Crazy Beautiful on track for G1 Personal Ensign
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper’s Classic Causeway exited his third-place finish in the Grade 1 Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational in good order and is possible for the Grade 3, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby on September 17 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Classic Causeway entered the Caesars Saratoga Derby from a gate-to-wire upset in the Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby July 9 at Belmont Park. Sent to the lead under returning rider Julien Leparoux, Classic Causeway was bested this time by the Charlie Appleby-trained Belmont Derby runner-up Nations Pride and the Todd Pletcher-trained Annapolis.
“He ran a great race. The winner had a brilliant trip around and reversed the form with us,” said Jake McEntee, assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “He’s come out of the race great and we’re very proud of the way he ran. It’s very hard to lead the whole way and he stuck his neck out for us.”
The son of Giant’s Causeway has competed in the first two legs of the Caesars Turf Triple series and the last leg, the 1 1/2-mile Caesars Jockey Club Derby, is also in play.
“He’s by Giant’s Causeway and there’s stamina there in the pedigree. It could be a possibility that the further he goes, the better he goes,” said McEntee. “I think Aqueduct is the way we’re going to go and that will be his next start.”
Classic Causeway has been under the care of Ken McPeek since being transferred from former conditioner Brian Lynch in May. He has amassed a 3-1-0-2 record for McPeek, including the coveted Grade 1 at Belmont. A lifetime winner of over $1.2 million, Classic Causeway boasts a ledger of 10-4-1-3.
Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Crazy Beautiful, last seen finishing third behind Clairiere and Malathaat in the Grade 2 Shuvee on July 24 at Saratoga Race Course, is preparing for a rematch against her familiar foes in the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign August 27 at the Spa.
“She’s training great. She’s eating great and came out of the race better than what she went into it,” said McEntee. “She’s having a buck and a squeal and a kick and is a happy horse.
“She’s been put up against a couple monsters recently,” added McEntee. “But she’s a monster in her own right and hopefully one day she can reverse the form with those two.”
Crazy Beautiful has banked $1,062,240 through 19 starts going 7-5-2.
McEntee also provided an update on Magdalena Racing’s Tiz the Bomb, who was believed to have suffered a tendon injury in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trainer Ken McPeek via Twitter and assistant Jake McEntee confirmed that the son of Hit It a Bomb’s scans came back clean and that he avoided serious injury.
“We scanned him the other day and his scan came back good,” said McEntee. “Any injury that we thought was there, isn’t the case.”
Tiz the Bomb will be given about 6-to-8 weeks off at McPeek’s Magdalena Farm in Kentucky before returning to the races.
“The plan is to hopefully get him out before the end of the season,” said McEntee.
5-1-0 in 11 lifetime starts, Tiz the Bomb has banked $1,056,401.
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Classic Causeway winning the Belmont Derby. (NYRA/Coglianese)
