Trip Notes for April 5: Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, Ashland, Fantasy and more...
Saturday, April 5
Aqueduct - Bay Shore (race 8)
COMMENT: Coup de Grace smartly won his first 2 starts in the fall, putting him right on the Derby trail, but then came a duel-and-fizzle in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Jan. 25 and it was back to the drawing board. Well, the time off did the trick and so did moving back to a sprint. The son of Tapit was away slowly, bided his time, steadily advanced and doggedly kept to his task to nip a game Oliver Zip. While this was sprinting he’s won at a mile so there’s no reason he can’t be effective going longer, though he doesn’t look like a classics distance horse at this stage of the game. Oliver Zip, coming off an easy stakes win on the inner last month, validated that form as he ran splendidly in defeat. He dogged pacesetter Favorite Tale, looked in trouble turning for home when Favorite Tale opened up and The Admiral surged past, but got going again along the rail to just miss. He looks like a potential Grade 1 King’s Bishop type. Kobe’s Back, returned to sprinting after a dull run in the Grade 2 Rebel, banged the gate at the start to get away slowly, though that’s his normal running style, lagged back, commenced a strong wide run to be very scary but just couldn’t quite get there. He is the real deal playing the seven-furlong to one-mile game. The Admiral, coming off 2 big wins at Santa Anita, stalked the pace, surged into the contention turning for home, had the lead in midstretch but couldn’t sustain his run. Favorite Tale, unbeaten in 3 starts at Parx coming into this, found these waters too deep as he gave way once headed.
Aqueduct - Gazelle (race 9)
COMMENT: My Miss Sophia, coming off an 11-length romp over maidens at Gulfstream March 9, successfully made the big leap in class as she was a smart winner here. She was heavily bet and proved that money correct as she went right to the lead, was able to dictate tempo, cruising through slow splits and leaving her more than enough gas in the tank to keep on going. The Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks is likely on her radar. Got Lucky gave trainer Pletcher a 1-2 finish as she lagged back and finished well, though she was never really a threat to her winning stablemate. She’ll point for the Oaks also. Sweet Reason, last year’s Grade 1 Spinaway winner and winner of her first start this year March 7 (though in a very, very slow time) was within striking distance from the start, looked briefly dangerous turning into the lane but then died on her run.
Aqueduct - Wood Memorial (race 10)
COMMENT: Wicked Strong, an impressive 3rd to Honor Code and Cairo Prince in the Grade 2 Remsen here in the fall, but disappointing in 2 efforts this year at Gulfstream, returned to New York, returned to top form and punched his ticket to Churchill as he finished strongly to beat the upstarts. He sat 6th early while Social Inclusion and Schivarelli set a modest pace, bided his time there while saving ground, swung out on the far turn to start his run and powered home to win going away in impressive fashion. His style may play well at Churchill, particularly as there may be ample pace in the Derby. He did get a bit of help from the track as rally-wide types did quite well this day. Samraat, suffering his first defeat in 6 starts, ran decently though didn’t show the same spark as in previous starts. He stalked in 4th early, made a mild run into the lane with the winner but was no match for that rival and plugged along decently to just nip Social Inclusion for 2nd in the final strides. He didn’t change leads until very late in the stretch, too. Could it be he’s on the downside of his form cycle? Social Inclusion was coming off that huge win at Gulfstream and looked as though he might do it again. He dueled early with Schivarelli, put that rival away on the turn and opened up as if he might romp. However, he couldn’t sustain his run and faltered. Uncle Sigh, who’s been nipping at Samraat’s heels of late, was away slowly, lagged back and made minimal headway. This was a disappointing run and may now mean the Derby is an iffy proposition for him. Kristo stalked the pace and backed out of it. This didn’t exactly flatter the form of the Southern California Derby prospects.
Aqueduct - Carter Handicap (race 11)
COMMENT: Dads Caps, frustrated of late with two hard-fought Grade 3 seconds, picked the right day for the race of his life as he used his speed to notch his first Grade 1 win. He caught a break in terms of a soft pace, a light weight assignment and the fact main rival Sahara Sky broke slowly. But he was able to take advantage. He held a slim lead from the start but wasn’t under that much pressure from Strapping Groom, put that foe away into the lane and kicked clear to open up a big lead into the lane, which gave him enough of a buffer to get to the line before the hard-charging Sahara Sky. Sahara Sky finished second for the second straight year. As usual he lagged back and came home full of run but just ran out of ground. Clearly Now, making his first start since being a troubled 5th in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, lagged back and made decent headway though he was never really a danger. Golden Ticket, who gave Palace Malice fits in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap March 8 (Palace Malice came back to romp in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap), stalked and stayed on decently. Strapping Groom, who beat some of these in the Grade 3 Tom Fool on the inner last month, was close to the winner early but gave way turning for home.
Oaklawn - Fantasy (race 9)
COMMENT: Like the Gazelle and the Santa Anita Oaks, this 3-year-old filly test was dominated up front, and it makes you wonder how the pace scenario is going to come up in the Kentucky Oaks. This time is was Sugar Shock who used her speed, gaining some revenge after being DQ’d from winning the Grade 3 Honeybee here last month. That day she had a clear lead in midstretch before lugging out and interfering with Euphrosyne, and while she held on to win by a neck the stewards dropped her back to 2nd. She went right out to the lead here, held a narrow margin through modest splits and gamely rebuffed Kiss Moon all the way around. No reason she shouldn’t go to Churchill but there now look to be four or five confirmed front-runners eyeing the Oaks – which may make Untapable that much tougher. Kiss Moon, 4th in the Honeybee, dogged the winner from the start, kept after her throughout but just could never quite get on terms while finishing clear of the others. Euphrosyne stalked in 4th while saving ground and never really mustered a run. Stopchargingmaria, a well-beaten 5th in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at Feb. 22, broke slowly, sat back, made a mild move into the lane but didn’t sustain it. This result may take her off the Kentucky Oaks path. Mind you, she has talent and can surely do damage in the right spots.
Keeneland - Ashland (race 9)
COMMENT: Rosalind and Room Service were ultra-game and couldn’t be separated by the camera after a stirring battle. Rosalind was far back early but in front of Room Service, moved earlier than that gal, and came with a strong, wide run, but Room Service caught her in the final strides for the dead heat. Rosalind would surely seem a Kentucky Oaks candidate. In fact, after the race her trainer Ken McPeek mentioned not only the Kentucky Oaks but also a possible tilt at the Group 1 English Oaks overseas. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Room Service ran big here as she was far back early, behind Rosalind. She commenced her run turning for home and caught up to Rosalind in the final strides. All her prior work came on turf and this was on synthetic, so going to the Oaks would be moving into uncharted waters surface-wise. Those 2 were far clear of the others. Thank You Marylou, smart winner of a seven-furlong dirt stakes at Gulfstream March 9, her first start in 7 months, sat midpack, came with a threatening run into the lane, couldn’t sustain it enough to finish with the top 2 but stayed on decently to hold third. This was her first route and she’s proven on dirt. Being by Grade 1 Belmont and Grade 1 Travers winner Birdstone, she may relish the longer Kentucky Oaks trip. Testa Rossi, so impressive on turf, bided her time, came with a threatening move into the lane but couldn’t sustain it. She was so impressive in her prior starts, all on turf, that she’ll almost certainly go back to grass after this.
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Santa Anita - Santa Anita Oaks (race 5)
COMMENT: Fashion Plate led all the way to gamely win the Grade 1 Las Virgenes over Bob Baffert filly Streaming. Today, she again played keep away and again at the expense of a Baffert filly, this time Ria Antonia. From her rail slot Fashion Plate broke sharply, as usual, went right to the lead, was able to set slow splits while only getting modest pressure from Honey Ride, and gamely kept a hard-trying Ria Antonia at arm’s length to the line. No reason they shouldn’t think about the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks with her, though there will be much, much more speed signed up there. Ria Antonia bounced back nicely after a dull return run at Fair Grounds in February. She stalked the pace, doggedly kept after the winner through the lane but just couldn’t get to her. The Kentucky Oaks is likely on her radar after this good run. Bajan lagged back and plugged along to get 3rd, though she was never a threat. Honey Ride gave Fashion Plate only mild pressure and weakened.
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Santa Anita - Providencia (race 7)
COMMENT: Might have a nice little rivalry brewing in the 3-year-old filly turf set here. Diversy Harbor beat Nashoba’s Gold in the China Doll here last month but this time Nashoba’s Gold turned the tables. She took advantage of a great trip as she sat 4th as Soresca and Savings Account dueled through modest splits, remained there to the top of the lane, remained a bit wide but in the clear, was asked for run into the lane, went past the tiring leaders and had enough to keep favored Diversy Harbor at bay. Diversy Harbor was a bit unlucky. She got bumped at the start to get away slowly, sat well back, came with a smart run into the lane but couldn’t quite get to the winner while well clear of the rest. Round 3 could come in the Grade 2 Honeymoon here May 4. One More, stepping up after 2 straight smart wins on this course, showed she’s legit as she stalked the pace, made a threatening move into the lane but then couldn’t keep pace with the top 2 late. Margot Machance, an English raider who won her U.S. debut on this course March 15, sat back and finished well.
Santa Anita - Santa Anita Derby (race 8)
COMMENT: We may well have found our Kentucky Derby favorite. California Chrome left no doubt who the ruling 3-year-old is out West. Coming off romping wins in the King Glorious, Cal Cup Derby and Grade 2 San Felipe he continued that trend here, dominating his rivals. He hounded pacesetter Dublin Up from the start, pushed him through brisk splits, took over on the far turn and blew the race wide open into the lane as he drew off to win geared down. If he takes this form to Churchill he’ll be very tough. Hoppertunity sat 5th early, moved up very nicely inside just behind the leaders on the far turn to look menacing, found a seam and moved out, but the winner was already long gone. He did finish well clear of the rest. Candy Boy stalked in the 3rd on California Chrome’s hip but had no answer for that foe’s acceleration turning for home and couldn’t keep pace with Hoppertunity as well. Both could join California Chrome in Kentucky, but this race shows they have plenty of work to do to get to his level. Candy Boy is on the bubble for making the Derby field in terms of points.
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