Go Animal!

ANIMAL KINGDOM, 20-1 winner of the Derby, came out in good order, and is now the likely favorite for the Preakness. The Leroidesanimaux colt is feeling quite at home in his new Fair Hill surroundings, and will likely ship into Pimlico the morning of the race.

Animal Kingdom wins the Derby 5.07.2011. Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos 1/1000 @ f/4, iso 1600, 300mm

Animal Kingdom wins the Derby 5.07.2011. Photo: Wendy Wooley1/1250 @ f/4.5, iso 1250, 500mm

The Kentucky Oaks was won by PLUM PRETTY.

Plum Pretty wind the Ky. Oaks. Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos 1/3200 @ f/2.8, iso 800, 50mm

Overlooked in most early Derby lists, Animal Kingdom took a less traveled path to the Derby. He had only 4 career starts and his last race was 6 weeks prior, a winning effort in the Vinery Spiral Stakes.

Animal Kingdom wins the Vinery Spiral Stakes . Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos 1/3200 @ f/3.5, iso 1600, 15mm

Animal Kingdom spent the days before the Derby training on the polytrack at Keeneland.

Animal Kingdom at Keeneland

Next stop, The Preakness Stakes! Go Animal!

Two Top Oaks Fillies

Jubilation. From Julien Leparoux. Wow!
The usually reserved jockey flashed a celebratory fist pump while coasting to an easy win in the Grade 2 Golden Rod aboard KATHMANBLU at Churchill Downs November 27th. One could not help but think that the filly had just stamped her ticket for the 2011 Oaks. And Julien knew it.

Kathmanblu (Bluegrass Cat) Julien Leparoux up, wins The Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs 11.27.2010. Owner Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables, Trainer Kenny McPeek (1/2000 @ f/3.2, iso 1000, 300mm. Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

  Said Leparoux after the race, "She broke good; she was very relaxed laying third. And when I asked her she finished very good." The daughter of Bluegrass Cat opened up a slight lead coming out of the turn after stalking the leaders down the back stretch, and cruised home by 8 lengths. Leparoux went on to say "I don’t know how good she can be. I think she is a very good filly on the turf. And she proved today she can run on the dirt, too. We’ve got options.”

Trainer Ken McPeek got in on the excitement about Kathmanblu as well, “She is now a big time Oaks prospect. She’s not a big filly; she is a little compact filly, and as the months go on she has gotten better and better. I’ll think she will keep going as a 3-year-old."
As for the filly's future, "We will probably put her on the shelf for a while" McPeek said. "At this point, we will take her to Gulfstream for the winter and take it one day at a time. She probably won’t run until late February or early March. I like to have two races in them before the Oaks.”

AWESOME FEATHER should be on everyone's list of top Oaks prospects after a nice win the the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies November 5th at Churchill Downs. The likely Eclipse Award winning daughter of Awesome of Course improved her record to 6 for 6.

Awesome Feather (Awesome of Course), Jeffrey Sanchez up, wins the Juvenile Fillies for Stanley Gold and owner Jacks or Better Farm at Churchill Downs 11.05.2010 (1/1000 @ f/4, iso 1000, 200mm. Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

 Sold at Auction a few days after the Breeder's Cup for $2.7m, look for Awesome Feather to race in 2011 under the colors of Adena Springs. “I just hope she carries on,” said new owner Frank Stronach, who described Awesome Feather’s 2 1/4-length Breeders’ Cup victory as “pretty impressive.”

Originally campaigned by the breeder, Fred Brei, of Jacks Or Better Farm in Florida, Awesome Feather's selling price "was enough to make me smile. It wasn’t much over the reserve," Brei said. Explaining his reason to go ahead with the planned sale of the filly, Brei said, “We don’t race much out of Florida. And when it comes to going up North, where certainly she belongs in the grade Is that will be coming up when she’s a 3-year-old, it’s just best for the filly and best for us that she’s in somebody else’s hands."

Look for Awesome Feather to show up in late February at Gulfstream Park in the early Oaks preps.

More later.. mw.

"Up & Comers" on the Derby Trail

Happy Birthday to all of the Derby contenders! Everybody turned 3 on New Year's Day!
Okay, for that matter, all thoroughbreds had a birthday on January 1st.

The Kentucky Derby is still 4 months away, and now it's time to separate the pretenders from the contenders. Already, a few runners are assured a spot in the starting gate for this May's "Run For The Roses" based on current earnings, but a few are just now making their presence known.
One promising now 3 year old, in particular, is certain to be a factor.

The Factor, Rafael Bejarano up, breaks his maiden at Santa Anita Park 12.26.2010. Alex Evers/EquiSport Photos

 A Bob Baffert trainee, "The Factor", may have made the biggest slash coming into the New Year. Running under the colors of part owner George Bolton, The Factor broke maiden at Santa Anita the day after Christmas in track record setting fashion. The son of War Front posted an eye popping 102 Beyer figure. Baffert said of the colt after the race, "He didn't even take a deep breath". 
Baffert admitted the colt's name was inspired by Bill O'Reilly's Fox News program.
Look for The Factor to move right into Stakes company to get started on the Derby Trail.

Another Up & Comer, To Honor and Serve, proved much the best in winning the Remson Stakes, November 27 at Aqueduct.

To Honor and Serve, John Velazquez up, wins the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct 11/27/10Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos

Trained by Bill Mott for Live Oak Plantation, the Bernardini colt came into this race off of a 4 length win in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes November 6th. Said Mott after the Remson, "I thought in the Nashua it looked like he won a little easier, but this was another eighth of a mile. Being in a two-turn race might have been slightly confusing to him. As with any horse like him, we’ll nominate him for everything in case there’s a hiccup anywhere.”

One more 3 year old to make note of is Brethren. A half brother to last year's Derby winner Super Saver,  the colt won an Allowance at Churchill in convincing fashion November 27th.

Brethren, Garrett Gomez up, wins an allowance at Churchill Downs 11.27.2010 Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos.

A son of Distorted Humor, and owned by Winstar Farm, Brethren coasted to an easy win under Garrett Gomez for trainer Todd Pletcher. “He came out of (the race) in excellent shape. I thought that was a big effort from him from an outside post,” Pletcher said. “He veered out a little bit at the start but was able to put himself in a good position and kicked on turning for home. All in all, I though it was a pretty impressive race.”

Here is the rest of the "Derby Word" for the New Year. A lot will shuffle between now and the first Saturday in May as the Real Contenders make themselves known.

Rank Horse (Sire)
1 UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie)
2 COMMA TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie)
3 TO HONOR AND SERVE (Bernardini)
4 BOYS AT TOSCANOVA (Officer)
5 SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway)
6 JB'S THUNDER (Thunder Gulch)
7 THE FACTOR (War Front)
8 ROGUE ROMANCE (Smarty Jones)
9 BRETHREN (Distorted Humor)
10 JP'S GUSTO (Successful Appeal)

And on the Distaff side, a look at the Oaks Fillies that have shown promise.

Rank Horse (Sire)
1 KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat)
2 AWESOME FEATHER (Awesome of Course)
3 R HEAT LIGHTNING (Trippi)
4 MORE THAN REAL (More Than Ready)
5 TURBULENT DESCENT (Congrats)
6 WICKEDLY PERFECT (Congrats)
7 DELIGHTFUL MARY (Limehouse)
8 WINTER MEMORIES (El Prado)
9 A Z WARRIOR (Bernardini)
10 FASTATION (Valid Expectations)

More later... mw

The "Derby Trail"? Really?... um, it's snowing out!

Well what else are you going to do when it's 20 degrees and snowing. It's a great time to update the Derby and Oaks list! And keep the woodstove burning!
The 2 year-olds will soon be 3 year-olds, and a few have already stamped themselves as legitimate horses. It's WAY too early for preditions, but this is a good "Watch List".

Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), John Velazquez up, wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher, and owner Repole Stables, at Churchill Downs 11.06.2010

Uncle Mo definitely stamped himself as one to watch in winning the Breeder's Cup Classic. We could only ask that his owner act as classy. One almost felt embarrassed for the normally stoic Todd Pletcher after the race as Mike Repole planted a handful of wet ones on Todd's cheek. Repole did rebound nicely by donating $30K to Thoroughbred Retirement organizations. If nothing else, the Vitamin Water gazillionaire is entertaining. Maybe Pletcher can at least temper Repole. Can you imagine if the New Yorker had hooked up with Rick Dutrow? Wow...me either!
Look for Uncle Mo to run back in The Tampa Bay Derby, on March 12, or less likely, the Gotham on March 5 at Aqueduct.

On the distaff side, I was most impressed with the way Kathmanblu dispatched the field in The Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs November 27th.

Kathmanblu (Bluegrass Cat) Julien Leparoux up, wins The Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs 11.27.2010

A Kenny McPeek trainee, Kathmanblu was never threatened, coasting across the line for an easy 8 1/2 length win. In a rare show of jubilation, Julien Leparoux knew he was Ky. Oaks bound with this talented filly. Look for her at Gulfstream in late February or early March.

Okay, those are my 2 favs to watch at this point.
In addition, I liked how "To Honor and Serve" won the Remson, and I like "Santiva", winner of the Ky. Jockey Club.
Of the other talented fillies, "Awesome Feather" beat a class field in the Breeder's Cup and the undefeated "Turbulent Descent" looked great yesterday in the Hollywood Starlet.

COLTS:
1 UNCLE MO
2 TO HONOR AND SERVE
3 BOYS AT TOSCANOVA
4 SANTIVA
5 ROGUE ROMANCE
6 BRETHREN
7 JB'S THUNDER
8 STAY THIRSTY
9 COMMA TO THE TOP
10 GOURMET DINNER
11 JP'S GUSTO

FILLIES:
1 KATHMANBLU
2 AWESOME FEATHER
3 R HEAT LIGHTNING
4 MORE THAN REAL
5 TURBULENT DESCENT
6 WICKEDLY PERFECT
7 DELIGHTFUL MARY
8 WINTER MEMORIES
9 A Z WARRIOR

More later.. mw

'Pure Clan' back to Lakin from IEAH

Pure Clan at Churchill Downs. 11.24.2007
Horse Racing Photos: EquiSport Photos/Matt Wooley

Lakin reacquires Pure Clan from IEAH
Daily Racing Form, Mary Rampellini, HOT SPRINGS, Ark.
Lewis Lakin, breeder of Pure Clan, said Monday night that he has bought back a majority interest in the millionaire filly from IEAH Stable and Pegasus Holding Group in a private deal that closed over the weekend, making him the sole owner. Lakin originally sold majority interest in Pure Clan to IEAH last February.
Rest of the story here... http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=101320&subs=0&arc=1