Indian Chant

Maggi Moss’ top sprinter Indian Chant, winner of Churchill Downs’ Grade III Aristides in his most recent start on May 31, is headed for Calder’s “Summit of Speed” according to trainer Tom Amoss.

“He is going to work Tuesday or Wednesday,” Amoss said of Indian Chant, whose Florida objective is the Grade II Smile Sprint Stakes at six furlongs.

In winning the Aristides, Indian Chant covered the six furlongs in 1:08.40, the fastest time of the meet for the distance at which 95 races had been run through Saturday. The Amoss trainee set the record for the distance in an allowance race on the closing day of the 2007 Spring Meet under the Twin Spires.

“Everything has been going smooth since the Aristides,” Amoss said. “The thing about him is that he tips his hand with his training. I thought before his last race with the way he was doing, he was going to be tough to beat. His next work will tell us if he is ready to go.”

The 5-year-old California-bred gelding has compiled a career record of 9-9-2 in 23 starts for earnings of $471,823. At the six-furlong distance, Indian Chant has a record of 5-8-1 in 16 races.

DEBUTANTE WINNER GARDEN DISTRICT EXITS RACE WELL – Mike McCarthy, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, reported Sunday morning that Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Garden District came out of her hard-fought victory in Saturday’s $100,000-added Debutante Stakes (GIII) in good order.

“She is doing real good this morning,” said McCarthy, who oversees Pletcher’s Churchill Downs string. “She did all the dirty work yesterday, was down on the fence and under pressure and still won. She’s a nice filly.”

Pletcher had indicated Saturday that Garden District would head next to Saratoga and point to either the Grade III Schuylerville on July 23 or the Grade II Adirondack on Aug. 13.

Runner-up Rachel Alexandra is going to get some time off after running for the second time in 15 days and third time in five weeks according to trainer Hal Wiggins.

“I don’t know what is next, but I may wait until the Arlington-Washington (GIII on Sept. 6),” Wiggins said. “She came out of the race all right.”

Wiggins had put Rachel Alexandra’s chances of participation in the Debutante at “50-50” early last week before dropping her name in the entry box.

“The 15 days was a little quick, but as long as she was training well we thought we’d try,” Wiggins said. “Plus, it was a chance for the owner (Dolphus Morrison) to come down from Columbia, Mo., to see her run.”

A daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, Rachel Alexandra was bred by Morrison. The mare, Lotta Kim, was trained by Wiggins.

“Lotta Kim won going long. She won the Tiffany Lass at the Fair Grounds,” Wiggins said. “So, we are looking for more ground with Rachel Alexandra.”

Like her daughter, Lotta Kim ran well at Churchill Downs. Her races here included a runner-up finish to Be Gentle in the 2003 Golden Rod (GII) at 1 1/16-miles.

OUT OF RETIREMENT? NOPE, HALL OF FAMER McCARRON WAS JUST HELPING OUT – Onlookers did a double take Sunday morning after the renovation break when retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron galloped past on horseback headed to the starting gate.

McCarron, who now runs the North American Racing Academy (NARA) in Lexington, Ky., worked a 2-year-old out of the gate for Art and Stephanie Preston’s Oxbow Racing.

McCarron ponied one of his NARA graduates, Matthew Straight, to the starting gate in Straight’s first day of racing on Friday, but the break from the gate at Churchill Downs was his first since being on Came Home

in the 2002 Kentucky Derby.

“When I got in the gate, (starter) Scott Jordan said, ‘I guess you have been here a few times’ and I said ‘you ought to know. You were on my head with Tiznow in the (2000) Breeders’ Cup Classic.’ ”

He would win that Classic aboard Tiznow, outlasting European champion Giant’s Causeway in a memorable stretch duel.

McCarron said he was helping out the Prestons with their 2-year-olds.

“They have about 70 2-year-olds at their farm,” McCarron said. “There are a dozen of their horses at the Academy and with all of the students on vacation, exercise riders have been getting on them.”

McCarron won the Kentucky Derby with Alysheba in 1987 and Go for Gin in 1994. Other important wins under the Twin Spires included Kentucky Oaks victories aboard Seaside Attraction (1990) and Farda Amiga (2002) and his Breeders’ Cup Classic wins aboard Alysheba (1988) and Tiznow.

BALLYNOE FINALLY DELIVERS ON “STARS OF TOMORROW” PROMISE – The closing day card of the 2007 Fall Meet at Churchill Downs was the second all 2-year-old program of the meet and dubbed “Stars of Tomorrow II."

There were two first-time starters who broke their maidens that day: Denis of Cork and Ballynoe.

Racing fans are well aware of what became of Denis of Cork, who has accomplished much as the winner of the Grade III Southwest Stakes, third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and runner-up in the Belmont Stakes (GI) for starters. But what happened to Ballynoe?

The question was answered Saturday afternoon when the Blue Nine Stables’ runner scored a 1 ½-length allowance victory on the Matt Winn Turf Course for her first win since breaking her maiden.

Trained by Steve Margolis, Ballynoe spent the winter knocking on the door at Gulfstream Park before coming to Churchill Downs. By Distorted Humor out of a Dynaformer mare, Margolis was eager to try Ballynoe on the grass and that chance finally came on June 7.

“She got beat five lengths that day, but I didn’t think she ran that bad,” Margolis said. “The horse that beat her, Closeout for Tom Proctor, is a nice horse, but she was caught down on the inside and she does not like to be in close.”

On Saturday, Ballynoe was reunited with jockey Larry Sterling Jr., who had ridden her to her maiden win, and she was drawn outside.

“The thing I liked about her race yesterday was that when the fresh horses came at her, she broke again,” Margolis said. “That was a nice bunch of fillies she beat.”

Margolis said Ballynoe could come back in two weeks in the Audubon Oaks at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf at Ellis Park on July 12.

“I might gamble and run her there,” Margolis said. “It is a little quick, but I would love to get some black type with her.”

ALBARADO, AMOSS AND RAMSEYS RACE TOWARD MEET TITLES – With six racing days remaining in the 52-day Spring Meet, Robby Albarado holds an eight-win margin (63-55) over Miguel Mena in the battle for leading rider honors.

The 35-year-old Albarado, who never has won a Churchill Downs riding title, is named on eight mounts Sunday, while Mena has mounts in each of the day’s 10 races.

Tom Amoss, who shared the 2002 Spring training title with Dale Romans and who ranks 10th all-time at Churchill Downs with 285 victories, enters Sunday’s card with a two-win lead over Steve Asmussen (29-27) with Ken McPeek next with 26. Asmussen, who claimed both Churchill Downs training titles in 2007, has increased his career victory total under the Twin Spires to 296, good for eighth all-time. Asmussen has six runners entered on Sunday, while Amoss has two and McPeek one.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who have won a record combined 12 owner titles at Churchill Downs, have two runners entered Sunday. They enter the day with a 16-12 edge over Maggi Moss, who was the leading owner here last spring.

Moss has no entrants on Sunday’s racing program.

BARN TALK – Unbridled Spring will attempt to become the first four-time winner of the meet Sunday afternoon when he faces five foes in the second race, a $5,000 starter/allowance test at seven furlongs. The 6-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song is owned by Alan Kingsbury and back in the barn of Kevin Aubrey, who claimed him back for $5,000 off Mike Maker after his third win of the meet on June 6. Unbridled Spring had been claimed by Maker for $10,000 at Keeneland on April 4. …A happy 41st birthday today to jockey Joe Johnson, a native of Owensboro, Ky. … Jockey Julien Leparoux posted his meet-leading 14th victory on the turf when he guided the Allen Paulson Living Trust’s Almonsoon to a win in Saturday’s ninth race. Robby Albarado is second in turf wins with 12.

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Arindel Farm’s Wait a While posted her third work at Churchill Downs since returning from a minor injury in mid-March, covering a half-mile in :49.80 for trainer Todd Pletcher. A Grade I winner on turf, Wait a While was the 3-year-old filly champion of 2006. … Peter Vegso’s Sunshine Millions Turf winner War Monger worked three furlongs in :39.60 for trainer Bill Mott over a track labeled “fast.” Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s 2006 Pocahontas (GIII) winner Change Up worked a half-mile in :48.60 for trainer Steve Margolis. … Ocean Colors, a daughter of 1988 Kentucky Derby-winning filly Winning Colors who scored a 5 ¼-length victory in her career debut on June 13, breezed four furlongs in :52.20 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through Saturday, June 28

Jockeys (Starts 1-2-3)

1. Robby Albarado (243 63-34-29)
2. Miguel Mena (311 55-47-45)
3. Julien Leparoux ( 277 47-54-48)
4. Jamie Theriot ( 247 45-34-33)
5. Calvin Borel (265 43-39-38)
6. Shaun Bridgmohan (192 39-34-25)
7. Jesus Castanon (231 26-23-28)
8. Corey Lanerie (199 18-26-25)
9. Brian Hernandez Jr. (182 15-29-19)
10. John McKee (138 12-21-20)

Trainers

1. Tom Amoss (73 29-13-12)
2. Steve Asmussen (122 27-20-18)
3. Ken McPeek (69 26-12-5)
4. Mike Maker (60 16-13-9)
5. Dale Romans (128 15-26-22)
6. Ian Wilkes (47 13-12-7)
7. Eddie Kenneally (61 12-10-10)
8. Cody Autrey (53 9-9-11)
-. Greg Foley (60 9-9-8)
-. Bret Calhoun (23 9-2-4)
Five (5) trainers tied at eight (8) wins

Owners

1. Ken and Sarah Ramsey (59 16-10-13)
2. Maggi Moss (28 12-6-4)
3. Zayat Stables, LLC (47 8-10-10)
4. Richard, Elaine & Bert Klein (36 7-7-7)
5. Heflin & Driver Racing (27 5-5-6)
-. Heiligbrodt Racing Stable (17 5-1-0)
Seven (7) owners tied at four (4) wins

Mr and Mrs William Warren’s Denis of Cork, a late-running third behind unbeaten Big Brown in the 134th running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), is scheduled to complete his serious preparation for Saturday’s rematch with the Derby winner in the $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI) with a work at Churchill Downs on Monday.

Trainer David Carroll said the 3-year-old son Harlan’s Holiday would work four furlongs just after the break for track renovation, which means Denis of Cork will hit the track around 8:30 a.m. (all times EDT) on Monday. Jockey Robby Albarado, who was aboard Denis of Cork for a victory in the Southwest Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park and will ride the colt again in the Belmont, will be aboard for the work.

“It’s nothing major, just a final stretch of the legs, so to speak,” said Carroll. “I’ve been very happy with him. The weather’s been good, the track’s been good and he seems to be on course.”

Denis of Cork launched his career with three consecutive victories and capped that string with his win in the Southwest. His only misstep came in a fifth-place finish behind Recapturetheglory in the Illinois Derby (GII) at Hawthorne. He rebounded from that disappointing run with his stretch-running third-place finish under jockey Calvin Borel in the Kentucky Derby and has turned in five-furlong works over the Churchill Downs strip since getting a few days of rest following the 1 ¼-mile Derby.

Carroll’s horse will travel by plane to New York on Tuesday. Also heading from Churchill Downs to Belmont Park for the third jewel of the Triple Crown that day will be West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, who ran second to Big Brown in the Preakness (GI) and won the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 26.

The Dallas Stewart-trained Macho Again turned in his final pre-Belmont work on Friday. He walked in Stewart’s shedrow on Saturday and jogged this morning.

ARISTIDES VICTORY LIFTS SIZZLING AMOSS INTO TIE FOR ‘LEADING TRAINER’ HONORS – Saturday’s narrow victory by Maggi Moss’s Indian Chant in the $125,000-added Aristides Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs lifted sizzling trainer Tom Amoss into a tie for the top spot in the race for “leading trainer” as the 52-day Spring Meet reached its midpoint.

Indian Chant held on to edge the onrushing Noonmark to score his biggest career victory and give Amoss his 17th win of the meet, which tied him with Ken McPeek for the lead in the competition for the meet’s top trainer. Those 17 victories have come with 43 starts, and Amoss has also saddled six horses that finished second and another half-dozen that have come in third. Those numbers reflect a winning percentage of 40 percent and 67 percent of his starters have finished in the top three.

McPeek’s 17 winners have come from 38 starters – a winning percentage of 45 percent, which is second in the meet only to Robert O’Connor among trainers that have saddled 10 or more starters. O’Connor has won half of his 10 starts.

Steve Asmussen, who won Saturday’s $100,000-added Opening Verse with Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Inca King, sits right behind the top duo with 16 wins. The length of Indian Chant’s head is all that kept Asmussen out of the tie for the top spot with McPeek, as he saddled Noonmark for his runner-up finish in the Aristides.

Amoss is now looking toward the summer and fall with Indian Chant after the California-bred son of Suggest notched his first graded stakes victory. Indian Chant is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup, but Amoss and Moss are eyeing many other sprint options for this 5-year-old star.

“He came out of the race great,” he said. “Maggi is very involved and knowledgeable, and the decision on his next race will come after a thorough look at the options.”

The victory was the ninth in 23 races for Indian Chant, and his second in five races in 2008. He has now earned $471,648.

CARROLL LOOKS TO FUTURE FOR STREAKING ACOMA AFTER DOGWOOD WIN – It’s always thrilling for trainer David Carroll to win a stakes race at Churchill Downs, but Saturday’s victory in the $100,000-added Dogwood (GIII) by Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ homebred filly Acoma was special on many levels.

The victory marked the stakes debut for the regally-bred daughter of Empire Maker, who rallied off a slow pace to win the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies by half-length over Mary and Gary West’s favored Keep the Peace. Jockey Robby Albarado was in the irons as Acoma covered the mile over “fast” footing in 1:34.56.

Along with being successful in her stakes debut, the graded stakes victory was the third win in a row for Acoma and all have come over different surfaces: Polytrack at Keeneland, a “sloppy” main track at Churchill Downs and Saturday’s “fast” track. Acoma also turned back from a two-turn distance to the demanding one-turn mile, and she rallied from behind a modest pace to accomplish her task.

“You’re always thrilled by a performance like that – it was very exciting,” Carroll said. “It was a little unexpected, but I think she can go on to bigger and better things.”

Acoma has a pedigree that suggests that she is capable of just about anything. She’s out of the female family that traces back four generations to Courtly Dee, who was Kentucky’s “Broodmare of the Year” in 1983. Acoma’s dam, Aurora, was a stakes winner who produced Grade I winner Arch and Dubai-based champion Festival of Light. Her second dam was 1983 2-year-old filly champion Althea, who would defeat males in the Arkansas Derby at three and run 19th behind Swale in the 1984 Kentucky Derby (GI) for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Other Grade I stakes winners out of the female family include Aldiza, Balletto, Green Desert, Ali Oop, Ketoh and Japanese champion Yamanin Paradise.

“It was wonderful to win for Helen (Alexander), she’s been a great supporter of mine,” said Carroll. “It was absolutely beautiful.”

Acoma improved her career record to 3-0-1 in four races and boosted her earnings to $134,564.

 

BARN TALK – Stonestreet Stable and Midnight Cry Stable’s reigning “Horse of the Year” Curlin is scheduled to work on Monday at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old son of Smart Strike, winner of the Dubai World Cup (GI) in his most recent race, continues to train toward a possible start in the $750,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) at Churchill Downs on June 14. Trainer Steve Asmussen’s champion is scheduled to work around 6:15 a.m. Another Asmussen-trained Stephen Foster candidate is multiple Grade In winner Student Council, who breezed five furlongs over a “fast” track on Sunday in 1:02. Student Council won the Pimlico Special (GI) in his most recent start. …Midnight Cry Stable’s Einstein, winner of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI), breezed four furlongs in :49.80. Trainer Helen Pitts plans to run the Brazilian-bred star in Saturday’s Manhattan

Handicap (GI) at Belmont Park.

 

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – La Troienne (GIII) winner Game Face breezed four furlongs in :47, the fastest move of 53 at the distance . … Danzon breezed four furlongs in :49. … Fairbanks breezed a half-mile in :49.20. … Gotham (GIII) runner-up Texas Wildcatter breezed five furlongs in 1:01. … Pious Ashley, scratched from Saturday’s Dogwood, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40.

 

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through Saturday, May 31 Jockeys Starts 1-2-3

Robby Albarado 125 33-13-18

Julien Leparoux 174 31-31-33

Miguel Mena 167 28-22-24

Shaun Bridgmohan 115 24-22-13

Calvin Borel 172 23-26-26

Jesus Castanon 137 18-12-12

Jamie Theriot 118 17-16-9

Brian Hernandez, Jr. 94 8-15-12

Elvis Trujillo 43 8-6-13

Corey Lanerie 107 7-16-9

John McKee 77 7-12-14

Tracy Hebert 70 7-3-5

Larry Sterling, Jr. 52 6-6-7

Fernando De La Cruz 70 6-4-6

Trainers

Tom Amoss 43 17-6-6

Ken McPeek 38 17-5-4

Steve Asmussen 70 16-12-11

Ian Wilkes 26 9-5-3

Mike Maker 29 8-5-3

Dale Romans 66 6-15-13

Eddie Kenneally 33 6-7-7

Greg Foley 44 6-7-6

Wesley Ward 21 6-4-4

David Carroll 18 6-3-2

Four (4) trainers tied with five (5) wins

Owners

Ken and Sarah Ramsey 27 9-3-5

Maggi Moss 17 8-2-3

Zayat Stables, LLC 29 6-6-6

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable 8 5-0-0

Two (2) owners tied with four (4) wins

(May 31, 2008) – Indian Chant collected his first graded stakes win by the bob of a head with a narrow victory over Noonmark in Saturday’s 20th running of the Grade III, $117,779 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Indian Chant, who determinedly held on for the win, stopped the teletimer in 1:08.40 – the fastest of 55 six-furlong races at Churchill Downs this season. Jamie Theriot rode the winner for owner Maggi Moss and trainer Tom Amoss.

Moss, the leading owner at Churchill Downs’ 2007 Spring Meet, notched her first stakes win under the Twin Spires.

Esperamos was rushed to the early lead through a flashy quarter-mile in :21.10 with Indian Chant right on his outside hip. Indian Chant began to vie for the lead on the turn from home, put away the early leader through a half-mile in a swift :43.78 and opened up at the head of the stretch. Noonmark, who rated behind the leaders from fourth under Shaun Bridgmohan, split rivals at the top of the lane, grabbed second with a furlong to run and surged home strongly only to come up short.

“I looked at the screen as I was going down by the sixteenth pole and saw (Noonmark) coming, and I kind of let my horse drift out a little bit to kind of get game with the other horse,” Theriot said. “Once he felt him come to his shoulder, he kind of gave me a little more and dug in. The last couple of jumps were a battle.”

“It’s a big win over a good bunch of horses, and we’re thinking big things for this guy,” Amoss said. “That’s what we’re going to do; we’re going to point toward the bigger things. Obviously he’s not Breeders’ Cup nominated, so I’m not going to step out there, but we’re going run in some big races and see where he fits with the group.”

Indian Chant, a 5-year-old gelded son of Suggest, has finished first or second in 18 of his 23 lifetime starts. This was his ninth triumph – second in five starts this year – and the $67,113 check padded his bankroll to $471,648.

Sent off as the 2-1 second choice in a field of six older horses, Indian Chant returned $6.40, $3.40 and $2.60. Noonmark paid $4 and $2.60. Elite Squadron, the narrow 2-1 fan’s choice after his victory in the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby Day, was another 5 ¼ lengths back in third and returned $2.20.

Kelly’s Landing, Esperamos and Carnack’s Choice completed the order of finish. Carnack’s Choice was pulled up after a quarter mile and was vanned off.

Aristides Stakes Jockey & Trainer Quotes

TOM AMOSS, trainer of INDIAN CHANT (winner)

“It’s exciting. It didn’t set up particularly like I thought it would. We were able, through a very clever ride and Jimmy’s horse (the James Baker-trained Elite Squadron) breaking poorly, to put him (Elite Squadron) in a bad position. I know that hurt him, and I’m sure he’ll have a lot to say if we meet again. Let’s put it that way. But that helped a great deal. In Indian Chant’s defense, the fight that he showed at the end of the race is a little newfound. I didn’t know that he could show that kind of fight at the end, and that’s exciting.”

Q: Noonmark looked like he had every chance to go on by and Indian Chant wouldn’t let him…
“He really dug in. At the sixteenth pole, I thought he was beat and at the wire he was able to hold him off.”

Q: How nice is this win for you? When you look at the horses you beat, you can make a case for almost all of them to show up, if things go well, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint – with the possible exception of Indian Chant, who is not nominated to the Cup…

“It’s a big win over a good bunch of horses, and we’re thinking big things for this guy. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to point toward the bigger things. Obviously he’s not Breeders’ Cup nominated, so I’m not going to step out there, but we’re going run in some big races and see where he fits with the group.”

JAMIE THERIOT, jockey on INDIAN CHANT (winner)

“Every time I’ve rode him, he’s very quick. So I just take a long cross and let him run his race and he dictates what he wants to do. When you call on him down the lane, he’s there for us. Tom did a great job with him.

Q: In the final strides to the wire, it looked like it could be either horse…

“I looked at the screen as I was going down by the sixteenth pole and saw this horse (Noonmark) coming, and I kind of let my horse drift out a little bit to kind of get game with the other horse. Once he felt him come to his shoulder, he kind of gave me a little more and dug in. The last couple of jumps were a battle.”

Q: But you thought you had it at the wire?

“Yeah, I thought I hung on and won. I thought I had the head-bob.”

Q: You had to know you were rolling along there and going pretty fast…

“Every time I ride him, he goes out there and does those those :21’s and :43 or :44’s and change, and he’s a horse that you don’t take it away from him. He puts you into the race and that’s where he wants to be, and I just let him run his own race.”

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN, jockey on NOONMARK (runner-up)

“I had a full head of steam and I thought we had him, but the other horse just ran a game race. Everything worked out great, except we were unfortunate at the wire.”

JAMES BAKER, trainer of ELITE SQUADRON (third)

Q: What happened with him at the starting gate?

“He just kind of missed the break. Somebody said the one (Esperamos) hit him coming out of the gate, but I didn’t notice that. If you watched him Derby Day (in his win in the Churchill Downs), he didn’t break very sharp that day – but he kind of drug him to the lead. The pace was torrid – I didn’t want him on the front end, but he got a little far back and he made a little bit of a run. It wasn’t his ‘A’ game, but it wasn’t a bad race either. He carried a lot of weight today. I’m not disappointed, but I’m not happy.”

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Track record-holder Indian Chant cruised to a five-length victory over Success Success to win the $60,000 six-furlong feature for three-year-olds and up Sunday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Maggi Moss, Indian Chant set the Churchill Downs six-furlong record of 1:07.55 last July. On Sunday, the five-year-old California-bred son of Suggest negotiated the distance on a “sloppy” track in 1:10.13.

Ridden by Jamie Theriot, Indian Chant took the lead from Going Wild leaving the backstretch and then turned back a bid from Kelly’s Landing at the head of the stretch before drawing off for his eighth victory in 22 career starts.

Trained by Tom Amoss, Indian Chant returned mutuels of $4, $3 and $2.10. Success Success, ridden by Calvin Borel, paid $6.20 and $2.80, while multiple stakes winner Kelly’s Landing finished four lengths further back in third in the field of five and paid $2.40 to show under Julien Leparoux. It was the first start for Kelly’s Landing since a fifth-place finish last fall in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Monmouth Park.

The victory was worth $29,760 and increased Indian Chant’s career earnings to $404,535.