Oaklawn Park
IT was a quiet weekend in the US with the build-up to the Kentucky Derby but the feature was the $1 million Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap which gave Godolphin’s Proxy another big pay day to add to his Grade 1 Clark Handiap win from last November.
The son of Tapit and Grade 1-winning mare Panty Raid had sometimes lost his races by becoming detached mid-race. Here he was in touch in fifth and wide as Stiletto Boy led Classic Causeway for the first six furlongs.
Power
When asked to take closer order before the home turn, Proxy at first struggled and ended up five wide and near last of the seven runners. But once straightened up, he powered on strongly through the stretch under Joel Rosario to get there by a head from Last Samurai who had made his challenge up the inner and just nodded Stilleto Boy for second.
“I knew there was enough speed to set up his late run,” said winning trainer Michael Stidham.
“The way it went, with Charge It sitting right in behind them and us outside of him, the only concern was turning for home it looked like he was trying to drop out of it again. But Joel had him out there for a reason, to stay out from behind the dirt.”
Keeneland
YOU’LL not find the terms “exploded, firm wraps” in any European formbook comments but those were the words recorded beside the winner of a four and a half furlong maiden at Keeneland last Thursday week.
The colt who brought them has every chance of being a bit special. Stonestreet Stables and Wesley Ward-trained American Rascal is a son of Curlin out of the brilliantly speedy Lady Aurelia.
American Rascal was Ward’s fastest juvenile winner yet this year. Stalking the leader through an opening quarter in 22.21secs, he got on terms around the turn and powered clear in mid-stretch. Jockey Joel Rosario stopped the timer in a spring meeting best time of 51.21secs for the four and a half furlongs on dirt.
Seven years ago Lady Aurelia went from a similar debut to winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and her son is also Ascot bound.
“We’ll centre in on the Norfolk,” Wesley Ward said. “I think he’s going to have limited distance abilities. He’s a super-fast horse.”
Cannon success
There was a Grade 2 success for an Irish-born rider when Verstappen took the Elkhorn Stakes for four-year-olds and up over the turf mile and a half at Keeneland on Saturday.
A native of Drumshanbo in Co Leitrim, Declan Cannon was an apprentice in the north of England before going to the US in 2016. Based in Kentucky, he suffered three fractured vertebrae in a fall in September 2021 and has slowly been reviving his career.
The Brendan Walsh-trained Verstappen, a son of War Front, held on by a head from Red Knight.
RACING at Laurel Park in Maryland had been suspended all week after concerns over the condition of the track.
Five horses had to be put down this month, including two who raced there last Thursday. After the Thursday breakdowns, Laurel management announced that racing would be cancelled indefinitely.
The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the Stronach Group were still seeking a resolution. Management had maintained that the track was safe, while the horsemen were in opposition, at one point calling the situation a “catastrophic emergency.”