In winning two earlier Breeders' Cup races Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar, Charlie Appleby experienced varying emotions, watching as a pair of his horses (and nearly a third) were scratched due to unruly gate antics and two runners emerged as victors.
Month: November 2021
Uncle Mo’s Golden Pal Speeds to Second BC Win in Turf Sprint
Breaking like shot out of a cannon, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) marked his return to Breeders' Cup competition following a win in 2020 to double up with a score in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Sent off what seemed to be a bit of an overlay, the 5-2 favorite was sure-footed at the start, streaking to the front and cutting out a brisk quarter in :21.71. With Lieutenant Dan (Grazen) in hot pursuit through an equally fast half in :43.34, last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner turned for home about a length ahead of the GII Eddie D. S. scorer, kicked on all boosters in the stretch, and despite Lieutenant Dan's best intentions late, the Wesley Ward trainee was not for catching, crossing the wire 1 1/2 lengths ahead. Charmaine's Mia rounded out the trifecta. Last season's defending champion Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) never got into the mix of things, finishing eighth.
“I was happy to get the lead easily and he responded when I asked him for run down the stretch,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. “I was confident coming for home and he still felt very strong. He was ready today.”
The victory is the second of the weekend for Ward and Ortiz Jr., who teamed up to win Friday's GII Juvenile Turf Sprint with Twilight Gleaming (Ire). It is the sixth Breeders' Cup victory for Ward and 13th for Ortiz, but first for both in the Turf Sprint.
“He's got the title–he's the best horse [I've ever trained], affirmed Ward. “Bruce Headley, a great trainer, once told me when he had [Sprint Champion] Kona Gold, 'stay in there long enough and you'll get one as good as this.' I hope everyone in horse racing has a horse like this, as special as he is. He's just fast. He's mature and he has so much upstairs, as well. He has so much natural ability. What a horse.”
Added Steven Miyadi, trainer of runner-up Lieutenant Dan, “He wasn't ready to run against a rocket ship. He ran great, probably the best race of his life.”
A runner-up finish in last year's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot proved but a taste of what was still to come for the Coolmore partners-owned runner, who rounded out his 2-year-old campaign with wins in Saratoga's Skidmore S. followed by a narrow victory on Breeders' Cup day at Keeneland. Given time off following a minor setback earlier this season, Golden Pal returned a winner in the GIII Quick Call S. at the Spa July 15 but didn't show his best when seventh in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20. Freshened after that, the Florida bred went wire-to-wire last time out in the 5 1/2-furlong GII Woodford S. at Keeneland Oct. 9.
Pedigree Notes:
Golden Pal was certainly bred to be a good one, becoming the 10th Grade I/Group 1 winner for Coolmore's Uncle Mo. His illustrious dam, 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Shipman, who missed by a neck in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint–was also bred by the colt's breeder, Randy Lowe. The graded-winning mare produced an Omaha Beach colt Mar. 24 and is back in foal to Uncle Mo. A Violence half-brother to Lady Shipman RNA'd for $170,000 at Fasig-Tipton July. For more on Lowe and Golden Pal, click here for a Second Chances column.
Saturday, Del Mar
BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT-GI, $920,000, Del Mar, 11-6, 3yo/up, 5fT, :55.22, fm.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 124, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-USA, $902,387), by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim
3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Magnier,
Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Smith, Derrick and Westerberg;
B-Randall E Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$520,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-2-0, $1,299,056. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lieutenant Dan, 126, g, 5, Grazen–Excusabull, by Indian
Charlie. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Steven Miyadi. $170,000.
3–Charmaine's Mia, 123, m, 5, The Factor–Charming Vixen, by
Bernstein. ($40,000 RNA Wlg '16 KEENOV; $4,000 Ylg '17
KEESEP). O-Agave Racing Stable, Medallion Racing and Rockin
Robin Racing Stables; B-Gunpowder Farms LLC (KY); T-Philip
D'Amato. $90,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 2.50, 4.60, 28.10.
Also Ran: Emaraaty Ana (GB), A Case of You (Ire), Gear Jockey, Kimari, Glass Slippers (GB), Extravagant Kid, Chaos Theory, Fast Boat, Caravel. Scratched: Arrest Me Red, Beer Can Man, Bombard, Commander (Fr), Hollywood Talent, The Critical Way.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
The post Uncle Mo’s Golden Pal Speeds to Second BC Win in Turf Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Somelikeithotbrown Holds Off Sanctuary City To Get Second Mohawk Win
In a postponed renewal of the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 Mohawk for New York-breds 3-years-old and up on the turf, which was washed off its intended surface earlier in the meet, odds-on favorite Somelikeithotbrown made all the running and fended off longshot Sanctuary City's menacing late rally to capture his second straight edition of the race by posting a half-length score at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Skychai Racing and David Koenig's Somelikeithotbrown, a 5-year-old son of Big Brown, was making his first appearance against state-bred company since winning last year's Mohawk in October 2020. The Mike Maker trainee had run exclusively against graded stakes competition in 2021 spanning his first five starts, including a win in the Grade 2 Dinner Party at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., in May and a third-place finish last out in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on October 9.
Keen on the class relief despite the quality New York-bred competition, bettors sent off Somelikeithotbrown as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite in the Mohawk. He looked the part, breaking from post and surging to the front under Jorge Vargas, Jr. With Klickitat providing only token pressure off his flank, the bay horse ambled down the backstretch through an opening quarter-mile in :24.23 and a half in :49.15 over firm going on the Widener turf.
Somelikeithotbrown and Vargas kept up the moderate tempo, going three-quarters in 1:13.49, and it wasn't until leaving the far turn that they received their first serious test in the form of the Christophe Clement-trained City Man, who ranged up on their outside leaving the bend. Shrugging that one off with little opposition, the pair again opened up a daylight lead in mid-stretch. A hard-charging Sanctuary City then picked up the chase. Coming with a burst of energy down the middle of the Widener Turf Course, Sanctuary City looked poised to go by the frontrunner in the final eighth of a mile, but Somelikeithotbrown was unrelenting and dug in late to hit the wire in 1:42.39.
“He was [originally] pointing to the Breeders' Cup so you had to feel confident,” said Vargas, Jr. of the suspenseful finish. “He was traveling easily throughout. When they got to me I asked a little bit and he jumped on them right away. When it was time to run he fought to the end.
“He's a nice horse,” the winning jockey added. “Nice horses make multiple moves. They know what they're capable of, and that's what he does. He still had something left; I could barely pull him up he was feeling so good.”
Somelikeithotbrown returned $3 on a $2 win wager, while his career earnings now stand just shy of $1.2 million.
Sanctuary City, trained by James Ferraro for the owner/breeder combo of Edward Messina and William Butler, came alive again in the Mohawk, having run shockingly well in this race last year at odds of 41-1, and finished a clear second ahead of City Man, who was 2 ½ lengths back in third. It was another 1 ½ lengths back to Therapist in fourth, who was followed home by Cross Border and Klickitat. Rinaldi was scratched, as was main-track only entrant Tiergan.
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Live racing resumes Sunday with Closing Day of the Belmont fall meet. The 10-race card, which features an 11:50 a.m. first post, will feature a pair of stakes in the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in Race 4 at 1:18 p.m. and the Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua for 2-year-olds in a one-turn mile on the main track in Race 9 at 3:43 p.m.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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Ce Ce Upsets Heavily Favored Gamine In Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Sprint
With just four rivals facing her in the gates and a five-race winning streak where she took no prisoners, there was perhaps no surer thing on the Breeders' Cup menu than Gamine defending her title in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday at Del Mar.
In horse racing, though, there's no such thing as a sure thing.
After relentless pressure throughout the race, Gamine ultimately relented to finish third, while Ce Ce drove past the 2-to-5 favorite to earn the biggest win of her career.
Ce Ce, a 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality kept about three lengths back from the pace out of the gate, as Gamine took the early command in her usual fashion, pressed hard to the outside by Bella Sofia. Gamine clocked the opening quarter-mile in :22.31 seconds, a half-length ahead of Bella Sofia, with Edgeway looming closely behind on the rail.
Ce Ce crept up closer to the lead pack under jockey Victor Espinoza as the field approached the turn. As Gamine clicked a half-mile in :44.92 seconds, Bella Sofia drew up closer to the leader on the outside, and jockey Joel Rosario brought Edgeway up an open spot on the rail to pose a threat.
Those three set themselves up on even terms through the turn, as Espinoza took Ce Ce four-wide and entered the conversation at the top of the stretch. With the inside path, Edgeway took control of the lead from Gamine as they entered the straightaway, and Ce Ce accelerated from the outside at the six-furlong mark, run in 1:08.66.
With all the momentum on the outside trip, Ce Ce carried on past Edgeway, and kicked clear under a hand ride to win the Filly and Mare Sprint by 2 1/2 lengths. Edgeway continued on for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Gamine.
“I had a lot of horse,” Espinoza said. “She bounced out of the gate, but I decided to sit back and she was nice and relaxed. When I shook the reins at her at the five-eighths pole, I got a little excited. I wanted to go inside, but that spot was taken. But it worked out pretty fine.”
Ce Ce stopped the clock in 1:21 flat in the seven-furlong race over a fast main track. She paid $14.40 to win as the field's third betting choice.
“Around the turn she put in her run and she was very good,” said trainer Michael McCarthy. “It's a proud moment for (Bo Hirsch and I). I wish I would have shaved a little more this morning. Such a fantastic day and fantastic event. Just happy for everybody. She's been very consistent. I think last year I decided that this year we would go one turn with her. She's been touting herself this week that she was going to run a big one. I'm just glad she did on a stage like today.”
Saturday's Filly and Mare Sprint was Ce Ce's fifth win in her last six starts, and her eighth total career victory, compiling lifetime earnings of $1,753,100. McCarthy trains the homebred mare for Bo Hirsch.
Ce Ce's 2021 campaign has been a dramatic reversal from her 2020 season, when she notched a Grade 1 victory in the Beholder Mile, then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles to take the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap, before eventually finishing fifth in that year's Breeders' Cup Distaff. She was moved back to one-turn races in 2021 to astounding success, coming into this year's Breeders' Cup with wins in the G2 Princess Rooney Stakes and a five-length dismantling of the G3 Chillingworth Stakes.
The only time Ce Ce faced defeat in a sprint race this season was the G1 Ballerina Handicap, where she finished third to Gamine.
Quotes from other connections:
Jockey Joel Rosario (second with Edgeway) – “I was on the inside and I had the room to run, but I was probably just second best today.”
Trainer Bob Baffert (third with 2-5 favorite Gamine) – “She was out there and she just got tired at the end. The winner ran a great race. I really can't make a lot of excuses. She just got tired. I blame myself with the preparation. She had some time off and I think a race in between probably would have helped her. I think I made a mistake there. Now, she'll be ready. Going in, I was hoping I was okay here. The winner is a good filly. She looked great in the paddock. I knew she was the one to beat.”
Jockey John Velazquez (third with 2-5 favorite Gamine) – “When you go that fast early, it's hard to keep up the whole way around when you are pressed all the time. At the quarter pole, I thought she was going to have it, but as soon as I moved my hands and she didn't respond the way I thought, I knew I was in trouble.”
Trainer Rudy Rodriquez (fourth with Bella Sofia) – “We tried to go with Gamine and we set up the race for the third-best horse. I thought we were running good. We got bumped a little bit in the stretch, but I think we were done already at the time. This is what you expect in these big races. They went pretty fast and came home fast and that's what it is.”
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