Month: October 2023

Freshened since beaten in his second start, Zedan Racing's Muth is the horse to beat as he stretches out to a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. Named for the 2015 Triple Crown winner, the American Pharaoh has attracted a field of eight juveniles.

A Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race Qualifier, the American Pharoah winner will earn a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Muth, a $2 million 2-year-old in training sale purchase this past March, was a runaway 8 ¼ length winner of his five furlong maiden debut here on June 18. Subsequently second to his eventual Grade 1 stakes-winning stablemate Prince of Monaco going six furlongs in the G3 Best Pal Stakes Aug. 13, Muth sat out the G1 Del Mar Futurity Sept. 10 and should be extremely tough with leading man Juan Hernandez back aboard on Saturday.

Odds-on in both of his races to date, Muth is out of the Uncle Mo mare Hoppa.

Todd Pletcher will be represented in the American Pharoah by Repole Stable's Be You, a colt by Curlin who ships in from Saratoga Springs. Second, beaten a nose as the 3-2 favorite in his six furlong debut Aug. 5 at Saratoga, Be You checked in fourth, beaten 4 ¼ lengths in the Grade 1, seven-furlong Hopeful at 5-2 on Sept. 4 and will also be two-turning for the first time.

A $320,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Be You is out of the Congrats mare Jacaranda and will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

A first-out maiden winner going six furlongs on Sept. 2 at Del Mar, Wine Me Up will assume the role of the “other Baffert” for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. A $300,000 March 2-year-old in training purchase, he's one of several that figure to ensure a fast pace on Saturday.

By Vino Rosso out of the Kitten's Joy mare Deanaallen'skitten, Wine Me Up will be ridden for the first time by Ramon Vazquez.

THE GRADE 1 AMERICAN PHAROAH WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1. Rothschild – Mike Smith – 122
2. Muth – Juan Hernandez – 122
3. Next Level – Kent Desormeaux – 122
4. Wine Me Up – Ramon Vazquez – 122
5. Raging Torrent – Antonio Fresu – 122
6. Be You – Umberto Rispoli – 122
7. Indispensable – Geovanni Franco – 122
8. El Magnifico – Hector Berrios – 122

First post time for a 10-race card that will include three other stakes on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

The American Pharoah Stakes will be part of the first-ever Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick Six, which will combine three races from Keeneland and three from Santa Anita. The wager has a $1 minimum and a player-friendly 15 percent takeout.

The post Freshened Muth Will Be Horse To Beat In Saturday’s American Pharoah Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Although winless in two starts sprinting, C R K Stable's Gate to Paradise showed marked improvement in her most recent start and her connections are hopeful she'll continue her ascendancy as she stretches out versus nine rival juvenile fillies at a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Chandelier is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race Qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Gate to Paradise ran into a buzzsaw going seven furlongs in the G1 Del Mar Debutante, as she finished third, beaten nine lengths by what appears to be a superstar in the making, the Richard Mandella-trained Tamara, who will train up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Although she was well beaten, Gate to Paradise earned a respectable 73 Beyer Speed Figure, 10 points better than her debut third place performance versus eight maiden fillies going 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 13.

By Arrogate out of the More Than Ready mare Heart of Paradise, Gate to Paradise sold for $950,000 at an Ocala, Fla. 2-year-old in training sale this past March. Given her running style and pedigree, Gate to Paradise gives every indication that she should improve around two turns with Kent Desormeaux back aboard.

While Gate to Paradise improved in her second start, Zedan Racing Stables' Dua appeared to regress in the G3 Sorrento Stakes Aug. 12, which followed a promising debut going five furlongs July 22 at Del Mar. Off as the 3-5 favorite first time out, she pressed the pace and prevailed by a half length, earning a 73 Beyer.

Off at 9-5 versus six rivals in the six furlong Sorrento, Dua tired to finish third, beaten 10 ¾ lengths, earning a markedly lower 57 Beyer. Trained by Bob Baffert, Dua, a filly by Arrogate out of the Consolidator mare Attempt to Name, will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Juan Hernandez and could very likely bounce back with a big effort stretching out.

THE GRADE 2 CHANDELIER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

1. Chatalas—Antonio Fresu—122
2. Scalable—Mike Smith—122
3. Pacific Rose—Ramon Vazquez—122
4. Pink Whitney—Tiago Pereira—122
5. Autumn Chill—Hector Berrios—122
6. Gate to Paradise—Kent Desormeaux—122
7. Dua—Juan Hernandez—122
8. Laurent—Edwin Maldonado—122
9. Motet—Edgar Payeras—122
10. Next Right Thing—Emily Ellingwood–122

First post time for a 10-race card that includes three other stakes, is at 1 p.m. Admission gates will open at 11 a.m.

The Chandelier Stakes will be part of the first-ever Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick Six, which will combine three races from Keeneland and three from Santa Anita. The wager has a $1 minimum and a player-friendly 15 percent takeout.

The post Sadler-Trained Gate To Paradise Leads Field Of 10 Juvenile Fillies In Chandelier appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Wise Racing's Hard to Justify asserted her talents in her stakes debut when pouncing to victory in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

For her victory, the daughter of Justify was awarded a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 3 at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Hard to Justify provided Brown with a record-extending ninth win in this event and his first since Selflessly in 2019. The bay remains undefeated through two lifetime outings, adding to a strong debut victory from off the pace when taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course by a head over Appellate, who scratched from this race and is entered in Keeneland's Grade 2 Jessamine on Friday.

Ridden to victory by Flavien Prat, Hard to Justify emerged from the inside post and was away sharpest of all before Camila T swept past to her outside to take command through an opening quarter-mile in 23.93 seconds and the half-mile in 50 flat over the firm footing.

“From the inside, I didn't want to be shuffled back and the rail is out and I didn't want to be too far [back],” Prat explained. “She jumped super and showed some good speed, so it was great.”

Hard to Justify maintained comfortable stalking position down the backstretch with Life's an Audible along the rail in third and Whimsically keeping close watch in fourth before the latter came under a ride approaching the turn and Camila T was asked for her best run from Carlos Olivero after three-quarters in 1:14.37.

Whimsically went three-wide under a drive from Junior Alvarado and came to even terms with the advancing Hard to Justify, who put her head in front of a stubborn Camila T at the top of the lane and battled on gamely to take a clear advantage at the eighth pole. Whimsically valiantly gave chase down the center of the course but was met with a challenge from Life's an Audible, who angled around foes and had dead aim on Hard to Justify, but could not reel in her foe as Hard to Justify found enough in the final strides to post the half-length victory in a final time of 1:43.92.

Life's an Audible inched clear of Whimsically to secure place honors by one length with post-time favorite Gala Brand, who was last-of-11 down the backstretch, weaving her way through traffic late to round out the superfecta. Memorialize, Gold Lightning, Later Darling, Sierra Sky, Steel Lute, Dancing Spirit and Camila T completed the order of finish.

Prat said Hard to Justify dug in gamely when presented with the challenge from Whimsically.

“Turning for home, as soon as that horse came alongside of me she really engaged and switched gears,” said Prat. “From there, I thought she got the job done.”

Hard to Justify provided Prat with his first victory in this event and has won both of her starts with him at the helm. Prat said he knew his filly learned greatly from her narrow victory last out.

“The first race, she broke OK and then I let her sit back. After that, I had to check at the three-eights, going into the last turn,” Prat said. “I thought that race she had every right to get beat and she didn't, so I thought it was impressive and I was expecting a good run today.”

Bred in Kentucky by Yeguada Centurion SL, Hard to Justify was a $190,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the graded stakes-placed Quality Road mare Instant Reflex. She banked $110,000 in victory and returned $16.60 for a $2 win wager.

The Todd Pletcher-trained and Repole Stable-owned Life's an Audible made her stakes debut off a second-out graduation on September 2 at Saratoga where she made her first start on turf in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint. Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has ridden the daughter of Audible in each of her three starts, said his filly was second best today.

“I had a good trip. The pace was a little slow, but she did everything right,” said Ortiz, Jr. “The winner broke better than me and got better position than me, so I just followed them. It was a slow pace, but I had a perfect trip up to that.”

Live racing resumes Thursday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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