You read The Saturday Special, took your notes, watched the races and either believed in us or wondered about us. Yeah, that happens. From Cue Card’s triumph to Page McKenney’s ouster, here’s your Monday Morning Rewind.
Lingfield. Race 1. 8:10. We take notice every time we see a first-time starter in the green, pink and white. First Moon, a daughter of Oasis Dream, makes her career debut for Hugo Palmer and Josephine Gordon. By the way, watch her ride, she needs a weight allowance about as much as Donald Trump needs another golf trip.
• First Moon ran well in her debut, finishing second, and will improve in her next start. She won’t be any secret but save your money and bet her in her second start. And, yes, Josephine Gordon rode like the wind again.
Ascot. Race 1. 8:15 a.m. As we wrote last week, there’s always a featured jump card on Saturday and today’s comes at you from Ascot. The opener offers a coveted look at novice hurdlers with Cheltenham dreams. De Dollar Man rolls in off two straight wins for Evan Williams. Topofthegame and Criq Rock finished on the line together earlier in the season.
• Topofthegame and De Dollar Man ran well, finishing second and third while Criq Rock failed to reproduce his previous form. Beyond Conceit, who was off the map from 2013 to 2017 with a tendon problem and a fractured pelvis, won again and aims at the Supreme Hurdle at Cheltenham
Haydock. Race 1. 8:30. The Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle kicks off a strong card at Haydock. Be ready with your notepad, Cheltenham clues will come at you hard and fast. Most Celebrated wins this
• Most Celebrated pulled hard and faded hard as Don Bersy hinted at bigger things. They’ll come later, as his owners have decided to look after him and skip Cheltenham in March.
Ascot. Race 2. 8:50. The Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase, a Grade 2 chase, presents six runners including Label Des Obeaux, an easy winner of his most recent start, Bigbadjohn who chased Thistlecrack in November and Arpege D’Alene, who hit the board at Cheltenham in his two most recent starts.
• Flintham deserved it. Bigbadjohn got it. Flintham galloped resolutely and jumped bravely, but Bigbadjohn nailed him on the line in a thriller. The RSA and the 4-miler at Cheltenham loom on their horizons.
Gowran Park. Race 2. 8:55. Love the schedule in Europe as the Red Mills Chase comes five minutes after the second at Ascot. Occasionally races will clash but for the most part, the races slot into formation like soldiers on the final day of basic training. Veteran Ballycasey meets three rivals here.
• Ballycasey reeled in Clarcam to win his sixth chase for Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins.
Haydock. Race 2. 9:05. Paul Nicholls opens fire with two of the five runners in the Rendlesham Hurdle. Cheltenham winner Aux Ptits Soins and veteran nine-time winner Zarkandar represent the champion trainer here.
• Zarkandar represented well, winning his 10th hurdle race. Nicholls credited a recent wind operation for the reclamation.
Wincanton. Race 3. 9:45. Dilemmas. If you’re a jump fan, do you go to Ascot, Haydock or Wincanton? Pick the closest one and enjoy. Yanworth puts the finishing touches on his Cheltenham preparation with a spin in the Kingwell Hurdle.
• If you went to Wincanton, you watched Yanworth work his way to another win. Work is the optimal word. The winner of seven of eight hurdle races (second in the Neptune at Cheltenham in the other) won again but was knocked for it. Tough game. He’ll aim at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and jockey Barry Geraghty will need to make a choice between Yanworth and Buveur D’Air.
Ascot. Race 4. 10:00. Good to see Ordo Ab Chao return from a long break. He’s been away 680 days. Air Horse One seeks his third straight.
• Air Horse One did indeed make it three straight as Ordo Ab Chao bounced into the inside rail on the home turn and faded. Tab for later.
Gowran Park. Race 4. 10:05. Jezki continues his comeback in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle, a Grade 3 stakes. The 9-year-old veteran returned from a nearly two-year layoff to win at Navan in January. He’s won 14 races while rumbling with the sport’s best.
• Father time. Jezki ran hard to finish second but was no match for Tombstone, who gave jockey Brian Cooper a return triumph after another stint on the sidelines.
Haydock. Race 4. 10:15. Blaklion carries top weight in the Grand National Trial. Wonder if Phil Smith will get bashed for this one?
• While the handicapper is being bashed like a piñata, Grand National hopefuls Blaklion and Vieux Lion Rouge slogged and solidified their roles as legitimate Grand National contenders. Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Blaklion, was far from deterred, “We will win the National and forget about being second today,” the trainer told the Racing Post. Big words. Could happen.
Ascot. Race 5. 10:35. And for today’s feature…the Ascot Chase. Wonder if Cue Card will notice that stablemate Thistlecrack isn’t on the lorry with him to Ascot. The 11-year- old veteran is 4/9 favorite over five rivals.
• The legend that is Cue Card. The veteran won again, putting on his hard hat, picking up his lunch pale and going to work. He drew off to win by 15 lengths over Shantou Flyer. Royal Regatta showed courage and showed the difference between a Grade 1 horse and a nice horse, tiring from his early efforts while Cue Card coasted. Awesome horse. Awesome job. Credit to Team Tizzard for keeping Cue Card at the top of the game since taking the Cheltenham bumper in 2010. Yes, 2010.
Gulfstream. Race 4. 1:30. Eskenformoney and Curlin’s Approval renew rivalry in Grade 2 Royal Delta. The former outran the latter in Grade 3 Rampart, then Curlin’s Approval came back in Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie for her fourth win in six starts at the track. They both stretch out to 1 1/16 miles this time
• Another moment of silence for the lost queen, Royal Delta. Curlin’s Approval trounced five rivals, hammering a 6-length win on Mo’ Green and Eskenformoney.
Kempton. Race 4. 2:15. Escape from Alcatraz? The house horse has warmed to the task ever since a failed attempt at hurdling. He’s produced a rallying fifth, a closing second and a hard-luck second on the winter all-weather. Maybe it’s today.
• Still in Alcatraz. He finished fourth.
Laurel. Race 5. 2:30. No fake news in this stakes, the $75,000 Maryland Racing Media. Wait Your Turn is heavy favorite on the line off blowout victory in 2016 bow at Aqueduct.
• Nothing fake about Winter, who’s enjoyed the winter at Laurel, winning third in a row for Matt Schera, Cal Lynch and Trevor McCarthy.
Laurel. Race 6. 3:00. Ben Colebrook ships China Grove from Kentucky for $75,000 Wide Country to take on the popular and unbeaten Crabcakes.
• Owned and bred by Katherine Ball, China Grove earned her first stakes win, upsetting Crabcakes. China Grove, a daughter of City Zip, won her debut as a 2-year-old at Keeneland in April. She tried six stakes and an allowance race after her debut, producing quality efforts, but no wins. She’s now a stakes winner.
Gulfstream. Race 7. 3:01. Brooklyn Bobby was the talk of the town when he made his debut Aug. 6 at Saratoga. Son of Frankel didn’t live up to hype that day, finishing sixth, and returns off six-month break in 1 1/16-mile turf maiden.
• Brooklyn Bobby still hasn’t lived up to the talk, but did produce a solid effort to finish second behind first-time starter Bricks And Mortar who rallied impressively for Klaravich and William Lawrence. Bred by George Strawbridge, the 3-year-old colt fetched $200,000 at Keeneland September 2015.
Laurel. Race 7. 3:30. The first four from the Frank Whiteley Jr. – High Roller, O Dionysus, Butch Walker and Eastern Bay – are back for $75,000 Miracle Wood, along with New York shipper Everybodyluvsrudy
• Cheers. O Dionysus, named for the god of the grapes, snapped a tough three-race losing streak, handling a stretch to a mile with aplomb for Marathon Farms and trainer Gary Capuano.
Oaklawn Park. Race 4. 3:38. Eight 3-year-olds not quite ready for Monday’s Southwest line up for allowance. Curtis impressed enough in Parx win to lure private purchase and he makes first start for Brad Cox in 1 1/16-mile heat.
• A long way from a Parx maiden, Curtis finished third behind Senior Investment and Silver Bullion.
Tampa Bay Downs. Race 8. 3:55. No Fault Of Mine looked good winning Wayward Lass last month and looks for second straight stakes win and third victory in four starts at Tampa in $50,000 Minaret going 6 furlongs. Mines And Magic makes 2017 debut, but is also cross-entered at Gulfstream.
• No Fault Of Mine sat last and stayed last as Spanish Concert wired six foes to score for James Chicklo and Kathleen O’Connell.
Laurel. Race 8. 4:00. The stakes keep coming. Page McKenney might have factored in General George later on the card but trainer Mary Eppler opts instead for the $75,000 John B. Campbell. Check out why she made that decision.
• Eppler probably made the right call but Page McKenney couldn’t withstand a last-to-first rally from Bodhisattva who scored at 22-1 for owner/trainer Jose Corrales.
Gulfstream. Race 9. 4:03. Full field of 14 3-year-olds for 1-mile maiden. The gang’s all here, with Todd Pletcher (Wissam and Patch), Chad Brown (Take Your Guns and Clear N Convincing) and Brian Lynch (Hit The Diamond and Meantime) with multiple entries.
• It would have been tricky but if boxed the right Pletcher/Brown/Lynch horses, you were dancing in the streets as Meantime at 53-1 split Patch and Take Your Guns to bolster a $889 trifecta.
Aqueduct. Race 8. 4:20. Hot City Girl returns to state-bred ranks and looks to end two-race losing streak in $100,000 Broadway.
• Hot City Girl rolled at even-money, giving her connections reason to consider keeping her in training for all of 2017.
Laurel. Race 9. 4:30. Will Wonder Gal romp again? Her connections certainly hope so – even if they were only joking this week – in Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap.
• Wonder Gal ran hard again, but finished fourth behind a New York superfecta of High Ridge Road, By The Moon and Clothes Fall Off. High Ridge Road, a daughter of Quality Road, earned her fourth win in six starts since switching from Chad Brown to Linda Rice.
Santa Anita. Race 4. 5:00. Seven of the nine 3-year-olds in 1-mile maiden are Triple Crown nominees and all but one – the Bob Baffert-trained West Coast – have already run without showing much.
• Move over Arrogate. Juddmonte and Baffert team up to win with Bronze Age, who was included when Arrogate won the Travers. Baffert told Juddmonte’s Dr. John Chandler, “This one’s going to pay for all the other ones we bought,” back in August. West Coast finished second.
Laurel. Race 10. 5:00. Strong finale to great card, the Grade 3 General George featuring Stallwalkin’ Dude, Imperial Hint, Heaven’s Runway and Ocean Knight.
• Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. has a nice horse as Imperial Hint wins his sixth race in 10 tries for Raymond Mamone. The Florida-bred son of Imperialism took the Fire Plug earlier this winter.
Fair Grounds. Race 7. 5:07. Souper Tapit, son of Tapit out of 2012 Mother Goose winner Zo Impressive, makes debut for Live Oak and Mark Casse in two-turn maiden that also draws entries from Godolphin (Brookline), Donegal Racing (Manning), Peter Callahan (Sir Ballantine) and Jerry Durant (Off Road). Good race.
• Wow. Souper Tapit rallies from last to first for Live Oak Plantation and Mark Casse. In an ever-revolving 3-year-old picture, add another name.
Gulfstream. Race 12. 5:35. One-mile allowance to close the card. Perhaps fitting that on same day as the Royal Delta Stakes that Delta Prince, her younger half brother, might make it two in a row on the grass for Jimmy Jerkens.
• Fitting. Like a custom made Loro Piana suit. Delta Prince won again and could be on to to bigger things down the road.
Oaklawn. Race 9. 6:09. Road to the Apple Blossom continues with Grade 3 Bayakoa. Terra Promessa topped Ready To Confess and Streamline already in last month’s Pippin and faces that pair again, along with Fair Grounds shippers Power Of Snunner and Steel Cut.
• And the beat goes on. Terra Promessa won again, trouncing Power Of Snunner and Streamline. Stonestreet’s homebred improved her record to six wins from nine starts, including four stakes.
Golden Gate Fields. Race 7. 6:45. Sheer Flattery checked in third in Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis and comes back on two weeks rest for Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby. He takes on six others, including the Cal-bred trio of Ann Arbor Eddie, More Power To Him and Tribal Storm.
• We didn’t mention Zakaroff and we obviously didn’t bet him. If we did, we’d be in the islands instead of the office. The son of Slew’s Tiznow ran by everyone to score by a half length and return a cool $99.60. Aboard for the first time, Kyle Frey guided the winner., who won his second career race.
Santa Anita. Race 8. 7:00. Illuminant chased Tepin last spring when third in Grade 1 Jenny Wiley then returned to California to take Grade 1 Gamely. She makes 2017 debut here going 1 mile in the Grade 2 Buena Vista that might earn her another trip to Kentucky.
• Illuminant stayed home and Wild At Heart took over, scoring an easy win over Lily Pod. The winner, who chased Vale Dori in her two most recent tries, earned her first stakes victory after placing twice in graded stakes for Ramona Bass and Richard Mandella.
And that’s that. Hope you enjoyed the day. See you next Saturday with another edition of The Saturday Special.
