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Two important races for the 3yos hoping to head to Kentucky in May
Keeneland hosts the Blue Grass and a great card on Saturday. The Appalachian sponsored by the JRA is over 1600m for 3yo fillies. The market has Pleasant Passage on 5/2, Cairo Consort on 3/1, Alpha Bellla on 9/2 and Papillo 6/1 with 9 to go to post.
The Madison is Gr 1 over 1400m for the f&m with only 5 runners so not a betting proposition unless you are in to short-priced favourite – Goodnight Olive is odds-on at 2/5 for Brown – I Ortiz and Society 3/1 for Asmussen- Geroux.
The Shakertown is Gr 2 over 1100m turf has 12 runners with 1 emergency. Brad Cox's Caraval is on 8/5 with Gaffalione riding, Arrest Me Red 9/2 for Wes Ward and Joel Rosario, and 5/1 Artemis Citylimits 5/1 for Maker- I Ortiz.
The Blue Grass Gr 1 is over 1800m and Tapit Times heads the call on 5/2 for Pletcher-
Saez. Verifying is on 3/1 for Cox – Gaffalione (ignore his last run), Raise Cain is on 9/2 for Ben Colebrook – Rosario is by Violence and won the Gotham by 7 ½ lengths and Blazing Sevens is on 6/1 for Brown- I Ortiz.
Over in California we have the Charles Whittingham Gr 2 over 2400m turf with 7 to run.
Gold Phoenix 2/1, winner of the Frank E Kilroe Gr 1 is trained by Phil d'Amato and will be ridden by young Japanese jockey Kazushi Kimura who now calls Woodbine home and has been Champion Jockey there for the past 2 years. Stablemate Masteroffoxhounds will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli and they are on 5/2.
The Santa Anita Derby is over 1800m and has 9 runners. Geaux Rocket Ride is on 3/1 for Mandella-Prat, Skinner 4/1 for Shirreffs – Espinoza and a very interesting runner in the Japanese Mandarin Hero trained by Terunobu Fujita and the ride of Kimura-san. There are not many dirt races in Japan so Mandarin Hero comes from the NAR circuit which races mostly on dirt where he has performed well. He's a grandson of Fuji Kiseki and it will be interesting to see how he goes with 6/1 the current price.
The Santa Anita Oaks Gr 2 is over 1700m and has 9 runners headed by Faiza, a Baffert-trained daughter of Girvin. She's on 9.5 with Flavian Prat on board. Then there are three runners on 4/1 including the horse with my favourite name Clearly Unhinged by Into Mischief, Window Shopping by American Pharoah the ride of Chilean jockey Hector Berrios, and And Tell Me Nolies, a daughter of Arrogate.
