Churchill Downs undercard: V V’s Dream rolls in Pocahontas
V V’s Dream sat just off pacesetters Hot Beach and Youalmosthadme inthe early stages of the race before easily running past those foes down thestretch to win Saturday’s 55th running of the Grade 3, $300,000Pocahontas Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by a widening 8 3/4 lengths overYoualmosthadme at Churchill Downs.
Owned by Michael Mackin’s MJM Racing, V V’s Dream ranthe one-turn mile in 1:36.45 for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. andtrainer Kenny McPeek. This marked the second straight year McPeek traineda Mackin-owned runner to win the Pocahontas after doing it in 2022 going the-then1 1/16 miles around two turns with Fun and Feisty.
V V’s Dream, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Mitole out of the Tapit mareQuay, banked $183,105 for the win and is the early points leader on the road tothe Kentucky Oaks (G1) after collecting 10 points. The Pocahontas was the firstof 32 qualifying races to the Oaks that will be run May 3, and points wereawarded to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
“She’s still young but has shown a lot of talentalready,” said Greg Geier, McPeek’s assistant trainer. “She spent thesummer in New York training for this race. It’s been the plan to run here inthe Pocahontas and then to the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies). I don’t seewhy she wouldn’t improve stretching out in distance after this.”
Breaking from post 3 in the field of six 2-year-old fillies, V V’s Dreamtugged her way into third after leaving the chute. Hot Beach and a trackingYoualmosthadme dictated the pace through fractions of 22.83, 45.55 and 1:10.24.At the top of the stretch, V V’s Dream was full of run and cut loose with apowerful, three-wide move to demolish her rivals.
“She sat in a perfect spot just behind the twopacesetters,” Hernandez said. “She got a little bit of a breather around theturn and really went by them own her own. She’s won impressively in two startshere. I think stretching out around two turns shouldn’t be a problem in thefuture.”
V V’s Dream, now 3: 2-1-0 with $297,605 in earnings, paid $4.40, $2.92 and$2.44 as the 6-5 favorite. Youalmosthadme, second under Tyler Gaffalione,returned $3.62 and $2.70 at odds of 2-1. Hot Beach, with Flavien Prat up,was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $2.38 to show. Courbe, Riperton and RegalRumor completed the order of finish. Empire Island, Peignoir and RainingSugar were scratched.
The winner was bred in Kentucky by Mark Stansell.
Search Results leads allthe way in Locust Grove
Search Results, the 9-5 favorite owned by Seth Klarman’s KlaravichStables, set moderate early fractions and led every step of the way in the$400,000 Locust Grove (Grade 3) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs on herway to a 3 1/4-length triumph over Hidden Connection.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Chad Brown,Search Results went right to the front from post position 4 and rattled offfractions of 24.30, 48.16 and 1:11.83 with Hidden Connection in close pursuitto her outside. The reasonable, early pace meant Search Results would haveplenty left for the stretch run, and she responded with the comfortable win. Itwas her first victory since winning the Molly Pitcher (G2) at Monmouth Park inJuly 2022.
Search Result’s clocking for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track was 1:42.40, thefastest in 10 runnings of the Locust Grove over the surface and distance,eclipsing Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil’s 2021 mark of 1:42.86.
“She ran a great race today,” Gaffalione said. “I justsort of inherited the lead, and she settled really well. In the stretch, when Iasked her to quicken, I had a lot of horse beneath me.”
Search Results, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Flatter out of theCandy Ride mare Co Cola, returned $5.74, $3.30 and $3.04. Hidden Connection,ridden by Cristian Torres, returned $7.58 and $5.30. Misty Veil wasanother 4 1/4 lengths back in third under James Graham and paying$10.96 to show.
Yuugiri runs down Fire On Time, wins Open Mind
Yuugiri overcame a stumble leaving the gate, stalkedpacesetter Fire On Time from the inside and tipped out down thestretch to collar the leader inside the final sixteenth of a mile to win the$300,000 Open Mind by three lengths. The 1-4 favorite Wicked Halo neverthreatened and finished third.
Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Rodolphe Brisset andowners Mr. and Mrs. Tsunebumi Yoshihara, Yuugiri ran six furlongs over a fasttrack in 1:09.43.
Yuugiri went to her knees from post position 1 when the gates opened andthe usual frontrunner was forced to track four-time Churchill Downs winner FireOn Time from the inside. After splits of 22.09 and 45.20 seconds, Prat tookYuugiri off the rail and angled out for her run down the stretch. After fivefurlongs in 57.08 seconds, Fire On Time began to retreat, and Yuugiri cruisedright on by for the comfortable win.
“She broke a step slow but was able to relax andreally finish well,” Prat said. “She showed a new style today.”
Yuugiri returned $8.74, $7.26 and $2.10. Fire On Time, ridden by MartínGarcía, returned $11.06 and $2.30. Wicked Halo was another 5 3/4 lengths backin third under Tyler Gaffalione and paid $2.10 to show.
Bango ties Churchill record with stakes win
Popular sprinter Bango grabbed the lead at the top of thestretch and determinedly turned back a late bid from Gulfstream Way towin Saturday’s third running of the $300,000 LouisvilleThoroughbred Society by a head and collect his 11th Churchill Downs victory,tying Ready’s Rocket for the most documented wins at the Louisville, Ky.,track.
Bango ran six furlongs in 1:09.02 under jockey TylerGaffalione, who piloted the winner for trainer Greg Foley and owners-breeders TamaroakPartners.
“Churchill Downs has been our home for a very longtime,” Foley said. “It’s so special to have one of our horses go into thehistory books as tying the all-time win record at Churchill. These owners Fredand Debbie Schwartz have been with us for a very long time. They’ve stuck withme through my career, and it’s special their horse is part of history. And ahomebred, too.”
