Trainer John Sadler said superstar Flightline (Tapit) came out of his devastating 19 1/4-length romp in Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic in good order.
“We're literally talking 14 hours [since the race] but this early, he looks perfect,” Sadler said.
For Sadler, the most impressive aspect of Flightline's record rout was the way he opened up on the rest of the field.
“Obviously, I was thrilled about him putting them away on the [far] turn,” Sadler says. “That was really exciting, probably the most fun part. I was just so happy to see him good and clear. He was always going to have a clear trip once he got going a little bit. A little bump at the start but once he got clear I knew it was going to be good from there.”
So what's in the immediate future for Flightline?
“He'll walk for three days and then he'll probably go back and jog a little bit this week,” Sadler said. “Then ship up to Santa Anita and we'll start finalizing our plans for Breeders' Cup.”
The post Flightline ‘Perfect’ Exiting Pacific Classic Tour de Force appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
1st-Del Mar, $81,000, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:03.59, ft, 6 3/4 lengths.
HUNTINGCOCO (f, 2, Practical Joke–Sulis, by Maria's Mon) was dismissed at odds of 36-5, largely due to the presence of $950,000 Keeneland September grad and 1-2 chalk Carla (Medaglia d'Oro), slipped through inside entering the final eighth of a mile and kicked away to best her heavily favored stable companion by a convincing margin in Sunday's opener from Del Mar. Away without incident, Huntingcoco showed ample speed and chased from along the inside in second as She's Inthearmynow (Army Mule) had the most early interest from her outside draw. Asked to come after the pacesetter with 2 1/2 furlongs to travel, Huntingcoco took full advantage when the front-runner rolled away from the fence in upper stretch and powered home to score with good-looking strides. Carla was beaten for speed and had her momentum interrupted when having to steady slightly off the heels of She's Inthearmynow approaching the half-mile marker. Under the bat nearing the stretch, she raced on her incorrect lead, but managed to grind it out for second. A Pennsylvania-bred, Huntingcoco is a veteran of three sales rings, having matured from a $45,000 KEENOV weanling into a $110,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling. She was last seen going through the latter auction house's Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where she fetched $200,000 after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5. Out of a half-sister to the stakes-winning dam of GISW I'm the Tiger (Siphon {Brz}), Huntingcoco has a yearling half-brother by Classic Empire and a foal half-sister by American Freedom. Sulis visited Instagrand this term. Sales history: $45,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Villa Rosa Farm & Harlo Racing; B-HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC (PA); T-Bob Baffert.
The post Practical Joke Filly Upsets Stablemate In Del Mar Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Peter Brant's Virginia Joy scored the fourth group/graded victory of her career on Saturday in the Flower Bowl (G2) for older fillies and mares traveling 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course. The front-running effort garnered a career second-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, Virginia Joy provided her conditioner with his 11th stakes win of the Saratoga meet. Brown leads all trainers at the meet heading into Sunday's 12-race card with 39 wins, five more than Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher [34].
“It's a credit to my team and the horses,” Brown said of his successes this summer. “It's a group of really talented teammates and coworkers and a deep pool of versatile, talented horses. Together, they put together a great meet, so all the credit goes to them.”
Virginia Joy's Flower Bowl win came in wire-to-wire fashion as she set a slow tempo with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, marking off a half-mile in 53.29 seconds and a mile in 1:45.29. Heavy post-time favorite War Like Goddess made a rally from the back of the pack at the top of the lane and drove strongly down the middle of the lane, but could not catch up to Virginia Joy, who held off her challenger by a neck.
“She came out of it fine. She was able to set a soft pace and outsprint the favorite to the wire, so I was grateful for that,” said Brown. “She ran a great race – she set the fractions and I'm proud of her.”
The win awarded Virginia Joy a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland as part of the “Win and You're In” qualifying series, but Brown said he unsure exactly where the German-bred Soldier Hollow mare will run next.
“I'm not sure yet, I haven't decided,” said Brown. “I'll talk to Mr. Brant about it and see how she trains post-race. I haven't put much thought into that yet.”
The post ‘I Haven’t Put Much Thought Into That Yet’: Brown Unsure Of Next Start For ‘Win & You’re In’ Flower Bowl Winner Virginia Joy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
