Month: September 2022

Making a four-wide move on the turn for home under jockey Rafael Hernandez, Last Call left the maiden ranks in a big way on Saturday at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, winning the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and earning a fees-paid berth to the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be held at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

The filly by English Channel, trained by Kevin Attard and owned by X-Men Racing 2 LLC and SF Racing LLC, crossed the finish a length in front, covering one mile on firm turf in 1:36.49 and paying $44.30 to win on a $2 bet.

Cairo Consort, the 8-5 favorite ridden by Antonio Gallardo, finished second after encountering traffic problems along the inside on the stretch turn. G Laurie, the 3-1 second choice ridden by Manny Franco, was three-quarters of a length farther back in third after having similar trouble to the runner-up. The order of finish was completed by Wickenheiser, Adora, Collecting Flatter, Courtly Ro, and pacesetter Star Candy. The latter cut out the early fractions of :24.27, :49.02, and 1:12.76 before tiring at the top of the stretch.

Last Call, bred in Kentucky by English Channel Co-Owners and Jodi Cantwell, was a $30,000 yearling purchase by agent Donato Lanni at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Four Star Sales.  She was produced from the Black Minnaloushe mare, Over Served.

The Natalma winner made her debut July 23 in a  6 1/2-furlong Woodbine turf sprint, finishing second to Cairo Consort, who would go on to win the Catch A Glimpse Stakes in her next start. Last Call came back a month later in a seven-furlong race on the Woodbine turf, this time finishing fourth after being headstrong on the turn.

In her first two starts, Last Call was equipped with blinkers, but Attard took them off for the Natalma. The chestnut filly was eager in the early stages, but then settled into seventh position down the long backstretch run of the one-turn mile race. Hernandez tipped the filly to the outside approaching the three-eighths marker and she accelerated quickly to vie four wide for the lead with a quarter mile to run.

Last Call opened up by 1 1/2 lengths at the furlong pole (seven furlongs clocked in 1:24.43), then withstood late challenges from Cairo Consort and G Laurie after they had clear running room in the final furlong.

Attard said he would discuss Last Call's next start with the ownership group but indicated the Breeders' Cup was a strong likelihood.

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Michael McLouglin's Curly Jack is the early points leader on the 2023 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” after the Good Magic colt won Saturday's 41st running of the $299,250 Iroquois (G3) for 2-year-olds by one length over Honed at Churchill Downs.

Jace's Road was another half-length back in third and betting favorites Damon's Mound and Echo Again faltered around two turns to finish sixth and seventh, respectively.

Sent to post at odds of 10-1, the Tom Amoss-trained Curly Jack ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.62 to give jockey Edgar Morales his first graded stakes victory.

“It's very special to win my first graded stakes race for Tom,” Morales said. “He's done a great job with this horse and I can't be more thankful to him, his entire staff and the owners for allowing me to ride these really nice horses.”

Curly Jack banked the $178,920 first prize and 10 points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” point system that will determine the field for next year's 149th running of the Kentucky Derby (GI) on May 6, 2023 at Churchill Downs. The Iroquois was the first in a series of 37 select races on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” and the top five finishing positions earned points on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1, respectively.

“I thought going into this race it was a really good field,” Amoss said. “I was able to watch Echo Again this summer at Saratoga and he was very impressive when he won up there. I have a ton of respect for Michelle Lovell's horse (Damon's Mound). I thought maybe going two turns is going to help our chances.”

Damon's Mound, the Saratoga Special (G3) winner who was 2-1 second betting choice, emerged as the early leader from post 3 after hesitating at the start of the two-turn affair. He led the field of nine colts down the stretch through a first quarter mile in :23.53 and the half in :47.48 as impressive Saratoga maiden debut winner Echo Again, the odds-on 3-5 favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, tracked wide in second.

Entering the far turn, Damon's Mound and Echo Again kicked clear from the chasing Jace's Road, Confidence Game and Hayes Strike with Curly Jack just behind. After six furlongs in 1:11.66, Echo Again briefly took over from Damon's Mound at the top of the stretch but it was apparent that the two leaders were weary and had nothing left for the final quarter mile. Curly Jack tipped out wide, grabbed the lead with a furlong to run and held off 54-1 Honed, who closed from last for second-place honors.

“It was a great ride by Edgar Morales,” Amoss said. “I think he is, now was, the best kept secret in the jocks room. The secret is going to be out with him. He really rode him great. I'm super proud of my horse. The owner Michael McLaughlin is at the Notre Dame game this afternoon but I know he's watching. I don't have an issue with running horses off a layoff so it won't be a big deal going straight to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. We'll see how he comes out of things and make a decision in the coming days.”

Curly Jack paid $23.66.

Fourth-place finisher Hayes Strike was another four lengths behind Jace's Road and was followed by Confidence Game, Damon's Mound, Echo Again, Jin Tong, and Zaici.

The Iroquois marked the fourth career start for Curly Jack, who broke his maiden at first asking at Churchill Downs in June and then finished fifth in the Sanford (G3) and a close second in the Ellis Park Juvenile. His career earnings now total $280,180.

“In the Ellis Park Juvenile he showed me he can relax well off of horses and come with one run,” Morales said. “We were able to do that today. He handled the extra distance well and when I was able to get him outside he showed his best run.”

A $180,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Curly Jack was bred in Kentucky; the son of Good Magic is out of the Roman Ruler mare Connie and Michael.

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