Trip Notes for January 27-28: Pegasus World Cup, Houston Ladies Classic, and more

Jan. 27

Aqueduct
Toboggan (race 3)
COMMENT: Great Stuff won a strong optional claimer here Nov. 12 and then posted three straight solid stakes outings, doing better in each successive run (ran fifth, then fourth, then third). The 6-year-old son of Quality Road continued that trend as he posted the mild upset. He got squeezed back at the start, gathered himself, bided his time while remaining inside, started to advance going into the far turn, pitched out wide into the lane and finished strongly to confront the leaders by midstretch before drawing off to win comfortably. Vulcan’s Forge, second to the top pick in the aforementioned optional claimer here Nov. 12 before running seventh in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and then winning an optional claimer here last time out Dec. 30, was away slowly while veering slightly outward, was content to sit last, moved to the inside to save ground, started a nice run on the far turn, pitched very wide in the lane and while unable to finish with the winner stayed on well to get second. Takaful, the heavy favorite after winning the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Sept. 30 and then running 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, broke alertly, went right to the lead, took immediate pressure from fellow speedster Green Gratto, dueled with that foe to the top of the lane while holding the fence, dispatched with Green Gratto into the lane, was no match for the winner in the final furlong and couldn’t quite fend off Vulcan’s Forge for second. Summer Revolution, dropping off a 10th in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile here Dec. 2, stalked the two dueling pacesetters, seemed in a good position to take advantage of that duel turning for home but gave way.

Gulfstream
La Prevoyante (race 3)
COMMENT: Trainer Chad Brown won the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer for 2017, much of his success coming on turf. Well, the song remains the same as he sent out Texting to notch her first graded stakes win. The daughter of Candy Ride, who coincidentally is also the sire of Horse of the Year Gun Runner who would win the Grade 1 Pegasus later on this card on the main track, Texting was coming off a good fifth in a stakes here Dec. 30 after being far back early. She showed considerably more speed here, sitting midpack as Daring Duchess set a decent pace. She started to advance going to the far turn to get up just behind the pacesetter, gamely kept after that foe in the lane, got the better of her in the final half-furlong and was edging away at the wire. Daring Duchess, winner of that aforementioned stakes race here Dec. 30 in which Texting ran fifth, went right out to a clear early lead, saw the field creep closer going to the far turn, opened up just a bit again turning for home, battled back when hooked by the winner in the lane but just couldn’t quite fend off that rival in a fine try. Taralena, sixth in that Dec. 30 race, stalked in third and got shuffled back a bit going to the far turn, came out into the lane, got going again to get back into third though she was never really a danger to the top two. Summersault, fourth in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Long Island (Texting was third) last time out Nov. 4, was slow into stride, could make only modest headway but was only narrowly beaten for third. Apple Betty, the heavy favorite after being freshened off an easy win in the Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland on Oct. 22, was a bit slow into stride, advanced going into the backstretch, loomed a threat going into the far turn and turning for home but came up empty when it mattered.

Gulfstream
Fred. W. Hooper (race 7)
COMMENT: Tommy Macho dropped after being freshened off a seventh in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga on Aug. 26 and a fourth in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont on Sept. 23, and the respite and class relief did the trick. The 6-year-old son of Macho Uno stalked in third early as outsider Moves Like Ali set a solid pace, moved with First Growth to challenge for the lead as Moves Like Ali fell away going to the far turn, got the better of First Growth and kept on gamely to keep hard-trying 15-1 Conquest Big E at bay in the final furlong. The latter, sixth in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday here Dec. 16, hopped at the start to be toward the back, bided his time to the far turn, came with a smart wide run in the lane, doggedly kept after the winner but just couldn’t quite get to him while finishing far clear of the others. Tale of Silence sat midpack, came with a steady run to loom a threat into the lane, was no threat to the top two in the final furlong but finished well ahead of the rest. Beasley, dropping off an eighth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 2, was a bit slow into stride to be toward the back from the start but was basically one-paced throughout and never able to get involved.

Gulfstream
W. L. McKnight Handicap (race 8)
COMMENT: Oscar Nominated was dull when eighth in the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct on Nov. 11 but a slight freshening since did the trick as the son of grass champion Kitten’s Joy bounced back to top form to get the win. He stalked while under a firm hold as Infinite Wisdom set a slow pace, made an early move to grab the lead turning for home, opened up some into the lane and kept to his task gamely to get to the line before the hard-charging Nessy. That rival, last seen finishing second in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland on Oct. 19, lagged back from the start, remained well back to the top of the lane, pitched wide and finished strongly but just ran out of ground. Bullards Alley, favored off a sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4 and a game second in the H. Allen Jerkens here Dec. 30, lagged back while saving ground, came with a smart run into the lane to loom a big threat by midstretch but couldn’t sustain his rally, flattening out just enough to get edged for second. Gold Shield, third in the Jerkens, sat midpack not far off the pace, loomed a big threat by midstretch but like Bullards Alley couldn’t quite sustain his run enough in the final furlong.

Gulfstream
Hurricane Bertie (race 9)
COMMENT: Jordan’s Henny, a huge longshot at 59-1 as she was making her first start in four months and first since finishing third in a sprint stakes at Churchill on Sept. 23, picked the right day to run the race of her life as the daughter of Henny Hughes notched her first graded stakes win. She did some good work here a year ago, finishing second in the Grade 2 Davona Dale and third in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, so the track suits. From her inside slot she bided her time early while saving ground, was asked for more going into the far turn, came off the inside, sat behind rallying favorite Curlin’s Approval into the lane, pitched out wide to continue her run, outfinishing the favorite. Curlin’s Approval, shortening up some after finishing second in the Grade 3 Rampart at a mile here Dec. 16 and having posted all seven career wins on this track, got a dream trip stalking the pace, moved out wider turning for home, came with a smart run to actually grab the lead between calls but couldn’t quite outfinish the winner. Rich Mommy, smart winner of the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl here Dec. 16, lagged back early, came with a nice run on the far turn, swung farther out into the lane, brushed briefly with the eventual winner in deep stretch and stayed on well to be a solid third. Marley’s Freedom, well backed after finishing a good fourth to top-class distaffers Unique Bella and Paradise Woods in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 (was beaten by just 2 3/4 lengths), stumbled at the start from her rail draw to get away poorly (was last to the far turn), moved off the inside going down the backstretch, remained wide on the turn and into the lane, made some headway but was never a factor.

Gulfstream
Pegasus World Cup (race 12)
COMMENT: A perfect ending to a great career as newly crowned 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner overcame a tough outside post and some tough opposition to go out a winner, doing so in easy fashion. From post 10 he broke alertly, as he pretty much always does, got a nice trip pressing Collected while on that foe’s hip, took over from that rival on the turn and finished smartly to pull away from a game West Coast to win with a punctuation mark. Now it’s time to look forward to his babies. West Coast hinted he might be the one to take up the mantle with Arrogate and Gun Runner now off to stud. The son of Flatter, the 2017 champion 3-year-old male who ran third to Gun Runner in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, sat fourth from the start, remained there to the top of the lane, came with a smart run to briefly look threatening but was then no match for the winner in the final half-furlong while finishing far clear of the rest (10 3/4 lengths). Trainer Bob Baffert said this may have earned him a ticket to Dubai for the World Cup in late March. Gunnevera, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, lagged back, remained well back to the far turn while saving ground, finished decently to pass a number of rivals for third but was never on the radar of the top two. Fear the Cowboy, winner of the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday here Dec. 16, was away slowly to be well back at the start, remained well back to the top of the lane before putting in a smart wide rally. Seeking the Soul, winner of the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill on Nov. 24, lagged back, made a bit of a run into the lane but didn’t sustain it. Stellar Wind was well back early and after steadying on the first turn, tried to advance going to the far turn, had to steady again there and was unable to get involved. Collected, second to Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, set a solid pace under pressure from the eventual winner but gave way once headed. Sharp Azteca, smashing winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 2, didn’t show his customary speed on the stretchout as he sat just off the pace, steadied while fighting his rider some after being beaten to the lead by Collected, but then had nothing to offer when it mattered.

Jan. 28

Sam Houston
John B. Connally Turf Cup (race 8)
COMMENT: Overnight rains left the turf course listed as ‘good’. Bigger Picture won this race last year to start a campaign that would see him notch his first Grade 1 win as well (Monmouth’s United Nations). Coming off a 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4 he stalked a few lengths off the pace set by Roman Approval, remained midpack to the far turn as Harlan Strong took up the running, came with his rally in the stretch, reeled in then-leader Some in Tieme and edged clear in the final strides, making him a millionaire. After winning this last year he went to the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream in March and was a sharp fourth. They may follow that same plan as this year‘s Mac Diarmida is March 3. Some in Tieme, freshened a bit since running seventh in the Grade 3 River City at Churchill on Nov. 23, bided his time early, came with s strong run on the far turn to reach contention, grabbed the lead by midstretch looking as if he might go on to victory but then couldn‘t counter the winner‘s charge. Chicago Style, who invaded off a sharp second in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar on Nov. 24 (beaten just a neck), was well back from the start, remained toward the back as late as on the far turn, pitched wide into the lane and finished strongly to just miss catching the runner-up while finishing well clear of the others. Camelot Kitten, making his first start for trainer Mike Maker after campaigning for Chad Brown and coming off a sixth in the Grade 3 Tropical Park Turf at Gulfstream on Dec. 16, was last from the start, still well back turning for home, swung out wide and came home with a nice rally but was never really a factor as he was beaten by more than five lengths. After a smart 2016 he was gone a while (eight months) and hasn’t been as sharp now in five starts since.

Sam Houston
Houston Ladies Classic (race 9)
COMMENT: Overnight rains left the main track listed as ‘good’. Tiger Moth, freshened since being a well-beaten second by Blue Prize (8 1/2 lengths) in Churchill’s Grade 2 Falls City, benefited from the time off and seemed to enjoy the moisture in the track as she posted the 17-1 upset to notch her second Grade 3 win. From her far outside post she was slow into stride to be last early, remained there to the far turn, all the while just behind heavy favorite Actress, pitched widest of all to make her run in the lane and finished doggedly to edge past Actress while on her outside in the final strides. This is obviously her favorite distance, too (four of her five wins have come at this trip). Actress, heavily favored off a romping win in the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct on Nov. 24, sat well back early, ahead of only the eventual winner, remained there to the far turn, came with a strong wide run, grabbed the lead inside the eighth pole but just couldn‘t quite fend off the winner who closed to her outside. Martini Glass, back to dirt after a stakes win and stakes second on turf at Gulfstream in December, sat midpack from the start, got shuffled back on the far turn but got going again to finish decently for third. Sandy’s Surprise, sixth in the Grade 2 La Canada at Santa Anita on Jan. 13, stalked the pace, stayed wide and clear, came with a smart run into the lane to grab the lead by midstretch but couldn‘t sustain her run. Valadorna, the second choice off two easy wins at the Fair Grounds in December including the Tiffany Lass, stalked the pace, seemed to be traveling well, remained within reach turning for home but then gave way.