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Unanimous Consent registers 80BSF in Woodhaven score; Early Voting’s Derby status still undecided

by NYRA Press Office

• Unanimous Consent registers 80BSF in Woodhaven score; Early Voting’s Derby status still undecided
• McGaughey encouraged by Fort Washington effort; options are plenty for G3 Ben Ali winner Scalding
• Bank Sting posts bullet five furlongs in prep for G2 Ruffian; Midnight Stroll to target G2 Black-Eyed Susan
• Disco Pharoah targets G3 Maryland Sprint

Klaravich Stables’ Unanimous Consent remained undefeated through three starts, posting a 1 3/4-length score in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and expertly piloted by Manny Franco, the Almanzor bay saved ground from fifth position before tipping out five-wide in the stretch run and powering beyond the pacesetting Chanceux. Fort Washington arrived in time to nose out Chanceux for place honors.

Brown said he was impressed by Franco’s tactics to find cover after exiting post 5 in the six-horse field.

“I think it was wise for him to use the horse a little bit early and get him with the pack and tucked in just behind a bit of cover. I was very pleased with where he was sitting,” Brown said.

Unanimous Consent overcame troubled trips in his first two starts, graduating on debut in September at Monmouth Park and winning his seasonal debut in February at Tampa Bay Downs.

On Saturday, Unanimous Consent took a big step forward in his stakes debut, registering a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure that will propel him to a start in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge on June 4 at Belmont Park.

“I was pleased with his effort yesterday,” Brown said. “This horse has been a work in progress. He ran really well in those races at Monmouth and Tampa and it was time for him to step up and face a much tougher group of horses yesterday. Although it wasn't a big field, I thought there were some talented horses in the race and he handled them pretty good.”

Brown said the $204,475 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale purchase will be a good candidate for the Caesars Turf Triple Series if he continues to improve. The first leg of the lucrative series, the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, is slated for July 9 at Belmont.

“I think there's more to come from this horse. He's a work in progress but he keeps improving and I think he will continue to develop as the distances stretch out a bit, too,” Brown said.

Klaravich Stables’ Early Voting worked a half-mile under exercise rider Marino Garcia Saturday morning in 49.92 seconds in company with Southern District over the Belmont Park dirt training track. NYRA clockers caught the pair through splits of 13.80, 26.40, and out in 1:02.20.

The Gun Runner sophomore has made all three career starts at the Big A, winning the Grade 3 Withers in February ahead of a runner-up effort last out in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino. He is 14th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

Southern District, a 4-year-old Union Rags colt also owned by Klaravich Stables, garnered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out in a one-turn mile allowance score on February 5 at Aqueduct.

Brown said a decision will come soon on whether Early Voting will contest the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs or wait for the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course.

“The work went fine. He worked easy. It was his first work back and he was moving well,” said Brown, who won the 2017 Preakness with Cloud Computing. “We haven't made any final decision yet on what we're doing in terms of the Derby, but I want to talk to Mr. Klarman about it this afternoon a little bit more.”

Jeff Drown’s Zandon breezed a half-mile in 48.60 Saturday at Keeneland in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The Upstart dark bay captured the Grade 1 Blue Grass last out on April 9 at Keeneland with Flavien Prat up.

A maiden winner in October at Belmont, Zandon was a game second next up in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at the Big A, losing a grueling stretch duel with Mo Donegal by a nose. He entered the Blue Grass from a troubled third in the Grade 2 Risen Star in February at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Klaravich Stables’ Value Proposition will make his return to New York in the $100,000 Elusive Quality, a seven-furlong turf sprint for older horses on April 30 at Belmont.

The 6-year-old multiple graded stakes placed Dansili ridgling was a pacesetting third last out in the Danger’s Hour traveling one mile over the Big A turf on April 9.

“It's short rest, but we'll give it a try. I think it's a good distance for him,” Brown said.

John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock’s Pipeline garnered a career-best 102 Beyer for his nine-length romp in a Friday allowance mile at the Big A. The 4-year-old Speightstown colt was making his first start since an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in December at Aqueduct.

Brown said he may look to stretch Pipeline out around two turns.

“I think we're going to take a more careful approach to step him up to each level,” Brown said. “I'm very pleased with the horse and I believe he's effective around two turns as well. I don't think he'd mind a mile and an eighth.”

Peter Brant’s Regal Glory matched a career-best 103 Beyer for her one length score over stablemate Shantisara in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 16 at Keeneland.

“It looked on paper that these two horses would hook up as the best two horses in the race and they did. It was a nice stretch run,” Brown said.

Brown said Regal Glory will make her next start on Belmont Stakes Day June 11 in the one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Just a Game, while Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert V. LaPenta’s Shantisara continues to be evaluated after taking a bad step exiting the course.

“Shantisara took a couple bad steps leaving the turf course and was vanned off. She's since been sound but is getting evaluated,” Brown said. “I'm not sure about a next start but it does appear that we've escaped anything serious with her.”

Klaravich Stables’ Search Results breezed a half-mile in 49.11 Saturday over the Belmont main track in preparation for the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares on May 8 at Belmont.

The 4-year-old Flatter bay won the Grade 3 Gazelle last year at Aqueduct ahead of a runner-up effort to Malathaat in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Search Results exited the Oaks to win the Grade 1 Acorn in June at Belmont and completed her sophomore season with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Longines Test in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Search Results made her seasonal debut on April 9 at Aqueduct, finishing third in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap.

“I'm not exactly sure what happened in her last start - it's a head scratcher. She was training very well and she just didn't fire,” Brown said. “She came back and had a really good breeze yesterday, so we'll draw a line through it and run her back at Belmont where we're comfortable she likes that surface.”

McGaughey encouraged by Fort Washington effort; options are plenty for G3 Ben Ali winner Scalding

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he would like to stretch Fort Washington out in distance following a runner-up effort in Saturday’s Woodhaven, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Peter Brant and Allen Stable’s Fort Washington, a son of War Front, arrived at the Woodhaven off a rallying third in his sophomore and stakes debut in the Columbia on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Fort Washington broke slowly in the Woodhaven but was closer to the pace, tracking a close fourth on the outside down the backstretch before making an assertive move around the far turn. The dark bay fought gamely in upper stretch to the outside of pacesetter Chanceux, but both horses were passed up in the final sixteenth by the Chad Brown-trained Unanimous Consent.

Fort Washington, who earned a career-best 78 Beyer, galloped out in tandem with the winner after wire.

“He didn’t break that well, but he ran fine,” McGaughey said. “He’s a nice horse, but he wants to go further than that. He just needs to run to learn to run. I thought we had to be forwardly placed over that turf course. The horse on the lead we just barely got to, but Chad’s horse just finished well.”

McGaughey initially expressed interest in targeting the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge on June 4 at Belmont Park for Fort Washington. But on Sunday morning, he said he would keep his options open.

“We’ll figure it out. There are some other spots, too,” McGaughey said.

A Kentucky homebred, Fort Washington is out of the Group 3 placed Turtle Bowl mare Azaelia, who made her last five career starts in North America for McGaughey, including an allowance score over the Big A turf.

McGaughey’s rising star Scalding notched back-to-back graded stakes victories by posting a 1 1/4-length score in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland. The 4-year-old Nyquist colt, who is undefeated in four starts this year, took gradual steps up the ladder from maiden to allowance to graded stakes company.

Scalding registered two-turn scores in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park and a Tampa Bay Downs allowance optional claimer in the winter before capturing his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Challenger on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Scalding earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure when stretching out to nine furlongs for the Ben Ali, defeating returning rival Dynamic One.

“He ran really well and he had been training well,” McGaughey said. “I was kind of surprised at how easily he handled that bunch. He made the lead and got a little green. I think getting him stretched out and growing up was the main thing. It looks like we just have to figure out where to run him next.”

McGaughey mentioned several potential target races for Scalding, including the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban on July 9 at Belmont Park, the Grade 2 Stephen Foster on July 2 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 23 at Monmouth Park.

Owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods, Scalding was bought for $400,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. He is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Hot Water, whose second dam is Hall of Fame sprint mare Xtra Heat.

Bank Sting posts bullet five furlongs in prep for G2 Ruffian; Midnight Stroll to target G2 Black-Eyed Susan

Hidden Brook Farm, Joseph McMahon and Anne McMahon’s multiple stakes winner Bank Sting was the fastest of nine workers for five-eighths over the main track on Friday at Belmont Park, breezing a sharp 59.02 seconds. The daughter of Central Banker is eyeing a start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian on May 8 at Belmont Park.

“We were very happy with her and she worked tremendous,” said trainer John Terranova. “She had a good, strong finish. Everything has been going well and the barn knows her really well.”

Bank Sting has been a model of consistency in her three seasons of racing, compiling a 7-for-9 record and collecting four stakes victories, three of which came in her last three outings at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 5-year-old mare began her streak with a sparkling performance in the NYSSS Staten Island on December 5, overcoming a bump at the break to skip away to an 8 1/4-length victory under regular rider Dylan Davis.

The bay’s next two wins did not come as easy, eking out neck victories in the La Verdad on January 2 and last time out in the Heavenly Prize Invitational, the latter her open company debut. The Ruffian will be Bank Sting’s first time facing graded company.

“She’s a tough girl,” Terranova said. “We steer in the right direction, stay out of her way and she’s done the rest. We’ve been fortunate to have her.”

Terranova said a start in the Ruffian is logical.

“We have spaced her out intentionally and thought it would be good,” said Terranova. “We can run her right out of her own stall without having to ship. [I have] no complaints about her. She’s doing good.”

Midnight Stroll, who was last seen taking the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies on March 27 at Tampa Bay Downs, will look to make her next start in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. Owned by Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld, the daughter of Not This Time has won her past two starts by a combined 5 3/4 lengths.

Terranova said that while he considered sending the dark bay to the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 6 at Churchill Downs, he decided the Black-Eyed Susan will be a better spot.

“We have her nominated for the Eight Belles, but we’re thinking of the Black-Eyed Susan. We’ll give her a couple weeks and then look to Pimlico. There will be a lot of fillies running at Churchill and the Black-Eyed Susan might be perfect timing wise. That’s where we’re heading.”

Curragh Stables’ Fluid Situation, a last out 5 3/4-length winner of a maiden special weight on March 27 at Tampa Bay Downs, was nominated to the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 7 at Churchill Downs but will instead point to the one mile and 70-yard $100,000 Long Branch on the same day at Monmouth Park.

“We were thinking that given his earnings, he probably wouldn’t make the entries for that,” Terranova said. “It will probably be a full gate and probably a little too much of a reach right now. So we’ll look to the Long Branch. He’s doing really well.”

Disco Pharoah targets G3 Maryland Sprint

After a victorious stakes debut in Laurel Park’s Frank Y. Whiteley last Saturday, Disco Pharoah is possible to return to Maryland for the Grade 3, $150,000 Maryland Sprint on Pimlico Race Course’s Preakness undercard, May 21.

Owned by Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Disco Pharoah was an emphatic 19 1/2-length winner of a March 5 maiden special weight at Aqueduct before shipping to Laurel six weeks later. The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah showed wide tactical speed well into the backstretch of the 6 1/2-furlong Whiteley and was kept to task into the stretch to win by 3 1/4 lengths. He earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“It was a big ask but he certainly responded. It looks like he can be a special horse. We just have to keep him together,” said trainer Ray Handal.

While the Grade 3, $150,000 Runhappy on May 14 at Belmont Park is also an option, Handal expressed desire to give Disco Pharoah an extra week between starts.

“It’s five weeks so that gives him another week,” Handal said. “I’d love to run him here at Belmont out of our backyard, but the time is important with a horse like him.”

Handal recently welcomed New York-bred Bank On Shea into his barn. The son of leading New York sire Central Banker will make his debut for Handal in Friday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success at Belmont Park, a race he won last year.

Previously conditioned by Tyler Servis when taking last year’s Affirmed Success, Bank On Shea was transferred to South Florida-based Carlos David, for whom he captured the Pelican on February 12 at Tampa Bay Downs. A last out sixth in the Grade 1 Carter for David, Bank On Shea was kept in New York to be under the care of Handal.

“Carlos and I have known each other since we’re teenagers,” Handal said. “We’re good friends, so we’re always trying to help each other out.”

Bred by Dr. Scott W. Pierce, Bank On Shea is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Miss Moultree. Through a record of 9-5-1-1, Bank On Shea has earnings of $502,250.