Horse Racing “Backtrack”: I’ll Have Another Wins Robert B. Lewis at 43-1; Ultimate Eagle takes Strub

At the start of every year my goal in Horse Racing is to win at a 40% win clip because the average horse player/fan wins at anywhere from 25%-33% (who wants to be average though?). If horses like I’ll Have Another, a 43-1 winner of the Robert B. Lewis, and Ultimate Eagle, a 7-1 winner of the Strub Stakes both at Santa Anita Racetrack in California this past weekend, I might have to lower my expectations as big surprises like that will make it extremely difficult to attain my goal. Well, either that or I flat out suck at this….one or the other.

Before I recap this weekend’s action in the two highlighted races, let me first point out the winners of the major races in New York and Florida.

Down in Florida at Gulfstream Park Battle Hardened, a maiden, (never won a race before) got the first win of his career in the $200,000 Sam F Davis which is a long range Kentucky Derby prep race. Trainer Eddie Kenneally must have seen something in this horse to skip maiden races and allowance company and go straight into a grade: 2 event.

“This was a really good bunch of quality horses, but no stars, and that was one reason we decided to take a shot today,” Kenneally said. “We had also entered him in a (maiden race) at Gulfstream today but he’s been training brilliantly and we were happy with how he was coming into the race, so we decided to come here and get some of the big money.”

Kenneally said he’ll consider the Tampa Bay Derby on March 10 as his colts next start.

Rated in fourth on the inside most of the way around, Battle Hardened overtook Reveron in mid stretch and held on to win the 1 1/16-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths. Prospective won a three-way photo for second by a nose, with Reveron third by another nose. The final time was 1:44.3 on a fast track.

Burning Time, who I was watching closely, was a huge disappointment. (you want your horse to run bad, just have me mention him as a horse to watch) He never fired and came eighth in the 11 horse field at 15-1 odds. I’ll continue to watch him as perhaps he just had a “bad day”.

Alpha, kind of like he did in the Count Fleet Stakes a few weeks ago, cruised home a 3 1/4 length winner in the $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in New York on Saturday afternoon.

Like Battled Hardened in the Sam F. Davis, Alpha was reserved off the early pace before taking control of the race as they came down the stretch. He opened up a four length lead at mid-stretch and then bounded home under jockey Ramon Dominguez.

“I was a little more familiar with the horse and I kind of knew what to expect, but I thought he moved forward from his last race.” Domiguez said. “Although that race was good to begin with, I was very happy with his race today. I thought he improved. He finished up nice, and the last eighth he was really doing it on his own and galloped out good. Just the way you want to see.”

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said that Alpha came out of the Withers in “good order” and will stay inNew York for his road to the Kentucky Derby

“We’ll look at the Gotham (March 3) and the Wood (Memorial April 7), talk to (Godolphin racing manager) Simon Crisford and see if we want to run him two more times, or one more time,” said McLaughlin. “We like having him here inNew York.”

Out west at Santa Anita, Mr. Commons took the one mile Arcadia Stakes in a hot 1:33.2 and with that win threw his hat into the ring of the top older male turf runners.

Mr. Commons, the very heavy 2/5 favorite, withstood a stewards’ inquiry in the stretch run before the finish was declared official.

On the turn for home, Mr. Commons was swung to the outside by jockey Mike Smith in an attempt to pass a tiring Pathfork. While do so Mr. Commons appeared to briefly impede the oncoming Massone. Mr. Commons came away with lead in mid stretch and held sway over the closing Willyconker.

“I didn’t feel I bothered anybody because I accelerated so quickly,” Smith said. “I think Corey (Nakatani on Massone) thought I was going to interfere with him but I accelerated so fast I got out of his way before there could be any trouble.”

“He’s just incredible,” Smith said of the winner. “Like I said before, he makes me feel like a kid again. When I ride him he gives me a whole lot of guts because I believe in him so much. I know that he’s going to go anywhere I ask him to go, and he does it with extreme acceleration. He just makes my job really easy.”

 

Robert B Lewis Recap:

43-1 shot I’ll Have Another won $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita this past Saturday.

I’ll Have Another laid just off the early pace before taking a hold of the race as straightened away down the stretch and pulled away to win by 2 ¾ lengths.

I’ll Have Another raced on the outside and just off pacesetter Isn’t He Clever all the way around (thru fractions of :23, :46.3, and 1:10.2) before I’ll Have Another took command of the race as they approached the stretch.

There was a scary moment as Liaison, the 3-2 favorite, failed to finish when he was squeezed and clipped heels in the stretch with Groovin’ Solo knocking jockey Rafael Bejarano out of the saddle.

Thank goodness neither horse nor jockey was any worse for the wear. Trainer Bob Baffert said Liaison was “ok” after the race and Bejarano rode the following race as scheduled.

“Oh my God that was nice,” winning trainer Doug O’Neill said in the winner’s circle.

“We thought this horse was a two-turn horse,” owner Paul Reddam said. “We were just hoping he’d run well and move forward.”

O’Neill added: “He’s an incredibly talented colt and we decided to take a chance in here. We thought he could hit the board and we’d move forward, but he ran unbelievable. Mario gave him a great ride. He’s always trained fantastic, but we never saw this coming to be honest with you. This is incredible”.

I’ll Have Another ran the 1 1/16 miles in a hot 1:40.4 and paid an eye popping
$88.60, $35.80, and $12 across the board

Strub Stakes Recap

Ultimate Eagle, a grade 1 winner on turf, absolutely blew out the field in the $200,000 Strub Stakes at odds of 7-1 this past Saturday at Santa Anita.

Ultimate Eagle and odds on favorite (4/5) Tapizar vied for the lead through solid open quarters (:23.2 and 46.4). Ultimate Eagle took over on the backstretch while opening up a two length lead and increased his lead from that point on as he drew away down the lane to win by 7 ¼ lengths.

“I wanted to let Corey (Nakatani) go (on Tapizar) but my horse was pulling so hard I didn’t want to choke him down,” Martin Pedroza said winning jockey. “After that he did the rest. Without a doubt this is the best horse. He’s like a freak. Believe me this horse is just learning how to run.”

“We’ve been envisioning this race for the last six months,” winning trainer Michael Pender said. “We wanted to show he’s a dirt horse.”

When asked about the Santa Anita Handicap (March 3) looms as the next potential race for Ultimate Eagle. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Pender said, “but we’re just so pleased with the horse.”
 
Ultimate Eagle paid $17 to win. Jaycito was second by 2 1/4 lengths over late running Prayer for Relief. Tapizar finished fourth, beaten by nearly 11 lengths, followed by Balladry, Clubhouse Ride, Beer Meister, and Indian Winter.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:47.

 

Little Bets N’ Pieces:

 

*** Kentucky Derby hopeful Creative Cause had his final work for the three year old debut. He worked six furlongs at Hollywood Park in 1:13 4/5.

Third in the BC Juvenile last year, Creative Cause is being pointed to the San Vicente at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on February 19.

*** Sham Stakes winner Out of Bounds in being aimed at the San Felipe Stakes March 10, trainer Eoin Harty said.

“He’s had three works since we ran him (in the Sham on Jan. 7) and he’s got four more until he runs again”

 

*** Game On Dude overcame a bad start to score a runaway win in the San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita this past Sunday.

Chantal Sutherland rode Game On Dude, who waltzed home a 5 1/4-length winner over Uh Oh Bango in quick 1:46.4.

After winning the San Antonio, Baffert was non-committal on whether Game On Dude would next race in the $10 million Dubai World Cup March 31 or stay home and try to repeat in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 3

“We’ll have to sit down and see how he comes out of it (the race),” trainer Bob Baffert said of  Game On Dude, who wasa game second in last year’s Breeders Cup Classic to Drosselmeyer. “He ran pretty hard today.”

*** Union Rags worked a half mile  in :48 3/5 at Palm Meadows on Sunday and is on target for his 3-year-old debut in the February 26 Fountain of Youth Stakes at GulfstreamPark.

 “He went nice, just what we were looking for,” trainer Michael Matz said. “He’s still on schedule. He’ll have two more works and we’ll be ready to go. He’s filled out a little and has grown; he’s probably close to 17 hands. But he’s doing good and the main thing is to get to the Derby in good shape.”