Author: News

Life’s an Audible Pounces, Graduates at Second Asking

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Different surface. Different distance. Different pace scenario. Far different outcome for Life's an Audible (Audible) Saturday in the opener at Saratoga Race Course.

When her career debut at 1 1/16 miles on turf on July 30 was switched to the main track at one mile due to wet conditions, Life's an Audible was prominent for six furlongs, but weakened and ended up 21 lengths behind her Todd Pletcher stablemate Miz Sense (Street Sense.

Running 5 1/2 furlongs over a turf course rated as firm in her second start Saturday, the Repole Stable chestnut came from off the pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and beat the maiden special weight field by 1 1/4 lengths. Sent off at 7-1 in the field of 10 fillies, she reached the wire in 1:03.29 and paid $16.40.

It was the second consecutive day that Pletcher watched one of his 2-year-olds flourish in its second start. On Friday, Locked (Gun Runner), turned in a very professional performance for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm.

Bayare (Midshipman), the 2-1 favorite, and Echo Baybe (IRE) (Cable Bay {IRE}) set the early pace through fractions of :21.54 seconds and :45.38. Starting from Post 9, Ortiz worked Life's an Audible toward the inside. She got the job done in the stretch.

“Shortening up from an off-the-turf race; got some experience in there,” Pletcher said. “They went pretty fast early. She got out-footed a little bit in the beginning but picked it up nicely around the turn came with a good run down the lane.”

Repole purchased Life's an Audible for $200,000 at the OBS March sale. She was bred in Kentucky by Susan Moulton.

Ortiz was aboard for the July 30 race and figured that Life's an Audible would again be part of the pace scenario. Instead, she was about six lengths back after a quarter mile.

“She was quick last time, so I knew that she was going to be close, but they ran away from me early on,” he said.

Ortiz guided the filly closer to the rail and had her in position to make a late run.

“When she hit the clear she took off,” he said.

 

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.29, fm, 1 1/4 lengths.
LIFE'S AN AUDIBLE (f, 2, Audible–Catkins, by Data Link) was an early factor on debut but faded to be a well-beaten fourth at Saratoga in a rained-off one-mile event July 30. On the turf in a true sprint Saturday, the 7-1 shot took her time getting into stride and race in the back half of the field before moving up into the turn. Fanned out to be six wide past the quarter pole, the $200,000 OBS March grad rallied to the front inside the final sixteenth and got a bit of separation late to score by 1 1/4 lengths over first-time starter Tammy Lynn (Distorted Humor). Life's an Audible becomes the sixth winner for her freshman sire (by Into Mischief). Catkins has a yearling Tom's d'Etat colt, reported a Liam's Map filly this year, and visited Nashville for 2024. Sales History: $25,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $64,050. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Repole Stable; B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Broken Hearts and Fatalities: Letter to the Editor

I have been following with interest the past week's articles, letters and commentaries in the TDN and while I agree that track surfaces need to be looked at, I feel like it's all a bit deja-vu and that if racing had stayed the course and adapted following the initial introduction of synthetic surfaces 20 years ago, we might be in a better position today. But anyway…

The truth is that everything in the modern “thoroughbred industry” needs to change if racing is to survive as a sport. But still people complain about HISA and fight against any kind of change.

So, more and more, it looks like nothing significant will change because nobody wants to get off the commercial juggernaut…I mean, It's easy to shout and scream about track surfaces because it distracts from addressing the wider issues:

Racing and breeding have become so commercialized that horses are now almost exclusively bred, raised, sold, resold, resold again, trained, run and maybe resold yet again, not as athletes but as financial commodities and nearly everybody is playing the numbers game.

Furthermore, in the last 30 years, the Overton Window for use of PMs (I'm not even going to mention PEDs) has shifted so much that medications are considered standard and necessary and alarmingly often, the reasons for administering tend to be more about our plans, deadlines and expectations than the welfare of the horse. As Bart Cummings was wont to say, “Patience is the cheapest and least used thing in racing.”

It breaks my heart to say that I think in another 30 years, racing will either be banned or reduced to a behind-closed-doors, ultra-niche activity like polo, show-jumping or eventing.

Eric Ward grew up in Ireland and spent nearly 30 years in stud farming all over the world including a decade with Coolmore. He managed studs in Ireland, China and Turkey. Now based in Gaillac, France he assists his winemaker wife, writes novels and is also a volunteer fire-fighter/first responder.

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French Import Beaute Cachee Notches Stakes Breakthrough In Violet

All it took was a trans-Atlantic change of venue to get Beaute Cachee to start living up to her potential.

After 12 races in France with modest success, Beaute Cachee extended her form spree in the United States, drawing off to win Saturday's $104,000 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park by a widening 3¼ lengths.

Bred in France, the 4-year-old daughter of Literato now has two wins and a near-miss second in her three U.S. Starts. Saturday's triumph marked the first stakes win for the Chad Brown-trainee, who was ridden by Nik Juarez.

“She shipped in from Saratoga this morning so I have not been around her here, but I worked with her at Payson Park (in Florida),” said Luis Cabrera, who oversees Brown's division at Monmouth Park. “She has a lot of ability. She has been running very well since she came to this country. All of her races here have been good races.”

After winning her U.S. debut at Belmont Park on May 26, Beaute Cachee was second, beaten a neck, in an optional claimer at Saratoga on July 27. She had been just 1-for-12 during her racing career in France.

The winning time for the 1 1/16 miles over a turf course listed as firm was 1:42.92.

Beaute Cachee paid $4 to win as the favorite in the field of eight fillies and mares. But there were some anxious moments early, with the filly fighting Juarez and being rank in the opening quarter mile.

“I had an opportunity to watch the replays of her two races in the United States and both replays showed me she does what she did early (today),” said Juarez. “The chart mark in her last race said she was rank, so I went back to watch it and it seems like she has a very light mouth to her. I knew that going into the race so I was prepared for what she might do.

“I was waiting for her to settle behind the speed and she did eventually. It really wasn't a matter of her fighting me early. Really it was more a case of trying to find a mutual agreement to get her to settle down.”

With Join the Dance setting early fractions of :24.85, :49.08 and 1:12.22 to three quarters, Beaute Cachee sat a stalking third, with Miss Carol Ann just off the early leader.

Miss Carol Ann made her move for the lead coming out of the final turn, with Beaute Cachee collaring her in mid-stretch before drawing off late.

“I wanted to sit right behind the speed, exactly where we were,” said Juarez. “When (Join the Dance) started to back out I was able to target (Miss Carol Ann). When she made her move by that one she didn't open up by much but she has a really quick burst when you ask her. That's the thing with trying to get her settled early – you can't lose your patience because you know the run is coming.”

Beaute Cachee, who has raced exclusively on the grass during her 15-race career, is owned by Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro. Bred by Gregor Vischer, Beaute Cachee was produced by the Hurricane Run mare Sign and Seal.

The post French Import Beaute Cachee Notches Stakes Breakthrough In Violet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Quality Road’s Agate Road Defies All Logic In ‘Rising Star’ Turf Debut

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Agate Road (c, 2, Quality Road–Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) was hammered into even-money favoritism for his turf and two-turn debuts on the strength of a near-miss runner-up effort in a rained-off maiden Aug. 5. At the end of 8 1/2 very eventful furlongs Saturday afternoon at the Spa, the $650,000 Keeneland September purchase was named a 'TDN Rising Star'.

Drawn widest in a field of 10, Agate Road was behind the eight ball right from the opening bell, as he broke a good two paths to his outside, costing himself any shot at securing a forward position. To make matters a bit more complicated, he didn't take the first turn particularly well and settled near the tail of the field as 11-1 Ocala Rocket (Hard Spun) led them along at a moderate early clip. Racing with just two behind as they hit the backstretch, but still patiently handled by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Agate Road found himself with about eight lengths to find banking around the final turn, but was forced to take the scenic route, conceding ground to add to his trouble line through the opening 6 1/2 furlongs. But, switched out widest into the lane and despite being bothered by a shifting-out rival nearing the furlong grounds, Agate Road steamed home down the center of the course to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a race he really had no business winning. He becomes the 15th 'Rising Star' for his sire.

Agate Road is the second winner from three foals to race out of Yellow Agate, a $70,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $210,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by China Horse Club who validated 13-10 favoritism in the GI Frizette S. in 2016. The mare is also responsible for Agate Road's year-older full-sister Plentitude, a maiden winner at first asking over the Tampa main in April track before taking an allowance sprinting over the Belmont turf course in June. She was most recently fourth in the Blue Sparkler S. at Monmouth July 8

The dam of the yearling filly Gin's Beach Road (Quality Road), a $650,000 acquisition by Live Oak at last month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Yellow Agate aborted her Constitution foal of 2023 before being bred once again to Quality Road.

6th-Saratoga, $105,189, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:46.79, fm, neck.
AGATE ROAD, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Yellow Agate (GISW, $291,503), by Gemologist
2nd Dam: Lemon Sorbet, by Lemon Drop Kid
3rd Dam: Flabbergasted (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
Sales history: $650,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $78,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

O-Repole Stable & St Elias Stable; B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

 

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