Month: June 2023

Gold Standard Racing Stable's Hoosier Philly returned to the winner's circle for the first time this year when she took the field gate to wire in Saturday's second running of the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes at Ellis Park.

Trained by Tom Amoss and ridden by Edgar Morales, Hoosier Philly completed the one-mile distance in 1:36.39 over the fast  surface at the Henderson, Ky. track, known as the 'Pea Patch.'

Hoosier Philly comfortably completed an opening quarter-mile in :25.23 in the Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes while rating 1½ lengths in front of Sabra Tuff. Around the far turn, following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.16, Morales dropped his hands and Hoosier Philly began to take off. Favored Wet Paint was able to pass tiring rivals late but could only manage second-best behind Hoosier Philly.

“She's such a nice filly and won very comfortably today,” Morales said. “She was able to get the lead easily by herself, but anytime I'd ask her to go, she'd immediately respond.”

“She got away with a very easy opening quarter-mile but quickened up well in the lane when Edgar asked her,” Amoss said. “I'm so thrilled for the owners. Bill and Mary Stone are from across the river in Evansville, Indiana, and Rod Ratcliff held a big role at several racetracks in Indiana. It was great to see her return to the winner's circle and thrilled everyone could be here celebrating with us today.”

With her victory in the Monomoy Girl Stakes, Hoosier Philly improved her overall mark to 4-1-1 from seven career starts and purse earnings of $644,510.

Hoosier Philly was sent off as the 6-5 second choice and returned $4.50 for the win. Wet Paint and Tyler Gaffalione finished  5 1/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Flamand.

Hoosier Philly is a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief out of the Tapit mare Tapella. She was bred in Kentucky by Candy Meadows LLC, who sold her for $510,000 to agent Lauren Carlisle at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

The post Hoosier Philly Leads All The Way In Monomoy Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In a race delayed by 11 minutes due to a late scratch at the starting gate, Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante shaped up as a potential match race in the totalizator board, as Jeff Bonde's California-bred Crazy Hot was sent off at 3-5 and Hector Palma's French-bred Becky's Dream loomed a stout second choice at 9-5.

Enter Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams' homebred Grand Slam Smile, who was vanned down from her Golden Gate Fields base on Wednesday morning with trainer Steve Specht. The third choice at 7-2, Grand Slam Smile shaded Becky's Dream to the top of the lane and with Crazy Hot looming large to her outside, the California-bred daughter of Smiling Tiger shook off Crazy Hot leaving the furlong pole. Kept to her task, she overhauled Becky's Dream under a hand ride from Frank Alvarado in the final 30 yards, prevailing by a half length while getting five furlongs in :58.41.

“Everyone was in the same boat at the gate, everyone (was) walking and waiting,” said Alvarado. “I was worried a little bit because it is hot and she had never been in this kind of heat, but she handled it pretty good.

“At the three-eighths pole, I went inside a bit and I thought I had it, the only horse that concerned me was Bonde's filly because she was outside and she put a little pressure (on us). I didn't want her to pass me and get dirt in my filly's face because she never had dirt on her face before…”

A four-length first-out winner in open company in a 4½-furlong maiden race on synthetic Tapeta May 14, Grand Slam Smile paid $9.40 for the win.

Out of the good-producing Grand Slam mare Royal Grand Slam, Grand Slam Smile, undefeated in two starts, picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $83,400.

“She handled the dirt just fine,” said Specht. “You never really know until you put them on it. Galloping versus running isn't the same thing and she seemed to handle it fine…I got a little worried when they got into the lane. I didn't want that outside horse to drop in on me. She got back up in there (between horses) and managed to run them down late. She ran a good race, I was happy. Del Mar is probably going to be our only opportunity. There are a couple of nice Cal-bred stakes there and she will be in them.”

Ridden by Tiago Pereira from the rail, Becky's Dream was pressed throughout and proved second best, finishing 5¼ lengths in front of the favorite.

Crazy Hot, who may have been comprised by delay caused by the late scratch of longshot Motet, appeared to be in a perfect stalking position under Geovanni Franco turning for home, but had little to offer the final eighth of a mile.

Motet, who was 30-1 at the time of the scratch, tried to sit down in the gate with jockey Kyle Frey, resulting in Frey being injured and taken off the track by stretcher.

According to track security, Frey was complaining of ankle pain and was taken to a local hospital for precautionary x-rays.

Fractions on the race, which was reduced to a field of four juvenile fillies, were :22.31 and :45.55.

The post Golden Gate Shipper Grand Slam Smile Prevails In Fasig-Tipton Debutante At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Overcoming trouble in the early going, Gary and Mary West's homebred Salute the Stars rallied stoutly through the lane and overhauled favorite Kingsbarns in the closing strides to win the $150,000 Pegasus, a prep for the $1-million Haskell (G1), Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Brad Cox, Salute the Stars was last of six from the gate after getting squeezed at the start and was rank around the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch. He moved into a stalking position in fourth off the rail once settled down on the backstretch and bided his time as Kingsbarns and pacesetter Subrogate battled around the turn and into early stretch. Kingsbarns shook off Subrogate in midstretch an appeared en route to victory, but Salute the Stars was ready to run and wore him down with ground-devouring strides, earning his first stakes win by a neck.

Salute the Stars paid $7.80 after covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.87.

Kingsbarns held for second and finished third Howgreatisnate was third, 2 1/4 back.

A Candy Ride colt, Salute the Stars came into the Pegasus off an allowance score, carded for the turf but shifted to the main track, May 14 in his season debut at Churchill Downs. He closed his juvenile campaign with a maiden-breaking victory on turf Aug. 27 at Ellis Park in his second career start.

Bred in Kentucky, Salute the Stars was produced by the Malibu Moon mare Star Sighting.

Pegasus Quotes

WINNING TRAINER – Trace Messina (assistant to Brad Cox): “We liked him a lot first time out. We were going back and forth, dirt or turf, and we said let's just run him on the grass. And then the race came off. It gave us the option to see what he was like on the dirt. Not against true dirt horses, but it was competitive field that day.

“I was not feeling good on the backside. He was too aggressive going into the first turn. On the backside, Joel did a good job getting him to relax. Even at the three-eighths pole I thought, 'He's not going anywhere.' But when he straightened out he got going. We'll see (on the Haskell). Obviously that's an option. We have a lot of 3-year-olds in this division. But that's a possibility for sure.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joe Rosario: “My first time riding him. It seemed seemed like he broke well. Maybe not exactly the way we wanted since we wanted him a little closer, but he kind of moved himself a little forward and I played with him a little bit until he settled down. After that, it looked like turning for home he kind of backed up a little bit. But give credit to my horse, he was able to put it all together again and grind late with that long stride he has. He straightened out and we got the job done. I thought we might not catch him. I looked like (Kingsbarns) was getting away.”

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