Month: May 2022

Whisper Hill Farm's $100,000 Kitten's Joy (G3) winner Grand Sonata headlines a field of 11 3-year-old turf specialists in Saturday's $200,000 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Audubon Stakes, run over the Matt Winn Turf Course, was carded as Race 11 of 11 with a post time of 5:58 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

The Audubon Stakes will share the Saturday spotlight with the $200,000 Arlington (G3), $200,000 Regret (G3), $200,000 Blame (Listed), $200,000 Shawnee (Listed), and $200,000 Aristides (Listed).

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Grand Sonata recorded his first graded stakes score in the Feb. 5 Kitten's Joy at Gulfstream Park. The son of Medaglia d'Oro finished a game second behind Sy Dog in last month's $400,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Grand Sonata will be ridden again by Tyler Gaffalione and will break from post No. 2.

Other top entrants in the Audubon include Peter Brant's impressive maiden winner James Jones and the turf debut of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's 2021 Iroquois (G3) winner Major General.

The complete Audubon field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Spin Wheel (Edgar Morales, Rusty Arnold II)
2. Grand Sonata (Gaffalione, Pletcher)
3. Tallahatchiebridge (Florent Geroux, Saffie Joseph Jr.)
4. Play Action Pass (Corey Lanerie, Robert Medina)
5. Kitodan (Gerardo Corrales, Eric Foster)
6. Red Run (Julien Leparoux, Steve Asmussen)
7. Smokin' T (John Velazquez, Shug McGaughey II)
8. Summer Anthem (Javier Castellano, Mike Maker)
9. James Jones (Ricardo Santana Jr., Chad Brown)
10. Speaking Scout (Luis Saez, Graham Motion)
11. Major General (Brian Hernandez Jr., Pletcher)

Wagering is available for the Audubon Stakes and every race from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

The post Grand Sonata Tops Field Of 11 Turf Specialists For Saturday’s Audubon appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stonestreet Stable's $750,000 La Troienne (Grade 1) heroine Pauline's Pearl tops a compact field of six fillies and mares entered in Saturday's $200,000 Shawnee Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Shawnee Stakes, the local prep for the July 2, $350,000 Fleur de Lis (G2), will go as Race 7 of 11 with a post time of 3:50 p.m.

The Shawnee Stakes will share the Saturday spotlight with the $200,000 Arlington (G3), $200,000 Regret (G3), $200,000 Blame (Listed), $200,000 Aristides (Listed), and $200,000 Audubon.

The classy 4-year-old filly Pauline's Pearl held off 2021 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil by a half-length in the La Troienne. The five-time winner, campaigned by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, started her campaign this year with a 3 ¾-length win in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) and was narrowly defeated by Ce Ce in the $350,000 Azeri (G2). Pauline's Pearl has been ridden by Joel Rosario for all three starts in 2022 but will be ridden Saturday by Luis Saez from post No. 5.

Here's the field for the Shawnee from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Temper Time (Ricardo Santana Jr., Dale Romans)
2. She's All Wolfe (Francisco Arrieta, Donnie K. Von Hemel)
3. Ava's Grace (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro)
4. Army Wife (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker)
5. Pauline's Pearl (Saez, Asmussen)
6. Crazy Beautiful (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)

Wagering is available for the Shawnee Stakes and every race from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

The post Grade 1 Winner Pauline’s Pearl Looms Large In Shawnee Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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CHC Inc and WinStar Farm's 2021 Cigar Mile (Grade 1) winner Americanrevolution is poised to make his 4-year-old debut against Grandview Stable, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' $300,000 Ben Ali (Grade 3) winner Scalding in Saturday's $200,000 Blame (Listed) at Churchill Downs, the local prep for the $750,000 Stephen Foster (G2).

Saturday's 11-race stakes bonanza from Churchill Downs will get underway at 12:45 p.m. The Blame will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m.

The Blame Stakes will share the Saturday spotlight with the $200,000 Arlington (G3), $200,000 Regret (G3), $200,000 Aristides (Listed), $200,000 Shawnee (Listed), and $200,000 Audubon.

Americanrevolution, trained by Todd Pletcher, was originally probable for the $200,000 Commentator at Belmont but the race did not fill. The chestnut son of Constitution finished a half-length better than Following Sea in the Dec. 4 Cigar at Aqueduct. Previously, New York-bred Americanrevolution demolished state-bred competition in the $300,000 Empire Classic by 11 ¾ lengths. Americanrevolution will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post No. 8

Scalding, trained by Shug McGaughey III, will ride a four-race win streak into the Blame after winning the Ben Ali by 1 ¼ lengths over Dynamic One and Proxy. The 4-year-old colt by Nyquist broke his maiden on Jan. 5 and has been nothing short of brilliant since. McGaughey sent Scalding to Tampa in February where he dusted a first-level allowance field by 5 ¼ lengths as the 3-5 favorite and recorded his first stakes victory by a neck over top older horse Cody's Wish in the $100,000 Challenger Stakes. Veteran rider Javier Castellano, who has ridden Scalding in all of his previous six starts, will have the call from post No. 6.

The Blame field also features Charles Fipke's graded stakes winner Title Ready; Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Ben Ali runner-up Dynamic One; and Godolphin's three-time winner Proxy.

Here's the complete field for the Blame from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Proxy (Luis Saez, Mike Stidham)
2. Super Stock (Corey Lanerie, Steve Asmussen)
3. Title Ready (John Velazquez, Dallas Stewart)
4. Militarist (Rafael Bejarano, Carlo Vaccarezza)
5. Dynamic One (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher)
6. Scalding (Castellano, McGaughey)
7. Santos Dumont (Mitchell Murrill, Chris Hartman)
8. Americanrevolution (Geroux, Pletcher).

Wagering is available for the Blame Stakes and every race from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

The post Cigar Mile Winner Americanrevolution Will Make 2022 Debut In Saturday’s Blame Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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