Keeneland

Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade 1)

THE Kentucky Derby field is getting a more defined look to it with the cream rising to the top and some quality colts now heading the betting market.

Coming in to the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, the Chad Brown-trained Sierra Leone boasted high class form with his half-length success in the February 18th Risen Star at Fair Grounds working out well.

Third-placed Catching Freedom had since won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby from fifth-placed Honor Marie while the Fair Grounds third Resilience took the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday.

On a fast dirt track, the colt made a long impressive move from ninth place before the turn for home to overhaul Just A Touch in the stretch to win the $995,782 Blue Grass by a length and a half. Longshot Epic Ride finished third, two and three-quarter lengths behind the runner-up with Dornoch, the second favourite, back in fourth. Sierra Leone now tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 155 points.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione said: “He has so much ability, and he does things so easily. We haven’t even gotten close to the bottom of him yet,” while trainer Chad Brown believes this is his best chance of winning the Derby.

“There’s such good chemistry with Tyler and Sierra Leone his last two starts. You can see he wants to lean in a little bit, but it’s never too bad. I just think a mile and a quarter won’t be a problem going forward,” Brown said afterwards.

“He’s just a natural athlete. I’m so lucky, so appreciative of the ownership group. Peter (Brant) and Brook (Smith) are here, and the Magnier family and all their wonderful partners: Tabor, Smith, Westerberg. They couldn’t make it today. But I’m really just so fortunate,” he added.

With the main trials complete, the two leading Derby colts however, have two issues going into the furnace of a Kentucky Derby. For champion juvenile and Florida Derby winner Fierceness, how will he cope with the early pace?

For Sierra Lione, while he races off the pace, his challenge, based on how he behaved last weekend, may come before the start. It took minutes before he was coaxed into the gate. How will the razzamatazz and walkover at Churchill Downs affect him? Brown was not concerned saying: “We’ll do plenty of gate schooling before the Derby, and I don’t anticipate that being a problem for him.”

His pedigree fits the bill as a son of Gun Runner from mare by Malibu Moon, who sired Derby winner Orb and in his winning run, he passed three horses in the final furlong of the nine-furlong race. For Fierceness, by City Of Light, distance might be more of a concern.

Sierra Leone had gone through the ring at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearlings in 2022 from Gainesway farm, bought by White Birch Farm and M.V. Magnier for $2,300,000

In second place in the Blue Grass, Qatar Racing’s Just A Touch, a Justify colt, also emerged with credit with trainer Brad Cox saying: “He’s going to have to move forward in the next four weeks. If he moves forward, he will be able to compete in the Derby.”

Madison Stakes

Keeneland’s Grade 1 Madison Stakes over seven furlongs for older fillies went to Alva Starr, the four-year-old filly reversing previous form with second-placed Vahva.

“We always felt she was running against horses that put her on the lead so we were pretty comfortable with whatever happened. It was a terrific trip,” trainer Brett Brinkman said, praising Tyler Gaffalione’s ride.

Unlike in the Raven Run, where Alva Starr led early, here she was tucked into fourth position.

When Vahva made her late rally, Alva Starr, already winner in Oaklawn’s American Beauty Stakes this year, had plenty left in the tank against her first-time out rival.

Also on the card at Keeneland the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes for three-year-olds fillies over a mile went to Buchu, a Justify filly. Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin travellers were represented in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes over five and a half furlongs by the four-year-old Mischief Magic under Tyler Gaffalione but he found Michael Trombetta’s Arzak a length too good.

Ashland Stakes

The Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on Friday saw the re-appearance of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner in Just F Y I.

Bill Mott’s filly met defeat to the Pletcher-trained Leslie’s Rose, a daughter of Into Mischief owned by Whisper Hill Farms. It was an improvement on the winner’s third-place effort in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes on March 2nd at Gulfstream Park where Leslie’s Rose failed to get on terms in the stretch as the 2/5 favourite.

Bill Mott was still pleased with Just F Y I’s reappearance.

“We probably needed to knock the rust off her a little bit. She got beat, but I can give some reasons for that.

“The Kentucky Oaks has been the plan all along, so I see no reason not to do that.”

Santa Anita Derby (Grade 1)

FRANKIE Dettori’s great six in a row winning run on the Santa Anita card came to an end when third on Getthemoney in the Monrovia Stakes. He met defeat again but only narrowly in the featured $751,500, Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby when Stronghold, trained by Phil D’Amato, fought off the even-money favourite Imagination, winner of the March 3rd Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, with Dettori on board for Bob Baffert, and third choice Wynstock, to win the Derby by a neck.

Stronghold’s jockey, Antonio Fresu, had never won a Grade 1 race in the US, though with Stronghold he had been graded placed last year and won the Sunland Park Derby on his three-year-old debut on February 18th.

Tapalo led early in the nine-furlong Derby, with Imagination sticking fairly close to him through the early fractions. Fresu had Stronghold in fourth to a half-mile in 46.73secs.

Stronghold needed racing room at the quarter mile pole before splitting rivals at the top of the stretch. From there he fought head-to-head with Imagination but at the wire Stronghold, a son of Ghostzapper, stuck his neck out in front for a neck win, stopping the clock in 1m49.98Ssecs with three and a quarter-lengths back to third-place outsider E J Won The Cup.

“He didn’t really get the easiest trip but luckily he was able to squeeze through a small hole there and prove that he can be the best when it comes down to the wire,” said D’Amato.

“I love this horse from the first time I sat on him. I was very confident that he could to it - and he did it.” Fresu told interviewers. He dedicated the win to rider Stefano Cherchi who died last week.

Winning run

Dettori’s fantastic winning run took him through races two to seven on the card winning on Ball Don’t Lie, Recinto Rompere, outsider Roberta’s Love, Kathynmarissa, and into the sixth, the mile and half a furlong Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks where he was on the less fancied of the two Baffert-trained runners in the Malibu Moon filly Nothing Like You. She came home seven and a half lengths ahead of her odds-on stable companion Kinza.

Dettori put the fear into bookmakers as he carried on his winning streak into race seven, winning again for Leonard Powell on British-bred Royal Charter.

His six winners won at odds of 9/4, 6/1, 12/1, 9-2, 10/1 and 10/3 for cumulative odds of more than 77,000/1.

Resilience shows tough side

Aqueduct

BILL Mott may get another crack at winning the Kentucky Derby after sending out Resilience to post a two and a quarter-length victory in the $750,000 Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct and secure a spot in the field for the May 4th.

Mott’s Country House had got the 2019 Derby after Maximum Security’s demotion for interference.

Outsider Society Man also seems bound for Churchill Downs after finishing second at big odds and would give trainer Danny Gargan a second runner along with highly regarded Kentucky Derby contender in Dornoch, who was fourth in Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes. He is another Good Magic colt (a full-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage).

Resilience, a son of Into Mischief, responded to the addition of blinkers in posting his first stakes race win.

In his previous start, Resilience chased the pace and faded to fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, but he did finish behind a trio of the top-rated three-year-olds in Sierra Leone, Track Phantom and Catching Freedom.

Blinkers

“We put blinkers on because he’s kind of hesitant to pass horses. So, I engaged him early to see if he would pass horses and when he did it was great,” jockey John Velasquez said. “He finished up like a nice horse.” The 4/5 favourite Deterministic failed to fire and was eighth.

In a field of 12 for the nine-furlong contest, Resilience moved up to the third in the early stages as outsiders Evening News and Lonesome Boy led to a half mile in 47.49secs.

Moving wide on the turn, John Velazquez sent him after the leaders and grabbed the lead leaving the quarter pole and drew clear.

Also on the card, Where’s My Ring, trained by Val Brinkerhoff, recorded a commanding victory in the $200,000 Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes and picked up 100 qualifying points to ensure a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.