Month: March 2022

Texas Champions Day has been one of the most anticipated days of the annual Thoroughbred season since Sam Houston Race Park opened in 1994. The 2022 edition, set for Saturday, March 26, will shine the spotlight on the resurgence of Texas racing, showcasing the best thoroughbreds in the Lone Star State.

Purses for the seven features were increased to $100,000 in 2021 and will remain at this level again. Excellent weather is forecast for Saturday and competitive fields have been drawn for each of the Texas Champions Day stakes. The 10-race card will get underway at 5:55 pm (CT).

Singapore Flash Eyes Third Turf Victory This Season in the $100,000 Richard King

Stakes action will get underway in the second race with seven turf specialists in the $100,000 Richard King Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles on the Connally Turf Course.

Triple V Racing LLC's Singapore Flash, who was the runner-up in the 2021 Richard King, has rocketed into prominence this season on the Sam Houston turf. The 6-year-old gelded son of Shanghai Bobby began the year with a solid allowance victory on Jan. 20 for trainer J.R. Caldwell and jockey Lane Luzzi. He returned in the $75,000 Houston Turf here on Feb. 19, defeating 2021 Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) Champion Older Horse Sunlit Song by a neck. His victory gave rising star Luzzi his first Sam Houston stakes score and was also very emotional for Caldwell.

“What a great finish with both horses laying it down the lane,” said Caldwell. “My horse ran an awesome race, but to beat a champion like Sunlit Song was an awesome feat. I am appreciative of my owners buying Singapore Flash and letting me run him here.”

Claimed for $40,000 last July at Colonial Downs, Singapore Flash has has never finished off the board at Sam Houston Race Park, and with the Houston Turf victory, has now won seven of his 22 starts and $217,875. He will break from post position six at odds of 2-5.

“He came out of that race in great shape,” added Caldwell, who will also saddle Lethal Move for Farmers Fillies Racing. “Singapore Flash really likes the Houston turf course and five weeks between the two stakes allows him to settle in. We're taking a shot with Lethal Move and might be able to run 1-2!”

Their rivals include Moojab Jr owned by John L. Pierce, who won the 2021 Houston Turf for trainer Paul Duhon and rider Iram Diego. The 8-year-old son of Moojab has won ten of his 44 career efforts and tops Singapore Flash in earnings with $290,671 banked to date. Stans Hookin Bull, who ran third in the Houston Turf, will break from the rail under Leandro Goncalves. Trained by Karen Jacks, the 4-year-old colt, sired by Lookin at Lucky, was a turf allowance winner at Sam Houston Race Park last March for owners Diamond W Racing Stable and Desra Schlansky.

Mr Money Bags The One to Beat in the $100,000 Spirit of Texas

Accredited Texas-bred colts and geldings will take to the main track in the six furlong $100,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes.

Erma Cobb's Mr Money Bags returns off a 2 ¾ length victory in last month's $75,000 H-Town Stakes. Bred by her late husband, Roy Wayne Cobb, the 6-year-old Silver City gelding was named 2019 TTA Horse of the Year and is a true “horse for the course” at Sam Houston Race Park. He will make his 26th career start Saturday evening in pursuit of his tenth stakes victory. The striking gray has won stakes for the past four years, beginning with the 2019 Jim's Orbit and Groovy Stakes here and has earned $631,776 in his noted career.

Last year, both Mr. Cobb and Mr Money Bags trainer Mike Neatherlin passed away, which was tragic for the Texas racing community. Thankfully, Mrs. Cobb retained ownership of the accomplished runner and named Neatherlin's daughter Jaylan Clary as trainer. Jockey Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez returns on the 1-2 morning line favorite. Well-regarded as a sprinter, Mr Money Bags also delivered at seven furlongs in the H-Town.

“Even though my horse likes to go to the lead, I did not need to push him early,” said Valdez-Jiminez. “I knew he had plenty left. He is the best horse I have ever ridden!”

The tears flowed for Mrs. Cobb following his Feb. 19 stakes victory as she spoke about how much her late husband adored Mr Money Bags.

“Roy was definitely a horse person and loved coming to the races and watching them run,” she explained. “He had so many offers to sell Mr Money Bags but turned them all down. He loved Mr Money Bags; we all do.”

Carbon Stryker, who has been competing at Delta Downs most recently for trainer Karl Broberg, merits consideration in the Spirit of Texas. The 4-year-old Crossbow gelding won the 2021 My Dandy here under jockey Ry Eikleberry, who has the return call at odds of 5-1. Owned by Zachary Roush, Carbon Stryker will make his 21st career start with a record of four wins, seven seconds and three third-place finishes.

Caldwell and Farmer Fillies Racing team up with He's a Suitor, a 5-year-old son of Hat Trick (JPN). Jockey Stewart Elliott will pilot the gelding, who exits a turf claiming win here on Feb. 22.

“Hats off to the great Texas champion Mr Money Bags,” said Caldwell. “It would be an honor to run second to him!”

The Spirit of Texas is carded as the third race of the evening with an approximate post time of 6:55 pm.

Undefeated Chief Brady Takes on Seven Rivals in the $100,000 Groovy Stakes

The $100,000 Groovy Stakes, which will run as the fourth race on the program, features a field of 3-year-old colts and geldings squaring off at the distance of six furlongs.

Southwestern Racing LLC's Chief Brady broke his maiden impressively at Sam Houston Race Park on Jan. 15 and stepped up to the stakes level with confidence one month later in the $75,000 Jim's Orbit. Jockey Jansen Melancon guided the chestnut son of Bradester before finding an opening on the rail and drawing off to a three-length victory. His final time, over the fast main track, was 1:12.20.

Melancon will guide the talented gelding out of the Mr. Nightlinger mare Indian Minnie for trainer Mindy Willis.

“This horse continues to impress me,” said Melancon. “In the Jim's Orbit, I saw the rail open and took the opportunity. It's a great feeling when you really get along well with a horse. He worked super for his return on Saturday. I feel really good about his chances!”

Luckys Special drew the far outside post as he makes his stakes debut for breeder and owner Victoria Lynn Heine. The gelding by Special Rate broke his maiden in his Jan. 22 debut at Sam Houston Race Park with two additional placings at the $50,000 allowance level. Trainer Michael Whitelaw sticks with rider Weston Hamilton.

Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, who has won 13 leading trainer titles at Sam Houston, has entered Take A Limo. The My Golden Song gelding, bred and owned by Macassar Corporation, steps up to stakes competition off a impressive debut win on Feb. 19. Last year's leading rider Stewart Elliott, who is in a close battle this season with Ry Eikleberry, has the call. Asmussen also trains Brant Shafer's homebred Ironical, a son of Too Much Bling who makes his third career start. This would be the fourth Groovy Stakes victory for Asmussen, who won with Balkan (2001); Roundabout Jones (2003) and Expect Will in 2004.

Caldwell looks to have a strong contender with Highlander Training Center's Legally Lethal. The son of 2011 Florida Derby (G1) champion Dialed In broke his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion here on March 11 with Lane Luzzi aboard.

The post Mr Money Bags Among Familiar Names On Saturday’s Texas Champions Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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March 27 is the kickoff date for Japan's spring big-name races, a dazzling lineup of Grade 1 events that continue weekly, nearly nonstop until the end of June.

Starting things off is Sunday's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, a 1,200-meter (six furlongs) turf sprint staged at the left-handed Chukyo Racecourse. The 52nd running of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen has attracted 20 nominees, ranging in age from 4 to 8 and including six females and one gelding. Eighteen of those will find a berth.

This year's field is short on top-level winners compared to the past. Of the nominees, only a trio – Salios, Resistencia, and Grenadier Guards – have laid claim to a Grade 1 event, all as 2-year-olds. Other promising hopefuls are the winners of the important step races. From most recently run, the winners have been: Gendarme (Grade 3 Yukan Fuji Sho Ocean Stakes), Diatonic (Grade 3 Hankyu Hai), Meikei Yell (Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes), and Grenadier Guards (Grade 2 Hanshin Cup). Naran Huleg, Travesura, Sunrise Honest and Shine Garnet also finished in the Top 3 in those races.

The Chukyo 1,200-meter turf race starts in the backstretch. Once straightening for home, there are still 412 meters to go, with a hill starting just 70 meters later and rising nearly two meters over the next 100 meters.

Post time for the 52nd running of the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be 15:40 local time, and it will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Chukyo.

Here is a look at the expected top picks:

Grenadier Guards: The 4-year-old colt Grenadier Guards comes off a win of the Grade 2 Hanshin Cup over 1,400 meters. The colt has failed to finish in Top 3 only twice from his nine starts. He has one win and one third in his three Grade 1 bids thus far, all over the mile. Though he has two wins and two seconds in his four starts over 1,400 meters (seven furlongs), this will be his first time at 1,200 meters. His sire, the unbeaten 10-time G1 winner Frankel, raced primarily over the mile. Grenadier Guards, however, also has inherited the sprinter blood from his dam Wavell Avenue, who won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Sprint. The colt will go to the gate for the first time in three months with his new partner, jockey Yuichi Fukunaga. Fukunaga, who boasts three wins of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, has ridden the fast work for the last two weeks.

Grenadier Guards has a record of 3-2-2 from nine starts, with earnings of US$1,842,490.

Resistencia: The 5-year-old daughter of Daiwa Major missed the winner's circle here last year by a neck, and in the Sprinters Stakes in early October, she finished second again two lengths off the winner. Both times she had raced from an outside gate. From her seven Grade 1 bids in Japan, Resistencia has won only once (the 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies) and finished second four times. In her first trip abroad last December, the bay mare took on the Hong Kong Sprint, and despite surely being affected by the horrific accident in that race, she finished in second place again less than a length behind the winner. Racing for the first time since returning to Japan, Resistencia is expected to see a new partner, 23-year-old jockey Takeshi Yokoyama, who notched an astounding five Grade 1 wins last year.

Meikei Yell: A Mikki Isle-sired 4-year-old, Meikei Yell has five wins (three over 1,200 meters) from her nine starts and is taking on her fourth Grade 1. She finished fourth in last year's Sprinters Stakes, where she followed Resistencia over the line by nearly three lengths, but was ahead of Danon Smash. Returning from the Sprinters Stakes, she took on her first race to the left and captured the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes. Trainer Hidenori Take attributes the win in large part to equipment changes that helped quiet the excitable filly.

“I plan to race her with the same equipment as last time. She is eating well and calmer now. I feel she understands a lot more now,” the trainer commented.

Salios: Salios returns to the track from a third-place finish in the Hong Kong Mile in December, and this time will be his first 1,200 meters race. The son of Heart's Cry has run in the eight Grade 1 events so far, but has won just one – the 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Raced primarily at the mile, Salios was also runnerup over the longer distances of the 2020 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Given his record, the 5-year-old would seem an unlikely candidate for a sprint, but trainer Noriyuki Hori believes that the horse has a good chance here.

“His inborn trait was one of the reasons I decided to run him here. His body type and footwork both lend themselves to short distances,” the trainer said.

Diatonic: The third-place finisher in the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the Lord Kanaloa-sired Diatonic followed that with a promising victory in the Grade 3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes over the same distance. He took on the Sprinters Stakes in the fall, where interference factored in his 13th-place finish, but later, he was also found to have suffered a fracture. Diatonic returned 11 months later in the Grade 3 Keeneland Cup, before taking another four months off. He returned to the track in January this year and captured the Grade 3 Hankyu Hai in February. Trainer Takayuki Yasuda, who also trained Lord Kanaloa, is cautiously optimistic, saying the 7-year-old has improved from his last start.

“I think 1,200-meter is his best distance. This time it's a Grade 1 and the competition is stronger, so we'll be going in as a challenger. I want him to get a good start.”

Gendarme: With six wins from his 27 starts, the American-bred Gendarme heads into his sixth Grade 1 at the age of 7. Though he has yet to bag a big one, he did come close in the 2,000-meter Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes as a 2-year-old. His trainer Yasutoshi Ikee has gradually shortened his distance, and from his last six starts over the past year (all at 1,200 meters), Gendarme has scored two wins, his latest in the Grade 3 Ocean Stakes early this month at Nakayama.

Naran Huleg: A 6-year-old son of dirt champion Gold Allure, Naran Huleg has been highly reliable since last fall. He didn't miss the Top 3 in his last four starts including two Grade 3 events. He has yet to win a graded-stakes race, but he's gotten closer and is back at his best trip, a left-handed 1,200 meters race over turf.

Travesura: A surprise fourth as the 16th pick in last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Travesura has had only two starts since, but finished second in both races over 1,400 meters – including last out in the Grade 3 Ocean Stakes. It is definitely a longshot, but if he could pull off a win this time out, it would be not only his first Grade 1 victory, but also the first for both trainer Yasuyuki Takahashi and expected jockey Katsuma Samejima.

Lotus Land: Also deserving mention is the American-bred 5-year-old mare Lotus Land. Proven consistent over 1,600-1,800 meters with six wins and three seconds from her 13 starts, she returned from three months layoff after the Mile Championship, and managed to top the Grade 3 Kyoto Himba Stakes last month in her first trip over 1,400 meters. She is looking light on her feet in work and in good shape for her first trip over 1,200 meters.

The post Japan: Son Of Wavell Avenue, Frankel Tries For Another Grade 1 In Takamatsunomiya Kinen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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