Every two-year old racehorse becomes a three-year old, whether they like it or not. They are part of a master agenda and occasionally test the boundaries and push the buttons of those in charge of their destiny. With so many three-year olds chasing after the ultimate prize (to be wearing a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May), there needs to be strategic stakes races in place to decipher the posers from the legit contenders.
Aqueduct:
Withers (Grade III): This is a points-earning (10) race to qualify for the 2014 Kentucky Derby. I like @racing_dudes (www.racingdudes.com) picks in this one, #5 Samraat, ridden by Jose Ortiz. This horse is 3-for-3 and loves the speed. The #1 Uncle Sigh is 9/5 on the early ML and takes a jump in class here. I’ll take #4 Classic Giancnroll to fill it. I agree with the Dudes, 5, 1, 4.
Busher Stakes: Non-graded points-earning qualifier for the 2014 Kentucky Oaks. The winner gets 10 points here too. I’m gonna make it two for Jose Ortiz, who’s on the filly #2 Fierce Boots for Todd Pletcher, owned by Bobby Flay. Pletcher saddles another one, #8 My Jimmy Chew Girl but is 20/1, obvious money going to the rider/trainer/owner connection on #2 Fierce Boots. The early favorites in this race are the #9 Vero Amore and the Darley Stable owned #5 Ballylee trained by Albertrani and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. I’m taking the Ortiz brothers 1 and 2; good mounts on a home track where they dominate.
Gulfstream:
Hutcheson (Grade III): One of my horses to watch in 2014 is entered in the Hutcheson at Gulfstream, #3 Mighty Brown, trained by Tim Ice, and ridden here by Joe Bravo. The pedigree is so good on this horse, but unfortunately for Mighty Brown, this is a deep field. Pletcher again saddles two, #10 Vinceremos and #8 Trail Blaze with the brilliant Joel Rosario in the irons. John Velazquez is on #7 Long on Value for Bill Mott, and Eclipse winner, Javier Castellano, rides for Garoffalo on #5 Wildcat Red, a serious contender, and the favorite behind Trail Blaze. I’d do an exacta box with the #8 and #5, and not count out #4 C. Zee or #6 Gambler’s Ghost, although I’m hoping to see Mighty Brown crossing the wire in 4th or 5th.
Santa Anita:
Las Virgenes (Grade I): A field of three-year old fillies going a mile at Santa Anita for the $300,000 purse. Hollendorfer has two good ones here: #7 Taste Like Candy with Bejarano for Bad Boy Racing, and #4 Artemis with Eclipse-deserving rider Mike Smith. Artemis is good at this distance and so is Mike. Harty puts Nakatani on #3 Arethusa and Espinoza on #6 Sushi Empire. However, Baffert brings in the much-anticipated favorite, #8 Streaming with Martin Garcia getting the call. Another one of my horses to watch in 2014 is entered in this race, #2 Fashion Plate. This time Gary Stevens gets the leg up as Bejarano, her usual jockey, is on #7 Taste Like Candy for Hollendorfer. I like Fashion Plate, a lot, but Streaming is too good. 8, 4, 2.
Arcadia (Grade II). This one is not for three-year olds, but wanted to mention the Super Jockey Kent Desormeaux makes his return to Arcadia, California and is aboard Unbridled’s Note for Asmussen here.
Oaklawn
Martha Washington: This non-graded stakes race is also a points-earning qualifier for the 2014 Kentucky Oaks. (Three-year old fillies going a mile.) There are some good ones here, and hard to call, starting with #5 Ireland, owned by Calumet Farm, trained by D. Wayne Lukas. Israel Ocampo gets the mount (Minnesota connection). This is the Hall of Fame trainer’s only entry and Ireland is 4/1 in the early ML. Asmussen, on the other hand, entered two, and they are both favored: #7 Street Story (Ricardo Santana, Jr. is Asmussen’s go-to jockey at Oaklawn), and #1 Euphrosyne, ridden by Channing Hill. #4 Kiss Moon and #8 Cheerful Contender both landed in the mid-level betting lines, but are good enough to keep it interesting. Allen Milligan saddles two here as well, #2 Racing Holiday, ridden by Alex Canchari (Minnesota connection) and #10 Redgrass Cat. The field is stacked, but I think this comes down to #5 Ireland and #7 Street Story, with Street Story getting the points.
One Lucky Mudder 