Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners | Horse Racing Free Tips

Breakthrough For Profitable As Quick Suzy Wins the Queen Mary

As much as ever, Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary S. was all about speed from pillar-to-post and there was none slicker than Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' aptly-named Quick Suzy (Ire) who provided her first-season sire Profitable (Ire) with a landmark first black-type winner. Runner-up in the six-furlong G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last time May 16, the Gavin Cromwell-trained bay who was another drawn closest to the stand's rail was tanking along early alongside the 9-4 favourite Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) with Artos (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in front on the far side. Inside the final two furlongs, it was between the stand's-rail runners and the 8-1 shot Quick Suzy gradually asserted from the furlong pole under Gary Carroll to subdue Twilight Gleaming by 1 1/4 lengths. The 50-1 closer Cheerupsleepyjean (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was the eye-catcher from rear, finishing 1 3/4 lengths away in third and a neck in front of the trail-blazing Artos. “Quick Suzy–she's that and everything else,” the winning rider said. “It was very straightforward. I thought the American horse would go a real good gallop and I'd be chasing, but I was actually close to her and every step of the way I was waiting and waiting. Inside the two, she got maybe half a length on me but I chased her down and outbattled her to the line. She went quick last time over six on slow ground, as she has so much natural speed, but burnt off in the last 100 yards and ran out of petrol. She is a very good filly and really got to the line well today.”

Runner-up on debut to the impressive Elliptic (Ire) (Caravaggio) over five furlongs at Tipperary on debut Apr. 20, Quick Suzy bounced out of that effort to record a 5 1/2-length success over an extra furlong at The Curragh May 3 before being worn down late by Hermana Estrella (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the Fillies Sprint. Gavin Cromwell, who is best known as a jumps trainer of note having saddled the winners of the Champion Hurdle, Stayers' Hurdle and Spa Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, was starstruck. “It's unbelievable, fantastic–it's such an occasion,” he said. “I was very confident she'd run a big race, but didn't know where she laid with the English and American horses.”

Quick Suzy's dam Snooze (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), who also has a yearling full-brother to the winner, is a half to Aria Di Festa (Ire) (Orpen) who was second in the G3 Premio Regina Elena and third in the G2 Prix de Sandringham before producing the G3 Premio Primi Passi winner and G2 Gran Criterium runner-up Aria Importante (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}). The winner shares her multiple listed-placed second dam Alarme Belle (GB) (Warning {GB}) with the listed winner and G2 Prix de Sandringham runner-up Mixed Intention (Ire) (Elusive City), who is herself the dam of this month's G1 Prix du Jockey Club third Millebosc (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). This is also the family of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix d'Ispahan heroine Danseuse du Soir (Ire) (Thatching {Ire}), who accounts for the G1 Gran Criterium winner Scintillo (GB) (Fantastic Light).

Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
QUEEN MARY S.-G2, £80,000, Ascot, 6-16, 2yo, f, 5fT, 1:00.01, g/f.
1–QUICK SUZY (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Profitable (Ire)
1st Dam: Snooze (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
2nd Dam: Alarme Belle (GB), by Warning (GB)
3rd Dam: Dazzlingly Radiant, by Try My Best
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€20,000 Ylg '20 GOFOCT). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners LLC; B-Oghill House Stud & Jasleen (IRE); T-Gavin Cromwell; J-Gary Carroll. £47,360. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 4-2-2-0, $103,686. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Twilight Gleaming (Ire), 126, f, 2, National Defense (GB)–Thames Pageant (GB), by Dansili (GB). (£75,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Pier House Stud (IRE); T-Wesley Ward. £17,912.
3–Cheerupsleepyjean (Fr), 126, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Time Will Tell (Fr), by Wootton Bassett (GB). (€35,000 Wlg '19 ARQDE; £35,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK). O-Mrs P Shanahan, Mrs M V Magnier & Mrs T Stack; B-Xavier Malaviolle (FR); T-Fozzy Stack. £8,952.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 8.00, 2.25, 50.00.
Also Ran: Artos (Ire), Vertiginous (Ire), Get Ahead (GB), Illustrating (GB), Orinoco River, Misty Ayr (Ire), Desert Dreamer (GB), Nymphadora (GB), Choux (Ire), Crazyland (GB), Harmony Rose (GB), Coup de Force (GB), Jazzy Princess (GB), Yet, Poppy Petal (Ire), Beautiful Sunshine (GB), White Jasmine (Ire), Mas Poder (Ire). Scratched: Eve Lodge (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

The post Breakthrough For Profitable As Quick Suzy Wins the Queen Mary appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Blame Debbie Brings Home Searching Stakes At Pimlico

Running 12 furlongs off a 200-day layoff over a turf course that absorbed several days of rain proved no obstacle for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Cloonan, and Tim Thornton's Blame Debbie in a front-running 3 ½-length triumph in Sunday's $100,000 Searching Stakes at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, M.D.

The 11th running of the 1 ½-mile Searching for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass, back on the Maryland stakes calendar after being lost during a pandemic-shortened 2020 schedule, was the first of five stakes worth $475,000 in purses on the 10-race program.

Following the Searching were the $100,000 Prince George's County Stakes on turf, $100,000 Shine Again Stakes featuring undefeated multiple stakes winner Chub Wagon, and $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes and $75,000 Ben's Cat Stakes, both five-furlong sprints moved from the grass to the main track.

Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Graham Motion, Blame Debbie ($6.20) completed the distance in 2:38.50 over a turf course rated good. Luck Money, the 6-5 favorite, got past Crystalle nearing the wire for second, and was followed by Whatdoesasharksay, Breviary, and Proper Storm. Beautiful Lover and Scatrattleandroll were scratched.

Motion also won a division of the 2000 Searching Stakes with Confessional when the race was held at Laurel Park.

“Pimlico is my local track. I love running here. This is where we like to run,” Motion said. “And to have a stake like this, there's less and less of these distance stakes around, so it was just such a good opportunity to get started this year.”

By Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame, Blame Debbie crossed the wire first in three consecutive races last year but was disqualified to third for interference in a Kentucky Downs allowance in September. She followed up with back-to-back wins at Keeneland in a 1 1/8-mile allowance and the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 Dowager Stakes, the latter going gate-to-wire and holding on by a head.

Blame Debbie hadn't run since being beaten 2 ¾ lengths when fifth following a troubled trip in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap Nov. 26 at Del Mar.

“Once she broke sharp and Victor found himself on the lead, he did a perfect job of slowing it down best he could and she got away with some pretty good fractions,” Motion said. “I think know that she's won to pretty decent stakes going 1 1/2 mile this is probably her preferred distance. I think she'll go 1 1/8, 1 ¼ mile but I really think she is a marathoner, especially when she gets fractions like she did today.”

With only Luck Money and Breviary to her outside, Blame Debbie inherited the lead and set a deliberate pace of 27.63 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 55.29 for the half, tracked by Luck Money racing in between Whatdoesasharksay and Breviary. Carrasco didn't move on Blame Debbie until the field entered the stretch a second time, setting her down for a drive to the wire.

“Just like we talked about. [Motion] said, 'Victor, I don't see much speed so if they let you go and you relax, go for it. But if you see somebody go, she doesn't need to be on the lead,'” Carrasco said. “We planned on going and she didn't fight me much the first part. Once we passed the first wire and I peeked to the screen and I saw 27 and 55 [seconds], I was just thinking in my mind, 'This race is over.' Once we turned for home and I got after her, she just opened up and rode away from the field.”

Searching, a 1978 Hall of Fame inductee, was a bay daughter of 1937 Triple Crown champion War Admiral bred by Odgen Phipps that won the Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico in 1955 and 1957 for trainer Hirsch Jacobs, retiring with a record of 25-14-16 with $327,381 in purse earnings from 89 starts. As a broodmare, Searching also enjoyed great success with offspring such as Affectionately, an 18-time stakes winner and dam of 1970 Preakness winner Personality, and Admiring, the grand-dam of 1993 Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero.

The post Blame Debbie Brings Home Searching Stakes At Pimlico appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Naturally Talented’ Annex, Maiden Winner Avenue Among Eclipse Horses Pointed To Turf Triple Series

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, a racing partnership started in 2012 by Aron Wellman, has NYRA's Turf Triple series in mind for several of their talented sophomores.

Launched by NYRA in 2019, the Turf Triple series showcases the best 3-year-old turf runners.

The Turf Triple for sophomores begins with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 1/4-miles [2,000 meters] on July 10 at Belmont Park. The series continues with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16-miles [1,900 meters] on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course and concludes with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 1 1/2-miles [2,400 meters] on September 18 at Belmont Park.

The Turf Triple series for fillies kicks off July 10 at Belmont with the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational at 1 1/4-miles [2,000 meters]. The series continues with the Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at 1 3/16-miles [1,900 meters] on August 8 at Saratoga and is completed by the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks at 1 3/8-miles [2,200 meters] on September 18 at Belmont.

Unbeaten in three lifetime starts at Gulfstream Park, dual stakes winner Annex broke his maiden going one mile on January 16 and followed with a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Palm Beach on February 1, where he came from 22 lengths off a torrid pace for a head win over stakes winners Scarlett Sky and Chess's Dream. He tracked a moderate pace from fourth in the one-mile Cutler Bay on March 27 en route to a neck win.

Annex, a son of third-crop sire Constitution trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 American Turf on May 1 at Churchill Downs en route to the Belmont Derby.

“He will run in the American Turf and from there hopefully go into the Turf Triple series,” Wellman said. “The pace was pretty fast in the Palm Beach but he made up all of that ground and deserves a lot of credit for making such a big run. The pace was against us in the Cutler Bay, so he had to show some versatility and overcome a slow pace, which he did.

“He's naturally talented, but still a bit green and not focused,” Wellman continued. “As he matures and develops, I think you'll see him get even better.”

Wellman said the ownership team has long considered the Turf Triple series a potential target for Annex.

“He's a high energy horse and we're hoping that he continues to progress to where we can still consider these races,” said Wellman. “Our goal all along was to point for these races. He's certainly bred to handle the distance and everything points to him being able to excel going nine furlongs and beyond.”

While Annex has yet to race past 1 1/16 miles, recent maiden winner Avenue, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with Robert V. LaPenta, William Freeman and Michael Valdes, graduated at nine furlongs on April 8 at Keeneland by four lengths.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Quality Road colt finished second and fifth in two starts against maiden special weight company at Gulfstream Park, before shipping to Kentucky for his first career win.

Wellman said the decisive victory will propel him to graded stakes company in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge on May 29 at Belmont Park. The Pennine Ridge-Belmont Derby double has been swept recently by Oscar Performance [2017] and Catholic Boy [2018].

“From Day One we knew he would go two turns,” Wellman said. “At Gulfstream, the turf course is tight and on the speed-favoring side, so a mile and a sixteenth plays more like a mile. We had a lot of confidence in him going into his win at Keeneland, a course that he would be better suited for. We'll likely point him for the Pennine Ridge and from there on to the Turf Triple series.”

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Avenue is out of the graded stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Magic Union who also produced graded stakes-placed Tizamagician. He was bought for $450,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Another rising turf star for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners is Aviano, owned in partnership with William T. Freeman and Valdes, who was third in an off-the-turf allowance event at Keeneland on April 10. After a trio of strong placings, the son of Medaglia d'Oro broke his maiden at fourth asking going 1 1/16 miles on February 28 at Gulfstream Park defeating highly regarded Alexander Valley by a neck.

“He's definitely a quality horse,” Wellman said. “We tried facing winners and it got rained off the turf. He's one that we would like to think could get into the series, but how we get there we're still unsure.”

A $775,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase, Aviano is out of the multiple-stakes winning Rockport Harbor mare Bryan's Jewel.

In the 3-year-old filly department, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners color-bearer Con Lima is scheduled to return to grass after finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks last out on March 27 on the main track.

Wellman said Con Lima, who is owned in partnership with Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Erik Nikolaus and Troy Johnson, will remain in Florida for and target the $75,000 Honey Ryder on May 1 at Gulfstream Park going 1 1/16 miles.
“We tried to see if she could be as effective on the dirt, but she proved that she is definitely superior on grass,” Wellman said. “She'll stay in Florida for the time being and point for the first of May with the intention of possibly going to New York in the summer.”

Bred in Texas, the daughter of Commissioner previously raced for trainer Carlos David, for whom she broke her maiden by 5 ¼ lengths last summer at Gulfstream Park. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners purchased a majority of the filly following the maiden score and transferred her to Pletcher.

Con Lima ran second in off-the-turf editions of the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga and the Our Dear Peggy at Gulfstream. She picked up three turf victories this winter in Florida, including stakes triumphs in the Ginger Brew on January 2 and the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on February 27, where she was elevated to first via disqualification.

Spanish Loveaffair, who was disqualified from victory in the Herecomesthebride, is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in partnership with Michael Hernon and Gary Barber. The daughter of Karakontie enjoyed a successful 2-year-old campaign, which included a win in the Sharp Susan on August 29 at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Last out, Spanish Loveaffair was sixth in the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland

“She never lifted a hoof that day, but she was dealing with a sinus infection,” Wellman said. “Thankfully we put that behind her and it explained her race at Keeneland. We'll see how she does in the near future.”

Mia Martina was eased in her dirt debut in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3 at Aqueduct. Trained by Graham Motion, the daughter of second-crop sire Not This Time won her first two career starts and made her stakes debut when a late-rallying fourth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Wellman said Mia Martina, owned in partnership with Gianni Fittipaldi, will likely point for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again on June 3 at Belmont Park, a key prep for the Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10.

“The Gazelle was an experiment to see if she could be as potent on dirt as she is on turf, which didn't work out. She could potentially come back in the Wonder Again,” Wellman said.

This year, past winners of Turf Triple series races for fillies are incentivized by a pair of lucrative bonus opportunities at the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course meets.

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks who captures the 2021 edition of the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares to be held June 4 at Belmont.

The “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks, who captures the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, an 11-furlong test for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on September 4 at Saratoga. The Flower Bowl is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

Eligible to cash in on the bonus this year are Godolphin homebred Antoinette, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who won the 2020 Saratoga Oaks and Lael Stables' Magic Attitude, conditioned by Arnaud Delacour, who bested Antoinette in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.

For more information on the Turf Triple series, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/turf-triple-series.

The post ‘Naturally Talented’ Annex, Maiden Winner Avenue Among Eclipse Horses Pointed To Turf Triple Series appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Brown Looking for Same ‘Results’ in Gazelle

Klaravich Stables' lightly-raced Search Results (Flatter) will try to make it two stakes wins in three career starts and punch her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks for trainer Chad Brown in the GIII Gazelle S. Saturday at Aqueduct.

Unveiled Jan. 3 going six furlongs at Gulfstream, the $310,000 Keeneland September buy ran away to a four-length victory. Stepped up and stretched out to a mile in the local Busher Invitational S. Mar. 6, the dark bay responded with a hard-fought half-length victory over the more seasoned Miss Brazil (Palace Malice), earning a field-best 84 Beyer. The race was further validated when distant fifth-place finisher Make Mischief (Into Mischief) came back to annex a Big A allowance Sunday. Though she draws widest in the eight-horse field, Search Results figures to be able to work out a trip with little speed signed on to her inside.

The morning-line second choice also comes from the Brown barn in The Grass Is Blue (Broken Vow). A nonthreatening third behind her stablemate in the Busher, she previously captured the track-and-trip Busanda S. and was a fast-closing third in the Anne Arundel S. at Laurel. Mia Martina (Not This Time) has an upset chance in her dirt debut. Bought into by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners after a 21-1 debut upset on the Gulfstream West lawn, the bay scored a good-looking allowance success first out for Graham Motion Jan. 10 at Gulfstream and closed from way back to be fourth in the GIII Florida Oaks last out Mar. 6 at Tampa.

The post Brown Looking for Same ‘Results’ in Gazelle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post