Even coming out of a mild winter with minimal snow and ice, Central Kentucky is abuzz with anticipation as spring arrives, and as usual, front and center among many people’s minds is an unofficial hallmark of the season of renewal: the Spring Meet at Keeneland Race Course. The meet kicks off Friday, April 7 and lasts for 15 days on a Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule ending Friday, April 28 (no racing on Easter Sunday, April 9).
Month: April 2023
Mine That Star Rolls To Comfortable Sunland Park Handicap Score
Mine That Star, a Pioneerof the Nile half brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird and multiple Grade 1 winner Dullahan, took charge at the quarter pole and cruised to a 3¼-length win in the $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap on Sunday in New Mexico.
Sent off the favorite under veteran Ken Tohill, Mine That Star was winning for the eighth time from 20 career starts while posting his fifth stakes victory and for the first time from two starts this year for trainer Nancy Summers.
Mine That Star, who was fourth in the Ft. Bliss Stakes Jan. 20 at Sunland Park in his previous start, paid $5.40 for Sunday's win after finishing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.55 on a fast track.
Chasing from second, about a length behind early pacesetter Limonite through six furlongs, Mine That Star was five wide through the second turn before angling in, dispatching that rival, and easily holding back Zestful, who came on late for second. Limonite held on for third, 4½ lengths behind Zestful, in the field of five.
Early fractions were :24.43, :48.21, :1.12.61, and 1:37.55.
Mine That Star, a 6-year horse campaigned by Judge Lanier Racing LLC, earned the winner's share of $93,000 to increase his lifetime earnings to $424,898.
Bred in Kentucky by Phil and Judy Needham, Bena Halecky, and WinStar Farm LLC, Mine That Star was produced by Mining My Own, by Smart Strike. Taylor Made Sales Agency offered him at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where his current owners bought him for $35,000.
The post Mine That Star Rolls To Comfortable Sunland Park Handicap Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
‘He’s Getting Better Every Race’: Exaulted Makes The Grade In American At Santa Anita
Vastly improved since switched to turf, the Pete Eurton-trained Exaulted sat close to the early pace, took charge turning for home, and kicked clear as much the best to take Sunday's $100,000 American Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable and ridden by Juan Hernandez, the 6-year-old Twirling Candy horse got one mile on firm turf in 1:33.65.
With longshot Bob and Jackie under Jose Valdivia Jr. showing the way, Exaulted stalked just to his outside and when Hernandez asked him midway around the far turn, he kicked on like horse who's capable of handling tougher competition next time.
“We just kind of ran out of options,” said Eurton. “He wasn't running as well as a 5-year-old…(something) just wasn't right, so I think as a last resort we thought we'd give him a try on the grass. I think (spacing) is the key for him with a long year. He is big, he's heavy…(Juan Hernandez) is just phenomenal, this guy. (He) is riding with no fear, he just so confident in his abilities, and it shows you right there and in many other (cases).”
A winner of two consecutive one-mile turf allowances here on Jan. 2 and Feb. 5, Exaulted, in his first stakes assignment on grass, was pounded down to the second choice in a field of six older horses and paid $5.80 for the win.
Third in both the San Carlos (G2) and Triple Bend Stakes (G2) going seven furlongs on dirt here in March and May of 2021, Exaulted, who is out of the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle, has unquestionably found a new home on turf.
In getting his first stakes win in career start number 14, Exaulted picked up $60,000, increasing his earnings to $303,660 while notching his fourth overall victory.
Bred in Kentucky by Jack Swan III, Exaulted was purchased by C R K Stable for $200,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale, where Select Sales consigned him.
“We broke a little slow because he kind of moved before we broke, but it worked out fine,” said Hernandez, who got his meet-leading 12th stakes win and 55th win overall, 28 clear of runner-up Flavien Prat's 27. “The other horse went and I just stalked him and I was just really confident in him. He was in the bridle and around the three eighths, I thought I had a lot of horse.
“There wasn't a lot of speed, but the fractions today looked really strong. He's really professional, I just gave him a target and turning for home, I shook the reins and he exploded. He's getting better every race.”
Ridden by Hector Berrios, Argentine-bred Irideo was last turning for home and put in a solid run to finish a half length in front of third-place finisher Bob and Jackie.
Off at 10-1, Bob and Jackie held off 7-5 favorite and fourth-place finisher Du Jour by a neck.
Fractions on the race were :22.71, :46.45, 1:10.17, and 1:21.89.
The post ‘He’s Getting Better Every Race’: Exaulted Makes The Grade In American At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Exaulted Stays Perfect On The Grass In American S.
Exaulted didn't even try the turf until his 11th career start back on Jan. 2 but the 6-year-old has more than made up for lost time with his third straight win on the Santa Anita grass course, taking the GIII American S. Sunday.
Entered off a pair of 93 Beyer Speed Figure efforts–a career high–against allowance and optional claiming company respectively, Exaulted earned 9-5 second choice honors for his first graded-stakes race since contesting the GII Triple Bend S. last May. Sent to the front after a sharp beginning from the middle of the gate, the bay was outsprinted to the lead by Bob and Jackie (Twirling Candy) to his inside as the field passed the wire for the first time in the one-mile event. Positioned just off that rival's hip up the backstretch through an opening quarter in :22.71, Exaulted stayed in that stalking spot as the top pair raced a few lengths ahead of favored Du Jour (Temple City) and Earls Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}) who raced together in third and fourth. With a slight cue from jockey Juan Hernandez, the 6-year-old began to eat into the margin into the far turn, grinding away until the pair was head and head at the top of the stretch. The field swung out four wide for the battle to the wire but Exaulted had plenty left, pulling clear as 13-1 shot Irideo (Arg) (Easing Along) closed in behind him to be a non-threatening second.
“We just kind of ran out of options,” said winning trainer Peter Eurton. “He wasn't running as well as a 5-year-old…[something] just wasn't right, so I think as a last resort we thought we'd give him a try on the grass. I think [spacing] is the key for him with a long year. He is big, he's heavy…(Juan Hernandez) is just phenomenal, this guy. [He] is riding with no fear, he just so confident in his abilities and it shows you right there and in many other [cases].”
“We broke a little slow because he kind of moved before we broke, but it worked out fine,” added Hernandez. “The other horse went and I just stalked him and I was just really confident in him. He was in the bridle and around the three eighths, I thought I had a lot of horse.
Pedigree Notes:
A $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling back in 2018, Exaulted becomes the 18th graded-stakes winner for his sire, GI Malbiu S. winner Twirling Candy who had a strong week in the sales ring at OBS March last month, with a colt selling for $1 million and a filly bringing $900,000. This is the female family of GSW Rogue Romance (Smarty Jones) and MGSP Tizbig (Tiznow). Gilded Miracle, herself a half-sister to GSW Wonderlandbynight (Sky Mesa), has not produced a foal since 2019.
Sunday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN S.-GIII, $100,500, Santa Anita, 4-2, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.65, fm.
1–EXAULTED, 120, h, 6, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Gilded Miracle, by Gilded Time
2nd Dam: Onemiracleatatime, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Katie Love, by Manila
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
($77,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '18
FTSAUG). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Jack Swain (KY); T-Peter
Eurton; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
MSP, 14-4-3-4, $303,660. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Irideo (Arg), 124, g, 7, Easing Along–Infiltrada (Arg), by
Footstepsinthesand (GB). O/B-Pozo de Luna (ARG); T-Marcelo
Polanco. $20,000.
3–Bob and Jackie, 124, g, 7, Twirling Candy–Fateer, by
Eskendereya. ($190,000 4yo '20 KEENOV). O-Calvin Nguyen
and Joey C. Tran; B-Zayat Stables, LLC (KY); T-George
Papaprodromou. $12,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, NK. Odds: 1.90, 13.50, 10.30.
Also Ran: Du Jour, Earls Rock (Ire), Vanzzy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO,
sponsored by TVG.
The post Exaulted Stays Perfect On The Grass In American S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
