KENTUCKY DERBY REPORT
JANUARY 24, 2013
by James Scully
D. Wayne Lukas leads all modern-day trainers with four
Kentucky Derby wins, the first coming via the front-running filly Winning Colors
in 1988, and the Wisconsin native made an incredible mark during the late ’80s
and ’90s, winning a record 13 Triple Crown races. The 77-year-old conditioner
is no longer churning out champions like he did in his heyday, but he will look
to return prominence this year with Oxbow, a smashing 11 1/2-length winner of
Saturday’s Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Lukas swept both stakes last weekend in the new Kentucky
Derby scoring system, upsetting Monday’s Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park with Will
Take Charge. It was a big weekend for the Hall of Famer.
Speed is a virtue in the Lukas playbook and Oxbow possesses
plenty of it. Teaching him to relax may need to become part of the equation —
the free-wheeling colt had everything his way early on a slow pace Saturday —
but Oxbow is progressing nicely at three and is well-bred for the 1 1/4-mile Derby
distance.
Will Take Charge produced a more workmanlike victory versus
a questionable cast, defeating Remington stakes winner Texas Bling by a
hard-fought neck, but he gamely overcame a wide trip and is out of the
outstanding racehorse and broodmare Take Charge Lady. His half-brother Take
Charge Indy was relatively unaccomplished at two but really came on as a
three-year-old, capturing last year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby.
Lukas, a former teacher and basketball coach, has mentored
some of Thoroughbred racing’s top current trainers. His former assistants
include Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Mark Hennig, George
Weaver and Mike Maker.
“Those guys still call me ‘coach,'” Lukas told Steve Haskin
a few years ago. “And I considered myself a coach, as well as teacher.”
The “coach” takes great pride in passing knowledge along to
others, but Lukas is still fiercely competitive and never lacks confidence in
his horses.
“You guys (the media) didn’t even know he was in the race,
did you? If you had to make a living handicapping, you’d all starve to death,”
Lukas said of Oxbow, who was listed at 6-1 on the Lecomte morning line. “When
(jockey) Jon (Court) gets back here tomorrow (to his Oaklawn Park base) I’m
going to make him give half the mount money back because he didn’t have to do
anything. All he had to do is hang on.”
Lecomte
Oxbow broke on top and quickly seized control in the
mile-and-70-yard Lecomte, entering the first turn on a short lead. The
fractions were soft (:24 2/5 and :48 2/5)and Oxbow did not face pressure until
the conclusion of the far turn when Heitai advanced from second to engage the
pacesetter.
The pair hooked up at the top of the stretch but the
challenge proved short-lived as Oxbow readily dismissed the 19-1 outsider and
ran away in the final furlong.
Runner-up Golden Soul, a 7 1/4-length maiden winner at Fair
Grounds on December 30 for Stewart, closed late to be a clear second in his
stakes debut, a solid effort from the Perfect Soul colt who was last of nine
after a quarter-mile. Fear the Kitten, the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club fifth-placer,
closed belatedly from off the pace to get third.
None were in the same area code as Oxbow, who finished up
superbly in the Fair Grounds stretch.
“This horse has a beautiful stride and a high cruising
speed,” Lukas said. “When you watch the replay you see his ears are pricked and
he’s just in a cruising speed the whole way around there.
His final time (1:43.30) was much faster than four other
races Saturday at the distance (1.34 seconds better than the second-best), but
the slow early fractions contributed to Oxbow’s 94 BRIS Speed rating. While
perhaps a bit underwhelming, that figure does represent a career-best for the
improving son of Awesome Again.
Awesome Again captured the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic at
Churchill Downs and Oxbow is out of Tizamazing, a full sister to Horse of the
Year Tiznow, winner of the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. Oxbow
is bred similarly to last year’s Grade 1 Haskell winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up Paynter, who is also by Awesome Again
and out of another full sister to Tiznow.
Oxbow needed a few starts before breaking his maiden at
Churchill Downs on November 25, netting a 90 Speed rating after leading wire-to-wire for a 4
3/4-length decision. Lukas then shipped him to Hollywood Park for the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity on December 15, but Oxbow drew an outside post (11) and
weakened to fourth after chasing the pace wide.The CashCall could prove to be
a key two-year-old prep race with the winning Violence, runner-up Fury Kapcori
and third-placer Den’s Legacy all meriting respect this year.
Oxbow took a nice step forward in the Lecomte, but it’s
still January and the competition will get steeper in the months to come. It
will also be interesting to see how he fares when facing more pace pressure. But
Oxbow stamped himself as a serious prospect Saturday and I am taking a glass
half-full approach with the Lukas runner.
Oxbow is expected to point toward the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds on
February 23.
Smarty Jones
Will Take Charge got hung out extremely wide from post 9 in
the one-mile Smarty Jones and continued to travel well off the rail down the
backstretch and the final bend. He was never more than a couple of lengths back
stalking the pace during the early stages, advanced into contention on the far
turn, and entered the short stretch at Oaklawn in a head-to-head battle with
Texas Bling to his inside.
Will Take Charge took command late, prevailing by a
hard-fought neck over Texas Bling, who saved second by a head over 9-5 favorite
Always in a Tiz. The winner gained a measure of revenge after finishing second
to Texas Bling in their previous outing, the December 9 Springboard Mile at
Remington Park. Will Take Charge was overlooked at 12-1 in the Smarty Jones,
with Texas Bling, a 128-1 winner of the Springboard Mile, leaving the starting
gate at 18-1.
Texas Bling, a son of sprint sire Too Much Bling, lasted
the one-mile distance on Monday, but it’s difficult to envision him being a
serious factor at longer distances on the Derby trail. Always in a Tiz didn’t
enjoy the best of trips, but he had the leaders in his sights turning for home
and lacked the needed rally. The lightly-raced son of Tiznow may benefit from
his first experience at a route, but he will need much more in the future.
By Unbridled’s Song, Will Take Charge broke his maiden in
his second career start, a seven-furlong maiden on Keeneland’s Polytrack, but
never fired when testing graded rivals in the Kentucky Jockey Club, finishing
last of 13. His form looks much better this year, with his last two BRIS Speed
ratings (93 and 91) towering above his prior dismal numbers, and
while he still has a lot to prove from a class-standpoint, Will Take Charge
rates as an up-and-coming colt.
Will Take Charge appeared to stumble in the gallop out
after the finish line, but Lukas said the colt checked out fine afterward and
mentioned the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on March 16 at Oaklawn as a possible target.
Derby Top 10:
- Normandy Invasion — Grade 2 Remsen runner-up has posted three
works this year; pointing to the February 23 Risen Star. - Violence — Unbeaten colt returned to worktab for Pletcher
last Sunday; the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on February 23 is his goal. - Overanalyze — Remsen winner has worked twice so far this
year; will head to Grade 3 Gotham on March 2 for Pletcher. - Fury Kapcori — In regular training since late December for Hollendorfer; returns in
Grade 2 Robert Lewis on February 2. - Oxbow — Lukas runner joins list off Lecomte romp; Risen
Star is likely next. - Shanghai Bobby — Juvenile champ returns against a nice
field in Saturday’s Holy Bull. - Frac Daddy –Kentucky Jockey Club runner-up appears to be
training forwardly for McPeek in advance of Holy Bull. - Flashback — Sharp debut winner for Bob Baffert will make
highly-anticipated stakes bow in Lewis. - He’s Had Enough — Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up could
make second dirt start in Lewis. - Goldencents — Doug O’Neill trainee made it two straight stakes
wins in Grade 3 Sham; Grade 2 San Felipe on March 9 is possible.
Next time
Saturday’s Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park is the lone points
race this weekend and the 1 1/16-mile test has attracted some top Derby hopefuls
in South Florida. Unbeaten two-year-old champ Shanghai Bobby will start from the
rail among 10 rivals and likely second-favorite Frac Daddy is drawn to his
immediate outside.
Grade 2 winner Bern Identity, Gulfstream Park Derby scorer Itsmyluckyday and Kentucky Jockey Club third-placer
Dewey Square add further
depth to what promises to be a dynamite race.