Month: July 2023

Daughter Of Flotilla Starts At Deauville

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features a daughter of two Breeders' Cup winners.

14.33 Deauville, Debutantes, €50,000, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT
FORLONGE (GB) (American Pharoah) debuts for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Jean-Claude Rouget stable and is the latest progeny out of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast). Among her peers is Lady O'Reilly and Baron Edouard de Rothschild's Mlle Moliere (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), a full-brother to the recent Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick winner Mr Moliere (GB) out of the G2 Prix Corrida scorer and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-placed Armande (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

The post Daughter Of Flotilla Starts At Deauville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ellis Park: Lucrative Stakes Trio Kicks Off KY Downs Preview Weekend Next Saturday

Godolphin's newly minted turf specialist Wadsworth will return to Ellis Park and headline a field of 12 3-year-olds entered in next Saturday's second running of the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby.

The Dueling Grounds Derby Preview, run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is one of seven stakes contests that will be held next weekend at Ellis Park as part of Kentucky Downs Preview Days. The KY Downs Dueling Grounds Preview will go to post in Race 8 with a post time of 3:22 p.m. (all times Central) The nine-race card has a first post of 11:45 a.m.

Saturday's stakes trio also includes the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint and the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Mint Millions Mile. The winner of the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview will receive an automatic entry to the $1-million Dueling Grounds Derby (G3) on Sunday, Sept. 3 at Kentucky Downs.

Trained by Brad Cox, Wadsworth dug in late to defeat five rivals in the American Derby by one length. The 3-year-old gelded son of Quality Road is a three-time winner from 10 starts. Prior to the American Derby Wadsworth finished second by a scant nose to Gigante in the Caesars Stakes. Wadsworth spent his winter at Turfway Park where he impressively broke his maiden by 10 lengths and won a first level allowance by 2½ lengths on the Tapeta surface. Jockey Florent Geroux will once again have the mount from post No. 10.

Richard Ravin and Patricia's Hope's Act a Fool will be in search of his fifth-consecutive victory when he breaks from post 6 in the Dueling Grounds Derby Preview. Act a Fool's only blemish in his young career was in his debut when he didn't show much run over the Tapeta surface at Turfway. Since then, the Larry Rivelli-trained son of Oscar Performance has won four straight starts by open lengths including a 4 ½-length score in the Hawthorne Derby. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will have the call.

Another accomplished 3-year-old that entered the KY Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby is Barry and Joni Butzow's Golden Bandit. Trained by Coty Rosin, Golden Bandit was a former $12,500 claim but has since won the Canterbury Derby. Jockey Adam Beschizza will retain the mount from post 2.

The field for the KY Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

 1. Highway Robber (Mitchell Murrill, Brian Lynch)

2. Golden Bandit (Beschizza, Rosin)

3. Hidden Path (Corey Lanerie, Todd Pletcher)

4. Worthington (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker)

5. Lincoln Highway (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver)

6. Act a Fool (Torres, Rivelli)

7. Anglophile (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)

8. Tall Boy (Rey Gutierrez, Doug O'Neill)

9. Georgie W (Alex Achard, Will Walden)

10. Wadsworth (Geroux, Cox)

11. Desert Duke (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)

12. Sharar (James Graham, Todd Pletcher)

13. Manciata d'Oro (Martin Chuan, Cox)

Fuerteventura Tops Mint Millions Mile

Multiple stakes winner Fuerteventura leads a competitive cast of 12 older horses that entered Saturday's seventh running of the $200,000 KY Downs Mint Millions Mile Preview.

The Mint Millions Turf Mile Preview, which will award the winner a spot in the Sept. 2, $2-million Mint Millions, was made the finale on the nine-race card. The field for the one-mile turf contest will go to post at 3:55 p.m.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Fuerteventura has competed at eight tracks across North America in just 10 starts. The 4-year-old son of Summer Front won the Brooks Fields Mile Stakes at Canterbury in late June and his resume also includes a gutsy victory in last year's Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park. Jockey Florent Geroux will have the call from post 7.

The competitive field for the Mint Millions Preview also includes Porch Light Racing, Brandon Tucker, Raul Bras, Haugh Stables and Highlight Thoroughbreds' narrow runner-up in the Schuster Memorial Underdressed; trainer Mike Maker's duo of last-out allowance winner Heaven Street and stakes winner Max K.O.; and Lothenbach Stables dominant dirt allowance winner Minnesota Ready.

The complete field for the Mint Millions Turf Mile Preview from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

 1. Minnesota Ready (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin)      

2. Trafalgar (Edgar Morales, Chris Hartman)

3. Big Dreaming (James Graham, Wayne Catalano)

4. Gray's Fable (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)

5. Heaven Street (Cristian Torres, Maker)

6.Hozier (Julien Leparoux, Rodolphe Brisset)

7. Fuerteventura (Geroux, Thomas)

8.Greyes Creek (Adam Beschizza, Paulo Lobo)      

9.Play Action Pass (Joe Ramos, Robert Medina)    

10.Santos Dumont (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)    

11. Underdressed (Orlando Mojica, Rey Hernandez)

12. Max K. O. (Gerardo Corrales, Maker)

Goin Good Headlines Mint Ladies Turf Sprint

Klein Racing's classy mare Goin Good tops a field of 10 filly and mare sprinters that were entered in Saturday's fifth running of the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Goin Good and her combatants will go to post in Race 7 of 9 at 2:50 p.m. First post is 11:45 a.m.

The winner of the Ky Downs Mint Ladies Turf Sprint, run at 5½ furlongs on turf, will receive an all-fees paid entry to the Sept. 9, $1-million Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs.

Owned by longtime family stable Klein Racing, Goin Good will be in search of her second stakes victory after nearly missing in the Clarksville Handicap last time out at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Goin Good, who races for trainer Brad Cox, won the Coronation Cup two years ago at Saratoga and has been stakes placed eight times in her 18-race career. Goin Good will be ridden by Cristian Torres from post No. 3.

Bridlewood Farm's Bay Storm will be in search of her fifth-lifetime victory in the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Bay Storm has yet to find the winner's circle this season but has been stakes placed in the Megahertz (G3) and Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita and the Unbridled Sidney at Churchill Downs. The ultra-consistent Bay Storm has only finished outside the Top 3 twice from 15 starts. Her record stands at 15-4-6-3 with purse earnings that total $590,080. Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount from the rail.

The complete field for the KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint (with jockey and trainer):

1. Bay Storm (Geroux, Thomas)

2. Love and Money (Joe Ramos, Cherie DeVaux)

3. Goin' Good (Cristian Torres, Cox)

4. Linguistic (Gerardo Corrales, Eric Foster)

5. Miner's Queen (Rafael Bejarano, Rey Hernandez)

6. Showgirl Lynne B (James Graham, Joe Sharp)

7. Souper Munnings (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes)

8. New Boss (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun)

9. Semble Juste (IRE) (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek)

10. Quaria Comet (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo)

The post Ellis Park: Lucrative Stakes Trio Kicks Off KY Downs Preview Weekend Next Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Frankel’s Task Force A New TDN Rising Star At Salisbury

There was a buzz about Juddmonte's Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the 10th foal produced by unique dual Classic heroine Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy {GB}), as he went postward as the even-money favourite for Saturday evening's Starman At Tally Ho Stud British EBF Maiden S. at Salisbury. He proved why as he returned with a TDN Rising Star rosette after delivering a deeply promising 3 1/4-length success in the six-furlong contest.

Swiftly into stride from an outer stall, the G2 Champagne S. entry cut across to shadow the pace in a close-up second throughout the early stages. Inching ahead passing the two-furlong pole, the homebred quickened beyond recall soon after and kept on powerfully under mild coaxing to outclass Kingswood Flyer (Ire) (Sioux Nation).

“Mr [Ralph] Beckett had me in Friday morning just to sit on him and to get a feel,” explained winning rider Rhys Clutterbuck. “He did a quick bit of work and he felt special. Mr Beckett told me he was very professional out of the gate, so I shouldn't have any problems getting a nice position. I got him into a nice position so that I was able to see how the race developed and he put the race to bed quite nicely. He probably wants seven furlongs in time and, ideally, it would have been more in our favour if there had been a little bit more rain. I think he'd like it softer, but he handled that [good] ground very well today.”

 

Pedigree Notes
Special Duty, who captured the G1 Cheveley Park S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin and was second in the G1 Prix Morny before being twice promoted from second to first by the stewards in the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, has yet to hit the heights as a broodmare with her best progeny being the listed scorer Elegant Verse (GB) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). Also responsible for the Listed Prix Yacowlef runner-up South Bank (Tapit), she is a daughter of Quest To Peak (Distant View) who is also the second dam of the operation's GI Breeders' Cup Mile and G2 Vintage S.-winning sire Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}).

The third dam is the Listed Prix Melisande winner and G3 Prix de Psyche runner-up Viviana (Nureyev), who produced Quest To Peak's seven-times grade I-winning full-sister Sightseek (Distant View) and the GI Yellow Ribbon S. winner Tates Creek (Rahy) and the dam of the four-times grade III winner and GI Clark S.-placed Fulsome (Into Mischief). Also from the family of the champion sire Chief's Crown, Special Duty's yearling filly is by Sea The Stars (Ire), while her colt foal is a full-brother to Task Force.

2nd-Salisbury, £10,000, Mdn, 7-29, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.88, gd.
TASK FORCE (GB) (c, 2, Frankel (GB)
     1st Dam: Special Duty (GB) (MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Fr, $1,070,938), by Hennessy
     2nd Dam: Quest To Peak, by Distant View
     3rd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $6,939. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Frankel’s Task Force A New TDN Rising Star At Salisbury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Charge It ‘Excellent’ In Final Whitney Breeze; West Will Power Tunes Up But Start TBD

Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It went a half-mile in :48.77  Saturday morning on Saratoga Race Course's main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's $1-million Whitney (G1).

Trained by  four-time Whitney winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Charge It, enters the prestigious 1 1/8-mile test from a 4 3/4-length win in the 1 1/4-mile Suburban (G2) on July 8 at Belmont Park, where the son of Tapit registered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought it was excellent. He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban,” said Pletcher, who campaigned previous Whitney winners Left Bank [2002], Lawyer Ron [2007], Cross Traffic [2013] and Life Is Good [2022].

The Suburban victory was a redemptive one for Charge It, who was fourth in the Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 10 at Belmont after finishing fifth as the favorite in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 22.

During his sophomore campaign, Charge It finished a game second to White Abarrio in his stakes debut in the Florida Derby (G1)  at Gulfstream Park, which propelled him to a start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) five weeks later. He finished 17th-of-20 in the Kentucky Derby, but made amends next out with a 23-length conquest of the Dwyer (G3) at Belmont Park, which garnered a career-high 111 Beyer.

“He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race,” Pletcher noted. “His Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”

Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, whose Grade 1-winning and producing dam Take Charge Lady was the mother of 2013 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Will Take Charge, Grade 1-winner Take Charge Indy and Charming – the dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire Omaha Beach and 2014 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi.

Gary and Mary West's Grade 1-winning Kentucky homebred West Will Power worked five-eighths in 1:02.24 in company with stakes-placed Tapit Shoes over the Oklahoma training track Saturday with an eye toward the Whitney.

Trained by Brad Cox and piloted through the breeze by Flavien Prat, the 6-year-old Bernardini horse worked to the outside of his sophomore stablemate, who was last seen finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

“It was good. They broke off a little slow, but finished up and galloped out great,” Cox said of the 5:40 a.m. (ET) breeze. “He always gallops out well – that's the best part of his works each week.”

Cox said West Will Power, last-out winner of the Stephen Foster (G1) on July 1 at Ellis Park, is not definite for the nine-furlong Whitney as of yet and that the millionaire multiple graded stakes winner could also come under consideration for the  1/1/4-mile, $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 2 at the Spa. Both the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup offer a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.

“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” said Cox, regarding the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.

“We could come back here a mile and a quarter. I've always thought that might be something he wants to do,” Cox continued. “I'm just going to continue to watch him and make sure he's on top of his game.”

The post Charge It ‘Excellent’ In Final Whitney Breeze; West Will Power Tunes Up But Start TBD appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights