need in one place
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Todd Pletcher was expected to win the 139th running of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but not the way he did it. Not even close.
Princess of Sylmar, dismissed at 38-1, rallied strongest of all under Mike Smith and ran down a gritty Beholder to capture the Grade 1, $1 million Oaks by a half-length Friday before an ontrack crowd of 113,820.[:slideshow-right:]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary and Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents were, somewhat surprisingly, the 5-1 co-choices over Florida Derby winner Orb when advance wagering closed for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby early Friday evening.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Despite her status as the reigning champion 2-year-old filly, Beholder was the forgotten filly of this year’s Kentucky Oaks.
Though she wound up a half-length short to longshot Princess of Sylmar in Friday’s 139th renewal of the Oaks, Beholder demonstrated some of the traits that made her a champion.
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Kentucky Oaks Order of finish
Finish, Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Princess of Sylmar, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher
2. Beholder, Garrett Gomez, Richard Mandella
3. Unlimited Budget, Javier Castellano, Todd Pletcher
4. Dreaming of Julia , John Velazquez , Todd Pletcher
5. Midnight Lucky, Rafael Bejarano, Bob Baffert
6. Pure Fun, Julien Leparoux, Ken McPeek
7. Close Hatches, Joel Rosario, Bill Mott
8. Rose to Gold, Calvin Borel, Sal Santoro
9. Seaneen Girl, Rosie Napravnik, Bernard Flint
One of trainer Chris Block’s more promising 2013 runners, the 4-year-old filly Leading Astray, has been retired and bred to Kitten’s Joy, Block said.
Leading Astray, bred and owned by Block’s family, won the Grade 3 Pucker Up for 3-year-old fillies here last summer and subsequently finished second or third in three other graded turf stakes. She was injured while exercising in Florida this winter and now is a member of the Blocks’ excellent band of broodmares.
“It’s really a shame,” Block said. “I think she had a bright future.”
There are no graded stakes on Sunday’s 10-race card at Belmont Park, but a Grade 1 winner returns to action in the $90,000 You Go West Girl, one of three stakes for New York-breds along with divisions of the $100,000 New York Stallion for 3-year-olds.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Tiz a Minister, who was briefly considered for the Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the Snow Chief Stakes on April 27, is recovering from a bruised foot detected last Monday, trainer Paul Aguirre said Friday.
Owned by Stephen Young, Tiz a Minister was withdrawn from consideration for the Kentucky Derby after the foot problem was detected. Aguirre said Friday that Tiz a Minister was still showing some effects of the soreness.
“It’s a good thing we didn’t go to Kentucky,” he said. “It was very bad for a few days after the race.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A couple of hours after their Wave Theory stumbled and lost her rider at the start of the Edgewood Stakes, trainer Chad Brown and owner Martin Schwartz were able to smile again following Noble Tune's 1 3/4-length victory over Admiral Kitten in Friday's $200,000 American Turf at Churchill Downs.