Month: January 2023

In the final race of the day on California Cup Day Saturday at Santa Anita, one of the state's longest and most successful Thoroughbred owner/breeders, John Harris, witnessed his homebred Coalinga Road rally to take the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic by neck under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Trained by Carla Gaines, Coalinga Road got 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:49.79.

The Unusual Heat Turf Classic is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or -sired horses.

Content to stalk the early leaders into the first turn, Coalinga Road was fourth, about two off Kings River Knight with three-quarters of a mile to run.

Leaving the three furlong pole, Velazquez was on the move three-deep, gradually overtook Kings River Knight inside the sixteenths pole, and prevailed over the onrushing Aligato and Luvluv.

Bred and owned by Harris Farms Inc., Coalinga Road, who had raced on dirt in his last two starts, most recently on Nov. 19 at Del Mar when third to the multiple stakes-winning The Chosen Vron in the state-bred Cary Grant Stakes at seven furlongs, was off at 3-1 in a field of eight older horses and paid $8.60 for Saturday's winning effort.

By Quality Road out of the Johannesburg mare Coco Ecolo, Coalinga Road, in notching his first stakes win, improved his overall race record to 4-6-3 from 18 starts. With the winner's share of $110,000, he increased his career earnings to $260,600.

Fifth at the rail early and tucked in just to the inside of the winner heading up the backside, Aligato stalked the leaders around the far turn, awaited room while two from the rail at the top of the lane, and finished well to just miss under Flavien Prat.

Off at 5-2, Aligato, who found his best stride late, finished a neck in front of Luvluv.

Last to the far turn, Luvluv, the longest shot in the field at 30-1 with Joe Bravo, flew late to be third, finishing a half length in front of early leader Kings River Knight.

Carmelita's Man, the 2-1 favorite with Juan Hernandez, had no apparent excuses and finished seventh.

Fractions on the race were :24.39, :49.50, 1:13.87, and 1:37.86.

UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JOHN VELAZQUEZ, COALINGA ROAD, WINNER: “We knew right from the get-go that there was not a lot of speed in the race, and he was going to be close. Obviously, we're coming from seven furlongs to 1 1/8th today. He broke well. I got a nice position passing the wire for the first time. Going into the first turn, we were in the perfect position to save ground there. When he went around the other horses in front, he moved all the way to the inside. Dettori (on Kings River Knight) went inside and kind of pushed the other horse out. Now I'm going very wide on the second turn, which is not what I wanted to do. But I saw Flavien (aboard eventual runner up Aligato) slip in there on the turn, and he's the horse to beat. So, I had to move to hold his horse in there because that was the only way to beat him. The horse responded to everything I wanted to do and when I asked him, he was there just enough to beat Flavien and the other horse coming from behind.

“It's nice to be here riding all these good horses and a lot of good opportunities, it is very fun.”

TRAINER QUOTES

CARLA GAINES, COALINGA ROAD, WINNER: “I loved our horse today, I just didn't want to run against The Chosen Vron (in the California Cup Sprint earlier on the card). Coalinga Road is so versatile that he could have run in the sprint or the route, and I was surprised that they entered the other horse in both.

“I can't describe in words how important the support from John Harris has been. This is so major, I'm having to fight back the tears.

“Someone told me one time about owners in this industry that there are those who have fired you, and those who haven't fired you yet. That's not the case with him. John gave me Glory Quest, the first horse I ever had.”

OWNER QUOTES

JOHN HARRIS, HARRIS FARMS, WINNER: “We came down here and I just wanted him to hit the board…This horse just keeps getting better. Carla is always a great trainer, she gets them right on race day. So it is really a thrill to be here.

“I was hoping he would get by those horses. Once he got the lead, I felt pretty good, I just didn't know if he would catch them or not.”

The post Coalinga Road Game In Notching First Stakes Win In Unusual Heat Turf Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In an agonizingly tight finish, the Jeff Mullins-trained Grazed My Heart was up to win Saturday's $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks by a nose, giving jockey Hector Berrios his second stakes win on Cal Cup Day at Santa Anita.

A 3-year-old filly by Grazen, Grazed My Heart got one mile on turf in 1:37.41.

Last, about seven lengths off pacesetter and eventual runner-up Sell the Dream three furlongs out, Grazed My Heart hugged the rail around the turn, angled three-deep at the furlong pole and managed to get up in time.

Claimed out of a second place finish for maiden $50,000 four starts back on Aug. 19 at Del Mar, Grazed My Heart was most recently second going one mile on dirt in the state-bred Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos Dec. 11.

Off at 5-1, Grazed My Heart paid $13.80 for the win.

Out of the Scat Daddy mare Daddy's Duo, Grazed My Heart was bred in California by Cicero Farms LLC and the Batchelor Family Trust.

Owned in part by former trainer Mark Cofer and his wife, Patricia, along with the Webb Family Trust, Grazed My Heart collected $110,000 for the Oaks victory, increasing her earnings to $198,020 from an overall mark of 2-3-1 from seven starts.

The 6-5 favorite with Flavien Prat, pacesetter Sell the Dream finished a half length in front of third-place finisher Cast Member.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Cast Member was able to tuck into third position from her outside post and was lapped on the favorite around the first turn, got on terms a quarter mile from home and stayed well through the drive to finish 1 ½ lengths in front of longshot Golden Again.

Fractions on the race were :23.62, :47.94, 1:12.36, and 1:24.57.

LEIGH ANN HOWARD CALIFORNIA CUP OAKS QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

HECTOR I. BERRIOS, GRAZED MY HEART, WINNER: “The pace was a little slow, and I felt that she needed more speed. I tried to relax and wait inside until there was a little clearance. When I moved her, she responded.

“I didn't know if I had won or not, and I had to keep looking at the big TV! It was a beautiful day for me today to get those two wins.”

TRAINER QUOTES

JEFF MULLINS, GRAZED MY HEART, WINNER: “At the three-eighths pole what was going through my mind was, you have a lot of work to do buddy and at about that time here she comes. I could see she had a big run in her and all she needed was room to get through. I was trying to watch through my binoculars and watch live, when she hit the wire, I just said, 'We got it.' But it's hard to tell when it is that close.

“This guy (Hector Berrios) just puts horses in good spots and gets a lot of run out of them. He's just a great guy.”

OWNER QUOTES

MARK COFER, PART OWNER, GRAZED MY HEART, WINNER: “We never imagined anything like this would happen when we claimed the filly. Our partners on this horse, Keith and Priscilla, I've known since I was in diapers. My father trained horses for Priscilla 50 plus years ago. She's 96 now. The day this filly broke her maiden here was her 96th birthday. So it has been a Godsend and it's just amazing. I give all the credit to Jeff Mullins and his team. They've done a fantastic job with this filly, and it's exciting.”

The post Grazed My Heart Comes From Last To Deny Pacesetting Favorite By Slimmest Margin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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