Tag: Breeders’ Cup

The Durham Cup (G3) is not on any traditional list of preps for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

But that will be the aim of one horse at Woodbine on Saturday as Algiers (IRE), trained in England by the father-and-son team of Simon and Ed Crisford, takes on eight rivals in the $150,000 race over 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

Algiers, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Rabbah Bloodstock LLC, displayed the best form of his career when competing on dirt at Meydan Racecourse this winter and spring. After impressively winning the first two Challenge rounds on the path to the Dubai World Cup, the Godolphin-bred was the second choice behind the recently defending champion Country Grammer in the main event.

Country Grammar failed to fire, finishing seventh, but a monstrous performance by Japanese invader Ushba Tesoro left Algiers the runner-up, beaten 2 ¾ lengths with the 2022 Saudi Cup winner Emblem Road a nose back in third in the $12 million race over about 1 ¼ miles on March 25.

Ushba Tesoro is eyeing a date in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on November 4 and if all goes according to plan then Algiers would appear on the same program in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Team Crisford had entered Algiers in last weekend's Woodward Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct but circumstances led them to scrap that plan.

Ed Crisford said the combination of the uncertainty over Aqueduct's main track following 8.65 inches of rain and the inability to train several mornings leading up to the race were the reasons for the scratch. The plan had been to run in the Woodward to find out how Algiers handled a North American dirt track prior to a potential start in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

“We didn't think the track was going to be suitable for our particular horse,” Crisford said. “I thought he would have run a big race. He can run at Woodbine and get a race under his belt, and we can take it from there.”

Supplemented to the Durham Cup for $2,250, Algiers will be racing over a synthetic surface for the second time in his career, the first having come last November in the listed Churchill Stakes over 1 ¼ miles at Lingfield Park in England.

Algiers was beaten a nose there as the runner-up behind Missed the Cut, who has since been sold and relocated to California and won Santa Anita's Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup over 1 ½ miles of dirt at Santa Anita last weekend.

While Algiers gets top billing, the Durham Cup field is a deep and interesting mixture with perhaps no horse more dangerous than Treason, who is owned by LNJ Foxwoods and MSK Racing Ventures and is trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll.

The lightly-raced 5-year-old gelding had fared well over the local Tapeta surface with a victory in the Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile Eclipse and a second-place finish behind stablemate Tyson in the Grade 3, 1 1/8 mile Dominion Day.

In his latest outing Treason, ended a close second in the Grade 2 King Edward over one mile of the E.P. Tayor Turf Course.

“The turf is something we did to open up some other avenues for him, and he ran very well,” said Carroll. “We absolutely thought about running him in the Woodbine Mile, and weighed our options, and just decided that this would probably be a better spot for him.”

War Bomber (IRE), the King Edward winner, returned to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. The 5-year-old also has some solid form on the Tapeta, including a victory in last summer's Seagram Cup over the Durham Cup distance with Artie's Storm less than a length back in second.

Artie's Storm, winner of last spring's Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta, is coming off a sharp score under allowance terms over the same surface and distance. The 5-year-old Ontario-bred ended second in last year's Durham Cup with War Bomber three lengths back in third.

Wolfie's Dynaghost finished fifth behind Treason as the odds-on choice in the Eclipse and returns from Kentucky for trainer Jonathan Thomas. The 5-year-old gelding had been perfect in three previous outings on synthetic surfaces at Gulfstream Park and Turfway Park.

Field for the Grade 3 $150,000 Durham Cup

PP-Horse-Jockey-Trainer

1 – Algiers (IRE) – Robert Havlin – Simon Crisford

2 – Wolfie's Dynaghost – Rafael Hernandez – Jonathan Thomas

3 – Artie's Storm – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Paul Buttigieg

4 – Treason – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll

5 – Novo Sol (BRZ) – Patrick Husbands – Saffie Joseph, Jr.

6 – War Bomber (IRE) – Sahin Civaci – Norm McKnight

7 – War Court – Christopher Husbands – Layne Giliforte

8 – U S Army Corps – Leo Salles – Jason Marrocco

9 – Avoman – Eswan Flores – John Charalambous

The post Scratched From Woodward Over Track Condition, Algiers May Use Durham Cup As Springboard To BC Dirt Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Agate Road provided Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with their third straight collaborative score in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes when making a sweeping wide move in the stretch to capture the 45th running of the 1 1/16-mile test for juveniles over Aqueduct's outer turf at the Belmont at the Big A meet in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Pletcher and Ortiz Jr. found previous Pilgrim success with Annapolis [2021] and Major Dude [2022]. In capturing the Pilgrim, a “Win And You're In” event, Agate Road earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Agate Road, a bay son of Quality Road, entered from a triumphant turf debut on Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course, where he was placed toward the rear, went seven wide exiting the far turn and avoided a traffic jam when ninth at the stretch call, but was able to secure a neck victory. This came following his first career start, which was a late-closing second beaten a nose to Trade Imbalance in an off-the-turf maiden special weight on Aug. 5 going one mile at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 2, Agate Road was seventh of eight entering the first turn as graded stakes-placed Spirit Prince, who broke from the outermost post, cleared the field and took command through an opening quarter-mile in 23.51 seconds and a half-mile in :47.34 over the firm footing with Get Spooled in second to the outside of Tifareeh in third.

Around the far turn, Ortiz Jr. tipped his charge wide and off the rail with Spirit Prince still to catch through three-quarters in 1:11.64. Spirit Prince maintained his advantage through the stretch drive, but was getting leg weary as ground saving runners Liam's Journey and Fulmineo launched menacing bids with Agate Road mowing down rivals through the lane. Under Ortiz Jr.'s left-handed encouragement, Agate Road took command at the sixteenth pole, drifting in slightly as Liam's Journey took up, but proved superior and won by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:42.83.

Fulmineo, who was pinched between rivals in late stretch, nabbed second from Liam's Journey and Spirit Prince, who dead-heated for third. Triple Espresso, B D Saints, Tifareeh, and Get Spooled completed the order of finish. Tropandhagen was scratched.

There was a general stewards' inquiry into the stretch run as well as a claim of foul launched by Flavien Prat, the rider of Fulmineo, against Ortiz Jr. for alleged interference in the stretch, which was ultimately dismissed.

Ortiz Jr., who piloted Agate Road to his maiden score, said his horse showed improvement from the gate.

“He broke much better today than last time – that was the key,” Ortiz Jr. said. “After that, I just bided my time to go. Before the quarter-pole, I hit the clear outside. I went a little wide, maybe four or five wide and he kept coming. Last time, he had too much to do and he still got there. That gave me a lot of confidence. It was a beautiful trip and I just lost a couple lengths in the last turn and I was comfortable with that. I trust the trainer– he told me the horse was ready.”

Prat stood by his claim of foul and said Agate Road halted Fulmineo's momentum. Fulmineo, a son of Bolt d'Oro, entered from a second out triumph going the Pilgrim distance on Sept. 2 over the Colonial Downs turf.

“I was going to make a run. I was making a run and when he saw me, he squeezed everybody out inside of him and I took the worst of it on soft ground like this. From what I felt, it was the outside horse,” Prat said. “We had a good trip. We saved ground the whole way. I wanted to be close up, but the pace was pretty strong, so I gave him a chance and he made a good run.”

Manny Franco, the rider aboard Liam's Journey, said his horse reacted to the onrushing Agate Road in deep stretch.

“When the winner blew by me, he was drifting a little bit and my horse just shied from him and I grabbed as soon as possible,” Franco said. “I had a beautiful trip. I saved all the ground, tipped out in the stretch and he gave me all he had.”

After banking $110,000 in victory, Agate Road over doubled his lifetime earnings to $188,750 through a 3-2-0-1 record. He returned $6.90 for a $2 win wager as the post time favorite.

Bred in Kentucky by CHC, Inc., Agate Road was bought for $650,000 from Highgate Sales at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the Grade 1-winning Gemologist mare Yellow Agate, who captured the 2016 Frizette at Belmont Park.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day At The Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Agate Road Rallies Wide For ‘Win And You’re In’ Pilgrim Stakes Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A dedicated deep closer that's unbeaten in three stateside starts, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' English-bred Anisette tops a field of eight fillies and mares three and up going a mile and quarter on turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Rodeo Drive is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race Qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf here on Nov. 4.

Trained by Leonard Powell, Anisette comes off a pair of dazzling stakes wins at Del Mar, taking the G2 San Clemente at one mile on turf by 2 ½ lengths on July 22 and followed by a sensational 2 ¾ length score at a mile and one eighth on grass in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19.

Although both of those wins came versus sophomore fillies, Anisette rallied for a three quarter length win versus older fillies and mares in her U.S. debut, a one mile turf classified allowance here on May 29.

Far back early in all of her three of her Southern California starts, she registered consecutive improving Beyer Speed Figures of 80, 88, and 91 and although she may be dependent upon a solid pace at a mile and a quarter, she has thus far exhibited a brilliance that should carry the day with Umberto Rispoli engaged for the third consecutive time.

With Rispoli opting to stick with Anisette, Juan Hernandez will take over on the consistent Harris Farms homebred Closing Remarks. A 5-year-old California-bred mare by Vronsky out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks rallied for a solid 1 ¾ length tally going a mile and one eighth on turf in the G2 John C. Mabee Stakes on Sept. 9 and prevailed by a neck in the G2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar Aug. 12.

Trained by Carla Gaines and favored in both of her Del Mar wins, Closing Remarks has proven effective rallying from far back, mid-pack and as she demonstrated in the Yellow Ribbon, when she lays close to a legitimate early pace. A three-time graded stakes winner, Closing Remarks has three wins from 14 tries over the Santa Anita lawn and is enjoying her best year ever, winning three out of her seven starts and banking $462,500.

With an overall race record of 22-6-5-4, Closing Remarks has career earnings of $861,320.

THE GRADE 2 RODEO DRIVE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

1. Turnerloose—Antonio Fresu—122
2. Anisette—Umberto Rispoli—122
3. Juncture—Mike Smith—122
4. Closing Remarks—Juan Hernandez—126
5. Stoic Luna—Hector Berrios – 122
6. Didia—Vincent Cheminaud—124
7. Neige Blanche—Diego Herrera—122
8. Symphony Perfect—Abel Cedillo–122

First post time for a 10-race card that will include three other stakes on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

The Rodeo Drive Stakes will be part of the first-ever Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick Six, which will combine three races from Keeneland and three from Santa Anita. The wager has a $1 minimum and a player-friendly 15 percent takeout.

The post Late-Running Anisette Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Saturday’s Rodeo Drive appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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