Month: July 2022

Keepmeinmind, owned by Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm, returned from an 11-month layoff Friday to capture a nine-furlong allowance race at Saratoga. He registered a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for the comeback win, which was his debut for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

The 4-year-old Laoban bay, who prior to that finished fourth in the 2021 Runhappy Travers (G1) last August, earned his second career victory in a dozen lifetime starts when making a five-wide rallying bid in upper stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths under Joel Rosario.

Keepmeinmind finished third in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) behind champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie, and one start later captured the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) that November at Churchill Downs as a maiden.

Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey said the comeback victory could propel Keepmeinmind to the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 3 at the Spa.

“He took some time to get squared away and get right,” said Toffey. “Todd has been patient with him and got him squared away, so hopefully he's going to reward us now. Our goal has always been to get him to the stud barn and I think he's now poised to run the kind of races that can get him there. The spacing of the Jockey Club Gold Cup makes some sense, but we'll let the horse dictate and put a lot of faith in Todd to make the call.”

Toffey said Keepmeinmind's pedigree and appearance made him appealing as a potential stallion prospect.

“He's just a big, beautiful horse. Laoban was a horse who was really up-and-coming at the time, so when you can get a son who looks like he is poised to be a classic horse, that made all the sense in the world to us,” he said. “It hasn't quite worked out the way we liked, but hopefully it works out this year. The talent is there. It's a matter of getting the right trip, racing luck, and getting him right on the big days. We just need things to fall together. He's a good horse and he's right there.”

Pletcher said that Keepmeinmind had trained forwardly into his 2022 debut, including a sharp five-furlong breeze in 1:00.15 on July 16.

“We were hoping we had done enough with him to have him ready,” Pletcher said. “He indicated in his breeze the other day that he was as ready as he could be. He had a little traffic to contend with, but once he got in the clear he finished up well and galloped out really well. He certainly trains like a horse and has run some races that indicates he's a horse that's capable to win a big one.”

Previously conditioned by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind was winless as a 3-year-old, but still had a productive summer when a close second to Essential Quality in the Jim Dandy (G2) last July at Saratoga on the heels of a close third in the Ohio Derby (G3) at JACK Thistledown. He was a respective seventh and fourth in last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1).

The post “He Took Some Time To Get Squared Away And Get Right’: Keepmeinmind’s Friday Comeback Victory Could Propel Him To Jockey Club Gold Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Wesley Ward is set to unleash another promising juvenile filly in Rarify, a half sister to 2015 champion sprinter and Claiborne Farm stallion Runhappy in Saratoga's sixth race Sunday, a six-furlong maiden special weight on the main track.

Rarify, from the first crop of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify out of the Broken Vow mare Bella Jolie, was purchased for $750,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from Gainesway, agent for breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. She is owned by the Coolmore associates Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith along with Westerberg (Georg von Opel) and Jonathan Poulin.

Ward, who has a penchant for training sprint stars on both dirt and turf, said Rarify has the potential to stretch out.

“She's meant to go further,” Ward said. “She has a really good mind to her as well. She's a very kind and sweet filly. She's like a Labrador. She doesn't get too nervous or rattled.”

Rarify has trained consistently at Keeneland, most recently working five furlongs in 1:03 flat on July 14. She also posted three half-mile works from the gate earlier this summer, completing all of them in :48.20.

“What really impresses me the most about her is her stride. All of her breezes have been perfect,” Ward said.

Rarify will leave post 7 in the eight-horse field under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“I think the post is perfect,” Ward said. “She's on the outside but she's got one just to her outside, so she doesn't duck out. I had Irad jog her yesterday morning to get him familiar with her. Perfect post, great rider, we're ready to go.”

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will saddle Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Kaling [post 4, Flavien Prat] for her career debut.

The dark bay or brown daughter of Practical Joke, out of the Indian Charlie mare Proud Indian, comes from the same family as 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly.  She worked five-eighths in 1:01.64 on July 17 over the Saratoga main track, which came one week after a bullet half-mile gate breeze in 48.02 over Big Sandy.

“I like the way she trained at Belmont. She came up here with a good breeze,” Pletcher said. “She looked sharp from the gate, so hopefully she does that on Sunday.”

Kaling was bought for $220,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by breeders' John R. Penn and Frank Penn's consignment.

Willis Horton Racing's homebred Take Charge Briana will make her debut for Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. The daughter of Curlin is out of the unraced War Front mare Take Charge Tressa, a half-sister to 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi, who also was trained by Lukas. All are direct descendants of Grade 1-winning millionaire and 2014 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady.

Take Charge Briana breaks from post 5 under Tyler Gaffalione.

The post Ward To Send Out Runhappy Half Sister Rarify For Maiden Bow At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones' graded-stakes placed Ethereal Road breezed a half-mile from the gate in :49.72 Saturday on the Oklahoma training track in company with unraced 2-year-old Track Mate.

NYRA clockers caught Ethereal Road through fractions of :26 flat and out five-furlongs in 1:02.80.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Ethereal Road, a sophomore son of Quality Road, remains under consideration for either the $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2), a nine-furlong test for sophomores on July 30 or the restricted $135,000 Curlin Stakes also at nine furlongs on July 29.

Lukas said he was pleased with Saturday's effort which followed an abbreviated breeze last Friday when Ethereal Road bolted to the outside rail through the turn and was pulled up.

“We worked him out of the gate just to sharpen him up a little bit and find out where we're at,” Lukas said. “I was trying to get a little better reading on him. His effort was very good today. He went in :49 and change and he actually could have been better than that. I worked him with a 2-year-old colt and he kind of waited. It was a good work.”

Ethereal Road finished a close second to Un Ojo in the Rebel (G2) in February at Oaklawn ahead of two starts at Keeneland, finishing seventh in the Blue Grass (G1) on April 9 and fourth in the Lexington (G3) one week later.

He became a part of Kentucky Derby (G1) lore as the horse that scratched from the “Run for the Roses” allowing 80-1 upset winner Rich Strike to make the field.

Ethereal Road rallied to an emphatic 4 3/4-length score in the Sir Barton on May 21 at Pimlico and came back one month later to finish a sixth in the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown.

“It was a step in the right direction,” said Lukas of Saturday's breeze. “I'm going to wait and see how he is over the next day or so and maybe try the Jim Dandy. The Curlin is another option.”

Track Mate, a Calumet Farm homebred colt, is by Union Rags out of the A.P. Indy mare Teammate. The mare is a half sibling to multiple graded stakes winners War Front, who is a prominent Central Kentucky sire standing at Claiborne Farm in Paris, and Ecclesiastic.

The post Lukas Sharpens Ethereal Road ‘A Little Bit’ With Gate Work, Jim Dandy Or Curlin Stakes Possible appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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