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Much like January, February started off with a graded stakes win by BARBARO, followed a week later by an easy win in a non-graded stakes by ACHILLES OF TROY. Both horses were impressive and showed their January success was not a fluke.
February only had three graded stakes for three-year-olds. (March will have eleven!) The mile and one-eighth Holy Bull Stakes (G3) was BARBARO's first attempt at dirt racing and he responded with a victory over a sloppy course at Gulfstream Park. Racing close to the pace early, BARBARO had to work hard to hold on for a 3/4 length victory. Turf? Check. Slop? Check. Fast? We may not find out until the Florida Derby (G1) on April 1st.
Also on the Gulfstream card February 4th was the Hutcheson Stakes (G2) at 7 1/2 furlongs where Pletcher/Velazquez runner KEYED ENTRY held off 2005 Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner FIRST SAMURAI.
At Santa Anita, Baffert trainee TOO MUCH BLING followed up his victory last month in the San Miguel Stakes with a powerful win in the San Vincente Stakes (G2) in very fast time. TOO MUCH BLING is expected to stay sprinting this spring. In non-graded action, Bob Baffert also won the mile and one-eighth Sham Stakes earlier in the month with BOB AND JOHN.
2005 Remsen Stakes (G2) winner BLUEGRASS CAT made his 2006 debut a winning one by setting a new stakes record (1:44) in the mile and a sixteenth Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
At Aqueduct, ACHILLES OF TROY didn't break a sweat winning the mile and a sixteenth Whirlaway Stakes. Also at Aqueduct, LIKE NOW won the six furlong Fred Capossela Stakes.
At Oaklawn Park, LAWYER RON won the Southwest Stakes gate-to-wire, but in very slow time, 1:40 for the mile. Also at Oaklawn Park, URBAN GUY won the six furlong Mountain Valley Stakes.
Elsewhere, WARRIOR WITHIN won the one mile WEBN Stakes at Turfway and SWEETNORTHERNSAINT won the one mile Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park.
Back out west, KEEGAN won the Turf Paradise Derby and, at Sunland Park, INDY WILDCAT, a maiden, won the mile and a sixteenth Borderland Derby.
And finally, CAN'T BEAT IT won the only turf stakes for three-year-olds this month, the mile and a sixteenth Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
February was also the start of the annual thinning of the herd. The most significant loss was 2005 Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner STEVIE WONDERBOY to a condylar fracture of the right front foreleg. Early reports indicate that surgery to insert a screw to stabilize the fracture was successful and SW may return to the races later this year. Also lost to injuries were SORCERER'S STONE (ankle), ONE UNION (knee), CINDAGO and HALF OURS.
The three-year-olds in Todd Pletcher's barn have started to shine. KEYED ENTRY won the Hutcheson (G2) at Gulfstream and BLUEGRASS CAT won his 2006 debut in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. Bob Baffert also won two stakes for three-year-olds this month at Santa Anita, the Sham and the San Vincente.
John Velazquez was the only jockey to win more than one three-year-old stakes race this month.
--- Thoroughbred Report Triple Crown Trail Awards - February 2006 ---
HORSE OF THE MONTH: BLUEGRASS CAT
TRAINER OF THE MONTH: Todd Pletcher
JOCKEY OF THE MONTH: John Velazquez
Posted by Greg Brandow at February 27, 2006 02:00 AM