August, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Everything Looks Good’ With Rhyme Schemes After Saratoga Special Win

Pura Vida Investments' Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper), winner of Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S., exited his easy victory in good form Sunday, according to trainer Norm Casse, who charted a fall campaign for the colt.

“Everything looks good [Sunday] morning and he seems happy; no complaints,” said Casse, who celebrated his fifth career graded victory. “Overall, it's so rewarding. I've been doing this for a long time and Saratoga is an iconic place–the Saratoga Special is an iconic race. Just to be involved is humbling, and to win it is something to be really proud of.”

Sixth on debut in May at Churchill Downs, he rebounded with the addition of blinkers to score at second asking June 15 at Ellis. He proved his versatility in the Saratoga Special while winning under regular rider Ricardo Santana, Jr.

“He's a true professional,” said Casse. “We don't have to do too much with him because he's so talented; we just let him go through the motions between races, and that's good enough for him. That's what's most exciting about him is the fact that we haven't really had to grind on him to get him to this place where he is now.”

The colt will now be pointed to the Spa's seven-furlong GI Hopeful S. Sept. 4, which will likely be used a springboard to Keeneland's GI Breeders' Futurity going a 1 1/16-miles on Oct. 7.

“Unless he suggests otherwise, I think that's the most rational thing to do,” said Casse. “I know he's still a fresh horse and I can't imagine why he can't come back in three weeks and run just as well. Ideally, the Hopeful will be next and then the Breeders' Futurity after that. The way he trains and his overall demeanor suggests he's a two-turn horse. The horses have the answers, so we'll figure it out as we do it.”

In the juvenile filly division, Casse is represented by recent maiden winner Empire Island (Classic Empire), who is possible to try Grade I company in the Sept. 3 Spinaway S. A homebred for Marylou Whitney Stables, Empire Island came from off the pace to earn a 3/4-length score over Lady Moscato (Quality Road) in a six-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 6.

“There's a slight chance she could come back in the Spinaway, but she's going to have to train herself into that spot,” said Casse. “I feel like she's kind of the opposite of Rhyme Schemes in that we had to press on her a little bit more. It seems like the race took a little more out of her. That's a pretty salty spot, and I need a fresh, ready horse for that.”

Casse added that Robert Masterson's GII Fair Grounds Oaks winner Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) remains possible for Saturday's GI Alabama S., but is also considering the Cathryn Sophia S. Aug. 22 at Parx.

“There's an outside chance she could run in the Alabama, but she's got multiple options,” said Casse. “I'm leaning towards running her in something a little less demanding. I feel like she's lost her mojo a little bit and it's my job to get that back. Sometimes, the best way to do that is a little bit of class relief.”

The post ‘Everything Looks Good’ With Rhyme Schemes After Saratoga Special Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Inspiral Rebounds From Goodwood Dud To Score Repeat In ‘Win & You’re In’ Jacques Le Marois

Eleven days following her unplaced finish in the Sussex (G1) at Goodwood, Inspiral made the quick turnaround Sunday to score a repeat victory in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1), an inter-generational championship going one mile at Deauville Racecourse in France.

With the victory, Inspiral earned an automatic starting position into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), to be run in November at Santa Anita, through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

A Cheveley Park Stud homebred, the 4-year-old Frankel filly is trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden and was ridden by Frankie Dettori. Sunday's win marks Dettori's eighth win in this prestigious race, and this summer will be his final appearance on the Deauville racecourse. He claimed his first Jacques Le Marois in 1999 with the exceptional Dubai Millennium.

Inspiral, on her part, was coming back after facing defeat twice, on the soft ground June 20 at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) and then when fifth and last in the Sussex on Aug. 1. Positioned further back in the Jacques Le Marois, she made her move a quarter mile out to the center of the course and successfully overcame the race leader and favorite Big Rock. He was eventually bested by a solid length, with third place going to Light Infantry and fourth to Onesto.

Time was 1:36.62 on turf rated as good to soft.

Cheveley Park Director Richard Thompson said: “It was a brave, brave call. She ran in the [Qatar] Sussex [Stakes] 11 days ago and, although she didn't have much of a race, to come back and win this again is absolutely fantastic. What a day.

“She's a proper individual and she's had some difficult days on the racecourse but she's had great ones too. She's so talented and when it goes for her, as it did here, she's just in a different league.”

Inspiral is out of Starscope (by Selkirk), runner-up in the 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes. A winner of both those races last year, Inspiral has emulated her dam's performance, being her fourth victorious offspring in as many sent to training. The second dam is a sister to the exceptional stallion and champion miler Medicean.

Inspiral is the first fiily to win the race twice since Miesque (1987 and 1988). John Gosden has claimed victory in the last four editions of the race with Palace Pier, who also secured a double, and this filly, bringing his tally to five, including the stellar stallion Kingman's triumph in 2014.

Gosden won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Mile with Royal Heroine.

The post Inspiral Rebounds From Goodwood Dud To Score Repeat In ‘Win & You’re In’ Jacques Le Marois appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Canterbury Park: Jockey Quinonez Scores Three Stakes Wins, Including Minnesota Derby, Oaks

Jockey Alonso Quinonez had three mounts on Saturday at Canterbury Park and he made the most of it.

The public bet the $100,000 Minnesota Oaks, one of four stakes races Saturday at Canterbury Park restricted to horses bred in Minnesota, as though Cupids Crush was a lock, making her the prohibitive 1-9 favorite. The public was mistaken. Quinonez aboard Thunders Rocknroll had something else in mind, breaking alertly from the gate and never getting headed, winning by nine lengths.

Cupids Crush and Eduardo Gallardo tracked in second and attempted to draw alongside on the far turn of the one-mile and 70-yard race, but Thunders Rocknroll kicked away when asked by the rider. She paid $15.80 to win, providing Quinonez with the first of three stakes wins. Thunders Rocknroll was bred and is owned by Bob Lindgren. The 3-year-old filly, by Maclean's Music out of the Thunder Gulch mare Thunder and Honey, is trained by Bernell Rhone.

The next three stakes belonged to trainer Tim Padilla and owner Pete Mattson as She's My Warrior won the $65,000 Glitter Star Stakes with Quinonez, Thealligatorhunter with Constantino Roman won the $65,000 Wally's Choice, and Roses by Liam won the $100,000 Minnesota Derby with Quinonez. Each winner was trained by Padilla. He co-owns She's My Warrior and Thealligatorhunter with Mattson while Mattson owns the Derby winner outright.

Quinonez and She's My Warrior went gate to wire in the Glitter Star while being challenged throughout by It's Her Time who raced just off her hip. At the eighth pole, Quinonez took control, going on to win by a length. She's My Warrior, a 4-year-old daughter of Warrior's Reward out of Garden Gloves, by Stormy Atlantic, paid $13.60.

“We got two beautiful trips,” Quinonez said of his mounts in the Oaks and Glitter Star. “Both of my fillies run pretty much the same style. I was just able to save horse and come home.”

A speed duel between Jose Patio and favorite Sir Sterling set up the Minnesota Derby victory for Roses by Liam, who tracked the pace under a patient Quinonez. As the front-runners tired, Roses by Liam kicked on, drawing away to win by 3 3/4 lengths over Jose Patio in 1:42.53 for one mile and 70 yards. It's Bobs Business finished third, another three lengths back.

Also on Saturday's card, Thealligatorhunter, an Overanalyze half brother to She's My Warrior, landed a repeat victory in the Wally's Choice Stakes, going wire to wire and fending off a late charge by favorite Xavey Dave to score by a neck. Thealligatorhunter paid $6 to win.

“[Xavey Dave] has beaten us twice. The last two times. So I was plenty worried about him closing,” Mattson said.

The eight-race card handled $1,163,643.

The post Canterbury Park: Jockey Quinonez Scores Three Stakes Wins, Including Minnesota Derby, Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Alabama Day At Spa To Include Trainers’ Autograph Session For Annual Fund-Raiser

The New York Racing Association Inc. will host multiple events Saturday on Alabama Day, beginning with an annual fund-raiser for the Lustgarten Foundation to honor the memory of longtime trainer Dominic Galluscio.

Headlined by the $600,000 Alabama (G1), presented by Keeneland Sales, Saturday's program also includes the $200,000 Lake Placid (G2). Gates open at 11 a.m. (ET) with first post scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Each year, NYRA pays tribute to the legacy of Galluscio with a day to raise awareness and funds for the Lustgarten Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance science and medical research related to pancreatic cancer.

NYRA will name a race in honor of Galluscio, who passed away in 2014 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. A popular and respected figure among his peers, Galluscio trained more than 1,000 winners and earned more than $31 million in purses during a career that began in 1981 and took place primarily on the New York circuit.

The centerpiece of the day will be a trainer autograph session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Room Porch. Suggested donations will benefit the Lustgarten Foundation.

Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas, Shug McGaughey, Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen. and Nick Zito are among the trainers scheduled to sign autographs (lineup subject to change). One-hundred percent of all donations will help fund pancreatic research.

Also being remembered on Saturday will be farrier Ray Amato Jr., who died in 2021 from pancreatic cancer. Amato was a familiar and important member of the New York racing community, having teamed for many years with his father, Ray. Together, they shod hundreds of stakes winners, including two Kentucky Derby (G1) winners (Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017) and three Belmont Stakes (G1) winners (Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013, and Tapwrit in 2017).

Alabama Day will also include appearances by two leading players from the 1980 Men's Olympic Ice Hockey gold medal-winning team to coincide with the 40th running of the Lake Placid.

Mark Johnson and John Harrington will be at Saratoga and will pose with fans for photos for approximately 45 minutes, take part in the ceremonial call for “Riders Up” prior to the Lake Placid, and award the trophy to the winner of the race.

Johnson is currently head coach of the University of Wisconsin Badgers women's hockey program and just recently became a horse farm owner. He is best known as the leading scorer for the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team.

Harrington, who is currently head coach of the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks women's hockey program, tallied an assist on the game-winning goal versus the USSR widely known as the “Miracle on Ice” game.

The post Alabama Day At Spa To Include Trainers’ Autograph Session For Annual Fund-Raiser appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post