September, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rushie Finds His Stride At Shorter Distance In Grade 2 Pat Day Mile

Formerly a contender for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, Rushie demonstrated a propensity for shorter distances in his decisive victory in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Jockey Javier Castellano kept the gray off early pacesetters Vertical Threat and Tap It to Win throughout the backstretch.

In his last start, a third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass, part of Rushie's finish could be attributed to his wide trip but in Saturday's race, his position sitting three wide throughout the Pat Day Mile did not take the bite out of his closing kick. Rushie and Castellano drew even with the early leaders and emerged from the final turn moving forward, holding off a late run from Sonneman at the wire.

Tap It To Win held on for third.

Rushie paid $7.80 to win. The final time for the mile was 1:34.41.

Michael McCarthy trains Rushie for Jim and Donna Daniell. He also has a third-place finish behind Honor A.P. in the G1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this summer.

Ocala Stud bred the son of Liam's Map and Colonel John mare Conquest Angel. Rushie was a $70,000 juvenile purchase by West Bloodstock out of the 2019 OBS March Sale, where he was consigned by Ocala Stud.

See the full chart here.

PAT DAY MILE QUOTES, courtesy Churchill Downs media office

Javier Castellano (winning rider, Rushie) — “I had the perfect trip. I was outside and took advantage of it. The way the race developed it was perfect, it was what I was looking for today. We sat two or three lengths off the pace and I kept track of those horses. When we turned for home, I asked him and the horse responded so well. I think the mile was perfect today for the horse. I'm glad we got it done.”

Michael McCarthy (winning trainer, Rushie) — “Part of me wanted to go with the Derby. The horse was training well all along but I can't thank the owners enough for supporting me. We ended up in the Pat Day Mile and were rewarded with a great effort. Hopefully this race sets us up for a solid fall campaign. I'm not sure which way we go from here. It's been a long day and a tough day yesterday in the Oaks (with Speech) so we're just going to savor this one and see what happens down the road.”

Manny Franco (rider, Sonneman, second) — “I'm really happy with the way he finished. Steve (Asmussen) has done a great job with him. I'm just happy with second. It changed the race (with the scratches of Cezanne and No Parole) because we thought there was going to be more pace in front. With the scratches, it wasn't too fast early.”

Steve Asmussen (trainer runner-up Sonneman and fifth-place finisher Echo Town): “The race didn't set up the way either one of them needed. Echo Town was kind of boxed in there, and then going too slow and then held up. Not ideal for him. Sonneman had trained really well and deserved the chance. But he'd have benefited from more pace as well. I think the two scratches really distorted the race.”

John Velazquez (rider, Tap It to Win, third) — “I thought he ran really well. I was hoping he held on for second but that's all he gave me. I was sitting perfect. I know the horse inside (Vertical Threat) had a little bit of speed so I could concede off him. He sat well, really nice and eventually when they came to me at the three-eighths pole I tried to hurry up and tried to keep my head in front of the other horse (Rushie) but he had too much horse.”

The post Rushie Finds His Stride At Shorter Distance In Grade 2 Pat Day Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fancy Liquor Keeps Geroux’s Hot Streak Alive In American Turf

Florent Geroux continues to have a big weekend at Churchill Downs, following up his five-win Kentucky Oaks day with a victory aboard Sky Chai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's homebred Fancy Liquor in the Grade 2 American Turf.

The 3-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky entered the $500,000 race off a victory in the listed Caesars Stakes at Indiana Grand, and was sent off as the third choice of seven runners at odds of 9-2. Fancy Liquor, trained by Mike Maker like third-place finisher Field Pass, closed from well off the pace to best Taishan by a half length on the wire, completing 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:42.83.

“I wasn't expecting what we got, but it worked out,” Maker said. “So I'm very pleased. Field Pass is a stakes winner over this course and didn't quite run his race at Saratoga. Tyler (Gaffalione) didn't feel like he handled the softer going today but still ran a good race. Flo said he was loaded, on the gallop out and everything.”

On or near the pace in each of his five lifetime starts thus far, Fancy Liquor wasn't able to keep pace with the early speed in the American Turf. Geroux found himself at least a dozen lengths off the leaders entering the backstretch, but the French veteran didn't panic, guessing that the frontrunners would tire and come back to him.

There were three across the track in the heated early pace battle: American Butterfly on the rail, Sugoi between horses, and 6-5 favorite Smooth Like Strait on the outside. They blasted through early fractions of :23.04 and :46.48, pulling away by about eight lengths from 9-5 second choice Field Pass. It was another four or so lengths back to Fancy Liquor in fifth.

American Butterfly dropped out of the race nearing the far turn, and Sugoi quickly followed suit. By that point, Field Pass had started making up ground on the outside and took over the lead from Smooth Like Strait. Those two battled for several strides before Smooth Like Strait conceded, but the effort left Field Pass vulnerable as Fancy Liquor and Geroux swept up the middle of the course in the final eighth of a mile.

Fancy Liquor grabbed the lead and refused to let Taishan by in the final yards, crossing the wire a half-length the best. Field Pass held on to finish third over Smooth Like Strait.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Fancy Liquor is out of the 21-time winning Secret Romeo mare Brandys Secret. The colt won on debut at Gulfstream Park in February of this year, and finished third behind Field Pass next out on the synthetic at Turfway Park in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Fancy Liquor was again best by Field Pass two starts later when third in the G3 Transylvania, but got away from his stablemate to win the Caesars Stakes in Indiana in his final prep for the American Turf. Overall, Fancy Liquor's record stands at 3-1-2 from six starts for earnings of over $450,000.

“This horse seems to be still learning,” Geroux said. “He broke really well but the horses in front of me were going really fast. He's shown in the past he's run well on the lead but he doesn't necessarily have to have the lead. The race I rode aboard him at Keeneland (the Grade III Transylvania) he came from just off the pace and we got beat by Field Pass that day but I know (Fancy Liquor) was still learning and getting better. Even back in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, where he beat us there, too, (Fancy Liquor) ran a really solid race.”

The post Fancy Liquor Keeps Geroux’s Hot Streak Alive In American Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Retired Trainer Thomas Root, Jr. Dies at 87

Retired trainer Thomas Root, Jr. passed away Friday in Ocala. Root, 87, trained in New York and Florida and had his greatest success in the 1970s. Best known as the conditioner of MGSW Redundancy (Creme dela Creme), he also trained 1977 GII Withers S. winner Iron Constitution (Iron Ruler) to a second-place finish in the GI Preakness behind Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning).

Root was 17 when he saddled his first horse in 1951. In addition to winning 199 races during his training career, he also worked alongside his father, Root, Sr., and his brother, Richard, for Harry Mangurian, Jr.’s Mockingbird Farm in Ocala for more than two decades.

According to his son, Tom, Root retired 25 years ago and moved to Ocala 15 years ago. Services are pending.

The post Retired Trainer Thomas Root, Jr. Dies at 87 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lookin At Lucky’s Fancy Liquor Makes the Grade in American Turf

Fancy Liquor–who had employed a front-running or pressing style in each of his five prior starts–benefitted from a heady ride by red-hot Florent Geroux to pick up the pieces after a hot pace materialized.

Unhurried early from his outside draw, the dark bay sat fifth in the early going as a trio of rivals zipped away to duel through hot splits of :23.04, :46.48 and 1:11.23. Favored Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) shook free of his pace foes heading for home, but he was softened up for the stretch drive, and the first to tackle him was Fancy Liquor’s stablemate Field Pass. Fancy Liquor followed his stablemate’s move into the lane, and struck the front with a sixteenth to run. He briefly swapped back over to his wrong lead, but kept finding to hold safe a late bid from first-time-turfer Taishan.

“This horse seems to be still learning,” said Geroux, who won five on Friday including the GI Kentucky Oaks. “He broke really well but the horses in front of me were going really fast. He’s shown in the past he’s run well on the lead but he doesn’t necessarily have to have the lead. The race I rode aboard him at Keeneland (the Transylvania), he came from just off the pace and we got beat by Field Pass that day, but I know [Fancy Liquor] was still learning and getting better. Even back in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, where [Field Pass] beat us there, too, [Fancy Liquor] ran a really solid race.”

A narrow debut winner at Gulfstream in February, Fancy Liquor was third to Field Pass in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks six weeks later. Second in a local allowance June 11, he was beaten just a neck when third again behind Field Pass in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland July 12, and came out on the right side of a bob in Indiana’s Caesars S. over yielding sod Aug. 12.

“I wasn’t expecting what we got, but it worked out. So I’m very pleased,” said first and third-finishing trainer Mike Maker. “Field Pass is a stakes winner over this course and didn’t quite run his race at Saratoga. Tyler [Gaffalione] didn’t feel like he handled the softer going today but still ran a good race. Flo said he was loaded, on the gallop out and everything.”

Pedigree Notes:
Fancy Liquor becomes the 36th graded winner for Lookin At Lucky, who also sired last year’s GI Kentucky Derby winner via DQ Country House. These connections campaigned Fancy Liquor’s dam, a speedy starter allowance type who competed mostly on turf and synthetic. She is the first mare by obscure stallion Secret Romeo, who stood in Michigan and Washington, to produce a graded winner. Brandys Secret’s 2-year-old filly Miss Eau de Vie (Commissioner) was fourth in her second start here on Tuesday. Brandys Secret has a yearling filly by Tamarkuz and was bred back to Lookin At Lucky for 2021.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
AMERICAN TURF S. PRESENTED BY SMITHFIELD-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.83, fm.
1–FANCY LIQUOR, 118, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
                1st Dam: Brandys Secret, by Secret Romeo
                2nd Dam: Money for Brandy, by Quiet Enjoyment
                3rd Dam: Monetary Shot, by Monetary Gift
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Skychai Racing LLC and Sand
Dollar Stable LLC; B-Hot Pink Stable & Skychai Racing LLC (KY);
T-Michael J. Maker; J-Florent Geroux. $303,800. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-1-2, $465,050. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for
   eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree.
2–Taishan, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Grace Phil, by
Philanthropist. ($22,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo ’19
OBSMAR). O-Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran; B-Nursery Place,
Donaldson & Broadbent (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $98,000.
3–Field Pass, 120, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Only Me, by Runaway
Groom. ($37,000 Ylg ’18 EASOCT). O-Three Diamonds Farm;
B-Mark Brown Grier (MD); T-Michael J. Maker. $49,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 4.80, 11.00, 1.90.
Also Ran: Smooth Like Strait, King Theo, Sugoi, American Butterfly. Scratched: Sunsation. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Lookin At Lucky’s Fancy Liquor Makes the Grade in American Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post