Zayat Stables

NO DECISION ON NEW RIDER FOR MINE THAT BIRD – Trainer Chip Woolley said Thursday morning that he had a couple of riders under consideration to ride Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird in the West Virginia Derby (Grade II) on Aug. 1.

    Woolley had not received a firm commitment from Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to the Kentucky Derby victory, for the West Virginia Derby, which led Woolley to seek a new rider. Woolley is seeking a three-race commitment covering the West Virginia Derby, Shadwell Travers (GI) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

    “I thank Calvin for the job he has done for us, but going race to race is not a good option for us and we think we are better off going with someone who will be there when we need him,” Woolley said. “It is strictly a business decision and Calvin and (agent) Jerry (Hissam) will always be welcome in my shedrow.”

    Mine That Bird, who went twice around the main track Thursday morning with exercise rider Rudy Gallegos up, had his first work since finishing third in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I) on Monday when he covered a half-mile in :51 under Borel.

    Woolley has three more Churchill Downs works scheduled for Mine That Bird before leaving for Mountaineer. Woolley had planned to ship Mine That Bird to Mountaineer on July 16 or 17 to get two breezes over the track, but that has changed.

    “I think we are better off staying here and move up there closer to the race,” Woolley said. “He will work here on the 20th and we’d go up the 24th in time to gallop him twice over the track before one work there. But even that is subject to change.”

THORN SONG REWARDS CONNECTION’S CONFIDENCE – The past performance lines may have hinted otherwise, but trainer Dale Romans insists he never lost confidence in Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song.

After a victory in the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland, Thorn Song failed to finish better than fifth in his next four starts. Undeterred, Romans sent Thorn Song west for Memorial Day and the 6-year-old gray responded with a gutsy, wire-to-wire victory in the Shoemaker Mile (GI) at Hollywood Park.

“We still have faith in him,” Romans said. “If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have shipped him across the country.”

Thorn Song immediately returned to Churchill Downs and the Louisville-born Romans set his sights on Saturday’s 19th running of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap (Grade II), a race Thorn Song won last year.

“He has done well since he returned here and I think he’s still got it,” he said. “He is as good as he has ever been and I think he can put two good ones back to back.”

Romans cited circumstances in the races Thorn Song lost as the major reason for the poor results and the past performance lines bear that out.

In his two 2009 starts before the Shoemaker, Thorn Song had trouble at the break. In his final two starts of 2008, the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) and the River City Handicap (GIII), Thorn Song broke from outside post positions.

Mike Smith will have the mount Saturday and break from post position four in the one-mile Firecracker over the Matt Winn Turf Course. At the mile distance on the grass, Thorn Song has four victories and a third from seven starts.

ST. JOE FINDS HIS CALLING AS TURF SPRINTER – Throughout his three-year racing career, St. Joe has been a bit of a puzzle for trainer Darrin Miller. After Sunday’s 3 ½-length romp on the turf, the guessing game may be over for the Silverton Hill runner.

    “You can take a breath now and not worry how he’ll perform,” Miller said after St. Joe’s second consecutive dazzling performance sprinting five furlongs on the grass.

    On May 31, St. Joe broke in the air and spotted the field a lot of ground in his sprint debut. Under Julien Leparoux, St. Joe circled the field and drew away to win by a length in :56.84. On Sunday, St. Joe stalked the pace, took command leaving the backstretch and coasted home in :56.83.

    “His first win was really good for him,” Miller said. “Sunday, that was more the way that he runs.”

    St. Joe was on the Kentucky Derby trail early last year until a ninth-place finish in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) ended the run.

    “When you have a 3-year-old with speed, you have to take a shot to see how far they can carry that speed,” Miller said. “He’s a gelding now, more mature and has really settled down.”

    A winner on closing day, April 24, at Keeneland going seven furlongs on the Polytrack for a $40,000 claiming tag, St. Joe could return to stakes company soon.

    “We are looking at the Arlington Sprint heavily,” Miller said of the $200,000- guaranteed race at 5 ½ furlongs on July 11. “It depends on how he comes back from Sunday.”

AT LAST, THOMAS ENJOYS SOME GOOD FORTUNE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Trainer Gary Thomas still winces every time a video of the 1986 Kentucky Derby shows up.

You remember that race, don’t you? Ferdinand darts through a narrow opening under Bill Shoemaker to give Charlie Whittingham his first Kentucky Derby victory.

The horse Ferdinand beats to the hole is Rampage, trained by Thomas. Stuck behind horses in the stretch, Rampage finally gets clear late to be a fast-closing fourth.

“Every year around the Derby, they show that race and I can’t watch it. It makes me sick,” Thomas said.

However, Dame Fortune finally smiled on Thomas beneath the Twin Spires on Sunday when Thomas won the qualifier for the 2010 National Handicapping Championship on Jan. 29-30 in Las Vegas. Total prize money available in the tournament is $1 million with the winner getting $500,000.

“It is the first time I played in one of those,” Thomas said. “A friend talked me into playing and the first time I played I qualified (for the final round).”

The horse that put Thomas over the top was Knockout Bertie when she won the ninth race and returned a $14 payoff.

“I was third going into the last race, maybe $3 or $4 behind the leader,” said Thomas, who may head to Oklahoma’s Remington Park after the meet closes on Sunday.

Thomas sends his stable to Oaklawn Park for the winter. The 2010 meet will open on Jan. 15, but the barn will have to do without Thomas the third weekend of the meet.

EQUINE HYDROTHERAPY SPA OPEN FOR BUSINESS – What’s new on the backstretch at Churchill Downs? Take a walk down to the Gate 10 side of Barn 45 and in front of Barn 48 and feast your eyes on the Equine Coldwater Hydrotherapy Spa.

    “We are open from 5-11 a.m. and in the afternoon by appointment,” said John Christensen of Honor Roll Racing who installed the appartus. “This is our second one. We have one at Trackside and we will be taking that one to Turf Paradise in the winter.”

    When the “Spa” opened Tuesday morning, trainer D. Wayne Lukas was the first customer with five horses scheduled for treatment.

    “It is a 520-gallon tank with three filters and the water temperature is 34 degrees,” Christensen said. “There are more than 250 pounds of a combination of sea salt and Epsom salt used to go with massage and oxygen. Generally each treatment lasts about 15 minutes.”

    A variety of packages are available according to Christensen.

    “We have a 20-treatment package for $500, which is $25 a treatment,” Christensen said. “Depending on what the trainer needs for a horse, we can do packages of four or six treatments, whatever they require.”

MILESTONE WATCH -- William Connelly, who has 999 career victories, failed to reach the 1,000 mark Wednesday night when Brilliant Bid finished second, beaten a half-length in the fifth race at Indiana Downs. Connelly’s next chance comes Friday when he sends out Knownforstone in the 11th race at Churchill Downs. On Saturday, Connelly will saddle Seaside Princess in the first race at Churchill Downs.

BARN TALK – James Spence’s El Caballo, who figured to be a major player in Saturday’s Firecracker Handicap, was injured during a five-furlong turf work on Tuesday morning. “He has the start of a condylar (fracture) and is out for the year,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.

WORK TAB – Dubai Majesty, winner of the Winning Colors (GIII), worked a half-mile on a fast main track in :49.40, eighth fastest of 24 at the distance. Stablemate Chamberlain Bridge, winner of the Aegon Turf Sprint (GIII), worked a half-mile on firm turf in :53.20.

Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap when he takes on seven rivals in the Grade II, one-mile turf race on Saturday’s Independence Day program at Churchill Downs.

The Firecracker will go as the 10th race on the 11-race holiday card that opens with a first post of 12:45 p.m. (all times EDT). Post time for the Firecracker is 5:29 p.m.

Trained by Dale Romans, Thorn Song went wire to wire on a yielding Matt Winn Turf Course last year in defeating multiple Grade I winner Einstein and three others. The victory was the second in the Firecracker for Romans, who took the race in 2005 with Kitten’s Joy, the Louisville-born trainer’s Eclipse Award turf champion of 2004.

Carrying top weight of 123 pounds, Thorn Song will be ridden by Mike Smith and break from post position four in the 19th running of the Firecracker.  Thorn Song will be conceding from 3-9 pounds to his seven rivals.

Thorn Song has posted a record of 8-2-2 in 20 races with earnings of $1,093,711 since moving to the turf in the summer of 2007. He has won a pair of Grade I turf events since his upset over Einstein in last year’s Firecracker.  He took the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last fall and won the Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park in his most recent start on May 25.  Smith, who won by the Kentucky Derby (GI) at Churchill Downs aboard Giacomo in 2005, rode Thorn Song for the first time in the Shoemaker.

The second starting high weights at 120 pounds are Circle E Racing’s Mr. Sidney, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, and Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, who is unbeaten on the Churchill Downs grass course for trainer Greg Fox.

In his most recent turf outing, Mr. Sidney won the Maker’s Mark Mile (Grade I) at Keeneland under Kent Desormeaux, who will ride Saturday.  Mott, the all-time leader in stakes victories at Churchill Downs, won the Firecracker in 1993 with Cleone. 

Tizdejavu returned from a nine-month layoff to win an optional claiming turf test on May 17 and run his record over the Matt Winn Turf Course to 3-for-3. Jon Court has the riding assignment on Tizdejavu who won the American Turf (Grade III) and Jefferson Cup (Grade II) here last spring.  The Tiznow colt also won the American Derby (GII) at Arlington Park and was third to Winchester in the Secretariat (GI) at the Chicago track.

The field for the Firecracker, from the hedge out, is as follows: Inca King (Shaun Bridgmohan, 115 pounds), Seaspeak (Robby Albarado, 118), Wise River (Jamie Theriot, 118), Thorn Song (Mike Smith, 123), Mr. Sidney (Kent Desormeaux, 120), Passager (FR) (Jono Jones, 118), Tizdejavu (Jon Court, 120) and Artic Cry (Corey Lanerie, 114).

(November 19, 2008) – Zayat Stables’ Thorn Song will face 10 rivals Saturday as he shoots for consecutive victories in the $100,000-added River City Handicap (Grade III) to be run at a mile and one-eighth over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

            Trained by Dale Romans, Thorn Song will have to overcome the outside No. 11 post position if he is to join Same Old Wish (1996-97) and Dr. Kashnikow (2001-02) as a repeat winner of the River City. Thorn Song will be ridden by Robby Albarado and carry high weight of 122 pounds, conceding three-to-nine pounds to his rivals.

            Winner of the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in October as well as the Grade II Firecracker Handicap over the Matt Winn Turf Course in July, Thorn Song enters the River City off a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) at Santa Anita.

            Two other River City starters have stakes victories in 2008, although none is of the graded variety.

            Oxbow Racing’s Steve Double, trained by Ronny Werner, has won the Remington Green at Remington Park and the Unbridled Handicap at Louisiana Downs in his two most recent starts and ran third to Thorn Song in the Firecracker. Steve’s Double will be ridden by Jamie Theriot and carry 117 pounds.

            Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation took the Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15 for trainer Paul McGee. Jesus Castanon will ride Demarcation, who carries 117 pounds.

The field for the 32nd running of the River City (Race 9 at approximately 4:37 p.m. ET), from the hedge out: Yate’s Black Cat (Miguel Mena, 119 pounds), Mr. Sidney (John Velazquez, 113), Star Plus (ARG) (Kent Desormeaux, 116), Pleasant Strike (Chris DeCarlo, 115), Karelian (Calvin Borel, 119), Just As Well (E.T. Baird, 113), Telling (Shaun Bridgmohan, 117), Demarcation (Jesus Castanon, 117), Canela (Julien Leparoux, 115), Steve’s Double (Jamie Theriot, 117) and Thorn Song (Robby Albarado, 122).

Also on Saturday’s card will be the $56,000-added Bet On Sunshine (Race 8 at approximately 4:06 p.m. ET), an overnight handicap at six furlongs on the main track that drew a field of eight sprinters.

High weights Kelly’s Landing (123 pounds under Julien Leparoux) and the undefeated Euroears (120 pounds with Miguel Mena up), will start side by side, breaking from post positions two and three, respectively.

Kelly’s Landing, owned by Summerplace Farm, won the 2005 Aristides (GIII) here and also took the 2007 Dubai Golden Shaheen (GI). He returned to the races on Oct. 17 after a 4 ½-month layoff to win a six-furlong allowance sprint at Keeneland in his most recent start for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

Euroears, owned by Marilyn and James Helzer, has won all six of his career starts for trainer Bret Calhoun. Euroears, who suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture of his right hind leg in late March, has not raced since winning the Duncan Kenner Stakes on March 8 at Fair Grounds.

The field for the Bet On Sunshine, from the rail out: Native Ruler (Jamie Theriot, 116 pounds), Kelly’s Landing (Julien Leparoux, 123), Euroears (Miguel Mena, 120), Godolphin Gray (Aldo Canchano, 110), Success Success (Jesus Castanon, 116), Junior College (Hector Rosario Jr., 117), High Expectations (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118) and Vicarian (Calvin Borel, 116).

First post for Saturday’s 10-race card is 12:40 p.m. ET. The first 5,000 paid and pre-paid admissions will receive a free collectable hurricane glass, courtesy of Kentucky Derby Party, that salutes Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Also, Churchill Downs will offer free general admission Nov. 21-23 to all patrons who donate two non-perishable canned goods at Gates 10 and 17 in conjunction with the Kentucky Harvest Thanksgiving Food Drive, sponsored by Forcht Bank.

Grandstand gates open Saturday at 11 a.m.

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(Nov. 1, 2008) – Zayat Stables’ Baroness Thatcher, who narrowly missed Grade I glory in the Humana Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day, will seek redemption Sunday at Churchill Downs as she heads a competitive field of 11 fillies and mares scheduled to start in the $150,000 Chilukki Stakes (Grade II).

Baroness Thatcher, conditioned this year by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite following her gutsy gate-to-wire score at Keeneland in a 1 1/16-mile allowance over Polytrack on Oct. 11.

The victory snapped a 15-race winless streak that included eight second- or third-place finishes in graded stakes events, including runner-up efforts in the Las Virgenes (GI), Ballerina (GI), Shirley Jones Handicap (GII) and Humana Distaff (GI).

On Sunday, Baroness Thatcher will attempt to collect her second graded stakes win. Her lone black-type triumph came in the 2007 Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII) at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old filly will be reunited with Robby Albarado, who rode the daughter of Johannesburg to a second place finish in her career debut on July 3, 2006 at Churchill Downs.

Baroness Thatcher’s main contenders include Millennium Farm’s Copper State, who was second in the Go For Wand Handicap (GI) and Ruffian Handicap (GI) in her last two starts for trainer Steve Asmussen; WinStar Farm’s Leah’s Secret, winner of the Chicago Handicap (GIII) at Arlington Park in June for trainer Todd Pletcher; and Castleton Lyons’ Super Freaky, who invades from the Southern California stable of trainer Doug O’Neill after finishing fourth behind eventual Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Zenyatta in the Lady’s Secret (GI).

The complete Chilukki Stakes field, from the rail out (with jockeys and morning line odds): Initforthekandy (John McKee, 12-1); Striking Tomisue (Corey Lanerie, 12-1); Copper State (Shaun Bridgmohan, 7-2); Unforgotten (Miguel Mena, 12-1); Swift Temper (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1); Tiz to Dream (12-1); Marquee Delivery (Jesus Castanon, 15-1); Baroness Thatcher (Albarado, 3-1); Super Freaky (Julien Leparoux, 6-1); Leah’s Secret (Rene Douglas, 4-1); and Amazing Speed (Jaime Theriot, 30-1).

The 23rd running of the one-mile Chilukki, which honors the Stonerside Stable mare who won three stakes events at Churchill Downs for trainer Bob Baffert in 1999-2000, is scheduled as the ninth race at approximately 4:37 p.m. ET. The 10-race program begins at 12:40 p.m. ET.

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(May 17, 2008) – Zayat Stables’ Eaton’s Gift turned back a strong challenge from Devereux in deep stretch and inched clear late for a 1 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $108,800 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. Ling Ling Qi, the 9-5 favorite in the field of seven 3-year-olds, finished third.

Eaton’s Gift, the 3 ½-length winner of the Swale Stakes (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park in February, stopped the teletimer in 1:09.48 for six furlongs over a “fast” track under jockey Elvis Trujillo.

“The horse is a very good horse,” said Trujillo, who rode three winners Saturday at Churchill Downs. “I knew I had a good chance. The other horse put up a fight, but the stretch is long and I tried to save a little bit for the last bit of distance. He ran very good.”

Dale Romans, the eight-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs, saddled the Matt Winn winner for the second year in a row. Last year, he won the race with Spin Master.

Devereux broke on top, but St. Joe quickly assumed the early lead with Eaton’s Gift in close pursuit. St. Joe clipped off the first quarter mile in :21.43, but faded when Eaton’s Gift assumed the lead midway through the turn for home. Devereux drew even with the eventual winner from the outside at the top of the stretch with Ling Ling Qi in close proximity. Eaton’s Gift, however, was determined and never relinquished the lead.

The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Johannesburg won for the fourth time in eight career starts. The $66,107 winner’s share of the purse jumped his earnings to $232,005. He rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the $100,000 Derby Trial three weeks ago.

“He’s a good horse,” Romans said. “Things really didn’t work out right for him in the Derby Trial, but we know he’s better than that. That’s why we wheeled him back pretty quick. He’s been training good and this is the way we expected him to run.”

Eaton’s Gift returned $6, $4.20 and $2.60 as the 2-1 second betting choice. Devereux, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, paid $4.80 and $2.80. Ling Ling Qi, with Jesus Castanon in the saddle, returned $2.60.

Romans, who helped lure Trujillo to ride at Churchill Downs, said that the jockey would be his go-to jockey.

“Since Mark (Guidry) retired, I haven’t had a consistent stable rider at Churchill and I asked him to come up and he did, and I’m glad he did. He’ll be my main guy. I have some horses that I’ve already committed to other riders, but he’s going to be my main man.”

Jockey & Trainer Quotes

DALE ROMANS, trainer of EATON’S GIFT (winner)

“He ran a big race.”

Q: He disappointed you a bit in the Derby Trial (when he finished 7th, beaten 11 ¾ lengths), but today was a different day…

“He’s a good horse. Things really didn’t work out right for him in the Derby Trial, but we know he’s better than that. That’s why we wheeled him back pretty quick. He’s been training good and this is the way we expected him to run.”

Q: The runner-up looked like he had a chance to go by, but Eaton’s Gift wouldn’t let him pass…

“He wouldn’t let him by and that’s what he’s done every time he’s run, with the exception of just a couple of starts. He’s tough.”

Q: Had you ridden Elvis Trujillo before?

“I rode him one time, that I can remember, in Florida this winter. He broke his leg and it put him out of action for six weeks. But we’ve been contact a little bit since the meet started and finally I asked him to come up and ride for us. Since Mark (Guidry) retired, I haven’t had a consistent stable rider at Churchill and I asked him to come up and he did, and I’m glad he did.”

Q: Trujillo will be your main rider for the rest of the meet?

“He’ll be my main guy. I have some horses that I’ve already committed to other riders, but he’s going to be my main man.”

Q: What’s going to be next for this horse?

“We’ll just wait and see. Mr. Zayat has so many good horses, we’ll have to avoid some of the others. But we’ll figure out where to go with him.”

ELVIS TRUJILLO, jockey on EATON’S GIFT (winner)

“The horse is a very good horse. I knew I had a good chance. The other horse put up a fight, but the stretch is long and I tried to save a little bit for the last bit of distance. He ran very good.”

Q: So you’ll be here to ride at Churchill Downs for a while…the win is a nice way to start…

“That’s a very good way to start. The horse ran very well.”

STEVE ASMUSSEN, trainer of DEVEREUX (runner-up)

“He ran solid. He’s put two decent races in-a-row together, and we’re just trying to get some consistency with him. He’s a nice horse – we’re just trying to get him past that next step.”

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN, jockey on DEVEREUX (runner-up)

“The other horse came back on him. I thought I had a shot to go by him as my horse ranged up there pretty easily, but the other horse obviously had something left.”

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