Raging Bull Gets Class Relief In Saturday’s Poker

After twelve consecutive starts against Grade 1 company, Peter Brant's Raging Bull will gain slight class relief in leading a strong hand for trainer Chad Brown, who vies for his 100th graded stakes win at Belmont Park in Saturday's 35th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Poker for 4-year-olds and upward.

The one-mile Widener turf test honors the Ogden Phipps-owned champion broodmare sire whose daughters produced Kentucky Derby winners Seattle Slew and Silver Charm among many other notable thoroughbreds. During his racing career, Poker won the 1967 Bowling Green Handicap over champions Assagai and Buckpasser.

Raging Bull, who brags an 18-7-3-3 record, is the field's lone millionaire posting $1,496,750 in lifetime earnings and has registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures on five occasions.

The French-bred son of Dark Angel recorded a dozen straight Grade 1 appearances dating back to his victory in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November 2018 at Del Mar. His most recent non-Grade 1 endeavor was a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Hill Prince in October 2018 at Belmont.

Raging Bull arrives off a sharp 2021 debut in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on April 9 at Keeneland, where he made a sweeping move around the far turn and took advantage past the quarter-pole, powering home a two-length winner. The victory garnered a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure. Raging Bull also commenced his 2020 campaign with a Grade 1 victory by capturing the Shoemaker Mile last May at Santa Anita.

Brown said he had intentioned to send Raging Bull back to Santa Anita for a repeat engagement in the Shoemaker Mile.

“We had planned on going out to California, but there were some travelling complications that got in the way,” Brown said. “But we're glad that we're able to run him out of his own stall. It should be a good steppingstone moving forward to the Fourstardave.”

The one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event, is slated for August 14 at Saratoga Race Course. Raging Bull has finished a respective second and fifth in the last two editions of the Fourstardave.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who returned to action Thursday after being sidelined for two weeks with an injury, retains the mount from post 1.

Fellow Peter Brant color-bearer Veronesi, a French-bred son of Kendargent, makes his first start in North America and cuts back considerably in distance for Brown. The 5-year-old bay has not raced since September 2019 when fourth in the Group 2 Prix Niel behind eventual 2020 Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass.

“I think this is a good starting point for him,” Brown said. “He showed some promise overseas and unfortunately was injured. He's come back good and strong and we're ready to get going with him.”

Jockey Eric Cancel rides form post 3.

Klaravich Stables' Front Run the Fed will see an increase in ground off a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Elusive Quality on April 24 at Belmont Park. The son of Fed Biz briefly held command in the stretch run of his last effort but was gunned down in the final strides by Casa Creed, who went on to win the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day.

Front Run the Fed, who sports a consistent 12-4-4-1 record, has one stakes win on his resume when capturing his stakes debut in the Better Talk Now in August 2019 at Saratoga.

“Hopefully he'll be closer and get into good rhythm and position early on,” Brown said. “He's a nice and versatile horse from six furlongs to a mile.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano, a four-time winner of the Poker, has the mount from post 6.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Get Smokin arrives at the Poker in top form with three of his last five outings being stakes wins. Following a second out maiden victory in September 2019 at Belmont Park, the speedy 4-year-old son of Get Stormy acquired black type in four stakes races before notching a graded stakes victory when going gate-to-wire in the Grade 2 Hill Prince on October 18 over a yielding Widener turf course.

After a close fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar, Get Smokin began his 2021 campaign by utilizing stalking tactics to capture the Grade 3 Tampa Bay on February 5. Last out, he won the Seek Again in frontrunning fashion while recording a career-best 99 Beyer.

“He's just matured on his own. He's a very nice horse,” Bush said. “He's got a big, long stride and he has a little fight in him, too. He's got plenty of good qualities.”

Get Smokin, who is 3-for-5 at Belmont Park, has shown an affinity for the one-mile distance as well as the local turf course. He boasts a record of 9-3-2-1 when travelling one mile.

“A mile seems to suit him pretty well,” Bush said. “We had a pretty soft pace last time. I'm not sure how it will shake out this time, but that worked out very well for him in that they didn't go too fast up front.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for both stakes victories this year, returns to the irons from post 4.

Team Valor International's Oleksandra will try to make amends after three losses this year while seeking another triumph against males for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale. The Australian-bred daughter of Animal Kingdom last won when displaying a powerful turn of foot to win last year's Grade 1 Jaipur against colts.

Jockey Joel Rosario will ride Oleksandra for the twelfth time from post 2.

Completing the field are Sanctuary City [post 5, Manny Franco], Raased [post 7, Jose Ferrer], Tell Your Daddy [post 8, Luis Saez], and Penalty [post 9, Jose Ortiz].

The Poker is carded as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m.

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Maker’s Mark Mile: Heads Up Ride From Irad Ortiz Lands Raging Bull In The Winner’s Circle

With a quick pace to chase down, reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. made a bold decision to move a bit earlier than his late-running rivals in Friday's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland Race Course. The choice paid off in a big way when the frontrunners dropped back and Raging Bull got a head start down the stretch, growing bold on the lead and pulling away to win by two lengths on the wire. It was the first win since May of 2020 for Peter Brant's 6-year-old son of Dark Angel, who completed a mile over the “good” turf in 1:33.86.

Trained by Chad Brown and sent to post at odds of 7-2, Raging Bull is now a three-time Grade 1 winner with a record of 7-3-3 from 18 lifetime starts, and total earnings of nearly $1.5 million.

“Both horses (Raging Bull and stablemate and third-place finisher Sacred Life [FR]) ran great, especially given the layoffs they were facing,” Brown said. “Raging Bull got a great trip and setup. He's much more effective with a solid pace in front of him. Irad deserves a lot of credit for getting him into the race early and securing a great spot into the first turn.”

An early speed battle erupted between Get Smokin, Somelikeithotbrown, and Flying Scotsman, who traded punches through fractions of :22.47 and :45.65. Ortiz had Raging Bull settled just behind Field Pass in fifth against the rail, no more than four lengths behind the leaders down the backstretch.

At the three-eighths pole, Ortiz sent Raging Bull hard up the rail to take third, then angled out sharply to maintain his momentum while three wide as the leaders straightened for home. Raging Bull easily inherited the lead, and had more than enough left to hold off the deep closers through the length of the stretch.

Ride A Comet ran on credibly to finish second, while Sacred Life was third. Field Pass checked in fourth, and 5-2 favorite Hit the Road was fifth.

“He was traveling so good down the backside,” Ortiz said of Raging Bull. “I was close to the leaders. I tried to stay in contact with the field. He broke sharp today. I had an advantage there. The first turn, I let him run then I slowed him down. He relaxed so well. He was like 3 or 4 lengths behind the leaders. I said I'm just gonna wait until it's time to go. By the three-eighths pole, I saw some separation so I went for it a little early. He responded well, so I just went for it. He still had something at the end.”

Bred in France by Dayton Investments Limited, Raging Bull is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur, a daughter of five-time graded stakes winner Rolly Polly (Mukaddamah).

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Top Turf Sprinter Battaash To Skip Breeders’ Cup, Return In 2021

Undefeated in three straight group races this season, Battaash had been under consideration for a trip to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 7. Instead, trainer Charlie Hills told racingpost.com that the 6-year-old son of Dark Angel will be given a break for the winter and return in 2021.

“We don't know what the ground is going to be like in America,” Hills explained. “I know it's quick at the moment, but it can change very quickly there. I'm sure he'd handle everything over there too, but you're asking him to do something very different. It's a shame, but there could always be another time.”

This year, Battaash won the G1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20, the G2 Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on July 31, and the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Aug. 21. Overall, the gelding has 13 wins from 23 starts to his name.

Read more at racingpost.com.

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