Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Bo Hirsch LLC's Ce Ce will follow a formula for proven success when she defends her title in Saturday's $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 6-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality dominated last year's edition of the seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares on her way to clinching a 2021 Eclipse Award title in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar. The Michael McCarthy-trained mare will seek to earn another fees-paid berth in this year's World Thoroughbred Championships at Keeneland when she takes on five rivals in the Princess Rooney, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event.

The Princess Rooney will headline Saturday's Summit of Speed program that will also feature the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds that will offer Breeders' Cup incentives to the top three finishers. Saturday's first-race post time is set for 12:30 p.m.

Ce Ce, the 4-5 morning-line favorite, has an impressive career resume of versatility into the Princess Rooney, having achieved Grade 1 success in both one-turn and two-turn stakes.

“She's just an incredibly classy mare. She's always aiming to please. I said it before: I wish all my colleagues, at one time in the lives, could have a mare like her, because all she does is try,” McCarthy said. “She's made us look good a couple of times. We're not lost in the fact of what she's done for us, so we try to do everything right for her.”

Although she has won two Grade 1 stakes around two turns, it was around one-turn in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint that she became the first McCarthy-trained Eclipse Award champion.

“Those are the kind of things that you can leave your mark on the game with horses like her. It's wonderful that she can be recognized as an Eclipse Award champion. It's wonderful to do it for a guy like Bo Hirsch. He's just a real patron of the game. His family's been around for a long time. His father was a real icon of California,” the Santa Anita-based McCarthy said. “So, it's a big deal, a big deal for us and a big deal to be able to share it with someone like Bo Hirsch.”

The defending Eclipse Award female sprint titlist will be cutting back to race around one turn in the Princess Rooney after capturing the Azeri (G2) and finishing third in the Apple Blossom (G1) around two turns at Oaklawn Park.

“Earlier this year, with nothing really fitting [in Southern California], we decided to go to Oaklawn for the Azeri. She ran so well in the Azeri that we decided to go back and give it a shot in the Apple Blossom. It looked like a race on paper that wasn't going to be easy for us from a pace scenario. You had Letruska in there who was the lone speed. We didn't want her to get too far away from us, so we took the race to her fairly early,” McCarthy said. “I thought she ran well in defeat. It was one of those things, timing-wise, that you had to take a chance.”

Ce Ce's proven success at Gulfstream has bolstered McCarthy's confidence in her chances to repeat in the Princess Rooney.

“The tracks just seemed to have gotten a little deeper out here. She likes things a little bit faster,” he said. “We've been able to find a few racetracks to her liking.”

McCarthy, who saddled City of Light for a victory in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream in 2019, has awarded the return mount on Ce Ce to Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza.

Trainer Charlton Baker and Michael Foster's Glass Ceiling brings graded success at seven furlongs into the Princess Rooney. The New York invader notched back-to-back graded-stakes victories at the distance in the Feb. 19 Barbara Fritchie (G3) at Laurel and April 9 Distaff (G3) at Aqueduct while producing a four-race winning streak.

The 5-year-old daughter of Constitution is coming off a distant third behind victorious Bella Sofia in the June 10 Bed O Roses (G2) at Belmont Park.

Edgard Zayas has the call aboard Glass Ceiling, who is rated second at 7-2 in the morning line.

Grade 1 stakes-placed Make Mischief is entered to seek her first graded-stakes victory in the Princess Rooney. Gary Barber's 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, who finished third in last year's Acorn (G1), is coming off a victory over New York-breds in the Critical Eye at Belmont by four lengths.

Edwin Gonzalez has been named to ride the Mark Casse-trained filly.

Slam Dunk Racing, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Daniel Damen, Dominique Damico, Steven Bouchey, Parkinson Goodrich LLC, K-Mac Stable LLC and Brian Martin's Allworthy makes a return into graded-stakes company Saturday while coming off a two-length victory in 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance May 14 at Churchill Downs.

“Initially, we thought she was a filly who wanted to go long. She's a filly who trains a lot better than she runs. She's done decent, but we feel there is more there.”

After finishing a tiring fourth in a mile optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream, Allworthy pressed the early pace in the Churchill race before drawing clear by two lengths.

“Last time, we cut her back thinking she'd be a come-from-behind sprinter. Weirdly enough, she broke with the speed. She showed speed, so it was uncharacteristic how she ran, but we're hoping that's what she wants to be,” Joseph said. “Hopefully, she wants to sprint.”

Allworthy, who earned a graded-stakes placing in last year's Charles Town Oaks (G3), will be tested Saturday in her quest for her first graded-stakes victory.

“It's a much different kind of race – you're facing Ce Ce, the Breeders' Cup [Filly and Mare] Sprint and defending Princess Rooney champion. It's a big class check for her, but it's on her home ground and she's in good order,” Joseph said. “We're going to give it a try. If you don't try, you don't know.”

Edgar Perez has the mount aboard the 4-year-old daughter of Tonalist.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Spirit Wind is set for her graded-stakes debut in the Princess Rooney while coming off a three-race winning streak that includes back-to-back stakes victories over the Gulfstream main track. The 3-year-old daughter of Bahamian Squall, who has won her last three starts by a combined 23 lengths, defeated a pair of next-out winners in the $100,000 Any Limit during the Championship Meet before running away from Florida-bred rivals by open lengths in the Musical Romance May 21.

The Ralph Nicks-trained filly finished second in her debut last year before returning nine months later to graduate by 15 ½ lengths Feb. 18 prior to winning back-to-back stakes.

“The filly's doing good and she's run well. We get to stay home,” Nicks said. “It's a huge step up facing the champion from last year, but at least we have the homecourt advantage, and we'll see what happens.”

Leonel Reyes has the return call aboard Spirit Wind, who is eligible for the $50,000 'Win Only' for Florida-breds, as is EKB Stables' Corey.

Corey enters the Princess Rooney off a third-place finish behind Spirit Wind in the Musical Romance. The Peter Walder-trained 7-year-old mare captured the Bal Harbour Handicap in her previous start

Miguel Vasquez has been named to ride the daughter of First Samurai

 

post     horse                       odds

1          Spirit Wind                 6-1

2          Allworthy                    8-1

3          Glass Ceiling               5-2

4          Corey                          15-1

5          Ce Ce                          4-5

6          Make Mischief            6-1

The post Female Sprint Champ Ce Ce Bids For ‘Win And You’re In’ Repeat In Princess Rooney appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 1 stakes winner Drain the Clock will seek to regroup in the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Saturday while making his first start since competing in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on the March 26 Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard at Meydan Racecourse.

“He came back good. He had to fly back to Kentucky because that's how the flight arrangement was organized. We left him at WinStar, and they took care of him for a month,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He had a little freshening, because the Smile was always the plan to bring him back in.”

The Smile, which offers a $50,000 “Win Only” bonus for Florida-bred runners, will be featured on Saturday's Summit of Speed program that will be headlined by the $300,000 Princess Rooney (G2), a seven-furlong Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series event for fillies and mares.

Drain the Clock, the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, earned Grade 1 credentials last year while defeating Jackie's Warrior in the Woody Stephens (G1) on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

“Our goal right now is to win a Grade 1 with him this year, hopefully,” Joseph said. “Obviously, the Breeders' Cup is at the end of the year. If he was in good form and he did win a Grade 1 before then, we'd give it a try.”

The Smile is one of 12 graded dirt stakes included in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen, an incentive-based participation bonus program. The winner of the Smile will earn a $30,000 credit toward the entry fee for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The second-place finisher will earn a $15,000 credit, while the show horse will earn a $7,500 credit.

Drain the Clock has won four of six starts at Gulfstream, including a victory in the Swale (G3). The son of Maclean's Music also stretched out last year to finish second behind Greatest Honour in the Fountain of Youth (G2).

Prior to shipping to Dubai, the Kentucky-bred colt lost a photo finish in his 2022 debut, edged by 2021 Smile Sprint winner Miles Ahead in a swiftly run Gulfstream Park Sprint Feb. 19.

“Right before he went to Dubai, he got beat a head, but he was coming off his best races numbers-wise,” Joseph said.

Drain the Clock recovered from a rather slow start to lead the way in the six-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen before fading to seventh under Irad Ortiz Jr., more than five lengths behind victorious Switzerland.

“He was a little tardy out of the gate, and Irad had to use him a bit to get to the lead. I thought he was in the perfect spot, but he stopped – something he doesn't usually do,” Joseph said. “He travelled well in the race but just stopped the final eighth. It was a bit shocking to see him do that. The track was playing heavy, because we watched later in the day and Life Is Good looked like he was going to win and he stopped the same way. It was uncharacteristic because when [Drain the Clock] made the lead, I felt really comfortable. I didn't think he would get beat from there to be honest.”

Edwin Gonzalez will ride Drain the Clock for the first time Saturday.

Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi enters the Smile coming off a pair of eye-catching victories – a 7 ½-length optional claiming allowance score going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in his 2022 debut and a 5 ¼-length romp in the seven-furlong Big Drama for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park.

“His last race, we had a little hesitation, because we didn't know if he was going to like the seven furlongs. I prepared him for that race with a little more gallop every day, and he responded to that all very well,” trainer Jorge Delgado said. “You could see he was happy out there and showed another trick. He came from second place and came to King Cab, the fastest horse in the race, and he just passed him easily and won by open lengths.”

The 4-year-old son of Uncaptured, who captured the six-furlong Hutcheson during his sophomore campaign, was transferred to Delgado's stable for his 2022 season,

“The horse is a very smart horse. He's a mature horse now,” Delgado said. “Now, with age, he's getting wiser and getting stronger and getting faster. I'm happy to have him. I'm looking forward to his races the rest of the year.”

Chantal Sutherland has the return mount aboard Willy Boi, who is rated second at 5-2 in the morning line.

“Chantal knows the horse really well and she has been fantastic with him,” Delgado said. “She has been doing amazing for my barn.”

Willy Boi is eligible to take down the $50,000 “Win Only” bonus for Florida-bred participants.

“I think there's more to come,” Delgado said. “He's getting better.”

Owner Daniel Walters and trainer Rohan Crichton are represented by two entrants in the Smile – Absolute Grit and Yes I'm a Beast

Daniel Walter's Absolute Grit enters the Smile with four victories in five starts since being claimed for $20,000, The 5-year-old gelding is coming off a seven-length victory in the June 9 Miami Shores Handicap at six furlongs.

Emisael Jaramillo has the return call on the son of Kantharos, who is rated third at 4-1 in the morning line.

Yes I'm a Beast has won five of his last seven starts in claiming and option claiming company. Edgar Perez has been named to ride the son of Big Beast

Trainer Elizabeth Dobles and Imaginary Stable's Pudding, who finished third in the Miami Shores, is set to return in the Smile. The 7-year-old gelding captured the Sprint Stakes for Florida-breds at Tampa Bay Downs prior to the Miami Shores.

Arindel's Gatsby, who captured the Sunshine Sprint for Florida-breds during the Championship Meet; rounds out the field.

Absolute Grit, Yes I'm a Beast, Pudding and Gatsby are also eligible for the $50,000 'Win Only' bonus for Florida-breds.

The post Half-Dozen Seeking Breeders’ Cup ‘Dirt Dozen’ Credit In Smile Sprint At Gulfstream Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Seven of the country's top older horses, led by multiple graded stakes winners Mandaloun and Olympiad, are set to compete in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

Saturday's Stephen Foster Day at Churchill Downs will get underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and feature the Stephen Foster along with a quartet of supporting stakes – the $350,000 Fleur de Lis (G2), $200,000 American Derby (Listed), $200,000 Tepin and $160,000 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes. Post time for the Stephen Foster is 5:47 p.m.

The 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event toward the $6 million Classic held at Keeneland on Saturday, Nov. 5. The winner of the Stephen Foster will receive their entry fees paid to the Classic along with a travel stipend if they are located outside the state of Kentucky.

The Stephen Foster will be televised on NBC from 4-6 p.m. The two-hour broadcast also will feature the $160,000 Kelly's Landing and $350,000 Fleur de Lis (G2) in Races 8-9, respectively.

In the Stephen Foster, Juddmonte's Mandaloun, who won last year's Derby following the disqualification of Medina Spirit, finished ninth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in his last start. Following the Saudi Cup, Mandaloun was delayed in his return to the U.S. but has been steadily working at Churchill Downs since May 8.

“He's been doing great training over this track so it makes sense to target a race like the Foster that is at home,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We kept our options open but this race you don't have to ship and can run out of your own stall.”

Since the race debuted in 1982, there have been no winners of both the Kentucky Derby and Stephen Foster.

Jockey Florent Geroux will be back aboard Mandaloun, who drew post No. 6.

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' Olympiad will return to Churchill Downs for the Foster where he last won the $500,000 Alysheba (G2) by 2 ½ lengths over Happy Saver and Title Ready on Kentucky Oaks Day. Olympiad returned to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Saratoga base following the Alysheba and has been training in upstate New York. The bay son of Speightstown is undefeated as a 4-year-old with open-length wins in the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) and $250,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3). He arrived at Churchill Downs early Tuesday morning.

“We thought he was a nice horse since he was a 2-year-old,” Mott said. “He missed a lot of time in his 3-year-old year unfortunately. The patience that we were allowed to have with him and waited until he got right paid off. He's a really good horse and competing at a top level.”

Olympiad will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post 3. Alvarado has ridden Olympiad in seven of nine lifetime starts.

Another top older horse that was entered in the Stephen Foster is $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) winner Last Samurai. Owned by Willis Horton, Last Samurai will compete under Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas' name for the first time after being transferred from Dallas Stewart following the 1 1/8-mile race on April 23. Last Samurai has won four of 15 starts and, along with his four-length win in the Oaklawn Handicap, sports a stakes win in the $150,000 Poinsettia at Oaklawn. Veteran rider Jon Court has the mount from post 7.

CHC Inc and WinStar Farm's Grade 1 winner Americanrevolution will attempt to avenge his fourth-place effort in last month's $200,000 Blame in the Stephen Foster. The New York-bred Americanrevolution won last year's $750,000 Cigar Mile (G1) as a 3-year-old. The Blame was Americanrevolution's first start of his 4-year-old campaign. The Todd Pletcher trainee will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 2.

The field for the Stephen Foster is completed by Godolphin's graded stakes-placed Proxy, Charles Fipke's homebred Grade 3 winner Title Ready, and Shortleaf Stable's five-time winner Caddo River.

Here's the complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Caddo River (Ricardo Santana Jr., Cox)
2. American Revolution (Saez, Pletcher)
3. Olympiad (Alvarado, Mott)
4. Title Ready (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart)
5. Proxy (Joel Rosario, Mike Stidham)
6. Mandaloun (Geroux, Cox)
7. Last Samurai (Court, Lukas)

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

The post Mandaloun, Olympiad Top Field Of Seven For Saturday’s Stephen Foster appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, LLC's undefeated Flightline is the No. 1 rated horse following the first week of tabulated votes for the 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.

Flightline, a stunning 6-length winner of the Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park in his 2022 debut on June 11, topped all Classic contenders with 22 first-place votes and 277 total votes. A 4-year-old son of Tapit, Flightline is expected to make his next start in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Sept. 3. The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race, with the winner gaining an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Country Grammer, owned by Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, WinStar Farm LLC, and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., is in second place with 220 votes. A 5-year-old son of Tonalist, Country Grammer won the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan in March, following a second-place finish in the Saudi Cup (G1) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack.

CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's 4-year-old Life Is Good is in third place with 210 votes. Last year's $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner, Life Is Good won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and was fourth in the Dubai World Cup in his most recent start.

Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss' 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie is in fourth place with 154 votes. Hot Rod Charlie finished second in the Dubai World Cup and was also second in the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park on June 18.

Juddmonte's 4-year-old Mandaloun, winner of the Louisiana Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds in January, is in fifth place with 126 votes. Mandaloun is expected to start this Saturday at Churchill Downs in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2), which is an automatic qualifier for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The Stephen Foster will be broadcast live on NBC (4-6 p.m. ET) as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal, winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1), is the highest-rated 3-year-old in the Rankings. A son of Uncle Mo, Mo Donegal is in sixth place with 121 votes.

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable, LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods' Olympiad, undefeated in four starts this year, is in seventh place with 108 votes. Olympiad, a 4-year-old by Speightstown, has won the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Alysheba Stakes (G2) in his last two starts. He is also scheduled to start in the Stephen Foster.

Three-year-olds round out the remainder of the top 10 in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter is in eighth place with 107 votes. A son of Not This Time, Epicenter finished second in both the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and in the Preakness Stakes (G2). One spot behind Epicenter is Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Early Voting, who won the Preakness Stakes in his most recent start. Early Voting is in ninth place with 95 votes. Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter Brant's undefeated Jack Christopher is in 10^th place with 91 votes. A four-time winner, Jack Christopher has two victories this year, taking the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs and the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont Park.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – June 28, 2022*

Rank	Horse	Total Votes	First-Place Votes
1	Flightline	277	22
2	Country Grammer	220	2
3	Life Is Good	210	2
4	Hot Rod Charlie	154	0
5	Mandaloun	126	0
6	Mo Donegal	121	2
7	Olympiad	108	2
8	Epicenter	107	0
9	Early Voting	95	0
10	Jack Christopher	91	0

*Note – The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

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