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Beren Shows Affinity For Sloppy Going In Paradise Creek

Even-money favorite Beren broke sharp from the innermost post and never wavered, posting a gate-to-wire 10 3/4-length win against a pared-down four-horse field in Sunday's $100,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds moved off the turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The seventh running of the Paradise Creek, originally slated for seven furlongs on the Widener turf course, was moved to the same distance on the sloppy and sealed main track as heavy rain continued throughout the day.

Beren, owned and bred by Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek, was slated to make his turf debut after posting three wins and two runner-up efforts in eight starts on the main track entering Sunday. The weather postponed those plans for a surface change, but the Weigelia colt thrived in the conditions, leading through the opening quarter-mile in 22.80 seconds and the half in 45.64.

Under jockey Eric Cancel, the Pennsylvania-bred Beren opened up when turning for home, cruising to a double-digit length victory in a final time of 1:23.12. Three Two Zone, who tracked Beren in second position on the backstretch, held off New York-bred Thin White Duke by a nose for second. Fauci completed the order of finish.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. said he was looking forward to trying Beren on turf after a win by a nose last out in the Gold Fever over Belmont's Big Sandy on May 9. Instead, Beren improved to 3-for-4 to start his sophomore campaign, with his only non-win coming when fourth in the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“I didn't want a soft turf, so I was really glad this morning when they took it off,” Reid said. “Everybody by Weigelia loves the slop. I've had a bunch of them and every single one of them runs in the slop. It's one thing they do have in common besides being very solid horses.

“He stumbled bad in the Bay Shore and last time he hesitated a little bit and Manny [Franco] did a great job to get him to the outside,” Reid continued. “Eric said this time he was standing and focused. I said to him, 'If he's ready to go, let him go and see what happens.'”

Beren returned $4 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $215,420.

“He [Reid] told me to ride him comfortably and that he had some speed, but if the other horse that showed speed wanted to go crazy, just sit off him,” Cancel said. “My horse broke very sharply, so I took all the advantage. He ran one time on the muddy track and won. He loved it. Coming into the race, I had a lot of confidence in him and everything worked out well.”

Alonzo Racing's Three Two Zone, also looking to make his turf debut in his sixth career start, instead earned a placing in a stakes for the first time in his career, atoning for a 10th-place effort last out for trainer Marya Montoya in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“Today wasn't the best track for him,” said Three Two Zone jockey Kendrick Carmouche. “Coming off the Pat Day Mile, he probably got a little tired today. If you can get him on a better surface, I think he's going to run a lot better.”

Outadore, Chasing Artie and Second of July scratched.

Live racing continues Monday with a special Memorial Day card that will have state-breds take center stage with six stakes worth a combined $900,000 on at Belmont. First post for the 10-race card is 1 p.m. Eastern.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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PR Back Ring Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale: Life After Kentucky Derby Controversy For Dancer’s Image

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS EDITION OF THE PR BACK RING

The latest issue of the PR Back Ring is now online, ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.

The PR Back Ring is the Paulick Report's new bloodstock newsletter, released ahead of every major North American Thoroughbred auction. Seeking to expand beyond the usual pdf presentation, the Back Ring offers a dynamic experience for bloodstock content, heavy on visual elements and statistics to appeal to readers on all platforms, especially mobile devices.

Here is what's inside this issue…

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS EDITION OF THE PR BACK RING

Lead Feature Presented By Crane Thoroughbreds: As the world waits for the split sample results to come back on Medina Spirit's Betamethasone positive in the Kentucky Derby, bloodstock editor Joe Nevills looks back on the eclectic stud career of Dancer's Image, the first horse to be disqualified from first in the Derby for a failed drug test in 1968.
Stallion Spotlight: Glenn Brok of Diamond B Farm on first-year stallion Rowayton.
Lesson Horses Presented By John Deere Equine Incentive Program: Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm on the hard lessons about the Thoroughbred market taught to him by You Go West Girl.
Honor Roll Presented By Uptowncharlybrown Stud: Wait For It is a homegrown “miracle horse” for Bob Hutt.
Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Dr. Daniel Devis of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on LASER therapy.
Pennsylvania Leaderboard Presented By Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association: Beren sets the pace among Pennsylvania program incentive earners through the first two months of 2021.
Ask Your Insurer Presented By Muirfield Insurance: Bryce Burton of Muirfield Insurance explains how breeders can add more of a guarantee to a “no guarantee” stallion season.
The Stat: Leading Maryland sires by increase in mares bred from 2019 to 2020.
First-Crop Sire Watch: Stallions whose first juveniles are cataloged in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS EDITION OF THE PR BACK RING

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Pennsylvania-Bred Beren Catches Candy Man Rocket At The Wire In Gold Fever

Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek's Beren made up 5 1/2 lengths in the stretch, closing in on Candy Man Rocket with a strong outside move and gaining the edge in the final stride to win Sunday's $100,000 Gold Fever by a nose in a thrilling finish to the six-furlong sprint for sophomores at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The eighth running of the Gold Fever saw Beren earn his first career stakes win in dramatic fashion, running down graded stakes-winner Candy Man Rocket under coaxing from jockey Manny Franco in the feature for the nine-race card.

Beren broke sharp from the inside post, remaining unscathed as Roderick stumbled and unseated rider Joel Rosario coming out of the gate from post 3. Both horse and rider were uninjured, with the outrider picking up Roderick in the gallop out.

American Gentleman led what became a five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.79 seconds on the fast main track, with Beren tracking in fourth position. Candy Man Rocket, under Junior Alvarado, overtook American Gentleman at the front with the half going in 46.07, and maintained the edge into the stretch.

But Beren rallied when straightened for home, as Franco gave strong left-handed encouragement. The Weigelia colt had plenty in reserve and closed the deficit in the final sixteenth before getting up in time to win the head bob in a final time of 1:11.25.

Beren, fourth last out after stumbling at the start in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack, notched his third win in his last four starts.

“The class relief helped. He ran with some tough horses in the Bay Shore,” Franco said. “I knew the horse belonged here. I just wanted to make sure he broke better than he did last time. Today, he broke a step slow again, but I put him in the clear and he was comfortable after that.

“He can go seven [furlongs], but I think the six furlongs made the difference today,” he added.

The Pennsylvania homebred made his first six starts in his native Quaker State before moving up to graded stakes competition last month by trainer Butch Reid.

“It was nerve-wracking, but Manny did a great job,” Reid said. “He got him straightened out and got him to switch leads and he finished really well.

“I've found with these Weigelias that they don't need to be on the lead and they really like a little bit of moisture in the racetrack,” he added. “I've had a lot of them to train and they are all game horses and have done very well for us.”

Beren, off at 3-1, returned $8.60 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $160,420.

“I love getting that New York money,” Reid said. “There's nothing quite like it. You know when you come here, you've beaten the best. It's a special treat to come up here and win a race.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott shortened Candy Man Rocket up for his first sprint since being placed on the Triple Crown trail. After winning the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs and finishing out of the money in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the Candy Ride colt finished 6 1/2 lengths clear of Doubleoseven for second, earning a placing in his Belmont debut.

“I had a great trip, really no excuses,” Alvarado said. “When we got to the wire I thought we held on, but I guess we didn't. He ran great. I think he'll get better with experience. He'll probably do his better running going shorter distances.”

The Wolfman and American Gentleman completed the order of finish.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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‘Best At One Turn,’ Drain The Clock Cuts Back For Bay Shore

A compact but competitive field of 3-year-old dirt sprinters has assembled for Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore at seven furlongs on the Aqueduct Racetrack main track led by Florida shipper Drain the Clock, who enters off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.

While the temptation for most connections would be to forge ahead on the Kentucky Derby trail after picking up 20 qualifying points in the Fountain of Youth, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and an ownership coalition of Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig have elected to abandon such quixotic pursuits and instead focus on shorter races with their talented sophomore.

A son of Maclean's Music out of an Arch mare, Drain the Clock has a sparkling record in sprint races, with only one blemish on his resume which came in the two-turn, seven-furlong Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs when an iron broke and he lost his rider. Aside from that mishap, the chestnut colt has four wins in dirt dashes, including a pair of open-length tallies at Gulfstream during their recent Championship Meet, and nearly wired the field last out in the Fountain of Youth but was run down late by a legitimate Kentucky Derby prospect in Greatest Honour.

“He's never got beat going one turn,” said Joseph, Jr. “He ran a credible race in the Fountain of Youth but I think he's best at one turn and we're hoping he'll show up and run his usual race.”

Looking for his fifth win from just seven starts, Drain the Clock will break from post 3 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard for the first time.

While Drain the Clock has undoubtedly compiled the most impressive resume of anyone in the Bay Shore, a quartet of hungry challengers has lined up behind him to take their shots.

The likely favorite's stiffest competition could come from the Pennsylvania-bred Beren, who is seeking his third straight victory as he makes his foray into New York via Parx Racing.

Trained by Butch Reid for St. Omer's Farm and Christopher Feifarek, it took Beren a little while to figure things out but he's been in solid form in 2021 as he broke his maiden by 6 1/4-lengths two starts ago and followed it up with a two-length score over a group of first-level optional claimers on March 3 at Parx.

“He's doing very well. He just had a nice little blowout, has won his last two and is brimming with confidence. It's a short field so why not take a chance,” said Reid. “He's really matured this year. He was a gangly horse as a 2-year-old but he's filled out nicely and looks good. He put on weight like a 3-year-old colt should and we're real excited about him.”

Beren will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 5.

Coming off a win in the slop at Oaklawn Park, the Steve Asmussen-trained Whiskey Double adds to the out-of-town flavor of the Bay Shore.

A bay son of Into Mischief, Whiskey Double took his debut early in his juvenile year on June 27 at Churchill Downs but didn't resurface again until January of this year, when he finished third in a sprint at Fair Grounds behind O Besos, who recently placed third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. After a dull effort going 1 1/16 miles on February 13 at Fair Grounds, Whiskey Double responded well to a turnback in distance in his last start, in which he prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a six-furlong dash at Oaklawn.

Jose Ortiz will be aboard the Winchell Thoroughbreds color-bearer from post 4.

Not to be forgotten in this diverse Bay Shore cast, the local contingent will be represented by Too Boss and Garoppolo, who go out for trainers Todd Pletcher and Kelly Breen, respectively.

A gray son of El Padrino, the former broke his maiden over this same track and distance by 5 ½ lengths on January 17 with an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, but things went awry in his last start going two turns at Parx on a sloppy track and he finished fourth, beaten seven lengths. He'll look to bounce back from the inside post with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons.

Garoppolo, meanwhile, has been off since contesting the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course last year. Prior to his distant fourth-place finish in the Saratoga Special, the Outwork colt broke his maiden at Belmont Park, where he appears to be working well for his return over the adjacent training track. Owned by Mr. Amore Stable and to be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Garoppolo will depart from post 2 as he makes his 3-year-old debut.

Part of a stellar undercard for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the Bay Shore is one of five graded stakes races on the program, which also includes the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap, the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior.

The Bay Shore is slated as Race 4 on the 11-race card. First post is at 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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