Aqueduct

THERE is very little ‘down time’ for the US two-year-olds turning three and, even late into the year, you never quite know where you will see a good horse.

The Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct is late in the year but can very often be won by potential classic contenders. Kentucky Derby winners Thunder Gulch and Go For Gin in the 90s and more recently high class horses like Honor Code, To Honor And Serve, Catholic Boy and Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal in 2021 are on its roll of honour.

The 2023 renewal could very well prove worthy of taking a high standing next season. The mile and a furlong contest run on a wet sealed track, was won by Dornoch, a full-brother to this season’s Kentucky Derby and recently retired Mage. But the second is also worth keeping in mind as Sierra Leone, lauched a great wide run from near last before the bend to take the lead a furlong out only for Dornoch to rally back and get the verdict by a nose on the line.

“As soon as the other one came to him, he saw him, and he wanted to beat him,” Saez said. “I can’t describe this. He wants to win the race,” jockey Luis Saez said.

Sierra Leone carried the Magnier colours, owned in partnership by Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Peter Brant, and the son of Gun Runner was four and three-quarter lengths ahead of the third Drum Roll Please.

Trainer Danny Gargan said the winner would re-appear in March. “We will let him grow into that frame, and start looking for races later. Two races, maybe three before the Derby.”

There were two other Grade 2s on the Aqueduct card and the juvenile fillies’ Demoiselle Stakes went to Life Talk for the Repole/Pletcher/Irad Oriz combination in a time slower than the Remsen.

The Gun Runner filly came home three and three quarters lengths clear of Kenny McPeek’s Shimmering Allure. The winner had been a three and a half-length fourth to Just F Y I in the Grade 1 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last month.

The other Grade 2 was the Cigar Mile, now downgraded to a Grade 2 event, and it went to Hoist The Gold, a Mineshaft four-year-old trained by Dallas Stewart and ridden by Johnny Velazquez,

A disappointing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Hoist The Gold dictated the 12-horse field through blazing early fractions and never looked back on his way to a four and a half-length victory over Senor Buscador, another son of Mineshaft.

“Johnny (Velazquez) picked the right race for us,” Stewart said. “He told us at Breeders’ Cup the horse doesn’t like dirt in his face. He said, ‘Just let me ride him the way I want—run him a mile at Aqueduct, and he won’t get beat.’ He was 100% right.”

Del Mar

Hollywood Derby (Grade 1)

Matriarch Stakes (Grade 1)

THERE were two Grade 1s stateside at Del Mar last weekend, with European interest in the Hollywood Derby.

Charlie Appleby’s Silver Knott put up a bold bid, leading into the straight for Jamie Spencer, but was overhauled by the Chad Brown-trained, Klaravich Stables-owned Program Trading, a British-bred son of Lope De Vega. He beat Webslinger by a neck with Silver Knott two and a quarter lengths back in third. The first two had run one-two in the Saratoga Derby as well.

It was a Chad Brown one-two-three-four in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes over a mile for fillies and mares on turf but his favourite, Juddmonte’s Whitebeam could only finish fourth.

Surge Capacity made her run through a small gap on the rails as her stable companion Fluffy Socks was surging on the outside. Flashing by the line, Surge Capacity got it by a head.

The winner is a daughter of French-based sire Flintshire and Surge Capacity was winning her fourth race in five career starts to make it a Grade 1 weekend double for the Chad Brown/Klaravich Stables team with Joel Rosario in the saddle.

There was Irish-bred success in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes over a mile for two-year-olds when Zona Verde, a filly by Calyx bred by Knockainey Stud, scored an all the way win for trainer Phil D’Amato. She had four runs for Ken Condon this summer before a private purchase through the BBA.

THERE was a notable achievement for jockey James Graham when he rode his 3,000 career winner at Fair Grounds on December 3rd, piloting Vortex to victory for trainer Keith Desormeaux in the second race.

Sent off favourite, the three-year-old took a six-furlong maiden by seven and a half lengths.

Graham has five Grade 1 winners to his name and won this year’s $1 million Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on his Kentucky Derby mount Confidence Game.

“I came here in 2002 and all I ever wanted was a shot. I wish my mom was still alive to see this,” an emotional Graham told track media afterwards.

“Thank you to everybody who has ever put me on a winner throughout my whole career. This is all because of you guys. Thank you to my wife. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am.

Dublin-born Graham attended RACE and worked for four years as an apprentice, recording one win in his native Ireland before launching his career in the US. His first victory came at River Downs in July 2003.

Graham has gone on to win 1,340 races at Fair Grounds, the third winningmost rider at Fair Grounds since 1986, behind Ronald Ardoin and Robby Albarado.

“This is special for me doing it. My career took off here,” he said. “When I first got here in 2003 and started riding, this is the meet that got the ball rolling for me. I’ve got a couple more goals at this track that I want to accomplish, so I’m banging on the door and I’m young, fit and healthy.”