Ludicrous (and other notes on Saturday's 2yo race @ the Spa)
DiscreetCat
Moderator
Interesting findings tonight when i was going over the Saratoga 2yo race for Saturday's card:
The even-money ml favorite (#8 Aldrin, who brought $1,000,000 at the April Keeneland sale) has worked heads-up at least 4 times in a row with an unraced horse named Ludicrous. Upon further research, i found that Ludicrous also happened to work the fastest quarter-mile at that sale (20.0). Also of note, Ludicrous is out of the mare Victory Ride, and i'm sure you guys remember her.
So obviously, if Aldrin runs well here, be on the lookout for Ludicrous.
The even-money ml favorite (#8 Aldrin, who brought $1,000,000 at the April Keeneland sale) has worked heads-up at least 4 times in a row with an unraced horse named Ludicrous. Upon further research, i found that Ludicrous also happened to work the fastest quarter-mile at that sale (20.0). Also of note, Ludicrous is out of the mare Victory Ride, and i'm sure you guys remember her.
So obviously, if Aldrin runs well here, be on the lookout for Ludicrous.
Comments
First off, the Asmussen trainee (#4 Bayered, 6/1 ml) worked heads-up on July 8 with Tapitsphere, who won first time out @ Churchill Downs. The time of that race was not very impressive, however, Tapitsphere did overcome a slow break to come from behind and win the race, so some extra credit has to be given for that. More recently, Bayered worked the last couple of times with an unraced barnmate named So Cal (entered tomorrow, on the AE list of Race 3), and did outwork that one in the July 15 gate drill. So there's probably something here.
Secondly, and perhaps even more interestingly, we have #2 Da Jenius (12/1 ml), from the California outfit of Eric Guillot and Southern Equine Stable (though Da Jenius has been at Saratoga since at least early June).
Now, i'm not really a fan of Guillot 2yo's in a general sense, but what catches the eye here is that Da Jenius is out of Madcap Escapade, who was something of a superstar several years back, winning 7-of-9 career starts, almost exclusively against graded stakes competition.
As for her offspring Da Jenius, during the last several weeks he has worked with a 3yo barnmate named Lovely Elle, at least two and possibly three different times. In fact, Da Jenius has outworked Lovely Elle, and that's noteworthy not only because Lovely Elle is a 3yo, but more importantly because Lovely Elle was entered yesterday (Friday) in a 3yo maiden-claimer, and ran a very strong third, though she was beaten roughly 7 lengths at the wire. Reason being, Lovely Elle absolutely blew the start, breaking about 3 lengths slow, but then flashed excellent speed when immediately rushing up to the heels of the leading group, then shifted to the outside on the turn and came up to challenge the heavy 4/5 favorite into the lane, before all her efforts finally caught up with her and she faltered. Still a nice run though, and quite encouraging that Da Jenius has been outworking that gal (particularly considering the age difference).
But wait, there's more. If you go back to the June 28 worktab @ Saratoga, you can see that Da Jenius appeared to work heads-up on that day with another 3yo, that one being Legend (who was last seen running second in the Easy Goer Stakes behind Preakness entrant Kid Cruz). Now, i say "appeared" to work with Legend, because that one is not trained by Guillot, but rather by the local trainer James Bond. I checked to see if James Bond has any kind of allegiance with Guillot or Southern Equine Stable, but i couldn't find anything on that (would love to hear about it if you guys have any examples). I'm assuming that Da Jenius may have been stabled in the Bond barn, because as mentioned earlier, Guillot is a Southern California trainer, and Da Jenius has been @ Saratoga since early June, so he had to be stabled somewhere other than in a Guillot barn. In any case, several things are pointing to this one potentially being a runner, and the price figures to be very large here (particularly with the crowd all over the million-dollar Chad Brown horse, not to mention the 9/5 Pletcher second choice, assuming that one draws in from the also-eligible list). I'll probably be on Da Jenius in some form or fashion. GLTA.
The Pennsylvania-bred Todays Agenda, by Monba out of the Pine Bluff mare Alisons winner, was purchased by the Lieblongs for $180,000 in Ocala in March and will make his first start on Saturday at Saratoga.
Im telling you to bet on him, Kim said. I also like a filly named More Than This. Shes going to be a while, but shes one of my favorites.
The "Kim" in question is Tony Dutrow's wife, who is also the stable manager.
Well that sucks.
Who knows though, maybe it'll work out for the best. Perhaps we can get him entered in a softer field at a later date. This one looked pretty tough.
Double bad luck. If that horse doesn't scratch, the Pletcher doesn't get in and me and Ray have a pile of cash. Had the exacta enough to get my money back.
Bayerd went off @ 9/1 and ran third. Just missed completing the exacta behind the heavy favorite.
Kinda pissed...it was paying like 17/1.
Loved Bully Proof on Thursday. Kiaran has one on the turf later today with Ortiz up after these 2 ran out in the 1st I think he is due
Indeed. It also appears that Competitive Edge worked with Tax Package in the July 7 gate drill, although Tax Package was .02 slower (and now we know why).
Or needs some distance on second look....
Some other notes on Saturday's 4th. Will get to the other horses shortly (if necessary):
Looks like #2 Requite just worked a heads-up bullet a few days ago with W V Jetsetter, a Calhoun trainee who was 2-for-3 down @ Lone Star Park including a stakes win. Not sure if that one may be a transfer or a private purchase, though i tend to doubt it because Calhoun does occasionally run some 2yos up here. Might be a coincidence (regarding the matching times), but probably not.
As for the Pletcher/Super Saver colt (#9 Dada Maino), nothing of real note there, however, it does appear that he was outworked back on July 7 by an unraced colt named Biedermeier, who i recently spotted in a 3-horse team drill with two other horses who have already won (one a Pletcher, one a Graham Motion trainee). That's already the second time Biedermeier's name has popped up, so keep an eye out for him, although it's worth noting that Biedermeier is actually a 3yo.
Btw, Da Jenius has only worked once since the scratch. Not too crazy about that; might've been something physical. Nothing of note in that drill.
Requite is tearing a hole in the Spa track and will be HAMMERED at the windows tomorrow. The 8/1 ML is FUNNY! Don't sleep on Call Daddy!
His last work he handled W V Jetsetter with ease, and galloped out like a BEAST. WV never could get passed him at any time. He toyed with him!
Last Sunday I was at Saratoga talking to a guy who was sitting in front of me who had a 50% share in a horse in the 3rd that day that finished 2nd. Anyways he told me to be on the lookout for M Friedman trained 2yo's even though the entry he had in the first that day finished dead last the same connections are back tomorrow with Call Daddy.
And here's our confirmation...
Trainer George Weaver hasnt had very long to get acquainted with W V Jetsetter, who was purchased privately and sent to Saratoga less than two weeks ago. But what Weavers seen, hes liked enough to believe hes got as good a chance as any to win Sundays $200,000 Saratoga Special.
The one horse we haven't covered yet who could be a threat is Two Weeks Off, a ridiculously-short 7/5 ml favorite for Pletcher. That one worked a heads-up bullet from the gate with Royal Son, who came out of that drill to run a close second in 1:10 and change last weekend.
Looks like it'll be Requite for me, though i'll definitely be using Da Jenius in some way also.
He pays $5.50 off a 8/1 ML as the post time favorite, with two TAP separate runners in the heat. #UnReal He wasn't a secret (LOL)!