Appropriately named for the 1986 Fair Grounds Oaks and Kentucky Oaks winner, the Tiffany Lass is the first two-turn prep for the Fair Grounds Oaks, a major prep race for the Kentucky Oaks. Place-getters here who have gone on to Grade 1 success include 1994 runners-up Two Altazano (Coaching Club American Oaks winner) and 2003 winner Lady Tak (Test Stakes victress) while recent runner-ups Dawn After Dawn (2007) and Tizaqueena (2008) have both gone on to multiple graded stakes wins or placings. However, the race’s most famous alum is 2004 winner Lotta Kim, who due to injury never raced again after her victory, but did give birth to a filly named Rachel Alexandra, 2009 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year.

As the sole graded stakes winner in this field of ten, Quiet Temper is a likely favorite with top jockey Robby Albarado aboard; she crushed (by nearly eight lengths) the Grade 3 Delta Princess Stakes over a sloppy track, and followed that up with an optional claiming allowance win over this track going this distance on Jan 3. The second-place finisher in that race, Bella Medaglia has stepped up her performance each time she’s run; this is her fourth race at Fair Grounds, with a win (at this distance) and two seconds. All of Red Hot Buddha’s previous races are turf sprints-including a win in the Princess Stakes at Louisiana Downs-but her breeding suggests she can get the distance. Visavis won her maiden last July at Delaware Park by over eight lengths, and she came back in December with a narrow second-place finish in the Letellier Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. In the Letellier, the gray Sheer Beauty ran into traffic problems when rode back in the field, but closed strongly to finish third; she had previously won the 1 mile Caressing Handicap over the Churchill turf while on the lead, and is bred to run all day.

Others to watch include the regally-bred Giant’s Causeway filly Jackpot Joanie who is a half-sister to 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly (who also won the Fair Grounds Oaks), and Tidal Pool who is closely-related to two Breeders’ Cup champions-her second dam Pirates Revenge is a half-sister to the dam of 2004 Juvenile Fillies winner Sweet Catomine, and 2009 Ladies’ Classic winner Life Is Sweet.

For those who continue preparing for the Fair Grounds Oaks, next up is the 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 Silverbulletday Stakes on Feb 20.

  – Valerie Grash, Foolish Pleasure

Further Reading:

  Quiet Temper – Horse Racing Nation   Bella Medaglia – Horse Racing Nation
  Red Hot Buddha – Horse Racing Nation
  Visavis – Horse Racing Nation
  Sheer Beauty – Horse Racing Nation
  Jackpot Joanie – Horse Racing Nation
  Tidal Pool – Horse Racing Nation
  Sweet Catomine – YouTube
  Life Is Sweet – YouTube
  Life is Sweet Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Rachel Alexandra Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Giant’s Causeway Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Robby Albarado Profile – Wikipedia Entry

The LeComte Stakes is the first in a series of three races for 3-year-olds at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Inaugurated in 1970, the race has yet to produce a Derby winner but the 2007 winner, Hard Spun, ran second in the Derby and third in Preakness. Last year’s winner, Friesan Fire, swept the Fair Ground series of the LeComte, Risen Star and Louisiana Derby and was highly regarded going in to the Derby but came in a disappointing 18th. Friesan Fire makes his four-year-old debut on LeComte day in the Louisiana Handicap facing another 2009 Derby hopeful, General Quarters.

While three of this year’s entries have won stakes races, the winner of this year’s rendition will be the first of the 11 entries to win a graded stakes race. Turf Melody, Cool Bullet and Citrus Kid have all won stakes races while Worldly, Ron the Greek, B’wanagoldmine, Letsgeitonmon and Callide Valley have tried stakes company to no avail. Maximus Ruler, Depaul and Rock Hard are all stepping up to a stakes race for the first time.

The favorite, Turf Melody, is in great form coming off a two-win streak at the distance. The second choice, Maximus Ruler, also won his last out at the distance in late November and has put in several sharp works leading up to the race. Curiously, he was the only maiden in his last race, an entry-level allowance, and he stepped up impressively sitting off a hot pace and holding off a game rival at the end. Jockey Francisco Torres, regular rider for both Maximus Ruler and Worldly, will ride Maximus Ruler while Worldly gets the services of Robby Albarado. Albarado and trainer Paul McGee have a 40% win rate together at Fair Grounds.

The presence of sprinter Cool Bullet is likely to ensure a lively pace, which should be helpful for Maximus Ruler, Turf Melody and Worldly. Citrus Kid has been training well off a break since the fall and could also benefit from the likely pace scenario. He beat Count Fleet winner Laus Deo in a maiden race in September and Laus Deo recently came into his own. Cool Bullet has won his last two at shorter distances but has put in some endurance works prior to Saturday.

The next step at Fair Grounds is the Risen Star Stakes on Feb 20. Entrants, such as 2007 winner Hard Spun, have also been known to race in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn (Feb 15) as a next step.

  – Dana Byerly, Green but Game

Further Reading:

  LeComte Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Friesan Fire Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  General Quarters Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Hard Spun Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Citrus Kid – Horse Racing Nation
  Maximus Ruler – Horse Racing Nation
  Turf Melody – Horse Racing Nation
  Worldly – Horse Racing Nation
  Friesan Fire – Horse Racing Nation
  General Quarters – Horse Racing Nation
  2007 LeComte Replay – YouTube
  2009 LeComte Replay – YouTube
  Robby Albarado Profile – Wikipedia Entry

The Holy Bull Stakes started in 1990 as the Prevue Stakes. In 1996 the race name changed to honor Holy Bull, the 1994 Florida Derby winner and a 2001 inductee to the United States Racing Hall of Fame. The Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes is one of the keystone races for 3-year-olds during Gulfstream Park’s meet. Gulfstream has historically produced many Kentucky Derby contenders.

Go for Gin (1994) and Barbaro (1996) won the Holy Bull Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. In 2005, Closing Argument won the Holy Bull and ran second in the Kentucky Derby at odds of 71 to 1. In 2003, Kentucky Derby winner, Funny Cide, made his his 3-year-old debut in the Holy Bull, finishing fifth. Colts competing in this year’s Holy Bull will likely return in Gulfstream’s other important Derby preps: the Fountain of Youth Stakes on February 20 and the prestigious Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 20.

This year’s Holy Bull Stakes draws a field of nine promising runners. Morning line favorite Jackson Bend comes into the race with five wins from six starts at Calder but will need to start banking graded stakes earnings if he hopes to make it to the gate on the First Saturday in May. Second choice on the morning line is Aikenite who ran well as a 2-year-old in the Grade 1 Hopeful (third-place finish) and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity (second-place finish). He last raced in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile where he finished fifth but was only 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Homeboykris, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. who trained Big Brown to a Kentucky Derby victory in 2008, enters as the sole Grade 1 winner in the field. He won the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont in October at the same distance (1 mile) as the Holy Bull. Veteran rider and winner of the 2006 Derby aboard Barbaro, Edgar Prado, gets the mount on Homeboykris.

An interesting one to watch is William’s Kitten. In his first try on dirt at Churchill Downs last year he finished second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Juvenile Cup. While Gulfstream’s surface doesn’t always play well to his late-running style, jockey Julien Leparoux, the king of the well-timed ride, will be aboard William’s Kitten. Thank U Phillipe from veteran trainer Marty Wolfson comes into the race with only one win but has had fives seconds in eight starts. He adds blinkers and could surprise at odds of 8 to 1. And finally, for the artistically inclined hunch player, Winslow Homer enters the race off a 12 length romp against allowance company at Philadelphia Park.

  – Kevin Martin, Colin’s Ghost

Further Reading:

  Holy Bull Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Holy Bull Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Holy Bull – Hall of Fame
  Go for Gin Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Barbaro Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Big Brown Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Aikenite – Horse Racing Nation
  Jackson Bend – Horse Racing Nation
  Homeboykris – Horse Racing Nation
  Thank U Phillippe – Horse Racing Nation
  William’s Kitten – Horse Racing Nation
  Winslow Homer – Horse Racing Nation
  Julien Leparoux Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Richard Dutrow Jr. Profile – Wikipedia Entry

As expected, front running Conveyance broke well and took the lead early. With no real pressure the pace was moderate but Cardiff Giant made his move with about a quarter mile to go and put Conveyance to the test. After battling midway through the stretch Conveyance took the lead with relative ease to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Domination sat well off the pace and got up for show.

Conveyance remains undefeated but perhaps more importantly stretched out in distance and fought off a challenger. While stepping up to meet new challenges and moving forward, he did show his inexperience in the stretch by turning to gawk at the grandstand. His jockey, Garrett Gomez, said he got a bit tired by the end of the race but felt it was a good learning experience for him.

Full Results and Replay

  – Dana Byerly, Green but Game

Further Reading:

  San Rafael Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Conveyance – Horse Racing Nation
  Cardiff Giant – Horse Racing Nation
  Domonation – Horse Racing Nation
  Garrett Gomez Profile – Wikipedia Entry

Post-time favorite She’s Funomenal and Switch set a hot early pace, with Franny Freud ready to challenge for the lead as they entered the stretch. She’s Funomenal faded, while Switch stayed on, but it was Amen Hallelujah winding up on the far outside who prevailed in deep stretch over a game Franny Freud.

Amen Hallelujah is owned and trained by the same team as 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown: IEAH Stables and Rick Dutrow. For Chantal Sutherland, one of the stars of the Animal Planet series “Jockeys”, it was her first graded stakes ride at Santa Anita, but not her last, as she also captured the Grade 2 El Encino Stakes aboard Pretty Unusual the following day. Second place finisher Franny Freud is owned by Big Brown’s original owner, Paul Pompa Jr., and is trained by John Terranova II, whose stable also includes last year’s Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes winner Negligee.

Both Franny Freud and Negligee are finalists for the 2009 Sovereign Award for top two-year-old filly in Canada, to be announced by The Jockey Club of Canada on January 29.

Full Results and Replay

  – Valerie Grash, Foolish Pleasure

Further Reading:

  Santa Ynez Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Big Brown Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Amen Hallelujah – Horse Racing Nation
  Franny Freud – Horse Racing Nation
  Switch – Horse Racing Nation
  Negligee – Horse Racing Nation
  She’s Funomenal – Horse Racing Nation
  Pretty Unusual – Horse Racing Nation
  Chantal Sutherland Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  IEAH Stables Profile – Wikipedia Entry
  Richard Dutrow Jr. Profile – Wikipedia Entry

7-10 favorite Connemara got off to a slow start while Ranger Heartley and Cahill Country played bumper cars coming out of the gate. Ranger Heartley managed to get the lead going into the clubhouse turn while Connemara made his way through the field of six to take on Ranger Heartely going into the stretch. It looked like could have gone to Ranger Heartley, Connemara, Thomas Baines or Shudacudawudya as they neared the wire, but Ranger Heartley dug in gamely and finished 1 3/4 lengths head of the pack.

Look for Ranger Heartley and others from this race on Feb 20 at Golden Gate Fields in the $150,000 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Full Results and Replay

  – Dana Byerly, Green but Game

Further Reading:

  California Derby – Wikipedia Entry
  Ranger Heartley – Horse Racing Nation
  Connmemara – Horse Racing Nation
  Thomas Baines – Horse Racing Nation
  Shudacudawudya – Horse Racing Nation