Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Last of 12 2-year-olds heading into the final turn, Can Group unleashed a furious outside rally down the stretch to prevail by the slimmest of margins in a 27-1 upset in the $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2) Sunday at Keeneland.

With Francisco Arrieta riding for trainer Mark Casse, the Good Samaritan colt pipped Noted by a nose 1 1/16-mile turf contest. He returned $56.34 for the win.

Vote No finished third, a length behind Noted, while favorite First World War was another half-length back in fourth.

“He was (last going into the final turn),” said Arrieta, who who not only picked up his first Keeneland stakes victory but his first Grade 2 victory.. “When I moved and he saw the leaders, he just took off and, wow, it was amazing. I felt like I crossed the wire in front. He was rolling. I won with him at Kentucky Downs (maiden special weight Sept. 2) and he came from off the pace very nice, slow, so today I planned the same. Relax, give him time, and make one move, and he showed up.”

The Bourbon is a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $1-million Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and Can Group earned a free berth in the 1 1/16-mile race Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Can Group's victory marked the fifth win in the race for Casse, who previously won with Airoforce (2015), Keep Quiet (FR) (2016), Flameaway (2017), and Peace Achieved (2019).

Fortune Seller led the field early while being tracked by Double Your Money with Noted and favored First World War heading up the second flight. The top two positions did not change going into the far turn, but things changed quickly in the upper stretch when the pack closed in.

Vote No emerged with the lead passing the eighth pole, while behind him Noted was being shuffled back and Can Group began his clear run between horses. Noted found racing room about 50 yards from the wire to hit the front only to be caught in the final jump by Can Group.

D.J. Stable LLC and Cash Is King campaign Can Group, who has won half his four starts. The $98,013 winner's share of the Bourbon purse increased his lifetime purse earnings to $307,013.

Bred in Kentucky by Wynnstay Inc. and H. Allen Poindexter, Can Group is out of the Street Sense mare Blue Gallina. D J Stable paid $100,000 for him at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, where Wynnstay Sales consigned him.

The post Can Group Storms From Last To Win Bourbon In 27-1 Surprise, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The late Prince Khalid Abdullah of Juddmonte Farms was an astute breeder who developed some of the most accomplished female families in the Stud Book in the latter part of the 20th Century and early 21st Century. The fruits of his work were on full display on Sunday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., when Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic scored her fourth consecutive graded stakes victory and second Grade 1 in the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster, a race the winning owner sponsors.

Ridden by Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin jumped out to an early lead and was never challenged en route to an easy 4 1/4-length victory in the Keeneland fall meet's top race for fillies and mares. Le Da Vida finished second, with Bellamore 2 1/2 lengths back in third and Nest – the 2022 champion 3-year-old filly – fourth in the field of six, beaten 11 1/4 lengths. Sixtythreecaliber and Malloy completed the order of finish.

Sent away at even money, with Nest the 4-5 favorite, Idiomatic paid $4.12 to win after racing nine furlongs on a fast track in 1:49.82. She set all the fractions: 24.49, :48.31, 1:12.24, and 1:36.82.

The Spinster is a “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race giving automatic fees-paid entry to the Distaff, to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. It's a race that has eluded Juddmonte, one of the biggest supporters of the Breeders' Cup since its inception in 1984. This was Juddmonte's second Spinster win, the previous one coming in 2013 with Emollient when Keeneland had an all-weather track.

Geroux was asked how easy it was winning aboard Idiomatic.

“Actually, it was not easy looking at the race on paper with Nest being in there, a very good filly,” Geroux said. “But my filly just keeps on improving and we know the distance is not a problem. She just keeps improving, and (trainer) Brad (Cox) and his team had her at her prime again today. She's just getting better and better, and I can't wait to ride her again.”

Idiomatic is the fourth generation of mares owned and bred by Juddmonte. She is a daughter of Lockdown (by Juddmonte's First Defence), a stakes winner who was G1 placed but could do no better than fourth in the 2017 Spinster. Lockdown's dam, Rising Tornado, was a daughter of Storm Cat who raced without great success in Europe for Andre Fabre. Her dam, Silver Star (by Juddmonte's Zafonic), also raced for Fabre in Europe.  Silver Star was produced from the Sir Ivor mare, Monroe, bred by Darrel and Lindy Brown. The Browns raced Monroe dam, Best in Show, who produced Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride. Best in Show would be named a Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Broodmare of the Year.

This the first Juddmonte Spinster victory for Cox.

“It's very special, and I want to thank (owner Fahad bin) Mr. Khalid and his family and obviously the Juddmonte team here in America,” said Cox. “This is a big win for this filly, it's her second Grade 1. She's had a fantastic year. (This race is) a 'Win and You're In' (for) the Breeders' Cup so we're excited about that. I've run four or five fillies in the past in (the Juddmonte Spinster) and haven't had much luck, so she was able to break through for us today.

“She's a tremendous talent, very physical, really. When I was saddling her in the Paddock, I was, like, 'Wow, she's the biggest horse I've ever trained.' She's a monster. She has a tremendous stride and covers so much ground. She's really a freak – I mean, she really is a tremendous talent, and we're very fortunate to have her.”

Idiomatic now has eight wins with one second and two thirds from 11 starts. She's won seven of eight this year. Her win streak began in the G3 Shawnee in June, continued with the G2 Delaware Handicap in July, and the G1 Personal Ensign over Secret Oath and Nest in August.

Cox is looking ahead to the Distaff, a race he won twice with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and 2020.

“It comes down to, you know, California is speed, she's got speed, and we'll see who else signs on,” Cox said. “It'll be a showdown, I'm sure.”

 

The post ‘She’s Really A Freak’: Idiomatic Runs Away With Spinster En Route To Breeders’ Cup Distaff appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable's Jody's Pride legitimized a strong debut effort when taking on stakes company for the first time and earned an easy score in an off-the-turf edition of Sunday's 114th running of the $150,000 Matron for juvenile fillies going six furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Jody's Pride entered from a 10 1/2-length romp in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on August 9 at Saratoga Race Course, which also was originally scheduled for the turf. The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah proved the impressive first start to be no fluke when racing uncontested throughout the stretch en route to a 3 1/4-length conquest for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Leaving from post 5 under returning rider Flavien Prat, Jody's Pride settled fourth and in the clear after breaking a step slow while Devil At Midnight and Love to Eat engaged in battle on the front end through an opening quarter-mile in :22.17 over the fast main track. Rounding the far turn, Jody's Pride leveled her way up to the front and matched strides with the pacesetters and quickly garnered a one-length command through a half-mile in :45.93.

Prat kept his charge to task through the stretch drive, extending her advantage to 6 1/4 lengths at the stretch call before crossing the wire in hand, completing the distance in 1:10.77, earning the breakthrough stakes win in the race that was downgraded from a Grade 3 to a listed event when it waas moved to the dirt.

Tricky Temper made an inside rally to grab runner-up honors, 4 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher A Primera Vista.

Sugar Hi, Leslie's Loot, Love to Eat and Devil At Midnight completed the order of finish. Independenceavenue, Marco T., Star of Mystery, Ever So Sweet and Amidst Waves were scratched.

An objection was launched by Kerri Raven, the owner/trainer of A Primera Vista, against Tricky Temper alleging interference at the quarter pole. The objection was ultimately disallowed.

Prat said Jody's Pride was able to quickly recover after the tardy start.

“I broke a step slow and I asked her to get herself into the race from there,” Prat said. “Once I hit the turn, she just swapped leads and naturally on her own took me there. I didn't want to take anything away that came easy.”

Jody's Pride is out of the New York-bred Scat Daddy mare Jody's Song, who was a two-time winner on grass for Abreu.

After contesting in a pair of off-the-turf events, Abreu expressed desire to finally run Jody's Pride on grass.

“I want to get her on turf eventually, but Prat always said he liked her better on the dirt,” Abreu said. “I breezed her on the turf and she breezed pretty good on the turf at Saratoga. That was before she even ran, and I trained her mom – she was 2-for-2 on the turf.”

Abreu said his main concern was Prat getting her to relax.

“When she ran the first time five-and-a-half [furlongs], you know how they can be mentally, especially the fillies – they want to be a little keyed up and stuff like that,” Abreu said. “The first day we galloped her after the race, she looked like she was going to go the other way, but then she's got a pretty good, level head, that filly.”

Abreu expressed interest in targeting the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships with his newly minted stakes winner and said the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) going a two-turn mile could be within play.

“I think she's that kind of horse,” Abreu said. “[Which race] is something we have to sit down and see. We'll see how she comes out in the morning and take it from there. I would rather go a mile. A mile on the turf. My first preference is turf.”

Jody's Pride, bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston from the Scat Daddy mare Jody's Song, returned $4.50 for a $2 win wager as the second choice and banked $82,500 in victory to enhance her lifetime earnings to $140,250. She is unbeaten in both of her career starts.

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Atlantic Six Racing's heavily favored Book'em Danno posted a decisive victory in Sunday's off-the-turf running of the Futurity, which was contested at six furlongs on the main track and downgraded from a Grade 3 to a listed event after it was originally slated for the same distance on the outer turf at Belmont at the Big A.

An automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) through the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In” was not immediately awarded to the winner of the Futurity, pending a Breeders' Cup panel review on Monday due to the Futurity being run on the dirt.

Trained by Derek Ryan, the son of Bucchero entered from a successful stakes debut in the Smoke Glacken on Sept. 9 at Monmouth Park and remained undefeated through three lifetime outings that began with a debut score in August at the Jersey Shore oval.

Ryan said he was not deterred by the race moving to the dirt, a surface the dark bay gelding has won each of his races on.

“It doesn't really hurt that it came off,” said Ryan. “I'm not disappointed that it came off, we'll try the turf down the road.”

Piloted to victory by Jose Ortiz, Book'em Danno emerged from the outermost post 5 while Ruddy Buddy stumbled badly to his inside and trailed the field as Works for Me broke sharpest of all and led through an opening quarter-mile in :22.09 over the fast main track.

Book'em Danno tracked in fourth down the backstretch under patient handling from Ortiz as Jimmythetooth kept close watch in second and was nudged along by Manny Franco approaching the turn. Book'em Danno advanced with purpose from his stalking position and was swung three-wide by Ortiz to make his bid for the front as Works for Me clocked the half-mile in :45.27.

Works for Me turned back the brief challenge from Jimmythetooth exiting the turn, but was left to deal with a looming Book'em Danno as Ortiz gave left-handed encouragement and Where's Chris kicked into gear from 15 lengths off the pace. Book'em Danno proved too much for his rivals and swept past Works for Me with ease approaching the sixteenth marker to draw off to the 6 1/2-length triumph in a final time of 1:09.47.

A game Works for Me fended off the late charge of Where's Chris by a head for place honors with Jimmythetooth and the slow-starting Ruddy Buddy completing the order of finish. Please Advise, Lamorna and Apollo Ten were scratched.

Ryan compared Book'em Danno's potential versatility to that of his multiple graded stakes-winner Musket Man, who won his first two starts at six-furlongs ahead of a stretch-out when taking the seven-furlong Pasco and a pair of graded dirt route scores before finishing third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1).

“He's very versatile. You can sit or do whatever you want with him,” said Ryan. “He'll go as far as I want him to go. I had a horse a few years ago – Musket Man – and everyone told me [about stretching out], 'he's six furlongs, he can't do that.' You train them to do whatever you want.”

Ortiz, who rode Book'em Danno for the first time in the afternoon, said the pace scenario worked out well.

“He broke well and I had a good trip. Two horses went to the front and I was just stalking them from off the pace,” said Ortiz. “When I asked him to go, he responded very well.

“I rode him like much the best and he was much the best,” Ortiz continued. “I worked him in the morning and he showed in the morning that he's a good horse. I was very confident. I got a great post today and he just responded very well for me when I asked him. He's a nice horse.”

The Futurity was the fourth stakes triumph of the weekend for Ortiz, who piloted Northern Invader to a win in Friday's Gio Ponti here, and celebrated a Grade 1 double yesterday at Keeneland with Up to the Mark in the Coolmore Turf Mile and Locked in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

“Those were two nice horses won for me yesterday,” Ortiz said. “We're on a roll right now, I just hope we can keep it going.”

Ryan added Book'em Danno could come under consideration for the one-mile $150,000 Nashua on November 5 at the Big A.

“We'll see what we're going to do with him. We might try the Nashua, but I don't like to over-run a young 2-year-old,” said Ryan. “Next year is a long year. I might be tempted to go a little further, who knows.”

Bred in New Jersey by Gregory J. Kilka and Bright View Farm, Book'em Danno was produced by the Ghostzapper mare Addorabella and is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Girl Trouble. He  banked $82,500 in victory, increasing his lifetime purse earnings to $200,625.

Book'em Danno returned $2.80 for a $2 win ticket.

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