APRIL

MAXIMUM EXCITEMENT

Offered for $16K claiming first time out Maximum Security is KY Derby-bound

Taking advantage of a scenario where no other horse wanted to set the pace, Gary and Mary West’s homebred MAXIMUM SECURITY led all the way to win the prestigious Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream on Saturday at 9 to 2.

The colt, a son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day (Street Cry-Ire) from the modest claiming mare Lil Indy (Anasheed) was making his first start around two turns. He had won a $16,000 maiden claiming race by 9 ¾ lengths before winning a pair of starter optional claiming races by 6 ½ and 18 ¼ lengths, all at one-turn distances.

Trained by Jason Servis,  Maximum Security ($11.60) was in full control while setting the pace throughout the 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep, setting slow fractions of 24.42 and 48.98 seconds for the first half-mile and rolling on to a 3 ½-length victory under Luis Saez.

The colt ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.86 for a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Hidden Scroll, the 9-5 favorite ridden by Javier Castellano, was rank while tracking the pacesetter along the rail with Bodexpress, a 70-1 longshot ridden by Nik Juarez, to his outside as the field rounded the first turn and along the backstretch. Maximum Security continued to show the way around the turn into the homestretch before drawing away.

“The plan was not to go to the lead. I talked to Luis about it. I didn’t want to over-read the race. Luis agreed that there was going to be a couple speed horses that might not be as good as a Derby horse, so we were really thinking that we were going to be laying third,” Servis said. “At the end of the day I told Luis, ‘Look, he’s yours. He breaks, and you ride him however you want.’ I worked in the jock’s room for 20 years, and if I heard anything I heard jockeys say, ‘If this guy would have left me alone I could have won this race for him.’ I just wanted to stay out of Luis’ way. It was his decision 100 percent. They went slow early, and the rest is history.”

Maximum Security’s dam Lil Indy, who was sold last fall for $11,000 carrying a full sibling to the Florida Derby winner, is a half sister to $3.5 million earner and champion older horse FLAT OUT.

Trainer Servis, who is winning at a 46% rate at the very tough Gulfstream this winter, told media the day after the Florida Derby:

“Candidly, if you read between the lines, there had to be a reason why I ran him for $16,000. Am I glad I didn’t lose him? Hell, yeah. Is he training good and sound? Yes. But there was a reason why I ran him for $16,000.”

The trainer, whose father John won the 2004 Kentucky Derby with Smarty Jones, has improved his own training business steadily over recent years.

Yr  Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Earnings  Win %

2019   117 42 25 17 $2,301,169  36%
2018   441 143 75 69 $7,577,894  32%
2017   391 112 64 60 $4,967,662  29%
2016   364 97 72 50 $3,417,318  27%
2015   355 73 53 57 $2,839,472  21%
2014   346 71 70 37 $2,825,076  21%

Bodexpress, a maiden by Bodemeister from the Kinghaven Farms-bred mare Pied a Terre (City Zip), was always close to the slow pace and stayed on for second, picking up 40 points.

Interestingly, Pied a Terre, who had a few quick workouts in 2013 at Woodbine, is a half sister to millionaire Canadian-bred Stormy Lord. They are from the mare Lady Auchamore who was owned by Kinghaven.

The Florida Derby anchored the six-race sequence for the 20-cent Rainbow 6 Saturday, when a mandatory payout of the popular multi-race wager with a $2.6 million carryover generated $14.4 million in additional wagering. Maximum Security completed tickets with all six winners, which were each worth $1,934.68.

In Dubai, the UAE DERBY also offered 100 points for the Kentucky Derby and American shipper PLUS QUE PARFAIT surged up the inside to win the 1 3/16 mile race for 3-year-olds. Owned by Dubai based Imperial racing LLC and trained by Brendan Walsh Plus Que Parfait was a close second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs but had struggled behind War of Will at Fair Grounds this winter. The chestnut ridgeling is by Point of Entrey from the Awesome Again mare Belvedera and he was bred by Calway Stables.

GRAY MAGICIAN, a son of Graydar – Burg Berg by Johannesburg finished second for Wachtel Stable and partners and trained Peter Miller.

Kentucky Derby points and Beyer Speed Figures

The Japanese colt DER FLUG earned 40 points for his win in the Fukuryu Stakes on the weekend. He is not Triple Crown nominated and can be made eligible today with a $6,000 fee.

If you have barely heard of any of these horses, you are not alone. Of some 24 ‘prep’ stakes so far, there has been a different winner in all but two of these races.

Coming up are the final big three: the Blue Grass, Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby.

Horse   Points  Owner   Trainer  Gr. Stakes Earnings  last 3 Beyer Speed Figures (most recent is first)   

1. Plus Que Parfait  104 Imperial Racing LLC (Michael Foley) Brendan Walsh $1,540,400   n/a, 58, 83
2. By My Standards 100 Allied Racing Stable LLC (Chester Thomas) Bret Calhoun $600,000  97,86, 73
3. Maximum Security 100 Gary L. & Mary E. West Jason Servis $582,800 101, 102, 83
4. Code of Honor 74 William S. Farish Shug McGaughey III $432,070   91,95, 77
5. War of Will 60 Gary Barber Mark Casse $450,840  78, 90, 94
6. Long Range Toddy 53.5 Willis Horton Racing LLC Steve Asmussen $830,000  95, 87, 83
7. Cutting Humor 50 Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf) Todd Pletcher $462,467   95, 76, 85
8. Haikal 50 Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum) Kiaran McLaughlin $247,500  95,84, 85
9. Tacitus 50 Juddmonte Farms Inc. (Prince Khalid Abdullah) Bill Mott $210,000   93,75, 77
10. Game Winner 45 Gary L. & Mary E. West Bob Baffert $1,610,000  96, 93, 97
11. Gray Magician 41 Wachtel Stable (Adam Wachtel), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber Peter Miller $526,000 n/a,80, 73
12. Spinoff 40 Wertheimer et Frere (Alain & Gerard Wertheimer) Todd Pletcher $224,000  96, 84, 75
13. Bodexpress 40 Top Racing LLC, Global Thoroughbred & GDS Racing Stable Gustavo Delgado $188,000  96, 91, 74
14. Omaha Beach 37.5 Fox Hill Farm (Rick Porter) Richard Mandella $450,000  96, 90, 83
15. Bourbon War 31 Bourbon Lane Stable (Jamie Hill) & Lake Star Stable Mark Hennig $137,200  90, 93, 89
16. Anothertwistafate 30 Peter Redekop B. C. Ltd. Blaine Wright $228,960  94, 94, 77
17. Country House 30 Mrs. J.V. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden Jr. & LNJ Foxwoods (Larry,Nanci & Jaime Roth) Bill Mott $120,000 87, 86, 80
18. Sueno 28 Silverton Hill LLC (Bonnie & Tommy Hamilton) Keith Desormeaux $265,000 87, 89, 81
19. Improbable 25 WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt), China Horse Club International Ltd. (Ah Khing Teo) & Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf et al) Bob Baffert $389,520  95, 96, 93
20. Mucho Gusto 24 Michael Lund Petersen Bob Baffert $286,800 85, 90, 88
21. Somelikeithotbrown 20 Skychai Racing LLC (Jim Shircliff & Harvey Diamond) & Sand Dollar Stable LLC (David Koenig et al) Mike Maker $321,665  83, 80, 82
22. Outshine 20 Let’s Go Stable (Kevin Scatuorchio & Bryan Sullivan) & Richard D. Schibell Todd Pletcher $74,500 n/a

MELMICH JUST MISSES

Ontario bred gelding almost gets Pan American (G2)

MELMICH is on his way to Ocala, FL for some turnout time following his super outing in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream on Florida Derby day. The 8-year-old bred in Ontario by Andrew Stronach and raced by Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman of Toronto, trained by Sovereign Award nominated Kevin Attard, charged through the stretch and landed on virtually even terms with Focus Group but the latter won the photo. Focus Group was 3rd in last year’s Canadian International (G1) at Woodbine. Melmich posted a 97 Beyer Figure.

Melmich arguably could have won all of his three long turf races in Florida this winter. His super stretch runs, made a bit crooked by his habit of drifting in, have got him two seconds and a third in three stakes races. He has $1.5 million (CAN) in earnings and in 45 races has a record of 17-16-5.

Kevin Attard said Melmich will be pointed to the Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine on June 22.

The CTHS (Ontario) has a story about Melmich being bought at auction by his first owner Warren LeBlanc.

RACE-DAY MEDICATION BAN IN ONTARIO BEGINS APRIL 19

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario released three directives Friday at 5 p.m. including a notice of a ban on race-day medication for all three breeds in the province.

Early reaction to the notice that private vets will not be allowed to administer anything to a horse 24 hours from a race was mixed.

Horsepeople concerned about not being able to administer therapeutic items such as electrolyte ‘jugs’ are frustrated they were not involved in the creation of the directive. Others are adamant that the sport should not be changed (race-day med ban or whip rules) simply because the public doesn’t like it.

However most understand that while a crisis continues at Santa Anita (another horse broke down on Sunday, once a $525,000 2yo purchase Arms Runner), changes to how the sport is viewed by the public is key to its survival.

Meanwhile, horsepeople next await the Canadian Pari Mutuel Association’s drug rules that were set to be issued last month but have been held back.

THUNDER SNOW MAKES HISTORY

He may not get the kind of attention as major stakes stars in North American do but THUNDER SNOW(Ire) must be considered one of the best racehorses in the world today after he won a second straight Dubai World Cup. He became the first horse to ever win two World Cups.

It was not easy as jockey Christophe Soumillon had to practically jump up and down on the 5-year-old horse by Helmet to get him to wear down GRONKOWSKI, a longshot who was second in last year’s Belmont Stakes. The effort was magnificent and he left American stakes stars such as Gunnevera behind him.

Godolphin’s Thunder Snow, 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, has earned over $16 million.

Dubai Winners:

16:15 Godolphin Mile    Coal Front $1.5m 1600 Dirt
16:50 Dubai Gold Cup   Cross Counter $1.5m 3200 Turf
17:30 Al Quoz Sprint     Blue Point $2.0m 1200 Turf
18:05 UAE Derby          Plus Que Parfait $2.5m 1900 Dirt
18:40 Dubai Golden Shaheen XY Jet $2.5m 1200 Dirt
19:20 Dubai Turf          Almond Eye $6m 1800 Turf
20:00 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic Old Persian $6m 2400 turf
20:40 Dubai World Cup  Thunder Snow $12m 2000 Dirt

#IAMHORSERACING CAMPAIGN

Have you seen the #IAmHorseracing hashtag out and about recently? This is the new initiative founded by several members of TVG (Television Games Network), Santa Anita staff and Jill Baffert.

Much like the long running feature stories on Ontario Racing called “The Horse That Changed My Life”, the IAmHorseRacing idea has people writing about why they love racing:

The main objective was to create a platform to share the stories that exist in and around racing. We certainly didn’t reinvent the wheel. Stories are being told every day by very talented people within the business providing thoughtful features and interviews, but it’s hard to get the traction those so often deserve.

Our idea was to create snapshots of these people’s story using a medium that was easily digestible, incredibly visual, and had the raw potential to go viral. Our main focus is the extensive care for these horses, the passion for the sport, and the many jobs that make up this industry.