Running true to his odds as the 1.70-1 favorite, Jack Christopher captured the $500,000, Grade 1 Champagne Stakes Oct. 2 at Belmont Park by 2 ¾ lengths over Commandperformance.
Month: October 2021
Art Collector Goes Wire To Wire In Woodward Stakes
Art Collector planted his flag among the best in the older male division and earned his first Grade 1 victory on Saturday with a front-running triumph in the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park.
The 4-year-old Bernardini colt was put on the lead early by jockey Luis Saez, challenged on the outside by longshot Mo Gotcha. Those two set an opening quarter-mile time of :24.02 seconds, tracked by a tightly bunched pack of Forza Di Oro, Code of Honor, and favorite Maxfield, with Dr Post trailing by several lengths.
Positions went relatively unchanged across the Belmont backstretch, with Art Collector going through a half-mile in :47.78 seconds, a half-length ahead of Mo Gotcha
Contenders behind the lead duo began to lodge their challenges as the field headed into the turn, led by Forza Di Oro on the outside, joined by Dr Post making his move from far back and far outside. Meanwhile, Maxfield approached from the inside, and moved just off the rail path to challenge Art Collector, as Mo Gotcha faded. Code of Honor also started to threaten from the inside path.
While many horses loomed, none of them were able to get close to Art Collector, who added to his two-length cushion at the top of the stretch under steady urging from Saez. After using the whip in the right hand, Saez flipped his crop to the left hand and flashed it at Art Collector repeatedly in the final eighth of a mile, helping him fend off any semblance of a challenge from his rivals and draw off to win the Woodward by 1 1/2 lengths over Maxfield. Dr. Post ran evenly down the stretch to finish a length behind Maxfield in third.
Art Collector completed the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:49.22 over a fast main track. He paid $7.50 to win as the field's second choice.
With the victory, Art Collector improved his lifetime record to eight wins in 15 starts for earnings of $1,535,305. He's been unbeaten in three starts since joining the barn of trainer Bill Mott earlier this year, also including victories in the listed Alydar Stakes at Saratoga and the G2 Charles Town Classic Stakes.
Art Collector races as a homebred for Bruce Lunsford, out of the Grade 1-placed stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Distorted Legacy.
To view the full Equibase chart, click here.
Stakes Quotes Courtesy Of NYRA Press Office
Bill Mott, winning trainer of Art Collector (No. 3, $7.50) and fifth-place Forza Di Oro (No. 6): “Nice race, strong race. He's put three of them together. He's a nice horse. He's just done enough to beat his company. Each one probably got a little tougher. It was tougher today, but he handled it.
“He was in great shape. He had the winter off and he was a fresh horse. They ran him at Churchill once going seven-eighths. It was an odd race. He didn't have the greatest trip. When he came to me, he had a race under his belt and was ready to go. He's done well since we had him. With racing, I think he's gotten stronger and better and today is the result.
“He's been lucky. Luis [Saez] gets him away well and gets him in good position and that's important.”
On going from three turns in the Charles Town Classic to one turn in the Woodward: “He's a pretty smart horse. He has a great disposition because it didn't confuse him.”
On potential start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic: “I'm not afraid. I'll talk to [owner] Mr. [Bruce] Lunsford. He makes the final decision, but I don't know what we have to lose. I'd run him a mile and a quarter. A mile and an eighth hasn't been a problem for him, so why would I cut him back?”
Luis Saez, winning jockey aboard Art Collector (No. 3): “It was a wonderful race. I had a lot of confidence in my horse. He always tries so hard. He always comes with a run and finishes with run and today he ran his race. We expected to be on the lead. He broke so well and he was able to control the pace. That was an exciting race.
On his confidence turning for home: “I felt pretty good. I felt like I had a lot of power and a lot of horse and when I asked, he took off.”
Brendan Walsh, trainer of runner-up and beaten-favorite Maxfield (No. 2): “I don't know that we had a lot of excuses. We had a good spot even if it was down inside a little bit. All credit to the winner. He ran a good race and he's a good horse. We ran a good race to be second. This horse doesn't let us down ever.
“I don't think [the blinkers] made a whole lot of a difference. They definitely weren't a negative in any way. Jose [Ortiz] said he ran a good race and found the gears he wanted him to find, but he just got outrun by a horse that was better on the day.”
On a potential start in the Breeders' Cup Classic: “He still hasn't done anything wrong. Every race is different and our day will come, too. I can't see why not.”
Jose Ortiz, jockey aboard runner-up Maxfield (No. 2): “I had a good trip. I followed the horse that won and was second best.”
Irad Ortiz, Jr. jockey aboard third-place Dr Post (No. 1): “He ran great. He did everything right, he just got beat by two nice horses.”
The post Art Collector Goes Wire To Wire In Woodward Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Asmussen First Trainer To Win 800 Races At Churchill Downs
In the midst of a milestone-filled 2021, Steve Asmussen became the first trainer in Churchill Downs history to saddle 800 winners beneath the Twin Spires when promising 2-year-old Dr. Perry won Saturday's sixth race at the Louisville, Ky., track.
Asmussen, who scored his record-breaking 9,446th career win on Aug. 6, is the all-time leading trainer in races won at Churchill Downs.
The record 24-time training champion at Churchill Downs, won his first race at the Louisville oval on May 16, 1993, with Snake Eyes. He won his 100th local race in June 2003; 200th in June 2006; 300th in July 2008; 400th in May 2011; and 500th in May 2014; 600th in May 2017; and 700th in June 2019.
Among Asmussen's 800 Churchill Downs wins are 83 local stakes triumphs, including two victories in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1): Summerly in 2005 and Untapable in 2014. He also won 2008 Stephen Foster (G1) with Curlin and the 2016 Clark Handicap presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) and 2017 Stephen Foster (G1 with Gun Runner.
His longtime Churchill Downs assistant is Scott Blasi.
Overall, Asmussen, 55, has won 9,503 races and his horses have amassed $368.2 million from 46,252 starts during a 35-year training career that began at New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs in 1986. The two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer (2008-09) was enshrined in horse racing's Hall of Fame in 2016.
The post Asmussen First Trainer To Win 800 Races At Churchill Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Art Collector All the Way in Woodward
The controlling speed of Saturday's GI Woodward S. on paper, Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) made best use of his best asset and took them gate-to-wire to earn an overdue Grade I victory. Favored Maxfield (Street Sense) completed the exacta, while Dr Post (Quality Road) flashed home from the tail to be third.
Looking to remain perfect in three starts since an amicable trainer switch from Tommy Drury to Bill Mott, Art Collector bounced beautifully from gate three and was soon in front for Luis Saez, as 64-1 Mo Gotcha (Uncle Mo) applied some token pressure with Forza di Oro (Speightstown) also prominent to the outside. Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) and Maxfield also raced in close attendance in a tightly bunched pack, while Dr Post, who veered inward at the break, brought up the rear.
Art Collector lobbed them along through an opening four furlongs in a very manageable :47.78 and the Woodward was very much his race to lose after a three-quarter split of 1:12.12. Maxfield was nipping at the front-runner's heels as they hit the two-furlong pole, but Saez hadn't spent a penny on Art Collector, who kicked when asked for an effort and won with relative ease. Maxfield, arguably better when able to settle a bit farther back and finish up, was forced to race closer to the pace than is his custom and fought on bravely in an out-of-his-element performance. Dr Post came home on his incorrect lead to be third.
“It was a wonderful race,” said Saez. “I had a lot of confidence in my horse. He always tries so hard. He always comes with a run and finishes with run and today he ran his race. We expected to be on the lead. He broke so well and he was able to control the pace.”
Winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. last July, Art Collector prepped for a possible start in the GI Kentucky Derby with a facile score in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby early the following month, but was withdrawn from the Run For the Roses in the week leading up to the race with a minor foot issue. Fourth in the GI Preakness S. and eighth to Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Art Collector was shelved, returning to be sixth in the June 25 Kelly's Landing S. at Churchill. Turned over to Mott thereafter, he wired the field in the Aug. 6 Alydar S. at Saratoga and was exiting a 1 1/2-length success in the GII Charles Town Classic Aug. 27.
A Breeders' Cup appearance would be in the Classic and not the Dirt Mile, Mott said.
“I'll talk to [owner] Mr. [Bruce] Lunsford. He makes the final decision, but I don't know what we have to lose,” the conditioner said. “I'd run him a mile and a quarter. A mile and an eighth hasn't been a problem for him, so why would I cut him back?”
Pedigree Notes:
Art Collector has legitimate claims to carry the torch going forward for the late Bernardini, who is now the sire of 16 Grade I/Group 1 winners worldwide, 13 of whom have accomplished the feat north of the equator. Distorted Humor is now the broodmare sire of 13 Grade I winners.
Art Collector is the lone winner from his stakes-winning and turf Grade I-placed dam, a half-sister to Lunsford's GSW/MGISP Vision and Verse (Storm Cat), runner-up in the 1999 GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Distorted Legacy is also a half-sister to Performing Diva (Storm Cat), third in the 2005 GII Darley Alcibiades S. and SP Broadway Express (Broad Brush), the dam of GSP Character Builder (Coronado's Quest).
Now 14, Distorted Legacy is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Legionnaire (Into Mischief), a yearling colt by the Spendthrift maestro and a filly foal by Justify. She was covered by Medaglia d'Oro this past breeding season.
Saturday, Belmont
WOODWARD S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont, 10-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.22, ft.
1–ART COLLECTOR, 124, c, 4, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Distorted Legacy (SW & GISP, $421,466), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Bunting, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Flag Waver, by Hoist the Flag
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-W. Bruce Lunsford (KY); T-William I.
Mott; J-Luis Saez. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 15-8-1-0,
$1,535,305. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Maxfield, 124, c, 4, Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $100,000.
3–Dr Post, 124, c, 4, Quality Road–Mary Delaney, by Hennessy.
($200,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $400,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-St.
Elias Stable; B-Cloyce C Clark (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1, 2HF. Odds: 2.75, 0.90, 10.40.
Also Ran: Code of Honor, Forza Di Oro, Mo Gotcha. 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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