Month: April 2023

Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Keeneland Rolls Out Grade 1 Green Carpet

While Keeneland's opening weekend featured major prep races for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, week two at the Lexington, Ky., track's spring meet rolls out the  green carpet for a pair of Grade 1 grass stakes for older runners – Friday's main event, the Maker's Mark Mile attracted eight colts and geldings, while Saturday features nine fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles in the Jenny Wiley Stakes.

Saturday is also last call for Kentucky Derby points, with 40 points up for grabs in Keeneland's G3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes on a 20-8-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm, one of the 11 3-year-olds entered, needs a top three finish to move into the Kentucky Derby field.

There is one other race on Saturday with Triple Crown implications. The Federico Tesio at Laurel Park is billed as a “Win Today, See You In May” automatic entry for Triple Crown nominees into the G1 Preakness Stakes – middle Jewel of the Triple Crown – on May 20.

Oaklawn's 12-race program on Saturday has two graded stakes – the G3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap matching 10 veteran speedsters going six furlongs, and the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap, where Clairiere will attempt to turn the tables on Secret Oath, winner of the G2 Azeri Stakes at the Arkansas track last month.

Friday

5:16 p.m. – Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland

All eyes will be on Godolphin's Irish-bred Modern Games, who has made three trips to North America for trainer Charles Appleby and come away with three G1 victories and an Eclipse Award as champion turf male of 2022. Installed the 3-5 morning line favorite, the 4-year-old Dubawi colt has not raced since winning the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile last Nov. 5 over the same Keeneland grass course.

There are two other G1 winners in the field. Graham Motion-trained Speaking Scout won the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last December for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and the Mr Speaker gelding acquitted himself nicely with a third-place finish at 24-1 odds behind Atone in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 28. Brazilian-bred In Love has two wins over the Keeneland turf for Bonne Chance Farm and Stud RDI, including a victory in the G1 Keeneland Turf Mile during the 2021 fall meet.

Maker's Mark Mile Entries

Saturday

5:16 p.m. – Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland

Steve Asmussen-trained Disarm didn't have the best of luck when having to await racing room on the turn for home in the G2 Louisiana Derby, and by then front-running Kingsbarns was home free. The Gun Runner colt doesn't need a win to get enough points to squeak into the Derby field, and he appears to be rounding into good form after two starts off a layoff. Godolphin's First Mission is only a maiden winner last out but the Street Sense colt ran fast for Brad Cox and could be dangerous.

Stonestreet Lexington Entries

5:48 p.m. – Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland

Trainer Chad Brown and owner Peter Brant won this race last year with Regal Glory – Brown's fourth win in the race in five years and fifth overall – and they have two entrants in this year's renewal, including 7-5 morning line favorite In Italian. A 5-year-old Dubawi mare, In Italian enters off a five-month layoff following a pair of strong efforts at Keeneland last fall – winning the G1 First Lady wire to wire and finishing second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, when the 1 3/16 miles may have been a tad long for her.

Don't overlook Queen Goddess, who won the G3 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf in January for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber. Trained by Michael McCarthy, she's done most of her racing in California, winning three graded stakes, including the G1 American Oaks after it was transferred from turf to the main track.

Jenny Wiley Entries

5:58 p.m. – Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn

A quick perusal of the past performances suggests there is a ton of early speed in the lineup for this six-furlong fixture, which should set things up for a closer. But which closer?

Tejano Twist, owned by JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis, rallied from far back to win the G3 Whitmore Stakes last out at Oaklawn when Chris Hartman stablemate Edge to Edge insured a pace duel. The latter is back again today and will be hustling early, giving Tejano Twist the conditions he needs for his best effort.

Tom Kagele's Radical Right is another late runner. Formerly based in the Mid-Atlantic and trained by Dale Capuano, the First Samurai gelding is now trained in California by Peter Miller, whose best successes have come with sprinters.

Count Fleet Sprint Handicap Entries

7:12 p.m. – Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn

Briland Farm's Secret Oath appeared to benefit from a brief freshening following a nine-race 3-year-old campaign in 2022 that ended with a fifth-place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. The G1 Kentucky Oaks winner has an exceptional record at Oaklawn, winning four of five starts – her only defeat coming against colts when third in the G1 Arkansas Derby. The Arrogate filly has been installed the 4-5 morning line favorite here.

Clairiere chased Secret Oath home after having some traffic problems on the turn for home in the Azeri and Stonestreet Stables' Curlin mare almost always brings her “A” game. She finished second to Letruska in last year's Apple Blossom, her only other start at the Hot Springs track. Only four were entered, but this year's edition of the Apple Blossom almost has the feel of a match race – unless Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Hot and Sultry manages to steal away to an easy lead and just keeps on going.

Apple Blossom Entries

The post Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Keeneland Rolls Out Grade 1 Green Carpet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sol Oriens Goes For Three Straight In ‘Impact’-Free Satsuki Sho

For the first time in what seems a lifetime–13 years, to be precise–no 3-year-old son of Deep Impact (Jpn) heads to the gate for the opening leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse. But the 2000-metre affair does not lack for intrigue, as a typically full field of 18 is set to face the starter Sunday afternoon.

Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) could continue a magical roll for his sire–who is also responsible for the world's top-rated runner Equinox (Jpn)–and should sit a cosy trip from barrier one for Takeshi Yokoyama. A veteran of just two well-spaced starts, the half-brother to the newly retired Vin de Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) annexed a newcomers' event going Tokyo's one-turn mile last November and in his lone racetrack appearance since, overcame a bit of greenness to stamp his authority on the Jan. 15 G3 Keisei Hai over this course and distance.

“His cornering has become a lot smoother after the fitting of a ring bit, and he looks to be more mature compared to before, as well as easier to ride,” said trainer Takahisa Tezuka. “In his last two races, the pace was quite slow. He's a horse with ability, and I think the pace will be quicker this time, but I'm confident he can run a good race with the potential he has and the condition he's in.”

 

 

 

Phantom Thief (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) has tasted defeat just once in his career when finishing a slow-starting fourth to Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Top Knife (Jpn) (Declaration of War) in the 10-furlong G1 Hopeful S. at this venue back in December. He atoned for that effort when outfinishing Touch Wood (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in the G3 Kyodo News Hai at Tokyo Feb. 12.

“The horse is in top condition and has finished off strongly in training,” said jockey Christophe Lemaire. “His balance is good and he doesn't feel heavy at all. If he starts like he did last time, things will be fine, and I'm looking forward to this Grade 1 with him.”

Yuga Kawada rode four of Sunday's entrants in their most recent races and he elects to stick with Danon Touchdown (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) for the Guineas. A first-out winner over a mile at Chukyo last October, the half-brother to 2020 Hopeful S. winner Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) was narrowly beaten in his last two, including the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity last December. A horse that seems to take some time to hit top gear, he should appreciate stretching out to the 2000 metres for the first time.

Bellagio Opera (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is three-for-three lifetime, having come through the grades prior to handing the re-opposing Ho O Biscuits (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) a 1 1/4-length beating in the G2 Spring S. going nine furlongs over this course Mar. 19.

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Confidence Game Works, Rich Strike Preps For Return

With three weeks until the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Keith Desormeaux has accelerated Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg})'s work pattern, as the dark bay colt put in a mile breeze in 1:38.20 from the starting gate on Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Jockey James Graham began his mount's training session by breaking inside of an unraced 3-year-old workmate. Around the far-turn, after the Derby hopeful completed five furlongs in 1:00.20, fellow stablemate Giant Awakening (Mor Spirit) was waiting for him around the 5 1/2 furlong pole. Running in concert, Confidence Game finished his work around the sixteenth pole and galloped out an extra quarter mile.

“At first when I looked at the final time, I was a little disappointed,” Desormeaux said. “Then I got back to the barn and went through the splits and I had a renewed sense of confidence–for a lack of a better term. He really started to pick it up late in the work even when he went fast early during the work. The gate works at Churchill are timed when the doors open so if you take into account that during a race there is a little bit of a run-up before the timer starts, he worked really well. I was definitely looking to get a lot of out of the work and I think we accomplished that. He needed it.”

Owned by Don't Tell My Wife Stables and Ocean Reef Racing, the GII Rebel S. victor completed splits of :24.60, :36, :47.80, 1:00.20, 1:13 and 1:25.60, with a gallop out of 1 1/4 lengths in 2:05.80. Desormeaux opted to bypass Saturday's GIII Lexington S. at Keeneland to train up for the Derby and said the colt would likely work back next Saturday.

 

 

 

Rich Strike Looks To Return Soon

RED TR-Racing's Rich Strike (Keen Ice) continued to prepare for his 2023 debut by working five furlongs in :59.80 early Friday morning over a fast track at Keeneland for trainer Eric Reed.

With Gabriel Lagunes aboard, the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby champ posted fractions of :23.80, :47.80, :59.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

“Gabe said he was perfect this morning and worked the way he did before the Derby,” Reed said of Rich Strike, who is nominated to the 92nd running of Keeneland's GIII Ben Ali S. on Apr. 22. “I want to get him as tight as I can before his first time out against horses that have been running. If all goes well, that will point him for the GI Stephen Foster.”

Reed said the Ben Ali is in the mix for the 2023 debut along with next Saturday's GII Oaklawn H. and GII Alysheba S. at Churchill on May 5.

“I'll talk it over with [owner] Rick [Dawson] the next couple of days,” Reed said. “The Alysheba is probably the most likely spot. He would work again in nine or 10 days, and it would be at Churchill Downs.”

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Stand Up For Racing Formed To Represent Racing And Breeding Industries

In light of criticism from animal rights activists in the build-up to the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, Stand Up For Racing, a gathering of passionate horse racing professionals that will seek to represent the racing and breeding industries, has been formed. 

The concept arose out of a widely-held frustration that the racing and breeding industries are not always well represented when questioned in the mainstream media and on social media, often allowing damaging misinformation and misconceptions to prevail.

The aim of the group is to unite all of the various organisations and representative groups within the racing and breeding industries in Europe in the interests of the greater good of the image and reputation of our great game. Fueled by a database of information and facts providing by the various interest groups in European racing, it will draw on a group of experienced members of the racing and breeding media that will be made available to any media outlet to provide balanced comment on the subject matter when required.

The founding group of Sally Ann Grassick, Kevin Blake, Caoimhe Doherty and Cathy Grassick are all council members of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association and are professionally involved in various sectors of the industry, with the latter being the current Chairperson of the ITBA.

In the coming weeks they will form a committee of members drawn from the major racing nations of Europe as well as putting together the aforementioned panel of media representatives.

In less than 48 hours, Stand Up For Racing has already resonated with a wide section of social media, attracting over 4,000 followers on Twitter, including numerous high-profile figures in the industry, and the hashtag #StandUpForRacing has been used over 1,700 times and reached 1.2 million people.

Stand Up For Racing had their first opportunity to contribute to the mainstream conversation when one of our representatives Kevin Blake appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV on Thursday evening. The interview, which has had more than 400,000 views online since broadcast, can be viewed on the Stand Up For Racing YouTube channel here.

Vicky Leonard and the team at Kick Collective in Australia established Kick Up in 2022. The initiative has generated considerable traction since its inception, with its goal of presenting accurate horse racing information on controversial topics in an engaging, educational and interesting format. Click here to learn more.

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