TURF DIARY
MARCH 10, 2005
by Jennifer Caldwell
This week will mark the beginning of two different Turf Diaries, one for the
boys and another for the girls. Turf racing took off last weekend with the
seasonal debuts of some top-notch runners from last year, but not one was more
impressive than LEROIDESANIMAUX (Brz) (Candy Stripes) in the Frank E.
Kilroe Mile H. (G1).
The Bobby Frankel-trained five-year-old has now scored in six of seven
U.S. starts, earning century-topping BRIS
Speed figures in the past four. He posted a 114 Speed rating for his Kilroe win
at Santa Anita on Saturday, which came on the front end against a tough field
that included the defending champion, SWEET RETURN (GB) (Elmaamul), and Breeders’ Cup Mile
(G1) hero SINGLETARY (Sultry Song). Leroidesanimaux took the lead out of the gate
along the rail and held by a length at the wire after an incredibly smart ride
from jockey Jon Court. The pair kept BUCKLAND MANOR (Bien Bien), who was making
his second start of the year, trapped in behind until upper stretch when it was
too late to gather any momentum. Buckland Manor still didn’t look as if he could have
caught the winner, though, considering he couldn’t catch the victor as
they were galloping out.
Leroidesanimaux could stretch out a bit more for his next start, according to
Frankel, and try nine furlongs. The chestnut captured the Citation H. (G1) in
his final start of 2004 while going 1 1/16 miles.
Singletary ran seventh in his five-year-old bow, his first
off-the-board placing since a fifth in the 2003 edition of the Del Mar Derby
(G2). Sweet Return was just the opposite, earning his best finish since a third
in last year’s Eddie Read H. (G1). METEOR STORM (GB) (Bigstone
[Ire]), fourth in the Kilroe, made a nice return to the races after being off
since the United Nations (G1) in early July. The Grade 1 winner ran out of room in this
test and is now pointing toward the March 27 San
Luis Rey H. (G2) at 1 1/2 miles.
After the tough trip Buckland Manor had in the race, his trainer, Paco
Gonzalez, summed it up nicely: “That’s racing.”
PRINCE ARCH (Arch) started off is four-year-old campaign in nice fashion,
taking the Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup H. (G1) on Sunday by a nose in course record time. The Kenny McPeek charge has now scored in his past two, making his
final race as a sophomore a winning performance in the Saranac H. (G3) in early
September. He didn’t impress in that one, only posting an 89 Speed rating, but
more than made up for it this time around, earning a 102 figure for rallying and
holding off the fast-closing Gigli (Brz) (Clackson) at the wire. Prince Arch was
the only horse last year to beat Kitten’s Joy (El Prado [Ire]), that coming in
mid-June’s Jefferson Cup H. (G3), prior to the champion’s
runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). A shot at the Dubai Sheema
Classic (UAE-G1) is now in the cards for Prince Arch.
There were two nice optional claimers last week, both at Santa Anita. On
Friday, ALL THE BOYS (Foreign Survivor) posted an easy nine-length score in the
2ND race. The eight-year-old gelding had been racing for Paul Aguirre up until
February, when he was claimed by trainer Jeff Mullins for $50,000. In his first
race for Mullins, All the Boys stalked in third along the inside until the
second turn, when he came out and drove clear. The nine-length victory made it
plain there was no reason to use the whip, though jockey Pat Valenzuela couldn’t
help but put in a crack in upper stretch, and All the Boys earned his highest
Speed figure of 109 to date. He could finally be regaining the form that saw him
finish second in the 2003 edition of the San Juan Capistrano Invitational H.
(G1) and should be watched.
BALESTRINI (Ire) (Danehill) also put in a good run, this time on Saturday in
the 2ND race. Under Mike Smith, the five-year-old bay took the lead early on in
the 1 1/2-mile grass test and held as much as a five-length advantage in the
stretch before crossing under the line 1 1/4 lengths in front of his nearest
rival. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Balestrini ended 2004 with a close fifth in the
Hollywood Turf Cup (G1) and could return to stakes company in his next one.
Be on the lookout next week for the Filly & Mare Turf Diary!
|
TURF TOP THREE: |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | – |
|
| 2 | – |
|
| 3 | – |
|