Bold Start

OWNERS DROP IN TO CHECK OUT MINE THAT BIRD – Mine That Bird’s entourage grew a bit Sunday morning as Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach, the New Mexico-based co-owners of the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner, made a quick stop in Louisville en route to New York for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes (GI).
“We’re leaving later today for New York so we can get settled in and ready for everything,” said Allen, who never has been to Belmont Park where Mine That Bird will try to take down the 1 ½-mile final jewel of the Triple Crown.
Sunday marked the first time Allen had seen Mine That Bird since the gelding’s runner-up finish to Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness Stakes (Grade I) on May 16.
“It looks like he has put on a little weight,” said Allen, whose first Belmont Stakes recollection was Secretariat’s 31-length romp in 1973 when he was 15 and grooming horses at Santa Fe. “For as hard as he has run and the shipping, I am real happy with the way he looks.”
With regular exercise rider Charlie Figueroa up, Allen led Mine That Bird to the track around 7:30 a.m. Figueroa backtracked Mine That Bird to the paddock runway and then galloped 1 ½ miles.
“He was a little more into the bit today,” trainer Chip Woolley said. “That should set him up for his breeze tomorrow. He’ll work a half-mile and gallop an eighth past the wire with Calvin (Borel) on him right after the break..”
Woolley leaves for New York early Tuesday morning and Mine That Bird flies out the next day.
Also scheduled to work Monday is Rachel Alexandra, who went twice around the main track early Sunday morning with exercise rider Dominic Terry up.
 
BOLD START HAS RESTFUL MORNING DAY AFTER ARISTIDES WIN – Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start had an easy morning at Barn 6 after his 2 ¾-length victory over Semaphore Man in Saturday’s Grade III Aristides.
    “I don’t know what it is, but he loves this track,” said Billy Wright, assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “I told Paul McGee (who saddled Success Success in the Aristides) that they’d have to run 1:09 to beat him and he won in 1:09 flat.”
    The 5-year-old son Jump Start has posted a main track record of 4-2-2 in nine races with earnings of $202,902. Bold Start’s only off-the-board finish came in his racing debut when he ran fifth on June 4, 2006. For good measure, Bold Start won both of his starts over the Matt Winn Turf Course.
    Bold Start isn’t the only family member to run well at Churchill Downs. His half-sister, Lady On Holiday, never lost beneath the Twin Spires in three starts with two wins coming on the main track and one on the turf.
Lady On Holiday fractured a sesamoid this winter at Gulfstream Park and was retired and bred to Jump Start, which will make the resulting foal a three-quarters sibling to Bold Start.

APPRENTICE REYES ROLLING IN FIRST SEASON AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Christian Santiago Reyes did not waste any time in finding the winner’s circle when he began his riding career in April at Gulfstream Park. The 19-year-old native of Puerto Rico won on his second mount on April 12.
    Instead of staying in Florida, Reyes came north to Kentucky where he rode in two races at Keeneland.  When the Lexington track wrapped up its meet, he traveled to Churchill Downs where Reyes has won 10 races from 73 mounts.
    “Wesley Ward asked me to come up here and I will go anywhere with him,” said Reyes, whose first win came for Ward at Gulfstream Park.
    Before coming to the United States in January, Reyes attended the jockey school in Puerto Rico for two years.
 Reyes, who has ridden mainly for Ward and Joe Woodard, admits to being surprised by his early success here and has paid particular attention to the riding styles of Calvin Borel, Jesus Castanon and Miguel Mena.
    Has he adapted the Borel knack for riding the rail?
    “Not yet,” Reyes said with a laugh. “Not yet.”
    After the Churchill Downs meet closes on July 5, Reyes does not have a specific track to move his tack to but he has an idea.
    “Wherever Wesley Ward goes, I will go,” Reyes said.

PURE CLAN ASSIGNED TOP WEIGHT FOR EARLY TIMES MINT JULEP – IEAH Stable, Lewis Lakin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables’ Pure Clan has been assigned top weight of 122 pounds by racing secretary Ben Huffman for Saturday’s 33rd running of the $100,000-added Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.
    Trained by Bob Holthus, Pure Clan has won four of six career starts on grass and
her only start over the local turf course was a victory in last year’s Regret (GIII).
    Second high weight is Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Acoma, who was assigned 120 pounds. Trained by David Carroll, Acoma also is 1-for-1 on the Churchill Downs lawn by virtue of her victory in the Grade II Mrs. Revere last fall.
    Darley Stable’s Tizaqueena, winner of the May 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (Grade II), was assigned 119 pounds.
    The three top weights are considered as “probable” for the Mint Julep by Huffman, along with Closeout (116), Communique (116) and Absolutely Cindy (113).
Entries will be drawn Wednesday.

MILESTONE WATCH – Trainer David Vance came up just short in his bid to become the 11th Churchill Downs trainer with 300 victories when Kiss Mine was overhauled late in Saturday’s ninth race by Keertana and Robby Albarado.  The race provided Albarado with his 4,000th career victory. Vance has no horses entered Sunday.
Trainer Bill Connelly remained two victories shy of the 1,000-win career plateau Saturday night at Indiana Downs as his two runners finished third and fourth. Connelly has no horses entered at Churchill Downs on Sunday, but has one entrant Monday night at Indiana Downs: Megalos in the first race.

BARN TALK – Calvin Borel rode two winners on Saturday’s card to boost his career total at Churchill Downs to 919. Borel, who is named to ride in all 10 races Sunday, needs six victories to tie Don Brumfield for second place all time at Churchill Downs. Pat Day, with 2,482 wins, is the all-time Churchill Downs leader.
    Borel’s agent, Jerry Hissam, said that Borel has secured the mount on Rutledge Farm’s Researcher for the Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I) on June 13. A winner of 10 of 17 career starts, Researcher won the $500,000 Charles Town Classic on April 18 in his most recent start for trainer Jeff Runco.
Shaun Bridgmohan will have the mount on Pure Clan in Saturday’s Early Times Mint Julep. Regular rider Julien Leparoux will be riding Flying Private for trainer D. Wayne Lukas that afternoon in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I).
Jon Court also added two victories to his Spring Meet total on Saturday, scoring with T.C. Champ ($52.80) in the fourth and Finish in Style ($19.20) in the sixth. The average win payoff for Court’s 13 victories is $24.40, the highest for any rider with three or more victories.
    Tara Murty, an assistant to  trainer Nick Zito, was back at work at Barn 36 on Sunday morning after being injured in a traffic accident last Monday morning. Murty had sustained numerous injuries in the collision at Fourth and Central near the track.

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Midnight Cry Stable’s Einstein, two-time winner of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI), continued his preparation for the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) on the main track on June 13 by working five furlongs in 1:00.40 with trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi up.
    The move, accomplished early during training hours Sunday, was the fastest of 30 at the distance.
    “He went great.” Pitts-Blasi said, adding that she would likely handle Einstein’s scheduled half-mile breeze next Sunday.
    Einstein was runner-up to two-time “Horse of the Year” Curlin in last year’s Foster, then won the Clark Handicap (GII) on the main track in the Fall Meet.
    Also working Sunday morning was James Spence’s Flying Pegasus, runner-up to Belmont Stakes contender Charitable Man in last year’s Grade II Futurity at Belmont. Trained by Ralph Nicks, Flying Pegasus worked a half-mile in :49.40, the 20th fastest of 54 at the distance.  
    James Spence’s homebred son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus has not raced since a sixth-place finish behind Friesan Fire in the Louisiana Derby (GII).  He was second to that rival in his 2009 debut in the Risen Star (GIII) at Fair Grounds.

A landmark day for jockey Robby Albarado got even better when he guided Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start to a 2 ¾-length victory over Semaphore Man in Saturday’s 21st running of the $112,600 Aristides (Grade III) for sprinters at Churchill Downs.

            One race earlier, Albarado became the 56th North American jockey to reach the 4,000-victory milestone when he rode Barbara Hunter’s Keertana ($5.20) to victory in the ninth race at Churchill Downs.

            In his milestone triumph, Albarado split horses in deep stretch on the Matt Winn Turf Course to edge Kiss Mine by three-quarters of a length for the victory.

A 35-year-old native of Lafayette, La., Albarado rode his first winner at age 16 at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana. Albarado, who won his first Churchill Downs riding title at the 2008 Spring Meet, has ridden 812 of his 4,001 winners beneath the Twin Spires, the sixth-largest win total in track history.

Albarado was the regular rider for two-time Horse of the Year Curlin on which he earned his only victory in a Triple Crown race, the 2007 Preakness. Albarado also was the regular rider for 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft.

In his career, Albarado has ridden more than 24,000 races with earnings in excess of $149 million.

In the Aristides, Albarado rated Bold Start in third place in the run down the backside just off the pace set by Garifine, who was tracked by Semaphore Man through a first quarter-mile in :21.88. The top three remained unchanged to the head of the lane after a half-mile in :44.73.

In the stretch, Semaphore Man grabbed a brief lead under Jesus Castanon, but was headed at the eighth pole by Bold Start, who drew away to the victory. Knights Cross rallied for third under Corey Lanerie, finishing three-quarters of a length in back of Semaphore Man.

            Bold Start, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Jump Start out of the Flying Paster mare Dorky, returned $10.80, $5.80 and $4.80. Semaphore Man paid his backers $6.40 and $4.40 with Knights Cross returning $10.40 to show.

Completing the field in order were favored Sok Sok, Grand Sensation, Premium Wine, Success Success, Vicarian, Garifine and Early Return. Cassoulet was scratched.

Bold Start covered the six furlongs on a fast main track in 1:09.04.

The victory was worth $66,321 and increased Bold Start’s career earnings to $528,810 with nine victories in 31 starts. Four of the victories have come on the main track at Churchill Downs.

Racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race card beginning with a 12:45 p.m. EDT post time.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE ARISTIDES

KEN McPEEK, trainer of BOLD START (winner)

 “He deserves it. He’s been so solid for so long. It seems like he was always knocking on the door but hadn’t quite gotten over it. I’m thrilled he did it here. He’s still got plenty of good races left in him. He loves it here. He’s just rock solid. He always does everything right. We’ve found a little niche with him sprinting. When he was younger I tried him a little long and a little on turf and even then he ran well. We have plenty of options.”

ROBBY ALBARADO, jockey on BOLD START (winner)

“He ran good last time. I think his Churchill record speaks for itself. He excels when he gets here to Churchill. It seems to be that he runs well in the bigger races. Kenny (McPeek) has done a great job getting him ready for today.

Q: Were you confident on the final turn?

“Honestly, I was real confident because he broke so well and put himself into a forward position where he gave himself a chance. . . . It worked out well for us to go 1:09 flat. He’s a good horse.”

Q: On 4,000 career victories:

 “I guess my next goal would be 5,000. That’s kind of the end your career or the retirement number for most jocks. Once you get to that 5,000, you start looking for the way out. I’m not saying that’s my way out, but you set goals for yourself.

“I never thought I’d get to 4,000 so it’s an honor. I’ve got to congratulate all of the owners and trainers who have supported me continuously throughout the years. They stuck by me, and it’s pretty much been the same guys for the last 10 to 15 years.”

JESUS CASTANON, jockey on SEMAPHORE MAN (runner-up)

“I had a good trip.  The horse broke sharp out of the gate and I wasn’t really trying to get ahead of the other one (Garifine), but my horse was running.  He made an easy lead going to the five-sixteenths pole, but the winner had a lot of horse and he just kind of got outrun the rest of the way.

            “He gave me a nice burst at the top of the stretch.  When I asked him to go, he really gave me a nice little kick, but the last sixteenth of a mile he just couldn’t  keep up with the winner.”

COREY LANERIE, jockey on KNIGHTS CROSS (third)

“He ran awesome.  His post position (nine) suited him well.  Last time he was in between speed horses, but today on the outside he broke and got to sit a little off of it with no pressure.  We wanted to sit back a little, or just be wherever he was comfortable, and he really finished up. He was just third best.” 

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN, rider of SOK SOK (fourth as the favorite)

“He broke good enough and it kind of set up real good.  I was cruising in behind ‘em and they got away from him a little in the turn, so I got after him a little bit.  He ran pretty good.  He hung in there and he tried to come back on them there are the end.”

Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start took command on the far turn and then held off a late charge by Vicarian to take Sunday’s $58,080 feature race at Churchill Downs by two lengths.

            Ridden by Robby Albarado for trainer Ken McPeek, Bold Start returned mutuels of $4.60, $2.60 and $2.20 as the favorite in the field of six. Vicarian, ridden by Calvin Borel, returned $4.20 and $2.80 with Knights Cross, ridden by Julien Leparoux, finishing third another three-quarters of a length back and paying $2.40 to show.

Bold Start, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Jump Start out of the Flying Paster mare Dorky, covered six furlongs on a “fast” main track in 1:09.69.

The victory, the eighth in 30 starts and third in eight attempts at Churchill Downs, was worth $35,820 and increased Bold Start’s career earnings to $462,489.

            Racing resumes Wednesday with a nine-race card with first post time at 12:45 p.m. ET.

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(June 27, 2008) – Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start overtook pace-setting Keyed Entry on the far turn and drew off to win Friday’s $48,000 Humana-Senior Products Associates Classic at Churchill Downs by 5 1/2 lengths.

Trained by Ken McPeek and ridden by Robby Albarado, Bold Start won for the sixth time in 21 career starts and with Friday’s $31,608 check increased his career earnings to $342,639.

Bold Start, the favorite in the field of five allowance runners, returned $4.60, $3.20 and $2.10. Officer Rocket, ridden by Calvin Borel, rallied for second and returned $3.60 and $2.20. Vicarian, ridden by Jamie Theriot, finished another 3 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.40 to show

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Jump Start, Bold Start covered the 6 ½ furlongs on a fast track in 1:14.91. It was the fastest 6 ½ furlongs in 30 races at the distance this meeting.

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