Rags to Riches to run the 2007 Belmont Stakes
June 6, 2007
The decision was taken on Tuesday by trainer Todd Pletcher to race the nation’s leading filly, Rags to Riches in the 139th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park to make the final leg of the Triple Crown far more interesting than one known in large part for missing Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.
Rags to Riches inclusion also set off a chain of events regarding horses and, in particular, jockeys. John Velazquez wound up on Rags to Riches by jettisoning Slew’s Tizzy, but not before a late-hour bid by Ron Anderson, the jockey agent for Garrett Gomez, to get off of Hard Spun and back on Rags to Riches, whom Gomez rode to victory in the Kentucky Oaks.
Final entries were due and post positions were to be drawn on Wednesday. A field of seven was expected to be entered: C P West (Edgar Prado the rider), Curlin (Robby Albarado), Hard Spun (Gomez), Imawildandcrazyguy (Mark Guidry), Rags to Riches (Velazquez), Slew’s Tizzy (Rafael Bejarano), and Tiago (Mike Smith). Digger is still possible, with a final decision as to his status expected to have been made Wednesday morning.
Pletcher said he made the decision to run Rags to Riches after talking to Michael Tabor, who owns Rags to Riches along with Derrick Smith. Pletcher said the colt Circular Quay, who also had been under consideration for the Belmont, would instead be “freshened up a little bit.”
“We discussed the pros and cons, and Mr. Tabor said he would be happy with either decision, but he seemed excited when I made the decision that she was going to run,” Pletcher said Tuesday morning at his Belmont Park barn. “There’s a number of reasons. First and foremost, the filly’s doing very well at the moment. Second, she’s bred for it. I’ll probably never have a horse as well bred for it.
For more information about the 2007 Belmont Stakes… Click Here!!
Barbaro honoring race on Preakness Day
May 14, 2007
When Pimlico officials decided in December to rename the Sir Barton stakes after the 2006 Kentucky Derby champion, they hoped Barbaro would recover in time to help launch the inaugural Barbaro Stakes.
“We wanted the horse to parade in front of the fans,” Maryland Jockey Club president and chief operating officer Lou Raffetto said Monday.
Sadly, Barbaro never recovered from breaking his leg early in last year’s Preakness. After a valiant fight to survive, he was put to sleep on Jan. 29.
His name will now live on as the ninth race on the Preakness Day undercard.
“It’s such an honor to have a stake named after your horse. It’s going to be a meaningful day,” said Gretchen and Roy Jackson, owners of Barbaro.
“We wanted to honor Barbaro, but we didn’t want to bring back his memory in a bad way,” Raffetto said. “We didn’t want to dwell on the negatives; we wanted to recognize him in a positive way, then move on.”
The Barbaro Stakes, Raffetto said, will make sure the horse’s “legacy will live on.”
Barbaro trainer Michael Matz is expected to enter Chelokee in the Barbaro Stakes. Matz considered placing Chelokee in the Preakness, but decided the competition was too stiff.
For more information on the Preakness Stakes click here…
The Preakness Stakes, Mark Shuman very content with Xchanger’s performance
May 14, 2007
At Fair Hill, Xchanger breezed five furlongs in 59.40 seconds over the Tapeta Footings synthetic track. Exercise rider Anissa Butler, the fiancee of trainer Mark Shuman, was aboard for the work.
Shuman said he put another horse out in front of Xchanger to get him into the work, but said that Xchanger basically worked on his own. Xchanger is coming off a 4 3/4-length win in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico on April 21.
“Everything’s coming together with this horse,” Shuman said. “He hasn’t missed a beat since that race. I think he’s moved forward. All systems go.”
If Chelokee doesn’t run, Shuman will have Ramon Dominguez to ride Xchanger. If Chelokee does run, Shuman will be in need of a jockey.
* Jockey Edgar Prado is confirmed to ride C P West in the Preakness. Prado has finished third aboard C P West all three times he has ridden him including in the Withers Stakes last month.
* Mint Slewlep, fourth in the Withers Stakes, was to have shipped from Bowie Race Course to Pimlico on Sunday and is scheduled to have a timed workout on Monday. Trainer Robbie Bailes has named the New York-based Alan Garcia to ride.
* Wednesday’s post position draw at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore has been moved up 30 minutes and will now be aired on ESPN2 in a one-hour show beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
For more information on the Preakness Stakes click here…
Kentucky Derby 2007 Update
May 2, 2007
Cobalt Blue and Xchanger were both withdrawn from consideration for Saturday’s 133rd Kentucky Derby on Tuesday, paving the turf for Teuflesberg and Imawildandcrazyguy to get into the field.
The decision to skip the Derby with Cobalt Blue was made by owner Merv Griffin. He doesn’t think running off a seventh-pace finish in the Illinois Derby and a subsequent subpar workout last weekend at Keeneland was the right thing to do by this horse.
On Tuesday, O’Neill was encouraged by the way Cobalt Blue was training since he put blinkers on the colt on Sunday.
“I think it all starts with the Hawthorne race, that was so disappointing,” O’Neill said Tuesday. “I think his last workout at Keeneland was very questionable; the time was fast but [exercise rider Tony Romero] said he was just really lackadaisical. Merv said don’t run that horse just for me. If we need to bring him back home and find a different spot let’s do it. I put in a little bit of plea because the colt is a talented colt, but at the end of the day it’s probably the right move.”
According to Churchill Downs officials, Mark Shuman, the trainer of Xchanger, informed the racing office that he would not be running his horse in the Derby either.
For more information about this Year’s “Kentucky Derby 2007“… Click Here!!
Training For the Big Day
May 1, 2007
Curlin, the unbeaten winner of the Arkansas Derby, worked four furlongs on Monday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for Saturday’s 133rd Kentucky Derby.
Five other 3-year-olds expected to run in the Derby also breezed.
Curlin was timed by Daily Racing Form in 48.46 seconds. His Steve Asmussen-trained stablemate Zanjero was timed by DRF in 48.34 seconds for a half-mile.
Hard Spun, the Lane’s End winner, turned in a sizzling five-furlong drill in 57.53 seconds for trainer Larry Jones.
Bwana Bull worked five furlongs in 1:01.78 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Sedgefield worked a half-mile in 48.46 seconds for trainer Darrin Miller.
And the Bill Kaplan-trained duo of I’mawildandcrazyguy (36.31 seconds) and Storm In May (35.82 seconds) both worked three furlongs.
Stormello and Tiago, who both worked at Hollywood Park on Sunday, were scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday around noon.
For more information about this Year’s “Kentucky Derby 2007“… Click Here!!
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