Courvoisier

The regally bred Courvoisier (Tapit) looks to extend his win streak and take his next step down the GI Kentucky Derby trail Saturday in Aqueduct's GII Withers S. Hitting the board in his first three attempts, the son of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) broke through at 14-1 odds when trying nine panels for the first time at the Big A Dec. 2. He followed suit with a win in this venue's Jerome S. on a sloppy track on New Year's Day. "He's always been a big boy. He...

Courvoisier (Tapit), last-out winner of the Jan. 1 Jerome S., tuned up for Saturday's GIII Withers S. with a five-furlong work in 1:02.41 (2/15) over the Belmont training track Friday. "He's doing well," trainer Kelly Breen said. "He breezed Friday by himself. It was a maintenance workout and he's good to go." Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and James Spry, Courvoisier is a son of 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). Jerome fourth-place finisher Unbridled Bomber (Upstart) was declared ready for the Withers following a...

Mr. Baffert, c, 2, Bodemeister--Commandaria, by Smart Strike. Monterrico, 11-14, Maiden, 1000m. B-Sanford Robertson (KY). The one and only Mr. Bob Baffert has had quite a share of intriguingly named winners in the last few weeks. Incidentally, Baffert is himself the namesake of a brilliant Peruvian (and U.S.-bred) colt by his old alumnus Bodemeister--the 2-year-old being a fast horse who won by almost five lengths at five furlongs on his racetrack debut (from another hemisphere in more ways than one?). 8th-Los Alamitos, $54,312, Msw, 12-11, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.21, ft, 3...

The well-bred Courvoisier (Tapit), a narrow maiden winner at fourth asking at the Big A last time Dec. 2, picked up 10 points for the GI Kentucky Derby while securing his second straight win in Saturday's sloppy $150,000 Jerome S. His third and second-place finishes in his first two starts respectively set the colt up for a move forward with the addition of blinkers Oct. 27 at Delaware Park, where he was caught late going a mile and lost by a nose. Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for his...