Month: June 2022

Graded stakes winners Emmanuel and Annapolis breezed a half-mile in company in 48.04 seconds Friday over the inner turf in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational on July 9 at Belmont Park.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with the work for both horses, who were making their first breeze back from starts in graded stakes.

“It was a good work. They went in 48 and change, finished up nicely and galloped out well. I was happy with it,” Pletcher said.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Emmanuel captured the nine-furlong Grade 2 Pennine Ridge last out on June 4 at Belmont in his first start on grass, besting Napoleonic War by one length with Limited Liability a further length back in third.

The top-three finishers of the Pennine Ridge earned an automatic invite to the 10-furlong Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, the first leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series for sophomores.

The Turf Triple continues with the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational on Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course, and concludes with the $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational in September at Belmont.

Emmanuel, a three-time winning sophomore son of More Than Ready, was previously third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April at Keeneland.

Bass Stables homebred Annapolis was defeated for the first time last out while making his seasonal debut over soft going in the Grade 3 Penn Mile on June 3 at Penn National, finishing second to 83-1 upset winner Wow Whata Summer. The son of War Front had won his two previous starts last year, including the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont.

“I thought he ran well. Unfortunately, we caught a lot of rain, and it was an extremely heavy track,” Pletcher said. “It was tough to do that off that layoff, I thought he gave us a good effort. He just couldn't accelerate that last part with the boggy ground.”

Pletcher captured two editions of the Belmont Derby when it was run as the Jamaica, winning with Take the Points [2009] and Finality [2002]. He expressed a sense of optimism in Emmanuel getting the Belmont Derby's 1 1/4-mile distance.

“We were encouraged with the way he handled the mile and eighth, the way he finished and how he's handled the turf,” Pletcher said. “With the way he breezed this morning, all indicators are that he's in good form.”

Bred in Kentucky by Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Emmanuel is out of the unraced Hard Spun mare Hard Cloth, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning multi-millionaire Hawkbill and North American graded stakes winner Free Drop Billy. Emmanuel was purchased for $350,000 out of Gainesway's consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Annapolis is out of My Miss Sophia, a graded stakes winner and dual-surface-winning daughter of Unbridled's Song who captured the 2014 Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct. Annapolis is a full-brother to stakes-placed Nevisian Sunrise.
Pletcher said he plans on running Shahama, who finished sixth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose on June 25 at Belmont. The Munnings bay was unbeaten in four starts in the United Arab Emirates, where she raced for former conditioner Fawzi Nass and captured the Group 3 UAE Oaks in February at Meydan Racecourse.

Pletcher will pursue a seventh Mother Goose triumph, having won with Jersey Girl [1998], Octave [2007], Devil May Care [2010], Buster's Ready [2011], Off the Tracks [2016] and Zaajel [2021].

“We zeroed in on the Mother Goose after the Kentucky Oaks and we felt like the mile and a sixteenth suited her a little better than the one-mile Acorn. I'm happy with the way she's doing,” Pletcher said.

Shahama, owned by KHK Racing, is out of the Belong to Me mare Private Feeling, making her a half-sister to dual champion and champion producer Lookin At Lucky.

Probable starters for the Mother Goose are Favor [Pletcher], Gerrymander [Chad Brown], Juju's Map [Brad Cox], Midnight Stroll [John Terranova] and Venti Valentine [Jorge Abreu]. Both Nostalgic [Bill Mott] and Radio Days [Shug McGaughey] are listed as possible.

The post Pletcher Pointing Emmanuel, Annapolis To Belmont Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Roger Attfield thought he'd found a nice, cushy spot to fulfill a request by owner Charles Fipke to add a graded stakes win on the dirt to the already-impressive accomplishments of turf specialist Shirl's Speight.

Little did he know he would be hooking up with two other Grade 1 winners in Saturday's Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park, one of four stakes races on TVG.com Haskell Stakes Preview Day.

“It came up pretty tough for a Grade 3, didn't it?” said the legendary Canadian conditioner. “It will be a tremendous dirt test for him.”

Shirl's Speight, who won the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile on the grass at Keeneland on April 15, then was fourth in Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 7, has five wins from 10 career starts. Four of those victories have come on the grass, the other over the synthetic.

In his only dirt race to date, the 5-year-old son of Speightstown-Perfect Shirl by Perfect Soul, was a well-beaten fifth. That was in an optional $62,000 claimer at Gulfstream on Jan. 10, 2021.

“The owner is very keen on him winning a stakes race on the dirt with his pedigree,” said Attfield, a member of both the Canadian and U.S. Racing Halls of Fame. “There wasn't much in June and I thought the race at Monmouth Park would be a nice place to see if he can do that.

“The race just came up a bit tougher than I thought. But he's a special horse.”

The seven-horse field for the Salvator Mile includes Mind Control and Hot Rod Charlie, both Grade 1 winners on the dirt. Hot Rod Charlie has shipped in from California for trainer Doug O'Neill to launch the start of a campaign that has the Breeders' Cup Classic as the ultimate goal.

It was in last year's TVG.com Haskell Stakes that Hot Rod Charlie was able to grind out a nose victory over Mandaloun, only to be placed last for interference with Midnight Bourbon, causing that one to clip heels.

Hot Rod Charlie is coming off a second place finish in the Dubai World Cup on March 26.

The Salvator Mile field also features Grade 2 winner Helium and Grade 3 winner Phat Man.

“I'm very keen to see how Shirl's Speight does against these horses on the dirt,” said Attfield. “I know how well he goes over the dirt when he works. I'm not sure how the track at Monmouth Park will play. I haven't been there for years. But it looks like the weather will cooperate so there are not going to be any excuses. We're going to get a true picture of how he stacks up on the dirt for future reference.”

Attfield arrived in New Jersey from his Toronto base on Friday. He is bringing in Emma Jayne Wilson, one of the top riders at Woodbine, for the race.

The 14-race card will also feature the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth for 3-year-olds, the local prep race for the July 23 TVG.com Haskell Stakes; the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the grass for fillies and mares, 3 and up, and the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf for 3 year olds and up.

The post Grade 1 Winner On Turf, Shirl’s Speight Ready For ‘Tremendous Dirt Test’ In Salvator Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post