Golden Soul vs. Four Stakes Winners in Diliberto
Friday’s Fair Grounds Race Course feature, the $50,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial, could be the next showcase of what seems to be a gilded renaissance period in the career of 2013 Grade I Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul. After 15 consecutive losses following his excellent Fair Grounds maiden victory on Dec. 30, 2012, the Charles Fipke-homebred son of Perfect Soul has put together two eye-catching wins over Churchill Downs’ turf course. The latter of which – on Nov. 28 – saw the chestnut charge accelerate away from a field that included stakes winner Dorsett and earn a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
The Diliberto will be a chance for the always well-intended colt to prove his value even more as he takes on eight other talented foes, including four stakes winners and three other graded stakes-placed competitors. Golden Soul will be ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr. from post five and has been assigned a 5-1 morning line.
Chief among those rivals is Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s homebred Gentleman’s Kitten. From the country’s leading owners and to be ridden by leading rider James Graham for the always-dangerous Mike Maker barn, the son of Kitten’s Joy enters off a subpar effort in the Grade III River City Handicap. Previously, the bay colt was a good second in the $100,000 Remington Green at Remington Park and won the $50,000 Cliff Guilliams at Ellis Park by nearly nine lengths (earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure). Gentleman’s Kitten breaks from the rail and has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite.
Untried on the grass, but always tough on the main course, is Maggi Moss’ 4-1 morning line second-choice Grand Contender. Trained by Tom Amoss, the son of Strong Contender was third last out when defending his $250,000 Delta Mile title at Delta Downs. Despite being without turf form, Grand Contender’s pedigree suggests the sod should pose little issue, especially with grass stakes winner Shimmy (by Nijinsky) as a second dam and French champion Ambiorix in his immediate lineage. Should the Diliberto come off the grass, the bay 6-year-old gelding will most likely take over the role as favorite when he breaks from his assigned six-post under Francisco Torres.
Conditioner Wayne Catalano, who used to train both Gentleman’s Kitten and Louie Roussel-trained and -owned outsider Treasury Bill (post four, 15-1), has entered Team Valor’s graded stakes winner Infinite Magic. Victorious in the Grade III American Derby at Arlington International Racecourse and second in the Grade II Del Mar Derby as a sophomore in 2013, the 4-year-old ridgling son of More Than Ready looks to return to form following seven consecutive poor showings since Del Mar. To be ridden for the first time by Robby Albarado from the outside post nine, he has been assigned morning line odds of 8-1 and will look to improve upon a fourth in a grassy one-mile optional claimer last out at Churchill Downs on Nov. 7. A few favorable aspects for Infinite Magic include a career-high Beyer of 91 earned in defeat last out and a steady and positive work pattern leading into what will be his fourth race under the tutelage of his multiple Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer.
The field is completed by the late Jim Tafel’s Greg Geier-trained graded stakes-placed and Fair Grounds-loving All Stormy (post two, 15-1), Chuck and Ella Lou Hagaman’s Ron Moquett-trained 7-year-old Grade I-placed warhorse Bim Bam (post three, 6-1), Riverside Bloodstock and Dan Beaty’s improving Conor Murphy-trained 5-year-old Heuston (post seven, 20-1) and Diamond Racing et al’s Leo Gabriel-trained Adios Nardo (post eight, 9-2), who was second in last year’s Diliberto to Daddy Nose Best and has been off since April 16.
RECORD SETTER GOOD DEED HAS MORE LEFT FOR PAN ZARETA
Richard and Bertram Klein’s high-speed homebred mare Good Deed exited her track-record setting allowance score on Dec. 14 in fine form, according to trainer Steve Margolis. The daughter of Broken Vow out of graded stakes-winning sprint mare Hidden Assets shook off the dust of a nine-month layoff with style on Sunday – besting a stakes-quality field by 5¼ lengths under jockey Brian Hernandez in a lightning 1:02.31 for the 5½ grassy furlongs.
“She came out in good shape,” Margolis reported on Wednesday morning. “Everything is good so far. We were hoping for a good race off the layoff. You hope that when they get older that they still have that spark and be competitive, especially in a tough field. It was a stakes race with an allowance purse, but that happens with these kinds of horses.”
The bay 5-year-old mare had been off since a photo-finish third in the $60,000 Mardi Gras Stakes on March 4 and had only two works on the tab prior to the allowance – including a swift five-furlong move in 1:00.20 eight days antecedent.
“We were actually going to train her up to the ($60,000) Pan Zareta (Stakes on Jan. 10),” Margolis explained. “We were playing catch-up getting her ready. I spoke with Richard Klein and decided it was best to run her while she was doing well in the allowance. We’ll go to the Pan Zareta next.”
The prospect of Good Deed still having gears remaining after such a spectacular performance – especially considering how she was only lightly roused at the top of the stretch and quickly put her competition to bed – is not news to her conditioner. The earner of $326,803 has always been highly regarded and has four stakes wins in her 15 starts as evidence.
“You can see on her form that she’s always been a talented horse,” Margolis continued. “Last year we came off a layoff into the Pan Zareta and the turf was really soft and tiring and she finished second. Now she’s back to herself and has really done well since she’s been (at Fair Grounds). She’s had little issues here and there, but she’s lightly raced and we’re looking forward to keeping her healthy and moving forward. She’s a little tough to gallop, but she’s really a sweetheart and it’s rewarding to watch her develop and to also train another good one from (Hidden Assets). She’s been a very good mare for the owners and me.”
Source: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots