Churchil Downs

Anita Cauley’s homebred On Fire Baby became only the seventh filly to sweep Churchill Downs’ fall stakes for 2-year-old fillies when she broke fastest from the gate and never looked back en route to a 6 1/4-length victory over Goldrush Girl in the 68^th running of the $169,350 Golden Rod (Grade II) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Joe Johnson and trained by Gary Hartlage, On Fire Baby clipped off fractions of :24.70, :50.01, 1:14.86 and 1:39.49 before stopping the teletimer in 1:45.98 for 1 1/16 miles over a “fast” main track.

“After the past performances for the race came out, I started looking them over,” Johnson said. “I studied them last night and came in this morning and said, ‘Dog (Gary Hartlage), I can’t read this (Daily) Racing Form.’ And he asked why and I said, ‘I can’t see the speed in this race.’ And he said, “What a coincidence because neither can I.” So the plan was to break and go on with her. When we broke, no one was really gunning for it (the lead), so I took advantage of it and when I called on her to run, she responded. She was very professional today.”

On Oct. 30, On Fire Baby scored her first stakes triumph in the $173,400 Pocahontas for 2-year-old fillies at one mile. Others who completed the Pocahontas-Golden Rod double are Weekend Surprise (1982), Flippers (1983), At the Half (1993), French Park (2005), Pure Clan (2006) and Sassy Image (2009).

The victory was worth $99,747 and increased On Fire Baby’s earnings to $227,329 with a record of 3-0-0 in four starts.

“You saw today how good she is and I think she’s got plenty left in her,” Hartlage said. “When she got away with that kind of a half (mile), I didn’t think she would get beat if she was the horse I thought she was and she did her thing. They let us walk like a dog and she’s just that good. I’ve trained a couple of Grade II winners, but she’s the best one I’ve ever had. In my opinion, she’s one of the top three 2-year-old fillies in the country.”

On Fire Baby is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Smoke Glacken out of the Gilded Time mare Ornate and a half-sister to Grade II stakes winner High Heels. She returned $7.40, $4.40 and $3.40 as the slight 5-2 favorite in the field of 10 two-year-old fillies. Goldrush Gal, ridden by Manny Cruz, closed late to finish second at 29-1 and paid $19.60 and $9.20. Back Spin, at 25-1 with Jon Court aboard, was another three-quarters of a length back in third and returned $11.40.

Golden History, Customer Base, Glinda the Good, Karlovy Vary, Jamraa, Spring Eclipse and Spirited Miss completed the order of finish. Annie Russell was a late scratch.

Hartlage plans to send On Fire Baby to Oaklawn Park where she’ll be prepared for lucrative stakes races this winter.

“We’re nominated to the Kentucky Oaks now and we’ll also nominate her to the Kentucky Derby (Triple Crown),” Hartlage said. “I’m telling you, she is that good.”

The two Golden Rod winners that went on to win the Kentucky Oaks are Silverbulletday (1999) and Rachel Alexandra (2009).

Closing day of the 21-day Fall Meet is Sunday and Churchill Downs will offer free general admission to all patrons and a 2012 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar to the first 5,000 in attendance. The first of 11 races is 12:40 p.m. EST.

GOLDEN ROD QUOTES

Gary Hartlage, trainer of On Fire Baby (winner): “You saw today how good she is and I think she’s got plenty left in her. When she got away with that kind of a half (mile), I didn’t think she would get beat if she was the horse I thought she was and she did her thing. They let us walk like a dog and she’s just that good. I’ve trained a couple of Grade II winners, but she’s the best one I’ve ever had. In my opinion, she’s one of the top three 2-year-old fillies in the country.”

Q. Now you’re nominated to the Kentucky Oaks. Will that be the goal next year? “We’re nominated to the Kentucky Oaks now and we’ll also nominate her to the Kentucky Derby (Triple Crown). I’m telling you, she is that good.”

Joe Johnson, jockey on On Fire Baby (winner): “After the past performances for the race came out, I started looking them over. I studied them last night and came in this morning and said, ‘Dog (Gary Hartlage), I can’t read this Racing Form.’ And he asked why and I said, ‘I can’t see the speed in this race.’ And he said, “What a coincidence because neither can I.” So the plan was to break and go on with her. When we broke, no one was really gunning for it (the lead), so I took advantage of it and when I called on her to run, she responded. She was very professional today.”

Ken McPeek, trainer of Goldrush Girl (runner-up): “She’s a nice filly. She’ll run all day long. She’s still real immature. I was real pleased with the way he (jockey Manny Cruz) rode her. That’s the first time we’ve really had a chance to run her on the dirt, so we’re real happy with her.

“I’m happy for Gary (trainer Gary Hartlage). He’s plugged along a long time in this game and he hasn’t had many clients lately. He deserves a good horse and he certainly has a good horse.”

Manny Cruz, rider of Goldrush Girl (runner-up): “She ran a big race. She sat off the pace and we saved some ground. We made on move and she gave it to me.”

“Jinks” Fires, trainer of Back Spin (third): “We ran well. We took the overland route, but we were last and had to circle. She ran super. There was a slow pace and that doesn’t help when you’re back there and trying to catch everybody. If you’ve got somebody to try and entertain the speed, that helps.”

Q: Gary Hartlage’s horse (On Fire Baby) ran huge … “She did. I was tickled to death to see Gary win it if we didn’t.”

Jon Court, rider of Back Spin (third – note: Court collected his 400^th career win at Churchill Downs earlier in the day): “It’s been a real good day. I knew Churchill had that (400-win) sign. I was just hoping they wouldn’t have to use it next spring. The filly ran good today. She broke, but it wasn’t as quick a pace as I was expecting. She was a little on the muscle behind them wanting to go, but I was able to settle in my position and make that one run, and she got up for third. We’re delighted with that.

“She’s just getting better and better and we hope to go to some of the best spots with her.”

Q: How special was that career milestone to you? “It means a lot. I tried not to think of it too much on the approach, but once I got to it and over it, it seemed to have a bigger impact, and a lot more gratification and appreciation of being at Churchill. A few of the trainers gave me a hard time, saying if I hadn’t gone to California to ride I could have doubled that and beyond, but that’s fine. It’s all in the name of racing and that’s good.”

Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky, a dazzling winner in his Churchill Downs debut, and WinStar Farm LLC’s Gemologist, perfect in two outings at Turfway Park and Churchill Downs, put their spotless racing records on the line Saturday as the promising colts head a field of 11 2-year-olds entered for Saturday’s 85^th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II), the co-featured event on the Stars of Tomorrow II program devoted to juvenile runners at Churchill Downs.

The Kentucky Jockey Club, run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, shares Saturday’s Stars of Tomorrow II marquee with the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII), a race at the same distance for fillies.  Named in honor of the holding company that operated Churchill Downs at the time of the race’s inaugural running in 1920, the Kentucky Jockey Club will be run as race 11 with a scheduled post time  5:12 p.m. (all times EST).  Post time for the day’s first race is 12:40 p.m.

Trained by steeplechase legend Jonathan Sheppard, Ever So Lucky made the much-discussed date of 11.11.11 at Churchill Downs extra memorable with an impressive 3 ¼ length romp under jockey Julien Leparoux in his 6 ½-furlong racing debut. The son of Indian Charlie, the $600,000 sale topper in May at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic auction at Maryland’s Timonium, will break from the rail post under Leparoux in the Kentucky Jockey Club.  Ever So Lucky, a supplemental entry to the race at a cost of $7,500, was installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite by oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

Gemologist, a son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow trained by Todd Pletcher, reeled off strong victories in his racing debut at Turfway Park and an allowance race at the Kentucky Jockey Club distance on the Stars of Tomorrow I program that kicked off the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.  Those efforts prompted Battaglia to install Gemologist as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line and Gemologist will break from post nine under jockey Javier Castellano.

WinStar Farm and Pletcher won the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club with Super Saver, who returned to Churchill Downs the following spring to win the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).  The Derby victory by Super Saver was the first for both WinStar Farm and Pletcher.

Despite the star power of the favorites, the Kentucky Jockey Club is far from a two-horse race as the field includes the  promising New York invader Cyber Secret and stakes veteran Optimizer.

Another unbeaten colt,  Gary and Mary West Stables’ Cyber Secret make his stakes debut in the Kentucky Jockey Club on the heels of a 6 ½-furlong maiden win over a muddy surface on Oct. 20  at New York’s Belmont Park.  Trained by Chad Brown, the Kentucky-bred son of Broken Vow will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan in his stakes debut.  Cyber Secret drew post five and is the 6-1 third choice in Battaglia’s Kentucky Jockey Club morning line.

Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Optimizer, a 2-year-old of English Channel and the 8-1 fourth choice in the Kentucky Jockey Club, which will make his second consecutive start over the main track at Churchill Downs after competing over grass and synthetic surfaces in his first three outings. Trained by Hall of Famer and four-time Kentucky Jockey Club winner D. Wayne Lukas, Optimizer finished eighth behind unbeaten Hansen after breaking from the outside post in a field of 13 in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.   Prior to his Breeders’ Cup run, Optimizer won his debut on the Saratoga turf and was the runner-up to State of Play over the same surface in the With Anticipation (GII).  Lukas’ colt also ran third to Dullahan in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (GI) over Keeneland’s Polytrack.

Optimizer will break from post six under Robby Albarado, who won the 1999 renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club with Captain Steve.

Other stakes veterans in Saturday’s race include Thomas Conway and Mike Maker’s Mr. Prankster and Silverton Hill LLC’s Fine.

Mr. Prankster, trained by co-owner Maker, was the runner-up to longshot Big Wednesday in the $150,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial over the synthetic Tapeta surface on Oct. 1 at Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle Downs.  The son of It’s No Joke, a 10-1 shot in the Kentucky Jockey Club morning line, drew post four and will have Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Edgar Prado in the saddle.

The Bret Calhoun-trained Fine was a distant runner-up to Hansen in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and fourth to Motor City in Churchill Downs’ Iroquois (GIII).  Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride the son of Flatter, who is a 20-1 risk in the morning line and will break from post seven.

The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club, from the rail out (with trainer, jockey and morning line odds), is as follows: Ever So Lucky (Sheppard, Leparoux, 5-2), Africanist (Eddie Kenneally, Corey Lanerie, 10-1), Timely Tally (Ian Wilkes, Calvin Borel, 10-1), Mr. Prankster (Maker, Edgar Prado, 10-1), Cyber Secret (Brown, Bridgmohan, 6-1), Optimizer (Lukas, Albarado, 8-1), Fine (Calhoun, Hernandez, 20-1), Atigun (Ken McPeek, Manny Cruz, 10-1), Gemologist (Pletcher, Castellano, 3-1), Seve (Dale Romans, Mark Guidry, 20-1) and Saint Honore (Nick Zito, Jesus Castanon, 12-1).    

• ALBARADO SAYS MILESTONE CHURCHILL WIN IS “SWEET”
•  COUGAR CAT WORKS FAST, BUT LIKELY TO PASS ARISTIDES
•  BATTLE FOR LEADING RIDER NOW CROWDED AT THE TOP
  

ALBARADO STARTS ON NEXT 700 AT CHURCHILL DOWNS AFTER MILESTONE WIN – Jockey Robby Albarado notched a pair of wins on Thursday’s race card at Churchill Downs, but the second of those felt much better than your average win under the historic Twin Spires.

            Albarado’s win aboard Shive’s Success in Thursday’s 7th race marked his 700th victory at the home of the Kentucky Derby. The 34-year-old native of Lafayette, La. is just the seventh jockey to achieve that milestone in the 134-year history of the track. The others are Pat Day (2,481), Don Brumfield (925), Larry Melancon (898), Jim McKnight (883), Calvin Borel (831) and Charles Woods Jr. (757) in Churchill Downs’ 700-win club. Both Day and Brumfield are members of racing’s Hall of Fame. Melancon, Borel and Woods are current members of the track’s strong jockey colony.

            “That’s a pretty good group to be in,” Albarado said on Friday. “I love those kinds of things. Those guys are fixtures at Churchill Downs, and to be part of that group is pretty sweet.”

            Albarado first arrived at the Louisville track on a full-time basis for the 1996 Spring Meet. He has been among the track’s leading riders since his arrival, but has yet to win a “leading jockey” title at Churchill Downs. His victory aboard Shive’s Success pulled him within a single victory of leading rider Julien Leparoux after 19 days of the 52-day spring racing session. 

            “To be leading rider here would cap off a nice summer,” he said. “I’ve been leading rider at Keeneland, but to win one at Churchill would be something I’d really enjoy and cherish. I’ve been here a long time and I’ve never been leading rider, so that shows you how hard it is to be leading rider at Churchill.”

            Albarado appears to be at the top of his game in every way. His year has included a victory aboard reigning “Horse of the Year” Curlin in the $6 million Dubai World Cup (Grade I) and he has picked up a strong mount for the Belmont Stakes (GI), the third jewel of the Triple Crown, in Mr. and Mrs. William Warren’s Denis of Cork, the third place finisher in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI). 

            He was the regular rider aboard Curlin in the Steve Asmussen trainee’s championship campaign in 2007 that included Albarado’s first victories in the Preakness (GI) – which was also his first Triple Crown win – and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Those efforts made him one of three finalists for the Eclipse Award that honored America’s top jockey of 2007.

            “Things are going pretty good,” said Albarado. “I’ve just got to stay healthy and stay focused.” 

 COUGAR CAT SHARP IN MORNINGS, BUT ARISTIDES BID UNLIKELY – Richland Hills LLC’s Cougar Cat moved closer to his return to competition as the runner-up in last year’s Aristides (GIII) turned in a sizzling work on Friday at Churchill Downs, but it’s unlikely that he’ll make another bid for the stakes race in which he ran so well just a year ago.

The 6-year-old son of Storm Cat breezed five furlongs over a “fast” track in :59.40, which tied with move by the promising 3-year-old filly Secret Gypsy as the fastest move of 16 at the distance. 

The sharp move was welcomed by trainer Ronny Werner, but it did not earn his veteran a spot in the starting gate for this year’s running of the $125,000-added Aristides. That six-furlong race – which will be run on Saturday, May 31 – is expected to lure the likes of Summerplace Farm’s Kelly’s Landing, winner of the 2005 Aristides and runner-up to champion Lost in the Fog the following year; Maggi Moss’ multiple stakes winner Indian Chant, who defeated Kelly’s Landing in an Aristides allowance prep and currently holds the track record time for six furlongs; and Tom Walters’ Elite Squadron and George Bolton, Joan Corrigan and Antony Beck’s Noonmark, the 1-2 finishers in the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII) on Kentucky Derby Day.

“I think we’re going to bypass that race,” said Werner. “He’s been putting up some good works, but I just think he needs to go in a little softer spot. He does like this track and it’s the spot we always wanted, but I think we’d better look for an allowance race to start him back.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Last year at this time Cougar Cat was prepping for an upset bid in the Aristides won by the impressive Fabulous Strike. But Werner’s veteran finished second that day at odds of 23-1. He followed that with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows. He was beaten that day by a rising star named Benny the Bull, who this year won the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba for trainer Rick Dutrow. 

Despite those impressive back-to-back performances in mid-year, Cougar Cat failed to win in his remaining four races on the season. He went on the shelf following a disappointing sixth-place finish behind Junior College in the Bet on Sunshine overnight handicap on Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs and has not raced since.

“He had quarter cracks,” said Werner. “His feet have been an issue all of his life.  He was backing off. I really didn’t think they were bothering him that much, but they may have been a little bit more than I thought. He just started tailing off, so we decided to just let the feet grow out and give him some time off.”

Cougar Cat has a career record of 4-5-2 in 23 races and has earned $243,646. 

LEPAROUX CLINGS TO LEAD IN RACE FOR “LEADING RIDER” – Jockey Julien Leparoux, the top rider in both spring and fall Churchill Downs racing meets in 2007, continues to cling to a narrow in the current Spring Meet race – but there is a logjam that has quickly developed behind him.

            Leparoux was shut out of the winner’s circle in both the Wednesday and Thursday racing programs. His most recent victory – his 21st of the meet – came aboard Manager Boire ($15.20) in Sunday’s 9th race.

            Should the 24-year-old Frenchman take a look over his shoulder on Friday he will find a group of four riders tied with 20 victories: Calvin Borel, Miguel Mena, Shaun Bridgmohan and Robby Albarado.

            The race for leading trainer remained tight after leader Ken McPeek and second-place Steve Asmussen each notched a victory on Thursday’s racing program. McPeek leads Asmussen 13-12. Tom Amoss is third in that race with nine victories.

            Ken and Sarah Ramsey continue to lead the way in their bid for a record seventh Spring Meet title of “leading owner.” The Nicholasville, Ky. couple have eight wins from 24 starts and lead Zayat Stables and Maggi Moss, who are tied for second with five wins each. 

BARN TALK – Kelly’s Landing tuned up for a run in next Saturday’s $125,000-added Aristides with a sharp half-mile work on Friday. The Eddie Kenneally-trainee covered the four-furlong distance over a “fast” track in :47.20, which was the second-fasted work of 44 at the distance. The son of Patton set a track record for six furlongs in winning the 2005 Aristides and was runner-up to champion Lost in the Fog in its 2006 running. He won last year’s running of the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba. Kelly’s Landing finished third to Indian Chant, the current record-holder for six furlongs, in his 2008 debut in a recent Churchill Downs allowance race. 

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

          Through Thursday, May 22

 

Jockeys                           Starts  1-2-3

Julien Leparoux                  128   21-25-22

Calvin Borel                        137  20-17-24

Miguel Mena                       123   20-16-20

Shaun Bridgmohan               83   20-14-10

Robby Albarado                   84     20-8-10

Jesus Castanon                    96     14-10-7

Jamie Theriot                      80       8-9-6

Elvis Trujillo                        14       6-1-2

Brian Hernandez, Jr.            62      5-10-6

Kent Desormeaux                 31      5-8-6

Larry Sterling, Jr.                 38      5-5-6

Corey Lanerie                     76       4-13-5

John McKee                       56       4-9-9

Fernando De La Cruz            52        4-3-5

Trainers

Ken McPeek                        29     13-3-3

Steve Asmussen                  48     12-8-8

Tom Amoss                        28      9-6-5

Mike Maker                         23      7-4-2

Dale Romans                       50      6-9-5

Greg Foley                          32       6-6-2

Eddie Kenneally                   27      5-6-6

Ian Wilkes                           18      6-5-3

Steve Margolis                     19      5-3-3

Three (3) trainers tied with four (4) wins

Owners

Ken and Sarah Ramsey         24      8-3-4

Zayat Stables, LLC                24      5-5-3

Maggi Moss                          12     5-2-3

Richard, Elaine & Bert Klein    17     4-3-1

Padua Stables                       6       4-1-0

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable        7       4-0-0

    Three owners tied with three (3) wins