Belmont Early Look | Retama Ruffian

Belmont Stakes (G1) 1 1/12M, Dirt, 3YO M 6/6/15

Horse Name	Trainer	Last Start, Distance, Track	Finish & Time
The Truth or Else	K. McPeek	Allowance Optional Claiming (Belmont Park) 1 1/16 miles	1st 1:43.27
Frammento	N. Zito	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs)     1 ¼ miles	11th 2:03.02
Tale of Verve	D. Stewart	Preakness Stakes (Pimlico) 1 3/16 miles	2nd 1:58.46
American Pharoah	B. Baffert	Preakness Stakes (Pimlico) 1 3/16 miles	1st 1:58.46
Frosted	K. McLaughlin	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) 1 ¼ miles	4th 2:03.02
Madefromlucky	T. Pletcher	Peter Pan Stakes (Belmont Park) 1 ⅛ miles	1st 1:48.36
Carpe Diem	T. Pletcher	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) 1 ¼ miles	10th 2:03.02
Keen Ice	D. Romans	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) 1 ¼ miles	7th 2:03.02
Materiality	T. Pletcher	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) 1 ¼ miles	6th 2:03.02
Mubtaahij	M. De Kock	Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) 1 ¼ miles	8th 2:03.02

The Truth or Else-  A well seasoned runner who has had twelve starts since June of last year. He’s won two of those, ran second once and third three times. He’s earned a total of $294,137. He finished third in the Champagne Stakes, Nashua Stakes, sixth in the Remsen Stakes, second in the Southwest Stakes, fourth in Rebel Stakes and seventh in the Pat Day Mile Stakes. He finished ahead of the other runners in an allowance optional claiming at Belmont Park on May 22nd.

Frammento- Frammento ran in eight races since October, in which he won one, came second once and finished third once. He’s earned a total of $139,700. He’s only win was his maiden, which took place at Keeneland going 1 1/16 miles. The best he’s come since then was a third place in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. He also ran second and fourth in an allowance optional claiming, sixth in the Holy Bull Stakes, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and eleventh in the Kentucky Derby.

Tale of Verve- Tale of Verve had seven career starts. He came first in one of those, second in two, and third in two of them. He has earned a total of $354,640. It took him six tries to break his madien, finally accomplishing that at Keeneland on April 23, 2015. He also finished second in the Preakness.

American Pharoah- American Pharoah had seven career starts and won six of them. He’s earned a total of $3,730,300. He finished fifth in his maiden special weight. He won the Del Mar Futurity, FrontRunner Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Frosted- Frosted raced eight times. He finished first twice and second four times. He has earned a total of $936,800. He won his maiden, came second in the Remsen Stakes and Holy Bull Stakes. He finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth and the Kentucky Derby. He won the Wood Memorial.

Madefromlucky- Madefromlucky had eight career starts. He came first three times, second twice and third once. He has earned a total of $378,700. He won his maiden, an allowance optional claiming and the Peter Pan Stakes. He finished second in the Rebel Stakes and fourth in the Arkansas Derby.

Carpe Diem- Carpe Diem raced six times. He came first four times and second once. He’s earned $1,519,800. He won his maiden, the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, Tampa Bay Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He came second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and tenth in the Kentucky Derby.

Keen Ice- Keen Ice ran eight times. He finished first once and third twice. He has won $160,395. He won his maiden. He’s finished fifth in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and the Holy Bull Stakes, third in the Risen Stakes Stakes and the Holy Bull, fourth in the Louisiana and seventh in the Kentucky Derby.

Materiality- Materiality raced four times and finished first three times. He has won $656,028. He broke his maiden this January, won the Islamorada Handicap and the Florida Derby and sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

Mubtaahij- Mubtaahij raced eight times and finished first four times and second once. He has earned $1,4461,332. He won his maiden, a conditions, the Al Bastakiya and a group two. He finished second in the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas and eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

Derby Dreaming - Ami's Flatter | Retama Ruffian

| Derby Dreaming is a blog series in which I review the pedigree and capabilities of the horses who have, as of the day posted, a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. |

Ami’s Flatter

Flatter - Galloping Ami, Ivan Dalos, 20 Points

Ami’s Flatter is yet to win a graded stakes, coming fourth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (1 1/16 mile) and second in the Tampa Bay Derby (1 1/16 mile). His sire, Flatter, did nothing spectacular other than coming third in the grade two Washington Park Handicap (1 3/16 mile). Flatter sired Flat Out, who came third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (1 ¼ mile). He came third and won two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (1 ¼ mile). Flatter’s sire is the Hall of Fame A.P. Indy. A.P. Indy won the Santa Anita Derby (1 ⅛ mile), Peter Pan Stakes (1 ⅛ mile), Belmont Stakes (1 ½ mile) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (1 ¼ mile).

Galloping Ami, Ami’s Flatter dam, never started. Victory Gallop, Ami’s Flatter’s damsire, came second in the Kentucky Derby (1 ¼ mile) and the Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 mile). He won the Belmont Stakes (1 ½ mile), Stephan Foster Handicap (1 ⅛ mile) and the Whitney Handicap (1 ⅛ mile). He also came third in the Dubai World Cup. Galloping Ami’s dam, Secret Ami, was a black-type stakes placer. She was a dirt sprinter who stretched out to 1 1/16 mile.

Ami’s Flatter is capible of getting the distance that the Kentucky Derby demands. The only sprinter is his pedigree may come in handy for homestretch battles. Ami’s Flatter looks good on paper but hasn’t really proved himself in the races.

Ami's Flatter's Pedigree (Courtesy of Equineline)

Derby Dreaming - American Pharoah | Retama Ruffian

Derby Dreaming is a blog series in which I review the pedigree and capabilities of the horses who have, as of the day posted, a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

American Pharoah

Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma, Zayat Stables, 60 Points

American Pharoah finished fifth in his first start, a maiden special weight. The next month the bay colt won the  grade one Del Mar Futurity (7 furlongs). He repeated the win, proving he wasn’t a fluke, in the grade one FrontRunner Stakes (1 1/16 miles) and the grade two Rebel Stakes (1 1/16 mile). American Pharoah won the 2014 Eclipse Award Champion Two-Year Old Colt.

His sire, Pioneerof the Nile, can get the distance of the Kentucky Derby, coming second in the race himself. Before his second in the Derby, the stallion won the CashCall Futurity (1 1/16 mile), Robert B. Lewis (1 1/16 mile), San Felipe Stakes (1 1/16 mile) and the Santa Anita Derby (1 ⅛ mile). In the Kentucky Derby, Pioneerof the Nile lost to Mine That Bird after a bumped start and racing three-wide. The dark bay stallion finished eleventh in the Preakness, losing yet again to Mine That Bird and the future Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra. American Pharoah’s grandsire, Empire Maker, is yet another reassurance to American Pharoah’s ability to get the Kentucky Derby’s distance. Empire Maker came third in the Remsen Stakes (1 ⅛ mile) and second in the Sham Stakes (1 ⅛ mile), Kentucky Derby (1 ¼ mile) and the Jim Dandy Stakes (1 ⅛ mile). The fifteen year old stallion in the Florida Derby (1 ⅛ mile), Wood Memorial Stakes (1 ⅛ mile) and the Belmont Stakes (1 ½ mile).

Littleprincessemma never won in either of her two starts. Her sire, Yankee Gentleman, was a sprinter. He won the Pirate’s Bounty Handicap (6 furlongs). He came fourth in the grade two Riva Ridge Breeders’ Cup Stakes (7 furlongs) and the grade one Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap (6 furlongs). Yankee Gentleman came fifth in the grade two Dwyer Stakes (1 1/16 mile) and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (6 furlongs). The granddam of American Pharoah won the five furlong Florida Thoroughbred Charities Stakes.

American Pharoah’s distance capabilities come from the male side of his pedigree. His speed comes from his dam side. If the colt stays healthy and continues with his workouts and racing form, American Pharoah will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the Derby Trail.

American Pharoah's Pedigree (Courtesy of Equineline)

Madison's Derby List | Retama Ruffian

1. Texas Red

• Had a dominating Breeders' Cup Juvenile
• May have been a fluke BUT he did follow it up with a 2nd in the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II)
• Liked him since his maiden
• Found him by his name and he was originally my "dark horse" Derby pick

2. Frosted

• He's come second in both the Remsen and the Holy Bull
• he just needs his "breakthrough race"

3. American Pharoah

• You really can't ignore a horse who won two back-to-back grade one stakes in the same month as a two-year old

4. Mr. Z

• He just needs a breakthrough race and, possibly, a two month break
• His record is as followed:
• 2nd- Sanford Stakes (gr. III)
• 2nd- Toyota Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II)
• 5th- Iroquois Stakes (gr. III)
• 2nd- Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)
• 5th- Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
• 2nd- Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III)
• 3rd- Lost Alamitos Futurity (gr. I)
• 3rd- Smarty Jones Stakes (black-type)

Mr. Z is in the blue cap

Side note: Each week I will add another slot to the list until I get to twelve horses. 

Thanks for reading,
Madison