Month: July 2023

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte added blinkers to cover a half-mile in :50  flat in company Saturday at Saratoga in his final work ahead of next Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2) at the upstate New York track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Forte, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, went in company with four-time graded stakes-winning stablemate Emmanuel. It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 last Friday.

The dark bay son of Violence, a last out second in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10, won Gulfstream Park's Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 4 and Florida Derby (G1) on April 1. He entered the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs as the morning-line favorite but was scratched the morning of the race with a bruised foot.

Pletcher said he decided to make the equipment change following last week's work.

“In the Florida Derby, he lost concentration a little bit around the far turn and fortunately enough he was able to rally and get up in time. He sort of did the same thing in the Belmont,” Pletcher said. “We thought in his breeze last week, he was kind of more focused on what the horse next to him is doing rather than what he should be doing.

“Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him,” Pletcher continued. “We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Pletcher said the blinkers made a noticeable difference.

“He was locked in and more aggressive going to the pole and then he settled in a really good rhythm,” Pletcher noted. “But when Irad asked him, he responded right away. He didn't seem to care what his workmate was doing as much.”

The post ‘Noticeable Difference’: Forte Perks Up With Addition Of Blinkers In Final Jim Dandy Tune-Up appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Consumer Spending and Surprisingly, the respective 1-2 finishers in the Eatontown (G3) last time out at Monmouth Park, fought out the finish of the $300,000 WinStar Matchmaker (G3) Saturday at the Oceanport, N.J. track, with Consumer Spending once again handing her rival defeat.

Surprisingly, the 3-1 second choice, snatched the lead in stretch upper stretch, but even-money favorite Consumer Spending quickly roared up on her outside to challenge and dug in through closing strides to get the win by a half length.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Consumer Spending relaxed in fifth through six furlongs as Canisy laid down the early tempo. Advancing on the far turn, Consumer Spending moved two wide into the stretch and angled out widest to rally. Surprisingly, who closely stalked the early pace under Paco Lopez, made her bid nearing quarter pole and soon took charge, but Consumer Spending unleashed an eager response when given the cue and wore her down to triumph.

Consumer Spending covered the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48 flat and returned $4 for the win.

Gam's Mission was up for third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Surprisingly.

A 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables, Consumer Spending added a sixth victory, and third graded win, to her 11-race career. Brown has trained seven of the last nine Matchmaker winners, including the past four.

Bred in Kentucky Forging Oaks Farm, Consumer Spending is out of the Scat Daddy mare Siempre Mia. Offered by Eaton Sales at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearlings Showcase, she sold to Northway Bloodstock for $200,000. The $180,000 winner's share of the Matchmaker purse increased her lifetime bankroll to $737,000.

The Matchmaker awarded a total value of $50,000 in seasons to the race's top three finishers to WinStar Farm stallions Global Campaign, Independence Hall, and Improbable.

WinStar Matchmaker Quotes:

WINNING TRAINER – Luis Cabrera (assistant to Chad Brown): “She's a nice filly in her class. I was a little concerned about the slow early pace but her class came through and she showed how good she is. With horses like these, she's a classic horse. They know where the wire is. She was ready for this race.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joel Rosario: “It looked like there was not too much speed in the race. But she came out there really fine and I was able to get her a good spot. She is a nice horse. It's easy when you ride this kind. I wasn't really worried about the slow pace because she was moving really good for me and I just wanted to save ground going around the turns. When I asked her a little bit to get closer to the lead going into the final turn she responded for me. It was a slow pace but she was going so easily for me so I wasn't too worried.”

The post Not Surprisingly: Consumer Spending Denies Familiar Rival In WinStar Matchmaker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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