Trip Notes for March 21-22: Spiral, Royal Delta, Sunland Derby and more...

Saturday, March 21

Gulfstream - Inside Information (race 7)

COMMENT: Classic Point, making her first start in four months, was a sentimental winner as the 6-year-old mare was trained by Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens, who died last week. Now trained by his son Jimmy, the mare stalked as first Bad Behavior and then Sweet Whiskey set the pace, commenced a nice wide run turning for home and sustained it to get up for the win. You Bought Her lagged back after a slow start and finished well. Sweet Whiskey volleyed up front for the lead, battled back when hooked into the lane but couldn’t quite keep pace with the winner and was then edged late for second. Merry Meadow, the heavy favorite off three straight big stakes wins, pressed the pace from the start while inside, was still there on the far turn but then backed out of it and weakened badly to finish last. The way she stopped hints that something might have gone amiss.

Gulfstream - Royal Delta (race 10)

COMMENT: Sheer Drama was second to House Rules in the Grade 3 Rampart at a mile here Feb. 21, a bit of a controversial result as House Rules impeded her in the lane but was not disqualified. With that race under her belt, her second after a few months off, a longer distance and a better trip saw her easily turn the tables on her rival, as she powered home to win easily. Sheer Drama stalked the modest pace of Swinger’s Party, made an early, aggressive move to grab the lead going into the far turn, opened up and cruised home without any serious bother in the lane. She can sprint and route, so that gives trainer David Fawkes options for whatever is next. House Rules, the heavy favorite after her win in the Rampart (meaning three of her five wins have come here), was just behind the winner from the start, tried to go with that rival on the far turn, was no match for that gal but kept on decently to be a clear second. Molly Morgan lagged back and ran on for third, though she was no danger to the top two.

Turfway - Bourbonette Oaks (race 10)

COMMENT: Don’t Leave Me had shown Polytrack talent when winning her debut at Woodbine on Aug. 2. Then came a win on turf and a troubled sixth in a Grade 2 on turf there Sept. 13. She hadn’t been seen since, but the layoff and return to Polytrack didn’t hurt her in the least as she gamely proved best. She lagged well back early, swung very wide to commence her run on the far turn, remained wide and in the clear, sustaining her run to get up in the final half-furlong. As nice as this was, this may not have Kentucky Oaks ramifications as this wasn’t the strongest group, and she’s yet to race on dirt. Trainer Malcolm Pierce suggested as much and said that while the Oaks path is a possibility, she might instead be pointed for a race like the Grade 3 Selene at Woodbine on May 24. Sweet Success, the favorite off a fast, game maiden win on Gulfstream dirt Feb. 8, went right to the lead, was pressured by second choice Sharla Rae, rebuffed that gal into the lane but couldn’t quite fend off the winner. Sharla Rae dogged Sweet Success from the start, loomed ominously into the lane, couldn’t get past that rival and weakened just a bit in the final furlong. Harlan’s Destiny sat in midpack while saving ground and came with a steady run but was never really a threat.

Turfway - Spiral (race 11)

COMMENT: Dubai Sky, a winner of three straight on turf, became another grass runner who flourished on this synthetic track as he posted the upset. He stalked as Watchyourownbobber first and then Wireless Future set the pace, came with a strong run into the lane, grabbed the lead, quickly opened up and won clear. He’s yet to race on dirt. However, he’s by Candy Ride, whose offspring handle any footing (sire of top-rated Shared Belief, for example), and is a full brother to Twirling Candy (Grade 1 and Grade 2 winner on dirt). Prior to this, he wasn’t even nominated to the Triple Crown. His connections took care of that after this race. Trainer Bill Mott said he’ll go straight to Churchill and train there, with no starts planned between this and the Kentucky Derby. Conquest Typhoon sat in midpack, not far behind the eventual winner, didn’t accelerate as quickly as that rival, got going to grab second by midstretch, was unable to threaten the winner and got to the line before the hard-trying Firespike to get second. Firespike raced with Conquest Typhoon much of the way, lost touch with that rival into the lane when Conquest Typhoon made his run but got going late and nearly caught Conquest Typhoon to get second. Royal Son stalked the pace, loomed a big threat turning for home but then came up empty. Metaboss, the favorite off a big synthetic win in Golden Gate’s Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 14, lagged back, swung wide to seemingly start a run, but it never materialized.

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Santa Anita - San Luis Rey (race 8)

COMMENT: Just when it seemed that Finnegans Wake was ready to affirm his dominance among the West Coast turf-distance set, Ashleyluvssugar had other ideas, and the son of Game Plan made it three wins in his last four starts and his first graded stakes win. Coming off a smart 1 1/8-mile win here Feb. 5, he stretched out here, showed patience to bide his time in fifth early as Joes Blazing Aaron set the pace, came with a smart run on the far turn, grabbed the lead by midstretch and drew off to win easily. Trainer Peter Eurton said he might now be freshened and target the longer Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano (about 1 3/4 miles) here June 28. Finnegans Wake, the heavy favorite after three straight Grade 2 wins out West, was just behind the winner from the start, accelerated with that rival to be a bold threat by midstretch but then couldn’t keep pace in the final furlong. The Grade 3 Last Tycoon at 1 1/4 miles here April 25 may be on his radar, though he’s also nominated to a Group 1 in Hong Kong for later next month. He’s still the one to beat in any West Coast turf-distance race – at least for the time being. Power Foot, a troubled fourth (moved up to third via disqualification) in the Grade 2 San Marcos, won by Finnegans Wake here Feb. 7, stalked the pace, moved up to grab the lead turning for home but then couldn’t keep pace with the top two in the lane. Play Hard to Get, stepping well up in class after a game optional-claiming win, lagged back and ran on decently, though he really made no impact in the lane. While Finnegans Wake is nice, this division out West still appears there for the taking by some as-yet-unseen big import.

Sunday, March 22

Sunland Park - Sunland Derby (race 11)

COMMENT: He was twice narrowly denied graded stakes wins by maybe the best 3-year-old in the land, Dortmund, but with no such opposition here, Firing Line thoroughly dominated the proceedings, flattering that rival and confirming himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender. He was never in any danger. From his rail slot, he contested the pace with Why Two and Malibu Mogul, had little trouble dispatching those two rivals going to the far turn as he began to open up in what would eventually be a laugher. Of course, he was supposed to dominate here, as this wasn’t the toughest spot he could have picked for what is likely his final race before taking a shot at the roses, so while he won easily, the competition was suspect at best, so we didn’t really learn a lot about him here. Where’s the Moon, the top local 3-year-old coming off a smart win in the Mine That Bird Derby on Feb. 21, was last early and ran on well to be a clear second, though he was never really on the winner’s radar. Pain and Misery, seventh behind Dortmund, Prospect Park, and Bolo in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita on March 7, lagged back early and could make only modest headway. Tiznow R J, who provides a bit of a measuring stick with the New Orleans crew, having run third in the Grade 3 Lecomte and seventh in the Grade 2 Risen Star, stalked the pace, made a decent move into the lane as if he might be second-best but then flattened out.

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