Tag: breeders’ cup dirt mile

Senor Buscador Upsets Ack Ack As Favorites Flounder

Winner of the 2020 Springboard Mile, looking every bit a horse with a future, Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) was the 5-2 second favorite when pitched in against the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in last year's GII Risen Star S. Sidelined off that effort and away nearly 16 months, connections kept the faith, and Saturday, the homebred colt rewarded them with a tough victory in the GIII Ack Ack S. at Churchill, earning a fees-paid berth into the Nov. 5 GI BigAss Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the process.

Away fairly for Francisco Arrieta, who earned the mount after working the colt locally, the 4-year-old was content to sit a trip just behind midfield while racing in the company of third favorite Untreated (Nyquist) and in the clear as longshot Surly Furious (Upstart) took them along through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.91. Given his cue entering the final 3 1/2 furlongs, Senor Buscador traveled ominously well three and four deep and launched his bid in earnest leaving the quarter pole.  Wide into the lane, he gathered up the pacesetter at the three-sixteenths, dueled into the final eighth of a mile with Injunction and got the better of that final-furlong tussle to score by a bit more than a length. Three Technique (Mr Speaker), winner of the Hanshin Cup S. over this course and distance July 4, was up late for third.

Favored Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) looked to veer to his left at the start and was locked away inside for the opening three-quarters of a mile before fading tamely late. Fulsome (Into Mischief) and Untreated proved no factor.

A handy allowance winner sprinting at Lone Star on his return to the races in July, Senor Buscador was a slow-starting eighth in the July 30 GII San Diego H., but was exiting a promising third to the improving Laurel River (Into Mischief) in the GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Aug. 27, in which Speaker's Corner disappointed as the 11-10 chalk.

The win was the first at the graded level for Arrieta and second for trainer Todd Fincher, who conditioned Senor Buscador's half-brother Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper) to win the 2018 GIII Sunland Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Senor Buscador is the 23rd graded winner for his Lane's End-based sire and one of four full stakes winners from as many to race for his New Mexico-bred dam, winner of 10 of her 15 career starts, including seven black-type races in the Desert Southwest. The winner's unraced broodmare sire, who stands in New Mexico, was a son of Fappiano and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Blush With Pride, the dam of broodmare of the year Better Than Honour and therefore granddam of back-to-back GI Belmont S. winners Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold). Rose's Desert is also responsible for the yearling filly Aye Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), the weanling filly Rose A (Hard Spun) and visited Authentic this past season.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
ACK ACK S.-GIII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34.60, ft.
1–SENOR BUSCADOR, 121, c, 4, by Mineshaft
                1st Dam: Rose's Desert (MSW, $626,035), by Desert God
                2nd Dam: Miss Glen Rose, by Peaks and Valleys
                3rd Dam: Snippet, by Alysheba
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R
Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher;
J-Francisco Arrieta. $180,350. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1,
$376,677. *1/2 to Sheriff Brown (Curlin), MSW, $506,421;
Our Iris Rose (Ghostzapper), SW, $255,580; Runaway Ghost
(Ghostzapper), GSW, $783,509. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Injunction, 121, g, 4, Skipshot–Valid Valencia, by
Northern Afleet. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-J & J Stables, LLC
& Nicholas Vaccarezza; B-Mikhail Yanakov (KY); T-Carlo
Vaccarezza. $58,500.
3–Three Technique, 121, h, 5, Mr Speaker–Nite in Rome, by
Harlan's Holiday. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($50,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV;
$180,000 Ylg '18 FTKJUL; $47,000 RNA 4yo '21 KEENOV).
O-David E. Miller; B-Omega Farm LLC & Bally Breeders (KY);
T-Jason G. Cook. $29,250.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 6.18, 13.96, 9.85.
Also Ran: Surly Furious, Fulsome, Silver Prospector, Speaker's Corner, Untreated. Scratched: Mailman Money, Twilight Blue.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Into Mischief’s Laurel River Impresses in Pat O’Brien

The GII Pat O'Brien S. was billed as a softer spot for GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) to land after facing leading older horses Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in his last two starts, but apparently the lightly raced Laurel River (Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker) didn't get the memo as he stormed home to take the seven-furlong Del Mar sprint, a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Laurel River broke smoothly and immediately attended the pace before relinquishing his spot to track in a close fourth through a quarter in :22.41 and a half in :44.74. With American Theorem (American Pharoah)–winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. over this surface July 30–very wide and threatening with a big move on the outside, Laurel River found on dream seam on the turn, set sail for home and left them all behind, leaving no doubt as to the best horse on the day. American Theorem chased him home, 3 3/4 lengths in arrears, while Speaker's Corner reported home in fourth behind the hard-trying Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). C Z Rocket (City Zip), who won this race in 2020 and was second in the event last year, was eighth. The Pat O'Brien is named for one of Del Mar's founders.

“That feels great, really good, when you ask a horse to run like that,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “I asked him and he responded really well. He went between the horses and he showed he's a good horse. Bob [Baffert] told me to ride this horse to win, so that's what I did.”

A 4-year-old homebred for Juddmonte, Laurel River was winning his first black-type race in the O'Brien. He had one outing as a 2-year-old, finishing off the board at Santa Anita. Six months later, at three, he reappeared to break his maiden and finished 2021 with just three more starts, which included a second in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. and an optional allowance win. Back to the sidelines for the next 10 1/2 months, he made his first start of 2022 July 31 over a mile on this track after two bullet breezes, taking another optional allowance by daylight and getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Pedigree Notes:

The 114th black-type winner and 52nd graded winner bred in the Northern Hemisphere for Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief, Laurel River is out of a full-sister to Juddmonte's four-time GISW Emollient (Empire Maker). Like so many of the mares in the Juddmonte broodmare band, Calm Water has a powerhouse family behind her. Her third dam is French champion Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to French champion and stellar sire Machiavellian. The family is positively littered with accomplishment, none more important than Coup de Genie's third dam, Natalma (Native Dancer), who produced the great Northern Dancer.

Calm Water is by another Juddmonte homebred in Empire Maker, the late stallion who spent part of his sire career in Japan. Laurel River is the 72nd black-type winner out of one of his daughters. Five of those are by Into Mischief, including MGISW Mandaloun, GSW Center Aisle, and Laurel River. Calm Water has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Laurel River named Castlewarden and produced fillies the last two years by Constitution. She was also bred back to Constitution for 2023.

Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-27, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–LAUREL RIVER, 121, c, 4, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Calm Water, by Empire Maker
               2nd Dam: Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold
               3rd Dam: Glia, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0,
$314,620. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–American Theorem, 125, r, 5, American Pharoah–Mighty
Renee, by Maria's Mon. ($190,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP).
O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-George
Papaprodromou. $50,000.
3–Senor Buscador, 121, c, 4, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.;
B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W.
Fincher. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.90, 5.10, 21.00.
Also Ran: Speaker's Corner, The Chosen Vron, Defunded, Get Her Number, C Z Rocket, Principe Carlo, Restrainedvengence.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Knicks Go Draws The Rail, Will Be ‘Very Aggressive’ Early In Pegasus World Cup

Knicks Go has returned to Gulfstream Park for a highly anticipated title defense in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by 1/ST BET, which promises to provide Korea Racing Authority's Thoroughbred star with an opportunity to close out a remarkable racing career in style.

The Pegasus World Cup headlines Saturday's 12-race program that will also feature the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G3) presented by PEPSI, as well as four other graded stakes, during the annual celebration of Thoroughbred racing, entertainment, fashion and dining. First-race post time is set for 11:30 a.m.

NBC will nationally televise the Pegasus World Cup Day festivities from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The all-stakes late Pick 5 (Races 8-12) and the late Pick 4 (Races 9-12) will both offer guaranteed gross pools of $750,000. The all-stakes Rainbow 6 will span Races 7-12. All four muti-race wagers will be anchored by the Pegasus World Cup, a 1 1/8-mile feature for older horses.

Knicks Go, who was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine older horses after drawing the No. 1 post position Tuesday, produced a dazzling 2 ¾-length victory in last year's Pegasus World Cup that would set the tone for a dominating campaign that is widely expected to earn him the 2021 Horse of the Year title next month. The 6-year-old son of Paynter, who is coming off an impressive 2 ¾-length triumph in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, is riding a spectacular four-race winning streak in which he has beaten his opponents by a total off 21 ½ lengths while flashing his brilliant natural speed from start to finish. Knicks Go was named the 2021 Longines World' Best Racehorse during a virtual ceremony Tuesday at the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, England.

It remains to be seen if the Brad Cox trainee will be able to defend his title in his usual front-running fashion before starting his stallion career. This year's Pegasus World Cup has also attracted CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life Is Good, who has won six of seven career starts from gate to wire, including a scintillating 5 ¾-length victory in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar.

“We're not really going to deviate from what we've done in the past. [Life Is Good] is a very fast, brilliant horse. We're not going to let him have his own way, and I think he's probably not going to let us have our own way. We're going to break running, hopefully get to the lead. We're going to be very aggressive to get him there,” Cox said. “It's the same approach we took in the Breeders' Cup. We'll see how it goes. He's proven at a mile and an eighth and he does like the surface there. He likes the configuration of the racetrack there at Gulfstream – he proved that last year. We're just going to come out of there running and see what happens.”

Life Is Good, who was rated second at 7-5 in the morning line after drawing the No. 4 post position, was top rated on last year's Road to the Kentucky Derby when he won his first three starts on the front end impressively but was sent to the sidelines with an injury. After being transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the son of Into Mischief was upset by Jackie's Warrior by a head in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga in late August. He came back to capture the one-mile Kelso (G2) at Belmont by 5 ½ lengths and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in front-running style.

“You've got two super talented horses with similar running styles, so it makes for a very exciting race. It's going to be very exciting to see how the pace unfolds,” Pletcher said. “Speed is our horse's weapon and we're not looking to take it away from him, and I'm sure the Knicks Go team knows what works for their horse. We'll just see how it plays out.”

Life Is Good, who hasn't run beyond 1 1/16 miles, is in the same position that Knicks Go was in last year when he attempted to carry his abundant speed 1 1/8 miles for the first time. Knicks Go has gone on to prove himself to be just as effective or even more effective at longer distances.

“He's older and wiser. I think last year we probably had a bit of a question mark if he could perform at a mile and an eighth. He's obviously proven that having won two Grade 1s at a mile and an eighth and a Grade 1 at a mile and a quarter last year,” Cox said. “Distance isn't an issue, [whereas] there was a little bit of a question mark [last year]. He's very sound and doing phenomenal. We know him better this year. We have even more confidence this year than we had last year.”

Pletcher has expressed confidence in both Life Is Good's natural speed and his ability to carry that speed beyond 1 1/16 miles, over which he won by eight lengths last year in the San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

“With Life is Good you're talking about a horse that, if you wanted to, could probably be the best sprinter in the country. He's just naturally very quick and very fast,” Pletcher said. “He's also showed in the Dirt Mile that he has the ability to go at a high cruising speed and keep going, and that's what we've seen in his training. Everything he shows us is he'll run further.”

Joel Rosario has the return mount aboard Knicks Go, while Irad Ortiz Jr. has retained the mount on Life Is Good.

The connections of the other Pegasus World Cup entrants are obviously hoping that a blistering speed duel will develop between Knicks Go and Life Is Good and soften them up for a possible upset.

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston is no stranger to pulling off upsets on Thoroughbred racing's main stage. The Mark Casse-trained 6-year-old won the 2019 Belmont Stakes (G1), in which favored stablemate War of Will, who had won the Preakness Stakes (G1) three weeks earlier, finished off the board. The son of Awesome Again won one race from his next five starts over a period of two years, before returning this year in top form, winning two races, including the Valedictory (G3) at Woodbine last time out, and finishing a close second twice in four starts.

“He needs a lot of things to go his way,” said Casse, who awarded the mount aboard his Belmont winner to Edwin Gonzalez. “He's feeling really well, and we believe he deserves a chance.”

Known for success with longshots, most notably 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever (47-1), trainer Dallas Stewart is scheduled to saddle a pair of graded stakes-winning starters in the Pegasus World Cup – Estate of James J. Coleman Jr.'s Chess Chief and Charles Fipke's Title Ready.

Chess Chief, like Title Ready, has a come-from-behind running style, which he most recently employed for a victory in the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds. The 6-year-old son of Into Mischief, who is rated third in the morning line at 10-1, captured the 2021 New Orleans Classic (G2) at the Pegasus distance of 1 1/8 miles. Title Ready, a 7-year-old son of More Than Ready, was victorious in the 2021 Louisiana Handicap (G3). Reylu Gutierrez has the call on Chess Chief, while Tyler Gaffalione has the mount aboard Title Ready.

Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy brings a resume with a pair of Grade 1 placings into the Pegasus World Cup. The Santa Anita-based 4-year-old gelding was second in the Awesome Again (G1) before finishing fifth behind Knicks Go in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The son of Shackleford most recently finished third behind emerging superstar Flightline in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1). Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux has the mount.

AJ Suited Racing Stable LLC's Commandeer, a late-developing 4-year-old son of Street Boss, enters the Pegasus World Cup off back-to-back 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance scores at Laurel Park and Churchill Downs. Trainer Jimmy Toner has awarded the mount to Julien Leparoux.

Mark Breen's Endorsed returns to two-turn racing Saturday after finishing a fast-closing second in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream last time out. The Mike Maker-trained 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli.

John Grossi Racing Stable Corp.'s Empty Tomb, runner-up in the 1 1/8-mile Queens County at Aqueduct last time out, rounds out the field. The Robert Falcone Jr.-trained son of Speightstown will be ridden by Paco Lopez.

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‘Every Bit As Good Or Better’: Life Is Good Breezes For Pegasus World Cup

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good turned in another sharp work Saturday morning as he nears his next scheduled start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding breezed five furlongs in 1:00.36 at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, third-fastest of 14 horses. Pletcher continues to be impressed with the way he Life Is Good is heading into the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus.

“Just another super work this morning. Looked awesome, finished up really strong, galloped out great. Looks good here this afternoon. We're very, very happy with him,” Pletcher said. “I had him in a minute and two-fifths, had him shading 23 [seconds] the last quarter. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:26 and two and just looked great doing it.”


Saturday was Life Is Good's sixth work since his front-running 5 ¾-length triumph in the Breeders' Cup Nov. 6, the last five coming in South Florida, where he has never raced and had never trained until mid-December.

Based in California at 2 and for the start of his 3-year-old year, winning the Sham (G3) and San Felipe (G2), Life Is Good joined Pletcher last summer and suffered his first career loss by a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1). He beat older horses in each of his last two starts, prepping for the Breeders' Cup in the one-mile Kelso (G2).

The Sham, at 1 1/16 miles, is the longest race to date for Life Is Good.

“I love the way he's settled in here. He's been really training well, but also a little more relaxed,” Pletcher said. “I think he likes the environment at Palm Beach Downs. We kind of take him out when he's the only horse on the racetrack, so he's enjoying that.

“His works, he couldn't work any better but he's always been such an exceptional work horse that I guess anything other than exceptional would be concerning,” he added. “He seems to be every bit as good or better than he was going into the Breeders' Cup.”

Pletcher said Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam emerged well from his five-furlong breeze in 1:00.23 Friday at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of 11 horses, as he prepares to defend his title in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

“Very pleased. It looks like he's coming up to it in good order,” he said. “One more breeze to go, but all systems go.”

Other Pletcher horses on the initial Pegasus Turf invite list were Repole Stable's Never Surprised and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent. Never Surprised, winner of Gulfstream's Dec. 26 Tropical Park Derby, remains on track following a Friday breeze in 51.40 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

Largent ran fourth in the Tropical Turf (G3) Jan. 8 at Gulfstream, his first start since finishing second by a neck to Colonel Liam in last winter's Pegasus Turf.

“I have to talk to the connections. I don't know that we're going to be able to bounce back in three weeks,” Pletcher said. “I want to see how he does this week, but right now we're just kind of playing it day by day.”

The Pegasus World Cup program will feature seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses, including the inaugural $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) where Pletcher is planning to run the Lows' multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania. Sweet Melania worked a half-mile in 50.43 seconds Friday at Palm Beach Downs.

Also on the work tab for Pletcher Saturday was Donegal Racing's Mo Donegal. The 3-year-old son of champion Uncle Mo, winner of the Dec. 4 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, went five furlongs in 1:01.26, fourth-fastest of 14 horses, and is being pointed to the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 5 as his season debut.

“Mo Donegal worked this morning, five-eighths, and went really well,” Pletcher said. “We're on target for the Holy Bull.”

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