Trip Notes for May 24-25: Louisville Handicap, Charles Whittingham

May 23

Churchill
Louisville Handicap (race 8)

COMMENT: Xtra Luck had shown distance ability, earning this step up in class and he passed the test with flying colors, posting the mild upset. Coming off a nice second in his first try at 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland April 23, he again used his speed. He stalked pacesetter Majestic Harbor through modest splits, took over from that rival going to the far turn, opened up into the lane and had no trouble keeping his rivals at bay through the lane. Obviously this doesn’t mean he’s ready for the likes of Main Sequence, Twilight Eclipse and the other big turf distance males, but he can do damage in the right spots. He’ll have to look elsewhere, though, as there are no more distance turf stakes for males the rest of this meet. Trainer Howard said something like the Grade 3 Stars & Stripes at 1 1/2 miles at Arlington July 11 could be next. For Greater Glory sat midpack early, steadily advanced, loomed a threat into the lane but then couldn’t close the gap on the winner. Golden Soul sat well back early, came with a solid, sustained rally but never really was a danger to the winner. Patrioticandproud, the favorite as he returned to turf and was twice Grade 2-placed on turf out West last fall/winter, got a dream trip stalking in third, not far behind the eventual winner, moved with that foe going to the far turn but couldn’t sustain his run and flattened out. Majestic Harbor went right to the lead but gave way readily once passed. He looked rejuvenated when adding blinkers for his last two starts in April, winning both impressively, but those also came on dirt so apparently this (turf) is not his game. His trainer said he wouldn’t see turf again, and my regroup and point for next month’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster here.

May 24

Santa Anita
Charles Whittingham (race 3)

COMMENT: Ashleyluvssugar continued his ascent, winning for the fourth time in his last five starts and stamping himself one of the top two turf distance horses out West (with Finnegans Wake), though this wasn’t the strongest bunch we’ve seen in this race. Freshened since a romping win in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey (over Finnegans Wake, by the way), he bided his time early here, ahead of only Ganesh, was then last with a quarter mile to go as Ganesh had already started his run in the small field, but swung wide and surged home to get up in the final strides. The margin could have been more but rider Stevens shut him down once he knew he was going to get there. The Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano closing day June 28 is his next target. Ganesh, a South American transplant who was second in the Grade 3 Last Tycoon here April 25, his second start in the U.S., sat last early, moved closer on the far turn while saving ground, came out some to commence his run but couldn’t finish with the winner. Still, it was a good try and you’d have to think the San Juan Capistrano is on his radar as well. Going Somewhere, a French invader last seen running in a Group 1 there last fall, went right out to a clear lead while able to set dawdling splits, still held a clear lead at the eighth pole but couldn’t quite outfinish the top two. Divine Oath, an East Coast invader, seemed in a great spot stalking the pace but then came up empty when things got serious into the lane.