BOTTAS ($6.90) started the party early, Then THEN ($4.00) followed. ANNASCAUL ($6.60) was the next winner with BIG DOM ($8.50), MAY DAY READY ($5.70), GALLANT GRETA ($5.10), THORPEDO ANNA ($3.50) and PATCH ADAMS ($7.00) continuing the chalkfest. HOPE ROAD ($6.10), BOOK’EM DANNO ($3.80), SOVEREIGNTY ($2.60) and DANCIN JANE ($5.70) continued in succession to close out the card - 12 winners out of 14 races…not too shabby.
Alabama (G1) & King's Plate Days Spell Success
Saturday’s Saratoga/Woodbine report was exciting for Pope Jude fans. TENNESSEE BELLE ($4.10) kicked off the Spa action with IT’S OUR TIME ($12.00) combining with Hero Declared for a $26.60 exacta. BOBROVSKY ($9.40) continued the roll with ASSERTIVENESS ($5.90) closing out the afternoon.
In Canada, SHE FEELS PRETTY ($2.90) won the E.P. Taylor (G1) with Diamond Rain second for a $6.00 exacta. In the King’s Plate, MANSETTI ($38.70) lit up the board with Tom’s Magic second for a $273.10 exacta and Notorious Gangster third for a $131.87 trifecta for 20-cents. GAS ME UP ($7.40) won the bet 365 King Edward (G2) with TWO OUT HERO ($4.40) winning the 11th race, partnering with Casson in second for a $14.40 exacta, capping off a $50.24 20-cent Pick Three. Only those four races were covered on the day.
Pope Jude Fans Enjoy Spa and Arlington Million Saturday
Success started early and ended late Saturday as WHAT’S UP BRO ($7.00) took the opener at the Spa. TRADING TROUBLE ($4.10) won the third with Charlottesuniverse second for a ($13.20) exacta. LAURELIN ($6.40) won the Saratoga Oaks (G1) to remain undefeated and Euro shipper EL CORDOBES ($10.00) put in a powerful closing charge to win the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1).
At Colonial Downs, WITTY ($8.00) captured the Van Clief Stakes with CHARLENE’S DREAM ($7.20) taking the Beverly D. (G2) and FORT WASHINGTON ($13.40) winning the historic Arlington Million (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
Excellent Saratoga/Del Mar Saturday Report
It was an extra-long day with Saratoga kicking off at 12:37 (ET) and Del Mar finishing at 10:02 (ET), but it was worth it! SOLDIER N DIPLOMAT ($3.90) started us off by living up to his nearly $1 million purchase price in the second race. SIDE EYE ($9.50) took the fifth and NORTH END LADY ($11.60) captured the sixth making the report three-for-three to begin the day. SOVEREIGNTY ($3.00) ran his usual great race in the Jim Dandy (G2) with Baeza second for a $6.00 exacta. HEDGE THE RISK ($7.10) took the nightcap to end the card on a super high note!
CAPTAIN SPARROW ($7.40) started us off at Del Mar with Self Sufficient second for a $20.40 exacta and Jaguar Son third for a $14.90 50-cent trifecta. $3 million baby BRANT ($3.60) reported home on top in the fourth and NYSOS ($2.20) came as no surprise in the San Diego Handicap (G2). PUSHINESS ($6.60) won the Daisycutter Handicap with Uncorked second for a $29.20 exacta on a rather chalky afternoon.
Saratoga/Haskell (G1) Day Report En Fuego!
Saturday’s full-card Saratoga and selected Haskell (G1) Day report had Pope Jude fans cashing lots of tickets. Standout ENGLISH CASTLE ($3.40) got the party started in the second race while coupling with Oat Coutour for a $14.00 exacta. BOSUN ($6.40) followed in the third with bad boy RHETORICAL ($3.00) running a big one in the fifth. EMPHASIS ($12.60) took the seventh over Growth Equity for the exacta ($52.00) and favored Stradale for a ($25.50) 50-cent trifecta. FUTURE IS NOW ($6.40) captured the ninth and then SCOTTISH LASSIE ($6.70) blew the doors off heavily favored Immersive in the CCA (G1) for a $9.50 exacta. BOOK’EM DANNO ($4.80) won the Vanderbilt (G2) with Mullikin second for a chalky $6.70 exacta. ROOKIE CARD ($19.40) took the nightcap and capped off $109.37 Late Pick Four.
At Monmouth, SURFACE TO AIR ($41.40) won the Monmouth Cup (G3) and combined with the big favorite Just a Touch for a $63.60 exacta. RANDOMIZED ($6.00) won the tough Molly Pitcher (G3) and JOURNALISM ($2.80) reprised his Preakness (G1) running down of Gosger in the Haskell (G1) for a $11.80 exacta, with Goal Oriented third for a $6.40 50-cent tri.
All Purchasers Refunded - Rain Decimates Saturday Saratoga Card
Stronger rain storms than anticipated caused a flurry of scratches opening Saturday of Saratoga, so ALL purchasers have been refunded. Fourth race winner BURNINHUNKOFLOVE ($7.10) kicked off the day for those who played. PULSTAR ($6.40) took the sixth race and combined with Delightful Darling for a $24.80 exacta. Chalky MALARCHUK ($4.50) and FAR BRIDGE ($3.10) took the 7th and 8th, the latter coupling with El Rezeen for a $7.20 exacta. CONCRETE GLORY ($25.60) captured the 10th race while EXCELLENT TRUTH ($8.00) won the Dunkin’ Diana (G1) over favored She Feels Pretty for a $17.00 exacta.
Excellent Stephen Foster (G1) Day
Pope Jude fans enjoyed a lovely Stephen Foster (G1) Saturday at Churchill Downs,their third most important day of the year. The Steve Asmussen-trained PAPA KEN ($7.04) kicked off the festivities in the opener. The aggressively spotted EL MAGNIFICO ($5.88) kept the ball rolling in the fourth race while champion THORPEDO ANNA ($2.70) was too short to bet straight in the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (G2), but did combine with Royal Spa for a $6.60 exacta turning nothing into something. LUSH LIPS ($5.24) won the Tepin Stakes and partnered with regally-bred Princess Attitude for a $54.36 exacta. ROLL ON BIG JOE ($11.90) pulled off the upset in the Kelly’s Landing (G3) and coupled with hard-trying Dr. Venkman for a $46.26 exacta. Sierra Leone ran a solid second in the Stephen Foster (G1) as he returns to his best form and Reagan’s Wit scratched from the American Derby to race in the Manila (G3) at Saratoga on July 4.
Rain Dampens Belmont @ Saratoga Weekend
Friday’s action kicked off dry but mid-afternoon rain became a harbinger of things to come. WORKS FOR ME ($6.60) got us started in the third, followed by MALARCHUK ($8.40) in the fifth who won by virtue of a dubious stewards decision. Chalky WAYS AND MEANS ($3.00) won the sixth for red-hot Chad Brown and Frankel’s son ASBURY PARK ($4.90) took the eighth. We found out LA CARA ($17.40) is o.k. as long as the mud is not in her face, as she beat undefeated Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer in wire-to-wire fashion in the DK Horse Acorn (G1). SHE FEELS PRETTY ($3.00) continued her excellence in the New York (G1) while DYNAMIC PRICING ($22.00) combined with Excellent Truth for a $107 exacta in the Just a Game (G1) which sent everybody to dinner with a smile on their face.
Relentless overnight storms canceled Saturday’s Jaipur (G1) and Manhattan (G1) moving them to Sunday. The main track was a mess and you either liked it or hated it. Pope Jude fans got refunds or report credits depending on circumstances on an extremely disappointing day. At least the Belmont (G1) lived up to expectations.
Successful Preakness (G1) Weekend
Pope Jude fans kicked off Black-Eyed Susan (G2) day with the chalky VERIFIRE ($2.10) and Saxton exacta ($4.00). POINT DUME ($8.00) kept the ball rolling in the third race. SHARP TONES ($77.20) lit up the tote board for ultra-talented trainer Lynn Ashby in the seventh with favored CANDIED ($3.80) taking the Allaire Dupont Distaff Stakes. PLAY WITH FIRE ($9.00) combined with Pretty Lavish for the exacta ($54.60) in the Hilltop Stakes then MARGIE’S INTENTION ($7.00) won the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) with Paris Lily running second for a $42.60 exacta. The last race was canceled due to darkness.
The run continued in the opener on Preakness (G1) day with AUGUSTA MELODY ($3.80). Another chalk, VARNEY ($3.60) broke his maiden in the third and the speedy BOOTH ($3.80) posed for pictures in the Maryland Sprint (G3). ZEITLOS ($8.40) took the Skipat Stakes with Striker Has Dial second for a $26.60 exacta. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s CRUDO ($9.40) captured the Sir Barton Stakes combining with Just a Fair Shake for a $48.80 exacta. Nobody was shocked when REAGAN’S WIT ($3.00) won the James W. Murphy or when JOURNALISM ($4.00) took the 150th Preakness (G1). It was the tenacity of the Michael McCarthy trainee that fans will remember the rest of their lives. DIAMOND GEM AA ($2.80) defended his crown in the UAE President Cup (G1) under jockey Carol Cedeno to close out the final “Old Pimlico” card.
Kentucky Oaks (G1) & Kentucky Derby (G1) Reports Lead to Profitable Weekend
The party started early on Kentucky Oaks (G1) day, with favored SHRED THE GNAR ($3.76) took the opener. That winner was followed by DEFIANT LASS ($11.80) in the second, WORLD BEATER ($7.00) in the third, BEAUTY REIGNS ($14.86) in the fourth, NITROGEN ($3.94) in the fifth, including the trifecta, FIERCENESS ($3.88) in the fifth including a $25.92 exacta with Most Wanted. RAGING SEA ($10.08) kept it rolling in the sixth and SHE FEELS PRETTY ($3.58) took the seventh to keep the streak alive! The ninth was a bust but QUEEN MAXIMA ($6.28) won the tenth and GOOD CHEER ($4.78) won the Oaks for Godolphin. TETIAROA ($7.66) won the last to send Pope Jude fans home with a big smiles on their faces.
Rain dampened Kentucky Derby (G1) day, but GOAL ORIENTED ($4.62) got us going in the third. MACHO MUSIC ($29.86) upset the sixth and was a key horse in the middle Pick 4 as well combining with Madaket Road for a$142.50 exacta. THINK BIG ($6.84) won the seventh, MINDFRAME ($9.08) took the eighth and ZULU KINGDOM ($6.34) gave us the $686.53 Pick 4. KOPION ($7.48) romped in the Derby City Distaff (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella with chalkers PATCH ADAMS ($5.12) and PURSUITNEVERSLEEPS ($4.10) winning the final two races on the card.
Thanks to everyone who purchased reports! We’ll be back in a couple of weeks for Black-Eyed Susan (G2) day and Preakness (G1) day.
Fun Louisiana Derby (G2) Day
Troubled trips squashed our chances in the first two races at Fair Grounds on Louisiana Derby (G2) day, but favored single ARMANDS KEY ($3.60) got us rolling in the fourth. BLUE FIRE ($4.00) and Margie’s Intention combined for a $6.00 exacta in the fifth while single GEAUX SUGAR ($6.80) won the Costa Rising Stakes. SIPPIN ON GIN ($11.20) took the Crescent City Derby keying a $50.70 Pick 3 for a buck. WAY TO BE MARIE ($6.00) and Tufani ran one-two in the Tom Benson Memorial Stakes for a $20.40 $2.00 exacta payout and a dollar Pick 3 score of $79.90. Undefeated GOOD CHEER ($2.80) won the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) with Ahavah in her wake for a $13.40 exacta for two bucks.
Super Card for Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) Day
The Fair Grounds racing department has put together an excellent card of races for Saturday’s Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) Day. Eight stakes - half of them graded and some interesting undercard races too! Grab a report and #GetInTheGame!
Pegasus Day Highlights
We had a great feel for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Invitational (G2), as the elder ladies, BE YOUR BEST ($16.80) and Sacred Wish took advantage of their age edge and ran first and second spurring a $71.40 exacta for $2.00 while their younger competition were also-rans. MYSTIC LAKE ($6.40) and Emery ran first and second in the Inside Information (G1) as predicted in a very tight finish. WHITE ABARRIO ($7.60) capped a nice day with a facile victory in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) over the Gulfstream Park main track he adores.
Fair Grounds Kicks Off Their Road to the Triple Crown
In the past few years, the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the rest of the Triple Crown really starts in New Orleans with the running of the Lecomte (G3).
The race pays homage to Lecomte, a local sensation who ran four miles in the record-shattering time of 7:26 in 1854.
In the past, the Lecomte occasionally produced nationally prominent horses. Future Preakness (G1) runner-up Linkage claimed the Lecomte in 1982. Risen Star used a second-place finish in the 1988 Lecomte as a springboard to victories in the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1). Then in 2002, War Emblem became the first Lecomte starter to claim victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Since achieving graded status in 2003, the Lecomte has grown rapidly. Hard Spun (first in 2007) and Golden Soul (second in 2013) kicked off their sophomore seasons in the Lecomte (G3) before going on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Oxbow (runaway winner in 2013) and War of Will (triumphant in 2019) went on to score victories in the Preakness (G1), while Mandaloun improved on his third-place finish in 2021 to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) via disqualification.
During the 2010s, the Lecomte (G3) produced 13 Kentucky Derby starters, averaging better than one per year. In 2020, Fair Grounds lengthened the race from 1 mile and 70 yards to 1 1⁄16 miles. With growing prestige and prominent placement on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (offering 20 qualification points to the winner), you can bet the Lecomte (G3) will maintain its steady ascent for the foreseeable future.
Fair Grounds has put together an outstanding card for Saturday’s races. The Lecomte (G3) will be run as the final race of the day. Pope Jude is pleased to offer their first full-card report of the New Year.
Productive Alabama (G1) Saturday
Alabama (G1) day gave us several decent-priced winners to expand the bankroll leading into Travers (G1) Saturday. Vekoma’s son JONATHAN’S WAY ($6.40) kicked off the action with an impressive run in the opener. NIC’S STYLE ($5.30) kept her unbeaten streak alive in the third race, while geriatric CALL ME HARRY ($9.80) showed his love for Saratoga and “give in the ground” in the sixth. RECKONING FORCE ($8.20) kept the ball rolling in the seventh race and GAME WARDEN ($12.60) won his second straight for new connections in the eighth event.
Pope Jude Fans Crush Opening Day at the Spa
DARE TO BREEZE ($3.10), CARL SPACKLER ($3.50), ILLUMINARE ($4.10), REBEL RED ($6.20), STRICTLY TABOO ($7.70) and TOUGH CATCH ($15.00) carried us through the first seven races. TAKING CANDY ($13.60),WHITEBEAM ($11.60) and MO PLEX ($5.70) finished off the day, sending us home smiling!
Saturday Saratoga Kicks Off the Summer Place to Be
With inclement weather in the forecast for opening day, we decided to start the Spa coverage on Saturday when the track should be fast and the turf relatively firm. Saratoga is traditionally a successful venue for Pope Jude fans and that trend seems likely to continue this summer.
BELMONT @ SARATOGA - THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY - JUNE 6-8
The next popejude.com reports are scheduled for the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga, June 6,7 and 8. Top-class racing is assured with a magnificent stakes schedule. Hopefully Mother Nature will accommodate us with lovely weather to match the quality racecards.
PREAKNESS (G1) DAY a SMASHING SUCCESS
Friday’s Black-Eyed-Susan (G2) day kicked off with a winner in CASTLE ISLAND ($4.00). SUN BEE ($5.20), SHOTGUN HOTTIE ($3.60) and SHE FEELS PRETTY ($3.20) continued the chalk-fest. GUN SONG ($6.60) won the big race for trainer Mark Hennig who had her at a fever pitch.
Preakness (G1) day was much more lucrative. NASTY HABIT ($14.60) reported home on top in the third race, with Magic Express second for a $35.40 exacta and Mirahmadi completing a $23.85 50-cent trifecta. APPLE PICKER ($8.40) captured the Skipat Stakes and standout FLUFFY SOCKS ($3.20) ran up the score in the Gallorette (G3). SUPER CHOW ($10.40) won the Maryland Sprint (G3) with Prevalence second for a $46.60 exacta. FULMINEO ($6.60) was a prompt winner of the James W. Murphy Stakes with #7 Crystal Quest completing the $25.80 exacta. CORPORATE POWER ($5.20) was no surprise in the Sir Barton Stakes with Frankie Dettori and BALNIKHOV ($12.80) completing a nice afternoon at the wickets.
Pope Jude Fans Dodge Lousy Weather on Oaks & Derby Days.
Kentucky Oaks (G1) Day got off to a rousing start when SUNDANCE FEATURE ($8.18) took to the slop and won easily. She combined with Thoughtful for a $19.10 exacta. Juddmonte’s SIDAMARA ($6.22) looked sharp in the second with Sidamara the runner-up for a $34.64 exacta. Champion IDIOMATIC ($3.66) made her 2024 come back in the Fasig-Tipton La Troienne (G1) a winning one. A massive rainstorm adversely affected the remainder of the card although ALMOSTGONE ROCKET ($6.08) blitzed the twelfth race field.
As usual, the Churchill Downs track crew had the main in great shape for Kentucky Derby (G1) Day. PURE FORCE ($5.66) captured the opener and SCYLLA ($2.98) validated her favoritism in the second. MINDFRAME ($2.92) won the third with Cornishman second for a $9.32 exacta. VAHVA ($5.44) got big black type in the Derby City Distaff (G1) with nemesis Alva Starr the runner-up for a $13.20 exacta. CHILI FLAG ($10.06) followed in the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) with stablemate Coppice second for a $31.12 exacta. PROGRAM TRADING ($10.18) continued trainer Chad Brown’s excellent day in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1). We didn’t see Mystik Dan in the Derby but managed another winner with GUN PARTY ($7.36) in the finale and a $46.08 exacta with Banned For Life.