Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Swilcan Stable's stakes-winner Vedareo will look to carry on her family's successes and make the grade when she takes on the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on Sunday at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The winner of the one-mile Frizette will receive a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 4 at Keeneland as part of the “Win And You're In” qualifying series.

In 2013, veteran conditioner Butch Reid, Jr. landed the winning bid of $15,000 for a 2-year-old Mineshaft filly, who was later named Vero Amore, at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He saddled her to two victories, including a runner-up finish in the 2014 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan for Swilcan Stable. Vero Amore would go on to produce 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist, and subsequently, Vedareo.

Reid, Jr. said Vero Amore has proven to be a wise investment.

“We bought that mare and she's been a very prolific broodmare to say the least. She's been fantastic,” said Reid, Jr.

Vequist, a daughter of Nyquist, became one of Reid, Jr.'s best runners to date with her Championship campaign, posting wins in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga Race Course and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies before making one start as a sophomore and retiring with earnings of over $1.2 million.

Reid, Jr. noted the similarities between the siblings.

“Mentally, Vedareo is a little more high strung and physically, she isn't quite as big as Vequist is just yet,” said Reid, Jr. “But she looks just like her and by the time she gets into her 3-year-old year, she's going to be very close to her big sister. She looks like her mother more than anything – a jet black filly just like her.”

Vedareo will vie to finish one better in the Frizette than her accomplished sibling did in 2020 when she rallied from off-the-pace to finish a close second to Dayoutoftheoffice. A daughter of Daredevil, Vedareo is the only horse in the field of seven to have raced at a mile. She won at that distance last out in the Sorority on August 21 at Monmouth Park, leading at every point of call and widening her margin down the stretch to post a convincing six-length win.

“We thought that [she'd stretch out] all along. She's a natural route of ground horse just like her big sister, so I'm glad we got that one in her,” said Reid, Jr.

Vedareo arrived at the Sorority from a pair of sprints that included her debut maiden victory going 4 1/2 furlongs in June at Parx and a well-beaten fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga.

“I liked it a lot,” Reid, Jr. said of the Sorority. “You can see she was a little cranked up the first part of it coming off the sprint races, and then down the backside, she dropped her head down and was moving nicely and finished well. That gives us confidence coming back at the same distance.”

With a 2-for-3 lifetime record, Vedareo's only blemish came in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on July 14 at the Spa where she bobbled at the start and bumped hard with a foe before going two-wide and coming up empty down the lane under Joel Rosario.

Reid, Jr. said the troubled trip and a deep main track were reasons for him to draw a line through the outing.

“We had some horses at Saratoga this year and found out early in the meet that it's a very deep track,” said Reid, Jr. “She had been training at Parx and only got up there a couple days before the race and I don't think she was quite fit enough for that level of competition or the depth of the racetrack. She got down to Monmouth and got that race under her belt, so we'll draw a line through the Schuylerville.”

Vedareo posted a sharp half-mile work on September 23 at Parx Racing, breezing over the main track in 47.91 seconds, the sixth-best time from 22 works that day.

Reid, Jr. said he is looking forward to another chance at a Frizette victory.

“She had a real nice breeze last week and that should set her up real nice for this,” said Reid, Jr. “She's galloping real strong. We're very happy and ready to go.”

Vero Amore, who also produced the Reid, Jr.-trained Grade 3-placed Mainstay, gave birth to a filly by Accelerate in 2021.

Jose Ortiz has been tasked with the ride aboard Vedareo from post 5.

Reid, Jr. celebrated another strong showing from 3-year-old filly Morning Matcha last Saturday when she rallied from 14 1/2 lengths off the pace to finish a game runner-up to Society in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx.

Owned by LC Racing, Cash is King, and Gary Barber, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Central Banker made her home track proud with her effort in the Bensalem oval's biggest race for fillies, building upon a resume that includes a victory in Parx's Main Line in March. The Cotillion marked her second graded stakes placing.

Reid, Jr. said the sturdy filly has consistently held her form since debuting at Monmouth Park last June.

“She's been a trooper all along and going steadily since last year. She ran the race of her life on Saturday and to do it in front of the home crowd was really exciting,” said Reid, Jr. “I'm really happy for her more than anybody else.”

Morning Matcha has picked up five other stakes placings, including runner-up efforts in Aqueduct Racetrack's NYSSS Fifth Avenue and Busanda. Reid, Jr. said a return to the Big A this fall for the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely on November 25 may be in the cards.

“She gives it her best effort every time. She may not always win, but you know she's going to make a run. There's nothing really left down here at Parx against straight 3-year-olds, so we see off in the distance that the Comely might be the last chance to run against straight 3-year-olds, so that's definitely a possibility.”

Out of the multiple stakes-placed Iam the Iceman mare Home Ice, Morning Matcha was an $18,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and has banked more than $630,000 in her two seasons of racing.

The post Frizette: Vedareo ‘A Little More High Strung’ Than Champion Half-Sister Vequist appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Battle of Normandy will report for duty against a wide open field of a dozen juvenile colts assembled for Sunday's 44th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim going 1 1/16 miles on the outer turf during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Pilgrim is one of three graded stakes events on Sunday's program, and is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on November 4 at Keeneland. Also featured on the card are the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette – a “Win And You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya.

Since the inception of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2007, the Pilgrim has been a notable steppingstone for the Juvenile Turf and has produced three horses to win both events – Oscar Performance [2016], Structor [2019] and Fire At Will [2020].

Battle of Normandy, trained by two-time Pilgrim-winning Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, was a late rallying second in the Grade 3 With Anticipation on August 31 over good inner turf at Saratoga Race Course, finishing a neck behind victorious 23-1 upset winner Boppy O. The son of freshman sire City of Light broke from the rail in the With Anticipation, maintained his inside position when fourth down the backstretch and made a strong bid in the stretch once he was in the clear, but was beaten a neck under Kendrick Carmouche.

The With Anticipation effort came one start following a triumphant career debut, where Battle of Normandy displayed similar stalking tactics and won by 2 3/4 lengths.

“We tried him back in the With Anticipation and we thought he ran a great race,” said Woodford Racing partner Ben Haggin. “He was stuck down there on the inside with the inside post and Kendrick told us he thought he ran a better race than his first one. Once he got him in the clear and was able to change leads and fully extend, he came running. Shug agreed that he ran a great race that day.”

Haggin, who operates Woodford Racing with Lane's End Farm manager Bill Farish, spoke volumes of the relationship established with West Point Thoroughbreds. The two racing operations have recently joined forces with other partnerships in the purchasing and campaigning of multiple notable horses, such as the sensational Grade 1-winner Flightline as well as graded stakes winners First Captain and Promise Keeper.

“That relationship with Woodford Racing and West Point has been great for both parties,” Haggin said. “We're buying mostly colts, but nice ones. Our investors in Woodford Racing love the action and especially in races like the Pilgrim. That's why we do it.”

A victory could provide City of Light, who is amongst the most sought after first crop sires this year, with his first graded stakes winner as a stallion.

“We like the size and scope,” Haggin said regarding City of Light progeny. “With this colt, we feel like he should only improve as he continues to grow into his frame. We're excited that he has two races under his belt and excited for his future. He's a really cool colt. He seems to have bounced out of both of those races really well. He seems pretty laid back around the barn, like a lot of Shug's horses, but once you put the tack on him, he turns into a real athlete.”

Battle of Normandy is out of the dual stakes-winning Kitten's Joy mare Adorable Miss and is a direct descendant of breed-shaping broodmare La Troienne. He was bought for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

Carmouche has retained the mount aboard Battle of Normandy, who will break from post 5.

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle I'm Very Busy, who registered a 73 Beyer Speed Figure with a victorious debut on August 13 at Saratoga. Owned by Team Hanley, Richard Schermerhorn and Paul Braverman, the Pennsylvania-bred son of first crop sire Cloud Computing received a ground saving trip under returning rider Flavien Prat and drew clear to a 3 3/4-length win.

“He looks good, that horse,” said Brown, a three-time Pilgrim winner. “His debut was impressive; we worked him once on the turf and he did super. I like what I've seen.”

I'm Very Busy will leave from post 10.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will debut Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude on turf after two prior stakes engagements over the main track. The bay colt graduated at first asking in June over the Monmouth Park main track before finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Sanford on July 16 at Saratoga. He enters off a distant third in the Sapling at Monmouth, where he stretched out to a two-turn mile for the first time.

Pletcher has worked Major Dude over the turf twice heading into his grass debut, and commented that he appears to have moved up based off his turf breezes.

“It seems like some of the Bolt d'Oros have taken a step forward on the grass,” said Pletcher. “He's formed decently on the dirt, but when you see him on the grass, his couple of works have indicated that he could make a move forward.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Major Dude from post 3.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles' Ramblin' Wreck is one of four New York-breds attempting to best open company. The Danny Gargan-trained son of Redesdale – who stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for $2,500 – graduated at second asking in his turf debut on September 16 at Aqueduct, which he won by three lengths at 10-1 odds.

Bred by Ron Bowden, Ramblin' Wreck is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid – making him a half-brother to open company stakes and multiple New York-bred stakes winner Dakota Gold.

Manny Franco will ride from post 7.

Lawrence Goichman's New York homebred Lachaise enters off a 1 1/4-length debut victory on August 4 at Saratoga for trainer Jorge Abreu. The son of 2016 Pilgrim winner Oscar Performance is out of Elusive Rumour, who has also produced stakes winners Myhartblongstodady, Runaway Rumour and Scuttlebuzz.

“He came out of his maiden race really well,” Abreu said. “I had him in the With Anticipation and unfortunately, he got sick and we had to scratch. But now he's good.”

Although victorious, Lachaise did appear a bit green in the stretch run of his maiden win when drifting in slightly around the sixteenth-pole.

“I think that's just baby stuff in Saratoga with the screen and the crowd. I'm not looking for an excuse though because he won,” Abreu said.

Lachaise will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 9.

Completing the field are Fly Right [post 1, Javier Castellano], Noble Huntsman [post 2, Dylan Davis], Bramble Blaze [post 4, Madeline Rowland], Dataman [post 6, Joel Rosario], Vacation Dance [post 8, Luis Saez], Torigo [post 11, Junior Alvarado] and Movisitor [post 12, Trevor McCarthy].

The Pilgrim is carded as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Battle Of Normandy Leads Wide Open Dozen For ‘Win And You’re In’ Pilgrim appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

WellSpring Stables' Leave No Trace will vie for her second consecutive Grade 1 score when she takes on six rivals in Sunday's Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies traveling a one-turn mile at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Frizette is one of three graded stakes on Sunday's card and offers the winner a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 4 at Keeneland as part of the “Win And You're In” qualifying series. Also featured on the card are the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim, a 1 1/16-mile “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 3/8 miles over the turf.

Trained by Phil Serpe, Leave No Trace was last seen scoring a game victory in the Grade 1 Spinaway on September 4 at Saratoga Race Course, tracking one length off the pace under Jose Lezcano and taking command at the top of the stretch. The daughter of Outwork powered home to a 1 1/2-length victory to upset the field of 10 at odds of 14-1 to give Serpe his first Grade 1 victory since the 1993 Vosburgh with Birdonthewire.

“It was really good. It's been a long time since we won a Grade 1 and it's always great to win at Saratoga,” said Serpe. “The people that own her are just great people, so we are happy for everybody.”

The Spinaway improved Leave No Trace's record to a perfect 2-for-2, adding to a debut score sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on July 20 at the Spa. She stalked in fourth-of-9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and went nearly five-wide in the turn, but showed a strong turn of foot at the top of the lane to coast home and cross the wire first by 2 3/4 lengths.

Leave No Trace has posted two works since her Spinaway victory, most recently breezing five furlongs in a sharp 58.69 seconds over Belmont Park's dirt training track on Sunday.

“Everything is good with her. She had a nice work and all systems go,” said Serpe. “She did it pretty easy. I was surprised looking at the watch how fast she was going. The 58 and change was a work where you're like, 'Wow, this filly is really fast.' Everything is just kind of moving along.”

Serpe said Leave No Trace, who was purchased for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, has made all the right steps forward.

“Physically, she had gone through a growth spirt in the spring here at Belmont before we had ever shipped up for the Saratoga meet,” Serpe said. “She is a really nice-looking filly; well-balanced and has a nice hip on her. As far as her developing with her workout pattern, that just keeps getting better and better.

“You don't really know when they first come in, but once we got her up to her half-mile works, she started to show that she had some talent,” Serpe added. “Things progressed the way you'd want them to.”

Lezcano has the call again from post 1.

Repole Stable's impressive maiden winner Chocolate Gelato will make her stakes debut and first start against winners for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. A dark bay Practical Joke filly, Chocolate Gelato was an eye-catching 8 1/2-length winner of a six-furlong maiden on August 14 at the Spa, leading at every point of call and widening her margins down the stretch under Ortiz, Jr. The effort garnered a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pletcher said he was pleased with the victory that came on the heels of a close third-place finish in her July 14 debut at Saratoga.

“She was impressive. Her debut, the track was very demanding and tough for a first-time starter,” Pletcher said. “She got a little tired late in the race. The second start was more of what we were expecting from her.”

Chocolate Gelato was a $475,000 purchase earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where she posted a one-furlong work in 10 seconds flat. Hailing from the family of breed-shaping broodmare La Troienne, her third dam is multiple graded stakes-winner Daydreaming, who produced multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire and sire Imagining.

Chocolate Gelato will emerge from post 4 with Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux will saddle debut maiden winner The Great Maybe on the heels of an eight-length romp on August 28 at the Spa under Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano. The daughter of Upstart, owned by Lael Stables, briefly battled for the lead I'm a Country Girl for the first quarter-mile of the six-furlong sprint before coming away with the advantage at the half-mile call and never looking back.

The Great Maybe breezed a bullet half-mile in 47 flat on Saturday over the main track at Keeneland.

“She trained well out of that [race] so we're taking the chance with the one turn mile with her,” said DeVaux.

Castellano retains the mount from post 6.

Swilcan Stable's Vedareo enters the Frizette as the only horse in the field to have raced at a mile, scoring a strong six-length victory in the Sorority on August 21 at Monmouth Park. Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., Vedareo won on debut sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs in June at Parx Racing before finishing off-the-board in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at the Spa two starts back.

Vedareo is a half-sister to 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist, who ran second in that year's running of the Frizette for Reid, Jr.

The dark bay Daredevil filly will exit post 5 in rein to Jose Ortiz.

Completing the field are American Rockette [post 2, Junior Alvarado] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; Raging Sea [post 3, Flavien Prat] for conditioner Chad Brown; and You're My Girl [post 7, Joel Rosario] for trainer John Terranova.

The Frizette is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Leave No Trace Looks To Double Her Grade 1 Tally In Sunday’s Frizette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post