Barn Notes
Curlin Departs Fair Grounds Friday Morning for Dubai
FAIR GROUNDS BARN NOTES
Headlines for Friday, February 15, 2008
· Curlin Departs Fair Grounds Friday Morning for Dubai
· Blackberry Road Returning in Louisiana Derby
· Tale of Ekati – Louisiana Derby Diamond in the Rough
· YouTube’s Greatest Racing Hits Include Dooley’s Call of Pyro
· 2007 Louisiana Derby Hero Circular Quay Runs Saturday
· $150,000 Bayou Handicap Feb. 23 Shaping Up Strong
· Don’t Dismiss Unforgotten in Saturday’s Chou Croute
Curlin Departs Fair Grounds Friday Morning for Dubai
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin departed the Fair Grounds backstretch Friday morning before the early-morning break in training hours. Along with Scott Blasi, trainer Steve Asmussen’s chief assistant, Curlin is headed for south Florida on the first leg of a journey to the United Arab Emirates where he is slated to compete in the Grade I Dubai World Cup March 29.
In a final Fair Grounds work Monday morning, Curlin breezed seven furlongs in a sizzling 1:23.60 – the only move recorded at that distance on that worktab. Curlin has not raced since his winning effort in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Oct. 27, but has been conspicuous on the local worktab in recent weeks.
Prior to the $6 million Dubai World Cup – the world’s richest Thoroughbred horse race – Curlin is being pointed for a prep race on Feb. 28 at Nad Al Sheba.
Six-time Fair Grounds leading rider Robby Albarado said he will ride Curlin on Feb. 28, leaving New Orleans for Dubai three days prior. He will miss two days of racing at Fair Grounds and is expected to accept engagements for the March 1 program.
Blackberry Road Returning in Louisiana Derby
Dogwood Stable’s Blackberry Road, a troubled fifth in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Risen Star Stakes last Saturday, will stay around to compete in the Grade II Louisiana Derby March 8, Dogwood president Cot Campbell confirmed Thursday.
“We have decided to stay home (at Fair Grounds) for several reasons,” Campbell said while discounting reports of a trip to Turfway Park for the Grade II Lane’s End March 22.
“For one thing – more money,” said Campbell, speaking of the $600,000 Louisiana Derby purse as opposed to $500,000 for the Lane’s End. “For another, the timing (of the Louisiana Derby) is better. It gives us more time to do what we have to do to get ready for the Kentucky Derby. And lastly, of course, we already know he likes the New Orleans racetrack.”
Blackberry Road ran a fast-closing second in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Lecomte Stakes Jan. 12 before his traffic-compromised run in the Risen Star.
“We thought Blackberry Road was probably second best in the Risen Star,” Campbell said. “I doubt that he would have beaten Pyro, but I do think he would have been second. He came out of the race okay, not very tired, but with some cuts and scrapes on his legs from being in tight quarters and shuffling back and forth trying to find a hole.”
Tale of Ekati – Louisiana Derby Diamond in the Rough
Charles Fipke’s Tale of Ekati worked a bullet five furlongs in :59 handily Thursday morning at Palm Meadows and remains on course for an anticipated start in the $600,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby March 8.
Tale of Ekati captured the Grade II Futurity at Belmont last September before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Barclay Tagg trainee is unraced as a sophomore but is being pointed for Fair Grounds’ showcase event.
How did Tale of Ekati get his unusual name? Fipke, as a noted geologist, is a leading figure in the discovery of diamonds in North America, and found a diamond mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Fipke’s find led to the establishment of the Ekati Mine in 1998, located near Lac de Gras, which is considered to be one of the world’s largest diamond mines. Fipke owns 10 percent of that mine, which accounts for four percent of the world’s diamond production.
In this sub-arctic land, “Ekati” is a native language word for “fat.” White quartz rock is found in abundance in the area where the new diamond mine is located. The native elders compare the white veins that run through the rock to caribou fat, and in that culture caribou fat is seen as a symbol of great value.
YouTube’s Greatest Racing Hits Include Dooley’s Call of Pyro
As of Friday morning, Fair Grounds announcer John G. Dooley’s dramatic call of Pyro going from worst to first in last weekend’s Risen Star Stakes had received 2,902 hits on YouTube.
Based in large part on his eye-catching late rush in the final prep for Fair Grounds’ Grade II Louisiana Derby March 8 – accentuated by Dooley’s lauded stretch call – Pyro is the operative buzzword in pre-Kentucky Derby hype, and adds even more spice to the upcoming centerpiece event of the New Orleans racing season.
2007 Louisiana Derby Hero Circular Quay Runs Saturday
Michael and Doreen Tabor’s Circular Quay, who went from last to first in last year’s Louisiana Derby on his way to a 2 1/4-length tally, is set to begin his 2008 campaign Saturday in Santa Anita’s Grade II San Carlos Handicap at seven furlongs.
After winning here last year, Circular Quay made his next start in the Kentucky Derby following an eight-week gap between the two races and finished a late-closing sixth. The son of Thunder Gulch then ran fifth in the Preakness two weeks later. The Todd Pletcher trainee than concluded his 2007 campaign by running sixth in the Virginia Derby in his turf debut.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rode Giacomo to victory in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, will ride Circular Quay in the San Carlos Handicap.
$150,000 Bayou Handicap Feb. 23 Shaping Up Strong
Despite losing its Grade III ranking for this year’s 40th anniversary edition, next weekend’s $150,000 Bayou Handicap for grass-favoring older fillies and mares is shaping up strong.
French-bred Just Little, now owned by Edmund Gann and R. C. Thompson, is considered a strong possibility for the nine-furlong event slated for the Stall-Wilson turf course.
The daughter of Grand Slam, now in the barn of four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, finished sixth in her North American debut in last July’s Grade I American Oaks but was beaten less than four lengths for all of it. Previously, she won the Group III Prix Vanteaux last April 29 at Longchamp and was then second in the Group II Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly.
Pletcher, incidentally, was the winning trainer of last year’s Grade III Bayou Handicap heroine J’Ray, owned by Lawrence Goichman.
Among those likely for the 2008 Bayou Handicap is Live Oak Plantation’s Autobahn Girl, a two-time stakes winner at the meet, including last month’s Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap.
Sean Mulryan’s Ballymore Lady, a winner over the Gulfstream grass in her last start Jan. 12, and Rancha Fresa Inc.’s Candy Ball, second by a neck to Autobahn Girl in the Krantz Memorial, are also probable for the Bayou Handicap.
Weights for the Bayou will be released this weekend, and entries will be taken on Monday.
Don’t Dismiss Unforgotten in Saturday’s Chou Croute Handicap
Robert Adams’ Unforgotten, trained by Dallas Stewart, finished second in Fair Grounds $60,000 Truly Bound Handicap in her last start Jan. 19 and is the 9-2 third choice in the morning-line for Saturday’s Chou Croute Handicap.
However, the daughter of Northern Afleet was left off the first published nominations list for this weekend’s featured 1 1/16-mile event for older fillies and mares. That clerical error led to a corrected second edition of the Chou Croute nominations – explained with the following incongruous footnote:
“Unforgotten – inadvertently left off nominations list.”
Many years ago at Calder Race Course, there was a classically worded sign on the main floor of the grandstand that stood as a warning to South Florida’s racing public. It said: “Admissions Office – No Admittance.”
