Bally’s Arapahoe Park: Week 10
Due to a 5-day snowstorm system, Arapahoe Park’s closing weekend was delayed from the weekend of Nov. 8-10 to Nov. 15-17. Snow began Tuesday night on Nov. 5 and did not move out of Colorado’s front range until early Saturday morning on Nov. 9. The snow forced training to be canceled for 6 days from Nov. 6-11. Only jogging and light gallops were allowed when the track reopened for training on Nov. 12.
CTBA Spicy is paid workout for Celee’s Last Te
6-year-old mare Celee’s Last Te won the 8.5f CTBA Spicy for 3-year-old and older on Sunday, Nov. 3. The bay Tulsa Te mare was allowed to have things her own way on the front end and devastated the group with a 9 ¼ length victory. The CTBA Spicy was Celee’s Last Te’s third stakes win of the year. She won the Hank Mills Handicap at Wyoming Downs in July and the first CTBA distaff stakes the CTBA LarriLou in September by 6 ¼ lengths.
The 7-horse field broke in a line, with Lil Miss de Buy slowest on the rail. Defending CTBA Spicy champion Rockin Marie broke from post 7 and rapidly drifted inside-- pinching back Behold That Word from gate 6 and Bring the Posse from gate 5. The bumping this year’s CTBA Oaks winner Long May She Run, Celee’s Last Te and Rockin Marie on the lead. By the time they entered the backstretch Celee’s Last Te had a clear lead over Rockin Marie in second.
Jockey Adrian Ramos had Celee’s Last Te under a tight hold as they ran the opening quarter in 24.83 and the half 48.87. Celee’s Last Te wanted to do more, so when Ramos gave her the cue on the final turn her 3 length lead exploded into 5 lengths, until suddenly the duo were nearly 10 in front.
Celee’s Last Te won by 9 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1:47.07. This was her second win in the race. She won the 2022 CTBA Spicy with a similar lonely lead trip that resulted in an 11 ½ length winning margin. Celee’s Last Te is her late sire Tulsa Te’s leading earner. Her older full sister Celee’s Te was third twice in the CTBA Spicy and is Tulsa Te’s second-highest earner. Celee’s Last Te races for Lynne M. McGregor and trainer Russell Vicchrilli.
Kali K seeks back-to-back Rocky Mountain Championship victories
5-year-old mare Kali K will try to defend her Rocky Mountain Championship Stakes title against 8 foes on Saturday, Nov. 16. She will break from gate 6 in the 440 yards contest for Colorado-bred quarter horses 3-year-olds and up.
Kali K is even-money on the morning owing to her win in the Leo Beau Dash in September and her second last out to Wyoming-bred invader Yo Morning Delite in the Pen Pal. The second-choice is Mr Dash Fire, winner of the Dolls Prodigy Stakes opening weekend.
2022 Cherry Creek Futurity winner Fearless Fortitude is the final stakes winner entered and will break from gate 4.
3-year-olds compete in wide-open Arapahoe Park Derby
11 3-year-olds were entered in the 8.5 furlong Arapahoe Park Derby on Saturday, Nov. 17. The group is led by co-favorites on the morning-line Toomanynames and Jet Stream. Toomanynames won a 6f allowance by 11 ½ lengths on Oct. 27 while Jet Stream broke his maiden by a half length over 6f on Oct. 27. Toomanynames’ final time of 1:10.46 was over two seconds faster than Jet Stream’s final time. Both compete for the Stacey Rushton barn.
The third-choice is Colorado-bred All About Mischief who comes into the race after being beaten by fourth-choice Ez Fitz in the CTBA Derby (8.5f, CO-bred 3yo) on Oct. 13. In the CTBA Derby, the 4-horse field was tightly bunched throughout with slow fractions. Ez Fitz and All About Mischief separated themselves from the other two runners by about 20 lengths in the stretch, but Ez Fitz got the better of All About Mischief by 3 ½ lengths. Prior to that, All About Mischief won a 5 furlong allowance by 12 ½ lengths early in the season.
Zorina slight choice in Debutante
2023 Gold Rush Futurity alumna Zorina is the morning-line choice for the 6f Debutante Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, Nov. 16. Since finishing fourth in the Gold Rush, she has been running at Turf Paradise and Assiniboia. Zorina won the Slinkylady Overnight in June by 3 lengths. She was last seen finishing second in an Oct. 5 allowance at Arapahoe behind two-time meet stakes winner Tennessee Moon while beating top older CO-bred mare Celee’s Last Te and fellow Debutante entrant Art Queen.
Arizona Reina is the second-choice. She has strung together 3 wins and is undefeated at Arapahoe Park. She beat Debutante entrant Raspberry Wine by ¾ length last out.
A third notable entrant is CTBA Oaks winner Long May She Run who was fourth last out in the CTBA Spicy against older Colorado-bred mares. Long May She Run turns back to the one turn 6f after going 1m70 and 8.5f in her last two.
Mare Lovely Lola favored in Butch Gleason Classic
5-year-old mare Lovely Lola is the lukewarm 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 9f Butch Gleason Classic for older horses on Sunday, Nov. 18. She comes in off a series of losses in stakes-- including twice to Tennessee Moon in the Molly Brown and Columbine. Still, she is the winner of 3 stakes on the year. One of those stakes was Wyoming Downs’ closing day feature the Au Revoir Handicap over a mile for older horses. She beat 9 foes that day with a grinding closing run, including current stakes winners at the meet Quicktrip Van and Collusionist. She gets the 2023 Arapahoe Park leading jockey Travis Wales in the saddle from post 1.
Subsidize appears to be her biggest threat. The Into Mischief gelding from the Temple Rushton barn has two wins at the meet and was last second in the Front Range Stakes.
Other entries of note include My Man Biggie, winner of the 2023 Arapahoe Park Derby, he has not started since March when he was seventh in a starter optional claiming at Turf Paradise. Joe Ortega trains both Lovely Lola and My Man Biggie.
4-year-old filly Lorriane’s Legacy also takes on the boys in this spot. She was last seen finishing third in the Columbine, 11-lengths behind Lovely Lola.
Two-time winners at the meet Hard to Come By and Seahawk Cody are also entered.
CTBA juvenile stakes winners lead Gold Rush Futurity
9 2-year-olds will face off the Gold Rush Futurity, the vast majority of them being fillies. Just two geldings and a colt have been entered. One of those geldings is professional CTBA Laddie winner Kosari in gate 7 who is undefeated in his young career. His stablemate CTBA Lassie winner Friendly Spirit will break just from his inside in post 6.
The morning-line favorite is Runnin On Promises. The Promises Fulfilled filly ships in from northern California and will make her first start for the Stetson Rushton barn in the Gold Rush. She has just one win from a maiden claiming at Santa Rosa in August.
The second-choice is Don’t Fly Stand By, a New York-bred shipper for trainer Kevin Eikleberry who swept both divisions of the Gold Rush in 2022. The Upstart colt is undefeated in 3 starts including allowances at Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows.
Colorado-bred Quarter Horses sprint in Lucille Rowe Derby and Cherry Creek Futurity
17 total Colorado-bred Quarter Horses will compete in Lucille Rowe Derby and Cherry Creek Futurity each over 350 yards on Sunday, Nov. 17 at Arapahoe Park.
The Lucille Rowe Derby will go as race 9. After the scratches of Little Wagon and First Prize Grown Go (AE) the field will consist of 9 3-year-olds. The morning-line favorite is fastest qualifier Presidio Pete from gate 4. Racing for breeder Franciso Cornejo, he led the trials with a final time of 17.908. He retained jockey Fernando Fonseca-Soto for the finals. Second-choice and second-fastest qualifier El Manguito will break from gate 5 under jockey Valente Vorrath.
2023 Cherry Creek Futurity winner Six Good Kicks will break from the rail.
8 will compete in the 2024 Cherry Creek Futurity which will be the final race of the meeting. The morning-line favorite is second-fastest qualifier Apolliticalbest Card. A 2-year-old filly by Docs Best Card her two career wins come from a maiden win in September and a half length victory in the trials on Oct. 19.
Fastest qualifier Lota Hocks won his trial in 17.925 by 2 and ¼ lengths. He will break from gate 8. Third-fastest qualifier Russel debuted in the trials and got up for the victory by a neck on the outside. 4 of the 6 in his trial qualified, but the other three scratched out. Russel will break from gate 4, one away from the rail due to the scratches of the inside two Brown Xill and Littlebetzy.
Tennessee Moon competes at Churchill Downs in Claiming Crown
Molly Brown and Columbine Stakes winner Tennessee Moon has shipped to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the $100,000 Glass Slipper starter allowance of the Claiming Crown. The Glass Slipper drew 12 3-year-old or older fillies or mares to go 8f as race 7 on Saturday. Post time is 1:55pm.
Tennessee Moon leads the nation in wins with 11. Her nearest competitor is Spikezone who got his 10th at Laurel Park in an allowance on Nov. 1.
Photos: 1-7 Stakes fields, 8) Celee’s Last Te wins the 2022 CTBA Spicy, 9) Kali K wins the 2023 Rocky Mountain Championship, 10) Toomanynames wins an allowance Oct.27, 11) Jet Stream breaks his maiden Oct. 27, 12) Ez Fitz before the 2023 Gold Rush Futurity, 13) Zorina after the 2023 Gold Rush Futurity, 14) Arizona Reina wins an allowance opening weekend, 15) Lovely Lola before the Molly Brown, 16) Subsidize before the Front Range, 17) Friendly Spirit breaks her maiden opening weekend, 18) El Manguito before the 2023 Mile High Futurity, 19) Lota Hocks breaks his maiden opening weekend, 20) Tennessee Moon wins the Molly Brown.
