Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Although he's by a champion sprinter, long-fused Heywoods Beach prefers marathon distances, evidenced by his convincing neck victory in Sunday's $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3) going 1 ½ miles on Santa Anita main track.

Trained by John Sadler and ridden to perfection by Ramon Vazquez, Heywoods Beach got the trip in 2:31.98.

With a backstretch start, Heywoods Beach was a joint third about 1 ½ lengths off pacesetter Storm the Court under the wire the first time and in the run to the far turn. Three furlongs from home, Vazquez slipped through at the rail as Storm the Court drifted out a bit, was on terms with favored Tizamagician turning for home and gradually inched clear through the lane while holding off a late bid from longshot Win the Day.

Owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Heywoods Beach, who although well beaten on grass in the Del Mar Handicap (G3) Sept. 3, defeated Tizamagician in winning the Cougar II Stakes (G3) at 1 1/2 miles on dirt two starts back on July 24.

The second choice Sunday at 7-2 in a field of seven 3-year-olds and up, Heywoods Beach paid $9.

A 5-year-old horse by 2004 champion sprinter Speightstown, out of the Catienus mare Unfold the Rose, Heywoods Beach got his second graded stakes win and his fifth win from 20 overall starts while getting his second victory from three tries at 1 1/2 miles.

With the winner's share of $60,000, Heywoods Beach ran his earnings to $349,751.

Last after the first half mile, Win the Day finished well under Umberto Rispoli, 1 ½ lengths in front of third-place finisher and4-5  favorite Tizamagician under Mike Smith.

Storm the Court, who set an early tempo of :23.37,  :48.68, 1:13.40, and 1:39.32 through one mile, finished fifth in the seven-horse field.

JOCKEY QUOTES
RAMON VAZQUEZ, HEYWOODS BEACH, WINNER: “I decided that I was going to go out there and win my second stakes of the day. I rode good horses today. I know my horse, (Heywoods Beach) is a good horse and likes the distance, and he had enough energy through the last quarter. I had a great trip with him, and we found the hole in the race–it was easy.”

TRAINER QUOTES

JOHN SADLER, HEYWOODS BEACH, WINNER: “He's a good marathon horse. He's run well, he's won here at a mile and a quarter in the past and won twice now at a mile and a half. He's a very good marathon horse.

“I noticed last year (Ramon) won quite a few of these races on (a horse named) Lone Rock, so I think he has a fairly good touch at a mile and a half on dirt. He rode (Heywoods Beach) at Del Mar and rode him well. Last time we really didn't get a good trip on the grass, but this is more his thing.”

OWNER QUOTES
KOSTA HRONIS, HEYWOODS BEACH, WINNER: “Ramon (Vazquez) rode him perfectly. We knew that those would be the fractions for the race, and we knew he liked the distance. It was a repeat performance of the Cougar at Del Mar. We are definitely thinking of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and the (Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance [G2] [formerly known as the Marathon Stakes] Nov. 4). It's a taxing route, but John (Sadler) is giving it every consideration if he comes out of this race fine. We will wait and see.”

The post ‘He’s A Very Good Marathon Horse’: Heywoods Beach Lands Tokyo City Cup, Connections Ponder Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A joy to behold, Bo Hirsch's marvelous 6-year-old mare Ce Ce brought her A-Game at Santa Anita on Sunday, emphatically defending her title in the $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes (G3) with a 2 ¼-length triumph as her connections hope for a repeat win as well in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 5 at Keenland.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Victor Espinoza, the reigning champion female sprinter got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.36.

In hand under Espinoza early, Ce Ce, who tracked Teddy's Barino, Under the Stars, and Scenic Masterpiece to the half mile pole, was set down at the 3 ½ marker, angled four-deep leaving the quarter pole and took command turning for home in a huge effort.

Although well beaten going seven furlongs as the 3-2 favorite in the Ballerina Handicap (G1) Aug. 28 at Saratoga, Ce Ce was hammered in the tote, going off as the 1-5 favorite among five fillies and mares and returned $2.60.

Out of Hirsch's Grade 1-winning Belong to Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce registered her sixth career graded stakes win and her 11th win from 22 overall starts. With the winner's check of $60,000, her earnings stand at $2,357,100.

Under the Stars, under Juan Hernandez, kept to her task late and finished 3 ½ lengths better than Teddy's Barino, who led through an opening quarter mile in :22.38 and a half-mile in :44.96.

JOCKEY QUOTES
VICTOR ESPINOZA, CE CE, WINNER: “She ran her race, and that's all I want from her. It doesn't matter what happens during the race, as long as she can run her best, it'll be good and that's what happened here today. She's always good, she's a pro. She can be a little picky and when the track is not her thing, then she will not perform, like the last race in Saratoga. I'm so excited to ride her for the second time in the Breeders' Cup! I was really proud of her and the way she ran today.”

TRAINER QUOTES
MICHAEL MCCARTHY, CE CE, WINNER: “I knew you could draw a line through that last one. I think she is as good as she was last year. I knew that race at Saratoga was too bad to be true. She was going in good form. She was in the one hole and she got dirt in her face. I know now why they call Saratoga the graveyard of champions. This was a good tune-up for the Breeders' Cup (Filly and Mare Sprint).”

OWNER/BREEDER QUOTES
BO HIRSCH, CE CE, WINNER: “She's the type of filly that you just never know. She could get up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes and fool you. That was always in the back of my head. She ran like a one to five should run and I'm so happy. We are all on schedule to go to the Breeders' Cup, I'm so excited and God willing, we'll be there.
“It's all Michael McCarthy. It's the same schedule we had last year, and he wanted to stay on her. I always wanted to try her on the turf, I would have loved it and I also wanted to get (Michael) to run her next year, but he said, 'No, no.' he was too nervous to have this valuable filly running everyday so, the Breeders' Cup should be her last race then we will retire her, all things being equal.”

The post Champion Ce Ce Powers To Repeat Victory In Santa Anita’s Chillingworth, Aims For Breeders’ Cup Repeat appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A lights-out first time maiden winner on dirt, heavily favored Speed Boat Beach tried grass Sunday at Santa Anita and proved best, overcoming an awkward start to win by 1 ¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez. Trained by Bob Baffert, Speed Boat Beach got five furlongs on turf in :55.25.

The Speakeasy, a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Series qualifier, thus provides Speed Boat Beach with a fees-paid berth into the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 4.

Hopping slightly at the break from his outside post position, Speed Boat Beach was quickly into stride, tracking longshot Helladic and Tyler Baze around the turn before taking shaking loose a sixteenth of a mile out.

A 2-year-old colt by Baffert's 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Sophia Mia, Speed Boat Beach was the prohibitive 2-5 favorite in a field of nine and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.20.

It was a quick roundtrip to the Runhappy Winner's Circle for Baffert and owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, as their Midnight Memories took the previous race, the Grade II Zenyatta.

With the Speakeasy winner's share of $60,000, Speed Boat Beach ran his earnings from two starts to $108,000.

In a game effort, Helladic, trained by Ryan Hanson, was second best, finishing a half length in front of Ah Jeez.  Off at 9-1, Helladic paid $5.80 and $3.80.

Ah Jeez, ridden by Abel Cedillo, paid $3.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.06 and 43.36.

TRAINER QUOTES

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Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude sprung a mild upset on Sunday at Aqueduct in the $200,000 Pilgrim (G2) for 2-year-olds, gamely holding off odds-on favorite I'm Very Busy to give trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. their second consecutive graded stakes win on the card.

Making his turf debut in the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim, Major Dude had previously raced three times on dirt and failed to distinguish himself on the surface. The $550,000 yearling purchase, the Bolt d'Oro colt won his debut going five furlongs on June 18 at Monmouth Park before finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga Race Course and third in the one-mile Sapling at Monmouth last out, topping out at a Beyer Speed Figure of 69.

While the Pilgrim represented a question mark for his connections given the challenging conditions, it was evident as soon as the field left the gate that at the very least Major Dude's early speed had transferred to the new surface. Movisitor broke sharply from outermost post 11 and then ceded the lead to Fly Right, who shot through on the rail into the clubhouse turn to take control. Major Dude sat just off those two in an ideal stalking position under Ortiz, the meet's leading rider.

“You're always concerned when you're running on ground that you haven't been on before,” said Pletcher. “When we worked him on the turf, it was pretty firm ground, so we knew he liked that. We were hoping he'd like [softer ground] today. It seemed like he was always traveling really well.”

Fly Right, with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons, led the field through honest fractions of :24.10 for the opening quarter-mile, :49.73 for the half, and 1:15.84 for three-quarters over the yielding outer turf course at the Big A, as Movisitor sat just off his flank and longshot Noble Huntsman raced in tandem with Major Dude. I'm Very Busy, meanwhile, broke slowly from post 9 under Flavien Prat and found himself near the back of the pack in the nascent stages of the race.

I'm Very Busy picked things up around the far turn while racing four-wide as Major Dude slipped through on the inside into the stretch. With full momentum on the outside, it appeared as though I'm Very Busy was destined to win easily, however Major Dude dug in gamely over the rain-soaked course and battled back to prevail by a length. He completed the distance in 1:46.60 and returned $22.40 on a $2 win wager as the 10-1 fourth choice in the wagering.

Ortiz said Major Dude was full of run throughout.

“At the half-mile, I think I can go by those horses whenever I want to,” said Ortiz, Jr. “I feel like my horse switched off on the backside and saved a lot of energy for the end and I took some time.

“I worked the horse and I thought he loved the grass,” added Ortiz. “He felt really good on it and worked really well on the bridle. He handled [softer going] really well. He got the job done, so I can't complain.”

“He's a colt that we've really liked from the very beginning,” said Pletcher. “He was one of the first to come in [this year]. He was training well on the dirt and we gave him a couple opportunities and we just kind of got the feeling that we weren't getting everything that we thought we had. So, I saw a couple of Bolt d'Oros were running well on the turf and said, 'Let's work him on the turf.' Then it was like, OK, that's what we were hoping to see. I'm not surprised he stepped up today. He's always been a very professional, straightforward colt. I'm happy he found what he was looking for.”

In addition to taking home the winner's share of the purse of $110,000, which bumped his bankroll to $165,250, Major Dude also received an all-expenses paid trip to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, as the Pilgrim is a designated 'Win And You're In' event. The $1-million Juvenile Turf (G1) is scheduled for November 4 at Keeneland.

The Chad Brown-trained I'm Very Busy, owned in partnership by Team Hanley, Richard Schermerhorn, and Paul Braverman, had to settle for second after a less-than-ideal trip, while still finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Lachaise in third, who was followed by Noble Huntsman in fourth.

“I got wide in the last turn and that draw was difficult to get a really good trip,” said Prat. “I didn't have a bad trip, but not a great trip compared to the winner. I came really easy, it looks like I'm going to win by two or three lengths and I just hooked up with that horse [Major Dude] and couldn't go by him. I think the ground is a bit too soft.”

Ramblin' Wreck, Dataman, Battle of Normandy, Movisitor, Bramble Blaze, Fly Right and Torigo completed the order of finish. Vacation Dance was scratched.

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