Month: July 2023

Charge It Bounces Back in Suburban

Whisper Hill Farm homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (c, 4, Tapit–I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) got his season back on track with a dominating performance in Saturday's GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park.

The 3-5 favorite, a 23-length winner in last term's GIII Dwyer S. over the same surface, was kept out in the clear by Johnny Velazquez and took over following an opening quarter in :24.49. Still racing several paths off the rail down the backstretch, the gray took the field of five into the far turn in complete control and never had an anxious moment in the stretch, reporting home a 4 3/4-length winner over Clapton (Brethren). Unbridled Bomber (Upstart) was third.

A green but very good second in last year's GI Curlin Florida Derby while making just his third career start, Charge It finished a forgettable 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby prior to his aforementioned tour-de-force victory in Elmont last July. Charge It was forced to miss intended 2022 second-half targets in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby with a foot issue (TDN APBs).

He finally resurfaced with an optional claiming win at Gulfstream Feb. 5, but failed to find the winner's circle in his next three attempts. Second as the chalk in the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. Mar. 4, Charge It was fifth as the favorite with blinkers added in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 22 and fourth on the turnback to a one-turn mile in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. last time June 10.

“He broke a little bit awkwardly but recovered and put himself in a good spot,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was in cruise control throughout. [John Velazquez] left him off the rail a little bit to keep him relaxed, but he was traveling so well and it was coming pretty easily to him, you don't want to take that away.”

Regarding a potential next start in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 5, Pletcher added, “The spacing is pretty good if we want to consider the Whitney, which is obviously going to be a more difficult assignment, but he's always been a horse that's impressed us as a top-class horse. Maybe he's starting to put it all together.”

Pedigree Notes:

Charge It is one of 102 graded winners for leading sire Tapit. The Tapit over Indian Charlie cross is also responsible for last year's brilliant Horse of the Year Flightline.

Charge It was produced by the winning mare I'll Take Charge, a $2.2-million KEESEP yearling purchase by Mandy Pope's operation. The 11-year-old is a daughter of blue-hen mare Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who is responsible for champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GISW Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), MGSW & GISP As Time Goes By (American Pharoah); and Charming (Seeking the Gold), the dam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and MGISW Omaha Beach (War Front). I'll Take Charge produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2022 and a filly by Tapit this year.

Saturday, Belmont
SUBURBAN S.-GII, $339,500, Belmont, 7-8, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.31, ft.
1–CHARGE IT, 120, c, 4, by Tapit
               1st Dam: I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie
               2nd Dam: Take Charge Lady, by Dehere
               3rd Dam: Felicita, by Rubiano
O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John
Velazquez. $192,500. 'TDN Rising Star' Lifetime Record:
GISP, 10-4-3-0, $717,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clapton, 120, c, 4, Brethren–Alexandra Rylee, by Afleet
Alex. O-/B-Arindel (FL); T-Juan Alvarado. $70,000.
3–Unbridled Bomber, 118, c, 4, Upstart–Unbridledexplosion,
by Eddington. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($35,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Edward C. Potash, Brad
Yankanich, and James T. Ryerson; B-Unbridled
Explosion, LLC (KY); T-James T. Ryerson. $42,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 4, NK. Odds: 0.65, 11.80, 6.70.
Also Ran: Red Run, Tonal Impact.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Charge It Bounces Back in Suburban appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Chiseler Skims Rail To Victory In Dade Park Dash

Hoolie Racing Stable's Chiseler had a perfect rail-skimming ride by Corey Lanerie to record the first stakes victory of his career in Saturday's third running of the $100,000 Dade Park Dash at Ellis Park.

Chiseler is trained by Greg Foley, who won three stakes events over the last seven days. Prior to Saturday's Dade Park Dash, Foley had a stakes double on Stephen Foster Day when Stitched pulled a massive upset in the Wise Dan (G2) and veteran Bango won the Kelly's Landing Stakes.

It was a four-way duel for the early lead in the Dade Park Dash between Mounsieur Coco, Bal a Kazoo, Major Blue, and Storm Daddy as the quartet dashed through a quarter mile in :21.29. Lanerie positioned Chiseler fifth in the early stages of the 5½-furlong turf sprint, about one-length behind the pacesetters. Around the far turn, Lanerie guided Chiseler to the rail but initially didn't have enough of a space to come through. At the eighth pole, Chiseler stuck his nose inside Mounsieur Coco and powered through for a convincing 2¼-length victory in a final time of 1:01.82

“It was really special winning this race with the Hudson Family from Hoolie Racing here with us,” assistant trainer Travis Foley said. “The Hudsons have a rich history here at Ellis Park and it was a great win for our barn and owners.”

The Dade Park Dash was Chiseler's second career victory from 10 starts. The chestnut gelding tabbed $60,535 for his win bringing his career purse earnings to $166,582.

Chiseler is a 3-year-old son of Speightstown out of the Hard Spun mare Spindle. He was bred in Kentucky by Purple H Bloodstock.

The post Chiseler Skims Rail To Victory In Dade Park Dash appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

What’s In A Name? Morgana, Merlin The Wizard, Will Scarlet, Bobsleigh, Shiffrin

Craon's June 16-winning filly Morgana is by supremely established sire Camelot, as she should be. Morgana (also known as Morgan Le Fay) is quite a presence in the legends of the Knights of the Round Table: sorcerer, enchantress, half-sister and rival to King Arthur, apprentice and maybe lover of Merlin, deadly enemy of Queen Guinevere while secretly in love with, of course, none other than Lancelot. Camelot was no convent finishing school: the court had more intrigues and betrayals than the palace of a late Roman emperor. The name of this 3-year-old filly is particularly fitting, as her dam is called Magic Mist. “Fata Morgana” is a form of mirage, well known to sailors looking at the horizon in open sea, probably caused by vapor and condensation: a magic mist indeed, which makes the name of the filly overflowing with sense and significance. Repeat 3-year-old winner Merlin The Wizard, also by Camelot, obviously, is a similarly straightforward case of Arthurian nostalgia. I believe that there is also a Camelot Lady of the Lake in National Hunt: the sire is clearly a good educator–Excalibur is in good hands.

Morgana (Fr), f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Magic Mist (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). Craon, 6-16, 8 1/4fT, 1:45.73. B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm (FR). *€85,000 RNA Ylg '21 ARQAUG.

Merlin The Wizard (GB), g, 3, Camelot (GB)–Sweet Gentle Kiss (Ire) (GSW-Ity, $212,150), by Henrythenavigator. Kempton, 6-7, 7f (AWT), 1:26.60. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $9,813. B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB). *120,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT.

 

Robin Hood is the very model of the well-meaning Great Outlaw, secretly loved by the masses–for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and maybe other reasons as well. There is much Sherwood Forest lore in the name of young Longchamp winner Will Scarlet: his namesake was one of Robin's Merry Men (along with Little John and Friar Tuck) and the dam is Lady Marian, the on-off girlfriend of the great man in green tights.

1st-ParisLongchamp, €34,000, Cond, 6-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.60, gd. WILL SCARLET (GB) (c, 2, Masar {Ire}–Lady Marian {Ger} {G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ger, $546,566}, by Nayef. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Andre Fabre.

 

There may be an intriguing connection between the names of multiple 2-year-old winner Bobsleigh and his dam Lady Rosebud, via Orson Welles's masterpiece film “Citizen Kane”, but to disclose it could be a spoiler for the people who have not seen the movie, so here I stop.

1st-Epsom, €75,000, Cond (Woodcote), 6-2, 2yo, 6f 3yT, 1:08.99, g/f. BOBSLEIGH (IRE) (g, 2, Elzaam {Aus}–Lady Rosebud {Ire}, by Sir Prancealot {Ire}), O-The Woodway 20; B-Ms P Walsh (IRE); T-Eve Johnson Houghton.

 

In the case of Clairefontaine 2-year-old winning filly, Shiffrin and Olympic Glory sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble: Olympian US skier Mikaela Shiffrin has two gold medals to her name and has dominated her sport for some time.

Shiffrin (Ire), f, 2, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Scruples, by Pioneerof the Nile. Clairefontaine, 7-7, 8fT, 1:38.40. B-Haras d'Etreham (IRE).

The post What’s In A Name? Morgana, Merlin The Wizard, Will Scarlet, Bobsleigh, Shiffrin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Classic Heroine Nashwa Supplemented To Falmouth

Imad Al Sagar's Classic winner Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been supplemented at a cost of £20,000 to the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket on July 14.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the dual Group 1 winner captured both the Prix de Diane and Nassau S. after running third in the G1 Oaks at Epsom last term. A good second in the G1 Prix de l'Opera that October, she ended her season with a fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the U.S. Now four, the Blue Diamond Stud homebred was fourth to Group 1 winner Above The Curve (American Pharoah) in the G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud in May, and improved to be second in the G3 Hoppings Fillies' S. at Newcastle at the end of June.

John Gosden, who also trains former Falmouth favourite and now G1 Sussex S.-bound Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), said, “We have supplemented her for the Falmouth. As you know, she has been very slow to come to hand this year. The race in France brought her on a bit. Again the other day, she probably went a little hard early, but didn't finish off.

“She is in great form and she needs racing, and we don't really want to be waiting from two weeks ago all the way to the Nassau S. So, it is close to home and she's in great form and I don't think she'll have any problem with the mile.”

Last week's G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Via Sistina (Ire) (Fasnet Rock {Aus}) is one of nine signed on to face Nashwa for trainer George Boughey, while Ralph Beckett's G1 Coronation S. runner-up Remarquee (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will carry new silks in the Newmarket showpiece having been purchased by Wathnan Racing. Aidan O'Brien will likely saddle both Breeders' Cup winner Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) and G1 Prix de Diane second Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

The post Classic Heroine Nashwa Supplemented To Falmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights