Backtalk

FREE FIGHTER HEADS HOME AFTER LOUISVILLE HANDICAP VICTORY – Louisville Handicap (GIII) winner Free Fighter headed back to his home base at Arlington Park Sunday morning after his upset two-length triumph over Bearpath in the 1 ½-mile marathon.

“He’s good this morning and we are going home,” said Drew Coontz, assistant to trainer Chris Block. “I am not sure what Chris has planned for him next.”

For Coontz, who has brought other Block runners to Churchill Downs the past couple of years, it was his first time to take the winner’s trophy back home.

“This was the first time I got to travel with this horse,” Coontz said. “I was at Tampa this winter with five horses and Free Fighter was at the Fair Grounds with Richie Scherer.”

Another new component of Free Fighter’s trip to Louisville was jockey Francisco Torres who rode the 5-year-old for the first time.

“Francisco got him to settle off the pace and I thought they were a good fit yesterday,” Coontz said. “I thought the horse was very collected in the paddock and he had his mind on business and it paid off.”

Trainer Ian Wilkes also had no immediate plans for Bearpath, who came out of the race in good order. Wilkes did rule out the closing-day one-mile Firecracker (GII), the only remaining graded turf stake for older horses for the meet that ends July 4.

ACOMA TARGETS EARLY TIMES MINT JULEP FOR 2010 DEBUT – There may not be a thoroughbred racehorse who loves Churchill Downs more than Acoma.

Helen C. Alexander and Helen K. Groves’ 5-year-old regally bred daughter of Empire Maker out of the Danzig mare Aurora never has lost beneath the Twin Spires, winning twice on the dirt and three times on grass.

So, it is fitting that trainer David Carroll plans to launch Acoma’s 2010 campaign than at Churchill Downs. Based on her perfect record under the Twin Spires, it is hard to imagine a better place to get Carroll’s stable star rolling.

“We are looking forward to getting her started back,” Carroll said. “The Beverly D. is our big goal for the summer.”

The $750,000 Beverly D. (GI) at Arlington Park will be run Aug. 21, and the road there for Acoma begins in the $100,000-added Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) on June 5 at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course. Acoma won the race last year.

Acoma closed out 2009 with a win in the Cardinal Handicap (GIII), her fourth Churchill Downs stakes triumph. After that November victory, she received a long break.

“She did not go to Payson Park (in Florida) until mid January and we didn’t get her back in the barn until the first of April,” Carroll said of Acoma, who has strung together a consistent work pattern since April 12. “She is a bigger, heavier filly this year and is doing fantastic.”

Acoma has compiled a career record of 14-8-1-2 with earnings of $665,999. She has won six graded stakes; four on turf and two on dirt.

OXBOW RACING’S FLAT OUT BACK IN TRAINING – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out, who briefly jumped onto the 2009 Kentucky Derby trail with a victory in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, is back in training after being sidelined by injury.

“He’s galloping on the farm in Paris and hopefully he will be here by the end of the meet,” trainer Scooter Dickey said. “We hope to have a fall campaign with him.”

Flat Out came to Churchill Downs last spring after a sixth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (GII) but still with designs on running in the Kentucky Derby. However, less than two weeks before the Run for the Roses, it was discovered Flat Out had a stress fracture in his shoulder.

“That has healed, but then he had a problem with quarter cracks,” Dickey said. “The foot separated from the wall this spring and they have just let the foot grow back. He looks good at the farm.”

BARN TALK – Lady Luck had not been on the side of trainer Bill Connelly the past two Spring Meets here. After Berlioz won Saturday’s fifth race for his second victory of the meet, it appears Lady Luck has changed barns. “You just can’t figure it out. It can drive you crazy sometimes,” said Connelly, who has five winners from 10 starters with an additional second and third. Last spring, Connelly had only one winner from 24 starters and in 2008 notched three winners from 40 starters. “Check the seconds in 2008,” Connelly said with a wry grin. “I think I had 13 that meet.” Sure enough, 13 seconds and six thirds to give Connelly a better than 50 percent in-the-money mark. “You’ve just got to go on.” …

Silverfoot may have not have achieved a fourth Louisville Handicap victory on Saturday in finishing eighth, but his half-sister did find the winner’s circle. Chrysalis Stables’ Silver La Belle, a 3-year-old daughter of Langfuhr, broke her maiden in her fourth start for trainer Dallas Stewart. Silverfoot, now 10 and winner of the Louisville Handicap in 2004, 2005 and 2006, is a son of With Approval.

WORK TAB – Two runners from the Kentucky Derby were on the Sunday work tab, topped by ninth-place finisher Mission Impazible who breezed a half-mile in :47.80. That move by the Todd Pletcher-trained winner of the Louisiana Derby (GII) was the fourth fastest of 59 at the distance. Backtalk, 20th in the Derby, worked the same distance for trainer Tom Amoss in :50:60, 42nd fastest of the morning over a fast track. Other works of note included the return to the tab of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf winner Tapitsfly who worked three furlongs in :38.80. Other half-mile works included Lexington (GII) winner Exhi (:49.40), fifth-place Kentucky Oaks (GI) finisher Ailalea (:49.40) and Kentucky Juvenile (GIII) winner Lou Brissie (:50). Five-furlong workers included 2009 Derby Trial winner Hull (1:01.80) and multi graded-stakes winning turf standout Chamberlain Bridge (1:02.40). At the Trackside Training Center, 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land worked five furlongs in :59.20, the fastest of 11 at the distance. Also working five-eighths at Trackside were 14th-place Kentucky Derby finisher Dean’s Kitten (1:00.40) and 12th-place Kentucky Oaks finisher Age of Humor (1:02.20). 

HORSEMEN’S GOLF SCRAMBLE RETURNS ON JUNE 8 – The second annual Horsemen’s Golf Scramble will be held Tuesday, June 8 at the Glenmary Country Club in Fern Creek, Ky., to help raise funds for the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs. The cost of the golf outing is $100 per player with four players to a team. Players will be treated to an 11 a.m. lunch. The 18-hole tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. There will be contests for the longest drive, closest to the pin, and a hole-in-one in which someone could win a 2010 Toyota Corolla from Oxmoor Toyota. Registration is due Friday and entry forms can be found at the Backside Learning Center or by visiting www.derbymusuem.org/backsidelc.

PREAKNESS RUNNER-UP FIRST DUDE BACK AT CHURCHILL, SET FOR NEXT STOP IN BELMONT STAKES – Donald Dizney’s First Dude did not win the second jewel of the Triple Crown, but trainer Dale Romans could not have been much happier had he managed to hold off Lookin At Lucky in Saturday’s $1 million Preakness (Grade I) at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course.

The Churchill Downs-based First Dude sprung from post 11 in a field of 12 3-year-olds in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness to grab the lead and the rail from Super Saver, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), heading into the first turn.  He set strong early fractions under Ramon Dominguez then battled the victorious Lookin At Lucky through the stretch to fall three-quarters of a length short of picking up his second victory in seven starts, but the imposing son of Stephen Got Even immediately established himself as a major contender for the Triple Crown’s final jewel: the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes (GI) on June 5 at Belmont Park.

The connections of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness champ Lookin At Lucky confirmed Sunday that neither horse would run in the Belmont Stakes, so Romans believes First Dude could well be the horse to beat in the big race three weeks down the road.

“I think so, and so does Ramon,” Romans said Sunday.  “The mile and a half should help him.”
    First Dude returned to Churchill Downs on Sunday morning following a flight from Baltimore.  Also on the plane was stablemate Paddy O’Prado, Donegal Racing’s third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 who finished sixth in Saturday’s Preakness.

Romans said the Belmont is the clear goal for First Dude, while the immediate future is less clear for Paddy O’Prado, a versatile winner on turf and synthetic surfaces who did not fire at Pimlico.

“He came out of it good,” said Romans of Paddy O’Prado.  “I’ll talk with Jerry (Donegal Racing managing partner Jerry Crawford) later in the day and see what we want to do with him.”

The Preakness bid by First Dude, while it fell just short, served as validation for high hopes Romans and his staff has held for the colt since his arrival in the barn.

"We are proud of him,” Romans said.  “We kept thinking all along that he was this kind of horse, but he just had circumstances that kept him from running a big, big race.  Finally nothing went wrong and he put it all together and he got beat by a champion.”

OTHER BELMONT HOPES AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – With word that neither Super Saver nor Lookin At Lucky would compete in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, a large field of contenders is beginning to take shape for the June 5 race at Belmont Park.

First Dude is one of at least four Churchill Downs-based horses that could run in the Belmont.  The others include the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Dublin, Robert Baker and William Mack’s son of Afleet Alex who finished fifth in the Preakness following a horrible start; Thomas and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) and eighth in the Kentucky Derby; and Richard, Elaine and Bert Klein’s Stay Put, a winner of an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Trainer Steve Margolis said the Louisville-based Klein family is, at this point, pointing Stay Put toward the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

“We’ve been talking about it over the last week or 10 days,” Margolis said of Stay Put’s Belmont bid.  “As long has he stays healthy and well, he’s got two more breezes and we’re gonna go.”

Stay Put, a homebred son of Broken Vow, has won three of seven career starts, but finished fifth in both the Louisiana Derby (GII) and the Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds in his only efforts in stakes competition.

“There’ll be some tough horses in there in (Derby runner-up) Ice Box, (Dwyer winner) Fly Down and (Dwyer runner-up) Drosselmeyer,” Margolis said of the Belmont.  “But we’re running good, and as long as we stay healthy and good and are training good, we’ve got to take a shot.”

BLAME BOUND FOR STEPHEN FOSTER FOLLOWING RETURN VICTORY IN PIMLICO’S SCHAEFFER – Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame looked like a horse with a big future when he whipped older rivals to win Churchill Downs’ Clark Handicap (GII) as a 3-year-old in late November.

The anticipated return to racing by the now 4-year-old homebred son of Arch did nothing to diminish those expectations when Blame rolled to an easy 1 ½-length victory in Saturday’s William Donald Schaefer Handicap (GIII) on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico on Saturday.  With that successful return to competition behind the colt, trainer Al Stall Jr. will now point Blame to his next goal: a run in the $600,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on June 12 at Churchill Downs.

“He’s a good horse and it’s really good to get that one under his belt,” Stall said.  “It was definitely time for him to go run, and you just don’t know what’s going to happen.  Sometimes they don’t come back like you think and sometimes they’re not as ready as you think they are, so there was a little more anxiety than in a regular race.”

That case of race-day nerves aside, Stall said Blame had blossomed during his training over the synthetic Polytrack course at Keeneland in recent weeks and he felt the colt was ready for a good effort.

“In the last three or four weeks he just really let you know that it was time,” Stall said.  “He’s a great looking horse, but he really just started looking phenomenal.  He just was really good to go.”

Now Stall will focus completely on the 1 1/8-mile Foster, a race in which Blame is expected to face the likes of defending winner Macho Again and Alysheba (GIII) Arson Squad.

"We’ve got four weeks, to the day almost, to the Foster,” said Stall.  “I can map out sort of a simple schedule to get him there.  It gives you something to get out of bed for, that’s for sure.”

The Schaeffer victory improved Blame’s career record to 6-1-2 in nine races – including a 2-1-0 slate in three starts at Churchill Downs, which will also be the host track for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6.  Blame has earned $676,747.

THISKYHASNOLIMIT IMPRESSES IN RETURN TO RACING IN MATT WINN – He had been on the sidelines for a good while, but a sharp victory Bob and Cathy Zollars and Mark Wagner’s Thiskyhasnolimit in Saturday’s ninth running of Churchill Downs’ $108,000 Matt Winn Stakes had it look as if the colt had never been away.

The 3-year-old son of Sky Mesa, away from racing since late November, rallied from fourth and wore down favored Cool Bullet to win the seven furlong race for 3-year-olds by three-quarters of a length.  He covered the distance over a fast track in 1:22.29.

The victory by Thisskyhasnolimit was the third in the Matt Winn for trainer Steve Asmussen, but, despite the long layoff, it came as no surprise to assistant Scott Blasi, who oversees Asmussen’s Churchill Downs stable.

"He had been training like a bear,” Blasi said Sunday morning.  “The way he was training I would have surprised if he hadn’t won.”

Thiskyhasnolimit had not run since a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) on Nov. 28 – a race won by WinStar Farm’s future Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

"We just gave him some time,” said Blasi.  “I don’t remember any specific problem.  He was just a big, immature colt   He’s doing good this morning.  Steve will get together with the owners and we’ll see where we go next with him.”

The victory improved the winner’s career record to 3-1-1 in seven races and increased his career earnings to $204,439.

While disappointed by the loss, trainer Steve Margolis was upbeat about the effort by Robert and Lawana Low and Winmore LLC’s Cool Bullet,

“The horse ran a big race and got a great trip,” Margolis said.  “He fought on game, but the other horse just had a little more.”

It was the second consecutive runner-up finish in the Winn for Margolis, who saddled Richard, Elaine and Bert Klein’s Cash Refund for a second place Winn finish behind Capt. Candyman Can in its 2009 renewal.d

Margolis said Cool Bullet could run next in the $175,000 Jersey Shore Breeders’ Cup (GIII) on July 4 at Monmouth Park.

BARN TALK – Gold Mark Farms LLC’s Backtalk returned to serious training on Sunday following his run in the Kentucky Derby.  The Tom Amoss trainee, who finished last in the Derby field of 20 3-year-olds, breezed four furlongs over a fast track in :51.80. … Owner/trainer Tom McCarthy said Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) winner General Quarters is scheduled to work on Monday, but McCarthy is keeping an eye on the weather and the plan could change because of track conditions.  General Quarters has now won Grade I races on turf and synthetic surfaces.  He took the 2009 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland before running 10th over the main track at Churchill Downs in the 135th Kentucky Derby (GI).

Gold Mark Farm’s Backtalk charged past Flatter Than Me inside the sixteenth pole to win the 108th running of the $110,500 Bashford Manor Stakes (GIII) for 2-year-olds by a length at Churchill Downs on Friday.

            Ridden by Miguel Mena and trained by Tom Amoss, Backtalk covered the six furlongs on a fast main track in 1:11.08 in defeating seven rivals. The victory was worth $66,455 and increased Backtalk’s earnings to $90,095 for two wins in two starts.

            Soundman, ridden by Jamie Theriot, was quickest out of the gate and led the field through the first quarter-mile in :21.98 and the half-mile in :45.84 with Flatter Than Me in closest pursuit under Robby Albarado. Mena had Backtalk about five lengths off the lead racing in a pack with Grand Slam Andre and Brassy Boy.

Entering the stretch, Flatter Than Me surged past Soundman. Mena angled Backtalk out from behind Flatter Than Me and squeezed by on the inside of Grand Slam Andre for clear sailing to draw clear and give Amoss his second victory in the race to go with Lone Star Sky’s triumph in 2002.

Backtalk is a son of 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones out of the Affirmed mare Apasionata Sonata and a half-brother to graded stakes winner Bsharpsonata. With the victory, Backtalk became the first U.S. graded stakes winner for Smarty Jones.

Backtalk returned payoffs of $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20. Flatter Than Me paid $3.60 and $3.20 in finishing 1 ½ lengths ahead of Brassy Boy, who paid $4 to show under Corey Lanerie. Completing the field in order were Grand Slam Andre, Soundman, Westrock Gold, Vito Filitto and Even Wilder.

Racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT). Highlighting the card will be the 19th running of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap (Grade II) featuring defending champion Thorn Song in the eight-horse lineup. The Firecracker goes as Race 10 with a 5:29 p.m. post time.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE BASHFORD MANOR

TOM AMOSS, trainer of BACKTALK (winner)

            “I really thought that the extra distance going to six furlongs would be a benefit to him based on how he ran the first time. Around the turn, I wasn’t so sure that he was into it. A lot of that is education and the fact that it was only his second start. When he got out of tight quarters and when he was in the clear you saw him spurt and I think that’s a real positive sign for the future and more distance. We’ll see where it leads us.”

            Q: He had to overcome a lot today . . .

            “It was a rough trip. He stumbled out of the gate and he was in tight quarters and had to bull his way through down the lane. I was watching it live and . . . I hoped the trip was clean enough and that we didn’t have a problem. Fortunately, it was. Look, this was a great learning experience for him and it will help him moving forward.”

            Q: Is his large size a benefit when in tight quarters?

            “It had to. You know, to get in there and make room for himself, his size has to be a big part of it.

“You know Smarty Jones was the first Derby winner that I asked a trainer if I could come see him. I did that the day after the [2004 Kentucky] Derby. I went in the stall with him and he was much more refined than this horse. This horse is a much bigger horse than Smarty Jones was. But that’s about the only thing they got in common.

“Smarty Jones needed a good horse and hopefully this is it.”

Q: What’s next?

“Oh, I don’t know. We’ll sit down together as a team and make some decisions together.”

MIGUEL MENA, jockey of BACKTALK (winner)

            “My horse stumbled out of the gate, but luckily he got on his feet. I was kind of worried because he was running so green between horses. He has so much talent and when I asked him to run he really gave it to me and responded very well. He is such a great horse. He is going to keep learning and have a bright future.”

MERRILL SCHERER, trainer of FLATTER THAN ME (runner-up)

“He ran good, but the winner is an unbeaten horse – you never know what he is.”

Q: What will you do with Flatter Than Me?

“I’ll take him to Saratoga and try ‘em.  You might as well get beat by the best.  He deserves a chance against those horses.”

ROBBY ALBARADO, jockey on FLATTER THAN ME (runner-up)

“He ran a great race.  He’s got a lot of potential to be a very nice horse.  He’s fast enough and he rates kindly.  He’s got all the keys to be a good one.”

Q: Were you surprised that he rated so well – he showed so much speed in his earlier races?

“He’s a deceptive horse for as big as he is.  If he can harness some of that speed I think he’ll go a lot further and be a better horse.”

Q: Did you think Flatter Than Me was a winner in upper stretch?

“Oh yeah, no doubt – when I kicked for home I thought he was a winner.  That’s taking nothing away from the winner – he’s a very nice horse.  He’s a very nice Smarty Jones colt – and Smarty Jones liked this track.”

HAL WIGGINS, trainer of BRASSY BOY (third)

“I think he’s going to be OK.  He might be a step below these.  I thought (Tom) Amoss’ horse (Backtalk) ran a big, big race, and Merrill (Scherer)’s horse (Flatter Than Me) run a big race – he broke bad last time and I thought he would run good.  Amoss’ horse finished very, very strong –- he’s gonna be the horse that comes out of this bunch, I believe.”

Q: What will you do with Brassy Boy now?

“I don’t know – we might give him a little break.  I’ll kind of look around and see.  The little colt tried.  He was closer earlier than I thought he’d be, but Corey (Lanerie) said he’s kind of learning.  He doesn’t know what to do quite yet and he put himself into it a little early, but he’s going to be all right.  We’ll have some fun with him.”

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN, jockey on GRAND SLAM ANDRE (fourth)

“When he broke he made a left-hand turn, but once he straightened up he was good.”

Q: He ran well after that – did you ever think you had a chance after that start?

“Down the backside I got him to the outside and he grabbed the bridle a little bit and was starting to do things the right way.  Even in the middle of the turn, I still had horse and I was sitting on him, but for a young horse it was a lot to overcome.”

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Gold Mark Farm’s Backtalk, an impressive debut winner, and Millsap Stables’ homebred Brassy Boy, unbeaten in two career starts, head a field of nine 2-year-olds entered for  Friday’s 108th running of the Bashford Manor (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

    The six-furlong test on the main track will be the 10th race on Friday’s 11-race card that opens with a 2:45 p.m. (all times EDT) first post time. Post time for the Bashford Manor is 7:24 p.m.

    A $250,000 purchase as a yearling, Backtalk rallied wide from off the pace to win at first asking by 2 ¾ lengths over nine rivals in a five-furlong race on June 11. Backtalk is from the second crop of foals by 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones and a half-brother to graded stakes winner Bsharpsonata.

    Tom Amoss, who trained 2002 Bashford Manor winner Lone Star Sky, trains Backtalk, who tuned up for the Bashford Manor with a half-mile work in :50 on Tuesday over a fast track. Miguel Mena will ride Backtalk and break from post position five.

    Brassy Boy broke his maiden for a $30,000 claiming tag going 4 ½ furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 29.  He then won a five-furlong allowance test on June 11 over a strong field that included Bashford Manor rivals Soundman and Flatter Than Me.

    Trained by Hal Wiggins, Brassy Boy is an Arkansas-bred by Storm and a Half out of the Dixie Brass mare Brass Doll. Brassy Boy, who worked three furlongs in :36.80 on Tuesday morning, is the fifth foal of Brass Doll and a full brother to stakes winners Brassie Prince and Doll and a Half.

    Corey Lanerie, who won the 2007 Bashford Manor aboard Kodiak Kowboy, has the call on Brassy Boy, who will break from post three under top weight of 120 pounds.

    Soundman, who has a record of 1-1-1 in three races, is one of two Bashford Manor contenders trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer who has won the Bashford Manor a record five times.  Lukas will also saddle Westrock Gold.

    Two other trainers with multiple Bashford Manor wins, Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher, will shoot for their third victories in the race. Asmussen sends out Grand Slam Andre and Pletcher will be represented by Mission Impazible.

    The field for the Bashford Manor, from the rail out, is as follows: Grand Slam Andre (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118 pounds), Westrock Gold (Julien Leparoux, 118), Brassy Boy (Corey Lanerie, 120), Mission Impazible (John Velazquez, 118), Backtalk (Miguel Mena, 118), Even Wilder (Jon Court, 116), Soundman (Jamie Theriot, 118), Vito Filitto (Calvin Borel, 116) and Flatter Than Me (Robby Albarado, 118).