Wood Memorial His Final Derby Prep
Hansen, who won last Saturday’s (Mar. 3) Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, will prepare for a likely return to New York for the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial on Apr. 7.
The 2011 juvenile champion emerged from the 1 1/16-mile Gotham in good order, said trainer Michael Maker’s assistant, Nelson Donis.
“He came back good, ate everything up, and is good today,” said Donis of Hansen, currently the third choice behind “all others” and Union Rags in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Running without blinkers for the first time in the Gotham, Hansen demonstrated he was not a one-dimensional speed horse as he came from off the pace for a solid threelength victory. The near-white colt was also outfitted with a new bit for the race.
“That’s my job,” said Maker after the race of the changes. “Hopefully we can keep it figured out the next couple of months.”
Along with Hansen, Gotham runner up My Adonis is targeting the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial as his final steppingstone to the May 5 Derby.
It’s Tricky got the job done
On the morning following It’s Tricky’s 2 ¾-length win in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap, Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, praised the filly not just for her victory but also for her improved behavior.
“She was good in the paddock,” said Magnuson. “She’s never really been terrible. She’s justhellip;quirky.”
It’s Tricky made her four-year-old debut in the Top Flight and Magnuson said the filly has become more mature with age and experience.
“She’s in a good routine,” said Magnuson. “She’s been to Florida and back a couple of times. She’s been to Kentucky and back and shipped around. She’s been handling everything really well. It made for a good story a year ago about her head, but she’s really acting well. She’s getting better. Her training is great and she was very good in the paddock yesterday. She shipped to Aqueduct yesterday and was good in the paddock and good in the gate. Couldn’t have had a better day.”
Magnuson said the barn will select It’s Tricky’s next start at a later date after discussing various scenarios with owner Godolphin Stable.
Tom Fool runners target Carter
Emcee, also trained by McLaughlin for Godolphin, exited his thirdplace finish as the 6-5 favorite in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap presented by Corona Extra in good shape, Magnuson said.
The Tom Fool, which featured inner track star Calibrachoa and dual Grade 1 winner Caleb’s Posse, was the third career start for Emcee, who had previously won a maiden race at Belmont Park and an allowance at Gulfstream Park.
“It was a really, really good performance,” said Magnuson. “It’s really hard to do that [in a horse’s third start].”
Magnuson said Emcee’s performance showed he is capable of competing against the top one-turn horses in the country and that he could make his next start in the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap, going at seven furlongs at Aqueduct on Apr. 7.
“Calibrachoa is a nice horse who loves the inner track, and Caleb’s Posse ran huge again. We’re happy to be with those horses. I thought at 6-5 maybe we were overbet a bit, but we’re really happy with the way he ran. He’s getting better all the time, and that was an education. That wasn’t an other-than allowance. [Jockey] Johnny Velazquez [said the horse] loves to go even further than six. Seven furlongs, a mile. There will be plenty of time to try. He’s pretty cool.”
Calibrachoa was reported to be in good order Sunday morning following a gutsy repeat victory in last Saturday’s Tom Fool. The win, his second this year, earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 111, the fastest run by any horse at any distance so far in 2012 as he held off Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb’s Posse by a neck.
“Calibrachoa looks as good as he did going into it,” said Whit Beckman, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “He ran his race and he was finally able to put a couple together back-to-back. He loves that inner track at Aqueduct and everything went his way yesterday for sure.”
Pletcher indicated after Saturday’s race that Calibrachoa would make his next start in the Carter Handicap. Owner Mike Repole joked after the Tom Fool that “if we can get the Carter moved to the inner track, I’m going to feel really good next month.”
Pletcher saddled three other runners on the card, including Green Hills Farm’s Love and Pride, who set the pace in the Grade 2 Top Flight and was second best to dual Grade 1 winner It’s Tricky.
“She came back well and I think that was a tremendous effort on her part,” said Beckman. “She got what she needed there up front and was able to put in a game effort. It’s Tricky is just a real nice filly.”
The barn’s two Gotham starters – Dogwood Stable’s Raconteur (seventh) and Zayat Stables’ Dan and Sheila (11th) both came out of the race well, according to Beckman.
Caleb’s Posse, who made up a staggering amount of ground in the stretch to finish second by a neck to Calibrachoa in the Tom Fool, came out of the race in excellent shape.
“He came out of the race really well and cleaned up all his feed,” said Kristal Campbell, assistant trainer to Donnie Von Hemel. “He’s still ornery and raring to go.”
According to Campbell, the multiple Grade 1-winning four-year-old son of Posse will spend a few days at a farm in Kentucky before heading to Oaklawn Park to resume training. His next target is a rematch with Calibrachoa in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.
Owned by McNeil Stables and Cheyenne Stables, Caleb’s Posse ran a 110 Beyer Speed Figure for his Tom Fool effort, one point below the career best 111 he ran in winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Millionreasonswhy to return
Millionreasonswhy, who returned from her runner-up performance in last year’s Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes with a win in last Saturday’s Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park in Maryland, is slated to make her next start in Aqueduct Racetrack’s Grade 3, $400,000 Comely Stakes on Apr. 7, trainer Ignacio Correas, IV confirmed Sunday.
In the seven-furlong Wide Country, her first start since August, Millionreasonswhy stalked the pace and wrested command from Dance to Bristol in midstretch, going on to defeat that rival by 1 1/4 lengths. It was an additional 12 3/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Officer’s Holiday.
“You can never say with 100 percent certainty, but we’ll probably run at Aqueduct,” said Correas. “She came out of the race great, and we’re going to for it. We wanted to see her run a good race. Not necessarily win, but run strong to the wire and try hard. She had been training well and did what I expected.”
Correas said that if Millionreasonswhy performs well in the onemile Comely, the filly could go on to compete in the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks on May 4, the day before the Kentucky Derby.
“I thought we’d go seven furlongs to a mile and then maybe the Kentucky Oaks,” said Correas. “I don’t think distance will be an issue.”
Two sprint stakes this Saturday
This Saturday’s (Mar. 10) card at Aqueduct boasts a pair of sprint stakes for three-year-olds, the Grade 3, $150,000 Cicada Stakes, for fillies, and the $100,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela, both at six furlongs.
Topping the list of probables for the Cicada is the undefeated Flying Zee Stable homebred Agave Kiss, whoexitsa31/4-lengthscoreinthe Jan. 14 Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct. A New York-bred daughter of Lion Heart, the Rudy Rodriguez trainee worked five furlongs in 1:02.10 over the inner track last Friday, Mar. 2, fastest of six at the distance.
Also expected for the race, according to NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes, are Alydarla, Corderosa, and Gypsy Robin, with Mikey Likes It, Nitara, Select Cat and She’s Ready Made listed as possible.
Byrnes said that the Fred “Cappy” Capossela was likely to attract Ancient Rome, Beggarthyneighbor, Christopher’s Joy, Final Forest and How Do I Win. Yo Koffy is considered possible.
For more information, visit www.nyra.com.
