Category: Horse Racing News

Max Player to Preakness

George Hall and SportsBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.’s Max Player (Honor Code) will contest the Oct. 3 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico.

“I’m very excited because I haven’t been in the Preakness yet,” said Hall, who won the 2011 Belmont with 24-1 shot Ruler On Ice. “After the Kentucky Derby, he looked like he wanted to keep running. Steve watched him closely, and he was in great shape. He’s galloped well. He’s breezed well. We felt the horse was at the peak of his game and is ready to run.”

Winner of the GIII Withers S. for Linda Rice in February, Max Player finished third in the June 20 GI Belmont S before filling the same position in the GI Travers S. Aug. 8. Transferred to Steve Asmussen, he was fifth in his latest start in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. Asmussen previously won the Preakness with Curlin (Smart Strike) in 2007 and again in 2009 with the filly Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro).

“I really feel like we will be competitive,” said Hall. “If you look at the Belmont S., where we were third, he didn’t have such a great trip. We got really caught behind a lot of horses and had to move around a lot and still wound up being third because he came on so strong at the end. In the Travers, he again came on strong to be third. It’s no shame to lose to Tiz the Law, as everybody knows. We feel like he’s a really good horse. When we started to look at the Preakness, I think the view is that he’s in perfectly good health. He’s in good shape, and he needs to develop. Reviewing the Kentucky Derby, he really came out of the gate slow [from post 1] and was far behind in the first jump. If we can get a little better trip out of the gate, maybe get a better post position and not fall so far behind and give him so much work to do at the end, we think that we can be competitive.”

According to Hall, jockey Paco Lopez will partner the colt for the first time in the Preakness.

“Obviously, we want to stay in the race, but we have to be careful because he is going to be a closer, no matter what,” said Hall. “I’m sure Steve will give Paco the correct instructions.”

Looking farther down the road, Hall added, “He had a long layoff before the Belmont, but then he’s had a robust campaign since,” Hall said. “What’s most important to us is that he stays healthy and has a good 4-year-old and, hopefully, 5-year-old career. We didn’t really think there was negative toward running in the Preakness that would affect his long-term prospects as a 4-year-old. We’re pretty excited about what he’s going to do be doing in the future, too.”

Hall bred Max Player through his K & G Stables, named for his children Katherine and George, with the colt raised on his Annestes Farm in Versailles, Ky. Hall owns 86% of Max Player, with SportBLX Thoroughbreds owning the other 14%. Co-founded by Hall and Joe De Perio, SportBLX Thoroughbreds offers micro-shares in racehorses. More micro-shares in Max Player, which will come out of his majority interest, likely will be available for purchase next week, Hall said.

Asmussen will also run Monmouth Park’s Pegasus S. winner Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) in the Preakness. Joe Bravo will have the mount.

The post Max Player to Preakness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breeze On By Seeking Full Sweep Of Florida Sire Stakes Series In Saturday’s In Reality

Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By will seek a sweep of the 2020 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series Saturday, when the undefeated homebred son of Cajun Breeze takes on eight rivals in Saturday's $400,000 In Reality at Gulfstream Park.

The In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile open-division final for 2-year-olds, and the My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile final for juvenile fillies, will be joined on Saturday's program by the $150,000 FSS Wildcat Heir, a mile race for 3-year-olds and up. All three FSS stakes are for horses sired by accredited Florida Stallions. Supporting stakes will include the $75,000 Armed Forces, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds; the $75,000 My Dear Peggy, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies; and the $75,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong turf dash for 2-year-olds.

Breeze On By captured the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager at six furlongs Aug. 1 and the $200,000 FSS Affirmed at seven furlongs Aug. 29. The undefeated Ralph Nicks trainee, who captured his July 12 debut, will seek to become the fifth horse to sweep the FSS open division, joining Three Rules (2016), Sir Oscar (2003), Seacliff (1995) and Smile (1984).

“He's a nice horse. The question will be: Will he handle the two turns? That being said, he's done everything pretty handily so far,” Nicks said. “I love young horses. Stonehedge sends them to us early and let us do our job. It's fun to watch them develop. The ones who have talent you can mold into these kind of horses.”

Trainer Ralph Nicks, who won his fourth consecutive running of the Affirmed when Breeze On By romped to victory by 7 ½ lengths, has saddled the winners of eight Florida Sire Stakes series races since 2016.

“I've been blessed with some nice horses. It would be special to put him on the list with the other ones that have swept the series,” Nicks said.

Breeze On By provided Gil and Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge Farm with a 15th victory in the tradition-rich series with his Affirmed score.

The gelded son of Cajun Breeze, who made a rather auspicious debut while capturing a July 12 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream by six lengths, set the pace in the six-furlong Dr. Fager before meeting a strong challenge from Gatsby at the top of the stretch. After Gatsby put his nose in front in mid-stretch, Breeze On By fought back gamely to prevail by a length.

In the Affirmed, Breeze On By was followed to the finish line by Nicks stablemates Big Daddy Dave and Seazan, who are also owned by Campbells, who achieved the superfecta with Kathleen O'Connell-trained fourth-place finisher Top Boss.

While Big Daddy Dave, who finished a distant second in the Affirmed, is scheduled to bypass the In Reality and start in the Hollywood Beach, Seazan will return in the FSS final. After a troubled second-place finish in his debut, the son of Khozan graduated in his second start Aug. 1. Seazan closed from ninth and last to finish third in the Affirmed.

“I honestly believe he is a two-turn horse,” Nicks said. “He'll be picking up lot of ground late. He's going to be even better the middle of next year than he is right now.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the return call aboard Breeze On By, while Samy Camacho is slated to ride Seazan.

Arindel's Gatsby will seek to rebound from a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Affirmed after giving Breeze On By a scare in the Dr. Fager. The homebred son of Brethren broke a step slow from his No. 1 post position before setting a pressured pace and faltering in the stretch.

An impressive winner of his April 12 debut, he rebounded from an off-the-board finish in the June 27 Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs with his gusty second-place finish in the Dr. Fager. The homebred son of Brethren pulled off an upset victory over heavily favored Golden Pal in his April 12 debut at 4 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream, chasing the Wesley Ward-trained odds-on favorite into the stretch before edging clear by three-quarters of a length. Golden Pal has gone on to impress on turf, finishing second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot and winning the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga handily by 3 ½ lengths.

Arindel and trainer Juan Alvarado will also be represented by Hercules, who debuted impressively at Gulfstream Aug. 29, scoring by 2 ½ lengths despite racing greenly through the stretch.

Cristian Torres has the call on Gatsby, while Hector Berrios has been named to ride Hercules, also a son of Brethren.

Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy, who finished third in the Dr. Fager, returns to FSS action Saturday after bypassing the Affirmed in favor of the Proud Man, an undercard turf stakes in which he finished second. Edgard Zayas will ride the son of Prospective.

Social Equality, Honesto and The Red Man round out the field.

The post Breeze On By Seeking Full Sweep Of Florida Sire Stakes Series In Saturday’s In Reality appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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FSS My Dear Girl Contender Princess Secret ‘Doesn’t Like To Lose’

Princess Secret is probably the most talented filly in Saturday's My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park, but the daughter of Khozan is without a doubt the most battle-tested entrant in the $400,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes final at Gulfstream Park.

The My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile two-turn test for 2-year-old fillies, and the In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile open-division final for juveniles, will be joined on Saturday's program by the $150,000 FSS Wildcat Heir, a mile race for 3-year-olds and up. All three stakes are for horses sired by accredited Florida Stallions. Supporting stakes will include the $75,000 Armed Forces, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds; the $75,000 My Dear Peggy, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies; and the $75,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong turf dash for 2-year-olds.

Owned and trained by Daniel Pita, Princess Secret had things pretty much her own way in her May 7 debut, in which she shook off mild early pressure and drew off to a four-length triumph. Since then, the daughter of Khozan has had to fight for everything she's gotten, including a hard-fought victory in the $200,000 Susan's Girl, the seven-furlong second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series Aug. 29.

“She has a will to fight in every race. She doesn't like to lose. Even when things don't go her way, she finds a way to overcome it or almost overcome it,” Pita said. “You could make an argument that if a couple things went her way, we might be talking about an undefeated filly.”

In her second career start, Princess Secret showed her grit when she took on the boys in the first allowance race of the year, overcoming considerable bumping at the start while rallying to second. She set a pressured pace before being caught by Go Jo Jo Go in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, but battled back to save the place.

“Things happen in races and you have to deal with those things. It's unfortunate when things don't go your way,” Pita said.

In the Susan's Girl, Princess Secret bumped with Go Jo Jo Go shortly after the start, rushed up to set a pressured pace, and edged away to victory by three-quarters of a length over late-running Oh Deborah.

Pita is confident that Princess Secret will show the same talent and determination around two turns Saturday.

“Any doubt we might have had about her getting a mile and a sixteenth was eased in her [Sept. 18) workout. She went six furlongs in 1:14-and-change very easily with a long, long gallop-out, strong gallop-out,” Pita said. “I think she will have no issue with the mile and a sixteenth. If she's good enough to beat the field, that's a different story. I don't think distance is going to be the factor that will get her beat.”

Miguel Vasquez has the return call on Princess Secret, who was purchased for $30,000 at the 2019 OBS October sale.

Stonehedge LLC's Oh Deborah is set to make her third career start in the My Dear Girl, after debuting with a 3 ¼-length victory July 19 and finishing second in the Susan's Girl, in which she battled through the stretch with Princess Secret before settling for second.

“She missed a lot of time. She hurt herself in the stall and missed the first leg and also missed training for 10 to 12 days, so I think that might have compromised her a little,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “That being said, she ran pretty darn good. We expect her to run well.”

Samy Camacho has the call aboard the daughter of Winslow Homer.

Nicks is also slated to saddle Bell Racing LLC's Big Rings for a start in the My Dear Girl. The daughter of The Big Beat debuted with a nine-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs Sept. 6.

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount on Big Rings.

Michael Yates-trained Go Jo Jo Go will also represent Stonehedge LLC in the My Dear Girl. The daughter of Khozan broke her maiden at 21-1 while winning the Desert Vixen in her fourth career start, rallying from well off the pace to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

Leonel Reyes has the record mount Saturday.

Ashley Quartarolo's Lilac Lace is scheduled to make her first start in the Florida Sire Stakes series after debuting with a 1 ¾-length debut victory at Keeneland July 19 and finishing fourth in the Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga Aug. 12.

Edgard Zayas is slated to ride the Anthony Quartarolo-trained daughter of Hi Cotton.

Karl Glassman and Cathi Glassman's Restofthestory is set to make her FSS debut in the My Dear Girl after graduating from the maiden ranks in her second career start. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained daughter of Jess's Dream, who held gamely to finish second in her debut after engaging in speed duel, romped to victory by 3 ½ lengths Aug. 29 under Angel Arroyo, who has the return call Saturday.

Remington Oaks Stable and trainer Steve Dwoskin's Alluramore, who finished fourth in the both Desert Vixen and the Susan's Girl to kick off her career; NBS Stable's Splash Cash, who captured a six-furlong maiden race at Prairie Meadows Aug. 19; A 1 A Racing's Tamiami, a Todd Pletcher-trained debut winner who finished off the board in the Dr. Fager; and Arindel's Freak, a maiden who finished third in the Desert Vixen, are also entered in the My Dear Girl.

The post FSS My Dear Girl Contender Princess Secret ‘Doesn’t Like To Lose’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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