Author: News

El Encinal Springs 14-1 Surprise In Prestigious Carlos Pellegrini, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth

El Encinal (ARG) pulled a 14-1 upset and earned a Breeders' Cup berth Saturday evening when capturing the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional (G1) at Hipodromo de San Isidro just outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Craftily ridden by Eduardo Ortega Pavon, El Encinal split rivals in midstretch of the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) turf race before getting up in the final strides to nail No Fear (BRZ) by a head in a thrilling finish.

The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional, the most prestigious race in South America, is the first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race of the 2024 season. With his narrow victory in a field of 14 3-year-olds and upward, El Encinal earned an automatic starting slot in the 2024 running of the $4-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the series.

After the top two finishers, it was about two lengths back to Treasure Island (ARG) in third. Jazz Seiver (ARG), part of a favored entry, was fourth.

The triumph was by far the most noteworthy in the nascent racing career of El Encinal. After being defeated in his first five starts, he now has won three of his last four. He was a nose winner of an August maiden race in his sixth start, then wheeled back to win the Group 3 Ensayo in September, both at San Isidro. His lone interim attempt resulted in a sixth-place finish behind Happy Happy Day (ARG) in the age-restricted Jockey Club (G1) on Oct. 7, also at San Isidro.

El Encinal is a chestnut 3-year-old colt by the Chilean sire Il Campione, a son of the noted late sire Scat Daddy, and was produced by the Argentine mare Asediada Emper, by Emperor Jones. Miguel Alberto Gomez trains the colt for the Stud Dona Pancha, perhaps best known to American racing fans as the owner of Calidoscopio (ARG), winner of the 2012 Breeders' Cup Marathon (G2).

Pavon had El Encinal nicely settled while saving ground in midpack for much of the Pellegrini while Happy Happy Day sped off to an open lead down the backstretch and into the turn. Down the long homestretch, Treasure Island first took over for Happy Happy Day, after which the filly No Fear made a sustained run to take full command with 100 meters to go. It was only a determined late run by El Encinal that snatched the win from No Fear in the shadow of the wire, with the winning time being 2:25.46.

The three-way Group 1-winning entry of Natan (ARG), Happy Happy Day, and Jazz Seiver – all owned by Stud Las Monjitas, the Argentine powerhouse stable – was the 19-10 favorite among 12 betting interests. No Fear (BRZ) and Treasure Island (ARG) were next, both at 7-2, with El Encinal among the middling choices at 14.25-1. Natan, a 25-length winner of the 2022 Jockey Club as a 3-year-old, was the major disappointment Saturday when failing to be a serious factor.

Befitting its status, the Pellegrini was the centerpiece of a festive day of racing at San Isidro, filled with music, parachute jumpers, and much more pomp and pageantry enjoyed by a large crowd. The race was first run in 1887.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which are scheduled to be run for the 41st time next Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar in Del Mar, California.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for El Encinal into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. Any Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21, 2024, to receive their rewards.

The post El Encinal Springs 14-1 Surprise In Prestigious Carlos Pellegrini, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Another ‘Wyn’ for Baffert in Los Alamitos Futurity

Wynstock (Solomini), campaigned in partnership by Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred and one-time Hollywood Park president and current Los Al vice president Jack Liebau, provided his New York-based stallion with his second stakes winner of the afternoon and first at the graded level when narrowly outlasting Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity.

It was the eighth victory in the 10 runnings of the Futurity since relocating to Orange County for trainer Bob Baffert and first since 2020. Ironically, Solomini crossed the wire best in the 2017 renewal, only to be demoted to third behind his 'TDN Rising Star' stable companion McKinzie. It was nearly deja vu all over again on Saturday.

Off at 13-1, the second-longest shot in the scratched-down field of five and easily least-preferred of the three Baffert entrants was ridden aggressively from the inside gate by Kyle Frey and set the pace in advance of Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) as Ace of Clubs (Mor Spirit) poked through between them. Stronghold and odds-on 'TDN Rising Star' Coach Prime (Quality Road) raced at the back of a compact group as they turned down the backstretch.

Urged along as they raced into the final half-mile, Wynstock was put to a more vigorous drive as Wine Me Up and Coach Prime took runs at him from the outside. Three and four wide, respectively, into the lane, that duo failed to go on with it, and Stronghold emerged the biggest danger down inside. Wynstock and Stronghold exchanged two or three bumps in the final furlong and a half, and the former gutted out a narrow victory before withstanding a stewards' inquiry. Coach Prime re-rallied late to get within a length at the finish.

“He was on his toes and actually looked like he was going to run in the Champion of Champions,” Baffert said, referring to the famed Quarter Horse race. “He's a stout, beautiful horse. I'm just really happy for Doc. We go back way back. To have this moment is special. He bought him and trusted me. I'm so excited.”

Of Coach Prime, he added: “He was sort of in and out the whole way. He got a little warm behind the gate and got shuffled back a bit. He's still green.”

A $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $700,000 OBS April breezer, Wynstock burned plenty of money in his first two appearances, finishing a well-beaten fourth at 8-5 on Del Mar debut Aug. 25 and fifth as the 12-5 chalk over a rain-affected Santa Anita strip Sept. 30. The bettors deserted him for his latest and those that jumped ship paid for it, as Wnystock led all the way to graduate by 7 1/2 lengths going a mile in Arcadia Oct. 15.

Pedigree Notes:

McMahon and Hill Bloodstock paid $10,500 for Timberlea at the 2020 Keeneland January sale with the express intent of breeding her to Solomini, who was standing his first year at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds.

A half-sister to Grade III winner Untrapped (Trappe Shot) and from the deeper female family of champion Minardi and the excellent Tale of the Cat, Timberlea foaled a Mo Town filly this past Apr. 5 and returned to Solomini for her 2024 produce. The sire was also represented Saturday by New York Stallion S. heroine My Shea D Lady and the debuting Heavyweight Champs, promoted to second in the colts' division one race later.

Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $200,000, Los Alamitos, 12-16, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.53, ft.
1–WYNSTOCK, 120, c, 2, by Solomini
                1st Dam: Timberlea, by Flatter
                2nd Dam: Exit Three, by Giant's Causeway
                3rd Dam: Castanea, by Horse Chestnut (SAf)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 Ylg
'22 KEESEP; $700,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Edward C. Allred &
Jack Liebau; B-Empire Equines, LLC (NY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Kyle
Frey. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $162,740.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*First graded stakes winner for freshman sire (by Curlin)
2–Stronghold, 120, c, 2, Ghostzapper–Spectator, by Jimmy
Creed. O/B-Eric Waller & Sharon Waller (KY); T-Philip D'Amato.
$40,000.
3–Coach Prime, 120, c, 2, Quality Road–Act Now, by Street
Sense. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($1,700,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Kim & Rodney Nardelli & William Werner & W.S. Farish (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 13.70, 4.10, 0.80.
Also Ran: Wine Me Up, Ace of Clubs. Scratched: Moonlit Sonata.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

The post Another ‘Wyn’ for Baffert in Los Alamitos Futurity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

War Campaign Breaks Through For First Stakes Win In Oaklawn’s Tinsel

Jerry Namy's homebred War Campaign secured his first career stakes victory in the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes before an estimated crowd of 8,750 Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

War Campaign, under a ground-saving ride from Emmanuel Esquivel, finished 1½ lengths ahead of Speed Bias in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, run over a muddy, sealed surface. Strong Quality, the 7-5 favorite, finished another length farther back in third.

Seize the Night, Denington and Double Crown completed the order of finish. Ardanwood was scratched.

War Campaign ($14.60) raised his career earnings to $556,664 following his fourth victory from 16 starts. Kentucky-bred War Campaign is a 4-year-old son of Declaration of War out of the Political Force mare Flashy Campaign.

Previously 0 for 4 in stakes races, War Campaign was exiting a third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile allowance Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. His stakes resume included a runner-up finish behind subsequent Ack Ack (G3) winner and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) fifth-place finisher Zozos in the one-mile Hanshin in July at Ellis Park.

“Mr. Namy and I, we had this race circled back in November,” winning trainer Phil Sims said via phone. “That was kind of our plan to bring him there. He's been stakes-placed three or four times, I think, but never had been able to win one. It's good to get one out of the way. Horse will probably get a little better with age.”

War Campaign was a forward factor from the start in the Tinsel, settling in third through opening fractions of :23.27, :47.21 and 1:11.54 for six furlongs. He assumed command in midstretch under Esquivel, who recorded a riding triple Friday at Oaklawn.

“Everything went perfect,” Esquivel said. “He broke running. After that, I didn't let him fall back too much. He was fresh. I was loaded the whole way around. Phil (Sims) did a great with him. I just hang on and try not to get in trouble.”

The post War Campaign Breaks Through For First Stakes Win In Oaklawn’s Tinsel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights