Month: October 2023

War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back in the Joe Hirsch

Her sire won the 2007 GI Breeders' Cup Turf in similarly soft underfoot conditions not far away at Monmouth Park, and George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) found the ease in the ground very much to her liking, motoring down the center of the waterlogged course to successfully defend her title in Saturday's GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct.

With Junior Alvarado at the controls for the first time, the $30,000 OBS June bargain lingered towards the back of the pack through the early exchanges, racing in the company of third favorite Stone Age (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), as Naipaul Chatterpaul special So High (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) went pedal to the metal from the fence beneath Romero Maragh. The latter was in a race of his own down the backstretch, opening up by as many as 20 lengths before odds-on Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), prepping for a title defense of his own in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, was first to attempt to make any inroads. So High continued on that long lead into the final three-eighths of a mile and while Rebel's Romance peaked on his run in upper stretch, War Like Goddess was pulled out by Alvarado into the center of the boggy course after rallying inside on the turn and steamed home for the victory. Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) ran on to complete the exacta ahead of So High in third. Rebel's Romance could do no better than fourth.

War Like Goddess would go on to be a low-odds third, with Stone Age, second in last year's Turf at Keeneland and returned to action with a victory in Keeneland's sex-restricted GIII Bewitch S. back in April. Well-beaten at 75 cents on the dollar in a slow-paced renewal of the GI New York S. June 9 at Belmont Park, War Like Goddess was most recently a neck second in the GII Glens Falls S. at Saratoga Aug. 3.

The Joe Hirsch was originally carded for last Saturday, Sept. 30, but the entire program was canceled due to pounding rains and was to run in the same order the following afternoon. The card went on as scheduled, but the Hirsch was re-routed to Saturday on what turned out to be another rain-swept afternoon on the south shore of Long Island. Because of the delay, trainer Bill Mott was non-committal about another crack at the Turf.

“It rushes us a little bit. It puts us a little closer, but we still have four weeks,” said the Hall of Famer, winning the race for the sixth time, the last four with the progeny of two-time Hirsch winner English Channel. “If she runs, she'll run against the boys. I won't run her a mile and a quarter. She's a mile-and-a-half filly.”

Of the beaten favorite, William Buick commented: “The ground was too soft. He had a beautiful run through. The leader stole the march, and the other two [War Like Goddess and Solider Rising] picked him off and I couldn't. I was struggling out there.”

Pedigree Notes:

Calumet Farm purchased Misty North for $30,000 in foal to 2011 Hirsch winner Cape Blanco (Ire) at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and sold five foals out of the mare for a grand total of just over $10,000 before accepting $1,000 for the mare, pregnant to Bal a Bali (Brz), at KEENOV in 2019. Misty North has not produced a foal the last three season and was most recently covered by Burrow, a Candy Ride (Arg) half-brother to champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and fellow Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Town (Speightstown).

 

 

Saturday, Belmont The Big A
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-7, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:32.86, yl.
1–WAR LIKE GODDESS, 123, m, 6, by English Channel
                1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
                3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000
2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY);
T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 17-11-2-2, $2,495,184.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Soldier Rising (GB), 126, g, 5, Frankel (GB)–Sahrawi (Ger),
by Pivotal (GB). (240,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Madaket
Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and
Michael J. Caruso; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (GB);
T-Christophe Clement. $100,000.
3–So High (GB), 126, g, 7, Nathaniel (Ire)–Fugitive Angel,
by Alphabet Soup. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE,
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/T-Naipaul Chatterpaul; B-George
Strawbridge (GB). $60,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1, NK. Odds: 3.80, 8.70, 90.00.
Also Ran: Rebel's Romance (Ire), Stone Age (Ire), Grand Sonata, Pioneering Spirit, Astronaut.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back in the Joe Hirsch appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back In Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

George Krikorian's War Like Goddess, a 6-yera-old English Channel mare ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer William Mott, won Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over male runners for the second year in a row during the Belmont at the Big A meet at a soggy Aqueduct racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Sitting in sixth position early in the mile and one-half Turf Classic as 90-1 longshot So High opened up as much as 19 lengths on the field, War Like Goddess commenced her rally on the turn for home, collared So High nearing the sixteenth pole and drew away to the 4 1/2-length victory.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, War Like Goddess covered the 12 furlongs on yielding turf in 2:32.86. Soldier Rising finished second, with So High hanging on for third after setting fractions of :24.76, :49.56, 1:15.62, 1:40.94 and 2:06.42. Rebel's Romance, the 1-2 favorite, finished fourth with no apparent excuse.

War Like Goddess paid $9.60 to win. She carried 123 pounds, with her male rivals toting 126.

The Turf Classic was the 11th victory in 17 career starts for War Like Goddess, who came into the race off two defeats: a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the G1 New York Stakes at Belmont June 9 and a close second to McKulick in the G2 Glens Falls at Saratoga.

This was Mott's sixth victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, named for the longtime columnist for Daily Racing Form who died in 2009.

War Like Goddess ran away from her foes in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

The post War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back In Joe Hirsch Turf Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Brown Eyes Breeders’ Cup For Waya Winner McKulick

Upset last time out by one of the three rivals she raced Saturday, McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bounced back and turned the tables on Parnac (Zarak {Fr}) to give trainer Chad Brown his fifth straight win in the GIII Waya S.

The beaten favorite at odds-on in Saratoga's GII Flower Bowl S. Sept. 2 as Parnac went gate-to-wire, McKulick looked to gain an edge on that rival with the addition of a speedy uncoupled stablemate breaking from the inside gate in Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Running over a bogged-down Aqueduct turf course listed as yielding with rain still falling in the area, the field of four set on their way with the two expected pace horses handling the early running with Idea Generation happy to lead the way ahead of Parnac. McKulick stayed in third and that running order remained largely unchanged as the quartet came by the wire with one lap remaining. Idea Generation continued to go on with it, opening up a clear advantage into the clubhouse turn and up the backstretch run before McKulick, who seemed to be getting over the turf better than her rival Parnac, began to move. The Klaravich stablemates were first and second passing the quarter pole and for several moments it looked as though Idea Generation might spring the upset as McKulick struggled to get by on the outside. But with a sixteenth left to run, class ultimately prevailed with the daughter of Frankel putting a bit of separation into the field to win going away as the 1-2 chalk.

“She [McKulick] did great,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “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 [No. 3, 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.”

Regarding a potential next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 4, Brown added: “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. 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.”

Pedigree Note:

A daughter of European sensation Frankel, McKulick continues to carry the banner in North America for the Banstead Manor legend. Sourced out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for Klaravich Stables, she is the fourth winner from as many to race out of a group-placed dam who is also responsible for GSW/G1SP Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) and GSW Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Astrelle herself is a half to GSW Porsenna (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and MSW/MGSP Basileus (Ire) (Dream Ahead). She has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Calyx (GB) and a yearling filly by Pinatubo (Ire).

Saturday, Belmont at the Big A
WAYA S.-GIII, $186,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-7, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:20.10, yl.
1–MCKULICK (GB), 126, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
                1st Dam: Astrelle (Ire) (GSP-Eng), by Makfi (GB)
                2nd Dam: Miss Mariduff, by Hussonet
                3rd Dam: Sopran Mariduff (GB), by Persian Bold (Ire)
(180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 13-5-5-2, $1,615,720. *1/2
to Fearless King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), GSW-Ger; 1/2 to Just
Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), GSW & G1SP-Ire,
GSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $247,982. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple
Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Idea Generation (Ire), 118, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Knocknagree
(Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. (340,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Sister Otoole, 124, m, 6, Amira's Prince (Ire)–O' Toole, by
Distorted Humor. O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Helen
Barbazon & Joseph Barbazon (FL); T-H. Graham Motion.
$24,000.
Margins: 2, 2 1/4, 8 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 10.50, 8.30.
Also Ran: Parnac (Fr). Scratched: Movie Moxy, Peak Popularity, Personal Best, Romagna Mia (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Brown Eyes Breeders’ Cup For Waya Winner McKulick appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Delta Downs Opener: Touchuponastar Wires Gold Cup; Noneya Takes In Magnolia

Delta Downs in Vinton, La. opened its 2023-2024 Thoroughbred race season on Friday night with a nine-race program that featured a pair of $100,000 stakes races.

Fans were treated to the Gold Cup and the Magnolia Stakes. Both events were for Louisiana-bred runners going seven furlongs. The Magnolia featured fillies and mares.

The Gold Cup featured heavily favored Touchuponastar, who was gunning for third win in as many starts at Delta Downs. His last appearance in Vinton resulted in a rousing victory in the Louisiana Premier Night Championship back in February.

Touchuponastar did not disappoint by coming through with a 5½-length victory and it could have been even more.

After breaking sharply under jockey Tim Thornton, the eventual winner cruised to an easy lead and carved out fractional times of :23.75 for the opening quarter mile and :47.61 for the half-mile. As the field of eight made the turn for home Thornton shook the reins and his mount responded, going on to a dominant win over Big Chopper while Autumns Strong Man finished another 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

The final time for Touchuponastar, who is trained by Jeff Delhomme, was 1:24.64. Each race on the program was contest over a fast track and with near perfect weather conditions.

Touchuponastar has now won eight of 11 career starts and has banked a total of $468,100 for his owner, Set-Hut LLC (Jake Delhomme). His win in the Gold Cup was worth $60,000.

Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, Touchuponastar is a 4-year-old bay gelding by Star Guitar out of the Quiet American mare Touch Magic.

Leaving the starting gate at odds of 1-5, Touchuponastar paid $2.60 to win.

All eyes were on Free Like a Girl in the $100,000 Magnolia Stakes as the 4-year-old filly was attempting to the race for the second year in a row and become a millionaire at the same time. But it wasn't to be as Noneya pulled the upset under jockey Vicente Del Cid, who was riding for owner/trainer Ronnie Ward.

Free Like a Girl made a late bid but came up short finishing third behind the winner and Norah G who wound up second.

As the seven-furlong race for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares began it was Norah G who showed early speed by setting fractional times of :23.71  for the quarter mile and :48.21 for the half. Meanwhile, Noneya sat patiently off the leader while stalking the pace before digging in for a sustained rally turning for home.

At the wire Noneya was 2 1/4 lengths clear of Norah G while Free Like a girl was another three-quarters of a length behind in third. The winner covered the distance in 1:25.97.

Noneya has now won six of 18 career starts. Her $60,000 winner's share in the Magnolia raised her lifetime bankroll to $202,340.

Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock and Hume Warnall, Noneya is a 5-year-old mare by Palaceout of the Quiet American mare American Placed.

Dispatched at odds of 6-1, Noneya paid $15 to win.

The post Delta Downs Opener: Touchuponastar Wires Gold Cup; Noneya Takes In Magnolia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights