Tahiyra atones for Newmarket let-down with victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas
Owned by the Aga Khan, the 2-5 favourite quickened smartly to beat Mediate by a length-and-a-half at the Curragh to go one better than at Newmarket.
Month: May 2023
Golden State Series: The Chosen Vron Rolls To Thor’s Echo Win; Old Pal Takes Snow Chief
In a command performance, the Eric Kruljac-trained The Chosen Vron pounced on his competition a quarter mile from home and strode to a sensational 5 ½ length score in Sunday's $100,000 Thor's Echo Stakes at Santa Anita.
Ridden for the seventh straight time by Hector Berrios, the 5-year-old Vronsky gelding rang up his seventh consecutive stakes win while getting six furlongs geared down in 1:09.58.
The Thor's Echo is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or -sired horses and was one of the series' five stakes worth a total of $550,000 on Sunday's card.
As expected, longshot Sunrise Journey, drawn on the far outside the Thor's Echo four-pack and multiple stakes winner Clubhouse Ride, who broke to the inside of The Chosen Vron in post three, contested the early lead, with Sunrise Journey a short head in front at the half mile pole.
With these two racing as a team around the turn, The Chosen Vron looked like a big cat stalking his prey as he reeled them both in with consummate ease leaving the three sixteenths pole en route to the easiest of victories.
“The Chosen Vron… you can put him where you want him” Kruljac said. “I told Hector (Berrios) he might be a little fresh. When he came back, he said, 'He was just push button. When I moved my hand, he had another gear and he was gone.'
“I wish I had another one… but we will live with what we are given. He has been a blessing. You don't come by a horse like this very often. Everybody deserves to have a horse like him.”
Most recently a nose winner going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the state-bred Sensational Star here on March 19, The Chosen Vron was off at 3-5 and paid $3.40 for the win.
Out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron picked up his 12th win from 16 overall starts and with the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $792,678.
Owned by Sondereker Racing, LLC, Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh, The Chosen Vron was bred by Tiz Molly Partners.
The longest shot in the field at 19-1, Tigre Di Slugo rallied for second money under Jose Valdivia Jr.
The winner of last year's Thor's Echo, Brickyard Ride was done turning for home and checked in third, 6¾ lengths behind the runner-up.
Fractions on the race were :21.82, :44.41, and 56.88.
Old Pal Takes Snow Chief In Stakes Debut
Lightly raced Old Pal, in his stakes debut for trainer Mark Glatt, saved ground throughout and rallied for a three-quarter length tally over a determined Clouseau to take the 150,000 Snow Chief Stakes.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, who collected his third stakes win on the day, the 3-year-old colt by Grazen got a 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:50.14.
In hand while fifth in a field of seven into the first turn, Old Pal was about six lengths off pacesetter Clouseau in the run past the half mile pole. With pace pressure coming around the far turn from longshot Tom and Jazzy, Old Pal closed the gap on the top two turning for home while hugging the fence and prevailed under aggressive handling in a game effort.
Third, beaten two lengths as the even-money favorite going one mile on turf in a first condition allowance for state-breds on April 21 at Santa Anita, Old Pal was the second choice in a field of seven 3-year-olds and paid $7.40 to win.
Owned by Blinkers On Racing Stable, Carolyn Corbett, Jai H. Desai, Frederick Dizonno, Chris Garcia, Cheryle Harris, Craig Hocevar, Tom Lewis, Garrett Pate, James Titus, and Les Wagner, Old Pal is out of the English Channel mare Athina Lee.
With the winner's share of $90,000, Old Pal increased his earnings to $151,160 and improved his overall mark to 4-2-1-1.
Ridden by Geovanni Franco, Clouseau ran too good to lose but held second by a half length over Boss Sully.
The 8-5 favorite with Hector Berrios, Boss Sully finished 2 ½ lengths better than Be Punctual.
Fractions on the Snow Chief were :24.68, :49.57, 1:14.17, and 1:38.53.
Rising Star Ceiling Crusher Airs In Melair
A California-bred superstar in the making, Doug O'Neill's Ceiling Crusher led throughout en route to a smashing 17-length victory in the $100,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Ceiling Crusher remains unbeaten in four starts and in her first try around two turns, got 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.25.
A 15 ½-length winner of the 6 ½ furlong Evening Jewel Stakes on April 8, Ceiling Crusher went straight to the front out of the gate, and although she was tested around the far turn by eventual third-place finisher Chismosa, the Melair was never at any point in doubt as the 3-year-old daughter of Mr. Big had a sixth length advantage three sixteenths of a mile out in an absolute rout.
The prohibitive 1-5 favorite in a field of four sophomore fillies, Ceiling Crusher paid $2.40 for the win.
Owned by Wonderland Racing Stables, LLC, Todd Kady, Tim Kasparoff and Ty Leatherman, Ceiling Crusher, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Palisadesprincess, picked up $90,000 for the win, running her earnings to $263,400.
Ridden by Kyle Frey, Tom's Regret was up for second, a neck in front of Chimosa.
Eddie's New Dream Cruises Gate To Wire In Fran's Valentine
Paul and Zillah Reddam's homebred Eddie's New Dream bounded to the lead out of the starting gate and was in control thereafter en route to a half-length score in the100,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes for fillies and mares.
Trained by Ben Cecil and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Eddie's New Dream, a 5-year-old California-bred mare by Square Eddie, got a mile on turf in 1:35.05.
Although the Nick Alexander-owned and -bred Rose Maddox poised menacingly turning for home and was gaining inches late, she couldn't get on terms with the winner in a big effort.
Most recently third sprinting six furlongs on dirt in the state-bred Spring Fever Stakes Feb. 19, Eddie's New Dream was off at 2-1 in a field of six California-bred or sired fillies and mares and paid $6.20 for the victory.
Out of the Tapit mare Walkingonadream, Eddie's New Dream picked up her third career stakes win and her seventh win from 23 overall starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $588,100.
Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, runner-up Rose Maddox finished 2¼ lengths in front of Shocking Grey in third.
Next to last at the rail in the run up the backside, Shocking Grey saved ground to the three-furlong pole while about four lengths off the lead, shifted out for the stretch drive but was no match for the top two, finishing 1¾ lengths in front of 8-5 favorite Big Switch.
Fractions on the race were :23.06, :47.55, 1:11.65, and 1:23.26.
Kings River Knight Wins Crystal Water On Front End
In control on the lead throughout, John Sadler's Kings River Knight powered to a 2¼-length win in the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes, the first of the Golden State Series stakes Sunday.
Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, the 5-year-old gelding by Acclamation got one mile on turf in 1:34.55.
With Hernandez nursing his natural speed on the front end to the far turn, Kings River Knight kicked into high gear turning for home and was widening on runner-up Coalinga Road at the wire, providing his connections with his first stakes win in career start number nine.
Most recently second, beaten a nose going 6½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the state-bred Sensational Star Stakes March 19, Kings River Knight was off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of five California-bred 3-year-olds and up and paid $3.60 for the win.
Bred by Old English Rancho and owned by Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, LLC, the Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth Tevelde, Kings River Knight, who is out the Poteen mare Seasontoperfection, picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $236,260 from an overall mark of 9-4-4-0.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Coalinga Road appeared poised to take on the winner at the top of the lane but was second best on the day, finishing 2¼ lengths in front of Carmelita's Man.
Carmelita's Man trailed the winner by double digits while last heading to the far turn and rallied to be third, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Bang for Your Buck.
Fractions on the race were :23.58, :47.54, 1:11.28, and 1:22.97.
The post Golden State Series: The Chosen Vron Rolls To Thor’s Echo Win; Old Pal Takes Snow Chief appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
View From The Eighth Pole: Met Mile’s Move Proved Good Business Decision For NYRA
It's been 10 years since the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, better known as the Met Mile, has been run on the Memorial Day holiday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The race landed on Memorial Day in 1971 when the federal holiday was moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
The race itself goes back to 1891 at old Morris Park racetrack, which also hosted the Belmont Stakes for a number of years. It was also run at Aqueduct in the 1960s, but the Met Mile has been a Belmont fixture for most of the 20th and all of the 21st century (that could change with Belmont Park construction coming up).
The Met Mile has been won by many of Thoroughbred racing's greatest performers and came to be known as a “stallion making” race for older horses. It has been won by a handful of 3-year-olds, most recently Honour and Glory in 1996, and before that Holy Bull in 1994, Dixie Brass in 1992, and Gulch in 1987. Gulch was the most recent back-to-back winner of the Met Mile when he won again in 1988.
The most audacious 3-year-old Met Mile winner was 1982 Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo, who Woody Stephens wheeled right back six days later to win the G1 Belmont Stakes going a mile and a half
The Met Mile stands alone as an outstanding race, but New York Racing Association officials made the Memorial Day cards even stronger by adding a pair of additional G1 fixtures, the Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares.
In 2014, those three races were moved to Belmont Stakes day, giving that program a total of six G1 races, plus two G2 and one G3.
Spurred on by a Triple Card attempt by California Chrome that attracted a Belmont Park crowd of 102,199, wagering on on the 2014 Belmont Stakes day went through the roof to a record $150,249,399. That was up more than $60 million from the previous year's Belmont Stakes card without a Triple Crown on the line.
But Memorial Day business suffered from the loss of those races in 2014, with handle plummeting from $16.2 million in 2013 to $9.9 million in 2014.
To their credit, NYRA has grown Memorial Day handle back to where it was in the Met Mile days, now focusing on a good day of racing to showcase New York-breds. Of course, it isn't the same from a quality of racing standpoint when you no longer offer three G1 races, but those races had long stopped bringing large crowds to the Long Island track.
Making Belmont Stakes Day as strong a day of racing as there is this side of the Breeders' Cup has helped handle, especially when a horse is going for the Triple Crown. Belmont day business rises and falls with Triple Crown attempts or rivalries that develop in the lead-up to the Triple Crown or in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
But the other added bonus for NYRA in having moved those races is the premium price they get for out-of-state simulcasts. When the Met Mile was run on Memorial Day, the cost of the signal to simulcast outlets and advance-deposit wagering companies is lower than it is on Belmont day. So NYRA not only was able to increase handle, they retained a bigger percentage of every simulcast dollar wagered on Belmont day than they would have on Memorial Day.
There are still fans and horseplayers who would prefer the Met Mile be run on Memorial Day, but it made good business sense to move it. You've got to make hay while the sun shines, and nothing shines brighter in New York racing than Belmont Stakes day – even without a run for the Triple Crown.
That's my view from the eighth pole.
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Lukka Takes Premio Club Hipico Falabella In Chile By Slimmest Margin, Earns Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth
Splitting horses in a furious stretch drive, Agricola Haras Jockey's 3-year-old Lukka nipped stablemate Mi Elegido by a nose to win Sunday's Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1) at Club Hipico de Santiago.
With the victory, the son of Lookin At Lucky earned an automatic berth and fees paid in the $2-million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
Lukka, a son of two-time North American champion Lookin At Lucky out of the Kitten's Joy mare Antic, completed the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.11 over a turf course listed as good.
Sent away as the 9-5 favorite in the 12-horse field and ridden by Jorge Gonzalez, Lukka sat comfortably off the pace through the first half-mile in seventh place, while longshot Gamberetti shot to the lead followed closely by 11-1 Mi Elegido, Netinna, and the filly Mama Lili.
Approaching the far turn, Netinna made a strong move on the outside into second place while Mi Elegido saved ground along the rail and surged to the front. As the field spread apart, Gonzalez aboard Lukka began a concerted drive inside the final quarter mile and came off the rail to pass tiring horses, with stablemate Mama Lili just to his outside also making up significant ground. Jockey Gonzalo Ulloa desperately urged Mi Elegido to hold off the fast-closing Lukka but had to settle for second, with Mama Lili just a neck behind in third. The filly Costa Del Norte finished behind Mama Lili, and completed a sweep of the first four positions for trainer Patricio Baeza.
Sunday's win was Lukka's second consecutive Group 1 victory. Showing his versatility, Lukka won the 1 3/8-mile Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile (G1) on dirt April 29. Before that, he finished second in the El Derby (G1) on turf at Valparaiso Sporting Club in Santiago. Lukka has now won three races from nine starts.
Lukka joins Al Muthana, winner of the L'Ormarins King's Plate (G1) in South Africa in January, as the first horses to gain automatic berths into this year's Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile.
Now in its 16th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Lukka to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.
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