Month: September 2023

Arabian Knight Gives Baffert Record-Breaking Win in Pacific Classic

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite despite a below-par third behind the re-opposing Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22, Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) became the first 3-year-old since Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) in 2014 to best his elders in the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar, earning a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in the process.

“Those two horses (Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride) are really good horses,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “The wire couldn't come soon enough. I know it was crazy to come back here and run him at a mile and a quarter, but if you're going to get beat, I'd rather get beat in a Grade I. I loved the way he digs and fought and he's going to get better.”

Kicked straight into the lead from an outside gate by Flavien Prat–who was the passenger aboard Flightline in last year's history-making Pacific Classic, the $2.3-million topper from the 2022 OBS April Sale made the running once guided down onto the fence as Geaux Rocket Ride tracked from just behind while also hugging the inside.

Controlling the pace down the backstretch and around the second turn, Arabian Knight began to feel pressure from Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) as Geaux Rocket Ride was poised to pounce. It appeared as if the front-runner was in hot water, but he continued to find at the rail and was home narrowly best over Geaux Rocket Ride to give trainer Bob Baffert his record-setting seventh win in the race, breaking a tie with the late Bobby Frankel.

A 'Rising Star' on debut over Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland last fall, Arabian Knight splashed home an easy winner while making his two-turn debut in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Jan. 28. He returned from the shelf with a third-place finish as the favorite in the Jersey Shore centerpiece last time.

“He's a nice horse and he showed it today,” Prat said. “He was running easily for me all the way around. He's lightly raced and I think this race will only make him better. It's an honor to win a big race like this.”

Pedigree Notes:

A 15th Grade I winner for the outstanding Uncle Mo, Arabian Knight is out of Borealis Night, herself a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, who was fourth in a lone racetrack appearance for owner/trainer Ralph Nicks in late 2018 and was scooped up by Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm for just $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February a few months later.

The mare had some pedigree underneath her as a half-sister to the three-times graded-placed Kinsley Kisses (Congrats) and GSP Spooky Woods (Ghostzapper) and that helped earn her a date in the breeding shed with Uncle Mo. Consigned to the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, Borealis Night was hammered down to Corser Thoroughbreds for $285,000 and the operation recovered a fair bit of that outlay when Scott and Evan Dilworth paid $250,000 for the colt at Keeneland September in 2021.

Prepared by Top Line Sales, agent, for last year's OBS April Sale, the bay breezed an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 and went on to top the event on a bid of $2.3 million from Gary Young, agent for Zedan Racing Stable. The latter also purchased Princess Noor (Not This Time) off Top Line for a sales-topping $1.35 million at OBSAPR in 2020.

The first daughter of Astrology to be represented by a stakes winner, Borealis Night is also the dam of a yearling colt by Quality Road.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred
FANDUEL RACING PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,002,500, Del Mar, 9-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:03.19, ft.
1–ARABIAN KNIGHT, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Borealis Night, by Astrology
                2nd Dam: Winter Forest, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Shivering Six, by Saratoga Six
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $1,244,275. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Geaux Rocket Ride, 118, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo. ($350,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $200,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 124, c, 4, Nyquist–Edwina E, by Square Eddie. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $120,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.10, 2.20, 11.30.
Also Ran: Senor Buscador, Skinner, Defunded, Piroli, Tripoli, Order and Law, Stilleto Boy. Scratched: Katonah.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Arabian Knight Gives Baffert Record-Breaking Win in Pacific Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Motorious Takes ‘Win And You’re In’ Green Flash Handicap At Del Mar

With jockey Geovanni Franco subbing for injured Umberto Rispoli, Antonio Fanticola's Motorious won a cavalry charge in the stretch run of the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday.

The five-furlong turf dash is a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series race, giving the winner a fees-paid berth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. This year's Breeders' Cup championships will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4.

Sent off the 5-2 favorite in a field of 12 speedsters, Motorious – a 5-year-old gelding by Muhaarar bred in England – scored by 1 3/4 lengths and covered five furlongs on firm turf in :56.07. Cherubic Factor finished second, a nose ahead of Beer Can Man in third, and Turn on the Jets a half length back in fourth.

Phil D'Amato trains Motorious, along with the third- and fourth-place finishers. Motorious paid $7.20 to win.

Helladic, breaking from the outside post, set early fractions of :21.74 and :44.70 under pressure from Bus Buzz and Fast Buck. Franco had Motorious behind the early leaders, then swung wide into the stretch to launch his winning rally.

The win was the fourth in eight U.S. starts for Motorious, who began his racing career in England. His only previous graded stakes win came in the G3 San Simeon at Santa Anita in March. Motorious finished second behind Nobals in his most recent outing, the G2 TwinSpires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on May 6.

The post Motorious Takes ‘Win And You’re In’ Green Flash Handicap At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Motorious Motors Home In Green Flash, Earns BC Turf Sprint Berth

Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) rallied smartly through the final furlong and half to prove a much-the-best winner of Saturday's GIII Green Flash H. at Del Mar, sewing up a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint up the road at Santa Anita in early November in the process.

Sent off the 13-5 favorite with Geovanni Franco replacing the injured Umberto Rispoli in the irons, Motorious raced in about seventh position of the 12 runners down the backstretch, but not terribly far off the pace disputed by 60-1 Helladic (Kantharos) and Cal-bred standout 3-year-old Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty). Kept purposely in the clear for the run around the turn, Motorious was five to six wide off the final corner, kicked it into another gear with a furlong to race and charged home down the middle of the course to score convincingly. Cherubic Factor (The Factor) outfinished the rail-rallying Beer Can Man (Into Mischief) for second.

“I got lucky enough to where Phil would let me work him a few times in the morning so I got pretty familiar with the horse,” said Franco of the chance to ride Motorious. “Being given the opportunity for me was a blessing and of him being open for the race. To get to ride him, it gave me a lot of confidence. And you know what, I didn't know how much he can run in the afternoon, but he can sure run. Phil told me he needed a clear break out of the gate, and he broke like a champion. From then on it was just a matter of time whenever I was going to ask him to go and he sure did.”

A two-time winner in seven English appearances for trainer Stuart Williams before being purchased by Craig Rounsefell's Boomer Bloodstock for 220,000gns at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, Motorious made a course-and-distance allowance his first U.S. victory last November and took a down-the-hiller at Santa Anita just after the new year before finishing second to Lane Way (Into Mischief) in the Jan. 29 Clockers Corner S. up north. Popular winner of the GIII San Simeon S. Mar. 5, Motorious was making his first start since rallying into second behind Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) in the GII Turf Sprint S. at Churchill May 6.

Pedigree Notes:

Motorious is one of 11 group/graded winners for his sire, who was only recently moved to Haras du Petit Tellier to stand as the property of Shadwell and a consortium of French breeders. Motorious's multiple Group 3-placed dam is also responsible for Matters Most (GB) (Advertise {GB}), runner-up in the Listed Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy S. in August, a now-yearling colt by Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy) that sold for 82,000gns at last year's Tattersalls November Foal Sale and a filly by Ardad (Ire) foaled Mar. 23.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
GREEN FLASH H.-GIII, $153,500, Del Mar, 9-2, 3yo/up, 5fT, :56.07, fm.
1–MOTORIOUS (GB), 123, g, 5, by Muhaarar (GB)
1st Dam: Squash (GB) (MGSP-Eng), by Pastoral Pursuits (GB)
2nd Dam: Super Midge (GB), by Royal Applause (GB)
3rd Dam: Sabina (GB), by Prince Sabo (GB)
(55,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; 220,000gns 3yo '21 TATAHI). O-Anthony Fanticola; B-Kirtlington Stud & Mrs Mary Taylor (GB); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Geovanni Franco. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 15-6-4-2, $388,944. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cherubic Factor, 120, g, 5, The Factor–Cherub, by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($17,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP; $46,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN). O-Exline-Border Racing LLC, Richard Hausman, William Dan Hudock and Susanna Wilson; B-David DiPietro (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $30,000.
3–Beer Can Man, 122, g, 5, Can the Man–Cheesecake, by Dynaformer. ($9,500 RNA Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Sterling Stables, LLC; B-Ron Patterson (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $18,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, NO, HF. Odds: 2.60, 22.00, 6.50.
Also Ran: Turn On The Jets (Ire), Lane Way, Bus Buzz, Bran (Fr), Silent Poet, Fast Buck, Packs a Wahlop, Helladic, Kid Corleone. Scratched: Barristan The Bold (GB), Mas Rapido (GB), Noble Re
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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