Abaan Looks to Stand Out

Abaan (Will Take Charge) looks to build upon his recent success with a bid in the GII Mac Diarmida S. over 1 3/8 miles on the turf at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding, trained by Todd Pletcher, was last seen a clear winner over fellow Mac Diarmida entry Temple (Temple City) in the GIII W. L. McKnight S. Jan. 29. He also previously won the H. Allen Jerkens S. over this course in December.

Temple, breaking from post eight under Jose Ortiz, could be right there with a good trip, as the 6-year-old gelding has an ultra-consistent record, including a third last October in the 1 1/8-mile GIII Knickerbocker S. at Belmont Park. He was claimed by these connections for $80,000 in his next start, finishing second in a Nov. 19 Aqueduct optional claimer, and was third in another Big A optional claimer Dec. 5.

Though the elder statesman of the field at seven, Fantasioso (Arg) (Strategic Prince {GB}) has the class to keep up with his younger challengers. With jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. aboard, Fantasioso posted a dead-heat victory in the GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup S. over 1 1/2 miles at Sam Houston Jan. 30.

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Another Mystery, Fantasioso Dead-Heat In Thrilling John B. Connally Turf Cup

To say that history was on the line in Sunday afternoon's Grade 3, $200,00 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park, would be a major understatement. Since its first running in 1995, the race has attracted some of the top turf horses in the country. On Sunday, not one but two turf specialists added their names to the list of John B. Connally Turf Cup champions and history was made as the race resulted in a dead-heat for the win for the first time.

The 1 1/2-mile turf event came to a thrilling conclusion with a three-horse photo finish at the wire. The Turf Cup has always attracted top turf horses from across the country, and Sunday's race was no exception as the Illinois-bred Another Mystery, with races from the Midwest and West Coast, shared the win with East Coast-based, Argentinian-bred Fantasioso.

James Graham-ridden Fantasioso, a 7-year-old horse by Strategic Prince, was bred by Luther Eduardo Carlos in Argentina. He is co-owned by Bloom Racing Stable and his trainer, Ignacio Correas, IV.

Though he had made 12 starts at the distance previously, Fantasioso was cutting back from his last race, the two-mile H. Allen Jerkins Stakes at Gulfstream in which he finished third. He has hit the board in several stakes but was in search of an elusive win.

“He's such a cool horse,” said co-owner Jeff Bloom. “This was a well-deserved victory as he has been close in so many of his races. James rode him perfectly and it was so gratifying to see him win a graded stakes in the United States.”

Fantasioso won several graded stakes in his native Argentina but this was his first graded stakes victory in North America. He has earned $259,539 in 32 career starts and has finished in the money in 19 starts, including six victories.

Graham was able to close despite slow fractions and create the trip his horse needed.

“They went slow in front of us, but he ran his rear end off and I was glad to finally win a Connally Cup,” said Graham, who made the trip to Sam Houston from Fair Grounds. “This horse has a good kick and I appreciated the opportunity to ride for Ignacio and Jeff.”

Another Mystery is a 6-year-old horse by Temple City, bred and owned by Team Block and trained by Chris Block. This marked the second Connally Turf Cup win for Team Block, who also brought Fort Prado to the winners' circle in 2006.

“Two years ago he ran in the Connally coming off a ten-day rest,” said Block. “He's matured a lot and as my dad would say, he's been crying out for three turns. He had a good rest and trained great coming into the race. The Ioya family is all turf and Jareth put a great ride on him.”

Jareth Loveberry had the call on Another Mystery after riding the horse twice at the Fair Grounds, including a win in the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes. He is multiple graded stakes placed with $358,000 in earnings and picked up his seventh career win in 24 starts.

“He ran a really good race and handled the turf course well today,” said Loveberry. “He was grabbing the bit and had his head down at the right time. I want to thank Chris and the whole team for getting him ready.”

He'll get a rest and run next at Fair Grounds, according to Block. Jeff Bloom said that Fantasioso will likely be pointed to Keeneland.

The final time for the stake was 2:31.28. Both horses closed from far back to hit the wire together after letting Dyn O Mite and Strong Tide set the fractions up front. Strong Tide held on to be involved in the photo finish at the wire and was placed third.

Strong Tide is a homebred for Michael and Penny Lauer of Indiana; Penny Lauer owns and Michael Lauer trains the 5-year-old son of English Channel. Geovanni Franco traveled to Houston to ride Strong Tide, who he also rode to victory in an optional claiming event at Oaklawn in their last start.

Hierarchy and Corey Lanerie led the rest of the field in fourth place, followed by pacesetter Dyn O Mite, post-time favorite Ajourneytofreedom, Malthael, Decision Maker, Tide of the Sea, Logical Myth, Parrot Head and Conviction Trade.

The John B. Connally Turf was awarded Grade 3 status in 2006 and boasts a solid roster of past winners including Chorwon, Warleigh, Fort Prado, Rod and Staff,  Swift Warrior  as well as three-time champions, Candid Glen and Bigger Picture.

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Baron Samedi Continues European Dominance In Marathon Belmont Gold Cup

Baron Samedi continued the dominance of European runners in the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Friday, closing strongly in the stretch under John Velazquez to win the two-mile turf race by 2 3/4 lengths as the 6-5 favorite. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the English-bred gelded son of Harbour Watch dating back to August 2020.

Argentine-bred Fantasioso finished second with Javier Castellano aboard, with Ajourneytofreedom (one of three entries from the barn of Mike Maker) third and Kinenos fourth in the field of nine older marathoners.

Baron Samedi covered the two miles on yielding turf in 3:27.30, more than 10 seconds slower than 2018 winner Call to Mind ran the distance. Trained in Ireland by Joseph O'Brien, Baron Samedi became the fourth consecutive Belmont Gold Cup winner to invade from Europe. The only starter in this year's field based in Europe, he paid $4.60 to win.

Inaugurated in 2014, the Belmont Gold Cup is the longest graded stakes run in North America.

The final four races on Friday's program were delayed when a thunderstorm moved through the area, dumping a significant amount of rain on the course.

Owned by LECH Racing LLC, Baron Samedi was sold for about US$5,000 as a weanling. He was slow to develop as a racehorse, losing his first five starts, and didn't win his first race until after being gelded. Once he figured out how to win, however, he has not finished behind another horses, gradually moving from the Irish handicap ranks into Group company, ending his 2020 campaign with a win in a Group 2 race at Longchamp going 1 3/8 miles and then launching his 2021 season with a win in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes going 1 3/4 miles at Navan in Ireland on April 25.

Velazquez allowed Baron Samedi to settle into sixth position early as So High and Eric Cancel grabbed the early lead, going an opening quarter mile in :24.37, a half in :50.11 and six furlongs in 1:15.48.

Conviction Trade and Jose Ortiz raced in second through the opening mile in 1:43.03, then took over from the leader in the second run down the backstretch.

As the field rounded the final turn following a 1 1/4-mile clocking in 2:08.61, So High re-engaged with Conviction Trade, but the field was closing in on the two leaders.

Ziyad was the first to make a move, and Velazquez followed that one into the stretch while hugging the inside hedge. Once Baron Samedi cleared Ziyad, Velazquez swung him off the rail and took dead aim on the front-runners. Baron Samedi veered outwardly under a left-handed strike of the whip from Velazquez and into the path of a closing Fantasioso, the eventual runner-up, but there was no inquiry or claim of foul from that incident.

“The winner came out, but he was clear,” Castellano said. “He opened up by two lengths and it didn't affect me at all.”

Straightened away and under right-handed pressure, Baron Samedi took command and maintained the advantage over the runner-up in the final furlong to win comfortably.

“Baron Samedi is a very good horse and Johnny [Velazquez] gave him a great ride.
said O'Brien. “He hadn't been that far before, but he had handled that kind of track before, so we weren't worried about the rain. We just worried about them taking the race off the turf.

“This horse just doesn't get tired, he just keeps coming and coming,” Velazquez said. “But I had to ride him because he's kind of slow-paced. He's a grinder; just keeps coming and coming. I didn't want to end up being a little too soon so I thought I' better just keep him going. He did everything good. Once we got to the three-eighths pole I was riding him and getting to where I wanted to be and he gave me a good feeling from then on. The course was very soft, but he handled it well. No complaints.”

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Say The Word To Join D’Amato’s Kentucky Stable At Churchill Following Elkhorn Win

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Canadian champion Say the Word, winner of Saturday's Elkhorn Stakes (G2) by 1½ lengths at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., was scheduled to head to Churchill Downs in Louisville on Sunday and join the rest of trainer Phil D'Amato's Kentucky string.

The victory in the 1½-mile Elkhorn by the 6=year-old son of MoreThan Ready was the second graded stakes triumph at the distance for Say the Word. The other came last year in the Northern Dancer Turf (G1) Presented by Pattison at Woodbine.

The Churchill stakes schedule has the $125,000 Louisville (G3) going 1½ miles on the turf slated for May 15, a race that could attract Elkhorn runner-up Channel Cat and fourth-place finisher Fantasioso (ARG).

“He showed signs that he was going to run a good one,” trainer Jack Sisterson said of Calumet Farm's Channel Cat, whose effort Saturday produced his best result since winning the Bowling Green (G2) in 2019 while racing for Todd Pletcher. “He had not trained that well coming into a race since we have had him.”

Sisterson mentioned after the race that the $750,000 Manhattan (G1) at 1¼ miles on June 5 might be a possibility but noted Sunday morning, “if we take the conservative route, we may do that (the Louisville).”

Bloom Racing Stable and I. C. Racing's Fantasioso rallied from last in the field of eight, finishing less than a length out of second place in his U.S. debut.

“He came out of the race well, and I was very happy with his race,” trainer Ignacio Correas IV said. “The plan is to go on to the Louisville.”

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