Month: October 2022

Emory Hamilton's homebred Pleasant Passage overcame rainy conditions and a yielding turf course in Saturday's $200,000 Miss Grillo (G2) with a gate-to-wire three-quarter-length victory at Aqueduct that could catapult her to the Breeders' Cup on November 4.

Contested at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-old fillies on the inner turf course during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet, the Miss Grillo was a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland.

A surprise 15-1 winner as a first-time starter on August 21 at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Pleasant Passage again flew under the radar in the Miss Grillo despite attracting the services of meet-leading rider Irad Oritz Jr.

Sent off at odds of 9-1, the More Than Ready filly was a distant fourth choice in the wagering but immediately made her presence felt as she broke alertly and showed more early speed than in her debut when she settled more than a half dozen lengths off the pace and closed along the hedge at the Spa to prevail.

“She ran well in her first start from a little off the pace coming up the rail. She was very professional,” said McGaughey. “Today, there wasn't any speed in the race and she had trained sharp off her last race. Irad let her do her thing when she broke and he rode a good race on her.”

Her instant tactical advantage in the Miss Grillo was then amplified as she was allowed to set reasonable splits of :23.81 for the opening quarter-mile and :49.77 for the half before backing the pace down further to 1:14.98 for three-quarters, with only trainer Chad Brown's Free Look applying token pressure to her outside as Georgees Spirit sat in third and race favorite Be Your Best took up position in fourth.

At the top of the stretch, Pleasant Passage and Free Look separated from the remainder of the field of six, and although Free Look was a dogged pursuer of the pacesetter through the ample Big A stretch, she could make up no ground as Pleasant Passage dashed to the wire first, a three-quarter-length winner in a time of 1:45.25.

“There wasn't too much speed in the race and I knew if I could be in front that would be good for me,” said Ortiz. “It worked out well because I made the lead easily. On the backside, she was nice and relaxed. When I asked her to go, she responded and she was there for me.”

The win was Pleasant Passage's second from two career starts. The bay filly, who is out of the War Front mare Peaceful Passage, returned $21.20 on a $2 win wager and boosted her earnings to $167,750.

The Klaravich Stables colorbearer Free Look had to settle for second, two lengths clear of P.G. Johnson winner Be Your Best in third, who couldn't make any appreciable ground on the top two in the stretch.

“It was a real good effort,” Brown said of Free Look. “Obviously it was an easy pace in front of us, but we didn't have any excuse. We had dead aim the whole way. I'm real happy with the filly's effort. I'll probably go on to the next one [Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf] if she comes out of this OK. Now that I have five weeks in between races, a little bit more time would benefit her.”

Stretch-out sprinter Alluring Angel closed to get fourth, and was followed home by Im Just Kiddin and Georgees Spirit.

The post ‘Irad Let Her Do Her Thing’: Pleasant Passage Wires ‘Win And You’re In’ Miss Grillo appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Last of six runners in the early going, Blazing Sevens uncoiled a determined outside rally in the stretch and won the $500,000 Champagne (G1) for 2-year-olds by 3 1/4 lengths Saturday at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

With Flavien Prat riding for trainer Chad Brown, Blazing Sevens covered one mile on a sloppy (sealed) in 1:37.07

Verifying was second, ,and favorite Gulfport was third. Early pacesetter Andiamo a Firenze faded to fourth.

The Champagne is a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win And You're In” qualifier, providing Blazing Sevens an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Rodeo Creek Racing's Blazing Sevens became the fourth Champagne winner for Brown, who captured the race previously with Practical Joke [2016], Complexity [2018] and Jack Christopher [2021].

Blazing Sevens' victory provided Hill 'n' Dale Farms' first-crop sire Good Magic his first Grade 1 winner. He returned $19.

Blazing Sevens made his first two career starts at Saratoga, garnering an 85 Beyer in his 6 1/4-length maiden score on July 24. He followed with a distant third in the Hopeful (G1) there on Sept. 5 but was ready to win in a top effort Saturday.

G1 Champagne Quotes

A “Win And You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Chad Brown, winning trainer of Blazing Sevens (No. 5, $19): “It's such a reward because he [Good Magic, sire of Blazing Sevens] was unlucky in the [2017] Champagne himself. I thought he was very unlucky, actually. It was some good karma for us today that his son was able to get his head in front in the Champagne and win like he did. He's been a wonderful horse to get along with. He's all class. I want to thank Pete Bradley for picking him out and John and Carla Capek, the owners. This is their second year in owning horses and they're lovely people, very deserving. If he comes out healthy, it's on to the Breeders' Cup.

On the sloppy and sealed main track: “I was worried. After the Hopeful, I told the owners I was planning on going to the Breeders' Futurity [at Keeneland] and I called an audible last week after his work. I felt like he was doing so well and a legit Breeders' Cup candidate. I was dying to get him around two turns, but I would rather have the five week's rest and not four. So I decided to ship him here and, sure enough, the hurricane came north and I was sick over it the last two days. I was already committed here, so I stuck with it and thankfully, he handled the mud here today. Maybe it was a Saratoga thing last time, I'm not really sure. He didn't run bad last time, he just wasn't himself. Today, he was moving through perfectly.

“My only cause for concern was when he went inside on the turn, I commented to the owners during the race that at least he's getting a clean trip on the outside and moving into the clear. Well, when he moved to the inside I didn't know if it was going to work out when he start getting splattered with mud. He persevered and moved through it and when he [Flavien Prat] got him clean again in the stretch, he certainly looked good.

On his third-place effort in the Grade 1 Hopeful: “I could tell he hated the track. The fact that he got third and galloped out OK was amazing because Manny [Franco] told us that day he hated the track and that he never felt good under him. These young horses, you're always learning about. They're going to catch different surfaces. These are inexperienced horses and you're going to learn a lot about them as you go. Sometimes it's going to go your way and other times you're going to have to retreat. Today, it went our way and this horse moved forward.

“He's looking for two turns, this horse. I can't wait to get him around two turns; you just need everything to go right. He's got some time with five weeks. We have to get through a lot of hurdles, he needs to ship good, get a good post and all those things. This isn't our first rodeo, so hopefully he can emulate his daddy and cap off a championship year with a win in the Breeders' Cup.”

Flavien Prat, winning jockey aboard Blazing Sevens (No. 5): “He had a good trip. He broke well and he got himself into the race. I was traveling really well on the backside and decided to drop myself in and try to save some ground a bit. He was traveling really well all the way around and when I tipped him out and he changed leads, he really changed gears as well.

“We really felt the horse would like the distance. We were hoping for some solid pace and hopefully it would come back for him today to make a run, and that's what happened. The pace was pretty fair. I think he jumped well getting himself into the race without me rushing him, so I think that was key today.”

On his wide run down the stretch: “I was going to go around [to the outside] but turning for home it felt like the inside kind of shifted out and I got a little wider than I wanted to. But that was my game plan and that point I was already committed.

Joel Rosario, jockey aboard runner-up Verifying (No. 3): “He was handling it fine, but getting into the turn I had to ride him a little bit to get him going. He got a little laid back at that point, but he did great. He looked like he was going to go on. But it was his first time going long so it was a good effort I thought.”

Jose Ortiz, jockey aboard third-place Gulfport (No. 6): “I just think he didn't love the wet track. He didn't love it last time at Saratoga and he didn't love it today. He was off the bit too early. I had to start asking him a little before the three-eighths pole and it took him a while to get running. I want to see him run on a dry track and we'll go from there.

“He stayed there and never quit on me, but he's been unlucky with the weather the last two times.”

Winning margin: 3 1/4 lengths

Final time (one mile): 1:37.07

Fractions: 23.32, 47.09, 1:11.86

Full order of finish: 5-3-6-1-4-2

The post Good Magic’s Son Blazing Sevens Goes Last To First In ‘Win and You’re In’ Champagne appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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