Category: Horse Racing News

Easter Bids For Third Consecutive Stakes Score In San Gabriel

French-bred Easter, fresh off one of the most impressive turf performances of the year in Southern California, looms a standout versus five rivals at a mile and one eighth on turf in Tuesday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, one of six graded events on an 11-race opening day card at Santa Anita.

Turning for home in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles over the Del Mar turf Nov. 25, it appeared that D'Amato's top turf runner Hong Kong Harry had the race in-hand, but stablemate Easter pinned his ears under Antonio Fresu and powered to a half length victory while earning a lofty 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

With Fresu set to ride him back, Easter, a 5-year-old gelding who had won three of his nine stateside starts with Maryland-based Graham Motion prior to the Seabiscuit, will be seeking his third consecutive stakes victory on Tuesday.

Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Easter was a half length winner of the restricted Lure Stakes at one mile on turf two starts back at Santa Anita on Oct. 28.  With two wins from eight starts in France at ages two and three, Easter is 18-6-3-3 overall with earnings of $447,910.

Racing on the lead, D'Amato's Tio Magico went on to a gutty neck win in a second condition allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita Nov. 2 and could very well be a part of the exacta with Flavien Prat taking over from Fresu, who sticks with Easter.

Originally headquartered with trainer Gail Cox at Woodbine racecourse in Toronto, Canada, Tio Magico, a 5-year-old Ontario-bred gelding by Uncle Mo, will be making his 10th start for D'Amato on Tuesday and his first in a stakes since joining the stable in the summer of 2022.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm and owned by Sam-Son Farm and Agave Racing Stable, Tio Magico, who earned a career-high 94 Beyer in his most recent start, has won two of his last three starts and is 18-4-2-3 overall with earnings of $287,919.

GRADE II SAN GABRIEL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 12 p.m. PT
  1. Eastern Ocean—Lanfranco Dettori—121
  2. Easter—Antonio Fresu—125
  3.  War At Sea—Mike Smith—123
  4. Missed the Cut—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—123
  5. Tio Magico—Flavien Prat—121
  6. Astronaut—Juan Hernandez—121
First post time for an 11-race card on Santa Anita's Classic Meet opening day Tuesday is at  11 a.m. PT with admission gates opening at 9 a.m.

The post Easter Bids For Third Consecutive Stakes Score In San Gabriel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Gulfstream Championship Season Graded Races Ready To Unwrap

A pair of graded stakes races will signal that the Gulfstream Park Championship season is officially underway on Saturday.

First, the GIII Sugar Swirl S. for older females going six furlongs on the main track includes veteran mare Bluefield (Field Commission), who won by a neck against state-breds in a Tampa black-type race Dec. 9.

“She went up to Tampa and it was nice to get a stakes win on her resume at this age,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “She came to us late but she just keeps getting better and better. She's never run back this quick, but she's in good order so I think she should run well. Hopefully she has a good week leading up to it.”

Bluefield will be joined by her new stablemate Intrepid Daydream (Jess's Dream). Purchased privately just last week, the filly rides in on a four-race win streak at the Mid-Atlantic tracks.

Also entered is Napa Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}). The chestnut prepped for this spot when she came from off the pace to win an optional claimer at Churchill Downs Nov. 22. Joining her will be Headland (Paynter), who was third last out in the Garland of Roses S. at Aqueduct Dec. 9, while AMO Racing's SP Olivia Darling (Palace) will look to improve after a fifth-place finish in the GIII Princess Rooney S. in Hallandale Oct. 7.

The other half of the graded stakes Saturday offering is the seven-furlong GIII Mr. Prospector S. for older males. Last year's edition was used as the springboard for Sibelius (Not This Time) as he won three straight, including traveling to Dubai to collect the G1 Golden Shaheen S.

“Maybe it's the time of year where he's best, I don't know,” said trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. “We'll find out this year. It's going to be his second year in a row trying to take the same path. We're looking forward to it. I couldn't be happier with the horse.”

Sibelius might not have such an easy task ahead with the presence of MGSW Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy). After winning both of his starts at Gulfstream over the summer, the 7-year-old returns here with the capability to run this field off their feet.

Trainer Brendan Walsh sends Gilmore (Twirling Candy) back to the post to finish off what could be considered a consistent year for the 3-year-old colt. The gray was the runner-up in the GIII Bayshore S., then was third in both the GII Pat Day Mile S. and GI Woody Stephens S.

An entry who could be a pace factor is AMO Racing's Hurricane J (Nyquist). Formerly under Paulo Lobo's care, the dark bay colt made his first start for Jorge Delgado over the Gulfstream main track against optional claimers and won by 2 3/4 lengths Nov. 19.

The post Gulfstream Championship Season Graded Races Ready To Unwrap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Anisette Chasing Biggest Win Yet In Tuesday’s American Oaks

With solid year-end credentials in hand, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Anisette seeks the biggest win of her career as heads a field of seven sophomore fillies in Tuesday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks at a mile and a quarter over the Santa Anta turf.

Trained by Leonard Powell, English-bred Anisette's only previous try at the Oaks distance came two starts back in Santa Anita's G2 Rodeo Drive on Oct. 7, a race in which she finished a close second. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard, she cut back in distance to one mile on grass Nov. 5, finishing second by 3 ¼ lengths in the G3 Autumn Miss Stakes.

A dedicated deep closer, Anisette rallied for a come-from-behind win in her one mile turf U.S. debut May 29 and she followed that up with impressive scores in both the mile turf G2 San Clemente July 22 and the mile and one eighth G1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 19.

One for three in England, Anisette has three wins and a pair of seconds from her five stateside starts for Powell and will hope to be rolling late on Tuesday.

Irish-bred Be Your Best is another who would prefer to have a fast pace to exploit in Tuesday's Oaks. In her first and only assignment versus male competition, she was last of 13 for most of the trip in the G2 Twilight Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf here Nov. 4 and came rolling on the far outside to finish eighth, beaten just 1 ¾ lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who rides her back.

A well beaten ninth in her only try at a mile and one quarter four starts back in the Belmont Oaks Invitational July 8, she shipped west to finish second, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Anisette in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19.

Trained by Horacio De Paz and owned by Michael Ryan, Be Your Best is 10-2-2-1 overall with earnings of $284,250.

THE GRADE 1 AMERICAN OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 11 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

  1. Khinjani—Lanfranco Dettori—124
  2. Anisette—Umberto Rispoli—124
  3. Grace Period—Jose Lezcano—124
  4. Elounda Queen—Juan Hernandez—124
  5. Sakura Flavor—Antonio Fresu—124
  6. Be Your Best—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—124
  7. Musical Mischief—Flavien Prat—124

With six stakes, three of them Grade I's and an 11-race card on tap for Santa Anita's Classic Meet opener on Tuesday, first post is early at 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

The post Anisette Chasing Biggest Win Yet In Tuesday’s American Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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