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Program # TBA |
Post Position:  |
Photo By: Arena Leisure plc |
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Recent Developments |
Trainer Aidan O'Brien's initial Kentucky Derby (GI) entrants left Churchill Downs before 7 o'clock Sunday (May 5) morning for an eight-hour flight back to Ireland. Traveling head lad Patrick Keating said the two came out of the race healthy and sound and ate up last night. Keating said he talked with O'Brien this morning and said the conditioner offered no comment on Saturday's (May 4) race, noting O'Brien was happy to hear of the colts' condition. As for the race itself, Keating said he never saw it. "I was trying to get to the big screen to watch it, but it wasn't working," Keating said.
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As A 3-Year Old |
Finished 12th, beaten 17 lengths by War Emblem, in Kentucky Derby (GI) 128
Won the Fosters-International Trial Stakes on April 6 at Lingfield Park in England, covering eight furlongs over the polytrack surafce in 1:36.52 while besting Aramram by 2 1/2-lengths
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As A 2-Year Old |
Finished second, beaten a length by stablemate Ballingarry, in the 10 furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr. I) on Nov. 13
Finished second, three parts of a length off High Chaparral, in the Racing Post Trophy Stakes (Gr. I) on Oct. 27
Won the Beresford Stakes (Gr. III) at The Curragh on Oct. 14 by seven lengths as the even money favorite
Posted a record of 4-2-2-0 with earnings of $141,751
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Derby Starter Analysis By: Steve Fugitte |
To be ridden by Jerry Bailey - this son of Gone West has already been a mile and a quarter. He's been trained for stamina since day one in Europe and that will help his speed-oriented pedigree. Actually like him better than his well-known stablemate and with no couplings in the Derby the price is sure to be right. Connections have been optimistic about him throughout while only recently bouncing back with high hopes on their champion juvenile. Plan to ship in late will either make O'Brien look like a genius or an idiot. His nickname is the Boy Genius and he didn't earn that getting horses beat with shipping plans. Very, very scary runner can light up the tote board and is one of two runners capable of giving Gone West and Mill Ridge a Derby winner. |
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Pedigree Anlysis By: John Gaver III |
Born: February 12, 1999; Dosage Index: 3.21
Castle Gandolfo, who is named for the Pope's summer palace outside Rome, Italy, is by a the top class stallion Gone West, one of the most fashionably-bred sons of Mr. Prospector at stud (he's out of a Secretariat mare), a sire of twelve crops and over 60 stakes winners. As a stallion, Gone West is extremely versatile. For example, he has the champion miler Zafonic; two-time Breeders' Cup Mile (GI) winner Da Hoss; the turf stayers Lassigny, winner of the Rothman's International (GI), and German champion Royal Abjar; the quality main track router West By West; the precocious juveniles Grand Slam and Supremo; the crack main track long sprinter Mr. Greeley and Elusive Quality, who set a world-record for one mile (1:31.63) in 1998. Castle Gandolfo is out of the Northern dancer mare Golden Oriole, a full sister to two-time champion and prolific sire El Gran Senor and to the champion Try My Best. He is also a three-quarter brother to Devonwood, who is graded stakes placed on turf in North America, and is a half-brother to Shirokita Cross (Jpn), a stakes winner in Japan. As a broodmare sire, two-time champion, Horse of the Year and 1964 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Northern Dancer is the sire of 292 producing daughters, including the following stakes winners: Narita Brian (Jpn), two-time Horse of the Year in Japan and an earner of $9.2 million on the racetrack; Biwa Hayahide (Jpn), two-time champion, Horse of the Year in Japan and earner of $7.5 million; Vega (Jpn), a Japanese champion; the North American champions Rhythm, Ryafan, Brief Truce and Eillo; two-time champion Arazi; two-time champion Ravinella and two-time champion Muhtarram. Castle Gandolfo is example of the prolific Derby-winning pedigree nick of Raise A Native (via Mr. Porspector) on the stallion line crossed with Northern Dancer (via Golden Oriole) on the distaff line. The last Kentucky Derby winner possessing a Raise A Native-Northern Dancer pedigree cross, or nick, was Fusaichi Pegasus in 2002.
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