Baffert-trained Concert Tour, two others drop out of Kentucky Derby
Letruska won the $1 million Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. Bob Baffert's prospects are out of the Kentucky Derby field. Japanese 3-year-olds had a potentially defining experience Sunday.
Concert Tour is out of the running for the Run for The Roses. Bob Baffert has only San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit to carry his hopes for a record seventh win in the race. Crowded Trade and Rombauer also came out. Santa Monica third Dream Shake, Louisiana Derby third O Besos and Get Her Number are moving into the 20-horse starting gate. King Fury, Keepmeinmind and Starrininmydreams are the only three horses left on the Churchill Downs "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard.
Letruska won the $1 million Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park by a nose. Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver finished second and third. Bonny South won Friday's $100,000 Grade III Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland. The winner will go to the Breeders' Cup. It was the first start of the year for the mare. She was a three-time graded stakes winner in the United States. The horse was trained by Fausto Gutierrez. He said she will be used in future races. Her trainer wants to take her to Breeder's Cup in middle of season.
Silver State won his fifth straight race Saturday in Oaklawn Park's $1 million Grade II OakLawn Handicap. The 4-year-old Hard Spun colt won by 1/2 length over Fearless. Royal Ship won the $200,000 Grade 2 Californian at Santa Anita by a neck. Tizamagician won Sunday's Grade III Tokyo City Stakes by 9 lengths. The horse will run in the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup on the dirt on May 31. It's his first U.S. win in his 5th try. He had a successful first career in South America.
Say the Word and Channel Cat hooked up at the top of the stretch in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland. Say the World won by 1 1/2 lengths. Hard Love pressed the pace in the $100,00 Woodhaven Stake at Aqueduct and edged clear to win by one-and-a-half lengths from It's a Gamble.
Cezanne won the Grade III Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita by 9 lengths. Brickyard Ride, Fight On and Ax Man finished second, Cezane was ridden by Flavien Prat. Crazanne is trained by Bob Baffert for the Coolmore connections in Ireland.
Bubbles On Ice won Sunday's $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Fluffy Socks finished second, Sleek Lynx third.
Constantia won Saturday's $100,000 Mizdirection Stakes at Santa Anita by 1 1/2 lengths over Superstition. Biddy Duke was third and the favorite Leggs Galore finished sixth.
Blame J D won the Rainbow by 3 3/4 lengths. Hillary G won Rainbow Miss by 2 3 / 4 lengths with David Cabrera riding. Baffert-trained Concert Tour dropped out of Kentucky Derby.
Devious Mo won Saturday's Times Square Division of the New York Stallion Stakes. Shaker Shack won the Park Avenue Division on Sunday. Raintree Street won Monday's $55,000 Wilma Mankiller Stake for fillies and mares. The race is named for the first woman elected to serve as principal chief of Cherokee Nation.
Brigintine Island won the $75,000 Original Gold Stakes for West Virginia-bred fillies and mares by 7 lengths. See Ya Manana was second, 1/2 length better than Malibu Splash. Brigintin Island is a 5-year-old Jersey Town mare.
Baffert-trained Concert Tour, two others drop out of Kentucky Derby.
Efforia won the Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse. Takeshi Yokoyama rode him to victory. It was his first Grade 1 win. Danon the Kid finished third. Dan on Dan finished next-last in the previous race. Efforia is trained by Yuichi Shikato. He made two starts as a juvenile, winning his debut at Sapporo on Aug. 23 and a return engagement at Tokyo Race Course Nov. 8.
Addeybb won the Queen Elizabeth by a narrow margin. Hungry Heart won The Star Australian Oaks. Nettoyer edged Probabeel in the Moet & Chandon Queen of the Turf. Chris Waller's Frankel filly, Hungryheart, won her second straight Group 1 race. English import Sellino won Sydney Cup. The Sydney Cups is one of only two Group One events at that distance on the Australian racing calendar.
Chindit won the Group 2 Watership Down Too Darn Hot Stakes at Newbury. The Lir Jet was third and Nando Parrado fourth. Alcohol Free won Dubai Duty Free Stake for 3-year-old fillies. Baffert-trained Concert Tour drops out of Kentucky Derby.
