Frammento tours half-mile, hopes to get into Kentucky Derby field

Frammento tours half-mile, hopes to get into Kentucky
Derby field

Frammento is currently 23rd on the Derby points scoreboard (Keeneland/Coady Photography) Mossarosa’s Frammento (Midshipman), currently on the bubble for the Kentucky Derby (G1), breezed an easy half-mile on his own after the morning renovation break at Keeneland Thursday. Under Sophie Doyle, the Nick Zito trainee left from the three-eighths pole, covered the first three furlongs in :38 3/5, and completed his half-mile tour on the fast track in :51 1/5. “I just want to keep things easy,” Zito said of Frammento, who stands 23rd on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 20 points obtained with a third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and a fourth in the Blue Grass (G1). The top 20 point earners that pass the entry box secure a spot in the gate for the $2 million race on May 2. “Judging by all the calls I am getting from (jockey) agents, I think we are going to get in,” Zito said. “If, say, by next Saturday the 25th it doesn’t look like he will make it, we will go straight to the Preakness ([G1] on May 16) and then to the Belmont ([G1] on June 6).”

Zito, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1991 with Strike the Gold and in 1994
with Go for Gin, said Frammento likely would work again here on Saturday, April
25. Frammento already has experience at Churchill Downs having raced and trained
there last fall.

“He is a true distance horse. After the Blue Grass, (jockey) Gary (Stevens)
assured me this was a top horse,” Zito said. “I put Sophie on him today because
she reminds me a lot of Max (Maxine Correa), who works a lot of my horses.

“Juan (Bernardini) gets on him every morning and I just wanted to do a little
something different today.”

Early Thursday morning at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender
Angela Renee (Bernardini) worked a half-mile in company in :47 3/5.

With exercise rider Patti Krotenko aboard, Siena Farm’s colorbearer posted
fractions of :13, :25, galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 and six furlongs
in 1:13 while working on even terms with Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat).

Second in Keeneland’s Madison (G1) on April 4, Stopchargingmaria is being
pointed to the $300,000 La Troienne (G1) at Churchill on May 1.

“I got her in :48 flat and was very happy with the way she did it,” trainer
Todd Pletcher said about Angela Renee. “She is typically a good training filly.
She has bounced out of both of her races this year really well, especially this
one.”

Winner of the Chandelier (G1) last fall at Santa Anita and fourth in the
Rachel Alexandra (G3) in her 2015 debut at Fair Grounds, Angela Renee was most
recently second in the Ashland (G1). She could give Pletcher his third Oaks
victory. His previous winners were Rags to Riches in 2007
and Princess of Sylmar in 2013.

Pletcher said John Velazquez would have the mount in the Oaks. Angela Renee
is scheduled to ship to Churchill on Tuesday, April 21. Pletcher said the
filly’s final Oaks work most likely would be Friday, April 24.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com