Thursday, November 30, 2017

Remsen Stakes Racing Roundup

©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to the Empire State Saturday where AVERY ISLAND will go to the starting gate as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 103rd running of the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Post time is 3:45 ET.
Avery Island comes into this race for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with a 2-0-0 record in three starts including a 4¾ length win in the Nashua Stakes (G2) last out. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

AVERY ISLAND shook off being bumped from between at the start to assume a prominent position, vied for control rated along in the two path, went at it head to head with UNDER THE GRAYDAR for the opening half, gradually cleared that foe during the run around the bend, settled in upper stretch before having the rider go to work, responded well and kicked clear, kept to encouragement to the end.

Despite the early challenge from Under the Graydar, Avery Island appeared to be in control throughout the race and he pulled away in the stretch to easily win by 4¾ lengths.
Street Sense, the sire of Avery Island, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 6-4-2 record in 13 starts with $4,383,200 in career earnings.
As a two year old, Street Sense finished third in both the Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Futurity (G3) and the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1). He followed that with a win in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) and was tabbed as the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old.
Street Sense won his season debut as a three year old in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and finished second in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) en route to a 2¼ length win over Hard Spun in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.
With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Avery Island has good breeding and he should appreciate the stretch out to nine furlongs.
Jockey Joe Bravo has ridden Avery Island in his three previous starts and he retains the mount. I look for the pair to be tough in this race.
ALKHAATAM (7-2) steps up in class and comes into this race off a third-place finish in his maiden debut for trainer Chad Brown. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

ALKHAATAM four wide down the backstretch, tucked inside half a mile from home, came under a ride three furlongs out, angled out six wide a the quarter pole, closed well knocking heads with the aforementioned foe [TRIPLE DOG DARE] through the final eighth latching on the winner as that rival hit the finish while just being bested for the place honors.

Alkhaatam ran in dead last until the far turn and made up good ground in the stretch to finish just three quarters of a length shy of victory.
Tapit, the sire of Alkhaatam, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-0-0 record in six starts with $557,300 in career earnings.
As a two year old, Tapit was undefeated in two starts including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3).  Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of his three year old season but he did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.
At stud, Tapit has been America’s leading sire for the past three years and he’s the sire of the Belmont Stakes (G1) winners Tonalist and Creator.
With an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Alkhaatam is the best bred colt in this race and a recent bullet work out could have him ready to earn graded stakes honors.
CATHOLIC BOY (5-1) comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record in three starts for trainer Jonathan Thomas including a win in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3) and a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

CATHOLIC BOY in tight into the first turn, saved ground stalking the pace, came a bit off the rail in the stretch and edged for third between horses late.

Catholic Boy finished a respectable fourth and was only beaten by one and one-half lengths. The final time of 1:35.97 is what I like to see young horses run on the Kentucky Derby Trail.
More Than Ready, the sire of Catholic Boy, was a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 7-4-1 record in 17 starts with $1,026,229 in earnings. He won the WHAS-11 Stakes, Flash Stakes, Tremont Stakes (G3), Sanford Stakes (G2), Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in route to a fourth-place finish in the 2000 Kentucky Derby (G1).
At stud, More Than Ready made quite a mark with in Australia with his sons Phelan Ready and Sebring who were champion 2-year-colts with over $2 million in career earnings. Some of his best runners in America have been the turf-sprinter Regally Ready with over $1 million in career earnings and Pluck, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Stakes (G2) and Summer Stakes (G3) with $727,290 in career earnings, and Verrazano.
Catholic Boy has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him competitive and I look for him to run a good race.
A long shot I like is TAP RAP STRIKE (8-1) who comes into this race off a win in his maiden debut for trainer John Servis. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

TAP RAP STRIKE saved ground, bided his time waiting for racing room on the final turn, swung out in early stretch, drifted out under left handed pressure and then drifted in when his rider switched to right handed pressure and was along in time.

The fractions in this race were slower than what I like but Tap Rap Strike was also sired by Tapit and with an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to be competitive in this race. However, he’ll need to step up his game in order to earn graded stakes honors.
Honorable Mention goes to Bandito (15-1), Biblical (8-1) and Triple Dog Dare (6-1).


*****

This is the sixth consecutive year for Churchill Downs to use a point system to determine eligibility to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. A total of 36 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a significant change to the schedule is the addition of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on December 17.
In addition to the Japan road to the Derby which features the Cattleya Sho Stakes (November 25), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushan Stakes (December 13) and Hayacinth Stakes (February 2018), Churchill Downs has added a European road to Derby glory consisting of seven races: Juddmonte Beresford (September 24), Juddmonte Royal Lodge (September 30), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (October 1), Racing Post Trophy (October 28, Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (March 1), Patton (March 2) and the Burradon (March 30).


2017/2018 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. +Good Magic, 24, Chad Brown, $1,200,000
2. Bolt d’Oro, 14, Mick Ruis, $540,000
3. +Solomini, 12, Bob Baffert, $400,000
4. Enticed, 12, Kiaran McLaughlin, $213,880
5. Firenze Fire, 10, Jason Servis, $407,500
6. +Free Drop Billy, 10, Dale Romans, $400,000
7. The Tabulator, 10, Larry Rivelli, $126,750
8. Bravazo, 4, D. Wayne Lukas, $109,913
9. +Hollywood Star, 4, Dale Romans, $68,500
10. Tiz Mischief, 4, Dale Romans, $36,800
11. Givemeaminit, 2, Dallas Stewart, $152,000
12. Lone Sailor, 2, Tom Amoss, $71,347
13. Take the One O One, 2, Brian Koriner, $36,345
14. Promises Fulfilled, 2, Dale Romans, $18,400
15. Kowboy Karma, 1, Larry Jones, $70,000
16. Lionite, 1, Steve Asmussen, $25,000
17. Ayacara (GB), 1, Keith Desormeaux, $18,000
18. High North, 1, Brad Cox, $9,200
19. Ebben, 1, Steve Margolis, $7,875

+ = Horses picked as yearlings on my 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sales list.


EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $543,648
2. Saxon Warrior (JPN), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $84,592
3. Roaring Lion (USA), 10, John Gosden, $75,986
4. Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude Rouget, $113,505
5. Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $99,826
6. Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $38,074
7. Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $91,264
8. Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark Johnston, $64,634
9. Warm the Voice (IRE), 2, Brendan Duke, $12,904
10. Kew Gardens (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $28,605
11. Woodmax (GER), 1, Nicolas Clement, $23,610
12. Petrus (IRE), 1, Brian Meehan, $7,182


JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer

1. Ruggero (JPN), 10, Y. Shikato
2. Mic Ben Hur (JPN), 4, Y. Hatakeyama
3. Meiner Yukitsubaki 2, N. Takagi
4. Bronze Kay, 1, K. Tsunoda

Friday, November 24, 2017

Kentucky Jockey Club Racing Roundup

©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us this Saturday to the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs where ENTICED will go to the starting gate as the 4-1 morning line favorite in 91st running of the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). Post time is 5:56 ET.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Enticed comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in two starts including a third-place finish in the Champagne Stakes (G1) on October 7. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

ENTICED sat within range of a contested pace from the two path, got let out a notch after more than half way around the turn, angled out into path six from upper to mid-lane, rallied well enough to secure the show.

Enticed was only beaten by 3½ lengths to Good Magic who went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1). Enticed was one of my picks in that race and I like in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), too.
Medaglia d’Oro, the sire of Enticed, was a good middle-distance runner that compiled an 8-7-0 record in 17 starts with $5,754,720 in career earnings. Overall, he had seven wins and five second-place finishes in 14 route races.
Medaglia d’Oro finished second in his only start as a two year old but as a three year old he won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to the 2002 Derby where he finished in fourth place.
In the Preakness Stakes (G1), Medaglia d’Oro finished eighth but rebounded from that run to finish second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He went on to complete his racing season as a three year old with wins in the nine-furlong Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and the 10-furlong Travers Stakes (G1).
As a four year old, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Strub Stakes (G2), Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Whitney Handicap (G1). In addition, he finished second in the 10-furlong Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
At the age of five, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Donn Handicap (G1) and finished second in the 10-furlong Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (G1).
With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Enticed is one of the better bred colts in this race and I look for him to be competitive.
ARRIVAL (12-1) is a long shot I like and he comes into this race for trainer Mark Casse with a 1-0-2 record in five starts including a maiden win in his last outing. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

ARRIVAL set the pace early, angled off the rail in the far turn, repelled bids at the top of the lane and drew away late under a brisk drive.

Arrival led from gate to wire, setting slow fractions, but finished full of run to win impressively by 3 ¾ lengths.
Tapit, the sire of Arrival, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-0-0 record in six starts with $557,300 in career earnings.
As a two year old, Tapit was undefeated in two starts including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3).  Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of his three year old season but he did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.
At stud, Tapit has been America’s leading sire for the past three years and he’s the sire of the Belmont Stakes (G1) winners Tonalist and Creator.
Arrival was one of my sales picks as a yearling (Hip 161) at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He’s yet to fully live up to his breeding but he’s improving with each race and time will tell if he can step up to earn graded stakes honors in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2).
With an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he’s the best-bred colt in this herd and I look for him to run a good race.
LONE SAILOR (12-1) comes into this race with a 1-1-1 record in four starts for trainer Tom Amoss including a second-place finish in the Street Sense Stakes to Gotta Go (6-1) who is also entered in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of the Street Sense:

LONE SAILOR was well placed early, shifted into the three path in the turn, made a bid into the lane, was under along drive and missed in the final stages.

Lone Sailor was behind runners at the top of the turn but found a hole and split horses to get up for second a head shy of victory.
Majestic Warrior, the sire of Lone Sailor, compiled a 2-0-0 in seven starts during his racing career with $239,229 in earnings including a win in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and a fourth-place finish in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2).
Currently Majestic Warrior stands stud in Japan and as a stallion he’s sired numerous graded stakes winners including: Princess of Sylmar, Best Warrior, Lady Sabelia, Declan's Warrior and Mavic.
With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Lone Sailor was one of my picks in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and I look for him to be competitive in this race.
Undefeated in two starts for trainer Robert Reid Jr., DIAMOND KING (20-1) steps up in class to make a bid for graded stakes honors. Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

DIAMOND KING vied for advantage outside then edged clear near mid-stretch and stayed safe driving.

Quality Road, the sire of Diamond King, easily won his maiden debut, and only race as a two year old, in November of 2008. In his debut as a three year old, he finished second in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that in February with a 4¼ length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and in March, Quality Road ran to a 1¾ length win over Dunkirk in the Florida Derby (G1).
In late April, Quality Road developed a quarter crack on his right front foot and that prevented him from running in the Kentucky Derby. After a three month break, Quality Road returned to racing to win the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).
Quality Road completed his racing career with wins in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3), Donn Handicap (G1), Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1). He finished third in the Travers Stakes (G1) and second in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and Whitney Handiciap (G1).
Diamond King has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race.
Honorable mention goes to Gotta Go (6-1), Quip (8-1) and Promised Fulfilled (8-1).


*****

This is the sixth consecutive year for Churchill Downs to use a point system to determine eligibility to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. A total of 36 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a significant change to the schedule is the addition of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on December 17.
In addition to the Japan road to the Derby which features the Cattleya Sho Stakes (November 25), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushan Stakes (December 13) and Hayacinth Stakes (February 2018), Churchill Downs has added a European road to Derby glory consisting of seven races: Juddmonte Beresford (September 24), Juddmonte Royal Lodge (September 30), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (October 1), Racing Post Trophy (October 28, Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (March 1), Patton (March 2) and the Burradon (March 30).


2017/2018 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. +Good Magic, 24, Chad Brown, $1,200,000
2. Bolt d’Oro, 14, Mick Ruis, $540,000
3. +Solomini, 12, Bob Baffert, $400,000
4. Firenze Fire, 10, Jason Servis, $407,500
5. +Free Drop Billy, 10, Dale Romans, $400,000
6. The Tabulator, 10, Larry Rivelli, $126,750
7. Bravazo, 4, D. Wayne Lukas, $100,000
8. +Hollywood Star, 4, Dale Romans, $68,500
9. Givemeaminit, 2, Dallas Stewart, $150,000
10. Lone Sailor, 2, Tom Amoss, $50,000
11. Enticed, 2, Kiaran McLaughlin, $50,000
12. Take the One O One, 2, Brian Koriner, $36,345
13. Kowboy Karma, 1, Larry Jones, $70,000
14. Lionite, 1, Steve Asmussen, $25,000
15. Ayacara (GB), 1, Keith Desormeaux, $18,000
16. Ebben, 1, Steve Margolis, $7,875

+ = Horses picked as yearlings on my 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sales list.


EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $543,648
2. Saxon Warrior (JPN), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $84,592
3. Roaring Lion (USA), 10, John Gosden, $75,986
4. Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude Rouget, $113,505
5. Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $99,826
6. Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $38,074
7. Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $91,264
8. Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark Johnston, $64,634
9. Warm the Voice (IRE), 2, Brendan Duke, $12,904
10. Kew Gardens (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $28,605
11. Woodmax (GER), 1, Nicolas Clement, $23,610
12. Petrus (IRE), 1, Brian Meehan, $7,182

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Welcome To The 21st Century Thoroughbred: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Wrapup

Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® Software Picks Juvenile Stakes Exacta Finishers As Yearlings At 2016 Keeneland September Sale

By Calvin L. Carter and Dallas Carter
©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The ability to know the potential of a horse before he goes to the breeding shed, sales ring or race track is of utmost importance.
With the finish of GOOD MAGIC and SOLOMINI to make up the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) exacta, the Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® software continues to show is prowess as a powerful analytical tool for breeding, sales and race potential.
Dallas and I are so thankful that the profile software helped us last Fall to zero in on Good Magic (Hip 845) and Solomini (Hip 662) at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as young horses with a lot of potential.
Blog followers who used my Juvenile race picks could have earned on a $2 wager $135.60 (exacta) and $458.80 (trifecta).
Here’s the video of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1):




With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Good Magic was a $1 million session four sale topper purchased by agent Mike Ryan for E5 Racing. Here’s the video of Good Magic in the auction ring:




“He’s as good a Curlin as you’ll see,” said Ryan in a Bloodhorse news story.  “Curlin is Curlin. In my mind he’s as good as Tapit.”
Solomini was a yearling I liked in session four at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®.


*****

With over 22 years of experience studying Thoroughbreds, Calvin is the creator of the Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® which was developed into a software program by his brother, Dallas, in 2014.
The profile assigns each horse a numerical score and grade ranking which is the indicator of that horse’s potential. The higher the score, the more potential that horse has to become a quality stakes horse or classic champion.
The profile software is a powerful analytical tool that takes the guesswork out of breeders making mating selections, it also evaluates the graded stakes and classic potential of horses bought at auction or in handicapping races.
In 2016, Classic Champion Thoroughbreds profiled 101 yearlings listed in the Keeneland September Sale. Each of those profiled yearlings had a grade ranking of an A+ or A.
Now, there are numerous, promising two year olds in training from that sales list. Also from the Keeneland sales list we now have three graded stakes winners: Good Magic (G1-Breeders’ Cup Juvenile), Free Drop Billy (G1-Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity) and Archaggelos (Hip 2138), (G3-Grey Stakes).
In addition, of the 16 horses currently listed on the 2018 Kentucky Derby Leaderboard, four (25%) of them are from our Keeneland Sales list: Good Magic, Solomini, Free Drop Billy (Hip 104) and Hollywood Star (Hip 395).


BREEDING

● The Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® unlocks the secret of the Ancestral Herd influence.

● Is a valuable analytical tool that shows horse owners and breeders how a mare can upgrade or downgrade a stallion she is bred to through the profile score of the foal from that mating.

● Shows if the foal has the potential to be a quality stakes horse or classic champion.

● Shows horse owners how their entire herd of bloodstock can be upgraded by using the profile score to help them make the best breeding decisions resulting in less overbreeding and fewer potential equine welfare issues.


SALES, AUCTION

● The Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® is a valuable Thoroughbred sales analytical tool that shows buyers at auction how make the best decisions and investments when buying horses.

● Shows buyers at auction how to save on their time and monetary investments by helping them to zero in on the horses that have the best potential to become graded stakes winners or a Classic Champion Thoroughbred.


RACING, HANDICAPPING

● The Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® shows handicappers, horse owners and trainers which horses have the best potential to be a top-quality stakes winner or a classic winner of races like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

● Shows horse owners and trainers the best race distance that their horse will have the most success, be it in sprint racing, middle distance or routing, and can help them spot their horses in those races.


If you are planning to breed, or purchase horses at auction, the Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® is the analytical tool you need to take the guesswork out of breeding and buying champion racehorses. The profile will give you the important information necessary to make the best decisions and investments when breeding or buying horses at auction.
If you are racing horses, the Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® can help you spot them in races where they will have the most success.
For a free consultation, please contact us at our website contact page here.