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1) Justin Phillip splashs to Grade 2 win,
2) Prayer For Relief dominates Iowa Derby;
3)Nehro injured but still 4th in sloppy Belmont Stakes, and
4) EQB table at Belmont Stakes
wins $142,000 pick 4 .
www.eqb.com
1) Samurai's Justin Phillip Skips Clear in
GII Woody Stephens
Updated: 9:00 PM ET
BELMONT PARK, SATURDAY JUNE 11, 2011
Grade II Woody Stephens [7f]
Winner: Justin Phillip, c, 3 by First Samura
[an EQB auction short-list purchase with Zayat Stables]
WOODY STEPHENS S.-GII, $245,000, BEL, 6-11, 3yo, 7f, 1:23 2/5, my.
1--#@JUSTIN PHILLIP, 117, c, 3, by First Samurai
1st Dam: Ava Knowsthecode (GSP, $156,596), by Cryptoclearance
2nd Dam: Ava Romance, by Avatar
3rd Dam: Sunny Romance, by Gallant Romeo
($400,000 yrl '09 KEESEP). O-Zayat Stables LLC; B-Oakbrook Farm (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen; J-Ramon A Dominguez; $150,000. Lifetime Record: 10-3-1-4, $261,528. *1/2 to Alex's Allure (Sky Classic), SW; Keyed Entry (Honour and Glory), MGSW & GISP, $322,852; and Successful Mission (Successful Appeal), GSW, $332,643. **4th SW/2nd GSW for sophomore sire (by Giant's Causeway). Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--J J's Lucky Train, 123, c, 3, Silver Train--Delta Sensation, by Thunder Gulch. ($35,000 2yo 2010 FTMMAY). O-Fresh Start Stable; B-EICO Stable (KY); T-William D Anderson; $50,000.
3--Arch Traveler, 119, c, 3, Sky Mesa--Mettle, by Silver Deputy. ($260,000 yrl '09 KEESEP). O-Centennial Farms; B-Monticule (KY); T-James A Jerkens; $25,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NO, 4. Odds: 4.40, 3.45, 1.75.
Also Ran: Travelin Man, Derivative. Scratches: Bold Warrior, Little Drama.
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made.
Justin Phillip put himself on the Derby radar early in the year with a Fair Grounds allowance victory on New Year's Day, but he missed the board in his next two--the GIII Lecomte S. Jan 22 and GII Risen Star S. Feb. 19--while going two turns. Subsequently turned back to sprints, he ran a close-up third in the seven-furlong GIII Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct Apr. 9, and was third again after faltering in the one-mile GII Jerome S. in the slop at The Big A Apr. 23. The fourth choice here in a small five-horse field, the dark bay was put in the race early by jockey Ramon Dominguez and hounded Travelin Man early. He began to assert on the turn and had a two-length cushion at the quarter pole, and opened up at will in the stretch. "He has run very well on an off track before and everything fell into place today," said Steve Asmussen, who trains Justin Phillip for Zayat Stables. "We thought he was going to lay third, and Ramon said he felt great underneath him and that he was just dragging him along." Asmussen said Justin Phillip's next target was uncertain, but added, "It certainly puts the GI King's Bishop [at Saratoga Aug. 27] on your calendar."
2) Jump Start Colt, Prayer For Relief,
Prevails In Grade 2 Iowa Derby.
Zayat Stables' Baffert trained charge
powers big step forward.
{was EQB short-list Keeneland September
yearling auction purchase}
[following report from Thoroughbred Daily News - copyrighted]
Updated: 06-26-2011 at 12:32 AM ET (First posted: 10:57 PM ET)
8th at PRM GIII Iowa Derby [1 1/16m]
Winner: Prayer For Relief, c, 3 by Jump Start
Saturday, Prairie Meadows
IOWA DERBY-GIII, $250,000, PRM, 6-25, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:41 3/5, ft.
1--#@PRAYER FOR RELIEF, 116, c, 3, by Jump Start
1st Dam: Sparklin Lil (MSW, $147,973), by Mr. Sparkles
2nd Dam: Icelandic Dancer, by Eskimo
3rd Dam: Intrinsic Dancer, by Akureyri
($80,000 yrl '09 KEESEP; $39,000 RNA wlng '08 KEENOV). O-Zayat Stables LLC; B-G R Aschinger (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Rafael Bejarano; $150,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, $214,000. *1/2 to Twin Sparks (Twining), MSW, $156,955. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Sherriff Cogburn, 115, c, 3, Vindication--Sweet Nanette, by You and I. ($50,000 yrl '09 KEESEP). O-Dream Walkin Farms Inc; B-Eldon Farm Equine LLC (KY); T-Don Von Hemel; $50,000.
3--Dreaminofthewin, 113, c, 3, Successful Appeal--Dreamingatdaybreak, by Grand Slam. O-Clint Gilchrist; B/T-C R Trout & Reata Thoroughbred RacingFarms LLC (KY); $25,000.
Margins: 2, 5HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.80, 13.90, 26.20.
Also Ran: Caleb's Posse, Marco's Fling, Astrology, Chosen Miracle.
Scratches: Irish Lion.
Prayer for Relief graduated versus $50,000 maiden claimers at the Oak Tree meeting Oct. 10, then was a well-beaten second in the Real Quiet S. Nov. 6. Sidelined thereafter, the Zayat Stables colorbearer resurfaced to annex a Hollywood allowance May 29, and was backed as the third choice in his graded debut here. Placed in second through fractions of :23.18 and :46.83, he hit the gas on the far turn, gained the lead at the top of the stretch, and outslugged local hope Sherriff Cogburn to the wire. Astrology (A.P. Indy), third in the GI Preakness S. May 21, ran out of gas in the stretch to finish a disappointing sixth as the 1-2 favorite. Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made.
3) BELMONT STAKES – 3rd LEG OF TRIPLE CROWN
Our horse, NEHRO, bought as a yearling at
Keeneland by EQB for Zayat Stables,
suffered an ankle fracture in the race, but was still 4th,
not far off the leader. It was complete mud
and a mudder specialist, otherwise a
very long shot, won.
We did however beat the KY Derby and
Preakness winners, who were the favorites.
And we won a lot of money betting
(EQB table won the pick four,
which paid $142,000 – no, not a misprint).
copyrighted TDN article on Belmont Stakes follow
-- [Thororoughbred Daily News]
NO WAY, JOSE!
The parade of upsets on a rainy New York afternoon
that caused a sloppy messy muddy racetrack
continued when the unconsidered Ruler On Ice (Roman
Ruler), forwardly placed
from the start by jockey
Jose Valdivia Jr., kept right
on going to post a 24-1
upset in the 143rd running
of the GI Belmont S.
Favored GI Kentucky Derby
hero Animal Kingdom
(Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) saw
his chances diminish after
clipping heels soon after the
start, causing jockey John
Velazquez to lose his left
iron for a few strides.
Valdivia was emotional after the race. Turning for
home, everything started going in slow motion, he
said. At the sixteenth pole, I thought, This is the true
Test of the Champion. It’s a great feeling. I have to
thank the connections, George and Lori Hall and
[trainer] Kelly [Breen]. I started working this horse this
winter. I told Kelly that I liked him so much, I was going
to freeze my butt off to come and work him every
morning. He acts like he’s something special, and I
don’t think we’ve gotten to the bottom of him yet.
Ruler On Ice, owned by New Jersey-based financier
George Hall and his wife Lori, was fifth when unveiled
at Monmouth Sept. 19. The chestnut graduated by a
neck in the slop at Delaware next out Oct. 4; the thirdplace
finisher that day was Toby’s Corner (Bellamy
Road), who would go on to annex the GI Wood
Memorial this past April. He was narrowly beaten in his
first route attempt, a Feb. 4 optional claimer on
Aqueduct’s inner track, but was a popular winner of
two-turn allowance at Parx 18 days later. That effort
earned him a trip to New Mexico, where he ran third in
the GIII Sunland Derby Mar. 27. The Halls hoped to
have him join their GII Louisiana Derby hero Pants On
Fire (Jump Start) in the starting gate for the Kentucky
Derby, but, with just $96,000 in graded earnings, his
chances were icy at best for the first Saturday in May.
Ruler On Ice made his next appearance at Pimlico in the
Federico Tesio S. May 7 and was the runner-up as the
3-2 chalk. Trainer Kelly Breen opted to add blinkers for
this class hike, and an upset was born.
GI Preakness S. winner Shackleford (Forestry), on the
muscle in the post parade, bounced out of his outside
post and quickly went to the lead. Meanwhile, Animal
Kingdom was caught between Monzon (Thunder Gulch)
and Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and clipped heels,
then scrambled to regain his footing as jockey John
Velazquez attempted to get his left iron back. The two
wound up spotting the field several lengths.
sweeping second turn, however, and Ruler On Ice
edged closer. Brilliant Speed loomed a serious threat
entering the stretch, but appeared to hang, and Ruler
On Ice forged on determinedly to secure the unlikely
victory. Longshot Stay Thirsty, who was also in touch
early, stayed on gamely along the fence to generate a
$928 exacta.
He wouldn’t grow up, Breen explained. We were
trying to see if with time he would mature without
having to put blinkers on him. We were disappointed in
the Tesio because we were looking at the Preakness,
but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Ever since he
ran at Sunland Park, he came back with low red blood
count, and it showed in the stall and it showed in the
feed tub. It took a little time to get back to normal. He
added, (Blinkers) was part of the maturity. He didn’t
mature as fast as we wanted to. He=s already a gelding,
so we can’t castrate him again, so we put blinkers on.
The first time out of the gate, Jose was on him. He
was still goofing off and didn’t break great. Last week,
he broke right and it’s like sometimes, the bulb just
goes on. It was a perfect storm of things going right,
and that’s how we got here.
Animal Kingdom made an admirable outside move on
the far turn, but had nothing left for the final furlong.
It looks like he was pinched by the horses on either
side, said trainer Graham Motion. The horse almost
fell down--Johnny couldn’t believe the horse stayed up.
He lost his iron. Motion added, It’s really
disappointing. It’s disappointing not to give the horse a
chance to run his race. I thought down the backside we
didn’t have any shot at all, and then he started to make
that incredible move. But it was asking too much, too
late.
Shackleford ran out of gas and was tagged at the
wire by Nehro (Mineshaft). We had it the way we
wanted, acknowledged trainer Dale Romans. He just
didn't hang on. Jockey Jesus Castanon added,
My horse is a fighter. He tried
not to let anyone pass him, but he got a little tired. He
handled the off track fine, no problem.
Numbers Game...
A crowd of 55,779 wagered $10,098,573 on
Belmont Stakes Day races, a 32.9% increase over
$7,598,840 in 2010. An additional $1,465,484 was
wagered on incoming simulcasts, bringing the total
on-track handle to $11,564,057 compared to
$8,229,318 in 2010, a 40.5% increase. Attendance
was up 23.3% from 45,243 on Belmont Stakes Day
2010. All-sources handle, which includes all wagering
on Belmont Stakes Day races nationwide, was
$81,245,326, a 8.9 percent increase over last year=s
all-sources total of $74,613,144.
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