SPOTLIGHT PERFORMANCES
JANUARY 21
by James Scully
The spotlight shines in this column on recent performances that
didn’t receive much attention.
At Santa Anita Saturday, ONLY IN RENO (In Excess [Ire]) smoked
his rivals in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight event, dueling for the early
lead before drawing off to a two-length decision. Trained by Bob Baffert, the
three-year-old colt earned a 100 BRIS Speed rating when second in his career
debut previously to Going Wild (Golden Missile), who returned to win Monday’s
San Miguel S., and received a 103 Speed figure here. Only in Reno looks very
fast.
CEE’S IRISH (Cee’s Tizzy), a three-year-old Cal-bred filly
trained by Doug O’Neill, finished second by a nose as a maiden in October’s
California Cup Juvenile Fillies and has reeled off three straight wins since
then, the latest being a triumph in Friday’s Blue Norther S. in her turf bow.
The gray set a pressured pace in the one-mile event, gave up the lead briefly on
the far turn, and re-rallied to the front in the stretch, crossing the finish
line three parts of a length the best. She defeated a couple of well-regarded
rivals in this spot.
PLACE COWBOY (Ire) (Compton Place) earned his second career
victory with a 2 1/2-length score in a one-mile turf allowance at Santa Anita on
Monday. Unplaced when making his first U.S. start at 75-1 in the Del Mar Derby
(G2), he finished second by a nose against allowance foes when making his next
appearance in late November and put it all together here for conditioner Jim
Cassidy. We’ll see how this four-year-old progresses on the turf this season.
Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel sent out a couple of nice
turf winners last week in Southern California. SPECIAL RATE (Pulpit) returned to
the winner’s circle with a sharp one-length victory on Sunday, finishing quickly
in the about 6 1/2-furlong affair down the hill and earning a 101 Speed rating.
The five-year-old has obviously had soundness issues, but he could make some
noise if he stays healthy in 2005. LA DANIELLE (Danehill), who moved her career
mark to 4-2-1-0 with a one-length allowance victory Sunday, looks like one to
watch on the weeds in 2005. The improving four-year-old filly closed fast to
earn her second straight easy win.
At Gulfstream Park, Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopeful IN THE GOLD
(Golden Missile) made her three-year-old debut in good fashion, rallying from
just off the pace for a 1 1/2-length victory in a one-mile allowance event last
Thursday (January 13). The chestnut miss finished third by only a neck when
making her stakes bow October’s Alcibiades S. (G2) and then got sick before an
expected start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She still didn’t look
right when unplaced in November’s Golden Rod S. (G2), but she appears to be back
on track for trainer Nick Zito and should move forward off this
confidence-building win.
RELAXED (Royal Academy), the second foal to race from the Grade
1-winning Sleep Easy (Seattle Slew), appears to be heading in the right
direction for Frankel following a crisp 1 3/4-length score over allowance rivals
last Thursday at Gulfstream. A maiden winner last year at Newmarket, Relaxed was
unplaced in her next start, June’s prestigious Coronation S. (Eng-G1), and
didn’t race again until October at Belmont. She didn’t fire that afternoon but
turned in a much more encouraging performance here, completing the final
sixteenth of a mile in :5 4/5 seconds.
EDDINGTON (Unbridled) wasn’t ready for the Triple Crown grind
last spring but might be a serious factor in major stakes events at four. He
ended 2004 with a game win in the grassy Calder Derby (G3) and returned to the
main track on Sunday at Gulfstream Park with a dominant showing, rolling to the
front on the far turn en route to a 8 3/4-length win. The Mark Hennig trainee
earned a whopping 111 Speed figure for the nine-furlong, optional claiming
tune-up.
MADDALENA (Good and Tough) improved to two-for-two overall with
an allowance win Sunday off the layoff for Todd Pletcher. A winner last April at
Churchill Downs, the three-year-old filly blitzed her rivals from the start
here, drawing off to a 6 3/4-length triumph in the stretch and receiving a 104
Speed figure. The Maryland-bred was visually impressive.
YES YES YES (Yes It’s True) left a strong impression Monday when
taking a maiden special weight event for three-year-olds by 9 3/4 lengths in his
second career outing. The Pletcher trainee earned a 101 Speed rating for the
wire-to-wire victory at six furlongs.
Another sharp sophomore filly maiden winner was PLEASANT CHIMES
(Pleasant Tap), who took her first career start by a length going six furlongs
last Thursday. The Hennig charge is bred to stretch out in ground and overcame
post 12 here. She looks very promising.