Tag: azeri

War Front Stays ‘Smokin’ Hot In the River City

Having been represented by a pair of new graded stakes scorers on Breeders' Cup Saturday, Claiborne Farm's War Front picked up yet another when the impeccably bred Smokin' T ran out a good-looking winner of the $300,000 GIII River City S. beneath the Saturday night lights at Churchill Downs.

The sometimes difficult-to-handle 4-year-old colt was outsprinted and settled in centerfield through the early exchanges, as Dominican Pioneer (Pioneerof the Nile) ensured that the nine-furlong event would be run at a genuine tempo. Stitched (Mizzen Mast), winner of the relocated GII Wise Dan S. over the summer, did his part to keep the pacesetter honest and John Velazquez aboard the 4-1 Smokin' T would have been plenty pleased with what was happening on the business end of things, as he settled his charge three deep with cover on the back of Injunction (Skipshot) down the backstretch. Angled out on the turn, just beating Harlan Estate (Kantharos) to a spot, Smokin T' swung out wide for the drive and had dead aim on the leaders, surged to the front inside the eighth pole and sailed clear as Harlan Estate and Siege of Boston (War Front) finished with gusto to fill the minor placings.

Smokin' T picked up his first win of 2023 in a second-level allowance going a mile here May 5 with Velazquez at the controls and was a narrowly beaten second in the May 27 Cliff Hanger S. at Monmouth ahead of a maiden black-type success in the Aug. 5 Lure S. at Saratoga. The bay couldn't quite seal the deal when defeated a half-length into third in the GIII Mint Millions S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 2 and backed up on two weeks' rest, but was no better than third in the GIII BWI Turf Cup at Pimlico.

“He's always been a bit headstrong in the early part of his races. I think he did a better job relaxing today and not wasting as much energy,” assistant trainer Reeve McGaughey said. “We thought this distance would suit him better. It was also nice to see him finish well once he got in front. At Kentucky Downs two starts ago he sort of hung a little bit. He's had a solid year and likes this track here at Churchill.”

Pedigree Notes:

It has been another rock-solid season for the now 21-year-old War Front, whose sons Seal Team (GB) (GII Twilight Derby) and War at Sea (GIII Golden Gate H.) added to his tally last weekend. Overall, War Front is the sire of a dozen stakes winners in 2023, nine of which have come at the graded-stakes level. He is now responsible for 66 GSWs worldwide.

Wine Princess was campaigned by Becky Winemiller, who gave $475,000 for the daughter of Horse of the Year Azeri at the 2010 Keeneland September Sale. Trained by Steve Margolis, Wine Princess amassed a record of 5-5-1 from 13 starts including a win in the 2012 GIII Monmouth Oaks before closing her career with a defeat of that year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff runner-up Don't Tell Sophia (Congaree) in this track's GII Falls City H. She was also third in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Wine Princess, a half-sister to Japanese MGSP Leukerbad (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the latter's GSP full-brother Shirvanshah (Jpn) and GSP Arienza (Giant's Causeway), was purchased by DATTT Farm LLC for $3 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, tied for the second-priciest offering behind GI Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior).

Also a 19th GSW produced by a daughter of Ghostzapper, Smokin' T has a yearling half-brother by Authentic that was purchased by Whitehorse Stables for $450,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga this summer and a weanling half-brother by Charlatan.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
RIVER CITY S.-GIII, $289,858, Churchill Downs, 11-11, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.66, gd.
1–SMOKIN' T, 121, c, 4, by War Front
1st Dam: Wine Princess (MGSW & GISP, $461,561), by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Azeri, by Jade Hunter
3rd Dam: Zodiac Miss (Aus), by Ahonoora (GB)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($295,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O/B-Dattt Farm LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-John R.
Velazquez. $174,150. Lifetime Record: 18-5-1-6, $700,460.
Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Harlan Estate, 121, g, 5, Kantharos–Archerette, by Arch.
($39,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTKJUL; $90,000 2yo '20 OBSMAR;
$150,000 4yo '22 KEENOV). O-Graham Grace Stable; B-Tall
Oaks Farm (ON); T-D. Whitworth Beckman. $46,500.
3–Siege of Boston, 121, c, 4, War Front–Peinture Rare (Ire), by
Sadler's Wells. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Joseph Allen LLC;
B-Joseph Allen, LLC & White Birch Farm, Inc. (KY); T-James J.
Toner. $28,250.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 4.27, 15.05, 5.70.
Also Ran: Grand Sonata, Dominican Pioneer, Injunction, Rockemperor (Ire), Red Run, Kitodan, F Five, Cellist, Stitched. Scratched: Accredit, Beatbox, Street Ready. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Kentucky Oaks Winner Secret Oath Impressive in Azeri Return

Last year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (f, 4, Arrogate–Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American) returned to the races in style in Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn.

The 7-5 second choice raced one from the back rounding the clubhouse turn after exiting from the one hole. Racing under a nice hold down the backstretch, she launched her familiar, wide sweeping move on the far turn, hit the front under confident handling in the stretch and had 2 3/4 lengths to spare over favored MGISW Clairiere (Curlin), last seen just missing by a head while finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 5. Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) was third.

“She's got such a long stride,” said D. Wayne Lukas, who also trained the race's brilliant namesake Azeri. “She just kicks. When she kicks it in like that, her stride increases about four feet. She just eats that ground up. It's impressive to watch it. I thought she would run a big one today. I have so much respect for Steve Asmussen's filly (Clairiere). I was confident she would run a big one, but when you've got a field this tough, you've got to beat them. I just thought she would throw a real good one today because I did everything I wanted to do with her coming into it. I didn't have to adjust a work or anything. I did it all when I wanted to. I thought I had her tuned.”

Lukas added that Secret Oath will start next in the $1-million GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Apr. 15.

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione added, “I didn't want to rush her off her feet. I know what kind of kick she has, so I just let her kind of find herself in the place she wanted to be. Going into the (second turn), she tried to go about the three-eighths pole. Just took a little hold of her and she came right back to me. Swung her out coming down the stretch. Showed her the whip once and she finished the job well.”

Secret Oath improved her record to four-for-five in Hot Springs. She was an impressive winner of last term's GIII Honeybee S. and Martha Washington S., and was also third as the favorite against the boys in the GI Arkansas Derby.

The Azeri ended a five-race losing streak for Secret Oath. Second behind champion 3-year-old filly Nest (Curlin) in Saratoga's GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. last summer, the GI Preakness S. fourth-place finisher concluded her sophomore campaign with a fifth-place finish after leading in the stretch in the Distaff.

Pedigree Notes:

Secret Oath is one of four graded winners, all Grade I winners, for the gone-too-soon Arrogate.

Robert Mitchell and his wife Stacy purchased Secret Oath's then 10-year-old second dam Rockford Peach for $36,000 in foal to Running Stag at the Adena Springs sale at Fasig-Tipton in 2001, and clearly the best of the 11 foals she produced for Briland Farm was her fourth to hit the ground, Absinthe Minded.

Also trained by Lukas, the daughter of Quiet American won two renewals of the Bayakoa S. and the Pippin S. at Oaklawn and was placed twice in the GI Apple Blossom H. Outside of Arkansas, Absinthe Minded was narrowly runner-up in the 2011 GII Shuvee H. and third in that year's GII Molly Pitcher S. All totaled, the mare won six times from 35 starts and bankrolled over $607,000.

The fourth foal for her dam, Secret Oath was cataloged through Bluewater Sales as hip 1242 to the 2020 Keeneland September Sale, but a bit of fate intervened and she was withdrawn.

Absinthe Minded is the dam of an unraced 3-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro. She was most recently covered by Unbridled's Song's son Liam's Map in 2022.

Saturday, Oaklawn
AZERI S.-GII, $350,000, Oaklawn, 3-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.26, ft.
1–SECRET OATH, 119, f, 4, by Arrogate
               1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
                2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
                3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY);
T-D. Wayne Lukas; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $213,850. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 14-6-2-3, $1,982,267. Werk Nick Rating: F.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clairiere, 119, m, 5, Curlin–Cavorting, by Bernardini.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $65,800.
3–Interstatedaydream, 119, f, 4, Classic Empire–Babcock, by
Uncle Mo. ($105,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP;
$175,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC;
B-William D. Graham (ON); T-Brad H. Cox. $32,900.
Margins: 2 3/4, HD, HF. Odds: 1.40, 1.10, 5.90.
Also Ran: Hot and Sultry, Le Da Vida (Chi), Lovely Ride, Hidden Connection, Moon Swag.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Champion Ce Ce Wins Azeri Thriller

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), game winner of the 2020 GI Apple Blossom H., underscored her affinity for Oaklawn with another game victory in Saturday's GII Azeri S. The 2021 champion female sprinter was squeezed slightly at the start by the wayward Lady Mystify (Bernardini), while Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) took the worst of it and was forced back sharply as defending Azeri champ and race favorite Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) raced out to take control. Showing the way through an opening quarter in :23.44 followed by a :47.53 half, the leader continued to move easily as Ce Ce's regular pilot, Victor Espinoza, was content to survey the action in two-wide fourth. Starting to pick up the tempo rounding the far turn, Ce Ce reeled in the even-money choice, collaring her rival turning at the quarter pole and began inching ahead of the game GI Kentucky Oaks heroine in early stretch. Appearing to be home free, Ce Ce faced another challenger late, however, as Pauline's Pearl, who overcame her early disadvantage, put in a good run, but couldn't quite get by late as Ce Ce prevailed by a hard-fought 3/4 of a length. Shedaresthedevil crossed the wire a clear third.

“I had a good trip actually,” Espinoza said. “I was able to get clear at the break so I could sit behind the frontrunners. I wanted to wait a little longer, but she was doing it so easy, I just moved on with her. She could hear all the noise from the crowd and kind of put the brakes on me, but luckily the other two horses [Pauline's Pearl and Shedaresthedevil] were on either side of me and when she saw them, she moved forward. It's like she runs so easy, she gets a little bit bored and does some silly things, but it all worked out.”

Added Michael McCarthy, speaking via Bas Nicholl (assistant to D. Wayne Lukas), who saddled the mare, “Obviously, coming to the top of the stretch, it looked like she was going to go ahead and put a little daylight between herself and everybody else. Coming to the sixteenth pole, I saw her ears go up and wasn't sure if she was getting tired or what. When those two other fillies came to her, she dug back in and showed what a champion she is today.”

CeCe, winner of Oaklawn's 2020 GI Apple Blossom H., annexed four of six starts during her championship season, including Gulfstream's seven-panel GII Princess Rooney S. and 6 1/2-furlong GIII Chillingworth S. at Santa Anita. She capped off the year, while securing her championship title, with a score in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar. The Bo Hirsch homebred kicked off 2022 with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita Feb. 5.

Pedigree Notes:

Ce Ce's lightly raced dam Miss Houdini, winner of the 2002 GI Del Mar Debutante, is also responsible for GII Arkansas Derby and GII San Fernando S. winner Papa Clem (Smart Strike).

Also a Bo Hirsch homebred, the mare's latest representative is the unplaced 2-year-old Native Thunder (American Pharoah), a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Lazy F Ranch. Miss Houdini was bred to Mucho Macho Man and Tamarkuz for 2022.

Magical Maiden, Ce Ce's Second dam, was a $26,000 juvenile purchase by Hirsch's father Clement. She took a pair of Grade I races in Southern California, earning over $900,000 before being sold for $400,000 at the 2000 Keeneland November sale. The Azeri winner's late sire, Elusive Quality, is responsible for a total of 56 graded winners and 137 stakes winners.

Saturday, Oaklawn
AZERI S.-GII, $350,000, Oaklawn, 3-12, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.55, ft.
1–CE CE, 117, m, 6, by Elusive Quality
               1st Dam: Miss Houdini (GISW, $187,600), by Belong to Me
               2nd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
               3rd Dam: Gils Magic, by Magesterial
O/B-Bo Hirsch, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Victor
Espinoza. $210,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. female sprinter,
MGISW, 18-9-2-3, $2,003,100. *1/2 to Papa Clem (Smart
Strike), MGSW & GISP, $1,121,190. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pauline's Pearl, 124, f, 4, Tapit–Hot Dixie Chick, by Dixie
Union. O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$70,000.
3–Shedaresthedevil, 119, m, 5, Daredevil–Starship
Warpspeed, by Congrats. ($100,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV;
$20,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '19 KEENOV;
$5,000,000 4yo '21 FTKNOV). O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC,
Qatar Racing Limited & Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-WinStar
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $35,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 2 3/4. Odds: 1.70, 2.90, 1.00.
Also Ran: She's All Wolfe, Ava's Grace, Golden Curl, Lady Mystify. Scratched: Lavender (Ire), Super Quick.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Kentucky Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Kicks Off 4-Year-Old Campaign In Oaklawn’s Azeri

Shedaresthedevil, a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, will make her seasonal debut in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the Azeri, which goes as the fifth of 12 races, is 2:03 p.m. (Central). The 1 1/16-mile Azeri is the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17.

Shedaresthedevil will be making her first start since finishing third in her first race against older horses, the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Shedaresthedevil had won her previous three starts, including the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks, which was moved from the spring to the fall last year because of COVID-19, is the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Brad Cox, Shedaresthedevil returned to the work tab Feb. 1 at Oaklawn, then shipped to Fair Grounds because of anticipated winter weather. The daughter of Daredevil recorded four works at Fair Grounds, the last a 5-furlong move in 1:00.20 March 6, before returning to Hot Springs Wednesday. Cox indicated in January that Shedaresthedevil, the 2-1 program favorite, couldn't afford any training hiccups to make the Azeri, won last year by 2019 Kentucky Oaks champion Serengeti Empress.

“In a perfect schedule, I would have liked to have gotten a few more works into her,” Cox said. “But her last two works have been really, really good. Kind of really was the decision-maker. Her last two works have been well in hand. She's doing well. Her weight's good, so I feel confident she's going to run a good race. I don't think she's 100 percent tight, but she's very close.”

Shedaresthedevil was the top locally based 3-year-old filly last year, winning the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) before running third behind eventual divisional champion Swiss Skydiver in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3). Shedaresthedevil races for a partnership that includes Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

The projected five-horse Azeri field from the rail out: Envoutante, Brian Hernandez Jr. to ride, 121 pounds, 5-2 on the morning line; Motion Emotion, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 6-1; Letruska, Joel Rosario, 124, 3-1; Getridofwhatailesu, Javier Castellano, 121, 3-1; and Shedaresthedevil, Florent Geroux, 119, 2-1.

Envoutante, a stablemate of Swiss Skydiver, will also be making her 4-year-old debut Saturday. Envoutante exits what trainer Kenny McPeek termed a “beast of a race,” a front-running six-length victory against older horses in the $200,000 Falls City Stakes (G2) Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs.

Speedy Mexican star Letruska (12 of 16 overall) was an allowance winner last April at Oaklawn and a front-running 3 ½-length winner of the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 31 at Sam Houston in her last start.

“I think she's the speed,” trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “You check the numbers. Anyone that wants to run with her, needs to run fast. If we lose, we lose. But the other one is taking a big risk.”

Gutierrez said he hopes to use the Azeri as a steppingstone to the Apple Blossom, among the country's premier two-turn events for older fillies and mares.

Getridofwhatailesu, also trained by Cox, came from well off the pace to win the $150,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 23 at Oaklawn in her last start. She has a 3-1-0 record in four career starts in Hot Springs.

“She obviously likes Oaklawn,” Cox said. “It looks like there's going to be some pace in there, so she might get a setup. Come-from-behind horses tend to do not as well in shorter fields, but if there's ever one that looked like she could do well in, it would probably be this one, based off just the paper.”

Completing the field is Motion Emotion, who chased Letruska in the Houston Ladies Classic before tiring to finish a well-beaten fifth in her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Motion Emotion recorded sharp front-running maiden and allowance victories in 2019 at Oaklawn before finishing second in the Honeybee and Fantasy when with trainer Tom Van Berg.

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