CAT AND MOUSE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A game of cat and mouse turned out to be the cat and mouse getting pounced on by a much bigger preadtor.
CLOUD COMPUTING, fresh and ready for the Preakness Stakes, jumped all over Classic Empire in deep stretch of the $1.5 million second jewel of the Triple Crown to post a 13 to 1 upset.

Kentucky Derby winner ALWAYS DREAMING and CLASSIC EMPIRE pulled away from the field early and were watching each other like a hawk.
Always Dreaming wilted, off the big effort in the Derby, and Classic Empire, who looked as if he was sitting on a bigeffort, stormed to the lead.
But he didn’t seem to see Cloud Computing coming.
The Klaravich Stable runner, trained by Chad Brown, came in with just three career starts but a well-talked about run against a speed bias in the Wood Memorial when he was 3rd.

But his freshness gave him the power to sneak up on Classic Empire  in deep stretch and steal the win, the first Classic win for trainer Brown.
Cloud Computing ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 over a fast racetrack that started Saturday’s program as muddy.

His Beyer Figure was 102, the same number posted by Always Dreaming in the Derby.

The son of MacLean’s Music (who raced only once and ran a 114 Beyer to win his maiden) is out of Quick Temper by A.P. Indy and was bred by John Sikura’s HIll n’ Dale Equine Holdings and partner.
He was a $200,000 yearling purchase.

So, no Triple Crown chance but this crop is certainly well below the  likes of American Pharoah, horses we have been spoiled with lately.

The top Beyer Figures of 102 by these colts really are numbers earned by high allowance, listed stakes winners but it will be fun to see who comes to the fore come Travers time at Saratoga.

Track report:

KlaravichStables and William H. Lawrence’s Cloud Computing tracked a hotly contestedpace duel between Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming and Classic Empireinto the far turn before launching a determined stretch run and pulling off a12-1 upset in Saturday’s 142ndPreakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

The lightly raced colt, who had won only one of three previous starts, edged Classic Empire, the 2016 juvenile male champion and 2-1 second betting choice, by a head while awarding trainer Chad Brown with his first success in a Triple Crown event.

“I was thinking about this in the winner’s circle. I’ve always praised my mentor [the late Hall of Famer] Bobby Frankel, who taught me so much. And it just seems like he’s won every race but the Derby and Preakness, really. This is the only race that eluded him in his unbelievable career,” said Brown, who served as a longtime assistant to Frankel before going out on his own. “I feel this is for him, at least from my viewpoint. And without his mentorship, I certainly wouldn’t be here.”

The 142nd Preakness produced all-time records in both handle and attendance. The total handle for the 14-race program that included eight stakes, four graded, was $97,168,658, a three-percent increase over last year’s betting total of $94,127,434.

A crowd of 140,327 eclipsed the 2016 attendance of 135,256.

Cloud Computing, who finished third in the Wood Memorial (G2) and Gotham Stakes (G3) after breaking his maiden in his Feb. 11 debut, is the first horse to win the Preakness after bypassing the Kentucky Derby since Bernardini gave jockey Javier Castellano his first victory in the 1 3/16-mile Classic in 2006. The Brown trainee gave Castellano his second victory in the Maryland Jockey Club’s signature event.

Always Dreaming, the 6-5 favorite who had registered a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 6, gave way on the turn into the homestretch and finished eighth under John Velazquez.

“He didn’t seem to relish the track, but I don’t really think that was it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It was just that he put so much into the Derby that it wasn’t meant to be.”

Cloud Computing ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 over a fast racetrack that started Saturday’s program as muddy.

 

NOT KIDDING, DRAGON BAY UPSETS THE CHAMP

 

 

 

 

 

 

An improving gelding with equipment changes and a multiple champion racehorse who had a very troubled trip meant that DRAGON BAY upset the Grade 3 Eclipse takes at Woodbine on Saturday. The son of Parading, owned by Calgary’s  Brent and Russ McLellan and Stuart Simon, who also trains, held off ARE YOU KIDDING ME to win the 1 1/16 mile race for older horses by a long neck in 1:43.79 or a 96 Beyer Figure.

Dragon Bay, who won his first stakes race last fall on soft turf at Belmont, the English Channel Stakes, has run well on the Tapeta also (2nd Wando Stakes) and he really had a super trip on Saturday to win this$175,000 race.

Gary Boulanger, riding like the wind this year, had Dragon Bay stalk Riker on the slow pace, slow pace. carrying his head high, Dragon Bay (who runs with ear plugs) too the lead turning for home and dug in.

Meanwhile Are You Kidding Me, looking for his 3rd straight Eclipse Stakes and a Champion Older horse in Canada twice, was far back early and rank, then without anywhere to run around the turn and into the stretch.

Boulanger was pleased with how the winning trip panned out.

“I didn’t think there was much speed in the race other than Riker,” said the veteran rider. “Stu said you could do what you want with him. When he broke that good, I just said I’m just going to track Jesse (jockey Campbell) as long as I have to. At the half-mile pole, I really liked the position I was in. He ran really hard down the lane. The gallop out was there, too. He’s a pretty nice horse.”

Last year, Dragon Bay went 2-2-1 in nine starts.

Bred by Shawhan Place LLC in Kentucky, he banked $105,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-2-3 from 16 starts.

Dragon Bay paid $38, $11 and $5.10, combining with Are You Kidding Me ($2.80, $2.10) for a $102.80 (8-2) exactor. An 8-2-5 triactor (Unbridled Juan, $2.90 to show) returned $383.10. A $1 Superfecta 8-2-5-4 (Eirigh) was worth $1,305.95.

More Woodbine from Saturday – tough day for the handicappers as longshots ruled most ofthe day.

Race 2- The Denyse McClachrie stable continues to amaze, BOURBON FIRST won this 9 furlong race at 14 t o 1, sporting Beyer Figures of 72 and 71 and beating up on Eminent Force who was running high 80s.

The starter allowance was likely a bit far for Eminent Force while the winner ended 2016 with 3 straight wins and he is an Old Forester 5yo owned by Ryan Kerbel. Luis Contreras rode.

LILLY’S GOLDIE, a winning machine from RMC Stable, won race 3, the prep for the Trillim Stakes, defeating graded stakes winner Ice Festival, among others. Nick Gonzalez the trainer had a big day as he unleashed the “international; good thing” , SILENT SONET, a filly by Silent Name (Jpn) out of Dysonet by Hussonet. Ivan Dalos is the owner and breeder of this bay who broke from post 12 in a 5 furlong dash, zoomed to the lead around the turn and won by 6 lengths lik a monster in 57.58 or an 85 Beyer Figure.

CITY BOY is another exciting 3yo – he’s a colt owned and bred by Gus Schickedanz and he won a 6 1/2 furlong turf race very, very easily and without much urging – 1:15.50 for a 76 Beyer Figure.

And THE YOUNG LORD (Game of Thrones theme) won race 4, a maiden allowance/optional claiming 5 furlong dash in his first race for owner/breeder KATHY BIERS and co-owner Brian Patterson. The Where’s the Ring dark bay gelding is out of a best of the Bests (Ire) mare, Lovely Cersei (natch!). Gary Boulanger rode and the Beyer Figure was 67.

 

QUEEN’S PLATE UPDATES

 

TIME TO TRAVEL, the impressive maiden winner at Gulfstream Park owned by Garland Williamson, looked as if he was on his way to a win in the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday but the son of Hard Spun weakened late was second to No Mo Dough (Uncle Mo).

Jockey John Velazquez was looking behind him turning for home on the grey colt and they were going easily but it appears as if the colt does not want anything to do with route racing.

His Beyer Figure was a good 85 (compared to other Canadian-bred 3-year-olds) so perhaps if he can translate that to the Plate Trial next month at Woodbine, he would be a contender.

Michael Matz trains Time to Travel having been given the horse after trainer Rachel Halden developed him for the main win.

Speaking of American trainers with Plate hopefuls, BILL MOTT trainee CHANNEL MAKER, co-owned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Joey G Thoroughbreds, has hired Rafael Hernandez to ride the son of English Channel in the upcoming Marine Stakes – Grade 3 at Woodbine.

Channel Maker was recently 2nd in a 9 furlong grass race at Keeneland.