Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Thousand Words continues to impress with strong work
DEL MAR, Calif. – After going off form earlier this year, Thousand Words seemed invigorated once relocating here to Del Mar, where he trained sharply heading into the Shared Belief, in which he scored a 9-1 upset over Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P.
He has continued to train forwardly since that race in preparation for the Kentucky Derby, and Sunday morning was credited with a five-furlong drill in 1:00 that was closer to a six-furlong work with an extensive gallop-out.
Breaking off at the fivefurlong pole, while in company with Cezanne, Thousand Words reached the finish line in 1:00. He continued on out, with trainer Bob Baffert getting him in 1:12.20 for six furlongs, then galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25 and a mile in 1:39.80, relaying instructions throughout via radio to exercise rider Juan Ochoa.
“Real strong,” Baffert said of the work. “He’s doing very well right now.”
Thousand Words is scheduled to have one more work here at Del Mar before departing for Kentucky for the Sept. 5 Derby, in which Baffert also will start Haskell winner Authentic. He has won the Derby five times.
McKinzie heading to Alysheba
McKinzie will make his first start in two months when he competes Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba Stakes, the race Baffert said was next after a strong work Sunday at Del Mar.
McKinzie, with Ochoa up, was timed officially in 1:12.60, the fastest time of seven at the distance. But he continued with an extensive gallop-out, with Baffert getting him finishing up a mile in 1:37.80.
“He went great,” Baffert said. McKinzie was fifth most recently in the Runhappy Met Mile, in which he lost two of his four shoes. He was entered in the six-furlong Bing Crosby here, but was scratched to await races at more suitable distances. He’s never raced at less than seven furlongs.
The Alysheba became the preferred race for several reasons. Baffert will be taking a number of horses to Churchill Downs for major races that week, including Gamine in the Kentucky Oaks and Authentic and Thousand Words in the Kentucky Derby. And McKinzie is the defending race winner of the Alysheba, having captured it when it was last run in May 2019.
The Bing Crosby winner, Collusion Illusion, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Sunday for trainer Mark Glatt.
Princess Noor eyes Debutante
The highly regarded Princess Noor could be wheeled back in 15 days for the Grade 1, $250,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 6 after breezing home a comfortable winner in her debut Saturday, Baffert said Sunday morning.
Princess Noor won the 5 1/2-furlong race by 2 1/2 lengths while looking as if she was out for a morning breeze under jockey Victor Espinoza.
“I told Victor, ‘Just sit.’ He did a good job,” Baffert said. “I want to see how she is in a week, but she possibly could run back in the Debutante. She’ll be nominated everywhere, but she came out of the race really good.”
Princess Noor, by Not This Time, was the highest-priced 2-year-old sold at auction this year. She was purchased for $1.35 million by bloodstock agent and clocker Gary Young on behalf of Zedan Racing Stables Inc.
Big Score pointing to Tapit
Big Score, who won an upperlevel turf allowance Friday at Del Mar that had the feel of a listed stakes, is being pointed to the $300,000 Tapit Stakes on Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs, trainer Tim Yakteen said Sunday morning.
Big Score, 6, won the 1 1/16mile allowance while rallying from fourth in the five-horse field under Flavien Prat. It was only his second start of the year following a nine-month layoff. The Tapit, at a mile and 70 yards on turf, has conditions suited to order for Big Score, as it is for horses who have not won a stakes in 2020.
“We’re looking at that,” Yakteen said. “If we think it’s coming up too quick, we can always wait for the City of Hope Mile,” a Grade 2, $200,000 race on Oct. 3 at Santa Anita.
Big Score won the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland as a 3-year-old in 2017. He has not won a stakes since then, but has placed numerous times, including second-place finishes in the Del Mar Derby, Twilight Derby, and Penn Mile, and third-place finishes in the Hollywood Derby and Mathis Brothers Mile.