Fair Grounds Barn Notes:Fair Grounds Horsemen Give Expertise On Pegasus World Cup

By Ryan Martin —-

SUTHERLAND OUT EIGHT TO TWLEVE WEEKS

Jockey Chantal Sutherland will miss eight to twelve weeks after suffering a broken left clavicle and a fractured right knee as result of a spill that took place in Thursday’s sixth race.

“She’s doing well and in good spirits,” Sutherland’s agent Rick Mocklin said. “It looks like she may have surgery (Friday) and then spend a day here and then come home and rest. That will put us right at the end of the meet.”

Sutherland was enjoying a successful Winter Meet with a 165-15-21-18 record as well as $437,944 in earnings.

“It was going well and we were holding our own,” Mocklin said. “We were starting ride a couple for (Mike) Stidham and had ridden for (Bret) Calhoun and Larry Jones, so we were starting riding for people we weren’t at the beginning of the meet. Her plans are undecided right now, as far as whether she’ll go to Canada or Keeneland, but we definitely want to come here next year.”

FAIR GROUNDS HORSEMEN GIVE EXPERTISE ON PEGASUS WORLD CUP

Throughout the past couple of days, some Fair Grounds-based jockeys and horsemen offered their expert opinion on Saturday’s Grade I $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Here’s what they had to say:

Jockey Chris Emigh: “I’ve watched Gun Runner in the paddock and galloping so that’s the one I’ve been looking at.”

Jockey Declan Cannon: “I think that the inside horses are really going to try and serve it up to Gun Runner and he’s going to try and leave there and get a good position, but I think there’s a couple horses in there that are going to be riding to get him under more pressure.

Trainer Tom Amoss: “I like West Coast. I think that in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Collected could have been a pacesetter along with Gun Runner. Look for Collected to go with Gun Runner and soften up and give him a chance for his other horse West Coast.”

Trainer Larry Jones: We’re all pulling for Gun Runner. With Flo and Steve, that’s the buddy system. We’re rooting for them because we know them so well. Also (trainer) Dallas Stewart. I’m hoping if someone comes flying I hope that it’s Seeking The Soul.”

Jockey Adam Beschizza: “Obviously it’s be huge for Toast of New York to run a big race so I’ve got to be a supporter of him. I think he’s had a marvelous career and to where he is now to run in a race like this is just fantastic. Obviously I think Gun Runner will win, I don’t think there’s anything that could contend with him at the moment, but it’s a highly competitive race. I think Gun Runner will win but I’m rooting for the English at the same time.

Trainer William “Buff” Bradley: “Gun Runner is the most consistent one out there and he looks good. Watching him train here, it looks like he’s on it and you know (Steve) Asmussen not leaving anything. He gave him full attention to get him ready for this race.”

Trainer Mike Stidham: “Sentimentally, I’m rooting for Collected because I train for Speedway Stables, but I’ve watched Gun Runner train here for the past couple of months and you wouldn’t want a horse to be doing any better than him. He’s the fastest horse in the race; he just has to get the trip.”

Former jockey and agent Francisco Torres: “Hands down Gun Runner is the horse to beat. I was watching the draw and I’ll you what, it looks like he’s going to have the trip with nothing but speed to the inside of him. If (Florent Geroux) and Gun Runner leaves there like he usually does all these guys do is just watch how it develops on the inside of him and have the trip of his life.”

Jockey Chantal Sutherland: “I’m loving Gun Runner. I thought his works have been impressive and he just looks so good. His coat has been amazing and he just trained here and looks so happy.”

Trainer Joe Sharp: “I’m a big Gun Runner fan. I think he’s the best horse and he’s doing incredible and he has great connections.”

Jockey Miguel Mena: “I think Gun Runner is the best horse. Frenchy is my buddy and we’re all pulling for him, right?”

Trainer Tom Morley: “I’m sure (Hall of Fame trainer) Steve (Asmussen) probably didn’t want the ten-hole for Gun Runner but at the same time I think he probably would rather be drawn to the outside of Sharp Azteca rather than inside of him. On paper, Gun Runner is obviously the horse to beat. Sharp Azteca, I’ve always thought of as a miler at most if not a very good sprinter, he was super impressive in the Cigar Mile. Obviously being English I’m rooting for Toast of New York. I think it’s a quality field and a better field than last year, but last year a lot of people were scared off by (Arrogate and California Chrome) but this year people are willing to have a crack at the race.”

Trainer Jordan Blair: “Gun Runner. It’s actually been fun watching him train here. Every work he’s got better and better and I think that I’ve watched every single breeze other than his last one
at Gulfstream. If I had to pick a crazy upset it’d be Sharp Azteca, if he can get the distance. If he doesn’t get pressed and can go slow enough, that would be my crazy outside pick

Trainer Sam David, Jr.: “Just being able to watch Gun Runner work here and train here, he’s kind of the one that we’re rooting for and so our loyalty rides with him.”

AWESOME SATURDAY ANSWERS CALHOUN’S QUESTIONS OF SURFACE CHANGE; WILL STRETCH BACK OUT TO TWO TURNS

Trainer Bret Calhoun was unsure of how Awesome Saturday would handle the turf for the first time in Friday’s second race, but was pleased with the answer that he got after the Chuck Hovitz-owned son of Any Given Saturday scored a three-quarter length victory.

“Basically we were trying to get him ready without putting too much stress on him,” Calhoun said. “He’s had some minor soundness issues over the last couple of years and I just thought this was a good way to get him ready to move on to two turns without having to pound on him in the mornings. He’s always been a nice horse and we’ve always been high on him. I didn’t know how he would handle the grass yesterday, but we thought that he would handle it fine.”

Thursday’s race was Awesome Saturday’s first start since a fifth-place finish behind Colonelsdarktemper in the Gr. II Indiana Derby last July, his only start finishing off the board. He made his career debut a winning one over the Fair Grounds main track in February of last year before going on to finish second behind graded stakes-placed Excitations and stakes winner No Mo Dough in his next two starts. Next out, he was second beaten a neck behind Colonelsdarktemper going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs before a three-length victory when stretching out to two turns over the Louisville oval. Calhoun stated that the horse will see two turns once more at some point in the near future.

“I think he’s probably a better two turn horse,” Calhoun said. “He’s okay going three quarters but I think he would be better going seven eighths or farther. I thought it might be a little short but at the end of the day we learned something. Now we know he can handle the turf so that leaves us with some options down the road. It was a nice prep to stretch him on out to two turns sometime.”

On Saturday afternoon, Calhoun will have another opportunity to showcase a first timer on the grass with Tom R. Durant’s Lawton in the fifth race. Like Awesome Saturday, Calhoun successfully brought the 4-year-old son of Archarcharch back to the winner’s circle off the bench when the horse broke his maiden over the Fair Grounds main track on Dec. 28 last time out. His start prior to that was a well-beaten third at Oaklawn Park in April.

“That’s a horse with those pedigree lines that I have always wanted to run on grass,” Calhoun said. “He ran a nice one off the layoff for us on the dirt and I don’t know if it will end up on the turf unfortunately with the weather. This is the toughest a other than five-and-a-half (furlong) on the turf that I’ve seen in a long time so I think it would be a good test for him. I think the grass could help the horse in the future, possibly.”

Jockey Corey Lanerie, who was aboard for Lawton’s maiden win, will return to the irons for Saturday’s race.