Kentucky Notebook

KENTUCKY NOTEBOOK

MAY 5, 2005

by

Dick Powell

Keeneland closed its 2005 Spring Meet on a rainy Friday but, despite the

gloom, the overall meet went well. When the weather was good, record crowds came

out and attendance records were set for the Blue Grass S. (G1) and Ashland S.

(G1) days.

One negative was out-of-state betting handle, which dropped drastically due to Keeneland

management's decision to

deny selected rebate shops their signal. The final handle numbers could force

management to consider letting the controversial rebate shops back for the Fall

Meet.

Top-class racing and high purses usually lead to Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez

prospering and this year's Spring Meet was no exception. Pletcher won a

remarkable 16 races from only 41 starters, a tremendous batting average of

39 percent. Nick Zito won 10 races from 35 starters (29 percent), and Carl Nafzger

enjoyed a

strong meet with seven wins from 24 starters (29 percent).

Velazquez won 21 races from 61 starts for an incredible 34 percent success

rate. Rafael Bejarano was next with 19 winners from 99 starts (19 percent), and Robby Albarado and James Graham represented Fair Grounds well with 13 and 12 winners, respectively.

After losing by a neck as the 7-10 favorite in her career debut at Gulfstream

Park, TALENTED (Fusaichi Pegasus) figured to be a heavy favorite in Wednesday's finale at Keeneland.

Her last start wound up being the fastest six-furlong race (1:09 1/5) for

maidens during the Gulfstream meet, and Pletcher could have just

as easily entered her against winners instead of remaining in maiden special

weight company.

With $50,000 maiden races at Keeneland, it made sense to stay at the same

level and Talented went off as the 1-5 favorite. She jogged

to an eight-length win, covering the six furlongs in 1:11.29 without any

encouragement from Velazquez. Too bad there isn't a future bet for

the Test S. (G1) at Saratoga.

The race also had an unusual betting pattern with the gap between the favorite

and the second choice, Sanibel Breeze (Exploit), being as large as I have ever

seen. Talented was sent off at odds of 0.20 to 1, and Sanibel Breeze was the next

betting choice at 9.70 to 1. That is a huge gap between the top two choices,

especially in a 10-horse field. Amazingly, the exacta came back a generous

$11.80. Who says you can't make money with short prices?

On Friday, Pletcher unveiled SUCCESSFUL ROMANCE (Successful Appeal) in

a 4 1/2-furlong event for juvenile fillies. She was hard used from the rail to

keep up after the break and battled for the lead until the top of the stretch

when she began to draw

off in handy fashion. The New Jersey-bred won by 8 1/2 lengths and stopped the

teletimer in

:52.42, one of the fastest times for the distance this meet. With a pedigree

heavily tilted toward speed, Successful Romance should have a busy summer campaign before the

races get longer. 

MACAW (Bluebird) drew in from the also-eligibles list in Friday's Elkhorn

S. (G3) and made the competition pay. The one-dimensional closer and soft

turf course specialist rallied from dead last in a field of 12, looping the

field 10 wide at the top of the stretch to win going away over a tough group of

senior citizen turf marathoners. Javier Castellano has become a premier turf

rider and negotiated his rally perfectly to win as much the best. He saved

ground early and was willing to go wide as long as it meant clear sailing.

Churchill Downs unveiled their completed facility on Saturday to rave reviews.

They spent a lot of money but plan on getting it all back each year on Kentucky Oaks

(G1) and

Kentucky Derby (G1) days. Throughout Saturday's racecard, wide closers had an edge with

inside speed bogging down, especially in the stretch. In the Derby Trial (G3),

DON'T GET MAD (Stephen Got Even) came from far back with a brilliant last

quarter to win going away in the good time of 1:36.16.

With some recent defections, both Don't Get Mad and stablemate Greeley's

Galaxy (Mr. Greeley) are in the top 20 of graded stakes earnings and owner B.

Wayne Hughes will now be represented by both. Running back a week later is a

major training faux pas these days, but Don't Get Mad showed he liked the

track and can finish well. Trainer Ron Ellis has picked up Tyler Baze since Gary Stevens is signed to

ride Noble Causeway (Giant's

Causeway) in the Run for the Roses.

Speaking of Giant's Causeway, his first crop now includes the winner of

Saturday's Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at Newmarket, Footstepsinthesand, and the

runner-up in Sunday's One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), Maid's Causeway. Giant's

Causeway stands at Ashford along with fellow

first-crop sire Fusaichi Pegasu, who will be represented by Bandini and Andromeda's Hero

in the Kentucky Derby.

Eddie Martin Jr. had a weak (for him) Fair Grounds meet this past season, but

he won 10 races at Keeneland and started Churchill out with a pair of winners

on Saturday. In the 3RD race, he drove BIG LORD NELSON (Boone's Mill) from

far back to just get up at the wire in a game effort then came back to win a

maiden special going a mile for Bobby Frankel when he sent FIRST WORD (Chester

House) to a virtual gate-to-wire victory. The riding colony is going to be tough

at Churchill this meet with the full-time presence of Gary Stevens and Mike

Smith, but Martin bears watching and should represent some pari-mutuel value.

KEENELAND BIAS REPORT

In one-turn races on the main track, eight of 15 (53 percent) winners were either

first or second after a quarter mile was run. On Friday (muddy track), all five

of the winners in one-turn races on the main track were first or second after a

quarter-mile.  In two-turn races on the main track, three of five (60

percent) winners were either first or second following a quarter-mile.

On the turf going two turns, zero of eight first-place finishers were first

or second after the opening quarter-mile. All eight races were run on a course designated as either good

or yielding.

CHURCHILL DOWNS BIAS REPORT

Horses rallying on the outside on the main track did well the first two days of

the meet. In one-turn races, five of 14 (36 percent) winners were

either first or second after a quarter-mile. In two-turn races on the

main track, both winners closed from off the pace.

On the turf going two turns, only one of the five (20 percent) winners were either

first or second after a quarter-mile.

HORSES TO WATCH

Keeneland - Wednesday (4/27)

1ST - OCEAN RIPPLE (Tejano Run) held well for second after setting all the

pace while down on the inside in his two-turn debut. 

2ND - SCATTLE BUD (All Gone) was forced to press the pace five wide after

breaking awkwardly in his first start off the claim by Vickie Foley.

3RD - MOAPPEAL (Successful Appeal) was used hard to make the lead from post

1 when running his first quarter in 21.97 and held until being passed in the final stride.

5TH - GALA REGATTA (Boston Harbor) couldn't hold off two wide closers in the

final furlong but ran well from post 1.

Keeneland - Thursday (4/28)

4TH - GINGHAM AND LACE (Kris S.) was a wide second when pressing a slow

pace in her first start in 320 days.

5TH - ZETETIC (Rahy) was a good second when he surged to the front after

dueling between horses but couldn't repulse the last challenge.

9TH - CRAZY SONG (Unbridled's Song) was extremely wide on both turns in a

very roughly-run turf race.

Keeneland - Friday (4/29)

4TH - LAUREN'S TIZZY (Tiznow) was no match for a Pletcher monster but

rallied nicely for second after a bad break.

6TH - DYNABIN (Dynaformer) broke slowly and then rallied up the inside on a

very sloppy track when making her first start in 162 days.

7TH - DYNAMITE FLYER (Dynafomer) was shuffled back early and then had to rally

nine wide around the far turn while the winner was long gone.

Churchill Downs - Saturday (4/30)

2ND - MODERN MARVEL (Geri) was bumped around at the start and had to rally

extremely wide.

4TH - CHIEF EXPORT (Chief Seattle) was no match for a Frankel winner but ran

well to be second going a mile in good time.

8TH - INDY SNOW (A.P. Indy) rallied strong despite a rough trip and a slow

pace.

Churchill Downs - Sunday (5/1)

1ST - COFFEE HOUSE (Storm Cat) held determinedly after setting a contested

pace before being run down by an odds-on favorite. 

8TH - LUCKY SHERMAN (More Than Ready) was a good third despite flattening out

in the last furlong while making his first start at this level.