Successful Dan

A year after experiencing the heartbreak inflicted by the disqualification of Successful Dan from an apparent victory in the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I), owner Morton Fink and trainer Charles Lopresti are back to take another shot at winning the premier race of Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet with another talented “Dan.”

Wise Dan is this year’s Clark hope for the Fink-Lopresti team and the 3-year-old son of Wiseman’s Ferry is a major player in a strong and competitive 13-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile race for older horses.  Like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks, the Clark has been run annually without interruption since the 1875 debut racing meet of the track then known as the Louisville Jockey Club.

“I don’t think we could have him any better than he is right now,” Lopresti said Thursday morning by telephone from his training base at Keeneland.  “We had him out grazing this morning and he was such a handful we had to put him in.  He’s really good.”

Wise Dan will break from post 11 as the 4-1 third choice in the Clark behind Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) winner Flat Out and Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Ruler On Ice, who ran fifth and third, respectively, behind WinStar Farm’s Drosselmeyer in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.  While that high-powered duo will attempt to keep their names in the discussion for Eclipse Awards in their respective division, Lopresti is anxious to see how Wise Dan will handle his newest challenge.

The Clark will be the 4-year-old gelding’s first attempt to win a major stakes race over traditional dirt at a two-turn distance.  He ran a respectable sixth over the Louisville track in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI), where he finished just 2 ½ lengths behind the victorious Big Drama.  He has two wins in four dirt starts at Churchill Downs, both victories coming last year in allowance races on sloppy tracks at six furlongs and a mile.

Wise Dan comes into this year’s Clark in exactly the same manner as the last two first-place finishers in the Clark.  He romped to a four-length victory over Polytrack at the Clark distance of 1 1/8 miles in Keeneland’s Fayette (GII), just as Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s future Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame did in 2009 and Successful Dan accomplished a year ago. 

Prior to the Fayette, Wise Dan enjoyed significant success at shorter distances, including 2011 wins in the one-mile Firecracker Handicap (GII) in his turf debut at Churchill Downs and an impressive win from an outside post in the $250,000 Presque Isle Downs Mile over the Pennsylvania track’s synthetic Tapeta surface.

Wise Dan tuned-up for his Clark bid with a sharp six-furlong work in 1:!2 on Nov. 15 at Keeneland.  That move encouraged Lopresti, but he believes Wise Dan has questions to answer in Friday’s race.

"I feel pretty confident, but I still have a question about the mile and an eighth on the dirt,” Lopresti said.  “That’s my big concern.  He got it on the ‘Poly’ and it looked like he was running away from them at the end, but this is a lot tougher field, too.  I’m realistic about it – the Fayette was a lot lighter bunch than he’s running against here.”

Lopresti points to the presence of Breeders Cup Classic contenders Flat Out and Ruler On Ice as primary Clark contenders, and said the efforts of both in the 1 ¼-mile Classic merit respect.

“Flat Out only got beat three lengths in the Breeders’ Cup and Ruler On Ice got beat two lengths,” Lopresti said.  “If those horses had finished up the racetrack, I wouldn’t have as much respect for them.  But they didn’t run bad races.”

Wise Dan’s resume of three wins in seven 2011 races, which also includes a close third fourth-place run on the Keeneland turf behind three-time Eclipse Award champion Gio Ponti in the Grade I Shadwell Mile, provides ample fuel for Lopresti’s optimism.  But that impressive six-furlong work at Keeneland strengthened Lopresti’s confidence that Wise Dan will run well in Friday’s race, and possibly ease the painful memory of the stewards’ decision that deprived Successful Dan of a victory in last year’s Clark.

“He worked three-quarters in (a minute) twelve and he was in the middle of the racetrack when he did it,” Lopresti said.  “If we had put him down on the fence, there’s no telling what he would have done.  We were talking him out of it.”

Lopresti’s star will have a new rider for the Clark as John Velazquez will travel from New York to substitute for Julien Leparoux.  The leading rider of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet will be in California on Friday to pilot Vinery First Lady (GI) winner Never Retreat in the Grade I Matriarch at Hollywood Park.

“He’s a good strong rider,” Lopresti said of Velazquez.  “I know he’s talked to Julien about him (Wise Dan).  I know when I called him, it didn’t take two minutes to tell me he would come to ride him.  It’s a compliment when a guy like Velazquez comes in to ride him.  I know he’s watched his races and he knows him.”

Wise Dan brings career record of 7-0-0 in 13 races and earnings of $593,047 into Friday’s 137^th Clark.

DICKEY PLEASED WITH POST DRAW FOR CLARK FAVORITE FLAT OUT – Trainer Scooter Dickey entered Tuesday’s post position draw for the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) with hopes that Preston Stables LLC’s favored Flat Out would not draw the rail.  His wish was granted when the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) winner drew post six in the field of 13 for Friday’s race at Churchill Downs.

“I like the post and it should be good for him,” Dickey said. “He’s gotten beat three times this year when leaving from the one-hole. The post might not have had anything to do with him losing, but maybe it did. I’d rather not take the chance.”

In his most recent start, the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI), Flat Out drew post two, but still broke further inside than all other horses after Prayer for Relief, who had drawn post one, scratched out of the race. Post position one was left open in the Classic, where Flat Out finished fifth behind Drosselmeyer.

Now that Dickey is happy with his post position, he is hoping to get the type of track that best suits the 5-year-old son of Flatter: fast and dry.

“I want the sun to come out and dry this track out some more,” Dickey said. “The track had a little water in it for the Breeders’ Cup and the Stephen Foster (GI) and he doesn’t seem to like it when there’s only a little water. He’d rather run over a muddy track than a “good” track or a fast track with some water. I don’t really know why that is, though.”

Flat Out, whose two off-the-board finishes this year have come on the main track beneath the Twin Spires, has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. Flat Out was also the post-time favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“Being the favorite makes you worry more because you don’t want to let people down,” Dickey said. “But the horse is doing really well. He went out early (Thursday) morning and galloped down the stretch. We’re ready for tomorrow.”

Flat Out will be guided in the Clark by Alex Solis, who has been aboard him for his last five starts. Solis is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Thursday night.

OXLEY, CASSE TAKE TWO SHOTS AT SATURDAY’S $150,000 GOLDEN ROD – Owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse will take two shots in Saturday’s $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) with 2-year-old fillies Golden History and Spirited Miss, and hope that one of those rising stars will land them in the winner’s circle following the 68^th running the 1 1/16-mile race for juvenile fillies on the main track.

The Golden Rod will be the co-feature with the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) on Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow II program devoted exclusively to races for 2-year-olds. The Golden Rod will be run as race nine with a scheduled post time of 4:42 p.m. (all times EST).

"It looks like a real competitive field and there doesn’t appear to be a standout, with maybe the exception of the horse that won the Pocahontas (On Fire Baby),” assistant trainer Norman Casse said. “I like both of our horses’ chances.”

Golden History, a $450,000 purchase earlier this year at Florida’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, has been pointed to the Golden Rod since she won her career debut by 2 ¾ lengths on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Toronto’s Woodbine. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro arrived at Churchill Downs in mid-October and made her second career start over the main track in a fifth-place run in the one-mile Pocahontas (GII), where she finished three lengths behind On Fire Baby.

“We were hoping to run her in an allowance race here but the race didn’t go, so our hands were tied and we had to go in the Pocahontas,” Casse said. “The Golden Rod has been the target all along.”

Golden History will break from post nine under Shaun Bridgmohan in the Golden Rod.

Unlike her stablemate, Spirited Miss did not have a Golden Rod bid on her long-range radar.  The Oxley homebred broke her maiden on the Woodbine turf in August, and then finished fourth on turf to Northern Passion in the Natalma (GIII).  She moved to the Polytrack course at the Toronto track for a runner-up finish to Blue Heart in the Mazarine before the daughter of Sky Mesa was pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII).  Mark Casse ultimately decided against entering the filly in that race.

The Golden Rod will be the first race on traditional dirt for Spirited Miss, who will break from post three under Javier Castellano.

“She’s always been one of the horses that we’ve really liked,” Casse said. “The Juvenile (Fillies) Turf just came up too tough and we didn’t want to put her in there. She’s been at Churchill Downs for several weeks and has had four good works over the (main) track. With the Golden Rod coming up the way it has and her working so well over the dirt, we decided to give it a shot.”

The Casse barn experienced success this year with a horse trying dirt for the first time when 36-1 shot  Pool Play won Churchill Downs’ $500,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by Abu Dhabi (GI) in June after running on synthetic and turf courses in 27 previous starts.

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (Nov. 17-23) are Corey Lanerie (7-for-40), Julien Leparoux (6-for-24) and Jesus Castanon (6-for-25). Wayne Catalano (3-for-5) and Mike Maker (3-for-12) are the hottest trainers over the same period. Ken and Sarah Ramsey (2-for-11) are the hottest owners.

BARN TALK – A local memorial service for the late trainer Robert Holthus is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 at 10:30 a.m. (EST) at Christ Chapel on the Churchill Downs backside. Holthus saddled 211 winners beneath the Twin Spires, including 11 stakes wins.  Holthus, who died in Louisville on Nov. 22 at the age of 78, started five horses in the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downs will host a “Stache Bash” on Saturday during the races to honor and celebrate all of the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who participated in Movember. Churchill Downs will donate $1 per attendee who is sporting a mustache to the Movember Foundation with a minimum guaranteed pledge of $5,000 given through the Churchill Downs Foundation. The day’s festivities will include between-race live music by popular Cincinnati-based My Sister Sarah in the paddock area and Happy Hour drink specials from 3-5 p.m.

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB WINNER SANTIVA FLORIDA-BOUND MONDAY – Things were quiet at the Eddie Kenneally barn on Sunday morning and assistant Brendan Walsh reported all was well with Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Santiva.

“He is doing well this morning and he will leave for Florida tomorrow,” Walsh said of the son of Giant’s Causeway, who is owned by Tom Walters. “That was a nice way to end the meet.”

Santiva broke his maiden with Saturday’s victory and in his first start for Kenneally.

“We got him in about mid-October after he had run in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland,” Walsh said. “He’s a nice colt.”

Also heading to Florida on Monday will be Linda Shanhan’s Missyoulikecrazy, who finished second for Kenneally in the Golden Rod (GII).

“She ran a nice race,” Walsh said of the Missyoulikecrazy, who had run third in the opening-day Pocahontas (GIII) and prior to the Breeders’ Cup had served as a workmate for Filly & Mare Sprint runner My Jen. “They are both nice fillies and we have a lot to look forward to next year.”

Also heading to South Florida this week will be third-place Kentucky Jockey Club finisher Major Gain, who came out of the race in good order according to Lisa Sloan, assistant to trainer Wayne Catalano. Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready made his dirt track debut Saturday.

KATHMANBLU EXITS GOLDEN ROD ROMP IN GOOD ORDER – Apparently the 8 ½-length romp in Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes (GII) did not take much out of the victorious Kathmanblu.

“She got back to the barn and dove right in to her feed tub,” said Philip Bauer, Churchill Downs assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “She is doing great this morning and will head to Florida on Wednesday.

The margin of victory was the largest since Silverbulletday, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and 2-year-old filly champion, won the 1998 Golden Rod by 10 lengths.

Owned by Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables, Kathmanblu was making her second start on dirt after compiling a record of 2-1-1 in four starts on the grass that included a victory in the Jessamine at Keeneland and a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII).

“The first time she ran, it was at 4 ½ furlongs and that was too short for her,” Bauer said. “The only reason Kenny put her on the grass was to get two turns for her.”

Bauer does not envision a return to the grass any time soon for Kathmanblu.

“It is nice to have the versatility,” Bauer said. “This way you can prep for bigger things on either surface."

Kathmanblu is one of three McPeek-trained 2-year-olds that competed in Breeders’ Cup races three weeks ago at Churchill Downs.  Rogue Romance ran third in the Juvenile (GI) and the Harlan’s Ruby finished eighth in the Juvenile Fillies (GI).

They are both turned out and getting some time off,” Bauer said. “They will probably rejoin the barn in Florida in mid-December.”

LOPRESTI LOOKS FORWARD WITH SUCCESSFUL DAN AFTER CLARK ‘CAP DISAPPOINTMENT – The hours following Friday’s $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) were a swirl of emotions for trainer Charles Lopresti, who was overjoyed when it appeared that his Successful Dan had scored his first Grade I victory, but his happiness turned to dismay when the stewards demoted the 4-year-old colt to third for interference with a rival.

But Successful Dan was fine on the day after the rough and tumble 136th running of the Clark, a mile and an eighth race for older horses that – like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks (GI), dates to Churchill Downs’ very first race meet in May of 1875.

“He came out good,” Lopresti said when he returned to Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon.  “He doesn’t know that he got beat.  He thinks he won – I mean, he did win.”

The stewards awarded the Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak the top spot in the Clark and dropped Morton Fink’s stable star to third for interfering with Redding Colliery, the original third-place finisher, for interference when the horses collided in upper stretch. Redding Colliery was elevated to the runner-up spot after Successful Dan and jockey Julien Leparoux veered to their right in traffic and slammed into that rival.  Just to their inside, Demarcation and Dubious Miss, both trained by Paul McGee, became entangled and Dubious Miss faded after that mishap to finish last in the field of 11.  But the stewards disqualified Demcarcation from his original fourth-place finish and dropped him all the way to last because of that incident.

Leparoux and fellow rider Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Demarcation, received three-day suspensions from the stewards on Saturday for their roles in the Clark’s chaotic stretch run.

In the emotional moments after the race, Lopresti had branded the stewards’ decision to disqualify Successful Dan from what would have been the biggest victory of his budding star’s career as a “bad call.”  But after a few hours of consideration, a little sleep and several looks at video replays of the race, Lopresti confessed to a change of heart regarding the stewards’ Clark call.

“He (Successful Dan) did come out on that horse (Redding Colliery) – there’s no doubt that he bumped him,” Lopresti said.  “I don’t think that horse was going to win the race.  I don’t think it was going to change the outcome of the race.”

While he better understood the stewards’ decision, Lopresti was remained puzzled as to why the stewards did not take a closer look at some contact deeper in the stretch run between his horse and Giant Oak.

“The horse they put up for first was all over us down the lane, then they didn’t take him down,” he said.  “Why did we go to third?  That’s what I don’t understand.”

Most important to Lopresti was the performance of Successful Dan, who was coming off a win in the Fayette (GII) over the synthetic Polytrack surface at Keeneland and turned in a winning performance in the Clark, although the official results will show that he finished third.  Last year, a Clark victory by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame stamped him as horse to watch and the colt followed that victory with stellar 2010 campaign that reached its climax in a narrow victory over previously unbeaten Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs.

Lopresti believes the Clark run by the 4-year-old son of Successful Appeal has positioned his star for big things in 2011, a year in which the Breeders’ Cup will return to Churchill Downs.

“He was tons the best,” Lopresti said of the colt’s Clark performance.  “He could have been in one of the Breeders’ Cup races.  He really could, and he would have been competitive in one of those races.  I don’t know which one of ‘em, but he would have been competitive.

“I know we’ve got a really good horse.  I think we’ll just give him the winter off and be ready for the spring races.  We might go to Florida with him.  We’ll see how he comes out.”

Successful Dan is not the only reason for Lopresti’s optimism.  On Thanksgiving Day he watched Fink’s 3-year-old Wise Dan, winner of Keeneland’s Phoenix (GIII), rebound from a sixth-place finish behind Big Drama in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to win a one-mile allowance race over a sloppy Churchill Downs track.

“I think he’ll go further – that’s been my deal (with Wise Dan) all along,” Lopresti said.  “I put him in the Breeders’ Cup because he won the Phoenix. We took a shot at the Phoenix because he was training so good over that track and I knew he was going to be fresh, and he won that race.  But my ideal thinking was to run in that and then stretch him out.  But we got tossed into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and he didn’t run that bad – he only got beat two lengths, a neck and a nose for all of it.”

And then there’s Brandon and Marianne Chase’s Here Comes Ben, who provided Lopresti with his first career Grade I win in Saratoga’s Forego.  He finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) after a rugged start that left the son of Street Cry with some cuts, but no significant injury.  Lopresti expects that Here Comes Ben will remain in his shedrow for a 2011 campaign as a 5-year-old.

In fact, all of Lopresti’s horses were doing considerably better on Saturday than their trainer.   Lopresti walked with a noticeable limp, the result of a injury suffered in the paddock as he wheeled to head to the track after watching Successful Dan’s Clark run on the large tote board video screen.

“I came out of there and something popped, I guess it was a ligament or something,” Lopresti said.  “But I’m OK.”

BARN TALK – Julien Leparoux increased his meet-leading victory total to 26 with a victory Saturday in the Golden Rod on Kathmanblu and will take a three-win advantage into today’s final day of the 21-day Fall Meet. Robby Albarado was blanked Saturday, but Shaun Bridgmohan had his second consecutive three-win day to move into a tie for second with 23 victories. Leparoux has nine mounts today, Albarado eight and Bridgmohan six. Leparoux has won or shared the leading rider title for the past three Fall Meets and also won three Spring Meet titles. Bridgmohan shared the 2006 Fall Meet title with Calvin Borel for his only riding crown here. Albarado, who won the 2008 Spring Meet title, never has won a Fall Meet title. …

The victory by Tapizar in Saturday’s final race gave trainer Steve Asmussen his 14th winner of the meet and secured leading trainer honors at the meet. The title is the ninth overall for Asmussen – five in the fall and four in the spring. …

WinStar Farm’s Brethren, the half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Super Saver, ran his record to two-for-two on Saturday with a 1 ¾-length victory in the 10th race going a mile. Horacio De Paz, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said the colt came out of the race fine and would head to South Florida on Tuesday with the rest of the Pletcher horses at Churchill Downs. Brethren had one work here prior to his Saturday’s win and his regular morning partner was exercise rider Kevin Willey, who served in the same capacity this spring with Super Saver.

The Virginia H Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak was elevated to first place on the disqualification of Successful Dan in a roughly run stretch battle to win the 136th running of the $564,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) for 3-year-olds and up on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Successful Dan, who covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:50.82, had finished a head in front of Giant Oak, but because of interference with Redding Colliery in the upper stretch, was disqualified and placed third. It was the first disqualification in the Clark since Quest was elevated above Evening Attire in the 2003 running.

Giant Oak’s victory completed a Falls City Handicap-Clark Handicap double for jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and trainer Chris Block, who had teamed the day before to win the Grade II Falls City with Dundalk Dust.

It marked the first time since 2005 that the same rider-trainer combo had swept the two races with Indian Vale winning the Falls City and Magna Graduate the Clark under John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Regal Ransom led the field of 11 through fractions of :24.64, :48.92 and 1:13.63 while Successful Dan and Redding Colliery raced in mid pack with Giant Oak far back. Turning for home, Duke of Mischief moved past Regal Ransom with Dubious Miss and Demarcation moving with him.

Just behind the leaders, Julien Leparoux on Successful Dan moved out and bumped Redding Colliery, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, for racing room and Giant Oak began to advance with a seven-wide rally.

To the inside of Successful Dan, Demarcation, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, swerved inside impeding Dubious Miss and Duke of Mischief.

With clear sailing on the outside, Successful Dan and Giant Oak raced as a team to the wire. Redding Colliery was another four lengths back in third, finishing a head in front of Demarcation, who was disqualified and placed last.

The victory was worth $328,700 and increased the 4-year-old homebred son of Giant Causeway’s bankroll to $956,677 with a record of 4-5-3 from 23 starts.

Giant Oak returned $24.20, $10 and $5. Redding Colliery returned $6 and $3.80 with Successful Dan paying $3 to show. The revised order of finish was Win Willy, Duke of Mischief, Brass Hat, Apart, Regal Ransom, Stately Victor, Dubious Miss and Demarcation.

Racing continues Saturday with a 12-race “Stars of Tomorrow II” program exclusively for 2-year-olds with first post time of 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern). Highlighting the program are two Grade II stakes: the 67th running of the $150,000-added Golden Rod for fillies, which goes as the ninth race (4:42 p.m. post time), and the 84th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club, which goes as the 11th race (5:42 p.m. post time). Saturday's card will feature a four-day Pick 6 carryover of $21,555 on races 7-12. There also is a $6,201 carryover on the Super Hi-5 in the 12th race.

CLARK HANDICAP QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Giant Oak, placed first from second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “I was right outside of it all. I saw what was happening. I thought both horses ran hard to the wire. It was all out of my hands. I was hoping I got put up. Both horses ran hard. It’s just unfortunate things like this happen in racing. If he shows up and gives it to you there is no telling how much talent this horse has. I always tell Chris (Block, trainer) one of these days he is going to show up and it just happened to be in a Grade One today.”

Chris Block (trainer, Giant Oak, placed first from second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “This has been a long time comin’.  This ol’ horse has had a rough, rough go of it.  He’s had some rough trips, but we’ve always known he loved Churchill Downs and I really felt good about today.  The horse trained really great from (Breeders’ Cup) Marathon to this.  His two works were just really, really good here.  I felt coming into it if the pace was solid, and it was OK, I knew he’d come with his run.  We just need him to finish the race. (Jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) said today even when he got up to that horse (Successful Dan) he put his head up and just kind of hung with that horse instead of finishing the deal.  But this is sweet to get.  This is very sweet to get.”

Q: Even if he had not won, he was right there with a very good horse in Successful Dan. “Absolutely. I was very proud of him win, lose or draw.  I’d even told Mr. Tarra that Successful Dan, to me, was the horse to beat.  If he’d have been second to him, I’d been real proud of him as I am proud of him for getting kissed up there.”

Q: He seems to be getting better with age – will he be back next year? “Oh yeah, he’s coming back next year.  No doubt about it.  He’s the kind of horse we always thought he’d get better with age, and I think that’s what’ll happen with him.”

Q: Considering all the trouble this horse has had, is it almost ironic that this is how he was able to win …“It is.  It really is amazing to me.  I’ll be very honest with you.  I saw that horse (Redding Colliery) come out, but I thought he came out on his own.  I didn’t know Successful Dan pushed him out like that.  But it is ironic that it finished up like this.”

Q: Was his run in the Marathon a disappointment to you? “It was a disappointment.  I think Garrett (jockey Garrett Gomez) and I kind of got our paths crossed, our communication crossed up from where we actually wanted him.  I thought he was a little further back than what I wanted, and I think Garrett thought I actually wanted him back a little bit and to come with a finish.  And then he ended up wide all the way around there.  But he came out of it so good that I thought, well, we’re going to wheel him right back in here.”

Q: You’ve won three stakes this meet and all with Illinois-breds.  We’re not sure if anyone else has ever pulled off that hat trick … “It’s awful sweet to have these guys come down here and run as good as they have.  They all set up really well for these races and I just glad to be here at Churchill Downs, to be honest with you.”

Q: Where does this rank in career thrills for you? “It ranks right there at the top.  (2006 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup winner) Vacare was my first Grade I stakes winner and this guy, we’ve worked so hard getting him where he’s at today, so it has to rank right there with her.”

Q: When you have a horse like this, do you just have to remind yourself sometime that you have to just hang with the horse? “Absolutely. I take my hat off to Mr. and Mrs. Tarra.  They put this horse in my barn.  They bred him, raised him.  They turned down a lot of money for him as a 2-year-old to do what we did today.  They love racing, they love the horse, they love horse racing and I really have to give them a lot of credit for sticking behind the horse.  We’ve had a lot of frustrating conversations, but today it’s sweet to get this one.”

Q: Do you have a winter plan? “He’s going to Ocala on Sunday for probably about 45 days rest, then probably back to Fair Grounds to get him ready for 2011.

Rosie Napravnik (jockey, Redding Colliery, placed second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “It was kind of a rough ride all the way around.  He got slammed and he came on and finished just as strong as he wanted to.”

Q:  If it was rough all the way around, the head of the stretch was very tough … “Yeah.  He slammed me pretty hard.  He knocked us completely off stride and I don’t see how they couldn’t take him down.”

Q: Do you think you had a chance to win at that point? “Yeah, we were coming around and he was making up ground.”

Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer, Redding Colliery, placed second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third, via telephone): “It was a rough-run race for a lot of horses.  I was watching our horse mostly, and he had a rough trip.  But I thought Rosie (jockey Anna Napravnik) rode him well.  He switched off down the backside and then made a nice run turning for home and got bumped hard twice by the eventual winner that was taken down (Successful Dan).  But it was a rough run for a few horses and we’re happy that we got put up to second and we’re a Grade I horse.  We’ve had a great year with our horse and we’ll move forward.”

Q: He has really come into his own and proven he is a top rank horse – what is the plan for 2011? “He is a top horse.  We’ll go to Florida with him and look at the [Grade I] Donn Handicap and maybe the Dubai World Cup (GI).  He’s been a really useful horse for us and we’ve had a lot of fun with him all year, and we’re happy that we got put up into second.  I thought it was a gutsy call by the stewards, and the correct call.”

Q: Do you think he had a chance to win without the bumping? “He was wide throughout, so it was kind of just a rough-run race.  You never know, it’s hard to say.  But he was running and gaining, but I don’t know that he was going to win.  But he definitely got bothered.”

Julien Leparoux (jockey, Successful Dan, disqualified from first to third): “I need to take a look at what happened. I just got slammed all over.”

Charlie Lopresti (trainer, Successful Dan, disqualified from first to third): “It’s a bad call.  It’s a very bad call.”

Q: You thought your horse was hit from the inside and forced out …“My horse got knocked over. That’s a terrible call. I mean, up there in the stretch that horse came over on us and knocked us into the other horse (Redding Colliery). And then after that, we’re clearly the winner.”

Q: He did run a huge race as you expected he would … “He ran a huge race. What can I say?  I can’t say anything else.”

Kent Desormeaux (jockey, Demarcation, disqualified to 11th): “He really faded for me at the three-sixteenths pole, ducked to the rail a little bit. I had to straighten him and lost a lot of momentum. It cost me third.”

Paul McGee (trainer, Dubious Miss, placed 10th, and Demarcation, disqualified from fourth to 11th): “There was some irony there due to the fact my two horses were doing the bumping down the stretch, so I didn’t like that part of the race. It sounded like (jockey) Robby (Albarado) got eliminated with Dubious Miss turning for home when he got bumped and had to check. Demarcation ran a good race, he always does, and he’s a consistent horse. I just wish Dubious Miss would have had a better opportunity.”

BLOCK HOPES TO COMPLETE FALLS CITY-CLARK DOUBLE WITH GIANT OAK – The most recent time a trainer has swept the Falls City Handicap (Grade II) and the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) the same year was in 2005 when Todd Pletcher won the former with Indian Vale and the latter with Magna Graduate.

Dundalk 5, LLC’s Dundalk Dust put Chris Block in position to match the feat with her three-length victory in Thursday’s Falls City under Shaun Bridgmohan. This afternoon, Block bid for the Clark when he sends out Giant Oak for the Virginia H. Tarra Trust.

The Falls City was the first graded stakes try against older fillies and mares for Dundalk Dust and Block’s expectations were not extremely high.

“I was hoping she would run one, two or three in a Grade II, take another step forward and increase her value,” Block said. “She did all of that. She will head to Ocala for the winter and we will plan for next spring.”

Dundalk Dust now has won on grass, Polytrack and dirt.

“She appears to be useful on all three surfaces, but she seems to be better on dirt … or mud,” Block said.

Meanwhile, Giant Oak enters today’s 136th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap off a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII) here on Nov. 5.

“The plan was to wheel him back in the Clark if he came out of the Breeders’ Cup good, which he did,” Block said. “I expect he will run a very good race, which he seems to do here at Churchill Downs.”

The Clark will be Giant Oak’s 21st consecutive stakes start, 18 of those in graded races. Only Brass Hat, making his 24th consecutive stakes start, has a longer streak among Clark entrants.

Giant Oak has yet to break through with a graded stakes victory even though he has five runner-up finishes and two third-place showings. In races at Churchill Downs prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Giant Oak had finished second in the 2008 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) beaten a neck, fourth in last year’s Clark, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Blame and fourth in this year’s Stephen Foster (GI), 4 ½ lengths behind Blame.

Despite the close calls, Block remains a big booster of Giant Oak.

“Maybe for some other people not close to the horse, he might be a disappointment, but not to me,” Block said. “He always runs to the best of his ability. In the races he has run, he has to give up ground to make his run. It is tough to do that running against that kind of company. He can’t be stuck inside and in traffic because he can’t quicken fast enough.”

Bridgmohan, who rode Dundalk Dust to victory Thursday, has the call on Giant Oak this afternoon. Bridgmohan also teamed with Block to win the Cardinal Handicap (GIII) on Nov. 7 with Askbut I Won’ttell.

The last rider to complete a Falls City-Clark double in the same year was John Velazquez in 2005 on the above-mentioned Pletcher-trained duo.

ONE DAN DOWN, ONE TO GO FOR LOPRESTI – Trainer Charles Lopresti will be going for a double of his own also in the Clark Handicap when he sends out morning line favorite Successful Dan for owner Morton Fink.

On Thursday, Successful Dan’s younger half-brother, Wise Dan won an optional claiming test as the 7-10 favorite over a sealed sloppy track.

“He had won on an off track there on Derby Day, but I think the track yesterday was worse than on Derby Day and I was a little bit worried,” Lopresti said Friday morning from Keeneland. “He got around there safe and I don’t think two turns is going to be a problem with him. He is going to get the winter off like all of my horses.”

A 3-year-old gelded son of Wiseman’s Ferry, Wise Dan had finished sixth, beaten only 2 ¼ lengths in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) in his previous start and prior to that had won the Phoenix (GIII) at Keeneland.

Lopresti is hoping for a better track this afternoon for the 4-year-old Successful Dan, even though Wise Dan is now two-for-two on off tracks.

“They are two different horses,” Lopresti said. “I worry about (Successful Dan) because he has never run on an off track. Plus, he was off 14 months with a suspensory, so the track will have to be awfully good this afternoon to run.”

RIDEOFTHECHAPTER COULD GIVE TRAINER EARLY BABY GIFT – So, what to get a first-time mother with a baby girl on the way in about three weeks?

How about a Grade II stakes victory?

“That would be a good gift,” said Helen Pitts-Blasi, who will send out Old School Racing’s Prideofthechapter in Saturday’s 84th running of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

Idle since winning an allowance race at Hoosier Park on Aug. 26, Prideofthechapter will break from the rail under Rosemary Homeister Jr. Prideofthechapter is listed at 20-1 on the morning line.

“We thought about running at Mountaineer, but decided not to go,” said Pitts-Blasi, wife of Churchill Downs outrider Greg Blasi. “Then we were going to run in an allowance race here but that didn’t fill.”

A son of Strong Hope, Prideofthechapter shows a steady stream of works since mid-October for the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“He has been training well and we are going to take a shot,” Pitts-Blasi said. “The two turns, that’s the question for him.”

BARN TALK – Mike Rutherford and Terry Green’s High Quail, runner-up in Thursday’s Falls City Handicap, will be heading to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Monday according to Dennis “Peaches” Geier, assistant to trainer Bret Calhoun. “She came out of the race fine,” Geier said of the 4-year-old filly who was making her stakes debut. “She ran well and I thought for a while she was going to win. (Jockey) Garrett (Gomez) did a good job of slowing the pace down. She has run four good races for us now since we got her (this year).” …

Black Sheep Racing’s China became the first two-time winner of the meet when he won Thursday’s eighth race with Robby Albarado aboard. China’s initial victory here came on Nov. 5 in a first level allowance sprint. The second two-time winner of the meet came in the very next race when Penny Lauer’s Rigamaro was elevated to the top spot via disqualification. Rigamaro had broken her maiden here on Nov. 10. …
Julien Leparoux increased his lead to five (25-20) over Robby Albarado with three racing days left by riding two winners on Thursday. Leparoux is named on eight mounts Friday; Albarado on 10.

Steve Asmussen maintains a 13-8 edge on Todd Pletcher in the race for leading trainer and the best Pletcher can do is tie Asmussen if his last five starters win and Asmussen is blanked on his final 14 entrants of the meet. The only other trainers who could overtake Asmussen with a scalding hot final three days are Ken McPeek and Dale Romans. McPeek, who has six victories, has 10 entrants the final three days while Romans, who has four wins thus far, has 17 entrants the final three days.

A year ago, a lightly raced 3-year-old named Blame used a victory in the Fayette (Grade II) at Keeneland as a springboard to victory in his subsequent start in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare, then a Grade II event and the highlight of the 2009 Fall Meet at Churchill Downs.

On Friday, history could repeat itself as Morton Fink’s Successful Dan, winner of this year’s running of the Fayette, is set to carry 121 pounds and concede from 3-6 pounds to 10 rivals as the favorite in the 136th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap, a prestigious race for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track that has been restored to Grade I status by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

The Clark will go as the 11th event on a 12-race “Black Friday” holiday racing program that begins at 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern).  Like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks (GI), the Clark has been run each year without interruption since it was introduced in the first race meeting at Churchill Downs, then known as the Louisville Jockey Club, in 1875.  Post time for the Clark is 5:42 p.m.

After his major introduction to the nation’s racing fans in last year’s Clark, Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame race twice at Churchill Downs in 2010.  The Al Stall Jr. trained colt won the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) in June, then returned in November to win a showdown for the ages over previously unbeaten Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

Like Blame, Successful Dan will be making his eighth career start in the Clark. Trained by Lexington-based Charles Lopresti, Successful Dan is undefeated at Churchill Downs having won an allowance race in May 2009 and following that up with a victory over future Grade I winner Warrior’s Reward in the Northern Dancer (GIII) the following month.

Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for the two Churchill Downs victories and four of the 4-year-old gelding’s five career wins, has Friday’s mount on Successful Dan, who will break from post three.  Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed him as the 5-2 morning line favorite.

Another Clark starter who is following even closer in Blame’s footsteps is his Stall-trained stablemate Apart. Owned and bred by Dilschneider, Apart will be making his eighth career start in the Clark and, like Blame, is ridden by Garrett Gomez and based at Keeneland.

The 3-year-old Apart, the 7-2 second choice in Battaglia’s Clark Handicap morning line, brings a three-race win streak into Friday’s race, highlighted by a September victory in the Super Derby (GII) at Louisiana Downs and a three-quarter length win over older rivals in the Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.

Gomez, who was aboard for the Ack Ack win, returns to the saddle aboard Apart, who will carry 118 pounds and break from post position two.

Six other graded stakes winners on dirt are in the field, topped by the 9-year-old veteran Brass Hat, who won the 2006 Donn Handicap (GI) at Gulfstream Park for one of his six graded stakes victories. Trained by Buff Bradley for his father Fred, Brass Hat ran second to A.P. Arrow in the 2007 Clark.  The homebred Prized gelding brings a record of 10-8-5 in 39 career races and earnings of $2,167,921 into Friday’s race.  Brass Hat’s latest win came in his most recent start, when he rallied from last in a field of 12 to take the $100,000 Sycamore (GIII) at 1 ½ miles on turf at Keeneland.

Brass Hat (15-1) will carry 116 pounds and be ridden by Tony Farina as he tries to join the ranks of such veteran stars as John Henry, The Tin Man, John’s Call and Super Diamond in winning a Grade I stakes race at the advanced racing age of nine.  Brass Hat will break from post position six. Farina will ride Brass Hat as regular jockey Calvin Borel continues his recovery from surgery to repair a broken jaw suffered in a fall last weekend at Lousiana’s Delta Downs.

The other graded stakes winners on dirt in the field are Regal Ransom, Redding Colliery, Demarcation, Duke of Mischief and Win Willy. Stately Victor, who finished eighth in this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) over Polytrack at Keeneland in April. Dubious Miss won the Grade III Ben Ali at Keeneland, also in April.

Godolphin Racing’s Regal Ransom is the 9-2 third choice in Battaglia’s morning line.  The son of Distorted Humor, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, counts the 2009 UAE Derby (GII) at Dubai’s Nad Al Sheba and the Super Derby (GII) among his four career wins, with the latter coming at the expense of runner-up Blame.  But Regal Ransom finished a distant sixth to Tizway as the even-money favorite in the Kelso (GII) at Belmont Park in his most recent start.  Freddie Lenclud will ride at 116 pounds.

The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Redding Colliery won the recent Hawthorne Gold Cup (GII) by three-quarters of a length over Clark rival Giant Oak, who finished fourth to Blame both in last year’s Clark and the 2010 Stephen Foster.  Demarcation won last year’s Ack Ack and was second to Apart in this year’s renewal for Louisville-based trainer Paul McGee.  Duke of Mischief edged Win Willy in this year’s Oaklawn Handicap (GII), while the latter won last year’s Rebel (GIII) at Oaklawn.

The field for the Clark Handicap, from the rail out (with rider, weight and morning line odds), is as follows: Dubious Miss (Robby Albarado, 116 pounds, 15-1), Apart (Gomez, 118, 7-2), Successful Dan (Leparoux, 121, 5-2), Giant Oak (Shaun Bridgmohan, 115, 15-1), Redding Colliery (Anna Napravnik, 117, 10-1), Brass Hat (Farina, 116, 15-1), Stately Victor (Victor Lebron, 116, 10-1), Win Willy (Cliff Berry, 116, 10-1), Regal Ransom (Freddie Lenclud, 116, 9-2), Demarcation (Kent Desormeaux, 116, 12-1) and Duke of Mischief (Eibar Coa, 116, 12-1).

Morton Fink’s Successful Dan outdueled Warrior’s Reward in a stretch-long battle by a head to win the 12th running of the $108,900 Northern Dancer (Grade III) for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

            Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Successful Dan reeled off fractions of :24.54, :48.63 and 1:13.01 with Warrior’s Reward and Calvin Borel lurking just behind in the field of six. Turning for home, Warrior’s Reward drew on even terms with Successful Dan but never could push on by as Successful Dan remained undefeated in three starts.

            Trained by Charles Lopresti, Successful Dan ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:43.30. A Kentucky-bred son of Successful Appeal out of the Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle, Successful Dan earned $66,843 with the victory and increased his earnings to $128,603.

            Successful Dan returned $6.40, $3.20 and $2.40. Warrior’s Reward paid $2.20 and $2.10 with Omniscient, ridden by Robby Albarado, finishing 3 ¼ lengths back in third and returning $2.40 to show. Dumar, Gresham and Broad Stone completed the field in order.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE NORTHERN DANCER

JULIEN LEPAROUX, jockey of SUCCESSFUL DAN (winner)

            Q: When Warrior’s Reward came to you…

            “I thought that I had a lot of horse left when he (Calvin Borel) came to head me. I wasn’t really expecting to see him that early in the race so I knew I had to move early so he wouldn’t get the jump on us. If he would have moved before me, he would have probably won the race. This is a very good horse, he hasn’t made any mistakes yet.”

“I really thought Calvin was going to come by, but my horse just kept going and kept digging, so he fought and kept a head in front of him, so that was good.”

CHARLES LOPRESTI, trainer of SUCCESSFUL DAN (winner)

“It’s really exciting.  He’s a really nice horse, but we just didn’t know whether he’d get the two turns, but he sure fought hard today.”

Q: What did he show you that made you think he was good horse?

“When we breezed him early on, he’s such a big, long-striding horse, but the first time I breezed him a half-mile he went like :47 and he did it real easy, and I thought ‘Holy smokes, he’s a pretty nice horse’.”  We were optimistic when we ran him first time at Keeneland, then he was slow breaking and then he really showed a good race there.  Then I didn’t know if he’d like the dirt here, because he’d never been on the dirt.  But the way he ran here showed us he was a pretty good horse, and the next thing was to try to get him to go a little further.  We tried to get an allowance race for him here to try him around two turns and see what happened, but we couldn’t get it to go.  So we put him in here and it worked out pretty good.”

Q: How does this change your picture of going down the road with him?

“I think we’ve got a good horse and we’ll see how he comes out of it and go from there.  He really, really showed some heart here.  I thought there for a minute that he was beat, because that’s a very, very good horse that we ran against.  That’s a really good horse.”

CALVIN BOREL, jockey of WARRIOR’S REWARD (runner-up as the favorite)

“He ran good, he ran good. There was no pace and two horses were scratched. He just needed a little something to run at. He got a little tired right at the end, but he had never been that far under pressure. The race didn’t just set up to his style. He likes to take back and make a run. But that’ll happen sometimes. That’s why I had to lay a little closer, but he ran good and just missed.”

IAN WILKES, trainer of WARRIOR’S REWARD (runner-up as the favorite)

            “Both horses ran hard. The other horse (Successful Dan) just outran us down the lane. Let’s not undercut that, the winner ran hard. My horse ran good, but the other horse ran fantastic. I haven’t lost any faith in him. I thought he ran a tremendous race.”

            Q: What will you consider next?

            “Probably the Dwyer (the Grade II, $200,000 Dwyer Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles will be run on Saturday, July 4 at Belmont Park). He needs more experience. Just like the horse who beat us. He ran twice and we had run four times. We need to keep going and our horse will get better.”

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