Month: October 2023

Qatar Racing's stakes-winning sophomore Everso Mischievous defeated elders in his graded stakes debut, fending off a late rally from dual New York-bred stakes winner Dr Ardito to capture Saturday's 43rd running of the $300,000 Forty Niner (G2) – formerly known as the Kelso – going a one-turn mile at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Brad Cox, Everso Mischievous entered the Forty Niner from a sharp 3 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Harrods Creek on September 23 at Churchill Downs. The Into Mischief bay has finished no worse than second in six lifetime starts, which also includes a seven-furlong maiden triumph at second asking at Churchill Downs as well as a first level allowance score against elders at the same distance on August 5 at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 2 under Cristian Torres, Everso Mischievous rated a close second and tipped a path to the outside of the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted pacesetter Swiftsure, who registered an opening quarter mile in :23.29 and a half-mile in :45.89 over the fast main track. Around the far turn, Everso Mischievous matched strides with Swiftsure, and graded stakes placed Film Star joined them widest of all.

Everso Mischievous held clear command at the stretch call as Film Star and the slow-starting post time favorite Accretive put in their runs on the outside, but Everso Mischievous was able to keep his foes at bay and hang on to a half-length win in a final time of 1:35.32. Dr Ardito charged late to grab place honors, a nose in front of fellow Chad Brown trainee Accretive.

Completing the order of finish were Film Star, Swiftsure, Business Model and Double Crown. Synthesis was scratched.

“He was perfect. The trip worked out perfect. Kendrick went to the lead and I sat two-wide the whole race – that's where he runs comfortable,” said Torres. “When we were turning for home, I asked my horse and he took off again. He's a nice horse, so he finished up. They always thought this was a nice horse. In the beginning of his career, he was a little green, but it was just a matter of time that he'd mature. They put blinkers on him at Saratoga and he improved a lot. They're very happy, I'm very happy, and I'm very grateful to ride this kind of horse.”

Torres earned his first career graded stakes triumph aboard Last Samurai in this year's Razorback (G3) at Oaklawn Park and collected his sixth graded stakes win in the Forty Niner.

“It's unbelievable. I can't express how I feel,” Torres said. “To win a stakes race in any part of the country is awesome, but NYRA? It's great.”

Brown was proud of Dr Ardito's run under Manny Franco, but said he often is late on the scene.

“Dr Ardito ran good late. He's frustrating as sometimes he's just late to get going and it was just a little too late,” Brown said. “It's a double-edged sword; if you push him off the bridle too early, he's kind of a one-run horse. He wasn't really taking Manny there and I'm sure Manny wanted to be closer. It is what it is and just the way the race unfolded. The winner got a jump on everyone, but ran a really good race start-to-finish and finished the race off when it counted when everyone was running at the wire.”

Brown said Accretive, who was a last out second to Cody's Wish in the Vosburgh (G2), was hindered by missing the break.

“It cost him a little bit there. It forced him to rush up and get a wide trip and it probably cost him a length or so,” Brown said. “My horses both ran solid, but the winner just ran a little bit better.”

Brown indicated that Dr Ardito and Accretive could target the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2)on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Everso Mischievous, who returned $7.20 for a $2 win wager, banked $165,000 in victory which increased his lifetime earnings past the half-million mark to $524,640. He now has a 6-4-2-0 record.

Bought by Fergus Galvin for $85,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Horse of Racing Age Sale, where Highgate Sales consigned him, Everso Mischievous is out of the graded stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Ever So Clever. He was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms.

The post Everso Mischievous Shows Up Elders, Wins Forty Niner In Graded Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode's O'Connor (CHI) prevailed in a three-way photo finish to post a head victory in the 66^th running of the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Saturday's closing day of the Keeneland Fall Meet.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., O'Connor was one of 25 winners during the season for leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione. O'Connor covered 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track labeled fast in 1:50.61.

“He was very game, and it was very hard-fought,” Gaffalione said of the winner. “He took everything that was thrown at him. He was loving his position going around the turn. I was really happy with where I was at. Coming into the stretch he kept finding more, and every time I asked him he responded. All the credit goes to (trainer) Saffie (Joseph Jr.) and his team. They brought him over here ready to run. I was just fortunate to be the passenger today.”

Bred by Haras Carioca, O'Connor is by Boboman out of the Touch Gold mare Torrente de Agua. He earned $179,025 for the Fayette victory, his 11th in 26 career starts, and increased his bankroll to $660,969. A Group 1 winner in his native Chile, O'Connor won his North American debut at Gulfstream Park in October 2022. Previously placed second or third in three stakes, all graded, earlier this year, he broke through for his first North American stakes victory in the Fayette.

O'Connor paid $12.92 for the win. Il Miracolo outfinished Speed Bias by a head for second.

Twilight Blue was fourth and was followed by Dash Attack, Law Professor, Trademark and Happy American.

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Rigney Racing's Kentucky homebred Xigera confirmed her status as a talented dirt horse with an impressive 3 1/2-length score in Saturday's 66th renewal of the $250,000 Mother Goose (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Philip Bauer and piloted by Julien Leparoux, the Nyquist dark bay entered from a commanding 6 1/4-length romp in the 1 1/16-mile Seneca Overnight on September 23 at Churchill Downs to secure her first main track win. She previously won a trio of turf starts, including the one-mile Tepin in July at Ellis Park.

Bauer and owner Richard Rigney had considered sending Xigera to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita but believes the team made the right decision to ship the filly to New York.

“The hindsight is the easiest sight, so now that it's done, it was the right decision,” Bauer said. “I'm overwhelmed. It's a pretty cool race historically. This year, as a whole, has just been phenomenal for Richard and us, and to accomplish what we have is something special and we need to make sure we don't take it for granted. It was the right decision and hopefully, it will springboard her to a 4-year-old campaign that has been as impressive as her last two races.”

Xigera stalked in second position to the inside of the Junior Alvarado-piloted Defining Purpose as the Chad Brown-trained Undervalued Asset led the seven-horse Mother Goose field through fractions of :23.79, :48.46, and 1:12.95 through six furlongs over the fast main track. Occult, the 2-1 Brown-trained second choice under Irad Ortiz Jr., raced in fifth position down the backstretch and made her move outside rivals as Undervalued Asset took the field into the final turn.

Leparoux gave Xigera her cue midway through the final turn and put away the challenge of Ashland (G1) winner Defining Purpose, opening up a 2 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call, before surging to a comfortable score in a final time of 1:48.99 for the 1 1/8 miles, earning her first graded stakes victory.

Defining Purpose completed the exacta by three-quarters of a length over the late-running Occult with Julia Shining, Foggy Night, Undervalued Asset and Peak Popularity completing the order of finish.

Bauer credited Leparoux with engineering a perfect trip.

“I told Mr. Rigney going into the first turn, 'There's no excuses. If she's good enough, she'll win,'” Bauer said. “Especially when they slowed it down the second quarter. We thought the four [Undervalued Asset] was going to be a rabbit considering the entries for Chad. When the fractions were as realistic as they were, I felt pretty confident into the far turn when Julien was in position and the demeanor he presented sitting on her. You never know until they cross the wire, but I'd like most of my horses to look like that at the quarter pole.”

Leparoux said he felt confident throughout as he tracked the early speed of Undervalued Asset.

“She has good tactical speed as long as she's relaxed,” Leparoux said. “I knew Chad would send one of his fillies to the lead, so I was planning on sitting next to him and making a big run at the end. We always knew she was talented. She's very good on the turf, but on the dirt it looks like she's much better.”

Alvarado said the Kenny McPeek-trained Defining Purpose, who added the Indiana Oaks (G3) to her ledger in July, was brave in defeat.

“My filly did what I thought she was going to do. I took my shot at the quarter pole to the favorite, I tried to make it competitive there,” Alvarado said. “But she pulled away from me. My filly still ran a great race to get second. I thought I had enough horse to at least put up a fight, but the other filly was too much today.”

Xigera graduated at second asking last August over turf at Saratoga Race Course and subsequently was elevated to third that October in her dirt debut in the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland. She would make her next four starts on turf, winning twice, before returning to the main track in the Seneca Overnight.

Bauer indicated Xigera could make her next start against older fillies and mares in the Falls City (G3) on Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs.

Xigera, out of the stakes-winning Black Tie Affair mare Argent Affair, is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Forty Under, who won the 2018 Pilgrim (G3) on the Belmont Park turf. Xigera banked $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 9-5-1-1 and returned $4.10 for a $2 win bet.

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