get aggressive in the early going.