Mucho Unusual Coast To Coast in Rodeo Drive

George Krikorian’s homebred Mucho Unusual went wire-to-wire to win the GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf. Tonahutu took the lead from her inside post in the early strides, but Mucho Unusual strode past her down the stretch for the first time. The bay filly loped along through pedestrian splits, scampered further clear rounding the final bend and resolutely held off Maxim Rate late, while late-closing favorite Lady Prancealot did her best to close into the slow fractions, finishing third.

“My filly ran very sharp and she was really comfortable in the race,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez, who was earning his first Grade I triumph and his second graded race of the weekend following Big Runnuer (Stormy Atlantic)’s tally in Friday’s GII Eddie D S. “They let me go to the lead easily, so I took it, and then the rest of the race the filly did by herself. She’s a really nice filly. When I asked her to run at the stretch, she responded really well.”

Winning trainer Tim Yaketeen added, “This mare is unbelievable, her mother, Not Unusual is a great producer. It was great to get a Grade I win on the page for her. It’s very gratifying. She’s been such a hard-knocking filly. She’s been knocking on the door with Grade Is, so to pull this out is amazing. She’s very easy to train and very straightforward. She makes my job easy.”

Mucho Unusual, winner of last year’s GII San Clemente S. and second in the GI American Oaks, opened 2020 with third-place efforts in the Feb. 22 GII Buena Vista S. and May 25 GI Gamely S. Shipped east, she was eighth in the July 11 GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland and returned home to be third in the Aug. 15 Solana Beach S. going one mile over the Del Mar lawn last time out.

Pedigree Notes:

George Krikorian purchased Not Unusual for $67,000 as a yearling at the 2007 Barretts October sale. The mare, the dam of GIII Transylvania S. winner Big Score (Mr. Big), has a yearling filly by Mr. Big and a weanling colt by Kitten’s Joy. She was bred back to Uncle Mo.

Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $300,500, Santa Anita, 9-26, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/4mT, 2:00.19, fm.
1–MUCHO UNUSUAL, 122, f, 4, by Mucho Macho Man
                1st Dam: Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat
                2nd Dam: Fly First Class, by General Meeting
                3rd Dam: Laura’s Jet, by Wajima
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($170,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-George
Krikorian; B-George Krikorian (CA); T-Tim Yakteen; J-Juan J.
Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-3-4, $702,715.
*1/2 to Big Score (Mr. Big), GSW & GISP, $684,342. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maxim Rate, 122, f, 4, by Exchange Rate
                1st Dam: Catch My Eye, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Sharp Eyes, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Gaelic Bird (Fr), by Gay Mecene
($130,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $235,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Slam
Dunk Racing and Branham, James D.; B-Fred W. Hertrich III &
John D. Fielding (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $60,000.
3–Lady Prancealot (Ire), 126, f, 4, by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
                1st Dam: Naqrah (Ire), by Haatef
                2nd Dam: Filfilah (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
                3rd Dam: El Rabab, by Roberto
(€9,500 Ylg ’17 TIRSEP). O-Medallion Racing, Parkland
Thoroughbreds, Craig & Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, Jules &
Michael Iavarone & Jerry McClanahan; B-Tallyho Stud (Ire);
T-Richard Baltas. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.40, 2.90, 1.40.
Also Ran: Tonahutu (Ire), Pretty Point, Catch the Eye. Scratched: Bodhicitta (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Mucho Unusual Coast To Coast in Rodeo Drive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lady Prancealot Holds Slight Edge in Rodeo Drive

Saturday’s GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita offers the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7, and Lady Prancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) figures a slight favorite against six familiar faces.

Winner of the GI American Oaks over this course and distance last December, Lady Prancealot has done her California-based shuttle stallion proud this season, despite not having her picture taken. Fourth to the in-form Keeper Ofthe Stars (Midnight Lute) in the GII Buena Vista S. over a mile trip that is short of her best in February, she was fifth to that rival in the GI Gamely S. in May. A troubled fourth to Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the GI Yellow Ribbon H. at Del Mar Aug. 8, she finished fast to just miss in the GII John C. Mabee S. Sept. 5. Umberto Rispoli, who rode for the first time in the Mabee, has the return call.

Rispoli was just outfinished in the Del Mar jockeys’ premiership by Flavien Prat, and the Frenchman goes in search of his fourth win in five starts atop Bodhicitta. An allowance winner over a mile of this turf course Mar. 8, the chestnut attacked the line to be second in the Gamely and outfinished Tonahutu (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in the Yellow Ribbon. The latter has since added a handy allowance victory at the seaside Sept. 5.

The visiting Luis Saez picks up the mount on Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate), who was guided by Rispoli to an allowance defeat of Tonahutu at Del Mar July 10 ahead of a neck success in the CTT & TOC S. over 11 furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 16.

The post Lady Prancealot Holds Slight Edge in Rodeo Drive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sistercharlie Chasing Historic Three-Peat In Grade 1 Diana

Trainer Chad Brown will enter Sunday's Grade 1, $500,000 Diana at Saratoga Race Course loaded for bear, saddling two former Breeders' Cup winners in Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie as he looks to win the race for a fifth consecutive year.

The 82nd running of the Diana for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the Mellon turf course will see Brown attempt his sixth win in the prestigious race, for which he has conditioned the previous four winners after first earning a victory with Zagora in 2011.

Sistercharlie has captured the last two runnings for Brown and will look to achieve a three-peat in headlining the six-horse field. The now 6-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie won the 2018 Eclipse Award as Champion Turf Female for a campaign that included her first Diana victory as well as scores in that year's Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, Grade 1 Beverly D. and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

After ending 2018 with three straight Grade 1 wins, the Irish-bred owned by Peter Brant started 2019 with three additional victories against the highest caliber, defeating Rushing Fall by 1 ¾ lengths to repeat in the Diana before winning the Beverly D. again and adding a three-quarter length triumph in the Flower Bowl in October at Belmont Park.

All seven of Sistercharlie's North American wins have come in Grade 1s. With 10 career wins in 16 starts, she also counts a Group 3 win in the 2017 Prix Penelope in France among her accomplishments.

Sistercharlie is one of just six repeat Diana winners, joining Forever Together [2008-09]; Glowing Honor [1988-89]; Shuvee (1970-71]; Tempted [1959-60]; and Miss Grillo [1946-47]. The race, which had its first running in 1939, has never seen a horse win three straight.

“That would be an amazing accomplishment,” Brown said.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, aboard Sistercharlie for the two Diana wins, will go for three straight, breaking from post 5.

Sistercharlie's stablemate, Rushing Fall, is a five-time Grade 1 winner, including last out when she outkicked Jolie Olimpica by three-quarters of a length to repeat in the Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland. The winner of the 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is already Grade 1-winner at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5, including the 2018 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.

Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Rushing Fall is 10-2-0 in 13 career starts, with her only off-the-board finish coming when fourth in the Grade 1 First Lady last October at Keeneland. The More Than Ready mare has registered triple digit Beyer Speed Figures in four of her last five starts, notching identical 103 figures for winning last year's Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont Park and running second in the Diana. She also matched that figure in her two starts this year, winning both the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont before besting an eight-horse Jenny Wiley field.

“They both seem to be training very well and coming into the race the right way. There are some nice horses in the race, so it looks like another great edition of the Diana,” Brown said.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, a two-time Diana winner, will be in the irons from post 3.

R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love has come close to breaking through since arriving in the United States this year from her native Europe. The English-bred filly made her first North American start in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay, running third behind the Brown-trained Diana duo, before running fourth in the Grade 2 New York just three weeks later at 1 ¼ miles over the Belmont turf.

Cutting back to 1 1/16 miles, Call Me Love was second by a neck to fellow Diana contender Starship Jubilee in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa on July 25 at Saratoga over firm turf. Clement said Sunday's distance, along with the possibility of inclement weather, could be the key if she wants to win for the first time since her last race in Europe in the Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio in November in Italy.

Since the Ballston Spa, Call Me Love has breezed three times over the Oklahoma turf training track at Saratoga, including a four-furlong work in 49.11 seconds on Sunday.

“She's been training great. Not OK. Great,” Clement said. “I think the distance suits her well – a mile and a sixteenth to a mile an eighth is good for her. There might be some rain in the forecast and she's run well on softer turf before, so we're ready to go.”

Joel Rosario will ride from the inside post.

Alex G. Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary is undefeated as a 4-year-old, starting 3-for-3 after ending her sophomore campaign with a victory against optional claimers in December at Gulfstream Park. In 2020, the Graham Motion trainee has racked up three straight graded stakes wins, taking the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at 1 ½ miles over Gulfstream Park's turf before winning the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Orchid at the same track in March.

Returning off a three-month respite, the Scat Daddy filly recorded a career-best 101 Beyer for her 5 ¼-length win in the Grade 2 New York at 1 ¼ miles on June 27 at Belmont, giving her four straight victories overall.

Motion said he is anxious to see how Mean Mary handles a slight cut back as he looks towards the Grade 1, $2 million Breeder's Cup Filly and Mare Turf contested at 1 3/16 miles in November at Keeneland.

“She's been pointing to this race for a long time,” Motion said. “With the Breeders' Cup, I need to find out if she can handle these shorter distances. She certainly did before we started running her at these longer races, but not at this level. She's trained really well for this race and hasn't really missed a beat. It'll be a small but solid group of horses she's facing.”

Since running fifth in her debut in September at Laurel Park, Mean Mary has won five of six, with her second-place effort against allowance company in November at Aqueduct Racetrack marking the lone race that didn't end with a winner's circle visit.

“I'd be lying if I told you I always knew she was going to be this caliber. She's been a progression,” Motion said. “I think she really enjoys it. She gets out there and is just galloping.”

Luis Saez, aboard for her wins during the current streak, will return, drawing post 6.

Motion will also send out the 5-year-old veteran Secret Message, who ran fourth in last year's Diana and is coming off a third-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Perfect Sting on August 14 at the Spa.

Wheeled back a week later, Motion said the Hat Trick filly, who started her 2020 with a victory in the Grade 3 Mint Julep going 1 1/16 miles in May at Churchill, has showed good energy leading into a return engagement.

“The fact that she's a big, robust filly, we felt she could handle a quick turnaround,” said Motion, who has saddled five second-place finishers in the Diana. “It's not going to be an oversized field and we feel like she's been doing really well. She really ran the last quarter-mile last weekend and really sprinted home. She sprinted home as fast as anyone.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pick up the mount from post 2.

Blue Heaven Farm's Starship Jubilee also enters Sunday on a four-race winning streak, with all those efforts against stakes company for trainer Kevin Attard. The 7-year-old veteran is the field's most experienced entrant, compiling an 18-5-3 record in 36 starts.

Last out, Starship Jubilee bested Diana rivals Call Me Love and Sistercharlie to win the Grade 2 Ballston Spa by a neck, building on her win in the Grade 2 Hillsborough in March at Tampa Bay Downs. The daughter of Indy Wind is 4-for-4 this year, adding scores in the Grade 3 Suwannee River and the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf this winter at Gulfstream.

Jose Ortiz will pick up the call from post 4.

The Diana, Sunday's featured race, is slated as Race 8 on the nine-race card, which offers a first post at 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Sistercharlie Chasing Historic Three-Peat In Grade 1 Diana appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Love Conquers All In Yorkshire Oaks, Sets Up Clash With Enable In Arc De Triomphe

Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor's brilliant filly Love (IRE) crushed her opposition in another outstanding performance to win the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) on Thursday. The victory secures her a guaranteed start in the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.

Love becomes the third horse to gain a “Win and You're In” berth into the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf this year, joining Queen Supreme (IRE), who won the Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) at Kenilworth in South Africa on Jan. 11 and Almond Eye (JPN) winner of the Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan on May 17.

Dual Classic heroine Love was making her first start since her jaw-dropping 9-length Investec Oaks (G1) win at Epsom Downs in July. Although the winning distance today was only 5 lengths, the race was over as a contest at the furlong marker, and her jockey Ryan Moore eased her home.

The 33/1 outsider Alpinista (GB) stayed on and eventually edged out One Voice (IRE) for the runner-up spot as the John Gosden-trained duo Franconia (GB) and Frankly Darling (GB) never figured.

It was a fifth Darley Yorkshire Oaks win for trainer Aidan O'Brien, who was thrilled with his filly's performance. He said: “I'm delighted. I really couldn't be happier. Everything went perfect and she won very nicely. She was very good last year and being a Galileo (IRE) filly we hoped she'd improve at three and she has done.”

O'Brien has trained some brilliant fillies over the years, including Alexandrova (IRE), Peeping Fawn and Minding (IRE), but believes Love might top that list.

O'Brien said: “I don't think we might have ever had a better filly than her. When you're that close to them, you don't want to be dreaming, but I think she's been extra special all the way through.”

The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) and then possibly the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is on the agenda for Love. O'Brien said: “If she gets back home well then the Arc would be the plan. If she runs again after the Arc, then it would be the Breeders' Cup.”

It was a second Darley Yorkshire Oaks for Moore who after the race was glowing in his praise for the 3-year-old filly, saying: “She's very special. She's been exceptional this year and has absolutely thrived. She's just got stronger and stronger and has done it very easily today.”

Moore has enjoyed plenty of success over the years at the Breeders' Cup, riding nine winners so far including on Dank (GB) in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. He continued: “Realistically it was her easiest task for a while. She was running against some unexposed fillies but they had to step up to run to her level. She's a very straightforward filly and it was business as usual.”

Love, a chestnut daughter of Galileo out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Pikaboo (GB), completed the 1 1/2 miles in 2:31.31 over a course listed as good. Bookmakers SkyBet make Love 5/1, from 6/1, for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Love to start in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

The post Love Conquers All In Yorkshire Oaks, Sets Up Clash With Enable In Arc De Triomphe appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights