By Joe Bianca
Two well-regarded 3-year-old colts threw down in a good stretch battle Mar. 9 at Santa Anita, finishing a neck apart, and both horses have received deserved attention since. But five-plus lengths behind 'TDN Rising Star' Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) and Reach the World (Tapit)–ranked 15th and 18th respectively in the latest TDN Derby 20–that day was a filly, Vexatious (Giant's Causeway), who arguably ran as well as the top two considering her circumstances.
Making her first start in 104 days, the full-sister to Creative Cause and Destin was shuffled back and steadied off heels continuously throughout the running, unable to gather any momentum. She had every right to quit after such a frustrating trip, but ran on well once finally clear at the three-sixteenths pole, improbably nabbing third in the closing yards.
Vexatious also showed an impressive late kick in her debut, finishing full of run to be third behind subsequent 13 1/4-length GIII Delta Princess S. victress Shane's Girlfriend (Adios Charlie) Oct. 28 in Arcadia, and overcame another troubled trip to break her maiden Nov. 26 at Del Mar. This Saturday, the $150,000 Keeneland September buy for Calumet Farm will venture into stakes waters for the first time and face seven challengers in the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks.
“We've always been keen on this filly,” trainer Neil Drysdale said from his Santa Anita base Wednesday. “All the time. She's very well-bred, we got held up by the weather here, so we had to run her against colts, she did not have an easy trip and ran well.”
The Fair Grounds Oaks likely goes through Farrell (Malibu Moon), who has captured both the Silverbulletday S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. on the New Orleans oval. The Coffeepot Stables homebred is a speed type, and Vexatious's chances may hinge on whether the favorite encounters any resistance on the front end.
“It looks like there might be a couple of horses to go along with [Farrell],” Drysdale said, “I hope they hook up, or are close to each other anyway.”
True to Drysdale's old-school training approach, Vexatious generally works slow, long and steady, but in completing preparations for the Oaks, turned in a sharp half-mile drill in :47 4/5 Mar. 27 at Santa Anita, good for the bullet out of 38 moves at the distance.
“She just did it on her own,” Drysdale relayed. “She's been training well all along. They've all been controlled works and she's been doing well.”
Vexatious is one of several promising 3-year-olds for Calumet, joining GIII Sunland Derby winner Hence (Street Boss) and GII Louisiana Derby contender and 'TDN Rising Star' Patch (Union Rags) as potential sophomore heavy-hitters. Hence's Sunland heroics came on the 25th anniversary of the once moribund farm being auctioned off for $17 million to Polish-Canadian businessman Henryk de Kwiatkowski, who started the wheels in motion to get Calumet back to the thriving operation it is now under Brad Kelley. Drysdale, who called his relationship with Calumet “excellent,” predicted this may only be the beginning of its resurgence.
“Judging by their 2-year-old crop coming now, it appears to be stronger than this group,” the 69-year-old conditioner revealed. “Calumet is definitely developing in the right direction.”
That direction would be forward, and Vexatious is certainly a filly moving that way too. She'll just need a bit better luck Saturday.
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