THOROUGHBRED BEAT
MARCH 16, 2006
by James Scully
Two turns — STRONG CONTENDER (Maria’s Mon), KEYED ENTRY (Honour and
Glory) and SHOWING UP (Strategic Mission) are all impressive winners in Florida
this year being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby (G1). Strong Contender earned
a 108 BRIS Speed rating last time, Keyed Entry a 112 and Showing Up a 107. All
three may stretch out successfully, but it’s the middle of March and none of
them have been two turns yet. Gulfstream doesn’t provide an opportunity for
lightly raced three-year-olds to try a mile or 8 1/2 furlongs around two turns
anymore, so they’ve been limited to one-turn events. And all three will ship out
of the Sunshine State for their first true route test — Strong Contender to
Turfway for the Lane’s End S. (G2), Keyed Entry to Aqueduct for Saturday’s Gotham S. (G3) and
Showing Up to Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial (G1). The Kentucky Derby is seven weeks from
Saturday, and these talented colts could all have a serious impact upon the
Triple Crown. They each have the potential to get a classic distance this spring
based on pedigree, but we’re waiting to see them try two turns first.
Turf — A couple of grass performances stood out last weekend at
Gulfstream. On Saturday, ENGLISH CHANNEL (Smart Strike) captured his seasonal
debut in the Canadian Turf H. The Todd Pletcher trainee defeated a solid group
of rivals in good fashion, earning century-topping BRIS Speed and Late Pace
numbers, and he appears set for a strong four-year-old campaign. English Channel
reeled off four straight wins before finishing second in the Secretariat S. (G1)
last August. Following a brief freshening, he returned with an excellent second
in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), beaten only a head with eventual Breeders’
Cup Turf (G1) runner-up Ace (Ire) (Danehill) behind him in third. English
Channel was the best U.S.-based horse in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, finishing fifth
behind four Europeans, and we can look forward to some great match-ups with
Shakespeare (Theatrical [Ire]) this year. On Sunday, GO BETWEEN (Point Given)
established himself as a top three-year-old turf runner with a game win in the
Palm Beach S. (G3). Like many from sire Point Given’s first crop, the Bill
Mott-trained colt has really flourished at three following a non-descript
juvenile campaign. After opening this year with a maiden special weight victory
in mid-February, Go Between jumped right into the stakes company on Saturday
against much more seasoned opponents. He surged to the lead in upper stretch,
but faced a serious late challenge from the favored Up an Octave (Brahms). Go
Between would not allow his stakes-winning rival to go past, and it’s easy to
envision him continuing to get better.
Grand showdown — Seldom does a well-hyped match-up live up to the
billing, but Saturday’s Azeri Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park delivered.
Grade 1 winners ROUND POND (Awesome Again) and HAPPY TICKET (Anet) hooked up
entering the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile contest, and little separated them
the rest of the way. Round Pond surged in the final yards to nip her rival by a
short head, but these classy distaffers looked like they could take turns
beating each other — and anybody else who showed up — the rest of the year.
The Azeri set the stage for a fantastic edition of the Apple Blossom H. (G1) on
April 8.
Fortune 6 — Nobody picked six on Wednesday at Beulah Park, leading to
a Fortune 6 carryover of more than $89,000 entering Friday’s program. That means
the pool will be well over $100,000, and it will really climb over the weekend
if it continues to carry. There hasn’t been a perfect ticket sold for the Grove
City, Ohio, track since February 18, and there should be plenty of interest from
across the country on Friday. The fields are big at Beulah, with at least eight
entries in every race of the Fortune 6 except one.