Month: April 2022

The Oaklawn Mile continues to make the grade.

Debuting in 2019, in conjunction with Oaklawn extending its season to May, the Oaklawn Mile for older horses will be run as a Grade 3 event for the first time Saturday. This year's projected field will feature Grade 1 winner Roadster, Grade 2 winners Cezanne and Law Professor and Grade 3 winners Fulsome, Silver Prospector and Mo Mosa.

Probable post time for the Oaklawn Mile, which goes as the ninth of 13 races, is 4:40 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at noon, with the infield open, weather permitting. Saturday's card also features the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1), $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies and the $200,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters.

Cezanne is the early favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who seeks his first Oaklawn Mile victory after finishing second in 2020 with future Eclipse Award winner Improbable (champion older dirt male).

A 5-year-old son of Curlin, Cezanne exits a 2 ½-length victory in the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (G2) at 7 furlongs March 5 at Santa Anita. Cezanne didn't debut until June of his 3-year-old year and the San Carlos marked only his second start since last April because of “minor issues,” Baffert said.

Purchased as a 2-year-old for $3.65 million, Cezanne has won 4 of 6 starts overall. His abbreviated 4-year-old campaign – one race – resulted in a 9 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3) at 6 ½ furlongs last April at Santa Anita. Cezanne finished third, beaten three lengths, in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) Jan. 29 at Santa Anita. The 6-furlong race was his 2022 debut. Cezanne will be racing outside California for the first time Saturday and around two turns for the first time in almost two years.

“Cezanne, he's a horse that timing's been sort of not been right for everything,” Baffert said. “Gave him the time off. Came back and ran in that stake. I'd like to see how he ships. He's been wanting to go long. He's been running sprints and stuff. This will be a good test for him and we'll see how he handles it.”

The projected 10-horse Oaklawn Mile field from the rail out:

1. Runnin' Ray, Martin Garcia to ride, 124 pounds, 8-1 on the morning line;
2. Mo Mosa, Ramon Vazquez, 124, 20-1;
3. Market Analysis, Luis Contreras, 124, 12-1;
4. Cezanne, Flavien Prat, 124, 5-2;
5. Roadster, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 5-1;
6. Silver Prospector, Jose Lezcano, 117, 8-1;
7. Dark Vader, Ricardo Santana Jr., 119, 12-1;
8. Fulsome, Florent Geroux, 124, 4-1;
9. Necker Island, Mitchell Murrill, 124, 6-1; and
10. Law Professor, John Velazquez, 124, 8-1.

Like Cezanne, the Oaklawn Mile will be the first start outside California for Law Professor. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Law Professor won the off-the-turf $200,000 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes (G2) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, was second to Express Train in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 5 at Santa Anita and fifth in the $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1) at 1 mile on the turf March 5 at Santa Anita in his last start.

Express Train returned to capture the $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) at 1 ¼ miles March 5. McCarthy sent champion Ce Ce to win Oaklawn's $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares March 12 and finished second, beaten a nose, in last year's Oaklawn Mile with Rushie.

“Bringing back a horse who I certainly think fits,” McCarthy said. “Race in the off-the-turf Mathis Brothers Mile was very good. Certainly, no shame to run second to Express Train in the San Pasqual that day. Wish we were drawn a little bit farther inside, instead of being stuck out there in the middle of the racetrack. But John Velazquez worked him the other day and was very pleased. I hope we get a nice setup and good position going into the first turn and turn up the backside and go from there.”

Roadster won the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (G1) in 2019 for Baffert, but is now with trainer Michael Stidham. Roadster will be making his first start since finishing fourth in the $100,000 Polynesian Stakes at 1 mile Sept. 18 at Laurel.

Fulsome will be making his 4-year-old debut for two-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Fulsome won the $300,000 Oaklawn Stakes at 1 1/8 miles last May, then added victories in the $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) May 29 at Churchill Downs and the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) Aug. 24 at Parx.

“Doing great,” Cox said. “Likes Oaklawn. Hopefully, gets a good setup. Might be a little bit sharper off the layoff than usual, but we're hopeful that he'll relax and come with a run and he can get there.”

Silver Prospector won the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles in 2020 at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Mo Mosa won the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) May 31 at Lone Star for trainer Mike Maker.

Necker Island is a major stakes winner for 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman. Market Analysis has recorded two powerful allowance/optional claiming victories at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Runnin' Ray makes his stakes debut for trainer Joe Sharp after a front-running allowance victory Feb. 19 in his last start. Runnin' Ray covered 1 mile in a meet-best 1:37.05.

The Carousel is headed by multiple Grade 2 winner Frank's Rockette for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and breeder/owner Frank Fletcher of North Little Rock

The 8-5 program favorite, Frank's Rockette won the $150,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters last year at Oaklawn before finishing second in the Carousel in her next start. A victory Saturday would make Frank's Rockette, a 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, a millionaire.

Probable post time for the Carousel, which goes as the fifth race, is 2:19 p.m.

The post Cezanne The Early Favorite In First Graded Oaklawn Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple graded stakes-winner Mind Control will kick off his 6-year-old campaign in the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on the April 9 Wood Memorial Day card, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Carter, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, is the first Grade 1 of 2022 on the NYRA circuit. The stakes-laden day is headlined by the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Bolstering the Wood Memorial Day card are a trio of Grade 3 races, including the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Distaff Handicap at seven furlongs for older fillies and mares. Also featured on the Saturday card is the $100,000 Danger's Hour at one-mile on turf for 4-year-olds and up

By Stay Thirsty, Mind Control has not raced since recording a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the Parx Dirt Mile in September, where he made his first two-turn start in nearly three years and defeated Grade 1-winner Silver State.

Mind Control has never finished worse than second in six starts at the Big A, including graded stakes victories in the G3 Bay Shore in April 2019, the G3 Toboggan and G3 Tom Fool the following year. The bay millionaire made his seasonal debut in last year's Carter as well, finishing a distant second for trainer Gregg Sacco. Transferred to Todd Pletcher after a close seventh in the next-out G1 Churchill Downs Handicap, he made his debut for the Hall of Fame trainer a winning one when besting Firenze Fire by a head in the G2 John A. Nerud in July at Belmont.

A Grade 1 winner at two and three in Saratoga Race Course's Hopeful and H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, Mind Control will be in pursuit of another prestigious win. He appears to be in excellent shape heading into the Carter, having worked a trio of weekly bullets dating back to March 12.

“He's had a really nice series of breezes at Palm Beach Downs for Todd,” said Red Oak Stable racing manager Rick Sacco. “He shipped up to New York on Sunday in good shape. It would be great for him to win a Grade 1 at 6-years-old. You always question how fit they are off the layoff, but he's doing really well and we're all looking forward to bringing him back and running him. He definitely will put in a good account for himself.”

Although Mind Control proved his two-turn capabilities with his last out score in the Parx Dirt Mile, his 2022 campaign will be clearer based off his Carter result.

“We're playing it off the race,” Sacco said. “He was awesome going the mile, but we'll see where this takes us. He's really thrived over the winter.”

Mind Control is out of the Lightnin N Thunder mare Feel That Fire, who also produced multiple stakes-placed 2022 Kentucky Oaks aspirant Goddess of Fire.

The sophomore Mineshaft filly has been entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in pursuit of more Kentucky Oaks points. She is currently ninth on the leader board with 22 points, which she earned when third in the G2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs in September and second last time out in the G2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19.

“She thrived once we got her down to Florida,” Sacco said. “She ran an exceptional race going seven-eighths at Tampa, it came back a 12 on the sheets. One more jump and she probably wins. We pointed for the Fair Grounds going two turns and it's a long stretch down there so she might have hit the lead too early. So she's shipped around but she's handled it all well. She's really thriving and couldn't be doing any better. More importantly, her weight has been excellent. Fillies can tail off a bit, but she's been doing super. She's put weight on from each race, she's bright-eyed and her coat looks great.”

When asked how similar Mind Control and Goddess of Fire are, Sacco said: “They have running on their minds. Both are very competitive and very smart.”

Green Light Go fires bullet for G1 Carter Handicap

Stronach Stables homebred Green Light Go resumed serious preparations for his next engagement, breezing a bullet five furlongs Wednesday over the Belmont training track in 59.22 seconds – the fastest of 18 works at the distance.

The Jimmy Jerkens-trained Hard Spun bay is targeting next Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets going seven furlongs at Aqueduct. Unbeaten in two starts during his 5-year-old season, he captured the one-turn mile Stymie on Feb. 26 after a nine-length optional-claiming romp on Jan. 13 at the same track and distance.

“He went very well,” Jerkens said of the breeze. “The track wasn't especially fast, but he did it well within himself. We're ready to take a shot.”

Green Light Go boasts a consistent 13-5-3-1 record, which includes a graded stakes win at two in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in August 2019.

Wednesday's drill followed another bullet work on March 20, where Green Light Go went a half-mile in 46.42 seconds.

“He's run about as often as they do nowadays,” Jerkens said. “We space his works out as he puts a lot into his training. He works a little less often but with more substance. With a long time in between starts, you have to ask them in the mornings so they can go over there and be fit enough.”

Drafted works sharp half-mile in final prep for G1 Carter Handicap

Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hillbert and Thomas E. O'Keefe's Drafted breezed a half-mile in 47.80 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Thursday morning in his final preparation for the Grade 1 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“All went well and it was his final work before the race. He went good and came back good,” said trainer David Duggan. “We're ready to roll the dice.”

An 8-year-old son of Field Commission, Drafted ran the bulk of his career for trainer Doug Watson at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, winning the 2019 G3 Mahaab Al Shimaal by a neck.

Drafted was transferred to Duggan's barn in November 2020 and finished fifth in the G3 Fall Highweight at the Big A in his first start for his new conditioner. He picked up two stakes placings with back-to-back third-place efforts in the Gravesend, including this year's edition won by Chateau.

The Florida-bred was a last-out winner of the seven-furlong G3 Toboggan at the Big A on Feb. 5, closing from off-the-pace under Jose Ortiz to earn his first state-side victory since a 2016 debut maiden win at Keeneland sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs.

“I couldn't give you a straight answer on what made the difference for him,” Duggan said. “I could give you ten different reasons and little things. I think he's just starting to round into form.”

Duggan said that the Carter distance of seven furlongs suits the grey gelding.

“The seven-eighths is probably a good distance for him because they go fast enough in front,” said Duggan. “Going three-quarters, he was always a little bit pace dependent and never quite getting there. Whether it was a weak field last time or not it's hard to know, but he got his confidence and if there's a time to take a chance, it's now. If it doesn't work, we'll dust ourselves off and return to the real world.”

The Toboggan was the third graded stakes win for Duggan, who conditioned Porte Bonheur to two graded victories in 2008 and 2009. Drafted will be his first starter to contest a Grade 1.

“You don't get many opportunities to run horses in Grade 1s, so we relish the challenge and hopefully are up to it,” said Duggan. “We've prepared him quite well, he's healthy and happy, and we're ready to roll.”

The post Mind Control, Green Light Go, Drafted All Targeting Grade 1 Carter On April 9 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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