Month: June 2021

Horse No One Wanted: Pyledriver Wins Fairytale Edition Of The Coronation Cup

It was a battle for the ages in the Coral Coronation Cup which saw underdog Pyledriver and rising star Al Aasy fight it out for Group 1 glory at Epsom Downs.

It was Pyledriver, a horse who couldn't be sold for £10,000 (about US$12,000) two years ago, who won the war in the end for trainer William Muir. Having lost the lead with two furlongs to go, he showed incredible heart to knuckle down and deny Al Aasy at the wire. William Haggas' runner looked to have done enough in the closing stages but was just denied victory.

Things hadn't gone to plan early doors for Al Aasy having missed the break. He was settled in at the rear and the strong pace helped him find a rhythm.

The eventual winner Pyledriver was happy enough in midfield in the opening stanzas. Rounding the turn the race began to take shape, and it was Martyn Dwyer who seized the initiative down the straight. He opted to send his mount on and had all his rivals beat, bar the closing Al Aasy, at three furlongs out.

Al Aasy made effortless ground coming down the straight, with Jim Crowley's urgings sparking rapid progress as they came to the two furlong marker. He breezed past Aidan O'Brien's Japan, and it became a two horse race.

The crowds returning to Epsom for the first time this year were not disappointed. As Al Aasy moved to within a neck of his rival with seemingly plenty to give. He took a narrow lead and this looked for a moment to have settled the race.

However, Pyledriver was in no mood for settling for 2nd and knuckled down in the final stages to get his head back in front in the final strides to claim the Coral Coronation Cup.

Welcome cheers rang around Epsom, and nobody was more delighted than jockey Martyn Dwyer, who said after the race: “I'm so proud of the horse. On a personal level, there's times when I've hated racing. But days like this I can't describe in words.”

The post Horse No One Wanted: Pyledriver Wins Fairytale Edition Of The Coronation Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Knicks Ready to Go in Met Mile

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) will try to return to his winning ways Saturday in Belmont's GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H., a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar this fall. Riding a four-race unbeaten streak, including the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Mile in November and the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 23, the grey finished fourth most recently behind Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the Feb. 20 GI Saudi Cup.

“We had to contend with a trip to the Middle East and back,” said Brad Cox. “He seemed to recover really well. We were pointing him for the race at Lone Star in the [GIII] Sexton Mile [May 31], but with the defection of Charlatan, it gave us enough confidence to put our name in the hat for the Met Mile. I think this will be a good experience for the horse. He breezed extremely well Sunday [May 30] [Churchill Downs, 5f, :59.80] and had a huge gallop out. I feel like we're in a good spot with him and going the right way.”

Joel Rosario retains the mount from the outermost post 6.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief), undefeated in three starts this term, exits an impressive 5 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong GI Carter H. at the Big A Apr. 3.

Prior to that, the Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee annexed a Gulfstream optional claimer Jan. 10 before adding a win in the GIII Gulfstream Park Sprint S. Feb. 13. During his sophomore season, he also won the GIII Swale S. and GIII Gotham S. while under the tutelage of trainer John Servis.

“In my opinion, he's the leader of the sprint division, but we run a mile this time, so it's going to be a big test,” said Joseph, Jr. “This is the time to try it and if he's able to accomplish it, it will be a great thing for his resume as a stallion.”

In regards to the distance, Joseph Jr. added, “I'm cautiously optimistic. He's lethal at six or seven furlongs because he can make the lead or sit if he needs to. At a mile, I feel it's within his reach and he's capable of it, so we'll give it a try. The way he won last time gives you optimism, but he has to go over and do it to make me a believer.”

Also riding a winning skein heading into Saturday's test, Silver State (Hard Spun) gets a class test while trying top-tier company for the first time. After closing out 2020 with a pair of seven-eighth victories in Kentucky, he kicked off 2021 with a narrow score in Oaklawn's Fifth Season S. Jan. 23 before adding the Mar. 13 Essex H. Stretched to nine panels for his latest in the Apr. 17 GII Oaklawn H., the 4-year-old came home a narrow winner Fearless (Ghostzapper). Regular pilot Ricardo Santana Jr. rejoins the Steve Asmussen trainee Saturday.

The post Knicks Ready to Go in Met Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Brown Seeks Fifth Straight Just a Game Win

Chad Brown has won the last four renewals of Belmont's GI Longines Just a Game S. and has four chances to take him home his fifth Saturday. Leading the quartet is last out GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile heroine Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Prior to that victory, the bay missed by a neck in to Sweet Bye and Bye (Sky Mesa) in a Saratoga optional claimer last August and came up a neck short again in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. in Septemer. She was defeated by a nose in Del Mar's GI Matriarch S. Nov. 29 and returned to winning ways May 1 at Churchill.

“Flavien [Prat] really gets along with her well,” Brown said. “We saw that in the Matriarch. He has great hands and she can be difficult, but he really gets along with her and timed it right. She likes this track very much. She ran one of the best races I've ever had a horse run in defeat that day [in the Noble Damsel], when she got away from Johnny [Velazquez] and went :44 and kept going. I don't know how she was still there at the end. If she can settle at all, she has a good closing kick. She has run well on good ground in the past, but I prefer for it to be firm.”

While Blowout is most comfortable on the front end, her barnmate Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) prefers to come from behind. Rallying to victory in this venue's GII Sands Point S. in October, the bay was sixth in the Matriarch and second last out in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S. over a yielding course Apr. 10.

“This filly would be no shock to win this race, either,” Brown said. “She's going to really appreciate the cut back to a mile and she loves Belmont. She's been training very well and is a legitimate contender here.”

Juddmonte homebred Pocket Square (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is already a Group 3 winner in France and seeks her second win on these shores after taking a Keeneland allowance Apr. 7.

Rounding out the Brown contingent is Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), who scratched out of Thursday's GIII Intercontinental S. in favor of this spot. She enters off victories in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. in September and Aqueduct's Apr. 11 Plenty of Grace S.

The biggest threat to the Brown crew is likely to come from the Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin duo of Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Winner of the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom in July, Summer Romance was off the board in both the Aug. 1 G1 Prix Rothschild and the Jan. 28 G2 Cape Verdi S., which was won by the aforementioned Althiqa. Summer Romance enters off a victory in the G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan Feb. 18, in which her traveling companion finished third.

“They all traveled over well and have trained well since they've been there,” Charlie Appleby said. “There's been a little rain and the track's very wet this weekend. The fillies are fit and well and have plenty of experience under their belt. The reason we went to America is they carry Group 2 penalties here in Europe for the forthcoming season and the Group 1 older fillies races aren't until later in the year, anyway, so we thought it might be a good opportunity to get a Grade I.”

The post Brown Seeks Fifth Straight Just a Game Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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