Danzing Candy and Destin Top Kentucky Derby Preps

THE WEEKEND WRAP UP

March 12th – 13th

Sweet Victory for Danzing Candy in San Felipe Stakes

With an impressive front running performance, Danzing Candy and jockey Mike Smith pulled a bit of an upset in Saturday’s $400,000 Gr. 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Earning 50 Kentucky Derby points and a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure, Danzing Candy just became a legitimate Run for the Roses contender.

The lightly raced son of Twirling Candy broke smoothly from the gate, overcoming his tendency to lounge, and led the field of six Derby prospects from the first turn all the way to the wire, winning by two lengths. Danzing Candy held off 8-5 favorite Mor Spirit and Exaggerator in the homestretch – keeping his three race winning streak alive. Fractions for the 1 1/16-mile race: 22.96, 46.11, 1:11.04, 1:36.38 and a final time of 1:43.04.

“He warmed up great, he was on his toes,” said Smith. “Our game plan was to put him on the lead unless he didn’t jump out of there well. We didn’t want to experiment…I left there very aggressive and he didn’t get away with anything (slow fractions). If you go 22 on this track today, you’re smokin’. And for him to hold off the caliber of horses he held off, was very impressive.”

According to his trainer, Clifford Sise, Danzing Candy will remain at the Great Race Place to compete in the Santa Anita Derby on April 9 – unless owners, Halo Farms, say otherwise, which is unlikely since all his victories have been over this track. To date, Danzing Candy has earned $308,650 in four career starts. He currently sits in fourth place on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

Danzing Candy paid $13.00(W) $5.20(P) $3.40(S)

Remaining Kentucky Derby preps carrying points of 50-20-10-5 include the Rebel S. (Oaklawn Park, 3/19) and Spiral Stakes (Turfway Park, 4/2).

Destin Sizzles in Tampa Bay Derby

It looks like Destin is destined for greatness coming off his tremendous victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Gr. 2 Tampa Bay Derby, presented by Lambholm South. The steel gray colt by Giant’s Causeway took home 50 Kentucky Derby points and set a track record – completing a 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.82.

Breaking from the gate sharply, Destin settled into third behind Todd Pletcher stablemate Outwork and Riker. Heading into the stretch, Riker fell out of contention as Outwork and Destin pulled away from the nine horse field. The two dueled to the wire with Destin and jockey Javier Castellano emerging victorious by a length. Fractions for the race: 24.04, 47.88, 1:11.43, 1:36.27.

“I was very, very pleased with Destin’s performance,” said Pletcher. “He seems to be getting more and more professional and is learning how to finish his races. I felt he would improve with more experience and that is proving to be true. After his first two races, he was still piecing things together, but he has gotten better with experience.”

Destin, owned by Twin Creeps Racing Stables, has earned $390,700 – winning three of his five career starts. It is likely both Destin and Outwork will start one more time before the Kentucky Derby in either the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, or the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Destin currently sits in second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 51 points — 19 points behind leader Mohaymen.

Payouts
Destin $9.20 $4.80 $3.60
Outwork — $5.20 $4.20
Star Hill ———- $6.80
Rafting

$1 Trifecta: $323.70
$1 Superfecta: $1,909.20

Terra Promessa Sweet in Honeybee

In her stakes debut, Stonestreet farm bred-and-owned Terra Promessa showed that the step up in class had little effect on her. The 3-year-old filly dazzled as she drew off to win the $200,000 Gr.3 Honeybee Stakes by 6 ½ lengths at Oaklawn Park on the muddy track this past Saturday.

Cosmic Evolution set the pace with Nickname in close pursuit as Marquee Miss ran behind them in third. Terra Promessa settled in fourth under leading rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. The first two held their positions through fractions of :23.33, :47.06, and 1:12.97 for six furlongs. As the field came out of the turn and straightened for home, Terra Promessa took command and drew away easily for a final time of 1:47.14 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Terra Promessa, who is trained by Steve Asmussen, is a daughter of Curlin – who was also trained by Asmussen. From 4 starts, she has 3 wins and 1 third with earnings of $200,600. Asmussen stated that the next start for the filly will likely come in the Gr. 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn on April 9.

The Honeybee is a point-carrying race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. From it, Terra Promessa picked up 50 points, Nickname picked up 20, Cosmic Evolution gained 10 and Dorodansa earned 5. With the points, Terra Promessa currently ranks 5th on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard.

Remaining Kentucky Oaks preps carrying points of 50-20-10-5: The Bourbonette Oaks (Turfway Park, 4/2)

Payouts
Terra Promessa $8.00 $3.60 $3.00
Nickname ———— $2.60 $2.40
Cosmic Evolution ———– $3.60

Melatonin Wakes Up Santa Anita H. with Upset

In thrilling wire-to-wire fashion, underdog Melatonin ran away with Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Handicap, defeating a relatively dull nine horse field – aside from Breeders’ Cup Classic second place finisher, Effinex. Giving the 27,259 on-track crowd something to talk about, the longshot ridden by Joe Talamo, defied the 16-1 odds to easily win by 4 ¼ lengths.

While the others slept, Melatonin set fractions of 22.82, 46.28,1:10.81, 1:36.47 and recorded a final time of 2:02.01 for the 1 ¼ mile race – notably the fourth slowest running of the Big ‘Cap in the last 40 years. The 5-year-old gelded son of Kodiak Kowboy had never won a graded stakes and had only gone that distance once.

“I told Elizabeth (wife) when I left for the track today that I thought we had a big chance. I didn’t think we’d win like that but it was pretty exciting,” said Talamo. “Ever since coming to California, aside from winning the Santa Anita Derby, this was a huge, huge goal of mine. This is one of the biggest races in California and to do it at Santa Anita in front of a crowd like this, it’s just icing on the cake.”

The victory gave trainer David Hofmans, owners Tarabilla Farms and jockey Joe Talamo their first Big Cap win. Melatonin has won 4 of his 11 career starts and has $768,552 earnings to date.

Payouts
Melatonin $34.60 $13.80 $6.00
Hard Aces —— $19.20 $7.20
Effinex —————– $2.80
Imperative

$1 Trifecta: $951.70
$1 Superfecta: $3,190.00

Champion Tepin Outstanding in Hillsborough

Eclipse Award winner Tepin exuded her elite status once again in Saturday’s Gr. 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Chasing down frontrunner Isabella Sings, who lead the field of 10 fillies and mares by nearly 10 lengths, Tepin kept her four race winning streak intact.

The 5-year-old daughter of Bernstein broke clean and sat in second as Isabella Sings set fractions of :23.49, :45.95 and 1:09.15 heading for home. In a seemingly impossible task, Tepin grew wings and caught Isabella Sings just before the wire. The Mark Casse trainee set a new course record, covering 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:46.26

“I was a little worried after the first quarter, but I’m happy,” said Casse. “I’m always nervous. It’s funny, the distance worked in our favor today. She’s quite a horse. She can do a little bit of everything; that’s what makes her so amazing.”

Tepin was purchased by owner Robert Masterson for $140,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale at Saratoga and has currently won 9 of 17 career starts with $2,685,973 in earnings. Last fall, Tepin defeated the boys with a scintillating performance in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. Her connections are currently debating a trip for this special mare to race across the pond in the Royal Ascot.

Tepin paid $2.80 for the win, $2.20 for place and $2.10 for show. The $1 trifecta of Tepin, Isabella Sings and Lovely Loyree returned $123.40.

Kobe’s Back Finds Winning Ways in San Carlos

In the past, Southern California racing fans have witnessed their share of stretch running sprinters. Going to back to such Breeders’ Cup Sprint winners as Cardmania and Elmhurst and now adding Kobe’s Back to that list of late running Southern California based sprinters. On Saturday, March 12, Kobe’s Back used his late kick to blow past seven rivals, emerging victorious in the Gr. 2 San Carlos Handicap.

Kobe’s Back broke dead as 50-1 longshot Mystery Train took the early lead and was pressed by Outside Nashville. The two speedsters battled through a 22.79 opening quarter and 45.16 half mile. Instead of lagging far back, Kobe’s Back commenced his rally moving past Wild Dude on the far turn and entering the stretch five wide. The Kentucky-bred went on to win by 1-¼ lengths in 1:22.20 with Coastline rallying along the rail to finish second and Calculator finishing third.

This victory marked the first time Kobe’s Back has been able to reel in consecutive victories. Reflecting back, jockey Gary Stevens said, “It was the best he’s ever broken. I’ve been aboard him in a couple of workouts in the mornings, before his last race and again last week, and there have been a few times that he’s wanted to go after horses in front of him and I’ve let him. What I found out is that he’s not only a great stretch runner but he’s a good turn runner. And that wasn’t the case last year. With a little time off and the addition of blinkers he seems a lot more focused.”

The gray son of Flatter, Kobe’s Back was shipped out of California three times last year with a lone victory in the Gr. 2 Commonwealth at Keeneland. Trainer Peter Eurton is looking to return to Kentucky but this time on the first Saturday in May. “He’ll probably run next in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby day,” Eurton commented.

A bonafide stretch running gray that brings back memories of 1990s Southern California sprinter Lit de Justice, Kobe’s Back has rediscovered his love for the winner’s circle and looks to give his connections a fun rest of the year.

Payouts
Kobe’s Back $6.00 $3.60 $2.60
Coastline ——— $9.60 $4.20
Calculator ————– $2.80

No Tom Foolery from Salutos Amigos at Aqueduct

Salutos Amigos, owned by David Jacobson and Southern Equine Stable LLC, rallied from last to first this past Saturday to take the $200,000 Gr. 3 Tom Fool Handicap by 2 ½ lengths. This was the second consecutive year that the gelding has won the race.

Dads Caps seized the lead at the start, taking the field of 11 horses through a quarter in :22.36 and a half in :44.99. Into the stretch, Stallwalkin’ Dude moved up from fourth to take the lead. He did not maintain the position for long however, as jockey Cornelio Velasquez asked Salutos Amigos to move. The pair angled out eight wide at the head of the stretch and flew down the center of the track to overtake the leader a sixteenth of a mile from the wire. Always Sunshine split horses and attempted to lead when Salutos Amigos cruised past. Stallwalkin’ Dude held on for third. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.17.

Prior to Saturday, Salutos Amigos’ last win came in the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth last June. Following that victory, the 6-year-old son of Salute the Sarge fell into a seven race losing streak. He continued to hit the board consistently, placing second in his first two starts of 2016, both at Santa Anita. From 37 career starts, he has 11 wins, 5 seconds, and 4 thirds for earnings of $1,302,406. Jacobson, who also trains Salutos Amigos, said that the gelding’s next start could possibly be the March 26 Golden Shaheen (UAE-1) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

Salutos Amigos paid $4.80 for the win, $3.00 for place and $2.70 for show. The $1 trifecta of Salutos Amigos, Always Sunshine and Stallwalkin Dude returned $221.50.

Power Alert Fantastic in Silks Run Stakes

Power Alert continued to show his love for Gulfstream Park taking the Silks Run Stakes by three-quarters of a length on Saturday, March 12. He is now four for four at the track.

The 6-year-old Australian bred gelding was bumped at the start of the race but recovered quickly enough to duel with Do the Roar in an effort to gain the lead. The two continued their battle through three furlongs. At that point, Power Alert was able to shake Do the Roar and opened up a lead of as much as a length and a half before Amelia’s Wild Ride came charging. Power Alert held on to win the five furlong contest posting a final time of :54.83.

“He’s been such a fun horse to have in the barn,” said Kathryn Sharp of AJ Suited Stable, who owns Power Alert in conjunction with Brian Lynch. “He’s never finished worse than 4th in the time we’ve had him so you can never knock his effort. Hoping we can string a few more like these two together in 2016!”

The son of Alert has run 22 times with 9 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third. The Silks Run Stakes was Power Alert’s second straight stakes victory; he won the Feb. 6 running of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes. To date, he has accumulated $394,514 in career earnings. His connections hope to run Power Alert in the Gr. 3 Shakertown at Keeneland next month.

Australian-bred Power Alert returned $5.00 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.40 to show.

THE WEEKEND WRAP-UP COVERS 3-YEAR-OLD KENTUCKY DERBY AND OAKS PREPS, BREEDERS’ CUP “WIN AND YOU’RE IN” RACES, AND STAKES RACES FEATURING NOTEWORTHY HORSES. TRACKS COVERED INCLUDE SANTA ANITA, DEL MAR, LOS ALAMITOS (TB), GULFSTREAM PARK, TAMPA BAY DOWNS, AQUEDUCT, BELMONT PARK, SARATOGA, KEENELAND, CHURCHILL DOWNS, OAKLAWN, MONMOUTH PARK AND FAIR GROUNDS.

Follow us on Twitter @EverythingEqLLC