William Sims' speedy homebred Leggs Galore bids for her seventh overall stakes win as she heads a field of five statebred fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course in Saturday's $100,000 California Distaff Handicap.
The California Distaff Handicap, for fillies and mares three and up, is part of the CTBA's lucrative Golden State Series, which is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, Leggs Galore, a 5-year-old mare by 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern, who comes off a second-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in a five furlong turf allowance at Del Mar Sept. 2, is unbeaten in two hillside starts and with an overall mark of 17-9-2-1, is strictly the horse to beat on Saturday.
A winner of the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at one mile on turf five starts back on March 4, Leggs Galore, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets, is easily the leading money earner in the field with $674,548.
D'Amato will also saddle 3-year-old Rose Dawson, who was second to talented stablemate Connie Swingle in her only hillside try three starts back on June 11. Owned and bred by Nick Alexander, Rose Dawson, who is by Grazen out of the Bertrando mare Sudden Sunday, cuts back in distance off a seventh place finish going a mile on turf versus older statebred fillies and mares in the Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 21.
With two wins and as many seconds, Rose Dawson, a winner of the one mile turf Cal Cup Oaks in her second start on Jan. 15, has two wins and as many seconds from five starts.
Although she's had 29 starts, Kleen Karma, a 5-year-old mare by Clubhouse Ride, looms a “now horse” as she comes off a game win down the hill on Oct. 2 and will be ridden back by Edwin Maldonado. Trained by Craig Lewis, Kleen Karma was up to win by a neck at 40-1.
Owned by Zephyr Racing, LLC and Alfred Pais, who is also the co-breeder, Kleen Karma is out of the Powerscourt mare Calameera. A first-out California-bred maiden $50,000 winner back on Jan. 20, 2020, Kleen Karma will be trying stakes competition for the first time.
THE CALIFORNIA DISTAFF HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
Kleen Karma—Edwin Maldonado–117
Rose Dawson—Juan Hernandez—117
Leggs Galore—Ricardo Gonzalez—125
Eddie's New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—122
Harper's Gallop—Hector Berrios–117
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. There is a mandatory payout in Saturday's 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six. With a carryover from Monday of $266,211, track officials expect the total Rainbow Six pool will exceed $2 million. Saturday's Rainbow Pick Six will be comprised of races five through 10.
There’s a good chance the largest crowd in the country for a Saturday afternoon of Thoroughbred racing on Oct. 15 will be found in New Jersey. There’s even better odds that it will be the most festive and exciting spot as well.
Welcome to the 101st Far Hills Race Meeting, a single-day event that has attracted crowds upward of 40,000 to New Jersey for steeplechase racing’s premier day that colorfully showcases all of the sport’s thrills and splendor.
A total of 25 horses were presented to the ground jury on Wednesday for the second edition of the Maryland 5 Star three-day eventing competition, to be held this weekend at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md. Following Wednesday's first horse inspection, 24 horses will proceed to the first phase of the competition.
A 5 Star event (CCI5*-L) is the pinnacle of the sport of eventing. It consists of the most advanced form of competition as it pertains to the skill level executed in the field of dressage, as well as tougher terrain and obstacles in both cross-country and stadium jumping. There are only seven 5 Star events in the world, with two being in the United States.
The CCI5* event takes place over four days. The first two days of competition taking place on Thursday and Friday will feature dressage tests completed in the main arena. The third day of competition on Saturday is the cross-country test, where riders jump up to 45 obstacles over almost 4 miles of varying terrain. The final day of competition on Sunday is show jumping, where riders jump over fragile obstacles in the main arena.
Last year's top-placed Thoroughbred was Tight Lines, ridden by Will Coleman to a fifth-place finish in the event's inaugural running. This year, five Thoroughbreds will attempt to better that result.
Here's a brief summary of each Thoroughbred entered:
Campground (Forest Camp x Kneel)
Ridden by Erin Kanara
15-year-old TB gelding
Unraced
Owned by Marnie Kelly
Groom: Amy Faison
This will be the 5* debut for 15-year-old Campground, who in his spare time also goes out eventing at the lower levels with his owner, Marnie Kelly.
It was Marnie who purchased “Gideon” as a 3-year-old during a trip to the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, after he'd turned out not to have the chops for racing.
Campground was bred in Kentucky by Churchill Downs Inc. chairman Alex Rankin, and entered race training at a local training center but was too slow to make it to the racetrack. Campground began his eventing career in 2012 with Erin in the irons and eventually moved up to Advanced in 2019. He won his first 4*-L at Ocala Jockey Club in 2019 and was 10th in the tough Lexington 4*-S last April.
Thoroughbred Campground, bred by CDI chairman Alex Rankin, at the jog ahead of this weekend's Maryland 5 Star with rider Erin Kanara
Wabbit (Line of Departure x No Kissing)
Ridden by Jessica Phoenix
12-year-old TB gelding
Race name: Molinaro Kissing
Race record: 5 starts, 0-0-0, earnings $2,217
Owned by Rider & Jim Phillips
Groom: Lisa Barry
12-year-old Wabbit will seek his first 5* completion this weekend after his debut at Kentucky ended earlier than planned.
Bred to race in Ontario, Canada, Wabbit did race five times at Woodbine Racetrack and eventually began his eventing career with Momo Laframboise. In 2018, he made his debut with Jessica in the irons and has steadily ticked up the levels since then.
Wabbit has shown himself to be a reliable cross country horse, and those skills could come into serious play as the weekend progresses. Multi Olympian Jessie is also a fierce competitor, capable of throwing down on cross country day, and she's got some true 5* help in her corner with #supergroom and fellow 5* rider Lisa Barry as her groom this weekend.
Off-track Thoroughbred Wabbit and rider Jessica Phoenix at Wednesday's job for the Maryland 5 Star
Sorocaima (Rock Hard Ten x Sankobasi)
Ridden by Buck Davidson
11-year-old TB gelding
Race name: Sorocaima
Race record: 43 starts, 4-8-2, earnings $82,396
Owned by Rider & Carl Segal
Groom: Jackie Slagle
“He's a pure American Thoroughbred,” Buck describes the 11-year-old Sorocaima, who raced 43 times and earned just over $80,000. “Cam” then began his eventing career in 2018, originally with Brazilian rider Nilson Moreira da Silva and then with young rider Karli Wright.
Jill Henneberg made the connection to Buck, recommending he buy the horse to add to his string. After joining Buck's program in 2020, the gelding has taken to the sport like a natural.
Sorocaima made his 5* debut at Kentucky last April, though Buck will look to make improvements on that performance this weekend.
Sorocaima and Buck Davidson en route to a third-place finish in the 2021 Morven Park Fall International CCI4*-L
Twilightslastgleam (National Anthem x Royal Child) –
Ridden by Jennie Brannigan
12-year-old TB gelding
Unraced
Owned by Nina & Tim Gardner
Groom: Tyler Held
“As I get older it's not always about being perfect. It is about enjoying when it goes your way.”
Jennie had wise words after taking the 4*-L win at Bromont last June aboard the Gardners' homebred Thoroughbred, Twilightslastgleam.
“Comic” actually competed at this venue early on in his career with Jennie, who has done nearly all of his events since day one. He competed in both the 4- and 5-Year-Old Young Event Horse Championships at Fair Hill in 2014 and 2015, respectively, finishing in the top 10 both times.
Thoroughbred Twilightslastgleam and rider Jennie Brannigan at the jog ahead of this weekend's Maryland 5 Star
Dunedin Black Watch (Dylan Thomas x Love First)
Hayley Frielick
12-year-old TB gelding
Race name: Storm in Africa
Race Record: 7-0-0-1 $1,200
Owned by Kathryn Robertson
Groom: Rider
Hayley Frielick bought a ticket to the U.S. to compete at the Maryland 5 Star — her first 5* in the Northern Hemisphere — and hasn't bought her return ticket just yet.
Hayley hails from New South Wales, Australia, where she runs Dunedin Sport Horses and competes a wide range of developing event horses.
Dunedin Black Watch, or “Nelson” as he's known at home, has a wealth of 4* experience in Australia and will step up to the 5* level as a debutant this weekend.
For her part, Hayley has competed at the Adelaide 5* three times previously, finishing 5th in 2018 and 10th in 2019 with Class Action LP.
While life may provide only a handful of certainties, trainer Todd Pletcher showing up with a powerful battalion of runners on Breeders' Cup Day can be counted on to be one of them. The 2022 renewal of the World Championships, slated for Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland, is shaping up to be no different. Since the beginning of the month, the Hall of Famer has annexed seven Grade I or Grade II races, highlighted by Life Is Good (Into Mischief), winner of the Oct. 1 GI Woodward S. Undefeated in four domestic starts this season (he finished fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March), the sparkling winner of the 2021 Dirt Mile was confirmed by Pletcher for a likely showdown with Flightline (Tapit) in next month's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Also trying to give Pletcher his second Classic winner following Vino Rosso in 2019 is Happy Saver (Super Saver), who finished fourth in a competitive renewal of the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs Oct. 1. Last season's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner hit the board in a trio of preceding starts in 2022, including a second to Flightline in the June 11 GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. and runner-up finish behind Life Is Good in the Aug. 6 GI Whitney S.
Also offering an imposing 1-2 punch on the Breeders' Cup Saturday card are Malathaat (Curlin) and Nest (Curlin), both targeting the GI Distaff. Victorious in last season's GI Kentucky Oaks, Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Alabama S., the Shadwell runner took last Sunday's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, while her year-younger stablemate–victorious in this summer's Alabama and GI CCA Oaks, and runner-up in the GI Belmont S.–romped in the recent GII Beldame S. in New York.
Pletcher previously won the Distaff with eventual Hall of Famer Ashado (2004) and Stopchargingmaria in 2015.
Always dangerous with his juveniles, Pletcher will be represented by no less than a trio of 2-year-olds, including GI Hopefull S. and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity victor Forte (Violence), targeting the GI TVG Juvenile, and GI Frizette S. heroine Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), slated to contest the GI NetJets Juvenile Fillies. Also set to reappear over the championship weekend is Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a victory in the Oct. 2 GII Pilgrim S.
Rounding out Team Pletcher's championship team is Annapolis (War Front). Victorious in the Manila S. at Belmont earlier this summer, the son of My Miss Sophia subsequently added a win in the Saranac S. at Saratoga before earning a Mile berth with a score in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. at Keeneland Oct. 8.
Already responsible for a dozen Breeders' Cup victories since earning his first win in 2004, Pletcher has finished third or better with 43 runners–registering a 28% in-the-money strike rate–while amassing $22.5 million in earnings.
Given the caliber of runners already engaged for this year's showcase next month, it appears likely that those figures will continue their upward trajectory.
