Month: October 2023

Trainer Chad Brown extended his domination in the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya (G3), as Klaravich Stables' McKulick rewarded her 2-5 favoritism to post a two-length victory on Saturday in the 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares at Belmont at the Big A.

Brown saddled the Waya winner for the fifth consecutive time and the seventh time overall, extending his own record, as McKulick registered her fourth career graded stakes score by overtaking stablemate Idea Generation from the outside in the stretch, giving the connections the 1-2 finish.

Idea Generation went to the front from the inside post, leading a compact four-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :25.14, the half in :51.40, three-quarters in 1:17.23, and a mile in 1:43 over yielding ground that continued to take on rain.

McKulick and the French-bred Parnac jostled for second position, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. moving up McKulick approaching the final turn. Idea Generation, under rider Florent Geroux, was not content to simply serve as a rabbit, maintaining the lead into the final furlong before McKulick's late move as she surged to the finish, hitting the wire in 2:20.10.

Idea Generation finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sister Otoole for second, with Parnac completing the order of finish. Romagna Mia and Personal Best along with main-track only entrants Movie Moxy and Peak Popularity were scratched.

Brown said the impressive effort could put McKulick in play for the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1, $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 4 at Santa Anita Park. She would be entering with momentum after avenging a second-place finish to Parnac in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl in September at Saratoga Race Course and winning the Grade 2 Glens Falls in August at the Spa.

“I think going a mile and a quarter back to two turns would be good for her, if there's pace like there should be going back to two turns,” Brown said. “This filly has proven she can run on firm or bottomless ground like today. She's a very versatile horse and we're lucky to have her in the barn.”

McKulick returned $2.80 on a $2 win bet and improved her career earnings to $1.61 million. The 4-year-old Frankel filly, who defeated Grade 1-winning multimillionaire War Like Goddess in the Glens Falls, improved to 5-5-2 in 13 starts.

“She [McKulick] did great,” Brown said. “She was very unlucky in the Flower Bowl, she was clearly the best in that race. She got race ridden a little bit there by the horse that finished last in the race [Parnac]. I wanted to make sure we had a pace horse in there to keep it an honest race, but could also do some good in the race. Everything was accomplished today.”

Ortiz has been aboard for 11 of McKulick's 13 starts and all five victories.

“She really liked the soft ground,” Ortiz said. “I think she appreciated it and the pace. Last time, there was no pace in the race and it cost her that race. Today, the other filly of the same connections [Idea Generation] put an honest pace and a better pace than last time and she really liked it. She always gives me a good kick and she stays on and keeps coming.”

Idea Generation earned place honors in her graded stakes debut with the 3-year-old Irish bred garnering black type for the first time in three stakes appearances overall, including a seventh-place finish in the Virginia Oaks in her previous start at Colonial Downs.

“Florent really followed instructions well. It appeared she was just the pacemaker in here, but I must say this filly didn't ship well to Colonial,” Brown said. “The race at Colonial was a throw out. Her form behind there was sneaky good for a stretch out horse — she looked like she had been wanting to run three turns. For a 3-year-old, it's hard to find three-turn races unless you're running against older horses. I was very clear with Florent, I told him, 'You could certainly get a piece of this race and be near everyone near the finish if you get out there and get comfortable.' ”

The post Favorite McKulick Extends Browns Domination In Waya, Filly Possible For Breeders’ Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Just F Y I cruised into command in early stretch and drew away for a handy win in the $400,000 Frizette (G1), run amidst a steady downpour Saturday afternoon at Belmont at the Big A.

George Krikorian's homebred daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify covered the one-mile contest in 1:37.59 on a sloppy (sealed) track while providing back-to-back Grade 1 wins for her owner, whose War Like Goddess defeated males one race earlier in the Joe Hirsch Turf Championship.

Both winners were ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Bill Mott.

“Just F Y I is a horse I bred so that makes it extra-special, too,” Krikorian told Fox Sports after the victory. The filly was produced by the stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act, a half-sister to Celebrity Cat, dam of 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) runner-up Uncle Benny. Her second dam is multiple Grade 1 winner Starrer, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1winner Stellar Jayne.

Irish Maxima set the early tempo and led by a length, with Emery tracking from second and Just F Y I in third through fractions of :23.63 for the opening quarter mile and :47.69 for the half mile. Irish Maxima threw win the towel near the quarter pole and faded as Just F Y I rallied eagerly, took charge, and coasted to a comfortable win by 3 3/4 lengths.

Central Avenue came on for second, and Life Talk was third. Emery was fourth, followed Irish Maxima and Princess Indy to complete the order of finish.

Just F Y I returned $11.60. She entered the Frizette following her eye-catching, 6 ¼-length debut win going six furlongs on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course.

The victory provided Just F Y I a “Win and You're In” berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

The Frizette is also the first New York prep race on the road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and Just F Y I earned 10 qualifying points toward a potential start the prestigious 1 1/8-mile race on May 3.

Frizette Quotes

Bill Mott, winning trainer of Just F Y I [No. 5, $11.60]: “[The track] was the big question and we didn't know. You don't know until you run them. We thought she was a nice filly and, in this day and age, I guess if you break your maiden impressively you're looking at going to a stakes race because there aren't many allowance races.”

On winning two GI races for owner George Krikorian in one day: “It's very special. [Mr. Krikorian] has been a very good client and he sends me some horses that he thinks are going to be OK. I have a small group of horses for him, but they are all quite nice.”

On a start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 4 at Santa Anita Park: “That would be the plan today. We'll wait and see how she comes back and go from there.”

George Krikorian, winning owner/breeder of Just F Y I (No. 5): “It's pretty special. She had only run once before. Last time, she got to the lead right at the wire in that race. Going a longer distance, we were hopeful that distance was going to be helpful to her, which it turned out to be. With the bad weather and everything, you never know how the horses are going to do. She handled it all well and she handles everything well.”

On why he was confident she would stretch out: “The way she's built and also she has no quit in her. Starrer [her dual Grade 1-winning second dam] also was like that.”

On winning with Just F Y I and War Like goddess in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic: “It's very special. I couldn't be more pleased, I'm ecstatic.”

Junior Alvarado, winning jockey aboard Just F Y I (No. 5): “I was very happy with what I had under me the whole way around. I was just hoping by the time I let her go, she wasn't going to fool me. Right when I asked her, she started picking it up. She had that beautiful long stride. Right when she switched leads, I knew she would be OK turning for home. She finished up nice and strong.

“I rode her at Saratoga and she ran a pretty good race. We always knew that she would be a filly that would appreciate stretching out.”

Javier Castellano, jockey of runner-up Central Avenue (No. 4): “She ran well. I like the way she did it today. She was very professional going inside on the rail. I cut the corner and there was a lot of kickback coming from behind horses. She handled it really well. It was only the second start of her career and the way she handled the kickback was nice. With a little more distance, she'll do well. I was satisfied.”

The post ‘Pretty Special’: Just F Y I Caps Back-To-Back Grade 1 Double For Krikorian In Frizette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post