Today's
maiden/allowance winners could become tomorrow's latest sensation on
the Kentucky Derby trail. It's getting down to the wire for last out
maiden and allowance winners to snag enough points to ensure a spot
in the Kentucky Derby gate. Here are ten colts to watch. Many of
them are slated to make their next start in a stakes race.
Last
month's watch list included Fountain of Youth winner Orb, Southwest
Stakes winner Super Ninety Nine, Gotham third place finisher Elnaawi
and Risen Star third place finisher Palace Malice.
Race
record: 5-2-0-2 ($314,100)
Trainer:
Todd Pletcher
Last
fall, Capo Bastone finished a strong third despite bleeding heavily
in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After time off to heal and switching
to the barn of Todd Pletcher, the son of second crop sire Street Boss
got back to work, winning a 1 1/6 mile allowance race at Gulfstream
by a gritty head on February 16. The runner-up Offlee Fast, was three
lengths clear of the third place horse, the well-bred Finn's Quest
(Giant's Causeway – Questress, by Seeking The Gold). Capo
Bastone's pedigree is borderline for Classic distances. His second
crop sire Street Boss never won beyond 7F and his offspring have yet
to win past 1 1/16 miles over dirt. Capo Bastone's damsire Fit to
Fight won from a mile to 1 1/2 miles. No problem with stamina
there....except that as a broodmare sire, none of his offspring have
won a stakes race past 1 1/8 miles. Capo Bastone's half sister CJ's
Leelee (by Mizzen Mast) never won past a mile. She was proficient
over dirt and turf. She did place in the Golden Rod (8.5F, dirt) and
the Regret Stakes (9F turf). Capo
Bastone breezed and easy 4F in :49.40 (31.52) in his first post-race
work. We may see Capo Bastone head to the Rebel Stakes (G-2) March
16.
Race
record: 4-2-1-0 ($81,910)
Trainer:
Kellyn Gorder
General
Election hit the radar with his spectacular ½ length win in the John
Battaglia Memorial Stakes. The son of Harlan's Holiday was five wide
on the first turn and swung eight wide on the second turn of the 1
1/16 mile race. He past the well-bred Giant Finish with a furlong to
go and held that rival at bay to the wire. General Election carries
the bloodlines of Classic/Stout Chef-de-race Kingmambo and Champion
Spectacular Bid is his second damsire. The colt is a half brother to
multiple graded stakes placed Ready's Echo (by More Than Ready), who
was third in the Belmont Stakes and second in the Breeders' Cup Mile.
No need to wonder if General Election likes the dirt. He won his
maiden at Churchill. There's always a question who he beat in the
John Battaglia. General Election has the option to run in the Spiral
Stakes on March 23 or wait until the Bluegrass on April 6. His
connections could elect to send him out of town for anther race over
the dirt.
Race
Record: 3-2-1-0 ($55,800)
Trainer:
Michael Stidham
After
placing in his debut, Ground Transport won his last two races at the
Fairgrounds. The offspring of dual Classic winner Big Brown haven't
stretched out to win beyond 1 1/16 miles yet, so there's a question
of how far they might want to run. Ground Transport has a perfect
blend of speed and stamina through his female family. His damsire
Broad Brush is an Intermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race and second
damsire Mr. Prospector is a Brilliant/Classic Chef. The colt has a
classy female family, too. His unraced dam is a half sister to
multiple Grade 1 winner Fire The Groom (by Blushing Groom), who is
the dam of the major sire Stravinsky and his stakes winning half
brother Moscow Ballet. Ground Transport's third dam Native Street and
fourth dam Beaver Street are blue hens. Ground Transport could ship
for the Rebel Stakes March 16 or stay home and wait for the Louisiana
Derby March 30.
GUNDERMAN (Birdstone
- Shesanoactor, by Noactor)
Race
record 8-2-3-1 ($96,131)
Trainer:
Mark Casse
This
late-developing colt won his maiden in October of 2012 and he is 3
-1-1-1 this year. In his last start, a 1 1/8 mile contest at
Gulfstream, Gunderman had to break from the far outside in sixth
position. Racing four wide the entire way, the Casse trainee sat
about two lengths off of the the moderate pace. He made up 1 ½
lengths in the stretch to catch Indy's Illusion at the wire by a neck
in 1:51.22. Gunderman's
stamina over speed pedigree is somewhat unusual as he has quite a bit
of inbreeding to the good mare You All (4S x 4D x4D). His sire
Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone is known for producing two classic
winners in his first crop, Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and
Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird. Gunderman's damsire Noactor won a
1 1/6 mile turf stakes race and have only three stakes winners as a
damsire. None of the runners have won past 1 1/16 miles. Noactor is a
half brother to Birdstone's dam Hush Dear. Hush Dear's dam You All is
also Gunderman's fourth dam. Gunderman's dam Shesanoactor was a
solid race mare and earned a 42-6-3-3 ($64,316) record. Her full
sister Bigcuz was a veteran of 56 races and produced the only
blacktype in this family in two generations in the stakes winning
sprinter Salty Wave (by Salty Sea). Gunderman's second damsire Big
Mukora didn't earn blacktype but he's a full brother to Champion
Sprinter Gulch. We may see Gunderman jump into the Florida Derby in
his next start or wait until April for a start in the Wood Memorial
or Bluegrass.
Race
record: 6-1-2-1 ($94,915 )
Trainer:
Barclay Tagg
The
home-bred son of A.P. Indy needed a few starts to put it together,
but got the job done in a business like fashion in early October,
winning an off the turf mile maiden contest by 1 ½ lengths over a
sloppy sealed track. This year, Indy's Illusion has a 3-0-2-1 race
record. He was most recently a tough luck second gong 1 1/8 miles at
Gulfstream, beaten a neck by Gunderman. Indy's Illusion has a classy
pedigree. His dam is an unraced half sister to the stakes winning
sprinter Apprehender (by Posse) Indy's Illusion's second dam is the
multiple G1 winner Missys Mirage, a winner from 6 furlongs to 1 1/8
miles. She beat the well-bred multiple G-1 winner Versailles Treaty
three times. Missys Mirage's half sister half sister Classy Mirage
bore Hopeful Stakes winner Dublin. A logical spot for Indy's Illusion
may be the Florida Derby March 30 or Wood Memorial the following
week.
KID
DREAMS (Lemon
Drop Kid - Dreams, by Silver Hawk)
Race
record: 2-1-0-0($34,500)
Trainer:
Neil Drysdale
Kid
Dreams was unplaced in his only start as a two year old. He was
professional in a one mile maiden contest at Santa Anita on February
17, racing on the rail then making his move between horses to win
going away by 3 ¼ lengths. Kid Dreams is a full brother to Swaps
(G-2, 9F) winner Dreamy Kid and a half to 2008 Fountain of Youth
runner-up Elysium Fields (by El Prado). Trainer Neil Drysdale
conditioned Fusaichi Pegasus to victory in the 2000 Kentucky Derby.
Kid Dreams could show up in the Sunland Derby on March 24 or squeeze
in an allowance race before taking on stakes horses in the Santa
Anita Derby or even Bluegrass Stakes.
Race
record: 3-1-1-0 ($34,645)
Trainer:
Ron Pellegrini
In
his first start against winners, Offlee Fast set a solid pace and
gave Capo Bastone all that he could handle in the stretch of a 1 1/6
mile allowance race while giving that one weight. Offlee Fast's
sire, a beautiful son of Wild Again was leading freshman sire of
2009. Most of his offspring are sprinter/milers although a few have
stretched out to win at 1 1/8 miles. In fact, Offlee Fast won his
maiden going 1 1/8 miles over the turf. There's little blacktype in
Offlee Fast's female family. His dam was a decent runner and compiled
a 10-3-4-2 ($137,588) record against allowance class foes. Offlee
Fast's damsire is a half brother to the great Storm Cat. He's a young
broodmare sire. Offlee Fast is a quickly improving colt and I expect
we'll see him given a shot on the Derby trail.
SHAKIN'
IT UP (
Midnight Lute - Silver Bullet Moon, by Vindication)
Race
Record: 4-2-1-1 ($139,600)
Trainer:
Bob Baffert
Shakin'
It Up won the seven furlong San Vicente Stakes (G-2) by a length on
February 17. One of Baffert's brilliant runners, the son of the
two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint Champ is overshadowed by the exploits
of his stablemates Flashback and Super Ninety Nine. By Kentucky
Derby/Preakness winner Real Quiet, Midnight Lute was bred to go two
turns, but a breathing problem kept him confined to shorter
distances. His offspring should improve with age and currently, he's
one of the top second crop sires. Shakin' It Up is a grandson of Two
Time Champion Silverbulletday. Her offspring didn't do much on the
track, but the talent is clearly skipping a generation. She's the
damsire of three blacktype runners, Crisis of Spirit (by
Vindication), Shakin' It Up, and stakes placed Mile High Magic (by
Roman Ruler). Shakin' It Up's pedigree is borderline for 1 ¼ miles.
Shakin' It Up is Vindication's only stakes winner as a broodmare
sire. As a sire, Vindication's offspring are best as sprinter
milers. Second damsire Silver Deputy is best as a middle-distance
broodmare sire. His daughter's offspring include multiple graded
stakes winners Groupie Doll, Roman Ruler, Miraculous Miss and
Preachinatthebar. Baffert has a number of options open for Shakin'
It Up. He may head to the 1 1/16 mile Rebel or jump into the deep end
in the 1 1/8 mile Sunland Derby.
Race
Record: 3-1-1-1 ($69,000)
Trainer:
Ron Ellis
Treasury
Bill bided his time in last place, swung four wide on the turn and
gained ground to finish second, beaten only a length by Shakin' It Up
in the San Vicente Stakes (G-2). By a Belmont Stakes winner out of a
mare by a Derby/Preakness runner-up, Treasury Bill Seven should excel
at 1 ¼ miles. His dam won the Next Move Handicap (G-3) at 1 1/8
miles and the Ladies Handicap at 1 ¼ miles. Treasury Bill is her
first foal to race. Add more stamina from Canadian Triple Crown
winner With Approval and Belmont Stakes winner Coastal and you have a
recipe for a horse with unlimited distance potential. The Rebel
Stakes on March 16 is a strong possibility for Treasury Bill's next
appearance.
VERRAZANO (More
Than Ready - Enchanted Rock, by Giant's Causeway)
Race
record: 2-2-0-0 ($51,300 )
Trainer:
Todd Pletcher
Pletcher
has a cornucopia of talented three year olds. Verrazano jumped onto
many early Derby lists with his daylight maiden win at Gulfstream on
New Year's Day. He was even more impressive with a 16 ¼ score
against allowance winners last month. Included in that field was
Gunderman who came back to win a 1 1/8 mile contest next time out.
The Pletcher trainee has a serious pedigree suited for the classics.
Read all about it here.
Verrazano is headed to the Tampa Bay Derby on March 9.
