Month: June 2023

Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Disarm ran down Verifying right at the wire to win the first graded stakes of his young career in Sunday's 26th running of the $400,000 Matt Winn (G3) for 3-year-olds at Ellis Park.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Joel Rosario, Disarm, who entered off a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1), completed the Matt Winn's 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.59 over the surface rated as sloppy.

The fleet-footed Bo Cruz was taken to the early lead under Corey Lanerie and completed a composed quarter-mile of :24.46. Verifying, and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, tracked Bo Cruz in second up the backside while Disarm and Rosario were positioned third at the rail. Around the far turn, following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.05, Verifying drew alongside Bo Cruz while Rosario started to ask Disarm to pick up his best stride. Verifying, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, took over the lead from Bo Cruz at the eighth pole but had to fend off Disarm, who ranged up in the three path to his outside. In the final stages of the Matt Winn, Disarm gamely pressed by Verifying to record a half-length victory.

Bo Cruz was third, ahead behind Verifying.

“It was a little wet today which is always concerning to see how horses would like it,” Rosario said. “(Disarm) seemed to like it and got over the track well. It was a very good performance. Steve (Asmussen) told me to get him into position after we broke from the gate and just let him handle things on his own. At the three-eighths pole I had to start to ride him a little bit to keep position but he responded very nicely after that and continued to do so down the lane.”

Disarm was sent to post as the even-money favorite and returned $4.24 for the win.

It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to fourth-place Raise Cain, who was eighth in the Derby. He was followed in order by Denington, Go Solider Go, and King Russell, 15th in the Derby.

Kentucky-bred Disarm is a 3-year-old son of Gun Runner out of the Tapit mare Easy Tap.

With his victory in the Matt Winn, Disarm increased his overall mark to 2-2-2 from seven career starts and boosted his purse earnings to $760,700.

The post Disarm Nails Verifying At The Wire For Matt Winn Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Douglas Scharbauer's Texas homebred Closing Act moved to a perfect 2-for-2 with an off-the-pace victory under Irad Ortiz Jr. in Sunday's $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Munnings added to a debut graduation by a neck on May 11 when sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs where she delivered a similar rallying performance under Tyler Gaffalione.

“She made a few mistakes first time out and we told Irad that we thought she'd be more forwardly placed and more professional, and she was,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen. “She got a lot out of her first race. Super proud of her today. She's really gone through a growth spurt this month and she's filling out and looks beautiful.”

Closing Act broke cleanly from the outermost post 5 to track behind the sharp-starting pacesetter Union Suit, who widened her advantage to one length midway down the backstretch and marked an opening quarter-mile in :22.33 over the fast main track while Golden Ghost rated in second and Closing Act went head-to-head with Donate Life for third.

Union Suit maintained her advantage in the turn as Golden Ghost and Donate Life dropped back with Closing Act advancing with purpose on the far outside under coaxing from Ortiz.. It was Closing Act's race to lose at the top of the lane as she overpowered her pacesetting rival and drew away down the stretch to post the 3 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:06.59.

Union Suit stayed on for place honors by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-running Living Magic with Golden Ghost and Donate Life completing the order of finish. Low Mileage was scratched.

Ortiz said he used his best judgement to decide when to ask Closing Act for her best run.

“She's nice. She broke pretty well with the field, but when close to the turn the inside horse [Union Suit] got a little advantage on me,” he said. “I couldn't clear anybody so I had to stay there. After that, I had to make her go a little early. It's only a 5 1/2 [-furlong race] so I couldn't do too much. I just made her go forward and she responded really well so I just kept going.

“She made the lead playing a little bit and got a little lost,” Ortiz added. “When she made the lead she was looking around and slowed down a little. So I had to make sure she kept going.”

Blasi said Closing Act, whose dam is the Master Command mare Evening Show, could be pointed towards the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity on July 1 at Lone Star Park next.

“We'll talk to Steve about what's next. She's eligible for the Sales Futurity—she is a Texas-bred—so we have options,” said Blasi. “But, you know what, we are really happy to get done what we got done today.”

Closing Act returned $3.40 for a $2 win ticket as the 3-5 mutuel favorite. She banked $82,500 in victory, boosting her total lifetime purse earnings past the six-figure mark to $124,500.

Manny Franco, rider of runner-up Union Suit, said the Graham Motion-trained filly gave her best effort in her stakes debut.

“My filly ran really well and was second-best,” said Franco. “She was straight-forward. In the gate she was a little bit hesitant, but after that, in the race, she was good.”

The post Texas-Bred Closing Act Powers To Astoria Win In Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite had just enough left in the tank to stave off the late rush of Be Your Best and claim victory in Sunday's $200,000 Wonder Again (G2), a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.

The top three finishers of the Wonder Again have each received an automatic invitation to the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 8 at Belmont. The 1 1/4-mile turf test is the opening leg in the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple, a series of three important graded turf stakes for sophomore fillies. Following the Belmont Oaks, the series continues with the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) at 1 3/16-miles on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course; and the 11-furlong Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3) to be held during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, Prerequisite passed her first test against winners on the heels of a second-out graduation going the Wonder Again distance on May 7 at Belmont. The bay daughter of Upstart was tenacious in victory, finding just enough late under Flavien Prat to become racing's latest graded stakes winner.

“I wanted to be [on the lead] if she broke well,” said Brown, who scored a repeat victory in this event for a record fifth Wonder Again triumph. “He [Prat] actually hustled her out of there to make that lead. I didn't want to leave it in the hands of another horse and possibly a slow pace to deal with in this race. So we established ourselves on the lead, the plan was to go or if she couldn't get there, at least attempt to and get the pace going a bit.”

Prerequisite emerged sharply from post 4 and bounded to the front of the seven-horse field in tandem with Spansive to her outside through the first turn, marking an opening quarter-mile in 23.67 seconds over the firm footing.

Prerequisite inched further away from Spansive as Thirty Thou Kelvin and Allamericanbeauty went head-to-head for second entering the backstretch. The field was well spread out with position remaining unchanged through a half-mile in 47.94 before the Manny Franco-piloted Be Your Best was brought wide and began making up ground approaching the turn.

Be Your Best swung four-wide in the turn to take dead aim at Prerequisite, who held her advantage as Spansive retreated after three-quarters in 1:11.80. Prat asked Prerequisite for more at the top of the lane and his horse responded, digging in gamely at the eighth pole with the oncoming Be Your Best gaining with every stride. But Prerequisite was all heart and kept on well enough to repel her challenger by a neck in a final time of 1:47.20.

The Brown-trained Revalita improved from sixth to claim show honors one length back of Prerequisite with Spansive, Allamericanbeauty, Thirty Thou Kelvin and Venencia, who was off slowly, completing the order of finish.

Prat, who was aboard for the filly's maiden win over impressive next-out maiden winner Highland Grace, said Prerequisite has ample courage.

“I hustled her out of the gate to get a good position and I found myself on the lead,” Prat said. “She was traveling well from there. She got really brave. Every time a horse came to her, she would dig in. It's a good sign that more distance will be fine.”

Brown added the July 8 Belmont Oaks could come under consideration for Prerequisite's next outing.

“It could be,” he said. “We'll see how she comes out of this.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, Prerequisite's dam is the Smart Strike mare Etsu. A $350,000 purchase by First Row Partners at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Mason Springs consigned her. She increased her lifetime bankroll to $163,000 with the $110,00 winner's share of the Wonder Again purse.

Prerequisite returned $16 for a $2 win wager.

Horacio De Paz, trainer of Be Your Best, said he was encouraged by what he saw from the daughter of Muhaarar in her second start off a five-month respite.

“Her first race back was just one to give her, so it's good to see that she came back against these horses. This was a tough race,” De Paz said. “I think [the Belmont Oaks] will be the plan as long as she comes out of it OK.”

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Mike McCarty's Gold Sweep swooped to an impressive nine-length score under Jose Ortiz in Sunday's $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who sent out juvenile filly Closing Act to victory in the Astoria earlier on the card, Gold Sweep delivered on the promise he demonstrated with a late-closing bid to finish second, by a neck, in his five-furlong debut on May 18 at Churchill Downs.

“He didn't get away real well first time out and just got a lot of experience out of the race. We knew watching him train that there was a lot more there,” said Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi. “We had enough confidence in him to bring him up here, and you saw how he performed today. It's been a nice weekend for us.”

Maiden winners Vitement and Ship Cadet dueled for the early lead with Gold Sweep racing in third position to their outside as the opening quarter-mile elapsed in 23.32 seconds over the fast main track.

Gold Sweep advanced without urging through the turn as Ship Cadet took over from a retreating Vitement after a half-mile in :45.65. The confidently handled Gold Sweep was in command at the top of the lane, and with a shake of the reins from Ortiz, he took off to graduate emphatically in a final time of 1:03.47.

The Irad Ortiz Jr.-piloted Ship Cadet completed the exacta by 1 1/4 lengths over Yo Yo Candy. Frosty the Giant, who broke a step slow, finished fourth with Jumpingjaggerflash and Vitement rounding out the order of finish. Jive was scratched.

Jose Ortiz, aboard Gold Sweep for the first time, said he was impressed with the colt's professionalism.

“We jumped out of there well from the gate. He put me into a lovely position and was so relaxed and easy. Passing the three-eighths, I was confident he was going to get it done,” he said. “I put my hands down and he was just a pro. At the quarter-pole, he was beautiful, and at the three-sixteenths, he switched leads and exploded.

“I showed him the whip a little just to ask him to get away and from that point on I just told him to finish the race,” Ortiz added. “I didn't encourage him a whole lot and he did it pretty easy. For a 2-year-old in his second race and a maiden, I think he's going to be pretty nice.”

Ortiz said he was proud of the performance from Ship Cadet, but tipped his cap to the impressive Gold Sweep.

“The winner was much the best and freaky-good today,” Irad Ortiz said. “I had a beautiful trip and broke so good with a perfect spot. Then I got pressure from the winner at the three-eighths pole, but he kept trying. He ran great.”

Gold Sweep could now target a start in the  $175,000 Sanford (G3) on July 15 at Saratoga Race Course.

“Possibly the Sanford,” Blasi said. “We'll talk to Steve and Mr. McCarty and see what we want to do.”

The $285,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase from the Indian Creek consignment is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Wonder Brew, while his second dam, Ginger Brew, took honors as Canada's champion 3-year-old filly after winning the 2008 Woodbine Oaks.

Bred in Kentucky by Joe Anzalone, Gold Sweep banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 2-1-1-0. He returned $3.60 for a $2 win ticket.

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