breeders' cup mile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Got Stormy, Uni Will Renew Rivalry In ‘Win And You’re In’ Fourstardave

Gary Barber's Got Stormy will take on reigning Champion Turf Female Uni as she looks to defend her title in Saturday's 36th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga Race Course.

The one mile event over the inner turf for 3-year-olds and upward is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event which offers an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland on November 7.

The Fourstardave pays homage to “The Sultan of Saratoga” who was best known for winning at least one race at the Spa every year from 1987-1994 in a racing career that featured 100 starts. Trained by Leo O'Brien and owned by Richard Bomze and Bernard Connaughton, Fourstardave was a 10-time winner at Saratoga, with five of those races taking place on the turf, including two editions of the West Point and back-to-back editions of the Grade 3 Daryl's Joy in 1990-91, which is now run as the Fourstardave.

Trained by Mark Casse, Got Stormy will seek to become the first back-to-back winner of the Fourstardave since two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan scored back to back victories in 2012-13. Got Stormy put together a sensational campaign last season, included a 2 ½-length victory in the Fourstardave in which she became the race's first female winner, posting a track record time of 1:32 flat while registering a 109 Beyer Speed Figure. The daughter of 2010 Fourstardave winner Get Stormy was a hard fought second to Uni two starts later in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita before capping off her season with a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar.

Got Stormy will look to end a streak of four straight losses. In her most recent start, she was fourth beaten 3 ½ lengths in the Grade 3 Poker going one mile over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

“She's training well and she's back to Saratoga, which is where she did her best running last year, so we're hoping for the best,” Casse said. “We know she likes that course, we know that she likes firm turf. She's got to come with her A game. She's the same horse, she looks great and trains great. She's just been a little bit unlucky. She ran over some good turf courses and she wants it to be really firm.”

Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione will return to the saddle as he attempts a sixth stakes win of the meet from post 4.

Eclipse Award-winner Uni, one of four runners for trainer Chad Brown along with Raging Bull, Valid Point and Without Parole, will attempt to replicate her form from last year when making her second start of 2020. Uni, who was third in last year's Fourstardave, rounded out the trifecta as the favorite in her seasonal bow under Joel Rosario in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 27 at Belmont Park, where she finished 3 ½ lengths to stablemate Newspaperofrecord. The 6-year-old daughter of More Than Ready was named Champion Turf Female last year following victories in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile against colts at Santa Anita, where she registered a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She missed some time with a splint issue, and we stopped breezing for five or six weeks,” said Bradley Weisbord of BSW/Crow Bloodstock, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert V. LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. “The ground might have been a little soften the Just a Game and Joel didn't think she got through it great, but she was short, and she really needed the race.”

Uni arrives at the Fourstardave off a sharp five-eighths breeze in company with multiple Grade 1 winner Newspaperofrecord over the Oklahoma training turf on Sunday morning, which she completed in 1:00.46.

“She just had her best breeze of the year last week and we weren't completely sure about this race,” Weisbord said. “We were 50-50 between the Fourstardave and the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill, but the breeze is what gave Chad the confidence to run her, so she's sitting on go.”

A winner over six different turf courses in North America, Uni has won seven of her nine starts over the one mile distance, four of which took place against graded stakes company.

Uni boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field with $2,377,880 and will be picking up the riding services of Saratoga leading rider Jose Ortiz.

“We picked up a great rider in Jose Ortiz,” Weisbord said. “I asked him if he watched replays and he said 'I breezed her tons of times'. We're looking forward to the race.”

Peter Brant's Raging Bull and John D. Gunther and Tonya Gunther's Without Parole will square off for the third time in a row.

Winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita two starts back, Raging Bull was third in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland, where he was carried wide into the turn and finished a neck to War of Will. Second in last year's Fourstardave, the 5-year-old bay son of Dark Angel seeks his third graded stakes triumph at Saratoga having won the Grade 2 Hall of Fame and Grade 3 Saranac at the Spa during his 3-year-old campaign en route to a score in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Breaking from the rail, Raging Bull will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who has ridden the horse in 12 of his 14 lifetime starts.

“I'm hoping for a better trip,” Brown said.

Without Parole, a 5-year-old bay son of Frankel, seeks his first win since winning the Group 1 St. James's Palace in June 2018 at Royal Ascot while being trained by John Gosden. Two starts back, Without Parole was a troubled third in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile where he lacked racing room down the stretch but finished third to stablemate Raging Bull. Last out, he was a closing third beaten a neck in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile where he went six wide into the stretch and made a late bid to be beaten a neck. Without Parole made his North American debut last November when finishing third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile to Uni and Got Stormy.

“We feel like he fits in with this group, so we're trying again and hope that he will get a better trip,” Brown said.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Without Parole from post 8.

Valid Point, owned by e Five Thoroughbred Racing, has made all of his five lifetime starts going one mile and seeks a second Grade 1 win after winning the Secretariat at Arlington Park last August. The bay son of Scat Daddy was off the board last out in the Grade 3 Poker

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano seeks a third Fourstardave win aboard Valid Point, who will leave from post 7.

“I'm hoping the turf is firm for my four horses,” Brown said. “Hopefully they can all get clean trips and have an equal chance to win the race.”

Rounding out the field are Casa Creed [post 2, Junior Alvarado], Emmaus [post 3, Jose Lezcano], Halladay [post 5, Luis Saez] and Chewing Gum [post 9, John Velazquez].

The Fourstardave is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 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 Got Stormy, Uni Will Renew Rivalry In ‘Win And You’re In’ Fourstardave appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mohaather Targeting QEII

Last week’s G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) is aiming for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day as his next big target, with trainer Marcus Tregoning as-yet undecided as to whether the 4-year-old will have another start prior.

“His end-of-season target will be the QEII,” said Tregoning. “Whether something slots in before that we’re not sure yet, but Ascot is his main target.

“We could have really done with the [G1 Prix Jacques le] Marois being a week later than it is. There isn’t anything that slots in ideally, as the Marois is the 16th [of August] which is a bit quick and if we drop down to seven for the Foret [on Oct. 4] it’s too close to Champions Day. With the races all moved around it’s difficult. At least we’re now looking having won a Group 1; given how we felt after Royal Ascot things are a good bit different.”

Tregoning was not ruling out a tilt at the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile, either.

“The Breeders’ Cup is three weeks after Ascot this year so that would give him enough time, but that would be entirely down to Sheikh Hamdan. He is lightly raced so hopefully we’ll get a few more goes with him.”

The post Mohaather Targeting QEII appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Casse Team ‘Very Pleased’ With Got Stormy Ahead Of Fourstardave Title Defense

Gary Barber's multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Got Stormy, still seeking her first win of the season, fired a bullet work over the Oklahoma training turf course Friday morning ahead of her expected title defense in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave on Aug. 22 at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old Get Stormy mare went out just before 10 a.m. and was clocked in 1:00.50 over the firm going, fastest of nine horses at the distance. It was her second work since arriving in Saratoga and first on the grass; she breezed a half-mile in 48.32 seconds on the main track July 22.

“I'm happy with the work,” Jamie Begg, assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said. “Some races she's been getting a little bit aggressive up front, so we started her off slow and let her come home with a good kick, and she did it well. We're very pleased.”

Got Stormy capped 2019 with a popular victory in the Matriarch last December at Del Mar, her second career Grade 1 triumph. The first came last summer over males in the one-mile Fourstardave, a “Win and You're In” race for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Keeneland.

“I think track condition could maybe play a role in whether or not we go that route,” Begg said, “but that's where we're initially pointing at this point.”

Second in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile, Got Stormy has eight wins, four seconds, three thirds and more than $1.5 million in purse earnings from 22 lifetime starts. She is undefeated at Saratoga, capturing the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose – her only ungraded race in the last 11 – prior to her 2 ½-length triumph in last year's Fourstardave.

Got Stormy opened this year running fourth in the Grade 3 Endeavour at Tampa Bay Downs, then shipped cross country and finished second in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 7 at Santa Anita. Given a brief freshening, she was fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay June 3 and Grade 3 Poker July 4, both at Belmont Park.

The connections are hoping a return to one of her favorite surfaces, plus a spate of good weather, will prove the right combination to get Got Stormy back on the winning track. Prior to her current stretch, she had never lost more than two consecutive races.

“She clearly really likes this turf course,” Begg said. “It was a little wet earlier in the meet but there's been a little less rain recently. I think it's starting to dry out because speed's been holding a little better on it. We'll see. Hopefully it keeps going that way and we'll get a good race out of her.”

The post Casse Team ‘Very Pleased’ With Got Stormy Ahead Of Fourstardave Title Defense appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mohaather Earns Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth With Impressive Sussex Victory

Mohaather (Marcus Tregoning/Jim Crowley, 3/1) put up an amazing performance to land the highlight of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the one-mile G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes on Wednesday. The victory earned Mohaather an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile this fall at Keeneland.

Two furlongs from home, the winner still had five of the seven runners in front of him with jockey Jim Crowley facing a wall of horses. Crowley did not panic and pulled his mount wide approaching the final furlong. The response was electric from Mohaather, who overhauled leader Circus Maximus (Aidan O'Brien/Ryan Moore, 6/1) entering the final half-furlong before going on to win by a cozy three-quarters of a length.

It was a first Qatar Sussex Stakes for trainer Marcus Tregoning and owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, while jockey Jim Crowley was winning the prestigious prize for the second time following Here Comes When (2017).

Marcus Tregoning said: “I have had to wait a long time for this, but quite honestly we didn't have the horses. When I left Lambourn I had to start again with not very many – it was like starting from the beginning. Luckily, Sheikh Hamdan supported me very well.

“It's a big day for the team and for Sheikh Hamdan. He is a very good owner to train for. He is a lot of fun and a lot of people don't see that. He takes adversity really well; when things don't go right, move on. To have someone with so much confidence behind you does make you a better trainer.

“It was a tactical race today and we thought it would be. He struggled to get out, he is not the biggest horse and he struggled to find a gap, but Jim [Crowley, jockey] kept his calm and with the knowledge that he has that massive kick.

“It was a little bit of a nightmare to watch, but I knew if Mohaather got out, he would have the speed; he has got a very good turn of foot, as you can see. I know it's a well-used expression, but he does find heaps under pressure, and I couldn't have been happier with the way he came into the race – the team have done a great job. Obviously, I am lucky to train horses for Sheikh Hamdan, because he has been an avid supporter, so we are all thrilled.

“Angus Gold sourced the horse for Sheikh Hamdan at Tattersalls Book Two, and sent me to look at him. He was a tiny little thing, but he came from a very stout family, and Angus was quite insistent we got into it if we possibly could, if I could stand the look of the yearling. He has done nothing but thrive, and I should have known better because I trained a filly called Dominica, who wasn't even 15 hands, to win the King's Stand Stakes [then a G2 race], so it isn't always about big horses. He is a lovely looking horse and I thought in the paddock he had a lot of quality – I know I train him, but he had more quality than the others. He is a beautiful horse and we are so lucky to have him.

“He got a beautiful ride from Dane O'Neill at Ascot last time [when winning G2 Summer Mile] – it was a solid G2 and he could have won it by six lengths. He could have won here much easier if he had the chance to, but that's tactics. Luckily, it came off today. I would have been pretty sore if he hadn't been able to win, because I thought he was in really good order. Obviously, it was a tactical race but luckily he came out on top.

“I thought he would win. All the indications were that we had him right, and he has done nothing but please me. He's quite an exuberant work horse; my 15-year-old daughter rides him – she is so light and a very good rider, David Croft rides him most of the time, George Tregoning has ridden him plenty of times, Hallie Meroski rides him – she is very good. It's just a matter of keeping the right people on him – hence I put my 15-year-old daughter on him! I was speaking to Gary Moore about recruiting staff, and he said, well, the family all get involved. It is so much easier if you do that because we all come home and tell the stories. It is a big team thing, but it is lovely having the family involved. Three of them ride out for me every morning, and it makes it fun.

“I left Lambourn and came to Whitsbury on the advice of Chris Harper – he said come and join us, so I did – and started with very few horses again. Having always been lucky enough to train more than 100 horses, I started again with 30 or so and no staff, apart from my head lad and his wife, but David Croft, who has been with every trainer at Whitsbury, luckily came to me.

“Showcasing is a very good stallion and is doing really well. This is important for the stallion, I know that, because now he has a top-class miler, and a top-class stallion needs to get a good miler, and this is it. They will drop my rent and put his price up, so we'll be fine!

“It's very special that Gaie Johnson Houghton bred Mohaather – they are a lovely family and Eve's done amazing well, she's like her grandmother Helen and firing in the winners left, right and centre. She is a great trainer and we are good friends. I have known the family for a long time and it's really great that she's bred another top-class horse.

“I took over from Dick Hern and was with him for 14 years, and I always say there was never a day wasted; he was the most brilliant trainer and should have been a schoolteacher, because then we would have passed our exams. He couldn't stand coming to this big meeting and not having a proper winner here; luckily most times he did, but if he didn't, it would be a very quiet journey home. That is where it comes from, and I always think if you have a new owner or a new person coming racing for the first time, bring them here. Bring them to Goodwood and you will sell racing, because it's the most magnificent view here across the Downs. The whole estate is run amazingly well, and I am always proud to come here and do well.

“The Breeders' Cup Mile is a possibility. We know one thing – tactical speed round those tighter tracks is what you have to have. This horse has so much pace; I love watching him. He will work on his own if you wanted him to – he's just a pleasure to be around – but he would have the speed for it, I am sure. There's also Champions Weekend at Ascot. He is in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, but that might come a bit quick for him, we'll have to see. But it is entirely up to Sheikh Hamdan, Richard Hills and Angus Gold and so on. I will come up with a plan but I am sure Sheikh Hamdam will have his say.

“This is pretty special. I always think all my owners want to win the Sussex Stakes, and I want to win it for them.”

Jim Crowley said: “It was sweet. It was a bit of redemption after Royal Ascot. The race today didn't really go to plan as I would have liked. I was quite well marked throughout and Mohaather really got me out of that.

“We went forward today on him and the plan was to sit one off the rail. I didn't think the pace was very strong and then Frankie [Dettori, aboard Wichita] came up on the outside and I ended up following Vatican City and I wasn't in a great pitch all of a sudden.

“I was in a bit of a pocket and I knew I was going to need some luck. I knew I wasn't going to get a run and I knew Siskin was going to play his cards late so my option was to get on the back of him and follow him through.

“We had to let the race unfold before him and then pull around Siskin. When he saw daylight, he just absolutely flew. He showed the most electric turn of foot. To give weight away to younger horses and pick them was just special really.

“I had gone forward in the race and then been taken out of the race and had to go round the field. Obviously giving weight away, I thought that was a very special performance. The way it panned out, he was exceptional.

“You could see why at the start of the year we were contemplating going down the sprinting route with Mohaather. I never had any doubt he could win a Group One over six furlongs. I remember Guy Harwood saying to me that all his good horses could also win over six furlongs and could have won July Cups and things like that – I would say this horse in the mould of some really good horses. He would definitely win over six, he is that good.

“Marcus has done an unbelievable job. You wouldn't meet a nicer man and he has done a great job with this horse to get him back.

“After Royal Ascot, I was gutted and I was gutted for Marcus, but he took it on the chin and I was just so pleased Mohaather could come and do this today. He is a great trainer and it is great to repay him. Marcus has trained some fantastic horses over the years and it is nice to show people that given the right ammunition, he will train Group One winners.

“Royal Ascot ate away at me for a few days and when he won again at Ascot under Dane O'Neill, I was so happy to see him win like that.

“I had ridden him in work in the early part of his career and he had given me a feel that not many horses have done.

“Mohaather is so athletic, a really good-looking horse and he has class. It was the right decision to go down the mile route and he just has so much pace.

“His best form has been on slower ground, but I don't doubt he would be just as good on quicker ground.

“I won this race a few years ago on Here Comes When and it's great to win the Sussex Stakes again. You could say that win was a little bit of a fluke that day whereas we did it properly today.”

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Siskin (Ger Lyons IRE/Colin Keane) fared best of the 3-year-olds, a further half-length away in third with Newmarket 2,000 Guineas scorer Kameko (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy, 5/1) in fourth, another two lengths adrift.

Placed Quotes

Siskin

Jockey Colin Keane: “It was a brilliant run I thought from Siskin. They went a good, even gallop throughout and my horse travelled into it well and came there to win.

“He just bumped into two older, hardened horses and maybe the ground just being on the slow side blunts his speed a little bit, but we are very happy.”

Trainer Ger Lyons: “I am delighted with the run from Siskin. He is the best three-year-old. He came to win his race and he was outstayed by two older horses. There were no excuses and that is all I asked for coming into the race that we would have no excuses.

“Colin said the ground blunted his speed a bit. One thing we have learned is he is a proper miller and the faster the ground the better. There will be no decisions made, but he probably has Breeders' Cup written all over him.”

Racing Manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, Lord Grimthorpe: “Siskin has run a really good race. We have got absolutely no complaints and he has come out of the race as the best three-year-old miler so that is a positive.

“He has had every chance and run really well so there we are. It was a good race, but he wasn't beaten far. There is always a moment where you think you have a chance. We have no complaints at all.

“We are going to discuss a whole lot of options. We will see how he is and see what Prince Khalid wants to do – there are a number of options for him, all of which are pretty obvious.

“We have got a bit of time to think about it. We will see how he comes out of the race. It was only his second race of the year, so there is still more to come from him.

“We will sit down and come up with a plan and take it from there.”

Kameko

Trainer Andrew Balding: “I have only seen it once with the naked eye and I would have to watch it again, but he looked unlucky. He has finished on the heels of them and Oisin was a bit unlucky on him, but it happens round here.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy: “Kameko jumped very smart. Obviously, I wanted to take a lead and I thought Circus Maximus would make the running. I couldn't find any room up the straight and I felt like the best horse didn't win on the day. Unfortunately, these things happen sometimes and it is jockey error. I hope then horse is sound in the morning and he lives to fight another day. Apologies to his connections. A lot of hard work goes into preparing these horses and nobody wants hard luck stories.

“You saw the way he travelled, and I was full of horse for most of the race. I haven't spoken to Andrew [Balding] or Sheikh Fahad in any depth but I view Kameko very much as a miler.”

The post Mohaather Earns Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth With Impressive Sussex Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post