Month: April 2023

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio will look to secure his second career Grade 1 score in Saturday's $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Carter is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race program which is closed out by the Grade 2, $750,000, Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a nine-furlong test for sophomores offering 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers. The blockbuster day of racing includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore at seven-furlongs for sophomores in Race 6; and the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle in Race 3, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers. First post is 12:15 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., White Abarrio captured both the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby last year at Gulfstream Park en route to finishing 16th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. He completed a productive 7-2-1-1 sophomore campaign in December with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets.

The 4-year-old Race Day colt, a five-time winner at Gulfstream, made his seasonal debut with an eighth-place effort in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational before Joseph, Jr. decided to focus the talented gray on one-turn races.

Last out, in a seven-furlong optional-claiming sprint at Gulfstream, White Abarrio garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure with a 4 1/2-length score over next-out winners Weyburn, who captured Saturday's Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream; and third-place Collaborate, who earned a 95 Beyer in a starter-allowance sprint at the Hallandale Beach oval.

“He won well. It was a big relief to get him back on track on the cutback to seven-eighths,” Joseph, Jr. said. “It turned out to be a good race. A couple horses came back from there to run well, but it just felt good to get him back to the winner's circle.”

Joseph, Jr. said he was pleased with how White Abarrio responded to jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the closing stages.

“He asked him a bit to finish it off, but I thought he finished it off well and did the best part of his running in the latter part of the race,” Joseph, Jr. said. “From the quarter-pole, he got into a good rhythm and I felt from there on he was going to get the job done.”

Paco Lopez will guide White Abarrio for the first time Saturday when they exit post 6 carrying 119 pounds.

“I think he's versatile in these one-turn races. He can sit or, if the pace is slow, he can be the leader,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Paco is a good, tactical rider. Hopefully, he gets him in a good spot and White Abarrio can do the rest.”

A good result Saturday could propel White Abarrio to the Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan on June 10 at Belmont Park, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Santa Anita Park.

“To try and get a second Grade 1 on his resume is very important for him. If he was to win or run well, you would definitely consider the Met Mile after this,” Joseph, Jr. said.

The last horse to pull off the Carter-Met Mile double was Vekoma in 2020.

Joseph, Jr., who recently defended his training title at Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is hopeful he can continue that steady run of form through to the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park where he will have a strong stable.

“To come back and repeat was big for the whole team and I'm thankful to be in that position,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Overall, I was happy with how consistent we were the whole meet.”

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, White Abarrio is out of the Into Mischief mare Catching Diamonds, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 3-winner Cool Cowboy.

Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks [post 4, Andrew Wolfsont, 122 pounds] is undefeated since joining the barn of trainer Jamie Ness, taking the 6 1/2-furlong Let's Give Thanks in November and six-furlong Blitzen on January 4 at Parx ahead of an 8 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 at the Big A that garnered a 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

Last out, he was a strong 3 1/4-length winner of the one-mile Stymie here on February 25 to notch his first score beyond seven furlongs. Repo Rocks carried a field-high 124 pounds in the Stymie, overcoming a troubled trip under regular rider Andrew Wolfsont where he was boxed in behind rivals in third position before finding a way out late in the turn to best Grade 1-placed Miles D.

Ness had hoped for a prominent effort last out for Repo Rocks, who was stretching out as the well-backed mutuel favorite. This time, on the cutback, Ness said he would be happy to stalk the pace.

“He overcame it a little bit,” Ness said of the Stymie effort. “I wasn't happy with the way he was ridden and the instructions were to do the opposite of what he did, but he still got the job done. Hopefully, this time everything will go a little smoother. He's still very versatile and I'm sure going seven-eighths there will be a little more speed in the race. He likes to sit in the pocket and find a spot and make his run down the lane.”

Repo Rocks has posted a trio of bullet works out of his Stymie score, including a half-mile effort in 47.05 seconds Monday at his Parx Racing base.

Ness said the Virginia-bred gelding is thriving ahead of his Grade 1 debut.

“Six weeks between starts is probably going to benefit him. He trains hard, so this will hopefully keep him a little fresher,” Ness said.

Ness said a good result next weekend could see Repo Rocks stretch back out in the Met Mile.

“I think he wants to go even longer. If I had my druthers, I'd rather run him a one-turn mile or mile and a sixteenth,” Ness said. “He's a big horse and when he gets going seven-eighths is fine, but a little more ground would be even better for us.”

The 5-year-old Tapiture gelding posted a record of 11-2-2-2 last year, including a second in the Grade 3 Toboggan and a third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap, both at the Big A, as well as completing the trifecta in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Belmont Park while in the care of trainer Juan Vazquez. He made seven starts for conditioner Gregory DiPrima from April through October before joining Ness.

Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, III, Repo Rocks, out of the Not For Love mare Hawaiian Love, boasts a record of 33-8-6-6 for purse earnings of $639,621.

Reddam Racing's New York-bred Today's Flavor [post 1, Manny Franco, 117 pounds] brings a four-race win streak into his graded stakes debut for trainer George Weaver.

The 5-year-old son of Laoban is undefeated in his four starts since transferring to Weaver from the barn of Doug O'Neill, beginning with an 8 1/2-length romp to break his maiden at fifth asking in a state-bred sprint on November 27 at the Big A. He followed with a pair of open-lengths scores against state-bred allowance company before stepping up to open company for a 6 1/2-length victory last out on February 18.

“You see horses that get in the zone and feel that win, and he's just doing well,” Weaver said. “He's always been a talented horse and he's in a good groove right now.”

Today's Flavor has finished first or second in 7-of-8 lifetime outings, including runner-up efforts in his first two starts in California to subsequent graded stakes-winners Laurel River and Essential Wager.

Bred in the Empire State by Joseph Calvo, Today's Flavor is out of the Speightstown mare Evangelical, who is a half-sister to graded-stakes placed Worship the Moon.

Little Vic [post 5, Carlos Olivero, 120 pounds] enters from a stalking 1 1/2-length score over graded-stakes winner Runninsonofagun in the six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap. The victory, which provided both Little Vic and jockey Carlos Olivero with their first graded score, registered a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Juan Carlos Avila trainee, a 4-year-old Practical Joke colt, is owned by Victoria's Ranch – the racing operation of retired professional baseball player Victor Martinez, a five-time MLB All-Star.

Little Vic made his Big A debut three starts back on December 30 in the six-furlong Gravesend where he lost focus at the quarter-pole and was defeated a nose by multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Drafted. He added blinkers for his next start in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 at the Big A and completed the exacta behind a romping Repo Rocks with Drafted completing the trifecta.

Little Vic has finished first or second in each of his last five starts, including an allowance score over older horses in October at Delaware Park ahead of a win in the seven-furlong City of Laurel in November at Laurel Park.

A $50,000 purchased at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Little Vic is out of the multiple stakes-winning Rock Hard Ten mare Rock and Glory, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Gorgeous Ginny.

Multiple graded-stakes placed Doppelganger [post 7, Jevian Toledo, 118 pounds] will look to secure his third successive win since transferring to trainer Brittany Russell.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm, the Into Mischief bay tried his luck on the Kentucky Derby trail last year finishing second in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in the care of conditioner Tim Yakteen.

He finished a distant sixth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard at Churchill Downs ahead of a prominent third in the Grade 3 Affirmed in June at Santa Anita. He completed his sophomore campaign on July 9 with a non-threatening fourth in the nine-furlong Los Alamitos Derby.

The $570,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase returned to action for Russell on January 27 in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Laurel Park, posting a 2 1/2-length score over next out allowance winner Nostalgic Run. Last out, he matched a career-best 89 Beyer with a 1 1/2-length score in a one-mile optional-claimer on February 24 that third-place finisher Shaft's Bullet exited to win an optional-claiming tilt.

Russell said Doppelganger, who returned to the work tab in December at Laurel Park, has benefitted from a patient approach.

“We gave him some time. He really did well when he came back after having that time. He's run two nice races for us,” Russell said. “He has a lot of stepping forward to do to run with these kind, but he was well meant early on and currently, he's extremely confident. He's coming off two nice races and he couldn't be doing any better.”

Russell said the bay colt will also require patient handling Saturday when cutting back to one turn under Jevian Toledo.

“The way he's been training, he's been quite sharp,” Russell said. “Naturally, he's going to have to sit and pounce at them. I think he can handle the seven-eighths, it's just a matter of things setting up right.”

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Doppelganger is out of the multiple graded-stakes placed Quiet American mare Twice the Lady.

Rounding out the field are the stakes-placed Bold Journey [post 2, Eric Cancel, 114 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and two-time winner Expressman [post 3, Jose Ortiz, 117 pounds], who notched a 107 Beyer Speed Figure in a memorable debut in August at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The post ‘He’s Versatile In These One-Turn Races’: White Abarrio Chasing Resume-Builder In Grade 1 Carter appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have two chances to secure his fourth Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle conquest with stakes-winners Occult and Shidabhuti in the nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle, which will award 100-40-30-20-10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks to the top-five finishers, is slated as Race 3 and is one of four graded events on Saturday. The 11-race card co-features the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in Race 8; the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier, in Race 11; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore in Race 6. First post is 12:15 p.m. Eastern.

Alpha Delta Stables' Occult will look to follow in the footsteps of the Brown-trained Lewis Bay, a homebred for the same connections that won the 2016 Gazelle en route to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. Occult, a dark bay daughter of Into Mischief, was last seen pouncing to a 3 3/4-length victory in the Busanda going the Gazelle distance on January 14 at the Big A. She stalked close to the pace in second under Dylan Davis before making her move mid-turn and drawing clear down the stretch to earn her first stakes victory over a track rated good. The effort garnered a 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Occult graduated at second asking in a one-turn mile maiden special weight on December 18 over the local going. A $625,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she is out of the graded stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling, making her a half-sister to the multiple stakes-winner Exulting. She is also a full-sister to an unraced 2-year-old colt named Imagination, who sold for $1.05 million at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Her second dam, Magical Mood, is a half-sister to the unraced broodmare Business Plan, who produced 2012 Grade 1 Travers winner Golden Ticket.

Davis returns to the irons from post 5.

Peter Brant's Shidabhuti will look to keep her perfect record intact after a last-out stakes triumph in the one-mile Busher Invitational over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track on March 4. The daughter of Practical Joke was fourth-of-6 at the half-mile call under Dylan Davis and came within two lengths of her pacesetting stablemate Asset Purchase in the turn. Shidabhuti made up ground with every stride down the stretch and took command at the sixteenth pole to win by two lengths. She earned a career-best 77 Beyer for the victory, a marked improvement from the 62 she received for her previous two victories.

Shidabhuti was an eye-catching winner of her September 17 debut sprinting six furlongs at Monmouth Park, rallying from last-of-8 with an inside bid to take control in the stretch and coast home 6 1/2 lengths in front. She followed with a tidy two-length allowance score when stretching out to a one-turn mile on January 22 at the Big A one start before her Busher coup.

Out of the unraced Candy Ride mare A.P. Candy, Shidabhuti was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan and Gerry Dilger and was purchased for $310,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Manny Franco will look to engineer a winning ride from post 6.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will send out the stakes-placed Juddmonte homebred Capella on the heels of a third-place effort to Shidabhuti in the Busher last out. The bay daughter of Quality Road broke inward from post 2 and rated one length off the pace at the half-mile call before making a bid mid-turn and keeping on well down the lane to finish 3 1/4 lengths behind Shidabhuti. She made both her stakes and dirt debut in the Busher after starting her career a perfect 2-for-2 over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Capella has breezed over the Belmont Park dirt training track three times since the Busher in company with Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino contender Slip Mahoney, who finished a closing second in the Grade 3 Gotham. The pair most recently covered a half-mile in 49.10 seconds Saturday.

“She's training well and came out of the breeze in good shape,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox's Belmont-based assistant. “She went to the gate this morning and stood really well. She's got her game face on, so we're just going to keep her happy until race day. She's been a lot more forward in her works every week and she's gotten more and more comfortable here at Belmont. She's very intelligent and a very cool filly.”

Kendrick Carmouche picks up the mount from post 1.

Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher will also go two-deep in his pursuit of a third Gazelle conquest with the New York-bred Gambling Girl [post 2, Jose Ortiz] and the Florida-bred Frosty O Toole [post 3, Jose Lezcano].

Repole Stable's Gambling Girl, bred by Gallagher's Stud, finished a closing fourth last out in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park, rallying from 6 3/4 lengths off the pace to be defeated 4 1/2 lengths by Wet Paint, who exited that effort to win Saturday's Grade 3 Fantasy at the Hot Springs oval. Gambling Girl has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts over the Big A main track, including a game third-place effort to stablemate Julia Shining in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December.

“She's very consistent and always seems to fire,” said Byron Hughes, Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant. “She looks good in here and seems full of herself. She's been galloping well and we're ready.”

The daughter of Dialed In first announced her presence with a dominant 10 1/4-length maiden victory at third asking against state-breds in September at Saratoga Race Course. She followed with a victorious stakes debut in the state-bred Joseph A. Gimma at Belmont at the Big A before finishing a distant fourth in the Maid of the Mist over the same surface. Gambling Girl will return to Aqueduct for the first time since a runner-up finish to Occult in the January 14 Busanda.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Frosty O Toole, a private purchase, will make her first outing for Pletcher after making her first four starts in Florida for owner/trainer Michael Dini. The daughter of Frosted debuted in December over the Gulfstream Park synthetic before trying turf and finishing an even fourth on January 15. She made the switch to dirt 20 days later and has won her last two starts at Tampa Bay Downs, graduating at third asking in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden before a strong 3 1/2-length optional claiming coup on March 8 going the same distance.

“She's a big, good looking filly and galloped well today,” said Hughes. “It looks like she's got a lot of talent.”

Bred by Helen Barbazon, Joseph Barbazon and Godolphin, Frosty O Toole is out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare O' Toole. She is a half-sister to the Eclipse Thoroughbreds-campaigned multiple graded stakes-placed Sister Otoole and stakes-winner Lady O'Toole, as well as Plenty O'Toole, the dam of multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Money.

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners said Frosty O Toole was purchased privately because of the group's success with Sister Otoole, who earned over $330,000 in her 19-start career.

“She's been on our radar since the beginning of her career,” said Wellman. “She's a half-sister to Sister Otoole – she was good to us, so we've kept an eye on her. She began her career on turf and synthetic and ran moderate races in her first pair of outings, but when she went to Tampa on conventional dirt, she really transformed.”

Completing the field is Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom F. McCrocklin's Promiseher America [post 4, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], who graduated at third asking on February 19 traveling a one-turn mile at Aqueduct for conditioner Ray Handal. The American Pharoah chestnut pounced from fourth-of-5 under Dylan Davis to take a 2 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call and extend her margin to 6 1/4 lengths at the wire, garnering a 73 Beyer for the effort.

Handal said he expects Promiseher America to relish the stretch out in distance as she races around two turns for the first time.

“She's showed a tremendous amount of maturity from each race and I thought that she displayed it in that last race being able to sit off a nice pace and cover up,” Handal said. “She was very receptive to her rider at all times and when the question was asked to pick it up, she took herself out wide and made the killer move and kicked on. It was nice to see as she got to the wire that she was looking like she was just getting going, and she had a nice, strong gallop out.”

A $75,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Promiseher America is out of the winning Unbridled's Song mare Promisedyouheaven. Her second dam, the stakes-winning Hurricane Bernie, is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Mizdirection.

The post Road To The Kentucky Oaks: Chad Brown Trainees Occult, Shidabhuti Headline Saturday’s Gazelle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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