Month: September 2022

After three frustrating near-misses to start her 5-year-old campaign, Vigilantes Way was able to break through on Saturday at Monmouth Park in a performance that trainer Shug McGaughey said “was overdue for her.”

Taking advantage of a rail trip in the five-horse field of fillies and mares 3 and up, Vigilantes Way closed stoutly inside and was able to hold off the late-running Runaway Rumour for a half-length victory in the $100,000 Violet Stakes.

It marked the third career stakes win at Monmouth Park for the Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of Salute, by Unbridled, and improved her record at the Jersey Shore track to 3-3-1 from seven starts there.

The winning time for the 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course was 1:41.78.

“I'm glad to get it behind us,” said McGaughey. “All of her races at Monmouth Park have been good races. A couple of things got in the way to keep us from winning. I thought Paco Lopez rode her good today, even though he got in a little bit of jam. But he waited until something opened and when it opened he took advantage of it. I'd rather get beat on the rail than have to go wide. The rail helped us today.”

The Phipps homebred started her 2022 campaign with a second-place finish, beaten a neck, in the Miss Liberty Stakes, then was second in the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes and then was third, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes – all on the Monmouth Park turf course.

“She was close the last three times here,” said Lopez, well on his way to his ninth Monmouth Park riding title. “You knew she was ready for a win. It helped that it was a short (five-horse) field today. I wanted to be covered with her so I got to the rail as soon as I could and then I waited and waited. When it's not that many horses you expect something to open up eventually and it did.

“She likes to be covered and then run late. I got lucky that there was room on the rail in the stretch and when I asked her she opened up.”

Sitting a stalking third, Vigilantes Way had the advantage of going inside while Runaway Rumour went four wide coming out of the final turn. The Chad Brown-trained Flighty Lady was another neck back in third.

Vigilantes Way sat just off of fractions of :22.86, :46.94, 1:11.02 through six furlongs set by Mademoiselle Nova before that one faded and Flighty Lady took a slight lead at the sixteenths pole. Vigilantes Way came flying up the rail with Runaway Rumour taking the overland route, unable to get to the eventual winner.

Vigilantes Way paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 favorite in posting her seventh win from 19 career starts. She has banked $497,014 for her career. She counts the 2021 Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes and the 2021 Miss Liberty Stakes among her other Monmouth Park Stakes wins.

“She's a little machine,” said McGaughey. “She's fun to train. She goes about her business every day. She's like a robot. When you go to breeze her it's the same thing. She's easy to bring around. Not only has she made the Phipps a nice filly but she is going to make a great broodmare.”

The post ‘She’s A Little Machine’: Vigilantes Way Rumbles Up Rail For Violet Stakes Win At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bass Racing's Kentucky homebred Annapolis made every pole a winning one in the $200,000 Saranac (G3), a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores, Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by the Spa's leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., the War Front bay led the compact field of four through splits of :25 , 49.79, and 1:13.65 through six furlongs over the firm going before drawing off to a comfortable 5 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:42.57. He returned $2.30 for a $2 win bet as the prohibitive favorite.

“You don't take anything for granted,” Pletcher said. “We were just hoping for a clean trip and it looked like a race on paper that had no true pacesetter so we just kind of inherited the lead. It looked like he was travelling comfortably throughout.”

Ortiz, who notched his 48th win of the meet, said he rode with confidence.

“There wasn't too much speed in the race, so he controlled the race,” Ortiz said. “He was nice and relaxed out there the whole time and was there when I asked him to go. He was the best horse in the race. That's a workout for him. He's pretty nice. He just got beat by some nice horses last time and came back today in great form and was there for me the whole time.”

Joel Rosario took over riding duties from Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who hurt his ankle one race prior, aboard Celestial City and utilized a ground-saving trip from third position to dead-heat for second with the Manny Franco-piloted Fuerteventura, who re-rallied down the lane after pressing through the final turn. Ethereal Road trailed throughout. Piqua was scratched.

Rosario said he was pleased with the effort from Celestial City, who entered from a close third in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 5 at the Spa.

“I threw on the silks and looked at the form for a second and then went,” Rosario said. “He looked like he tried really hard, but like I said, it was tough to beat that horse. He went to the lead easily, we chased the whole time. He did his best and tried hard at the end.”

Franco said the Jonathan Thomas-trained Fuerteventura found his second wind down the lane to secure a share of place honors.

“I think he's a nice horse. He's going to keep improving in his races,” Franco said. “Jonathan does a great job with his horses. He's got a good horse here.”

Annapolis captured the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October at Belmont Park to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign. He finished second in his seasonal debut over extremely soft going in the Grade 2 Penn Mile in June at Penn National before returning to winning form in the one-mile Manila on July 4 at Belmont.

Out of the Grade 2-winning Unbridled's Song mare My Miss Sophia, Annapolis entered from a game runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational, finishing 1 3/4-lengths back of Nations Pride.

Pletcher said Annapolis will now take on older horses for the first time in the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile on October 8 at Keeneland which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) there in November.

“He's shown up and run well in each start of his life. We just felt like he was a colt that carries plenty of condition,” Pletcher said. “We had thought about training up to the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland, but decided he was doing great and probably a race in between would suit him.

“We [think highly of him] and feel like a mile might suit him perfectly and so we'll see where we fit, but he's a big, strong colt physically,” Pletcher added. “He seems like the type that would handle that step up in age.”

Annapolis banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-2-0 from six starts.

The post ‘He Was Nice And Relaxed Out There The Whole Time’: Annapolis Leads All The Way To Win Saranac appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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