Gulfstream Park

IT’S early days on the road to the Kentucky Derby but the first of the trials for the Run for the Roses are beginning to throw up a few names to watch.

Gulfstream Park kicked off the build-up with the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes last Saturday, a race won last year by Tiz The Law.

Shug McGaughey’s Greatest Honour powered to a five-and-three-quarter-length victory over longshot Tarantino and the favourite Prime Factor. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the win came on the back of an impressive maiden victory on December 26th at Gulfstream Park when he overcame trouble in running.

It took four starts for the Tapit colt to win his maiden but the victories in his last two starts have moved him toward the top of the three-year-old division.

McGaughey, who won the Derby with Orb, said. “All of his races were good and I think the two seven-eighth races helped him because everything came together at two turns. Jose said he was very mature in everything he did today. I was really, really proud of him.”

Greatest Honour, owned and bred by Courtlandt Farms, came four-wide on the turn to race past his rivals in the stretch of the mile -and-half-a-furlong contest.

Go long

“I think the farther the better for him. His breeding says he wants to go long. His dam (Street Cry mare Tiffany’s Honour who failed to win on the track) is a half-sister to Rags To Riches and Jazil (both Belmont winners) and that says distance,” McGaughey said.

Ortiz had Greatest Honour at the back of the pack while Willy Boi and Tarantino battled for the lead through a half-mile in 46.97secs. Prime Factor, the 6/5 favourite for Todd Pletcher, stalked in third but failed to match his wide-margin maiden win at six furlongs. Instead, it was Ortiz and Greatest Honour who blew past everyone to win in 1m 43.19secs.

Tarantino held second, earning four Kentucky Derby points, finishing three and three-quarter lengths ahead of Prime Factor, who picked up two points.

McGaughey said the February 27th Fountain of Youth Stakes, a race he won with Code Of Honor in 2019, could be next for Greatest Honour, or wait for the March 27th Grade 1 Florida Derby.

“Our idea would be the Fountain of Youth, but if we have to wait a bit, I don’t think he will be a hard horse to get ready for the Florida Derby,” McGaughey said. “A mile and an eighth will be better for him.”

Swale Stakes

Also on the card, Drain The Clock (Maclean’s Music) took the Grade 3 Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes over seven furlongs by six and a quarter lengths.

“I’m very impressed. He’s just improving every race,” said jockey Edgard Zayas. “He breaks out of the gate just like a rocket, positions himself in a perfect spot, and when it’s time to run, he kicks on.”

The victory was the fourth in five starts and the second stakes victory for Drain The Clock following a wide margin stakes win on January 2nd. His only loss came in November at Delta Downs when his rider’s irons broke.

“To see him win like that today - he’s a good horse,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth On February 27th may again be his next run.

Santa Anita

ON the west coast, Medina Spirit repelled Roman Centurian and Hot Rod Charlie to win a three-way photo in the $100,500 Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Medina Spirit’s success gave trainer Bob Baffert his ninth win in the Lewis.

Going to the lead from his inside post under Abel Cedillo, the son of Protonico set steady fractions and turned back Roman Centurian and Hot Rod Charlie by a neck and a nose though the time of 1m 46.26secs was slow compared to the last 10 years, possibly due to a lot of rain on the Friday.

“He kept going. He had every reason to give it up late in the stretch, those horses came to him, I thought he was beat. I thought they were going to get by and he wouldn’t let them by. He fought on,” said Baffert. Medina Spirit moved into fourth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 14.

Also on the card, Express Train heads to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in early March after a three-and-a-quarter-length win in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes from Tizamagician and even-money favourite Idol. The four-year-old son of Union Rags rallied through the stretch to earn his first graded stakes victory under Juan Hernandez for trainer John Shirreffs who said: “Juan fits this horse very well. … We’ll stay home and run in the Big ‘Cap.”