Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Baffert juggling schedules

Another trainer with a barn full of top 3-year-olds to juggle is Bob Baffert. The Hall of Famer said Tuesday that 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky could make his season debut in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on March 13. Baffert had previously been leaning strongly toward the San Felipe, the same day at Santa Anita, but now seems to prefer getting Lookin at Lucky on dirt as soon as possible. The colt is 5-for-6 lifetime, with his only loss by a head in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.


Stablemate Conveyance won the Southwest on Saturday at Oaklawn, a prep that usually leads into the Rebel and Arkansas Derby. But there's no conflict, as Baffert would like to give the unbeaten son of Indian Charlie more time between starts.


One unconventional possibility would be heading to the $2 million UAE Derby on March 27 at Dubai's new Meydan Racecourse. Conveyance is owned by Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed al-Maktoum's Zabeel Racing, making international competition attractive. If the colt remains in the United States, he would likely head to the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3, or skip the Rebel and head straight to the April 10 Arkansas Derby.


Another Baffert trainee headed out of California is Tiz Chrome, fourth in the Robert B. Lewis. The colt will make his next start in the March 6 Gotham at Aqueduct.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

On - and off - the Derby trail

The last couple of days have been full of news - and not all of it good - about this year's Kentucky Derby hopefuls.


Winslow Homer, winner of the Grade III Holy Bull just over a week ago, is off the Derby trail with a stress fracture. According to owner Rick Porter, the injury is not career-threatening and the colt should return to training in early April. The son of Unbridled's Song has won all three of his starts at three different tracks, and was being pointed to the Fountain of Youth later this month.


Champion 2-year-old Lookin at Lucky returned to the racetrack this morning after spending the weekend getting over a slight illness that included a temperature. The early Derby favorite hasn't started since winning the CashCall Futurity in early December; trainer Bob Baffert plans to start the colt in California in March, but no race has been selected yet.


Dublin, winner of the Grade I Hopeful at Saratoga last summer, is looking fit and ready for his 3-year-old debut. The son of Afleet Alex breezed a strong six furlongs in 1:14 at Oaklawn this morning, still showing some immaturity but overtaking two workmates easily enough in the stretch. The move was the best of six at the distance. Terry Thompson was aboard and will keep the mount on Dublin for the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 15, the first of two preps leading up to the Arkansas Derby in April.


Yesterday morning at Santa Anita, two well-regarded colts turned in their final works for this weekend's Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Tiz Chrome zipped five furlongs in 59.20; the Baffert-trained son of Tiznow is 2-for-2 lifetime, including a win in the Stuka Stakes in December. The same morning, American Lion covered the same distance in a minute flat. Eoin Harty trains this colt, also by Tiznow, who won the Grade III Hollywood Prevue in November and has been freshened for this.


In Oaks news, Steve Asmussen had two of his newly turned 3-year-old fillies out on the track this morning at the Fair Grounds, as Dashing Debby went a half in 50.40 and Hot Dixie Chick went the same in 51.20. Hot Dixie Chick won the Schuylerville and Spinaway at Saratoga last summer, but hasn't started since the latter. Dashing Debby, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, broke her maiden in the JJ's Dream Stakes at Calder last July and was privately purchased by Jess Jackson - who also owns another Medaglia d'Oro filly you may have heard of - but she's finished poorly in two stakes since. Both fillies recently returned to work after getting the winter off.

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