August, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bevy of ’21 KY Downs Stakes Winners Expected to Return

Courtesy Kentucky Downs

Ten–and possibly 11–of the 16 horses that won stakes at Kentucky Downs last year are scheduled to return for the upcoming meet, which runs seven days between Sept. 1-14.

Trainer Mike Stidham said both 2021 GIII Ladies Turf winner Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) and GIII WinStar Mint Million victor Pixelate (City Zip) will shoot for repeat stakes triumphs at the all-turf FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. The $1-million GIII Mint Million S. is Sept. 3 and the $750,000 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf is Sept. 10, which features five graded stakes.

“Kentucky Downs has always been on our schedule as long as the horses are doing well,” Stidham said. “We know they run well over that track, and that's a lot of money to turn down taking a shot at. Kentucky Downs is a meet we always look at hard, the money is so good. We target trying to run as many as we can there.”

Owned by Susan and John Moore, Princess Grace most recently was second by a half-length in the GI Beverly D. S. at Churchill Downs won by Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}). Princess Grace edged that mare by the same margin in last year's $750,000 Ladies Turf at a mile. Stidham said he's hoping Dalika also shows back up at Kentucky Downs, given the provision that the purse jumps to $1 million for registered Kentucky-breds if a Grade I winner runs in the race. (The base purse increases from $300,000 to $550,000 for non-Kentucky-breds such as the German-born Dalika.)

“We're rooting for her to come,” Stidham said, adding, “Princess Grace ran a great race in the Beverly D. like she generally does when things set up properly. She took the lead inside the eighth pole. It looked like we were going to be the winner, and Al Stall's mare came back on the inside. Not taking anything away from Dalika, but our filly had never been a mile and an eighth. It looked to me like the mile and an eighth is what got her more than the competition got her. And the distance was probably the difference-maker at Kentucky Downs.”

Stall confirmed that the tentative plan is in fact to run Dalika at Kentucky Downs.

Pixelate, owned by 2021 Kentucky Downs leading owner Godolphin, was third in Laurel's Prince George's County S. on July 16 in his only start of 2022. He won last year's $1-million Mint Million by 2 1/2 lengths over Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown).

“We got the one race off the layoff; he ran really well,” Stidham said. “We're hoping that race sets him up for a really big effort in his second start of the year. ”

Trainer Brad Cox also plans to bring back both of his 2021 Kentucky Downs stakes winners: Adventuring (Pioneerof the Nile) and Turnerloose (Nyquist).

Adventuring, also owned by Godolphin, won the $500,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks and is being pointed for the $550,000 AGS Ladies Marathon, which was elevated to Grade III status for 2022. In her only start as a 4-year-old, Adventuring won Mountaineer's West Virginia Senate President's Cup on Aug. 6. Cox said he isn't yet sure which race Turnerloose will go in. Turnerloose won last year's $500,000 Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash. She was second by a half-length in Ellis Park's Centennial Distaff Mile against older fillies in her last start.

Other 2021 stakes-winners coming back include:

Stall said that In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper), who like Dalika is owned by Louisvillian Paul Varga's Bal Mar Equine, will shoot for back-to-back wins in the $600,000 GIII The Mint Ladies Sprint, most recently having finished fourth in Saratoga's restricted De La Rose at a mile.
Koala Princess (More Than Ready), winner of last year's $500,000 Ainsworth Stakes, was scratched out of Saturday's $200,000 GII Lake Placid S. at Saratoga to run in the $500,000 Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City for 3-year-old fillies Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs, trainer Arnaud Delacour said in a text.
Tobys Heart (Jack Milton), last year's Music City winner, is targeting the Sept. 10 Ladies Sprint after finishing third in Ellis Park's 5 1/2-furlong Laguna Distaff Turf Sprint. Trainer Brian Lynch said he believes Kentucky Downs' 6 1/2-furlong distance will better suit the 4-year-old filly.
Trainer Paulo Lobo said the Brazilian-bred In Love (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) could go in either the Mint Million or the stakes he won in 2021: the $400,000 FanDuel Tapit S. restricted to horses that have not won a stakes this year. In Love used last year's Tapit as a springboard to taking Keeneland's GI Keeneland Turf Mile (now the Coolmore Turf Mile) in his next start. Lobo and owner Bonne Chance Farm also won last year's $1-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup with Imperador (Arg) (Treasure Beach {GB}), but that horse has been retired to stud in his native Argentina.
Family Way (Uncle Mo), winner of the 2021 Ladies Marathon, will attempt the repeat in that 1 5/16-mile race after finishing third in the Beverly D., trainer Brendan Walsh said.
Hendy Woods (Uncle Mo), winner of Kentucky Downs' restricted $400,000 One Dreamer last year, is targeting the Ladies Turf, said David Carroll, who runs Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's Churchill Downs division.

An 11th stakes winner from last year is being pointed to the upcoming meet but faces a tight schedule. Trainer Pavel Matejka hopes to make a race to be determined with Accredit (Flatter), who paid $75 to win last year's $750,000 Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby. Accredit hasn't run since and has three timed workouts at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington. However, Matejka also has a private half-mile turf training gallop that goes uphill and downhill, which could boost Accredit's fitness.

“We are hopeful that we can make it there,” Matejka said in a text. “He has been training very well and is pretty close being ready.”

Among other past Kentucky Downs stakes winners expected back: Donegal Racing's $3-million earner Arklow (Arch) will shoot for a record third victory in the $1-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup, whose winner gets a fees-paid berth in the $4-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 5. It will be Arklow's fifth appearance at Kentucky Downs, having finished second last year by a neck and in 2019 to go with victories in 2020 and 2018.

Totally Boss (Street Boss), the 2019 FanDuel Turf Sprint winner for trainer Rusty Arnold, is on course for that $1-million Grade II race in his return from a year's retirement. Totally Boss finished fourth by 3/4 of a length in Ellis Park's Twin Spires Turf Sprint in the second start of his comeback.

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‘It’s Just Unfortunate Timing’: Charge It To Miss Travers With Foot Abscess

Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It has been ruled out of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) Saturday with an abscess on his right front foot.

Initially scheduled to have his final breeze for the Travers this weekend, Charge It was out for a Sunday morning gallop.

“He galloped super, but you could tell jogging back he was a little bit tender on it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's one of those things where if we didn't need to breeze again, we might be able to get it healed up before the race, but needing to get another work into him, it's just unfortunate timing.”

Pletcher said Charge It, a son of Tapit who last time out won the Dwyer (G2) by 23 lengths July 2 and finished second in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) this spring, could target the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on September 24 at Parx.

“That's our next possible target, but the foot is going to dictate when he's going to be ready to breeze again,” Pletcher said.

The post ‘It’s Just Unfortunate Timing’: Charge It To Miss Travers With Foot Abscess appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Canadian Fan Favorite Pink Lloyd Settling Into Retirement At LongRun

It seemed strange to this Woodbine visitor to tour the backstretch ahead of the Aug. 20 Queen's Plate and not finish off the morning with a peek at Pink Lloyd on the training track. I'd only been here once before, but the beloved chestnut was a fixture who would appear toward the end of training hours like clockwork, doing his work with the oval as empty as possible, with trainer Robert Tiller looking on. Many on the backstretch could probably set their watches by him.

Pink Lloyd became a fan favorite, running 38 races with 29 wins in a career that spanned six racing seasons. He took his final bow with a win in the Group 2 Kennedy Road on Nov. 27, 2021, and relocated to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society a few days later.

Now, more than nine months later, his caretakers say he might have finally figured out that he's retired.

Because racing in Ontario is seasonal, Pink Lloyd and many others take a break in winter and early spring, so LongRun handler Tania Veenstra says that at first, she thinks the great gelding believed his time at the facility was just his same old vacation with different scenery.

“In March, he was like 'Isn't it time to train again?'” she remembered. “He was a bit more antsy. But now I think he has worked through that and is in a great routine. I think now he spends his day in the paddock and the racetrack isn't in his mind.”

“Pink” or “Pinky” as he's sometimes known, shares a paddock with Riker, fellow Sovereign Award winner who retired last summer. When Pinky first arrived, the staff at LongRun wondered what the best turnout arrangement would be for their resident super star, who had not been turned out with another horse in quite some time. Riker turned out to be the perfect fit.

“He's a little sassy,” said Veenstra of Riker. “That's why he was such a great racehorse.

“They're equals. They play stallion together but can be grazing beside each other and be the best of friends.”

And he doesn't seem to mind being upstaged by his best buddy.

Riker with Vicki Pappas, board chairperson and founding member of LongRun. Natalie Voss Photo

“Riker is confident in his own self,” said Veenstra. “He doesn't think he's second fiddle. He knows who he is.”

A big part of their chemistry is the class both top achievers exude. Veenstra said graded stakes horses like Pinky and Riker – and LongRun has seen quite a few of them – are just different. They carry themselves with authority, and seem to know they're special. Riker doesn't mind the attention Pinky gets, and they both enjoy a quick gallop and a few hops after morning turnout. They're also both fans of the game I call 'Bitey Face,' where each tries to grab the cheekpiece on the other's halter, snaking their necks and hopping back and forth, often to the detriment of their clothing. Indeed, Pinky's distinguished nameplate is bent from Riker's mischief-making, but he doesn't seem to mind.

COVID-19 has limited the farm's ability to welcome visitors as they may have done in a more normal year, but Pinky has been a draw for fans anyway. All the residents at LongRun are familiar with carrots, and despite getting more than his share of them, Pinky takes them daintily from outstretched palms.

He also gets regular visits from people he knows. Tiller comes to see him, and his former groom, Michelle Gibson, comes by often with his favorite snack – McIntosh apples.

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“I think he recognizes her when she comes,” Veenstra said. “It's really cool to see him recognize the people who cared for him.”

Pinky's days now are filled with contemplative gazes out his stall window as he observes the antics of the barn cats. He goes outside with full fly gear, as he has demonstrated a sensitivity to the insects. He has no aversion to mud, and enjoys a good roll whenever he gets the chance.

He spends nights inside, and if he's lucky he will come inside to a little pile of carrots and apples arranged by Veenstra on his nighttime hay.

After the thrills he brought Canadian racing fans, he deserves to live the good life – and so he is.

The post Canadian Fan Favorite Pink Lloyd Settling Into Retirement At LongRun appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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O’Brien-Trained Blackbeard Captures Prix Morny, Secures Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Berth

Irish-bred Blackbeard showed his class to win the Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds Sunday at Deauville in France.

The half-length victory secured Blackbeard a guaranteed start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Keeneland through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Blackbeard, who is owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg, scored his first Group 1 success in the Prix Morny.

Settled on the inside rail under jockey Ryan Moore, Blackbeard was prominent throughout the race before knuckling down in the closing stages to hold off Persian Force for the narrow win. Aidan O'Brien's other runner in the race, The Antarctic, finished 1½ lengths behind in third.

A bay son of No Nay Never out of the Born To Sea mare Muirin, bred by Newstead Breeding, Blackbeard completed the about six-furlong trip in 1:09:91 over a turf course listed as good.

Blackbeard improved his record to five wins from seven starts, which includes a victory in the Darley Prix Robert Papin (G2) July 17 at Chantilly in his previous start. Blackbeard also becomes the second horse to gain a “Win and You're In” berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint this year, joining Norfolk Stakes (G2) winner The Ridler, who finished last of the five runners in the Prix Morny.

“We're very happy with him,” said O'Brien, celebrating his Prix Morny win. “He always feels like he has a little bit more, but he [Ryan] was delighted with him. He's a proper fast, early, mature 2-year-old; he jumps and takes loads of racing.”

Both the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at about seven furlongs at Longchamp, a “Win And You're In” for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and the six-furlong Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket are now under consideration for Blackbeard.

“Blackbeard's obviously very speed orientated, he might get further but he has a lot of speed,” O'Brien said. “He would have the option to come back [to France] for the Group 1 [Lagardere] or the Middle Park, so I think all those races are options for him.”

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on November 4-5.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Blackbeard to start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, which will be run at 5 ½ furlongs. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 24 to receive the rewards.

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