Author: News

Master Piece (CHI) prevailed by a neck in turning back a furious late rally from Soldier Rising in Saturday's $300,000 Red Smith (G1), a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Rick Dutrow Jr. for owners Michael Iavarone, Julia Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas, Dino Baccari, Frank Argano and Peter Douglass, the 7-year-old Mastercraftsman ridgling secured his second graded score after taking the Eddie Read (G2) last year at Del Mar for his previous conditioner, Michael McCarthy.

Dutrow, who saddled White Abarrio for an impressive score in last Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), said he was thrilled with the effort by Master Piece from post 10 in the 11-horse field.

“I thought when the overnight came out, I didn't know how we'd possibly be able to run our race with that post, but a couple scratches helped,” Dutrow said. “He got an excellent trip, excellent break, and excellent ride. He was just ready for them today, he's a nice horse. He ran big.”

Longshots So High and Tide of the Sea dueled through fractions of :24.58, :48.04, and 1:13 flat over the firm footing, opening up a significant lead down the backstretch as Verstappen tracked comfortably from third position in front of Nineeleventurbo.

Verstappen was given his cue into the final turn with Nineeleventurbo following his move and Master Piece being asked for his best run by Lezcano. Verstappen made the lead at the stretch call but Master Piece, who found his best stride late in the center of the course, came with a surging run with only the Jose Ortiz-piloted Solider Rising as a late concern. Master Piece made the lead inside the final 70 yards and stayed on strong through the wire, turning back Soldier Rising in a final time of 2:14.56.

It was a further half-length back to Verstappen in third with Cross Border, Nineeleventurbo, Limited Liability, Daunt, So High, Marwad, Tide of the Sea and Lost Ark rounding out the order of finish. Main Event, Red Run, Classic Catch, Shawdyshawdyshawdy and main-track only entrant Costa Terra were scratched.

Lezcano said he felt confident throughout.

“I had a good break and the good position I wanted,” Lezcano said. “I asked him at the quarter pole and took him out. From there to the finish line, he ran hard like the good horse that he is. They were going to have to come and get him.”

Master Piece started his current campaign in the care of conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr., finishing third at Gulfstream Park in both the Mac Diarmida (G2) and Pan American (G2) before joining up with Dutrow for a runner-up effort in an optional-claimer on July 4 at Belmont Park. He arrived at the Red Smith from an off-the-board effort in the Arlington Million (G1) on August 12 at Colonial Downs.

Dutrow said Master Piece has thrived in the fall weather.

“He had been training very, very well for the last couple of months since the weather started to cool off. That's key for him. He turned into a really good training, good feeling horse. He's been very, very happy lately,” Dutrow said.

The Christophe Clement-trained Soldier Rising completed the exacta for the 10th time in 21 career starts, including four Grade 1 runner-up efforts this year on the NYRA circuit in the Man o' War and Resorts World Casino Manhattan at Belmont, the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont at the Big A. The hard-luck horse also finished second in the 2021 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1).

Ortiz said his charge was game to the wire.

“Beautiful trip and beautiful split at the eighth-pole going between horses, but it seems like this horse likes to finish second so it's a little frustrating,” Ortiz said. “The whole team, Christophe included, we've been trying to do something whether it's put him in the clear or keep him in the pack. Today, he ran very good. He shows up every time, so we can't get mad at him. He always shows up, he doesn't always get there but we're very optimistic that his ability can get him to win a big one next year.”

Bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto, Master Piece banked $165,000 in victory while improving his record to 26-7-4-3. He returned $23.60 for a $2 win bet.

The post ‘He Ran Big’: Master Piece Finds Best Stride Late For Red Smith Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rose Petal Stable's Copper Tax overcame a poor break to split horses in midstretch and catch Inveigled approaching the wire, extending his win streak to five races with a last-to-first neck triumph in Saturday's $100,000 James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park.

The 12th running of the Lewis for 2-year-olds was the second of three $100,000 stakes on the Veterans Day program, preceded by the Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, also sprinting six furlongs, and 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares.

It was the second straight stakes win for Copper Tax ($3), favored at 1-2 in a field of seven, following the Oct. 14 Rocky Run at Delaware Park, where he had made each of his first five starts. The Lewis marked a cutback from the one-mile Rocky Run.

“We just wanted to test his speed because once we go long, we want to know he has it in him at the end,” Rose Petal's Chris Loso said. “He threaded the needle, which was impressive.”

Inheriting the rail following the scratch of stablemate Secret Zipper, Copper Tax broke a step slow and trailed the field as Inveigled, a front-running eight-length maiden special weight winner Oct. 5 at Laurel making his stakes debut, went a quarter-mile in :22.52 under pressure from Timonium Juvenile winner Sweet Soddy J.

The top two raced side-by-side around the far turn, going a half-mile in :46.17 before 21-1 long shot Sweet Soddy J forged a short lead as Jaime Rodriguez, aboard Copper Tax, launched his bid. With plenty of run and little room, Copper Tax barged through a narrow opening between Sweet Soddy J to his inside and appeared to brush Bolt of Aurum on the outside and ran down Inveigled to win in 1:11.30 over a fast main track.

It was three-quarters of a length back to Bolt of Aurum in third, followed by Sweet Soddy J, Maryland Million Nursery winner Catahoula Moon, Buccherino and Give It a Whirl.

“He broke bad, and he was last, but he made up for it,” Rose Petal's Harry Loso said.

“I was just afraid that he might get [disqualified] for bumping another horse by accident,” Chris Loso said. “I think it all comes down to a big heart, and he has that.”

Copper Tax is from the first crop of Darby Dan Farm stallion Copper Bullet and became his sire's first stakes winner when he captured the Rocky Run Stakes Oct. 14 at Delaware Park. He sold to Gary Capuano's agency for $45,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Vinery Sales. Bred in Kentucky by Lance Sullenberger, his dam is the Majestic Warrior mare Wilhelmina, a half-sister to Venezuelan champion sprinter Strength Mask (VEN).

His win streak has come by more than 23 combined lengths since finishing second by a neck in his June 10 debut at Delaware Park.

“He's a late foal, in May, but he's come along well,” Harry Loso said of Copper Tax. “He's just a baby. It's all good.”

Cap Classique Stays Unbeaten In Smart Halo

DARRS Inc.'s Cap Classique surged through an opening along the rail, reeled in front-running favorite Deboisblanc in midstretch, and drew clear to keep her perfect record intact with a 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies.

It was the third win in as many starts for Cap Classique ($6.60), making her stakes debut. Ridden by Jevian Toledo for trainer Brittany Russell, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Vino Rosso covered six furlongs in 1:12.09 over a fast main track.

Toledo settled Cap Classique well back of pacesetting Miss Harriett, 62-1 upset winner of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 14, who was pressed by Deboisblanc through a quarter-mile in :22.67 and a half in 46.31. Deboisblanc edged past Miss Harriett leaving the far turn while Toledo waited for room, finding it once straightened for home and responding when roused to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

Deboisblanc, a last out maiden winner at Horseshoe Indiana trained by Brad Cox, stayed up for second, 1½ lengths ahead of Miss Justify. Caress, Miss Harriett, Roanan Goddess, Princess Indy and Low Mileage completed the order of finish. Ms. Tart and Vicountess were scratched.

“You don't love to see that you draw the rail in spot like this, but she's a good filly. They're going to have to overcome post positions at some point in their lives. We like her a lot, and she showed it today,” Russell said. “You have to play the break in a situation like that, and that's what he did. Honestly, he was eating [dirt] the whole way around the turn and I was a little bit concerned. But when he got her out and he asked her, she responded for him.”

Cap Classique was bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC and Three Diamonds Farm from the Scat Daddy mare Sca Doodle. She was purchased in May for $145,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Scanlon Training and Sales consigned her.

Hybrid Eclipse Defends Title In Thirty Eight Go Go

The Elkstone Group's Hybrid Eclipse came with a steady run down the center of the track to sweep past fellow multiple stakes winner Malibu Beauty and reel in Grade 3-placed favorite Opus Forty Two and defend her title in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go.

Hybrid Eclipse ($6.80) gave trainer Brittany Russell her second stakes win of the day, following 2-year-old filly Cap Classique in the $100,000 Smart Halo. The 5-year-old mare was ridden by Russell's husband, Sheldon Russell.

Hybrid Eclipse completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.28 over a fast main track to win by 5¼ lengths for her ninth career victory and fifth in a stakes, all at Laurel, three of them this year. Opus Forty Two was second, with 17-time winner Sweet Willemina rallying for third.

“She's one you can't really rush early on in the race,” Sheldon Russell said. “As long as I'm sort of following the right horse, you just can't get her stopped. It's worked out well today where the rail has been wide open the whole race. She just sort of ran up in there and I was just trying to follow [Opus Forty Two] and Malibu Beauty. I never got her stopped today and she really showed up. She was awesome today.”

Hybrid Eclipse is a 5-year-old mare by WinStar Farm's recently deceased sire Paynter. Bred in Kentucky by Alex Venneri Racing LLC, her dam is Super Plan, by Valid Wager. She was $107,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Horses of Racing Age Sale, where ELiTE consigned her.

Multiple stakes winners Intrepid Daydream and two-time Maryland-bred champion Luna Belle were scratched. Withdrawn from Keeneland's November breeding stock sale to continue her racing career, Luna Belle was entered to make her second start off a 513-day layoff.

“Everything is fine,” co-owner Deborah Greene. “If she's not 100 percent we didn't want to run her, and she's not, but it's nothing serious or anything like that. I talked with [trainer] Ham [Smith] this morning. It's just the best thing. She's too good a horse, so we'll save it for next time.”

Luna Belle is nominated to the $75,000 Politely for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up going six furlongs Friday, Nov. 24.

The post Copper Tax, Cap Classique, Hybrid Eclipse Stand Out In Trio Of Veterans Day Stakes At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post