Month: March 2023

Stretching out to a mile for the first time, NBS Stable and Elements Racing LLC's Danse Macabre upset the field in the $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going on the grass at Gulfstream Park Saturday.

Ridden by Adam Beschizza and trained by Kelsey Danner, the 12-1 Danse Macabre ($26.80) took the lead heading into the stretch and turned back a major challenge from runner-up Papilo, who was making her first U.S. start for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and jockey Luis Saez.

This was the first graded stakes win for Danse Macabre, who crossed the wire in 1:37.27 over a firm turf course.

Danse Macabre, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Army Mule out of the Blame mare Sylphide, was making her first start since a third-place finish in the six-furlong Matron (G3) at Aqueduct on Oct. 8. Danse Macabre had never raced beyond six furlongs in her five-race career.

Cairo Consort, the 3-5 favorite, saw her rally come up short and she finished third.

The field was reduced to 10 runners following the early scratches of Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc's American Rockette and Three Diamond Farm's Tituba.

Danse Macabre was bred by St. Elias Stables LLC, also breeder of Dude N Colorado, who won the Colonel Liam Stakes earlier on the card.

Herecomesthebride (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Kelsey Danner (Danse Macabre): “She's a fast filly. I thought she fit. Numbers-wise, she fit in here really well. The distance was the question. She's trained like she wanted to go farther. Her last couple races she wanted to probably go a little farther. I think Kentucky Downs probably plays like 7 ½ [furlongs]. She's got a lot of heart. She's just a classy filly. She does her job every day.”

Winning jockey Adam Beschizza (Danse Macabre): “When she won the stake at Kentucky Downs, that six furlongs there takes a bit of getting. She's not a filly that overly races early, so it was always in the back of [trainer] Kelsey [Danner]'s mind to step her up in distance. Especially off a five-month layoff, she could have come out here and really run too fresh and got tired but all credit to Kelsey. She's done a great job.”

“Kelsey said before the race, 'Don't go to the lead and if she gets beat, we learn nothing,' so I was a little bit fearful the first eighth of a mile. Luckily she's got a good mind and she came back to me. It was still a bit of a messy race, speed-wise, but she's got a lot of talent, good mind, and I think this year could be exciting for her.”

The post Danse Macabre Answers Distance Question In Herecomesthebride appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Peter Brant's Shidabhuti stalked a moderate tempo and launched a devastating late kick in deep stretch to conquer her stakes debut in Saturday's $200,000 Busher for sophomore fillies going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Shidabhuti, by Practical Joke, earned 50 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs in capturing the Busher – the penultimate local qualifier for the prestigious event. She entered off two victories in as many starts, the most recent of which was a two-length win in a local allowance optional claimer on Jan. 22 going the Busher distance. She broke her maiden in September going six furlongs at Monmouth Park.

Piloted by Dylan Davis from post 5, Shidabhuti maintained her outside position while fellow Chad Brown trainee Asset Purchase, the 4-5 post time favorite, did battle with Ziaerati on the front end through an opening quarter-mile in 23.54 seconds and a half-mile in 47.75 over the muddy and sealed main track.

Around the far turn, Asset Purchase established a clear advantage with Trevor McCarthy going all out aboard Ziaerati. Asset Purchase lengthened to a two-length lead at the stretch call under Manny Franco, but Shidabhuti loomed large on the far outside and collared her stablemate in the final strides to win by two lengths to stop the clock in 1:39.03.

Asset Purchase finished 1 1/4 lengths to the better of Capella, who launched an inside rally to finish third. Ziaerati, La Vita Sofia and Check Engine Light rounded out the order of finish.

“My thought was to be forwardly placed. I thought there was going to be more speed. I'm happy with where I was at, but we got some early pressure around the half-mile pole and she didn't really like it too much,” said Davis. “I just let her get a feel for it and she got some rhythm at the three-eighths pole and she really started extending at the eighth-pole. I was keeping her to task. Just like her last race, it took her a while to get running and to build that momentum up to where she was able to finish it off. Again today, I had to ride her a little early, but once we straightened up again around the eighth pole, she found her stride again. I thought she handled this track pretty well.”

Davis, who also piloted Shidabhuti to her last out score, said the filly improved out of her last race.

“She felt a lot stronger today. She finished a lot stronger,” Davis commented. “She was a little green last time and a little spotty, but today she was a little more focused.”

Shidabhuti, who returned $12.60 for a $2 win wager, provided Brown with his second Busher victory after he sent out Search Results to a win in 2021.

Brown said he was pleased with the performance of both of his fillies.

“Dylan used good judgement on Shidabhuti to stay close and they weren't going really fast. He put her in the clear in the stretch and he timed it just right,” Brown said. “With Asset Purchase, I thought she ran well but in hindsight maybe Manny should have allowed her to run a little more early and open up a little. He kept her restrained and kept the rest of the field in the race. But she still gave a good effort.

“[Shidabhuti] is just a horse who is improving and I know her numbers didn't look that fast going into the race, but now she's won all three of her starts, so it's hard to fault her,” Brown added. “She has continued to improve and she should continue to improve with distance.”

Brown said Shidabhuti would “probably” target the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle – the final local Kentucky Oaks qualifier which awards the top-five finishers points based off a 100-40-30-20-10 scale.

Asset Purchase, who earned 20 qualifying Oaks points when finishing second, entered off an eight-length debut triumph sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over the local going. Franco said he had a comfortable trip.

“I stayed just off [Ziaerati] that I thought was the horse to beat, but my filly got a little tired at the end going a mile for the first time today,” Franco said.

Banking $110,000 in victory, Shidabhuti brought her lifetime earnings to $189,600 while bragging an unbeaten record in three starts.

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan and Gerry Dilger, Shidabhuti is out of the Candy Ride mare A.P. Candy and was a $310,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Her third dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream Supreme, who produced Grade 1-winner and producer Majestic Warrior.

Live action returns Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Shidabhuti Rallies For Busher Score In Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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