Taketheodds takes shot at Grade 1 glory in Coaching Club American Oaks
Trainer Ian Wilkes will put his promising 3-year-old filly Taketheodds right to the acid test here Sunday when she faces Grade 1 opposition for the first time in the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Wilkes said he had already considered running Taketheodds in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks even before the news broke that division leader Untapable would bypass the race in lieu of the Haskell at Monmouth Park one week later.
“I didn’t have any visions of beating Untapable if she were to have run in the Oaks,” said Wilkes. “But her presence would have surely meant a real small field, and just finishing second or third in a Grade 1 race would be huge for her family and future as a broodmare. Now that Untapable is out, you kind of step up from hoping to get second or third to thinking about winning.”
Taketheodds, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, has come a long way in a short time this year. Idle more than seven months after starting just once at 2, she has won her last two starts, both at Churchill Downs, after finishing third in her 2014 debut.
“I’m behind the eight ball experience-wise with her, but she hasn’t missed a beat since she’s been back and she’ an improving type and the kind of filly you just don’t know yet how good she can get,” said Wilkes. “So we’ll test the waters with her Sunday and try to find out.”
Wilkes was very active here on Tuesday morning, beating the rain that left the course muddy when the track opened Wednesday by working several of his upcoming stakes starters, including Ulanbator, Bird Maker, Viva Majorca, and Free as a Bird.
Ulanbator, third in the Dwyer, breezed an easy five-eighths in 1:02.37 with jockey Brian Hernandez aboard. He will make his next start either in the Curlin or Jim Dandy as a potential prep for the Travers at the end of the meet.
The Curlin will be run on July 25, one day before the Jim Dandy.
“He stumbled out of the gate and lost a hind shoe in the Dwyer, so he had a bit of an excuse,” said Wilkes.
The Grade 2-placed Bird Maker is being pointed for the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 2 after turning back to six furlongs to win an allowance by 11 lengths at Churchill Downs in her last start. She breezed a half-mile on Tuesday in 48.13 seconds in company with Wilkes’s promising 3-year-old Viva Majorca. Bird Maker is a daughter of Empire Maker, which had Wilkes thinking longer races would suit her.
“With her pedigree, I thought she’d definitely be a two-turn horse who’d run any distance you want,” said Wilkes. “But in the Gazelle, she had a perfect trip, and when she went to make her move she really flattened out. So I just freshened her up, shortened her to six furlongs, she won by 11, and now it looks like she’s going to end up a come-from-behind sprinter.
Wilkes said Viva Majorca, an impressive winner of two of his last three starts, will make his stakes debut in the Curlin.
“The sky is the limit with this horse,” said Wilkes. “I think he’ll love to go long. He’s giving up a lot of seasoning in the Curlin, but we’ve got to test him somewhere along the way and see where he fits.”
Nonna’s Boy tops Sanford
A very strong field of nine 2-year-olds was drawn Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford. The group includes the Todd Pletcher-trained Nonna’s Boy, who won his only start by six lengths while defeating the recent New York-bred stakes winner Bustin It.
Nonna’s Boy will break from post 8 with John Velazquez aboard. He will face Chocolate Wildcat, Silverhill, Souper Colossal, Big Trouble, Mr. Z, Less Than Perfect, Bessie’s Boy, and Cinco Charlie.
Bessie’s Boy and Cinco Charlie each has won a stakes.
“This is going to be a very competitive race,” said Pletcher. “I like what he did from the rail in his first start and I think that race looks even better since Bustin It came back and won a New York-bred stakes very easily last weekend.”
My Miss Aurelia works
Pletcher waited until the main track had dried up some before sending out My Miss Aurelia to work on Wednesday. The three-time Grade 1 winner went five furlongs over a good surface in 1:00.36.
My Miss Aurelia, who has not started since March 2013, began slowly before picking up the pace, completing her final three-eighths in 35.07 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.13. My Miss Aurelia could launch her comeback here Monday in the Shine Again overnight stakes.
◗ The turf course was open for business Wednesday despite the overnight rain, with trainer Rusty Arnold taking advantage of the opportunity to breeze Centre Court five furlongs in 1:01.82 with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard.