Slipping up the inside for the stretch run under jockey Harrison Beswick, Noah And The Ark surged clear to decisively win the $250,000 Grand National Stakes on Oct. 21 at the one-day Far Hills Race Meeting in New Jersey.
Author: News
Bentornato Survives Objection, Inquiry To Prevail In Affirmed, Stays Unbeaten
Leon King Stable Corp.'s Bentornato maintained his perfect record Saturday while powering to a 2¾-length victory in the $200,000 Affirmed, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream Park.
The seven-furlong Affirmed co-headlined Saturday's 11-race program with the $200,000 Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies won by R Harper Rose, in the series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions.
The Jose D'Angelo-trained Bentornato, who had previously rolled to a FSS first-leg victory in the $100,000 Dr. Fager Sept. 9, is on course for a bid to sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes series in the $300,000 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 2 at Gulfstream.
On Saturday, Bentornato had to survive an objection and stewards' inquiry concerning crowding during the backstretch run to claim his fourth career win without a loss. The son of Valiant Minister broke alertly to vie for the early lead before jockey Emisael Jaramillo successfully managed to rate the speedy colt just to the outside of early pacesetter Esperon.
With weakening inside pressure, Bentornato assumed a clear lead on the far turn and showed the way into the stretch after briefly being challenged by Sound of the Beast. Hurricane Nelson made a late bid to the outside and Mattingly cut the corner into the stretch to enter contention, but Bentornato shook off the mild challenges and drew away to victory.
“I am so happy. We were so high on him,” D'Angelo said. “We were prepping him, not for this race but for the next one because maybe it will be harder for him. He responded very well. He didn't look too sharp and need to have the lead. Going two turns, maybe he will get slower fractions and he will be better.”
Bentornato ($3.60) collected his third straight stakes victory after running seven furlongs for the first time in 1:23.50, a final time built on fractions of 22.59 and 45.50 seconds for the first half mile.
“He's 4-for-4, but he's still a little green,” said D'Angelo, whose undefeated colt dropped over to the rail in the stretch before changing leads late. “He always wants to go close to the rail, but we can improve that.”
Mattingly, a stakes winner on Tapeta, finished second in his dirt debut, a neck ahead of Hurricane Nelson.
D'Angelo swept the first legs of the Florida Sires Stakes series with Bentornato and Welcome Back, who captured the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies. Unfortunately, Welcome Back was scratched from the Susan's Girl after sustaining a minor injury Friday night while kicking a stall wall. D'Angelo said undefeated Welcome Back will be ready to compete in the $300,000 My Dear Girl, the third leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series.
Bred by Tanma Corp, Bentornato was produced by the Put It Back mare Her Special Way and was a $170,000 purchase by Champion Equine at the OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consigned him.
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Omaha Beach Filly All the Way in Anoakia
The first to the races for her dam, Sandy Bottom gave her freshman sire Omaha Beach (by War Front) his second black-type stakes winner when she went gate to wire in the Anoakia at Santa Anita on Saturday afternoon.
Notching a front-running win at first asking Sept. 10 at Del Mar, the 6-5 choice broke alertly from the rail, once again seized the lead and never looked back as she commanded the pole position through the checkered flag.
“Today, it seemed like she caught a flier [leaving the gate],” said trainer Michael McCarthy. “I was pleasantly surprised to see her put herself where she did. Umberto seemed in command up the backside, it was nice to see him put a little daylight in between him and everyone else coming to the quarter pole. We will keep her at one turn for now. I believe there is a stake in a few weeks time at Del Mar around one turn that may be something to think about. I think six and a half, seven [furlongs] would be her limit. We will find out.”
The winner's dam, who is a half-sister to GIII Beaumont S. heroine Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief), foaled her only other offspring–a colt–Feb. 24 by Cloud Computing and she was bred to Greatest Honour for next year.
ANOAKIA S., $91,370, Santa Anita, 10-21, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.55, ft.
1–SANDY BOTTOM, 120, f, 2, by Omaha Beach
1st Dam: Starlit Daydream, by Can the Man
2nd Dam: Five Star Daydream, by Five Star Day
3rd Dam: September Charmer, by Septieme Ciel
($145,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-James Daniell and Donna Daniell; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $54,822. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,022.
2–Tambo, 118, f, 2, Enticed–Flatter Me First, by Flatter.($29,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $25,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $70,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-SAF Racing, Neil A. Haymes, James E. McCadden and William Strauss; B-Thoroughbred by Design LLC (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $18,274.
3–Becky's Dream (Fr), 120, f, 2, City of Light–Corporate Queen, by Colonel John. ($15,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O/T-Jose R. Valdez; B-Yeguada Centurion S.L.U. (FR). $10,965.
Margins: 3/4, 3HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.20, 6.80, 4.00.
Also Ran: Dua, Cheeky Gal.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
The $85,000 Anoakia Stakes at @santaanitapark went to SANDY BOTTOM ($4.40), a talented, undefeated daughter of @spendthriftfarm's Omaha Beach. @mwmracing trained and @umbyrispoli was in the irons for owners Daniell or Daniell.
One to go – wager on https://t.co/nBYFHiPrdh! pic.twitter.com/dnbBBuQwOJ
— TVG (@TVG) October 21, 2023
The post Omaha Beach Filly All the Way in Anoakia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Gun Runner’s Vahva Best in Raven Run
Closing out her sixth year in the training ranks, Cherie DeVaux added yet another notch on her belt, collecting her first Keeneland stakes victory in Saturday's feature, the GII Lexus Raven Run S. Helping her achieve that goal, DeVaux was represented by GIII Charles Town Oaks winner Vahva (Gun Runner), who was accompanied by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, also aboard in her last-out score in West Virginia.
“I don't know if there are words to really describe that,” said a visibly moved DeVaux following the win. “Our team has really worked hard with all of our horses, especially this filly, and it's just so rewarding.”
Sent off at 5-2 behind 4-5 choice Alva Starr (Lord Nelson), Vahva broke alertly from post 4 and was tucked in along the inside as the favorite raced to the front, carving out an opening quarter in :22.61. Continuing to show the way through a :45.48 half as GIII Remington Park Oaks runner-up Ancient Peace (War Front) forced the issue in a three-wide second while Vahva continued to bide her time in third, Alva Starr rounded the home turn in control and appeared en route to victory. Set down for the stretch run under a strong hand ride by Velazquez, Vahva slowly reeled in the game pacesetter, poked her head in front late and inched away in the final strides to collect her second consecutive graded stakes victory. Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief) was a long way off in third.
DeVaux said, “Johnny and I have had great success this year in stakes races, and I told him, 'There's one thing we haven't done yet, and that's come into the infield [at Keeneland] for a trophy presentation,' so I'm elated that he got that done. It's beautiful [out here].”
A winner in her third career start at Churchill Downs last November, the $280,000 Keeneland September buy finished third behind Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in her stakes bow in the Dec. 26 Untapable S. before finishing fourth to that classy filly again in the 1 1/16-mile GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 18. Cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs for a Keeneland optional claimer in April, she was beaten narrowly by next-out stakes winner Positano Sunset (Goldencents) and came right back to score at the same distance at Churchill May 5.
Prior to her Aug. 25 Charles Town Oaks score, she finished a respectable third behind the ill-fated Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. July 8. Velazquez was aboard for her two most recent races prior to the Raven Run.
“We took the same approach [as the Charles Town Oaks, also seven furlongs but around two turns],” explained Velazquez. “She came running and we tried to get a good position. Obviously, we knew the speed horse [runner-up Alva Starr] was going to be really tough to beat. Cherie has done a great job with the horse and gave me the opportunity to stay with her.”
He added, “Everything worked out good. I got close to the heels of the horse in front (Alva Starr), held my position and when I pulled her out, she responded. That's all you can ask of the horses. She was there for me, and she did it all.”
Pedigree Notes:
Stakes-winning Holiday Soiree, who also finished third in the GI Humana Distaff, was secured by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds for $160,000 at Keeneland November in 2021. The 14-year-old mare will be re-offered at next month's Keeneland sale under the Warrendale banner. Since her purchase, she produced a filly by City of Light in 2022 followed by a Nyquist filly this term. She was bred back to City of Light.
Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $349,375, Keeneland, 10-21, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.28, ft.
1–VAHVA, 118, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Holiday Soiree (SW & GISP, $405,642),
by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: Try to Remember, by Include
3rd Dam: Casanova Striker, by Smart Strike
($280,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Belladonna Racing, LLC, Edward
Hudson, Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable LLC, Nice
Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve
Hornstock and Twin Brook Stables; B-Woodford
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-John R.
Velazquez. $211,575. Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-2, $873,810.
*1/2 to Signal From Noise (Arrogate), SP, $163,990.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alva Starr, 120, f, 3, Lord Nelson–Sittin At the Bar, by Into
Mischief. O-P. Dale Ladner; B-Brett A. Brinkman & P. Dale
Ladner (KY); T-Brett A. Brinkman. $68,250.
3–Dazzling Blue, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Blue Violet, by Curlin.
($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Juddmonte; B-WinStar Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $34,125.
Margins: HF, 12HF, HF. Odds: 2.53, 0.90, 7.77.
Also Ran: Apple Picker, Lily Poo, Lady Radler, Ancient Peace. Scratched: Nom de Plume, Simply Stated.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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