Ironicus

So just what are those Derby gods up to now? What seeds of comfort, of commemoration, did they sow in the grief of last summer? Bernardo Alvarez Calderon was not just patriarch of a large and loving family, but something of a godfather for the entire Thoroughbred racing and breeding community of Peru. Its esteem was palpable after his loss last August, aged 78, following a fall. The president of the national breeders' association described him as "a horseman par excellence, whose contribution to our breed will last forever; an...

Helium (Ironicus), an impressive winner of the Tampa Bay Derby Saturday, will not have another Kentucky Derby prep and will go straight to the race in Louisville the first Saturday in May, according to Jon Green, the general manager of DJ Stables, the owner of the colt. Green announced the news on the TDN Writers' Room podcast Wednesday. "I'm pleased to make the formal announcement on our podcast that I sat down with the owners, my parents and Mark Casse, who between them have a collective 80 years of experience...

D J Stable LLC's Helium (Ironicus) overcame an impossibly wide trip and gamely fended off a late charge from the well-backed Hidden Stash (Constitution) to upset Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby by three-quarters of a length while making his dirt and two-turn debuts. Perfect in two starts going seven furlongs over the Woodbine synthetic last year, including a 4 1/4-length success in the Display S. when last seen Oct. 18, the $55,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling graduate's worktab included a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (1/8) at Palm...

This is the second half of the latest instalment in our ongoing survey of covering options for the new breeding season. The first part can be read here. UPSTART (Flatter--Party Silks, by Touch Gold) was cleverly named and I think him a very plausible type, likely to rise pretty quickly through the ranks. Certainly there were more than enough "nouveaux riches" among his first juveniles--only Not This Time exceeded his 19 winners (from 54 starters)--for him to be pegged at $10,000 by Airdrie. His principal earner was Reinvestment Risk, who...

An undefeated Mark Casse pair and a well-bet first-out winner from the Kevin Attard barn headline a nine-horse renewal of the GIII Grey S. Sunday at Woodbine. D J Stable's Helium (Ironicus) debuted an impressive 3 1/4-length victor going seven furlongs on the local Tapeta Sept. 27 and validated that try with a 4 1/4-length score as the favorite in the Display S. here Oct. 18. The other half of the Casse contingent is Breeze Easy's Easy Time (Not This Time). Backed to 7-5 in his unveiling over seven main-track...

Helium backed up a sharp and fast track-and-trip debut score Sept. 27 to dominate Sunday's Display S. at Woodbine and become the first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Distorted Humor). Off as the narrow 7-5 favorite over fellow impressive debut winner Maclean's Posse, the bay broke well and took up a stalking spot off the inside as his chief market rival took heat from two foes through splits of :23.65 and :46.40. Helium advanced ominously while out wide heading for home, and found another gear when called upon...

Stuart S. Janney homebred Ironicus (Distorted Humor) is the third horse this week to be removed from Breeders' Cup consideration due to injury. The gray fractured his cannon bone and will be forced to miss the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, in which he was likely to be one of the top choices. "He has a small fracture of his cannon bone," trainer Shug McGaughey told the TDN via phone Thursday. "They will put a screw in it tomorrow and he will be fine. He was training until last Sunday and...