Despite giving her trainer a few anxious moments in the strides before the finish line, Letruska did in the $600,000 Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti what she has pretty much always done: go the lead and win yet another graded stakes.
Month: August 2021
Gamine Too Tough in Ballerina
Gamine kicked off the Grade I action at Saratoga Saturday with a front-running score in the GI Ballerina H. Away alertly from her rail draw, the heavy favorite went straight to the front and was pushed along by Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) through an opening quarter in :23.20 and a half in :45.68 with Lake Avenue in tow. Showing the way into the lane, the bay filly was kept to task by pilot John Velazquez, drawing clear for a facile victory. Lake Avenue held second and fellow California raider Cece completed the trifecta. The Ballerina is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint at Del Mar in November.
“The :23 felt pretty comfortable, :45 was pretty comfortable,” said Bob Baffert's assistant Jimmy Barnes. “[They were gaining on her] slightly, but once Johnny got her to switch leads, I wasn't really concerned. They were moving but we were still running. She sure does enjoy New York. She's been good and solid. The Gamine machine–that's her.”
“I'm a very happy man,” said owner Michael Lund Petersen. “I was very nervous today, only because she was giving so much weight away [126 pounds], so you just never know. I was thrilled to see she got the start we wanted. From there, I was just hoping she would hold on.”
Opening her account with a trio of victories, including an 18 3/4-length tour de force in the GI Acorn S. last June, Gamine romped by seven lengths in the GI Test S. at the Spa in August. Third as the favorite when extended to nine furlongs for the GI Kentucky Oaks, the $1.8 million EASMAY purchase dominated the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint in November, to clinch the Eclipse Award for top female sprinter. Romping in the GIII Las Flores S. Apr. 4 at Santa Anita, the bay wired the GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill May 1 and demolished the field by 10 lengths in the GII Great Lady M. S. last time at Los Alamitos July 5.
Pedigree Notes:
Gamine is one of 10 Grade I winners and 44 graded victors for super sire Into Mischief. Her stakes-placed dam Peggy Jane is also the dam of the 3-year-old colt Splashtown (Speightstown), a $300,000 FTKOCT purchase raced in a partnership between breeder Stonestreet Stables and Starlight Racing. The Todd Pletcher trainee finished eighth in his lone start at Gulfstream in May. Peggy Jane's recent produce includes an unraced juvenile filly by Ghostzapper, a yearling colt by Kantharos and a 2021 colt by Into Mischief. She was bred back to that Spendthrift kingpin. This is also the family of Canadian champion Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa).
Saturday, Saratoga
KETEL ONE BALLERINA H.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.61, ft.
1–GAMINE, 126, f, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Peggy Jane (SP, $102,050), by Kafwain
2nd Da
m: Seattle Splash, by Chief Seattle
3rd Dam: Grand Splash, by Bucksplasher
($220,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $1,800,000 2yo '19 EASMAY).
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 10-9-0-0, $1,681,500. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lake Avenue, 119, f, 4, by Tapit
1st Dam: Seventh Street (MGISW, $716,000), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Holiday Runner, by Meadowlake
3rd Dam: Dixie Holiday, by Dixieland Band
O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $100,000.
3–Ce Ce, 123, m, 5, by Elusive Quality
1st Dam: Miss Houdini (GISW, $187,600), by Belong to Me
2nd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
3rd Dam: Gils Magic, by Magesterial
O/B-Bo Hirsch LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $60,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 0.35, 18.00, 4.10.
Also Ran: Sconsin, Estilo Talentoso, Truth Hurts, Casual.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
The post Gamine Too Tough in Ballerina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Delaware Park Cancels Thursday, Sept. 2 Card
Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., has cancelled its Thursday, Sept. 2 card due to insufficient entries.
Live racing will be conducted on Monday, Aug. 30 and Wednesday, Sept. 1 as scheduled. Both cards have eight races scheduled, with first post at 1:15 pm Eastern.
The post Delaware Park Cancels Thursday, Sept. 2 Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Beat Ray At Del Mar: For Joaquin Jaime, It All Began At The Fair
Joaquin Jaime is a living example of why small tracks matter.
The TVG host, analyst and reporter was fascinated by horse racing when his family first took him to the Big Fresno Fair on the Northern California fair circuit as a child. It wasn't long before Jaime latched onto an uncle who taught him to read Daily Racing Form past performances and explain how pari-mutuel wagering worked.
Attending Saint Mary's College of California brought him closer to San Francisco and the Bay Area tracks of Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows and Pleasanton, and his first job out of college was as a researcher for TVG. He's been with the racing network now for 15 years.
Jaime is this week's guest handicapper in the Beat Ray Everyday Beach Boss competition, focusing on Saturday's Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar – a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In event for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. While we both have respect for the two Pat O'Brien favorites, C Z Rocket and Flagstaff, each of us went in a different direction.
Beat Ray Everyday is a season-long online contest that is free to enter and calls for players to wager a mythical $100 each racing day at the seaside track. The player with the biggest bankroll at the end of the competition wins two VIP tickets to this year's Breeders' Cup world championships, to be held at Del Mar Nov. 5-6. It's not too late to enter. More details and registration can be found here.
The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: For Joaquin Jaime, It All Began At The Fair appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
