High Yield holds off More Than Ready in stirring stretch run to win Blue Grass

As the afternoon sun streamed down through patches of clouds, illuminating the fiery red-gold of High Yield's powerful shoulders, the face of trainer D. Wayne Lukas lit up even more brightly with a smile. In fact, he seemed positively giddy.

Blue Grass S. (G1)
Keeneland, April 15, $750,000, 11/8 miles, fast, 1:48.79
1-HIGH YIELD, c. 3, Storm Cat-Scoop the Gold, by Forty Niner.
2-More Than Ready, c. 3, Southern Halo-Woodman's Girl, by Woodman.
3-Wheelaway, c. 3, Unbridled-Cuidado, by Damascus.

"We couldn't be happier," Lukas said, beaming after watching High Yield first blister Hal's Hope with rapid fractions and then gamely reject a stretch-long challenge from More Than Ready to triumph by a head in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course on April 15.

"They say you should have a strong race before the Kentucky Derby (G1)," Lukas noted. "Well, we just got it."

Lukas was not the only one electrified by High Yield's tour de force in the Blue Grass before a record Keeneland crowd of 29,687, which earlier in the day endured a 30-minute partial power outage that caused the fifth race to be declared a nonbetting exhibition.

Heaping praise on the son of Storm Cat, jockey Pat Day said he just tried not to interfere with High Yield as the colt grabbed the bit, barged to an early lead, and later gutted out the stretch duel.

"I was very delighted, very happy, very elated with the performance I got," Day said.

With the Derby only three weeks away, Lukas said he could not imagine being in a better position as he seeks his fifth victory in the Run for the Roses and his second in a row following Charismatic's score in 1999. High Yield has flourished since arriving in Kentucky after wintering in Florida, maintaining his weight and showing an affinity for the track at Churchill Downs, where he is based.

"High Yield loves that surface at Churchill and I'm counting on it (for the May 6 Derby)," Lukas said. "I couldn't be more pleased with where we're at as of April 15. ... We're going over there in very good shape."

Derby dreams abounded for all eight of the Blue Grass starters.

Hal's Hope had become a sentimental favorite after defeating High Yield by a head in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 11 for 88-year-old owner-trainer Harold Rose and jockey Roger Velez, a recovering alcoholic. The son of Jolie's Halo was sent off the third choice at 3.80-to-1.

Claiborne Farm's and Adele Dilschneider's Mighty, winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2) in his last start on March 12, was the second choice at 2.20-to-1, and More Than Ready, runner-up in the Louisiana Derby, was 4.80-to-1. Wheelaway, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby on March 19, was 9-to-1.

Perhaps partly due to his splendid and composed appearance in the paddock, High Yield earned favoritism at 1.90-to-1 for the 1 1/8-mile race.

When Day arrived to jump aboard, he said the chestnut colt out of the Forty Niner mare Scoop the Gold "looked like a million dollars." That probably was a low estimate considering that the partnership of Bob and Beverly Lewis, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor had purchased High Yield for $1,050,000 at the 1998 Keeneland July selected yearling sale, and since then the colt had scored two Grade 1 victories, the most recent in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1) on February 19.

Breaking alertly, High Yield and Day settled into third behind Hal's Hope and More Than Ready as they charged past the grandstand for the first time. Suddenly, however, High Yield was not content to retain that position, even though Day wanted to stalk the early pace.

"He very courageously dragged me to the lead," Day said of the colt's move up the rail, inside of Hal's Hope, as they swept through the first turn.

"When I took a little hold of High Yield, he took a hold of me and gave me every indication that if I took more of a hold, he'd take more of a hold," the jockey continued. "I knew we were running too quick ... it was quicker than I wanted to run up the backside, but he's a free-running kind of horse. I've always contended the best rider is a good passenger, and I just tried not to interfere with him."

After clicking off the first quarter in :23.34, High Yield reached the half-mile in :46, only a head in front of Hal's Hope, with More Than Ready 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Longshot Bare Outline was another head back, with the rest of the field strung out far behind him.

"I tried to get (High Yield) to settle as much as I could," Day said. "He played cat-and-mouse with Hal's Hope much the way that Hal's Hope did with me in the Florida Derby."

By the time High Yield hit six furlongs in 1:09.97, he had pulled away from Hal's Hope by a half-length. Velez went to the whip on his colt but got no response.

Powering through the far turn, another challenger loomed-More Than Ready-who zigged inside tiring Hal's Hope before ranging up outside High Yield, who led in midstretch by only a head after a mile in 1:35.58.

Yet, just as High Yield had not been able to pass Hal's Hope in the Florida Derby, More Than Ready could not dispatch High Yield despite a determined ride from John Velazquez.

Coming down the stretch shoulder to shoulder, More Than Ready leaned in on High Yield while having trouble changing from his left to his right lead. Day said the challenger may have even thrust his nose in front in midstretch.

"We brushed a time or two, but it was a very courageous effort by both horses," he said, calling High Yield "heroic.

"I can't say enough about the effort this colt put in from the quarter pole to the wire. He was just not to be denied," said Day, who won his second consecutive Blue Grass after scoring last year with Menifee and his fourth overall victory in the race. "Late in the stretch, he was really putting it all on the line for me."

High Yield, who with the $465,000 winner's purse has earned $1,168,196 with a record of 4-4-3 in 12 career starts, stopped the timer in 1:48.79. Skip Away set the stakes record of 1:47.29 in 1996.

The Lewises, with their "delightful partners," as Bob Lewis said, celebrated their first win in the Blue Grass, and it was just the second for Lukas, who saddled War in 1987. Yet the Lewises will be aiming for their third Derby win, and second in a row following Charismatic last year and Silver Charm in 1997.

"We'll have had five Kentucky Derby entries in a ten-year span. That's just absolutely incredible," Bob Lewis exclaimed, noting that four of those have been trained by Lukas (Bob Baffert trained Silver Charm).

Disappointment in defeat

Caesar Kimmel's and Philip Solondz's Wheelaway ran well late, rallying from fifth early to earn third, three lengths behind More Than Ready and a half-length ahead of fellow closer Deputy Warlock. Bare Outline, Settlement, Mighty, and Hal's Hope completed the order of finish.

Trainer John Kimmel said he was impressed with Wheelaway, who did not start at two and was making only his second stakes appearance. "This is the kind of horse who could show significant improvement at Churchill," Kimmel said.

Hopes were dashed for Rose and Velez, who wondered if Hal's Hope bled. Rose said he would have to "throw out" the Blue Grass if he decides to enter Hal's Hope in the Derby.

"(Hal's Hope) just stopped," Velez said. "He never tried to run his race today at all."

Jockey Shane Sellers also was disappointed with the finish of Mighty, who he said never handled the track. "Even galloping back, he just flounders on it," Sellers said. "He never could get going."

Disappointment perhaps was keenest for the More Than Ready camp. Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher said the speed- and rail-favoring Keeneland track cost James Scatuorchio's dark bay Southern Halo colt.

"I'm not crying about this by any means, but I just feel like the post (position of number seven) and the way the track was playing to inside speed worked against our horse today," Pletcher said. "I was proud of the way he ran and the way he finished."

Lukas joked after the race that he "did too good a job with Todd," who once was his assistant. "I knew I shouldn't have taught him so much; then he goes to Arkansas and wins another one."

Graeme Hall, trained by Pletcher for Laura and Eugene Melynk, easily won the Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 15, with the Lukas-trained True Confidence unplaced.

Richter Scale explodes

In a supersonic display of speed, Richter Scale toyed with five rivals in the $207,800 Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2) on April 16, winning in a way that left jockey Richard Migliore searching for superlatives.

Commonwealth Breeders' Cup S. (G2)
Keeneland, April 16, $207,800, 7 furlongs, fast, 1:21.07
1-RICHTER SCALE, h. 6, *Habitony-Devine Pet, by Bel Bolide.
2-Son's Corona, h. 5, Son of Briartic-Warna Corna, by Fappiano.
3-Deep Gold, c. 4, Olympio-Distinctive Review, by Distinctive Pro.

"It's a freakish kind of thing. I just feel so privileged to be able to ride him," Migliore said, shaking his head in wonder after hanging on while the six-year-old son of Habitony ripped off fractions of :21.94, :44.36, and 1:08.83 before completing the Commonwealth's seven furlongs in 1:21.07. Son's Corona finished four lengths behind Richter Scale, and Deep Gold was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third.

After Richter Scale broke sharply, Migliore said he was in no particular hurry to grab the lead, especially when Deep Gold and Pat Day were rushing to the front from their outside posts. But Richter Scale had other ideas.

"I wasn't looking to get into any speed duels or anything, but I wasn't going to change whatever he wanted to do, so I just kind of held on to a piece of mane and let him find his stride, and he was just faster than them," Migliore said. "It really felt like if someone had been able to challenge him, he was capable of going faster. I thought his performance in his last race, the Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap (G2) was great, but this was another dimension. He was just so overpowering. He's just amazing. He does things so easily."

In the past, Richter Scale's blazing speed was hindered by quarter cracks and sore feet. Trainer Mary Jo Lohmeier, who urged owners Nancy and Richard Kaster and Nathan Fox to let Richter Scale race one more year before retiring him to Fox's Wafare Farm near Midway, Kentucky, said she has worked with patches and other preventive measures to manage the problems and keep Richter Scale comfortable. "He's an awesome horse to be around," Lohmeier said.

Kaster said he left the decision on returning Richter Scale to the races strictly up to the trainer. The result-two graded wins in two starts in 2000-has been "very enjoyable," Kaster said.

Richter Scale has won 11-of-22 starts and has career earnings of $959,958. Lohmeier and Kaster said they are pointing Richter Scale to the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), a race that also could draw crack California-based sprinter Big Jag, who most recently won the $2-million Golden Shaheen at six furlongs at Nad al Sheba racecourse in Dubai.

Making a Mark

Claiborne Farm's Conserve, a four-year-old son of Boundary, always has been talented. Until the $170,850 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G2) on the Keeneland turf on April 14, however, he has not always wanted to prove it.

Maker's Mark Mile (G2)
Keeneland, April 14, $170,850, 1 mile, turf, firm, 1:35.08
1-CONSERVE, c. 4, Boundary-Slew and Easy, by Slew o' Gold.
2-Marquette, c. 4, Spectacular Bid-Wicklow Royalty, by Simply Majestic.
3-Inkatha (Fr), h. 6, Double Bed (Fr)-=Majuba (Fr), by =Mendez (Fr).

"This horse has had a tendency to get a little lazy and forget to finish his races," Sellers said. Conserve and Sellers inherited an early lead from Special Coach in the race and held on for an exciting neck win over Marquette, with Inkatha (Fr) flying late to finish another neck back in third.

Delay of Game, favored at 1.40-to-1, finished 1 1/2 lengths farther back in fourth after breaking awkwardly and running six-wide into the stretch.

"I stayed after him the whole way today, and we kept his head in the race a little more," Sellers said. "This horse has some talent and some class, and I think we finally got a chance to see it today."

The victory was the richest of Conserve's career and bumped his lifetime earnings to $296,034 and his record to five wins in 17 starts.

Sizzling Sprinter

While High Yield claimed most of the Keeneland spotlight on three-year-olds, a very quick sprinter named Caller One-who had beaten High Yield as a two-year-old-also proved impressive during Blue Grass week.

Lafayette S. (G3)
Keeneland, April 12, $113,500, 7 furlongs, fast, 1:21.73
1-CALLER ONE, c. 3, Phone Trick-Baltic Sea, by Danzig.
2-Sun Cat, c. 3, Tabasco Cat-Sierra Madre, by Mr. Prospector.
3-Littleexpectations, c. 3, Valid Appeal-Mepache, by Iron Constitution.

Coming off a ten-length victory in the Hansel Stakes at Turfway Park on March 25, Caller One was sent off the 1.20-to-1 favorite in the Lafayette Stakes (G3) on April 12 and never was threatened.

Breaking on top, the son of Phone Trick out of Baltic Sea, by Danzig, maintained a comfortable lead through fractions of :22.13 and :45.11 before drawing away, covering six furlongs in 1:09.18 and finishing the seven-furlong event in 1:21.73 on a fast track. Ridden by Robbie Davis, Caller One streaked under the wire four lengths in front of Sun Cat, who was a neck in front of previously unbeaten Littleexpectations.

"That was a whole lot of fun out there today," Davis said. "I'm just now getting over the windburn from when I rode him in the Hansel. He ran a gigantic race that day and he ran another one today. He was full of run the entire time."

Davis said he had told James Chapman, who trains the colt for his mother, Carolyn Chapman and co-owner Theresa McArthur, that he "would catch a Greyhound" bus if he had to in order to go wherever Caller One was running.

Caller One began his career in California last year, finishing second in his debut to eventual graded stakes winner Dixie Union and then breaking his maiden in his second start while defeating High Yield. Lightly raced, he now has a record of 4-1-0 in six starts and earnings of $173,990.

KEENELAND NOTES-The power outage left fans stuck in elevators, the tote board flashed only gibberish, and TV screens went blank, and Keeneland refunded win, place, show, exacta, and trifecta wagers on the Blue Grass program's fifth race. The track estimated the total refunded was $702,891. Cause of the power failure was not determined, but it occurred when a Kentucky Utilities high-voltage fuse link opened or blew on Keeneland property. Limited power returned after the fifth race began under orders from the stewards, who had delayed the race but then ordered it run so Keeneland could meet ABC-TV's live telecast schedule for the Blue Grass. "There goes the dream job," new Keeneland President Nick Nicholson quipped after the snafu. ... Allen Paulson's Astra, a four-year-old daughter of Theatrical (Ire), rallied from far back early to capture the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G3) on turf on April 13, her first graded victory. Pratella was second and Ronda (GB) finished third, with favored Sapphire Ring (GB) fourth. ... Wondertross, post-time favorite in the 1999 Blue Grass, is back with trainer Nick Zito and preparing for a return to the races. Wondertross nearly died last year after suffering a severe case of colic the day after he ran sixth in the Blue Grass. ... The previous Keeneland attendance record was 29,031, set on April 11, 1992, when Pistols and Roses won the Blue Grass. Adding icing to his Blue Grass cake, Day on April 16 tied Don Brumfield's record of 716 career victories at Keeneland when he won a two-year-old maiden race with Best Mate, a two-year-old half sister by Woodman to the late Best Pal. Although he rode in seven more races and accounted for two seconds, Day was not able to break the record. "Keeneland has always been a very special place, and it holds a special place in my heart," Day said. His next try at smashing the record was to come on April 19, when he was named to ride in six races.

Jenny Wiley S. (G3)
Keeneland, April 13, $112,400, 11/16 miles, turf, firm, 1:42.48
1-ASTRA, f. 4, Theatrical (Ire)-Savannah Slew, by Seattle Slew.
2-Pratella, m. 5, Jade Hunter-Dancing Devlette, by Devil's Bag.
3-Ronda (GB), f. 4, Bluebird-Memory's Gold, by Java Gold.