The Galloping Hat Rack

Majestic City bounced. Brother Francis showed classic grit. All in a cavalry charge-style dash down the homestretch in the G1 CashCall Futurity, which has been spitting Derby entries since its humble beginnings. The winner at the end in a fitting sense was Liasion, whose sire Indian Charlie died only two days beforehand, marking the sixth time trainer Bob Baffert has won this important prep race. While there was a lot of action kicking up in the final bounds for the wire, Liasion set up a thrilling performance turning them all away just as he did in the Real Quiet Stakes a start earlier. Jerry Hollendorfer trainee Rousing Sermon, on the other hand, looks like he could be a dangerous three-year-old next year once those distances get a bit longer. Also, I don’t doubt the potential of Brother Francis, who ran great and intelligently the whole way, and Sky Kingdom, who looked like he ran into a bit of trouble but still managed to place fourth.

On an additional note, after yet another bruising and debilitating loss, Bob Baffert will shift Drill into sprinter events in the future. [Race replay below]

Dania Beach, Florida should be avoided if possible on the way to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, and there was a fresh and full field of juveniles for the grass-bound Dania Beach Stakes on Sunday. I’ve been interested in Todd Pletcher’s Finale since watching him win the Summer Stakes (CAN-III), if anything because he looks just like Pluck, and while it looked like that colt was going to make a strong comeback, he was outdone late in the game by another talented star. The undefeated Summer Front took flight late in the hour like a good grass horse should, and won as the best horse after tripping badly at the start. Summer Front is expected to try out dirt, but if he’s anything like fellow War Front offspring Summer Soiree, the turf is where he fits best. [Link to race replay]