Appalachian Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Favored Jouster Runs Away With Appalachian Stakes

Luis Saez seized the advantage with Jouster right from the start of Saturday's Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, and the 3-year-old Noble Mission filly never looked back, winning the one-mile turf race at the Lexington, Ky., track easily by 1 1/2 lengths for Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Setting easy fractions of :24.82, :49.87, 1:14.29 and 1:25.39 on a course rated good, Jouster completed the distance in 1:36.83 and paid $5.40 as the 8-5 favorite in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.

Gift List finished second, with Plum Ali a half length back in third and Saranya fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, Jouster was a $360,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase by Starlight from the Lane's End consignment.

Out of the Street Cry mare, Playtime, Jouster was winless in two dirt starts at two, but is a nose shy of being unbeaten in four races on this grass this year. She broke her maiden by 8 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park Jan. 10, then won an allowance race at the South Florida track by 1 3/4 lengths on Feb. 7. Jouster was beaten a nose by Domaine Expertise in the G3 Florida Oaks in her most recent start at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. She trained up to the Appalachian at Pletcher's Florida headquarters at Palm Beach Downs.

Post-race quotes:
Luis Saez (winning rider of Jouster)

“She was so professional today, she broke from there so sharp. We just tried to relax and she did it so perfect. She came into the stretch and I had so much horse so I was just letting her be happy and we came to the end she just took off. She's good.”

Jack Wolf (managing partner of winning owner Starlight Racing)

“These last few days on this turf, the speed hasn't been holding which is what I was concerned about. Luis said before the race that he was going to try to get her to relax. The fractions you saw were perfect.”

Brian Lynch (trainer of runner-up Gift List [GB], who was making her North American debut)

“When I looked up at the half-mile pole and saw :49, I knew we were in trouble. She ran a really great race and now we are Grade 2-placed.”

Joel Rosario (rider of third-place finisher Plum Ali)

“That horse (the winner) took the lead easily and it was hard to catch her after that. But (Plum Ali) put in a nice run. I'm happy with my filly. She was running nice in the end, but just with the way the pace went it made it difficult.”

The post Favored Jouster Runs Away With Appalachian Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plum Ali Makes Seasonal Bow in Appalachian

Plum Ali (First Samurai) makes the first start of her sophomore career Saturday in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. A debut winner going two turns at Saratoga July 23, the chestnut rallied to another decisive victory in the Mint Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7 and captured the GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont Oct. 4. She was last seen making up good ground to be fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Nov. 6.

Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) looks to rebound after being disqualified from her victory in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. last out Feb. 27. Opening her account with a pair of wins in Hallandale, including the Sharp Susan S. last summer, the bay checked in second to 'TDN Rising Star' Aunt Peal (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in this venue's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 7 and was sixth to that rival in the Breeders' Cup. She crossed the line 2 3/4 lengths clear in the Herecomesthebride, but was disqualified for interference and placed fourth.

'TDN Rising Star' Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}) seeks her black-type badge in this test. Earning her diploma by 8 3/4 lengths at third asking when switched to the turf at Gulfstream Jan. 10, the bay followed suit with an optional claimer win there Feb. 7 and missed by a nose in the GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Mar. 6.

The post Plum Ali Makes Seasonal Bow in Appalachian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Enola Gay Edges Walk In Marrakesh At The Wire In Appalachian

Allen Stable's homebred Enola Gay edged past Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) in the final jump to win Saturday's Appalachian Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Enola Gay covered the mile on a firm turf in a stakes-record 1:33.97. It is the third Appalachian victory for Leparoux, who also won on Check the Label in 2010 and Lady of Venice (FR) in 2006.

Evil Lyn led the field of six through fractions of :23.25 and :46.28 with odds-on favorite Alms tracking in second and Walk In Marrakesh third.

On the far turn, Alms and Walk In Marrakesh moved by the leader while Enola Guy began to move on the far outside. Walk In Marrakesh put Alms away in deep stretch but could not hold off the late surge by Enola Gay.

The victory was worth $90,000 and increased Enola Gay's earnings to $174,000 with a record of 3-2-0-0.

The Appalachian was her first start in eight months.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Enola Gay is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo out of the War Front mare Dakota Queen. She paid $12.60, $5.20 and $2.60. Walk In Marrakesh, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $4.40 and $2.40 with Alms finishing only head back and returning $2.10 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another 1¼ lengths back to Evil Lyn, who was followed in order by Passion Factor and Mariafoot (FR).

Appalachian Presented by Japan Racing Association Quotes
Julien Leparoux: “I was in a good spot the whole race. The 3 (Evil Lyn) and 4 (Alms) – I got going with them. Coming to the stretch, (Enola Gay) just went on. She fought hard. At the wire, I thought I won it. But when I came back I saw the outrider pick up the 6 (second-place Walk In Marrakesh [IRE]). I thought maybe I was too late. But she got it done.

“My filly, she just kept going. She fought hard the whole way.”

Winning trainer Shug McGaughey: “I couldn't tell (if she had won). I kind of called it the other way, but then I got a text that said 'Boom' and I knew I was all right.

“She had trained really well up here (in New York). We were taking a little shot. She hadn't run for a while, but she had trained so well. She had been finishing up in her races really good, but it looked to me when they turned for home there she might (not win). Julien got her to the outside, and she kicked in. They ran fast. We're very pleased, I'm very, very pleased.

“It looks like to me now that she wants to run a little bit farther. So we'll see how she comes out of it. She'll go to Saratoga tomorrow.”

The post Enola Gay Edges Walk In Marrakesh At The Wire In Appalachian appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Uncle Mo’s Enola Gay Comes Alive Late to Take Appalachian

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.97, fm.
1–ENOLA GAY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Dakota Queen, by War Front
2nd Dam: Moon Queen (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Infamy (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Mr Joseph Allen LLC
(KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $174,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Walk In Marrakesh (Ire), 118, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Walk In Beauty (Ire), by Shamardal. O-Merriebelle Stable LLC;
B-Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Ignacio Correas IV. $30,000.
3–Alms, 118, f, 3, City Zip–Charity Belle, by Empire Maker. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $15,000.
Margins: NO, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.30, 4.50, 0.50.
Also Ran: Evil Lyn, Passion Factor, Mariafoot (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Enola Gay, employing her usual come-from-behind style, got up in the final jump to collect her first black-type and graded- stakes win in Saturday’s GII Appalachian S. A first-out winner going 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs last September, the bay concluded the season with a fourth–beaten four lengths–in the Stewart Manor S. over Aqueduct’s outer turf course Nov. 10. Given a 5-1 chance in this seasonal return, the Shug McGaughey trainee was a close-up third as Evil Lyn (Wicked Strong) and Alms (City Zip) established a :23.25 quarter. Joined by Walk In Marrakesh to her outside through a half in :46.28, the Allen hombred was soon left behind as Walk In Marrakesh rushed up to join the two leaders as they hit the quarter pole. At the head of the stretch, Evil Lyn, Alms and Walk In Marrakesh were three abreast with Enola Gay tucked in about a length behind them, and while it looked like one of the top three would win the day, Enola Gay found her best stride late and closed down the center of the course to best Walk In Marrakesh by a nose on the wire. Alms rounded out the trifecta.

Pedigree Notes:
Campaigned by Joseph Allen, Enola Gay is out of Allen hombred Dakota Queen (War Front), herself a daughter of Group 2\Grade III-winner Moon Queen (Sadler’s Wells). A half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning turf mare Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon), Moon Queen–a daughter of 1988 Woodbine’s GI Rothmans International heroine Infamy (Ire)–is also responsible for Grade III-scorer Beauty Parlor (Elusive Quality).
Dakota Queen produced a juvenile full-sister to the winner, now named Flying Fortress, and a yearling sister by Union Rags. The 8-year-old mare was bred back to Into Mischief.
Enola Gay is the first graded stakes winner, and the fifth stakes winner, for War Front as a broodmare sire.

The post Uncle Mo’s Enola Gay Comes Alive Late to Take Appalachian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post