Month: March 2023

John Ropes' Dorth Vader won't be able to sneak up on anyone when she runs in next Saturday's $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), certainly not after pulling off a startling 46-1 upset victory in the March 4 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Not only did she win the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the daughter of Girven also thoroughly dominated her rivals by 4¾ lengths, providing veteran Florida trainer Michael Yates with the first graded-stakes success of his career in the process.”

“It was very rewarding. I was happier for the team that helps me do it on a day-to-day basis. We have a smaller number of horses and we're chasing Ferraris with Chevrolets a lot of times,” Yates said. “It's exciting to get horses that can compete at that level. We don't have that many opportunities at that level. It's very rewarding.”

Dorth Vader was rated third at 4-1 on the morning line for the Gulfstream Park Oaks after drawing Post 8 in a field of eight fillies.

A highly respected breeder, owner, and trainer, Yates has enjoyed considerable stakes success during his career, primarily with Florida-bred horses racing in Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes races. He had reason to believe Dorth Vader would add to that success during her early training.

“She had worked well prior to her first race. I was obviously excited to get her started and then she stumbled really bad coming out of the gate and lost all chance. Miguel [Vasquez] was on her for her first start. She was in an outside post and went to her nose and he took care of her. She tired, but she came out of it well and trained well, and I ran her back kind of quick,” Yates said. “I might note the owner questioned me about that. I think my response was, 'I'm accustomed to making unpopular decisions.' Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm not.”

Dorth Vader proved her trainer right while graduating in her second start two weeks later Aug. 21 in a 5½-furlong maiden race for Florida-breds at Gulfstream. After missing the first two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds, Dorth Vader was then entered in the final leg, the $400,000 My Dear Girl, at the Gulfstream Park Oaks distance of 1 1/16 miles. She finished a distant third.

“We were kind of up against it with the calendar. With every Florida-bred that looks like they can compete in those races, as long as your horse is sound and doing good, you have to try. She obviously wasn't very mature at the time. She really wasn't ready for the mile and a sixteenth in my opinion, but she ran creditable that day and got a nice check,” Yates said. “I would have liked to have gotten her started a little early and had her a little more up to the task for the three races. But they way things turned out – everything happens for a reason.”

Dorth Vader went on to win the seven-furlong Juvenile Filly Sprint for Florida-breds at Gulfstream and the six-furlong Sandpiper at Tampa Bay Downs in her next two starts, before prepping for the Davona Dale in the seven-furlong Gasparilla, in which she faded to sixth after being involved in pace duel. She bounced back in spectacular fashion in the Davona Dale, earning 50 qualifying points for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.

The Gulfstream Park Oaks, one off 10 stakes on a card headlined by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, will offer and additional 200 points for the first five finishers with 100 going to the winner.

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount aboard Dorth Vader, who is eligible to share in $50,000 bonus offered the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, and an addition $50,000 bonus offered to Florida Sire Stakes-eligible horses.

Dorth Vader will have the opportunity to avenge her loss in the My Dear Girl Saturday. Atomically, who was 11 lengths clear off the Yates trainee in the FSS final, is scheduled to seek a return to winning form in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Purchased privately by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Bernard, and Harry Colburn following her FSS win, Atomically finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland in her next start. She came back to finish third in the Feb. 4 Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream.

“She's doing well. We're looking forward to getting her around two turns. She's had some success at Gulfstream in the past, so we're hoping she can make another move forward,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She's a very laid-back filly, very easy to train, very straightforward. She just kind of does her job, does what you ask her to do. She's a pretty honest filly.”

Pletcher will also saddle WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC's Miracle, a New York-bred daughter of Mendelsohn. Miracle's first four starts came against state-breds, winning at first asking before placing in three straight one-turn New York-bred stakes. She stepped into graded-stakes company in her 2023 debut Feb. 18 at Fair Grounds, where she set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra (G2) before finishing second, less than a length behind victorious Pretty Mischievous.

“She's coming off a very good effort at Fair Grounds and she has trained well for this,” Pletcher said.

Jose Ortiz has the mount aboard Atomically, who is rated second at 7-2 on the morning-line, while Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride Miracle, the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady will enter the Gulfstream Oaks off a maiden victory, but the Graham Motion trainee also brings a solid stakes resume into the race. The daughter of Arrogate finished third and fourth in a pair of one-turn maiden races to start her career before finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct Dec. 3, beaten by just a neck. She came back to finish third in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda Jan. 14 at Aqueduct before graduating at Gulfstream Park in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race by 2 ¼ lengths Feb. 26.

Luis Saez has the return call aboard the $400,000 purchase at the 2022 OBS April sale.

Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swibank Stables and partners' Sacred Wish, a four-length maiden winner at Oaklawn in her second career start, is scheduled to make her first start for trainer George Weaver in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and partners' Infinite Diamond, who finished fourth in the Davona Dale, R T Racing Stable's Just Katherine, who graduated in her third career start at Gulfstream March 4; and BC Racing LLC's Flakes, a winner of two of three starts; round out the field.

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Dorth Vader Looms Large Among Eight Set For Gulfstream Park Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay, and Woodford Racing's multiple graded stakes winner First Captain, unraced since late October, is set to make his 5-year-old debut in Saturday's $150,000 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 28th running of 1 1/16-mile Ghostzapper for 4-year-olds and up is one of 10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.35 million in purses on a  14-race program anchored by the $1-million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa for 3-year-olds.

First post time is 11:30 a.m. EST. The Ghostzapper goes as Race 7 (2:26 p.m.) with the Florida Derby (6:40 p.m.) part of a national CNBC broadcast from 6 to 7 p.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, First Captain hasn't been out since finishing last of five as the favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Fayette (G2) Oct. 29 at Keeneland. In his three prior starts he won the historic Pimlico Special (G3), was second by a nose in the Suburban (G2) and third to Olympiad in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

“It's exciting. He's progressed nicely from everything that Shug has shared with us coming into the Ghostzapper. It looks like just a great spot to start his year,” West Point executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “He couldn't look any better and we're just excited to get his year started.”

A son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, First Captain fetched $1.5 million at Fasig-Tipton's 2019 Saratoga yearling sale. After going unraced at 2 he reeled off three straight wins to open his career capped by the 2021 Dwyer (G3) at Belmont Park.

Third in the Curlin at Saratoga, First Captain did not race again for seven months until coming back with a dramatic head optional claiming allowance victory sprinting seven furlongs last February at Gulfstream, his only prior start over the surface.

“He's put together a nice resume, winning the Dwyer, winning the Pimlico Special, being right there in graded stakes, coming in third in the Jockey Club to a horse in Olympiad who was a legitimate five-time winner last year,” Bellhouse said. “We would have loved to have ended it on a higher note, but we backed off him after the Fayette.

“He's a really special horse, going all the way back to what he cost at auction and being the sale topper,” he added. “He's just a beautiful, beautiful animal. He's grown into his body. He didn't get started until early in his 3-year-old season and then putting together the 4-year-old campaign. He's the kind of horse that we have him positioned to have a great 5-year-old campaign and hopefully he does finalize that Grade 1 to really cement him into a top stallion prosepct. He's got the pedigree, he's got the look, he's got the sales history, he's got everything going.”

Luis Saez will be aboard for the fifth straight time from Post 5 in a field of seven.

Championship Meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. entered the pair of O'Connor and Twelve Volt Man. Michael and Jules Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode's O'Connor is a Group 1 winner in his native Chile that carried big expectations into his North American debut, a six-length optional claiming allowance win Oct. 16 at Gulfstream.

In two subsequent starts, O'Connor ran fourth behind stablemate Skippylongstocking in the Harlan's Holiday (G3), also at 1 1/16 miles, and 11th in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) going 1 1/8-miles Jan. 28.

“It was a disappointing effort last time, but I was really more disappointed in the Harlan's Holiday than I was the Pegasus. The Harlan's Holiday I thought he would win and he got beat, and after that my expectations were more reserved. He's going to need to rebound and come back to form, and if he run like he did in his first two races he should be very tough,” Joseph said. “He's going into the race in good order. The Pegasus has turned out to be a very productive race and hopefully he follows suit with all those Pegasus horses that have come back to win.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., on course for his fourth Championship Meet riding title, has the call from Post 4.

Magic Cap Stables' Twelve Volt Man last raced on the Pegasus undercard, unable to overcome a troubled start when 11th in the one-mile Fred Hooper (G3). Fourth in last year's Ghostzapper, he owns five career wins from 11 starts at Gulfstream including a 10-1 upset of the 2021 Claiming Crown Jewel.

“He stumbled really bad out of there and [jockey] Frankie [Dettori] had no chance after that,” Joseph said. “He's good at two turns here at Gulfstream so we're giving him a shot. He ran here last year in this race and he was fourth to Fearless. He's a trier. He may be a notch below some of the horses that are in there, but he always tries.”

Edgard Zayas will be aboard from outermost Post 7.

Stonehedge homebred Cajun's Magic will stretch out around two turns for the first time since running eighth in last year's Florida Derby. He went 7 ½ months between starts before returning to finish second in the Sunshine Sprint Jan. 14 and fourth in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Feb. 25, both going six furlongs.

“He's trained well,” trainer Michael Yates said. “Coming back off a long layoff, we sprinted him because we thought that's what he wanted to do. But after a couple of races, we're starting to think that maybe he would rather stretch out, so we're going to give him the opportunity.

“His first race back I didn't expect that he would be close to the pace. I felt pretty confident that he'd come running and get a big piece of it, and he did. He did what we thought he would do, so we kind of doubled back with him and tried the same thing again,” he added. “The pace of the race was a lot faster but he came running and he galloped out well. He breaks sharp and kind of takes himself back. He doesn't get in a big hurry. The pace is everything.”

Jesus Rios, up for all of Cajun's Magic's 10 races including the 2021 FSS Dr. Fager at Gulfstream, rides back from Post 2.

“He ran really well against some of the best 3-year-olds in the country early last year after the Stallion Stakes and didn't embarrass himself,” Yates said. “I think he's older, more mature, sounder and stronger.”

Arindel's stakes-winning homebred Clapton, third in successive optional claiming allowances this winter; 2022 Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Simplification, third last out behind Endorsed in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2); and multiple stakes winner Surly Furious complete the field.

The post First Captain Set To Open 2023 Campaign In Ghostzapper At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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