Caracaro breezes easy five-eighths for Kentucky Derby (G1)
While Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Belmont Stakes-winner Tiz the Law pushed his work back a day due to sloppy conditions over the Saratoga main track, Runhappy Travers runner-up Caracaro went back to work on an overcast Saturday morning, recording an easy fivefurlong breeze for trainer Gustavo Delgado.
Heavy thunderstorms hit the Capital Region around 8:00 a.m., resulting in sloppy conditions over the main track, but the show went on for the bay son of Uncle Mo, who went the first quarter in 25.60 seconds before finishing off his work in 1:01.02 under exercise rider J.J Delgado.
“We wanted something easy. In his first work after the Travers, we just want to see where we’re at,” said Delgado’s son and assistant Gustavo Delgado, Jr. “Ideally, we’ll have [Hall of Fame jockey] Javier [Castellano] aboard next Saturday. We’ll see during the week how he comes back from this work and where his energy level is at, but so far, he’s doing well.
Delgado said Caracaro is familiar with breezing over a wet track, having worked twice over a “wet fast” track in June at his home base of
Gulfstream Park West.
“He kind of likes it. He does well over it,” Delgado, Jr. said.
Owned by Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing, Caracaro earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure in his secondout graduation in January at Gulfstream Park ahead of a strong runner-up effort to Country Grammer in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa.
Last out, Caracaro garnered a career-best 101 Beyer when runner-up to likely Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law in the Runhappy Travers finishing 5 ¼ lengths behind the four-time Grade 1 winner.
Caracaro will be Delgado’s third Kentucky Debry starter after Majesto [18th, 2016] and Bodexpress [13th, 2019], both of whom arrived at the “Run for the Roses” off runner-up efforts in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
“We’ve always been Derby dreamers,” Delgado, Jr. said. “With Majesto and Bode, we were really trying to qualify for the big race. Bode was a maiden when he ran, and he was in the 21 post. We only needed one scratch and it was [morning line favorite] Omaha Beach. This one has shown so much talent since we got him. His speed figures are improving.”
Caracaro will put the fin
ishing touches on his serious Kentucky Derby preparation next Saturday and is scheduled to fly out to Louisville the following day. He will be joined by Bodexpress, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.88 on Saturday, and will likely target an allowance event on Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby undercard.
Bred in Kentucky by SF Racing, Caracaro was purchased as a weanling for $95,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale, where he was consigned by Buckland Sales.
Come Dancing posts bullet half-mile breeze in preparation for Honorable Miss (G2)
Blue Devil Racing Stable’s homebred Come Dancing worked a bullet halfmile in 46.68 Saturday on a fast Saratoga main track in preparation for the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss Handicap on September 6 at the Spa.
Trained by Carlos Martin, the 6-year-old Malibu Moon mare hit the main track, before a brief but heavy rainstorm, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons as regular pilot, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, will be at Churchill Downs the weekend of the Honorable Miss to ride Caracaro in the Kentucky Derby.
“We got lucky. We got out there around 7 a.m. She went solo with Irad Ortiz, Jr. who is going to ride her because Javier is out of town,” said Martin. “Irad said she was moving sound and happy and, believe it or not, he thought she did that easy.
“She was just cruising. It was something beautiful to see,” added Martin. “It’s one thing to go quick and then stagger home in 24. She went 12, 12, 11 and change and then 11 and 1. She just does it gradually and so naturally.”
Come Dancing established herself as one of the top older female sprinters in the country last year by winning 4-of-6 starts, including scores in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap in April at the Big A; the Grade 2 Ruffian in May at Belmont; a first career Grade 1-win in the Ballerina in August at the Spa; and a 3 ¼-length romp in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in September on Big Sandy.
Come Dancing has raced three times this season with her best result coming in a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Vagrancy in June at Belmont. Last out, the dark bay was an even fourth when attempting to defend her title in the Grade 1 Ballerina on August 8.
“He took her back off the pace, which I was fine with, as they were going in 21 and change, and it seemed like she was making that rally on the outside. For a second, I thought she was going to go right by them,” said Martin. “She was wide, and I didn’t mind that, but Javier said she was getting in a little bit.
“She’s a hundred percent sound and was straight as a string this morning,” added Martin. “But it looked like in mid-stretch last time she came in a little bit and tried to split horses and then Bellafina came in on her a little bit and she had to check. She found herself in the middle of those horses after being seven-wide. He then took her back outside and she just missed being third.”
Martin said he remains confident in Come Dancing’s ability to return to last fall’s stellar form.
“People may say she’s lost a step, but she was beaten three lengths in a Grade 1 and she was wide the whole way with a 92 Beyer,” said Martin regarding the Ballerina effort. “I’m not ready to throw in the towel and say she cannot come back to her best form.”
Martin said the swift mare could consider defending her title in the Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap on October 3 at Belmont or the Grade 2, $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 3 at Keeneland as they chart a course for their long-term goal of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 7 at Keeneland.