An Absolute Treat

Go ahead, breeze through the entries index for Churchill's Friday card. Zenyatta, One Caroline, Rachel Alexandra, Justwhistledixie, Macho Again, BULLSBAY and Mambo in Seattle among others.

The undefeated Zenyatta will run at the undefeated One Caroline.

Winning of four straight, Rachel Alexandra will be stalked by winner of five straight Justwhistledixie.

Our Bullsbay will get his chance to show he belongs amongst his division.

Those first two highlight Oaks day, while we'll gladly include-scratch that, favor the last.

In the GII Louisville Zenyatta is expected to return from a long winter off, to face the newcomer, One Caroline. The latter has won three times since Zenyatta was seen last. All three in impressive fashion. The last was a dominating wire-to-wire effort in the GII Rampart. The gray is yet another Unbridled's Song to erupt this season.

Zenyatta, the queen. She is 9-for-9 and has never won by less than a 1/2 length. She is by top stallion Street Cry, 6-for-6 at the distance and 1-for-1 on traditional dirt.

One Caroline's come-and-get-me front running style counters Zenyatta's patented here-I-come late move.

I can't wait for the eighth pole.

The Oaks. Rachel Alexandra could run and challenge for the top spot in the Saturday's Derby. Jockey Calvin Borel hasn't budged in three consecutive starts. She has torn up Oaklawn Park and the Fair Grounds all winter. Her pedigree pretty much reads, 'run all day'. She'll try 1 1/8 miles for the first time Saturday.

Justwhistledixie, quietly has won five in a row. She is putting in a quietly dominant east coast campaign. I'm her connections like it that way. She has not faced anything close to 'Rachel', but you may be able to say the same thing for her main rival. After this one, we'll know exactly what the 3YOF division looks like.

Sandwiched between those two events is GIII Alysheba, where Bullsbay follows up his win in the Harrison Johnson. He loved the slop that day and the forecast is calling for some rain. He does not NEED mother nature on his side. He's 3-for-3 at the 1 1/16 miles distance. While he's 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs. Nobody has stepped up in this division yet and they seem to take turns beating each other. Jeremy Rose will ride for the third straight time. Post time: 3:54 PM EST.

The last time I talked up a day was the Florida Derby and the match up between Quality Road and Dunkirk. How'd that turn out?

Head out to your local track Friday, if you really can't make it, settle for Saturday's Derby day. I don't have to talk that one up...Do I?





Bullsbay (middle) peaks his head through before
his second place finish in the John Campbell.

Keeneland Flies By, Churchill On Horizon

Mack Robinson's Cherokee Artist picked up his second straight allowance score on Friday at Keeneland. The Cherokee Run 4-year-old returned off an impressive win at Santa Anita over the same 1 1/16 miles distance. He is now 4-for-6 at that distance.

The bay stalked throughout and responded well when jockey Ramon Dominguez asked to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

The following race marked the return of Better Talk Now in the closing day's feature, The Fifth Third Elkhorn.Making his first start since October's Breeders' Cup, the 10-year-old gave a nice run at them but finished sixth. The field was no slouch, with the horses like Spice Route, Champs Elysses, and Buddy's Humor.

Glad to have 'Blackie' come back to the barn with a race under his belt.

Another veteran making his return this past weekend was Independent George in Pimlico's Saturday feature, the Henry Clark. The 6-year-old gelded son of Cozzene made his first start since August an optimistic one. He came late from off the pace to grab second, missing the top prize by 1 1/4 lengths.

Now Tell Us Why

After the closing of our first poll on 'Take A Seat', you're voices have been heard....sort of. We asked you who you're favorite active stakes winners were in our stable. Many of you chimed in. Now we want to know why?

What makes that horse your favorite?

If there was a moment that made him/her your favorite, share it. We'd love to hear about it.

Results:

Better Talk Now- 28
Rebellion- 10
Ballast- 8
Icabad Crane- 7
OTHER- 5
Drop A Line- 4
African Violet- 3
Saucey Evening- 3
Caprice- 2
Miss Lombardi- 1

Augustin Among Us

George Strawbridge's Augustin Stables have had themselves quite the Keeneland meeting. They crossed the wire first in another graded stakes yesterday with Winter View in the Bewitched.

Winter View is a half sister to champion European two-year-old Rainbow View (also Augustin). Yesterday's Grade III was the 5-year-old's first stakes win and just second win stateside. Our very own Caprice finished fourth.

Augustin's champion Forever Together returned without problem in a dominating performance in the Jenny Wiley. The gray hadn't ran since her win in the BC Filly & Mare Turf, but showed no ill-effects in a galloping win.

Another part of the onslaught was Informed Decision, who won the Grade I Vinery Madison on Friday April 10. Informed Decision, like Forever Together, was making her first start since the fall. She set a track record on the Keeneland poly then, and beat the Breeders' Cup F&M Sprint champion this time.

Innovative, our Johannesburg 3-year-old filly returned to the winner's circle donning the Augustin green and white silks just two days ago.

On opening day Smart Bid, also trained by Graham, finished second in the G III Transylvania. To add to the fray, Kurbat (Augustin & Motion) finished second in the Fort Harrod.

Congratulations to Mr. Strawbridge and Graham's old boss, Jonathan Sheppard for an outstanding and well-deserved Keeneland season.

How Are They Running?

Bold Abbott got us off the Keeneland hook with his excuse-me win in Saturday's second race. The 5-year-old showed his grittiness once again splitting two horses at the top of the stretch. Over the winter, he won on the Gulfstream turf showing no fear shooting up the hedge. "The bott", as his exercise riders call him is out of Ms. Isadora, who is a sister to Sweet Eloise who dropped our very own Winsome Ways. Cool huh?

Enjoy the Win broke her maiden with ease at Philly Park in her eighth career start last Monday. She also got scooped up by Galena Springs Farm for $12,500. Best of luck to the 3-year-old.

Cozy Cottage. Geez, Cozy Cottage. Talk about having to earn it. The gray 4-year-old made her third career start and each time has had to overcome hurdles like she was McDynamo. In her debut, she broke slowly and closed like a car door for a close fifth. Second time out, she was as far as 10-lengths back, progressed well then had had to steady sharply at the top of the stretch. She finished a length back for second. Thursday she lost the bob like a la Mambo In Seattle. Let's hope the Florida bred can find more luck away from home this spring.

Absolute Heaven improved to 2-for-2 at 7-furlongs and at Woodbine when she won on Friday. As even places like Keeneland have experienced purse cuts, Woodbine is a place that purses are sitting nicely.


* * * * * * * *

Busy week coming up as Caprice is entered for Thursday's Bewitch at Keeneland and Better Talk Now is expected to return in Friday's Elkhorn.

Keeneland Catch-up

* With 5 seconds(Rebellion and Kurbat in stakes) from 11 starts at Keeneland, it's starting to sound eerily similar to Keeneland fall. Where's the racing luck? So the horses were running well then and are running well now, the difference is the summer is upon us, instead the winter. I'll take where we're at!

* Better Talk Now breezed 6-furlongs in 1:19 over the yielding Keeneland turf this morning in prep for his return to the races.

* Sweet Tune is 10-minutes from her race as I type. Keeneland.com is clutch! Especially when you're TVG-less.

* Tomorrow we have action throughout the day. Larry Johnson's Mizz Magician is going in the first race, making her second start. She ran well in her debut going 5 1/2 on the Laurel turf. She'll stretch out to 7-furlongs tomorrow.

Namcook Stables LLC's Slam Dunk is entered in the 7th race. He's half of a coupled entry with the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee, Big Stick. Slam Dunk has ran well in his two Santa Anita starts (both thirds) since being transferred to Graham.

Winsome Ways is scheduled for tomorrow's 8th. Boy this is a tough allowance race. A couple stake winners sprinkled in there, including a Grade I winner. Welcome to Keeneland!

The 9th race is the Doubledogdare, a Grade III over the poly track. Both Drop A Line and Sefroua are entered for tomorrow's stake. Drop A Line finds herself in the thick of things every time she goes. She's always close. She dead-heated Awesome Ashley (also entered for the Doubledogdare) at Keeneland last April.

Sefroua is making her third U.S start and is still somewhat of an unknown. Her pedigree is out of this world. She's by Kingmambo, out of Sophisticat, who is a daughter of the champion Serena's Song. Sefroua ran very well in her stateside debut (third in the GIII Nobel Damsel at Belmont) and then solidly against GI company in the fall. She broke her maiden in France at Friday's distance of 1 1/16 miles.

* Exercise rider Vicki King's 'Chevy SUV' Bold Abbott finds himself in a short field, finally, on Saturday. His last couple tries he has found himself on the outside of big allowance fields. Saturday he'll break from the rail on the poly track. The poly is a new surface for him, but his sire Mizzen Mast's offspring seem to handle everything.

Click

A couple shots of some of the crew at Palm Meadows. Better Talk Now has since shipped to Keeneland, leaving 13 at the Boynton Beach facility.


Caught With A Mouth Full.

Dancerama (Dance Master) with Jill as they head for their
gallop together. The 3-year-old filly finds to time to pose for
the camera, regardless of a mouth full of hay.



Whenever You're Ready, Champ.

Johnny waits for Better Talk Now to tell him he's ready for
his gallop.

Going to 'bat for the Chilean

About 14 days ago, I dug through replays of horses entered for Aqueduct's Excelsior Handicap like an old man with a metal detector at the beach. I had memorized the past performances of all eight entrants and then tried to find out more than the daily racing form could tell me. I had come to my conclusion.

Kurbat not only fit, he was live in the Grade III. Although it was just his first attempt against stakes horses in the United States.

In his first stateside start, Kurbat tore up Laurel and set a track record for 1 1/16 miles. Yes it was an Allowance race. Yes, it was at Laurel. But for a horse to run that big in his first start in 10 months, and in a different country. That's impressive.

In his native Chile, Kurbat had beaten Real Merchant twice, who was also entered for the Excelsior(and had recently finished second to the Excelsior's favorite). He also won a G I, by 10 lenghts.

As they loaded in the gate last Saturday, I was a tad nervous, eyeing the #4 stall like Tom waiting for Jerry to come out of the fox-hole. Boom. At live action it seemed like Kurbat's nose hit the ground. It didn't. But his stumble was bad enough to disguise his true ability last Saturday. The crawling pace of 25.45/50.69, on an already speed-favoring track did not help his chances.

Later today, Kurbat comes back like he forgot something- just six days later- in Keeneland's 7th race, the $100,000 Fort Harrod.

Post Time 4:05 PM.

Gulfstream Winds Down, Spring On Horizon

As the once-full Barn #8 at Palm Meadows dwindles down, the other barns follow. The activity in South Florida diminishes but does not disappear, it relocates.

Spring time in horse racing is like the first day of school. A new year, new faces, new roles, and same faces, same roles. Johnny has a new haircut. Susie has a new dress. Mrs. Gordon has a new crop of third graders.

Keeneland is the site where various stars come and make their season's debut. For us, Rebellion and Better Talk Now fall into that category. Breeders' Cup winner Forever Together and track-record holder Informed Decision will do so for Mr. Strawbridge and Jonathan Sheppard.

The babies are on display.

The famous 4 1/2-furlong 2-year-old sprints are a treat. A Vindication colt crosses the wire in :50 seconds. "There's my Derby horse," you'll overhear.

Louisville.

The Derby is just weeks away. Twenty will enter the gate. Each of which connections' will map out a scenario that can make they're horse, "the horse."

South Florida was dubbed as a soft location for 3-year-olds coming into the winter. Quality Road, a virtually unknown on the Derby trail, was stabled maybe 100-yards from that now-quiet Barn #8. The Jimmy Jerkens trainee has emerged as one of the favorites for the Roses. All he's done was win the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby.

Dunkirk. "Oh yeah, that expensive Secret Status gray colt", is what he was referred to until he made his presence felt in Hallandale.

Coming into the winter, Capt. Candyman Can was a leading Triple Crown contender. Last weekend, he won the 7-furlong Bay Shore. He's a sprinter. That's why we love this game. There's no telling.

Black-Eyed Susans. White Carnations. History, heartbreaking upsets.

Afleet Alex, Barbaro, Curlin & Street Sense, Rags to Riches & Curlin.

Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown. The other side; Touch Gold, Victory Gallop, Lemon Drop Kid, Sarava, Empire Maker, Birdstone, Da' Tara.

Ah, the Spring.

Locked & Loaded for Weekend Stakes

During one of the biggest weekends of the Spring, team Herringswell will be quite live in stakes action all over the country.

Keeneland's Friday feature is the $150,000 Transylvania Stakes for 3-year-olds traveling 1 1/16 on the turf. Augustin Stables' Smart Bid will be making his second start over the grass. His first run over the turf was an impressive win in an allowance at Santa Anita. That win matches up quite well with those of Friday's rivals. The son of the successful turf sire Smart Strike, is coming off a sixth place finish in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

Smart Bid is a 1/2 brother to Herringswell's own Deal Making. Edgar Prado is booked for the ride.

On Saturday, Caprice will try for her second straight stakes win when she lines up for the $75,000 Yerba Buena Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. In her last race, Caprice scored in the 1 1/2 miles La Zanzarah at Santa Anita. That day, the 6-year-old came from off-the-pace under Rafael Bejarano. Pace up front will certainly help her chances in Saturday's 1 3/8 miles event. Clinton Potts will ride for the first time.

The impressive newcomer Kurbat will make his North American stakes debut in Saturday's $200,000 Excelsior at Aqueduct. The Chilean had plenty of success in his homeland having won a G 1 by more than 10 lengths in December 2007. He hadn't won since that effort until his monster debut at Laurel in February. That day he set a track record for 1 1/16 miles. Joe Talamo will ride the Augustin Stables 5-year-old.

Best of luck to Augustin Stables (Smart Bid & Kurbat) and Np Bloodstock Inc (Caprice).


Post Times

Friday Smart Bid- 5:05 PM EST

Saturday Caprice- 4:45 PM EST
Saturday Kurbat- 4:46 PM EST