Tag: breeders’ cup classic

Bright Future Follows In Dad’s Hoofprints In Jockey Club Gold Cup

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's lightly raced Bright Future (Curlin), a well-backed 7-2 in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. at Saratoga, dug down deep beneath the ageless Javier Castellano to hold off Proxy (Tapit) by a nose and punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

“It was a good spot to try a Grade I and he delivered a big performance,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “In order to go to the next one, he's going to need to make another move forward. It appears to be pretty wide open, the older horse division. I guess we will learn a little more in California tomorrow or Monday. We'll see.”

Showing good speed from his wide draw, the $350,000 KEESEP yearling chased pacesetting Warrior Johny (Cairo Prince) through a half-mile in :48.86. Clocking the front-runner's every move into the final half-mile, Bright Future was felt for and came with a two-wide run around the turn and was on even terms at the quarter pole.

Set down in upper stretch, Bright Future went by Warrior Johny with relative ease and got the bob in over the aforementioned last-out GIII Monmouth Cup S. winner. The latter raced just behind the pace, found daylight about four off the inside at the three-sixteenths and attacked the line willingly, but was on the losing end of the photo.

Bright Future, a sharp debut winner going a mile at Gulfstream last March, was third in his only subsequent start at three. He won two of four previous tries this term, including a last out optional claiming victory at the Spa with a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure July 21. He was eased in his lone prior attempt versus stakes company in the 12-furlong GII Brooklyn S. June 10.

“He's a horse that we've always thought a lot of,” Pletcher said. “I've got to give the Violas and the Repoles a lot of credit because we've had to kind of tap on the brakes a few times along the way and they gave him time to develop. We probably got a little ambitious when we tried the Brooklyn, maybe didn't have quite the foundation to be ready to go a mile and a half at that stage. We regrouped with the allowance race here and I thought it was a powerful performance, so from that time on we've been pointing for this and the horse has trained exceptionally well. Coming into it, we were optimistic he was ready to make a move forward.”

Winning co-owners Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola also teamed up to campaign Curlin's Vino Rosso, who concluded his career with an emphatic win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after getting controversially disqualified from a win in this same race at Belmont Park in 2019.

“I had a horse by Curlin named Vino Rosso that couldn't put it together at three, but now [Bright Future] has put it together at four,” Repole said. “I named the horse Bright Future for a reason. I knew he was going to be a later 3-year-old, 4-year-old horse and so far his name is fitting right now.”

After celebrating his first GI Kentucky Derby win aboard Mage (Good Magic) earlier this spring, the momentum has continued into the summer for Castellano. He is also the regular rider of GI Belmont S. winner and GI Travers S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate).

“Thank God,” Castellano said. “I've been blessed, very lucky and very fortunate to ride the best horses, especially with Todd Pletcher, one of the best trainers in the country. He gave me the opportunity to ride this horse and that's the key. Keep positive and working hard, and see everything come around.”

Pedigree Notes:

Bright Future becomes the 22nd winner at the highest level for leading sire Curlin. He is the first Jockey Club Gold Cup winner for Curlin, a back-to-back winner of this race in 2007-08. Bellamy Road is also the broodmare sire of fellow Grade I winners Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Cave Rock (Arrogate).

Bright Future's dam SW & GSP Sophia's Song is also responsible for the 2-year-old colt Booth (Mitole), a $225,000 OBS March purchase by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Jackpot Farm; a Tiz the Law colt of 2022; and a Maxfield colt of this year. She was bred back to Jackie's Warrior.

Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP S.-GI, $1,000,000, Saratoga, 9-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:03.00, ft.
1–BRIGHT FUTURE, 126, c, 4, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Sophia's Song (SW & GSP, $155,892),
                                by Bellamy Road
                2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
                3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; Javier Castellano. $550,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-2, $716,940. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue style pedigree.
2–Proxy, 126, h, 5, Tapit–Panty Raid, by Include. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $200,000.
3–Tyson, 126, c, 4, Tapit–Honouring, by Smart Strike. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($250,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc & Stretch Run Ventures, LLC (KY); T-Josie Carroll. $120,000.
Margins: NO, 2 1/4, NO. Odds: 3.75, 4.10, 5.50.
Also Ran: Clapton, Duke of Love, Rattle N Roll, Warrior Johny, Unbridled Bomber.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV .

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Ready to ‘Geaux’ for Labor Day Weekend

A trio of highly regarded sophomores will take on their elders in a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI FanDuel Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 5-2 morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) leads the way for the 3-year-olds after defeating GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) by 1 3/4 lengths in Monmouth Park's GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22. He will look to follow in the hoofprints of his leading sire Candy Ride, who won the Pacific Classic in 2003.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella has won the Pacific Classic four times–Beholder (2015), Pleasantly Perfect (2004), Gentlemen (Arg) (1997) and Dare and Go (1996).

“He had us dreaming pretty high and still does,” Mandella said of the Pin Oak Stud colorbearer.

Geaux Rocket Ride has drawn the rail for the second straight race. “Just happy to be there,” Mandella said.

The Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was the beaten favorite in the Haskell, finishing third while making his first start since capturing Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Jan. 28.

Skinner (Curlin), a strong third in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8, was forced to sit out the Kentucky Derby with an elevated temperature. He resurfaced with a useful second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Derby July 8.

The field of 11 also includes: 2021 Pacific Classic winner Tripoli (Kitten's Joy); this year's GI Santa Anita H. winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford); and four runners out of the local prep GII San Diego H.–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) (1st), Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) (2nd), Defunded (Dialed In) (4th) and Tripoli (fifth).

“It's an evenly matched, highly competitive field,” Tripoli's trainer John Sadler said. “You can make a case for a lot of different horses, so it should be a good race; nice mix of 3-year-olds and older horses.”

Del Mar's stacked 11-race program also includes: the 'Win and You're In' GII Del Mar H. (Longines Turf) and GIII Green Flash H. (Turf Sprint); the GII Del Mar Mile S., led by the streaking GI Shoemaker Mile S. winner Exaulted (Twirling Candy); and the GIII Torrey Pines S., highlighted by the return of GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin).

Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at the Spa…

A field of eight will line up for Saratoga's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S., a 'Win and You're In' for the Classic.

Rattle N Roll (Connect), a winner of three straight graded races earlier this term, was freshened following a second-place finish in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1. The 9-5 morning-line favorite has posted five straight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.

Despite a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Stephen Foster, Proxy (Tapit)'s 5-year-old campaign also includes wins in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 22 and GIII Monmouth Cup S. July 22 and a close second in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 4. The Godolphin homebred has drawn the rail in the 1 1/4-mile feature.

“We knew from early on that he had a lot of talent and that's why we were so ready to give him all the time he needed and let him mature mentally and physically to where he's at now and it's really paying off,” trainer Mike Stidham said.

McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), winner of Saratoga's GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3, headlines a field of four entered for the 'Win and You're In' GII Flower Bowl S.

Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief), second behind the ill-fated Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in the GIII Victory Ride S. July 8, is the one to beat in the five-deep GII Prioress S.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes a pair of deep fields for the GIII Big Ass Fans Music City S. and GIII Mint Millions S., both held at Kentucky Downs.

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White Abarrio Exits Whitney in Fine Fettle

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio (Race Day), a 6 1/4-length winner in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, exited his victory in good order, according to trainer by Rick Dutrow, Jr. Sunday morning.

“I don't know if it's sunk in yet,” said Dutrow, Jr. who celebrated his 64th birthday Saturday. “I kept anticipating another horse to come challenge him. I felt extremely comfortable when he broke good and was laying off the speed horse–I felt any time that he wanted him, he could have him. I waited for someone to come to our horse and they never did. It was so exciting.”

With Saturday's “Win and You're In” victory, the 2022 winner of the GI Florida Derby earned a berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

Previously trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., he marked his debut for Dutrow, Jr. with a troubled third-place finish in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. June 10 at Belmont.

“He is extremely cool on the track,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “He absolutely loves it and he is getting stronger by the minute it seems. So, when a horse has that motor, those two things add up to a whole lot more.”

Following Saturday's win, Dutrow, Jr. noted that White Abarrio thrives on spacing between his races and that he would likely ship the horse out west to train up to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

“I didn't have to think about it,” said Dutrow, Jr. of the decision. “All you have to do is read his PPs and you'll see the more time he gets between races, the more he shows up. I'd be willing to wait four months or five months to run him. He just shows up when he's fresh. I think we'll send him out to California and get him ready out there for this race.”

Dutrow, Jr. noted that he would love to see White Abarrio repeat his recent schedule in 2024.

“I guess right now we can only say that we would love to run him in the Whitney next year because we know he can get that job done–which is two turns at Saratoga,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “And I would love for the opportunity to run him in the Met Mile next year because I feel that he loves that track.”

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White Abarrio Dominates Whitney for Richard Dutrow Jr. Barn

White Abarrio (c, 4, Race Day–Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief), making his second start for conditioner Richard Dutrow Jr., dominated the field by open lengths in the GI Whitney S. at 10-1 odds, and has secured his spot in the gate for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Zandon (Upstart) held on for second while Cody's Wish (Curlin) won the photo for third. The final time was 1:48.45.

Sales history: $7,500 Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $40,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR. O-C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Richard Dutrow, Jr.

 

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