Month: January 2023

Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint found a wet fast track to her liking at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Saturday, rallying from last under Flavien Prat to win the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes going away by two lengths. A homebred for Godolphin, the 3-year-old filly by Blame out of Sky Painter, by Street Cry, earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks after covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.62. She paid $8 as the third choice in the wagering in a field of six.

Taxed finished second under Joe Talamo, with Defining Purpose and David Cabrera three-quarters of a length back in third. Take Charge Briana, Olivia Twist and Key to Success rounded out the field. Kentucky Oaks points were distributed on a 20-8-6-4-2 basis to the top five.

Breaking from the inside post position, Wet Paint showed no speed coming out of the gate and trailed the field early as even-money favorite Defining Purpose – coming off a 5 1/4-length victory at Oaklawn in the Year's End Stakes – battled with second choice Olivia Twist for the lead, going the opening quarter mile in :23.96 and the half in :48.18.

Olivia Twist, who entered the Martha Washington  unbeaten in three Remington Park starts for trainer Todd Fincher, led going into the far turn, the six furlongs clocked in 1:13.28. Rounding the turn and into the stretch, Olivia Twist was engaged by Defining Purpose again, with longshot Taxed making a three-wide move alongside the two leaders.

Prat, meanwhile, stayed on the rail aboard Wet Paint, moving up on the leaders turning into the stretch and then swinging to the outside. She powered to the lead inside the furlong pole with right and left-handed encouragement from Prat and won comfortably.

“Brad (trainer Cox) was telling me she wasn't really quick out of there,” Prat said. “He said to give her time to get herself on her leads. After that, she was traveling well. I was able to cut the corner. And, when I tipped her out, she really responded well.”

The Martha Washington was Wet Paint's second win in four starts, her only previous victory coming in a maiden contest contested on a sloppy track at Horseshoe Indianapolis in October, making a similar last-to-first move. Her most recent start resulted in a second-place finish on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Turfway Park Dec. 14.

The post Wet Paint Earns 20 Kentucky Oaks Points With Last To First Martha Washington Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Patiently ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Personal Best glided to the lead in late stretch and won $150,000 La Prevoyante (G3) by a neck over Transient Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The La Prevoyante was the first of seven graded stakes on the 13-race blockbuster Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) card that includes the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1)and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3).

Personal Best, bred and owned by Joseph Allen and trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, prevailed in her first try in a graded stakes. Ortiz kept the4-year-old gray daughter of Tapit  off the pace set by Adventuring, the even-money favorite. Following Transient, Ortiz moved her into contention on the outside in the last of the three turns in the 1 ½-miles race for older fillies and mares. Transient collared Adventuring as they approached the midstretch and Personal Best rolled to the lead a few strides later.

The 6-5 second choice in the wagering, Personal Best paid $4.60 for her third victory in a nine-race career. The final time was 2:26.04 over a firm course.

Godolphin's Adventuring went off as the 3-2 favorite in the field of seven and finished third. She set a sharp fraction of :23.48  for the first quarter and followed with times of :48.19 for a half mile and 1:13.57 for six furlongs.

Personal Best, who came into Saturday's race off a third in her stakes debut in the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, was bred in Kentucky from the War Front mare War Flag and improved to 3-2-3 from nine starts. The $91,140 winner's share of the La Prevoyante boosted her lifetime bankroll to $294,860.

La Prevoyante (G3) Stakes Quotes

Winning trainer Shug McGaughey (Personal Best): “I thought Irad rode her perfectly. There was a little speed in front of her and she was tracking really good. He said at the three-eighths pole, he was loaded. She has a little bit of a tendency to hang, but he just didn't let her do that today.

“She's still kind of lightly raced and has some things to learn. In few of her races, she wanted to be in her bridle too much, not bad. Today she was very relaxed. I think as we go along, I think we should have some fun with her.”

Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Personal Best): “Another great start, and the mare was much more relaxed today; that was key to the perfect trip we had, and by the three-eighths pole she was full of run and I let her go.

“I think the track is playing fair; it all depends on how fast or how slow the pace is.”

The post ‘Today She Was Very Relaxed’: Personal Best Wins La Prevoyante In Graded Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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