Month: October 2023

Santa Anita Trio Slow Down Andy, Dr. Schivel, Lane Way Eye Breeders’ Cup

All four winners of Santa Anita's stakes on Saturday – Slow Down Andy, Dr, Schivel, Lane Way, and Hong Kong Harry – were resting and doing well Sunday morning. Three from that group will now head to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4.

Slow Down Andy, front-running winner of the Awesome Again (G2), “ate up a full feed tub and is doing great this morning,” said Leandro Mora, assistant for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Slow Down Andy won the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again by 2 ¼ lengths as the 2-1 favorite under Mario Gutierrez, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The victory was his first since winning the Del Mar Derby (G2) on turf last September and his first-ever Grade 1 score. In three previous starts this year, the 4-year-old Nyquist colt was third in the Pacific Classic (G1), second in the San Diego Handicap (G2) and off-the-board in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park on July 29.

Second in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, Slow Down Andy this year will target the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at 1 ¼ miles.

Dr. Schivel scored by a determined head over Speed Boat Beach in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) under Juan Hernandez, earning a 103 Beyer.

“This horse keeps coming back off extended vacations and is always pretty much the same horse,” Glatt said. “That's pretty hard to do. We'll see if he has one more good one in him.”

Dr. Schivel will now get a second crack in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Two years ago at Del Mar in the Del Mar Sprint, the now 5-year-old Violence colt endured a heart-breaking nose loss to Aloha West.

“You're just hopeful for opportunities and the Breeders' Cup is a big one,” Glatt said. “He'll be on his home track. There will be plenty of tough competition I'm sure, but we'll give it our best shot.”

Lane Way's victory came by a half-length under Mike Smith in the Eddie D (G2), which was originally scheduled for the downhill turf course but was moved to the turf chute and run at 6 ½ furlongs due to rain. It was Lane Way's second stakes tally this year and first career graded-stakes win.

Trained by Richard Mandella, the 6-year-old gelding by Into Mischief earned a 95 Beyer and will be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) on Nov. 4. It will be contested at five furlongs, which Mandella acknowledged is perhaps shorter than Lane Way's ideal trip.

“They're not going to change it for me,” he said.

Hong Kong Harry, a neck winner of the City of Hope Mile (G2), is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup and won't be supplemented, trainer Phil D'Amato said Sunday.

“The owners would have to put up a couple hundred thousand to run. We're going to just wait for the Seabiscuit,” D'Amato added. The Seabiscuit Handicap (G2)  at 1 1/16 miles on turf is scheduled for Nov. 25 at Del Mar.

Owned Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegaw,a and Tony Vallaza, 6-year-old Hong Kong Harry, who earned a 96 Beyer yesterday, has a record of 10-2-3 in 17 starts and earnings of $775,097.

The post Santa Anita Trio Slow Down Andy, Dr. Schivel, Lane Way Eye Breeders’ Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

38th Annual Maryland Million Anchors Laurel Park’s Fall Meet Stakes Action

Laurel Park will continue the stakes action during its calendar year-ending fall meet Saturday, Oct. 14 with the 38th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million.

'Maryland's Day at the Races,' the Maryland Million celebrates the progeny of stallions standing in the state with eight stakes and four starter stakes worth a combined $1.08 million in purses and highlighted by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up. The groundbreaking event has spawned copycat programs across the U.S. and Canada since its debut in 1986.

Maryland Million will also offer the $125,000 Turf (3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles), $125,000 Ladies (fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles), $100,000 Sprint (3-year-olds and up, six furlongs), $100,000 Distaff (fillies and mares 3 and up, seven furlongs), $100,000 Turf Sprint (3-year-olds and up, 5 ½ furlongs), $100,000 Lassie (2-year-old fillies, six furlongs) and $100,000 Nursery (2-year-olds, six furlongs).

Pre-entries for the Maryland Million were due Sunday. Final entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday, Oct. 8.

A total of 32 stakes worth $3.13 million in purses will be offered during Laurel's 50-day fall stand, which opened Sept. 29 and continues through Sunday, Dec. 31 with four-day live racing in October and November and three-day live racing in December. There will be no racing Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

Following opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday in October and November and Friday through Sunday starting Dec. 1. Post time will be 12:25 p.m. (ET) with the exception of Maryland Million Day, Oct. 14 (11:30 a.m.) and Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23 (11:25 a.m.)

Juveniles will be on center stage Saturday, Nov. 11 in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III and $100,000 Smart Halo, the latter for fillies, both at six furlongs. The card will also include the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Laurel Park will serve up a total of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses over back-to-back days on Thanksgiving weekend. Maryland-bred/sired horses are featured Friday, Nov. 24 with the seven-furlong, $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong, $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Saturday, Nov. 25 offers the last stakes races in Maryland for straight 3-year-olds, the $100,000 Safely Kept for fillies and $100,000 City of Laurel, both sprinting seven furlongs. In addition, horses aged 3 and up will travel 1 1/8 miles in the $100,000 Richard W. Small. All three stakes are listed.

The final month of the calendar year will feature eight stakes worth $800,000 in purses, launched by the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly, each at seven furlongs, Saturday, Dec. 2.

Christmas weekend begins with four stakes worth $400,000 Saturday, Dec. 23 – the $100,000 Dave's Friend for 3-year-olds and up and $100,00 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older, respectively sprinting six and 6½ furlongs; $100,000 Carousel for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso for runners 3 and older going 1 1/16 miles.

The 2023 stakes calendar concludes Saturday, Dec. 30 with the $100,000 Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs.

The post 38th Annual Maryland Million Anchors Laurel Park’s Fall Meet Stakes Action appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Laurel Juvenile Stakes Winners Brocknardini, Air Recruit Possible For Breeders’ Cup

Thomas Brockley and Daryn Bedinotti's 2-year-old filly Brocknardini, who impressed earning her first stakes victory in Saturday's $150,000 Selima at Laurel Park, will be pointed to a potential start in the Breeders' Cup, trainer George Weaver said.

Brocknardini rolled to a popular 2¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Selima for juvenile fillies, which in 2019 produced subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner Sharing, who went on to win the Edgewood (G2) and Tepin in 2020 and retire a millionaire.

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf will be run Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

“I'll run her in the Breeders' Cup, if she can get in,” Weaver said of Brocknardini. “I don't know if she'll get in, but if she were to draw in I'll run her. Why not? There's a lot to gain and not a lot to lose.”

Under a patient ride in her third start and first under jockey Joe Rocco Jr., Brocknardini rated two wide while racing in fifth behind dirt stakes winner Carmelina, who was making her turf debut. Rocco tipped Brocknardini further out to launch her bid, surged to the lead in midstretch, and drew off under a hand ride to win in 1:47.45 over a turf course rated good.

It was reminiscent of Brocknardini's Aug. 16 debut going the same distance at Saratoga, where she took a commanding lead at the top of the stretch and cruised home a 4¾-length winner against fellow New York-breds. The effort earned her a trip to Woodbine for the one-mile Natalma (G1) Sept. 16, only to encounter a nightmarish trip after a belated start.

“I was glad to see her get back to what we thought first time out,” the New York-based Weaver said. “She showed promise the first time out at Saratoga, then went over to Woodbine and didn't really adjust well to the one turn.

“I know [Saturday's] race was a little easier, but she just didn't run her race at Woodbine,” he added. “It was great to see her come back, and I thought she won pretty stylishly.”

Brocknardini's victory continued to stellar year for Weaver, now 16-for-44 with 2-year-olds including 13-for-30 on the grass. Tops among them are three-time stakes winner No Nay Mets and Crimson Advocate, winner of the Queen Mary (G2) in June at Royal Ascot.

By Palace Malice out of the Bernardini mare Broad Stripes, Brocknardini fetched $35,000 during Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium May 22.

Weaver was proud of the effort put forth by Brocknardini, who had all of her timed breezes at Saratoga and was coming back just 14 days following the Natalma.

“It's like a stock price. After she ran at Woodbine her stock went down, so we had to try to do something to get it back up,” Weaver said. “She delivered for us.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour indicated following Saturday's $150,000 Laurel Futurity that Mark Grier's Air Recruit is also likely to be pointed to California for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 3 following his 5½-length victory.

It was the first stakes win for Air Recruit, who stretched out around two turns for the first time after capturing his Aug. 5 unveiling by 1 ¼ lengths and running third behind No Nay Mets in the Sept. 9 Rosie's, both sprinting 5 ½ furlongs at Colonial Downs.

Both Shards and Cigale, who respectively ran second and third to Air Recruit in the maiden special weight, came back to win their next starts.

“You always wonder about the quality of the horses you beat when you break your maiden because there's a lot of 2-year-olds in North America,” Delacour said. “You always retrospectively find out what you have, as far as form, two or three months down the road. But it's obviously solid, which is great.”

The post Laurel Juvenile Stakes Winners Brocknardini, Air Recruit Possible For Breeders’ Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Touch’n Ride Survives Inquiry Scare to Win Breeders’ Stakes Thriller

Lightly raced but full of heart, Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) would not let the filly go in the final yards and bravely got by Elysian Fields (Hard Spun) to prevail by the slimmest of margins, determined by a photo.

Last seen finishing fifth in the Kings Plate S. won by familiar face Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman)–where the runner-up here again played bridesmaid–and gone since then, Touch'n Ride was content to track from fifth in a packed field of 14 as the speed went on its way. Cruising along in the second flight among cover down the backstretch, Kazushi Kimura was forced to wait for room behind a three-strong wall of leaders at the half-mile, but found his seam entering the top of the stretch. Locking horns with Elysian Fields as she bravely fought off his challenge, and the pair drifting far into the course midway home, it took the length of the stretch and a photo to separate them, but succeed he did, beating her by a nose. Paramount Prince faded to next to last while Prince of Wales S. runner-up Kaukokaipuu (Mr Speaker) finished seventh. A rider's claim of foul from Sahin Civac, aboard Elysian Fields, afterwards was disallowed by the stewards.

“It feels amazing,” said Kimura, who notched his first win in the series. “I've always tried to win the Triple Crown and I've finally made it. Last week, I got on him in the morning and he was a very nice horse on the turf. I was quite comfortable staying behind Paramount Prince, the King's Plate winner [during the race].”

Added conditioner Layne Giliforte: “It's nerve-racking when you watch a horse get herded out like that…I had a great feeling going into the race and for him to come through the way he did and Kazushi to give him the ride that he did, it's fantastic.”

With his victory here, Touch'n Ride continuous something of a familial tradition, joining elder brother Neepawa (Scat Daddy) as a winner of the Breeders' S. He's also a half-brother to SP Niigon's Spin (Hard Spun) as well as a 2023 half-sister by American Triple Crown hero, Justify. Niigon's Touch went to Twirling Candy for 2024.

 

Sunday, Woodbine Racetrack
BREEDERS' S., C$403,000, Woodbine, 10-1, (C), 3yo, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.56, fm.
1–TOUCH'N RIDE, 126, g, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
          1st Dam: Niigon's Touch (SW, $204,615), by Niigon
          2nd Dam: Laser Touch, by Touch Gold
          3rd Dam: Laser Hawk, by Silver Hawk
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Layne S. Giliforte; J-Kazushi Kimura. C$240,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $238,513. *1/2 to Neepawa (Scat Daddy), SW, $307,222.
2–Elysian Field, 123, f, 3, Hard Spun–Elysian, by Smart Strike. ($50,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $70,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Team Valor International and Gary Barber; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$80,000.
3–Twowaycrossing, 126, g, 3, English Channel–Double Guns Girl, by Langfuhr. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B/T-Roger L. Attfield (ON). C$40,000.
Margins: NO, 4, 3/4. Odds: 4.10, 3.55, 51.65.
Also Ran: Philip My Dear, Tito's Calling, Wickenheiser, Kaukokaipuu, British Artillery, Tiburon, Sammy Stone, Simcoe, Hemlo Gold, Paramount Prince, Midnight in Malibu. Scratched: Enjoythesilent, Greystone, Legal Catch, Over and Ollie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Touch’n Ride Survives Inquiry Scare to Win Breeders’ Stakes Thriller appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights