June, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Walkathon Passes First Stakes Test In Regret, Provides Leparoux Milestone Victory At Churchill

Walkathon won her third consecutive race and first graded stakes Saturday when capturing the $200,000 Regret (G3) in her stakes debut at Churchill Downs.

Longshot Lola Flo sprinted out to lead early while Walkathon stalked from second, about 1 ½ lengths back, through fractions of :24.19 and :48.46 through a half mile.

Beside Herself chased from third with 4-5 favorite McKulick rating just behind. After six furlongs 1:12.91, Walkathon dispatched Lola Flo at the quarter pole and set sail for home with comfortable advantage under Julien Leparoux.

Walkathon widened her lead to three lengths with a furlong to run but McKulick was full of run and gaining ground. The winner was too good, however, and crossed the finish line 1 ¼ lengths to the good of McKulick, who was 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Beside Herself.

Time for 1 1/8 miles on firm turf was 1:49.26.

Walkathon returned $7.20.

Trained by Ian Wilkes for owner-breeder Whitham Thoroughbreds, Walkathon improved to 3-2-0 from seven career starts and boosted her lifetime bankroll to $290,341.

With her victory, Walkathon provided jockey Julien Leparoux his 1,000^th Churchill Downs victory, a milestone shared by only four other riders.

“It feels great and I'm glad to get it done today for Ian,” Leparoux said. “I've ridden for him for about 15 years now and it's special to be able to get this milestone with him. I can't really pick a moment that stands out above the others for the 1,000 wins, but I'm very thankful for everyone who's gotten me this far.”

Leparoux joined Pat Day (2,482 Churchill Downs wins), Calvin Borel (1,232), Robby Albarado (1,192), and Corey Lanerie (1,169) in a select group of jockeys to reach the 1,000-win milestone at Churchill Downs.

Walkathon was Leparoux's 2,872nd career win. His more than 16,000 lifetime mounts have amassed more than $182 million.

Walkathon broke her maiden by two lengths in late April at Keeneland in her first turf try. She returned May 14 at Churchill where she bested 10 rivals by 1 ¼ lengths in a first-level allowance event and kept her momentum going Saturday.

A daughter of Twirling Candy, she was produced by the Stroll mare Walkabout.

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A Modern Phenomenon At Chantilly

While only Sea the Stars (Ire) has been able to win a 2000 Guineas and Derby in the same year since Nashwan did it in 1989, there have been four colts able to carry their superior miling speed over the 10 1/2-furlong trip of the new “French Derby” at Chantilly and complete the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-G1 Prix du Jockey Club double. While the purists rave on without end about the fact that the initiative to shave the distance from a mile and a half means that the Qatar-sponsored Classic is “no longer a Derby”, France has itself a unique brace of contests which appeals as diverse and individualistic. Few would argue that Shamardal would have stayed 12 furlongs well enough to win the old version and nor would his son Lope de Vega (Ire), or Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) or St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). So the dramatic move to break tradition in 2005 has undeniably achieved what it set out to do and the latest to attempt the double on Sunday is Godolphin's Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Rain, Rain, Stay Away

Charlie Appleby's season goes from strength-to-strength and Modern Games has already played a key role with his May 15 Poulains victory providing the middle part of an unprecedented European 2000 Guineas treble for Godolphin. Strong at the mile at ParisLongshamp, as he had been at Del Mar, he is bred to get this trip but if the ground turns testing it may stretch the elastic too far. “Modern Games heads back to France in great order. He is the horse in the field with the Classic credentials behind him and we are looking forward to seeing him over this distance, which we feel is within his compass,” his trainer said. “We are slightly on weather watch with the rain, but hopefully they don't get too much. It would obviously be a negative if it became soft, because he prefers a quicker surface and it would start to bring stamina into play.”

The Rising Star Contingent

Heading the opposition to Modern Games are the TDN Rising Stars Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Lassaut (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), with the former sporting Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois's silks and the latter representing Riviera Equine SARL and Haras d'Etreham. Onesto emerged as a force to be reckoned with when dominating the G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud May 8 and while he has a horror draw, he is one who can be switched off and produced late. Lassaut, who beat the Poulains third Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}) over a mile here Mar. 9 before taking a conditions event at ParisLongchamp Apr. 21, was an eye-catching fifth behind Modern Games in the Classic and is bred to come into his own over this longer trip.

Three More For Rouget

Alongside Lassaut, Jean-Claude Rouget also saddles a pair of Al Shaqab colourbearers in the Apr. 17 G3 Prix de Fontainebleau winner Welwal (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}) and May 3 Listed Prix de Suresnes winner Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who suffered reverse fortunes when the draw was redone on Thursday. Welwal, who was sixth in the Poulains, lacks the obvious stamina leaning in his pedigree that Al Hakeem enjoys so a revised low draw will have helped his cause. Rouget's other major player is The Aga Khan's impressive May 10 G3 Prix de Guiche scorer Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), who has the advantage of stall two but needs a strong pace to run at.

The Supporting Cast

Sunday's undercard boasts the signature G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, where Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani's progressive May 12 G3 Prix d'Hedouville scorer Mutabahi (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) meets last year's G1 Prix Ganay hero Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}); the G2 Prix de Sandringham with Lael Stable's G1 Criterium International third Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) taking centre stage; the G3 Prix de Royaumont playing host to Ecurie Ama Zingteam's May 15 Listed Prix de la Seine winner Hidden Dimples (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene featuring the unexposed Joseph O'Brien-trained Listed Sole Power Sprint S.-winning 3-year-old filly Brostaigh (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}); and the Listed Prix la Fleche for the juveniles in which Vicious Harry (Fr) looks to provide Harry Angel (Ire) with a first black-type winner.

Click here for the group fields.

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Top Contenders Put in Final Belmont Breezes

Several major contenders for next week's $1.5-million GI Belmont S. completed their final serious preparations Saturday morning. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher seeks his fourth Belmont trophy, and sent out his pair of representatives, GII Wood Memorial S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks runner-up Nest (Curlin), to an in-company half in :49.90 (68/129) over the Belmont training track. Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Jose Ortiz, respectively, piloted the pair, who Pletcher caught breaking off in :24.80 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 and seven furlongs in 1:27.20.

“I thought it was good. I liked the way they finished and galloped out,” Pletcher said. “Those horses seem to be in good form. This was more of a maintenance work. They had a strong work last week with a big, long gallop out. This week we wanted just a maintenance type of work, which they were able to execute properly.”

Mo Donegal exits a fast-finishing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7, while GI Central Bank Ashland S. heroine Nest will look to become Pletcher's second filly to win this race, following in the hoofsteps of 2010 heroine Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy).

Also appearing on the Belmont tab was WinStar Farm, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution), who covered a solo half-mile on the main track in :47.59 (9/66, out in 1:00.40). Two-for-two at Oaklawn to kick off his career, the $230,000 FTFMAR acquisition bounced back from a seventh-place run in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 2 to air by 10 1/4 lengths in the local GIII Peter Pan S. May 14.

“It was a little fast,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “The track with the moisture in it will carry you. He couldn't have done it any easier. He was just galloping. He repeated what we've been seeing the whole time here. It looked like he really enjoyed it to me. We've got to have a good week now.”

Belmont longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), fifth in the GI Preakness S. May 21, breezed a five-eighths over Big Sandy in 1:02.41 (13/17).

“We're coming back in three weeks, so we weren't looking for much. We wanted a steady, long and easy breeze and that's what we got,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said.

GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) put in a strong two-mile gallop Saturday.

“He was great,” said conditioner Eric Reed. “The rider said he was moving good and liked it. When he came down the stretch, I was loving the way he was moving today. He can get into his stride and not get distracted here. We went two miles today and tomorrow we'll probably back it up a little bit.”

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Godolphin Unveils Bernardini Filly At Belmont

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-BEL, $90K, MSW, 3yo/up, f, 6f, 2:32 p.m.

Godolphin takes the wraps off 3-year-old filly AMARETTI (Bernardini) Sunday. The homebred is out of the Smart Strike mare Caramel Snap, herself a half-sister to MGISW and Darley stallion Frosted (Tapit) and from the family that produced MGISW Midshipman (Unbridled's Song) and MGISP Solomini (Curlin). Amaretti is a half-sister to GII Lexus Raven Run S. winner Caramel Swirl (Union Rags). She's been working over the Belmont training track, going five furlongs from the gate in a bullet 1:00 2/5 (1/11) May 14 and three furlongs in :36 3/5 (2/5) May 28. Jockey Jose Ortiz picks up the ride for trainer Bill Mott.

Just to her outside is Quotabelle (Distorted Humor), a $325,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase campaigned by StarLadies Racing, Mathis Stable and Glen Hill Farm. She is out of a daughter of two-time champion and Hall of Famer Ashado (Saint Ballado), who earned over $3.9 million. TJCIS PPs

10th-CD, $120K, MSW, 3yo/up, 7f, 5:26 p.m.

Also flying the royal Godolphin blue is first-time starter CONCERTED (Hard Spun), who hails from the Brad Cox barn A half-brother to MGSW Shared Sense (Street Sense), he is out of a half-sister to a pair of graded stakes performers in Penwith (Bernardini), who took the GII Royal Delta S., and Centring (A.P. Indy), third in both the GI Personal Ensign S. and the GI Beldame Invitational S. Concerted boasts a speedy worktab at Keeneland, including a pair of bullets May 17 and May 23. He most recently went four furlongs at that oval in :48 4/5 (3/24) May 30. TJCIS PPs

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