Westrock Stables

WEST / BLIND LUCK TAKES THRILLING LAS VIRGENES – Odds-on favorite Blind Luck, the likely early favorite for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on April 30 at Churchill Downs, launched a desperate rally from last in a field of five to run down Evening Jewel in the final stride to win the $250,000-added Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita by a nose.

The victory by the runner-up to She Be Wild for honors as America’s 2-year-old filly champion of 2009 notched her third Grade I victory in seven career stars.  Rafael Bejarano was aboard the winner for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

One centimeter is good enough for me,” Hollendorfer said. “I’ve watched a lot of photos. The second time I thought we won. The first time I wasn’t sure, but second time, I thought we won, and I’m glad we did.”
The daughter of Pollard’s Vision covered a mile over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface in 1:34.98.

Switch finished third, a half-length behind Evening Jewel.  The race had been delayed a week because of drainage problems from heavy rains at the Arcadia, Cal. track.

Blind Luck, who is nominated to the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Triple Crown, is expected to run next in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) on March 6.

SOUTH / LUKAS’ DECELERATOR REBOUNDS IN MARTHA WASHINGTON – The D. Wayne Lukas-trained
Decelerator snapped a string of six straight losses stretching back to Churchill Downs’ Debutante Stakes (GIII) in late June when she rallied to win Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park.

Jockey Terry Thompson guided Westrock Stable’s 3-year-old daughter of Dehere along the rail and through a narrow opening in upper stretch and then held off previously unbeaten Eva Giselle by a length for the win.  Longshot Belle’s Shoes was third as Decelerator covered one mile in 1:38.49,

Eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra opened her championship campaign with an easy victory in the 2009 Martha Washington.

SOUTHEAST /  DIVA DELITE WINS AT TAMPA – Diva Delite rallied on the outside under jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr. to score  a 1 ¾-length victory in the $75,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The favorite grabbed the lead in deep stretch then held off a late charge along the rail by Miss Aristocrat for the win.  Imaginary Saint finished third.

The David Vivian-trained winner covered a mile and 40 yards over a fast track in 1:41.58.
Diva Delite is expected to run next in the Florida Oaks (GIII) at Tampa Bay.

EAST  /  LONGSHOT ROMAN CHESTNUT SUPRISES IN BUSHER – Roman Chestnut, the longest shot in the field at odds of 45-1, rallied to score an upset victory in Saturday’s $65,000 Busher Stakes at Aqueduct.

Apprentice jockey Angel Serpa notched the first win of his career as he guided Roman Chestnut to the surprising victory.  Anchorage finished second and Speightful Affair was third as the winne covered 1 1/15 miles in 1:45.93.  Roman Chestnut paid $93.50 to win.

Westrock Stables’ Decelerator, winner of the Debutante (Grade III) here in June, bids for a second graded stakes victory on Sunday as she takes on a dozen 2-year-old fillies in the 41st running of the $100,000-added Pocahontas (Grade III) at a mile on the main track at Churchill Downs.

The Pocahontas shares the marquee with $100,000-added Iroquois (GIII), a mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings, on the “Stars of Tomorrow I” program that opens Churchill Downs’ 21-day Fall Meet, which will run through Saturday Nov. 28. First post time for Sunday’s 11-race card, of the first of two programs during the meet devoted exclusively to races for juvenile runners, is 12:40 p.m. (all times EST).  The Pocahontas is scheduled as the eighth race with a 4:05 p.m. post time.

The second “Stars of Tomorrow” program is set for the meet’s closing day.

Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Pocahontas three times, Decelerator is 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs but enters the Pocahontas off a seventh-place finish in the two-turn Darley Alcibiades (GI) over the synthetic Polytrack surface at Keeneland on Oct. 9. Despite that perfect local record and her status as the only graded stakes winner in the Pocahontas, Decelerator is a 10-1 risk in oddsmaker Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the race. New York-based Rajiv Maragh has the mount on Decelerator, who will break from post position eight and carry top weight of 123 pounds.

Louisville-born trainer Dale Romans, who edged past the Hall of Famer Lukas in the Spring Meet and now ranks second in all-time wins at Churchill Downs, will bid for his second consecutive Pocahontas victory when he sends Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image into Sunday’s race. Romans saddled Sara Louise, who is scheduled to run in next Friday’s Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, to defeat Rachel Alexandra in the 2008 Pocahontas.  Rachel Alexanadra has not lost a race since.

A maiden winner at Churchill Downs in June and runner-up in the Grade II Adirondack at Saratoga in August, Sassy Image comes into the Pocahontas off an eighth-place finish in the Alcibiades, 1 ¼ lengths behind Decelerator. Robby Albarado has the mount on Sassy Image, who is the 9-2 morning line favorite for the Pocahontas and will carry 117 pounds when she breaks from post position three.

Other stakes winners in the field include Robert DeWitt and Catherine Kenneally’s All About Anna (15-1), who took the Bassinet at River Downs; Summerplace Farm’s Running Bride (6-1), an undefeated Indiana-bred who won the restricted City of Anderson and Miss Indiana stakes at Hoosier Park; and Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Vertical Vision (6-1), winner of two stakes races at Iowa’s Prairie Meadows this summer.

The field for the Pocahontas, from the rail out (with jockey, assigned weight and morning line odds), is as follows: Biorra (I. Ocampo, 117 pounds, 30-1), All Due Respect (B. Hernandez Jr., 117, 20-1), Sassy Image, Tiz Miz Sue (J. Castanon, 117, 5-1), Happy Week (E. Prado, 117, 6-1), Running Bride (J. Leparoux, 121), Jody Slew (L. Goncalves, 119, 30-1), Decelerator, Snap Happy (C. Borel, 119, 20-1), Vertical Vision (S. Bridgmohan, 121), Vivid Colors (K. Desormeaux, 117, 5-1), All About Anna (C. Lanerie, 121) and Tidal Pool (J. Theriot, 119, 12-1).  

Trainer D Wayne Lukas, who has saddled the Debutante winner a record six times, will have two chances at bringing home No. 7 on Saturday when he sends out Westrock Stables’ Decelerator and Tidal Pool in the 109th running of the $100,000-added Grade III event at Churchill Downs.

            The Debutante, which drew a field of nine 2-year-old fillies, will be run at six furlongs on the main track and will go as the 10th race at 5:29 p.m. (all times EDT) on Saturday’s 11-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m.

            Lukas, who saddled his first Debutante winner in 1986 (Burnished Bright) and most recent winner in 2004 (Classic Elegance), picked both of his 2009 Debutante starters out of the February Ocala sale, paying $250,000 for Decelerator and $220,000 for Tidal Pool.

            Decelerator, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and break from post position eight, won at first asking, taking a five-furlong race by a half-length on May 14. Decelerator, a daughter of Dehere, has had five works since, including two bullet moves. Tidal Pool, who will be ridden by Jon Court and break from post position seven, broke her maiden on her second try going 4 ½ furlongs on May 21.

            Trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the Debutante four times, will send out Lewis Lakin and Diane and Roger Stanton’s Wild Forest Cat and Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Kinsolving.

Wild Forest Cat, a winner by 4 ¾ lengths going 4 ½ furlongs on May 7 in her second start, will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and break from post position three. Kinsolving, who broke her maiden at first asking at Keeneland on April 17, has been idle since finishing sixth in the Kentucky Juvenile (Grade III) on April 30 at Churchill Downs. Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Kinsolving and break from post position one.

The field for the Debutante, from the rail out:  Kinsolving (Shaun Bridgmohan), Henry’s Posse (Miguel Mena), Wild Forest Cat (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Our Tekela Rose (Corey Lanerie), Phone Marybe (Inocencio Ayarza), Brown Eyed Baby (Robby Albarado), Tidal Pool (Jon Court), Decelerator (Julien Leparoux) and Send Rose Thecheck (Jesus Castanon). All starters will carry 118 pounds.

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