|
|
Walkwithapurpose looks for home-court advantage in Black-Eyed Susan
Walkwithapurpose, a bay daughter of Candy Ride, took a five-race win streak into the Gazelle on April 6 at Aqueduct, her first race outside of Maryland. Despite some early trouble, she raced near the lead before drifting wide in the stretch and finishing third, beaten seven lengths. "The saddle slipped coming out of the gate," trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Correas said. "I don't know what she hit or what happened, but it slipped. It was the first time she was going a mile and an eighth, the first time going two turns, the first time for a lot of stuff. "Being locals, we are home, so she already has experience over the track. I think that's a different thing. There's some very good competitors in the race, but it should be better this time. She's been doing very good." Though Walkwithapurpose has never raced at Pimlico, she has trained daily over the track since Correas moved his string from Laurel Park in late March, including a bullet half-mile breeze in :47 2/5 on last Friday. "Compared to the way she went into the Gazelle, I would say she is more comfortable now here at Pimlico," Correas said. "We moved from Laurel to Pimlico like 15 days before the Gazelle, and she didn't really enjoy the change that much. But, now, she feels at home again, and she's training really good." Third in her debut last September at Timonium, Walkwithapurpose reeled off three straight wins to end her two-year-old season, capped by an eight-length romp in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship December 31 at Laurel Park. This year, she extended her win streak to five with victories in the Wide Country Stakes and the Caesar's Wish Stakes, both at Laurel, by 14 1/4 lengths combined. "We knew that she had talent. I cannot tell you that from the get-go I knew she was going to be the kind of filly that she is," Correas said. "I said after the Maryland (JFC) that we will point to the Black-Eyed Susan, because she hinted enough at that point to think that it was doable. I think we are participating in this race in a good spot. She could be here and not be as good as she is, but she is a very, very nice filly." Founded in 1925, Sagamore Farm was brought to prominence by A.G. Vanderbilt during more than five decades under his guidance, ending in 1986. In 2007, the farm was purchased by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, a native of Maryland. "I think it would be a dream come true for all of us," Correas said of a Black-Eyed Susan victory. "For Kevin, he's a big fan of Maryland, so it would be an honor. For us, it's a very big race. This is only the second crop that we bred. The fact that we are there already makes the farm proud, and being there with a shot. Winning would be a cherry on the top."
Fiftyshadesofhay is coming off a third-place finish in the Santa Anita Oaks and has hit the board in all three of her starts against graded company. Joel Rosario will pick up the mount. Manuka Honey, runner-up in the Fantasy over a sloppy Oaklawn Park track last month, prepared for Friday's race with a five-furlong work in :59 3/5 at Belmont on Monday. Two starts back, the John Terranova trainee romped in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs. Other contenders include Marathon Lady, who just missed in the Bourbonette Oaks two back and was most recently third in the Fantasy; stakes winner Lady Banks, who aims to rebound off a pair of poor performances; and stakes debutante Maracuya, who steps up in class after winning her first two career starts. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
