Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Olympiad tracked a quick pace, grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch, and held a rallying Americanrevolution at bay in deep stretch to win Saturday's 41st running of the $740,000 Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Olympiad scored by 2 ¼ lengths while clocking 1 1/8 miles in a swift 1:47.66 – the seventh fastest renewal of the race and just .38 off Victory Gallop's 1999 stakes and track record of 1:47.28.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owners Grandview Equine (Robert Clay), Cheyenne Stable LLC (Everett Dobson) and LNJ Foxwoods (Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth), Olympiad rated one length back of pacesetter Caddo River, who rattled off fractions :23.05, :46.45 and 1:10.64.

Around the final turn, Olympiad was ready to pounce on the tiring leader. Simultaneously, Mandaloun, who was made the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner following the disqualification of Medina Spirit, loomed boldly from third in his first start since a ninth-place finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on February 26, and Cigar Mile (G1) winner Americanrevolution tipped out for his charge from fourth.

Olympiad, who began the week ranked No. 5 on the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll behind Flightline, Country Grammer, Life Is Good, and Jackie's Warrior, kicked clear in upper stretch and held strong in the final furlong to collect his fifth win in as many starts this year. His list of victories this year includes triumphs in the Mineshaft (G3), New Orleans Classic Stakes, Alysheba (G2), and now the Stephen Foster.

“I thought it was a very game win this afternoon,” Mott said via telephone. “There were some nice horses in this field and I thought he did things rather easily. It was really nice to see him win like that.”

His next attempt is likely to be an attempt to collect a Grade 1 victory in the $1 million Whitney at Saratoga in five weeks on Aug. 6.

“Bill Mott likes to have horses on win streaks, like Cigar,” said Mott's Kentucky-based assistant Kenny McCarthy. “This horse has started one of his own and he's been such a pleasure every time he's run in our care in Kentucky. The whole team did a great job to get him back here and it's very special to win the Stephen Foster again. He has such a big stride and it's so powerful in the late stages of his races.”

Mott also won the 2012 Stephen Foster with Ron the Greek.

The lofty $455,320 first prize lifted the bay Kentucky-bred colt's earnings to millionaire status: $1,407,560 from a record of 7-1-1 in 10 starts.

“This horse has such a big stride on him and really extends it late in races,” Alvarado said. “I think as he's gotten older he's gotten faster in each start. Today we sat in a good position just off of the early pace and he showed how powerful his stride can be. I asked him just a little bit in the final furlong and he continued to get faster. He's a great horse and has shown his talent all year long. It will be a fun rest of the year.”

The victory in the Stephen Foster, a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” qualifier, earned Olympiad a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the $6 million Longines Classic (GI), which is scheduled for Novovember 5 at Keeneland. Also, his connections will have all Breeders' Cup pre-entry and entry fees covered and could receive a travel award up to $10,000.

Olympiad, at odds of 3-2, returned $5. Americanrevolution, with Luis Saez aboard, was second and Proxy was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third under Joel Rosario.

“He tried so hard this afternoon” Saez said of Americanrevolution. “The winner was simply the best but he put in a run in multiple areas of the race. He just couldn't quite match strides with Olympiad.”

Mandaloun flattened to fourth and was followed by Title Ready, Caddo River and Last Samurai.

“It was disapp,ointing,” said Mandaloun's jockey Florent Geroux. “We were expecting a big effort today. He never quite grabbed the bit around the turn.”

Olympiad is a son of Speightstown out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Tokyo Time and was bred In Kentucky by Emory A. Hamilton.

The post Favorite Olympiad Holds Off Americanrevolution In Stephen Foster To Stay Unbeaten This Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bo Hirsch's homebred Ce Ce made an emphatic title defense in Saturday's $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream Park while earning another fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in the fall at Keeneland.

The Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” event for fillies and mares named in tribute to the 1984 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner and Eclipse Award champion older female, headlined Saturday's Summit of Speed program that also featured the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.

The Michael McCarthy-trained daughter of Elusive Quality captured the Princess Rooney by 3 ¼ lengths last year before going on to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar to clinch to the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.

“I just don't have enough superlatives and good things to say about her,” said McCarthy, who watched the Princess Rooney in his Southern California living room before heading to Santa Anita. “She's very special.”

Ce Ce's encore performance may well have topped her first visit to Gulfstream Park, scoring by 6 ½ lengths as the 2-5 favorite.

The 6-year-old mare rated in fourth along the backstretch as Make Mischief set the pace after breaking alertly from her No. 6 post position just outside Ce Ce. Gulfstream-based Spirit Wind closely tracked the pacesetter along the backstretch and on the far turn before challenging Make Mischief on the turn into the homestretch and taking over the lead.

Meanwhile, Ce Ce responded when asked for her run by Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, sweeping three wide into the stretch and drawing clear with a commanding outside drive.

“I got kind of lucky the outside horse cleared us and I just stocked the leaders. I didn't want to stay too far back today. I wanted to be close to the pace,” Espinoza said. “I didn't want them to sneak away from me, but at the three-eighths I asked her to go and she went on.”

Ce Ce ran seven furlongs in 122.20 to collect her 10th career victory and pushing her career earning over $2.275 million.

“I told Victor to just bounce on out of there. I wasn't sure what the filly outside of us was going to do. When she ended up catching a flyer out of there, Victor was content to just let her go and sit outside the speed,” McCarthy said. “She did what I expected her to do. Obviously, it's never convenient when you ship all the way across the country, but it's a racetrack that she's fond of. The spacing of the race was great.”

Ralph Nicks-trained Spirit Wind, a 3-year-old filly who had won her three starts this year at Gulfstream Park by a combined 23 lengths, finishes second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Make Mischief.

Ce Ce has spent the week bedded down in Ralph Nicks' Gulfstream Park barn, just as she did last year.

For McCarthy, Ce Ce's triumph continued his good fortune at Gulfstream Park, where he saddled City of Light for a victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in 2019. The former Todd Pletcher assistant reported that plans for Ce Ce's next start are undecided.

“We'll play it by ear, but we might follow the same program we followed last year,” said McCarthy, whose champion mare went on last year to run in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga, and the Chillingsworth (G2) at Santa Anita before rolling to victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Hirch bred Ce Ce in Kentucky from his Grade 1-winning Belong to Me mare Miss Houdini.

The post ‘She’s Very Special’: Ce Ce Romps Away To Victory In Princess Rooney Encore appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi benefited from a perfect trip under Chantal Sutherland to register a comfortable length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Slightly favored at 4-5 over Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock, Willy Boy also collected a $50,000 'Win Only' bonus available to a Florida-bred winner.

The Smile, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up named in tribute to Florida-bred 1985 Eclipse Award champion sprinter, was featured on Saturday's Summit of Speed program that was headlined by the $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2), a seven-furlong 'Breeders' Cup Win & You're In' sprint for fillies and mares.

Willy Boi, who captured the Hutcheson and finished fourth in last year's Smile, is now undefeated in three starts since being transferred to trainer Jorge Delgado, having come off an eight-month layoff to capture an April 8 optional claiming allowance before going on to prep for the Smile with an impressive win the the Big Drama May 28.

“I'm so grateful that Lea Farms gave me the chance to train these kind of horses,” said Delgado, who notched the first graded-stakes success in the May 21 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico with Lea Farms LLC's Lightening Larry. “I hope I can get more of this quality of horse, because I love to win these kinds of races.”

Drain the Clock, also sent to post at 4-5, was making his first start since finishing off the board in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 26, had his head turned when the starting gates opened but was quick to recover. However, the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained winner of the 2021 Woody Stephens (G1) was outsprinted along the backstretch by Yes I Am a Beast and Gatsby, who vied for the lead during a 21.74-second first quarter of a mile. Drain the Clock advanced to the lead three-wide on the turn into the stretch but was quickly joined to his outside by Willy Boi, who had rated behind the contested pace. Willy Boi went on to open a clear lead in the stretch and was in complete control to the wire, holding off a late-running Pudding.

“I did get a little nervous in the gate because there was a little bit of noise and commotion. We broke a little slow, but the track has been playing a little for closers from off the pace and not holding speed as well, so it kind of worked in our favor,” Sutherland said. “I was comfortable, but I kept my eye on [Drain the Clock].  I thought he ran a great race. In the lane when I came to him, I wanted to get away from him because I know he's a pit bull and he'll fight, and I didn't want to fight with him today, so I wanted to stay away from him.”

Willy Boi ran six furlongs in 1:09.Hey C71 seconds. Pudding rallied from last to finish second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Absolute Grit. Drain the Clock tired to finish another length back in fourth.

“He got beat up. It was one of those days,” said Saffie Joseph Jr., trainer of Drain the Clock. “Not much to say. Don't know why he ran like that, but he'll see tomorrow. I don't really have excuse.”

For Sutherland, the Smile Sprint victory continued a career resurgence at Gulfstream Park.

“It meant a lot to me at the beginning being at the top, but now having been to the top and been on the bottom, to be coming back, it's means so much more,” Sutherland said.

The Smile is one of 12 graded dirt stakes included in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen, an incentive-based participation bonus program. Willy Boi earned a $30,000 credit toward the entry fee for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The second-place finisher Pudding earned a $15,000 credit, while third-place finisher Absolute Grit earned a $7500 credit.

Delgado said he had no definite plans for Willy Boi's next start.

“It's undecided but I think we'll go to Saratoga with him,” said Delgado, whose ultimate goal for the 4-year-old son of Uncaptured is the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The post Sutherland Guides Willy Boi To Smile Stakes Win, Earns Credit For Breeders’ Cup Entry appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post