Month: January 2023

Cyberknife Named 5-2 Favorite For Career Finale In Pegasus World Cup

Gold Square LLC's MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), last seen finishing a narrow second to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, is scheduled to make the final start of his racing career Saturday at Gulfstream Park as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

The Pegasus World Cup will headline a 13-race program also featuring the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and four other graded-stakes races totaling $5.3 million in purses.

Following a similar pattern as his sire, Cyberknife–who drew Post 10 in the 12-horse field–will be retired after the race to begin stallion duty at Spendthrift Farm.

Cyberknife's trainer Brad Cox, who was victorious in the 2021 GI Pegasus World Cup with Knicks Go (Paynter), finished second behind WinStar's Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in last year's renewal.

“It's really amazing he's been able to stay as good as he has physically and mentally,” said Cox. “He's improved a tremendous amount mentally over the last six, seven, eight months. Physically he looks amazing. He's given us all the signs – and maybe even more so now, working better than he ever has leading up to this. He is older. He's stronger than he was throughout his 3-year-old season. And he's going to need to be.”

Florent Geroux, who rode Gun Runner in his own Pegasus World Cup victory, is named to ride Cyberknife.

Godolphin LLC's Proxy (Tapit), rated second on the morning line at 9-2, enters the Pegasus World Cup off his first career Grade I victory in the GI Clark S. Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

“Certainly, I feel like the Pegasus is going to come up tougher overall, a tougher race, so we have to pick our game up from the Clark,” said trainer Michael Stidham. “I don't think we can run the same race we ran in the Clark and expect to win. I think we need to do a little bit better, and I'm hoping my horse will move forward from the Clark. That's what we need to see.”

Joel Rosario, who rode Knicks Go for his 2021 Pegasus World Cup score, has the call on Proxy from the rail.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who leads all trainers with victories during the current meet at Gulfstream, is represented in the field by three horses: Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) (5-1; Post Seven), C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) (10-1; Post Four), and Fernando Vine Ode and Michael and Jules Iavarone's O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) (10; Post 12). Jose Ortiz has the call on Skippylongstocking, while Tyler Gaffalione and Javier Castellano are named to ride White Abarrio and O'Connor, respectively.

Trainer Bob Baffert will send Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Defunded (Dialed In) (6-1; Post Five) to the Gulfstream Park track Saturday in search of his third success in the Pegasus World Cup after being victorious with Arrogate in 2017 and Much Gusto in 2020.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has made a late change in jockeys for Willis Horton Racing LLC's Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) (20-1; Post Nine), who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Bruce Lundsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) (10-1; Post Six) will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, who celebrated his 2000th career victory Saturday at Gulfstream.

Completing the field are Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In) (15-1; Post Eight), Tami Bobo and Tristan de Meric's Simplification (Not This Time) (15-1; Post Two), Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) (30-1; Post 11), and Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Ridin With Biden (Constitution) (20-1; Post Three), who drew into the 12-horse field Sunday upon the defection of Super Corinto (Super Saver).

Dream Team One Racing's Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) and Mark Breen's Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) are also eligible in the listed order.

The post Cyberknife Named 5-2 Favorite For Career Finale In Pegasus World Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Brazilian-Bred Ivar Named Morning-Line Favorite For Pegasus Turf

With the recent retirement of two-time winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), MG1SW Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) was named the narrow 5-2 morning-line favorite for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf. A winner of three of 12 starts in the U.S.–topped by the 2020 GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland–he has run in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile each of the last three years, running third in 2021 and fourth in 2020 and 2022.

“I think his [last] race was very good,” said trainer Paulo Lobo. “He lost to a very top horse [Modern Games]. Javier Castellano was riding him for the first time. He rode a very good race, and since then we've pointed for the Pegasus Turf and we've never missed a day and never had a bad day. Everything that we planned is happening, no problems.”

Hall of Famer Castellano will be back aboard Ivar from Post 10.

Also among the dozen contenders are 4-1 second choice MGSW City Man (Mucho Macho Man) and GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), both trained by Christophe Clement, who respectively ran 1-2 in Gulfstream's GII Fort Lauderdale S. Dec. 31.

Third choice at 6-1 is Charles Fipke's homebred GISW Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), who will face males for the first time. The 5-year-old owns seven wins from 13 career starts, six of them in graded-stakes including Woodbine's GI Natalma S. Third last time out in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she retains the services of Luis Saez from post six.

Rounding out the field are MGSP Atone (Into Mischief), MGSW Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), MGSW Who's the Star (Tonalist), GSW One More Bid (California Chrome), MGSP Good Governance (Kingman {GB}), and another pair of stablemates, Graham Motion-trained GISW Speaking Scout (Mr. Speaker) and MGSP Hurricane Dream (Fr) (Hurricane Cat), making his first start in North America.

On the also-eligible list, in order of preference, are GSW King Cause (Creative Cause) and Dark Shift (Dark Angel {Ire}), winner of the Royal Hunt Cup last summer at Royal Ascot.

The post Brazilian-Bred Ivar Named Morning-Line Favorite For Pegasus Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Grade 1 Winner Pauline’s Pearl Headlines Houston Ladies Classic Entrants; Two Previous John B. Connally Winners To Meet In This Year’s Edition

The $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) and $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3) are the marquee events among five stakes set for the Houston Racing Festival card Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park.

Stonestreet Stables LLC's homebred Grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl is among seven older fillies and mares entered for the 1 1/16-mile Houston Ladies Classic.

A ​5-year-old daughter of Tapit out of Grade 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick, by Dixie Union, Pauline's Pearl captured the 2021 edition of the race for trainer Steve Asmussen and followed up with an elite-level win ​in ​the La Troienne (G1) at Churchill Downs. An earner of $1,695,200 in 15 career efforts, the freshened mare will be starting for the first time since finishing third in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) July 2 at the Lousiville track.

“She is a tremendous Stonestreet Stables homebred who got her year off to a good start in the Houston Ladies Classic, then winning a Grade 1,” stated Asmussen of the mare. “We are definitely trying to duplicate that.”

Asmussen, who has won 14 Sam Houston Race Park leading trainer titles, will be seeking his fourth win in the Houston Ladies Classic. He also won in 2019 edition with the season's champion older dirt female, Midnight Bisou, and the 2020 running with Lady Apple.

Trainer Bret Calhoun has entered Hidden Connection, a Connect filly who won the 2021 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, before finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for owners Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds. In her most recent start, she won an allowance-optional claiming race by 7 1/2 lengths Dec. 16 at Fair Grounds, where she was the runner-up in the 2022 Fair Grounds Oaks.

“She showed up early and was very talented, with a high cruising speed and the ability to carry it,” said Calhoun. “Following the Oaks, we gave her time off and she bounced back well.”

Her Fair Grounds victory last month provided plenty of options for her 4-year-old campaign, with the goal of competing the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

“I liked the way Hidden Connection won at Fair Grounds and feel she is at a peak level of fitness,” he added.

Also shipping from Fair Grounds will be Susan Moulton's Oliviaofthedesert. Sired by Bernardini, the 5-year-old mare exits a victory in the Blushing K. D. Stakes on December 26. The multiple stakes winner will make her 23rd start for trainer Wayne Catalano, who has given the call to veteran jockey James Graham.

Lothenbach Stables Inc.'s homebred She Can't Sing will make her Sam Houston debut for trainer Chris Block. The 6-year-old mare, also sired by Bernardini out of a Distorted Humor mare Distorted Music, has won eight of her 33 lifetime starts, most recently the Chilukki (G3) at Churchill Downs.

“We had a few options for this mare,” Block said. “She's been working well since winning at Churchill (on November 19). Owner Bob Lothenbach and I felt she deserves a chance.”

Sixtythreecaliber, owned by My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm LLC, will ship in for trainer Tom Amoss. The 4-year-old filly by Gun Runner has won five of her seven career starts and exits a victory in the Comely (G3) on Nov. 25 at Aqueduct.

Conditioner Brendon Walsh will send in Moon Swag for owner Farfellow Farm, Ltd. The 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon won the “Spanky” Broussard Memorial Stakes last month at Fair Grounds.

Completing the field is Fast and Feminine, who will make her stakes debut for owner/trainer Randy Snipes. The 4-year-old filly by Oxbow won an allowance at Sam Houston on Jan. 20.

The Houston Ladies Classic will run as the ninth race, with an approximate post time of 5:25 pm (CT).

Two previous Connally winners are among a dozen entered for this year's 1½-mile turf contest: Team Block's homebred Another Mystery and NBS Stable's Spooky Channel.

Another Mystery won last year's Connally in a thrilling dead heat with Fantasioso. Trained by Chris Block, the 7-year-old son of Temple City has competed against some of the top grass routers, finishing third in the 2022 Kentucky Turf Cup (G2). In 32 starts, he has earned $562,650.

Spooky Channel, the 2021 Connally winner, comes in off a victory last month at Fair Grounds in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial for trainer Jason Barkley. By English Channel, the 8-year-old gelding has banked $661,722.

Trainer Mike Maker, who has won the Connally a record seven times, has three entrants: Kinenos, who will try to snap a nine-race winless skid in pursuit of a stakes breakthrough; Grade 2 winner Bemma's Boy, who was third in last year's Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland; and Bay Street Money, who will be making his stakes debut.

The Houston Racing Festival card also includes the $100,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile for 3-year-olds, and a pair of stakes for Texas-breds: the $100,000 Bara Lass and $100,000 Groovy.

The post Grade 1 Winner Pauline’s Pearl Headlines Houston Ladies Classic Entrants; Two Previous John B. Connally Winners To Meet In This Year’s Edition appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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