Trip Notes for Jan. 13: La Canada, Lecomte, and more

Gulfstream Park
Marshua’s Dancer (race 9)

COMMENT: Ultra Brat, having run just once in 2017 - in a turf sprint stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 26 - stepped up in class, moved to a longer trip and cleared those hurdles, posting her first graded stakes win. She won the Tropical Park Oaks in her only try on this course at this trip Dec. 31, 2016, but didn’t see action again until that aforementioned turf sprint stakes at Aqueduct. Here she broke well to sit second behind pacesetter Gianna’s Dream, remained there to the far turn, crept closer to that rival, took over from that tiring foe into the lane, opened up and held her rivals safe to the line. This doesn’t mean she’s ready for the big girls, but it shows she can do damage in the right spot. Dream Dancing, the favorite having won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in the summer before running seventh to stablemate La Coronel in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Cup II at Keeneland last time out Oct. 14, stalked in fourth, pitched wide into the lane to make her run, finished decently but couldn’t really close the gap on the winner. King’s Ghost, back to turf after being eased in the Grade 3 Rampart on dirt here Dec. 16, which was also her first start in nearly three months, bounced back as she lagged back early while wide, remained wide and closed decently for third. Inside Out, fifth in the Grade 3 My Charmer here Dec. 16, was last from the start, was able to make some headway in the lane but was never really a threat. Gianna’s Dream, a sharp second beaten just a neck in the My Charmer to continue her strong form, regressed some here as she set a slow pace under some pressure from the eventual winner and wilted once headed in midstretch.

Gulfstream Park
Fort Lauderdale (race 11)

COMMENT: Shining Copper may be an 8-year-old now but he can still get it done in graded stakes as he notched his third straight win in game front-running fashion. Coming off a win in Churchill’s Grade 3 River City Handicap on Nov. 23, the son of Aragorn shot right out to a clear lead, a bit of a surprise considering the presence of the speedy and overwhelming 7-10 favorite Heart to Heart, took some pressure from Shakhimat, rebuffed that foe into the lane and kept on gamely to keep hard-trying 30-1 longshot One Go All Go just at bay in the final furlong. He’ll reportedly next go in the Barbados Gold Cup March 3. One Go All Go, eighth in the Grade 3 Tropical Park Turf here Dec. 16 (won by Shakhimat) and then a sharp second in an optional claimer here Dec. 31, stalked in third, moved up to confront the eventual winner coming into the lane, doggedly kept after that foe but just couldn’t quite get to him in a big try. All Included sat midpack from the start, moved out into the lane to make his run and finished decently, though he was never really a danger to the top two. Heart to Heart, the heavy favorite as he’s multiple Grade 1-placed and was last seen dueling before running 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 4, wasn’t able to use his primary weapon, his speed, as he reared at the start to get away poorly, sat fourth after that break, still seemed in a good spot turning for home but came up empty when it mattered. The veteran is still clearly at his best when able to dictate the pace, something the break did not allow him a chance at here.

Fair Grounds
Lecomte (race 9)

COMMENT: Instilled Regard flattered the form of the West Coast Kentucky Derby hopefuls as the $1 million son of Arch proved an easy winner. Coming off a sharp effort in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity (finished third, was moved up to second via the disqualification of winner Solomini, who interfered with him) he got a dream trip stalking as longshot Believe in Royalty set a solid pace, moved closer going to the far turn while a few lanes off the rail and in the clear, surged to a clear lead and opened up in the final furlong, where he didn’t have a worry. In fact, he was basically hand-ridden to the wire. Obviously they have all sorts of options with him but as he’s proven on this track the Grade 2 Risen Star here Feb. 17 may be next. Principe Guilherme, a $600,000 son of top sire Tapit and Grade 1 winner Aubby K who romped by 6 1/4 and 11 3/4 lengths in his first two starts, lost nothing in defeat as from a very wide post he was away a bit slowly, not showing the speed he did in his first two starts, got hung out very wide on the first turn, settled midpack while staying wide down the backstretch, advanced on the far turn while staying wide to be not far behind the eventual winner coming into the lane and finished decently to get the place. The Risen Star figures on his radar as well. Snapper Sinclair, last seen fading to 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar Nov. 3, returned to dirt, showed enough speed to dog pacesetter Believe in Royalty, took the lead on the far turn, proved no match for the top pair but kept on gamely to be third, well clear of the rest. Zing Zang gave trainer Steve Asmussen a 2-3-4 finish as the $300,000 son of Tapit, coming off a big maiden win here Dec. 16, was away slowly to be well back from the start, was still well back on the far turn, pitched very wide turning for home and into the lane and finished well, though he was never really a factor. Lone Sailor, who rallied from well back to be fifth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Nov. 25, stalked the pace while saving ground, but gave way when the real racing began.

Santa Anita
La Canada (race 8)

COMMENT: Mopotism has spent most of her career chasing the best distaffers around. In her last few starts she chased Unique Bella, Paradise Woods, Forever Unbridled, Abel Tasman, It Tiz Well, Lockdown, Elate, and Faypien. It was finally her day in the sun as the $300,000 daughter of Uncle Mo notched her first graded stakes win. She stalked early as Mended set the pace, taking early pressure from longshot Resky Business. Mopotism assumed pace-pressing duties going into the backstretch, pushed Mended through solid splits, hounded that rival throughout while on her outside and finally got the better of her in the final strides for the narrow win. Off this the Grade 2 Santa Maria here Feb. 10 could be next – though that’s also supposedly the next start for top-class Unique Bella. Mended, claimed for just $12,500 at Golden Gate just over a year ago, continued her superb form. Having won her last 10 starts she went right out to the lead, as expected, took early pressure from Resky Business, was then hounded by Mopotism, who came to her flank to her outside, continued to take heavy pressure from that rival, battled back gamely in the lane when challenged by that foe and just missed in a fine try. La Force, coming off three straight seconds in her first three starts on dirt, ran well again on this footing as she bided her time early from her rail draw, crept closer while saving ground, moved off the rail some into the lane, came with her run while moving back to the rail and finished gamely to miss by just two heads. Majestic Heat, the 6-5 favorite off two big stakes wins in her first two dirt tries, including the Grade 2 Bayakoa at Los Alamitos Dec. 3, was away slowly to be last early, settled toward the back, pitched out on the far turn as if ready to make a run but the run never came.