Month: February 2023

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has released its 2023 stakes schedule for state-bred horses, with 29 stakes to be run at Pennsylvania tracks throughout the year, seven for PA-Sired PA-Bred runners.

Two-year-olds will have added opportunities, as the 2-Year-Old PA-Sired PA-Bred Stallion Series has expanded in its second year to six stakes worth nearly $1 million.

The first of 23 stakes with purses of $100,000 to will be run Monday, April 24 at Parx Racing: the Unique Bella for fillies and mares, and the Page McKenney Handicap, each at seven furlongs for older horses.

Penn National will host four $100,000 stakes on its Penn Mile card on Friday, June 2 – two for 3-year-olds and two on the turf for older horses.

State-bred stakes action continues at Parx and Presque Isle Downs throughout the summer, with the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's signature event, Pennsylvania's Day at the Races, to be held on Monday, Aug. 21 at Parx. Seven $100,000 stakes, including the first legs of the 2-Year-Old PA-Sired PA-Bred Stallion Series – the Whistle Pig and Miss Blue Tye Dye (for fillies) run at 5 1/2 furlongs – are on the card that celebrates state-bred runners.

Next up in the 2-Year-Old PA-Sired PA-Bred Stallion Series are the Prince Lucky and Imply (the latter for fillies), both worth $150,000 and run at a distance of 6 1/2 furlongs. They are among the four state-bred stakes offered on Pennsylvania Derby Day on September 23 at Parx.

Presque Isle Downs will host five $100,000 Pennsylvania-bred stakes starting in July, two for juveniles on back-to-back days in October. The $200,000 Shamrock Rose Stakes for juvenile fillies will once again be run on Thanksgiving eve at Penn National in November, followed by the $200,000 Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx six days later.

Over a five-week span at the end of the year, $800,000 in purses for juveniles is up for grabs as the 2-Year-Old PA-Sired PA-Bred Stallion Series concludes on Dec. 27. New for 2023 are the $200,000 Wait For It Stakes and $200,000 Miss Behaviour Stakes (for fillies) to be contested at 1 mile and 70 yards.

In addition, a purse bonus of 25 percent for all PA-Sired PA-Breds in any non-PA-Sired stakes remains in effect this year.

The post Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association Announces 29 State-Bred Stakes For 2023 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It's been anything but a home-field advantage this season at Oaklawn for owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

Flurry, raised in the historic Trivista neighborhood that overlooks Oaklawn's second turn, has enjoyed great success at his home track since his first starter in 2012. Flurry has 95 career victories as a sole owner, including 28 at Oaklawn. Flurry also races horses in partnership, striking gold with millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Shedaresthedevil, a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2020.

Flurry has been more active at the entry box this season at Oaklawn, already matching his career high for starters in Hot Springs (25) after just 24 days of the scheduled 68-day meeting. Flurry also started another horse in partnership. The results haven't matched the aggression. Flurry only has one victory.

“I don't know if there's a pick-me-up at this point, when you've started 26 horses and got your head beat in 22 of those times,” Flurry said Tuesday morning. “It's hard to say there's a pick-me-up.”

A new week brings new hope, particularly Saturday when the accomplished Key of Life makes her 2023 debut in the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs. Flurry campaigns Key of Life with Hoffman Family Racing LLC (Texan Gregory Hoffman). Key of Life is the first horse they've had together.

From the first crop of Grade 1 winner Mo Town, Key of Life has a 3-0-2 record from five starts and earnings of $282,350. Key of Life was a front-running 6 ¾-length winner of the $200,000 Myrtlewood Stakes at 6 furlongs Oct. 28 at Keeneland.

Southern California-based Flavien Prat is named to ride Key of Life, the 7-5 Dixie Belle program favorite, for two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

“We want to win,” Flurry said. “Got Flavien coming into ride, so, hopefully, everything's falling into place.”

Flurry, on the advice of his bloodstock agent, Clay Scherer, purchased Key of Life for $350,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training. Key of Life covered an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 in her preview work over the synthetic surface, the co-second-fastest work of the sale. Unbeaten Arabian Knight, who won Oaklawn's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28, recorded the same time.

“I had kind of met my quota of what I wanted,” Flurry said. “But this filly, Clay said, 'Man, she' fast. You need to buy her. You need to buy her.' He said this is perfect one for you and Greg to partner up with. Super, super easy-going guy. I said my only partnership thing is we run in my silks here at Oaklawn. That's my only stipulation in any partnership. We've worked great together. Super, super nice guy. Great family.”

Flurry said he and Hoffman are also partners on two newly turned 2-year-olds. Flurry said Hoffman previously had horses with Cox and trainers Tom Amoss and H.B. Johnson.

“I think we'll have a fun little run because we both have the same goals in mind,” Flurry said. “We want to win. Let Brad handle everything and tell us where to show up.”

Key of Life exits a third-place finish in the $200,000 Fern Creek Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. She has five published workouts in advance of the Dixie Belle, the last four coming at Fair Grounds. Key of Life had been under consideration for the $125,000 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at 7 furlongs last Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Fern Creek winner Red Carpet Ready returned to capture the Forward Gal and is unbeaten in three lifetime starts.

“We didn't give her (Key of Life) any time off, but we let her chill out just a little bit after the last race,” Flurry said. “Timing-wise, this one was a little better than the Forward Gal because we had one extra week. Then, all that (equine herpesvirus) stuff started popping up at Gulfstream and you didn't know what was going to go on there and this is a whole lot easier ship than Gulfstream. It just worked out.”

Fridaynightsoldier, co-owned by Flurry, is entered in Friday's sixth race at Oaklawn.

The post Flurry Hopes For ‘Pick-Me-Up’ As Stakes Winner Key Of Life Returns In Oaklawn’s Dixie Belle Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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