Tag: Breeders’ Cup

After three placings at the graded stakes level, Repole Stables, Phipps Stables, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One made the grade with a gutsy performance in the Suburban Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Belmont Park, winning a dramatic duel to the wire with graded stakes winner First Captain to capture the 10-furlong test for older horses.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Dynamic One trailed in last of five behind pacesetter and stablemate Untreated, who marked fractions of :24.90 for the first quarter-mile and :49.39 for the half mile.

Irad Ortiz Jr. got to work aboard Dynamic One as they entered the turn, rousing him to a narrow lead at the top of the lane and setting him down for the drive to the finish with a retreating Untreated on the rail and looming foe First Captain in between. Dynamic One continued to find more and prevailed by a nose in a final time of 2:01.26. The effort garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest awarded in the four stakes on Saturday's Stars and Stripes Racing Festival Card.

“I was hoping it would be a 100,” said Pletcher, with a laugh. “He just keeps getting better and better and it's what we were hoping was going to happen.”

With stablemates Life Is Good and Americanrevolution eyeing the $1 million Whitney (G1) on August 6 at Saratoga, Pletcher said

Dynamic One will likely target Saratoga's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 3, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland. The top-four finishers of the Suburban will have their nomination, entry and starting fees waived for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which will see a purse increase to $1.25 million should a Grade/Group 1 winner start in the 1 1/4-mile test.

“He's doing excellent,” said Pletcher. “We're leaning towards sticking to our original plan and going to the Jockey Club.”

Dynamic One showed improvement in each of his starts this year, finishing third in Tampa Bay Downs' Challenger (G3) in March ahead of a runner-up effort in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and subsequently a one-length win in the Blame on June 4 at Churchill Downs. The son of Union Rags put together a sophomore campaign that saw him finish second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to his first stakes victory in the restricted Curlin at Saratoga.

Pletcher added that he is still unsure whether Suburban third-place finisher Untreated will stretch out or cut back in his next outing.

“He came back good. We don't have a game plan for him yet, but we'll figure it out,” said Pletcher. “I think he's versatile enough that he could go either direction.”

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Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming made an impression across multiple continents as a 2-year-old last year, culminating in a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2), and will make her Saratoga Race Course debut in Friday's $150,000 Coronation Cup for sophomore fillies.

The race is set for 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf course.

The Wesley Ward trainee, who has posted four wins and three second-place efforts in seven career starts, received a five-month freshening following her half-length victory over Go Bears Go in the five-furlong Breeders' Cup contest over firm Del Mar turf in November. After finishing second in the 5 1/2-furlong Palisades in April at Keeneland in her first start of 2022, Twilight Gleaming earned a return winner's circle trip by edging Devine Charger by a head in the five-furlong Mamzelle on May 14 at Churchill.

Ward said he's excited to see the Irish-bred National Defense filly build on that effort as she ramps up for what he hopes is another memorable campaign for Stonestreet Stables owner Barbara Banke.

“She looks great in training and we're thrilled to get her back out there, and I'm especially excited for Barbara Banke,” Ward said. “She's had some great success so far and we're looking forward to building on that.”

Twilight Gleaming, a maiden winner at second asking in May 2021 at Belmont, followed with a runner-up effort in the Queen Mary (G2) one month later at Royal Ascot. She captured the Prix de la Vallee d'Auge in August at Deauville in France ahead of her Breeders' Cup win.

Twilight Gleaming has breezed three times on Saratoga's Oklahoma turf training course, including a bullet five-furlong effort in :59.44 July 4.

“She looked very impressive in that breeze,” Ward said.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 3.

Waterville Lake Stables' Derrynane, who ran a competitive fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in finishing just one length off the winner, will get a return engagement with Twilight Gleaming for trainer Christophe Clement.

The New York-homebred kicked off her 2022 with a third-place effort in the Limestone in April at Keeneland before running fifth in the Soaring Softly (G3) in May at Belmont Park. Last out, Derrynane ran third in the Stormy Blues on June 19 at Laurel Park while carrying a field-high 122 pounds.

“Even though she finished third last time, I thought it was a nice race,” Clement said. “She had plenty of weight on and ran a good race. I'm excited to run her back. I just hope the ground stays on the fast side. She's doing very well.”

Derrynane will return to Saratoga, where she won her debut last July before running fifth next out at the Spa in the Bolton Landing. Joel Rosario will have the call from post 6.

Paradise Farms and David Staudacher's Lady Scarlet is riding high off her first graded stakes win following a 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 20 over the Pimlico main track.

Trained by Mike Maker, Lady Scarlet captured her stakes debut in the Cicada in March at Aqueduct Racetrack before stepping up in class and finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Beaumont in April at Keeneland. She finished eighth in her lone turf start in August, sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs at Saratoga.

Fresh off her win in Maryland, the Union Rags filly will pick up jockey Tyler Gaffalione's services as she exits post 9.

Silverton Hill's Static Fire will move up to stakes competition for the first time after winning her first two races for trainer Brian Lynch. A daughter of Speightster, she won on turf in her September debut at the Spa and made her seasonal bow with a 1 3/4-length win on the Churchill main track in May. Returning to grass, she will break from post 7 with Julien Leparoux aboard.

Four-time stakes winner Marissa's Lady, owned by the Boone Family Trust and the Tillema Family Trust, will make her turf debut. She has racked up victories in the Fern Creek, Gowell, Valdale and Cincinnati Trophy at both Churchill and Turfway Park, respectively.

Trainer William Morey moved Marissa's Lady up in class last out, where she ran fourth in the Eight Belles (G2)  May 6 at Churchill. She will break from post 1 in tandem with Kendrick Carmouche.

Arnmore Thoroughbreds' Poppy Flower, a chestnut daughter of Lea, won the Stormy Blues last out for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. She will make her first Saratoga appearance since finishing second in the Bolton Landing in August. Jose Ortiz will be in the irons from post 8.

Rounding out the field is the Irish-bred Artos, second last out in the Stormy Blues at Laurel Park after a third in the Mamzelle, for trainer Rusty Arnold [post 4, Jose Lezcano]; Sweet Solare, who is cross-entered in the $135,000 Wilton on Thursday at Saratoga for trainer Horacio De Paz [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.]; the graded-stakes placed Mystic Eyes [post 10, Luis Saez] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; and a pair from trainer Jonathan Thomas in Empress Tigress [post 11, Hall of Famer John Velazquez] and Benbang [post 2, Manny Franco].

Everyoneloveslinda is entered for the main track only.

The post Breeders’ Cup Winner Twilight Gleaming Tops Cast For Coronation Cup On The Saratoga Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Yibir (11-8 Joint-Favorite), who enjoyed his finest hour when triumphant in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in November 2021, got back to winning ways when successful in the G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers Stakes (1 1/2 miles), the highlight of Ladies Day at the Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket Thursday.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Dubawi gelding had endured a frustrating 2022 up to now, being the beaten favorite in his three outings at Meydan, Newmarket and Belmont Park. However, Yibir made no mistake today as took the lead in the final half-furlong to come home the cozy 2 1/4-length victor from Living Legend (18-1) with his stablemate Global Storm (16-1) another neck away in third.

Trainer Charlie Appleby, who was enjoying his second Princess of Wales's Stakes success after Hawkbill (2017), said: “Full credit must go to Shane Fetherstonhaugh who rides him at home and the team – they've done a great job. Shane has been saying at home over the last 10 days or so that he's as good as we've had him and I thought he looked a picture in the paddock. He's been moving so well at home and as William (Buick, jockey) just said he's a different horse when he's got pace to run at.

“He's just a different animal. People have possibly been scratching their heads on the outside wondering what went on at Newmarket and at Belmont but it's just simple – he needs a gallop. He's a big unit and if you take a pull on him he just gets a bit disorganized and it takes him a bit to get warmed up and get going. It was a lovely ride by William and I'm pleased to get him back in front and hopefully now we'll head to Saratoga for the Sword Dancer.

“Ultimately we'll be looking at the Breeders' Cup but with Keeneland at that time of year we'll have to keep an eye on the weather. One thing he does like is to have his feet rattling so if it came up a bit slow we'd have to question mark it. Most importantly he's got his head back in-front and we'll go to the Sword Dancer (at Saratoga in August) first and work our way from there.”

On third-paced Global Storm, Appleby added: “I'm delighted. We knew what he was out there to do and ensure that there was a decent gallop but we were confident that he would run a sensible race because he's been leading all these horses at home. He's got a sensible race program himself so we're delighted.”

The Globetrotting Yabir can add another group 2 to his profile as he is is far too good for his rivals in the Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers Stakes for William Buick and Charlie Appleby for team Godolphin. @CloseBrothers @godolphin pic.twitter.com/lLnunE6fMG

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 7, 2022

The Moulton Paddocks handler also had an update on four of his stable stars – 2021 Cazoo Derby hero Adayar, recent Coral-Eclipse runner-up Native Trail, QIPCO 2000 Guineas scorer Coroebus and 2021 St Leger winner Hurricane Lane.

“Adayar is cantering away. We took him out of the King George a couple of days ago. I don't want to sound like I'm repeating myself but we didn't want to force him to do something, because he's a big horse and he's been absolutely fantastic for us and the way he's been over the last 10 days is fantastic, he's a different horse.

“More importantly he looks great and he's got his old spark about him. He's having a buck and a kick when he's going out and I've not seen that for six weeks or more, we're starting to see the old Adayar back. I'm not going to target any race, he'll tell me when he's back and hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.”

“I thought Native Trail ran a solid race in the Eclipse and was just out-stayed at that level. At two down I thought William was giving him a lovely ride and I could see what he was doing as he was just looking at that petrol gauge. One thing I thought was that he got 10 furlongs but he didn't go through the line at that trip, he's always going to be a very competitive horse at that trip but I'd be surprised if we can reverse the form with the first and second. I think personally I'd come back to a mile and look to France for the Prix Jacques Le Marois and then work away from there.

“Coroebus is going to head to the Sussex Stakes all being well. That's the plan and it should hopefully be a great race.

“Unfortunately for Hurricane Lane it was documented as Soft ground (in France on Sunday for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud but we knew it wasn't going to be Soft ground. The lads walked it in the morning and they said it was Good ground there and by the time they started it was Good To Firm.

“William said that even when he was going down to post he was not enjoying it and he wasn't hard on him towards the end to him. It's unfortunate that we've run twice on Good To Firm ground this year, but it's materialised that way. Most importantly he's come out of it fine and he's cantered this morning and it's a very simple rule now, we'll be waiting for Soft ground. When that appears we'll see him back out and hopefully at his best again.”

Winning jockey William Buick added: “It went very smoothly and we had an even pace to focus on and he galloped out well.

“He won the Bahrain Trophy on this card last year. It was really good to get him back to winning ways. He felt great today. The last three times he has run very well just things conspired against him either with a bad draw or lack of pace.

“Everything went right for him today though and he has come back and won.”

Joint-trainer Mark Johnston said of runner-up Living Legend: “He hasn't beaten Yibir today but he has made him work and given him three pounds. It is him back at his best I would say. The last two runs have been very disappointing, fluffing the start. The horse doesn't have any specific issue with the stalls either. He had someone at the start with him today as he starts to get on edge at the beginning so he is prone to be slowly away.

“Ryan (Moore, jockey) said he was slowly away again today but luckily with a good run to the turn he could get him back in without getting after him. That (having someone at the start) has worked well and he has run well.

“He has massively exceeded my expectations. We thought this horse was a very good three year old but I'm in the camp that believes that once flat horses have a tendon injury that not only are they likely to come back again but that they will never be quite as good as they were.

“How good might he have been without the tendon injury as he is clearly running better now than anybody could have imagined. He is at the top of his form. Either we are wrong and they are not all slow after a tendon injury or he was going to be a superstar.

“We had been thinking of travelling with him anyway. If this horse can't win a Group One in the UK he would win one in Germany or somewhere not that Group Ones are the be all and end all as he is a gelding as prize money is the be all and end all.

“He has got entries in Germany and we were thinking of that but you don't go there off a couple of bad runs. Ryan feels there is a Group One in him but that you would have to be away of some of the sharp starts at these foreign tracks.”

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