Author: News

Forster Looking At Salvator Mile As Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile ‘Win And You’re In’ For Pirate’s Punch

Whatever reservations trainer Grant Forster had about shipping Pirate's Punch from Kentucky to Monmouth Park for the second time in a little more than four weeks disappeared when he put the speedy 4-old gelding back on the work tab.

Disqualified from first place in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes for interference on Aug. 22 at the Oceanport, N.J., track,  Pirate's Punch has maintained the form that saw him cross the finish line a 1 1/2-length winner that day.

So Forster will try again, this time in Sunday's $150,000 Grade 3 Salvator Mile that headlines Monmouth Park's 14-race card, and he will do so with an eye on the future: the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

“We were looking for any reason not to come back but he just would not give us any reason not to do it,” said Forster. “He has been absolutely fantastic every day since he has been back in Kentucky after the Iselin and he has answered every question we gave him.

“He deserves the chance to go back and do it again.”

But there's a little more to it this time, Forster conceded.

“We're looking at this race as kind of our win and you're in for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile,” he said.

Forster, who took over the training of Pirate's Punch from Jeff Mullins last summer, is still looking to add a graded stakes win to Kentucky-bred's credentials. He thought he had one in the Iselin in what was essentially a two-horse race between Pirate's Punch and Warrior's Charge, with Pirate's Punch disqualified from first for interference in the stretch.

“What can you do? That's sports,” said Forster. “Calls go against you in every sport in every country in the world. We were ecstatic with how our horse ran and we felt like we had the best horse that day. So we're back to try to do it again on Sunday.”

A son of Shanghai Bobby, Pirate's Punch shows a 4-3-4 line for 16 career starts, with earnings of $242,751. His appearance at Monmouth Park in the Iselin marked the 10th different track he has raced at over his career and the ninth time in his past 10 starts that he was trying a mile and a sixteenth.

He will be shortening up to a mile for only the third time in his career.

“I think a mile, a mile and a sixteenth, a mile and an eighth … I don't think there is any real specialty to him per se,” said Forster.

The eight-horse Salvator Mile field, he said, “is more well-rounded than the Iselin field was.”

“In the Iselin, Warrior's Charge was the most accomplished horse in the race,” he said. “You look at this field and see a horse like Bal Harbour and I am more worried about him this time than I was in the Iselin. It's his third time off the layoff. There's Top Line Growth, who ran a big number off a layoff. We'll see if he's ready to build off of that or if he will regress.

“With (Grade 1 winner) Valid Point (trying dirt for the first time in his career) you don't know if they're experimenting or if they feel this will move him up. I don't know. He's a hard read.”

The post Forster Looking At Salvator Mile As Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile ‘Win And You’re In’ For Pirate’s Punch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Derby and Oaks Winners Return to the Worktab

GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief) and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) both returned to the worktab Saturday at Churchill Downs.

GI Preakness S.-bound Authentic covered five panels in :59.20, the fastest of 38 works at the distance. With jockey Martin Garcia aboard, the bay clicked off splits in :23.80 and :35.40, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.20.

“It went very well. Martin has been with me,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who came to Louisville from the Keeneland Sale in Lexington. “He knows what I expect. I told him we’re going to go three-quarters from the [five-eighths pole], and he just went off, didn’t have to move on him. This horse, he gets over any track. He couldn’t have looked better, coming off a race like that. Everything is all systems go for the Preakness. Got a nice work out of him. I’ll come back, give him an easier work next week and he should be ready to go.”

His stablemate Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), who was forced to scratch from the Derby after flipping over in the paddock, also breezed Saturday. Florent Geroux was in the irons for the five-panel move in 1:02.40 (26/38). The bay was clocked in splits of :25.80, :8 and :50.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.60.

“He’s not a real good work horse,” Baffert said. “I usually have him in company, and today I had him by himself. He’s just a steady kind of horse. Distance is his friend. Flo got to know him today, and I think he’s going to work him back this week. Now he knows the horse a little bit better. But it was fine. I like the way he actually finished up. He started picking it up the last part. I worked him seven-eighths today. That’s him. He’ll never wow you in the mornings. Just steady. He’s funny in that if you try to rush him early, he gets discouraged.”

The incident with Thousand Words in the paddock injured longtime Baffert assistant Jimmy Barns, who required eight screws in his arm.

“But Jimmy is doing fine now,” Baffert said. “He got his arm patched up. He had a great surgeon who patched him up. He’s actually in pretty good spirits.”

With Barnes temporarily out of commission, both Baffert horses have been under the watchful eye of fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas since the Derby. They are scheduled to ship to Baltimore Sept. 29.

Also on the worktab Saturday were Preakness contenders Art Collector (Bernardini) and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). A late defection from the Derby with a minor hoof issue, Art Collector breezed five furlongs in :59.40 (2/38) with jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. at the controls. The homebred went in fractions of :12.20, :24.20 and :6 with a five-panel gallop-out in 1:11.60.

“He’s in a great spot right now with his fitness,” trainer Tommy Drury said. “We wanted a bit more of a serious work today and he went well within himself. He’ll have a maintenance work next weekend before we ship to Baltimore.”

GII Jim Dandy S. victor Mystic Guide prepped for a possible start in the Preakness with a half-mile move in :48.60 (2/35) at Fair Hill in company with 2-year-old maiden winner Tate (Quality Road).

“Mystic Guide sat just off of [Tate] breaking from the half-mile pole and he came to him in the stretch and they finished together, which was the planned work,” trainer Mike Stidham said. “Then he had a real solid gallop-out. It was just what we were looking for and we’re very pleased with where we’re at with him right now.”

Oaks upsetter Shedaresthedevil also returned to the worktab at Churchill Saturday, covering a half-mile in :49 flat (40/112). With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, the bay clocked her first quarter in :25.20 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:02. Her champion stablemate Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) also breezed Saturday, going four furlongs in company in :49.60 (70/112). Both fillies are nominated to Keeneland’s GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Oct. 4.

Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) was also back to breezing Saturday, going a half-mile in :48 flat (11/112) with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle. Trainer Ken McPeek tweeted that he is considering the Preakness, Spinster and GI QEII S. on turf for Swiss Skydiver’s next start.

The post Derby and Oaks Winners Return to the Worktab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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More Than Ready Firster Causes Boilover in Ontario Racing S.

Supplemented at the time of entry for Saturday’s Ontario Racing S. at Woodbine, the debuting Credit River (More Than Ready) took advantage of a furious pace up ahead of him and rallied from the backfield to cause a 41-1 upset.

Dropped out to the tail as Quick Tempo (Tapizar) set the pace from rail-skimming favorite Amsden (American Pharoah), the Ontario-bred gray colt was guided to the grandstand side and rolled over the top of his rivals en route to a comfortable victory.

The 204th stakes winner for his wildly successful dual-hemisphere sire, Credit River is a half-brother to Hard Not To Like (Hard Spun), a three-time Grade I winner on turf. The colt’s dam won the 2006 Wonder Where S. going 10 grassy furlongs at Woodbine and produced a colt by Will Take Charge this year before being bred back to Hard Spun. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

ONTARIO RACING S., C$155,790, Woodbine, 9-19, 2yo, 5fT, :57.06, fm.
1–CREDIT RIVER, 118, c, 2, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Like a Gem (MSW, $554,216), by Tactical Cat
2nd Dam: Its a Ruby, by Rubiano
3rd Dam: Likeashot, by Gun Shot
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Hillsbrook Farms; B-Garland E Williamson (ON); T-Breeda Hayes; J-Emma-Jayne Wilson. C$97,200. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $73,613. *1/2 to Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun), MGISW-US, SW-Can, $1,262,171.
2–Sky’s Not Falling, 120, g, 2, Seville (Ger)–Sky Copper, by Sky Mesa. ($9,000 RNA Wlg ’18 EASDEC). O-R Larry Johnson & R D M Racing Stable; B-R Larry Johnson (MD); T-Michael J. Trombetta. C$27,000.
3–Souper Classy, 120, g, 2, Souper Speedy–Silver Adventure, by Silver Deputy. (C$57,000 Ylg ’19 CANSEP). O-Mickey Demers; B-Jennifer S Leuty (ON); T-Michael P De Paulo. C$17,820.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 41.10, 2.60, 4.75.
Also Ran: Too Legit, Amsden, Quick Tempo. Scratched: Ready to Repeat.

The post More Than Ready Firster Causes Boilover in Ontario Racing S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘We Are Looking At It’: Jim Dandy Winner Mystic Guide Possible For Preakness After Work

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, last out winner of the Jim Dandy (G2) on Sept. 5 at Saratoga, remains under consideration for the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., after returning to the work tab with a half-mile breeze Saturday morning.

Working in company with Godolphin 2-year-old Tate, an eye-catching debut winner Aug. 26 at Delaware Park, Mystic Guide went four furlongs in 48.60 seconds over the main track at Fair Hill Training Center, ranking second of 35 horses.

“[Tate] broke his maiden by seven, so he was a good workmate this morning,” trainer Mike Stidham said. “Mystic Guide sat just off of him breaking from the half-mile pole and he came to him in the stretch and they finished together, which was the planned work. Then he had a real solid gallop out … in 1:01 and 1. It was just what we were looking for and we're very pleased with where we're at with him right now.”

The work was the first for Mystic Guide since coming from off the pace for a three-quarter-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy. The sophomore son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper has two wins, a second and two thirds from five career starts, all this year, including a third in the Peter Pan (G3) July 16, also at Saratoga.

“He came out of his last race in good order. He's galloped up until today,” Stidham said. “He's been training very well and this morning's half-mile work went just as we planned. We have the Preakness as a consideration. We're not 100 percent committed at this time, but we are looking at it. He'll have another work next weekend in preparation if we do run in the Preakness.”

The 1 3/16-mile Preakness would be the longest race to date for Mystic Guide, out of the A.P. Indy mare Music Note, who has steadily stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to the 1 1/8 miles of his last two starts. The Jim Dandy marked the first time he raced in blinkers.

“He's bred to run a mile and a quarter and further than that,” Stidham said. “As he ran last time going a mile and an eighth when we added the blinkers he was plenty ready for the added distance, and further distance is going to even help more.”

Based the past four summers at Fair Hill, Stidham has never started a horse in the Preakness. This year's race is being run for the first time as the final jewel in a refashioned Triple Crown as well as a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“He was a horse that was a little bit behind as a 2-year-old. He had some maturity issues with just some minor, niggling things that slowed him down,” Stidham said. “We didn't get him until he was close to being a 3-year-old so he made his first start at the Fair Grounds. He ran in a sprint race which we knew was more or less just an educational race.

“He ran well that day and when we ran him back two turns he was very impressive, drew off impressively in that race,” he added. “He was a little bit of a late developer, then when COVID hit and they changed the dates for all these races in the Triple Crown, it gave us a chance and gave us an opportunity to a part of it. We're happy to be in consideration for the Preakness.”

The Preakness is the centerpiece of a blockbuster weekend of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.35 million in purses Oct. 1-3 at Pimlico that includes the 96th running of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), one of the country's most prestigious races for 3-year-old fillies, this year on the Preakness undercard.

Stidham said he is also considering 4-year-old filly Peaceful for the $100,000 The Very One for females 3 and up sprinting five furlongs on the turf Oct. 1, and undefeated Princess Grace for the $100,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies going one mile on the grass.

“She won both of her starts on the grass, both going two turns, so we think she's ready for the step up into stakes company and we're hoping for a good effort there,” Stidham said. “[Peaceful] was second in her last start, the first time in a black-type race. She ran well. That was an off-the-turf race where we kept her in on the dirt, and this would be going back to the turf so we think she's going to be in a good spot there being back on the grass.”

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