Tag: Breeders’ Cup

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Three Witches held off a stretch challenge from heavily favored Maryquitecontrary to register a half-length upset triumph in Saturday's $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, is a designated Breeders' Cup Challenge Series 'Win and You're In' race that offers a Breeders' Cup nominated winner a fees-paid berth in the $1million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Sent to post at 10-1, Three Witches was one of three Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained fillies in the field of eight entered for the 37th running of the Princess Rooney. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, who was coming off an optional claiming allowance win, recorded the first graded stakes success while making her stakes debut.

“She wasn't far off on numbers if (Maryquitecontrary) didn't run her best,” Joseph said. “I think 'Mary' fired. I thought she was going to get us. Most of the time when she gets in that spot, she runs down horses.”

Settled in midpack off a quick pace set by Poiema along the backstretch, Three Witches advanced between horses on the far turn under Leonel Reyes, who swung her three-wide around the tiring pacesetter and R Adios Jersey coming off the turn into the stretch. Maryquitecontrary, who had won her last five races over the Gulfstream track, launched a rally from last with a five-wide sweep on the far turn under Luca Panici and posed a serious threat entering the stretch. However, Three Witches kicked in through the stretch to hold off Maryquitecontrary.

“She's run some decent races where she showed some glimpses of hope and then she'd disappoint after a couple races. We gave her a break and she came back to win well. Today, she put it together. Obviously, she had to make a jump, and she did,” Joseph said.

Three Witches, who had won two of six previous starts, ran seven furlongs in 1:22.89. Maryquitecontrary, a Grade 1-placed Grade 2 winner, finished second, 3½ lengths clear of third-place finisher R. Adios Jersey.

Three Witches is scheduled to sell at the Keeneland November sale during the week following the Nov. 3-4 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

“The Breeders' Cup, we'll talk about. It's another jump up. She earned the right to go. We'll have to decide. [Owner] Bob [Edwards] is going to make that decision. I'll give him feedback on how she's doing, but he'll make the call,” Joseph said.

Rodney Lundock's Maryquitecontrary captured the Inside Information (G2) during the Championship Meet to cap a five-race winning streak. She was sent to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey at Keeneland, where she finished second behind Goodnight Olive in the Madison (G1). She went on to finish fourth in the Honorable Miss (G2) and off-the-board in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga before returning to Gulfstream. Panici was impressed with the effort of the 7-5 favorite, who is currently in the barn of trainer David Fawkes.

“She ran good. The pace was tough, :44 [seconds] and 1:09. The first part she was not too [near] the speed,” Panici said. “We got a lot of dirt in the face, but I'm happy because at the end she finished very, very good and we're looking to run her one mile where I think she belongs. I think this winter she'll be back good, and that's the main thing.”

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Three Witches ($22.40) is out of the Tale of the Cat mare Layreebelle and sold to agent Mike Ryan for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Time Passage Wins Third Straight in Miss Gracie Stakes

Laurie Plesa and Glassman Racing LLC's Time Passage collected her third straight victory since being sent around two turns on Tapeta Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the daughter of Tunwoo scored a dominating victory in the $100,000 Miss Gracie.

The Eddie Plesa Jr. trainee scored a front-running 2 ¾-length triumph in the stakes for 3-year-old fillies that offered a $25,000 FTBOA win bonus for a registered Florida-bred.

Florida-bred Time Passage, the 7-5 second choice ridden by Edgard Zayas, ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:41.43 after setting fractions of :23.98 and :46.94 seconds for the first half mile. To Thyself B True rallied for second a neck ahead of Pawky. Coco, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth.

Time Passage, who is out of the Kantharos mmare Savingtime, returned $4.80 for the win. She was bred by Baoma Corp.

The post Three Witches Holds Back Maryquitecontrary In Princess Rooney, ‘We’ll Talk About’ Breeders’ Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“He's a serious horse.”

That was Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's assessment of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Up to the Mark after the 4-year-old colt by Not This Time nosed out 6-5 favorite Master of the Seas in Saturday's Grade 1, $1-million Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Under a skillful ride by Jose Ortiz, Up to the Mark was winning his third consecutive Grade 1 race at distances from the one mile of Saturday's contest to the mile and a quarter of the Manhattan in his last start at Belmont Park on June 10. That kind of versatility gives Pletcher options for the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup, to be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4. The Coolmore Turf Mile is a “Win and You're In” Challenge Series race for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile, but the Hall of Fame trainer indicated the mile and one-half G1 Turf would be an option, too, depending on how Up to the Mark comes out of this race.

Second choice in the wagering at 2-1, Up to the Mark completed the mile on firm turf in 1:34.18, nearly a half second slower than Gina Romantica's final time in the G1 First Lady at the same distance two races earlier. He paid $6.58 to win.

Irish-bred Godolphin runner Master of the Seas – winner of the G1 Woodbine Mile last out Sept. 16 – looked a sure winner after overtaking Pletcher's other runner, Annapolis, in mid-stretch, but had to settle for a hard-luck second. Set Piece rallied for third, with Annapolis fourth of nine runners.

 

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In her first time around two turns, Chatalas broke running from her rail post position and although pressed through solid fractions, she was able to shake loose from Dua in deep stretch and prevailed by 1½ lengths over New York invader Scalable in Saturday's $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.

The Chandelier is a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win & You're In”qualifier, and Chatalas earned a fees-paid berth into the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Mark Glatt and ridden for the first time by Antonio Fresu, Chatalas got 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.28.

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar July 30, Chatalas was then a well-beaten fourth by budding superstar Tamara in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) Sept. 9.

Off at 3-1 in her third start Saturday, she paid $8.20 for the win.

Owned by breeder Dan Agnew and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Chatalas, a bay Gun Runner filly out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Safari, picked up $120,000 for the win to run her earnings to $187,200.

Fifth in her seven furlong debut at Saratoga Sept. 3, Repole Stable's Scalable was about six lengths off the winner three furlongs out and rallied nicely for the place under Mike Smith.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Dua pressed the winner throughout and paid a price, finishing third, a neck behind Scalable.

Fractions on the race were :23.69, :47.97, 1:11.88 and 1:37.55.

CHANDELIER STAKES QUOTES 

JOCKEY ANTONIO FRESU, CHATALAS, WINNER: “I breezed the filly once a couple of months ago. I liked her at that time. Mark (Glatt) brought her into this in perfect shape. We talked in the paddock and the plan was to sit right behind the leaders. But we agreed if nobody goes, then I could. She broke well and I had the advantage of the rail. She relaxed really well in front. When I asked her to kick, she was still kind of immature, she was waiting for someone to come. But the last eighth, she changed gears and won impressively.

“I still had a lot of horse underneath me. I liked the way she galloped out. I think she will stay all day long. She has a good frame of mind. In the post parade she was really quiet, really relaxed, like she was going out to train in the morning.”

TRAINER MARK GLATT, CHATALAS, WINNER: “We've always thought the further she went the better she would be. A little disappointed with the Debutante performance, but I look back on it and she was fairly close to .44 fractions and that's just not her. We knew she would have pretty good speed going two turns and she did kind of everything her own way, she broke sharp and had a relatively comfortable lead, Fresu rode her great.”

OWNER DAN AGNEW, PART-OWNER/BREEDER, CHATALAS, WINNER: “Cloud nine now that would describe it. Especially with a homebred like this, it is a great thrill and Mark's done a great job with the filly. The man that was on the farm said, 'This is one I think you ought to keep and I think he was right.'

I think the way Gun Runner has proven a great sire to both fillies and colts was a big reason I decided to keep her and race her. On to the Breeders' Cup, we hope that she comes out well and we are looking forward to it.”

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