After losing one candidate for the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes, it did not take trainer Todd Pletcher long to find another.
Month: July 2022
Going, Going, Gone: Former Classic Starter Charge It Eye-Popping Winner Of Dwyer Stakes
Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It made amends for his last out 17th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby (G1) by posting an authoritative 23-length victory in the $250,000 Dwyer (G3) Saturday at Belmont Park.
The eye-opening triumph in the one-mile test for 3-year-olds came just minutes after Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm notched a graded stakes victory with 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil in the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Breaking from post 1 as the 3-5 favorite, Charge It maintained his inside position in the early stages behind pacesetter Fluid Situation through an opening quarter-mile in :22.47 over the fast main track. Further down the backstretch, John Velazquez angled Charge It to the outside of Fluid Situation and came under steady urging as the half-mile was marked in :44.92.
Charge It took control around the far turn and expanded on his advantage throughout the stretch drive, stopping the clock in 1:34.67. Runninsonofagun secured place honors 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Fluid Situation. Unbridled Bomber, No Sabe Nada and Nabokov completed the order of finish.
The Dwyer was a first graded stakes win for Charge It, who was a game second in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park en route to the Kentucky Derby (G1). He was a gate-to-wire 8 1/2-length winner at first asking in a one-turn mile Gulfstream maiden special weight in February.
Velazquez, who piloted Charge It for the first time, said getting an outside position into the turn was key.
“He felt great. I tried to do what was best for him and tried to get a position that I thought he was going to do it,” said the Hall of Fame rider. “I had to take the position [approaching the turn] because I knew the horse on the lead wasn't going to stay there forever. I didn't want him to put me behind horses that aren't going to last. So, I got into position and then it was easy.”
The victory topped a four-win day for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who captured the John A. Nerud (G2) with Life Is Good and unveiled maiden winner Capensis, a $2 million yearling sale purchase, in a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test. He closed out the card with a turf allowance win by Jerry the Nipper.
Pletcher said he was hoping for a prominent trip for Charge It.
“We drew the one-hole again and needed to come away and establish some position,” Pletcher said. “We felt like that's where we would be and he would work his way into the clear, and it was pretty much game over from there.”
Following the Kentucky Derby, Charge It underwent a minor surgical procedure for a displaced palate, something Pletcher said made a big difference.
“We always had a lot of confidence in this horse's ability,” Pletcher said. “We tried to correct the problem from the Derby [displaced palate], which we think we successfully did. Today, we saw the talent level that we'd been seeing from him.”
Pletcher indicated that Charge It will now target a summer campaign at Saratoga Race Course with potential starts in the $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2) on July 30 and the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) on August 27.
He used the same route with 2003 Dwyer winner Strong Hope, who defeated 2003 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker in that year's Jim Dandy ahead of a third-place finish to Ten Most Wanted in the Travers.
“We were hoping for a good performance today that would put us in the position to look at the Jim Dandy or the Travers or both,” said Pletcher, who also won the 2007 Dwyer with Any Given Saturday. “It was a powerful effort today, so we're back on track to where we thought we were at Florida Derby time.”
Returning $3.20 for a $2 win wager, Charge It banked $137,500 in victory, which brought his lifetime earnings up to $367,900. His record stands at 5-2-2-0.
Hailing from the prominent maternal bloodlines of 2013 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, a half sister to Grade 1-winners Take Charge Indy and As Time Goes By, as well as 2013 Travers winner and champion 3-year-old male Will Take Charge. The influential family also includes Grade 1-winner Omaha Beach and 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi.
The post Going, Going, Gone: Former Classic Starter Charge It Eye-Popping Winner Of Dwyer Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Ce Ce Romps in Princess Rooney Title Defense
Champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) successfully defended her title in Gulfstream's GII Princess Rooney S. Saturday and stamped her ticket to Keeneland in November to attempt another title defense in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S.
Heavily favored at 2-5 as the pure class of the field, Ce Ce broke alertly, but was content to track from a two-wide third as Make Mischief (Into Mischief) clicked off an opening quarter in :23.01 and half in :45.46. Charging up two wide to take control exiting the bend, the chestnut sailed clear effortlessly to win as she pleased by 6 1/2 lengths. Spirit Wind (Bahamian Squall) completed the exacta and Make Mischief held third.
“I got kind of lucky the outside horse cleared us and I just stocked the leaders. I didn't want to stay too far back today. I wanted to be close to the pace,” jockey Victor Espinoza said. “I didn't want them to sneak away from me, but at the three-eighths I asked her to go and she went on.”
“I told Victor to just bounce on out of there. I wasn't sure what the filly outside of us was going to do. When she ended up catching a flyer out of there, Victor was content to just let her go and sit outside the speed,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “She did what I expected her to do. Obviously, it's never convenient when you ship all the way across the country, but it's a racetrack that she's fond of. The spacing of the race was great.”
Winner of the GI Apple Blossom H. back in 2020, Ce Ce followed last summer's Rooney win with a third in the GI Ballerina H. at Saratoga and a decisive score in the GIII Chillingsworth S. at Santa Anita in October. She was 6-1 when taking the Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint next out, clinching the Eclipse for top female sprinter. Kicking off this term with a second in the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita Feb. 5, the chestnut beat next-out GI La Troienne S. one-two Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) and Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil)–who came back to win Saturday's GII Fleur de Lis S.–in the GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Mar. 12. Ce Ce was third in this year's Apple Blossom Apr. 23 prior to this race.
Pedigree Notes:
Ce Ce is a half to MGSW & GISP sire Papa Clem (Smart Strike) and SP Magical Victory (Victory Gallop). She is also a full to SP Stradella Road. A daughter of MGISW Magical Maiden (Lord Avie), the winner's dam Miss Houdini's most recent foal is a 3-year-old colt named Native Thunder (American Pharoah). She was bred in all three years since, but failed to get in foal.
Saturday, Gulfstream
PRINCESS ROONEY INVITATIONAL S.-GII, $300,000, Gulfstream, 7-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.20, ft.
1–CE CE, 124, m, 6, by Elusive Quality
1st Dam: Miss Houdini (GISW, $187,600), by Belong to Me
2nd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
3rd Dam: Gils Magic, by Magesterial
O/B-Bo Hirsch LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Victor
Espinoza. $174,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 20-10-2-4,
$2,277,100. *1/2 to Papa Clem (Smart Strike), MGSW & GISP,
$1,121,190. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Spirit Wind, 116, f, 3, Bahamian Squall–Sacred Psalm, by
Awesome of Course. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Jacks or
Better Farm Inc. (FL); T-Ralph E. Nicks. $58,000.
3–Make Mischief, 120, f, 4, Into Mischief–Speightful Lady, by
Speightstown. ($285,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-Gary Barber;
B-Avanti Stable (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $29,000.
Margins: 6HF, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 6.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: Corey, Glass Ceiling, Allworthy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG..
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Life Is Good Wins John Nerud Impressively in Stateside Return
If there was any concern that a trip to the Middle East and a fourth-place finish at 1 1/4 miles would have a negative impact on the brilliant Life Is Good, it was washed away in a shade under one minute and 22 seconds.
