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Program # TBA |
Post Position:  |
Photo By: Jim Linscott |
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Recent Developments |
Cassels and Zollars' Private Emblem and Team Valor's Windward Passage, trainer Steve Asmussen's twin hopes in Saturday's 128th Kentucky Derby (GI), completed their major preparations at Churchill Downs on Apr. 29 with half-mile workouts under jockey Donnie Meche.
Windward Passage, a son of 1997 Derby runner-up Captain Bodgit, was first to the track, at approximately 6:30 a.m. (EDT) He accomplished his breeze in :48.60 and was timed in 1:02.40 galloping on out five furlongs.
Stablemate Private Emblem, the son of Our Emblem who won the Arkansas Derby (GII) in impressive fashion, came out approximately a half-hour later, again with Donnie Meche, who will ride him Saturday (May 4), and drilled his half-mile in :48.80, striding out five furlongs in 1:01.80. Split fractions on his breeze were :12.40 for the opening eighth, :25.40 for the quarter-mile and three furlongs in :37 flat.
"Both horses did well," said Asmussen later at the barn. "I'm pleased with the way they are getting over the track. This was one of Windward Passage's better moves ever. I was disappointed with the way he was training in Arkansas, but he's been a lot more into his works here. He was aggressive to the pole today, as was Private Emblem. Both horses have seemed to accept their surroundings.
"In his last work, Private Emblem was noticing things in the infield and not really paying attention. Since then he's acted like he knows where he's going. Both of these horses are traveling well and faster than ever which they are going to need to be Saturday (May 4)."
Regarding the fact that Private Emblem didn't run for six weeks prior to the Arkansas Derby and will be running back in the Derby after only three weeks, Asmussen said, "The spacing of his races was so that he would be in the shape he is now coming up to the Kentucky Derby."
Asmussen said the schedule for Windward Passage and Private Emblem during the remainder of Derby week will include walking under the shed Tuesday (Apr. 30), schooling in the gate, a return to galloping Wednesday (May 1) and possibly afternoon schooling in the Churchill Downs paddock.
"I feel extremely fortunate to have two horses in the final 20 from a foal crop of approximately 30,000 in the Kentucky Derby," Asmussen said. "The physical shape these horses are in is a credit to my crew, which has done a great job."
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As A 3-Year Old |
Finished in a dead-heat for third with Bay Monster, beaten 5 3/4-lengths, in the Arkansas Derby (GII) on Apr. 13
Won the Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park on Mar. 23 by one length over Ocean Sound (Ire)
Finished 3rd, beaten a1 1/2-lengths by Paloma Parilla in the second division of the Southwest Stakes
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As A 2-Year Old |
Broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in his third career start on Nov. 7 at odds of 4-1
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Derby Starter Background By: Jenny Kellner |
The son of Captain Bodgit finished in a dead-heat for third in the Arkansas Derby behind Private Emblem in his fourth start of the year. Chris McCarron was in Hot Springs, Arkansas on April 13 for the riding assignment. Earlier, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt finished second in an allowance and third to Paloma Parilla in a division of the Southwest Stakes before taking the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Owned by Team Valor Stables, Windward Passage has two victories, one second and three third-place finishes from seven starts. |
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Pedigree Anlysis By: John Gaver III |
Born: March 3, 1999; Dosage Index: 2.00
The Team Valor homebred Windward Passage is the first black-type winner for his sire Captain Bodgit, who won the Florida Derby (GI) and Wood Memorial (GII) for Team Valor and finished second to Silver Charm in the 1997 Kentucky Derby (GI). Even though Captain Bodgit is a young sire, with only two crops to his credit, he is by the very fashionable sire Saint Ballado, a son of the Hail To Reason stallion Halo, an excellent source of stamina in Thoroughbred bloodlines. Captain Bodgit has the following offspring that have won on the racetrack: Soarby, No Early Answer, Lazer Hill, Power Rocket, Captain Mel and Saint Kaytie. Windward Passage is out of the Miswaki mare Storm Runner, who is out of the stakes-winning mare Katrinka and was a three-time winner at three and an earner of $62,492 on the ractrack. Perhaps the strongest attribute of Windward Passage's female family is that his dam is by the Mr. Prospector sire Miswaki, who has proven to be an excellent broodmare sire. Miswaki is the sire of 297 producing daughters and has sired 66 stakes winners as a broodmare sire including the dams of Silence Suzuka, an earner of nearly $3.5 million; champion Daylami(Ire); multiple Group 1 winner Galileo; French champion Hernando; Taiki Fortune; Taiki Dia; Memory Jasper (Jpn); Johann Quatz (Fr); Dr Fong and champion Talkin' Man. Windward Passage's bloodines are an example of a stamina-on-speed cross, or nick, with the stamina source coming from Halo in his sire line (via Saint Ballado) and the speed influence coming from Raise A Native (via Mr. Prospector) in his distaff line. Windward Passage is a colt who has improved with longer distances on the racetrack and is bred to handle a classic distance of ground, just like his father, Captain Bodgit.
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