Month: May 2023

First Preakness Win Leads To Jockey Of The Week Title For Johnny V

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez found out that the number 13 is a lucky number after all. His mount, National Treasure, his 13th in the Grade 1 classic, gave Velazquez his first Preakness victory. It was a four-win day for Velazquez including the Sir Barton and the G3 Maryland Sprint leading the panel of racing experts to vote him the honor of Jockey of the Week for May 15 through May 21.

The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Kicking off his stakes bonanza, Velazquez had the mount on Arabian Lion in the Sir Barton Stakes for 3-year-olds for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Off as the favorite in the field of five, Arabian Lion broke sharply and in the lead. At the top of the stretch Velazquez asked Arabian Lion and the duo drew clear in mid-stretch to win by 4 lengths in 1:41.13 for the mile and one-sixteenth on a fast track.

“He is a different horse from two starts back,” said Velazquez. “He's definitely bigger and stronger.”

Riding for California trainer Dan Blacker, Velazquez was aboard Straight No Chaser in the G3 Maryland Sprint. Off as the favorite, Straight No Chaser broke running and never looked back to post a convincing 7 1/2 length win in 1:08.27 for six furlongs over a fast track.

“The break was awesome,” said Velazquez. “I got told by the trainer, if one goes fast, you have to go a little bit faster. I just let him do what he wants to do. Pretty easy.”

Baffert gave a leg up to Velazquez on National Treasure in the G1 Preakness Stakes, the penultimate race of the day. Velazquez and National Treasure gave the crowd a thrilling stretch drive battling with Blazing Sevens from the top of the stretch to the wire with National Treasure prevailing by a head in 1:55.12 for the one mile and three-sixteenths middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The race proved to be an emotional win for the trainer and the jockey.

“With all the blessings that I've had and all the success in other races, not having won this one was definitely missing,” said Velazquez. “It's very special to have it.”

“To me, this means more for Johnny getting his first Preakness win,” said Baffert. “I give Johnny credit; he got him out of the gate beautifully. That's why he is in the Hall of Fame. I always feel confident when Johnny is on my horse.”

Other contenders for Jockey of the Week included Rafael Bejarano who won the G2 Black-Eyed Susan, Declan Cannon with a win in the G3 Louisville, Jose L. Ortiz with eight wins for the week and a stakes win in the Paradise Creek, and Flavien Prat with a total of five stakes wins including two graded.

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Sparkle Blue Leads 12 Turf Marathoners In Churchill’s Keertana

Augustin Stable and Catherine Peake's Grade 3 winner Sparkle Blue headlines a field of 12 filly and mare turf marathoners that entered Saturday's 10th running of the $225,000 Keertana Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 ½-mile Keertana will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Graham Motion, Sparkle Blue recorded the most prominent victory of her nine-race stand three starts ago when she defeated California Angel by 2 ½ lengths in the Valley View (G3) at Keeneland. The daughter of Hard Spun capped her 3-year-old season with a narrow third-place finish behind Rhea Moon and School Dance in the American Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita.

In her first start of her 4-year-old season, Sparkle Blue finished sixth in the Modesty (G3) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

Sparkle Blue will be ridden Saturday by Vince Cheminaud from post No. 10.

Chief among Sparkle Blue's competition is Wertheimer and Frere's Sinfiltre. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Sinfiltre won her last two starts, a 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park over the Tapeta surface and a 1 ½-mile first-level allowance contest on turf at Keeneland. Jockey Luis Saez has the riding assignment from post 4.

Other talented fillies and mares in the Keertana include three last-out Keeneland allowance winners: Gentry Farms' Lovely Princess; Roger Keith Long's Miss Yearwood; and Bronwood Farm's Quality Star.

Here is the complete Keertana field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Lady Arsinoe (Julien Leparoux, Bill Mott);
  2. Quality Star (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo);
  3. Under One Sky (Gerardo Corrales, Juan Cano);
  4. Sinfiltre (Saez, Pletcher);
  5. Miss Yearwood (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes);
  6. Exit Soul (Florent Geroux, Michael McCarthy);
  7. Lovely Princess (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek);
  8. I'm So Sorry (Jareth Loveberry, Brian Lynch);
  9. Talbeyah (IRE) (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse);
  10. Sparkle Blue (Cheminaud, Motion);
  11. Implosion (Rey Gutierrez, Steve Margolis); and
  12. Viburnum (Adam Beschizza, Kelsey Danner).

Following dark days Monday-Wednesday, live racing from Churchill Downs will return Thursday for a five-day race week. First post Thursday is 5 p.m. for the Twilight Thursday program that features eight-races, $2 domestic beer, live music from the Shane Dawson Band and local food trucks.

First posts Friday-Monday will be 12:45 p.m.

Monday is Military Appreciation Day and all active and retired military members will receive free general admission. More information is available on www.churchilldowns.com.

Before guests venture to Churchill Downs, they are encouraged to visit https://www.churchilldowns.com/visit/info/maps-and-directions because of facility changes due to construction on the new $200 million Paddock.

The post Sparkle Blue Leads 12 Turf Marathoners In Churchill’s Keertana appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Registration Available For TOBA Educational Seminar At Woodbine

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is hosting an Ownership Seminar for prospective and current owners and breeders on Friday and Saturday, June 23-24 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.

Speakers include representatives from The Jockey Club of Canada, including R. Glenn Sikura and Bernard McCormack; Jim Lawson, President, and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment; Kevin Attard, Queen's Plate-winning trainer; Donato Lanni, Managing Partner of X-Men Racing; Colleen Dalos of Tall Oaks Farm and more. Attendees will learn about Canadian Thoroughbred ownership from the top officials and professionals in the industry.

“The TOBA seminar at Woodbine is aimed towards all levels of stakeholder industry participation – from beginners to knowledgeable owners and breeders – looking to continue their education,” said TOBA marketing director Barkley Porter. “We are excited to present an agenda of distinguished presenters from across the industry, who are eager to engage and enlighten our attendees.”

The seminar is open to the general public, with a special discount for TOBA and CTHS members. Meals, educational materials, and a TOBA gift bag are included in registration. Registration is available online at: toba.memberclicks.net/seminars-clinics.

Other upcoming TOBA educational seminars and clinics for 2023 are listed below:

• July 28-29: Ownership Seminar in Del Mar, California
• August 17-18: Ownership Seminar in Saratoga Springs, New York
• October 23: Pedigree & Conformation Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky

Questions about the clinics and seminars may be directed to Barkley N. Porter at barkley@toba.org / (859) 276-6793.

The Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association (TOBA), based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders. TOBA's mission is to improve the economics, integrity, and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree Clinics, US-Bred, TOBA Owners Concierge, OwnerView and the Sales Integrity Program. TOBA provides international representation for U.S. owners and breeders on the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, International Cataloguing Standards Committee, and International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, is the co owner of BloodHorse LLC. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members.

The post Registration Available For TOBA Educational Seminar At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Soldier’s Call’s Born To Rock A New TDN Rising Star

Aptly-named, Laurence Holder's 2-year-old Royal Ascot-bound debutante Born To Rock (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}–Love To Rock {Ire}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) burned up Yarmouth's ever-drying turf on Wednesday to become the latest TDN Rising Star. Prepared for the five-furlong British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' S. by Jane Chapple-Hyam having been purchased for 110,000gns at the Tatts Guineas Breeze Up Sale, the bay fitted with the stable's white bridle and reins showed key early pace under Robert Tart racing away from the main pack towards the far side. Always in command on the front end, the 7-2 second favourite opened up passing two out and was being eased late as she registered a 4 1/4-length defeat of the Gosdens' newcomer Jiwin (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), with 3/4 of a length back to the Michael Bell-trained Mirroring (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

 

Ballyhane Stud-based Soldier's Call's first TDN Rising Star from his first crop, the winner is on target for the G2 Queen Mary S. according to Chapple-Hyam. “She's worked with the horse in the previous race and with the colt that won last week and they've all been thereabouts in the gallops, but she's turned it on this afternoon,” she said. “We have to go for the Queen Mary, definitely.”

“She was a gorgeous physical as a yearling,” Derryconnor Stud's Katie Mcgivern told TDN Europe. “She had a huge walk, great use of herself with strength and size.”

Mcgivern purchased the filly for €17,000 at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale and subsequently sold her for 110,000gns to Amanda Skiffington (agent for Laurence Holder) at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale.

“She toed out a little which reflected her €17,000 price tag but my husband Tom and I couldn't leave her behind. She was always such an athlete,” she said.

“She was easy to break and prep for the breeze-up sales throughout the winter. We knew we had something special as she not only had the pace but she had this huge stride to go with it and loved her work.”

“We were very excited about her heading to the Guineas Sale but Soldier's Call only had one winner at that stage so knew there was going to be a limit to what she was worth.”

The Ballyhane stallion has since had a flurry of winners taking his total to nine.

“She's a filly with a very exciting future as she's not just a sharp 2-year-old type. She has size and scope and more developing still to do so we look forward to how she progresses throughout the season. We very much look forward to her lining up in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot with a fighting chance.”

One of nine winners from the first crop of the speedy and accomplished son of Showcasing (GB), Born To Rock is a grandson of the GIII Athenia H. runner-up I'm In Love (Zafonic) who produced the G3 Stockholms Stora Pris scorer Match Maker (Ire) (Declaration Of War) and the GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready). A distant relative of the sire Weldnaas, the moderate performer Love To Rock has just the sole progeny to date.

4th-Great Yarmouth, £30,000, Mdn, 5-24, 2yo, f, 5f 42yT, 1:00.57, g/f.
BORN TO ROCK (IRE), f, 2, by Soldier's Call (GB)
     1st Dam: Love To Rock (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
     2nd Dam: I'm in Love, by Zafonic
     3rd Dam: Bank On Her, by Rahy
(€17,000 Ylg '22 GOFSPT; 110,000gns 2yo '23 TATBRG). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $19,196. O-Mr Laurence Holder; B-Equos Ltd & Troy Cullen (IRE); T-Jane Chapple-Hyam. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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