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Social Paranoia Regains Winning Ways In Poker

The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia closed from out of the clouds to capture Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses on Runhappy Met Mile Day at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Street Boss colt was turning back in distance following an off-the-board effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 6 at Belmont.

Jockey Jose Ortiz guided Social Paranoia to victory in the Grade 3 Appleton on March 28 at Gulfstream Park in his seasonal debut and was reunited with the versatile dark bay on Saturday as Dream Friend set swift splits of 24.50 seconds and 49.28 on the firm Widener turf.

Multiple Grade 1-winning mare Got Stormy, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, tracked from second position with Valid Point to his inside. Got Stormy took aim at the pacesetter into the turn with Seismic Wave and Value Proposition, the 5-2 mutuel favorite under Irad Ortiz, Jr., launching their bids.

Social Paranoia, distanced in seventh through three-quarters, was tipped out wide for the stretch run by Ortiz and quickly circled the pack with Hawkish, piloted by Manny Franco, trying an inside charge at the leaders.

Ortiz and Social Paranoia soon took command while Hawkish, full of run, failed to find a hole outside a fading Got Stormy and inside a lugging in Value Proposition. Social Paranoia, in the clear, found the wire first by one length in a final time of 1:36.30.

Seismic Wave completed the exacta by 1 ¾-lengths over Value Proposition, who was a half-length in front of Got Stormy. Rounding out the order of finish were Dream Friend and Hawkish, who dead-heated for fifth, Eons and Valid Point. Main-track only entrant Its All Relevant was scratched.

A stewards inquiry and jockey's objection by Franco against Ortiz, Jr. into the incident just inside the sixteenth pole was denied.

Pletcher said the turnback in distance suited Social Paranoia despite being further back than desired in the early running.

“I thought we were a tick further back than I thought we would be and they were going a tick slower than I had hoped,” said Pletcher, who captured the 2014 Poker with Jack Milton. “I thought we made a mistake last time in trying to use him a little bit early on to get into position from the outside post going a mile-and-an-eighth. He showed us in his first start back at Gulfstream that he just wants to settle and make one run. Jose executed the plan very well and it was a good performance.”

Ortiz said he felt comfortable throughout and that he played his hand perfectly.

“It was a good trip. I knew they were going slow but he was very relaxed. When we made our move, I had to go wide because they were going so slow,” said Ortiz, who previously won the Poker with King Kreesa [2015] and Oscar Performance [2018.]. “I knew everyone was going to have a really good run to the end but when I passed the eighth pole, he was going really nice. He put his head down and rolled home.”

Social Paranoia finished second in the 2019 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational over 1 ¼ miles on the Widener turf to kick off the Turf Triple series and was an even fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple, before winning the Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 5/16-miles at Kentucky Downs in a productive sophomore campaign.

He made the grade in his seasonal debut with a rousing last-to-first charge in the Grade 3 Appleton, and was third in the Sunshine Forever at the Hallandale oval ahead of the Fort Marcy.

A $75,000 purchase at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Select Kentucky Yearling Sale, Social Paranoia is out of the Deputy Minister mare Shutterbug.

Bred in Kentucky by Mineola Farm II & Silent Grove Farm, Social Paranoia banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 14-4-4-5. He paid $11.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont Park with a 10-race card. First post is 1:15 p.m. Eastern.

The post Social Paranoia Regains Winning Ways In Poker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Gufo Rolls To Fourth Consecutive Win In Delaware Park’s Kent Stakes

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo notched a record-setting victory Saturday in the $125,000 Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.

With Trevor McCarthy aboard, the 3-year-old son of Declaration of War won by a half-length and established a new track record by covering the mile and a sixteenth in 1:46.94 over a firm turf course. The previous record of 1:47.19 was set in 2016.

Gufo returned $3.20 as the favorite in the field of seven. Pixelate, with Angel Suarez, finished second. It was another 2 ½-lengths farther back to Vanzzy, with Mychel Sanchez third. Sunsation, with Joe Bravo, cut early fractions of :47.49 for the half-mile and 1:11.31 for the three-quarter miles before finishing in fifth.

The Kent Stakes is the first graded stakes victory for Gufo, who has now won four in a row. Previously, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Christophe Clement won the $75,000 English Channel Stakes at Gulfstream Park on May 2. He raised his career mark to four wins and a third from five starts with earnings of $177,000.

“They wanted me to have him a little bit closer to the pace today, but he just was not comfortable when we I put a little pressure on him to stay up early,” said winning McCarthy, who also won the Christiana Stakes earlier on the card. “We went a little slow the first quarter but things quickened up. I felt like I was on the best horse, so I left him alone, kept him out of trouble and gave him time to get himself together.

“I saved a little bit of ground in the first turn and then I got him out down the backside and that is when he really started to gain his rhythm,” McCarthy added. “If there was any horse who could have beaten me today, I thought it was the three, Pixielate, and I just kind of tracked him the whole way. When we turned for home, I just went outside of Pixieilate, and my horse did all of the work. He was really impressive breaking the track record and he really stormed home the last eighth of a mile.”

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Arch’s Instilled Regard Gets Up In Time in Manhattan

On an afternoon when Joey Chestnut was devouring a record-setting 75 hot dogs not far away at Coney Island, trainer Chad Brown was making some history of his own at Belmont Park. OXO Equine LLC’s Instilled Regard (Arch) came with a sudden burst of late energy to pip stablemate Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in Saturday’s GI Manhattan S., giving the conditioner his record-equaling sixth victory in the 10-furlong grass feature, all since Desert Blanc (GB) (Desert Style {Ire}) provided him with his first in 2012. It was the second time in that stretch that Brown had accounted for the exacta and came one year after Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) led home a top-three sweep.

“It’s a testament to my team,” Brown said after the race. “Through the years a lot of different horses have passed through our hands but much of my same team is intact and they’ve been working with all these horses. All the credit goes to them.”

Instilled Regard was the first to break the line from his low draw, but Cross Border (English Channel) kicked on and showed the way into the turn, with Channel Maker (English Channel) lapped on his outside. Rockemperor was taken back to land in the box seat from third, while Instilled Regard settled three back on the rails. Cross Border lobbed along on an easy pace-the first half-mile was posted in a methodical :50.46–but all riders were happy enough with their position, with no significant change in the plot entering the final three furlongs. The pacesetters still had the race between them turning for home, but Rockemperor peeled away from the inside into the three path and was able to grind his way to the front with less than a sixteenth of a mile to travel. Instilled Regard, who appeared hopelessly defeated in upper stretch, found his second wind, split Rockemperor and Sadler’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy) in the dying strides and was shoved across the wire first.

“They both got really good trips,” said Brown. “Both jockeys did a great job and both horses responded super. It’s unfortunate one of them had to lose. In the end, Instilled Regard just made the last move of the chess match. I’m so proud of the horse. He keeps getting better.”

Third in the 2018 GI Hollywood Derby when making his first turf start for the Brown barn, Instilled Regard broke through with a half-length score in last December’s GIII Fort Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream. A creditable third in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Jan. 25, the dark bay was an even sixth as the favorite in the GII Muniz Memorial S. at the Fair Grounds Mar. 21 and bounced back with a neck defeat of an unlucky stablemate Devamani (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GII Fort Marcy S. June 6.

Pedigree Notes:

Instilled Regard was bought back on a bid of $110,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, but validated that decision in spades when fetching the fourth-highest bid at the 2017 OBS March Sale (:20 4/5). One of 42 group/graded and 13 Grade I winners for his late sire–and one of five from Storm Cat-line mares–he counts champion and eight-time Grade I winner Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold) as his second dam. The latter was responsible for the likes of Grade I winner Good Reward (Storm Cat); the successful dual-hemisphere stallion Pure Prize (Storm Cat); the stakes-winning Cosmic (El Prado {Ire}); the stakes-placed Distinctively (Awesome Again), the dam of SW & MGISP Faithfully (Smart Strike); and Just Reward (Deputy Minister), dam of GISW Persistently (Smoke Glacken). Instilled Regard’s third dam includes Heavenly Prize’s Grade I-winning sister Oh What a Windfall and GISW Dancing Forever (Rahy). Enhancing is the dam of the 3-year-old colt Grandexaltedruler (American Pharoah) and a yearling filly by Medaglia d’Oro. She most recently produced a Quality Road filly this past Mar. 18. Instilled Regard is the fifth top-level scorer out of a daughter of Forestry (Nyquist, Rushing Fall, Turbulent Descent, Bobby’s Kitten).

Saturday, Belmont Park
MANHATTAN S.-GI, $400,000, Belmont, 7-4, 4yo/up, 1 1/4mT, 2:02.59, fm.
1–INSTILLED REGARD, 120, h, 5, by Arch
1st Dam: Enhancing, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Oh What a Dance, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($110,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $1,050,000
2yo ’17 OBSMAR). O-OXO Equine LLC; B-KatieRich Farms (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $220,000. Lifetime Record:
18-5-3-4, $983,240. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rockemperor (Ire), 120, c, 4, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)—
Motivation (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€50,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG;
€12,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael
Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber & Bethlehem Stables
LLC; B-Haras du Mezeray (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $80,000.
3–Sadler’s Joy, 120, h, 7, Kitten’s Joy–Dynaire, by Dynaformer.
O/B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $48,000.
Margins: NK, HF, NK. Odds: 2.15, 2.05, 7.80.
Also Ran: Channel Maker, Cross Border, Spooky Channel, Devamani (Fr), Dot Matrix.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Uncle Mo Colt Goes from Maiden Winner to Graded Winner at Los Al

The flashy Uncle Chuck went from maiden winner to graded winner as he ran away from just three foes as the heavy favorite here. A seven-length romper going a flat mile at Santa Anita June 12, the half-brother to brilliant debut winner and sire Maclean’s Music (Distorted Humor) was bet down to 13-1 in last week’s GI Kentucky Derby future pool and gave his backers reason to feel good about their chances Saturday. With stablemate and MGSW Thousand Words the main danger on paper, the leggy dark bay chased the pace while kept very far off the rail. Thousand Words sat even farther back and more off the inside. Uncle Chuck made a quick move to challenge for the lead around the bend, and while Thousand Words looked like he might be going better heading into the long Los Al stretch, Uncle Chuck found plenty more despite some lead issues to bound away.

“He broke great and I just left him alone,” said rider Luis Saez, who flew in from New York to take the mount. “He was doing it easy all the way. When I showed him the whip he took off. He’s a very nice colt.”

While Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has lost two of his sophomore stars this year on the elongated GI Kentucky Derby trail, he has displayed the depth of his bench this week, first with $3.65-million Cezanne (Curlin) going two-for-two on Thursday followed by the exacta in the Los Alamitos Derby.

“That was good,” Baffert said. “At the top of the lane, I thought Thousand Words might get him, but at least he ran better. We’re just learning more about Uncle Chuck. He’s still pretty green, but he’s got gears. Luis was excited about him and I think he’s one of the top riders in the country. He said [Uncle Chuck] is still learning and he’s got a lot of improvement in him. He was full of himself when he came back. It’s exciting. He’s learning quickly and he has brilliance. I was impressed. I think we just saw something pretty special and he’s been special from day one. He’s bred to be any kind.”

Pedigree Notes:

An 8 1/2-length first-out scorer (105 Beyer Speed Figure) herself, Uncle Chuck’s dam Forest Music is responsible for four debut winners, including the fastest of all time in Steve Asmussen trainee Maclean’s Music, who earned a 114 Beyer for his lone appearance Mar. 19, 2011 at Santa Anita. Forest Music was purchased privately by Stonestreet before taking the 2005 GII Honorable Miss H. at Saratoga. Despite her speed, Forest Music has produced several horses who have seen out a route of ground, including Stonestreet’s 2019 GIII Doubledogdare S. winner Electric Forest (Curlin) and 2015 GII Los Alamitos Derby third Kentuckian (Tiznow). Forest Music produced a Curlin colt in 2019 but was barren when bred back to that stallion for 2020. Uncle Chuck is the 32nd graded winner for Uncle Mo but first out of a mare by top broodmare sire Unbridled’s Song. GI Apple Blossom H. winner Unbridled Mo is out of an Unbridled mare, and GI Wood Memorial S. hero Outwork is out of a mare by Unbridled’s son Empire Maker.

Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS DERBY-GIII, $150,000, Los Alamitos, 7-4, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:47.65, ft.
1–UNCLE CHUCK, 122, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Forest Music (MGSW & MGISP, $370,566), by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Defer West, by Gone West
                3rd Dam: Defer, by Damascus
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($250,000
Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Watson, Karl, Pegram, Michael E. and
Weitman, Paul; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Luis Saez. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$120,000. *1/2 to Kentuckian (Tiznow), GSW, $177,830; and
Electric Forest (Curlin), GSW, $165,598. Werk Nick Rating:
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thousand Words, 122, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Pomeroys
Pistol, by Pomeroy. ($1,000,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Albaugh
Family Stables LLC and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hardacre Farm
(FL); T-Bob Baffert. $31,500.
3–Cosmo, 122, c, 3, Distorted Humor–Sky Glow, by Grand Slam.
($235,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV; $300,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP).
O-Hudson, Jr., Edward J. and Hudson, Lynne; B-Anzac LLC &
Roxanne Martin Stable Inc. (KY); T-Neil D. Drysdale. $18,750.
Margins: 4, 7, 4. Odds: 0.40, 1.80, 25.10.
Also Ran: Great Power. Scratched: Anneau d’Or. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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