Practical Move Continues March to Derby in G2 San Felipe
Practical Move (3c Practical Joke x Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) was the third stakes winner of the day for his sire with a second straight graded stakes win in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes.
The colt was keen in the 1 1/16 mile Kentucky Derby prep race but Ramon Vazquez made sure to keep him wrapped up early on. After the colt settled, the pair were able to stalk the leading Hejazi with no trouble until it was time to enter battle with him at the quarter pole.
Hejazi gave in as they exited the turn and Practical Move easily took over the lead from there. While race favorite Geaux Rocket Ride tried to chase him down, it was no use with Practical Move steadily pulling away to a 2 ½ length victory in the end.
"This horse keeps getting better and better every day. He can go inside or outside. He is comfortable wherever. He lets me do my job and he does the rest. I only rode him once (In the Los Alamitos Futurity), but I know he is very aggressive from the gate, so I let him do his thing. He galloped out very good," Vazquez said.
Trained by Tim Yakteen, Practical Move also won the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity and was third in the Grade III Bob Hope Stakes in his three stakes attempts. Bred by Practical Joke’s trainer Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners, the $230,000 2-year-old purchase Practical Move is raced by the ownership of Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestoy and Roger Beasley.
“He is a very healthy horse,” Yakteen commented. “He is a phenomenally gifted horse. I am amazed at how strong he is and how he has matured from a two-year-old to a three-year-old. Everything has fallen into place.”
Practical Move is the first foal out of the multiple stakes placed Ack Naughty, a half-sister to multiple stakes winners No Spin and So Lonesome. The colt’s third dam is the stakes winning Hot Lear, who is also the dam of multiple stakes winner and successful broodmare Flaming Heart. That mare has produced three stakes performers, including Grade II winner and Grade I Belmont Stakes second Commissioner. She is also the granddam of champion Vino Rosso. Now sitting second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Practical Move was one three stakes winners for his sire on Saturday.