Bayern, Judy the Beauty highlight Derby undercard at hill
Apr 30, 2015 0:10:57 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Apr 30, 2015 0:10:57 GMT -5
Wiz - Is he a lock? A mortal lock? LOL
Bayern, Judy the Beauty highlight Derby undercard at Churchill
Brisnet
While the Kentucky Derby (G1) is the main attraction on Saturday at Churchill Downs, the track has also put together a stellar undercard featuring six graded stakes, three of which are on dirt.
The $300,000 Humana Distaff (G1) attracted eight top distaffers, including champion Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper), to go seven furlongs, while the $200,000 Pat Day Mile (G3) features Kentucky Oaks (G1) also-eligible Peace and War (War Front) as part of its eight-strong line up.
But the biggest undercard action could come in the $500,000 Churchill Downs S. (G2). The seven-furlong race drew seven runners, including last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hero Bayern (Offlee Wild).
The Bob Baffert trainee will be making his belated four-year-old bow in the Churchill Downs S. after being forced to miss the early part of the season due to foot problems. The dark bay colt competed under the Twin Spires last April, capturing the Derby Trial S. (G3) by a nose before being disqualified to second.
Bayern, who captured six of his 10 races in 2014 including the Haskell Invitational (G1), has been working up a storm in advance of this one, most recently posting a 1:10 4/5 bullet six-furlong move on April 25. Martin Garcia has been aboard ever since the dark bay colt took the Haskell and keeps the mount in the Churchill Downs S.
Among those lining up against Bayern on Saturday are Private Zone (Macho Uno) and Pants on Fire (Jump Start).
The former sandwiched a third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) between a title defense victory in the Vosburgh S. (G1) and a five-length wire job in the Cigar Mile (G1). He was a half-length second in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2) to open 2015 on March 28, and gets regular jockey Martin Pedroza taking back the mount for this one.
Multiple Grade 2 hero Pants on Fire was third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) before finishing his six-year-old campaign with another third-place run, this time in the Harlan's Holiday S. in mid-December. The Kelly Breen charge returned March 28 to add the Sir Shackleton S. to his resume and keeps regular rider Paco Lopez aboard.
Judy the Beauty lost just once last season in five starts, but that happened to come in the Humana Distaff. The Wesley Ward pupil, honored with an Eclipse Award as the 2014 champion female sprinter following her head win in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), will try for a different result on Saturday under Mike Smith.
Attempting to derail her once again will be, among others, Thank You Marylou (Birdstone) and Sweet Reason (Street Sense). Both of those four-year-olds finished behind Judy the Beauty in the Breeders' Cup, with Thank You Marylou coming in third and Sweet Reason filling the eighth spot. Since then Thank You Marylou has run third in the La Brea S. (G1) and seven in the Rampart S. (G3) while Sweet Reason will be making her first start since the Sprint in the Humana Distaff.
Clearly Confused (Successful Appeal) graduated to facing stakes rivals just last year after spending the early part of her career in the claiming ranks. Since then the bay mare has run second in the Desert Stormer S. and, last out, third in the Madison S. (G1). She faces a tough bunch in the Humana Distaff but once again gets the services of Julien Leparoux.
The Pat Day Mile, formerly run as the Derby Trial a week earlier at Churchill, will kick off the undercard stakes action with numerous Triple Crown nominees in its line up. Among them are Grade 1-placed The Truth or Else (Yes It's True), runner-up in the Southwest S. (G3), fourth in the Rebel S. (G2) and seventh in the Arkansas Derby (G1) thus far this year; and San Vicente S. (G2) scorer Lord Nelson, fourth in the San Felipe S. (G2) and a half-length second in the Bay Shore S. (G3) in his past two.
Another nominee is unbeaten Grade 1 romper Competitive Edge (Super Saver), who captured both his starts as a juvenile, including the Champagne S. (G1), and was an 8 1/4-length winner of the Tamarac S. in his March 27 seasonal debut.
Peace and War is also a Grade 1 winner thanks to a half-length triumph in the Alcibiades S. (G1) last fall at Keeneland. The bay miss, the only filly in the field, is on the also-eligible list for the Oaks one day prior
Bayern, Judy the Beauty highlight Derby undercard at Churchill
Brisnet
While the Kentucky Derby (G1) is the main attraction on Saturday at Churchill Downs, the track has also put together a stellar undercard featuring six graded stakes, three of which are on dirt.
The $300,000 Humana Distaff (G1) attracted eight top distaffers, including champion Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper), to go seven furlongs, while the $200,000 Pat Day Mile (G3) features Kentucky Oaks (G1) also-eligible Peace and War (War Front) as part of its eight-strong line up.
But the biggest undercard action could come in the $500,000 Churchill Downs S. (G2). The seven-furlong race drew seven runners, including last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hero Bayern (Offlee Wild).
The Bob Baffert trainee will be making his belated four-year-old bow in the Churchill Downs S. after being forced to miss the early part of the season due to foot problems. The dark bay colt competed under the Twin Spires last April, capturing the Derby Trial S. (G3) by a nose before being disqualified to second.
Bayern, who captured six of his 10 races in 2014 including the Haskell Invitational (G1), has been working up a storm in advance of this one, most recently posting a 1:10 4/5 bullet six-furlong move on April 25. Martin Garcia has been aboard ever since the dark bay colt took the Haskell and keeps the mount in the Churchill Downs S.
Among those lining up against Bayern on Saturday are Private Zone (Macho Uno) and Pants on Fire (Jump Start).
The former sandwiched a third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) between a title defense victory in the Vosburgh S. (G1) and a five-length wire job in the Cigar Mile (G1). He was a half-length second in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2) to open 2015 on March 28, and gets regular jockey Martin Pedroza taking back the mount for this one.
Multiple Grade 2 hero Pants on Fire was third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) before finishing his six-year-old campaign with another third-place run, this time in the Harlan's Holiday S. in mid-December. The Kelly Breen charge returned March 28 to add the Sir Shackleton S. to his resume and keeps regular rider Paco Lopez aboard.
Judy the Beauty lost just once last season in five starts, but that happened to come in the Humana Distaff. The Wesley Ward pupil, honored with an Eclipse Award as the 2014 champion female sprinter following her head win in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), will try for a different result on Saturday under Mike Smith.
Attempting to derail her once again will be, among others, Thank You Marylou (Birdstone) and Sweet Reason (Street Sense). Both of those four-year-olds finished behind Judy the Beauty in the Breeders' Cup, with Thank You Marylou coming in third and Sweet Reason filling the eighth spot. Since then Thank You Marylou has run third in the La Brea S. (G1) and seven in the Rampart S. (G3) while Sweet Reason will be making her first start since the Sprint in the Humana Distaff.
Clearly Confused (Successful Appeal) graduated to facing stakes rivals just last year after spending the early part of her career in the claiming ranks. Since then the bay mare has run second in the Desert Stormer S. and, last out, third in the Madison S. (G1). She faces a tough bunch in the Humana Distaff but once again gets the services of Julien Leparoux.
The Pat Day Mile, formerly run as the Derby Trial a week earlier at Churchill, will kick off the undercard stakes action with numerous Triple Crown nominees in its line up. Among them are Grade 1-placed The Truth or Else (Yes It's True), runner-up in the Southwest S. (G3), fourth in the Rebel S. (G2) and seventh in the Arkansas Derby (G1) thus far this year; and San Vicente S. (G2) scorer Lord Nelson, fourth in the San Felipe S. (G2) and a half-length second in the Bay Shore S. (G3) in his past two.
Another nominee is unbeaten Grade 1 romper Competitive Edge (Super Saver), who captured both his starts as a juvenile, including the Champagne S. (G1), and was an 8 1/4-length winner of the Tamarac S. in his March 27 seasonal debut.
Peace and War is also a Grade 1 winner thanks to a half-length triumph in the Alcibiades S. (G1) last fall at Keeneland. The bay miss, the only filly in the field, is on the also-eligible list for the Oaks one day prior
