The road to the 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic makes one final stop at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, Sept. 3, as some of the best male dirt horses in training will square off in the $1.25 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Month: August 2022
Edgeway Outbattles Slammed To Win Rancho Bernardo At Del Mar
The classy mare Edgeway tied her running shoes tight Sunday at Del Mar, and it was a good thing she did. The extra-fast New Mexico filly Slammed put her to the test, going head and head with her older rival through the last five-sixteenths of a mile in the six and one-half furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap. In the end, though, Edgeway edged clear late and prevailed by a half length under a strong ride by Juan Hernandez.
It was the second straight victory in the Rancho Bernardo for the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by the Super Saver stallion Competitive Edge. She'd won the 2021 running of the Grade 3 stakes by a full length for her connections, Hronis Racing.
Slammed, who races for the partnership of Fincher Racing, King or Kirby, and was handled by Drayden Van Dyke, had 7 1/2 lengths on 5th Street Stables, Saldana or Urbina's Cover Version.
Edgeway picked up a check for $90,000 from the $150,000 purse to increase her career earnings to $753,860 for her eighth win in her 13th start.
Final time for the dash was 1:15.97.
Edgeway returned $3.80, $2.10 and $2.10. Slammed paid $2.10 and $2.10 and Cover Version returned $3.40 to show. Edgeway and Slammed both had gone off at 9-10 on the board, but the winner was a slight favorite by approximately $3,000.
The victory was one of three on the day for Hernandez, who now has 39 wins through the first 23 days of the session. In the jockey standings, he is 16 winners ahead of the second-place rider, Umberto Rispoli.
Racing will return to Del Mar Thursday, Sept. 1. There will be a 1 p.m. PT post that day, which will be the norm for all September dates for the balance of the meet. The exception to that rule will be the two remaining Fridays in the session when first post is 3 p.m.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Edgeway, winner) — “She is a really good filly, really professional. She was standing really good, and when (the gates) opened she broke really sharp. The other filly battled with me and was trying to come back at me again, but my filly is a big strong filly and she knows where the wire is. She looked for the wire and in the last 1/16th she picked it up. I was working a little bit harder but she responded to me.”
JOHN SADLER (Edgeway, winner) – “It was a good win for her. It wasn't easy, she gutted it out; it was a really good horse race and we're happy. We had a lot of seconds and thirds this week so I was a little grumpy face, but with horse races it's a new day every day. She's one that needs spacing. She won't run again now until the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.”
FRACTIONS: :22.05 :44.85 1:09.24 1:15.97
The stakes win was the ninth of the meet for rider Hernandez, but his first in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 24 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Sadler, but his seventh in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 84 stake wins at Del Mar, second most among all trainers.
The winning owners are Kosta and Pete Hronis of Delano, CA.
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Tyler’s Tribe Blitzes Prairie Meadows Freshman by Double-Digit Lengths, Connections Eye Breeders’ Cup
Iowa-bred star Tyler's Tribe once again demonstrated his prowess at Prairie Meadows, dominating three overmatched opponents in a 15 ½-length trouncing Saturday eveing in the $100, 000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes. Now, his connections have their eye on the Breeders' Cup.
The precocious 2-year-old gelding, by Sharp Azteca, owned by Prairie Meadows Hall of Famer Tom Lepic and trainer Tim Martin, is perfect in four career starts, including two other of double-digit margin wins.
Guided by regular rider Kylee Jordan, Tyler's Tribe broke sharp and quickly put the outcome out of question in the matter of a few powerful strides, leading at every point of call while extending his command throughout.
Tyler's Tribe finished the six furlongs in 1:09.83 on a fast track.
Runtoday was second, 13 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Echo Canyon.
“I'd like to run him in that 5 1/2 sprint race (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint [G1] November 4 at Keeneland),” Martin told bloodhorse.com. “He's a pretty fast horse. I don't know if he'll like the turf, I've seen some Sharp Aztecas that went on the turf, one or two. So that's what we're hoping for.”
Martin told the publication he sent in his application for the World Championships Saturday,
Tyler's Tribe returned $2.10.
The dark bay or brown gelding debuted against Iowa-bred maidens on June 20, breaking from the outside post position at 4 ½ furlongs, grabbing an early lead, and going on to win by 16 lengths.
On July 9, the gelding stretched out to 5 ½ furlongs, faced open company for the first time, and again led every step of the way as he won the $122,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile by over eight lengths.
In his previous start, Tyler's Tribe scored a third straight wire-to-wire tally on July 30 as he won the Iowa Stallion Futurity by a dozen lengths.
“He makes it look easy,” Martin said after that race. “He's behaved like a professional since the first day he came to the barn. It looks like the sky's the limit!”
Tyler's Tribe also puts an emotional back story in the spotlight as the gelding is named after Lepic's grandson, who is battling childhood leukemia.
The Lepic family and friends have had a large contingent representing “Tyler's Tribe” in the winner's circle after each of the gelding's victories.
“Tyler has been such a trooper throughout his illness,” Lepic said before Saturday's race. “We wanted to give him some fun and excitement this summer and we couldn't have asked for anything better.”
“You never know how these young horses are going to turn out,” Lepic added. “But I told Tyler I really thought we'd found 'a racehorse' for him and, so far, so good.”
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‘She’s Not That Big, But She’s Got A lot Of Heart’: Hot Peppers To Try For Second Graded Stakes Win In Prioress
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will hope to see the talented Hot Peppers pick up her second graded score Friday in the $250,000 Prioress (G2) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track at Saratoga Race Course.
Owned by Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Hot Peppers enters from a game runner-up effort in the Longines Test (G1) on August 6 at the Spa where she was defeated 1 1/2 lengths by 17-1 upset winner Chi Town Lady in her Grade 1 debut. There was a brief steward's inquiry into the stretch run of the Test after Hot Peppers drifted and brushed with the Wesley Ward-trained Chi Town Lady and third-place finisher Matareya.
“She ran a great race,” said Rodriguez. “The horse for Wesley Ward looked like she was going to win either way. There was an inquiry, but everything was clear and we'll keep fighting another day. The value as a broodmare went higher for sure with a Grade 1 placing.”
A daughter of Khozan, Hot Peppers earned her best victory two starts back with a gutsy three-quarter-length effort over returning rival Half Is Enough in the Victory Ride (G3) on July 9 at Belmont Park, scoring her first graded win on the heels of a win in the Jersey Girl at the same oval in her first start with Rodriguez. She began her career with three wins from five starts for former owner/trainer Ronald Spatz, with all three victories coming at Gulfstream Park.
Rodriguez said both her performance in the Test and her ability to travel well gives him confidence that she is a top-level filly.
“Definitely. But at the same time, we've got to make it easy for her and try to do the right thing,” said Rodriguez. “Every stakes race is tough. She's still got to show up. But at least she doesn't look like she needs a track. She's won at Gulfstream and Belmont and [ran well] at Saratoga. That's a plus when you see horses bring their form to the next track. She's not that big, but she's got a lot of heart.”
Hot Peppers is one of several horses owned by Dubb and Caruso that are trained by Rodriguez, who said he is grateful for the chance to train another classy filly.
“She's doing everything we ask her. We're just lucky they picked us and give us the opportunity,” said Rodriguez. “We just have to keep her happy and she's a runner. I think the trainer before [Spatz] did a very good job.”
Rodriguez said that Hot Peppers has grown out of the immaturity she showed in the starting gate earlier this year at Tampa Bay Downs.
“Unfortunately at Tampa, she started acting up in the gate. We've had the chance to school her here and show her everything and it's working,” said Rodriguez. “No issues with her, thank God. I tell the guys at the gate that she has had problems in the gate and they've been patient with her. So far, she's been nice and calm.”
Hot Peppers put in her final preparations for the Prioress with a half-mile breeze in 51.60 seconds over the main track on Sunday.
“She had a nice light breeze today, just light maintenance. It was nice and easy,” said Rodriguez. “She seems happy.”
Hot Peppers will be ridden by regular pilot Luis Saez from post 2.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Winchell Thoroughbreds will look to continue their graded stakes success at the Spa with Wicked Halo, who streaks in from two solid stakes wins at Churchill Downs in the Leslie's Lady and Tepin, winning by a combined 7 1/2 lengths.
A daughter of Gun Runner, Wicked Halo already boasts a graded win at Saratoga after taking last year's Grade 2 Adirondack sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs. She earned another Grade 2 placing when third in the Eight Belles in May at Churchill Downs and boasts a 7-for-8 lifetime in-the-money record.
Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for both stakes wins at Churchill, has the call from post 1.
Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Lady Scarlet is in search of her second graded win this year, hoping to add to an off-the-pace victory by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.
Trained by Mike Maker, the dark bay Union Rags filly made her first three starts for conditioner Brad Cox before she was claimed for $150,000 out of her maiden-breaking score in November at Churchill. She went on to capture Aqueduct Racetrack's Cicada by 4 3/4 lengths and was last seen finishing an even sixth in the Coronation Cup over the Spa turf on July 15.
Lady Scarlet will exit post 3 in rein to Jose Ortiz.
The New York-bred Phil Serpe trainee Bank On Anna wheels back on three weeks rest from a smart 2 3/4-length win in the Union Avenue facing state-breds on August 12 at Saratoga. There, she tracked a length off the pace in second before taking her cue from jockey Jose Lezcano to gain a two-length lead at the top of the stretch and widen her margins down the stretch.
Owned by WellSpring Stables and bred by Lou Corrente, Bank On Anna will be ridden by Lezcano once again from post 5.
Completing the field are dual winner Mischievous Diane [post 4, Manny Franco]; stakes-placed Angitude [post 6, Joel Rosario]; two-time New York-bred stakes winner Sterling Silver [post 7, Trevor McCarthy]; Grade 3 Victory Ride runner-up Half Is Enough [post 8, Flavien Prat]; Grade 2-placed Smash Ticket [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche]; and two-time winner Union Lake [post 10, John Velazquez].
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