1 of 3 | Built enters the Kentucky Derby picture with a victory in Saturday’s Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. Photo courtesy of Fair Grounds
Dec. 23 (UPI) — Built added his name to the list of Kentucky Derby contenders with a weekend victory in New Orleans while Rocket Can and perhaps Saudi Crown earned consideration for the fast-approaching Pegasus World Cup with Saturday wins at Gulfstream Park and Fair Grounds, respectively.
On the global scene, 3-year-old filly Regaleira carried the day in the Arima Kinen in Japan and Measured Time was impressive in Dubai.
Here’s how it went …
The Road to the Roses
Built moved quickly to the lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds and steadily built his advantage through the 1 1/16 miles to score by 6 3/4 lengths.
Magnitude was best of the rest, with odds-on favorite Admiral Dennis checking in fourth, beaten by 16 1/2 lengths.
Built, a Hard Spun colt trained by Wayne Catalano, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.53. It was his third start and second win.
Built earned 10 points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” leaderboard and moved into an eight-way tie for fourth through 12th.
On Saturday’s Fair Grounds undercard, Tough Catch rolled to a fairly easy 1-length victory in the $100,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes. The 3-year-old had finished second in each of his two previous starts, at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.
The Road to the Oaks
Her Laugh had the last laugh at the end of Saturday’s $100,000 Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds.
The Practical Joke filly actually brought smiles to her backers while leading throughout the 1 mile and 70 yards and never had much competition en route to a 2 1/2-length victory. The favorite, Golden Gamble, was second.
Classic
Rocket Can outfinished Tumbarumba in the final sixteenth of Saturday’s $165,000 Grade III Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park, working past that one and edging away to a 1 1/4-length victory.
Rocket Can, a 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief, was clocked in 1:45.01 for 1 1/16 miles of fast track. Trainer Bill Mott said the win puts the $3 million Grade I Pegasus World Cup on the radar for Rocket Can, who won the 2023 Holy Bull Stakes over the track.
Saudi Crown, making his first start since finishing 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, got healthy in Saturday’s $100,000 Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds, emerging from a pace-stalking trip to win by 2 lengths over Kinetic.
A 4-year-old colt by Always Dreaming, Saudi Crown ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.35.
Turf
Major Dude won a three-way photo in Saturday’s $215,000 Grade II Fort Lauderdale Stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf. The 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro colt rallied from mid-pack with Fort Washington right behind. Trainer Todd Pletcher is eyeing the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 25.
Gigante rallied to the lead with a three-wide move in Saturday’s $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial at Fair Grounds and won by 1 length over Idratherbeblessed.
A 4-year-old Not This Time colt from the Steve Asmussen training program, Giganta ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:45.62.
Filly & Mare Turf
Be Your Best stalked the pace in Saturday’s $165,000 Grade III Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park, got to the lead in the upper stretch and won by 1 length over Papilio. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said the Grade II Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf on Jan. 25 is the next target.
Stir Crazy got through inside early leader Join the Dance in the stretch run of Saturday’s $100,000 Blushing K.D. Stakes at Fair Grounds and ran on to win by 1/2 length over that rival.
Turf Sprint
Coppola shot quickly to the lead from the No. 11 gate in Saturday’s $140,000 Janus Stakes at Gulfstream Park and showed the way thereafter, winning by 3/4 length from the favorite, Arzak.
Bear River wasted no time getting to the front in Saturday’s $100,000 Richard R. Scherer Memorial at Fair Grounds and edged clear late to win by 2 1/4 lengths from Minnesota Ready.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Mystic Lake, returning from a three-month break, closed through the final furlong of Saturday’s $140,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes at Gulfstream Park and got there first by 3/4 length as the odds-on favorite.
The 4-year-old Mo Town filly turned in 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.20 with Irad Ortiz Jr. riding for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Spirit Wind rallied down the lane to win Saturday’s $150,000 Poinsettia Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 3/4 length over Fibber. Spirit Wind also is trained by the ubiquitous Saffie Joseph Jr., who had her cross-entered in the Sugar Swirl.
Around the world, around the clock
Japan
With the early favorite, Japan Cup winner Do Deuce, scratched two days before the race, Sunday’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen looked like a wide-open affair among some accomplished, if not always consistent, contenders.
When the dust settled over the Nakayama Racecourse turf, it was 3-year-old filly Regaleira winning a head-bob over world traveler Shahryar as three of the first six placings went to 3-year-olds.
Jockey Keita Tosaki kept Regaleira in loose touch with the pacesetter, Japan Derby winner Danon Decile, moved through a seam turning into the stretch with Shahryar ranging up on the outside, and the finish was close enough he wasn’t sure he’d won.
Danon Decile finished third and Urban Chic, winner of this year’s Japanese St. Leger, was an honorable sixth.
Regaleira had not won since taking the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes nearly a year ago and finished sixth in the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and fifth in the Derby. Two intervening races against female rivals weren’t much better, but a leisurely pace and the 2,500 meters of the Arima Kinen obviously agreed with her.
Dubai
Godolphin’s Measured Time served notice he’ll be one to reckon with in the new year with a smashing, course-record victory in Friday’s Group 2 Al Rashidiya Stakes at Meydan Racecourse.
The 4-year-old Frankel colt went right to the lead, found no serious competition and cruised home first by 7 lengths. The time of 1:45.11 smashed a 10-year-old record, despite the rail being set out 8 meters and without jockey William Buick asking him for his best effort.
The secondary feature on the Meydan card, the Group 2 Al Maktoum Mile (G2) on the dirt course, also was a gate-to-wire affair, as Meshtri had no trouble with five rivals and won by 1 length over Qareeb.
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Photo: Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire Built, the Hard Spun colt trained by Wayne Catalano, joined the leaderboard for Kentucky Derby
