Month: July 2023

As much as trainer Joe Orseno had been impressed by Beauty of the Sea's start to her 3-year-old campaign, he knew she needed a test to see exactly where she was.

Test taken and passed.

Let go at 13-1 off two straight wins against lesser competition, Beauty of the Sea took command in midstretch and then held off a pair of closers – one on the inside, the other on the outside – for a head victory in Saturday's $104,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The winning time for the 5½ furlongs over a firm turf course was 1:02.68.

“After she broke her maiden so convincingly and easily – and I had another filly in the race that she beat easily – I thought, 'OK, she's got some talent. Now we have to see how much,' ” said Orseno, now six wins shy of 2,000 for his career. “She handled that (first level optional claimer) easily in her next start, and when she did that, there were a couple of older horses in there, I thought if we kept her with 3-year-olds we would have a chance in a stakes race.

“I did not expect this race to come up as tough as it did.”

Ridden by Jairo Rendon, Beauty of the Sea became the first stakes winner for Florida-based sire Bucchero, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston. Ironhorse Racing Stable, the 3-year-old filly's owners, also campaigned Bucchero.

With Florent Geroux in from Saratoga just to ride Love Appeals, and with Plentitude coming in 2-for-2 lifetime, Clement's duo looked particularly dangerous in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies.

Rendon had Beauty of the Sea sitting third early as Bosserati raced through a first quarter in :21.51, reaching the half in :44.15. Rendon had moved Beauty of the Sea outside by then, with the two taking control in mid-stretch and then holding off runner-up My Sweet Affair on the inside and Love Appeals on the outside. My Sweet Affair held off Love Appeals by a neck to claim second.

“I saw her races at Gulfstream and it seemed like she liked being just off the speed and she quickens at the end,” said Rendon. “That's the way I was thinking to ride her today. When (Bosserati) went out for the lead it gave us a target. She has class and she has a big heart. I just wanted to sit behind the speed and let her get her feet. I was a little worried when I went outside with her because I knew the others were coming. But we got there. She made it.”

Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea, who is out of the Poseidon's Warrior mare Belong to Sea, has a 3-1-0 line from five career starts and is 2-for-3 sprinting on the grass.

Beauty of the Sea paid $28.20 to win.

The post Beauty Of The Sea Wins Blue Sparkler, Becomes First Stakes Winner For Bucchero appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In a torrential summer downpour on Woodbine's Tapeta, Living Magic captured her first stakes win in the $125,000 My Dear Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday afternoon.

Kentucky-bred Living Magic, owned and bred by Henry Nothhaft and trained by Phil Schoenthal, had Rafael Hernandez aboard. Hernandez, who just surpassed 3,000 career wins on Friday, collected win 3,002.

Out of the gate, it was the Mark Casse trainees Stormcast and Dancing Duchess going out to the lead, followed by Living Magic in the center. Living Magic quickly made her way into second from the inside, a nose behind Stormcast with Dancing Duchess a length behind in third, while Kevin Attard trainee Bolt Enoree followed closely.

It was a battle between Stormcast and Living Magic at the quarter. Living Magic held the lead from the top of the stretch to the finish, with Stormcast, Bolt Enoree, and Dancing Duchess left challenging each other for the remaining positions. Living Magic won by a length from Dancing Duchess. Stormcast was third and Bolt Enoree fourth.

The final time was 1:03:55

It was the third lifetime start and second win for the Schoenthal-trained Living Magic, a Justify filly out of the Footstepsinthesand mare Living the Life. She was rebounding from a third in the Astoria Stakes June 11 at Belmont Park after taking her debut at Parx Racing May 1.

Schoenthal was happy to be at Woodbine for the first time.

“I've been trying to get up to Woodbine for a number of years and it had never quite worked out. I campaigned the mare of this horse and she won five stakes on all weather tracks, so besides the blinkers, I found if there was any horse with a pedigree that would step-up on an all weather track it was Living Magic”.

Living Magic paid $16.60 for the win.

The post Living Magic Steps Up To First Stakes Victory In Woodbine’s My Dear Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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