Preakness 2013 Recap – Oxbow steals show

Congratulations to Preakness 2013 hero Oxbow. Nobody wanted the early lead and Gary Stevens was more than happy to canter around the track and win this second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Oxbow wires field in Preakness 2013 – photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Oxbow, owned by Calumet Farm, is a war horse for throwback connections Wayne Lukas and Gary Stevens. The Preakness Stakes was his 11^th lifetime start and there is no rest in sight with the Test of Champions squarely on his radar screen.

Did Lukas scare everyone from a pace perspective? He entered sprinter Titletown Five and possibly fooled jockey Kevin Krigger aboard Goldencents.

Titletown Five did not go for the lead under Leaproux, and Goldencents failed to take advantage so Stevens and Oxbow walked the dog from start to finish.

I knew that Oxbow was best on the lead but did not think he was quick enough to get there. The pace figured to be slower than the Derby but I did not see the crawling Preakness pace coming.

Runner-up Itsmyluckyday was making his 12^th career start in Baltimore so chalk another one up for experience. He got the best of the draw as an outside stalker and rediscovered his sharp Florida form.

Mylute picked up another minor check in stakes race. He was the only one making up any ground and the Preakness was his fifth place/show finish in the stakes ranks.

Kentucky Derby winner Orb seemed to be living a charmed life until he drew the dead rail. The outside closer never looked comfortable and went through the motions in a flat 4^th place finish.

Granted, before the Preakness, Orb handled wet/fast footing and various pace scenarios but the Derby fell into the lap of a closer and everything went perfectly for Shug and company on the first Saturday in May.

Goldencents had one shot and that was to attempt a wire job but was ridden passively. He is a quality early runner with distance limitations and his best weapon was taken away at Pimlico.

Departing sat right outside of Orb and made a top three bid along the inside turning for home. He flattened out to finish 6^th and was not disgraced in his toughest test to date.

Will Take Charge, Govenor Charlie, and Titletown Five trailed.

It is on the Belmont Stakes in 20-days and my top ranked sophomore Revolutionary looms large in the Test of Champions.

Early Belmont Stakes 2013 Hopefuls (in alphabetical order):

Code West (Lemon Drop Kid) – Baffert’s runner followed up a place finish in the Risen Star with a 6^th in the LA Derby. He finished 2^nd on the Derby undercard and beat older allowance rivals to cap the Preakness Day card.

Freedom Child (Malibu Moon): Freaked in the muddy Peter Pan Stakes and looms a pace factor at the very least in the Test of Champions. Split Orb and Revolutionary in a maiden race at the Big A last November.

Golden Soul (Perfect Soul) – LA Derby 4^th place finisher took advantage of a pace meltdown to land the place in the Kentucky Derby. Dallas Stewart’s late runner is scheduled to work at Churchill next Wed. or Thurs.

Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) – Florida Derby runner-up flopped in the Derby and rebounded with a place finish in the Preakness. The Monmouth Park based colt is targeting the Haskell this summer but is still possible for the Belmont Stakes.

Micromanage (Medaglia d’Oro) – Finished 10th in the G2 Remsen to end his juvenile campaign. Returned with a game neck victory (wide trip) vs. allowance rivals at Monmouth May 11 and could go next in the Belmont Stakes.

Orb (Malibu Moon) – Everything went right in the Kentucky Derby but the wheels came off the cart in the Preakness, ending his 5-race winning streak. He may try to rebound in the Belmont Stakes but there is talk of resting him and waiting for Saratoga.

Overanalyze (Dixie Union) – G2 Remsen hero finished a wide, flat 5^th from post 11 in his needed Gotham return. He bounced back nicely to win the Arkansas Derby and ended up 11^th in the Kentucky Derby. Breezed 4f in :47.50 (3/34) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on 5-19.

Oxbow (Awesome Again) – Finished a solid 6^th in the Derby after attending fast fractions from an inner post under Gary Stevens. Lukas trainee snuck away early and stole the Preakness for Stevens. He shows up for every dance so expect him to complete in the final leg of the Triple Crown series.

Palace Malice (Curlin): Risen Star show finisher ended up a troubled 7^th in the LA Derby and rebounded with a 2^nd in the Blue Grass. He set fast splits (blinkers on) before fading to 12^th in the Kentucky Derby and is now targeting the Belmont. He breezed 4f in :47.49 (2/34) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on 5-19.

Power Broker (Pulpit) – $360k purchase graduated in style vs. graded foes in FrontRunner and raced wide and never got a chance to run his race in BC Juvenile. Baffert trainee finished 5^th in his SA Derby return and won an allowance race at Churchill on May 10. The Belmont Stakes is a possibility.

Revolutionary (War Pass) – He has been my top ranked 3yo since February and my confidence has not wavered following a solid show finish in the Derby. I thought the Belmont Stakes was perfect for him after his smart Withers score earlier this year and he is bred to run all day on the dam side. He will work twice for the Belmont beginning Sunday, May 26.

Unlimited Budget (Street Sense) – 3-time graded winner lost for the first time after landing the show in the Kentucky Oaks. The Pletcher/Repole filly breezed 4f in :49.07 (14/34) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on 5-19.

Belmont Stakes 2011 Profile: Stay Thirsty

One of the most intriguing 2011 Belmont Stakes contenders is Uncle Mo’s stablemate Stay Thirsty.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole, Stay Thirsty began his career with a runner-up sprint effort at Belmont Park last summer. He easily earned his diploma at Saratoga second time out subsequently placed in the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs.

Stay Thirsty is the forgotten Belmont horse - photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Stay Thirsty returned from two-month break to finish a well-beaten 5th behind Uncle Mo in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He went to Florida to prepare for his three-year-old campaign, which started off with a bang in Aqueduct’s Gotham Stakes.

After the Gotham he returned to South Florida but wilted in the Florida Derby heat. He was hardly on top of his game for the Kentucky Derby and he barely made a whimper back in 12th.

Stay Thirsty has yet to live up to his potential but the son of Bernardini (A.P. Indy), out of Storm Bird mare Marozia, is bred to handle the Belmont Stakes trip and looms a pace player at the very least under Javier Castellano. He has experience racing and training over the Belmont Park surface and could help his connections heal from the sting of Uncle Mo’s adventurous spring with a win in the Test of Champions.

Uncle Mo Returns in Timely Writer

Kentucky Derby hopeful Uncle Mo makes his much anticipated 3-year-old bow in the Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 12.

The undefeated son of Indian Charlie, out of Arch mare Playa Maya, began his career with a romping sprint score at Saratoga last summer. He followed that up with easy wins in the Champagne and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was named 2-year-old champion and is the early favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

Todd Pletcher trains Uncle Mo for Repole Stables. His rivals on Saturday include Gallant Dreams, Madman Diaries, Rocking Out, Schoolyard Dreams, and Rattlesnake Bridge.

Uncle Mo is probably not 100% cranked up for his return but should be fit enough to run a flat mile around one turn. His training partner and stablemate Stay Thirsty came off the bench and easily captured last Saturday’s Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.

 

Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty Work Five Furlongs

Todd Pletcher’s 2011 Kentucky Derby hopefuls Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty, both owned by Repole Stable, worked five furlongs at Palm Meadows Training Center on Feb 20.

Uncle Mo, the 2010 undefeated 2-year-old champion, covered the distance in 1:01.40 (breezing). He is scheduled to make his 3-year-old bow in either the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) or the recently written Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park on March 12. His final Derby prep is expected to come in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in April.

Stay Thirsty, expected to make his first start of the year in the March 5 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct, covered his five furlong journey in 1:00.65.

Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty have been working every Sunday since Jan 30. They previously went four furlongs together in :47.45 on Feb 13.

Uncle Mo Works Four Furlongs

Uncle Mo had his second work of the year on Super Bowl Sunday. His four furlong drill in :49.60 ranked 18th out of 41 at Palm Meadows Training Center on Feb 6th.

Uncle Mo photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

His previous move was an easy three furlong breeze in :39.95 on Jan 30th. If everything goes according to plan, Todd Pletcher’s 2011 Kentucky Derby hopeful will run in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12th, followed by the April 9 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Race Course.

Also working for Pletcher on Sunday was Uncle Mo’s stablemate Stay Thirsty, who posted a :49.60 four furlong breeze as well.

Travelin Man, a sharp maiden winner at Gulfstream Park on Jan 6th, breezed four furlongs in :49 flat, and the fleet Pletcher trainee might go next in the Hutcheson Stakes on Feb 26th.

Brethren went five furlongs in 1:01 and is expected to make his next start in the Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb 12th. His half-brother Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

 

 

Uncle Mo Begins Kentucky Derby Preparations

Recently named two-year-old champion Uncle Mo is back to work. The Todd Pletcher trainee, owned by Repole Stables, breezed an easy three furlongs in :39.95 at Palm Meadows Training Center on Jan 30th.

The undefeated colt was last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November. He is expected to make his first 2011 start in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby (March 12th), followed by the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9th. His ultimate goal is the 2011 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Uncle Mo’s stablemate Stay Thirsty, 5th in the BC Juvenile, also returned to the worktab on Sunday. He covered his three furlong journey in a much quicker :36.95, which was best of five moves at the distance.