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Wise Dan, Groupie Doll remain on course for BC
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| Wise Dan (left) covered significantly more ground than the victorious Silver Max, according to Trakus
(Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos) |
Trainer Charlie LoPresti said reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan came out of
his runner-up effort in Saturday's Shadwell Turf Mile in good order and is
pointing toward a defense of his title in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile at
Santa Anita on November 2."Those were not ideal conditions yesterday," LoPresti said of the race that
came off the turf and was run at 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack after Keeneland
was hit by 1 1/2 inches of rain in less than two hours. "I was a little
disappointed that he lost, but he never stopped trying and was gaining on the
winner (Silver Max)."
Wise Dan, breaking from the outside post in the 10-horse field, was bumped
going into the first turn, floated wide and raced far off the rail the entire
race in finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Silver Max.
"I looked at the Trakus (stats) after the race and it showed he ran 40 feet
farther than the winner," LoPresti said. "That computes to losing about four
lengths."
Owned by Morton Fink, Wise Dan will do the bulk of his training for the
Breeders' Cup at the Lexington, Kentucky, track.
"We will make sure he is OK for the Breeders' Cup and go out on the 29th (of
October)," LoPresti said of a schedule that is similar to last year when Wise
Dan shipped to California the middle of Breeders' Cup week.
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Finishing third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Wise Dan was Willcox Inn, who earned
$75,000 and pushed his career earnings past the million-dollar mark to
$1,014,543. Trainer Mike Stidham was pleased with the effort from the
five-year-old son of Harlan's Holiday who races for Lael Stable and All In
Stable.
"He'd just won the Washington Park Handicap on the Poly so it actually played
in our favor to move to the Poly because he does not like soft turf, so I was
hoping for it," Stidham said, referring to Willcox Inn's victory on August 31 at
Arlington Park. "(Jockey) James (Graham) sat back -- they were going pretty fast
up front. He kicked in and made a nice run down the stretch to pick up third
money."
Stidham said Willcox Inn is nominated to the Fayette on closing day, October
26.
"We'll look at that for sure," he said.
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| Groupie Doll (right) will look to gain revenge on Judy the Beauty back on dirt
(Keeneland/Coady Photography) |
Wesley Ward was all smiles Sunday morning following the first graded stakes
victory by his Judy the Beauty in Saturday's Thoroughbred Club of America."The filly is doing good and the owner-trainer is doing better," Ward said.
"This is her home track and that home-court advantage is big in all sports."
Never worse than third in 11 previous starts, Judy the Beauty had placed in six
graded stakes before breaking through Saturday under John Velazquez, who rode
her for the first time.
"She ran very well for Johnny," Ward said. "The mount is his for as long as he
wants it."
The victory earned Judy the Beauty a berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly
& Mare Sprint to be run November 2 at Santa Anita.
Like Wise Dan, Judy the Beauty will do all of her major Breeders' Cup
preparation at Keeneland, Ward said.
"Last year, I shipped her out to Hollywood Park two weeks early," Ward said.
"She worked in :59, but she bled and I shipped her back home the next day. I
like to ship in right on top of the race, so we will stay here and go on the
last plane out there (the week of the Breeders' Cup)."
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Trainer and part-owner Buff Bradley said champion Groupie Doll returned to
Churchill Downs after finishing third in the Thoroughbred Club of America
and remains on track to defend her title in the seven-furlong Filly & Mare
Sprint.
"She's tired, but she had to run the whole way yesterday," Bradley said of
Groupie Doll, who finished 1 3/4 lengths behind Judy the Beauty. "That was not her
typical race yesterday. Usually she is just getting started the first quarter of
a mile, but yesterday she was in against a couple of Polytrack professionals (in
Judy the Beauty and Gypsy Robin).
"I was more concerned about yesterday's race than the Breeders' Cup," he added.
"Six furlongs is not her best distance and I think she is better on dirt. She
shows brilliance on the dirt and on the Polytrack, she has run some good races
and won a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 there."
Bradley has scheduled one work for Groupie Doll on October 19 and plans
to ship her to Santa Anita on October 22.
In other Breeders' Cup postscripts from Keeneland:
Byron Hughes, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said Ken and Sarah
Ramsey's We Miss Artie came out of his victory in Saturday's Breeders' Futurity
very well and that the colt will remain at Keeneland for the near future.
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| We Miss Artie will work on the Santa Anita dirt before deciding whether to go in the Juvenile or Juvenile Turf
(Keeneland/Coady Photography) |
The victory earned We Miss Artie a berth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup
Juvenile on November 2, but Hughes said no decision has been made as to whether
We Miss Artie would run in the Juvenile or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Turf on November 1.Pletcher told the NYRA publicity team that he plans to send We Miss Artie to
Santa Anita to breeze on the dirt for a possible start in the Breeders' Cup
Juvenile.
Regarding other Breeders' Futurity starters, trainer Ken McPeek said a decision
would be made in the next few days regarding a possible Breeders' Cup run by
Shortleaf Stable's Arctic Slope, who closed from last to finish third.
"Anytime you can run third in a race like that you have to be happy," said
McPeek, noting that Arctic Slope returned to Churchill Downs after the race.
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Trainer Mark Casse said Conquest Stables' Conquest Titan, the fifth-place
finisher in the Breeders' Futurity as the third choice, came out of the race
fine and returned to Churchill Downs, where he will be pointed to the $175,000
Kentucky Jockey Club at 1 1/16 miles on November 30.
Silverton Hill's homebred Havelock won his third Keeneland graded stakes Saturday with his last-to-first run to win the 5
1/2-furlong Woodford for the second time.
"He is doing well this morning," trainer Darrin Miller said of Havelock, who
returned to the Trackside Training Center in Louisville after his victory. "He
just loves Keeneland."
Saturday's victory enabled Havelock to join Silver Timber in 2010 as the only
horse to win the Shakertown and Woodford in the same year.
Miller said a decision on a possible Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint run at about 6
1/2 furlongs for
Havelock rests with owners Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton. Havelock finished 14th in
the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in 2011 when the race was run at
five furlongs.
"There are not a lot of races for him here and I won't run him five-eighths at
Churchill," Miller said. "We've tried that before."
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