Ashland Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ashland Winner Speech Heading Back To California To Train For Kentucky Oaks

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech is scheduled to return to Del Mar on Monday following her three-length victory in Saturday's $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The victory earned Speech 100 qualifying points toward the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be run Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. Speech has 160 points and ranks second in points for the Oaks that is limited to the top 14 point earners to pass the entry box.

Speech gave trainer Michael McCarthy his first Keeneland stakes victory. McCarthy watched the victory from Del Mar, where an hour and a half later he won the third race.

“Justin Curran was deputizing on my behalf and was very pleased with them (Speech and third-place Toyota Blue Grass-G2 finisher Rushie) this morning,” McCarthy said via text.

Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie is scheduled on the Monday flight to Del Mar.

McCarthy now has eight weeks to get ready to return to Churchill, where he spent several meets as an assistant to Todd Pletcher before going out on his own.

“Most likely both will have a few works here at Del Mar before deciding on a Churchill Downs arrival date,” McCarthy said about Speech and Rushie.

Rushie is not Triple Crown nominated, and plans are uncertain for the colt, who has picked up 40 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the Run for the Roses on Sept. 5.

“Nothing is set in stone for Rushie,” McCarthy said. “There are plenty of options.”

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Options Open for Art Collector

Bruce Lunsford’s GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) returned to trainer Tom Drury’s Skylight Training Center base in Goshen, Kentucky Saturday night and options for the colt’s next start are still open.

“I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do,” Drury said. “Art Collector will stay at Skylight for a little while because it is quieter there and then like we have done before, two weeks or so before he runs we will bring him back to Churchill.”

With the Blue Grass victory, Art Collector picked up 100 qualifying points toward the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, good for fourth place on the Derby leader board with only six points races remaining.

“If we do anything [before the Derby], it likely would be Ellis [the Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9],” Drury said.

Art Collector gave Drury his first graded stakes victory with his authoritative score at Keeneland Saturday, but the trainer didn’t have much time to celebrate.

“It was a pretty special day,” Drury said Sunday morning. “You know how we horse trainers are. I had to get him back to Skylight last night and I had to be at Churchill Downs at 5:30 [this morning] for the first set. I wound up having a frozen pizza and a cold beer.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables’ Speech (Mr Speaker), along with stablemate and Blue Grass third-place finisher Rushie (Liam’s Map), is scheduled to ship back to California Monday following her victory in Saturday’s GI Central Bank Ashland S.

“Justin Curran was deputizing on my behalf and was very pleased with them this morning,” trainer Mike McCarthy said of the duo via text Sunday. “Most likely both will have a few works here at Del Mar before deciding on a Churchill Downs arrival date.”

Rushie is not Triple Crown nominated, and plans are uncertain for the colt, who has picked up 40 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the Run for the Roses.

“Nothing is set in stone for Rushie,” McCarthy said. “There are plenty of options.”

The post Options Open for Art Collector appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Speech Rallies Past Venetian Harbor To Record First Stakes Victory In Ashland

Getting a perfect trip under Javier Castellano, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' and Madaket Stables Speech ended her bout of seconditis with an emphatic victory over odds-on favorite Venetian Harbor in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday.

The Michael McCarthy-trained daughter of Mr Speaker tracked Venetian Harbor in second throughout, then took command in the stretch to win by three lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.26, a new track record. Venetian Harbor finished second, with Envoutante another 3 3/4 lengths back in third and Bonny South fourth in a race that gave 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks.

Speech paid $10 to win as the second choice in the wagering.

Venetian Harbor, second to division leader Swiss Skydiver in the G3 Fantasy at Oaklawn last out on May 1, set the fractions of :24.04, :47.14 and 1:10.44 for the first six furlongs under Joel Rosario. Castellano had Speech lapped on Venetian Harbor's right hip much of the way, and the filly responded when asked by Castellano, taking command in the stretch after a mile in 1:34.90 and drawing away for the win.

Speech broke her maiden at second asking at Los Alamitos last December, then ran second in four consecutive races, including a hard-fought neck loss to Gamine in a May 2 allowance race at Oaklawn Park. Gamine came out of that race to win the G1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park by 18 3/4 lengths.

Returned to California after that narrow defeat, Gamine finished second to Swiss Skydiver in the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on June 6.

Speech now ranks second, with 160 Kentucky Oaks points, behind Swiss Skydiver. Swiss Skydiver was entered in Saturday's G2 Blue Grass Stakes against males, where she finished second.

Updated Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard

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Speech Loud and Clear in Ashland

Speech (Mr Speaker) became her young sire’s first Grade I winner and earned enough points to land her a spot in the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with a decisive score in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Saturday afternoon. Speedy GII Las Virgenes S. romper Venetian Harbor (Munnings) shot out to the early lead, loping through an opening quarter in :24.04 with Speech stalking from second off the fence. Envoutante (Uncle Mo) slipped up the fence inside of Speech as the half went up in :47.14, but backed out of it on the backstretch as Speech ranged up threateningly on the pacesetter’s outside. Speech overtook Venetian Harbor in early stretch and punched clear to win by three lengths. Venetian Harbor held second over Envoutante.

“I was very happy,” said winning trainer Mike McCarthy. “Obviously we had our mind set on running in the [GIII] Beaumont S. for the last five weeks or so and the last minute, we kind of called an audible and sometimes these things work out. To come back today and think we would set a track record in a race we weren’t especially pointing to says something about Speech. She trained well, she shows up every time. I call her the ultimate overachiever.”

Graduating at second asking at Los Alamitos in December, Speech was second to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Auberge (Palace) in a Feb. 1 optional claimer at Santa Anita and completed the exacta behind Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 8 in Arcadia. Coming up a neck short of dominant GI Acorn S. victress and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gamine (Into Mischief) in an Oaklawn optional claimer May 2, the bay filled the place spot again in the GII Santa Anita Oaks last time June 6.

Pedigree Notes:

Speech is the first black-type winner for her young sire Mr Speaker. Breeder Gail Rice purchased the winner’s dam Scribbling Sarah, who was conditioned by her former sister-in-law Linda Rice, for $7,500 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. The 10-year-old mare has since produced an unnamed juvenile colt by Upstart and a 2019 colt by Unified. She was bred back to Midnight Lute, but has no reported foal for 2020.

Saturday, Keeneland
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S.-GI, $392,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:41.26, ft.
1–SPEECH, 121, f, 3, by Mr Speaker
1st Dam: Scribbling Sarah, by Freud
2nd Dam: Plinking, by Talkin Man
3rd Dam: Holy Wish, by Lord At War (Arg)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($65,000 Ylg ’18 OBSWIN; $95,000 RNA Ylg ’18 FTKJUL; $190,000 2yo ’19 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Madaket Stables LLC; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Michael W McCarthy; J-Javier Castellano. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 7-2-4-1, $353,840. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Venetian Harbor, 121, f, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Sounds of the City, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Welcome Home, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Safe Return, by Mr. Prospector
($110,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $205,000 RNA 2yo ’19 OBSAPR). O-Ciaglia Racing LLC, Highland Yard LLC, River Oak Farm & Dominic Savides; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $80,000.
3–Envoutante, 121, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Enchante, by Bluegrass Cat
2nd Dam: Wear, by Arch
3rd Dam: Abrade, by Mr. Prospector
($250,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Walking L Thoroughbreds LLC & Three Chimneys Farm; B-Jumping Jack Racing LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G McPeek. $40,000.
Margins: 3, 3 3/4, 2. Odds: 4.00, 0.60, 5.50.
Also Ran: Bonny South, Alta’s Award. Scratched: Tonalist’s Shape. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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