Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce is following a similar script to the one that earned her a year-end championship in 2021, the first of trainer Michael McCarthy's career. The only change in the plot McCarthy would like to make for 2022 is a victory in Sunday's Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

The 44th running of the seven-furlong Ballerina for fillies and mares 3-and-up serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint November 5 at Keeneland, and headlines a 10-race program that includes the $135,000 Better Talk Now for 3-year-olds going a mile on the grass in Race 8.

Now 6, Ce Ce won last year's Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park to earn a berth in the Breeders' Cup, then ran third behind Gamine in the Ballerina before reeling off wins in the Grade 3 Chillingworth at Santa Anita and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar, beating Gamine to unseat her as North America's top female sprinter.

“We're kind of following the same pattern we followed last year. I thought she ran well at Saratoga last year and I'm looking forward to having another crack at it again this year,” the southern California-based McCarthy said. “She obviously ran into a very good filly in Gamine but she showed up, and I think she's doing just as well this year if not better than she was last year at this time.”

Impressive as she was winning last year's Princess Rooney, Ce Ce was even more so last month in a 6 1/2-length romp July 2 that matched her career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101. It was the 10th win from 20 lifetime starts for the daughter of Elusive Quality to go along with nearly $2.3 million in purse earnings.

“She's just been a model of consistency. It seems like she brings her 'A' game every time, even when things are up against her. Her race at Gulfstream last start was just fantastic,” McCarthy said. “She puts a lot into her training. She knows when it's race day. She's just special.”

One deviation McCarthy made for Ce Ce this year is sending her to Oaklawn Park for a pair of starts in the spring. She captured the Grade 2 Azeri March 12 and was third to champion older mare Letruska in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom April 23, a race Ce Ce won in 2020.

“It was kind of circumstance,” McCarthy said. “I didn't see anything here that kind of suited us earlier in the year. The Azeri was out there, [and] it was at a racetrack she was familiar with. When she ran as well as she did, it just made some sense to go right back to the Apple Blossom.

“She's got a wonderful constitution. She takes everything in stride,” he added. “Traveling doesn't seem to have any adverse reaction on her. She knows what the job is all about.”

Regular rider Victor Espinoza has the call on Ce Ce, who drew the rail in the field of seven at topweight of 125 pounds.

“She's just been fantastic for us and for what she's done – Eclipse champion, Breeders' Cup champion, big races across the country. She's kept herself relevant for basically 3-1/2 seasons now,” McCarthy said. “I've said it before, we felt my colleagues being able to experience having a mare like her at least once in their lifetime, it's certainly not lost on us how good she is.”

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.'s Lady Rocket will be chasing her fifth career stakes win, third in graded company and first in a Grade 1 in the Ballerina. The front-running 5-year-old mare exits a gate-to-wire 2 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 3 Chicago June 25 at Churchill Downs under Ricardo Santana Jr., who returns to ride from post position 4 at 120 pounds.

“She's doing great. She's training really, really well. She likes Saratoga. We need to break through with a Grade 1 win, and this looks like a good opportunity,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It's a good race and she has to step up, but I think she has the ability so we'll see how it goes.”

Lady Rocket won the only previous time she raced at Saratoga, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight in her August 2020 unveiling. She won the Pumpkin Pie at Belmont Park and Grade 3 Go for Wand at Aqueduct Racetrack to cap 2021 and set the pace in both the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland and Belmont's Grade 2 Ruffian to open this year before respectively finishing fourth and third.

“She's a good filly. She's won two graded-stakes and hopefully we can pick up a Grade 1. We think she's a Grade 1 talent,” Cox said. “We've always liked her. We thought she was one of our best 2-year-old fillies but she had a setback and it took us some time to get her to the races. She showed us right away as a 2-year-old that she was a good horse. She won her first couple and it took a little while to get the first stakes win with her but once she did she was able to kind of break through and be competitive.”

Michael Imperio, Medallion Racing, Sofia Soares, Vincent Scuderi and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Bella Sofia is looking to bounce back in the Ballerina after running third as the favorite in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss July 27. The 4-year-old Awesome Patriot filly won the Grade 1 Longines Test last summer at Saratoga and began this year with victories in the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap May 14 and Grade 2 Bed o' Roses June 10, both at Belmont.

“She came back from two big races at Belmont and hopefully she can give us another big race,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “I'm happy the way she is. She came back good from the last race and she worked a couple times, very nice. She seems happy and she's eating good, and that's all we can ask for.”

Bella Sofia will carry 123 pounds including jockey Luis Saez from post position 5.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott entered the trio of Caramel Swirl, Obligatory and Travel Column. Godolphin homebred Caramel Swirl will be making just her second start of the year after winning an optional claiming allowance May 20 at Belmont racing first time since a victory in the Grade 2 Raven Run last October at Keeneland.

OXO Equine's Travel Column hadn't raced in more than a year when she captured a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance June 29 at Churchill Downs in her first start for Mott. The Frosted filly won the Grade 2 Golden Rod in 2020 and Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in 2021 but went to the sidelines after fifths in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and Grade 1 Acorn.

“She did everything she needed to do in her comeback. She ran very well. We weren't surprised,” Mott said. “Her works have been good and she's doing good.”

Juddmonte's Obligatory, a homebred daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, began this year with victories in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park and Grade 1 Derby City Distaff May 7 at Churchill Downs, the latter at the Ballerina distance. Last out she came up a half-length short of Bella Sofia in the Bed o' Roses.

“She continues to do well. One of her biggest races was she ran second in the last one. There was no pace. It was one of those situations where Bella Sofia kind of had everything her own way,” Mott said.

“She's pretty versatile but I think she's better going one turn, seven-eighths to a mile,” he added. “I think Caramel Swirl is probably the same way and Travel Column, I think she'll run on but we wanted to try her in the Ballerina with it being a Grade 1 and see how she does. She might be one later on that wants to be stretched out.”

Caramel Swirl will break from post position 3 at 119 pounds with Junior Alvarado, while Jose Ortiz rides Obligatory from post position 2 at 123 pounds and Tyler Gaffalione will be on Travel Column from post position 6 at 119 pounds.

Completing the field is First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Goodnight Olive, a 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper that takes a four-race win streak into her stakes debut for trainer Chad Brown. She is 2-for-2 this year, winning optional claiming allowances at seven and 6 1/2 furlongs by 9 1/4 combined lengths, the latter coming August 7 at Saratoga.

Goodnight Olive drew outermost post 7 with Irad Ortiz Jr. at 118 pounds.

The Ballerina is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's program. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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

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Internationally acclaimed trainer Aidan O'Brien will be represented by Group 1-winning millionaire Broome in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, at Saratoga Race Course.

Broome will mark O'Brien's fourth attempt at capturing the 12-furlong inner turf test for older horses following previous efforts by Idaho [6th, 2017], Seahenge [9th, 2018] and Japan [2nd, 2021]. The Sword Dancer, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland, is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern with the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers set as Race 11 at 5:44 p.m.

Owned by Masaaki Matsushima, Mrs. John Magnier, Michel Tabor and Derrick Smith, Broome boasts a ledger of 25-8-6-0 for purse earnings in excess of $1.9 million. He won 4-of-11 starts last year, including scores at The Curragh in the 10-furlong Group 3 Alleged over good going and the 10-furlong Group 2 Mooresbridge on soft footing, as well as the 12-furlong Group 1 Prix de Saint-Cloud over soft turf at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in France.

The 6-year-old Australia bay has made three starts this season led by a 3 1/4-length score in the 12-furlong Group 2 Hardwicke on good-to-firm ground in June at Ascot. He enters from a prominent fourth in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at 12 furlongs on July 23 at Ascot.

O'Brien said the Hardwicke effort demonstrated Broome has returned in peak form.

“He made the running. It was a good effort and we were delighted with him,” said O'Brien, who is in search of his first win at the Spa. “It was probably his best run of the year, really. We felt he came back every bit as good if not better than before. He's a horse that's maturing very well.”

While often prominent in his races overseas, Broome closed from 12 lengths off-the-pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to finish second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar, finishing just a half-length back of the late closing Yibir, who went on to be named Champion Turf Male.

“It was just the way Ortiz rode him. He took his time on him,” O'Brien said.

Both Tribhuvan and Channel Maker, part of the pace presence in the Turf, return in the Sword Dancer.

O'Brien said the rainfall on Tuesday evening and expected precipitation on Friday could benefit Broome.

“I don't think he'll mind it. He has form with ease in the ground,” O'Brien said. “I spoke to the lads and they're happy with the way he's training. Hopefully, he will run well.”

Ryan Moore, also in search of his first Spa score, retains the mount from post 3 aboard Broome, who is assigned 122 pounds.

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo posted a neck score over the O'Brien-trained Japan in last year's Sword Dancer for conditioner Christophe Clement.

The multiple Grade 1-winning 5-year-old son of Declaration of War, who captured the 2020 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, boasts a ledger of 18-8-3-5 for purse earnings in excess of $1.5 million. He has made four starts this season, including a win in the Grade 2 Pan American in April at Gulfstream Park ahead of a runner-up effort to Highland Chief in the Grade 1 Man o' War in May at Belmont Park.

Last out, the Kentucky-bred chestnut closed to finish fifth in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 23 at Monmouth Park, defeated 2 1/2-lengths by returning rival Adhamo.

Miguel Clement, son and assistant trainer to Christophe Clement, said Gufo's strong record at the Spa could be beneficial.

“It's always pleasing when you see a horse have a good track history. Nevertheless, he performs at every track I believe,” Clement said. “If you look at his career, he's performed well in Florida, he's performed well in New Jersey, New York, California, you name it. So he's just a very top class horse that performs everywhere.”

He will exit post 6 carrying 122 pounds under returning rider Joel Rosario, who has won 10 graded races this summer at Saratoga and is one win shy of the meet record shared by Hall of Famers Javier Castellano and John Velazquez.

Clement said Gufo will add blinkers for Saturday's title defense.

“We're going to put blinkers on this time to help Joel get a bit closer to the field,” Clement said. “He's very straightforward and more keen to do his job. The last two starts perhaps he was a bit further back than ideal so we just put a pair of blinkers to help out Joel.”

Clement will also saddle Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Soldier Rising [post 8, Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds].

Soldier Rising competed in two-thirds of the Turf Triple series last year, finishing a closing second to State of Rest in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational ahead of a stalking second to Yibir in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont. The 4-year-old Frankel bay enters from a rallying head score in a 1 3/16-mile optional-claiming event here on July 31.

“Soldier Rising is training very well. He's a top class horse. He ran second last year to two remarkable horses in both Yibir and State of Rest,” Clement said. “This year he's had a good preparation. He had a nice prep here at Saratoga where he won rather well even if maybe the distance was a touch short for him. He's training well, he's sound and you have to go for it.”

Clement said both horses will benefit from the stretch out in distance.

“Both of them well relish the mile-and-a-half,” Clement said. “The United Nations was a mile-and-three-eighths, he'll [Gufo] love the extra furlong and Soldier Rising the other day, his allowance victory was a mile-and-three-sixteenths, the extra trip I don't think will be any impact. For both horses, pace is critical. We just have to get lucky enough to get some pace for us to run at.”

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker will make his fifth Sword Dancer appearance which includes a win in 2020 en route to Champion Turf Male honors.

“It's all the horse, all the time. You just try not to make too many mistakes trying to get him there,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott of the hickory chestnut, who ran second in 2018, fourth in 2019, and sixth a year ago.

The 8-year-old English Channel gelding has amassed earnings in excess of $3.6 million through a record of 46-9-6-5. His other Grade 1 wins came at Belmont Park in the 2018 and 2020 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and the 2019 Man o' War.

Mott, whose past Sword Dancer winners also include Fraise [1992] and Broadway Flyer [1996], shares the record for most scores in this event with three with trainer Chad Brown.

Channel Maker has won 2-of-3 starts this season, taking the Grade 2 Elkhorn in April at Keeneland and the Grand Couturier by a neck over Soldier Rising last out on July 8 at Belmont Park.

“We gave him time over the winter. We gave him a vacation and started him back at Keeneland and he won and we've been running him every month, six weeks, whenever a race comes up,” Mott said. “The competition is going to be a little deeper here. We realize that. I don't know if it's going to be the same as before but it's a Grade 1 so there will probably be somebody in there that can run a bit. The timing of it is OK, and coming off a win is good. Going into a race like that, it was good to see he was game last time.”

Bred in Ontario by the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, Channel Maker will exit post 9 carrying 120 pounds under Luis Saez.

Chad Brown will saddle a trio of contenders in Adhamo [post 1, Flavien Prat, 124 pounds], Rockemperor [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 122 pounds] and Tribhuvan [post 7, Manny Franco, 124 pounds] as he looks to add to past Sword Dancer success with Big Blue Kitten [2013], Flintshire [2016] and Annals of Time [2019].

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro's Adhamo notched his first win in North America last out with a 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 1 United Nations. The 4-year-old Intello colt had hit the board in three previous attempts in graded company, including a second in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds in February, a third in the Grade 1 Turf Classic in May at Churchill Downs and a second in the Grade 1 Manhattan to Tribhuvan in June at Belmont.

The Irish-bred chestnut captured the Group 3 Prix la Force in April 2021 at Longchamp for his former conditioner Frederic Head.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Michael J. Caruso's Rockemperor enters from a half-length score in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 31 at the Spa.

The 6-year-old Holy Roman Emperor bay, who captured the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational in October at Belmont, sports a record of 25-5-5-6 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. He finished fourth in this event last year.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso's Tribhuvan, a 6-year-old French-bred son of Toronado, posted a sharp frontrunning score in the Grade 1 Manhattan in June at Belmont ahead of a pacesetting fourth last out in the United Nations.

Initially campaigned in his native France, Tribhuvan joined Brown's stable in 2020 and enjoyed a tremendous run last year, taking the Grade 2 Fort Marcy at Belmont and the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth. He finished fifth in last year's Sword Dancer in his lone Spa start.

Three Diamonds Farms' multiple graded stakes winning millionaire New York-bred Cross Border is entered for his third Sword Dancer appearance following a runner-up effort in 2020 and a third-place finish a year ago.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 8-year-old English Channel ridgling posted a record of 9-2-1-3 last year, including scores in the Grade 2 Bowling Green here and the Prairie Bayou at Turfway Park.

A six-time winner at the Spa, Cross Border was a perfect 3-for-3 here in 2019 in turf tilts against winners. He captured the Lubash in August 2020 at the Spa ahead of a victory in the Grade 2 Bowling Green via disqualification.

Cross Border has yet to hit the board in four starts this season, entering from a fifth-place finish last out in his title defense in the Bowling Green on July 31.

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border, who is cross-entered in Friday's West Point presented by Trustco Bank, will exit post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione with an assigned 120 pounds.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Mira Mission [post 10, Julien Leparoux, 118 pounds], a 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding, captured the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in March at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Mira Mission was a close second in the Grade 1 Turf Classic in May at Churchill and enters from a non-threatening sixth in the one-mile Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on July 15 at the Spa.

Rounding out the field is Cold Hard Cash [post 4, John Velazquez, 118 pounds], who makes his stakes debut from a five-length score in an off-the-turf open 10-furlong optional-claimer contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on July 28 at the Spa.

Trained by Linda Rice, the 5-year-old Maclean's Music gelding is a New York-homebred for Barry Schwartz, boasting a record of 8-2-2-2 on the turf.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer 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 ‘Win And You’re In’: Broome Heads Stateside To Challenge 2021 Winner Gufo In Sword Dancer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest flew to the top of her division with a dominant victory in the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

The three-time Grade 1-winning daughter of Curlin solidified her rightful place as leader of the 3-year-old filly division with a 4 1/4-length score in the prestigious ten-furlong test. Despite stumbling at the start, Nest was able to secure her desired forward position to track longshot She's Keen's early fractions before making a sweeping move around the far turn under her own power. She drew off to an in-hand victory under Irad Ortiz Jr., producing a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.

“Good, excellent,” said Pletcher when asked how Nest looked on Sunday morning.

Pletcher added that he had watched replays of Nest's superb Alabama victory several times.

“I thought it was more impressive watching the replay because watching it live, I couldn't fully appreciate how quickly she accelerated off the turn there,” Pletcher said. “I was impressed watching it live and even more so watching the replay. Especially the start.”

Nest entered the Alabama off four week's rest, capturing Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 23 at the Spa by 12 1/4 lengths. Her highly prosperous sophomore season also includes a win in the Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland and runner-up efforts in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and Belmont Stakes (G1) against males.

The victory provided Pletcher with a fourth Alabama victory, saddling CCA Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar [2013] and Stopchargingmaria [2014] to scores in both races. He also won last year's Alabama with Malathaat, who was subsequently crowned champion 3-year-old filly.

“The Alabama is the premier 3-year-old filly race of the summer,” Pletcher said. “To pull off the double in the Coaching Club and Alabama, both four weeks apart in two blowout performances, it can't get much more impressive than that. She's got phenomenal stamina. What's so impressive about it is she also has a turn of foot. It's a pretty dangerous arsenal.”

As far as the rest of the Nest's year is concerned, Pletcher said she could either train up to the $2-million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on November 5 at Keeneland or target the $250,000 Beldame (G2) on October 9 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet or the $600,000 Spinster (G1) on the same day at Keeneland. The Cotillion (G1) on September 24 at Parx would likely not be a viable option.

Although Nest has been capable of being competitive against colts, Pletcher said he would stick to running against fillies for the time being.

“I think we just stay against our own gender for right now,” Pletcher said. “Things can change in this game. If there's a few defections along the way, who knows? But for right now, I think we're focused about running against fillies.”

Nest, bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stable, has a 6-2-1 record from nine career starts and $1,735,550 in lifetime earnings

Pletcher also spoke of third-place finisher Goddess of Fire, who garnered Grade 1 black-type for the first time with a third-place finish in the Alabama. The Red Oak Stable homebred could be a likely candidate for the Cotillion.

The daughter of Mineshaft earned Grade 2 black type when second in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds Race Course and the Gulfstream Park Oaks. She also was a distant third in last year's Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs.

“I thought she ran great, I was proud of her,” Pletcher said. “She ran gamely for third and it was a good Grade 1 placing for her. We'll talk about the Cotillion, maybe.”

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