Month: November 2023

Big Everest (GB), patiently handled by Joel Rosario, found racing room along the rail in the stretch run and erupted with a powerful turn-of-foot to retain his title in Sunday's $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and William Branch, the 5-year-old son of The Gurkha (IRE) was a gate-to-wire winner of this event last year under Rosario but was in need of racing room this time around as the field straightened away behind the pacesetting Masen, who drifted briefly into the path of Exact Estimate to provide the opening.

“It looked like the horse on the lead came in and came out on the outside horse and it was a good opportunity to just go to inside and it worked out,” Rosario said.

Masen led the eight-horse field through fractions of :23.22, 47.53, and 1:11.12 through six furlongs over the firm footing with Big Everest saving ground in third to the inside of Exact Estimate and St Anthony poised to the outside in fourth. Irad Ortiz Jr. gave Exact Estimate his cue into the final turn with St Anthony following his outside run as Big Everest rated patiently.

Masen held a precarious lead at the top of the lane, drifting out into the path of Exact Estimate and created the rail opening Rosario required as Big Everest responded to his rider and surged willingly into the daylight. Exact Estimate straightened out and launched one last bid to overtake Masen but could not reel in Big Everest, who scored by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:34.45.

It was a another three-quarter lengths back to third-place Masen, who nosed out the late-running Pioneering Spirit. Jerry the Nipper, James Aloysius, Wicked Finn and St Anthony rounded out the order of finish. Bring Me a Check and main-track only entrants Offaly Cool, Sheriff Bianco and Kinetic Sky were scratched.

Big Everest captured the 2022 Artie Schiller ahead of scores this year in the Danger's Hour at the Big A and the Cliff Hanger at Monmouth Park to complete a natural hat trick of stakes wins. He was subsequently fifth in the Kelso (G3) in July at Saratoga Race Course in his graded debut ahead of a fourth-place finish in the Oceanport at Monmouth on August 13.

Big Everest's eighth career win was the first in which he didn't dictate the terms.

“In the paddock, I told Joel, 'If they leave you alone, great. If they take you on, it's OK,' ” Clement said. “He's been on the lead, but it's not like he has to be on the lead. If you look back at the races where he was on the lead, he was never going that fast. But if there's no pace, he's a perfect horse to dictate his own pace. He's a touch strong and Joel gave a great ride.”

Rosario said that Masen's strong push to the lead forced his hand.

“He just decided to go, so I had no choice but to follow him and hopefully he relaxed for me, and he did,” Rosario said. “He's always a little strong, but he relaxed well down the backside. It was a really good run.”

Irad Ortiz said Exact Estimate performed admirably in his stakes debut.

“I had a beautiful trip. Turning for home, I took a couple of jumps to start riding because the inside horse [Masen] came out a little, but nothing bad,” he said. “I had to correct my horse and when I asked him to run, he did respond but the inside horse [Big Everest] cut the corner.”

Bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud, Big Everest was produced by the Whywhywhy mare Long Face, He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 15-8-1-1 and $539,340 in lifetime purse earnings. He returned $13.80 for a $2 win bet.

The post Powerful Rally Propels Big Everest To Second Straight Artie Schiller Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

After capturing last year's $300,000 Long Island (G3) with Temple City Terror, trainer Brendan Walsh scored back-to-back wins with her half-sister R Calli Kim, who extended her winning streak to four straight in Sunday's 1 3/8-mile test for fillies and mares on the inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Averill Racing and Two Eight Racing's R Calli Kim, a 6-year-old Revolutionary mare, arose from an over yearlong layoff to win in July for a $32,000 tag over the Saratoga inner turf before stepping up in class on August 31 at Kentucky Downs to land a 1 5/16-mile allowance optional claimer. She entered from a 2 3/4-length conquest in a 1 1/2-mile allowance on October 15 at Keeneland.

“It's pretty cool to win the same stake with two sisters, two years in a row,” Walsh said. “She's done great and she won with her ears pricked, so we're delighted with her.”

R Calli Kim broke from post 4 under Jose Ortiz and settled in sixth of seven runners as Vergara had a narrow advantage to the outside of Whatlovelookslike through an opening quarter-mile in :25.14 over the firm going. Passing the stands for the first time, Vergara, under a strong hold from John Velazquez, extended her lead to a half-length through a half-mile in :49.12.

Down the backside, Vergara maintained her advantage with Unruly Julie ranging up into contention a close third behind Whatlovelookslike through three-quarters in 1:14.68 as R Calli Kim advanced into fifth. Around the far turn, Whatlovelookslike switched leads and rallied back into contention to Vergara's outside while R Calli Kim was tipped a path wide and in the clear.

Vergara and Whatlovelookslike engaged in a midstretch battle with 41-1 longshot Rhombique looming to their outside and R Calli Kim advancing fastest of all to the far outside. R Calli Kim swooped past the two front-runners inside the final furlong to draw away a 2 1/2-length winner in a final time of 2:14.22.

Rhombique finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Vergara. Whatlovelookslike, Embrace Me, and Unruly Julie rounded out the order of finish. Atomic Blonde was pulled up nearing the wire and was vanned off. She was reported to have bled per NYRA veterinarians.

Ortiz credited Walsh for R Calli Kim's newfound winning ways. After starting her career in South Florida for trainers Georgina Baxter and Gerald Bennett, she made her debut for Walsh last July at Belmont when finishing third behind Grade 1-placed Higher Truth in a 1 3/8-mille turf allowance.

“She's a very nice filly. She's coming around this year, clearly,” said Ortiz, who piloted R Calli Kim for the first time on Sunday afternoon. “The form speaks for itself. Brendan had the key – he started running her on the grass and long and probably she wanted that. She's Temple City Terror's half-sister and she won the Long Island last year. Brendan knew that, ran her long on the grass and it seems like she's another horse.”

Walsh said R Calli Kim has exceeded his expectations this year.

“We had to stop on her last year. We weren't sure where she was going to go from there, but she came back and has gone from strength to strength through the year,” Walsh said. “To win a Grade 3 like she did today – if you had told me six months ago she was going to do that, I'd have told you that you were absolutely crazy. But she's gotten better and better as the year has gone on and my hat's off to her.”

Walsh added that R Calli Kim could be a candidate for long distance graded events on the turf at Gulfstream this winter could be future goals.

“We had this race in mind as the long-term goal this year,” Walsh said. “She looks fantastic and is doing well, so I don't know if we'll want to stop on her right now. We might take a look at some of the longer races at Gulfstream over the winter. We'll enjoy today and talk to the team and come up with a plan.”

Returning $4.40 for a $2 win wager as the favorite, R Calli Kim banked $165,000 in earnings to boost her lifetime earnings past the half-million mark to $517,890. She now brags a record of 13-8-1-2, including a perfect 4-for-4 this year.

R Calli Kim was bought for $9,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Like Temple City Terror, she is out of the More Than Ready mare It Takes Two. Temple City Terror is a daughter of Temple City. Both mares were bred in Kentucky by Upson Downs Farm.

The post ‘Same Stake With Two Sisters’: R Calli Kim Provides Walsh Back-To-Back Long Island Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post