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Search Results breezes for Kentucky Oaks

by NYRA Press Office

• Search Results breezes for G1 Kentucky Oaks; Crowded Trade works in preparation for G1 Preakness
• Mutamakina likely for G2 Sheepshead Bay
• Sunday’s Closing Day at the Big A to prompt mandatory payouts
• Belmont Park spring / summer meet Week 1 probables

Klaravich Stables undefeated Search Results, last-out winner of the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Chad Brown, worked a half-mile in 48.33 seconds Saturday on the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Brown said he was impressed with the work by Search Results, who breezed in company with New York-bred sophomore filly Teetotaler.

“She put in one of the best works I’ve seen from her, so I think she’s come out of her last race in really good shape,” said Brown. “She went in 48 and change and did it really nicely. I thought she galloped out strong.”

The Flatter filly, a $310,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, has posted successive 92 Beyer Speed Figures, including a half-length score in the one-turn mile Busher Invitational on March 6 at the Big A ahead of her two-turn debut in the Gazelle.

“We were cautiously optimistic she could handle the two-turns but you never know until you see them do it,” said Brown, who conditioned Lewis Bay to a third-place finish in the 2016 Kentucky Oaks. “It was nice to see her do it so well and it gives us a lot of confidence going over to Churchill to run at the same mile and an eighth distance.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will retain the mount in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks.

The Klaravich Stables duo of Crowded Trade and Risk Taking worked in company through a half-mile in 47.55 Saturday on Big Sandy. 

Both horses are exiting the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 where they finished third and seventh, respectively.

“Risk Taking took some dirt but he really didn’t have any excuse, he just didn’t fire,” said Brown. “Crowded Trade, he missed the break a bit, and that might have cost him a little bit but he had an opportunity to run down the lane and he ran really well.”

Brown said Crowded Trade is aiming towards a start in the Grade 1 Preakness, second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. Brown captured the 2017 Preakness with Cloud Computing.

Boasting a perfect in-the-money record in three starts, Crowded Trade won at first asking in January at Aqueduct ahead of a narrow nose defeat to Weyburn in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham in March. Last out, the More Than Ready chestnut closed well to be third in the Wood.

Risk Taking, a $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, captured the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers in February at Aqueduct ahead of a seventh in the Wood Memorial as the post-time favorite. The Medaglia d’Oro bay is targeting a start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan on May 8 at Belmont.

“They both seem to have bounced out of the Wood in fine shape,” said Brown . “We’ll monitor them week to week, but they were moving well. I’m leaning towards the Preakness for Crowded Trade and with Risk Taking I’m leaning towards the Peter Pan.” 

Brown will be represented in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby by Klaravich Stables’ Highly Motivated, who will work at Keeneland on Sunday. The Into Mischief bay, a $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking at Belmont in September ahead of winning the 6 1/2-furlong Nyquist at Keeneland in November.

Following a third in the Grade 3 Gotham in his seasonal debut, Highly Motivated gave likely Derby favorite Essential Quality a test in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on April 3 at Keeneland, battling the 2-year-old champion down the lane en route to a narrow neck loss.

“He’ll work a half-mile at Keeneland tomorrow,” said Brown. “I thought he ran terrific in the Blue Grass and he came out of it good.”

Brown's previous Kentucky Derby starters include Good Magic [2nd, 2018], Practical Joke [5th, 2017], Shagaf [20th, 2016], My Man Sam [11th, 2016] and Normandy Invasion [4th, 2013].

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Mutamakina likely for G2 Sheepshead Bay

Trainer Christophe Clement said Al Shira’aa Farms’ Mutamakina is under consideration to make her 2021 debut in the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay on May 1 at Belmont Park.

The 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel originally was campaigned in France by trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, for whom she placed in two Group 2 events, including to eventual Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass. She made her North American debut on October 31 over a yielding outer turf course at Belmont Park in the 12-furlong Zagora, where she was a troubled third. 

Saving ground in third along the hedge, Mutamakina was shuffled back around the far turn but made up considerable ground in the stretch to finish third, beaten a half-length to winner Luck Money. 

Mutamakina sought redemption in the Grade 3 Long Island at 11 furlongs last out on November 28 at the Big A, where she again displayed stalking tactics toward the hedge but was able to maintain position around the far turn and confronted pacesetting stable mate Traipsing in the final strides to secure her first stakes win in North America by three-quarters of a length. 

Clement said that the Grade 3, $150,000 Bewitch on April 24 at Keeneland also is a possibility, but that he is leaning more toward racing in the Sheepshead Bay. 

“I would be more likely to race her in New York,” Clement said. “She’s had the winter off this year and has been training well since March.”

Bred in Great Britain by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is out of the Danehill mare Joshua’s Princess Her third dam is 1995 European Horse of the Year Ridgewood Pearl. 

Clement said multiple stakes-winner Feel Glorious, who has notched three of her four North American victories at such caliber over the Aqueduct turf, will soon be back in action. Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing, the 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath captured the Memories of Silver and Winter Memories at the Big A during her 2019 campaign. Last year, she won the Perfect Sting at Saratoga before taking her third Big A stakes win in the Forever Together on November 28.

Although she has yet to win a graded stakes event, she has been placed five times against such caliber, most recently a late-closing third to Got Stormy in the Grade 3 Honey Fox two starts back in February at Gulfstream Park. 

Clement said Feel Glorious could make her return to New York in the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay on May 8 at Belmont going 1 1/16 miles.

“All is good with her. She’ll be back in New York, possibly in the Beaugay,” Clement said.

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Sunday’s Closing Day at the Big A to prompt mandatory payouts

The conclusion of the 11-day spring meet at Aqueduct on Sunday will see mandatory payouts of the Early Pick 5, Late Pick 5, and Empire 6.

Sunday’s nine-race finale, which has a first post of 1:20 p.m. Eastern, will see the Empire 6 start with Race 4 at 3 p.m. The sequence will include both of the slate’s stakes races, including the $200,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Park Avenue for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs in Race 7 at 4:44 p.m. followed by the $100,000 Memories of Silver for sophomore fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. 

The Late Pick 5 will start with Race 5 at 3:26 p.m.

The Empire 6, a jackpot style wager featuring a $0.20 bet minimum first offered in August 2019, will be replaced by the Pick 6 at the upcoming 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet. 

The Pick 6, featuring a $1 bet minimum, will launch on Thursday, April 22, Opening Day of the lucrative Belmont spring/summer meet which will feature 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money.

NYRA Bets is also offering a $50 Belmont Opening Bonus. To qualify, a member must bet a $50 base double on the last double of the day [second-to-last race] at Belmont Park on April 22, 23, 24 and 25 through the NYRA Bets App. NYRA Bets members who participate in all four days earn the $50 bonus, win, or lose. 

Customers must bet exactly a $50 base double on the last double of the day at Belmont Park each promotional day to qualify and must bet on the NYRA Bets App to qualify. Wagers placed on the NYRA Bets mobile site [m.nyrabets.com], desktop site or by phone with a live operator are not valid for the promotion bonus. The bonus will be placed in player account on Tuesday, April 27. Customers must be in good standing to receive the bonus. 

The bonus will be capped at $50 per customer.

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Belmont Park spring / summer meet Week 1 probables

Friday, April 23 

$100,000 Affirmed Success (NYB)

Probable: Bank On Shea (J. Tyler Servis), Big Engine (Linda Rice), Captain Bombastic (Chad Brown), Runningwscissors (Jeffrey Englehart), Winners Laugh (Horacio DePaz)

Possible: Morning Breez (Robert Klesaris)

Saturday, April 24 

$100,000 Elusive Quality

Probable: Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Front Run the Fed (Chad Brown), Proven Strategies (Mark Casse), Seismic Wave (Chad Brown), Therapist (Christophe Clement)

Possible: Noble Indy (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Olympic Runner (Mark Casse)

Sunday, April 25

$100,000 License Fee

Probable: Flower Point (Shug McGaughey), I’llhandalthecash (Ray Handal), Introduced (Jorge Duarte, Jr.), Lady Lawyer (Chad Brown), She’s My Type (Christophe Clement)

Possible: Caravel (Elizabeth Merryman), Sadie Lady (Rob Atras)