Friday’s $300,000
Alysheba S.
(Grade 3) at Churchill Downs may or may not fill a leadership vacuum that exists
in the older male division, but should bring into sharper focus the leading
contenders for Churchill’s premier race for the older horse set, the June 18
Stephen Foster H. (Grade 1). The 1 1/16-mile Alysheba is one of five stakes on the
Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) undercard, and the co-richest along with the $300,000 La
Troienne S. (Grade 2) for older fillies and mares at the same distance.
Mission Impazible will meet Giant Oak
for a second time and Demarcation for a third time this season in the
Alysheba. Mission Impazible returned in January from a layoff of more than eight
months and finished second to subsequent Grade 3 winner Caixa Eletronica in a Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer, then was nipped by Demarcation’s
head in the Mineshaft H. (Grade 3) at Fair Grounds the following month. Returning to
the New Orleans course for the March 26 New Orleans H. (Grade 2), Mission Impazible
was involved in a much slower pace than was the case in the Mineshaft, and held
off a late bid by Giant Oak, who finished third, and Demarcation, who ran
seventh.
Giant Oak, the 3-2 favorite for the New Orleans off back-to-back scores in
the Clark H. (Grade 1) at Churchill and the Donn H. (Grade 1) at Gulfstream, will need a
legitimate pace to get revenge in this shorter contest. Demarcation is another
who tends to make one bold move from behind, though he did show more tactical
foot prior to crossing the wire fourth in the Clark in November.
Regal Ransom, whose last stakes win occurred in the 2009
Super Derby (Grade 2), has finished up the track in two prior appearances under the
Twin Spires, but tuned up for this with a solid runner-up finish to Capt. Candyman Can in the Sir Shackleton H. at Gulfstream over 6
1/2 furlongs. Another stretching out — and for the first time around two turns,
is last year’s Phoenix S. (Grade 3) winner Wise Dan, an allowance
scorer at one mile during Churchill’s most recent fall meet. Wise Dan was a dull
fourth as the even-money favorite in last month’s Commonwealth S. (Grade 2) at
Keeneland.
Invading from California are First Dude and Caracortado. First Dude, who placed in several Grade 1 events last season
including the Preakness S. (Grade 1) and Belmont S. (Grade 1), recently snapped a lengthy
losing skid in an entry-level allowance at Santa Anita. Caracortado has raced
primarily on turf over the past six months, but has won or placed in two of
three career starts on dirt, the most recent attempt being a third in the Malibu
S. (Grade 1) in December. Another with California ties, Awesome Gem,
has gone unplaced in four of his last five outings since taking the Hollywood
Gold Cup (Grade 1) last July, but could improve on his recent sixth in the Charles
Town Classic (Grade 3) while shedding blinkers.
The remainder of the Alysheba field includes New York-bred ace Icabad Crane; Equestrio, who notably defeated possible
Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) favorite Dialed In in a Gulfstream allowance in
early March; and Jardim, who handed Demarcation a severe loss
in the Schaefer Mile at Hoosier Park last fall.
The La Troienne arguably has a bit more star power than the Alysheba. When
Unrivaled Belle and Blind Luck last met
over the Churchill strip, they ran one-two in that order in the Breeders’ Cup
Ladies’ Classic (Grade 1) in November. However, both have endured early setbacks this
season in the race to become the nation’s best older female.
Unrivaled Belle was pummeled in the April 2 Rampart S. (Grade 3) at Gulfstream by
a margin of 10 1/4 lengths, finishing third to Awesome Maria.
Unrivaled Belle won the Rampart last season before pulling an upset over Rachel
Alexandra in the La Troienne, and could be sharper in her second start back from
her winter break.
Blind Luck, the nation’s top three-year-old filly in 2010, is in the midst of
a long string of bridesmaid finishes. Winless since the Alabama S. (Grade 1) in
August, the Jerry Hollendorfer charge was subsequently runner-up in the
Cotillion S. (Grade 2) and Breeders’ Cup, and this season has continued her silver
medalist ways in the El Encino S. (Grade 2), La Canada S. (Grade 2) and Azeri S. (Grade 3).
Blind Luck forfeited another meeting with rival Havre de Grace in
last month’s Apple Blossom H. (Grade 1) in order to concentrate her energies on the
La Troienne.
The pace of the La Troienne should be provided by the stakes-winning Absinthe
Minded, a game third in the Apple Blossom last time, and Quiet Giant, a multiple stakes winner during Aqueduct’s inner-track
meet. Others of note include Grade 1-placed stakes winner All Due Respect, Grade 3 veteran Seeking
the Gold, and last-out New
Orleans Ladies S. winner Ravi’s Song.