Month: June 2023

Trainer Michael McCarthy's Wizard of Westwood broke running in Sunday's $100,000 Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita and he proved dominant on the front end as he repelled a stiff challenge from race favorite Mi Hermano Ramon to prevail by 1½ lengths while getting 1 1/4 miles on turf  in 2:01.27.

Second, beaten a head by Mi Hermano Ramon going 1 1/8 miles on turf May 7 at Santa Anita, Wizard of Westwood took a take-no-prisoners approach as he bounded from the gate under Abel Cedillo and was in control when the field crossed the dirt shortly after a hillside start. Shadowed by the favorite up the backside and around the far turn, Mi Hermano Ramon got to the winner's flank at the top of the lane, but Cedillo had plenty in the tank with Wizard of Westwood, who drew clear and was unchallenged through the lane. Maltese Falcon was up for second, three-quarters of a length in front of tiring Mi Herman Ramon in third.

“They went a half in :49 (in the May 7 Singletary Stakes) the other day and I was surprised that he was able to get himself beat off a pedestrian opening half (mile) like that,” said McCarthy. “Today, they went a little bit faster, :47 and 4, but it looked like he was always doing it comfortably. (Mi Hermano Ramon) never came to his hip or anything like that (early), so he was able to get himself into a nice rhythm, he put in a little run around the turn and was good enough to hold on today.

“He gallops big in the morning, gallops a mile and a half, a mile and three-quarters and doesn't seem to blow out a candle. He's got stamina influence (in his) pedigree, today, it kind of worked in his favor.”

Off at 7-2 in field of seven, Wizard of Westwood paid $9 for the win.

A colt by the Chilean-bred Scat Daddy stallion Tu Brutus out of the Purge mare Figrare, Wizard of Westwood is owned by Andrew and Rania Warren and was bred in Kentucky by  Pope McLean, who offered him a the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he sold to Patrice Miller, agent for $20,000. Stakes-placed in his last three starts, all on the Santa Anita turf, Wizard of Westwood, in getting his first stakes win, is now 2-2-1 from five career starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his lifetime earnings to $132,000.

“Last time, he was caught around the quarter pole and when I tried to go with him, he kind of lugged out a little bit,” said Cedillo, who got his first stakes win of the Hollywood Meet. “I think that's what cost me the win. This time he was so relaxed, turning for home today, I grabbed my inside rein and he stayed on the rail the whole time, so that was really good.

“My intention was to just break and try to take the lead. If someone else wanted to go, I was just going to sit second, but they let me take it, so I took it.”

Cinema fractions were :23.58, :47.97, 1:12.61, and 1:37.15.

The post Wizard Of Westwood Romps Gate To Wire For Cinema Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Unifying rallied to the lead just outside the eighth pole and spurted away to win Sunday's $175,000 Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes by three lengths at Ellis Park.

Cristian Torres was in the saddle for conditioner Riley Mott, who tabbed the first stakes win of his young training career. Unifying completed the seven-furlong distance in 1:23.64 over a track rated as sloppy,

The speedy B G Warrior was hustled hard from the gate and took the lead up the backside under jockey Albin Jiminez while being tracked throughout the early stages by Tell Me When. Unifying sat fifth up the backside, two lengths off B G Warrior's hot :21.99 opening quarter mile fraction. Around the far turn, Torres tipped Unifying to the two-path to begin her charge at B G Warrior. Just outside the eighth pole, Unifying poked her head in front of the tiring B G Warrior and kicked clear down the lane to win by a comfortable margin.

“She's a really nice filly and she's just getting better and better,” Torres said. “She was training right here at Ellis Park and she liked the track. She's very mature and gets along with anything.”

Unifying rewarded her backers and returned $11.90 for the victory. Topsy, who was sent to post as the 9-5 favorite, closed in the late stages of the Leslie's Lady to finish second under Tyler Gaffalione. B G Warrior completed the trifecta.

She's On the Rocks finished one length behind B G Warrior in fourth. She was followed in order by Friendlypersuasion, Promise of Hope, Padma, Condensation, and Tell Me When.

Sheri Greenberg, Staghawk Stables, Tom Reiman and Ronald Johnson's Unifying is a daughter of Union Rags out of the Arch mare Monarchia. She was bred in Kentucky by Lynn B. Schiff and sold to Cool Hill Farm for $32,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Mill Ridge Sales consigned her.

With her victory in the in the Leslie's Lady, Unifying improved her overall record to 3-3-1 from eight starts and earnings of $294,076.

The post Unifying Surges Clear In Leslie’s Lady, Provides Trainer Riley Mott First Career Stakes Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Madaket Stables' L Street Lady doubled up on stakes scores, utilizing her newfound late-closing tactics to spring a 12-1 upset in Sunday's $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies going six furlongs at Belmont Park.

L Street Lady, by Munnings, won her stakes debut in the January 21 Xtra Heat at Laurel Park three starts back, displaying tactical speed en route to a 2 1/4-length score for trainer Brittany Russell. She made her first venture outside of Maryland a triumphant one, sweeping past Unified Alliance in the last sixteenth of a mile to win by one length.

L Street Lady broke from post 3 under Manny Franco and settled at the rear of the compact field, while 26-1 longshot Wildhawk set the tempo through an opening quarter-mile in :22.52  over the fast main track with Aunt Becca just to her outside in second. Grade 1 winner Chocolate Gelato, the 4-5 post time favorite, was in search of racing room around the far turn while racing in fourth position under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Unified Alliance inched her way up to even terms with the pacesetter through a half-mile in :45.98 with Franco taking L Street Lady in the clear and four wide around the far turn. Unified Alliance put a head in front past the three-sixteenths as Chocolate Gelato checked when attempting to swing wide with L Street Lady right to her outside. Inside the sixteenth pole, L Street Lady was in clear command and completed the six furlongs in 1:11.10.

Unified Alliance finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Wildhawk, followed by Chocolate Gelato and Aunt Becca.

L Street Lady entered the Jersey Girl off a third-place finish in her graded stakes debut in the Miss Preakness (G3) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course, where she was 48-1 odds finishing five lengths behind impressive victress Maple Leaf Mel.

Franco, who piloted L Street Lady for the first time, said Russell's instructions were to keep her comfortable down the backstretch.

“She told me not to rush her off her feet and if she's in the back, that's fine,” Franco said. “Just make one run with her, and that's what I did. I stayed out there waiting and I got a good setup in front of me, too. They came back and my filly ran them down. I was comfortable as soon as I was wide and in the clear. She got it done.”

Chocolate Gelato was making her first start since a distant 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in November at Keeneland in her first start going two turns.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who conditioned the race's multiple Grade 1-winning namesake, said he will potentially look to stretch the daughter of Practical Joke out in her next start.

“I thought she ran OK,” Pletcher said. “Last year, she didn't run quite as well on her debut as we thought she would and then she improved a lot in her second start. I think we kind of saw similar today and the race under her belt will be in her favor. I think we'd like to stretch her out.”

L Street Lady, who returned $26.20, now boasts a record of 3-0-2 from six starts and lifetime earnings of $194,900.

Bred by T and G Farm of Kentucky, L Street Lady is out of the Scat Daddy mare Lady Gayle. She was bought for $125,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, where Denali Stud consigned her.

The post “My Filly Ran Them Down’: L Street Lady Cruises Last To First In Jersey Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post