Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Undefeated Showgirl Lynne B will train over Gulfstream Park's Tapeta surface in preparation for a planned next start in the Breeders' Cup, trainer Bob Hess Jr. reports.

The 2-year-old daughter of Constitution launched her career with back-to-back victories over the all-weather surface at Gulfstream during the summer before going on to win a $250,000 allowance race on turf at Kentucky Downs.

Hess and Westlake Racing Stable LLC will aim Showgirl Lynne B toward the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) or the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland.

“We'll see how the fields look, but it may come down to what race we can get in,” Hess said. “She won't race until then. She's back at Gulfstream and she'll train at Gulfstream. She's run hard. She's had three starts, so we're going to give her a little time.”

The Kentucky-bred filly is scheduled to breeze Saturday over the all-weather surface that got her started on the right foot. Assistant trainer Daniel Flores will supervise the first workout since her victory at Kentucky Downs Sept. 8.

“Gulfstream's Tapeta program helped get her ready for the Kentucky race,” Hess said. “The Tapeta program offers a lot of races to get a foundation into a young horse to get them ready to compete in big races.”

Showgirl Lynne B debuted with a length victory in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race July 22 before becoming a stakes winner in the Aug. 20 Sharp Susan, a 5 ½-furlong race for juvenile fillies.

“We broke her in Ocala and she liked the Tapeta there. Our thought was we'd get a race into her at Gulfstream and then maybe go for the ship-and-win at Del Mar,” Hess said. “She won so impressively, we started thinking about the stake she won [Sharp Susan]. Then, there was the allowance at Kentucky Downs for a lot of money.”

Showgirl Lynne B, a $40,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, was eligible for the Kentucky Downs allowance that was restricted to fillies that were sold or were RNA during that sale.

The Hess trainee has won all three of her starts in sprints after closely attending the pacesetter and kicking into gear in the stretch. Whether she draws into the Juvenile Fillies Turf or the Juvenile Fillies on dirt, she will be asked to stretch out around two turns for the first time.

“I'm not concerned about that from a genetic standpoint, being by Constitution out of a Tiznow mare,” Hess said. “She's small to say the least, but she moves big. She has a great mind. She's small but mighty with a nice pedigree. She has a big desire to be an athlete and a racehorse.”

Dirt, should the Juvenile Fillies be in her future, may be more of a question mark.

“I hate to fix what's not broken, but she's got such a powerful stride, I think she'll run on anything,” Hess said.

The post ‘Small But Mighty’: Breeders’ Cup Target For Undefeated Showgirl Lynne B appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Flightline, the undefeated tour d' force who has elicited comparisons to some of racing's all-time great champions, will have his first work in preparation for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic this Saturday at Santa Anita.

A sensational 19 ¼ length winner of the Pacific Classic Sept. 3 at Del Mar, Flightline has taken his five starts by a combined 62 ¾ lengths and registered an astronomical 126 Beyer Speed Figure at Del Mar, is scheduled to breeze a half mile under Juan Leyva Saturday at 6:30 a.m. according to trainer John Sadler.

With the Breeders' Cup Classic looming on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, Flightline, a $1 million yearling purchase by Tapit, will likely have five local works before departing for Lexington several days in advance of the Classic.

A six-length winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park June 11, a race in which regular rider Flavien Prat had to negotiate his way through significant early trouble, Flightline will be making his third start of the year and possibly his final career start, in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Owned by California-based Hronis Racing, LLC, Siena Farm, LLC, Summer Wind Equine, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC, Flightline has run twice at The Great Race Place, most recently in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes this past Dec. 26.

Odds-on in all of his races, Flightline, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Feathered, took the seven furlong Malibu by 11 ½ lengths at 2-5.

A 12 ¾ length allowance winner going six furlongs at Del Mar on Sept. 5, 2021, Flightline was a devastating first-out maiden winner at Santa Anita four months previous on April 24, winning by 13 ¼ lengths while getting six furlongs in 1:08.60.

Santa Anita's 18-day Autumn will open on Friday, Sept. 30, with first post time at 1 p.m.

First post time for Breeders' Cup Challenge weekend on Oct. 1 & 2 will be at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 and at 1 p.m. on Oct. 2. The weekend will feature a total of 10 stakes, including the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again on Oct. 1, which will provide the winner with a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

For additional information regarding Santa Anita's upcoming Autumn Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Undefeated Flightline Scheduled For Saturday Breeze At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Iroquois Stakes winner Curly Jack may train up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, trainer Tom Amoss told the Daily Racing Form on Monday. The 2-year-old son of Good Magic was making his fourth start in the Grade 3 contest at Churchill Downs.

“I don't have an issue with running a horse like him off a layoff,” Amoss told DRF. “He's got a good foundation under him with four starts already.”

Bred in Kentucky by Betz/J.Betz/Burns/Camaquiki/C.Kidder/et. al., Curly Jack was a $180,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale. Owner Mike McLaughlin sent the colt to Amoss and he won at first asking, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill on June 2, 2022. From there, Curly Jack tried graded company at Saratoga in the G3 Sanford, but faded to fifth after vying for the early lead.

Amoss brought him back to Kentucky and sent him out to finish second in the Ellis Park Juvenile over seven furlongs, beaten just a head after a rough start and long stretch battle. He returned to win the G3 Iroquois by a length on Saturday.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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Godolphin's Irish homebred Nations Pride, expertly handled by Frankie Dettori, tipped out and drew off to a 6 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 3, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational, a 12-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the victory provided Nations Pride with wins in two-thirds of the Caesars Turf Triple series. He finished a closing second to returning rival Classic Causeway after a troubled trip under Dettori in the opening leg, the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational in July, before earning redemption under William Buick in the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational in August.

The Jockey Club Derby score was part of a memorable Saturday for Appleby, who saw Buick guide Godolphin homebreds Mysterious Night [Summer] and Modern Games [Woodbine Mile] to Grade 1 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” scores at Woodbine Racetrack.

The Flavien Prat-piloted Classic Causeway jumped to the lead through splits of :23.80, 48.33, 1:12.55, and 1:37.02 over the firm footing with Daunt pressing from second position and Nations Pride saving ground in third.

Nations Pride moved closer approaching the final turn with Ardakan advancing wide under Andrasch Starke from fourth position. Dettori and Nations Pride were in need of racing room late in the turn and found their split at the quarter pole, angling out and launching a powerful bid to post a course record score in a final time of 2:24.14. The Grey Wizard rallied up the rail under Luis Saez to complete the exacta by a half-length over a game Classic Causeway. Ardakan, Daunt and Wicked Fast completed the order of finish.

Dettori said he was sitting on a much-improved Nations Pride, a 4-year-old Teofilo colt who summered at Saratoga Race Course and worked frequently there over the Oklahoma training turf.

“He settled in at Saratoga and strengthened up. Obviously, being here, he's adapted to the tracks and it was an easy job for me,” Dettori said. “He broke well and I didn't want to let the one horse [Classic Causeway] have it easy in front. When the outside horse took him on, it was great. It saved me doing the job. From then on, it was just saving ground and getting him to turn properly and heading into the straight, he was never in doubt.”

Dettori said he knew he had the race sewn up when he tipped out at the turn.

“At the corner I knew I had the race won. I knew that and I still hadn't gone for the gears yet. Everyone was cooked,” Dettori said.

Chris Connett, traveling assistant for Appleby, said he was impressed with the ease of victory for Nations Pride.

“He jumped nicely with them today. He travelled around and got a lovely tow into the race,” Connett said. “He quickened up how you would really like him to. He put them to bed pretty quickly.

“Frankie gave him an absolute peach of a ride. He travelled around and picked up just how you would like. It was fairly straightforward for a race like this,” Connett added. “He's got that turn of foot. Since his first run here, he's really grown and filled out that frame of his. He's done fantastic since he's been here. It's nice to see.”

Saez, who won the first three races on the card, said he was pleased with how maiden winner The Grey Wizard performed in his stakes debut for trainer Graham Motion.

“He ran big. He broke from there and I was following the winner,” Saez said. “At the half-mile, the winner kept going but this one never gave up. He tried pretty hard to get second. It was a good race.”

Prat said the tempo may have got the better of Classic Causeway.

“He broke well and got to the lead. It was probably a bit too far, especially today with the fair pace. He ran well,” Prat said.

Starke said the German-based Group 2 Italian Derby winner Ardakan was hampered by the tight turns.

“The track was good but the inside corners wasn't helpful for him,” Starke said. “He's a big horse with some stride. If we had gone on the outside track, it would really suit him but no excuse. He ran an OK race.”

Appleby won this event last year with Yibir en route to a victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1 at Del Mar and year-end honors as Champion Turf Male.

Connett said Nations Pride's powerful effort will give Appleby a reason to consider another attempt in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland.

“That will be a decision for Charlie and the team, but he did everything today that puts him in a nice spot to think about it,” Connett said.

Bred in Ireland by his owner from the Oasis Dream mare Important Time, Nations Pride banked $535,000 in victory, while improving his record to 9-6-2-0. He returned $3.10 for a $2 win ticket.

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