Month: September 2022

Larry Jones Hopes Change Of Scenery Gives Bob An ‘Edge’ At Kentucky Downs

Bob's Edge was Oaklawn Park's top older male sprinter during the 2021-2022 meeting – before the arrival of champion Jackie's Warrior.

Almost five months later, trainer Larry Jones said he hopes a change of scenery, and surface, will spark a form reversal for late-running Bob's Edge in the $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up Saturday at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs.

Post positions for the 6-furlong FanDuel Turf Sprint, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event for the $1 million Turf Sprint (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, were drawn Monday. The race closed Aug. 24 with 53 nominees, including 2019 winner Totally Boss for trainer Rusty Arnold and Big Invasion, winner of six straight for Christophe Clement.

Bob's Edge has started twice on turf, finishing fourth in the $60,000 Dade Park Dash Overnight Stakes for 3-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs in July 2021 at Ellis Park and winning a restricted allowance race for 3-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs last October at Keeneland.

“Closers usually do good on turf,” said Jones, a Hopkinsville, Ky., native who has made Henderson his home for years. “I know when he won at Keeneland, he came from way back there, when he started his coming-from-way-back run style that he's got. We'll see what happens. We're just hoping for the best. We know it's going to come up tough, these big-money races. We've just got to go out and see what we can do.”

Bob's Edge wintered at Oaklawn (it has no grass course) and started in a trio of six-furlong races for older horses. He won the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes on Jan. 29 and $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) on March 19 before finishing fourth behind Jackie's Warrior in the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) on April 16.

Bob's Edge remained on dirt for his next two starts, finishing an even sixth in the $200,000 Aristides Stakes at six furlongs June 4 at Churchill Downs and sixth in the $160,000 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs July 2 at Churchill Downs.

Distance, Jones said, may have contributed to the 4-year-old gelding's two subpar performances.

“I think it may have been a little bit farther than he likes, because even the six-furlong race at Churchill is almost 6 1/2, the way they set the gates up and stuff,” Jones said. “I think maybe the last time Gabriel (Saez) pushed him up a little too close. We liked where we were sitting watching it. But then when he didn't finish well, even Gabriel came back and said, 'I think I kept him too close.' So, I don't know. We'll see.”

A son of Competitive Edge, Bob's Edge has a 6-1-4 record from 16 lifetime starts and earnings of $544,945. The Kentucky-bred gelding races for Michael Frenny, Patricia Frenny and Jennifer Grayson Taylor.

The post Larry Jones Hopes Change Of Scenery Gives Bob An ‘Edge’ At Kentucky Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Despite Arriving Two Days Late, Rosario Not Conceding Kentucky Downs Riding Title

Joel Rosario began his Labor Day at Kentucky Downs with a workout, jogging over the undulating, nonsymmetrical 1 5/16-mile European-style grass venue that opened in 1990 as Dueling Grounds.

It ended in familiar fashion, with Rosario, the 2021 Eclipse Award-winning jockey, making multiple trips to the winner's circle Monday, Day 3 of the scheduled seven-day FanDuel meeting.

Rosario won the ninth race, the $500,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 5/16 miles aboard Vergara ($10.96) for trainer Graham Motion, and the 11th and final race aboard Play the Music ($10.36) for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. The seven-furlong nightcap, which had a hefty $150,000 purse, was for 2-year-old maiden special weight fillies.

Rosario, who dominated the standings last year at Kentucky Downs, missed the first two days of the 2022 meeting (Sept. 1 and Sept. 3) because of a riding suspension and commitments at Saratoga. Rosario was named on horses Monday at Saratoga – the final day of its meeting – but he and his agent, Ron Anderson, opted to chase the ultra-rich purses at Kentucky Downs after Sunday's card was cancelled because of torrential rainfall Saturday. Sunday's program (Rosario was named on horses) was then transferred to Monday.

“My agent had a decision,” Rosario said after Monday's first race. “He told me I've got to ride today here. We've got horses later today in the stakes races that we've got to ride.”

Rosario said he is scheduled to ride the balance of the Kentucky Downs meeting that ends Sept. 14. Rosario was the runaway riding leader at the 2021 Kentucky Downs meeting, with a single-season record 17 victories over the six-day session and his mounts earning a whopping $2,949,307 in purses (also a meet record). Tyler Gaffalione finished a distant second in the standings with eight victories.

“It was unbelievable,” Rosario said. “Really helpful and I thank all the people that gave me the opportunity to ride their horses. It's a little different here. You go up a hill and up and down, things like that. It's a little bit different for the rider and also for the horses.”

Rosario immediately stormed up the 2022 Kentucky Downs leaderboard with Monday's double. Gaffalione has a meet-high five victories. Gerardo Corrales and Julien Leparoux each have four. Rosario already ranks fourth in purse earnings ($434,467) entering Thursday's card.

“Hopefully, I can catch him,” Rosario said, referring to Gaffalione. “Tyler's a nice guy. We got here a little late, but you never know. If he wins it, he deserves it.”

The post Despite Arriving Two Days Late, Rosario Not Conceding Kentucky Downs Riding Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mishriff, Vadeni Among Expected Challengers For Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes

Top 3-year-old Vadeni, fellow French raider Onesto, globetrotter Mishriff and the leading Irish challenger Luxembourg all remain on target to contest the first running of the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. The Irish Champion Stakes offers a “Win and You're In” berth for the Breeders' Cup Turf this November at Keeneland.

The race has long been a target of the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Vadeni, the five-length winner of the French Derby and successful again in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown where his immediate victim was the much-travelled Mishriff, set for his final outing in Europe on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, a World Pool event for all eight races at the Dublin track.

In all, 11 horses have stood their ground for the €1 million feature with Fabrice Chappet's Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto set to line out alongside the Aidan O'Brien-trained Luxembourg which made a winning return to the fray after a near four-month absence in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.

The home defense is boosted by Jim Bolger's Boundless Ocean and the rain appears to have arrived in time for the Paddy Twomey-trained La Petite Coco to take her chance. Aidan O'Brien has also left in Broome, Stone Age and Tuesday, Dermot Weld has Duke De Sessa and the raiding party is made up of the William Haggas-trained Alenquer which gained his most important win to date in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May.

The Weld-trained Homeless Songs is set to make her eagerly anticipated return to action in the first of the Group 1 races on Longines Irish Champions Weekend, the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. Moyglare Stud Farm's sensational filly, absent since winning the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas by five and a half lengths, is on course to clash with Jane Chapple-Hyam's Saffron Beach, a more recent Group 1 winner at Deauville early last month.

Aidan O'Brien has this morning supplemented Concert Hall for the race, he also has Tenebrism to call upon, while the remaining British challenge is made up of Alcohol Free and Prosperous Voyage, for trainers Ralph Beckett and Andrew Balding respectively, and the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Lights On.

Four Group 1 races are up for grabs at the Curragh on Sunday and the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend is highlighted by the Comer Group International Irish St Leger. 13 horses go forward for Friday's final declaration stage and leading the way is Aidan O'Brien's all-conquering Kyprios which bids to extend a winning run that includes top-flight success at Royal Ascot and at Goodwood last month.

Paddy Twomey has this morning added Rosscarbery to the race while Joseph O'Brien has left his four-time Curragh winner Raise You and Cleveland in the season's final Classic. Dual winner Search For A Song, trained by Dermot Weld, the Ger Lyons-trained Camorra, William Haggas' Hamish, Tony Mullins' star Princess Zoe and the sponsor's Seattle Creek are also in the mix.

A bumper total of 25 remain in the field for the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes and they are headed by the John Quinn-trained Highfield Princess, the clearcut winner of the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. A strong British challenge also features the Michael Appleby-trained Raasel, Flotus, trained by Simon & Ed Chrisford, the James Tate-trained Royal Aclaim and Ebro River, last season's Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes winner at the Curragh, which was supplemented this morning by trainer Hugo Palmer.

Edward Lynam's Romantic Proposal, winner of this race a year ago, fellow Group 1 winner A Case Of You, trained by Ado McGuinness and the Johnny Murtagh-trained Ladies Church and Jack Davison's Mooneista, separated by just a short-head in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes over this course and distance in July, head the home challenge.

Seventeen two-year-old fillies go forward for the 50th running of the Moyglare Stud Stakes and among them are the Aidan O'Brien-trained Meditate, unbeaten in four starts, the Charlie & Mark Johnston-trained Lakota Sioux and big local hopes Tahiyra for Dermot Weld and the Michael O'Callaghan-trained Olivia Maralda.

Joseph O'Brien has supplemented course and distance winner Al Riffa for the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and he is among nine remaining in the race. Aidan O'Brien is typically well represented with the likes of Aesop's Fables, Auguste Rodin, Cairo and Hans Andersen with the Charlie Fellowes-trained Marbaan and Richard Hannon's Persian Force making up the challenge from across the Irish Sea.

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said, “We are delighted to see the quality of entries across all races at Leopardstown for the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend on Saturday. The strong interest from the UK and France, supported by the strength in depth of entries from Irish trainers, will ensure highly competitive fields, fitting of such a wonderful occasion and the terrific support of our enthusiastic sponsors.”

Brian Kavanagh, CEO of the Curragh Racecourse, said, “Everybody here at the Curragh is greatly looking forward to racing on Sunday featuring four consecutive Group 1 races across a range of distances. The fields after today's forfeit stage are very exciting and full of interest and quality. The support programme is very strong also. There will be lots of different off-track entertainment on the day, including the Moyglare Stud Kidzone, music from Allie Sherlock, the Newbridge Gospel Choir and the Artane Band. There will also be a Parade of Champions featuring well known retired racehorses such as Tiger Roll, Douvan and One For Arthur in association with Treo Eile.”

Click here for entries for Leopardstown on Saturday

Click here for entries for the Curragh on Sunday

The post Mishriff, Vadeni Among Expected Challengers For Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights