Current Returns to Turf in James W. Murphy
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Photo: Keeneland Photo
Current wins the 2018 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland
It's not unusual for a promising young horse to wind up in a dirt race at some point before the first Saturday in May of their 3-year-old year.
Yet for Current, it's the grass that's surely seems greener.
After tackling Florida's top Triple Crown candidates to no avail in the March 30 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, the 3-year-old son of Curlin returns to his stakes-winning roots on turf May 18 when he takes on nine rivals in the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes on the Preakness Day undercard at Pimlico Race Course.
Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Dixiana Farms, Current returns to the surface that produced his victory last fall in the Oct. 7 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. He was then unprepared for the start with his head turned slightly as the gates opened when he wound up seventh in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) over a yielding course at Churchill Downs.
The first case of Triple Crown Fever arose when trainer Todd Pletcher entered Current in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). But the effort did not work out and the Kentucky-bred floundered on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs and finished a non-threatening seventh.
Given two months off, Current began his 3-year-old campaign with a third in the Feb. 3 Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream, but was then re-routed to the main track where he finished fifth, beaten 11 1/4 lengths by Maximum Security in the Florida Derby.
The James Murphy, at one mile for 3-year-olds, will put him back on turf, where he owns a record of five starts with two wins and two thirds.
Bred by Hinkle Farms in Kentucky, the son of the Storm Cat mare Crosswinds was consigned by his breeder to the 2017 Keeneland September Sale where he was purchased for $725,000 by White Horse Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
Pletcher will also send out Three Diamonds Farm's Empire of War, a son of Declaration of War who was third in the April 20 Woodhaven Stakes over Aqueduct Racetrack's turf course in his 3-year-old debut. Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Wycoff, he won the Nov. 4 Awad Stakes at the Big A on turf as a 2-year-old.
Gary Broad and Town and Country Racing's Real News finished second by 1 1/2 lengths in the April 4 Palisades Turf Sprint Stakes at Keeneland to Bulletin, Pletcher's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner.
A son of The Factor bred in Kentucky by Georgia Farms, Real News started his career for trainer Al Stall Jr. with maiden and allowance wins at Fair Grounds Racing & Slots and will be racing beyond 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time.
"It's time to see how he handles the second turn and that type of company," Stall said about a colt bought from the Blackburn Farm consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. "He competed well with them sprinting. He's a big, long-striding colt."
L and N Racing's War Film will get a dose of class relief in the James Murphy after losing by less than two lengths in both the May 4 American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) at Churchill and the April 5 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3) at Keeneland in his last two starts.
Calumet Farm's English Bee was fifth in the Marhc 9 Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/4 lengths behind Digital Age, who went on to win the American Turf.
Sir Barton Draws Field of Six 3-Year-Olds
Pletcher may not have a starter in the Preakness, but he will take aim at a two-turn dirt stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday's card when he runs Red Oak Stable's King for a Day in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes.
The 1 1/16-mile test will mark the 3-year-old debut for King for a Day, who closed out 2018 by finishing fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club after forging to the lead in mid-stretch.
A homebred son of Uncle Mo , King for a Day broke his maiden with a 2 1/4-length victory in an Oct. 4 race at Belmont Park.
The Elkstone Group's Top Line Growth should also be a major factor in the Sir Barton as he exits a 9 1/2-length maiden win in his April 22 career debut at Laurel Park.
A gelded son of Tapizar , Top Line Growth is trained by Kelly Rubley, who will be preoccupied with saddling Alwaysmining in a certain $1.5 million two-turn stakes for 3-year-olds known as the Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday's card.
"That was a nice effort by (Top Line Growth). We had always thought he was a nice horse, but I actually thought he might need some experience because he's just a big, goofy boy. But he showed us he's got the ability, that's for darn sure. Now he just needs the experience," Rubley said.
Rubley also entered Lead Off Stable's Pretty Good Year, a gelded son of Great Notion whose lone win in four starts is a victory in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Laurel in his debut.
The field of six also includes L and N Racing's Tone Broke, who is back in the United States after finishing 14th in the Al Bastakiya Sponsored by Emirates.com and sixth in a trial, both at Meydan.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Ontario-bred son of Broken Vow was fourth in last U.S. start, the Dec. 16 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park.
Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 18, 2019, Race 5Entries: James W. Murphy S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Shootin the Breeze (KY)
John R. Velazquez
120
H. Graham Motion
10/1
2
2Current (KY)
Javier Castellano
122
Todd A. Pletcher
4/1
3
3Eons (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Arnaud Delacour
6/1
4
4English Bee (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
H. Graham Motion
5/1
5
5Real News (KY)
Joel Rosario
120
Albert M. Stall, Jr.
5/1
6
6War Film (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
120
Steven M. Asmussen
9/2
7
7Thomas Shelby (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Wesley A. Ward
12/1
8
8Empire of War (KY)
Jose Lezcano
120
Todd A. Pletcher
8/1
9
9Tybalt (KY)
Jevian Toledo
120
Claudio A. Gonzalez
15/1
10
10Gearhead (FL)
Trevor McCarthy
120
Michael J. Trombetta
20/1
Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 18, 2019, Race 3Entries: Sir Barton S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Trifor Gold (MD)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
120
Mark Shuman
10/1
2
2Pretty Good Year (MD)
Daniel Centeno
120
Kelly Rubley
10/1
3
3King for a Day (KY)
John R. Velazquez
120
Todd A. Pletcher
7/5
4
4Top Line Growth (MD)
Julian Pimentel
120
Kelly Rubley
9/5
5
5Tone Broke (ON)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
120
Steven M. Asmussen
9/2
6
6V. I. P. Ticket (MD)
Angel Suarez
120
Jeremiah O'Dwyer
12/1