Month: July 2023

If any other New York-based trainers call Feargal Lynch about riding in a stakes race at Monmouth Park in the near future there probably won't be any hesitation on the jockey's part to leave the Maryland circuit to do so.

Lynch swept the two stakes races on Monmouth Park's Saturday card, including Occult's 10¼-length romp  in the $262,500 Monmouth Oaks (G3) one race after guiding the George Weaver-trained Amidst Waves to a 1¼-length victory in the $106,000 Colleen Stakes.

Occult, third in the Acorn Stakes (G1) in her last start seven weeks ago, made a bold move around the turn in the 1 1/16-mile test and quickly left the nine other 3-year-old fillies in her wake in the 99th running of the Monmouth Oaks.

The winning time was 1:45.74.

“She's a very big filly who needs time to find her stride and get into a nice rhythm,” said Lynch. “She'll keep going all day once she gets into her stride. So stamina was never an issue with her. I saw there was some cheap speed in here so I let them go. At the half-mile pole I was just trying to find a way clear.

“Because she's such a big striding filly you think you're going nowhere. But when I watch the replay I am sure I will be impressed with the way she was moving. It's all about rhythm and momentum with a big horse like that.”

A $625,000 yearling purchase by agent Steve Young at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Bridie Harrison consigned her, Occult posted her third victory – first in a graded race – in six career starts. The daughter of Into Mischief out of the Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling is owned by Alpha Delta Stables, which also is the breeder of Juddmonte's reigning champion sprinter Elite Power, winner of the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) Saturday at Saratoga.

Occult paid $4.80 to win as the favorite.

“They really like this filly in the barn. The guys in New York, where she was based, told me she was doing really good and looked ready to run a big one,” said Luis Cabrera, who oversees Brown's division at Monmouth Park. “I think the key is to space out her races and to keep her on a fast track. That's when she is at her best.

“She ran great today. As soon as we brought her out she looked ready to run. We expected her to run well but I have to say this was very impressive.”

Foggy Night, the second choice, held for second, 1¼ lengths ahead of Riding Pretty, the lone Jersey-bred in the field.

Lynch had to work a little harder to get home Amidst Waves, who drew off late for a 1¼-length victory over Lady d'Oro in the Colleen. The winning time for the five furlongs over a firm turf course was :57.68.

Amidst Waves is now 2-for-3 lifetime, with both wins in turf sprints. The daughter of Midshipman is owned by R.A Hill Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Swinbank Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds and Big Tuff Stables.

“She's a Midshipman filly and a lot of the Midshipman offspring seem to like the grass. There have been quite a few that have been good sprinting on the grass,” said Weaver. “We ran her on the dirt first time out. She's okay on the dirt, too. We had a chance to work her on the grass. It seemed like she was really happy on it. So it was natural to try.

“She ran big at Belmont (on the turf). I was impressed with her win at Belmont and this is the natural next step for her. I thought she would be really tough in here.”

Lynch had Amidst Waves forwardly place and just off the early leaders until she separated from the field coming out of the final turn. She returned $6.80 as the favorite in the field of nine 2-year-old fillies.

“She's a pretty straightforward horse,” said Lynch.” She jumped up in her last race on the turf at Belmont. I had a lot of confidence with George Weaver sending her here.

“I thought there would be more speed in the race. She was on the muscle and very close to the leaders and I didn't want to take anything away from her. When I asked her in the lane she quickened. When another horse came at her for a stride or two she really accelerated.”

The post Lynch Caps Monmouth Stakes Double As Occult Romps Away In Monmouth Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lea Farms' Lightening Larry stalked Wondrwherecraigis from the gate and came with a steady run through the stretch to reel in his fellow Grade 3 winner inside the sixteenth pole and capture Saturday's $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash by a half-length at Laurel Park.

The 32nd renewal of the six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up, named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, anchored five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a 10-race program.

In earlier stakes, Be Better rallied from last in the $100,000 Deputed Testamony for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles; Beguine was a popular winner of the $100,000 Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and older at 6 ½ furlongs; Super Accelerate was resolute in taking $75,000 Star de Naskra for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and Talk to the Judge wired the $75,000 Miss Disco for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs. For recaps, click here.

With Daniel Centeno aboard for the first time, Lightening Larry ($3.40) extended his win streak to three races, all in stakes, following the May 29 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park and July Alapocas Run at Delaware Park. The 4-year-old Florida-bred Uncaptured colt out of Moon and Sun, by Malibu Moon, was victorious in his only other trip to Maryland for the 2022 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico, the first graded triumph for the horse and trainer Jorge Delgado.

“He ran big,” Centeno said. “Jorge called me this morning and said just to try to be close to the lead. He didn't have to be on the lead, but he can be really close. We knew there was speed inside and we had the outside position so that was perfect for us. It set up perfect. I know the track was fast today and speed was holding a lot, and I know [Wondrwherecraigis] is strong so I moved a little early to try to catch him and he fired big to the wire.”

Breaking from the rail due to the early scratch of Ladneedsahandler, jockey Sheldon Russell settled Wondrwherecraigis on the lead where they went in 21.84 seconds for the opening quarter mile chased by multiple stakes winner Sir Wellington to his outside while Centeno had Lightening Larry in the clear three wide in third. Wondrwherecraigis was still in command rounding the far turn after going a half in 44.65, when Centeno began to work on Lightening Larry.

A duel to the wire was set up as the two favorites straightened for home with Wondrwherecraigis clinging to a tenuous lead and Lightening Larry bearing down on the outside. Wondrwherecraigis dug in but could not hold off Lightening Larry's late surge that saw him cross the wire in 1:09.29 – the fastest De Francis since Killybegs Captain (1:08.10) in 2019.

Holy Synchronicity was third, seven lengths behind Wondrwherecraigis, followed by Sir Wellington and Threes Over Deuces. Multiple graded stakes placed Synthesis was also a late scratch.

This marked the third consecutive year Wondrwherecraigis was second in the De Francis. He crossed the wire first, three-quarters of a length ahead of Jalen Journey, but was disqualified to second for interference in 2021, when the race was a Grade 3. He was beaten last year by Beren in his first start since returning from Dubai.

Now 6, Wondrwherecraigis won the Bold Ruler (G3) one start after his De Francis disqualification and opened 2023 with an optional claiming allowance victory April 13 at Laurel in Russell's first race of the year. In his prior start, he ran sixth in the Maryland Sprint (G3) May 20 at Pimlico.

“He was coming from off a layoff, he gave me my first win back from the injury, and he's a barn favorite,” Russell said. “We knew the race at Pimlico was too tough for him but it was nice to see him bounce back and run his race today. He's a fast horse. It's not that he ever slowed down; Danny came and got me at the right time.

“But, if you watch the gallop out, 'Craig' is right there. If Danny had come a little bit sooner, 'Craig's got that fight in him where maybe it would have been even closer,” he added. “Fair play to Danny and the connections; it was just nice to see 'Craig' bounce back. Hopefully he comes out of the race good and we can win another big one down the road.”

Lightening Larry was bred by Michelle Redding.

Inaugurated in 1990, the De Francis Dash was contested as a Grade 1 race from 1999-2009. carried Grade 2 status from 1994-1998 and was a Grade 3 from 1992-1993 and 2016-2021. The De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster; fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo and Benny the Bull; and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96).

The post Lightening Larry Strikes In De Francis Dash For Third Straight Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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