Post by Ripley on Mar 27, 2015 12:09:07 GMT -5
Witch Creek Stable Workout Report
It's been a while since we've seen or heard from Witch Creek Stable. The last time the crew was on the track, the racing roster was finally heating up and winning races again. January was a rough month, followed by an even more rough February. And then the tables turned for the stable. Witch Creek's made more news recently for giving horses away and getting new barns situated than for the accomplishments of their thoroughbreds. This could mean one or two things: is the low profile their way of hiding the talent or is there going to be a storm of Witch Creek horses in the win column. We got a peak at the recent workouts and we haven't quite decided ourselves.
The Juveniles:
Escape Artist: A yet to debut juvenile for Witch Creek made his first appearance on this year's work tab. Escape Artist, a colt from the same Argentinian barn as Intrepid's yet to debut Urgent Appeal, is reported to have turned some heads with a gutty three furlong workout versus Coveted Faith and Artemis' Glory, winners of 5 combined races. He made a good showing, but was no match for the more experienced fillies. Word has it he will debut in April Week Three. Witch Creek is taking a conservative approach with this one. Malcolm Floyd, the yearling and weanling trainer answered some questions for us on the new colt. "We had no choice in taking him. Intrepid had first pick, but Reese knows the colt's lines being an Argentine native. She loves him and our new rider, Brian McAdams, took to him like a moth to flame. He's a good horse, but he's gonna be one who gets better with experience. He's intelligent, but he's a tough ride until he gallops. And he's smart. I've never seen as smart a horse as Skunk." Why Skunk you ask? "He's got a white streak down his black tail."
Coveted Faith: The dark bay daughter of GS Ultimate Challenge has been a standout for Witch Creek since she arrived at the barn. Her races have been impressive and she will be looking to continue her success in the April Juvenile Dirt Faceoff. Her workout move was particularly impressive and she seemed to take to the dirt just perfectly. "She skips over the track. She's a champ that filly and soon it won't just be turf races under that win column. I've got a special one here." Mal shrugged when we called him out on his lack of modesty. "I just know I have a good filly. And Ripley sure as heck isn't lacking in faith in her."
Artemis' Glory: The second best Positively Precious daughter may be on her way to the top after an impressive game workout against her runaway stablemate. She threw down some impressive fractions to reel in Escape Artist and held Coveted Faith to only a half length win. She is still looking for a Horse Of The Year win, but her latest workout was over the dirt and it may have opened some new doors. Her schedule includes a planned start in the Magic Million Fillies Turf Sprint and the bay girl is looking to knock it down for Witch Creek's hot stallion. "She's a bratty filly. Likes her own way and she sure knows how to fight for her way. I like my filly in a dog fight. She's not the blazing glory that Cross My Heart was, but she could turn into something nice."
Enrapture: It is hard to believe that Coveted Faith and Awestruck were not the most exciting fillies coming into the year. Rather that honor rested in a tawny filly related to improving star Calypso's Fury. Daughter of a Triple Crown winner, Enrapture has been pretty much low key, running only three times since her debut in January. Rumor has it that the filly is potentially the best out of the bunch which is quite astonishing to say the least. She is running next in the Magic Million Fillies Dirt and performed sensationally against the colts in her workout. She has a beautiful closing punch and will be looking to fly after having such a light schedule.
Uno Momento: Rumors abound that Witch Creek Stable was possibly going to sell the bay son of Barely A Moment and El Sol Del Mar. However, a week later, Uno Momento was found to be winning the Rising Sun Stakes at Green Horse Fields. The colt worked out in company with two of Witch Creek's juveniles in April and it is quite obvious that the horse may not be leaving Witch Creek anytime soon. The colt worked five furlongs against Firestorm and Enrapture, doing all of the dirty work on the lead and staving off the growing threat in Enrapture. He's making huge strides and it is said that the colt is growing into himself in an unusual growth spurt. Perhaps, he will be a threat going forward. Comparisons have often been made that Uno is shaping up more like Saintly Touch did last year, than his precocious relations. It wouldn't be the first time a Witch Creek horse got better with age.
Firestorm: A winner of only one race, Firestorm has a lot of growing up to do. However, he is bloody talented and super quick. Witch Creek is keen on harnessing that speed and letting the colt settle off the front runners. The bay half brother to Anodyne performed greenly in his workout and will be all about getting his next victory. He is tentatively scheduled to run in a race April Week One, but if an older horse shows up, Firestorm is likely to scratch. The burly colt is a fighter though and despite the green running in the workout, he rebounded quite beautifully to gallop out beyond both Uno and Enrapture. He will be one to watch going forward.
Awestruck: In contrast to Enrapture, fans will immediately recognize True. The big bay filly is the latest daughter of Touch Up to grace the racetrack and she has made her talent well known. Awestruck has run in six races so far with two victories and no out of the money finishes. She is a powerful racehorse and it is likely she will only get better. Witch Creek has been campaigning the filly as though experience will do her better and it appears that idea has worked. Now rested, Awestruck will be looking to make some noise in the Foolish Lad's Memorial Challenge. She worked three furlongs in company with Notorious, a high-rated turf colt, and finished on terms with him.
Notorious: Noted for his irritable attitude and bringing his A-game in every race, Notorious looks to continue his juvenile ferocity. His confidence should be running high after taking down the first grade four juvenile, World Dominion, in his last race. A member of Witch Creek's staff caught the final furlong of Notorious and Awestruck's workouts in :10 3/5 second. He was cruising to say the least and definitely tightened up a notch thanks to Awestruck's competitiveness. His next race will come in the Magic Million Colts Turf and it is said he will have a relatively light summer campaign in comparison to his spring campaign.
The Three Year Olds:
Sun King: The chestnut colt made a rebound from a couple unexpected second and third place finishes with a terrific win in the Holy Bull Stakes. He has shown that he can be surprised by sudden speed from horses coming up behind him. He's a big, long striding horse and he looks bigger at three than at two. The Native Flame colt worked in company with older mare Lethal Dose and was caught in surprise again. Is the nearly invincible two year old finally revealing a weakness? However, if you look at the time for the six furlong workout, those he is running against may actually have something to fear. The colt went 6f in 1:09, much faster than Ripley Marsh had wanted for the colt. The pair was clocked at 1:21 4/5 for the seven furlongs. That's racehorse time people. Rumor has it that Witch Creek may be sending two horses to the Derby this year. Sun King is, after all, undefeated at ten furlongs and he may just be coming into form for the Derby.
Saintly Touch: One horse who may have an argument against Sun King entering the race is Witch Creek's other Derby candidate, Saintly Touch. The seal brown colt has been the ideal representation of what a Derby candidate should look like. He's only gotten better from two to three and has won two Horse Of the Year races already. He'll be going in the LeComte, his final prep for the Kentucky Derby and he looks in form. He shows a string of workouts that above average for him and his gallops are reportedly getting better and better. The dark colt ran six furlongs in 1:11, with an internal fraction of 1:00 flat for the five. He galloped out seven in 1:22 4/5 and was strangled down to a mile in 1:39. His time for the six furlongs was two seconds slower than Sun King's, but he was worked on a day that was much slower than when Sun King was worked. He also worked solo. Everyone knows Saintly Touch works better in company so that fact should really put in perspective how well the Night Stalker colt is doing right now.
Nirvana: Like Sun King, Nirvana has had a bit of a slow return to racing. She was a precocious juvenile, but seemed to tail off at the end of her two year old season. Now it seems the filly is finally back to her old ways. She took down the Davona Dale, a nine furlong race, here at The Wire. Many people are curious to see where the Two Year Old Filly champ goes. Word has it if she doesn't perform up to snuff in the Silverbulletday Stakes, Nirvana could head back to the sprints. Plans call for the Gold Storm daughter to go back to sprinting anyway after the Triple Tiara. Her workout against Optimus Unstoppable was a typical Vana work where she closed in to a strong pace and passed him after the wire. Wherever she goes, the gal will get a pace to run into and attempt to run beyond her expectations once again.
Spotlight Pride: It looks as though Spotlight Pride will be going the first two legs of the Turf Triple Crown alone. He has been very much on the down low this season, but he has won both of his starts. He has been missing in action while Take Flight has been racking up wins to be just on the edge of Grade One. One chink in Take Flight's armor is that he hasn't beat Spotlight Pride in Year Fifteen. The chestnut colt may be the fiercest challenge awaiting the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner. It may be that they won't meet again until the Kentucky Open as Spotlight Pride will make his next start here in the Secretariat Stakes and Take Flight is resting for the Kentucky Open. Spotlight Pride is fresh and his easy breeze versus Taboo is likely going to have him ready to roll in his third start of Year Fifteen.
Taboo: Her one win on the season doesn't show how good Taboo has become in Year Fifteen. She won the Coronation Stakes, a turf tiara prep race, has finished third in a sprinter's race and was beaten by Intrepid's Calypso's Fury on the dirt in the Ruffian Handicap. She's absolutely versatile and is leaving her connections wondering where they will even send her. The daughter of Everyday Hero sure looked phenomenal in her latest workout with Spotlight Pride. With new rider Brian McAdams aboard, Taboo looked better than ever, absolutely skipping over the ground and completing the run well within herself. She's been sitting on the edge of grade three and is very sharp at the moment. She'll be looking to notch her seventh win in the Miesque Stakes before her connections decide where she'll go.
Casualty of War: Witch Creek has their sights set on the Canadian Triple Crown, a series that has continued to allude them since it's inception in Year Twelve. They've sent horses such as Ashes to Ashes, In Front, Hokum, GS Royal Crown and Frozen Motion at it and none have walked away with a victory. This year, the stable plans to bring their fiercest candidate yet in Casualty of War. The dark bay son of Man O' War is one of the finest individuals in the stable currently and he has so far knocked out three impressive wins on the season. He's bigger, stronger and has the ability to win over dirt and turf, exactly what is needed for the Canadian Triple Crown. His competition is expected to be tough and Witch Creek is throwing everything they can at the horse. He'll go next in the Florida Derby, run in the Oponium Derby and rest up after what could already be considered a very successful first half campaign. His workout against Vagabond was reported to be very good and he is in the finest shape of his life.
Vagabond: Out of five starts, Bond has one victory in the Spring Cup. He's been extremely competitive placing and finishing third in such big races as the Derby Stakes, Prince Cup, and Coronation Cup at Green Horse Fields. He gave Casualty of War a lot to handle in his last workout, but he is not expected to join Spotlight Pride in the Turf Triple Crown despite that being the plan all along. The colt is very much loved and very consistent. At the edge of grade three, Vagabond has been knocking at the door for some time, but the plans are a little quiet for the big colt. Brookson Wells, assistant manager said, "We're going to change course a little bit. We'll probably keep the horse in races he has a great chance of winning and aim for a big older horse campaign with him. He's not quite there yet, but he will be with more foundation."
Queen's Honesty: Not much to say for this filly. She's the weakest on the roster by record this year and last year, but she's another horse that the crew at Witch Creek is excited to see campaign as an older horse. She managed an on the board finish in SOPS' Reach For Perfection Series. She worked with the monstrous turf runners Miss Josephine and The Devil's Hourglass, two very in form horses, and held her own as best as possible. She's likely going to be staying in the undercard races for the time being, gathering foundation she lacked as a juvenile.
The Older Horses:
Many have noticed that Wishing For A Heroine has left Witch Creek's roster to return to the place where she had her finest hour. Blue Cross Estates' return marks the loss of a terrific prospect for Witch Creek, but there were no tears shed. Laura DeComte smiled and shrugged it off, saying, "Heroine was meant to be there. Flashpoint will join her in stud after he retires. They made her what she is and now we've given them foundation for her future success. I was glad to be her jockey while she was here and I will continue to follow her future races. That's one talented filly and the scary part is no one has even tapped into her best yet."
Divided Notion: Leading the charge of Witch Creek's rebounding runners is Divided Notion. The blaze faced son of FS Dead Letter is on a roll with recent top class performances. He has rolled all the way to grade two and does not look like he will be stopping anytime soon. He faced In Front in a six furlong workout over the dirt and looked the better of the two from start to finish. According to David Carter, Demi is a very easy horse to ride. All you have to do is simply aim and pull the trigger. He ran the six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 seconds, slower than Saintly Touch's time on the same day. He was very impressive and you have to think Witch Creek is wondering where to put the horse. If his performances are anything to show, the stallion may be ready for the elite milers on both surfaces.
The Devil's Hourglass: Lightly raced so far in Year Fifteen, The Devil's Hourglass has made her presence known with two Horse Of The Year wins out of three attempts. She is destined for the Sheema Classic April Week One and is coming into the race more dangerous than ever. The combination of Justin Santiago's rating skills and her ability to cruise are making her more of a formidable opponent than ever. No longer does the stout mare run away in her workouts, now she waits and waits and waits. She's as versatile a runner as they come and everyone thought they had seen the mare's best when she was only a juvenile. Is it possible that was just the tip of the iceberg? Does that mean she is potentially better than even Ripley Marsh expected? Her recent workout shows how deadly she's become and she's begging to return to the race track after a month away.
Supernatural: The gray daughter of Dylan Himself is going through her typical early season struggles. She's seen the winner's circle once out of five starts this season. However, that one victory came over Nightshade, the top distaffer on the track at the moment. Her frustration was palpable and she's been training lights out for her summer campaign. She headed Flashpoint in their five furlong workout, running hard every step of the way. She's on her game and ready to roll. The Born To Soar Memorial is the gray mare's next expected start and it is likely she will lay it all down to get back into the winner's circle.
Optimus Unstoppable: A fan favorite, the bay son of Shiver Me Timbers is trying to reach the former glory he saw in Year Fourteen. Like In Front, Optimus was at the fore-front of every major race last year and that has left him with catching up to do at the age of four. He finally notched his ninth win and will go into April looking for his grade two victory. Few people can deny that Optimus isn't a terrific animal and the staff at Witch Creek are saying he is only improving. "He trains like a bullet these days," Laura DeComte said. "You hold him for a couple seconds and then you release him and suddenly all this pent up energy explodes. He's a great horse. I hope he gets to the level he was at last year. Maybe beyond that level."
Miss Josephine: Many people will question us attributing monstrous to Miss Josephine, but she has indeed become monstrous. She has only lost a single race this season, winning three and smashing her way into grade three status. The Passionate Class and Carmilla daughter has always hinted at success and she is really showing it now. Plans are calling for the muscular mare to race all of Year Fifteen and the majority of Year Sixteen. Could this be Witch Creek's next Flawed Princess? She's showing similar race lines to the Hail To Prince mare and she simply is undeniably good right now. She'll be taking a step up in class, but she's got the right time to lead her to greatness. Her workout versus The Devil's Hourglass and Queen's Honesty was downright impressive. Her closing kick has definitely gotten better with age.
In Front: Witch Creek has made it perfectly clear that they think they have a top class runner in the form of In Front. He was slightly outworked by Divided Notion, but the gallop out he turned in was sensational. He simply took off and looked every inch the classic distance type horse he's bred to be. The grade two runner is right on target to start making appearances in the elite races come June and July. How quickly he moves up will absolutely depend on him. Witch Creek's patient approach may about to pay off with the towering son of Touch Up.
Flashpoint: After a smart victory over Aquatic Addiction in the President Cup, Flashpoint received a well deserved two week break before returning to hard training. Brookson Wells and the bay horse have been training as though they have revenge in mind. The horse has been hotter than ever before and his gallops are strong enough to make even the most cynical people to take notice. His workout against Supernatural was terrific. The horses completed a five furlong run in :59 seconds and galloped out quite powerfully. Flashpoint's got one more win to go before he becomes a grade one runner, but it appears safe to say that Witch Creek's staff has found the key to the son of Flash Limits. He is expected to return to the races May Week Two and will continue his preparations for a late summer, fall campaign.
Lethal Dose: The proverbial winner in the workout against Sun King looked terrific in the following days. She's a muscular, rangy type filly and is certainly coming into last season's form. Is she going to be the mare Ripley has been expecting her to be? Her time for the six furlongs was the quickest logged on any of the days and she held off a horse very few can resist. Times ticking though and if Lethal Dose is going to make the elite races by August she's got to get moving in the undercards. Laura DeComte will be looking to pull off the same miracle she pulled with the likes of Feline Frenzy, Dirty Diana and Whipped Cream who all ended their four year old seasons as grade one winners. Lethal Dose is looking like a perfect candidate for the same feat and she's been lurking behind the likes of Supernatural, Battle Wings and Reflected In Water since her early three year old season.
