Month: May 2023

Consolation For Forte Connections as Up to the Mark Impresses in Turf Classic

Having swallowed the most bitter of bitter pills earlier in the morning with news that Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) was being scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby, owner Mike Repole was handed a measure of consolation when Up to the Mark (Not This Time) came rolling down the center of the Matt Winn turf course to prove a comprehensive winner of the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic.

Exchanging bumps at the break with Earls Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}), Up to the Mark settled in a midfield fifth for the run past the stands first time around, as Bye Bye Melvin (Uncle Mo) crossed from his outside draw and led from defending champion Santin (Medaglia d'Oro). Traveling in a nice rhythm down the backstretch, Up To the Mark commenced a rally leaving the three-furlong peg and had the leaders in the crosshairs at the quarter pole. Four wide at the head of the lane as Santin displaced Bye Bye Melvin at the head of affairs, the $450,000 Keeneland September yearling hit the front under a right-handed stick outside the eighth pole and ran out a convincing winner over Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}). Spooky Channel (English Channel) just outfinished Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah) for third.

A maiden winner in five starts on the dirt to begin his career, Up to the Mark looked reinvented when hacking up by four lengths when trying the grass for the first time at Gulfstream Jan. 28. Doubling up at the next allowance level Mar. 4, he was bet all the way down into 5-1 against the likes of Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Apr. 14 GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland and just missed second behind the Eclipse Award winner.

“It unfolded beautifully,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, winning a third Turf Classic. “He got a really good trip, was able to save a little ground. The horse relaxed nicely and had a good turn of foot when called upon. We'll probably go to the [June 10 GI Resorts World Casino] Manhattan [S.] on Belmont Day next.”

Pedigree Notes:

Up to the Mark is the 25th stakes winner, 11th graded winner and fifth Grade I winner for Not This Time and his first on the turf. He is the Taylor Made stallion's second top-level scorer of 2023, joining Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Sibelius. Ghostzapper's daughters have now produced 33 BTWs, 18 GSWs and five Grade I winners, two others of which descend from the Storm Cat sire line and one of which is 2018 Derby winner Justify (Scat Daddy).

Up to the Mark is out of an unraced daughter of Robert and Lawana Lows' 1996 GI Test S. winner Capote Belle, who also produced SW & GSP Zapper Belle (Ghostzapper) and Gata Bella (Storm Cat), the dam of MGSW/MGISP Catapult (Kitten's Joy) and SW Ha Ha Tonka (Distorted Humor).

The 9-year-old Belle's Finale, who was purchased by Ramspring Farm carrying a year-older full-brother to Up to the Mark for $70,000 at Keeneland November in 2017, is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Cookie Crumbs (Mendelssohn), a 2-year-old West Coast filly, a yearling colt by McKinzie and a Maxfield colt foaled Apr. 12.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
OLD FORESTER BOURBON TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.31, fm.
1–UP TO THE MARK, 123, c, 4, by Not This Time
               1st Dam: Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper
               2nd Dam: Capote Belle, by Capote
               3rd Dam: Rythmical, by Fappiano
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias
Stable; B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz,
Jr. $601,400. Lifetime Record: 9-4-0-2, $829,550. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hong Kong Harry (Ire), 123, g, 6, Es Que Love (Ire)–Vital Body
(Fr), by Gold Away (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (£185,000 RNA
4yo '21 GOFFLN; 85,000gns 4yo '21 TATAHI). O-Scott Anastasi,
Jimmy Ukegawa & Tony Valazza; B-Amarath Business
Management (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $194,000.
3–Spooky Channel, 123, g, 8, English Channel–Spooky Kitten, by
Kitten's Joy. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg '16 FTKOCT).
O-NBS Stable; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Jason Barkley. $97,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.63, 3.64, 4.37.
Also Ran: Ocean Atlantique, Santin, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Earls Rock (Ire), Bye Bye Melvin. Scratched: Master Piece (Chi), Steady On. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Dutrow Wins First Start Back of Return

After sitting out more than 10 years because his license was suspended by New York racing regulators, trainer Rick Dutrow returned to the winner's circle Saturday with the first he started since his banishment.

Dutrow won the sixth race at Belmont with Prince of Pharoahs (American Pharoah). The 6-year-old gelding was making his first start since being claimed by Dutrow out of an April 7 race at Aqueduct. It was Dutrow's first win since Jan. 16, 2013 when he won a $20,000 claimer at Aqueduct with Colossal Gift (Songandaprayer).

“It feels good,” Dutrow said. “It feels really good. I'm just glad now that I can get up every day and keep trying and can move things along. I try not to think about what happened in the past.”

Dutrow said he was confident that Prince of Pharoahs, who paid $8.20, would turn in a good race.

“Going into this race, I thought he fit with these horses and he likes this track a lot,” Dutrow said. “He was training good. I liked everything about him since we've had him. Those things all added up to him running big today.”

The horse is owned by a partnership headed by Sandy Goldfarb, who was among Dutrow's top clients before his 10-year absence.

“There are four guys who own this horse,” Dutrow said. “I love three of them and I've never met the fourth guy. Sandy has brought so many people into horse racing and has been so good for the sport. No we get to hook up again and have a lot of fun. We're going out to dinner tonight. It's all good again.”

Dutrow said he's up to 15 horses and expects that his numbers will grow.

“I'm looking to claim but it's not easy to claim horses anywhere anymore,” he said. “I hope to get more horses but the problem is you need more help as you expand and for me to get 20 more horses in right away would be overwhelming. It's easier to get one or two more at a time.”

The post Dutrow Wins First Start Back of Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Cody’s Wish Keeps Writing His Fairy Tale With Churchill Downs Stakes Win, Rival Is Vanned Off

Cody's Wish has captured the imaginations of race fans around the country ever since the public learned about the special bond he has with 16-year-old Cody Dormer, who suffers from the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. His win in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile was the climax of a fairy tale in his 2022 season as the Dormer family cheered the 4-year-old Bill Mott trainee to the wire. On the Kentucky Derby undercard, Cody's Wish and jockey Junior Alvarado showed they're ready to write another chapter as they drew away to victory in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes.

In his trademark style, Cody's Wish hung back in the early going of the seven-furlong contest on the main dirt track, letting Here Mi Song and Hoist The Gold take the lead ahead of stalkers Sir Alfred James and Endorsed. Alvarado let Cody's Wish gradually close the distance halfway down the backstretch, unwinding a gradual charge on the outside and sneaking into third by the top of the final stretch. Once there, he faced the pacesetters from a wide outside trip and dug in determinedly to draw clear by the wire and win going away.

This is the fourth time Mott has won this race, with previous victories coming with Rock and Roll in 1999, Rapid Gray in 1985, and Shot n'Missed in 1983.

Hoist The Gold hung on for second, with Tejano Twist coming up for third. Here Mi Song was fourth.

The Equibase chart indicated that Here Mi Song “faltered late in the stretch, vanned off after the race.” A reporter for the Associated Press later tweeted that trainer William Stinson, Jr., indicated radiographs on the horse did not show any abnormalities.

Cody's Wish paid $3.44, $2.90, and $2.64. See the full chart here.

The final time was 1:21.17, with fractions of :22.70, :45.19, and 1:09.17.

Mott trains the homebred Cody's Wish for Godolphin. He is out of Tapit mare Dance Card.

The Dormer family were again in attendance for the race. Cody Dormer met the horse who would become Cody's Wish in foalhood, when the son of Curlin placed his head in the boy's lap in a moment of uncharacteristic calm. The horse was named for Dormer and his connections say he has continued to approach the young man with a unique peace and gentleness.

CHURCHILL DOWNS QUOTES 

Junior Alvarado (jockey, Cody's Wish, winner) – “I don't even know how to describe how much better he got today. What I felt today, is what you want to feel when you ride horses in big races, to feel the whole machine underneath you. Today, he was just a lovely animal to ride. He was there with me every step of the way. When I asked him, he didn't hold anything back, he just went right by those horses. This is what I love to do with this horse. I just want to keep the story going.”

Bill Mott (trainer, Cody's Wish, winner) – “With this horse winning, it's really way more than a horse race. For us, I mean, Cody Dorman, and Cody's Wish, make it something special. When this horse came back after the race, and hearing the crowd, they were going crazy up there, more than they normally cheer for any other race. And the horse is just so great. He's been showing up every time. He's been off since the Breeders' Cup, but it sure looked like he was ready today.

“I get choked up easily, but when he was walking over, my assistant Kenny said he paused, and he looked, and said it was almost like there is a connection there. Usually we don't see that in horses. For what reason, the horse knows something is special.”

Luis Saez (jockey, Hoist the Gold, second) – “He ran big. We broke sharp, sat in second and was travelling very comfortable. We came down the stretch and he never gave up. The winner was pretty good.”

Chris Landeros (jockey, Tejano Twist, third) – “He ran a great race. I have to be honest, I was caught off guard by Cody's Wish. I was sitting where I wanted to be. I was comfortable, following Endorsed and I actually took a peak over and I didn't quite see Junior (Alvarado). The minute I started riding forward, he was on me in two jumps.”

The post Cody’s Wish Keeps Writing His Fairy Tale With Churchill Downs Stakes Win, Rival Is Vanned Off appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Here’s How Mainstream Media Are Covering Equine Deaths On Kentucky Derby Week

As the general public prepares to tune in to the Kentucky Derby on May 6, mainstream media has taken notice of the string of equine deaths at Churchill Downs in recent days, in a way that should be reminiscent to industry insiders of the troubling spike in breakdowns in 2019 at Santa Anita Park. 

Because that national media attention was so impactful on horse racing's regulation and social license, we are compiling a list of headlines that are making their way around social media so that fans and stakeholders can be aware of what their non-Thoroughbred family and neighbors may be reading about the sport this week. As a publication, we believe it is important to keep a finger on the pulse of the mainstream media, even if we sometimes disagree with some of their assertions or opinions. 

Lexington Herald-Leader: Another horse dies after Churchill Downs race, this time on Kentucky Derby Day

Lexington Herald-Leader: Kentucky Derby contender scratched, trainer suspended in wake of horse deaths at Churchill

Louisville Courier-Journal: Chloe's Dream: Sixth horse death in lead up to 149th running of Kentucky Derby

New York Times: Kentucky Derby Live Updates: Scratch of Favorite Forte Shakes Up Already Chaotic Derby

Los Angeles Times: Sixth horse dies at Churchill Downs ahead of Kentucky Derby

Sports Illustrated: 'The Lowest of the Lows': The Drama That Has Clouded Derby Week

USA Today: Kentucky Derby's fragility on display with favorite Forte's morning scratch

Wall Street Journal: Kentucky Derby Favorite Forte Is Scratched as Caution Prevails at Churchill Downs

NPR: 4 horses die at Churchill Downs ahead of the Kentucky Derby

CNN: Churchill Downs: After four horses die, home of Kentucky Derby calls circumstances 'unacceptable' and 'troubling'

Yahoo! Sports: Kentucky Derby: Seventh horse dies at Churchill Downs in lead-up to main event

Fox News: Early Kentucky Derby favorite Forte scratched just hours before the race's start; sixth horse dies

WKYT & LEX18 (Lexington, Ky.): Kentucky Derby races on amid 6th death, scratched favorite

WLKY (Louisville, Ky.): Another horse euthanized following race at Churchill Downs

The post Here’s How Mainstream Media Are Covering Equine Deaths On Kentucky Derby Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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