Regal Glory Moves Late To Take De La Rose At Saratoga

Regal Glory put in a potent late move from well off the pace to capture Sunday's $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Regal Glory was one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, along with Viadera, in the one-mile inner-turf test for older fillies and mares who haven't won a graded race this year.

Under an aggressive hand ride from Jose Ortiz, the daughter of Animal Kingdom took command of the field on the far turn and then she kicked clear through the lane to run down Hendy Woods, who enjoyed a ground-saving trip from Tyler Gaffalione, and Shifty She, who had set honest splits of :23.89, :48.58, and 1:12.20 on the firm turf.

Owned by Peter M. Brant, the five-year-old mare prevailed by one-half length over Hendy Woods. Shifty She faded to third, 1 ¼ lengths behind, as Regal Glory covered the one-mile in a final time of 1:34.85.

Regal Glory, who had captured the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y., in April two starts back, took good advantage of the drop in class from her most recent outing in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5 on the Belmont Park turf.

“She got a really bad trip in the Just a Game, which was unfortunate because she was really primed to run a big one and she did, it just didn't work out for her,” Brown explained. “But we regrouped. I spoke to Mr. Brant and said, 'Let's get her to Saratoga and let's put her in a race where she can get a good trip,' and hopefully put a W under her belt with the eye of trying to win a Grade 1 with her this year, which is why he kept her in training after he bought her. We'll see what's next for her, but, for now, we'll just enjoy this.”

Ortiz said he felt confident there was pace to close into when the usually prominent Raven's Cry, piloted by Luis Saez, wasn't up top.

“I broke running but I knew the pace was fast when Saez wasn't anywhere close,” Ortiz said. “I just sat there and followed him [Saez]. I was following the right horse but Tyler had a great trip on the inside and it made it closer than it should be. I knew I had him.”

Viadera, the 6-5 favorite piloted by Joel Rosario, finished fourth after having a less auspicious run around the course than her stablemate.

“She had a rough trip for her first time back. It happens sometimes when you have a late-running horse like that,” Brown said. “I spoke to Joel briefly and he was frustrated because he had to stop a couple of different times and by the time she got clear, it was just too late.”

Viadera was making her first start since capturing the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar.

“She got started a lot later than we had hoped this year,” said Brown. “Now that she has a race under her belt, hopefully she'll move forward. She's another one that, already being a Grade 1-winner, we're probably headed into Grade 1s with her. It's her abbreviated last season of racing and we're going to try and make the most of it.”

Hendy Woods, who was bred by her owner Stonestreet Stables and trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, outran her 10-1 odds while also gaining late but was no match for the winner.

“Everything went to plan. The speed set a nice tempo in front of us and I was able to tuck in and save some ground,” Gaffalione said. “I had every chance down the stretch. She gave me a huge run. We just couldn't get the bob today. That's horse racing. I'm super proud of my filly. She ran big today.”

[Story Continues Below]

Raven's Cry, Star Command, and Belle Laura completed the order of finish.

The Kentucky-bred Regal Glory, who won the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes and the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga in 2019, returned $5.20 for a $2 wager. She now has a record of 8-3-0 in 14 starts for her connections.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a 10-race card highlighted by the $120,000 Mahony for 3-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf in Race 9 and the $100,000 Evan Shipman for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up competing at 1 1/8 miles in Race 3. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

The post Regal Glory Moves Late To Take De La Rose At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Antoinette Proves Tough Cookie On Front End In The Very One

Jockey Jose Ortiz put Antoinette on the lead at the start, and the Godolphin homebred filly by Hard Spun was never headed, winning the Grade 3, $125,000 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Antoinette proved 2 1/4 lengths the best, paying $9.20 as the tepid 7-2 favorite in the field of nine fillies and mares going 1 3/16 miles on firm turf. She covered the distance in 1:53.70 after clicking off easy fractions of :23.98, :49.11, 1:13.24, and 1:36.67.

Belle Laura finished second, a neck ahead of Sister Hanan, with Tuned a head back in fourth and War Like Goddess finishing fifth.

The victory was the fourth in 11 starts for Antoinette, who hasn't raced since an eighth-place finish in the G3 Valley View Stakes at Keeneland  last Oct. 18. Prior to that she ran second to Magic Attitude in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, one month after winning the Saratoga Oaks in similar wire to wire fashion.

Saturday was a big day for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin. In addition to Antoinette's victory, a pair of homebred runners won rich graded stakes at Oaklawn: Mystic Guide winning the G3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap and champion Essential Quality winning the G3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes in his 2021 debut.

The post Antoinette Proves Tough Cookie On Front End In The Very One appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

10-Year-Old Pay Any Price Prevails In Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

Pay Any Price, the 10-year-old gelding owned by Averill Racing LLC and Matties Racing Stable LLC, held off a late rally by Ambassador Luna to win Sunday's $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint by a nose over a 'good' turf course at Gulfstream Park.

A son of Wildcat Heir trained by Georgina Baxter, Pay Any Price has won 19 of 33 races, including nine stakes. The gelding won the Umphrey in 2017 and 2018, the Crystal River in 2018 and 2019, and was second in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint in 2017.

The win was especially pleasing to Baxter after Pay Any Price lost his three previous starts.

“This horse is amazing, isn't he?” Baxter said. “I know his last two runs were questionable but you can never write this horse off. You have to respect him every time he steps on the racetrack.

“He's special to me. He's special to everyone in the barn. He's 10 years old. His worst enemy is his attitude, but he's turned into be our best friend – the fact that he is so goofy and quirky. He's still so good and so fast and still running well at 10 years old.”

Pay Any Price popped out of the gate under jockey Edgard Zayas and set fractions of :21.84 and :44.03 before hitting the wire first. The gelding was bred in Florida by Brent and Crystal Fernung and has now won 16 of 24 starts at Gulfstream.

Earlier in the afternoon, GU Racing Stable LLC's Belle Laura split horses around the turn and drove to an impressive victory in Sunday's $60,000 In The Breeze, covering a good mile turf course in 1:35.32.

The 4-year-old daughter of Mucho Macho Man, facing 10 others, including six stakes winners, was fifth down the backstretch before moving between pacesetter Dangerous Curves and Rosa Star around the turn and then driving away to a 4 ½ length victory over Great Sister Diane. Midnight Soiree was third.

Belle Laura is now two-for-two this year under the shedrow of trainer Juan Avila and jockey Hector Berrios. The filly finished third in the Jessamine (G2) and seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) as a 2-year-old, and third in the Herecomesthebride (G3) last year.

The post 10-Year-Old Pay Any Price Prevails In Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights