Ballerina d’Oro looks to further graded success for Rodeo Creek Racing in G3 Gazelle

• Ballerina d’Oro looks to further graded success for Rodeo Creek Racing in G3 Gazelle
• Statesman takes shot in G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino
• Phileas Fogg brings speed to Listed Excelsior
• Sand Devil storms into G2 Wood Memorial
• One Nine Hundred repeats 92 BSF in impressive maiden score

Owner Rodeo Creek Racing and five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown have enjoyed success at racing’s highest level when Blazing Sevens took the 2022 Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont at the Big A. Now, the prosperous pair are testing their luck on the road to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks as Ballerina d’Oro takes on the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle, a nine-furlong route for sophomore fillies, awards the top-five finishers with 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Rodeo Creek Racing, operated by John and Carla Capek, started their first horse under the moniker in 2021. In 2023, Capek noticed a striking filly by Medaglia d'Oro at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

The gray filly is out of the Tapit mare In the Moonlight, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Wilburn, stakes-winner La Appassionata, and graded stakes-producing broodmares A.P. Sonata and Venetian Sonata. With a strong pedigree and an impressive physical, John Capek brought her home from the Warrendale Sales consignment for $320,000.

“We’ve generally been purchasing horses in that $100,000 to $400,000 range, and she fit that,” Capek said. “She’s a Medaglia d’Oro, had a good coat on her, and a nice stature with a big, long stride. She’s a sharp-looking horse. She put on some weight and did training with Nick de Meric down in Ocala. We’re very pleased with how she’s developed.”

That development led to a determined second-out graduation by a neck going one mile in September at Kentucky Downs ahead of a close eighth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Jessamine over the Keeneland turf in October.

Brown then decided to try the filly on the dirt, testing her against strong competition in the Grade 2 Demoiselle going nine furlongs in December here.

She responded gamely to the challenge, finishing a deep-closing second from the outside post in the field of 10 when just one length behind the victorious Muhimma.

“As she developed, she turned into a dirt horse,” Capek said. “She broke her maiden on the turf at Kentucky Downs, and that’s a bit of a strange track there. I think it was the right choice to switch her to the dirt. She’s done very well in her two starts over it, and we’re looking forward to getting her back on a little longer stretch out here around two turns. I think it’s in her wheelhouse.”

Ballerina d’Oro enters the Gazelle from a third in the one-turn mile Grade 2 Davona Dale on March 1 at Gulfstream Park, where she trailed the short field of five before making her usual rally in the latter stages. She ran on willingly, but was defeated 2 3/4 lengths by The Queens M G.

Ballerina d’Oro, who currently has 16.25 Kentucky Oaks points, looks to become Rodeo Creek Racing’s second graded stakes-winner trained by Brown, who Capek spoke highly of.

“We’ve had all our horses with Chad, and over the five years, we’ve had 25 horses in total that have been with him,” Capek said. “We’re very pleased with how he does with the young horses and turning them into nice racehorses.

“We’ve had a few hopefuls that never made it to the Derby – Blazing Sevens we didn’t take to the Derby, but he did well to be second in the Preakness,” Capek added. “On the filly side of the barn, she looks to be our top performer so far. We’re looking forward to this race.”

As he looks to make the Kentucky Oaks for the first time, Capek said he is confident more ground will assist Ballerina d’Oro when she exits post 2-of-8 under Dylan Davis, who piloted her in the Demoiselle and Jessamine.

“The race she’s coming off of was a little short for her,” Capek said. “With a little more distance, and if we can get out of the gate squarely, I think Dylan will put her in a good position.”

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Statesman takes shot in G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino

West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and CJ Stables’ Statesman has won his last two races and steps up in class for Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Wood Memorial, which offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers, is slated as Race 12 on Saturday’s 13-race card. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Statesman enters from a pair of one-mile and 40-yard victories at Tampa Bay Downs, graduating fourth-out on January 17 and defeating optional claiming company last out on February 26. The Constitution bay traveled in fifth position early under Samuel Marin and closed to win both efforts.

“I thought the Wood would be a good place for him. I thought Aqueduct’s main track with the long stretch would help him because he is a finisher,” said McGaughey. “He’s been training really good since he ran last time and I know it is a big reach, but we are ready to see what happens.”

McGaughey believes Statesman can take a step forward off his last race, where he was bumped at the start but recovered nicely to get in position for his surge to a 1 1/4-length score.

“He got schooled pretty good in his last race and then he was able to finish up to win easy,” McGaughey said. “I think he is pretty experienced to that effect, and I think his jockey will sit and wait on him and he’ll finish.”

Tampa Bay Downs-leading rider Marin is slated to ride from post 11 in the field of 12, tabbed at odds of 15-1 on David Aragona’s morning line.

“He rode him two times. That kid is not far from being a New York rider. He is a really good rider. He is way in front there and I’ve been really, really impressed with some of the rides he’s given us this winter. I think that maybe another summer at Monmouth Park and he’d be ready to come to New York,” said McGaughey.

Statesman was third in his off-the-turf one-mile debut in early August at Saratoga Race Course before an off-the-board finish traveling two-turns on turf later that month there. He was fourth in November at Gulfstream Park before his Tampa triumphs.

Statesman has not raced over an off-track, but McGaughey didn’t express much concern over the rain in the forecast.

“I’ve got no idea how he would handle an off track, but I think he probably should. I think that would probably dictate maybe if there are more horses with speed going in the race. It might help him somewhat,” McGaughey said. “Like I said, he got schooled pretty good in his last race and I don’t know if the rain would bother him or not, but I don’t think it would.”

Bred by West Point Thoroughbreds and St. Elias Stables, Statesman, out of the Grade 1-winning Empire Maker mare Icon Project, is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Fashion Business. His second dam is Grade 1-victor La Gueriere.

Edward Hudson, Jr., and Lynne Hudson’s Pure Beauty is entered in the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle, slated as Race 9 on Saturday, awards 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks.

The Malibu Moon bay was third last out in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on March 6 at Gulfstream Park following a second-out graduation going one-mile on January 12 there. She was a distant sixth sprinting seven furlongs in her September debut at Saratoga Race Course.

“She’s doing good. Her last two races were really good. She ran terrible at Saratoga, I don’t know why, but she did. Then she came back and ran a really good race breaking her maiden,” said McGaughey. “Then she was third beaten four lengths in a very deep race here a month ago, and I think this is worth taking a shot. She is going to get the distance, and we’ll just see. I think that she fits.”

McGaughey said Pure Beauty’s last-out third was encouraging– the race’s winner Anna’s Promise exited to run second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks to Five G, who is third on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 125 points.

“I think she was third in a very deep race that day. It was a Gulfstream allowance race, so we will see if she fits or not, but I think she does,” McGaughey said. “It was either going to be here or an allowance race at Keeneland, but I thought the allowance race at Keeneland would probably come up about as tough. I think there is a horse to beat in the Gazelle and that’s Chad [Brown’s Ballerina d’Oro]. The rest sort of fit together.

“I don’t know what the track is going to be like, but I don’t think an off track would bother her. She’s got some speed so she can lay up there, especially going one mile and an eighth,” McGaughey continued.

Marin will be aboard for the first time from post 7.

In addition to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks points events, Saturday’s card also features the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets for older horses sprinting seven furlongs [Race 10]; the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff at seven furlongs for older fillies and mares [Race 7]; and the Listed $150,000 Excelsior at 1 1/4 miles for older horses [Race 11].

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Phileas Fogg brings speed to Listed Excelsior

Jupiter Stable’s stakes-winner Phileas Fogg brings plenty of speed as he stretches out in distance for Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Excelsior, a 1 1/4-mile test for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 5-year-old Astern gelding is 3-for-4 for trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, including an eight-length trouncing of the nine-furlong Listed Queens County on December 29 here ahead of a last-out neck defeat to returning foe Curbstone in a local allowance at that distance. Both efforts were under Romero Maragh, who is slated to ride the speedy Mama’s Gold on Saturday.

“We are happy with the way he is coming into the race. The only thing I don’t like is Mama’s Gold has speed and we have speed. I don’t know what is going to happen, but we are going to try and gun for the lead,” said Rodriguez. “I think he can handle the distance with no problem. If we grab the lead and Mama’s Gold kind of presses, I don’t know, we will see what happens, that is why he is racing.”

Kendrick Carmouche will look to engineer the winning trip from post 6.

“The plan was to have somebody who can control the pace like him. With Kendrick on our horse, I’m not worried about anything. The best horse wins the race and we will see what happens,” Rodriguez said of the rider change.

Phileas Fogg was claimed for $62,500 out of a ninth on turf in July at Saratoga Race Course. He has proved to be a strong claim, and Rodriguez credited Jupiter Stable for having a keen eye.

“My owner is very good. I’ll be honest, he was the one who picked the horse. He said, ‘Gus, I want this horse, I want this horse,’ and I told him we just have to make sure he looks good and if everything looks good, we’ll try to claim him,” said Rodriguez. “We got lucky because there was a shake and we ended up winning the shake. To run on dirt, that was my idea with the way the horse was training.”

Rodriguez entered Phileas Fogg as a main-track-only for his barn debut in August at Saratoga and he beat optional claiming company by 3 1/2 lengths with his usual pacesetting tactics.

“I said we are going to put him main track only and see what happens. It rained a lot, they took it off, and we just got lucky,” Rodriguez said. “Now with the way he is coming into this race, I don’t care if it is sloppy or a regular track, like fast, we like this horse. He is a nice horse but this race isn’t going to be a walk in the park. It is a tough spot.”

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Phileas Fogg is out of the unraced More Than Ready mare Merino, a half-sister to Group 1-winner Capezzano.

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Sand Devil storms into G2 Wood Memorial

Chester Broman Sr.’s New York homebred Sand Devil will look to take down the Empire State’s biggest Kentucky Derby prep in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong route for sophomores offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Trained by Linda Rice, who recently captured the Aqueduct winter meet title, the Violence chestnut went undefeated in his first three starts, all against fellow state-breds here, led by a score in the seven-furlong Damon Runyon on February 8 that earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sand Devil stepped into open company last out in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham on March 1 and after a stumble at the start, he was hustled into contention and held a slim lead after three-quarters in 1:13.69. However, he could not turn back a dueling Flood Zone, who edged clear to a 3 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:39.62.

While Flood Zone will contest Saturday’s Group 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, Sand Devil, who registered a 92 Beyer for the Gotham effort, will test his talents around two turns for the first time at the Big A when exiting post 5-of-12 under regular pilot Jose Lezcano.

“Sometimes there's just days like that where nothing really goes right,” Rice said of the Gotham effort. “He stumbled at the break and then he rushed up. It just wasn't the trip we were hoping for, but I'm anxious to run him around two turns and see how he does at the mile and an eighth.

“It's a big, bulky tough field,” Rice continued. “I would think we will be forwardly placed, although maybe not on the lead and let's see how he likes the mile and an eighth. I'm hoping he'll like the off track as it looks like we'll have one - and that, of course, is an unknown as well."

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman, Sand Devil is out of multiple stakes-winning Mineshaft mare Mineralogist. His second dam is the graded stakes-winning New York-bred Seeking the Ante.

Rice is looking ahead to a big Saturday with six horses entered in stakes on the lucrative 13-race program, including All Class and St. Benedicts Prep in the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff, Sheriff Bianco [cross-entered in Sunday’s $125K Haynesfield] and Surveillance in the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, and Film Star in the Listed $150,000 Excelsior.

“Everybody is in good order. We have a full day of work ahead of us,” Rice said.

La Banquera returned on 15 days’ rest from a state-bred optional-claiming win to score a frontrunning victory in “The Videogenic” starter allowance on Saturday here to run her win streak to four for Rice, who co-owns with Marequest.

Rice haltered the 4-year-old Central Banker dark bay for $25,000 from an off-the-board effort here in December and enjoyed immediate dividends with La Banquera posting four consecutive open-lengths romps in prominent fashion with Lezcano at the helm.

On Saturday, she exited post 3 in good order in the 6 1/2-furlong test and showed the way through splits of 22.91 seconds, 46.34 and 1:10.75 en route to a comfortable 3 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:17.29. The winning effort earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Rice said La Banquera will enjoy a little more time ahead of her next start which could potentially come in the Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on May 4 at Belmont at the Big A.

“We did run her back off two weeks rest when she won the starter race the other day, so we'll give her 4-to-6 weeks between races now,” Rice said. “There's a couple races in May that we'll probably point her towards - an open 'a other than' and a starter, so there's options. I'll nominate her to the Vagrancy as well.”

Bred by Nice Guys Stables and Steven Hornstock, La Banquera is out of the winning New Year’s Day mare Timeless Beauty, a full-sister to multiple stakes-placed Clockstrikestwelve.

Rice noted that Winning Move Stable’s Yo Daddy could also race on the lucrative May 4 card with an eye towards the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester, a one-turn mile for older horses.

The 4-year-old Yoshida colt was claimed for $50,000 last April out of a winning effort at Keeneland and has since won 4-of-12 starts for Rice along with a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Saranac in August over the Saratoga Race Course turf.

Last out, Yo Daddy was a distant fifth in the Listed Stymie over one-mile of fast footing on March 1 here – an effort that was preceded by a pair of smart optional-claiming scores.

“I want to give him a little extra time,” Rice said. “We've had him on a pretty tight schedule through the fall and winter. His last performance was subpar for him, so I'm really pointing him towards the Westchester.”

Yo Daddy sold for $29,000 at the 2023 June OBS 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale and is out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Elle Stormin’. He has banked $360,159 through a lifetime record of 19-6-4-4.

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One Nine Hundred repeats 92 BSF in impressive maiden score

Steven Rocco and Adelphi Racing Club’s promising One Nine Hundred drew off to win by seven lengths in a Friday maiden special weight sprint at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Tom Morley and piloted by Jose Lezcano, the Dialed In sophomore exited the inside post in the seven-horse field and showed the way through splits of 22.50 seconds and 45.82 over the fast main track under pressure from Gypsy Dreaming. The talented colt responded when asked late in the turn, opening up by 3 1/2-lengths at the stretch call and arrowing through the wire under a brisk hand ride in a final time of 1:10.51.

The winning effort matched up a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure earned for a pacesetting runner-up effort from the inside post here on February 7 – a 6 1/2-furlong tilt won by highly-regarded Colloquial by seven-lengths in a final time of 1:16.89 that earned the George Weaver trainee a lofty 106 Beyer. Colloquial is slated to return to action in Monday’s Lafayette at Keeneland.

"I really didn't enjoy the one-hole again when the PPs came out, but I liked the way that Jose just lets him get into his stride,” Morley said of the maiden score. “It looked like he really enjoyed himself out there. He was much more professional with his lead switch - he's been under pressure in his previous two starts at the quarter-pole - so, it was nice to see him just put it all together today. He was never out of third gear.”

Morley said One Nine Hundred, who was off a step slow and finished third in his January debut here, will stay at sprint distances for now with potential targets being a local first-level allowance on May 16 or the Grade 3 Chick Lang on Preakness Day May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. A long-term goal would be the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 23 at Saratoga Race Course.

"This horse won't go further than 6 1/2-furlongs for the foreseeable future. He's a very fast horse,” Morley said. “We'll consider races like the Chick Lang or an 'a other than' here. I want to build him up slowly. Will he get seven-eighths by the time we get to Saratoga for the Allen Jerkens? He'll have to run against the horse that beat him seven lengths last time, so he'll have to improve. We'll just try and stay healthy and take it one step at a time up the ladder.”

One Nine Hundred was purchased by Rocco for $240,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where the colt worked in 10 seconds flat. Out of the Curlin mare Hedonism, One Nine Hundred is a half-brother to stakes-winner Real Macho. His third dam is dual Grade 3-winner Rabiadella