Month: January 2023

R. Larry Johnson's Souzak is scheduled to make his U.S. debut in Saturday's $100,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where the son of Kodiac will seek his fourth victory in a row.

The Dania Beach, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, will co-headline an 11-race program with the $100,000 Ginger Brew, a mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

Souzak was purchased at the Arqana Arc Sale for $392,080 only hours after collecting his third straight victory Oct. 1 at Longchamp.

“He won the day of the sale. Larry picked him out, and I contacted Nicolas de Watrigant,” said trainer Graham Motion, who called upon the prominent French bloodstock agent to bid on the French-bred colt on Johnson's behalf.

Following the sale, Motion had considered entering Souzak in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland.

“Timing-wise, it would have given us five weeks if we wanted to take a shot, but he got sick,” Motion said.

Souzak recovered at Motion's training base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, where he worked three times before shipping to Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach Country where he breezed once in preparation for the Dania Beach.

“He's training well, but I don't have a feel for how he'll do Saturday,” Motion said. “He's a nice horse, a straightforward horse.”

Joel Rosario has the mount aboard Souzak, who is scheduled to clash with six rivals in the Dania Beach, including Spendthrift Farm LLC's Major Dude and Mark Grier's Candidate.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher trains Major Dude, who most recently finished ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The son of Bolt d'Oro captured captured the Pilgrim (G1) in his turf debut at Belmont in his prior start.

“He's a very straightforward, very professional colt. He always has been. He took to the grass really well in the Pilgrim,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately, he drew Post 13 in the Juvenile [Turf] and he was never able to really tuck in and save any ground. I thought he ran really well to only get beat 3 ¾ lengths. I think from a different draw it could have been closer.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount aboard Major Dude.

Arnaud Delacour-trained Candidate is undefeated in two turf starts following an off-the-board finish in his debut over a sloppy Laurel main track. The son of Exaggerator broke his maiden with a front-running 2 ¼-length score at Laurel before winning by 4 ½ lengths in a Tampa allowance.

“He's done nothing wrong on the turf,” Delacour said. “Obviously, he's got tactical speed. He was a touch aggressive the last time at Tampa, but after about a furlong and a half he settled nicely. Hopefully he can do the same on Saturday.”

Spencer McDonald's Cheerful Charlie, a son of Adios Charlie who is multiple stakes-placed on Tapeta; Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable LLC's Congruent, who finished third in the Pulpit in his first start on turf last time out; Marie Trombetta and Three Diamonds Farm's Barzini, who is 2-for-2 on turf at five-furlongs, graduating at Laurel before scoring a gutsy optional claiming allowance last time out; and Watters Edge LLC's Worthington, who as won his last two starts on turf at Keenland and Churchill Downs; round out the field.

The post French Import, Three-Time Winner Souzak Makes U.S. Debut For Motion In Saturday’s Dania Beach appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lael Stables' Navy Goat will face eight rivals including fellow stakes winners Showgirl Lynne B and Grade 1-placed Cairo Consort as she chases a third straight victory in Saturday's $100,000 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 12th running of the Ginger Brew for fillies is one of two one-mile turf stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds on a xx-race program, along with the 15th renewal of the $100,000 Dania Beach. First race post time is 12:10 p.m.

Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing's Cairo Consort will be racing first time for her new connections since being purchased for $875,000 out of Fasig-Tipton's fall mixed sale in November. She had two wins, a second and two thirds in six starts at 2, all but her debut coming on Woodbine's turf course.

“She's very straightforward, very professional, and she's trained well,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She's done everything right since she's come in. We've been very pleased with what we've seen.”

Cairo Consort won the 6 ½-furlong Catch a Glimpse in her stakes debut last August, one start after breaking her maiden, then ran second as the favorite in the Natalma (G1) and third at 19-1, beaten 4 ¾ lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Both races came at the Ginger Brew distance.

“She's a good-looking filly, well-built, got a good disposition and a good mind. Obviously, her race record has been very good,” Pletcher said. “Winner of the Catch a Glimpse, second in a Grade 1 and third in the Breeders' Cup. Those are pretty solid credentials.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the call on Cairo Consort, a daughter of Cairo Prince, from Post 3.

“It looks like she's pretty versatile in her running style,” Pletcher said. “Depending on what the pace scenario is, Irad will be able to kind of place her where she feels most comfortable.”

Navy Goat, a bay daughter of undefeated Grade 1 winner Army Mule, fetched $450,000 as a 2-year-old in training last April and debuted running third as the favorite in a five-furlong turf sprint in August at Monmouth Park.

From there, Navy Goat graduated by a neck after getting bumped at the start of a one-mile maiden special weight on the grass at Kentucky Downs before heading south, where she captured the Nov. 19 Juvenile Fillies going a mile and 70 yards on Gulfstream's Tapeta course.

“I like her. I was really happy with the way she won at Kentucky Downs,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “We wanted to wait and get the right spot for her. She got it done last time in state-bred company, but she did it right. That was a little bit of a weaker race compared to what we're going to see on Saturday, but she did it in style so we're happy with her.”

Delacour was also pleased with how Navy Goat overcame trouble at the start again last time, when she hit the gate at the break and raced near the back of the pack early before getting into contention entering the stretch and drawing off to win by 2 ½ lengths.

“At Gulfstream the last time we were up against it a little bit. She didn't break that well and then it was a very slow space in front of her so it took a while for her to settle,” he said. “So, the fact that she was still able to finish was really encouraging to me.”

Joel Rosario, up for her maiden triumph, has the call on Navy Goal from Post 7.

“Depending on what the pace is going to be, she can sit pretty close or even mid-pack if the pace is hot,” Delacour said.

Westlake Racing Stable's Showgirl Lynne B drew the rail for her sophomore debut after concluding 2022 with successive off-the-board stakes finishes. The Bob Hess trainee opened her career with three straight wins, the first two of them sprinting over Gulfstream's Tapeta course, the second in last August's Sharp Susan.

Four horses return in the Ginger Brew after running in the 7 ½-furlong Wait a While on the Gulfstream turf Dec. 10 – Stephanie's Charm (third), Isabel Alexandra (sixth), Lady Azteca (seventh) and Bel Pensiero (11th). Stephanie's Charm also ran second in the one-mile, 70-yard Our Dear Peggy Sept. 17 on the Tapeta.

Completing the field are Anna Karenine, a winner of two of five starts last year in Europe entered for her U.S. debut; and Erna, exiting a popular neck maiden special weight triumph Dec. 11 at Gulfstream at the course and distance.

The post Breeders’ Cup-Placed Cairo Consort Makes Debut For Pletcher In Saturday’s Ginger Brew appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The ultra-consistent and versatile California-bred The Chosen Vron, a winner of three-straight stakes for trainer Eric Kruljac, will try and keep the good times rolling as the 4-5 favorite in Saturday's $150,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint for state-breds 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The Chosen Vron on Wednesday was entered for both the Cal Cup Sprint going six furlongs on dirt and the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 miles on turf. On Thursday morning, Kruljac confirmed the 5-year-old Vronsky gelding would go in the Sprint, which sets up an intriguing rematch with the speedy Big City Lights for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

“I think the sprint is the tougher race on paper, but it's what he's most familiar with,” Kruljac said.

Last month at Del Mar, The Chosen Vron and multiple-stakes winner Big City Lights squared-off in the restricted Cary Grant Stakes going seven furlongs at Del Mar. Big City Lights showed the way through fractions of 22.2 and 44.6 seconds as the 6-5 second choice, but in the stretch drive, even-money favorite The Chosen Vron surged past the leader under Hector Berrios and won going away by 3 ½ lengths. He earned a career-high 102 Beyer Speed Figure, which is also the highest for any entrant in the Sprint.

The Cary Grant was the third-straight win for The Chosen Vron, all in state-bred stakes, and the eighth overall in 12 starts. Previously, The Chosen Vron won the E.B Johnston going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos on Sept. 17 and the California Flag going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita a month later.

“His versatility and ability to adapt to different situations has just been incredible,” Kruljac said.

The Chosen Vron's seven overall stakes wins include two in the graded ranks, both coming in 2021 at Santa Anita in the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera and G3 Affirmed. The current win streak has pushed The Chosen Vron's earnings to $522,678 for an ownership group that includes Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.

“He was amazing,” Kruljac said of the gelding's lucrative fall campaign. “Probably the highlight of my career.”

Interestingly, The Chosen Vron has never raced the Cal Cup Sprint distance of six furlongs on dirt. He's also never run on an off track, which is possible for Saturday given the heavy rain that has hit Arcadia this week.

Kruljac said he was not particularly concerned with the conditions or distance, noting: “He'll be running at the end.”

The Cal Cup Sprint goes as the opener of Saturday's 10-race card, which kicks off at 12 p.m. Pacific.

“It should be a good race to start Cal Cup day and we better have our running shoes on,” Kruljac said. “(Mandella's) horse has every right to improve, I have all the respect in the world for that horse, but you got to worry about them all.”

In addition to the aforementioned Sprint and Turf, other stakes on Saturday's card are the $200,000 California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, $200,000 California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf and $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The post ‘We Better Have Our Running Shoes On’: The Chosen Vron Aims For Fourth Straight Stakes Win In Cal Cup Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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