fire at will | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fire At Will Runs Down Outadore In Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

Fire At Will defied his 30-1 odds to establish himself as North America's top 2-year-old on the grass Friday with a powerful stretch drive to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

The Declaration of War colt left the gate forwardly placed, and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. acted quickly to get him on the rail from the seven post. Fire at Will and Gretzky the Great tracked early leader Outadore heading into the first turn, avoiding the congested traffic that plagued many of the runners behind them.

Outadore led the field through an opening quarter in :23.64 seconds, with Gretzky the Great pressuring him on the outside. The top three remained in the same position at the half-mile point, crossed in :48.12 seconds, and Outadore appeared to be in a good position to sustain his lead entering and exiting the final turn under Jose Ortiz.

All the while, Santana sat patiently on the rail path, and when Gretzky the Great faltered at the top of the stretch, Fire At Will ran through the seam, and came face-to-face with Outadore with an eighth of a mile to go. Under a hard drive and left-handed urging, Fire at Will kicked away in the stretch, and hit the wire three lengths ahead of middle-moving Battleground, who passed Outadore by a neck in the final jump.

Fire At Will covered the mile on a turf course rated as good in 1:35.81.

The victory was worth $550,000 and increased Fire At Will's earnings to $687,932 with a record of 4-3-0-0 with all three victories coming in stakes. Mike Maker trained the colt for owner Three Diamonds Farm.

Fire At Will paid $62.40 to win, which was a massive price, considering he came into the race off a two-length win in the G2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park. Prior to that, he won a rained-off-the-turf edition of the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga Race Course by 1/2 lengths.

Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin, Fire at Will is out of the unplaced Kitten's Joy mare Flirt. He sold to Three Diamonds Farm for $97,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Race Quotes courtesy of the Breeders' Cup Notes Team:

Winning trainer Mike Maker (Fire At Will) – “I tell you, we have been high on him since day one and with each race he's got better. It's very satisfying to get Three Diamonds Farm their very first Breeders' Cup win.”

Winning jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. (Fire At Will) – “I got a beautiful trip. I had plenty of horse in the tank. Thank God everything played out perfect.”

On timing: “He put me where he wanted to be and that's why we won.”

Second-place jockey Ryan Moore (Battleground) – “My horse ran super. Very happy with him.”

Third-place trainer Wesley Ward (Outadore) – “He ran great. I thought that the fractions were decent to where he could kick on. Talking to Jose, he said when he turned for home he dropped into another gear as we expected. But, take nothing away from that winner. He ran away from us. (The winner) ran a big, big race.”

Third-place jockey Jose Ortiz (Outadore) – “He got a little tired the last sixteenth, but he ran a helluva race. He was ready 100 percent. Wesley had him ready.”

Fourth-place trainer Jessica Harrington (Cadillac) – “He ran a great race. Shane said he got into a bun fight early on which pushed him back to eighth and messed the race up for him. But I'm really pleased with his run and especially the way he stayed on to the line.

Fourth-place jockey Shane Foley (Cadillac) – “He had a bad trip after the first bend. He then got a nice run later on and he hit the line really well.”

The post Fire At Will Runs Down Outadore In Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Declaration of War Colt Sets Tote Ablaze in Juvenile Turf

Three Diamonds Farm’s Fire At Will (c, 2, Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten’s Joy) sat the trip and powered clear in the stretch to post an eye-catching, 30-1 upset in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

Favored Battleground (War Front), the first foal out of 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf victress Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), was second; pacesetter Outadore (Outwork) was third.

Fire At Will, a last out upset wire-to-wire winner of Belmont’s GII Pilgrim S. Oct. 3, sat a stalking trip on the inside in third as the two-for-two Outadore led through fractions of :23.64 and :48.12. Tipped out by Ricardo Santana, Jr. as they straightened for home, Fire At Will collared Outadore at the eighth pole and took off impressively from there to win going away by three lengths. Battleground, last seen capturing the G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood July 28 for Aidan O’Brien, rallied from far back after a wide trip to just get up for second.

Fire At Will, a debut sixth going two turns over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 8, graduated in the slop going seven furlongs in an off-the-turfer there Sept. 2. The $97,000 KEESEP yearling purchase set easy fractions of :25.58 and :50.35 in the Pilgrim and reported home a two-length winner at 13-1 that day.

This is third Breeders’ Cup winner for trainer Mike Maker, who also won the 2009 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Furthest Land and 2011 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Hansen.

“I tell you we have been high on him since day one, and with each race, he’s gotten better,” said Maker, a former assistant to the legendary Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. “It’s very satisfying to get Three Diamonds Farm their very first Breeders’ Cup win.”

As for future plans, Maker added, “We’ll talk it over with the connections, but I’m going to say he’s going to head to Bluewater here for a couple of weeks and go from there. But good thing with a good horse, you have plenty of options.”

Santana added, “I got a beautiful trip. I had plenty of horse in the tank. Thank God everything played out perfect. He put me where he wanted to be and that’s why we won.”

Three Diamonds Farm is the nom-de-course of Kirk Wycoff. Wycoff is managing partner of the Philadelphia-based private equity firm Patriot Financial Partners. He has more than 25 years of experience in entrepreneurial banking and previously led Progress Financial Corp.

Three Diamonds Farm, a close second in last year’s GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Chimney Rock (Artie Schiller), has also campaigned GISWs Bigger Picture (Badge of Silver) and Next Question (Stormy Atlantic). Three Diamonds has also won graded stakes with Cross Border (English Channel) and Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) this year.

Three Diamonds Farm, launched in 2008, also breeds to sell, breeds to race and pinhooks yearlings to sell as 2-year-olds, as well. Also active in the claiming game, Three Diamonds Farm can have anywhere between 25-45 horses in training, depending on the time of year.

“We brought the whole family here,” Wycoff said. “We love Kentucky. We love buying and selling and breeding horses. It was great to be in this race because Mike Maker wanted to enter him in the Juvenile, so we had that wrestling match about three weeks ago. But he’s a lovely horse. He’s good on both surfaces as we saw at Saratoga.”

Wycoff continued, “Thank you to Ricardo. He rode a beautiful race. He knew that you needed to be a little more forwardly placed than maybe the horse wanted to be, and when you watched the first eighth of a mile, he looked to his right, he was very careful, but he didn’t stop after he got the horse out of the gate. He got to a great position and that’s a credit to him. Good horse, good ride.”

Maker concluded, “Last year we were unlucky to lose with Chimney Rock and Fire At Will made us forget all about it.”

Pedigree Notes:

Declaration of War, who has stood on four continents in his seven seasons at stud, has 18 graded winners and 31 black-type winners from his four crops to race. From the second crop of top sire War Front, Declaration of War was the highweighted older horse in both England and Ireland in 2013 after a campaign that included Group 1 wins in the Juddmonte International S. and Queen Anne S., as well as a ship to North America good for third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has stood at Coolmore in both Ireland and Kentucky, as well as in Australia. Declaration of War was moved to Japan’s JBBA’s Shizunai Stallion Station for the 2019 breeding season.

Flirt, a Kitten’s Joy mare, brought $375,000 as a 2014 Keeneland September yearling, but was unplaced in only one start and resold three years later as a broodmare at the Keeneland November sale for just $8,000 carrying Fire At Will, her first foal. The family has already worked with this cross, as Flirt’s half-brother is GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War). Flirt has a yearling filly by Distorted Humor, who brought $72,000 as a short yearling at Keeneland January this year, and a weanling colt by Mendelssohn. She was bred back to Lemon Drop Kid for next term. That foal will be inbred 3×5 to Seattle Slew, while Fire At Will is 3×5 to another great, Danzig. Kitten’s Joy, recognized as one of the most significant influences among current sires on the grass in North America, has 13 black-type winners to date out of his daughters.

Flirt traces directly to some of the greatest blue hens in the stud book. Rough Shod II is her sixth dam, Moccasin her fifth dam, and Flippers her fourth dam.

Friday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF PRESENTED BY COOLMORE AMERICA-GI, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-6, 2yo, c/g, 1mT, 1:35.81, gd.
1–FIRE AT WILL, 122, c, 2, by Declaration of War
                1st Dam: Flirt, by Kitten’s Joy
                2nd Dam: Gamely Girl, by Arch
                3rd Dam: Helstra, by Nureyev
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($97,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Three
Diamonds Farm; B-Troy Rankin (KY); T-Michael J. Maker;
J-Ricardo Santana, Jr.. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0,
$657,932. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Battleground, 122, c, 2, War Front–Found (Ire), by Galileo
(Ire). O-Derrocl Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor;
B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan P. O’Brien.
$170,000.
3–Outadore, 122, c, 2, Outwork–Adore You, by Tactical Cat.
($140,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $290,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP).
O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Deann Baer & Greg Baer DVM (KY);
T-Wesley A. Ward. $90,000.
Margins: 3, NK, HF. Odds: 30.20, 3.80, 9.70.
Also Ran: Cadillac (Ire), Sealiway (Fr), Gretzky the Great, The Lir Jet (Ire), Devilwala (Ire), Ebeko (Ire), Mutasaabeq, Go Athletico (Fr), Public Sector (GB), Abarta, New Mandate (Ire). Scratched: Barrister Tom, Harlan Estate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Declaration of War Colt Sets Tote Ablaze in Juvenile Turf appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Fire At Will Upsets Public Sector In Belmont’s Pilgrim

Kendrick Carmouche put Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will on the lead shortly after the start of Saturday's Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes, and the son of Declaration of War never looked back, scoring an easy two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf contest for 2-year-olds.

Public Sector, the 4-5 favorite for trainer Chad Brown, closed under Javier Castellano to be second but was never a threat to the winner. Step Dancer finished third and Shawdyshawdyshawdy finished fourth in the field of six.

Trained by Mike Maker, Fire At Will paid $29 for the win after covering the distance on firm turf in 1:43.46.

Sixth in his only previous turf race, a 1 1/16-mile maiden event at Saratoga, Fire At Will was the only stakes winner in the field, having won the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 2 — a race that was taken off the grass and run at seven furlongs on a sloppy main track.

Following that victory, Maker shipped him to Kentucky where Fire At will trained up to the Pilgrim at the Churchill Downs trackside training center.

In the Pilgrim, Fire At Will posted fractions of :25.58, :50.35, 1:15.09 and 1:37.67 en route to his final time. He opened a commanding 3 1/2-length lead at the furlong pole and coasted home for the victory.

The post Fire At Will Upsets Public Sector In Belmont’s Pilgrim appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

With Anticipation To Remain a Listed Stakes

The Sept. 2 With Anticipation S., rained off the turf at Saratoga and onto the main track, was immediately downgraded from Grade III status and to listed status per the policy of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owner and Breeders Association.

Upon review of the race, the AGSC has determined that the original Grade III status of the With Anticipation will not be reinstated for this renewal. The victorious Fire At Will (Declaration of War) is therefore credited with a listed victory, while Blame The Booze (Blame) and Zippy Baby (Cairo Prince) are credited with listed placings.

The post With Anticipation To Remain a Listed Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post