Private Chef Will Test His Recipe for Success
More than three months after he finished in a dead heat with the well-regarded Special Rate in a maiden sprint at Santa Anita, Private Chef tried winners, turf and stakes competition for the first time in the Will Rogers Stakes on May 25.
Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, the 3-year-old Partner’s Hero gelding had little trouble handling all the new things tossed his way.
Running the last quarter of a mile in less than 23 seconds, Private Chef was up to score a 6-1 upset in the Grade III to remain perfect in three starts.
The Maryland-bred will be a much shorter price today when he takes on seven others in the $200,000 Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the grass.
The colt Private Chef may have to fear most is Ender’s Shadow. Trained by Jenine Sahadi for the Green Lantern Stables, the son of A.P. Indy was beaten in his first three starts, but hasn’t lost since being stretched out on May 4.
Ender’s Shadow beat maidens by 1 1/4 lengths that day, then came back and beat winners -- some of them older horses -- a month later. Alex Solis will ride the bay, who will make his first start on turf.
Race of the day: Unbridled Beauty, a 2-year-old gray daughter of Unbridled’s Song, will make her stakes debut against six opponents in the $100,000 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park. Trained by Wayne Lukas for owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, Unbridled Beauty won by 7 1/4 lengths in her first career start May 26 at Churchill Downs. Jerry Bailey will ride.
One for the road: Anabeltaylor, a daughter of Lear Fan out of an Al Nasr mare, will debut against a weak field of New York-bred maidens at 1 1/8 miles on the turf in today’s 11th at Belmont Park. She comes from Belmont’s leading barn (Todd Pletcher), which wins often with first-time starters and gets the top rider in John Velasquez.
Exotically speaking: A pick three singling Bayamo in the third, use Olivia’s Amour, Shannon Kay and Kim N Kes in the fourth and White Cloud, Kedington and Always A Winner in the fifth.
Winners: Previous day/meet total: 1/133. Money: Previous day/meet total: $4.40/$716.20. Total money bet: $842.