Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival on Saturday at Belmont Park and other major developments during the weekend:
Month: July 2022
‘Good Horses Run On Anything And This Is A Warrior’: Classic Causeway Will Try To Add To First Turf Success In Next Month’s Saratoga Derby
Trainer Ken McPeek has garnered plenty of knowledge and experience since starting his first runner in 1985. He's known for his fearlessness when taking a gamble with his horses, like when he sent out Sarava to a shocking 70-1 victory in the 2002 Belmont Stakes(G1) for the dark bay's first try against graded company, and more recently, scored a Preakness (G1) victory with upset filly Swiss Skydiver in 2020.
His longshot Golden Ticket won the 2012 Travers (G1) in a dead heat with Alpha at odds of 33-1, and Harvey Wallbanger took the 2019 Holy Bull (G2) as a 29-1 stunner.
McPeek came ready to upset another top-level event when he entered Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper's multiple graded stakes winner Classic Causeway in Saturday's 10-furlong Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) along with 5-1 chance Tiz the Bomb, who finished ninth.
It appeared on paper to be a tall order for Classic Causeway, who arrived off two week's rest to make his turf debut in a Grade 1 and at his fifth different racetrack this year.
While McPeek was fully confident in the son of Giant's Causeway's ability over grass, the public was not, sending him to post at odds of 26-1 in a field loaded with established turf quality from 11 rivals, including five European shippers.
There was a question of whether Classic Causeway's dirt speed would transfer to turf, and he answered with a front-running score under Julien Leparoux to confirm what McPeek said was “just instinct” about his talents over turf.
“I always thought the pace of turf races would suit him because he gets a chance to relax and breathe a little bit,” said McPeek. “For me, it wasn't a big surprise because he was doing so well and we took a couple test drives with him over the turf at the Saratoga training track and was confident he would like it. We're certainly thrilled with the win. It feels good.”
Along with some good showings in the morning over the grass, McPeek said Classic Causeway appeared physically like a horse who would appreciate turf.
“Having been around the horse for a couple months now and knowing his mindset and his foot—He has a big turf foot on him—you've got to take chances like that to learn something,” said McPeek. “I was fortunate that the ownership gave me carte blanche on him. They said, 'Do what you think is right.' I said, 'If it was my horse, I'd try him on the grass.' This could be a world-traveler on the turf and the sky's the limit with him. A mile and a half he might even be better.”
Classic Causeway flashed his talents earlier this year with a pair of graded wins at Tampa Bay Downs for former trainer Brian Lynch, taking the Sam F. Davis (G3) in March ahead of 2 1/2-length score in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). The two victories earned him enough points to enter the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 7, where he finished 11th in his first start for McPeek.
He returned with a pace-pressing third in the Ohio Derby (G3) on June 25 at JACK Thistledown just two weeks before his Belmont Derby triumph.
“Good horses run on anything, and this is a warrior this horse,” said McPeek. “He's tough and loves to run. He's a little one-dimensional in the fact that he wants to go early, but if you give him a chance to relax a little bit, he's going to fight you off.”
Classic Causeway has added to his late sire's sublime legacy, providing Giant's Causeway with another Grade 1 winner as one of three foals from his final crop born in 2019. McPeek said Giant's Causeway's greatness cannot be overstated.
“A fantastic stallion. I happened to be around him when he was racing and I knew that he was a good turf and dirt horse,” McPeek said. “He had natural speed, and his legacy is solid.”
The Belmont Derby was the first leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series, and Classic Causeway will now look to build upon his first turf success with a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 6, the second leg of the series, which concludes with the Grade 3, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby at the Belmont fall meet.
“Saratoga Derby is a no-brainer next stop. He's heading back to Saratoga tonight or tomorrow and we'll give him some works up there. I'm sure they'll respect him a little more this time around,” said McPeek, with a laugh.
The post ‘Good Horses Run On Anything And This Is A Warrior’: Classic Causeway Will Try To Add To First Turf Success In Next Month’s Saratoga Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Pletcher Sets Sights On Jockey Club Gold Cup With Suburban Victor Dynamic One
After three placings at the graded stakes level, Repole Stables, Phipps Stables, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One made the grade with a gutsy performance in the Suburban Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Belmont Park, winning a dramatic duel to the wire with graded stakes winner First Captain to capture the 10-furlong test for older horses.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Dynamic One trailed in last of five behind pacesetter and stablemate Untreated, who marked fractions of :24.90 for the first quarter-mile and :49.39 for the half mile.
Irad Ortiz Jr. got to work aboard Dynamic One as they entered the turn, rousing him to a narrow lead at the top of the lane and setting him down for the drive to the finish with a retreating Untreated on the rail and looming foe First Captain in between. Dynamic One continued to find more and prevailed by a nose in a final time of 2:01.26. The effort garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest awarded in the four stakes on Saturday's Stars and Stripes Racing Festival Card.
“I was hoping it would be a 100,” said Pletcher, with a laugh. “He just keeps getting better and better and it's what we were hoping was going to happen.”
With stablemates Life Is Good and Americanrevolution eyeing the $1 million Whitney (G1) on August 6 at Saratoga, Pletcher said
Dynamic One will likely target Saratoga's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 3, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland. The top-four finishers of the Suburban will have their nomination, entry and starting fees waived for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which will see a purse increase to $1.25 million should a Grade/Group 1 winner start in the 1 1/4-mile test.
“He's doing excellent,” said Pletcher. “We're leaning towards sticking to our original plan and going to the Jockey Club.”
Dynamic One showed improvement in each of his starts this year, finishing third in Tampa Bay Downs' Challenger (G3) in March ahead of a runner-up effort in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and subsequently a one-length win in the Blame on June 4 at Churchill Downs. The son of Union Rags put together a sophomore campaign that saw him finish second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to his first stakes victory in the restricted Curlin at Saratoga.
Pletcher added that he is still unsure whether Suburban third-place finisher Untreated will stretch out or cut back in his next outing.
“He came back good. We don't have a game plan for him yet, but we'll figure it out,” said Pletcher. “I think he's versatile enough that he could go either direction.”
The post Pletcher Sets Sights On Jockey Club Gold Cup With Suburban Victor Dynamic One appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Jacob Pritchard Webb Completes 140 Mile Hand Cycling Charity Challenge
Jacob Pritchard Webb's charity ride has reached the finish post, but the donations keep coming in since the conclusion of the three-day event Saturday afternoon which began July 7 at Cheltenham. The 25-year-old former jockey, paralysed after a fall at Auteuil in June of 2020, was riding in support of both the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Matt Hampson Foundation with the current figure sitting at around £13,000 by the time he crossed the line at Newmarket.
“I'm slightly overwhelmed to be honest. The support and donations have been amazing, and everyone who's got involved have just been fantastic,” said Pritchard Webb when speaking at the finish line. “Without those people, I just wouldn't have got up that hill on that first day – AP literally took his shoes off and pushed me up! We were not going to be defeated. There are too many people to thank, but I owe so much gratitude to my mum and dad for doing it with me.”
The post Jacob Pritchard Webb Completes 140 Mile Hand Cycling Charity Challenge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
