January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Swarm Of Bees Kills Grade 2 Winner Air Support In India

Air Support, a multiple Grade 2 winner, was one of two stallions killed by a swarm of bees last week at Kunigal Stud Farm, The Times of India reports.

According to The Times of India, the two stallions, which also included Irish-born Group 3 winner Sanus Per Aquam, became panicked by the sound of swarming bees overhead on the afternoon of Jan. 5, and their movement made them a target for the swarm. By the time farm security saw what was going on, Zeyn Mirza of farm management group United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders Limited said the stallions had already collapsed.

“The security called the vets who arrived in about 10 minutes, but since thousands of bees had attacked them, both had too much toxins in their bodies and couldn't survive,” Mirza told The Times of India. “One of them died at 10 p.m. and the other died Friday Morning.”

Air Support, a 15-year-old son of Smart Strike retired to Kunigal Stud Farm for the 2014 breeding season, and he had become a rousing success in India, highlighted by 2020 Indian Horse of the Year and Indian Derby winner War Hammer. In total, he has sired five group stakes winners in India, including a trio of Group 1 winners.

Racing as a homebred for Stuart Janney III and trained by Shug McGaughey, Air Support won five of 21 starts and earned $937,619.

Air Support won the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes as a 2-year-old, and he competed in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. His most successful season came at age three, where he tallied victories in the G2 Virginia Derby and G3 Transylvania Stakes. At four, he won the G2 Bowling Green Stakes.

Sanus Per Aquam, a 10-year-old son of Teofilo, won the G3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes in England during his on-track career, and he has sired a trio of Group 3 winners in India.

Kunigal Stud Farm is India's oldest stud farm in India, with its roots tracing back to owner Tipu Sultan, who bred horses for his calvary to fight the British in the 1790s. The farm became home to the first Thoroughbred imported into the country with the arrival of Pero Gomez in 1886.

Indian businessman Vijay Mallya leased the farm in 1992 to be managed by his United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders Limited. Mallya has been active in importing U.S. and European runners to stand in India, including graded stakes winners Brave Act and Tejano, and the farm is a perennial leader within its region and the country as a whole.

‘You’ve Got To Ride Your Own Race’: Stablemates Gatsby, Legal Deal Face Off In Sunshine Sprint

Arindel's Gatsby is back to defend his title in Saturday's $75,000 Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream Park, where one of his six rivals will be a stablemate, Michelle and Lawrence Sargent's Legal Deal.

“We ran them in the same race last year. Gatsby won and Legal Deal ran somewhere in the middle of the field. He needed some time off,” trainer Carlos David said.

The Sunshine Sprint, a six-furlong dash for older Florida-breds, will co-headline Saturday's card with the $75,000 Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf, a mile turf stakes for Florida-bred fillies and mares.

Gatsby has won only once since his Sunshine Sprint win, but the 5-year-old homebred son of Brethren is coming off a sharp effort in the seven-furlong Marion County Florida Sire Stakes, in which he closed resolutely to finish just a half-length behind victorious and multiple stakes-winning stablemate Octane and a head behind graded-stakes winner Willy Boi.

“That was a good performance at Tampa when he finished behind Octane and Willy Boi, who won a graded stake,” David said. “Gatsby prefers three-quarters, I think.”

Legal Deal, who finished fourth in last year's Sunshine Sprint, enters this year's running off a brief freshening after finishing first or second in his last four starts, including a narrow loss to next-out winner The Distractor at Gulfstream last time out Nov. 13.

“I gave him a little break and sent him to a friend's farm near Palm Meadows. We brought him back and he's feeling really, really good,” David said.

Luis Saez has the call on Gatsby, while Paco Lopez is scheduled to ride Legal Deal.

“They have pretty similar running styles,” David said. “I just tell the guys, 'Just ride your own race. Try not to bother each other, but you've got to ride your own race.'”

The David-trained duo will clash with graded-stakes winner Lightening Larry Saturday. Lea Farms LLC's 4-year-old son of Uncaptured won the Chic Lang (G3) on the Preakness (G1) undercard. Lightening Larry is coming off a third-place finish in an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Nov. 22.

Jose Morales is scheduled to ride Lightening Larry for the first time.

Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher's Unsociable will seek his fourth-straight victory while making his first start off the $30,000 claim by trainer Michael Maker. The 4-year-old son of Social Inclusion has finished worse than first or second only once in eight career starts.

Irad Ortiz will ride Unsociable for the first time Saturday.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R.A. Hill, RAP Racing and Chris Mara's Legends Can't Die will enter the Sunshine Sprint off a second-place finish in a Gulfstream optional claiming allowance behind Endorsed, who finished fourth in the 2022 Pegasus World Cup (G1).

Trainer George Weaver named Joel Rosario to ride the 4-year-old gelding.

Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy and Stonehedge LLC's Cajun's Magic round out the field.

The post ‘You’ve Got To Ride Your Own Race’: Stablemates Gatsby, Legal Deal Face Off In Sunshine Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Cyberknife, Defunded, Proxy Still On Target For Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup

Prominent Grade 1 stakes winners Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife, Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman's Defunded and Godolphin LLC's Proxy are prominent on the second invitation list released Wednesday for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

There are no changes from the first invitation list for the 7th running of the 1 1/8-mile stakes for older horses that will headline a program with seven graded-stakes, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for older horses, and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares.

The names of all 12 horses on the first invitational list are included in the second invitation list.

Cyberknife, a multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning son of 2018 Pegasus World Cup champion Gun Runner, was one of the most successful 3-year-olds of the 2022 racing season, during which the Kentucky-bred colt won the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park, and the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park. He most recently finished second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, where he finished a head behind winner Cody's Wish.

Cyberknife, who is scheduled to make his final career start in the Pegasus before embarking on a stallion career, is trained by Brad Cox, who saddled Knicks Go for a victory in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup prior to the 2021 Horse of the Year's second-place finish last year behind Life Is Good.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who saddled Arrogate for a Pegasus World Cup triumph in 2017, trains Defunded, a 4-year-old gelded son of Dialed In, who closed out the 2022 season with victories in the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita and Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar.

Proxy, a 5-year-old son of Tapit, earned Grade 1 credentials in his 2022 finale in the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs. The Godolphin homebred is trained by Michael Stidham.

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio, Gary Barber's Get Her Number, Bruce Lundsford's Art Collector, Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto and Fernando Vine Ode's O'Connor are other Grade 1 or Group 1 winners on the invitational list for the Pegasus World Cup.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained White Abarrio has the distinction of being a Grade 1 winner at 1 1/8 miles over the main track at Gulfstream Park, having captured the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) in April. The 4-year-old son of Race Day, who also won the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream, most recently finished third in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, beaten just a half-length by winner Mind Control.

Peter Miller-trained Get Her Number, who captured the 2020 American Pharoah at Santa Anita, was Grade 1 stakes-placed twice in 2022, including a runner-up finish in the Cigar Mile, finishing a half-length ahead of White Abarrio.

Bill Mott-trained Art Collector, who captured the 2021 Woodward (G1) at Belmont, successfully defended his Charles Town Classic (G2) title this year.

Amador Sanchez-trained Super Corinto and Joseph-trained O'Connor were both Group 1 winners in Chile this year who have been victorious at Gulfstream.

Joseph is also represented on the Pegasus World Cup invitation list by Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking, the third-place finisher in the 2022 Belmont Stakes (G1) who captured the Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Dec. 31. The 4-year-old son of Exaggerator also claimed a graded-stakes victory in the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park.

Steve Moger's Stiletto Boy, a multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed son of Shackleford who finished third in last year's Pegasus World Cup, made this year's invitation list after winning the Californian (G2) this season for trainer Ed Moger Jr.

Tami Bobo's Simplification is another on the Pegasus World Cup invitation list with experience at Gulfstream, having captured the 2022 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream. The Antonio Sano-trained son of Not This Time most recently finished third in the Harlan's Holiday.

Willis Horton Racing LLC's Last Samurai, who captured the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), represents Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas on the Pegasus World Cup invitational list.

The number of reserve invitees was reduced from eight on the first invitation list to five on the second invitation list. The list (in alphabetical order):WSS Racing LLC's Barber Road, the runner-up to Cyberknife in the Arkansas Derby (G1); Mark Breen's Endorsed, who finished fourth in last year's Pegasus World Cup; Dream Team One Racing Stable's Hoist the Gold, who finished third in the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita last time out; Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC's Law Professor, who finished second behind Life Is Good in the Woodward (G1); and Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Ridin With Biden, who won the Greenwood Cup (G3) at Parx.

The post Cyberknife, Defunded, Proxy Still On Target For Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pegasus Turf: Lady Speightspeare Among Four Elevated From Reserves To Main Invitation List

Grade 1 winners In Love and Lady Speightspeare, and Atone, fourth by less than two lengths last winter, were among four horses elevated from reserves to the main invitation list for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Saturday, Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Wednesday was the second of three invitation lists for Pegasus World Cup Day, a program featuring eight stakes, seven graded, worth $5.3 million in purse earnings including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat and $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G1).

The final invitation list is Wednesday, Jan. 18. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday, Jan. 22.

Two-time defending champion Colonel Liam continues to top the dozen invitees to the Pegasus Turf. Robert and Lawana Low's 6-year-old finished sixth in the Dec. 31 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream, his first race in 281 days. He is joined by City Man and Grade 1 winner Decorated Invader, respectively 1-2 in the Fort Lauderdale for trainer Christophe Clement.

Also remaining from the initial list are Ivar, a Brazilian-bred multiple Group 1 winner in Argentina that won the 2020 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1); Master Piece, winner of the Eddie Read (G2) and second in the Del Mar Handicap (G2); Hollywood Derby (G1) winner Speaking Scout; Who's the Star, riding a three-race win streak in the Durham Cup (G3), Autumn (G2) and Valedictory (G3) on Woodbine's all-weather surface; and 2022 Bay Shore (G3) winner Wit, third by less than a length in the Hollywood Derby.

Jordan Wycoff's Atone has placed four times in graded-stakes including the 2021 Fort Lauderdale and most recently the Mint Million (G3) last fall at Kentucky Downs. He ran fourth behind Colonel Liam, beaten 1 ¾ lengths, in the 2022 Pegasus Turf. Trainer Mike Maker won the Pegasus Turf with Zulu Alpha in 2020.

Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's In Love, trained by Paulo Lobo, hails from the same connections as Ivar. The 7-year-old gelding is another Brazilian-bred Argentine import that won the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) in 2021 and comes out of a three-quarter-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Prairie Bayou over Turfway Park's all-weather surface Dec. 17.

Charles Fipke's Lady Speightspeare is the lone female on the invitation list. The 5-year-old Speightstown mare owns four career graded-stakes wins – the 2020 Natalma (G1) and 2022 Nassau (G2), Trillium (G3) and Seaway (G3), all at Woodbine. She exits a third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

Team Valor et. al's Hurricane Dream has been group-stakes placed four times in Europe that has yet to race in the U.S. He was beaten a head when second in the one-mile Brunner Oettingen Rennen (G2) last September in Germany.

California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing and Ryan Hanson's One More Bid, last out winner of the Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) Dec. 26, is a new addition to the reserve list that also includes 2022 Louisville (G3) winner Cellist; Dark Shift, winner of the Royal Hunt Cup last summer at Royal Ascot; multiple graded-stakes placed Good Governance, fourth last out in the Fort Lauderdale; 2022 Knickerbocker (G3) winner King Cause; Law Professor, a Grade 2 winner on dirt that won the Tapit on the turf at Kentucky Downs last fall; and Street Ready, third in the Fort Lauderdale.

The Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf also saw four horses elevated from the initial reserve list – Kate's Kingdom, Lady Rockstar, Perseverancia and Scotish Star. Kate's Kingdom ended 2022 with back-to-back stakes wins in the Ontario Matron (G3) at Woodbine and My Charmer at Turfway Park, both over all-weather surfaces. She is entered in Turfway's Likely Exchange Saturday.

British-bred Lady Rockstar, by Frankel, was second by a length to fellow invitee Stolen Holiday in the Dec. 31 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream. Perseverancia exits a runner-up finish to Dalika in the Nov. 24 Cardinal (G3) while Scotish Star, third in the Chillingworth (G3) on dirt at Santa Anita last fall, finished sixth as the favorite in the Suwannee River.

New to the invite list is Bridlewood Farm's multiple stakes winner Bay Storm, who captured the Incredible Revenge last summer at Monmouth Park and ended her 2022 season running second by a nose in the Mint Ladies Sprint (G3) at Kentucky Downs and third after setting the pace in the one-mile Suwannee River.

Remaining from the initial invite list are Artie's Princess, Dalika, Justify My Love, Queen Goddess, Shantisara, Stolen Holiday and Wakanaka. Shantisara earned Grade 1 credentials while winning the 2021 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Keeneland and is trained by Chad Brown, who saddled Regal Glory for a victory in the 2022 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Wakanaka, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, captured the Fall Harvest to conclude a productive 2022 season that included a victory in the Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine and a runner-up finish behind Regal Glory in the Just a Game (G1) at Belmont. Al Stall Jr.-trained Dalika, a hard-hitting 7-year-old daughter of Pastorius, earned Grade 1 credentials with a victory in the Beverly D. (G1) at Churchill Downs in August and also won the Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs and the Cardinal (G3) at Churchill.

2021 American Oaks (G1) and 2022 Santa Ana (G3) and Robert J. Frankel (G3) winner Queen Goddess is trained by Michael McCarthy, who saddled City of Light for a victory in the 2019 Pegasus World Cup. Artie's Princess won the Presque Isle Masters (G2) for defending Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., while Justify My Love is a Brazilian-bred Group 2 winner in Argentina that hails from the same connections as In Love and Ivar.

The lone horse on the reserve list is new addition Sweet Enough, owned by Trevor Harris and trained by Hall of Famer Roger Attfield. The 5-year-old mare won a trio of minor stakes in her native England and most recently earned her first North American victory in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Dec. 29 at Gulfstream.

The post Pegasus Turf: Lady Speightspeare Among Four Elevated From Reserves To Main Invitation List appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post