Heading

Bwana Charlie Wins Keeneland's Lafayette By Amelia Baldree

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and trainer Steve Asmussen had a deja vu weekend, earning a repeat victory in Keeneland's Lafayette Stakes with Bwana Charlie; last year the connections' Posse won. The late developing colt was purchased for $240,000 in March 2003. "He was pretty immature as a two year old and he took a while to come around physically. We had a couple of setbacks with him at Saratoga. We gave him plenty of time between his 2 and 3-year-old years and he's just come back brilliantly." Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen, tells Blood-Horse. The Indian Charlie colt gained a narrow lead leaving the backstretch and went on to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Overbrook/Lukas entry Quick Action. Jockey Shane Sellers has ridden Bwana Charlie in all three of his victories this year. Bwana Charlie paid $6.60, $3.60 and $2.60; Quick Action returned $5.20 and $3 and favorite Tales of Glory's show paid $2.60 to show.

Victory USA Defeats Halfbrided
by Emily Hufford

Three year old filly Victory USA, a daughter of Victory Gallop, won the Grade 2 Stonerside Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland on Thursday, defeating favored 2003 Champion Halfbridled. Victory USA was the second choice in the wagering, but was the clear winner, romping by 8 1/4 lengths. She is trained by Bob Baffert and was ridden by Jerry Bailey. She is owned by Tom Van Meeker II.

In her seasonal debut, Victory USA was second to Ashado in the Fair Ground Oaks. Ashado then came back to run second to Madcap Escapade in the Ashland Stakes, which was supposed to feature Halfbridled, who was scratched from that race after she tied up.

Halfbridled appeared to blow the far turn in the 7 furlong, $250,000 race, but ran on strongly at the end to be second. Wildwood Flower, a third California shipper, was third.

Victory USA before the Stonerside Beaumont Stakes
© 2004 Emily Hufford

Ema Bovary Before the Vinery Madison Stakes
© 2004 Emily Hufford

Number Nine for Ema Bovary;
Lady Tak Last
by Amelia Baldree

Shipping in from Northern California, Ema Bovary captured her 9th straight victory in Wednesday's Vinery Madison at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. Wagering favorite and Grade I winner Lady Tak led through fractions of :22.14 and :44.35. Putting in six furlongs in 1:09.73, Lady Tak dropped out of contention and Ema Bovary came on the outside with plenty of run. Harmony Lodge was on the rail and Ema Bovary came in, causing an objection from jockey Richard Migliore but the stewards ruled Ema Bovary was clear at the time. She won by 2 1/4 over Harmony Lodge, who was 3/4 length in front of Yell. Virgin Voyage, Buffythecenterfold and Lady Tak round up the order of finish.

Owners Richard Beal and Lana Ramsey and trainer Larry Ross collected $108,500 for the victory, pushing the 5-year-old bay mare's career bankroll to $406,442 with 12 wins in 17 lifetime starts. She paid $8.20, $3.80 and $3.20. Harmony Lodge returned $3.40 and $2.80; Yell paid $3.20.

Madcap Escapade Defeats
Ashado in the Ashland Stakes
by Amelia Baldree

Madcap Escapade, a three-year-old daughter of Hennessy, earned a favored spot in April 30's Grade I Kentucky Oaks with a 1/2 length victory over Ashado in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. Coming off three wins in sprints at Gulfstream this winter, Madcap Escapade impressed in her first victory over two turns. 2003 Champion Juvenile Filly Halfbridled was a sure favorite for the Ashland field until she tied up (muscle cramps) after a routine gallop on Friday morning and trainer Richard Mandella decided to scratch. The already small field was reduced to four fillies.

"It couldn't have gone any better," winning jockey Rene Douglas told Blood-Horse. "We had a very easy opening quarter and she just cruised right along. She was looking at the starting gate on the turn for home and kind of hesitated a bit. I was concerned when I saw Ashado coming but we had enough left to win." Madcap Escapade went off at odds of 7-10 and paid $3.40 and $2.20. Todd Pletcher trained Ashado paid $2.60; there was no show wagering. Last Song and La Reina completed the order of finish.

Madcap Escapade Before the Ashland
© 2004 Emily Hufford

Jeanne Vance Goes Out a Winner
by Amelia Baldree

Yesterday, Saturday, April 10, I guarantee you and most other racing fans out there were focusing on the big prep races for the Kentucky Derby. The Bluegrass, the Wood Memorial and the Arkansas Derby. The 4th race at Keeneland on Bluegrass day was probably overlooked by most. But this particular race had a special place in my heart. The 6 horse, Munchkin, was owned by the Estate of Jeanne G. Vance, the owner of Lemon Drop Kid, that "one horse" that got me into racing.

The news of Jeanne Vance passing away in December 2003 was much more of a personal shock to me than it was to most people. To sum it up, Jeanne Vance and late husband Laddie Dance are easily the two most influential people in my life, short of John DeSantis and Trudy McCaffrey from Kids To The Cup. Laddie always kept in touch with me about his horses, and after his death, Jeanne picked up where Laddie had left off. I will never forget the emails about what their horses were training like. From Golden Arm (a claimer Laddie was glad to get rid of) to Chaste's 9th in the 2001 Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Turf, I loved them all.

Jeanne Vance's disperal will occur this Tuesday, April 13 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. Flipping through the list of hip numbers in the sale catalog, I feel the tide of emotions these names bring. Eavesdropper, Munchkin, Ecclesiastic, Elder Statesman, Inducement, Beaufort Scale... A total 11 horses will be included in the dispersal, 4 of them are 2-year-olds. To make the horses look their best at auction, they were put into training with William Mott. Inducement, a 3-year-old bay colt by Danzig, recently won a MSW on the Turf at Gulfstream Park on April 1, 2004. Then on April 2, opening day at Keeneland, Ecclesiastic won under Jerry Bailey. I wasn't there, but I was so proud to know they had won.

Yesterday, April 10th I was one of 24,821 people at Keeneland for the Grade I Bluegrass Stakes. On the undercard, there was the 4th race, a MSW for fillies and mares, four-years-old and upward. With the sale impending in three days, there was one last horse in her estate to run. Munchkin. A 4-year-old A.P. Indy bay filly that had run 4 times her 2-year-old year with two seconds. I remember hearing she had been injured, and a return to racing wasn't decided. Munchkin was entered on the 4th race that day and when she walked into the paddock, I almost got choked up. Just knowing how much Jeanne loved horses, especially racing, I just said a prayer that Munchkin would run well for her. Having not run in over a year, it was much understood that she would be fractious in the paddock. But she was beautiful and a lot calmer and focused than I would have expected. I saw her in the post parade and she was in silks similiar to Jeanne's. Black and white checks, but no red on the arms. She was prancing around and on a day that was supposed to be overcast, the sun broke free from the clouds for just a few minutes. Throwing her rider and being unruly behind the gate, I became worried that maybe she just wasn't ready for this return. She was bumped at the start and was five-wide early. Top of the stretch she was still in contention, second behind Belle's Blaze. Down the stretch they came, Munchkin on the inside refusing to give up, fighting with everything she had, winning by a neck.

I could just feel Jeanne up in heaven smiling. She loved her horses and they knew it. Munchkin won for Jeanne. Jeanne Vance leaves this sport... a winner.

Halfbridled Scratched From Ashland

Trainer Richard Mandella's three year old filly Halfbridled was scratched from Staurday's Ashland Stakes when she suffered muscle cramps after a Friday gallop at Keeneland Racecourse in Kentucky. Favored in a field that includes undefeated Madcap Escapade, graded stakes winning Ashado, and the up-and-coming Last Song, Halfbridled was making her second start since her victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last October. She was last season's Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Filly.

The daughter of Unbridled will now run in Keeneland's Stonerside Beaumont Stakes on Thursday, April 8th. Favoritism in the Ashland now goes to Madcap Escapade, three for three for trainer Frank Brothers.

The race still figures to be quite contentious, as Ashado is coming in from Louisiana where she won the Fair Grounds Oaks. She is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Shug McGaughey has grade 3 winner La Reina in the field, and Carl Nafzger is represented by Last Song.

Also on the card, which is the second day of Keeneland's prestigious spring meeting, is the return of grade 1 winner Marylebone, an Unbridled's Song filly who is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Weekdays at Keeneland Feature Lady Tak, Champion Halfbridled
by Amelia Baldree

One doesn't usually look at a Wednesday or Thursday as a big day of racing. However, it's April in Kentucky. Keeneland is open. All rules are thrown out the window.

Wednesday features the $175,000 Vinery Madison Stakes, a listed stakes race for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and upward. Steve Asmussen's Lady Tak, one of the top fillies in the three-year-old division of last year and winner of the Grade I Test, is making her four-year-old debut. She last ran 7th in the 2003 Breeder's Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. Besides her, Ema Bovary and Buffythecenterfold ship in from the West Coast, and Yell and Harmony Lodge hail from the East. Virgin Voyage rounds up the 6-horse field. The Madison is 7 furlongs on the dirt and is Race 8 on Wednesday's nine race card at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. Shane Sellers will ride the chestnut filly; Asmussen and Sellers were victorious in Sunday's Lafayette with Bwana Charlie.