Barn Notes
Big Brown Helps Send Hey Byrn to Ohio Derby
Trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. was keeping his options open for Bea Oxenberg’s 3-year-old Hey Byrn until weighing the results of Saturday’s 134th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, and after watching Big Brown’s tour de force victory, has all but ruled out the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico in two weeks.
“That was just an unbelievable performance,” said Plesa Sunday morning. “I would think that will make for a short field for the Preakness. We’re looking at the Ohio Derby (G2) on May 31st,” referring to the $300,000 test for 3-year-olds to be run at 1 1/8 miles at Thistledown near Cleveland.
Plesa would likely have run Hey Byrn in the Kentucky Derby if his $140,000 in Graded stakes earnings had been enough to get into the maximum field of 20 after his fourth-place finish behind Big Brown in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on May 29 and victory in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) there two weeks later on Apr. 12 in his last start.
Meanwhile, Plesa has already sent a substantial division of runners to Monmouth Park as he has with considerable success the last two years while maintaining his usual full contingent at Calder. The star of the Monmouth stable‘s division last year was Centaur Stable’s Gottcha Gold, runner-up in the first running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October.
“I sent some up there last weekend and I have some more going out today,” said Plesa, who saddled Isaac Muhtar’s homebred 3-year-old Fearless Eagle to capture Saturday $36,000 Jackie Wackie overnight stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf here, the stable’s third victory in the early days of the meet.
“He ran a big race and may go to the Monmouth division with all the opportunities available up there (northeast).” Fearless Eagle is a Florida-bred by 2001 Kentucky Derby runner-up Invisible Ink. Fearless Eagle finished a good third in the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs in his previous start on Apr. 5th behind Soldier’s Dancer and Silver Tree. He scored his biggest victory in the Pete Axthelm Stakes here in late December.
Gottcha Gold breezed five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 at Calder Saturday morning as the 5-year-old homebred bay horse by Coronado’s Quest prepares for his next start after a very impressive 3 ½ lengths victory in the Skip Away Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream on Mar. 15th under regular rider Chuck Lopez.
“One possibility in the Memorial Day Handicap (G3) here (May 26th),” said Plesa of a race that could fit well on the schedule he followed last year when he won the Salvatore Mile Handicap (G3) at Monmouth on June 23rd over Lawyer Ron and the Philip H. Iselin Handicap (G3) in August prior to his big effort behind Corinthian in the Breeders’ Cup.
While Gottcha Gold was leading the Monmouth division of Plesa’s stable last summer, Padua Stable’s homebred gelding Electrify anchored the stable’s good meet at Calder, winning four stakes races, including the Carl Rose Classic on Florida Million Day in November and the Fred W. Hooper Handicap (G3) in December.
A chestnut son of Delaware Township, Electrify won the Forever Whirl Stakes at Gulfstream by 8 ¾ lengths in his last start on Florida Derby Day, Mar. 29th. “He’s had a little setback since then that we decided needed 30 days on the farm, but I expect him to come back just fine.”
Looking ahead to the summer on all fronts for his stable, Plesa said, “It’s an exciting time for us. It feels good to get up in the mornings.”
Cruz & Tortora Off to Good Calder Starts
Veteran jockey Manoel Cruz was back at Calder Sunday after riding Mount Joy Stable’s 3-year-old Smooth Air to finish 11th of 20 behind Big Brown in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs for Calder-based trainer Bennie Stutts, Jr.
Florida Derby runner-up Smooth Air was the 37-year-old Brazilian’s first ride in the ‘Run for the Roses’ and he returns to Calder where he leads the standings narrowly with eight victories after the first six days, one more than Pascacio Lopez second with seven and defending Calder meet champion Elvis Trujillo third.
Veteran horseman Manny Tortora is the all-time leading trainer in the nearly 40-year history of Calder with 1,048 victories during Calder meets and is atop the list for Tropical-at-Calder sessions as well with 404 winners. In the early days of this meet, Tortora leads with four winners, one more than Eddie Plesa, Jr., Bill White and Christophe Clement at three apiece.
