One day after guiding Three Witches to a 10-1 upset victory over favored Maryquitecontrary in the $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3), jockey Leonel Reyes enjoyed a five-win day Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
The 37-year-old journeyman, who recently claimed his first U.S. riding title during the Royal Palm Meet, began his day with four straight wins aboard Nunofthisnunofthat ($3.60) in Race 1, Sweet Temptation ($5.40) in Race 2, Ballet Valentina ($10) in Race 3 and Emergency Response ($8) in Race 4 before tasting defeat aboard favored Vanishing Interest in Race 5. He returned to the winner's circle following Race 7 aboard Freedom Principle ($5).
“I try to win every race. [Saturday] was a good day to win a graded race for Saffie Joseph,” Reyes said. “Now, to have five wins today is amazing.”
Reyes has steadily established himself as a force in the Gulfstream jockey's room since arriving in 2016 from Venezuela, where he had ridden 1400 winners. He has ridden 759 winners since venturing to the U.S.
His winning ride aboard Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Three Witches in Saturday's seven-furlong Breeders' Cup 'Win & You're In' Challenge race was Reyes' third graded-stakes score.
Fasig-Tipton has catalogued six initial supplemental entries to its 2023 The November Sale, the auction company announced on Monday.
The late entries, catalogued as hips 247-252, include G3 Pocohontas S. winner Fun and Fiesty (Midshipman); the unraced Al Ula Princess (Tapwrit), a half-sister to Grade I winner Princess Noor in foal to Epicenter; Susie's Baby (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Group 1 winner and standout sire Caravaggio; 2016 GI Frizette S. winner Nickname (Scat Daddy) in foal to Uncle Mo; recent Iowa Sorority S. winner Won Happy Mama (Runhappy) offered as a racing or broodmare prospect; and Defining Hope (Strong Hope) carrying a full sibling to GI Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic).
These entries may now be viewed online and will also be available in the equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions of all supplemental entries will be available on-site at Fasig-Tipton at sale time. Fasig-Tipton will continue to accept approved supplemental entries through the Breeders' Cup.
The November Sale will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, in Lexington beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST.
The GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is one of three options for Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) following a barnstorming gate-to-wire victory in Monday's $823,000 Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai at Morioka Racecourse on the National Association of Racing circuit in Japan.
Having already secured a Breeders' Cup berth courtesy of his biggest win to date in the G1 February S. at Tokyo this past February, the 5-year-old was having his first run since finishing an outpaced 10th, beaten six lengths, in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over six furlongs in late March.
Favored at 1-2, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase hit the ground running from gate three and was soon at the head of affairs for jockey Ryusei Sakai. Always traveling strongly on the front end, Lemon Pop began to get away from his rivals approaching the 400-meter marker and turned it into a one-horse show in the final stages. He had a margin of two full seconds, or approximately a dozen lengths, on Igniter (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}) at the wire, with the mare Ladybug (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}) third. Two-time February S. hero Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) was fifth, while 2022 G1 Satsuki Sho winner Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) finished ninth.
“It's impossible to be anything other than thrilled with a performance like that,” said Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney. “Lemon Pop was outstanding today. We hadn't really expected him to make the running and there was a very audible murmur from the crowd as he took the lead, somewhat in disbelief. The jockey rode a brilliant race and pulled away easily to win very, very comfortably at the finish.
“It's not easy to win a Jpn G1 race by a distance, so credit to the horse and the trainer. A special thanks must go to our own team in Castle Park, where Lemon Pop has been for about five months since he came back from Dubai.”
Sweeney said that instead of the Dirt Mile, Lemon Pop could remain at home for the valuable Listed JBC Sprint (1200m) Nov. 3 and/or the G1 Champions Cup in December, which would mark his first start past a mile.
“Lemon Pop's trainer was never really in favour of running him over a mile, even though he has now won two top competitions over the distance, and he certainly showed today that he has no problem with the trip,” said Sweeney. “Certainly, we will be looking at the Champions Cup, with one run beforehand. We will be discussing it intently over the next few days.”
MILE CHAMPIONSHIP NAMBU HAI-Listed, ¥122,500,000, Morioka, 10-9, 3yo/up, 1600m, 1:33.80, yl.
1–LEMON POP, 128, h, 5, Lemon Drop Kid–Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway. ($70,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥ 70,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn, 13-9-3-0, $2,704,452.
2–Igniter (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Espoir City (Jpn)–Bianco (Jpn), by Warning (GB). (¥7,020,000 Ylg '19 HOKSUM). O-Yoshiki Noda; B-Haruki Farm; ¥24,500,000.
3–Ladybug (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Hokko Tarumae (Jpn)–Favorite Girl (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn). O/B-Gold Up Company; ¥14,000,000
Margins: 12, HF, 3/4. Odds : 0.50, 20.70, 82.40. Click for the goracing.jp chart.
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged six initial supplemental entries to its 2023 November Sale. The entries, cataloged as hips 247-252, include:
– Fun and Feisty(Hip 247): Three-year-old graded stakes winning daughter of Midshipman, she won the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes by 3 ½ lengths in her graded stakes debut at two. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Gainesway, agent.
– Al Ula Princess (Hip 248):Three-year-old half-sister to G1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes winner Princess Noor is carrying her first foal by brilliant G1 Travers Stakes victor Epicenter. Offered by Gainesway, agent.
– Susie's Baby (Hip 249): Dam of graded stakes winner and millionaire Family Way. A winning daughter of Giant's Causeway, Susie's Baby is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and Grade 1 sire Caravaggio and to Grade 2 winner and multiple graded stakes producer My Jen. Offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
– Nickname (Hip 250): 10-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy won the G1 Frizette Stakes at two. Her first foal by Galileo (IRE) is a winner this year and she has young offspring by Galileo and Wootten Bassett (GB) and is carrying a foal by popular sire Uncle Mo. Offered by Denali Stud, agent.
– Won Happy Mama (Hip 251): Two-year-old daughter of Runhappy won the Iowa Sorority Stakes on Sept. 30 and is a half-sister to current Grade 2 winner Anarchist. Offered as a racing/broodmare prospect by Wynnstay Sales, agent.
– Defining Hope (Hip 252):Just nine years old, her current 3-year-old is this year's G1 Ashland Stakes winner Defining Purpose. She is in foal to Cross Traffic, carrying a full sibling to a current Grade 1 winner. Offered by Gainesway, agent.
These entries may now be viewed online and will also be available in the equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions of all supplemental entries will be available on-site at Fasig-Tipton at sale time.
Fasig-Tipton will continue to accept approved supplemental entries through the Breeders' Cup.
The November Sale will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7, in Lexington, Ky., beginning at 2 p.m.
