Month: January 2023

Queen Goddess had not shown much of an affinity for racing outside of California, where she has never once finished worse than third.

But the 5-year-old mare put her East Coast issues to rest Saturday with a 1 ½-length victory in the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) presented by Pepsi at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares, which was contested under a gray sky, was the first of three stakes – all graded – in the Pegasus trifecta of events to cap the 13-race program.

And Queen Goddess and jockey Luis Saez ruled it, holding off 9-5 program favorite Shantisara for the victory, her first outside California, with Lady Rockstar 2 ¾ lengths in third.

“She ran pretty big,” Saez said. “Today she proved she's a beautiful and special filly. We knew she had a lot of speed but inside they had speed, too, so the plan was to try to follow the speed and be right behind, and everything went according to plan. It was perfect.”

Trained by Michael McCarthy for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, Queen Goddess – sent off at odds of 4-1 – improved her record to six wins in 11 career starts. But it was her first race east of the Mississippi River in which she finished better than fifth.

Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbreds, said the trip east was never a concern when the decision was made to send Queen Goddess to South Florida for the Pegasus.

“She's matured,” Wellman said. “She's a filly we always thought would get better with age. The two times we sent her east were a very ambitious run in the Queen Elizabeth (G1 at Keeneland) and a dirt try in the Bayakoa (G3 at Oaklawn Park). She wasn't quite ready for it. Today we felt good about our chances.”

Queen Goddess entered Saturday's stakes off a convincing 2 1/2-length victory in the Robert Frankel (G3) at Santa Anita on Dec. 31.

On Saturday, with Sweet Enough establishing the early lead, Queen Goddess and Saez were content to stalk in fourth before making a decisive move turning into the stretch and drawing off for the win. She completed the trip in 1:41.91 while 2-1 race favorite Wakanaka finished fifth after being blocked in the final turn.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard Shantisara, said his mare broke slowly, forcing him to “drop in and wait” in the early stages.

“I could have made the first move outside, but I didn't want to,” Ortiz said. “I followed some horses. The winner opened up on me, but my filly was closing.”

The post California-Based Queen Goddess Makes Successful Gulfstream Invasion In Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Mike Maker struck for his second graded stakes win on the Gulfstream Park card Saturday when Atone ran down Ivar to win the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

Following Red Knight's triumph with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard in the W. L McKnight (G3) two races earlier in a 1-2-3 finish for Maker, the trainer and jockey teamed for the lucrative victory with Three Diamond Farm's Atone, who landed his first graded stakes victory in the Pegasus Turf and seventh win overall from 23 career starts.

A 6-year-old Into Mischief gelding, bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Atone was fourth in last year's edition of the Pegasus Turf. He returned $9.60 for this year's winning performance after covering 1 1/8 miles event in 1:46.19.

Ivar, who led briefly in the stretch, held on for second, and Speaking Scout was third in the field of 12. Completing the order of finish was Lady Speightspeare, One More Bid, King Cause, Master Piece, Wit, Good Governance, Hurricane Dream, Decorated Invader, and City Man.

Maker was winning his third race Saturday, while Ortiz landed his fourth win on the card.

PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF QUOTES

OWNER QUOTES

Three Diamonds Farm partner Carl Fiebig (Atone, 1st): “All the credit goes to [trainer] Mike [Maker] and his staff. Irad [Ortiz Jr.] is an Eclipse Award winner for a reason. It was flawless execution. Most importantly, for the Wycoffs, this win is for them. We're glad to be a small part of this. For myself and my family to be a part of this, I just want to thank Jordan and Kirk [Wycoff] who put a lot of energy, money and everything into this business and I'm glad to see them rewarded on days like this.”

TRAINER QUOTES

Mike Maker (Atone, 1st, King Cause, 6th): ““It feels great to win. It doesn't get old.”

“[Jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr.] looked like he wanted to be forwardly placed out of the gate and it looked like a couple of others had the same idea. He settled in nice, saved some ground and got lucky to get some racing room when it counted.

“He was a hard-luck horse last year. He's always been right there, and today was his day.

“It's been a great day, and I've got two more tonight at Turfway.”

Graham Motion (Speaking Scout, 3rd, Hurricane Dream, 10th): “[Hurricane Dream] had a little bit of trouble. [Jockey] Frankie [Dettori] said he was a little bit lost out there. He said it was just so different the first time over here. They go so fast. But I thought [Speaking Scout] ran super. [Jockey] Paco [Lopez] gave him a great ride. He was coming on. He's gotten good, this horse.”

JOCKEY QUOTES

Irad Ortiz Jr. (Atone, 1st): “It means everything. [My family is] my support all the time and that's why I get up every day and try to get better. I have to thank Mike Maker and the owner for giving me the opportunity to ride this horse, and congrats to everyone.

“It was perfect, every step of the way. I was so happy. I was following a live horse, Wit, and then by the three-eighths pole the horse that I had to beat was outside of me, so I had to take two or three strides to let him move before I made my move. I waited but at the same time I tipped my way out so when I hit the clear my horse was there. All the credit goes to the horse.

“It means a lot. I'm just enjoying the moment and what is happening in my career right now. I have to thank my agent Steve Rushing for doing a great job and thanks to all the owners and trainers for supporting me. They make me the happiest man in the world to be honest. I'm living the dream.

Javier Castellano (Ivar, 2nd): “He ran good. It was a good race. I felt the other horse a little bit but my horse kept running. He never gave up. The winner ran a huge race. I'm not disappointed in my horse at all. I'm very proud of the way he did it. I know it was a little far, but I don't think it was too far because he finished good.:

The post Money Maker: Atone Notches First Graded Win In Lucrative Pegasus Turf As Trainer Strikes For Second Time On Gulfstream Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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On Saturday morning, Hoosier Philly put in her first workout since returning to the Tom Amoss barn at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. The perfect 3-for-3 phenom continued her impressive ways, firing a :47.40 bullet –the fastest of 102 works going four furlongs.

“There were a few things that are important to note,” Amoss said. “The work was designed to be an easy ask, and that is exactly how she worked, despite the work looking really quick as a final time. You have to put that into perspective because she has a very high cruising speed. It was very, very similar to how she worked as a 2-year-old before we gave her time off, so we were happy with that.”

Amoss and Fair Grounds' clocker Mike Diliberto timed Hoosier Philly at five furlongs in 1:00 flat. The Into Mischief filly by the Tapit dam Tapella had her regular jockey Edgar Morales on board for her drill this morning.

“She was well within herself and made it look easy,” clocker Mike Diliberto said. “It looked like she was loping along, and then you looked at the time and it was like 'wow.'”

Owned by Gold Standard Racing Stable and bred by Candy Meadows in Kentucky, Hoosier Philly earned ten points towards the Kentucky Oaks with her Golden Rod (G2) romp at Churchill Downs in November. Prior to that she won the Rags to Riches Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths. She is currently in tenth place in the Oaks standings.

“I really like how enthusiastic she has been in her training over this past week,” Amoss said. “That's always been her way in the past. When she first came in, it probably took her a little bit of time to get reacquainted with the race track and what her job is, but she's been doing great. It's worth noting that she wore four bandages today for her work, and we'll likely do that for the next time she works as well, but it's totally precautionary, and I doubt we do that for the race. We're just taking a lot of precautions with her.”

Amoss has another 3-year-old standout in his barn, Curly Jack. The Iroquois (G3) winner has already earned 17 points toward the Kentucky Derby.

“He's doing super,” Amoss said. “(Curly Jack and Hoosier Philly) are different horses in regards to how you train them. Hoosier Philly is not going to need as much as Curly Jack will need to get ready to run. And you saw that today with her gallop out that was very strong past the wire. Curly Jack will come back likely mid-next week and we'll give him some competition. We'll pit him against another horse, and we're going to call upon him. We're going to ask him to finish up (strongly) in the work, and I'm looking forward to doing that.”

In his second work since returning to the barn, on Thursday, Jan 26, Curly Jack breezed four furlongs in :50.40 for trainer Tom Amoss (36th fastest of 48).

“The track had been slower the past two or three days, and it definitely sped up today (Saturday),” Diliberto said.

Michael McLoughlin's 3-year-old son of Good Magic is out of the Roman Ruler dam Connie and Michael.

Hoosier Philly has been targeting the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and Curly Jack, the Risen Star (G2). But Amoss reports today that it is not set in stone.

“We're not married to either of those two spots,” Amoss said. “But based on how they are doing and where they've progressed in their training, it's very likely (they start in those races).”

Slated for Saturday, Feb 18, the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton are the third of four local preps for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and the Longines Kentucky Oaks, offering up 50-20-15-10-5 points.

The post Undefeated Hoosier Philly Gets A ‘Wow’ From Fair Grounds Clocker In First Breeze Of Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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