Month: September 2023

Gold Phoenix Defends His DMR H. Title, On to Breeders’ Cup Turf

Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) will get a second chance at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. With a win in Del Mar's GII Del Mar H., the 5-year-old gelding earned a 'Win And You're In' spot in the gate for the November event. 10th behind Rebel's Romance (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year's rendition of the race, Gold Phoenix rebounded in 2023 with a pair of graded-stakes wins including a narrow victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. to start his year March 23. Though he faltered in both the GII Charles Whittingham S. and the GI Shoemaker Mile S., he entered Saturday's spot off a win in the GII Eddie Read S. July 30.

Favored at 5-2 in a race he also won in similar fashion last year, Gold Phoenix broke smoothly from the outside and let the inside horses clear him, settling near the rear of the field as Azul Coast (Super Saver) and Crosby Beach (Gormley) handled the tempo. Comfortably at the back past the wire for the first time and into the backstretch, the favorite didn't begin to move until the group started to stack up around the far turn. Splitting horses past the quarter pole, he found a seam six wide into the stretch, dove through and still found more than enough to win despite a tardy lead change in the final yards.

“Plan A was to save ground,” said Juan Hernandez. “My horse relaxed really well today and was so patient. This time I go outside because I had a lot of horses in front of me. So I say I want to swing out and see if I can find something. If not I can go back inside. But I was able to find some space to come through, and after that he flew for home. He is getting better every race. Last time he was a little closer and he was able to keep up that space and able to win that race. I just have to wait and he loved the distance.”

Pedigree Note:

Gold Phoenix is the sole winner produced to date out of a full-sister to G1SW Sea Defence and MGSW Jibboom, herself the dam of GSW Flying Jib (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and GSP Accede (Into Mischief). Belardo (Ire), by Lope de Vega (Ire), stood at Darley's Kildangan Stud until last year before moving to Bearstone Stud in Shropshire for 2023. Magnifica foaled a full-brother to Saturday's winner last year and reported a filly by Lucky Vega (Ire) this spring.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
DEL MAR H. PRESENTED BY THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $303,000, Del Mar, 9-2, 3yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:15.34, fm.
1–GOLD PHOENIX (IRE), 124, g, 5, by Belardo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Palisade, by Gone West
                3rd Dam: Peplum, by Nijinsky II
(€24,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify; B-Mighty Universe Ltd (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 15-6-3-3, $1,017,757. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nineeleventurbo, 118, g, 6, More Than Ready–Rosalie Road, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV). O-Stepaside Farm, LLC; B-C.W. Swann & Wetherbee Holdings, Ltd. (KY); T-Neil D. Drysdale. $60,000.
3–Cash Equity (Fr), 120, g, 5, Toronado (Ire)–Funny Crazy (Fr), by Chichicastenango (Fr). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (€20,000 Ylg '19 AROYRG; €245,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb and William Strauss; B-S.C.E.A. Des Prairies, Thomas Jeffroy & Benoit Jeffroy (FR); T-Philip D'Amato. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, NO. Odds: 2.50, 13.50, 10.70.
Also Ran: Missed the Cut, Planetario (Brz), Cathkin Peak (Ire), Offlee Naughty, None Above the Law, Win the Day, Crosby Beach, Azul Coast.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Louisiana Downs: Big Data Takes Super Derby In Breakout Stakes Triumph

Louisiana Downs proudly hosted an afternoon of festivities Saturday, culminating with the running of the $200,000 Super Derby. The oppressive heat for the past two months took a hiatus so that the crowd could step out in their finest for a very entertaining afternoon.

It was a breakout performance by Big Data to take Super Derby 41 and capture the first stakes of his career. Trainer Michael Lerman felt the 1 1/8-mile race would be a good opportunity for the son of Cloud Computing, out of the Creative Cause mare Moxie, who made his debut at Gulfstream Park on December 16. He broke his maiden on April 22 and advanced to the allowance level with success.

“He's a large horse and can be a handful, but (jockey) Emisael (Jaramillo) fits him well,” said Lerman. “The race unfolded the way we anticipated, and we were thrilled with the outcome.”

Jaramillo was content to let Big Data race off the early pace set by Machine Gun Man, who completed the first quarter-mile in :23.81 and the half-mile in :48.71. Big Data was traveling well heading to the final turn and drew off to a 1 ¾-length victory in a final time of 1.51.83.

Big Data shipped in from Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, and Lerman was pleasantly surprised that the temperature had dipped this week.

“It was cooler here than Florida,” he stated. “I shipped in a horse for the Super Derby undercard in 2006. It was an inferno that year, so this was a relief.”

Big Data, sent off as second choice in the wagering, paid $8.20 to win. He earned $120,000 for his first stakes win and his record stands at 8-3-4 and lifetime earnings of $213,680.

Lerman said that Big Data will return to South Florida on Sunday and options for his next start include the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) or possibly a stakes at Churchill Downs.

“He's on the right trajectory,” added Lerman.

Kim Boulmetis of Petal Power Racing bred Big Data and was thrilled with his victory. She owns his dam, Moxie, a daughter of Creative Cause who is in foal to Cloud Computing.

“I thank Mike and his team,” she said. “They did an incredible job. I have never seen an outfit treat horses so well. I also want to commend Louisiana Downs for bringing this race back. I know the history of the Super Derby and appreciate the hard work of everyone. It's been the most wonderful trip for us.”

That praise meant a great deal to Louisiana Downs President and owner Kevin Preston, who stated from the beginning that he intended to restore the Super Derby to its former status at a top race for 3-year-olds.

“Our team worked extremely hard to present a festive day with quality horse racing,” said Preston. “What was so rewarding is the response from our fans, dressing to the nines, wearing gorgeous hats, and bringing family and friends for the afternoon. It's hard to explain how rewarding it was to us to see how much they enjoyed the return of the Super Derby.”

No White Flags completed the exacta.

“We were hoping for one more race, but still happy that he finished well in his first stakes effort,” said trainer and former jockey Carl J. Woodley. “I was never nervous riding, but had knots in my stomach the minute he left the paddock. Training is a lot tougher than being a jockey.”

How Did He Do That ran third for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trainer Steve Asmussen.

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Arabian Knight Scores Front-Running Pacific Classic Victory

Going straight to the front at the start under Flavien Prat, Zedan Racing Stables' Arabian Knight set all the fractions and held off a late charge from Geaux Rocket Ride to win the 33rd running of the Grade 1, $1-million FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Arabian Knight ran the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:03.19 after setting fractions of :23.35, :46.60, 1:11.42 and 1:36.84. He paid $6.20 to win as the favorite.

Geaux Rocket Ride, who defeated Arabian Knight when they met last out in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park July 22, finished second, Slow Down Andy third, and Senor Buscador fourth in the field of 10. The first two finishers, along with Skinner, were 3-year-olds who carried 118 pounds. Older horses toted 124.

The Pacific Classis is a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series race, giving the winner an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic to be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

A son of Uncle Mo out of the Astrology mare, Borealis Night, Arabian Knight was making just his fourth career start in the Pacific Classic. Bred in Kentucky by Corser Thoroughbreds, Arabian Knight was first sold for $250,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Terrazas Thoroughbreds consignment. Top Line Sales then consigned Arabian Knight at the OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training, where Zedan Racing paid $2.3 million to acquire him.

Arabian Knight debuted on Breeders' Cup day at Keeneland last Nov. 5, winning a seven-furlong maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. He didn't surface again until Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park, going wire to wire on a sloppy track to win the G3 Southwest Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths.

The colt had some setbacks that kept him off the Triple Crown trail, but when he returned for the Haskell he was well backed as the 11-10 favorite. He showed speed that day, setting all the pace before Geaux Rocket Ride ran him down to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

The victory was the seventh in the Pacific Classic for Hall of Famer Baffert, putting him one ahead of the late Robert Frankel as the winningest trainer in the race's history. This was Prat's third Pacific Classic win, including last year's victor, Flightline.

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Ceiling Crusher Wires Torrey Pines For First Graded Victory

Ceiling Crusher sprinted to a clear lead early, controlled the pace throughout, and romped away in the stretch to score a six-length win in the $150,000 Torrey Pines (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Del Mar.

Flying Connection was best of the rest, finishing 3 1/2 lengths clear of Justique in third.

The 2-1 favorite in the field of eight, Ceiling Crusher returned $6.80 after completing the one-mile main track event in 1:37.41 under Edwin Maldonado. She clocked all the fractions: :22.14 for the opening quarter mile, :46:29 for the half mile, and 1:11.78 for six furlongs.

A California-bred daughter of Mr. Big trained by Doug O'Neill, Ceiling Crusher has never finished off the board in six career starts and added a fifth victory to her record while notching her first graded win.

The bay filly is campaigned by Wonderland Racing Stables, Todd Caddy, Time Kasparoff, and Ty Leatherman. Bred by Harris Farms, she is out of the Indian Charlie mare Palisadesprincess.

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