Friday, November 27, 2015

Remsen Stakes Racing Roundup



©2015 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The “Road to the Kentucky Derby” takes us to the Empire State Saturday where Mohaymen will go to the starting gate as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the 101st running of the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Post time is 1:50 ET.
Undefeated in two starts, Mohaymen comes into this race for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin off of a 1¾-length victory in the one mile Nashua Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct on November 4. Here’s a look at the video and chart call of that race:

MOHAYMEN moved up into a contending position down the backstretch, departed it from the three path, pressed the issue as the widest of a trio on the turn, bid in earnest as the field headed into the stretch, came inward to meet and draw up shoulder to shoulder with MAGNA LIGHT in upper stretch, bested that one the rest of the way to the furlong marker to emerge as the new leader, drifted out somewhat in the last sixteenth, particularly after some left handed stick work, held off the second place finisher though, under a hand drive finishing the race.

The time of 1:36.01 is what I like to see in a young colt on the Kentucky Derby Trail. Mohaymen is a sire-line descendant of the Bold Ruler Ancestral Herd and with a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to be competitive in the Remsen Stakes (G2).
Tapit, the sire of Mohaymen, was undefeated in two starts as a 2-year-old including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3). As a 3-year-old, Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of the season but did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.
Regular jockey Junior Alvarado returns to the irons and I look for the pair to be competitive in this race.
A mild long shot I like in this race is Sail Ahoy (6-1) who also ran in the Nashua and finished third, just two lengths shy of victory. Here’s his chart call:

SAIL AHOY devoid of early foot, picked up interest and proceeded to vacate the inside route leaving the five-sixteenths marker, swung three wide into the stretch and had a good finish down the outside to secure the show.
  
 Sail Ahoy comes into this race with a 1-0-2 record in four starts for trainer Claude “Shug” McGaughey. With an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he also has the breeding to be competitive and should like the stretch out to nine furlongs.
Bernardini, the sire of Sail Ahoy, did not race as a 2-year-old but at the age of three, he was a fast colt that won races from a mile to 10-furlongs.
He broke his maiden on his second start running a mile at Gulfstream Park in 1:35.57. That’s the kind of time I like to see a young colt run in a mile. Bernardini went on to become a Classic Champion Thoroughbred, compiling a 6-1-0 record in eight starts with $3,060,480 in career earnings.
Notable races won by Bernardini in route to becoming the 2006 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Male include: Withers Stakes (G3, 8-furlongs), Preakness Stakes (G1, 9½-furlongs), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2, 8½ furlongs), Travers Stakes (G1, 10 furlongs), Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1, 10 furlongs) and he finished second, a length behind Invasor, winner of the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1, 10 furlongs).
Jockey Joel Rosario has ridden Sail Ahoy in all four of his previous starts and I look for them to run another good race in the Remsen Stakes (G2).
Another long shot I like is Donegal Moon (15-1) who comes into this race for trainer Todd Pletcher with a 1-1-1 record in four starts. He’s stepping up in class and he’s yet to win a stakes race. However, he’s steadily improving and he broke his maiden in his last start. Here’s a look at the video and chart call of that race:

DONEGAL MOON set the pace early, angled off the rail into the far turn then drew away late in the stretch under a brisk drive.

Donegal Moon led from gate to wire and his finish time of 1:39.06 is slower than I like. However he also is sire-line descendant of the Bold Ruler Ancestral Herd and with an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he should be competitive in this race.
Malibu Moon, the sire of Donegal Moon, made only two starts as a two year old, compiling a 1-1-0 record, before a slab fracture ended his racing career.
At stud, Malibu Moon sired the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb. In addition, he’s sired several horses that have been competitive on the Derby trail such as Danzig Moon, Mr. Z and Stanford. Other nice runners sired by Malibu Moon include Life At Ten, Devil May Care, Declan’s Moon, Ask the Moon, Prospective, Kauai Katie, Moon Catcher and Malibu Mint.
Donegal Moon will have to improve his game to secure the win in the Remsen Stakes (G2) but I look for him to run a good race.
Honorable mention goes to Flexibility (3-1), Gift Box (4-1) and Ravenheart (30-1). They could, perhaps, be competitive but I’m not too keen on a win by either of them.


*****
Under the tiered-point system implemented by Churchill Downs to determine Kentucky Derby eligibility the winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2) will receive 10 points while the second-place finisher will receive 4 points, the third-place finisher will receive 2 points and 1 point will be awarded to the fourth-place finisher.


2015/2016 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Rank, Horse, Points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Nyquist, 30, Doug O’Neill, $1,580,000
2. Exaggerator, 16, Keith Desormeaux, $940,000
3. Brody’s Cause, 14, Dale Romans, $500,000
4. Swipe, 12, Keith Desormeaux, $597,130
5. Greenpointcrusader, 10, Dominick Schettino, $300,000
6. Cocked and Loaded, 10. Larry Rivelli, $280,840
7. Riker, 10, Nicholas Gonzalez, $182,375
8. Sunny Ridge, 8, Jason Servis, $355,600
9. R Rated Superstar, 6, Ken McPeek, $78,200
10. Kasseopia (GB), 4, Charlie Fellowes, 22,809
11. Harlan Punch, 2, Tom Amoss, $138,000
12. Hollywood Don, 2, Peter Miller, $96,000
13. Portfolio Manager, 2, Chad Brown, $50,000
14. Tizarunner, 2, Mark Casse, $44,948
15. Unbridled Outlaw, 2, Dale Romans, $14,100
16. Found Money, 1, Doug O’Neill, $129,000
17. Van Damme, 1, Robert Gorham, $31,290
18. Sail Ahoy, 1, Claude “Shug” McGaughey, $25,000
18. Stickstatelydude, 1, Greg Burchell, $25,000
20. Rare Candy, 1, David Hofmans, $24,000
21. Conquest Windycity, 1, Mark Casse, $7,050

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