CORNER

TIME FOR FLATTER TO GET AT ‘ER

Queen’s Plate favourite scheduled to race today (Friday) in Kentucky

Ivan Dalos’ homebred 3-year-old colt AVIE’S FLATTER, currently a strong Queen’s Plate favourite, makes his 2019 debut today in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes on day two of the Keeneland meeting. The son of Flatter-Avie’s Empire by Empire Maker, who has has a few months of big workouts, is co-second choice on the morning line at 7 to 2.

The $150,000 Transylvania is a 1 1/16 mile race on grass and there was a few hours of rain overnight. The colt has post four against a good field so a prominent placing would be very encouraging for the Josie Carroll trainee.

Carroll talked to Woodbine media this week about the colt’s start to the season:

“We’re heading to Keeneland for the Transylvania right now with Avie’s Flatter. He took well to the dirt and we were very happy, but he really excelled when we put him on the turf, which shifted my focus to the Transylvania.”

Despite not making a start on dirt this winter, Carroll is optimistic that Avie’s Flatter could excel over all three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown later this summer.

“I like the fact that he’s shown me that he handles all three surfaces, which is exciting with the Canadian Triple Crown coming up,” she said.

One of Avie’s Flatter’s numerous workouts included a sizzling 6 furlongs on the grass at Palm Meadows in Florida in 1:09 3/5.

Carroll also updated the status of another possible Plate contender, He’s a Macho Man, owned by Di Scola Boys and a son of Mucho Mach Man.

Bred by Paul Buttigieg, the colt won his debut around two turns at Woodbine back in December and made a start over the dirt at Gulfstream Park in January. Carroll has missed some training time with He’s a Macho Man following his start at Gulfstream.

“The day he ran at Gulfstream, he hit the gate and hurt himself,” Carroll said. “We lost almost a month of training with him. He’s bounced back around now and we’re hoping he’ll move forward quickly.”

Today’s Transylvania goes at about 5:30 EST. Thoroughblog’s current TOP 10 QUEEN’S PLATE contender list is on the home page of the site.

In other Queen’s Plate news, Florida winner COME ON GERRY is in an allowance race at Keeneland today. The Elusive Quality colt was bred by Anderson Farms and is owned by Albaugh Family Stables.

KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL LANDS IN KEENELAND, AQUEDUCT, SANTA ANITA

Champion Game Winner could become Derby fave with win at Santa Anita

Within about a 30 minute period on Saturday afternoon 31 horses will try for Kentucky Derby points and a place in the famous Churchill Downs starting gate through three major stakes races.

At 6 p.m. is the WOOD MEMORIAL in New York, at 6:30, the BLUE GRASS and SANTA ANITA DERBY in Kentucky and California respectively. With few major races left on the way to the Derby, these events are pivotal since the prep stakes in the last 2 months have been won by an array of different horses.

Saturday, Keeneland, post time: 6:23 p.m. EDT
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GII, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Somelikeithotbrown Big Brown Skychai Racing LLC and Sand Dollar Stable LLC Maker Gaffalione 123
2 Vekoma                     Candy Ride (Arg) R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables Weaver Castellano 123
3 Signalman                General Quarters Lewis,  Crabtree,  Demaree, et al McPeek Hernandez, Jr. 123
4 Market King             Into Mischief Baker, Robert C. and Mack, William L. Lukas Court 123
5 Chess Chief              Into Mischief Estate of James Coleman, Jr. Stewart Lopez 123
6 Dream Maker         Tapit John C. Oxley Casse Geroux 123
7 Admire                     Cairo Prince Albaugh Family Stables LLC Romans Albarado 123
8 Win Win Win         Hat Trick (Jpn) Live Oak Plantation Trombetta Ortiz, Jr. 123
9 Sir Winston            Awesome Again Tracy Farmer Casse Leparoux 123
10 Lucky Lee             Flatter Cash is King LLC Servis Landeros 123
11 So Alive                 Super Saver Robert V. LaPenta Pletcher Saez 123
12 Parsimony           Dominus Reddam Racing LLC O’Neill Gutierrez 123
13 Moonster             Malibu Moon Calumet Farm Romans McKee 123
14 Aquadini             Bernardini Andrew Farm and On Our Own Stable, LLC Stewart Lanerie 123

Thoroughblog’s comments on the Blue Grass: with VEKOMA appearing to be the favourite and since there is a question about his love for route distances, take a look at DREAM MAKER and LUCKY LEE as longshot possibilities in a wide open race.

In New York, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial is similarly contentious.

Three graded stakes winners Tax, Tacitus and Haikal top the 95th running of the $750,0000 race at nine furlongs.

The dependable Tax, trained by Danny Gargan for owners R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, will look to go from claim to Kentucky Derby fame in the prestigious nine-furlong Wood.

The dark bay son of Arch was claimed for $50,000 on October 21 out of a winning effort at Keeneland and promptly shipped to Aqueduct, where he ran third in the Grade 2 Remsen over nine furlongs on the Big A main.

Tax, who currently boasts 12 Derby qualifying points, arrives at Saturday’s test from a determined head score on February 9 over Wood rival Not That Brady in the Grade 3 Withers.

“He’s training tremendous; he looks good. We’re just hoping we get a clean trip,” said Gargan. “He’s a nice horse and we’re just hoping we can run top-three, so we can go to the Derby.

“He’s a warrior. You have to get lucky and get a horse who wants to win as much as you want to win, and that’s the kind of horse he is. He wants to win,” continued Gargan. “He wants to run competitive, and he trains like that. He’s real competitive in the mornings, so we just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for good things going forward because the big goal is to be lucky enough to run him in the Derby.”

Junior Alvarado has the return call aboard Tax from the inside post in a field of 11.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Tacitus, by Tapit out of 2014 Eclipse Champion Older Mare Close Hatches, graduated on November 10 at Aqueduct at second asking when traveling one-mile over a track labeled good.

The talented grey, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, wintered at Payson Park in Florida ahead of a successful seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby when 1 ¼-lengths the better of Wood rival Outshine. He picked up 50 Derby qualifying points in victory.

Jose Ortiz, aboard for all three career starts, will pilot Tacitus from post 2.

Shadwell Stable homebred Haikal will try two turns for the first time in the Wood. The Daaher bay is a neck away from being undefeated after narrowly missing to stakes-placed Family Biz in his debut.

The late-moving Haikal broke his maiden on December 15 at Aqueduct in a six furlong sprint and used a similar style in his 3-year-old debut when rallying to a neck score over Wood rival Joevia.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, who won the Wood in 2015 with Frosted, Haikal arrives at his stamina test from a closing length score in the Grade 3 Gotham, which earned him 50 Derby qualifying points.

McLaughlin said he is hopeful that Haikal will be more forwardly placed on Saturday.

“The only question is the two turns, but we feel like it’ll be no problem. Hopefully he won’t be as far back as he was last time,” said McLaughlin. “He could be in the middle of the pack or last, but he won’t be 15 lengths off the pace like last time. He has a great mind and the post doesn’t matter with him. We’ll be behind most of the horses and so we’ll be able to save ground.”

McLaughlin, who also conditioned Haikal’s Canadian-bred sire Daaher, said that his Wood hopeful is a little more sizable than the stallion who captured the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2007.

Jason Servis, who is winning races at 465% and won the Florida Derby with Maximum Security last weekend, has 2 contenders in the field in FINAL JEOPARDY and GRAMPS LIL TOTS.

Saturday, Aqueduct, post time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
WOOD MEMORIAL S. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS-GII, $750,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Tax             Arch R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, et al  Gargan Alvarado 123
2 Tacitus     Tapit Juddmonte Farms, Inc. Mott Ortiz 123
3 Hoffa’s Union  Union Rags Barber, Gary, Wachtel Stable, Dunn, Christopher T., Casse Davis 123
4 Haikal       Daaher Shadwell Stable McLaughlin Maragh 123
5 Final Jeopardy  Street Sense West, Gary and Mary Servis Franco 123
6 Overdeliver    Overanalyze Repole Stable Pletcher Carmouche 123
7 Not That Brady    Big Brown Imperio, Michael, Lianna Stables, Inc., Rodriguez Gutierrez 123
8 Grumps Little Tots  Sky Mesa Dubb, Michael, Coyle Boys Stable and Servis Lezcano 123
9 Math Wizard      Algorithms Fanelli, John, Collarmele Vitelli Stables LLC, Joseph, Jr. Cancel 123
10 Outshine      Malibu Moon Let’s Go Stable, Schibell, Richard D. and Pletcher Velazquez 123
11 Joevia     Shanghai Bobby Fazio, Michael and Fazio, Jeff Sacco Juarez 123

Thoroughblog’s comments on Wood Memorial: Very difficult race to decipher since several are exciting colts coming off big wins. Leading to the grey colt TACTITUS but also like TAX and OUTSHINE.

And at Santa Anita, the Santa Anita Derby is a small field and not a good betting race but champion 2yo of last year GAME WINNER (owned by Gary and Mary West whose Maximum Security won last weekend’s Florida Derby) should boss this group around and head to Kentucky as a favourite. He is trained by Bob Baffert.

Saturday, Santa Anita, post time: 6:30 p.m. EDT
SANTA ANITA DERBY-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Roadster K Quality Road Speedway Stable LLC Baffert Smith 124
2 More Ice More Than Ready Hollendorfer, LLC, Kenwood Racing, Inc. and Hollendorfer Franco 124
3 Nolo Contesto K Pioneerof the Nile Hronis Racing LLC Sadler Talamo 124
4 Synthesis K First Samurai Decker Racing, Kretz Racing LLC and Selby, Jay Papaprodromou Bejarano 124
5 Instagrand Into Mischief OXO Equine LLC Hollendorfer Prat 124
6 Game Winner K Candy Ride (Arg) West, Gary and Mary Baffert Rosario 124

Thoroughblog’s comments on Santa Anita: Game Winner over Instagrand.

ASSINIBOIA ASSASSIN’S NEXT TARGET

A showdown of super Canadian-bred fillies is on the horizon next weekend at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Arkansas as Horse of the Year WONDER GADOT and ESCAPE CLAUSE, the “Assiniboia Assassin” are pointing to the $800,000 Apple Blossom, a Grade 1.

Escape Clause has been a win machine in Canada and the Pacific and Mountain time zones, capturing 20 of 30 career starts, including the $100,000 Harry Henson Handicap March 24 at Sunland Park in which she set a track record (1:34) for a mile. Escape Clause is an 18-time stakes winner, owns track records for 6 ½ furlongs and 7 furlongs at Century Downs in Canada and finished second against males in the $75,000 Manitoba Derby in 2017 at Assiniboia Downs in Canada.

“She’s been quite a story,” said Schnell, who is based at Turf Paradise in suburban Phoenix. “She knows how to win, but we’re taking on some monsters in the Apple Blossom. But she deserves one try there.”

Schnell said Escape Clause will van to Oaklawn, “probably Sunday or Monday,” and Tyler Baze will ride the 5-year-old Canadian-bred daughter of Going Commando in the Apple Blossom. Baze, a recent addition to the Oaklawn jockey colony, has ridden Escape Clause in her last three starts, including a 5 ½-length victory in the $100,000 La Canada Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 12 at Santa Anita. Escape Clause won the Harry Henson by 7 ¼ lengths.

Two other projected Apple Blossom starters recorded workouts Monday morning. Multiple Grade 1 winner Midnight Bisou worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, her first published breeze since winning the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 16. The Azeri is the final major local prep for the Apple Blossom. Grade 2 winner Chocolate Martini had a 5-furlong bullet work (:59.40) at Churchill Downs for trainer Tom Amoss. Chocolate Martini, in her 4-year-old debut, was a Feb. 24 allowance winner at Oaklawn.

Wonder Gadot recorded a 5-furlong bullet work (:59) last Saturday morning in preparation for the Apple Blossom. Trained by Mark Casse, Wonder Gadot beat males in the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown last year, including the $1 million Queen’s Plate June 30 at Woodbine. Wonder Gadot won a Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly and is a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2018. Based at Oaklawn since early February, Wonder Gadot finished second in a March 8 allowance race, her 4-year-old debut. Wonder Gadot ran second, beaten a nose, in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) last year at Oaklawn.

Post positions for the Apple Blossom, which has a record purse this year, will be drawn April 11.

HBPA-ONTARIO’S “OWN A THOROUGHBRED” INITIATIVE

Horse racing in Ontario wants the public to know owning a racehorse is fun and can be easy. Finding out where to start is also easy with the HBPA’s Own a Thoroughbred initiative which includes information, guidance and special events for those interested. Specialist Stacie Roberts was recently on IHeartRadio and Larry Fedoruk to talk about this super program:

Do you have friends or family who are interested in getting involved in ownership either as a syndicate member, partner of full ownership?

IN THE NEWS: REVERBERATIONS

Monmouth Park’s president Dennis Drazin speaks to what is on the minds of all racetrack owners with regards to race-day medication, Lasix and protecting our horses. North and south and east and west, tracks and commissions and making moves to ensure the public knows that the stars of the show, the horses, are number one.

“Part of the problem in the region, and in the country, is you can’t have different rules in different jurisdictions,’’ Drazin said. “They all have to be the same. And there are a lot of reasons to standardize the medications, but the RMTC (Racing Medication and Testing Consortium) has come out with guidelines” – Dennis Drazin, Monmouth Park