Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday Results Plus 2 Stakes Races

**  All betting payouts are quoted for Churchill Downs, and represent winnings on either a $2 win, place, or show bet; or on a $1 exacta, trifecta, or superfecta bet.  **

The parentheses around today's Breeders' Cup  2018 Future Stars Friday began with a 1 mile race for 2-year-olds, with a guaranteed purse of  $100,000.  All entries were colts, and they all carried 122 pounds.  Results of the Street Sense Stakes were: in first, Improbable, by 7 1/4 lengths; second, Trophy Chaser, by 1 1/3 lengths; third, Distant Shore, by a head; and fourth, Manny Wah.  The rest of the order of finish was: 5th, Marquis Prince; 6th, Louder Than Bombs, 7th, Moonster; 8th, Reward the Miracle; and 9th, Unionizer.A $2 win slip paid $3.80; a #3 place bet paid $3.60; and a #1 show slip paid $4.  The $1 exacta paid $5.60; the trifecta paid $44.30; and the superfecta paid $153.90.  - The mile race was clocked at 1:35.61.
   The closing race, after the fifth Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was the Grade II Marathon Stakes, for horses 3 years of age and up, of any sex, racing 1 3/4 miles for a guaranteed purse of $200,000.  All entries were colts or geldings, and Imperative was a late scratch.  The winner, by 3/4 of a length was Rocketry; Dabster finished second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of third placed Big Dollar Bill, who was 7 3/4 lengths in front of Toast of New York.   The fifth through ninth finishers were: Senior Investment, War Story, Term of Art, Finglas, and Honorable Duty.  A correct $2 win ticket paid $6.60;  place paid $5.80, and show paid $3.20.  A correct $1 exacta bet paid $18.20; a good trifecta paid $80; and a superfecta paid $389.60.  -  The 1 3/4 mile race was run in 2:57.62.

The first Breeders' Cup Race today was the Juvenile Sprint Turf.  Open to colts and fillies, run at 5 1/2 furlongs, the field was restricted to 12. The guaranteed purse was $1 million.  Shang Shang Shang was a morning scratch, and Big Drink of Water ran in her place. The winner was Bulletin, by 2 3/4 lengths.  Second was Chelsea Cloisters, a length ahead of third place So Perfect, who finished 3/4 length in front of Queen of Bermuda (IRE).  The rest of the field finished in the following order: Big Drink of Water, Soldier's Call (GB), Strike Silver, Sergei Prokofiev (Ont), Pocket Dynamo, Stillwater Cove, Well Done Fox (GB), and Moonlight Romance.  A $2 win ticket paid $10.60, a place ticket paid $19.80, and a show bet paid $5.80.  A correct $1 exacta paid $119.70; a trifecta paid $1,452.70; and a superffecta paid $25,489.90.  -  The winning time for the 5.5 furlongs was 1:05.54.

The Juvenile Filly Turf  was raced at a distance of 1 mile, with a guaranteed purse of $1 million.  The race was won in 1:39.00, by Newspaperofrecord (IRE), who won convincing by  6 3/4 lengths.  In second place was East (GB), a neck ahead of third place Stellar Angel, who was 3/4 length ahead of Just Wonderful.  The rest of the order of finish was: Varenka, The Mackem Bullet (IRE), Belle Laura, Concrete Rose, My Gal Betty, La Pelosa (IRE), Pakhet, Lily's Candle (FR), Summering, and Lady Prancealot (IRE).  A $2 win bet paid $3.20, a place bet paid $8.20, and a show bet paid $21.  A correct $1 perfecta bet paid $16.20; a trifecta paid $557.70; and a superfecta paid $5,766.20.

Next up was the 10 filly field in the Juvenile Fillies: 1 and 1/16 miles on the main track, with a guaranteed purse of $2 million.  Jaywalk won the race by 5 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:43.62.  Restless Rider finished in second, 1/2 length ahead of Vibrance, who was 3 1/4 lengths in front of fourth-placed Bellafina.  Following the top four finishers were: Cassies Dreamer, Sippican Harbor, Serengeti Empress, Splashy Kisses, Reflect, and Baby Nina.  Holding a $2 win ticket got you $13, a winning place bet gave $4; and a correct show bet paid $10.80.  A $1 exacta paid $25.20; a trifecta paid $387.60; and a superfecta paid $1,490.30.

The Juvenile Turf catered to the colts at a distance of 1 mile, with a guaranteed purse of $1 million.  Line of Duty (IRE) finished 1/2 length in front of Uncle Benny, who was a neck ahead of Somelikeithotbrown.  The son of Big Brown had led from the gate, but couldn't hold off the other two in a head-to-head-to-head duel near the end of the stretch.  Arthur Kitt (GB) finished in fourth.  The field following the colt raised on a nurse-mare was: War of Will, Forty Under, Current, The Black Album (FR), Anthony Van Dyck (IRE), Opry, Marie's Diamond (IRE), King of Speed, Henley's Joy, and Much Better.  Line of Duty (IRE) won the race in the time of 1:40.06.  A $2 win bet paid $9, a place bet paid $8, and a show bet paid $8.20.  A correct $1 exacta bet paid $37.60; the trifecta paid $427.10; and the superfecta paid $7,943.90.

Code of Honor was scratched this morning, leaving a field of 13 to contend the Juvenile Colts race.  Run at 1 and 1/16 miles on the main track, the guaranteed purse was $2 million.  The betting favorite, Game Winner, won the race by 2 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:43.67.  Second place finsher Knicks Go was 1 length ahead of Signalman, who finished 6 1/4 lengths ahead of fourth-placed Mr. Money.  The rest of the colts finished in this order: Gunmetal Gray, Dueling, Mind Control, Topper T, Tight Ten, Complexity, Derby Date, Well Defined, and Standard Deviation.  A $2 win bet paid $4, a place paid $21.40, and a show paid $15.80.  With a correct $1 exacta ticket, you received $56.60; a trifecta paid $965.60; and a trifecta paid $16,279.80.

  Tomorrow we'll see nine Breeders' Cup races for horses aged 3 and up, along with two other Stakes races at Churchill Downs.      -      Happy betting!!

Thirteenth Triple Crown Champion in 100 Years

Justify became the winner of the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes today, and, doing so, became just the 13th 3-year-old colt to win the Triple Crown of American racing.  He also joins Seattle Slew as only the second horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated.  Breaking from the number one post position in a field of ten, the big chestnut colt led the way all around the race course.  He was challenged twice, by Vino Rosso at the final turn, and by a hard-charging Gronkowski in the final furlong, but Justify had the grit and determination to kick on and win.
   Gronkowski finished in second place 1 and 3/4 lengths behind Justify, and the same distance infront of Hofburg.  Hofburg was a neck ahead of Vino Rosso, and they were followed across the finish line by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.
   The fastest time ever in the Belmont was Secretariat's 2:24 in 1973.  The times today were :23.37 for the first quarter mile; :48.11 for the half; 1:13.21 for three-quarters; 1:38.09 for the mile; and Justify crossed the mile and a half finish line in 2:28.18.
   The payouts for $2 bets were s follows: Justify to win $3.60; Gronkowki to place $13.80; Hofburg to show $3.70; the exacta paid $89.00; the trifecta paid $459.48; and the superfecta paid $2,103.00.
   Justify ran his first race in February of this year, and won by 9 1/2 lengths.  At an early three years of age, he stands at 16.3 hands, and weighs 1,268 pounds.  His sire, Scat Daddy was born in 2004, and died in 2015; Justify is from his last crop of foals.  His dam is Stage Magic.
   Here are photos of Justify, his sire, dam, and grandsires:

Justify and trainer Bob Baffert

Justify winning the Belmont Stakes

Stage Magic, Justify's dam, and her April 2018 colt

sired by Pioneer of the Nile - born 2007

Ghostzapper, Stage Magic's sire  - born 2000

Scat Daddy, Justify's deceased sire  - 2004-2015

Johannesburg, Scat Daddy's sire - born 1999

Justify Wins Preakness

Justify, the charming, blazed chestnut son of Scat Daddy made his backers feel great today.  After several days of rain, this year's 143rd Preakness was run, like the Kentucky Derby, on a sloppy track. The winner of the Derby was today's betting favorite in the eight horse field.  At the break, he and second-place Derby finisher, Good Magic, hooked up and ran eyeball to eyeball for about 7/8 of a mile.  Occasionally, one or the other colt would poke his head in front, and then the other boy would make it even again.  Finally Mike Smith asked Justify to run, and he did.  It was not a huge margin, as two other runners came from farther back to contest the finish, but Justify was the first horse at the finish line.  (See Amber Searls' - USA Today Sports - photo below.)

Justify was first, Bravazo was second, Tenfold was third, Good Magic held on for fourth, and Lone Sailor was fifth.  Of the first five finishers, Tenfold was the only horse not to race in the Derby.  The rest of the field was: Sporting Chance, sixth; Diamond King, seventh; and Quip was eighth.

   There were 134,487 people in attendance at Pimlico today, and visibility was about 1/16 of a mile.  The rain had stopped before the race, but a thick fog followed the rain.    Justify ran the 1 and 3/16 mile race in 1:55.93.

    The pay-outs for a $2 bet were as follows: Justify to win $2.80; Bravazo to place $7.60; Tenfold to show $6.80; the exacta paid $27.40; the trifecta paid $296.60; and the superfecta paid $745.00.

  Will we be graced with another Triple Crown champion?  The question will be answered on  Saturday, 9 June, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.  Justify will have to contend with other, perhaps fresher, horses over the mile and a half track known as the Big Sandy.

    The Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867 at the Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx.  Ruthless won the first running og the Belmont, which was originally 1 and 5/8 miles long.  The distance was shortened to 1 and 1/2 miles in 1973.

Red Ruby, Only Grey Horse in Black-Eyed Susan, Wins

I just get a kick out of the fact that Red Ruby is neither a chestnut nor a red bay.  She is a grey, or roan, filly sired by Tiznow.  She won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes today, on a sealed, but sloppy track, by 4 and 3/4 lengths, under a hand ride.    She stayed outside, comfortably running in second, until the three-eighths pole, when she was asked to run - and run she did.  All the way to the winner's circle.....

Coach Rocks finished in second place, 5 lengths ahead of Indy Unio, who was 4 and 3/4 lengths ahead of fourth place finisher Sara Street.  Goodonehoney, the Maryland-bred filly was fifth, followed by Stakes On a Plane, Tell Your Mama, and Mihrab.   C. S. Incharge was pulled up, and did not finish the race, but she walked off the track and back to her stall with no noticeable problems.

   With a field of only 9, the pay-outs are the betting were low.  These are results for a $2 bet:  Red Ruby, to win, $7.80; Coach Rocks, to place, $4.20; Indy Union, to show, $4.60; the exacta paid $30.60; the trifecta paid $255.80;and the superfecta paid $950.60.

   Good luck betting tomorrow on the Preakness!  They think they'll have a wet track, so Justify just might win again....

The Belmont Stakes and Other Items

We knew there would be no Triple Crown Champion when Cloud Computing won the Preakness Stakes.  I was surprised that neither he, nor the Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, were in the Belmont.  The only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races this year was Lookin At Lee - who finished second in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness.
   Twelve were entered in the 149th Belmont; Epicharis could not pass the veterinarian exam in the morning, and was scratched, so eleven horses went to the starting gate.  The race is/was 1 1/2 miles on the main dirt track; the purse was $1.5 million, with $800,000 going to the winner.   Meantime led the way out of the starting gate and at the first turn, Hollywood Handsome was caught charging up into traffic, clipped heels, and almost lost his rider.  Irish War Cry took over the lead in the back stretch, and looked to be the winner, but Tapwrit came charging up, stayed stride for stride, then passed the chestnut, and won by two lengths in 2 minutes 30.02 seconds. Patch was third; Gormley fourth.  Lookin At Lee finished seventh. Hollywood Handsome walked off the track, but had surgical staples applied to a laceration behind his left knee.
   If you made a $2 bet to win on Tapwrit, you received $12.60; a $2 place on Irish War Cry paid $4.70; and a $2 show bet paid $6.50 for Patch.  A $2 perfecta bet paid $45.20; a $2 trifecta paid $624.00; and a $2 superfecta paid $4,486.00.
    Tapwrit won by two lengths over Irish War Cry, who was 5 3/4 lengths in front of Patch, who was 4 1/4 lengths in front of Gormley.  This is the full order of finish:   1 - Tapwrit; 2 - Irish War Cry; 3 - Patch; 4 - Gormley; 5 - Senior Investment; 6 - Twisted Tom; 7 - Lookin At Lee; 8 - Meantime; 9 - J Boys Echo; 10 - Multiplier.  Hollywood Handsome did not finish; Epicharis did not start.

  I apologize for having gotten so lax in keeping this blog up to date.  I find myself fascinated by the monkeyshines occurring in the 45th administration, and I keep spending more time in front of the television, instead of the keyboard and monitor.  My television is in another room, just so I cannot stare at it and try to type and research...  Thursday I watched the testimony of James Comey in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Friday, I celebrated my birthday by driving over Trail Ridge Road, through Rocky Mountain National Park (where we saw elk, elk, more elk, moose, and a large variety of birds). Yesterday I tried to catch up on household things, and watch the Belmont.
  Today, I'm taking care of three houses full of pets, whose owners are on vacation...  I have pet duties through the 29th of June, followed by a few days off (if nothing comes up).
  And, of course, I'm also trying to keep up with all the new foals on Assateague Island - the ones belonging to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.  As of last night, there had been 54 births (and 2 deaths)... including a palomino pinto baby born on my birthday to Marsh Mallow.

Racing News & Results From Pimlico

The thoroughbred breeding community has lost two stallions recently - Divine Light, a 19-year-old son of Sunday Silence, died in Turkey from a tumor that had wrapped around his intestines.  Dehere, the 2-year-old champion colt in 1993, passed away from a heart attack, also in Turkey.
  Wise Dan, the 7-year-old gelding and two-time Horse of the Year, had emergency colic surgery yesterday at Rood and Riddle Clinic near Lexington, Kentucky.  Wise Dan had his regular morning gallop, and cooled out well.  Then he began showing signs of discomfort, conventional remedies did not ease the chestnut horse, and he was taken to Rood and Riddle.  It was determined that a small section of his bowel had "flipped over itself" and was rapidly losing blood supply. The surgery went quickly, and Wise Dan is recovering nicely at the Equine Hospital.
  At Pimlico, Ben's Cat won the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes for the third time.Due to heavy rain, the Sprint was run on the dirt course and not the turf.  Ben's Cat was bred by King T Leatherbury, and is also trained by that venerable gentleman.  He paid $2.80 on a $2 win bet.
  In the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Stopchargingmaria was the winner by a hard-fought neck. She was followed across the finish line by Vero Amore and then Fortune Pearl.  A $2 win bet on Stopchargingmaria paid $9.60; a $2 place bet on Vero Amore paid $12.80; and a $2 show bet on Fortune Pearl paid $5.80.  The $2 exacta paid $119.80, and the $2 trifecta bet paid $871.40.
  The Pimlico Special  was a heart-stopper for the connections of Revolutionary - at one point in the race, he was more than 30 lengths behind the lead in the race.  However, Revolutionary turned on his after-burners and won the race by a neck fro Prayer For Relief; Cat Burglar ran third.  A $2 win bet on Revolutionary paid $6.40; a $2 place bet on Prayer For Relief paid $7.20; and a $2 show bet on Cat Burglar paid $4.60.  The $2 exacta pay out was $74.00; and the $1 trifecta paid $217.10.
  And this is the day the Preakness will be run for the 139th time at Old Hilltop, Pimlico Race Course.  For more information on the race, and the 10 horses entered, I refer you to The Bloodhorse Magazine website, at  http://www.bloodhorse.com/ .

Untapable Wins Kentucky Oaks Easily

Untapable showed why she was the morning line betting favorite in great style.  Under the guidance of Rosie Napravnik, she settled several lengths behind the leaders, and took the lead at the top of the home stretch, winning easily by 4 and 1/2 lengths.  I was definitely wrong about Untapable.  She was clearly the best of the twelve fillies who took to the track today.  Empress of Midway was a late scratch.
  How did my choices fair?  Not so hot, unless you think second, third and fourth place finishes count...
 My Miss Sophia finished a game second - I had picked her for her pedigree...
 Unbridled Forever was several lengths back in third place - I chose her for looks and pedigree...
 Rosalind finished fourth - again, a looks and pedigree choice
 Thank You Marylou was fifth
 Ria Antonia finished in sixth place -  I chose her on looks
 Got Lucky ran seventh
 Sugar Shock, after a quick run from the gate, was eighth
 Aurelia's Belle
 Please Explain
 Fashion Plate
 Kiss Moon was the last under the wire

The payouts were (for a $2 bet):  $4 for Untapable to win; $4.20 for My Miss Sophia to place; $6.00 for Unbridled Forever to show; the $2 Exacta paid $21.80; the $2 Trifecta paid $178.20.
(I placed $20 in bets; received back $21.80.)  So I didn't actually lose any cash....