Author: News

Defunded Will Point Towards Saudi Cup For New Connections

Two-time Grade I winner Defunded (Dialed In) will point towards the G1 Saudi Cup for new connections after having been privately purchased. The news, announced Saturday evening via a release, notes that the colt was bought for an undisclosed sum by Dr. Muhaideb Abdullah Almuhaideb's HDB Racing Stable, a new Saudi Arabian owner, and arrived in Saudi Arabia Dec. 18.

“He is an exceptional horse and has the profile, hopefully, to be a great asset to Riyadh racing and to do well in the Saudi Cup,” said Khalid Mishref.

In addition to the Saudi Cup, the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse is also possible.

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Main Event Springs 11-1 Upset In Fort Lauderdale

Main Event (Bernardini) punched his ticket to the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Saturday with a thrilling gate-to-wire win in the GII Fort Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream to close out Pegasus Preview Day in south Florida.

Raced exclusively in New York for his 4-year-old campaign, the OBSAPR grad returned to Gulfstream for the first time since picking up two wins out of three starts to begin his campaign nearly two years ago. A stakes winner over the grass in the Cutler Bay S. back in 2022, Main Event picked up a signature win in the GIII Kent S. at Delaware last July but was relegated back to allowance company after an off-the-board performance in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational as a 3-year-old. A winner on an improved effort, including a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure last time out at Aqueduct Nov. 3, Main Event still went off nearly unnoticed at 11-1 Saturday. In a 'catch me if you can' effort, the colt took command before the field passed the wire with a lap to run and held off determined runs from fellow New York runner Jerry the Nipper (Liam's Map) and 17-1 longshot European runner Kingmax (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) to just barely last in a gusty effort.

“He is very talented,” said winning trainer George Weaver. “We've always been looking forward to getting back here. He does love this turf course. He's a graded-stakes winner and he's had plenty of experience.”

Pedigree Note:

One of 86 stakes winner for the great Bernardini, Main Event is out of an unraced half-sister to GSW Enstone (Tiznow) and from the family of third dam Garden Secrets, a half-sister to dual champion Silverbulletday ( Silver Deputy). Also under his third dam is GISW Forest Secrets (Forest Wildcat) and GSW Rumor Has It (Awesome Again). Total Knockout last produced a Mastery yearling colt and was bred to Constitution for 2024.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
LAUDERDALE S.-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 12-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.47, gd.
1–MAIN EVENT, 121, c, 4, by Bernardini
                1st Dam: Total Knockout, by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: La Suena, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Garden Secrets, by Time for a Change
($50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $130,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Harrell
Ventures, LLC; B-Godolphin, Eric Buckley & Elizabeth Buckley
(KY); T-George Weaver; J-Javier Castellano. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 13-5-1-0, $457,783. Click for the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kingmax (Ire), 121, c, 4, Kingman (GB)–Baino Hope (Fr), by
Jeremy. (£120,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Amo Racing USA;
B-Sunderland Holding Inc. (IRE); T-Jorge Delgado. $40,000.
3–Jerry the Nipper, 121, g, 6, Liam's Map–Aqua Regia, by
Pollard's Vision. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($310,000 Wlg '17
KEENOV; $85,000 3yo '20 KEENOV). O-Repole Stable; B-St.
Elias Stable, LLC & Peta Ryan (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$20,000.
Margins: HD, HF, HD. Odds: 11.50, 17.50, 4.70.
Also Ran: Grand Sonata, Stone Age (Ire), Fort Washington, Marwad (GB), Running Bee, Red Run. Scratched: Henley's Joy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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‘We Got The Job Done’: Pegasus Hopeful O’Connor Preps With Tenacious Harlan’s Holiday Win

O'Connor (CHI) slipped through a tight opening along the rail and launched a determined stretch bid in the $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3) Saturday at Gulfstream Park, virtually clinching an invitation the Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 27 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.

The Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream, co-headlined Saturday's program with the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes that served as a prep for the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Owned by Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode, O'Connor ($9.20) earned his second consecutive graded stakes victory in the Harlan's Holiday. The 6-year-old Chilean-bred raced in midpack while running one path off the rail around the first turn and along the backstretch as Saffie Joseph Jr-trained stablemate Ny Traffic set the pace, pressed by Grand Aspen while setting fractions of :23.73 and :47.12 for the first half mile.

Tyler Gaffalione and O'Connor advanced to third while dropping down to the rail leaving the backstretch, as Ny Traffic and Grand Aspen picked up the pace. Leaving the turn into the stretch, Gaffalione sent O'Connor through a tight opening inside Ny Traffic as Grand Aspen took over the lead.

O'Connor responded when asked by Gaffalione, fighting his way to victory by a neck inside a very game Grand Aspen. Ny Traffic came again to finish third, three-quarters of a length back, under Javier Castellano.

O'Connor, the son of Boboman, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.80.

“I know he's an older horse and he's run a bunch of times, but it seems like he's figuring things out right now,” Gaffalione said.

Joseph tried to sort out the series of events in the Harlan's Holiday.

“Ny Traffic was going good in front and I don't know what he did. Javier said he kind of looked at something. Then it looked like O'Connor was going to get [stuck on] the rail and all of a sudden it looked like were going to run second and fourth,” Joseph said. “Then it looked like Ny Traffic was going to win and finally O'Connor came and got the job done at the end. That's racing. So many different emotions during a short race and thankfully we got the job done. Both horses ran well. Tyler gave [O'Connor] a great ride.”

O'Connor, Chile's 2022 Horse of the Year who was produced by the Chilean-bred Touch Gold mare Torrente de Agua, finished fourth as the favorite in last season's Harlan's Holiday, which followed an impressive U.S. debut.

“Last year I didn't think he could get beat. I've learned the least I know the better I do,” Joseph said. “Fast forward one year and we got the job done. We're proud of him, obviously. He's a horse that's won two in a row now and he's doing what we thought he could do,” said Joseph, who saddled O'Connor for a victory in the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland in his prior start.

Joseph, who is also pointing Skippylongstocking to the Pegasus, said the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Pegasus should suit O'Connor.

“Distance will be better for him,” Joseph said. “He's probably best at a 1 ¼ mile.”

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O’Connor Preps For Pegasus With Harlan’s Holiday Win

In a race meant as a prep for next month's GI Pegasus World Cup, O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) staked his claim for potential favoritism with a gusty win in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S.

Favored in this same race a year ago, the Chilean import disappointed when fourth behind MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and was thus never a factor as Art Collector (Bernardini) cruised to the Pegasus win to kick off 2023. O'Connor has spent the rest of his 6-year-old season hitting the board in graded-stakes races around the East Coast and finally broke through for his first North American graded success last out when he defeated Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) by a head in the GI Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 28.

Caught three-wide into the firsts turn as the field fanned across the track, Tyler Gaffalione chose to take back and eased O'Connor into a stalking trip as NY Traffic (Cross Traffic) and Grand Aspen (Dialed In) battled it out up front into the backstretch. Positioned mid pack in fifth, the 7-2 shot had a clear view of the leaders through a :47.12 opening half and took aim with rail-skimming move midway around the far turn. The top three spun into the stretch with Grand Aspen appearing to have the better chance but NY Traffic and O'Connor battled back with the 6-year-old finishing nicely to just nail Grand Aspen on the line in a tight finish.

“Last year, I didn't think he could get beat,” said winning trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I've learned the least I know the better I do. Fast forward one year and we got the job done. We're proud of him, obviously. He's a horse that's won 2 in a row now and he's doing what we thought he could do.”

 

Pedigree Note:

O'Connor, a winner at the highest level and Horse of the Year in his native Chile, is one of seven stakes winner for GI Hollywood Derby hero Boboman and out of a winning dam who has produced four other winners from five to race. From a deep South American family, O'Connor counts champion older mare in Chile Sacramentada (Chi) (Northair) as his third dam. She would also produce GISW and $3m KEENOV broodmare Hystericalady (Distorted Humor), the dam of GSW/GISP Lady Montdore (Medaglia d'Oro). O'Connor has only one younger sibbling–a 5-year-old unraced half-brother named Totoi (Chi) (Caesario {Ire}).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HARLAN'S HOLIDAY S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 12-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.80, ft.
1–O'CONNOR (CHI), 126, h, 6, by Boboman
1st Dam: Torrente de Agua (Chi), by Touch Gold
2nd Dam: Torrey Pines, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Sacramentada (Chi), by Northair
O-Michael & Julia C Iavarone & Fernando Vine Ode; B-Haras
Carioca (CHI); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $88,350.
Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. Older Horse & G1SW-
Chi, 27-12-7-3, $749,319. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Grand Aspen, 121, c, 4, Dialed In–Lady Aspen, by Grand
Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-PRO
Thorughbred Enterprises (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $28,500.
3–Ny Traffic, 121, h, 6, Cross Traffic–Mamie Reilly, by Graeme
Hall. ($27,000 RNA 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-John Fanelli, Cash is
King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman & Team Hanley;
B-Brian Culnan (NY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr. $14,250.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.60, 10.40, 5.80.
Also Ran: Steal Sunshine, Octane, Dubyuhnell, Blue Devil, Gasoline, Lure Him In, Miles D. Scratched: Signator. Click for the Equibase.com chart, PPs or the VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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