A.P. Xcellent

[vicster47]

I try to follow the sons daughters and grand kids of Exceller - on December 16 A.P.Xcellent a Bay Colt by A.P.Indy out of Exing(CHI) - (Daughter of Exceller) won a pretty tough allowance race at Hollywood Park - He is really nice looking colt and went off at a decent price. He paid 26.00 to win! ( and he looked very good doing it!)

Vickie

[vicster47]

Ooops - still getting used to this - should I have put this in Racing?

[Exceller Fund]

Vickie,
No problem - we aren't so strict on protocol here, but the Racing Forum would simply be where people would go to read about and post about racing news.

Keep us up to date on how AP Xcellent does!

[vicster47]

Well since I started this here I will update here. A P Xcellent is entered in the Grade 2 San Luis Obispo H at Santa Anita tomorrow - quite a step up - trainer John Shirreffs thinks he has a good shot at this. He is a 4 year old colt so a win here would be great!

[ruffianshope]

I see that A.P. Excellent was scratched from the San Luis Obispo. I hope all is wel with him.

[vicster47]

He seems fine - got a bit worked up but he is working in the mornings and looks great - that was a bit of a jump up for him - but ....looking forward to his next race

[Exceller Fund]

Thanks for the update on A.P. Xcellent. Fingers are crossed that he'll do good and come back safe in his next race. If you have any photos you can e-mail, please send them to [e-mail] and I can post them here for our Members to see!

[vicster47]

Entered Saturday 3/24 in the San Luis Rey at Santra Anita wow - will ne a longshot - Go Baby Go

[vicster47]

Well the turf experiment did not work out - BUT A P Xcellent won an allowance race on the Hollywood Poly today - very impressively. He sure is a nice looking colt.

[Exceller Fund]

Cool! We are working on a re-vamp of our website and will be updating the "Legend Lives On" section to hopefully include more of Exceller's offspring.

If anyone wants to take a sneak peek - the beta site is:

www.excellerfund.org/revamp

It is still a work in progress so many of the links aren't all hooked up yet - BUT - please let me know what you think.

Let's see how many people are reading this message board....the first Exceller Fund member (other than a Board member) who e-mails with feedback on the website will get a horsey T-shirt from this grab-bag of stuff I have in the corner. Send your comments to [e-mail]

Thanks!

[vicster47]

Entered June 2 in the Californian at Hollywood Park - He has a shot!

[Exceller Fund]

Congratulations - he finished a very good third! I hope he came out of the race okay? (That's always my biggest concern!)

[vicster47]

He set the pace and led most of the way. Runs with his head down like AP. Look for more from him later this meet. A Graded Stake - NOT BAD and these were top notch horses

[vicster47]

Smith To Ride A.P. Xcellent In Hollywood Gold Cup
Trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Mike Smith stood together at the Hollywood Park training track Thursday morning, watching Santa Anita Derby winner Tiago gallop.

Shirreffs announced he and the jockey would unite again in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, when Smith will ride A.P. Xcellent for the first time.

Front-runner A.P. Xcellent has won three of four starts on Cushion Track here, his first defeat a third-place finish by 1 ½ lengths in The Californian at 1 1/8 miles in his last outing June 2.

"I thought his effort was good if it wasn't for Mike Smith," said Shirreffs teasingly in reference to Smith putting pressure on A.P. Xcellent with Kip Deville in that race.

"He loves the Cushion Track, he loves the lead, and he's tough on the front end," added Shirreffs of the 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy, a $750,000 yearling purchase by owner Stan Fulton.

Smith won the 2004 Gold Cup aboard Total Impact in his second try in the race. Shirreffs finished sixth the same year with Gift of the Eagle, his only starter in the race.

A lineup of at least six appears set for the 68th running of the Gold Cup, a Grade I test at 1 ¼ miles. Probable are two-time defending champion Lava Man (Corey Nakatani), Mervyn LeRoy Handicap winner Molengao (Victor Espinoza), Berkeley Handicap winner My Creed (Russell Baze), Big Booster (Michael Baze), A.P. Xcellent (Smith) and A.P. Arrow (David Flores), based in New York with Todd Pletcher.

Also nominated are Wilko, Saint Stephen, Porfido, Uffizi and Mr. Splash, who worked a bullet seven furlongs in 1:26.40 Thursday for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Conspicuous by his absence from the nomination list was Bob and John, the Lone Star Handicap winner who worked a bullet six furlongs here Wednesday for trainer Bob Baffert.

"He worked okay, but I was not satisfied," explained Baffert, a two-time Gold Cup winner, from his training base at Santa Anita. "He didn't go over it like I wanted. He was struggling. I had him nominated in there but I didn't feel comfortable about it. He's just better on dirt. He may go to the Cornhusker Handicap instead (at Prairie Meadows June 30)."

[Exceller Fund]

Whu-hoo! Go A.P. Xcellent!