Cody’s Wish likely has one more race left in a brilliant career. Judging by what happened Oct. 1 in the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes, it should be dazzling.
Month: October 2023
GISW Zandon Powers Home A Winner In The Woodward S.
A groomsman no more. After three consecutive second-place efforts from as many starts this season, Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart) finally got his place at the altar with a come-from-behind victory in the rescheduled GII Woodward S. at Belmont's Aqueduct meet.
Not seen in the winner's enclosure since a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail, the 4-year-old continued to throw good performance after good performance throughout the rest of last year and into his season's campaign. Just this year alone, he's finished behind the likes of Sunday's GII Vosburgh S. winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), runaway GI Whitney S. hero White Abarrio (Race Day) and MGSW Repo Rocks (Tapiture). Always just a step after some of the best of his generatio, Zandon seemed poised to deliver when bet down to even money Sunday.
Away in orderly fashion under jockey Flavien Prat, the Chad Brown trainee was caught in a mid-pack scrum into the first turn and had to check back off of heels while in tight between horses. Taken back to race a solo sixth, Zandon chased in pursuit of pacesetter Pipeline (Speightstown) up the backstretch as the opening half went in :46.66. The field stayed together with only one trailing runner with four furlongs to run but Prat stayed motionless until the quarter pole when, still faced with a wall of horses in front of him, Zandon began to pick up the bridle. Angled outside of the frontrunners at the head of the lane, the favorite got clear running room and made the most of it, striking the front at the sixteenth pole and opening up daylight on a pair of closing longshots to win going away.
“He's been a horse that's been knocking on the door and he's had a little bit of bad luck running into really, really top horses in some of these races,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I felt a little bad for him because he's run such fast numbers in defeat that would have been good enough to win a lot of these races any other year when you really look at it. He's always run into really top class horses along the way. Like I've said before, one thing I'll always point out is even in a lot of runner-up finishes, look at the horses that were behind him. I mean, he's beat a pile of good horses in those valiant runner-up races. This horse is a really consistent horse and has been a pleasure to train.”
“He'll probably have his last career start in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” Brown continued. “Obviously, it's going to be a much, much tougher race than today, but at least we're going in off of a decisive victory and a horse that's had a very consistent year. That's all you can ask for and anything can happen in a horse race.”
Saturday, Belmont at the Big A
WOODWARD S.-GII, $400,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.48, ft.
1–ZANDON, 122, c, 4, by Upstart
1st Dam: Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause
2nd Dam: Incarnate Memories, by Indian Charlie
3rd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West
($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $220,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 13-3-6-3, $2,140,000. *1/2 to Sol Principe Gris (Summer Front), Ch. 2-year-old Colt-Pan, MSW-Pan, $102,210. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Film Star, 122, c, 4, Flatter–Rebelle, by Hard Spun. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ronald P. Stewart; B-Indian Creek & Mill Pond Bloodstock (KY); T-Linda Rice. $80,000.
3–Law Professor, 122, g, 5, Constitution–Haunted Heroine, by Ghostzapper. O/B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras. $48,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 1.00, 13.20, 17.10.
Also Ran: Charge It, O'Connor (Chi), Tyson, Costa Terra, Pipeline. Scratched: Algiers (Ire), Un Ojo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
ZANDON wins the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Chad Brown! pic.twitter.com/3smBfgTGU8
— NYRA (
) (@TheNYRA) October 1, 2023
The post GISW Zandon Powers Home A Winner In The Woodward S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
‘Simply Extraordinary’: Ace Impact Stays Unbeaten With Arc Victory, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth
Ace Impact won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Europe's premier middle-distance test Sunday at ParisLongchamp, after taking on the front-runners in midstretch at such speed that no opponent could match strides.
A Jean-Claude Rouget trainee ridden by Cristian Demuro, favorite Ace Impact passed the post almost two lengths ahead of runner-up Westover. Onesto was third in the field of 15.
With Sunday's victory, Ace Impact earned an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
Japanese competitor Through Seven Seas took fourth place in the Arc by a good length ahead of Doncaster's St. Leger (G1) winner Continuous, both horses having been bred in Japan.
Earlier this season, Ace Impact, who was unraced at age 2, captured the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (G1) (French Derby) in a record time. The 3-year-old son of Cracksman covered the Arc's 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) in 2:25.50 on turf rated as good to soft and is undefeated in six career starts.
Ace Impact was born in Ireland but raised in France by Mrs. Waltraut Spanner. Rouget bought the colt, who is out of the Anabaa Blue mare Absolutly, for €75,000 at the Deauville yearling sales, where he was presented by Élise Drouet's Domaine de l'Étang. He is campaigned by Serge Stempniak and the Chehboub family.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Quotes:
Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer, Ace Impact, 1st): “He wins as usual, with the same tactics. He's an extraordinary horse, a crack horse. He leaves us speechless. He had a clear journey and his great action did the rest. It's simply extraordinary. He is very sensitive.
“The big winner today is…Kamel Chehboub, who dared to buy half of Ace Impact, although he does not have a classic pedigree, as well as Horizon Doré. He has the two best 3-year-old foals in France!”
Cristian Demuro (Ace Impact jockey, 1st):
“I got closer on the false straight. The horse was very relaxed and I know that when he is like that, as soon as you press the button, he flies away!”
Serge Stempniak (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “I was relatively calm and, like Ace Impact, I tensed up in the last ten minutes. And, from now on, I'm like the foal in the winner's circle (laughs)! The tension has gone down but I don't realize it, I think. I would need a few days, a bit like during the Jockey Club. He is truly impressive and I believe he is very intelligent. Yes, he tenses up but because he knows he has a job to do and he does it very well! Today the planets were aligned. I was just afraid that Cristian would get injured yesterday or that he wouldn't stay in the saddle today!”
Kamel Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's done ! I would like to thank Jean-Claude Rouget, who did an extraordinary job. I also say thank you to my family, who have been investing for 25 years and it is thanks to them that we are here today. I hope we gave everyone a lot of fun today. I am certain that he will have a great career as a stallion in France.”
Pauline Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's a dream come true. We had a lot of pressure today. We are very proud to be able to offer, when the time comes, this crack to French breeders at our Beaumont stud farm. For the rest, we will let him recover before deciding on his future program.”
Raph Beckett (trainer, Westover, 2nd): “He slackened a little in the boxes and it took an effort to get a good place in the peloton. The host set his pace. But I think we are simply beaten by a better horse than us. We could never have finished ahead of Ace Impact. Westover can be proud of its second place. One day he will win his big race. I'm thinking about the Breeders' Cup Turf now. It's very tempting. He likes to travel, we saw him in Dubai. It was a good idea to run the Arc, but we were beaten by a very good horse.”
Fabrice Chappet (Onesto coach, 3rd): “I did say that his last outing, in Ireland, in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), did not count. Except for this occasion, Onesto has always done all his shopping, without necessarily being very happy each time. Today he found himself far away but he had a good race in the wake of the winner. He finishes very close to second, it's great. But unfortunately, horses that carry three kilos more (as 4 year olds) go slower… For the future, it would be logical to go and compete in a Breeders' Cup.”
Tomohito Ozeki (trainer of Through Seven Sea, 4th): “His jockey Christophe Lemaire imagined a race without a lot of train and wanted to place the mare as close as possible to the lead. She didn't come out of the stalls very well and therefore had a bit of ground to rebuild. I'm quite happy with her race, she finished well. The rest of his program will be decided upon his return to Japan. She should run another time or two this year.”
Aidan O'Brien (trainer of Continuous, 5th): “We are really happy with the run of Continuous. He drew a very nice straight line. He appreciated the good terrain. We will see with his owners but he could go to the Japan Cup (G1). Hong Kong and Dubai are also possibilities. He is a horse that travels well. He should still progress at 4 years old.”
Lanfranco Dettori (jockey Free Wind jockey, 13th): “I had a golden journey for my last Arc. I didn't have too many illusions before the race. It's a great moment and I'm very proud to have ridden this exceptional race 34 times. It's a record that will stand.”
The post ‘Simply Extraordinary’: Ace Impact Stays Unbeaten With Arc Victory, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Caramel Swirl Wins Gallant Bloom S. After Double Disqualification
There was fast action and drama galore, and like all the best thrillers, it ended with a plot twist. Caramel Swirl (Union Rags) had been keeping good company in her last two starts, but by the end of a wild running of the GII Gallant Bloom S., her losing streak would be over via the double disqualification of Sterling Silver (Cupid) and Headland (Paynter), both of whom would be placed behind her.
Company doesn't come tougher than two Champions, and that is exactly who Caramel Swirl had to contend with last out in the GI Ballerina H.–won by MGISW Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), second was MGISW Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), and losing third by a nose to MGISW Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile)–and two back in the GII Bed O'Roses S., where she ran behind Goodnight Olive as well as the gritty MGSW & MGISP Wicked Halo (Gun Runner).
In her customary spot at the very back of the field after the jump, she settled into the trip from the rail and was called on by Junior Alvarado for a rally passing the five-sixteenths marker. Moved out for room in upper stretch as Headland was intent on making the race from the rail, she was closing fast into the final furlong but had all moment stopped when Sterling Silver and Headland closed her gap outside the sixteenth pole. Doing her best to find her feet in the closing strides, she picked up the unofficial third place spot as Sterling Silver crossed the line first with Headland coming in behind her.
After a lengthy objection and stewards' inquiry involving the entire board, the winner and the runner-up were both disqualified for interference in separate events. The official order of finish was then Caramel Swirl, Sterling Silver, and Headland to third.
“She was there for me and she was fighting. I thought I had the horse to hold my spot and protect myself right there. She ran great,” said Alvarado afterwards.
Of what happened during the running, he added: “I had a horse outside of me coming from the seven path [Sterling Silver] and I didn't mind because I knew they would try to squeeze me a little there. It's a big race and you have to defend your race. But they both [Sterling Silver and Headland] got right in front of me. I clipped heels with the horse to the inside [Headland], then when I got out of there, I was [shut off] by the horse outside of me [Sterling Silver]. That takes it to a different level. Now, I'm in a terrible spot where I almost went down. I'm just glad everybody got back safe, and I think it was the right decision.”
When asked about a potential start in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, reported that while Caramel Swirl had run against some of the expected competitors in the field before, the plan was for Matareya to go to the race as well. “We'll get [Caramel Swirl] back and see how she is and go from there. Two is better than one, so we'll see what we can do.”
In the G2 Gallant Bloom:
Junior Alvarado aboard Caramel Swirl claimed foul against Sterling Silver & Headland. Both claims allowed resulting in a double DQ.
Claims of foul by Dylan Davis aboard Beguine v. Caramel Swirl & Sterling Silver were not allowed.
OFFICIAL finish 1-2-6-4— Keith-TripleDeadHeat (@TripleDeadHeat) October 1, 2023
2023 Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) – Belmont at The Big A
Caramel Swirl por vía reglamentaria@JuniorandKellyA pic.twitter.com/S7spAakrgD— Carlitos Solorzano (@carlosimbatible) October 1, 2023
Pedigree Note
Out of a half-sister to MGISW Frosted (Tapit) and GSW Indulgent (Bernardini), Caramel Swirl is another successful homebred for the venerable Godolphin operation. Hailing from a female line filled with track and breeding successes such as champion 2-year-old colt, MGISW Midshipman; GSW Elsa (Animal Kingdom); MGISP Gouverneur Morris (Constitution) and a fleet of Group winners in Australia, the victress is the most successful runner for dam Caramel Snap. The mare has produced a 2-year-old Decatur Street (Street Sense) and a yearling full-brother to Caramel Swirl who had been exported to Japan last year. She went to Not This Time for 2024.
Sunday, Belmont The Big A
GALLANT BLOOM S.-GII, $250,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.18, ft.
1–CARAMEL SWIRL, 124, m, 5, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Caramel Snap, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Fast Cookie, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $137,500. Lifetime Record: GISP, 16-6-4-3, $779,950. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sterling Silver, 122, f, 4, Cupid–Sheet Humor, by Distorted Humor. ($13,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Mark T. Anderson; B-Mallory & Karen Mort (NY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $50,000.
3–Headland, 122, m, 7, Paynter–Miss Sheltowee, by Najran.1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($17,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $25,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $50,000 2yo '18 OBSAPR). O-Thomas and Daryn A. Brockley; B-Sheltowee Farm & WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-George Weaver. $30,000.
Margins: 1, 4, HF. Odds: 0.95, 6.30, 18.60.
Also Ran: Beguine, Undervalued Asset, Remain Anonymous.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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