Tag: Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In

Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to Feature 23 Stakes Worth $10.1 Million

Highlighted by the 156th edition of the GI Belmont S. on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has revealed the stakes schedule for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 23 stakes races with purses totaling $10.1 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.

NYRA has increased the purse of the Belmont S. from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2024, which is the first significant increase since 2014. The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be contested at 1 1/4 miles in 2024 rather than the traditional 1 1/2 miles due to the configuration of Saratoga's main track.

In addition, NYRA has increased the purse of the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan from $750,000 to $1 million and boosted the GI New York from $600,000 to $750,000. As a result, the total purses offered at the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will exceed $10 million for the first time.

NYRA has also boosted the purse of the GIII Poker from $200,000 to $350,000 and added $100,000 to the purses of the GI Woody Stephens, the GI Jaipur and the GII True North. Accordingly, the Woody Stephens and Jaipur will offer a purse of $500,000, with the True North rising to $350,000.

Differences between the circumference of Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park will require slight distance adjustments to a number of races scheduled for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. On the main track, four races previously run at a one-turn 1 1/16 miles on the main track (Acorn, Ogden Phipps, Commentator and Critical Eye) will be run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

On the turf, the Manhattan and New York will be contested at 1 3/16 miles rather than the customary 10 furlongs. The Jaipur and $200,000 GII Intercontinental, which saw un upgrade from Grade III status last year, will each be run at 5 1/2 furlongs rather than the customary six furlongs.

The Festival opens with four stakes on Thursday, June 6 led by the $250,000 GII Belmont Gold Cup for older horses traveling two miles on the turf. The June 6 program will include the Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs; the Listed $150,000 Tremont for juveniles sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs and the $150,000 Astoria at 5 1/2 furlongs for juvenile fillies.

Friday, June 7 will feature three Grade I events among four stakes topped by the New York for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up; the $500,000 Acorn for sophomore fillies and the $500,000 Just a Game at one mile on the turf for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. The GII Intercontinental for older fillies and mares rounds out the stakes action on the second day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

A blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga awaits on Saturday, June 8 with a program to include six Grade I events among nine stakes races in total, culminating with the Belmont S. and featuring three Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifiers: the $1-million GI Metropolitan H. for 3-year-olds and up going one mile out of the Wilson Chute [Dirt Mile]; the $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps for older fillies and mares [Distaff]; and the $500,000 GI Jaipur for 3-year-olds and up [Turf Sprint]. In addition, the prestigious and historic Grade I races on Belmont Stakes Day will include the $1-million Resorts World Casino Manhattan for older horses, and the seven-furlong $500,000 Woody Stephens for sophomores.

Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga will be bolstered by the GII True North for older horses sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs; the GIII Poker for older horses at one mile on the turf and the $350,000 GII Suburban for older horses at 10 furlongs.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga will conclude on Sunday, June 9 when New York-breds take center stage for a special New York Showcase Day featuring six stakes exclusively for New York-breds.

For the complete Belmont Stakes Racing Festival stakes schedule, visit BelmontStakes.com/schedule.

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Juddmonte’s Idiomatic Dominates Spinster

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin) continued her ascent to the top of the distaff division Sunday with a dominant and fitting front-running tally in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., a “Win and You're In” qualifier for next month's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

This was the second Spinster title for Juddmonte, which began sponsoring the prestigious race in 2005. Emollient (Empire Maker) carried the famed green and pink to victory here in 2013.

Backed at even-money to repeat rival Nest (Curlin)'s 4-5 odds, the Brad Cox trainee took clear command from the outset, doled out splits of :24.49, :48.31 and 1:12.24 and never faced an ounce of pressure all the way to the wire, which she crossed 4 1/4 lengths to the good. Le Da Vida (Chi) (Gemologist) was second, while Bellamore (Empire Maker) rounded out the trifecta. Nest could only muster a mild late bid and settled for fourth. The final time was 1:49.82.

“Actually, it was not easy looking at the race on paper with Nest being in there, a very good filly,” said winning rider Florent Geroux. “But my filly just keeps on improving and we know the distance is not a problem. She just keeps improving, and Brad and his team had her at her prime again today. She's just getting better and better, and I can't wait to ride her again.”

After methodically moving through her allowance conditions at Turfway Park at the start of the year, Idiomatic made her stakes debut a winning one in that venue's Latonia S. in March. She was a well-beaten second in Belmont's GII Ruffian S. in May before putting them back-to-back in the GIII Shawnee S. at Churchill in June and GII Delaware H. the following month. Idiomatic was last seen defeating the accomplished pair of Secret Oath (Arrogate) and Nest in a sloppy renewal of Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 25.

This was Brad Cox's first Spinster victory. Of winning it for the famed operation whose name it carries, he said, “It's very special, and I want to thank [owner Fahad bin] Mr. Khalid and his family and obviously the Juddmonte team here in America. This is a big win for this filly, it's her second Grade I. She's had a fantastic year. [This race is] a 'Win and You're In' [for] the Breeders' Cup so we're excited about that. I've run four or five fillies in the past in [this race] and haven't had much luck, so she was able to break through for us today.”

Cox said of Idiomatic, “She's a tremendous talent, very physical, really. When I was saddling her in the paddock, I was, like, 'Wow, she's the biggest horse I've ever trained.' She's a monster. She has a tremendous stride and covers so much ground. She's really a freak–I mean, she really is a tremendous talent, and we're very fortunate to have her.”

Sunday, Keeneland
JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S.-GI, $580,250, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.82, ft.
1–IDIOMATIC, 124, f, 4, by Curlin
               1st Dam: Lockdown (SW & MGISP, $445,900),
                              by First Defence
               2nd Dam: Rising Tornado, by Storm Cat
               3rd Dam: Silver Star (GB), by Zafonic
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent
Geroux. $367,350. Lifetime Record: 11-8-1-2, $1,416,840.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Le Da Vida (Chi), 124, m, 6, by Gemologist
               1st Dam: Viene Cantando (Chi) (MG1SW-Chi,
                               $119,875), by Gstaad
               2nd Dam: Cantan Las Flores (Chi), by Dynamix
               3rd Dam: Lanza Flores (Chi), by Gallantsky
O-Masaiva Inc.; B-Haras Santa Olga (CHI); T-Ignacio Correas, IV.
$98,750.
3–Bellamore, 124, m, 5, by Empire Maker
               1st Dam: Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike
               2nd Dam: Softly, by Binalong
               3rd Dam: Coragil, by Metfield
($170,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR).
O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY);
T-Carlos Santamaria. $59,250.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2HF, 4HF. Odds: 1.06, 12.90, 25.51.
Also Ran: Nest, Sixtythreecaliber, Malloy. Scratched: Misty Veil.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Pedigree Notes:
Idiomatic is the second-straight Spinster winner by super sire Curlin (last year's winner Malathaat took the Distaff next out en route to her second-straight Eclipse), and one of his 22 highest-level winners.

Idiomatic is a fourth-generation Juddmonte-bred and hails from the direct female line of Broodmare of the Year Best in Show (Traffic Judge), whose daughters have been brilliant producers and are responsible for a plethora of top horses over the last 50 or so years. One of those top horses was Juddmonte homebred, 'TDN Rising Star', and champion Close Hatches (First Defence), a full-sister to Idiomatic's stakes-winning and multiple Grade I-placed dam, Lockdown, who was fourth in the 2017 Juddmonte as a sophomore. Close Hatches is the dam of Tacitus (Tapit), whose big wins included the 2019 GII Wood Memorial S. and whose placings included the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S.

Broodmare sire First Defence, another Juddmonte homebred descending from the operation's wonderful Broodmare of the Year Toussuad (El Gran Senor), has 14 stakes winners out of his daughters. He is also the broodmare sire of 2021 GI Hollywood Derby hero Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy). First Defence now stands in Saudi Arabia.

Lockdown died in 2022 after producing just three foals. She has an unraced 3-year-old filly named Abditory (Medaglia d'Oro) and a yearling filly by Into Mischief.

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Gun Runner’s Chatalas Breeders’ Cup-Bound after Chandelier

Rancho Temescal Thoroughbreds and Dan Agnew's Chatalas (f, 2, Gun Runner–Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie), fourth last month behind ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) in the GI Del Mar Debutante, looks like she'll get another shot at that rival after winning the GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earning a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Co-owner Agnew also bred the filly.

“Cloud nine, now that would describe it,” said Agnew. “Especially with a homebred like this, it is a great thrill and Mark [Glatt]'s done a great job with the filly. The man that was on the farm said, 'This is one I think you ought to keep and I think he was right.' I think the way Gun Runner has proven a great sire to both fillies and colts was a big reason I decided to keep her and race her. On to the Breeders' Cup. We hope that she comes out well and we are looking forward to it.”

Chatalas broke from the inside in the Chandelier with running on her mind. She immediately secured the front and was quickly joined by Bob Baffert's GIII Sorrento S. third-place finisher Dua (Arrogate), but Antonio Fresu up on the winner was relaxed and riding high in the saddle. The pair moved comfortably through early fractions of :23.69 and :47.97, continuing to hold Dua at bay by a half-length. Fresu threw a few crosses coming off the turn, encouraged Chatalas a few times with the stick, and the race was quickly put to bed. The bay left Dua behind as she strode powerfully to the wire. Meanwhile, Todd Pletcher maiden shipper Scalable (Speightstown) commenced a rally and caught Dua but there was no catching Chatalas, who had plenty left to hold off the late challenge.

“We've always thought the further she went the better she would be,” said Glatt. “A little disappointed with the Debutante performance, but I look back on it and she was fairly close to :44 fractions and that's just not her. We knew she would have pretty good speed going two turns and she did kind of everything her own way. She broke sharp and had a relatively comfortable lead. Fresu rode her great.”

Chatalas debuted July 30 with a victory at Del Mar sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. Her 74 Beyer Speed Figure that day was second-best in this field behind Laurent (Practical Joke)'s 78 when second in the same Debutante Chatalas in which finished fourth. Laurent was the favorite Saturday in the Chandelier, but chased wide and finished ninth.

Pedigree Notes:

Not bad for an afternoon's work. Three Chimneys super sire Gun Runner had four graded stakes entries Friday. Two won and all four hit the board. About 45 minutes before Chatalas won the Chandelier, his Wicked Halo was a nose second in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. at Keeneland. Earlier in the afternoon, his Life Talk had been third in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont at Aqueduct, and moments after the Chandelier, his 'TDN Rising Star' Locked won the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Such is a Saturday afternoon in the rarefied air of Gun Runner's world. Interestingly, Locked, Life Talk, and Wicked Halo all hail from A.P. Indy broodmare sire lines, but Chatalas is out of an Indian Charlie mare. Chatalas is the 101st stakes winner out of a daughter of Indian Charlie and is one of 23 black-type winners by Gun Runner. A member of his third crop, Chatalas is one of 17 graded winners for Gun Runner.

Indian Safari, the dam of Chatalas, has a yearling filly by Bernardini who was a $225,000 purchase by Repole Stable out of the recent Keeneland September yearling sale. Her 2023 Liam's Map filly was foaled Apr. 12 and she was bred back to that sire for next term. Fleetwood Bloodstock purchased Indian Safari on behalf of Agnew for $130,000 while carrying her first foal, a Union Rags filly, at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

Saturday, Santa Anita
CHANDELIER S.-GII, $202,000, Santa Anita, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.28, ft.
1–CHATALAS, 122, f, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Hopes and Dreams, by More Than Ready
                3rd Dam: Nokia, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Rancho
Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and Dan J. Agnew; B-Dan
Agnew (KY); T-Mark Glatt; J-Antonio Fresu. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-0, $187,200.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Scalable, 122, f, 2, Speightstown–Passion Flower, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Dua, 122, f, 2, Arrogate–Attempt to Name, by Consolidator.
($400,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Wynnstay INC, Donna Moore & Jim Richardson (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.10, 8.90, 5.20.
Also Ran: Pacific Rose, Gate to Paradise, Autumn Chill, Motet, Pink Whitney, Laurent. Scratched: Next Right Thing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Slow Down Andy Earns Breeders’ Cup Classic Berth In Awesome Again

Paul Reddam's Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) assumed command of Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. from the opening bell and made every pole a winning one, earning a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over an extra eighth of a mile of the Santa Anita main track on Nov. 4.

“I was kind of surprised, I thought everyone would try to go,” Reddam said. “The track has been pretty speed favoring all day and he just broke so smoothly that he was on top in three jumps and that worked out. We are in for the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

Favored at 2-1 to snap a five-race skid dating back to a victory in the GII Del Mar Derby on the turf last September, the homebred–third to Defunded (Dialed In) in this event before filling the same spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile–bounced beautifully from gate three and set a lively pace over the rain-affected main track. The Bob Baffert duo of Defunded and GI Preakness S. hero National Treasure (Quality Road) tried to make a race of it as they swung into the stretch, but Slow Down Andy had something left and proved an easy winner by 2 1/2 lengths.

Defunded lasted for second ahead of Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), who attacked the wire for third.

Slow Down Andy, winner of the 2021 GII Los Alamitos Futurity and 2022 GIII Sunland Park Derby, made three previous starts this season, including a second-place finish in the GII San Diego H. July 29 and a third-place finish in the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic S. last time Sept. 2.

Trainer Doug O'Neill was winning the race for the first time since the legendary Lava Man (Slew City Slew) took it when contested as the Goodwood H. in 2006. Baffert had trained the last three winners of the Awesome Again and eight overall.

“First of all, he is a super easy horse to train and I have to thank the people at OBR,” O'Neill said.

“Zillah does a lot of work along with Ocean Breeze, Carlos and Casey they do such a wonderful job. If they are all like him, it is about as easy as a job as you can get. He just goes out there and gives 100 percent every morning exercising. Tony Romero gets on him, he used to get on the great Lava Man and he says this horse is very special. Just to get a Grade I for Paul, Zillah, and for Andy and OBR it is really special.”

Pedigree Notes:

Slow Down Andy becomes the fourth winner at the top level for Nyquist, who was also campaigned by these same connections to memorable wins in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby. Slow Down Andy is the lone graded winner produced by broodmare sire Square Eddie.

Reddam homebred Edwina E, winless in two career attempts, has also produced the late MSW Team Merchants (Nyquist) and a Nyquist filly of this year. She was bred to Nyquist for 2024.

Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $302,000, Santa Anita, 9-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:47.62, wf.
1–SLOW DOWN ANDY, 122, c, 4, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Edwina E, by Square Eddie
                2nd Dam: Electric Daze, by Gilded Time
                3rd Dam: Electric Fable, by Quiet American
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F.
O'Neill; J-Mario Gutierrez. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
14-5-4-3, $1,276,600. *Full to Team Merchants, MSW,
$250,490. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Defunded, 126, g, 5, Dialed In–Wind Caper, by Touch Gold.
($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson
and Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$60,000.
3–Senor Buscador, 124, h, 5, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R
Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher.
$36,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, 1HF. Odds: 2.00, 3.90, 8.40.
Also Ran: National Treasure, Skinner, Bye Bye Bobby, Celestial Moon, Piroli, Stilleto Boy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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