gulfstream park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ce Ce Punches Her Ticket To Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar With Princess Rooney Victory

At Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla, a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar was up for grabs in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes. Facing a field that included Bed of Roses Stakes winner Estilo Talentoso and Ouija Board Distaff winner Laura's Light, Ce Ce earned another spot in a Breeders' Cup gate with her 3 1/4-length victory in the Princess Rooney.

At the break, Laura's Light stumbled while the rest of the field got away clean, with Pacific Gale quickest to the lead. Under rider Victor Espinoza, who had won the Smile Sprint just half an hour earlier, Ce Ce stalked the early pace in fourth, content to wait for the final turn to put in her move, while Thissmytime and Pacific Gale briefly battled for the lead, Sound Machine just behind them. Romero Maragh powered Pacific Gale to the lead as they neared the final turn, with Sound Machine making her move just behind them.

Ce Ce and Estilo Talentoso went wide on the final turn as they geared up for their stretch runs, narrowing the gap between them, Sound Machine, and Pacific Gale. They went into the stretch four-wide, but Ce Ce was fastest in the stretch, splitting horses to take an easy lead over Estilo Talentoso and Sound Machine. The winning margin was 3 1/4 lengths with Ce Ce finishing the seven furlongs in 1:21.94. Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, and Thissmytime rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

The G2 Princess Rooney Stakes is a Win and You're In race for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. Winners receive a free and guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Victor Espinoza was thrilled with his mount's performance. “She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched the race at Los Alamitos Race Track in Cypress, Calif., happy with the show she put on in the stretch. “I thought we were in a good spot. I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn, it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

Ce Ce paid $7.40, $3.40, and $2.60. Second-place Estilo Talentoso paid $2.60 and $2.20. Sound Machine paid $5.00 to show.

With this win, Ce Ce earns another chance at a Breeders' Cup win after finishing fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Sired by Elusive Quality out of the Belong To Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce was bred in Kentucky by owner Bo Hirsch. The Princess Rooney is Ce Ce's second win in three starts in 2021 and her sixth career victory in 13 starts and $1,113,100 in total winnings.

The post Ce Ce Punches Her Ticket To Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar With Princess Rooney Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ete Indien Returns From Year-Long Layoff In Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

A prominent prospect on the Road to the Triple Crown last year before going to the sidelines, Ete Indien is scheduled to make his first start in more than a year in Sunday's $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

The Umphrey, a five-furlong turf sprint that offers a $25,000 'Win Only' bonus to Florida-bred entrants, is featured on Sunday's Fourth of July program, wrapping up Summit of Speed Weekend, which will be highlighted by the $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) on Saturday's card.

Ete Indien was a leading 3-year-old last year after setting the pace to finish second behind Tiz the Law in the Holy Bull (G2) and capturing the Fountain of Youth (G2) by 8 ½ lengths. The son of Summer Front went on to finish third behind Tiz the Law after setting a pressured early pace in the Florida Derby (G1). Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) were postponed from their traditional May dates.

“For us, it was very disappointing because my two horses – he and Sole Volante – were at the top of their game,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “Everything changed. One got hurt and the other one lost his form. But the racetracks were great, protecting everybody and keeping them safe and keeping everybody working.”

Ete Indien would race only once more last year in a June optional claiming allowance, weakening to finish fourth behind stablemate Sole Volante after setting a pressured pace.

“He's trained extremely well, but when you have not run for a year, you cannot expect to have the horse super-tight. He had a little hiccup, and he's recovered from everything now. He's happy, sound and very strong,” Biancone said. “He strained one of his ankles. He should have been ready to run in March, but unfortunately, one morning, he put his legs over the [stall] door and I lost another three months.”

Biancone is happy with what he sees in Ete Indien one full year after he established himself as one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.

“He's gorgeous; he's really matured. He's 16 hands. He's a monster,” said Biancone, who owns Ete Indien with Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable Inc., Horse France America and D P Racing.

Ete Indien has already had success on turf at the five-furlong distance, having closed from off the pace to capture his career debut in September 2019. The Kentucky-bred colt finished off the board following an extremely wide trip in the Bourbon (G3) over Keeneland's turf course in his second start. He rebounded in his dirt debut next time out, scoring a front-running 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance that preceded his most encouraging performances in the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.

“I like the five furlongs on turf for a comeback because it's not too hard on them,” Biancone. “We go back to scratch. He's had a year off. We got back to where he started.”

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for Ete Indien's Fountain of Youth romp, has the call.

Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club, a multiple graded stakes-winning 7-year-old gelding with more than $700,000 in earnings, looms as a strong contender in the Umphrey after notching a victory in his first career start at the five-furlong distance on turf in a May 22 overnight handicap at Gulfstream.

Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Caribou Club.

Caribou Club, a Florida-bred son of City Zip, is eligible for the “Win Only' bonus offer, as are Imaginary Stables' Harry's Ontheloose, Move Horse Inc.'s Romario, Hibiscus Stables LLC's Tiger Blood, Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s Warrior's Pride and Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free.

Lea Farms LLC's Citrus Burst, Chester Bishop's Brother Satchmo and Imaginary Stables' Nitro Time round out the main body of the field. Vicente Stella Stables LLC's Sovereign Warrior is on the also-eligible list. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Ournationonparade and Averill Racing and partners' R Mercedes Boy are main-track-only entrants.

The post Ete Indien Returns From Year-Long Layoff In Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Connect Filly Graduates at Gulfstream

3rd-Gulfstream, $60,000, (S), Msw, 7-1, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.17, ft, 1 length.
QUEEN CAMILLA (f, 2, Connect–And Away We Go, by Awesome Again) was third in her 4 1/2-furlong debut at this oval June 3. Sent off at 8-1, the dark bay filly was outfooted in the early going and settled well back as favored Lara's Lady (Uncaptured) rushed out to set the pace. My Sassenach (Uncaptured) overtook the favorite on the turn and took a clear lead in upper stretch, but Queen Camilla was rallying down the center of the track and surged past My Sassenach in deep stretch en route to a one-length graduation. Lara's Lady faded to last. Queen Camilla, a $10,000 OBSOCT yearling, is the second winner for her freshman sire (by Curlin). The unraced And Away We Go, a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Queens Court Queen (Lyphard), produced a a colt by Good Magic this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $45,400.
O-Cammarota Racing LLC; B-Sally J. Andersen (FL); T-Antonio Sano.

The post Connect Filly Graduates at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ce Ce Ships East For ‘Win And You’re In’ Princess Rooney

Trainer Michael McCarthy has sent Ce Ce on a cross-country journey to Gulfstream Park on a quest to snag the biggest prize of the Spring/Summer Meet in Saturday's $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2).

The Southern California-based trainer has a history of big-race success at the Hallandale Beach track, having claimed the Championship Meet's richest event with City of Light's score in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in 2019.

“City of Light's win in the Pegasus was a nice introduction to Gulfstream,” McCarthy said. “We came back to Gulfstream for the Pegasus this year with Independence Hall, who I thought ran a very good third. It's a racetrack we've performed well at. We're obviously expecting more of the same this weekend.”

The Princess Rooney, a seven-furlong 'Win and You're In' Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for fillies and mares, will headline Saturday's Summit of Speed program that will also feature the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3), a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.

Ce Ce, 3-1 in the morning-line in a field of eight fillies and mares in the Princess Rooney, is a two-time Grade 1 stakes winner. The 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality scored back-to-back victories in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn last year. Although Bo Hirsch LLC's home-bred mare's greatest successes have achieved in two-turn races, McCarthy said he was confident that she was ready for Saturday's one-turn challenge.

“I thought the seven-eighths would be a wonderful distance for her. It looks like there might be some rain down there this week, and I think she might like a wet-fast racetrack,” said McCarthy, who had considered the 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps (G1) on the June 5 Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard.

Ce Ce concluded her 2021 campaign with a fifth-place finish behind Monomoy Girl following an extremely wide trip in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland. The Kentucky-bred mare came back five-months later to capture a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance at Santa Anita by 3 ¼ lengths. She went back to two-turns in the Santa Maria, in which she bobbled at the start and faded to fourth.

“She had a nice little break after the Breeders' Cup – I thought her race in the Breeders' Cup Distaff was sneaky good,” said McCarthy, a former long-time assistant to Todd Pletcher before going on his own in 2014. “It was always our plan to give her some time off. She's come back good. These racetracks in California have gotten deeper and gotten looser. They don't seem to suit her.”

Ce Ce arrived at Gulfstream Tuesday evening. McCarthy has “deputized” Ralph Nicks to oversee her training and saddle her for the Princess Rooney in his absence.

Victor Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah for a sweep of the 2015 Triple Crown, will venture from Southern California to ride.

Gulfstream Park has also been a friendly venue for Holly Hill Stables LLC's Pacific Gale, who captured the Inside Information (G2) and Hurricane Bertie (G3) during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet. The John Kimmel-trained daughter of Flat Out is is scheduled to return to Gulfstream from New York to regain her winning form. The 6-year-old mare has finished third in the Vagrancy (G3) and fourth in the Bed o' Roses (G3) at Belmont since leaving South Florida.

Romero Maragh has the call on Pacific Gale (4-1).

Medallion Racing and partners' Estilo Talentoso, who captured the June 4 Bed o' Roses last time out, also has a fondness for the Gulfstream Park track, over which she will seek her third victory and second stakes success. The Juan Arriagada-trained 4-year-old daughter of Maclean's Music was Grade 1 stakes-placed twice this year prior to her first graded-stakes win at Belmont.

Javier Castellano will return to South Florida, where his Hall of Fame career in the U.S. began in 1997, for the riding assignment on Estilo Talentoso, the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

Gary Barber's Laura's Light (7-2), a Grade 2 stakes winner on turf, will also represent Southern California in the Princess Rooney. The 4-year-old daughter of Constitution, who is trained by Peter Miller, is coming off a victory in the off-the-turf Ouija Board Stakes at Lone Star Park.

Florent Geroux, who guided Gun Runner to a victory in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in 2018, has the mount.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine (12-1), who finished second behind Pacific Gale in the Hurricane Bertie and won the seven-furlong Musical Romance for Florida-bred fillies and mares last time out; and Windylea Farm LLC's Thissmytime, who finished second behind Pacific Gale in the Inside Information, are among the most accomplished South Florida-based fillies and mares entered in the Princess Rooney.

My Purple Haze Stables Inc's Heiressall (20-1) and Al Rashid Stables LLC's Hallawallah (20-1) will be the other South Florida-based Princess Rooney entrants.

Sound Machine, Thissmytime and Heiressall are eligible for a $25,000 'Win Only' bonus available to Florida-breds.

The post Ce Ce Ships East For ‘Win And You’re In’ Princess Rooney appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post