Not a bad day. Trainer Phil D'Amato notched three graded wins on Saturday—two at Santa Anita and one at Keeneland, as well as one other stakes at the Arcadia, California track.
D'Amato capped his banner day with Rhea Moon, who charged home to take the $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) by 1 ¼ lengths at Santa Anita, site of three of his stakes wins.
With his biggest victory Saturday at Santa Anita coming with Irish-bred Going Global in the Goldikova Stakes (G2), D'Amato's second stakes win on the card came with English-bred Amy C in the listed Senator Ken Maddy before capturing his third in the Autumn Miss. Across the country at Keeneland, D'Amato won the Bryan Station Stakes (G3) with Irish-bred Balnikhov.
With Juan Hernandez collecting his second stakes win on the day in the Autumn Miss, Rhea Moon got one mile on turf in 1:34.44.
Unhurried in the run to the first turn, Rhea Moon sat seventh in a field of 11, about six lengths off longshot Lucky Girl as the field straightened for their run up the backside. With Hernandez biding his time, Rhea Moon inched into contention mid-way around the far turn, swung five-deep approaching the furlong pole and drew clear while unthreatened by an onrushing Nadette late.
A one mile turf allowance winner on Aug. 21, Rhea Moon, who had two wins from five stateside starts with D'Amato, was off at 6-1 and paid $14.60.
Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing, LLC, Rhea Moon, in getting her first stakes win, picked up $60,000, increasing her earnings to $191,831. Winless in a pair of starts in Ireland, she's now 3-3-2 overall from eight starts.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, French-bred Nadette flew from far back to finish second by three quarters of a length over D'Amato's Kitty Kitana.
Fractions on the race were :23.36, :47.36, 1:11.17, and 1:22.97.
AUTUMN MISS STAKES (G3) QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
JUAN HERNANDEZ, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “I felt the pace was a little faster but when I came back and saw the fractions it wasn't fast at all. My filly she relaxed well and was waiting for me to ask her to go to win the race.
“I love to ride horses, this is my job and my passion, so I'm going to keep riding all the horses I get well.”
TRAINER QUOTES
PHILIP D'AMATO, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “This filly really turned the corner. Juan figured her out. She was very impressive at Del Mar and we had this race in mind after that performance. She was slowly developing. We had to space her out to recoup. The way she won today, she came with that run like she can run all day. The American Oaks might be next for her.”
OWNER QUOTES
GARY HARTUNIAN, ROCKINGHAM RANCH, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “I like to have two horses in every race. I was rooting for Pammy's Ready until about the quarter pole and then here comes Rhea Moon. She comes home in like :22 and change and she can fly, so I just said, 'J.J. don't let her stop coming down the stretch. If you have to go wide, go wide but just let her leave it all on the track.' and he did.”
The post Rhea Moon Rolls Late For Autumn Miss Triumph To Give Trainer D’Amato Third Graded Win Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
The Remington Park jockey colony called a meeting with track management with 10 minutes to first post time Saturday night. After a track surface inspection, the jockeys elected not to ride.
Track management then canceled the nine races scheduled.
All wagers on races Saturday night will be refunded. Rescheduling of the postponed nine races has not been determined.
Live racing at Remington Park continues next week with racing scheduled Wednesday-Saturday with a first post of 7:07 p.m. (CT) nightly.
The post Remington Jockeys Elect Not To Ride Over Track Surface, Track Cancels Saturday Night Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
As he's done thousands of times throughout an incredible career, jockey Joe Bravo again made the last run in Saturday's $200,000 Twilight Derby (G2) at Santa Anita as Cabo Spirit surged in the shadow of the wire to collar favored Speaking Scout and win by a half length.
Trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit, a 3-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile, got 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.46.
With longshot Go Joe Won setting leisurely early fractions, Bravo saved ground while sixth with Cabo Spirit, about three lengths off the lead a half mile out.
Into the bridle, Cabo Spirit bided his time behind a three-horse spread and then found a seam four-deep three sixteenth of a mile from home and was fully extended to get up in time.
Owned by Kretz Racing LLC, Cabo Spirit, who finished well when fifth, beaten 2 ½ lengths in the Del Mar Derby (G2) Sept. 3, was off at 5-2 in a field of eight and paid $7.40.
A winner of the La Jolla Handicap (G3) two starts back, Cabo Spirit, who is out of the Shamardal mare Fancy Day, now has three overall stakes wins, all on turf. With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $438,560 while running his overall mark to 4-3-3 from 15 starts.
Speaking Scout, who got a perfect stalking trip under Juan Hernandez, made the lead leaving the furlong marker and was second best as the 2-1 favorite.
Perfect Flight, who was lapped on the pacesetter turning for home, couldn't go with the top two late and was third, a nose in front of Go Joe Won.
The solid favorite at 2-1 with four minutes to post, War at Sea was a veterinary scratch.
Cabo Spirit was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.
Fractions on the race were :25.07, :49.89, 1:14.68, and 1:38.25.
TWILIGHT DERBY (G2) QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
JOE BRAVO, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “Cabo laid a little bit closer to the pace today than he usually does. If you know him, he's kind of a laid-back horse who sits back and then it's go get 'em. I got a message in the Paddock that it was the owners' birthday, so we had to pull it off. Birthday candles for everybody!
“I've rode this horse a few times, so you get the personality and get to know the animal. George just did such an amazing job bringing him around. This horse has some issues and all he has done is get better and better since the gelding took effect.
“I was really proud of the guy. I knew he was training coming into the race. He had me worried because we were lagging so close to pace early on, and I guess the times explain why he was laying so close to pace. This is a horse that we really had high hopes on early on. Today you can see how focused he was. From the eighth pole to the wire, he really bellied out, and you see what he did from there.”
TRAINER QUOTES
GEORGE PAPAPRODROMOU, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “I was getting kind of worried, the way they were going kind of slow like that. Joe had him in the right spot and I was confident, he was travelling well up the backside and turning for home I was a little worried but luckily, they opened up for him and he won from there. Last time there was no pace for him and that I think made him fall back, but he made a big run, went wide and that cost him a little bit, but today everything went perfect. I was concerned with the fractions, going that slow but we got it done.
“I think probably the Hollywood Derby is next.”
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