Barn Notes
Trujillo Two-for-Two in Return Friday at Calder
Trainer Marty Wolfson provided jockey Elvis Trujillo with the perfect vehicle for his first mount in two months at Calder Race Course in Friday’s fifth race as Edmund Gann and Michael Zerolo’s 3-year-old Motovato drew off to score by 15 lengths, timed seven furlongs in 1:22 1/5, two-fifths off the track record.
Trujillo was riding a race for the first time since suffering a broken wrist in a spill at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 23. The 24-year-old Panamanian, leading rider at the Calder Meet last year with 160 victories, also won with his only other mount Friday, winning the sixth race on Peytonrella for trainer Jose Pinchin.
“I told him (Trujillo) before the race that he (Motovato) was training great and ought to win,” said Wolfson of the recent addition to his stable after the son of Proud Citizen had finished seventh of eight last out in an allowance race at Gulfstream on Mar. 20 for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Motovato was making his fifth career start in Friday’s ‘a other than’ allowance. He won his debut in May last year at Delaware Park by nine lengths for trainer Gary Contessa and was sold privately to Gann, finishing fifth behind Kodiak Kowboy in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in July in his only other start as a 2-year-old.
Motovato ran well to finish fourth in his 3-year-old debut going a mile at Gulfstream on Feb. 22 before his disappointing performance on Mar. 20 when he got off to a poor start.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do with him,” said Wolfson. “One possibility would be the ($300,000) Carry Back Stakes (G2),” referring to the six-furlong dash to be run on ‘Summit of Speed’ day here this year on July 12. Motovato brings to six the number of horses Wolfson has under his care at Calder for owner Edmund Gann.
Wolfson will run Gann’s 4-year-old French-bred filly Eclisse in today’s $300,000 Mairzy Doates Handicap and Denholtz Stable’s 3-year-old filly Shes All Eltish as the morning-line favorite in the $200,000 Calder Oaks on the inaugural ‘Turf Million’ program.
Hey Byrn Works Saturday Morning; Awaits Derby Developments
Bea Oxenberg’s Hey Byrn appears unlikely to make the cut for next Saturday’s 134th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, but the son of Put It Back worked a strong five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Saturday morning at Calder as trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. gets him ready for his next engagement, pending developments.
“We’re still ready to go to the Derby if he were to get in,” said Plesa, “although that looks pretty doubtful. He worked a good five-eighths this morning (2nd fastest of 33 timed at the distance). If he doesn’t get in the Derby, we’ll watch the race and see who drops out after that and look at the Preakness as an option. Another possibility would be the ($300,000) Ohio Derby (G2).” The Ohio Derby will be run on Sat., May 31 at Thistledown.
Hey Byrn finished fourth to Big Brown in the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 29 and came back two weeks later to score an impressive 2 ¼ lengths victory in the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) there going 1 3/16 miles on Apr. 12 to bring his Graded stakes earnings to $140,000, still below what it will likely take to get a berth in the maximum Derby field of 20.
Options ‘Open’ for Golden Spikes
While trainer Marty Wolfson is not sure where 3-year-old Motovato is headed next, he appears to be narrowing down the next target for M375 Thoroughbreds and Suarez Racing’s 3-year-old Golden Spikes - either the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G2) going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park or the $400,000 Lone Star Derby (G3) going 1 1/16 miles at Lone Star Park in Texas, both to be run on Sat., May 10.
“I was looking at the Peter Pan (G2) at Belmont, but I think that race might come up a little tougher with Keep Laughing and some others in there,” said Wolfson. A son of Seeking the Gold, Golden Spikes finished second in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne in Chicago last out on Apr. 5, four lengths behind front-running Recapturetheglory, whose next start is the Kentucky Derby.
