Simply Ravishing, a daylight winner of the Sept. 3 P. G. Johnson Stakes, took her game to another level with equal skill in the $350,000 Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes Oct. 2 at Keeneland.
Month: October 2020
Flashy Southern Phantom Retired To WestWin Farms In Oklahoma
Southern Phantom, a Bodemeister colt whose flashy markings have made him a fan favorite at racetracks around the country, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at WestWin Farms in Purcell, Okla., for the 2021 breeding season.
Owner Danny Caldwell confirmed the 4-year-old's retirement on Friday.
Southern Phantom went winless in 10 starts, racing first for breeder Southern Equine Stables and co-owner Calumet Farm. He finished third his second career start as a juvenile; a Saratoga maiden special weight. The colt then finished third again in his debut as a 3-year-old at Aqueduct.
That fall, Southern Phantom was entered in the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where he sold to Caldwell for $20,000. The colt was moved from New York to the Southwest, where he went unplaced in three starts this year at Oaklawn Park, Lone Star Park, and Remington Park.
Southern Phantom is out the unplaced Bernardini mare Out for Revenge, and he is a full-brother to stakes-placed Stronger.
His third dam is the blue hen mare Yarn, putting Southern Phantom in the same family as notable sires Tale of the Cat and Johannesburg. Other notable names on his page include English and Irish Group 1 winner Minardi, as well as Grade 1 winners Preach and Joking and Grade 2 winners Fed Biz and Stanford.
In addition to Thoroughbred stallions Code West, Euroears, Pass the Buck, and Mister Lucky Cat, WestWin Farms also stands the paint stallion Painted Turnpike, paint racing's all-time leading money earner.
I know he is in safe hands and very well taken care of at WestWin! He is retired sound and ready for his new career next year as a stallion! https://t.co/mP8eCZhFK8
— Danny Caldwell (@ILoveFastHorses) October 2, 2020
The post Flashy Southern Phantom Retired To WestWin Farms In Oklahoma appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Saturday, October 3
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Saturday's meetings at Newmarket, Ascot, Fontwell, Redcar and Wolverhampton.
Harpers First Ride Scores Frontrunning Victory In Pimlico Special
Harpers First Ride went to the front from the outside post and led throughout in Friday's $250,000, Grade 3 Pimlico Special, fighting off a bid from 3-5 favorite Owendale and drawing away in deep stretch under Angel Cruz to register his first career graded stakes triumph in his 14th start.
Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride – a 4-year-old gelding by Paynter bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm – covered 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:54.97.
He paid $13 for the win.
Owendale, a three-time Grade 3 winner who finished third behind War of Will in last year's Preakness at the Baltimore, Md., track, held second after dogging Harpers First Ride throughout under John Velazquez. Cordmaker finished third, with 7-2 second choice Tenfold (third behind Justify in the 2018 Preakness) fourth and Forewarned fifth in the field of seven older runners. Monongahela and Plus Que Parfait were scratched.
Harpers First Ride set moderate fractions of :24.41, :48.41, 1:12.11 and 1:35.94 en route to his final clocking.
The Pimlico Special winner was coming off a victory in the Sept. 5 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel in which he sat third, then rallied in the stretch. That was his first stakes victory and fourth win of 2020 in seven starts.
Harpers First Ride began his career in Kentucky racing for his breeder. He was claimed for $30,000 in his third start, a maiden victory on Sept. 14, 2019, then transferred to the Maryland circuit and the barn of Gonzalez, who has dominated the training ranks.
The post Harpers First Ride Scores Frontrunning Victory In Pimlico Special appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
