Stevil

• KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN IN EAGER IN GALLOP
• TYLER BAZE VISITS TO WORK TRES BORRACHOS
• ZITO WORKS STEVIL IN COMPANY IN FINAL PREAKNESS PREP
  

BIG BROWN FINALLY GALLOPS ON DAY BEFORE DEPARTURE – IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s Big Brown, a comfortable 4 ¾-length winner of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on May 3, took advantage of a perfect spring morning and dry track on Tuesday to eagerly gallop 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Michelle Nevin.

Trainer Rick Dutrow had chosen to jog the 3-year-old son of Boundary over a recent series of wet or sealed tracks and the colt’s gallop was just his second since his authoritative Kentucky Derby victory. Big Brown will have one more trip over the Churchill Downs track on Wednesday before he boards a plane that afternoon for the flight to Baltimore and a run in Saturday’s $1 million Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Triple Crown which will be run at Pimlico Race Course.

“I’m happy with what I see,” said Dutrow. “I don’t know that I’d be looking for much more than what I see. I’m completely satisfied with everything. The horse has eaten everything since he’s run, he’s been aggressive when he goes to the track – he can’t wait to get there. He bounces off the track when he comes off. This is only the second time we were able to gallop him since the race, but both times it just couldn’t have went better. I just really see a really good picture here – he’s doing really good.”

The Kentucky Derby winner went to the track after the morning break for track maintenance. He stood calmly midway around the first turn for several minutes before Nevin spotted a gap in traffic on the busy track and took Big Brown into his gallop. The colt was very eager on his full turn around the track as he threw his head around playfully and clearly wanted to do more than Nevin’s restraint would allow.

“I rather gallop him than jog him,” said Dutrow. “He’s a lot happier when he gallops, but it’s not a big deal to jog him – especially since he’s got to run back in two weeks. That’s not going to take too much out of him. We’re just kind of playing it safe and cautious and don’t want him to do too much. He’s still got two big races he’s looking at and they’re all cramped in so close together that we don’t want to take too much out of him in his training. We want to watch that.”

A victory in Saturday’s Preakness at a mile and three sixteenths would give Big Brown the opportunity to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner – and the first since Affirmed in 1978 – with a victory in the mile and a half Belmont Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park on June 7.

Dutrow said he remains “on target” to give Big Brown a short “blowout” work – perhaps a quarter-mile – at Pimlico on the morning of the race.

“I really like that idea,” he said. “It just seems to work sometimes, and especially in this scenario I really like it because I don’t like breezing my horses until I wait two weeks after they run and this is two weeks exactly. So I’ll just blow him out a little bit the morning that he’s in. That seems to have horses more on their toes for that afternoon, plus it tells them that they’re going to be running later on that day. Sometimes it might be an edge to where they break good – just to sharpen him up a little bit, you know? Not saying that he needs it, but I’m just going to go ahead and try it. I don’t see it being a bad move.”

Big Brown is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday for the short van ride to Louisville International Airport, where he will board his flight to Baltimore. Dutrow plans to ride on the van and the plane with his colt.

Regarding Saturday’s Preakness and its still-developing cast of opponents, Dutrow continues to believe that he trains the best horse in the race. He expects jockey Kent Desormeaux to ride Big Brown with as much confidence as in the Kentucky Derby, but Dutrow will insist that his jockey be wary of making the colt do any more than is necessary. And Dutrow is hoping for another outside post draw after winning the Kentucky Derby from post 20, becoming just the second horse in the 134-year history of the race to do so, and from the outside gate in a field of 12 in the Florida Derby (GI).

“If we draw the outside, it would make me very happy, but we don’t have a choice, so we’re going to take what comes,” he said. “I’m pretty confident things are going to be okay with him come Saturday.”

TYLER BAZE WORKS TRES BORRACOS FOR PREAKNESS – Beau Greely, John Greely IV and Phil Houchens’ Tres Borrachos worked a half-mile after the morning renovation break in :50.40 over a “fast” track under jockey Tyler Baze.

The move rated as the 43rd best of the morning out of 61 at the distance. Trainer Beau Greely got Tres Borrachos in :49.98 while watching the work from the grandstand.

Baze, who rode Tres Borrachos for the first time in the April 12 Arkansas Derby (GII), flew to Louisville on Monday afternoon and returned immediately after the work to Los Angeles where is the leading rider at the Hollywood Park meeting. He plans to catch a redeye to Baltimore Friday night for Saturday’s Preakness.

Baze, who will be riding in his first Preakness, was happy with the work, the fourth at Churchill Downs for Tres Borrachos since arriving in Louisville April 14 after the Arkansas Derby.

“It was so beautiful, it was ridiculous. He went in 49 and change; 13 (seconds), 13, 12 and 11,” Baze said. “He did it the right way and finished well. He is so impressive, the way he worked today, to go over a dirt track like that and not be blowing.”

Greely also was happy with the move.

“That’s what I wanted; 26 and 23,” Greely said. “We are good to go.”

Baze watched Big Brown’s Kentucky Derby victory from Hollywood Park.

“My impression is he’s a good horse, but a horse can’t have his day every day,” Baze said. “I am hoping Saturday is my day. I know this is a good horse, now that I have ridden him in Arkansas and I know him, I am really looking forward to it.”

 

STEVIL TURNS IN FINAL PREP FOR PREAKNESS – Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) on April 12 in his most recent start, worked a half-mile in company with 3-year-old stablemate Da’ Tara in :47.80 after the renovation break Tuesday morning over a “fast” track.

Megan Smillie was aboard Stevil for trainer Nick Zito.

“He went nice and easy,” said Zito, who had postponed the work from Monday because of muddy track conditions. “I’m happy with it. We are ready. He has been running good all winter. Hopefully, he will put in another good effort and we will see what happens.”

John Velazquez has the Preakness mount on Stevil.

ALBARADO EYES PREAKNESS REPEAT – In the 2007 Preakness, Robby Albarado derailed the Triple Crown aspirations of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by rallying Curlin to a head victory. On Saturday, Albarado has the mount on Racecar Rhapsody, who will try to hand Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown his first defeat.

“He leaves himself a lot of work to do and hopefully he will give himself a chance early in the race,” said Albarado, who has ridden Racecar Rhapsody in all six of his starts for trainer Ken McPeek. “It seems like he will be able to handle the tighter turns at Pimlico. He will be coming late.

“Hopefully, we will get some pace up front to run at, but at the same time, I don’t want to be too far out at the back that I can’t get to them.”

Racecar Rhapsody galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break with Jose Castanon up Tuesday morning. The colt is scheduled to leave for Pimlico on Wednesday afternoon.

Albarado finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby on Z Fortune behind Big Brown and he is looking forward to taking another shot at the Derby winner.

“You like to have a target for somebody to aim at,” Albarado said. “It’s the same as with Street Sense last year. He was the target after winning the Derby and we got lucky and caught him. Hopefully, we can do the same this year.”

Albarado will be riding at Pimlico on Friday and Saturday. He will ride Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class for trainer Neil Howard in Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (GII).

MACHO AGAIN SLATES EARLY WEDNESDAY DEPARTURE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again galloped a mile and a half under Kenny Bourque on Tuesday morning, hitting the track just before 6:30.

“He is training so good right now,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “He was nice and smooth this morning.”

Stewart plans to have Macho Again out in the first set Wednesday when the track opens at 6 a.m. After Macho Again gallops and cools out, Stewart intends to put the winner of the April 26 Derby Trial on a van to Lexington to catch a 10 a.m. flight to Baltimore rather than wait for the 3:30 p.m. flight that will bring Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown and other Preakness starters to Pimlico.

Julien Leparoux, currently the leading rider at Churchill Downs with 19 victories through the first 12 days of the 52-day meet, will make his Preakness debut Saturday on Macho Again.

BARN TALK – Trainer David Carroll appears to have a nice three-year-old filly in Acoma, an impressive allowance winner here Sunday in the slop.

“She had a lot of trouble in the race,” Carroll said of the mile and a sixteenth event in which Acoma lost position on the far turn and was shuffled back to fifth in the field of six. “It wasn’t until Julien (Leparoux) got her outside that she finally relaxed.”

A daughter of 2003 Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Empire Maker out of the Danzig mare Aurora, Acoma has won two of three starts for owners Helen Alexander and Helen Groves.

“I am going to talk it over with the owners,” Carroll said about what’s next for Acoma. “The Dogwood (a $100,000 stake here on May 31), maybe, but that’s a one-turn mile and there are better races down the road.”

WORK TAB – Working a bullet three-eighths Tuesday morning was Arthur Hancock III’s Wanderin Boy. Winner of the 2007 Alysheba (GIII), Wanderin Boy covered the distance in :36 flat, best of 30 at the distance for trainer Nick Zito. … Chrysalis Stables’ Silverfoot, a three-time winner of the Louisville Handicap (GIII), worked six furlongs on the turf in 1:13.80 for trainer Dallas Stewart.

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through Sunday, May 11

 

Jockeys  Starts 1-2-3

Julien Leparoux 92 19-13-16

Miguel Mena 71 13-9-16

Robby Albarado 61 12-6-7

Shaun Bridgmohan 55 11-8-4

Jesus Castanon 57 10-5-3

Calvin Borel 87 9-12-15

Kent Desormeaux 31 5-8-6

Jamie Theriot 51 5-4-5

Larry Sterling, Jr. 26 5-3-5

Edgar Prado 17 3-5-3

John Velazquez 15 3-3-0

Rafael Bejarano 12 3-0-2

Trainers

Tom Amoss 20 8-3-4

Ken McPeek 17 7-2-1

Steve Asmussen 28 6-4-2

Eddie Kenneally 22 5-5-5

Ian Wilkes 15 5-3-2

Greg Foley 22 5-3-1

Mike Maker 16 5-2-1

Ronny Werner 14 3-4-3

Bill Mott 19 3-3-3

Nick Zito 12 3-2-1

John Fahey III 7 3-1-2

Bobby Frankel 10 3-1-1
Mark Casse 8 3-0-0

Owners

Ken and Sarah Ramsey 18 6-2-2

Maggi Moss 7 5-0-2

Zayat Stables, LLC 18 3-4-2

Padua Stables 3 3-0-0

Six owners tied with two (2) wins

 

IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s Big Brown had his presence announced on the track shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday with a loud clap of thunder.

Unfazed, Big Brown went about his morning activity, jogging one mile with Michelle Nevin up accompanied by a pony.

Heavy overnight rain had left the Churchill Downs racing surface “muddy” and trainer Rick Dutrow, as he had done two days last week, opted to jog the Kentucky Derby winner rather than gallop him.

With his Kentucky Derby victory eight days ago, Big Brown put Nevin in some elite company in being the regular morning exercise rider of a classic winner.

“I first got on him when he came to Florida in November,” Nevin said. “Rick was telling me ‘you’re gonna love this horse’ and the first time I took him to the track he went out there like an old pro and nothing bothered him. After I galloped him, I thought ‘this is a classy horse.’”

TRES BORRACHOS GALLOPS IN BLINKERS – Less than two hours after Big Brown jogged under cloudy skies and on a muddy track, bright sunshine and a harrowed track that was drying out because of high winds greeted Tres Borrachos.

The third-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby (GII) galloped 1 ½ miles under Andy Durnin and was outfitted in blinkers for the first time.

Trainer Beau Greely, who owns Tres Borrachos in partnership with John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, explained the experiment.

“In his races, horses would come up to him and he’d back up a little and then come again,” Greely said. “I want to see what Andy thinks about them, but it looks like he was relaxed galloping today. He may have them on when he works Tuesday and then we’ll make a decision (about whether the blinkers will stay on for the Preakness).”

RECAPTURETHEGLORY IMPROVING, MAY LEAVE MONDAY – Assistant trainer Lara Van Deren said that fifth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Recapturetheglory was doing much better Sunday morning, a day after running a 102-degree temperature.

“Yesterday was real tough,” Van Deren said. “He will probably leave tomorrow for Chicago and miss three or four days of training.”

Owned by trainer Louie Roussel III and Ronald Lamarque, Recapturetheglory was on track to leave Churchill Downs on Saturday night for Baltimore and a start in the Preakness before the fever hit.

ROUTINE MORNING FOR PREAKNESS HOPEFULS AT CHURCHILL – The three remaining Preakness hopefuls training at Churchill Downs had uneventful mornings Sunday.

Robert LaPenta’s Stevil galloped 1 ½ miles under Dylan Armstrong for trainer Nick Zito. Stevil is scheduled to work four furlongs Monday morning.

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again walked the shedrow at Barn 35 after working a half-mile in :50.80 the day before. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Macho Again will be ridden in the Preakness by Julien Leparoux, who rode Macho Again to victory in the April 26 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs.

Macho Again will be attempting to give West Point a second major victory in as many weekends. On Saturday at Lone Star Park, El Gato Malo prevailed in the Lone Star Derby (GIII) for trainer Craig Dollase.

Also walking the shedrow was Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle’s Racecar Rhapsody. The Ken McPeek trainee had worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Saturday.

LING LING QI, SILVER EDITION & ST. JOE TO MATT WINN – Convincing opening week sprint winners Ling Ling Qi and Silver Edition as well as third-place Iroquois (GIII) finisher St. Joe are considered as definite starters for Saturday’s seventh running of the $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track.

Lansdon Robbins III’s Ling Ling Qi scored by 2 ¾ lengths as the 7-5 favorite on April 29 for trainer Ken McPeek. Silver Edition, owned by Thomas Van Meter II and Phillip Maloof, was a 4 ½-length winner as the 9-5 peoples’ choice on May 2 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Silver Edition, runner-up in the Grade II Hutcheson in January at Gulfstream Park, worked a bullet half-mile in :47.60 over a sloppy track Sunday morning.

Silverton Hill Farm’s St. Joe is coming off a ninth-place finish in the Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland on April 19. St. Joe is trained by Darrin Miller.

Nominations for the Matt Winn closed May 7 with 18 nominations. Entries will be taken Wednesday.

BARN TALK – There was a new exercise rider Sunday morning in the barn of Dallas Stewart: Hall of Fame nominee Randy Romero. “I just got here from New Orleans,” said Romero, who retired from riding in 1999. “I’ve been working out and swimming and I’ve lost 10 pounds.”

Romero, who had a kidney removed in February and continues to battle chronic liver disease, scored what likely was his most memorable victory at Churchill Downs when he guided undefeated Personal Ensign to the 13th victory of her career in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff over 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors and 1988 Kentucky Oaks champ Goodbye Halo.

Romero, who also has worked as a jockey agent, has been involved in another project.

“I’ve been working on a script for a movie on my life,” said Romero, who was seriously burned in a hotbox accident at Oaklawn Park in 1983. “It’s called ‘Cat On A Horse.’ Look for it in about a year and a half.”

For someone who apparently has more than nine lives, the title is appropriate.

WORK TAB – Uptown Racing’s Boss Lafitte, winner of the Central Bank Transylvania Stakes (GIII) on April 12 at Keeneland, worked a half-mile on a track labeled “sloppy” in :50.20 for trainer Tom Amoss. Lawrence Carroll’s Old Man Buck, winner of last summer’s Miller Lite Cradle Stakes at River Downs, worked a half-mile in “muddy” conditions in :48.80 for trainer Ken McPeek. The work was the third fastest of 28 at the distance.

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Ronald Lamarque and Louie Roussel III’s fifth-place Kentucky Derby finisher, Recapturetheglory, has had his Preakness plans put on hold by a fever.

“We took his temperature last night,” assistant trainer Lara Van Deren said. “He just wasn’t acting right. He was backing up against the gate in the stall and he never does that.

“This morning his temperature was over 102. He’s definitely not shipping (to Pimlico) tonight. We pulled blood on him and gave him some anti-inflammatories. The blood work will tell us everything and we should get that back this afternoon.”

Van Deren said Recapaturetheglory was still eating and not coughing and that the temperature began to drop later in the morning.

MACHO AGAIN BACK IN PREAKNESS PICTURE – A day after being taken out of consideration for the Preakness, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again was back in the picture according to trainer Dallas Stewart.

“Last night we sat down and really looked at the field,” Stewart said. “There is one superstar in there (Big Brown) and I feel he can be competitive with the rest of them. He has never been doing better than he is now.”

Winner of the Derby Trial on April 26 in his most recent start, Macho Again worked a half-mile in :50.80 before the renovation break over a fast track Saturday morning at Churchill Downs with Kenny Bourque up. The move was the 52nd fastest of 59 at the distance.

“The decision was not based on his work this morning,” Stewart said. “He never has been much of a work horse. But we will see how he is in the morning, and we are seriously considering it. It’s a once in a lifetime chance and Terry (Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds) has left the decision up to me.”

Macho Again has compiled a record of 8-3-2-0 with earnings of $143,761. His two worst races came on synthetic surfaces and his only off-the-board finish on dirt was a sixth-place effort in the LeComte (GIII) at Fair Grounds in which he raced wide and was coming off a seven-week layoff.

About a dozen horses are likely for next Saturday’s $1 million Preakness Stakes (GI) at Pimlico Race Course: Behindatthebar, Big Brown, Giant Moon, Hey Byrn, Icabad Crane, Kentucky Bear, Macho Again, Racecar Rhapsody, Riley Tucker, Stevil, Tres Borrachos and Yankee Bravo. Harlem Rocker and Recapturetheglory are considered possible starters.

RACECAR RHAPSODY DRILLS FIVE-EIGHTHS FOR PREAKNESS – Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle’s Racecar Rhapsody worked five furlongs in 1:01 after the morning renovation break at Churchill Downs under Jose Castanon. The move was the third fastest of 29 at the distance.

“He worked well,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “He laid off another horse and finished strong.”

Robby Albarado, who has ridden Racecar Rhapsody in all six of his starts, has the call for the Preakness.

Racecar Rhapsody never has been worse than fourth in his career and the most he has been beaten was four lengths in the Lane’s End (Grade II) at Turfway Park on March 22 in his 2008 debut.

“He’s a nice horse, but he’s a horse that comes from behind and needs a clean trip,” McPeek said. “He needs plenty of ground.”

He will get that extra ground in the Preakness with the 1 3/16 miles being the longest he has run. Racecar Rhapsody is scheduled to ship to Pimlico on Wednesday.

BIG BROWN GALLOPS AFTER BREAK – With the sun out and a fast track, Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown galloped for the first time since taking down the first leg of the Triple Crown last Saturday at Churchill Downs.

“God is good,” trainer Rick Dutrow said with a smile as he glanced up at the clear skies, a commodity that had been absent the previous two mornings.

With Michelle Nevin aboard Big Brown and an NBC film crew monitoring every move, the colt went to the track at 8:30 a.m., jogged around to the front side and then galloped a little more than a mile.

“I was looking for what I saw,” Dutrow said after Big Brown returned to Barn 22.

Big Brown had jogged the past three mornings, the previous two because of wet track conditions.

Big Brown is scheduled to train at Churchill Downs the next four mornings and ship to Pimlico on Wednesday afternoon.

PREAKNESS HOPEFULS GALLOP UNDER TWIN SPIRES – With Dylan Armstrong up, Robert LaPenta’s Stevil galloped 1 ½ miles before the renovation break at Churchill Downs as he continued his preparations for next Saturday’s Preakness.

Heather Stark, assistant to trainer Nick Zito, reported all was well with the son of Maria’s Mon who is scheduled to work Monday.

The last of the Preakness hopefuls at Churchill Downs to go to the track Saturday morning was Tres Borrachos, who traveled a little less than 1 ¼ miles with a combination of jogging and galloping under Andy Durnin shortly after 9 a.m.

Trainer Beau Greely, who owns the Ecton Park gelding in partnership with John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, plans to work Tres Borrachos on Tuesday and ship to Pimlico on Wednesday.

Tres Borrachos has been bothered recently by a minor skin irritation on the left side of his neck.

“He had a little ringworm that showed up last week,” Greely said. “It has dried up now, but at the moment he wouldn’t win any beauty contests.”

BARN TALK – Veteran jockey Bill Troilo won two races on Friday’s card, scoring with Blackpool ($9.60) for trainer Joe Woodard in the first and Colin’s Princess ($12.40) for trainer Troy Newton in the 10th. The victories gave Troilo 250 for his career at Churchill Downs.

“Maybe in another 30 years I can catch Pat Day,” the 47-year-old Troilo said with a laugh, referring to the Hall of Famer who is Churchill Downs’ all-time leading rider with 2,481 wins.

WORK TAB – The 1-2 finishers from the March 8 New Orleans Handicap (GII), Circular Quay and Grasshopper worked over a track rated as “fast” on Saturday morning. Circular Quay, owned by Michael and Doreen Tabor, worked a half-mile in :49.80 for trainer Todd Pletcher. The move was the 38th fastest of 59 at the distance. Grasshopper, owned by Will Farish, E.J. Hudson and James Elkins, covered the same distance in :48.60 for trainer Neil Howard. The move was the 14th best at the distance. Also working a half-mile was Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s Passion. Third in the Grade II Stonerside Beaumont in her most recent start, Passion covered the distance in :48 flat, fifth-best time of the morning at the distance.

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