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When Rogue Romance finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6, a colt named Machen still was almost two months away from his career debut. But after making the races in January, Machen leapt to the head of the New Orleans 3-year-old class, and it’s he who might stand between Rogue Romance and a 3-year-old debut win Saturday in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
J P’s Gusto and Jaycito were two of the most accomplished 2-year-olds of last year. Both won Grade 1 races, and both made it to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Yet when both make their 3-year-old debuts this year, and begin their quest to the May 7 Kentucky Derby, they will be doing so without the men who were closest to them last year.
Who's hot
Silver Medallion and Anthony’s Cross scored victories on Saturday in Kentucky Derby preps in which heavy favorites were defeated, and thus moved their way onto the top 20 of Derby Watch. Silver Medallion, the El Camino Real Derby winner, is 30-1 on the future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, and Anthony’s Cross, who won the Robert Lewis, is 40-1. Watchmaker also knocked the unbeaten Brethren down to 15-1 from last week’s 20-1 following his victory in the Sam Davis Stakes.
Who's not
Gourmet Dinner, who has already earned his way into the Kentucky Derby field by virtue of his victory in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, worked four furlongs in 47.61 seconds here Wednesday morning in his last serious prep for the Fountain of Youth. With regular rider Sebastian Madrid aboard, Gourmet Dinner posted splits of 12.05 and 24.18, completing his final quarter-mile in 23.43.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park racing secretary Dan Bork has written a one-mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds to be run here March 12. The race, called the Timely Writer, will offer a $100,000 purse and will carry no conditions, which makes it open to all 3-year-olds, including reigning division leader and Eclipse Award champion Uncle Mo.
March 12 also is the date of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. Uncle Mo’s connections have been pointing the horse to an early or mid-March return.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There were at least nine probables for Monday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest at Oaklawn Park as of Wednesday morning, with Yankee Passion confirming his place in the lineup after a bullet five-furlong workout. Entries for the one-mile race for 3-year-olds will be taken on Saturday.
“We possibly could have up to 11,” said Pat Pope, the racing secretary at Oaklawn.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Will an individual 3-year-old ever be dominant enough to be favored in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager?
Even in spite of the presence of an unbeaten champion, Uncle Mo, in the lineup of 23 separate betting interests, the probable favorite in the first of three pools in the 2011 Derby futures still appears likely to be the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option.
PAST PERFORMANCES: Download Pool 1's 23 individual betting interests
NEW ORLEANS – Continuity did not figure strongly into Santiva’s 2-year-old season. Santiva made four starts on three track surfaces and at three venues in 2010. In the span of three months, he was under the care of three different trainers. And through all the minor upheaval, Santiva comes into the 2011 season a legitimate hopeful to move firmly onto the Triple Crown Trail in the Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Tapizar, one of the top 3-year-olds in California this year, has been diagnosed with a bone chip in a knee and is off the Kentucky Derby trail, trainer Steve Asmussen said on Tuesday.
Tapizar will be sent to Kentucky, where noted veterinarian Larry Bramlage will conduct the surgery. Tapizar was still in California on Tuesday. Asmussen did not give a time frame of how long Tapizar would be out of training.
"It's very, very disappointing," he said. "I feel bad for everybody involved."
Saturday’s runners in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby exited the race in good order.
Silver Medallion, the winner, vanned back to his Santa Anita barn Sunday.
“He came out of it great,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I was very pleased with his race. He’s a very nice horse.”
Asmussen and owner Michael Ryan will review “a tremendous amount of options” with the Badge of Silver colt, who scored his first main-track victory after winning the Eddie Logan on the turf at Santa Anita in his previous start.
