TrackPack PA)">
“It was a great meet at Oaklawn,” Bob Baffert told the New York Times after his trainees came first and second in the $1 million Arkansas Derby this weekend. (Photo via TrackPack PA)
Welcome, Eventing Nation, to the 10-day countdown to Rolex, the 17-day countdown to Badminton and the 19-day countdown to the Kentucky Derby. It’s still early, but I’m leaning towards a Parklane Hawk-Leopin-Union Rags Trifecta. Who are your picks?
Your weekend eventing wrap-up:
Rails were flying in the Ocala Horse Properties International CCI**—Kara Andrew, Darren Chiacchia and Sable Geiser jumped the only clear rounds of 19 competitors—allowing Nicole Parkin and Lexus, who pulled a single rail, to take the lead from Callie Judy and Call On Me, who dropped two rails to finish second.
In the CCI*, despite a rail, Robin Walker and Someday Never Comes led wire to wire, their final score of 47.1 besting second-placed Leslie Law and Kool Aldo (48.4) for the win. Robin also won the Open Intermediate with a clear round aboard Florenz. Go Robin. [Ocala Results]
Sally Cousins’ intermediate domination continued at Plantation Field, where she won the division on Kestrel Key and took second on The Robber Barron. Carol Kozlowski and Good Earth Bit O’ Honey won the Open Preliminary, Morgan Kelly and Watching won the Preliminary Rider, and Ryan Wood and Frankie topped Preliminary Horse. Ryan also claimed the lowest U.S. eventing score of the weekend, finishing on 16.1 in the Novice Horse-B with Woodstock Bennett. Go Ryan. [Plantation Results]
Elisabeth Mehner and Good Day Gali were the lowest scorers at Ram Tap, claiming a 19.5-point margin of victory over their Senior Novice division by finishing on their dressage score of 20.5. [Ram Tap Results]
At Full Gallop, Momo Laframboise and Raniki won the Open Intermediate, Beth Wheeler and Uncle Fred topped the Open Preliminary, Corinne Ashton and Ardastra took the Open Training, and Alyssa Ford and Bold Decision won the Training Rider. [Full Gallop Results]
Last but not least, Tom Angle and Viking II were the Open Preliminary victors at Arizona’s St. Johns Horse Trials, while Claire Jan and Artistic Flaire won Junior Training, Christine Murphy and Red Hawk’s Remington topped Senior Training, and Manuela Propfe and Brewer’s Bay took the Open Training blue. [St. Johns Results]
Bob Baffert, still recovering from the heart attack he suffered three weeks ago at the Dubai World Cup, wasn’t able to attend the $1 million Arkansas Derby in person, but trainees Bodemeister and Secret Circle didn’t let him down. Bodemeister, named for Baffert’s 7-year-old son Bode, led Secret Circle by nine-and-a-half lengths to score a one-two victory. Earlier in the week, fellow Baffert trainees Mamma Kimbo and Plum Pretty won the meet’s Fantasy Stakes and Apple Blossom Handicap, respectively. [New York Times]
At Keeneland, top Kentucky Derby prospect Hansen ran second to Dullahan in the Blue Grass Stakes after breeder and co-owner Dr. Kendall Hansen (one guess where the horse got his name) caused a bit of a fiasco. Dr. Hansen dyed the pale gray colt’s tail blue for the race, prompting stewards’ warnings of fines and a possible scratch. Come post time, the colt’s tail had been washed gray again. “As the hours wound down, there were some frustrations (between owner and trainer),” Hansen said. [Blood-Horse]
Hansen, Dullahan, Secret Circle and Bodemeister are ranked first, fourth, tenth and eleventh in graded stakes earnings, respectively. The top 20 earners qualify to start the Kentucky Derby. [DRF]
For the second year in a row, two horses died during the Grand National steeplechase, raising “uncomfortable questions:” “There are risks in just about every sport – in fact, just about everything we do – and, as a rule, we do what we can to minimise them. The line in the turf centres around just what level of risk is unacceptable?” [Horsetalk]
Young dressage rider and NAYRC gold medallist Brandi Roenick, 17, has leased Steffen Peters’ Pan Am individual and team gold medal-winning mount Weltino’s Magic with the goal of riding in the Young Rider World Cup Final in Germany this year. “This is making a big jump,” Brandi said. “I’m hoping it will provide some excitement. I’m really focused and determined.” [Dressage-News]
Best of the Badminton-Bound Blogs: “Before leaving New York, I’ve helped to unload and weigh cargo that is bound for the World Cup show jumping as well as my own stuff (the USET’s trunks are ungodly HEAVY). I personally loaded HRH on to his box, (he got to share with one of Beezie Madden’s horses who is heading over to Holland for the World Cup). We had a very uneventful flight into Amsterdam; Luke again, handled it with class, I on the other hand, fell asleep before dinner was served.” [Colleen Rutledge]
Runner Up: Happy Birthday to Kristen Schmolze’s Cavaldi, who turned 17 yesterday. [HJU]
Top of the Tweets: Lucinda Green: Hope everyone has had a nice weekend. Did you compete? If yes, where? and how did you get on? #eventing
Rolex-bound Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan practice the four-star test in Ocala:
Bodemeister romps in the Arkansas Derby:
