Ward Sends Daylight Maiden Winner Happy Soul To Astoria

Juvenile stakes action in New York this year commences on Thursday when a field of six freshman fillies assemble for the 109th running of the $150,000 Astoria going 5 ½ furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Astoria, named after a town in Queens, is one of three stakes events carded for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 3-5. Joining the Astoria on Thursday's card will be the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs over the inner turf and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental for fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward going seven furlongs over the Widener turf.

Trainer Wesley Ward, a two-time Astoria winner, will send out Happy Soul who impressed in her second career start with a decisive 11 ¾-length victory travelling five furlongs on May 13 at Belmont Park, registering an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by Gayla Rankin, the daughter of medication-free second crop-sire Runhappy was second on debut to stablemate Nakatomi, who targets the Astoria's counterpart race – the $150,000 Tremont on Friday. The bay filly was never in doubt last out as she extended her advantage throughout the journey.

“She's a nice filly and ran a good race. It looks like she can still grow into a nice frame,” Ward said. “She's doing great. She won so easily the other day that we figured we would give this a shot. She is a good-training filly.”

Bred in Kentucky by Harris Training Center, Happy Soul is out of the Stephen Got Even mare Cowgirl Lucky. She was bought for $50,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by James M. Herbener, Jr.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was in the irons in both starts and will return in pursuit of his fifth Astoria score from post 4.

Terry Hutto's American Bound gave freshman sire American Freedom his first winner and could give the 2016 Runhappy Travers runner-up his first stakes winner as well when breaking from post 6 for trainer Joe Sharp.

American Bound was a 1 ½-length winner over the Keeneland main track on debut before finishing fifth over a sloppy and sealed track in the Kentucky Juvenile on April 28 at Churchill Downs.

American Bound was a frugal $15,000 acquisition from this year's OBS Winter Sale, where she was consigned by Sharon Biamonte.

Jockey Luis Saez will return to the irons.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will saddle Gary Barber's Constitution Gal in her first start over the main track.

The gray or roan daughter of third-crop sire Constitution was a distant third to Royal Ascot bound Twilight Gleaming in her debut, which took pace over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will guide Constitution Gal from post 3.

Constitution Gal was bought from Parrish Farms consignment barn for $150,000 at this year's OBS March Sale. She is the first offspring out of the unraced Spring At Last mare Spring Island.

Mainstay, a half-sister to 2-year-old Champion Filly Vequist, will exit post 2 under Frankie Pennington in her career debut. Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., Mainstay is by Astern and out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore.

Rounding out the field are Midsummer Nights [post 5, Manny Franco], and She's So Shiny [post 1, Mychel Sanchez].

The Astoria is carded as Race 7 on Thursday's nine-race program at Belmont Park. First post is 3:05 p.m.

The post Ward Sends Daylight Maiden Winner Happy Soul To Astoria appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Keeneland Has 78 Horses Of Racing Age Catalogued For Monday’s Sale

Keeneland will conduct its innovative April Horses of Racing Age sale on Monday, April 26, beginning at 1 p.m. ET in Lexington, Ky. A total of 78 horses have been cataloged to the auction, which will be conducted as an integrated event with live auctioneers at Keeneland and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Buyers who do not attend the sale may use online bidding to participate remotely.

The April Sale will be livestreamed on Keeneland.com.

Click here for the enhanced digital-only catalog on Keeneland.com. The catalog, also available through the Equibase iPad app, includes pedigrees, Equibase past performances and race videos, Daily Racing Form past performances, and Ragozin and Thoro-Graph figures. Consignors may upload photographs and walking videos.

Among the horses cataloged in the sale are these winners during the 2021 Keeneland Spring Meet:

  • American Bound (Hip 40), a 2-year-old filly by American Freedom who was an impressive winner on April 2 to open her career. She is consigned by Joe Sharp, agent.
  • A Thing of Beauty (Hip 41), a 3-year-old daughter of Bernardini who won 1 1/8-mile maiden turf race on April 7. She is consigned by ELiTE, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.
  • Baytown Frosty (Hip 77), a 2-year-old colt by Frosted who won April 18. He is consigned by McEntee Racing.
  • Brooke Marie (Hip 48), a 5-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid who won a 5½-furlong allowance race on turf on April 17. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, she is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect.

The catalog includes these horses who are coming off wins at other tracks:

  • Don't Call Me Mary (Hip 52), a 4-year-old daughter of El Padrino consigned by ELiTE, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.
  • I'll Make It Coach (Hip 64), a 3-year-old filly by Tonalist consigned by KatieRich Farms. She is cataloged as a racing prospect.

Three horses in the catalog are located off site:

  • Avenue de France (FR) (Hip 42), a 4-year-old winning daughter of Cityscape (GB) consigned by ELiTE, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect. She is at Santa Anita with trainer Leo Powell.
  • Hip 56, an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Quality Road-Fashion's Flight, by Dixie Union. Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent, he is from the family of Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner New Year's Day and Grade 2 winner Mohaymen. The colt is at Harris Training Center in Morristown, Florida.
  • Captivance (IRE) (Hip 78), a 3-year-old daughter of Gleneagles (IRE) who won her career debut on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs. Consigned as a racing or broodmare prospect by Eaton Sales, agent for Stonestreet Stables, the filly is at Stonestreet Training Center in Summerfield, Florida.

Keeneland will show a video of the off-site horses on Keeneland.com and on TV monitors.

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Keeneland Catalogs 66 Horses For April Horses Of Racing Age Sale

Keeneland has cataloged 66 horses for its April Horses of Racing Age Sale, to be held Monday, April 26.

The sale, which will begin at 1 p.m. ET and be livestreamed on Keeneland.com, will be conducted as an integrated event, with live auctioneers at Keeneland and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Keeneland also will provide online bidding for buyers who wish to participate remotely.

Keeneland will continue to accept supplement entries to the April Sale until Thursday, April 22.

Click here for the enhanced digital-only catalog on Keeneland.com. The catalog, also available through the Equibase iPad app, includes pedigrees, Equibase past performances and race videos, Daily Racing Form past performances, and Ragozin and Thoro-Graph figures. Consignors may upload photographs and walking videos.

“We are pleased with the interest among horsemen in returning the April Sale to the calendar after we had to cancel it last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Keeneland president, CEO and interim director of sales Shannon Arvin said. “Its placement this year at the start of Kentucky Derby week combined with the innovative digital catalog and remote selling options provide an exciting opportunity for people looking to enhance their racing operations.”

Participating consignors include ELiTE, Hunter Valley Farm, Indian Creek Farm, Lane's End, Mill Ridge Sales, Stonestreet Stables, Taylor Made Sales and WinStar Racing. Among the horses ELiTE is offering are three horses that will be located at Santa Anita Park. The Stonestreet Stables entrants are stabled at Payson Park Training Center in Florida.

Another horse cataloged in the sale is the 2-year-old American Freedom filly American Bound, who was an impressive winner on the April 2 opening day of Keeneland's Spring Meet.

Preparing for the April Sale

Buyers who plan to attend the April Sale or participate remotely should register for an account and establish credit within the Keeneland Sales Portal. Keeneland recommends doing so two weeks before the sale.

Online bidding available: Buyers may watch a real-time video view of the live sale and bid simultaneously from Keeneland's online bidding platform accessible through their accounts in the Keeneland Sales Portal. Two options are available: a live, on-demand bid that occurs manually and a max bid, which allows the software to bid on your behalf up to a designated price.

The Keeneland Sales team is available to answer any questions about bidding options and the April Sale. Please contact Director of Sales Accounting Brent Hacker at 859 288-4231 or bhacker@keeneland.com.

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American Freedom Gets First Winner at Keeneland

3rd-Keeneland, $60,000, Msw, 4-2, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.01, ft, 1 1/2 lengths.
AMERICAN BOUND (f, 2, American Freedom–Grace Abounds, by Stormy Atlantic) provided a further push for her first-crop sire (by Pulpit), becoming the Airdrie inmate's first winner Friday at Keeneland. The victory came just two days after another daughter of American Freedom sold for $550,000 at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream to go with three six-figure sellers at OBS March. Let go at 12-1 while breaking from the rail, American Bound broke on top and edged away around the turn with Wesley Ward-trained favorite Magniloquent (American Pharoah) in hot pursuit. American Bound stiff-armed that foe in upper stretch despite struggling with her leads, and had built up enough of an advantage to hold off Bode by You (Munnings) by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire, stopping the clock in :52.01-:0.14 faster than the other division of juvenile fillies in race one. The winner's dam, from the family of MGSW Souvenir Copy (Mr. Prospector), is also represented by a Daredevil filly of 2020. Sales history: $20,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $15,000 Ylg '20 OBSWIN. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Terry Hutto; B-Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm (KY); T-Joe Sharp.

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