Month: November 2023

Youalmosthadme overcame a buried inside trip, slipped through an opening along the rail, and wore down Halina's Forte in deep stretch to win Saturday's third running of the $215,000 Fern Creek by three-quarters of a length at Churchill Downs.

Youalmosthadme, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, ran 6½ furlongs for 2-year-old fillies in 1:17.67 on a fast track. For Gaffalione, it was his fourth win on the Stars of Tomorrow II card.

The victory was worth $131,990 for owners Qatar Racing LLC, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, and Black Type Thoroughbreds and increased Youalmosthadme's earnings to $493,940 with a record of four wins in six starts. She is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Oxbow and won the $200,000 Kentucky Juvenile against open company on Kentucky Derby Week earlier this year.

“She settled down the backside,” Gaffalione said. “I really had a lot of horse underneath me turning for home when she went through the opening at the rail. I don't think she won't go a mile. Maybe we can see her go a little further next year. She'll get some time off after this and hopefully come back better than she's been this year.”

Sent off as the odds-on 3-5 favorite, Youalmosthadme returned $3.56.

Fibber finished third, another 6¼ lengths back behind Halina's Forte.

Saratoga Secret, Field Lass, Ma Rae's Girl, Pinotslilgirl, Sharp Tune, Bella Haze, Irish Maxima and Talkin in Cursive completed the order of finish. Wellareyouhappynow was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean, Marc McLean, and Pope McLean Jr., Youalmosthadme was produced by the Good and Tough mare Good Gator. John A. Hancock bought her from Pope McLean for $12,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The post Youalmosthadme Proves Best In Fern Creek appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

BC Stables LLC's Just Steel sat just off a fast contested early pace, swung five-wide at the top of the lane, and powered home down the stretch to score  in Saturday's third running of the $222,505 Ed Brown for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs

Sent off at 12-1 odds, Just Steel won by 2½ lengths over Agoo. Booth, the odds-on 3-5 favorite after a dominant maiden win at Keeneland in October, prompted the early pace but regressed and faded to fifth.

Trained by 88-year-old Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Joel Rosario, Just Steel covered the 6½ furlongs on a fast track in 1:16.91.

“I think this horse is just coming along and getting better,” Lukas said. “I thought Joel (Rosario) gave him a perfect ride. What I was most encouraged about was how he lengthened his stride down the lane. … I think eventually we will go back to two turns. He's by Justify and should be in his wheelhouse. I think he could be a Kentucky Derby-type horse.”.”

A 2-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Justify out of the Fastnet Rock (AUS) mare Irish Lights (AUS), Just Steel improved his record to 2-1-1 from seven starts. He added the $135,245 winner's share to his bankroll and increased his earnings to $240,795.

Just Steel returned $27.08 as the 12-1 seventh betting choice in the field of eight juvenile sprinters. Agoo finished a length in front of third-place finisher Normandy Hero.

Molly's Town, Booth, Gabarra, Bowstreet and Divieto completed the order of finish. Bye Bye Liam was scratched.

The winner was bred by Summerhill Farm. He was a $500,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Eaton Sales.

The post ‘A Kentucky Derby-Type Horse’: Lukas-Trained Just Steel Surprises In Ed Brown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Phil D'Amato hit the trifecta at Del Mar Saturday in the $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2). His runners finished first, second, and third in the 1 1/6-mile grass headliner, with Madaket Stable's Easter leading the parade and proving best by a half-length.

The 5-year-old French-bred by the Australian stallion Exosphere had to wait and wait in the lane for room to run, but once he got clear and jockey Antonio Fresu hit the gas, Easter surged to the front in the last 100 yards and earned the first-place prize of $120,000.

Finishing second was the 11-10 favorite and last year's Seabiscuit winner, Hong Kong Harry, who had a half length on Balnikhov.

“Obviously, I got Hong Kong Harry in the race right next to me and so I sat behind him,” Fresu said. “…My horse was pretty keen in the first part of the race, and so I was trying to relax him as much as I could along the way. I just tried to get him in a nice rhythm. When we came for home, I could see Hong Kong Harry was loaded in front of me…and the last 200 yards there was an opening and I took it. My horse just exploded. He seems like a very nice horse, and hopefully he has a very bright future.”

Easter was winning his first graded stakes and increased his bankroll to $447,910 for registering his sixth score in his 18th start. He finished the distance in a rapid 1:39.96, just :46 hundredths off the track record of 1:39.50 set by Fly to Mars in the 2018 California Dream' Stakes.

“I saw Easter was kind of stuck behind there and thought maybe he was going to get second,” D'Amato said. “Antonio said he was able to find daylight and then he exploded. He said within a couple of strides he made up all the ground like nothing. It's nice to see all three of my horses run well and the best horse won today. Maybe it's 'Harry' next time and maybe it's Balnikhov after that.”

As the second choice in the field of eight, Easter returned $5.40 to his backers. He had come into the D'Amato barn less than a month ago after running a series of races mostly in the East out of the barn of conditioner Graham Motion.

Easter was bred by Aleyrion Bloodstock and is out of the Exceed And Excel mare Excellent Girl.

The post French-Bred Easter Surges Late, Leads D’Amato Trifecta In Seabiscuit appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post