LOUISVILLE — At about 7 p.m. Saturday, 25-year-old Mario Gutierrez was escorted by a group of handlers and several police officers into the paddock at Churchill Downs. The sign over his head, the one touting the 138 years of Kentucky Derby history by listing the first and last winners, had already been changed to add: I’ll Have Another.
Gutierrez became the 42nd jockey to win in his first try at the Derby, guiding the long-striding, Doug O’Neill-trained colt past 4-1 morning line favorite Bodemeister in the final furlong to a victory by 11 / 2 lengths… Read more>>
I’ll Have Another edges Creative Cause in SA Derby
Posted on Monday, April 9th, 2012 at 9:39 am.
Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) winner I’ll Have Another out finished San Felipe Stakes (G2) victor Creative Cause andgame pacesetter Blueskiesnrainbows to win a Santa AnitaDerby (G1) thriller on Saturday at Santa Anita Park. “I saw Creative Cause come up on the inside and I thought for a split second, running second in the Santa Anita Derby is pretty freaking good,” said winning trainer DougO’Neill, who trains I’ll Have Another for owner J. Paul Reddam. “All the wins are big at the time, but right now, this feels as big as it ever gets. ”Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who was riding in the SantaAnita Derby for the first time, the three-year-old Flower Alley colt stalked 42.30-to-1 outsider Blueskiesnrainbows through an opening quarter in :23.11 and a half-mile in :47.11 in the 1-1⁄8-mile race. Read the complete article here>>
Top two from SA Derby & Wood on to Louisville…
Posted on Monday, April 9th, 2012 at 8:08 am.
Thoroughbred Times|April 8, 2012| Page 1-2
A day after thrilling finishes in key TripleCrown prep races in New York and Southern California, the connections of the top two finishers from both the Santa AnitaDerby (G1) and Resorts World Casino NewYork City Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) confirmed their horses for the Kentucky DerbyPresented by Yum Brands (G1) on May 5. Santa Anita Derby winner I’ll Have Another and runner-up Creative Cause will move on to Louisville as will Wood Memorial victor Gemologist and secondplace finisher Alpha, but on Sunday it was a horse already in Central Kentucky gearing up for his final Derby prep who generated major buzz… To read the complete article, follow this link>>
Willa B Awesome looks for follow-up…
Posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2012 at 5:25 am.
By Joe Nevills | Thoroughbred Times TODAY | March 1, 2012 3
Willa B Awesome parlayed a successful juvenile campaignon the California state-bred stakes circuit last year into her first gradedstakes victory in her most recent start. She will attempt to jump in class againon Saturday and string together a pairof graded stakes scores in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) at Santa AnitaPark.
The one-mile race for three-year-oldfillies attracted a field of eight, including five who have won or placed ingraded stakes competition… Read more>>
O’Neill hopes he has ‘Another’ Derby Horse
Posted on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 1:15 pm.
O’Neill hopes he has ‘Another’ Derby horse for owner Reddam
by Steve Bailey
Thoroughbred Times TODAY| Februar y 9, 2012|pg 4
If trainer Doug O’Neill had gotten his way, I’ll Have Another would have made his first start in five months in an allowance race.
Instead, he may have a horse for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (G1) after J. Paul Reddam’s chestnut Flower Alley colt captured the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park at odds of 43.30-to-1.
It was Reddam that, when he heard O’Neill and his brother Dennis talking about the allowance race, let them know that their sights were not set nearly high enough… Read more>>
LACIE SLEW rallies to victory…
Posted on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 5:15 am.
Laurel: Lacie Slew rallies to victory in Maryland Racing Media
Lacie Slew made a wide move under rider Joe Rocco Jr. leaving the eighth pole and went from fourth in a field of five to the one-length winner of Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes. Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue Lacie Slew, with Joe Rocco Jr. riding, wins the Maryland Racing Media.
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The 8-1 Pilot Point Lady made the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Racing Media, setting fractions of 24.88 seconds, 48.67, and 1:13.01, with the 6-5 favorite, Acting Happy, in close pursuit while Rocco saved ground aboard Lacie Slew. Pilot Point Lady led Acting Happy by a head entering the stretch. Those two bumped a furlong out, and Acting Happy would fade to fourth… Read more>>
I’LL HAVE ANOTHER WINS ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES
Posted on Thursday, February 9th, 2012 at 9:31 am.
I'LL HAVE ANOTHER WINS ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES- Benoit & Associates photo
Posted at www.thoroughbredtimes.com Wednesday, February 08, 2012 6:51 PM
by Steve Bailey
If trainer Doug O’Neill had had his way, I’ll Have Another would have made his first start in five months in an allowance race. Instead, he may have a horse for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (G1) after J. Paul Reddam’s chestnut Flower Alley colt captured the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park at odds of 43.30-to-1… Read more>>
Santa Anita: WILLA B AWESOME pulls off upset in Santa Ysabel
Posted on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 5:49 am.
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Willa B Awesome, with Martin Pedroza in the saddle, wins the Santa Ysabel. Benoit & Associates Photo
ARCADIA, Calif. – The scratches of expected pacesetters Coup de Coeur and Eden’s Moon led trainer Walther Solis to change his strategy for Willa B Awesome in Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.
“I was thinking of laying third or fourth,” Solis said. But he said that when he saw the scratches, he told jockey Martin Pedroza, “Let’s go to the lead.” Read more >>
APRIORITY overcomes stumble to win Mr. Prospector
Posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 3:18 pm.
All appeared to be lost for Donald Dizney’s homebred Apriority as soon as the gates opened and the colt stumbled and nearly touched the dirt with his nose to star t the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The four-year-old by Grand Slam, however, refused to give in as he found a way to relax and track the pace before pushing a head in front of Zero Rate Policy for his first victory since March.
Apriority’s ability to not only recover from the stumble but also to settle and accelerate when needed led to his first graded stakes victory.
“I thought we were done at the start after he stumbled so bad,” winning trainer David Fawkes said. “We’re lucky [jockey Luis Saez] stayed on. It’s amazing what he overcame to win it.” Read more>>
De Kock’s 1-5 shot Igugu out of Paddock Stakes
Posted on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 2:25 pm.
South Africa: Horse of the Year Igugu, as short as 1-5 for the TBA Paddock Stakes, has been scratched from Saturday’s Grade 1 Kenilworth test after picking up a respiratory infection. There is also a doubt about her running in the J &B Met on January 28 and she is 6-4 favourite for that. She pulled up coughing after an exercise gallop on Monday and mucopus was found in her trachea.
Trainer Mike de Kock said: “The respiratory infection is not serious, horses normally recover quickly and we’ve treated her with antibiotics… Read more>>
