Month: December 2023

‘This Horse Helped Me The Whole Way’: Conglomerate Posts First Stakes Win In Valedictory

Conglomerate, under Luis Contreras, rallied impressively to best 13 rivals in the $150,000 Valedictory Stakes (G3)  for 3-year-olds and up Sunday at Woodbine.

It was stablemate Win for the Money, in rein to Patrick Husbands, who set the early tempo, gliding over from post eight to take the lead, followed by the trio of Meyer, So High (GB), and War Court. Conglomerate, with Luis Contreras up, sat seventh through an opening quarter in :24.98.

Win for the Money continued to run along unencumbered on the front end through a half-mile in :49.71, holding a 2½-length advantage over Meyer, who was shadowed to his inside by So High, while Conglomerate, at 15-1, had moved into fifth.

Reaching three-quarters in 1:15.61, Win for the Money was still in control and asked for his best run as the field straightened for home. Conglomerate, chasing his first stakes win for owner Gary Barber, continued to pick off his foes and improve his position, moving into second at the stretch call.

The 6-year-old Kentucky-bred Lemon Drop Kid gelding out of Maddy's Heart, by Lion Hearted, trained by Mark Casse, wrested the lead away and went on to notch a 1½-length score in a time of 2:31.49 for the 1 1/2 miles on the Tapeta main track. Collective Force came on to finish second. Win for the Money and Palazzi, both trained by Casse, finished third and fourth, respectively.

“Well, I know the first turn is going to be trouble because everyone wants to get in position, but this horse helped me the whole way,” said Contreras. “After the first turn, when everyone was in trouble, I got a perfect trip and had lots of horse the whole way.

“The horse gave me a great feeling and I was OK the whole race. The only thing was when I saw Patrick, I thought he had more horse. I was a bit worried, but my horse kicked hard at the end.”

It was the 26th start for Conglomerate, now 8-7-4, who was bred by Liberty Road Stables LLC. The bay was sixth in this year's Eclipse Stakes (G2) and ninth in the King Edward Stakes (G2). He arrived at the Valedictory off a sharp effort in an allowance optional claiming race on Oct. 29 when he posted a 1¾-length win at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta.

He paid $32.90 for Sunday's win, which marked the second graded stakes score Sunday for Lane's End pensioner Lemon Drop Kid, whose son Lemon Pop won the Champions Cup (G1) in Japan for Godolphin.

In other Woodbine news, trainer Martin Drexler, who is having a career year, won five races on the card.

The post ‘This Horse Helped Me The Whole Way’: Conglomerate Posts First Stakes Win In Valedictory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Graham Hits 3,000th Career Win Milestone At Fair Grounds

On Sunday in Race 2, jockey James Graham tallied his 3,000th career victory when piloting Big Chief Racing and Rocker O Ranch's Vortex for trainer Keith Desormeaux at Fair Grounds.

Coming into the 2023-2024 meet, Graham was ten away from the milestone. He wasted no time closing the gap, winning ten races over nine cards, including victories in the Claiming Crown Tiara and Iron Horse the previous day.

“It's quite emotional actually,” Graham said. “I came here in 2002 and all I ever wanted was a shot. I wish my mom was still alive to see this. Thank you to everybody who has ever put me on a winner throughout my whole career. This is all because of you guys. Thank you to my wife. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am. Fair Grounds has been good to me over the years. I've made a lot of friends and lost a lot of friends. Racing is a life and we are all a big family. Thank you to everybody.”

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Graham attended jockey's school and worked for four years as an apprentice, recording one win in his native Ireland before launching his career in the U.S. His first victory came at River Downs on July 1, 2003 aboard B.J. Star for trainer Allan Shapoff in just his 12th mount. Later that year his first Fair Grounds victory came aboard High Octave for trainer Ronny Werner. Graham has gone on to win 1,340 local races and stands tall as the third winningest rider at Fair Grounds since 1986, behind Ronald Ardoin and Robby Albarado.

“This is special for me doing it (at Fair Grounds),” Graham said. “My career took off here. When I first got here in 2003 and started riding, this is the meet that got the ball rolling for me. Look at the guys I started riding with here. Gerard (Melancon), Robby (Albarado), Shane Sellars, E. J. Perrodin–I got educated here. I've got a couple more goals at this track that I want to accomplish, so I'm banging on the door and I'm young, fit and healthy.”

Over his career, the 44-year-old has four local riding titles, and won many of the track's most prominent stakes. Graham has won over 47 graded stakes, and 13 of those have come at Fair Grounds, including victories aboard 135-1 shot Ive Struck a Nerve in the 2013 Risen Star (G2), 28-1 shot Call Me Midnight in the 2022 Lecomte (G3), and 7-1 shot Ron the Greek in the 2010 Lecomte (G3). Ive Struck a Nerve and Call Me Midnight were both trained by Desormeaux.

“Keith has been very good to me since I started my career,” Graham said. “We've had a lot of luck. He's always been a big supporter. I think he's a brilliant horseman. Thank you to all the horsemen. All I ever wanted was a chance. To have a chance. And these guys gave me a chance.”

Having had three mounts in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Graham's best finish was aboard Lone Sailor in 2018 when he crossed the line in eighth for trainer Tom Amoss. One of Arlington Park's all-time winningest jockeys, Graham earned his first graded stakes victory in the 2004 Arlington Breeders' Cup Oaks (G3). With five grade ones to his name, Graham's most recent came aboard 27-1 longshot Two Emmys in the 2021 Mr. D., affectionately known as “the last Arlington Million.”

Upon winning his 3,000th race, Graham has amassed $111,328,888 in career earnings from 22,095 mounts. In Graham's 19th season at Fair Grounds, it is his first year being represented by agent Doug Bredar.

The post Graham Hits 3,000th Career Win Milestone At Fair Grounds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stay Hot Rebounds Off Breeders’ Cup Loss To Take Cecil B. DeMille

Stay Hot rebounded from a 10th-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a late-flying victory in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. at Del Mar Sunday. The bay ridgling taken in hand and angled over from his outside post to be three wide into the first turn and was near the back of the field through an opening quarter in :22.00. The field bunched up approaching the far turn as the half went up in :46.30 and Stay Hot was last on the bend before darting into contention and coming some eight wide into the stretch. He uncorked a powerful late kick to just get in front in the final strides.

“I thought he'd be a little more forwardly placed,” admitted winning trainer Peter Eurton. “As it turned out that nine hole was a little bit of a detriment, but it also helped him get outside, which is probably more comfortable.”

Of his charge's wide rally into the stretch, Eurton said, “That was hard to take, but he seemed like he had something left and it was a fight to the wire. I'm exhausted.”

Stay Hot opened his career with two six-furlong efforts over the main track at Del Mar, finishing third Aug. 5 and sixth Sept. 2. He moved to the lawn for a stylish maiden win over one mile at Santa Anita Oct. 7 and was thrown into the deep end when beaten 5 1/2 lengths a month ago on Breeders' Cup weekend in Arcadia.

Pedigree Notes:

Stay Hot is the fifth graded winner for Airdrie stallion Summer Front (War Front). His half-sister Prerequisite (Upstart) won this year's GII Wonder Again S. and was second in the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational. Etsu has a yearling colt by Complexity who sold to Greg Foley for $95,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. The mare produced a colt by Upstart this year and was not bred back. The winner's third dam, Fly North, produced champion Farda Amiga (Broad Brush).

Sunday, Del Mar
CECIL B. DEMILLE S.-GIII, $102,000, Del Mar, 12-3, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.89, fm.
1–STAY HOT, 120, r, 2, by Summer Front
       1st Dam: Etsu, by Smart Strike
       2nd Dam: Forever Beautiful, by Giant's Causeway
       3rd Dam: Fly North, by Pleasant Colony
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000
Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Burns Racing LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC,
SAF Racing, The Estate of Brereton C. Jones and William Dan
Hudock; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Peter Eurton; J-Antonio
Fresu. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-1, $116,940. *1/2 to
Prerequisite (Upstart), GSW & GISP, $271,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rothschild, 120, c, 2, Uncle Mo–Still There, by Union Rags.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($700,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital
LLC, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan; B-PTK, LLC (KY); T-Tim
Yakteen. $20,000.
3–Miracle Mark, 120, c, 2, Constitution–Melody's Spirit, by Scat
Daddy. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Old
Bones Racing Stable, LLC and Slam Dunk Racing; B-Nick Cosato
(KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000.
Margins: NK, HD, 1HF. Odds: 2.30, 23.30, 6.40.
Also Ran: Lord Bullingdon, Charge for Gold, Deadpan, Always On Cay, Invincible, Just a Guess.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Stay Hot Rebounds Off Breeders’ Cup Loss To Take Cecil B. DeMille appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Graham Scores 3,000th Win at Fair Grounds

James Graham earned his 3,000th career win when he piloted Vortex to victory in the second race at Fair Grounds Sunday.

“It's quite emotional actually,” Graham said. “I came here in 2002 and all I ever wanted was a shot. I wish my mom was still alive to see this. Thank you to everybody who has ever put me on a winner throughout my whole career. This is all because of you guys. Thank you to my wife. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am. Fair Grounds has been good to me over the years. I've made a lot of friends and lost a lot of friends. Racing is a life and we are all a big family. Thank you to everybody.”

Graham recorded one win in his native Ireland before launching his career in the U.S. where his first victory came at River Downs on July 1, 2003 aboard B.J. Star for trainer Allan Shapoff in just his 12th mount. Later that year, his first Fair Grounds victory came aboard High Octave for trainer Ronny Werner. With 1,340 wins, Graham is the third winningest rider at Fair Grounds since 1986, behind Ronald Ardoin and Robby Albarado.

“This is special for me doing it [at Fair Grounds],” Graham said. “My career took off here. When I first got here in 2003 and started riding, this is the meet that got the ball rolling for me. Look at the guys I started riding with here. Gerard [Melancon], Robby [Albarado], Shane Sellars, E.J. Perrodin–I got educated here. I've got a couple more goals at this track that I want to accomplish, so I'm banging on the door and I'm young, fit and healthy.”

The 44-year-old has won over 47 graded stakes, including Fair Grounds victories aboard 135-1 shot Ive Struck a Nerve in the 2013 GII Risen Star S., 28-1 shot Call Me Midnight in the 2022 GIII Lecomte S., and 7-1 shot Ron the Greek in the 2010 Lecomte.

The post Graham Scores 3,000th Win at Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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