Month: September 2022

Bolt d’Oro Colt Looks To Double Up in Japan

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:

Saturday, September 24, 2022
4th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m
CELADONITE (JPN) (f, 2, Mendelssohn–Celadon, by Gold Halo {Jpn}) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her well-traveled dam, whose best produce to date was the very talented Copano Kicking (Spring At Last), a three-time Group 3 winner in Japan and a veteran of three starts overseas, including a thrilling victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in 2021. A sound fourth in defense of that title this past February, he was injured in the days leading up to this year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and was retired. Celadon was sent to India in 2016 and produced two winners from as many foals in that country, then returned to the U.S. in 2019 where she was covered by this sire and subsequently exported to Japan. Celadonite debuts in the colors of Silk Racing and has Christophe Lemaire in the irons. B-Northern Racing

 

 

 

 

5th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT
RAIJIN (JPN) (c, 2, Speightstown–Kensington, by Kitten's Joy) is the first foal from a winning daughter of Irish Group 3 winner Rum Charger (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), who counts four-time Grade I winner Winchester (Theatrical {Ire}) and dual Grade III winner Middleburg (Lemon Drop Kid) among her seven to taste victory at least once. Kensington was purchased for $130,000 with this foal in utero at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, was shipped to Japan and produced this chestnut colt on St. Patrick's Day 2020. Raijin was offered at the 2021 JRHA Select Sale, where he was hammered down for the equivalent of $245,095. B-Yuki Dendo

9th-NKY, ¥30,400,000 ($213k), Allowance, 2yo, 1200mT
FROM DUSK (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Foolish Cause, by Giant's Causeway) may not have been at his very best over a yielding turf course on Kokura debut Sept. 3, but managed to tough it out for a 3/4-length victory (video, SC 6). The April foal, a half-brother to SW Foolish Humor (Distorted Humor), is out of a half-sister to the late MGISW Get Stormy (Stormy Atlantic) and fetched $900,000 from trainer Hideyuki Mori at this year's OBS March Sale after making $200,000 as a Keeneland September yearling last fall. B-Springhouse Farm (KY)

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Spacing Could Be Right For 10-1 Chance Simplification In Pennsylvania Derby

Antonio Sano wrapped up a few phone calls dealing with his business back in South Florida at the end of training hours Thursday at Parx Racing before offering a prayer of sorts for his runner in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby.

“I hope and I pray,” Sano said, folding his hands before raising them in the air, palms out. “It's a very strong race. Very, very strong. I think The Travers is easier than this race. A lot of times this race isn't as strong as it is this year.”

Sano will saddle Simplification in said strong race, one of the last major stakes for 3-year-olds this season that attracted Grade 1 winners Zandon, Cyberknife, Taiba and White Abarrio and graded stakes winners Skippylongstocking, We the People and Tawny Port. Simplification brings his own lofty credentials into the nine-furlong Pennsylvania Derby, with victories this season in the Mucho Macho Man and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, and runs in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Simplification, a son of Not This Time who is 10-1 on the morning line for Saturday's headliner, comes off a third behind Skippylongstocking and We the People in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby in early August at Mountaineer Park. The West Virginia Derby was Simplification's first start in almost three months, after he suffered a bout of internal bleeding when sixth in the Grade 1 Preakness.

Sano sent Simplification to a farm for several weeks to recover from that incident before putting the Florida-bred colt back in serious training in late June. He picked the Pennsylvania Derby as the colt's main early autumn target, with hopes to make it to the Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland.

“The plan was always this,” Sano said. “After he went to the farm for about two months, I trained him four about four and a half weeks and then ran him in West Virginia. That race was mainly for conditioning, to get his fitness up. It was a good race and I liked that it was seven weeks to here.”

Sano breezed Simplification four times at his Gulfstream Park base before the West Virginia Derby. He sent the colt to Colonial Downs after the West Virginia Derby, breezed him twice there before putting the finishing touches on his preparation for the Pennsylvania Derby with two breezes at Parx, including a six-furlong drill in 1:11.96 Sept. 10.

Simplification could be a major player in the Pennsylvania Derby if he improves off his third last time and runs close to the form that saw him finish fourth, beaten only 3 ½ lengths by Rich Strike, in the Kentucky Derby, along with placings in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby this season. Jockey Paco Lopez takes the call on Simplification for the first time.

“He's doing very well; training well,” Sano said. “I'm hoping for a good race.”

The post Spacing Could Be Right For 10-1 Chance Simplification In Pennsylvania Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hall Of Famer Mike Smith Bids For More Parx Magic With Taiba, Adare Manor

At age 57, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has no plans on slowing down.

The California-based rider works as hard as ever, running five to six miles five times a week and daily trips to his local gym. He says he is in the best shape of his life and has been saying that for several straight years.

Smith will be at Parx Racing Saturday to ride Taiba, the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby, and Adare Manor, the 7-2 second choice in the co-featured Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes.

Smith has ridden the lightly raced Taiba in three of his four starts and was on board when he finished second, beaten a head, by Cyberknife in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start July 23. Cyberknife is the 3-1 second choice in the Pennsylvania Derby.

“He is about as talented as they come, man,” Smith said. “You know, there is still room for him to grow and get better and we are hoping this is the next step.”

Smith has won the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby twice – both for Bob Baffert. He won with West Coast in 2017 and McKinzie in 2018. He has won the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion a record four times, the most recent with Midnight Bisou in 2018. He will ride Adare Manor for the first time in the Cotillion.

Taiba turned heads in his second career start when he won the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby.

“He was asked to do a lot early, wasn't he?” Smith said. “From the Santa Anita Derby he went to the Kentucky Derby. You have to remember that, even though he has run in these high-profile races, he is very lightly raced. He's still learning, He's learning to take dirt in his face and he is maturing. He has just shown so much raw talent. He has run against the best of them.”

Smith said he plans on arriving in Pennsylvania Friday and will have dinner and spend time with his stepmother, Verna, before concentrating on Saturday's big races.

Baffert said his horses shipped in well from California and have been supervised by his longtime assistant, Jimmy Barnes. Baffert, who will stay in California this weekend, has full trust in Barnes and Smith, who has ridden big races for him for years.

“He knows my horses,” Baffert said. “He knows Taiba very well and it's nice when you have a rider that sort of knows the ins and outs of certain horses. He has never ridden the filly, but Mike is very good with fillies. I won't have to say too much. When you have a top rider, you don't need to say too much to them.”

The post Hall Of Famer Mike Smith Bids For More Parx Magic With Taiba, Adare Manor appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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