Tag: epicenter

Rosario Set For Record-Breaking Saratoga Meet

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – It's not your imagination that jockey Joel Rosario is having a big summer at Saratoga.

Rosario, 37, is very much in the hunt for the overall title, a competition led by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Through Thursday's program, Ortiz had 37 wins, eight more than Rosario. However, in graded stakes races, Rosario is far and away the leader with 10 victories from 19 starts, a remarkable 53% win rate. Ortiz is next with five.

With the 10, Rosario is in position to smash the current record of 11 graded stakes wins in a Saratoga season. According to Equibase stats, Hall of Famers Javier Castellano and John Velazquez share the record of 11. Castellano won 11 of 31 graded stakes starts in 2015 and Velazquez, who is nearing 1,000 wins at the track, finished first in 11 of 23 graded stakes in 2005. At 10, Rosario is on level with Castellano (2016) and Jerry Bailey (2001).

“It's unbelievable what we've done early,” Rosario said. “Thanks to all the people who gave us the opportunity. My agent, Ron Anderson, has done a really great job for me. We appreciate the opportunities from the owners and the trainers.”

Rosario is no stranger to success. The native of the Dominican Republic has finished in the top 10 in North American jockey earnings for 13 years, has a resume filled with graded stakes wins, including 13 in the Breeders' Cup. Last year, he had a career year, riding horses that earned $32,956,215 and secured his first Eclipse Award as champion jockey.

In 2020, Rosario was the leading graded stakes winner at Saratoga with seven. Last summer, he finished in a tie with Luis Saez for the top spot at six. This year, he had seven graded wins in the first 13 days of the 40-day season.

“We always are looking for a good meet,” Rosario said, “But, we've been doing really well this year.”

During the first four days of the meet, Rosario won the July 15 GIII Forbidden Apple S. with City Man (Mucho Macho Man) for trainer Christophe Clement; the GI Diana S. on In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Chad Brown July 16; and the GIII Quick Call S. on Big Invasion (Declaration of War) for Clement July 17. He completed the month with three wins for Steve Asmussen: the GII Shuvee S. on Clairiere (Curlin) July 24, the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. on Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and the GII Jim Dandy S. on Epicenter (Not This Time).

In August, he won the GII National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame S. on Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) for Brad Cox Aug. 5 and the next day won the GI Test S. on Chi Town Lady Verrazano) for Wesley Ward and the GII Glens Falls on War Like Goddess (English Channel) for Bill Mott.

Six trainers. Dirt. Turf. Sprints. Routes.

Starting on Saturday with the GI Alabama and the GII Lake Placid, there are 17 graded stakes left in the Saratoga season. Rosario has the mount on Haughty (Empire Maker) for Brown in the Lake Placid and will ride Gerrymander (Into Mischief) for Brown in the Alabama. He is likely to be up on contenders in most of the remaining graded stakes, including the Asmussen triumvirate of Epicenter in the GI Runhappy Travers S., Jackie's Warrior in the GI Forego S. and Clairiere in the GI Personal Ensign.

In 2015, six of Castellano's 11 wins were in Grade I races. Velazquez had five Grade I winners in 2005. So far, Rosario has three.

The post Rosario Set For Record-Breaking Saratoga Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gunite Game in Amsterdam Victory, Corniche Fades to Last

While all eyes were on returning champion Corniche (Quality Road) who faded to last, Gunite (Gun Runner) completed a big weekend at Saratoga for Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen with a gritty victory in the GII Amsterdam S. in upstate New York Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, last year's GI Hopeful S. winner battled Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) through fractions of :21.78 and :44.60, while Corniche sat in stalking position behind the dueling leaders. As the champ backed up on the turn, Gunite strode to the lead into the lane before bravely holding off Accretive (Practical Joke) to win by a neck while completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.75.

“It's just nice to come back to where he won his Grade I last year and have another win in a Grade II,” said owner Ron Winchell. “He was training great. He was training like he wanted to go on from his 2-year-old year and do exactly what he did. Sometimes, you never know if they move on and continue to win graded stakes, but he got it done today.”

Of Corniche, jockey Luis Saez said, “He broke good and was in a good position. He was right there. He probably needed the race.”

Winchell Thoroughbreds was in the Saratoga winner's circle Saturday with GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This Time), while Asmussen made the trip with both Epicenter and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. winner Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

“We've been blessed with some extremely nice horses and they make it all possible,” Asmussen said of his Spa weekend.

Gunite, who captured his maiden at Churchill Downs last June, finished second in the Aug. 14 GII Saratoga Special before romping home by 5 3/4 lengths in the Sept. 6 GI Hopeful S. He went to the sidelines following a fifth-place effort in the Oct. 2 GI Champagne S., but showed he had improved with the time off when he returned to action with a runner-up effort in a Churchill optional claimer June 3. He prepped for this return to graded action with another gritty victory in the July 3 Maxfield S. in Louisville last time out.

“In his last race, he wasn't away cleanly and it put him in a different position,” Asmussen said. “I thought that was a similar race to the horse we ran here last year, just handy and in a good spot, tenacious to the wire. Extremely good win and obviously we're on to the [Aug. 27 GI] Allen Jerkens from here.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Gunite was one of three first-crop juveniles by Gun Runner to win graded stakes at Saratoga last summer and is one of the Three Chimneys sire's five Grade I winners to date. The stallion was represened last weekend by GI Haskell S. winner Cyberknife and runner-up Taiba.

Gunite is the first foal out of Winchell homebred and stakes winner Simple Surprise, who has an unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Gunite named Surprise Attack who sold for $400,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The mare also has a yearling filly by Copper Bullet and a weanling filly by Tapiture. She was bred back to Gun Runner this year.

Winchell Thoroughbreds also bred and campaigned Gunite's second dam, stakes winner and graded placed Simplify.

Sunday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 7-31, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.75, ft.
1–GUNITE, 122, c, 3, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Simple Surprise (SW, $185,446), by Cowboy Cal
                2nd Dam: Simplify, by Pulpit
                3rd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen;
J-Tyler Gaffalione. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-4-3-1,
$548,099. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Accretive, 118, g, 3, Practical Joke–Mallory Street, by Street
Sense. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($180,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Falcon Wood
Partners (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Runninsonofagun, 119, g, 3, Gun Runner–Golden Artemis, by
Malibu Moon. ($16,000 2yo '21 KEEJAN). O-The Estate of Scott
Zimmerman; B-Dattt Farm LLC (KY); T-John T. Toscano, Jr.
$24,000.
Margins: NK, 4 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 7.40, 2.95, 56.25.
Also Ran: Pappacap, My Prankster, Hoist the Gold, Surfer Dude, Pinehurst, Corniche.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Gunite Game in Amsterdam Victory, Corniche Fades to Last appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Epicenter Erupts Late in Jim Dandy

Epicenter (Not This Time), a too-good-to-be-second as the favorite in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S., stamped himself as the horse to beat in the 'Mid-Summer Derby' with a powerful, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga.

Zandon (Upstart), making his first start since a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, was 1 1/2 lengths back in second after racing prominently. Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile), a last out winner of the GIII Ohio Derby, was another half-length back in third. The GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) tired to finish a disappointing fourth after setting the pace.

“It's extremely rewarding off two tough races to bring him back in the winner's circle where we think he belongs,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “[In] a four-horse field, it's always a lot of mobility. I was very happy with the solid, steady pace–I think that :48 and one, :12 for every eighth of a mile is what we're targeting.”

Epicenter established himself as the favorite on the first Saturday in May following impressive victories in both the GII Risen Star S. and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. He will have another chance at his first Grade I victory in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at the Spa Aug. 27.

“What I loved about it is the fact that [there is] another eighth in the Travers,” Asmussen said. “It was his first race ever over Saratoga and we know what's on the menu next. We want to be as ready as we possibly can for it.”

Drawn on the rail following a late scratch in the four-horse field, the even-money favorite surprisingly trailed the quartet as Early Voting led them into the clubhouse turn with his stablemate Zandon tracking from second. Still in fourth with positions unchanged through fractions of :24.22 and :48.28, Epicenter, a $260,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, began to make his move as Early Voting was ridden as they hit the quarter pole. Well out in the clear at the top of the stretch, the Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC colorbearer launched down the center in eye-catching fashion to power past his three formidable rivals in style.

“He was very comfortable and with the scratch of the one horse [Western River], that put him in the one hole and he [Joel Rosario] made a decision early not to try to be squeezed up in there,” Asmussen said. “Once he eased him out of that spot, Epicenter was carrying Joel very comfortably the whole way down the backside. I was a little concerned how far back he was, but they threw up the middle fraction, they stayed at :12 [for the next eighth of a mile] and didn't back it up in his face. He had a shot from there. When he eased him out at the head of the lane, he was travelling really pretty.”

Pedigree Notes:

Taylor Made's Not This Time continues to cement his spot atop the third-crop sire list, getting yet another graded win with Epicenter's Jim Dandy. With just over 9% stakes winners to foals in his first two crops, he is more than holding his own among the top 10 leading sires in North America for the year as well. His 19 black-type winners–eight graded–also include GISWs Just One Time and Princess Noor. Both Epicenter and this spring's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner/GI Curlin Florida Derby third-place finisher Simplification are out of mares by Candy Ride (Arg), a still-active top Lane's End stallion who has 31 stakes winners out of his daughters.

Winner of Arlington Park's 2010 Hatoof S. as well as third in that track's GIII Pucker Up S., Silent Candy was a $130,000 Keeneland November purchase by Westwind Farms in 2014. Her 2-year-old Always Dreaming colt went through the OBS March ring after working in :10.1, then brought $140,000 from Carolyn Wilson as a private sale. Silent Candy has a yearling Tapiture filly and an Outwork filly foaled Mar. 14. before being bred back to Not This Time.

Saturday, Saratoga
JIM DANDY S.-GII, $558,000, Saratoga, 7-30, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–EPICENTER, 122, c, 3, by Not This Time
               1st Dam: Silent Candy (SW & GSP, $182,208), by Candy Ride (Arg)
                2nd Dam: Silent Queen, by King of Kings (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Soundproof (Ire), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
($260,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC;
B-Westwind Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario.
$330,000. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 9-5-3-0, $2,270,639. Werk Nick
   Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zandon, 124, c, 3, Upstart–Memories Prevail, by Creative
Cause. ($170,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jeff Drown; B-Brereton C.
Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $120,000.
3–Tawny Port, 120, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie, by
Macho Uno. ($430,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $72,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 2.70, 8.70.
Also Ran: Early Voting. Scratched: Western River. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Epicenter Erupts Late in Jim Dandy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights