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Monday, May 21, 2007

Robby Albarado wins Preakness

Curlin Denies Street Sense's Triple Crown Bid

Originally published in Throughbred Times by Jeff Apel

Curlin edged Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Street Sense in the final strides of the $1-million Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, ending the Derby victor's chance for a Triple Crown bid.

Curlin unleashed a determined stretch run to overtake Street Sense and won by a head. Curlin and jockey Robby Albarado finished third, eight lengths behind Street Sense and jockey Calvin Borel, in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

"I realized I got up," Albarado said. "I think Calvin realized also."

"It was close. But this guy was coming."

Street Sense, the 2006 champion two-year-old male trained by Carl Nafzger, opened a 1 1/2-length lead from Curlin in early stretch of the 1 3/16-mile classic. Just when it appeared Street Sense would move within one win of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, Curlin rallied under urging from Albarado and gamely prevailed in 1:53.46 on a fast track.

"Once he started moving and he changed leads, I knew we were going to win it," said Satish Sanan of Padua Stables, Curlin's co-owner. "It was a question of, 'Can we get the bob?' We did."

Hard Spun, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, finished third, four lengths behind Street Sense.

Curlin's win was the first Preakess victory for Albarado and Asmussen, who finished fifth with his two previous starters in the second leg of the Triple Crown-Snuck In in 2000 and Easyfromthegetgo in 2002.

"Horses like Curlin put you in this race," Asmussen said. "You put them where they belong. This horse is good enough for this, and this is where he belongs."

Albarado was forced to make quick adjustments after Curlin stumbled at the start and dropped back to seventh through a half-mile in :45.75.

"Obviously, I had to go to plan B," Albarado said. "I had to use him a little more than I wanted to under the wire the first time to keep him in contention."

"But I was always content where I was. I just kept my eye on Hard Spun and awaited [Street Sense] to come on by anytime."

An emotional Borel spoke briefly with Nafzger after Street Sense rallied from eighth and gained command on the turn. Borel could see Curlin gaining late as the finish line approached.

"I thought it was all over when I got by Hard Spun turning for home. I thought he was just going to gallop," Borel said. "But things happen. He just got to gawking 40 yards from home and he just got outrun."

Hard Spun stalked pacesetter Xchanger in third through a half-mile, and opened a two-length lead through six furlongs in 1:09.80. Curlin moved up on the outside of foes on the turn, and proved best while earning a win that left Asmussen answering questions about the Belmont Stakes (G1), a 1 1/2-mile race on June 2 at Belmont Park that is the final leg of the Triple Crown.

"We hope that's possible," Asmussen said. "This is the stage this horse was meant for."

Curlin was unbeaten in his first three career starts, including consecutive wins at Oaklawn Park in the Rebel Stakes (G3) on March 17 and the Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 14. Asmussen replaced Helen Pitts as Curlin's trainer after Sanan, Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable, and George Bolton purchased a majority interest in the colt for a reported $3.5-million from Midnight Cry Stable.

"It took a lot of people to get this horse in the barn," Asmussen said. "I appreciate all of them."

Curlin was not raced as a two-year-old. The Smart Strike colt, who is out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff's Deputy, earned his fourth win in five starts and increased his earnings to $1,602,800.

Congratulations to Robby from the Jockeys' Guild!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Flores earns 3,000th career win

Originally published by Thouroughbred Times

Jockey David Flores registered his 3,000th career victory on Sunday at Hollywood Park when he guided Time to Get Even to a win in the $109,700 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (G3).

The 39-year-old native of Tijuana, Mexico, rated the three-year-old Stephen Got Even colt in fourth and launched his winning bid from four wide on the turn. Time to Get Even split foes in the stretch and rallied gamely to edge runner-up Principle Secret by a neck in the closing strides to secure the milestone victory for Flores.

The victory also marked Flores's 114th in a graded stakes.

Flores began riding professionally in North American 1984 and had amassed $117,419,401 in purse earnings from 20,695 mounts through Saturday

Flores has won three Breeders' Cup races during his career, most recently guiding Singletary to a win in the 2004 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Lone Star Park. Flores also rode Action This Day to a victory in the '03 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Tempera to a win in the '01 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Other career highlights for Flores include a win aboard Sulamani (Ire) in the '03 Arlington Million Stakes (G1) and victories aboard Siphon (Brz) in the '96 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and '97 Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Flores earned his first career Grade 1 win when he rode Marquetry to a win in the '91 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Congratulations David!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Guidry hits 5,000 wins

By Byron King
Daily Racing Form

Jockey Mark Guidry recorded his 5,000th career victory in the first race on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs Friday, riding Chippewa Trail to a half-length victory for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

A jubilant Guidry pumped his fist galloping out his mount, and slapped hands with jockey Calvin Borel, who rode runner-up Copy My Notes. He then received congratulations from other jockeys in the winner's circle after the race.

Later on the card, Guidry got winner number 5,001 with Duveen in the Crown Royal American Turf.

Guidry, 47, became the 21st jockey to ride 5,000 winners in North America, according the statistics furnished by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. At least one other rider, Gary Stevens, has also reached the 5,000-win milestone if overseas victories are included.

"It's been a long road," Guidry said of his career. "It will be 33 years in August."

At that time his career is set to end. He plans to retire this summer at Arlington Park in Chicago, where he has long ranked as one of that circuit's leading riders.

Guidry said the highlight of his career is not a particular race, but being awarded the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award by his fellow riders in 2006. That award is given to a rider whose character reflects positively on racing.

Congratulations Mark!

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