Barn Tour: McCarthy updates on Derby possible, 10 others
Michael McCarthy has options for Endlessly, who qualified for the Kentucky Derby with his win in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.
But he's not saying whether the colt will run for the roses or opt instead for the American Turf (G2) on the undercard.
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The son of Oscar Performance won his first three career starts on turf, including the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) and the Zuma Beach (G3), then was eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He came back this year on synthetic, winning the El Camino Real Derby ahead of the Jeff Ruby.
“Obviously a very nice horse,” McCarthy told Horse Racing Nation Monday from Santa Anita. “He's been able to transfer his form from the turf to the synthetic.”
But as for what's next for Endlessly? “He's training forwardly for a start on May 4.”
Stay tuned.
McCarthy also provided updates on 10 other horses in his stable for the latest in HRN’s Barn Tour series.
Shiloh’s Mistress. The 3-year-old Vino Rosso filly broke her maiden in January on synthetic at Turfway Park after two starts on dirt. She returned to dirt in the Santa Ysabel (G3) on March 9 and finished fifth. “Obviously, I was hoping for better,” McCarthy said. “She didn't seem like she handled the dirt as well as we would have liked out here.” She next will try turf in the Providencia (G3) on April 20.
Blue Eyed George. The 3-year-old Flameaway colt was third in the John Battaglia Memorial and then had his first start on dirt, finishing third in the Crescent City Derby. “We'll look for something here in the next couple of weeks. Obviously disappointed that he didn't take to the dirt in his last start. We'll find a turf race for him here before long.”
Ngannou. The 3-year-old Mendelssohn colt broke his maiden Sunday at Santa Anita in his first start since finishing second to Endlessly in the Zuma last October. Look for him next in an allowance race, perhaps in late May.
Lord Bullingdon. Winner of two stakes last year, the 3-year-old Lord Nelson colt was fourth Friday in the Transylvania (G3). “We’ll keep all of our options open with him, not sure where he'll run next.”
Sweet Azteca. The 4-year-old Sharp Azteca filly improved her career record to 4: 3-0-1 with a gate-to-wire win in the Beholder Mile (G1), her third start this year after an eight-month layoff. She worked four furlongs in 47.6 seconds Thursday. “She's training great,” McCarthy said, and she’ll have her next start in the Derby City Distaff (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
Victorious. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief tried stakes company after two straight wins and finished 10th in the black-type Queens going six furlongs at Turfway. “I think it was a race that never shaped up for her. She's probably better going a little bit farther, but she'd won a couple of races on that surface there. We thought it was worth giving a shot, but she's probably better going six and a half. Maybe even a touch farther.” A Churchill Downs allowance probably is next.
Princess of Time. The 4-year-old Not This time filly debuted in April of her 3-year-old year with an eighth-place finish and then took the rest of the year off. “She need a little time to grow up, that's all.” She returned in January to win a maiden special weight followed by an optional-claiming allowance score in March, all at Santa Anita. “Still kind of waiting to see where we might run her.”
Wizard of Westwood. The 4-year-old son of Tu Brutus has run his last six races as six tracks, winning two of them. He most recently was eighth in the Essex (G3). “Wizard Westwood is training in Kentucky, and we're looking for an allowance race to run him in his next start.”
Three Witches. The 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief won her first graded-stakes start last year in the Princess Rooney (G3) then was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. After that, she was sold for $1.7 million to Yuesheng Zhang. She returned Feb. 3 with a win in the Santa Monica (G2). She will make her next start in the Derby City Distaff.
Offlee Naughty. The 6-year-old son of Flashback was third last out in the San Luis Rey (G3), a race he won last year to cap a three-race win streak. He’ll start next in the Charles Whittingham (G2), which he also won last year.