Author: News

Damon's Mound proved again that sprinting on dirt is what he does best, winning Saturday's $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) at Parx Racing.

Owned and bred by Michelle and Cliff Love, trained by Michelle Lovell and ridden by Junior Alvarado, the 3-year-old Florida-bred son of Girvin out of the Stroll mare San Antonio Stroll prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths after a stretch duel with Nautical Star, who finished second, 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Gordian Knot.

The winning time was 1:10.24 for six furlongs over the sloppy track.

Ryvit broke fast and took the early lead over Sir Lancelot, with Damon's Mound laying third. Sir Lancelot put his head in the front on the far turn with Ryvit responding immediately, but by then Damon's Mound and Nautical Star were in hot pursuit. Damon's Mound went by Ryvit on his outside and held off Nautical Star, who was widest of all.

Post-time favorite Damon's Mound paid $5.60 in winning for the fourth time. He has four wins and a second in dirt sprints, including a convincing victory in the Saratoga Special (G2) in his second career start in August 2022. The Gallant Bob was his second graded stakes triumph and improved his career earnings to $601,700. Damon's Mound has run at six tracks over six distances and two surfaces in nine career starts.

Ninetyprcentmaddie closed fast to finish fourth, followed by Ryvit, Dreaming of Kona, Depoli, Praetorian Guard and Sir Lancelot.

Gallant Bob Quotes:

Winning jockey Junior Alvarado: “He's done very well the last couple races. He's been on the engine and making my job pretty easy. I rode him last time, kind of the same thing – broke out of there, put him on the engine. He likes that. He likes to feel that he's the one in control. They outfooted me the first part, the two faster horses on the outside, then I was sitting in a beautiful trip. When I started picking it and making my run he was there digging in for me the whole way to the wire.”

Mitch Butler, assistant to winning trainer Michelle Lovell: “Everything worked out real well. We knew there was some speed on the outside, and luckily the speed got in front of us, and Junior was able to take the horse outside like that and set up the easy trip. When he asked for the run, he just came to run just like we hoped he would, so it worked out real well. Probably as good as it could go.”

“I'm so happy for Michelle, of course, and the owners Mr. and Mrs. Love. We just found this spot, and it seems like he's doing so well and were just so happy that we have the horse in the barn and that he is doing as good as he is now.”

On Maxfield Overnight Stakes two starts back over mud at Ellis Park: “That day it rained right before his race. It came like a monsoon and I think it was just a different track condition, but today with the rain they had the track sealed all day and all night so it probably just worked out better for him.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz (Nautical Star, second): “He fought all the way to the wire. The winner is a nice horse. Going to the quarter pole, I was moving pretty good and I thought I had horse and I thought I was going to be hard to beat. But that horse kept fighting. I am really happy with the way (Nautical Star) ran. He is a nice horse. He handled the track pretty well. The track is pretty fair. They have been doing a great job.”

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (Nautical Star, second): “It looked like we had him, but Damon's Mound is back into form. He won his last race and he beat us fair and square. I thought, coming down the stretch, that we had a good chance of winning. And Irad thought the same thing. The winner just never gave in. Full credit to him. I am happy with how he ran. He went from an allowance (a win Aug. 18 at Gulfstream) straight into this kind of company against seasoned horses. He is going to be a nice sprinter for us. He will go anywhere from 6 furlongs to a mile, at least, and he has a bright future ahead of him.”

The post Damon’s Mound Rolls To Victory In Gallant Bob appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Multiple Grade 1 winner Gunite looked on the way to his fourth victory of the year in Saturday's $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile until Thomas Coulter's homebred Nimitz Class closed well down the lane to upset the heavy favorite by 1 3/4 lengths.

Nimitz Class won the Dirt Mile in 1:38.34 over the Parx Racing main track rated as sloppy (sealed).

The Pennsylvania-bred colt by Munnings, trained by Bruce Kravets, was making his 20th start and eighth of the year off a runner-up finish in the Aug. 21 Storm Cat Stakes at Parx. The Dirt Mile was his fifth victory of the year, and second win at Parx from three starts.

Gunite, under Tyler Gafflione, sat a stalking trip from the gate and allowed Mish to take the field of seven down the backside through an opening quarter mile in :23.84. Mish galloped content on the lead under Tyler Conner and together they clocked a half in :47.59 with Gunite still in contention. Nimitz Class drew closer under Paco Lopez and steadily found themselves in contention turning for home.

Gunite controlled the lead following six furlongs in 1:12.45 and led into the stretch as Mish began to tire. Gunite, urged for more, was met by Nimitz Class to his outside, and the latter wrested the lead from Gunite and was clear to the wire.

Gunite held second over Mish, who bested the rest for third. Dr B, Civil War, and Dr Ardito completed the field.

Nimitz Class, bred by Coulter's Arrowwood Farm from the Flatter mare Five Diamonds, returned $15 to win.

Parx Dirt Mile Quotes:

Winning trainer Bruce Kravets: “He is awesome. This horse gives you everything he has every time you put a bridle on him. Even the last three times when he was second he got beat by legitimate horses. Maybe one of the three I thought we should have won. We decided to make the rider change and it proved to be the right move.

One of the highlights of your career? “Tremendous win. Not one of, the highlight of my career. The horse looks great, trained great coming into the race. We were going to run on a fast track, slop, it didn't matter. He never misses a beat.”

Winning jockey Paco Lopez: “Really lucky; he liked the track, the slop. Not too many horses are liking the track. You have to be lucky today and on the right one. Some of them are really running on it and some of them aren't. He was very, very comfortable the whole way. The pace was right and he was liking the track. I was inside on the first turn and on the second I went to the outside and he ran by a nice horse.”

Winning owner Thomas Coulter: “In the beginning we didn't really have quite enough speed to keep up with those two sprinters, but once they got on the backstretch he kept getting stronger and he was pulling the jockey toward the front. At the end he just pulled away. He looked super. We had some tough times this summer. He kept finishing second [three straight races], but I think today all the conditions lined up for him and he ran a great race.”

On running on a sloppy track: “I knew he would handle the track. That wasn't a concern. There are always concerns. It was a step up in class. He was carrying more weight than the other horses (co-high weight of 126 pounds). A lot of concerns. But he never had any concerns. He just went out there and did it.”

On taking on 1-5 favorite Gunite: “It seems to me Gunite's a little better at six and seven furlongs. So, I thought with this horse's closing punch it was a possibility. He'd be close and it was a possibility. So, we tried.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Gunite, second): “He handled the track. This was our third time trying a mile and I guess it's just not his best distance. He traveled to the quarter pole in great form. I really thought we were just going to go on. He just came up a little short for us today. Some of his best races are in the slop; he handles the slop just fine. I am still not convinced that the mile is too far. It's just something about the two turns doesn't work with him.”

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (Mish, third): “His best option is going to the lead and that is how we were going to play it if he broke and he broke well. He ran his race. I can't complain.”

Surprised at the winner?: “Yeah. Gunite got beat. It was his race to lose. He obviously is not as good going two turns as he is one turn. That's horse racing. You have to go out there and do it.”

The post Pennsylvania-Bred Nimitz Class Upstages Gunite In Parx Dirt Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post