Kentucky Derby winner returns to the track as Preakness field shapes up

May 7 (UPI) — While the second leg of the Triple Crown — including Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit — continues to take shape in Baltimore, horse racing attention shifts this weekend to Belmont Park, which plays host to a full slate of graded stakes topped by the Grade I Man o’ War.

Santa Anita, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park also are in on the action.

On the international front, the original Derby set for June 5 on the Epsom Downs also is forming up with action in Ireland and England. Incidentally, with new sponsorship, let’s get used to calling it the Cazoo Derby. Really.

Three-year-olds also are in action in Japan, going 1 mile in a race that has thrown up some really big stars.

Congratulations to the deserving, albeit skinny, Hall of Fame class of 2021. See News and Notes for who’s in and who’s not. But first, the racing:

The Triple Crown

As Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit had an easy jog Thursday at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Derby sixth-place finisher Midnight Bourbon will move along to Baltimore to contest the May 15 Preakness Stakes — second leg of the Triple Crown.

Bob Baffert, still celebrating his record seventh Kentucky Derby victory, said each of his Triple Crown candidates reacted differently to the 1 1/4-mile first leg of the series — some showing they need to take it easy for a while and others ready to get back to work quickly. He said Medina Spirit fits the second description.

“We just like to give them plenty of time,” Baffert said after watching the colt gallop. “He was just so fit and ready. He ran hard. He ran fast. With two weeks [between races], you don’t need to do a whole lot.”

Midnight Bourbon’s connections, meanwhile, said their colt never got a legitimate chance to run in Louisville before launching a late bid that got him to finish sixth. They are looking for a cleaner trip in the Preakness.

Saturday’s $200,000 Grade III Peter Pan for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park is a fascinating heat despite having just six takers for the one-turn 1 1/8 mile.

Risk Taking looks the best of the Triple Crown refugees. The Medaglia d’Oro colt won the Grade III Withers at the same distance around two turns at Aqueduct but then was seventh after a poor start in the Grade II Wood Memorial.

Overtook takes part for the first time since finishing second in the Withers and Nova Rags returns to action from a last-start fourth in the Florida Derby.

The other three will have to overcome those rivals’ experience edge but are worth a look — if not for Saturday, then for the remainder of the season.

Promise Keeper exits a romping victory going the same 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland. Wolfie’s Dynaghost defeated eventual Gotham Stakes winner Weyburn in his only start back in December at Aqueduct.

I Am the Law looks like the outsider, still a maiden after two runner-up showings, both going 1 mile on off tracks at the Big A.

Turf

Saturday’s $700,000 Grade I Man o’ War at Belmont Park features Sovereign, making his first U.S. start for trainer Chad Brown for the Coolmore connections in Ireland.

At first blush, the 5-year-old son of Galileo has spectacular credentials — winner of the 2019 Irish Derby, second behind the great Enable in last year’s Group 1 King George and, most recently, third, beaten just a neck, in the Bahrain International Trophy last November.

With that background, Sovereign is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line. A closer look though, might cast a slightly different light.

The Irish Derby win came at long odds when Sovereign got loose on the lead. The King George field consisted of three horses, although Sovereign did defeat Japan.

And the two in front of him in Bahrain were Simsir, who went on to finish last, far up the track in both the Saudi Cup in February and the Dubai Sheema Classic in March; and Global Giant, whose best efforts have come on all-weather tracks.

Brown can work magic with this kind of raw material but, if not, there’s lots of other ways to go in this edition of the Man o’ War. Moon Over Miami, Ziyad, Channel Cat, Field Pass and Gufo all have been in fine fettle in their most recent efforts.

Some are close to eligibility for senior discounts and several come off layoffs. Gufo, the 2-1 second pick on the line, looks most likely. However it works out, the race should be worthy of the name, at least competition-wise.

Saturday’s $75,000 English Channel Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park has a field of 12 with two “main track only” also eligible. Yes This Time is a slight favorite on the morning line after three straight wins at the track. The aforementioned Gufo won this race in 2020.

Filly & Mare Turf

Six are set for Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park and half are making their first start since the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland six months and one day earlier.

All three put in belated bids that day with Harvey’s Lil Goil finishing third, beaten just a neck for it all; Civil Union finishing fifth, just 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner, Audarya; and Nay Lady Nay unable to overcome a terrible start, finishing eighth, but only 6 lengths back of the winner.

Chad Brown, who trains Nay Lady Nay, also has Lemista, making her first U.S. start after a 3-year-old campaign that included a Grade II win at The Curragh in Ireland.

Unless they all call it quits at the sixteenth pole and head back to the barn, one of the eight prospective starters is going to win Saturday’s $100,000 Grade III Santa Barbara at Santa Anita.

Whichever one that is, she will be reversing her form as none has been providing a lot of revenue in the recent past. Of course, that also makes for a good wagering opportunity.

Sprint

Firenze Fire looks a likely choice in Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Runhappy Stakes at Belmont Park — unless, of course, the predicted showers become bad enough to impact the track condition.

The 6-year-old’s bankroll of more than $2.2 million was compiled almost exclusively on dry tracks, even though he is by Poseidon’s Warrior. The 6-year-old was third behind Whitmore and C Z Rocket in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland and comes to this off a layoff.

He was second, beaten 1/2 length by Sleepy Eyes Todd, in the Grade III Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park in his most recent start, Dec. 19. If he’s too rusty, look to Chateau, who shapes up as the controlling speed.

Sunday’s $100,000 Gold Fever for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park drew six with Candy Man Rocket, winner of the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, looking to make a comeback from poor efforts in the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial.

It might be fun to see Doubleoseven shake things up. Or would it be stir things up? No. “Shaken, not stirred.”

Filly & Mare Sprint

Things might be going well when you claim a horse for $20,000, then see it win four of its next five starts. That’s what French Empire, a 6-year-old Street Sense mare has done for Brad Cox. Now, she climbs the class ladder into Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Vagrancy at Belmont Park.

The opposition becomes lots more impressive, of course, with the likes of Pacific Gale, whose last two starts were graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park; Honor Way, a Belmont Park specialist; and last year’s 27-1 upset winner, Victim of Love. The way Cox has been going, who knows?

Turf Sprint

Churchill Downs, with careful carding of its races, obviously didn’t exhaust the supply of good horses on Derby weekend because Saturday’s $110,000 Mamzelle has a field of 13 nice 3-year-old fillies.

The morning-line favorites — Wink and Illegal Smile, both trained by Wesley Ward, and Goin’ Good, from the Brad Cox barn — all drew cozy inside gates so the charge should be on early. Wink, a Midshipman filly, is the narrow favorite on the line with three wins and a second from four starts.

Around the world, around the clock:

England

It’s Derby prep season with the picture still well-muddled.

Youth Spirit ran by Fancy Man heading for home in Wednesday’s Group 3 Chester Vase and wasn’t for catching, winning by 1 1/4 lengths.

Sandhurst made a late move to snatch second from Youth Spirit while the favorite, Wirko, settled for fourth after leading a good part of the 1 1/2 miles.

Youth Spirit, a Camelot colt, is trained by Andrew Balding. He won for just the second time in five starts while facing the sternest competition of his career.

“He’s a genuine horse and I’m sure he’ll have a go [in the Derby],” winning rider Tom Marquand told Racing Post. “It will have been a really good experience going round here and it should stand him in good stead.”

Those looking to Thursday’s Dee stakes at Chester for some clarity about Derby contenders came away without much of that commodity.

El Drama, a 12-1 shot with middling all-weather performance on his recent form, got the goods in the Dee for trainer Roger Varian and jockey Andrea Atzeni — both of whom quickly voiced the thought the Lope de Vega colt might be a better chance in the Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby at 2,100 meters than in the Epsom Classic going 300 meters farther.

El Drama led through the final 2 furlongs of the 2,100-meters Dee and won by 1 length over Maximal with Earlswood third and the favorites, Yibir and Foxes Tales, fourth and fifth.

Wednesday’s Weatherby’s ePassport Chester Oaks devolved to a two-filly race between Dubai Fountain and Zeyaadah, with the former holding off the latter by a cozy 1 length at the finish.

It was another 4 3/4 lengths to Nicest in third. Dubai Fountain, a Teofilo filly trained by Mark Johnston, was having her first go of the season after compiling a record of two wins from seven starts in 2020.

There is action on both sides of the Irish Channel this weekend with the Derby Trial and 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown and another Derby Trial at Lingfield.

Aidan O’Brien announced this week that High Definition, the topper on many lists for the Cazoo (Epsom) Derby, will miss his scheduled start in the Lingfield affair.

The trainer said the colt’s bloodwork was not 100 percent, forcing the decision. He did not indicate what, if any alternate path the undefeated son of Galileo might take to the June 5 Classic on Epsom Downs. The defection left Godolphin’s Adayar, a Frankel colt,

Japan

Sunday’s NHK Mile for 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse has been a launching pad for some memorable campaigners and this year offers an opportunity for a new star to shine. There are plenty of chances as 25 were nominated to the race even though the starting field of 18 was set buy trials and earnings.

While Japanese-bred horses have a 20-year string of success going in the NHK mile, three foreign-breds figure this year — Elizabeth Tower, Schnell Meister and Shock Action.

The locally bred contingent looks primed to keep the record going. Grenadier Guards, a Frankel colt, leads that bunch afrer winning the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) to wrap up his 2-year-old season. Rooks Nest (JPN) defeated Grenadier Guards by a head in a March 20 and returns for this.

The top three from that 1,600-meter race, run on yielding sod at Hanshin — Ho O Amazon (JPN), Rickenbacher (JPN) and Raymond Barrows (JPN) — all are set to contest the Mile Cup. Yutaka Take, back from an injury, is slated to ride Ho O Amazon for the first time.

The question after the race will be whether the winner can go on to the 2,400 meters of the Japanese Derby. King Kahmehameha turned that trick — a three-week turnaround at that — in 2004.

News and Notes

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Thursday announced trainer Todd Pletcher and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah as the only new members selected by voters in 2021. The doors of the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., shrine also were opened to trainer Jack Fisher, chosen by a special steeplechase selection panel.

While it would have been shocking if Pletcher and American Pharoah had not been admitted to the Hall by a vote of at least 50 percent plus 1 of the 150 voters, it was a bit surprising they are the only inductees.

Failing to garner the 76 needed ballots were horses Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold and Rags to Riches, trainer Doug O’Neill and Christophe Clement and jockey Corey Nakatani.

Pletcher’s trophy case is bulging with records and honors. “I’m really humbled to be elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s an incredible honor and something that doesn’t happen without having great support around you,” Pletcher said.

American Pharoah in 2015 ended a Triple Crown drought that stretched back over the previous 37 years, erasing doubts an modern horse could turn the trick.

“He’s certainly among the all-time greats. I don’t think there is any question about that,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert. “He did everything so effortlessly and with such class.”

American Pharoah has gone on to a successful second career, standing in Kentucky at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.