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Month: April 2022
Chess Chief Named Virginia’s 2021 Horse Of The Year
The annual Virginia Breeder's Awards program has been scheduled at Great Meadow Friday May 6 — the evening before the Virginia Gold Cup Races — in a return to more of a “normal times” format for the first time since 2019.
The event will take place in a trackside tent on Member's Hill overlooking the deep stretch and finish line areas where steeplechase horses are set to compete the next afternoon. A list of awards to be presented that night follows.
Horse of the Year honors go to Chess Chief, who was also recognized as Virginia-Bred Older Horse Champion based on two stakes wins and $446,290 in earnings. The Dallas Stewart trainee struck early and late in the year, connecting at Fair Grounds twice in the Grade 2 New Orleans Stakes March 20 and in the Tenacious Stakes Dec. 26. Bred by Morgan's Ford Farm, the 6-year-old Into Mischief horse heads into spring with $865,338 in winnings overall.
Honors for Virginia-Bred Turf Horse Champion go to Passion Play who was a perfect two-for-two in 2021. Both wins came in Virginia-Bred stakes at Colonial Downs — the Bert Allen in July and the Edward P. Evans in September. Jockey Horacio Karamanos delivered both wins for trainer Mary Eppler. The 5-year-old Hold Me Back gelding was bred by Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III and bankrolled $120,000 from the pair.
Boldor, with three wins in 2021, was named Virginia-Bred Sprint Champion. The 6-year-old Munnings gelding captured a trio of stakes — -the Punch Line at Colonial, King Cotton at Oaklawn and Sam's Town at Delta. The Steve Asmussen trainee, who won $217,675 last year, was bred by Carlos S.E. Moore and Jill Gordon-Moore.
Urban Fairytale, courtesy of five “in the money” finishes from six starts and $102,418 in earnings, was named Virginia-Bred Older Filly Champion. The 5-year-old Distorted Humor mare made her presence felt in New Kent, winning the Brookmeade Stakes as betting favorite then finishing third in the Nellie Mae Cox Stakes. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Urban Fairytale was bred by Audley Farm Equine.
Repo Rocks, who made 12 of his 13 starts in New York last year, secured Virginia-Bred 3-Year-Old Colt Champion honors with nine “top three” finishes from that group. The son of Tapiture won a $90,000 maiden special weight at Belmont June 21 then had back-to-back allowance wins at Aqueduct in fall. Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, Repo Rocks accumulated $198,246 from the “baker's dozen” outings.
Oviatt Class, a west coast competitor who was named Virginia-Bred 2-Year-Old Colt Champion, captured a maiden special weight August 27 at Del Mar, then went on to compete in a pair of Grade 1s — the American Pharoah at Santa Anita where he finished third and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile where he was fifth. The Keith Desormeaux trainee was ridden by brother Kent in all five starts. The Bernadini colt was bred by Godolphin and Morgan's Ford Farm.
Sparkle Sprinkle, who kicked off her racing career with back-to-back wins, was named Virginia-Bred 2-Year-Old Filly Champion. The daughter of Holy Boss led nearly every step of the way in a Timonium maiden score Aug. 28 and in a Laurel allowance three weeks later. She prevailed by 3 1/2 and 6 1/4 lengths respectively. The John Robb conditioned filly was bred by Nancy Rizer and Eric Rizer.
Mr. Buff, whose career bankroll is $1.4 million, continued to flourish as a 7-year-old and as a result, was named Virginia-Sired Champion. The 2019 Horse of the Year was bred to Friend or Foe — who stands at Robin Mellen's Smallwood Farm in Crozet — by Chester and Mary Broman. Mr. Buff had a pair of stakes scores last year in the Jazil and Stymie, both held at Aqueduct, and a third in the G3 Westchester Stakes which was held at Belmont. For the year, Mr. Buff added $162,750 to his already stout resume.
Lobsta, with a trio of 2021 wins at Aqueduct, earned Virginia-Certified Colt Champion honors. The now 4-year-old son of Emcee captured a maiden special weight and an allowance optional claimer early then capped off his sophomore campaign with a victory in the $150,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes. Owned by Eddie F's Racing and trained by Gary Sciacca, Lobsta had six top three finishes last year, good for $218,600 in earnings.
Virginia-Certified filly Street Lute came on the scene in September 2020 with a flourish, winning seven of her first eight races. The final two in that streak came at Laurel in 2021 and were stakes scores in the Xtra Heat and Wide Country. Later in the year, the Street Magician filly captured the Stormy Blues Stakes at Pimlico and the Tax Free Shopping Distaff Stakes at Delaware. That four-pack, along with a trio of thirds, enabled her to receive Virginia-Certified Filly Champion recognition.
Extravagant Kid, who retired from racing earlier this year at the age of nine, bankrolled $751,923 in 2021 from five runner-up stakes finishes and a Group 1 win in the Al Quoz Sprint. The Kiss The Kid gelding will be recognized as Virginia-Owned Champion given those impressive credentials. The Brendan Walsh trainee is owned by Virginia businessman David Ross who races under the stable name DARRS, Inc. Upon retirement, Extravagant Kid's winnings total stood at $1,704,683.
Virginia-Bred Over Fences Champion honors went to 6-year-old Paynter gelding, Vincent Van Gogo. The Neil Morris trainee had a three-race win streak last year that included a pair at Colonial — one on the flat and one over jumps. The first in that streak came in a Tryon hurdle which he won by a neck, followed by New Kent triumphs at tight margins of one-half length and a neck. Owned by the Flying Elvis Stable, Vincent Van Gogo was bred by Jim & Katie Fitzgerald.
Susan Cooney was named Top Virginia Trainer, while Morgan's Ford Farm was named Top Virginia Breeder. Cooney's horses earned $622,309, firing at a 9 percent win and 36 percent “in-the-money” percentage clip. Her four wins at Colonial last year were with Pauping, Shelly Island, Skylark and Elementary. Horses bred by Morgan's Ford Farm earned $1,240,346 in purse monies and of course their Chess Chief led the way with $446,290.
The post Chess Chief Named Virginia’s 2021 Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Big ‘Cap Winner Idol, Full Brother To Oaks Contender Nest, Ready To Launch Comeback In Oaklawn Handicap
Southern California-based Idol has been idle for most of the last year, but the Grade 1 winner is scheduled to launch another comeback in Saturday's $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
Trained by Richard Baltas, Idol was a candidate for last year's Oaklawn Handicap after winning the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March 2021 at Santa Anita. But Idol has run just once since the Santa Anita Handicap, finishing a well-beaten sixth in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 2 at Santa Anita.
“If you look at the horse, he's a big horse, a tall horse,” Baltas said Tuesday afternoon. “Covers a lot of ground. On those deeper tracks like Santa Anita, he just kind of struggled getting through them and he had some hind-end stuff going on, like muscle.”
Baltas said Idol appears to have shaken his physical issues and has trained forwardly this year at San Luis Rey Downs in Southern California for his 2022 debut. Idol was based at Santa Anita in the winter and spring of 2021.
“He's been doing good lately, though,” Baltas said.
Baltas has a small string at Oaklawn and said he considered several other races for Idol's comeback, including the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Keeneland, $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 30 at Santa Anita and the $500,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles May 6 at Churchill Downs.
“He's a funny horse,” Baltas said. “He seems to run better on tighter tracks, like Churchill. Even though he won the Santa Anita Handicap, I'm not so sure he likes Santa Anita because he doesn't train well over it and that's one of the main reasons why I sent him to San Luis Rey Downs. He hasn't missed a beat for a while. Look, it's a lot to chew off – off a layoff – but I don't think this race is like extremely tough, not for a million bucks.”
Idol, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen, Baltas' longtime client, has a 3-2-1 record from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $416,964. Idol made his first three career starts in 2020 at Churchill Downs and set a 1 3/16 mile track record (1:55.97) in an allowance race at its fall meet before moving to Southern California.
A 5-year-old son of Curlin, Idol is a full brother to Nest, a leading candidate for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies May 6 at Churchill Downs.
The projected eight-horse Oaklawn Handicap field from the rail out: Beau Luminarie, Florent Geroux to ride, 117 pounds, 12-1 on the morning line; Thomas Shelby, David Cohen, 117, 8-1; Last Samurai, Jon Court, 117, 8-1; Idol, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 6-1; Rated R Superstar, Ricardo Santana Jr., 120, 5-1; Plainsman, Joel Rosario, 121, 5-2; Super Stock, Isaac Castillo, 118, 10-1; and Fearless, Jose Ortiz, 121, 9-5.
Probable post time for the Oaklawn Handicap, which goes at the 11th of 12 races, is 5:41 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.
The post Big ‘Cap Winner Idol, Full Brother To Oaks Contender Nest, Ready To Launch Comeback In Oaklawn Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Fausto Gutierrez Hopes To ‘Make Much Better Decisions This Year’ With Champion Letruska
Letruska spent roughly two months at Oaklawn during the 2021 meeting. While her 2022 stay will be much shorter, the goal remains the same – win Saturday's $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
Now an Eclipse Award winner, Letruska got her first feel of the Oaklawn surface this year by jogging two laps the wrong way and schooling in the gate after the first renovation break Thursday morning under jockey Geovanni Franco. The track was rated muddy.
Letruska, who arrived Wednesday, is trying to become just the fourth horse to win multiple runnings of the Apple Blossom, following Hall of Famers Paseana (1992, 1993), Azeri (2002, 2003, 2004) and Zenyatta (2008 and 2010).
Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska recorded her breakout victory nationally in last April's Apple Blossom when she edged two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl by a nose. Letruska rode that momentum to three more Grade 1 victories and an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older dirt female. Her more calculated 2022 racing schedule resumes Saturday.
“The idea is to go back to the Breeders' Cup, especially now that it's on this side of the country,” Gutierrez said after watching Letruska train Thursday morning. “We have more chances to check what mistakes we had last year and make much better decisions this year. The idea is to run here in the Apple Blossom and maybe three or four more races and try to win the Breeders' Cup. But we need to go step-by-step and now the most important race is the Apple Blossom.”
Letruska was based this winter and early spring in south Florida, where she opened her 6-year-old campaign with a front-running three-length victory in the $150,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 at Gulfstream Park. Letruska was racing for the first time since finishing a leg-weary 10th in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
Letruska's only other loss in a rugged eight-race cross-country 2021 campaign was a runner-up finish in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn's final major prep for the Apple Blossom. Letruska arrived about 10 days before the Azeri (March 13) and was still on the grounds roughly a week after her April 17 victory in the Apple Blossom.
Gutierrez said Letruska will return to her Keeneland base – she breezed five furlongs there April 15 – “one or two days” after the Apple Blossom. The 2022 Breeders' Cup is at Keeneland.
Letruska schooled in the paddock Thursday morning after training and Gutierrez said he plans to jog the champion two laps the wrong way again Friday morning.
“I don't want to gallop her again before the race because she's very explosive,” Gutierrez said.
A daughter of Super Saver, Letruska has an 18-1-1 record from 24 lifetime starts and earnings of $2,348,529.
The projected five-horse Apple Blossom field from the rail out: Maracuja, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 119 pounds; 6-1 on the morning line; Letruska, Jose Ortiz, 124, 7-5; Clairiere, Joel Rosario, 121, 5-2; Miss Imperial, Tiago Pereira, 115, 12-1; and Ce Ce, Victor Espinoza, 121, 2-1.
Champion Ce Ce (2021 female sprinter) also trained Thursday morning after arriving Wednesday from Southern California. Ce Ce won the 2020 Apple Blossom.
Probable post time for the Apple Blossom, which goes as the fifth of 12 races, is 2:18 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.
The post Fausto Gutierrez Hopes To ‘Make Much Better Decisions This Year’ With Champion Letruska appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
