Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Fergus Galvin's New Year's Eve gobbled up ground down the stretch and got by pacesetter For the Flag in the final strides to win Sunday's sixth running of the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile at Ellis Park.
The race was one of four stakes on Day 2 of Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend, including the $300,000 Pucker Up (G3), the featured event, won by Safeen. For a recap of the Pucker Up, click here.
Jockey Luis Saez rode New Year's Eve for trainer Brendan Walsh. The duo completed one mile on the firm turf in 1:33.30.
For the Flag led the field of 12 fillies and mares through the opening quarter-mile in a solid :23.60. As the field moved up the backside, For the Flag continued her strong tempo through a half-mile in :46.45. New Year's Eve continued to bide her time in 10th, well off the pacesetters. Around the far turn, Saez tipped New Year's Eve to the far outside as she began to find her best strides. Inside the final furlong, New Year's Eve found the lead over the tiring For the Flag and prevailed by three-quarters of a length. It was another neck back to Sinfiltre who completed the trifecta.
“She always tries hard,” Saez said. “Her last start in the Just a Game (G1) was pretty tough against a very nice horse In Italian. She had a tough first part of the race today, but she kept picking up horses late. The key was to keep her wide and out of trouble. It worked and she came with her strong run.”
“She's had some tough company her last few starts,” assistant trainer Paul Madden said. “She always tries hard and has a lot of talent. She closed with a bit of pace in front of her. It's good for her and the owners. It should set her up for a try again at Kentucky Downs. She ran there last year and just didn't have her run turning for home.”
New Year's Eve is now a four-time winner from 11 starts. Her overall earnings now soared to $646,075.
New Year's Eve ($4.84) is a daughter of Kitten's Joy out of the Elusive Quality mare Awesome Rafaela, a Brazilian-bred. She was bred in Kentucky by Stud TNT.
Me And Mr. C Nails Cellist At Wire In KY Downs Preview Turf Cup, Equals Course Record
Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher's Me and Mr. C caught a game Cellist at the wire to win Sunday's thrilling fifth running of the $250,000 KY Downs Preview Turf Cup.
Me and Mr. C, sent off at 16-1 odds, completed the 1 ¼-mile distance in 1:57.94, tying the course record set by Bluegrass Parkway in 2021. Me and Mr. C was ridden by Gerardo Corrales for trainer Mike Maker. He returned $34.
The speedy Get Smokin led the opening stages while Me and Mr. C was relegated to 10th by Corrales. Get Smokin completed moderate quarter-mile fractions of :23.94 and :47.80. Up the backside, Me and Mr. C began to improve his position to seventh but it wasn't until the far turn until he began making up ground on the pacesetters. At the head of the lane, Get Smokin was passed to his outside by Cellist, who was tracking his every move. With a furlong to go, Me and Mr. C was still in fifth but began making big strides towards the leader. At the line, Me and Mr. C got his nose down in front of Cellist to earn his spot in the $1.7-million Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2) in early September.
“He really closed ground fast,” Corrales said. “He's a very nice horse and got the job done.”
Me and Mr. C's record now stands at a solid 33-10-6-5 with purse earnings totaling $545,039. A 6-year-old Khozan gelding out of the Dynaformer mare Abiding, he was bred in Florida by Stonehedge Farm.
One Timer Gets Perfect Trip For KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint Victory
Richard Ravin and Patricia's Hope's One Timer sat just off the pacesetter Just Might and took control late to win Sunday's sixth running of the $200,000 KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint.
One Timer flew over the Ellis Park turf course and completed 5 ½ furlongs in 1:00.67, just .41 seconds off the track record set in the 2019 edition of this race by Totally Boss. One Timer was ridden by E.T. Baird for trainer Larry Rivelli.
Just Might took control of the pace after breaking from the rail. The veteran flew through an opening quarter-mile in :21.23. While Just Might was leading the field on the front end, One Timer was taken in hand and tracked in second. Around the far turn after a half-mile in a sizzling :43.43, One Timer began to inch forward. In the stretch, Baird was able to get by the tiring Just Might and held off a late bid by Let My People Go at the rail and Bad Beat Brian on his outside. The official winning margin was one length.
“When I ride for Rivelli, I know I'm live,” Baird said. “Just Might showed a lot of speed. I asked him out of the gate but didn't want to run him into the ground going too fast. Sometimes you have to see what's going on in front of you and go to another plan. Kentucky Downs is a different type of course. Some horses love it and some horses don't. I think he's the type of horse that can adapt to it. He's pretty consistent.”
One Timer's resume stands at 11-7-1-1 with purse earnings of $721,335. One Timer ($4.42) is a 4-year-old gelded son of Trappe Shot out of the Blame mare Spanish Star. He was bred in Kentucky by St. Simon Place.
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