With a quick pace to chase down, reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. made a bold decision to move a bit earlier than his late-running rivals in Friday's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland Race Course. The choice paid off in a big way when the frontrunners dropped back and Raging Bull got a head start down the stretch, growing bold on the lead and pulling away to win by two lengths on the wire. It was the first win since May of 2020 for Peter Brant's 6-year-old son of Dark Angel, who completed a mile over the “good” turf in 1:33.86.
Trained by Chad Brown and sent to post at odds of 7-2, Raging Bull is now a three-time Grade 1 winner with a record of 7-3-3 from 18 lifetime starts, and total earnings of nearly $1.5 million.
“Both horses (Raging Bull and stablemate and third-place finisher Sacred Life [FR]) ran great, especially given the layoffs they were facing,” Brown said. “Raging Bull got a great trip and setup. He's much more effective with a solid pace in front of him. Irad deserves a lot of credit for getting him into the race early and securing a great spot into the first turn.”
An early speed battle erupted between Get Smokin, Somelikeithotbrown, and Flying Scotsman, who traded punches through fractions of :22.47 and :45.65. Ortiz had Raging Bull settled just behind Field Pass in fifth against the rail, no more than four lengths behind the leaders down the backstretch.
At the three-eighths pole, Ortiz sent Raging Bull hard up the rail to take third, then angled out sharply to maintain his momentum while three wide as the leaders straightened for home. Raging Bull easily inherited the lead, and had more than enough left to hold off the deep closers through the length of the stretch.
Ride A Comet ran on credibly to finish second, while Sacred Life was third. Field Pass checked in fourth, and 5-2 favorite Hit the Road was fifth.
“He was traveling so good down the backside,” Ortiz said of Raging Bull. “I was close to the leaders. I tried to stay in contact with the field. He broke sharp today. I had an advantage there. The first turn, I let him run then I slowed him down. He relaxed so well. He was like 3 or 4 lengths behind the leaders. I said I'm just gonna wait until it's time to go. By the three-eighths pole, I saw some separation so I went for it a little early. He responded well, so I just went for it. He still had something at the end.”
Bred in France by Dayton Investments Limited, Raging Bull is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur, a daughter of five-time graded stakes winner Rolly Polly (Mukaddamah).
The post Maker’s Mark Mile: Heads Up Ride From Irad Ortiz Lands Raging Bull In The Winner’s Circle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Having last tasted victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile last May, Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) exploded from off the pace to comfortably best 8-1 chance Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. Settled in a rail-hugging fifth behind Get Smokin (Get Stormy) through opening fractions of :22.47 and :45.65, the 7-2 chance made a big move to get into contention approaching the quarter pole, swung out three wide to take control at the head of the lane and drove clear to score by two lengths over the game Ride a Comet. Chad Brown-trained stablemate Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was third.
“He was traveling so good down the backside,” said Ortiz Jr. “I was close to the leaders. I tried to stay in contact with the field. He broke sharp today. I had an advantage there. The first turn, I let him run then I slowed him down. He relaxed so well. He was like three or four lengths behind the leaders. I said I'm just gonna wait until it's time to go. By the three-eighths pole, I saw some separation, so I went for it a little early. He responded well, so I just went for it. He still had something at the end.”
“Both horses [Raging Bull and stablemate and third-place finisher Sacred Life] ran great, especially given the layoffs they were facing,” added Brown. “Raging Bull got a great trip and setup. He's much more effective with a solid pace in front of him. Irad deserves a lot of credit for getting him into the race early and securing a great spot into the first turn.”
Winning four of six to start his career as a 3-year-old, including victories in the GII Hall of Fame S., GIII Saranac S. and Manila S., the 2016 Goffs September buy recorded his first win at the highest level in the 2018 GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Despite failing to score in five starts as a 4-year-old, he earned second in the GI Fourstardave H. and third in the GI Manhattan S. before getting promoted to third via DQ in that season's GI Woodbine Mile. Kicking off 2020 with a confident score at the Grade I level at Santa Anita, the French bred was a close-up third in last year's renewal of this race before finishing fifth in the Fourstardave at the Spa. A good second in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile in Lexington in October, the 6-year-old finished 10th in his latest start in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
Pedigree Note:
Raging Bull, one of seven Group 1/Grade I winners for Dark Angel, holds the distinction of being the Yeomanstown Stud stallion's second North American Grade I winner, following Hunt (Ire) in 2018. One of two winners from four foals to race thus far out of his French SP dam, Raging Bull is a grandson of Rolly Polly was an Italian highweight filly at two and annexed both the GII Senator Ken Maddy S. and GIII Las Cienegas S. going down the hill at Santa Anita. Bought by Brant's White Birch at Goffs November in 2016, Rosa Bonheur is responsible for an unraced juvenile full-brother to Raging Bull named Bobbie D (Ire) and a yearling brother by Dubawi (Ire).
Friday, Keeneland
MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $300,000, Keeneland, 4-9, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.86, gd.
1–RAGING BULL (FR), 118, h, 6, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Rosa Bonheur (SP-Fr), by Mr. Greeley
2nd Dam: Rolly Polly (Ire), by Mukaddamah
3rd Dam: Rare Sound (Ire), by Rarity (GB)
(€90,000 Ylg '16 GOFORB). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Dayton
Investments Limited (FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 18-7-3-3, $1,496,750. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ride a Comet, 118, h, 6, Candy Ride (Arg)–Appealing Zophie,
by Successful Appeal. ($45,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP; $375,000
2yo '17 OBSAPR). O-John C. Oxley &My Meadowview Farm
LLC; B-My Meadowview LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $60,000.
3–Sacred Life (Fr), 118, h, 6, Siyouni (Fr)–Knyazhna (Ire), by
Montjeu (Ire). (€50,000 Ylg '16 ARAUG). O-Michael Dubb,
Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables & Bethlehem Stables
LLC; B-Mr. Viktor Timoshenko & Mr. Andriy Milovanov (FR);
T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
Margins: 2, HF, HF. Odds: 3.50, 8.80, 4.50.
Also Ran: Field Pass, Hit the Road, Darain (GB), Somelikeithotbrown, Get Smokin, Flying Scotsman.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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