Month: November 2022

Colts Neck Stables' Nothing Better kept a consistent season afloat, utilizing his typical front-running tactics to score a second stakes victory in Friday's $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, a six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and upward over Aqueduct's outer turf course.

Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., Nothing Better has never finished out of the money in six starts this season, including a stakes conquest in the Rainbow Heir on August 14 at Monmouth Park. The 5-year-old Munnings gelding carried his good form into a deep field that included of three graded stakes winners, turning back several challenges to win by a half-length.

Nothing Better emerged well from post 3 under Horacio Karamanos with New York-bred and 2-1 favorite Dancing Buck tracking a close second through an opening quarter-mile in :22.16 over the firm turf. Nearing upper stretch through a half-mile in :44.37, Dancing Buck inched his way to even terms with Nothing Better, with the latter kicking away from his foe past the eighth-pole, but a new challenge loomed as Anaconda launched a late rally in the final furlong. Nothing Better had enough in the tank to maintain his advantage to the wire, covering the six furlongs in 1:07.61.

Anaconda finished another 1 3/4 lengths ahead of late-closing Thin White Duke. Completing the order of finish were Chewing Gum, Voodoo Zip, Dancing Buck, Scuttlebuzz, Run Curtis Run, Gear Jockey, and Yes and Yes. Bad Beat Brian and Nathan Detroit were scratched.

Returning a cool $20.20 for a $2 win wager, Nothing Better banked $82,500 in victory, which brought his career earnings up to $356,317 and record to 18-7-2-3. He saw added ground from his previous start, arriving off a one-length allowance triumph under Jevian Toledo going 5 1/2 furlongs over the Laurel Park turf.

Duarte, whose last stakes win on the NYRA circuit came with Introduced in the 2020 Smart N Fancy at Saratoga Race Course, said he knew the Michelle Nevin-trained Dancing Buck would be his biggest competition.

“Michelle's horse had some gas, too. But my horse has been very fast at Monmouth, which is known to be a speedy track. We planned to play the break and try to go to the lead if they let us,” Duarte said. “Once you commit [to the lead] here, you hardly see a speed duel. The guys here are pretty smart about that, so we tried to take advantage of that and today it worked out.”

Karamanos said he did exactly what was requested of him.

“The trainer told me, 'Break in front and don't look back,' so that's what I did. Jorge has done a good job with this horse,” Karamanos said. “He's improving. Last time at Laurel, he won really nicely. He didn't win with me, but he did it in a nice time – 1:02 and change. So, I felt like I had a nice shot. This is a really nice horse.”

Karamanos said he was pleasantly surprised when Dancing Buck and last out stakes winner Run Curtis Run were not as keen to make the lead.

“I sent him out and I took the lead right away,” Karamanos said. “I got him to relax a little and then at the eighth pole, I let him pick it up. He gave me one beautiful kick to the wire.”

Duarte, who recently celebrated his 100th career win, said Nothing Better would likely get a freshening for the winter before resuming serious business in spring 2023.

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Nothing Better is out of the Duke of Marmalade mare One True Love, who is a half sister to Grade 1 winner Folk Opera.

The post Nothing Better Zips Gate To Wire In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Town and Country Racing's Temple City Terror, perfectly handled by Jose Ortiz, rallied to a comfortable 1 1/2-length score in Friday's $300,000 Long Island (G3), an 11-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 6-year-old daughter of Temple City paid immediate dividends for her new connections, who purchased Temple City Terror for $600,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Walsh said he was pleased to have the veteran mare return to his stable following the sale.

“We were delighted. She's a barn favorite and you have these horses for so many years and you become very attached to them as do all your staff,” Walsh said. “She's a credit to all of them as much as me. They've done a great job with her to keep her going and stay sound for this long.”

Temple City Terror, who made the grade last out in the Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland, saved ground at the back of the pack as longshot Big Time Lady set splits of :24.72 and :50.19 over the firm footing. The Manny Franco-piloted Rocky Sky, one of three Chad Brown trainees in the six-horse field, tracked in second with stablemates Kalifornia Queen and Capital Structure in third and fourth, respectively, through three-quarters in 1:15.70.

Kalifornia Queen surged up the rail into the final turn as Big Time Lady tired and checked out sharply causing the Irad Ortiz Jr.-piloted Capital Structure to take up. A patient Ortiz saved ground with Temple City Terror through the turn and avoided the trouble before tipping out to pass Kalifornia Queen and take aim at Rocky Sky.

Temple City Terror, full of run, easily overtook Rocky Sky at the furlong marker and drew off to win in a final time of 2:15.56. Rocky Sky completed the exacta by 6 3/4-lengths over Kalifornia Queen with Capital Structure, Tic Tic Tic Boom and Big Time Lady completing the order of finish. A stewards inquiry and a claim of foul by Ortiz into the incident at the three-eighths pole resulted in no change.

Ortiz said a clean trip proved beneficial.

“We got a great trip and then it was a bit of a mess with the horses in front of me at the three-eighths pole, but that honestly helped me and cleared the way for me,” Ortiz said. “She has a beautiful turn of foot and when I wanted to go, she was there for me. I was just the pilot and she was much the best. I just hand rode her and I knew she had it.”

Temple City Terror has enjoyed a solid 6-year-old campaign, including a successful title defense in the Keertana in May at Churchill Downs and a game second to multiple Grade 1-winner War Like Goddess in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl in September at Saratoga Race Course.

Shannon Potter, CEO of Town and Country Racing, said it was Walsh that convinced the new connections to continue racing the classy mare.

“She showed us today that she's not done,” Potter said. “We'll continue to see what happens. Running her as a 7-year-old is not out of the question now.

“Brendan's team has done a wonderful job with her. All the credit goes to them,” Potter added. “We bought in within the last month. He gets all the credit, just telling us what to do. And now, as he says, she's getting better with age and keeps rolling. We'll probably keep going with her through Gulfstream Park.”

Bred in Kentucky by Upson Downs Farm, Temple City Terror banked $165,000 in victory while improving her record to 29-7-5-5 for purse earnings of $861,218. She returned $3.30 for a $2 win ticket.

The post ‘She Showed Us Today That She’s Not Done’: Recently Purchased Temple City Terror Makes Case To Keep Racing With Long Island Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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