For the past 70 years, the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup have been proving grounds for a long list of Thoroughbred racing’s greatest champions. Some horses, though, have transcended the sport’s most famous stages. Horses like Kelso.
Month: February 2021
Across The Board With Andy Serling: Horacio DePaz
Following an extended hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Across the Board with Andy Serling podcast returns this week featuring an interview with trainer Horacio DePaz.
The 35-year-old DePaz, who grew up watching Quarter Horses as a teenager in his native Texas, discusses his life in racing including working on the backstretch of Louisiana Downs; serving as an exercise rider and assistant for Kentucky Derby-winning trainers John Servis and Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas; as well as assisting Todd Pletcher, where he looked after accomplished runners Rags to Riches, Devil May Care and Quality Road.
DePaz went out on his own in 2015 setting up shop on the Mid-Atlantic circuit training horses for Kevin Plank's historic Sagamore Farm.
Now based in both Maryland and New York, DePaz also discussed training horses for owner Barry Schwartz and making an impact on the NYRA circuit with Sharp Starr, winner of the Grade 3 Go for Wand in November at the Big A, and stakes-winning New York-bred Amundson, who is entered in the Hollie Hughes on Monday at Aqueduct.
The episode is now available for download via https://soundcloud.com/acrosstheboardwithandyserling
About Across the Board with Andy Serling
Launched in April 2017, Across the Board with Andy Serling is a podcast presented by the New York Racing Association. New episodes of the show will be released in regular installments throughout the year, providing fans and horseplayers with access to the most interesting personalities in racing.
To access the complete ATB episode library please visit: https://soundcloud.com/acrosstheboardwithandyserling
The post Across The Board With Andy Serling: Horacio DePaz appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Going Global Makes Stylish U.S. Debut In Sweet Life Stakes
In her first stateside start, Irish-bred Going Global unleashed a furious stretch rally to take Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita by a widening half length under Flavien Prat. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Going Global, who had been idle since Nov. 11 in her native Ireland, got six furlongs on turf in 1:07.68 at the Arcadia, Calif., oval.
Unhurried but in contention while about 6 ½ lengths off the lead at the half-mile pole, Going Global, in an eye-catching move, was able to save ground while full of run at the rail around the far turn, shifted into the four-path a furlong out and blew by front-running Five Pics Please in the shadow of the wire in a most impressive effort.
“I watched her last race and you could see she could run,” said Prat. “Phil talked to me this morning and said they really liked her. She's a little tough, likes to do things her way, but she was very professional.”
Purchased for $16,900 at public auction as a yearling, Going Global, who registered a 1 ¼-length win versus 13 rivals that included males on Nov. 11, had a steady series of drills on Santa Anita's inner dirt training track and paid $19.80, $9.60 and $6.60 while off at 8-1 in a field of 12 sophomore fillies.
“We were trying to point for an allowance race for the last couple weeks and it didn't come,” said D'Amato, who registered his sixth stake win of the meet. “It was one of those things. She trained well enough to where I thought she merited a chance in here. So, either run or wait a while until the allowance goes. Luckily, we were able to get Flavien here and a beautiful trip.
“I think the sky is the limit for this filly. Flavien hinted that she could definitely use some more ground, so we'll definitely look at the two turn stakes schedule here and go from there.”
Owned by Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, Going Global, a filly by Mehmas out of the Invasor mare Wrood, now has two wins from five overall starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $68,792.
Ridden by Tyler Baze, Five Pics Please set fractions of :21.65, :44.16 and :55.85 and held second by three quarters of a length over Nimbostratus. Off at 9-1, Five Pics Please paid $10.40 and $7.00.
French-bred Nimbostratus, with Joel Rosario up, paid $5.40 to show and finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 9-5 favorite Majestic Steps, who had no apparent excuses.
Note: Prat also went on to win Sunday's eighth and ninth races, giving him four on the day and 27 for the meet, putting Prat and Umberto Rispoli in a tie for the lead.
Racing resumes with an eight-race Presidents Day holiday card on Monday with a 12:30 p.m. PT first post.
The post Going Global Makes Stylish U.S. Debut In Sweet Life Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Mehmas Filly Flies Home in Sweet Life
The Phil D'Amato barn continued its hot streak with European imports in turf sprints as Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) uncorked a powerful rally to take Sunday's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. Fourth in her best of three turf tries for Mick Halford in her native country, the bay broke through over seven furlongs of all-weather at Dundalk Nov. 11 before being acquired privately. She was let go at 8-1 in a full and competitive field despite her trainer's excellent numbers with European acquisitions, including four wins from his last four starts in the category. Finding a foothold at the fence and off the pace as Five Pics Please (Cinco Charlie) sped clear, Going Global made her move into a :44.16 half. She still had work to do as the frontrunner threatened to complete her theft, but Flavien Prat got her out in the clear with a sixteenth to race and she zoomed home to get up in the shadow of the wire. Nimbostratus (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) filled out the trifecta for some of the same owners as the winner.
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SWEET LIFE S.-GIII, $103,500, Santa Anita, 2-14, 3yo, f, 6fT, 1:07.68, fm.
1–GOING GLOBAL (IRE), 122, f, 3, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Wrood, by Invasor (Arg)
2nd Dam: Ras Shaikh, by Sheikh Albadou (GB)
3rd Dam: Aneesati (GB), by Kris (GB)
1ST BLACK- TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€15,500
Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig & Ray
Pagano; B-N. Hartery (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Flavien Prat.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-0, $68,792. Werk Nick Rating:
D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Five Pics Please, 122, f, 3, Cinco Charlie–No Pictures Please,
by Congrats. O-Desert Sun Stables; B-Larry L. Caudill DVM (KY);
T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–Nimbostratus (Fr), 122, f, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Bahama
Spirit (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (£65,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR).
O-Altamira Racing Stable, CYBT, Marc Lantzman & Michael
Nentwig; B-Laundry Cottage Stud (FR); T-Peter Miller. $12,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 8.90, 9.70, 6.40.
Also Ran: Majestic Steps (Ire), Squared Shady, I'm So Anna, Plum Sexy, Freedom Flyer, Royal Address (Ire), Magical Thought, Go Greta (GB), Pizzazz. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
“I watched her last race and you could see she could run,” Prat offered. “Phil talked to me this morning and said they really like her. She's a little tough, likes to do things her way, but she was very professional.”
“She trained very well,” said D'Amato, who won last week's Baffle S. for the boys with Earls Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}) and the Clocker's Corner S. Jan. 24 with Gregorian Chant (GB) (Gregorian {Ire}) for another partnership that includes Michael Nentwig. “We were trying to point for an allowance race for the last couple weeks and it didn't come. It was just one of those things. She trained well enough to where I thought she merited a chance in here. So, either run or wait a while until the allowance goes. Luckily, we were able to get Flavien here and a beautiful trip. I think the sky is the limit for this filly.”
D'Amato added that, with Prat telling him that she should stretch out, his team would look at upcoming two-turn stakes for Going Global.
Nentwig was on hand to celebrate the win, and said: “Any time you step out and you pay a decent amount of money for a horse from Europe that you've only seen run on tape, you kind of put yourself out there and I have to kind of convince the partners that it's the right thing to do. Phil was very confident in the filly over there. I want to thank Niall [Dalton]. Without him, we wouldn't have the filly. I'm thrilled for everyone…it's a great win for the team.”
Pedigree Notes:
Tally-Ho Stud's Mehmas dominated among last year's crop of European freshman (Click for more), and is now responsible for six stakes winners (three group or graded), including G1 Newmarket Middle Park S. hero Supremacy (Ire) and Quattroelle (Ire), winner of this venue's one-mile Blue Norther S. here on New Year's Eve. Another Mehmas filly was beaten a neck in October's Surfer Girl S. here.
Going Global is the second graded winner and fourth stakes winner out of a mare by Hall of Famer Invasor (Arg), who now stands in Uruguay after limited Stateside success.
The winner's dam Wrood, also conditioned by Halford, was a two-time winner over 10 panels of Lingfield Polytrack. The half to GSW Racer Forever (Rahy) has a 2-year-old colt by Profitable (Ire) and a yearling filly by U S Navy Flag.
The post Mehmas Filly Flies Home in Sweet Life appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
