Practical Joke

Klaravich Stables homebred Ways and Means wowed the crowd in her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut on Sunday at Saratoga, but for the connections who have worked with the daughter of Practical Joke leading up to that 12 3/4-length romp, her impressive performance came as no surprise. Out of the Klaravich-campaigned stakes winner Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward), Ways and Means was a standout at Dell Ridge Farm since the day she was foaled. Sent to Nick de Meric's in Ocala to go through her early training, again she was one of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Trainer Gary Contessa believes in Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) and is not going to waver from his against-the-grain approach with the massive 2-year-old filly. On the opening day of the Saratoga season, July 13, Contessa had her make her career debut in the GIII Schuylerville. She won for fun by 3 1/4 lengths at 21-1. According to Equibase, she is just the fifth horse since 1991 to start its career with a graded-stakes victory. After she worked four furlongs in :48.40 seconds on July 26, Contessa said she...

Reigning Champion 2-Year-Old colt Forte (Violence) logged his first breeze of the summer at Saratoga Race Course when covering a half-mile in :48.90 seconds over the Oklahoma dirt training track Friday with regular jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. up for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The colt worked in company with graded stakes-winner Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) in preparation for the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at the Spa. "He jumped on the bridle a little early, so I kind of took a little hold away from the horse," said...

Much of the pre-race speculation about Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville S. for 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the dirt seemed to focus on which Hall of Famer--D. Wayne Lukas or Todd Pletcher--would be the first to win the traditional opening-day feature for the record seventh time, unless another Hall of Famer--Steve Asmussen--got in the way. Instead, that trio had to settle for filling out the superfecta as it was another veteran conditioner, Gary Contessa, who notched his first Schuylerville win with Becky's Joker (Practical Joke--Becky's Best, by Elusive Quality), the...

7th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 7:05 p.m. Trainer John Sadler debuts LEVON (Practical Joke) for Talla Racing and Central Dispatch (Arrogate) for Hronis Racing. The stablemates both worked a bullet five furlongs from the gate in :59 1/5 (1/12) at Los Alamitos June 10. The former is a $750,000 KEESEP buy whose dam Gal Factor (The Factor) counts GI Arkansas Derby hero Super Stock (Dialed In) as a half brother. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle first-time starter Confucius (Candy Ride {Arg}) whose dam Mumtaazah (Tapit) is a half-sister to...

1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-17, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:08.74, fm, 3/4 length. MISCHIEVOUS ANGEL (g, 3, Into Mischief--Sabrina's Angel, by Scat Daddy), the only first-time starter in the field and the 2-1 selection with a $600,000 purchase price, spotted the field a step at the break and had only a single rival behind him through a half mile in :45.26. He began to make up ground as the leaders hit the far turn and tipped out to be five wide with room to run at the top of the stretch. Pacesetter Beer...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of leading GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get their 'Early Impressions.' After pairing up matching 100 Beyer Speed Figures for trainer Tim Yakteen while capturing the GII San Felipe S. and GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Practical Move (Practical Joke) has firmly established himself as the best of the west heading into the Kentucky Derby. Last term's GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner brought $230,000 from owners Leslie and Pierre Amestoy and Roger Beasley out of the...

Leslie and Pierre Amestoy, the co-owners of Practical Move, share their journey to this year's Kentucky Derby.

3rd-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:42 p.m. PARTY FAVOR (Practical Joke) debuts at Gulfstream Park for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the $520,000 KEESEP purchase comes from a female family that includes MGISW Zazu (Tapit) and her full-brother, GSW Flashback. The bay filly will break from post four with Leonel Reyes in the irons. TJCIS PPS 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:20 p.m. A Keeneland November Sale buy for $375,000 as a weanling, MAJESTIC MICHAEL (Justify)'s second dam counts GISWs Discreet Cat (Forestry) and Discreetly...

One of the most progressive horses to race during this year's meet at Oaklawn Park, Red Lane Thoroughbreds' Skelly (Practical Joke) took Saturday's $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. by the scruff of the neck and never gave any of his rivals a chance, as he led past every pole for an impressive first victory at the stakes and graded stakes level. Having earned the right to contest a race of this caliber off big-figure allowance scores in the slop Feb. 25 and over a fast strip Mar. 17, the...

A new kingpin graces the No. 1 slot after a wild, final weekend of 100-point preps. The rankings below are independent from the "Road to the Derby" leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths, with several horses included here who are currently below the cut.   1) PRACTICAL MOVE (c, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) O-Leslie & Pierre Jean Amestoy & Roger Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $90,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-2,...

Even-money favorite Practical Move (Practical Joke) solidified his role as California's best GI Kentucky Derby hope as he parlayed a ground-saving trip into a narrow victory in Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby over fast-charging Japanese raider Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby). Seeking his third-straight victory off of clear-cut successes in both the Dec. 17 GII Los Alamitos Futurity and Mar. 4 GII San Felipe S., Practical Move was unhurried early and worked his way down to the fence and into a joint third around the first bend. He tugged...