Alpyland has no problem with distance in American Derby
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The $275,000 American Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs was, theoretically, preceded by a local prep in the Audubon Stakes on the designated Stephen Foster Preview Day card on May 30.
However, with the Audubon at 1 1/8 miles and the American Derby at 1 1/6 miles, the cutback in distance led some entrants to look to continue progressing in distance elsewhere, such as the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 1 1/8 miles next week.
Meanwhile, Alpyland was actually adding distance in the American Derby - and continued his own progression. The colt rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory in the American Derby, his fourth stakes win of the season. His prior three, including the Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 29, all came at a mile.
"We have a question of how far he can go, but the way he did it today, very impressed," said Javier Castellano, who has ridden the gelding in his four most recent starts for D. J. Stable and Mark Casse. "In the Penn Mile, good turn of foot, and today, very impressive the way he did it as well."
Alpyland ($3.68), who was favored, looked full of run in Castellano's hands, sitting a perfect trip stalking in second behind the honest pace of Thousandsticks. The gelding readily pounced on his foe when given his cue and drew off to the wire. Immortalised, second in the Penn Mile, chased Alpyland home again.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles on turf rated good, holding up after heavy rain earlier, was 1:42.29.
In addition to the Penn Mile, Alpyland also has wins this year in the Dania Beach and Columbia Stakes in Florida. The only time he has missed the board this year was when he was fourth in the Grade 1 American Turf at 1 1/8 miles on the Kentucky Derby undercard; Stark Contrast and Remember Mamba, one-two that day, are expected to be among the favorites for the Belmont Derby. Castellano feels that a combination of that stiff competition and relative inexperience contributed to Alpyland's defeat - and that, with more seasoning, he could perhaps handle the 1 1/8 miles in the future.
"It seems to me he gets better and better," Castellano said. "He seems more mature now. The more he grows mentally and physically, I think the more we’ll see in the future."
Later in the card, Tam Tam poured it on through the lane for a dominant 5 3/4-length victory in the sister race, the $275,000 Tepin Stakes. Like the American Derby, the one-mile Tepin represented a cutback from the division's Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Regret last month, and emerged as a wide-open affair.
Tam Tam ($6.04) under Junior Alvarado, was intent on stalking Faye's Gold through a relatively soft opening half, and put her head in front as the field entered the far turn, beginning to inch away around the bend. Ground Support, making her first start since a strong third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, briefly loomed a danger, but Tam Tam continued to pour it on through the lane, widening to her final margin. She finished the mile in 1:35.36 on a course still rated good, as the return of the rain held off until after the last race.
East Jabip was second by three-quarters of a length over Use Me. In a blanket finish for the various placings, Ground Support, who likely needed the race, tired in the final stages to finish fifth.
Tam Tam, trained by Phil Bauer for Rigney Racing, won her maiden at a mile and then the Sanibel Island at 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream to start this season. She has been consistent at Churchill Downs this meet, finishing second by a head after setting the pace in the Grade 2 Edgewood at 1 1/16 miles, and then third in the Regret.
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