November, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Road To KY Oaks: Intricate Gets Clear For Impressive Golden Rod Victory

Intricate patiently waited for running room at the top of the Churchill Downs stretch and when she did at the three-sixteenths pole, she exploded home to comfortably win Saturday's 80th running of the $399,498 Golden Rod (G2) for 2-year-old fillies by 5¼ lengths over odds-on 4-5 favorite Thorpedo Anna.

Intricate, who ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.01, collected the $240,455 first prize and 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series, which offers points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers as a “Prep Season” race.

Tyler Gaffalione rode the winner for trainer Brendan Walsh and owners Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes, and Cambron Equine LLC.

West Sunset, the winner of last month's Rags to Riches (Listed), dictated the early pace of :23.30, :47.31 and 1:12.48 as Intricate relaxed along the rail about 3½ lengths back in third down the backstretch. West Sunset, longshot Dozen Diamonds and Thorpedo Anna left the final turn vying for the lead, but it was a pinned Intricate who found room between the tiring leader and 68-1 outsider. Once clear, Intricate opened up and drew clear of the field for easy victory.

“She ran great today,” Gaffalione said. “She's figuring things out and getting better with each start. I think the longer distance will definitely help her.”

Intricate paid $14.66 for the victory.

Thorpedo Anna outfinished Central Avenue by a neck for second in the field of eight.

Prior to the Golden Rod, Intricate broke her maiden in her second start while stretching out from a fifth in a debut sprint to a 3½-length score at Keeneland around 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 13. She boasts a record of two wins in three starts and earnings of $302,180.

“She's a very easy filly to train and does it all by herself,” said Walsh, who used a third-place finish in last year's Golden Rod to win this year's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Pretty Mischievous. “She's just been starting to come around and really put things together today. We've always thought she's a true two-turn filly. Last year this race worked out well for the development of Pretty Mischievous. We'll see where we end up down the road with her, but I'm sure we'll entertain the Fair Grounds races like we did last year.”

Dozen Diamonds finished fourth and was followed by Gin Gin, Purloin, Here's the Spider, and West Sunset.

By Gun Runner, Intricate is out of the Distorted Humor mare Complex Analysis. The chestnut filly was bred in Kentucky by LBD Stable LLC and was a $280,000 purchase by Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. She was offered by De Meric Sales..

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Road To KY Derby: Honor Marie Rallies From Last To First In Kentucky Jockey Club

Honor Marie made a sweeping move at the top of the at Churchill Downs stretch and drew clear late to win Saturday's 97th running of the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) for 2-year-olds by two lengths over Real Men Violin on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” card.

Honor Marie, owned by Alan Ribble's Ribble Farms LLC and trained by Whit Beckman, ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.31, earned $240,455 and collected 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, which offered points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers as a “Prep Season” race.

For Beckman, a graduate of Louisville's Saint Xavier High School and a former assistant to trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, it was his first graded stakes win since starting his own stable in 2021.

“He's a very nice horse and we were confident with his pedigree, and the way he trained, he'd enjoy longer distances,” Beckman said of the Honor Code colt, who was guided by Rafael Bejarano. “It's very exciting to have a horse like this and win our first graded stakes with him.”

Nomos, making his first start on dirt, along with first-level allowance winner Stretch Ride and 71-1 longshot One Red Cent vied for the early lead through a first quarter mile in :23.70 and the half in :48.45 as Honor Marie raced relaxed at the rear of the field of eight. Honor Marie began to move into contention along the inside around the turn, and then tipped out six-wide at the top of the stretch after six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Racing in the clear down the stretch, Honor Marie collared Stretch Ride at the three-sixteenths pole. Maiden winner Real Men Violin punched his way through along the rail but Honor Marie drew away for the two-turn triumph.

“I was thinking the two turns would help out after I saw there was a lot of speed in the race which would fit him,” Bejarano said. “He came with a big run. In his last start he ran OK, but that was seven furlongs. I was more confident with him going two turns today.”

Honor Marie paid $19.62 for the win as the 8-1 sixth betting choice. Real Men Violin outfinished Stretch Ride by one length for second.

It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to fourth-place finisher Risk It in fourth, the Street Sense (G3) winner who was forced to check repeatedly nearing the half-mile pole. He was followed by 8-5 favorite Awesome Road, Champagne (G1) third Dancing Groom, One Red Cent, and Nomos to complete the order of finish.

Overall, Honor Marie has won two of his three starts and earned of $318,175. Previously, he finished second to Otto the Conqueror in a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs on Oct. 29, his lone defeat.

“We'll probably take him down to Fair Grounds after this,” Beckman said. “They have a good program for 3-year-olds.”

Honor Marie, who was produced by the Smart Strike mare Dame Marie, was bred in Kentucky by Royce Pulliam. He was a $40,000 purchase by In the Trees at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was presented by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

The Kentucky Jockey Club is named in honor of the holding company that operated Churchill Downs at the time of the race's inaugural running in 1920. In recent years, the Kentucky Jockey Club produced Kentucky Derby (G1) winners in WinStar Farm's Super Saver, who won both races for trainer Todd Pletcher in 2009 and '10, and Mike Pegram's Real Quiet, the runner-up in the 1997 Kentucky Jockey Club who returned to win the Derby the following spring.

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All bow to royalty in showdown of big four, as Haydock Park specialist Royale Pagaille wins battle of the giants in the Betfair Chase

DOMINIC KING: Horses for courses: it's a simple phrase but how often it turns out to be apt. It certainly rang true for Royale Pagaille, the Haydock Park specialist, in the Betfair Chase.

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Carimba Notches Breakthrough Stakes Win In Pan Zareta

After scorching to the lead in her last two races, John Donaldson's Carimba conserved energy pressing Charlie T through the opening half-mile before surging ahead victoriously in the 58th running of the $100,000 Pan Zareta Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Outrunning nine other fillies and mares on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, the lightly raced 5-year-old Indiana-bred Kantharos mare won by 1 3/4 lengths and covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.23 on firm footing.

Goin' Good again struggled to get out of the gates cleanly but was able to rally a neck ahead of Redifined at the wire. Medalla Match was fourth.

Carimba is trained by Rey Hernandez. Marcelino Pedroza Jr. returned to the irons after piloting her to a second-place finish in July's Checkered Flag at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“Rey told me this morning, 'She doesn't need to be on the lead, so don't worry about it. Do your thing and let her relax ahead of the long stretch. Wait as long as you can to make your move,' ” Pedroza said. “Turning for home I knew I had plenty of horse. At the three-sixteenths pole is when I went on with her and she responded really well. Thank you to Rey and to the owner (John Donaldson).”

Relaxing behind a leader to win her first stakes, Carimba revealed her versatility. At 10-6-2-1 throughout her career, she made the Pan Zareta her second victory outside her home state and padded her lifetime earnings to $259,019 with the $60,000 winner's share.

Sent off the favorite, Carimba returned $5.80.

Bred by H. Allen Poindexter, Carimba was produced by the Warrior's Reward mare Star of Gallantry. Donaldson Bloodstock paid $18,000 for the chestnut mare at the 2023 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, where Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned her.

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