Tag: aqueduct

Saturday’s Insights: Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Topper ‘Gunning’ For Debut Score

7th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, post time: 3:20 p.m.
While the focus of the Thoroughbred world Saturday afternoon will rightly be on Santa Anita, SIERRA LEONE (Gun Runner), the $2.3-million topper out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, provides ample reason to click over to the Aqueduct feed between the running of the Filly and Mare Turf and Filly and Mare Sprint. The Mar. 31 foal was bred by Debby Oxley and is a son of her homebred 2017 GI Darley Alcibiades S. romper Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon). There was activity in the colt's second dam just Friday, when Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), a 2-year-old son of Heavenly Love's GII Santa Ynez S.-winning half-sister Forever Darling (Congrats), took out the Listed JBC Nisai Yushun at Mombetsu Racecourse in Japan. The Grade I-winning third dam Roamin Rachel (Mining) produced Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Among the opposition is fellow firster and $600,000 Keeneland September grad Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), whose dam Valdorna (Curlin) was second in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and won the 2018 GIII Doubledogdare S. TJCIS PPs

 

 

 

5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:00 p.m. ET
JUST JULES (Justify), a $1.05-million KEESEP yearling, is the latest to the races from the Grade II-placed juvenile Fully Living (Unbridled's Song), already the dam of MGSP Untreated (Nyquist) and Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro), last-out winner of the grassy GIII Santa Ana S. at Santa Anita. Fully Living is a half-sister to this year's GIII Canadian Derby victor Abeliefinthislivin (Arrogate, while champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Halfbridled (Unbridled) appears in the third dam. A $600,000 FTSAUG purchase, Hollywood Dream (Uncle Mo) is out of Miss Hollywood (Malibu Moon), a stakes-winning daughter of George Krikorian's MGISW Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), whose son Honor A. P. (Honor Code) won the 2020 GI Santa Anita Derby. Public Assembly (More Than Ready), a $100,000 in-utero purchase at KEENOV in 2020 before fetching $300,000 at KEESEP, is out of a full-sister to MGSW Csaba (Kitten's Joy) and SW & GISP Kitten's Queen. TJCIS PPs

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:55 p.m. ET
GIVE ME A REASON (Justify) draws the rail for this first trip to the races and is out of the Grade I-winner and outstanding producer Dream of Summer (Siberian Summer), whose offspring include Grade I-winning juvenile Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway), MGSW and GI Belmont S. runner-up Destin (Giant's Causeway), GISW Vexatious (Giant's Causeway) and GSP Summer Promise (Uncle Mo). Give Me a Reason cost $500,000 at Keeneland last fall. Godolphin's Knightsbridge (Nyquist), a homebred half-brother to GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), is out of an unraced daughter of 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter Round Pond (Awesome Again). TJCIS PPs

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Irad Ortiz Jr., Suspended Three Days for Aqueduct ‘Careless Riding’

Irad Ortiz, Jr., currently the nation's leading jockey in both purse winnings and victories for 2023, waived his right to appeal a three-day “careless riding” suspension imposed by the Aqueduct Racetrack stewards for an Oct. 22 bumping incident that resulted in a victory for Ortiz's mount, an inquiry by the stewards, but no disqualification.

As a result of waiving the appeal, Ortiz will sit out three days starting this coming Sunday, Nov. 5, the day after he rides the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, plus next Thursday and Friday, Nov. 9 and 10, the next two live racing dates on the Aqueduct calendar.

Riding Mister J T (Stay Thirsty), who was claimed as the 5-2 second favorite out of a $12,500 claiming sprint, Ortiz, according to the Equibase chart, was bottled up “behind a wall of rivals slugging it out on the front nearing the eighth pole, opted to tip out bulling his way out by bumping Striking Speed [Brilliant Speed] twice and nearly forcing that rival to clip heels to make a lane for himself at that station, then forged clear in hand much the best in the late stages.”

Striking Speed faded to seventh and last place.

Ortiz recently was suspended three days at Saratoga Race Course for a “careless riding” foul that did result in the disqualification of his mount from a July 27 win. He also served three days for committing the same type of infraction at Belmont Park June 11 that resulted in an inquiry but no disqualification of his third-place finisher.

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Everso Mischievous Strikes Gold In Forty Niner

Formerly known as the Kelso, Saturday's GII Forty Niner S. at Aqueduct may not have Breeders' Cup implications, but as the first graded win in New York for Cristian Torres, who piloted Everso Mischievous (c, 3, Into Mischief–Ever So Clever, by Medaglia d'Oro), it may have felt like the Breeders' Cup. Torres picked up the sixth graded win of his career after earning his first one earlier this year in the GIII Razorback S. at Oaklawn on Last Samurai (Malibu Moon).

“It's unbelievable,” said Torres. “I can't express how I feel. To win a stakes race in any part of the country is awesome, but NYRA? It's great.”

Tracking from second behind 14-1 leader Swiftsure (Uncle Mo) through a first quarter in :23.29 and a half in :45.89, Everso Mischievous collared the frontrunner going into the turn as GII Woodward runner-up Film Star (Flatter) joined the fray to his outside. The three raced across the track, emerging with Everso Mischievous holding a slight advantage as the Chad Brown duo of Dr Ardito (Liam's Map)–who was five for six over this track–and last-out GII Vosburgh runner-up Accretive (Practical Joke) made their own runs. The blinkered Brad Cox winner fought to the wire in determined fashion and dug in to hold a closing Dr Ardito at bay by a half-length, while favorite Accretive just missed second by a nose.

“He was perfect,” said Torres of the winner, who was the lone 3-year-old in the field. “The trip worked out perfect. When we were turning for home, I asked my horse and he took off again. He's a nice horse, so he finished up. They always thought this was a nice horse. In the beginning of his career, he was a little green, but it was just a matter of time that he'd mature. They put blinkers on him at Saratoga and he improved a lot. They're very happy, I'm very happy, and I'm very grateful to ride this kind of horse.”

Everso Mischievous was a $600,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase for China Horse Club and Gandharvi Racing before selling again just over a year later at the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age sale having not made it to the starting gate. Fergus Galvin picked him up for $85,000. Now a Qatar Racing colorbearer, the bay is two heads shy of being undefeated. He debuted in February at Aqueduct, broke his maiden at second asking in May at Churchill, and has now won three straight, including the Harrods Creek S. at Churchill in his last out Sept. 23. He's never gotten under a 90 Beyer Speed Figure and added blinkers three back, which Cox has said helped him focus.

Pedigree Notes:

Spendthrift's Into Mischief, who will stand for $250,000 again in 2024, is the sire of the Forty Niner winner and 138 other black-type winners worldwide. His 68 graded winners include six Grade I winners this year, tops among North American-based sires. He's led the leading sires list for the past four seasons and is on target to do it again this year.

Active Darley sire Medaglia d'Oro, who stands at Jonabell Farm, has sired the dams of 97 stakes winners. Ever So Clever, dam of Everso Mischievous, is one of his 176 black-type winners worldwide. She has juvenile and yearling full-brothers to the Forty Niner winner and was bred to Jack Christopher for next term. Her 2-year-old is unraced and was a $400,000 RNA at Keeneland September in 2022, while her yearling was a $1.1-million purchase for West Point Thoroughbreds at the recent edition of the same sale.

Saturday, Belmont at the Big A

FORTY NINER S.-GII, $300,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-28, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.32, ft.
1–EVERSO MISCHIEVOUS, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Ever So Clever (GSW, $522,830), by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Foxy Danseur, by Mr. Greeley
                3rd Dam: Ravish Me, by Wild Again
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($600,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $85,000 2yo '22 KEENOV). O-Qatar Racing; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Cristian A. Torres. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-2-0, $524,640. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dr Ardito, 122, g, 5, Liam's Map–Delightfully So, by Indian Charlie. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb; B-Fred W. Hertrich lll & John D. Fielding (NY); T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000.
3–Accretive, 122, g, 4, Practical Joke–Mallory Street, by Street Sense. ($180,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Falcon Wood Partners (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $36,000.
Margins: HF, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.60, 6.00, 1.60.
Also Ran: Film Star, Swiftsure, Business Model, Double Crown. Scratched: Synthesis.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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No Distaff But Xigera Still A Winner In Mother Goose

In just her second start on the dirt, Rigney Racing's Xigera (Nyquist) impressed her connections with a 6 1/4-length win in Churchill's Seneca Overnight S. Sept. 23. The effort was enough to prompt a Breeders' Cup discussion and the daughter of Nyquist was pre-entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff only to be withdrawn from consideration early week and rerouted to Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. The move proved to be a smart one as Xigera rewarded her connections with another open-length win at even money.

Switched to the main track after four-straight turf races dating back to a poor performance in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the 3-year-old went off favored Saturday in her second attempt at a graded stake on the dirt (she was fourth in last year's GI Alcibiades). Out moved to the front by an eager Undervalued Asset (Speightstown), Xigera was content to sit a stalking trip in second into the backstretch. A length off that leader through a half mile in :48.46, Julien Leparoux kept his filly under wraps even as Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) began to make an early bid alongside into the far turn. Sandwiched between runners with a quarter left to run, Xigera had plenty left to offer as the pacesetter faded to the inside and quickly moved clear inside the final sixteenth to win going away under a hand ride. Defining Purpose held on for second over a closing Occult (Into Mischief).

“The hindsight is the easiest sight, so now that it's done, it was the right decision [to come here rather than the Breeders' Cup],' said winning trainer Phil Bauer. “I'm overwhelmed. It's a pretty cool race historically. This year, as a whole, has just been phenomenal for Richard [Rigney, owner] and us, and to accomplish what we have is something special and we need to make sure we don't take it for granted. It was the right decision and hopefully, it will springboard her to a 4-year-old campaign that has been as impressive as her last two races.”

 

Pedigree Note:

Argent Affair, a stakes winner herself, RNA'd at last year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale for just $100,000 despite producing GSW Forty Under (Uncle Mo) along with GSP Myriskyaffair (Verrazano) and Saturday's winner. A $190,000 yearling, Xigera is one of 21 stakes winners from four racing crops for champion 2-year-old colt and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Damsire Black Tie Affair (Ire), himself a Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Classic victor, also sired the dam. of MG1SW Mastercraftsman (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Xigera's only younger half-sibling is a weanling Street Boss filly. Argent Affair visited Mo Donegal for 2024.

Saturday, Belmont The Big A
MOTHER GOOSE S.-GII, $250,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–XIGERA, 122, f, 3, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Argent Affair (SW, $154,895),
                                by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Caty's Quest, by Norquestor
                3rd Dam: Cataque, by Clever Trick
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($190,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Rigney Racing, LLC; B-Cedar Hill, LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer;
J-Julien R. Leparoux. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-1,
$576,601. *1/2 to Forty Under (Uncle Mo), GSW, $380,536;
1/2 to Myriskyaffair (Verrazano), GSP, $271,095. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Defining Purpose, 124, f, 3, Cross Traffic–Defining Hope, by
Strong Hope. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEEJAN). O-Katsumi
Yoshida; B-Colette Marie VanMatre (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek. $50,000.
3–Occult, 124, f, 3, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by Empire
Maker. ($625,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC;
B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$30,000.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 1.05, 7.20, 2.00.
Also Ran: Julia Shining, Foggy Night, Undervalued Asset, Peak Popularity.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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