Trip Notes for March 25-26: Spiral Stakes, Sunland Derby

March 25

Gulfstream
Skip Away (race 12)

COMMENT: Fear the Cowboy has always had ability but he appears to have stepped up his game. A stakes winner at Evangeline Downs last June, he’d been knocking on the door since – but then came a romping sprint win at Delta Downs Feb. 10, a second in the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Feb. 25, and now this, his first graded stakes tally. The son of Cowboy Cal sat well back early as Flashy Jewel shot out to a clear lead, moved closer going to the far turn, swung out to make his run into the lane, and finished strongly to grab the lead inside the eighth pole and win going away. Zulu, the even-money favorite dropping off a fifth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, bumped with Joshua’s Comprise out of the gate, settled into a nice stalking trip in second behind Flashy Jewel, and moved closer to the rail down the backstretch. Zulu moved up inside to challenge Flashy Jewel on the turn, but couldn’t go by, ended came off the fence, and plugged along to snatch second from the tiring Flashy Jewel. Flashy Jewel, coming off a stakes win here Feb. 20, shot out to a clear lead while staying well off the fence, looked in trouble when Zulu came up to his inside on the far turn, was able to rebuff that foe to keep the lead but was then no match for the winner while tiring enough to lose second in the final strides. Claimed out of a win for $25,000 Nov. 19, he’s since run second, second, first and now third in this graded stakes.

Turfway
Bourbonette Oaks (race 9)

COMMENT: Trainer Kenny McPeek brought his two fillies Purely a Dream and Awesome Boss into this from entirely different directions, the former making her first start since a dull eighth at Churchill last Nov. 26 and the latter coming here off a recent maiden win at Oaklawn Park. They gave McPeek the exacta. Purely a Dream, a daughter of Pure Prize, broke her maiden on turf at Keeneland Oct. 28 before her dull run at Churchill and the subsequent four months off. Off a few sharp Keeneland works, she stalked the pace set by dueling leaders Delphinia and I’mluckysgirl, moved easily past those rivals on the far turn, opened up into the lane, and never seemed in any danger. McPeek said the Grade 3 Appalachian on turf at Keeneland April 13 may be next. Awesome Boss broke slowly and was bumped early to be last going down the backstretch, moved closer while saving ground, stayed on the fence, and closed well to get up for second. Darkwinsoverdubai had won her two starts, both sprints at Golden Gate this winter, and handled the longer trip well. The daughter of Raven’s Pass steadied out of the gate, was content to sit midpack, and made steady headway, though she was never a danger to the winner. Delphinia, the 9-5 favorite off a romping win in a sprint stakes here Feb. 4, went right to the lead, took immediate pressure from I’mluckysgirl, and was done by the time the field came to the top of the lane.

Turfway
Spiral (race 10)

COMMENT: Fast and Accurate beat maiden claimers here Dec. 4 and then won a turf stakes at Gulfstream Feb. 20. He showed his affinity for this track as the son of Hansen returned here and posted the 24-1 upset, likely stamping his ticket to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby May 6. He showed ample speed to stalk in third as En Hanse set a solid pace, remained there to the top of the lane, came with a run to take command and stayed on to keep a few rivals at bay in the final half-furlong. He wasn’t nominated to the Triple Crown prior to this but his connections will reportedly pay the $200,000 to supplement him to the Derby. Blueridge Traveler, sent off at 35-1, bided his time well back early while saving ground, came with a nice run into the lane while remaining inside, closed the gap on the winner, but never really was a big danger to him. Convict Pike, second in a stakes on Ocala’s synthetic track last time out Jan. 24, sat midpack from the start, was just behind the eventual winner to the far turn, came with a nice run to challenge for the lead into the lane but couldn’t stay with the winner in the final furlong and couldn’t fend off Blueridge Traveler for second. Kitten’s Cat, the 5-2 favorite after running second in a Grade 3 turf stakes at Gulfstream March 4 and trying synthetic for the first time, lagged back after being in tight early and clipping heels, bided his time, steadily advanced to the far turn, swung very wide into the lane but could make only mild progress.

Santa Anita
San Luis Rey (race 9)

COMMENT: Itsinthepost continued his ascent and stamped himself among the elite turf stayers out West. Coming off second in the Grade 3 San Gabriel (washed off turf onto a sloppy main track) here Jan. 7 and a second in the Grade 2 San Marcos on turf here Feb. 4, he got stalking trip behind 6-5 favorite and pacesetter Ashleyluvssugar, moved closer to the foe turning for home, got the better of him, kept hard-charging longshot Syntax at arm’s length to the wire. The Grade 2 Charles Whittingham at 1 1/4 miles here May 28 could be next. Syntax, a 27-1 longshot after a rallying third vs. optional claimers here Feb. 5, his first start in four months, bided his time early, crept closer by the far turn, swung out into the lane, and finished with good energy. The Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at about 1 3/4 miles here April 22 could be next. Ashleyluvssugar, the favorite and division leader out West off a string of good turf routes (including an easy win in this race in 2015), went right to the lead, set slow splits while holding the fence, battled back when hooked into the lane by the eventual winner but couldn’t stay with that guy or outfinish the runner-up in the final half-furlong. While he ran well he may be better with a stalking trip, which gives him a target. The Whittingham, a race he won in 2015, is reportedly on his radar. Texas Ryano, the second choice, was well back early and ran on well but was never a factor. Flamboyant, a multiple Grade 2 winner on this course over a year ago but winless since, was coming off a third in the San Marcos here Feb. 4 but after sitting midpack he gave way badly to end up last, looking nothing like the horse we saw a year ago.

March 26

Sunland
Sunland Park Derby (race 9)

COMMENT: Hence was seventh in his first start against winners in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Feb. 20. However, a change of venue and likely softer foes and more maturity did the trick here. The son of multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter Street Boss sat well back early as Hedge Fund set a solid pace under pressure from 5-2 favorite Bronze Age, Hence steadily advanced, started his run while staying wide and in the clear, surged up alongside leader Conquest Mo Money into the lane, took over and drew clear. Off this the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill May 6 is in his plans, according to trainer Steve Asmussen, though he would be a longshot there. Conquest Mo Money, the top local hope off three straight wins, including easy stakes wins here in his last two starts, was toward the back, though he was in front of the eventual winner. He came with a strong to reach contention by the far turn, took the lead between calls into the lane, was quickly confronted by Hence, and stayed on well for second, much the best of the rest. Surely the outside post didn’t help, but he likely still seems on the outside looking in when thinking of the Kentucky Derby. Hedge Fund, a maiden winner at Gulfstream Feb. 4, went right to the lead and took pressure from Bronze Age, was still on the lead turning for home as Bronze Age fell away, but couldn’t keep up with the top pair when it mattered. Bronze Age, trained by Bob Baffert and the favorite off an easy maiden win at Santa Anita Feb. 18, stumbled badly at the start, rushed up to press the pace but started to back up going down the backstretch, and was eventually eased. - Comments by Michael Hammersly