Weekend Rewind: Drama takes from Bolt d’Oro vs. McKinzie
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
On one hand, Saturday’s Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes lived up to all of its hype and more, as the two favorites Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie locked horns around the final turn and proceeded to trade blows (pun intended) until the wire.
On the other hand, the excitement generated by a fiercely contested stretch duel was dampened when the stewards rained on McKinzie’s parade (again, pun intended), deciding to disqualify him to second place for drifting out into Bolt d’Oro.
From what I could tell, any bumping in the stretch was minor. Neither jockey stopped riding his horse, and neither had his action impeded. So, from where I stand, the disqualification was a terrible call, especially when you factor in the hard bump that Bolt D’Oro dealt to McKinzie at the quarter pole.
Bob Baffert said he wasn’t sure he would keep McKinzie in California for a re-match in the Santa Anita Derby.
“I might ship him out,” Baffert told TVG’s Christina Blacker. “This whole thing has just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.”
Baffert followed that up by saying that he would know more in a couple of weeks. He also trains Justify, who could go in the Santa Anita Derby coming out of Sunday’s allowance start, his second career race.
Lost in all the drama was the “spine-tingling” performance — Michael Wrona’s words — by both McKinzie and Bolt D’Oro. No matter what you may think about what ensued after the horses crossed the finish line, there is no denying that both turned in outstanding performances.
They were give a Brisnet Figure of 98, an Equibase figure of 118 (highest of any 3-year-old this year) and a Beyer Speed Figure of 101.
Neither deserved to lose, and as such, neither lost anything in defeat, with both earning enough points to already consider themselves 2018 Kentucky Derby contenders.
I would even venture to say that after a second look at the San Felipe, it is quite obvious that one of those two will be our Derby winner.
Enticed rebounds; Quip emerges for WinStar
Enticed’s backers were rewarded when the son of Medaglia d’Oro rebounded from a lackluster in last month’s Grade 2 Holy Bull with an emphatic win in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes.
Personally, I remain leery. While the Gotham was by far the deepest Aqueduct prep of the season, the field was suspect and the final time anything but overwhelming. To add, a final quarter of :26.47 was pedestrian.
The race may have been visually pleasing to some, but when looked at with an analytical eye, it’s hard to make a case for anything coming out of that race as a serious Kentucky Derby threat.
In Florida, Winstar Farm gained yet another Kentucky Derby prospect when Quip held off the late charging Flameaway to win the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby by a length. However, for all of their numbers, I don’t think this will be Winstar’s year unless Justify can become the first horse since 1882 to wear roses having not raced as a juvenile.
While Quip looked good in the Tampa Bay Derby, the horse that really impressed me was Flameaway. His victories have come when on the lead, yet Saturday he had to settle back in fourth early, after being bumped at the start, then was steadied later in the race. Despite that he still came flying in the end.
It’s hard to know what to make of runners coming from Tampa Bay. Sometimes the race produces Derby contenders, sometimes you get solid Grade 2 types, and other times you get duds. My feelings here are that Quip and Flameaway will fall in the solid Grade 2 category.
Accelerate just now getting good?
In a diminished Grade 1 Big ‘Cap, Accelerate certainly stood out Saturday at Santa Anita, with the son of Lookin at Lucky delivering this time at the classic distance.
It’s hard to know what to make of the win. The pace was solid, given the track condition of “wet fast,” as were the finishing splits and final time. There is every reason to believe the John Sadler-trained 5-year-old is simply reaching his peak and is due for a marquee year. After all, he ran several very good races last year, including a close third in the Pacific Classic. However, I still remain skeptical.
Like I noted earlier, the race was severely diminished. The days where the Big ‘Cap drew the best are gone, and not likely to come back unless some major changes are made. This year’s edition of the race featured no stars, but the second and third stringers of the 2017 California handicap division, and I believe that is what made Accelerate’s victory look so impressive.
Unfortunately for him, there is still a horse bigger and badder than himself in California’s older division: West Coast. That one skipped the Big ‘Cap for a far richer prize that awaits him in the Dubai World Cup.
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