Month: November 2022

Hozier, owned by Ted Nixon's Storyteller Racing, went straight to the front and never looked back while winning Sunday's $292,500 River City at Churchill Downs by 3 ½ lengths over Starting Over.

The River City, which was not staged in 2020-21, returned to the Churchill Downs stakes schedule this year but was switched from turf to dirt because of wet conditions on the grass course following Saturday morning snow showers.

Hozier, who had back class on the dirt, including a second-place finish in last year's Rebel (G2), broke well from the rail and dictated the terms in the field of seven horses through comfortable fractions of :24.05, :48.05, and 1:13.59 as Starting Over tracked one length back in second. Starting Over drew even with Hozier off the final turn but jockey Julien Leparoux hadn't asked Hozier for his best run and the 4-year-old gelding kicked clear down the lane for the easy win in 1:51.67 for 1 1/8 miles.

Hozier, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, returned $11.90 for the victory as the 9-2 third betting choice. Starting Over, at 14-1 was second under Adam Beschizza while In Love finished third, another 2 ½ lengths under Gerardo Corrales.

English Tavern, Pixelate, 6-5 favorite Militarist, and Rupp N Ready completed the order of finish. Beatbox, Cellist, Max K.O., Street Ready, Accredit, Set Piece. and Field Pass were scratched.

The first stakes victory for Hozier was worth $181,900 and increased his earnings to $585,910. He boasts a record of 4-4-1 in 18 starts.

“He has some good speed and with all of the early scratches he was able to take advantage of that and get the lead early,” Leparoux said. “Rodolphe told me he can be a tricky horse to ride sometimes but he ran great today. He drug me around there and finished up well in the stretch.”

Hozier, a son of Pioneerof the Nile out of the Henny Hughes mare Merry Meadow, was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

“He ran a great race today and was able to settle well on the front end,” Brisset said. “It was a really big race for him and now we'll take him back home, see how he comes out of it and see what options we have next either dirt or turf.”

The post ‘It Was A Really Big Race For Him’: Hozier Sets Pace, Lands First Stakes Win In Off-The-Turf River City appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Joel Rosario notched his fourth win on the card by guiding Big Everest to a gate-to-wire score in Sunday's $135,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and William Branch, the 4-year-old The Gurkha gelding has now won four of five starts on the year.

“He showed some speed early and he got there. They had a hard time to come and get him,” Rosario said. “He handled the [soft turf] really well. There was one point in the race where it was pretty soft, but when he got to the backside, he was really comfortable and he never had trouble.”

Big Everest broke alertly from post 2 and took command through splits of :24.45 and :49.79 over the yielding going with Homer Screen in second and Shadow Sphinx saving ground in third to the inside of Pao Alto.

Rosario had Big Everest in-hand to the final turn as Trevor McCarthy gave Pao Alto his cue and Kendrick Carmouche angled Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader off the rail to launch his bid.

Big Everest held a two-length lead at the stretch call and continued to find more as Hall of Famer Javier Castellano cut the corner with Shadow Sphinx and dueled to the inside of Pao Alto. Shadow Sphinx put away Pao Alto and angled off the rail late in the lane and was gaining with every stride, but Big Everest had just enough to stave off his rival for the half-length score in a final time of 1:37.19.

Pao Alto, Decorated Invader, Airman and Homer Screen rounded out the order of finish. Sifting Sands, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Good Governance, Somelikeithotbrown.

Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Clement, said the race shape changed when the Tom Albertrani-trained Airman broke outward and settled near the back of the pack rather than pressing the pace, as expected.

“We were the controlling speed and I told Joel that would likely be the case,” Lorieul said. “He seems to run very well that way when he is in control. It seems as though they match up very well with each other.”

The victory completed a remarkable day for Rosario, who won earlier on the card with Neural Network [Race 1, $12.80], Violent Vixen [Race 3, $23.20] and Bold Journey [Race 5, $5.60]. He finished second [Candy Light, Race 6] and third [Jane Grey, Race 7] with his two other mounts on the nine-race card.

Big Everest finished sixth in last year's Allied Forces at Belmont Park in his only previous stakes attempt. He bested winners on three occasions this year, taking an allowance and optional-claimer at Belmont, along with a front-running optional-claiming score on September 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

“The whole fall we were pointing for this race and if there was going to be a stakes for him this year it was going to be this one,” Lorieul said. “After his last win, we said it was time for him to go to a stake. He's going to go for a rest and we'll see him next year.”

Castellano said the Mike Maker-trained Shadow Sphinx was game in defeat.

“I had a beautiful trip, I was just saving all the ground every step of the way,” Castellano said. “I like the way he did it and I like the way he finished. Unfortunately, there was not much pace in the race. The only horse with speed dictated the pace the whole way. But I'm very satisfied with the horse – he came running in the end and it was a good race for him.”

Bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud, Big Everest banked $74,250 in victory while improving his record to 10-5-1-1. Sent to post the even-money favorite, he returned $4.20 for a $2 win ticket.

The post Big Everest Goes Wire To Wire In Artie Schiller, Gives Rosario Fourth Win On Aqueduct Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Defending champion Whereshetoldmetogo, a 13-time career stakes winner, and graded stakes winners Cordmaker and Double Crown top 24 horses nominated to the $75,000 Howard & Sondra Bender Memorial Friday, Nov. 25 at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong Bender for 3-year-olds and up and $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs, both restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses, come on the first of back-to-back stakes days over Thanksgiving weekend.

Laurel will serve up three $100,000 stakes Saturday, Nov. 26 – the 1 1/8-mile Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up, City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, each going seven furlongs.

A 7-year-old gelding owned by Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and BTR Racing, Inc. trained by Laurel fall meet leader Brittany Russell, Whereshetoldmetogo owns 17 career wins but had a four-race win streak snapped when second by a half-length as the favorite in a 5 ½-furlong allowance Oct. 29 at Delaware Park.

Whereshetoldmetogo has won eight of 11 career starts at Laurel – seven of those victories coming in stakes – and is 4-for-6 lifetime going seven furlongs including last year's Bender, his most recent attempt, when he rallied for a popular neck triumph. He lost for the first time this year last out, following wins in the Not For Love and an optional claiming allowance at Laurel and the Alapocas Run and New Castle at Delaware.

Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker ran sixth in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Nov. 4 at Laurel, his first start in 259 days since becoming a graded-stakes winner in the Feb. 19 General George (G3), also at seven furlongs. The gelded 7-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin has won 14 lifetime races, 10 of them in stakes.

Both Whereshetoldmetogo ($967,795) and Cordmaker ($990,880) are chasing the $1 million mark in lifetime purses.

Built Wright Stables' Double Crown sprung a 42-1 upset of the one-mile Kelso (G2) Oct. 29 at Aqueduct just seven days after finishing fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic at Laurel. Owned and trained by Norman 'Lynn' Cash, he is joined by three of his stablemates as nominees – 2021 Maryland Million Classic winner Monday Morning Qb, exiting an optional claiming allowance triumph Nov. 7 at Laurel; 2020 Polynesian winner Eastern Bay, a stakes runner-up in three of his last four starts including the Vosburgh (G2) and Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct; and Going to the Lead.

Also prominent among nominees are Oct. 22 Maryland Million Classic winner Ournationonparade, scratched from the Claiming Crown Jewel Nov. 12; 2021 Maryland Million Sprint winner Air Token, third by a neck in last year's Bender; multiple stakes winner Tappin Cat; 2021 Concern winner Alwaysinahurry; and 2020 Maryland Million Sprint winner Karan's Notion.

Trainer John 'Jerry' Robb has won the past two runnings of the Politely with Anna's Bandit (2019) and Princess Kokachin (2021) and has one of 21 nominees for this year's race in CJI Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm's Fillie d'Esprit. The 6-year-old Great Notion mare has earned nine of her 11 lifetime wins at Laurel including two of her four stakes wins, most recently in the Oct. 22 Maryland Million Distaff.

Divine Huntress, a 3-year-old daughter of Divining Rod owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Long Valley Stables and trained by Graham Motion, is nominated for her first start since running fourth in the Aug. 26 Charles Town Oaks (G3). She won the seven-furlong Miss Disco against Maryland-bred/sired horses July 30 at Laurel one start after finishing second Belmont Park's Acorn (G1).

Holly Hill Stables' Edie Meeny Miny Mo, runner-up in the 2021 Monmouth Oaks (G3), gave trainer Michelle Hemingway her first career stakes winner in the July 2 Regret at Monmouth Park. She ended a 2 ½-month break between starts finishing second in an open six-furlong allowance Oct. 30 at Laurel behind multiple stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya.

Among other Politely nominees are Aug. 27 Timonium Distaff winner Breviary; Combat Queen, a winner of back-to-back 5 ½-furlong sprints at Laurel, the latter Oct. 30; stakes-placed Juror Number Four and Startwithabang; and multiple stakes winner Malibu Beauty, entered in Laurel's Nov. 12 Thirty Eight Go Go.

The post Five Stakes Anchor Laurel’s Thanksgiving Weekend Action appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post