Jim Baker

BOREL GETS FIRST SPRING MEET RIDING TITLE – Jockey Calvin Borel popped the gate on opening day by winning five races and never looked back in winning his first Spring Meet riding title at Churchill Downs.
“That first day felt good, but it is a long meet and you never know what will happen,” said Borel, who won an outright Fall Meet title in 1999 and shared Fall honors in 2006 and 2009. “But I have ridden here so long, it is like being in my yard and I am happy here.”

In addition to the most number of wins, Borel led all riders with five stakes victories, starting opening day with Hurricane Ike in The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (Grade III) and coming back a week later to win the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Super Saver.  The latter victory for Borel was an unprecedented third triumph in four years in the “Run for the Roses.”

"I’ve had a good meet. I rode some good horses and I’d like to thank the trainers for giving me the opportunities,” Borel said. “But winning the Derby, man, that made everything.”

With 49 winners entering Sunday’s final card, Borel was in position to have his second-best Spring Meet in terms of numbers with 10 mounts. Borel rode 61 winners last spring and he had 52 winners in both 2006 and 2008. He also hit the 50-win mark in 1998 with 50 and in 2001 and 2002 when he had 51 in both years.

Other stakes winners Borel rode were defending Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Fleur de Lis (GII), Atta Boy Roy in the Churchill Downs (GII) and Ailalea in the Dogwood (GIII).

Borel will take some time off after the meet ends and before heading to Saratoga for that meet that begins July 23.

LOCUST GROVE WINNER DANZON SARATOGA BOUND – Trainer Jim Baker was still shaking his head in amazement Sunday morning after Danzon prevailed in a six-horse photo finish in Saturday’s one-mile Locust Grove Handicap (GIII).

"I thought for sure we got beat,” Baker said. “You get caught up in all the emotion after the race and then the camera showed the four (Acoma) and 90 percent of the time, those guys are right.

“Then they put up the 6-9, and I thought I was the nine.”

Baker claimed Danzon for $80,000 for owner Alfred Nuckols Jr., and this was the 7-year-old mare’s first start in his care.

“I am just glad she ran so well,” Baker said. “I have lost a lot of close ones, but even if you get beat a nose, you know you ran well. She will go to Saratoga for sure and we will look around and see what they have up there.”

Happiness Is, who finished a nose back in second and Keertana, who was fifth beaten three noses and a neck, were both doing well Sunday morning according to Fergus Bogle, assistant to trainer Tom Proctor who was in Chicago where his Snow Top Mountain ran second in Saturday’s Arlington Oaks (GIII).

"Happiness Is may to go Canterbury for the race she won last year (the $100,000 Lady Canterbury at a mile on the turf on July 24)),” Bogle said. “Keertana is still on track for the Beverly D. (GI on Aug. 21). She had a wide trip and still only got beat a half-length.”

The Beverly D. also remains the target for favored Acoma, who finished fourth beaten two noses and a neck.

“I thought she ran a good race,” trainer David Carroll said. “It was just her second race back, she was giving weight and just got beat a neck. I am not disappointed at all. I don’t think she saw the horses on the outside and I think that she thought she had won.”

Carroll said that Acoma would remain here until just before the Beverly D, run at 1 3/16 miles, a distance Carroll says is more to Acoma’s liking.

PURE CLAN TO RESUME GALLOPING MONDAY MORNING – As exercise rider Steve Schmelzel brought Pure Clan off the track after jogging a mile, trainer Bob Holthus sported a broad smile.

“She looks a lot happier out there than she was all last year,” Holthus said as Pure Clan bucked her way back to Barn 32. “She will start galloping again tomorrow.”

Owned by Lewis Lakin, Pure Clan has been battling a bruised left front foot this spring. She refused to train the morning of May 6 and the 5-year-old mare was given time off at Lakin’s farm in Versailles and spent time on an aqua-tread.

“She has been on the treadmill for 45 days, so it won’t be that long until she works,” said Holthus of Pure Clan, who returned to the barn Thursday and has jogged the past two mornings. “So far, I like what I see from her.”

Pure Clan, who has compiled a career record of 8-4-3 in 16 races with earnings of $1,987,498, has not raced since a runner-up finish to Midday in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) last November at Santa Anita. That race, scheduled for Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, is the ultimate goal for Pure Clan who will spend the summer here.

"We are going to try to make the Flower Bowl (GI),” Holthus said of an October race at Belmont Park that Pure Clan won last year. “That would give us the best chance to make the Breeders’ Cup.”

BARN TALK – Maggi Moss’ final starter of the meet, Don’t Shoot, rewarded Moss with her ninth winner of the meet and a two-win cushion over Ken and Sarah Ramsey entering the final day of the meet. The Ramseys, winners of the past five meet-leading owner titles and a record 16 overall (eight Spring and eight Fall), picked up their seventh winner of the meet in Saturday’s fourth race with Custers Last Stand. The Ramseys have six horses entered Sunday. Moss’ lone Churchill Downs leading owner title came in the 2007 Spring Meet. …

Steve Asmussen, who swept the training titles at both meets in 2009, rode the victory by Kantharos in the Bashford Manor (GIII) to open a 24-18 advantage on Dale Romans and clinch at least a tie for the title. Eyeing his fourth Spring Meet title and eighth overall, Asmussen has five horses entered Sunday and Romans has six. …

Shaun Bridgmohan was blanked Saturday, keeping his Churchill Downs victory total at 297. Bridgmohan is named on six mounts Sunday in his bid to become the 19th rider to reach 300 victories at Churchill Downs. …

Trainer Neil Howard reported that Dogwood Stable’s Lou Brissie probably would head to Saratoga after his runner-up effort on Kantharos in the Bashford Manor. “He is fine this morning,” Howard said of Lou Brissie, who suffered his first loss in three starts. “That was a good colt that beat him and we knew that going in.”

WORK TAB – Hull, winner of the 2009 Derby Trial (GIII), worked a half-mile in :47.60 over a fast track, fastest of 63 at the distance. … Colizeo, winner of last month’s Northern Dancer (GIII), worked a half-mile in :48.40, fourth best of the morning at the distance.

Alfred Nuckols Jr.’s Danzon got up in the final stride to edge 48-1 longshot Happiness Is by a nose as part of a six-horse photo finish to win the 29th running of the $116,200 Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III) for fillies and mares racing one mile on the turf on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

War Tigress, ridden by Corey Lanerie, and Happiness Is, ridden by Greta Kuntzweiler led the field of 11 through fractions of :24.84, :48.72 and 1:12.94 while Danzon, under Alex Solis, raced near the back of the pack.

Turning for home, Happiness Is assumed command as the field spread out with favored Acoma, carrying top weight of 121 pounds under Robby Albarado, rallying three wide to the inside of Happiness Is while Danzon charged toward the leaders seven wide to snatch the victory in the final jump.

Trained by Jim Baker, Danzon ran the mile on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:37.02 under 116 pounds. The victory was worth $67,721 for the 7-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Royal Academy out of the Kingmambo mare Zappeuse who was claimed out of her previous start here for $80,000.

The victory improved Danzon’s record to 29-10-4-6 with earnings of $552,544. It was her third consecutive victory at Churchill Downs.

Danzon returned $14.80, $8.60 and $5.60. Happiness Is returned $42.40 and $21.20 and finished a neck in front of C.S. Silk, who paid $10.20 to show under Francisco Torres. Favored Acoma was a nose back in fourth and a nose ahead of Keertana. Awesome Grannie was a half-length in back of Keertana in sixth and was followed in order by Sweetest Song, Meadow Saffron, Lady’s Laughter, War Tigress and Winter’s Circle.

LOCUST GROVE HANDICAP QUOTES

ALEX SOLIS (jockey, DANZON, winner): “She’s a nice filly. She relaxed good through the first part. I saved some ground and then made my move on the outside. At the quarter pole I finally got her out and she flew home. She got squeezed out of the gate but she’s a come-from-behind horse. She was really happy in the post parade and she ran a big race. At the wire I wasn’t sure if I got there because there were three horses inside of me. But thank God we did.”

JIM BAKER (trainer, DANZON, first): “It was awesome winning. She is a nice horse. I can do anything with her. In the mornings I trained her like a two-turn horse. She’s a classy filly. She has a lot of heart. It was the owner’s decision to claim the horse. I asked, ‘Who?’ and he said it was her, and I said ‘Let’s go for it.’ We’re going to Saratoga with her. There are a lot of options for her up there. I thought we got beat at the wire, but when the numbers came up and it was 6-9, I was excited.”

GRETA KUNTZWEILER (jockey, HAPPINESS IS, second): “It’s so hard to get so close, but it was disappointing. I knew it was close and she ran so hard and I wanted her up there and I thought we set it up nicely.”

ROBBY ALBARADO (jockey, ACOMA, fourth): “She ran hard. I thought we had it. Tough beat.”

DAVID CARROLL (trainer, ACOMA, fourth): “She ran a game race. It was her second race back and she ran a tough race. Coming down the lane we thought she was there, but the fillies on the outside got us. We will move on to the Beverly D., which is what we have planned for her this summer. I’m proud of her effort today.”

Patton’s Creek Farm’s War Eagle Lady remained undefeated on the main track at Churchill Downs as she won Thursday’s featured $52,485 Roxelana Purse for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

            In becoming the first three-time winner of the Spring Meet and improving her record to four-for-four on the main track, War Eagle Lady swept past pace-setter Mein Fraulein at the three-sixteenths pole and then fended off a brief challenge from Morakami to draw off to a three-length triumph.

            Trained by Jim Baker and ridden by Calvin Borel, War Eagle Lady covered the seven furlongs on a good main track in 1:23.71. The victory, the fourth in 10 career starts, was worth $32,105 and increased War Eagle Lady’s earnings to $119,806.

            A 4-year-old Kentucky bed daughter of War Chant, War Eagle Lady returned $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10. Morakami, ridden by Miguel Mena, returned $4.60 and $2.80 with Mein Fraulein finishing another 3 ¾ lengths back in third under Julien Leparoux and returning $2.40 to show in the field of eight.

            Racing resumes with the first of three “Downs After Dark” programs beginning at 6 p.m. Friday with an 11-race card.

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BUSY MORNING FOR CLASSIC WINNERS: RACHEL ALEXANDRA POSES FOR VOGUE; MINE THAT BIRD GALLOPS – The whole morning Friday was decidedly not business as usual for Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and Preakness (Grade I) winner Rachel Alexandra at Churchill Downs.
    The first part of the morning was routine: a trip to the track at 6:20 for one time around the main track under exercise rider Dominic Terry.
    Four hours later, the cameras were out and the backdrop was up between Barns 36 and 38 for a photo shoot of Rachel Alexandra by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Klein.  His images of the Oaks and Preakness winner are set to be published in the August issue of Vogue.  
Klein may be best known for his striking photos of such pop icons as Madonna, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, Natalie Portman and Justin Timperlake.  His work has appeared in Vogue and W and in ads for Calvin Klein and Dolce and Gabbana.  
    “Done photo shoots before, but first one for Vogue,” said Scott Blasi, the assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen who held the shank on the star filly while Klein shot his images just after noon.  
    Among those looking one were Barbara Banke, the wife of Stonestreet Stables’ Jess Jackson, the filly’s majority owner.
Klein’s session with Rachel Alexandra grew out of a trip to the Preakness by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.  
“She was there at the Preakness and was inspired, like so many other women were,” said Carolina Shaw, senior vice president for Public Relations, Family & Brand Communications for Jackson Family Enterprises.
A 10’x16’ plywood wall was erected next to the Asmussen barn to serve as the backdrop for the photo shoot of the Preakness winner, who had to be awakened in her stall when was time for her star turn before the camera.
    There were no photo shoots for Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner and Preakness runner-up Mine That Bird who quietly went about his business of galloping twice around the main track under exercise rider Charlie Figueroa before the renovation break.
    Trainer Chip Woolley said that co-owners Mark Allen and Leonard Blach may be here on Monday to watch Mine That Bird’s final work before the June 6 Belmont Stakes .
    “They may be coming in Sunday night, I’m not sure,” Woolley said as Mine That Bird walked back to Barn 42 after his morning exercise.
    Woolley said that Mine That Bird would work after the renovation break Monday morning and that jockey Calvin Borel would be aboard. Borel is leaving immediately after the work for a 10 a.m. flight to New York.
    Woolley is scheduled to fly out at 7:15 Tuesday morning with Mine That Bird leaving on Wednesday. “I’ll check in on him Tuesday morning early and then take off,” Woolley said.

WELL-TRAVELED SEMAPHORE MAN MAKES FIRST CHURCHILL STOP ON SATURDAY – In 27 starts during his five-year racing career, Double Bogey Stable’s Semaphore Man has raced at 10 tracks.
    On Saturday in the 21st running of the $100,000-added Aristides (Grade III), Churchill Downs will become the 11th.
    “After he won the Count Fleet (on April 10 at Oaklawn Park), we thought about trying him on the turf in the five-eighths race (the Aegon Turf Sprint on May 1),” trainer Kelly Von Hemel said. “But he was awful tired after that and we gave him a little time.”
    A model of consistency throughout his career, the 7-year-old Semaphore Man has finished worse than fourth only four times in those 27 starts. Two of those came on Polytrack at Keeneland and Turfway Park last year, the worst such finishes since 2005.
“He works good on it in the mornings at Arlington Park, but the afternoons are a different story,” Von Hemel said. “He liked Keeneland better than Turfway, but I don’t think he’d run on it again. If he did it would be at Arlington because he trains well on it.”
Semaphore Man shipped to Arlington after the Count Fleet where Kelly’s father, Don, oversees his training. Semaphore Man shipped to Churchill Downs on May 20 and worked a half-mile here on Tuesday in :49.40 for the Aristides.
While the horse is here, the trainer is not.
“We have six in here that night,” Von Hemel said from his home base at Prairie Meadows where he has 52 horses stabled. “Five of them (run) for me and one for my dad. Lynn (Whiting) will saddle my horse there.”
Semaphore Man will face 10 rivals in the six furlongs Aristides and break from post position six under Jesus Castanon as he tries to give Von Hemel a second sprint stakes victory under the Twin Spires.
    Von Hemel sent out Miss Macy Sue to score in the 2007 Winning Colors, a race in which she ran second last year. A victory by Semaphore Man would tie Von Hemel with his brother Donnie, who has won two Churchill Downs stakes – the 1992 Clark Handicap with Zeeruler and the 1994 Mrs. Revere with Mariah’s Storm.

PRETTY PROLIFIC RETURNS SATURDAY FOR BAKER – One of the more impressive debut winners at Churchill Downs last summer was Tom Walters’ Pretty Prolific, who broke her maiden by 3 ½ lengths going five furlongs on June 22.
    After a brief break, trainer Jim Baker sent Pretty Prolific straight into stakes company and the daughter of Lion Heart ran third in the Grade II Adirondack at Saratoga. Two more stakes tries followed and 2008 closed with a runner-up finish in allowance company on “Stars of Tomorrow II” day on Nov. 29.
    Six months later, Pretty Prolific makes her belated 2009 debut in Saturday’s seventh race.
    “She was a breeze away from running at Oaklawn and we had to take a tiny flake out of her ankle,” Baker said. “I am glad I stopped on her. She has grown and really filled out. She about 100 pounds bigger and she has been working lights out.”
    Three bullet works since May 10 signify Pretty Prolific’s readiness for the six-furlong test.
    “All we need now is a little luck,” Baker said.
    There is one other debut winner from last summer in the field of nine: Ocean Colors, the next-to-last foal of 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors.
    Owned by Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. and trained by Steve Asmussen, Ocean Colors romped by 5 ¼ lengths in her five-furlong debut on June 13. Like Pretty Prolific, Ocean Colors raced next in a stake at Saratoga but faded to last in the six-furlong Schuylerville (Grade III) in what was her last start of 2008.
    Ocean Colors ran fourth at Keeneland on April 18 in her 2009 debut.

WOOLLEY JOINS JILL BYRNE FOR ‘GET IN THE GAME’ SEMINAR –Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Chip Woolley Jr. will be Churchill Downs racing analyst Jill Byrne’s guest for Saturday’s “Get In The Game” handicapping seminar. 
    Woolley notched his first Kentucky Derby victory in his first attempt with longshot Mine That Bird, who finished second in the Preakness and is scheduled to run next in the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of the Triple Crown..
Saturday’s seminar is set for noon (all times EDT) in the paddock and is free with regular track admission.  Admission gates open at 11:30 a.m.

MILESTONE WATCH – Lynn Whiting, who saddled Lil E. Tee to win the 1992 Kentucky Derby, will bid to become the 10th trainer in Churchill Downs history with 300 victories at the track when he sends out Action Seeker in today’s eighth race. Whiting will have another shot at the mark Saturday, if needed, when he sends out Niobrara in the second race.
    Also on Saturday, trainer David Vance, who like Whiting has 299 Churchill Downs victories, can hit the 300 mark with Kiss Mine in the ninth.
    Robby Albarado, seeking to become the 56th North American jockey with 4,000 victories, has six mounts Friday on which to build on his 3,998 career total.

BARN TALK – Calvin Borel, who won 13 races over Memorial Day Weekend, now has 917 career victories at Churchill Downs and is only eight behind Don Brumfield for second place all-time at the track. Pat Day is the all-time Churchill Downs wins leader with 2,482.  Brumfield, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame, was the last jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby and Preakness in the same year.  Brumfield won the 1966 Oaks on Native Street, and took the Derby and Preakness on Kauai King.
General Quarters, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Preakness, returned to Barn 37 late Friday morning after spending a couple of days at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington. “We just sent him over there to deal with some little issues,” owner-trainer Tom McCarthy said.
    Trainer Gary Thomas said that Golden Yank, fourth-place finisher in last Sunday’s feature race, would likely point to the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (Grade II) in Iowa on June 27 at 1 1/8 miles.
    Brass Hat, winner of last Saturday’s Louisville Handicap (Grade III), is scheduled to return to trainer Buff Bradley’s barn on Monday. “He’s been at the farm, bucking and playing every day,” Bradley said.