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Canadian Champion Holy Helena Confirmed In Foal To Quality Road

Holy Helena, a multiple Grade 2 winner and Canada's champion 3-year-old filly of 2017, has entered the Adena Springs broodmare band, and was confirmed in-foal on Wednesday to Quality Road.

The 6-year-old Ghostzapper mare was unraced in 2020, but was still in training through the end of May, turning in her final workout at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida on May 27.

Holy Helena retired with eight wins in 20 career starts for earnings of $1,330,018, racing as a homebred for Adena Springs' Ontario base, and for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

Unraced at two, Holy Helena broke her maiden in her second career start at Belmont Park, and parlayed that into victories in two of the most prestigious races for Canadian-breds. First, she bested the country's top sophomore fillies in the Woodbine Oaks, then she became the 36th filly to win the Queen's Plate. She added a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby before the end of the season to clinch honors as Canada's champion 3-year-old filly in 2017.

Holy Helena made the leap onto the U.S. scene in the seasons to come as a turf runner, racking up two victories in the G3 The Very One Stakes to go along with wins in the G2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park and the G2 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine.

Quality Road, a Grade 1-winning son of Elusive Quality, stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $200,000.

The 14-year-old has emerged as one of North America's highest-ranking sires on the racetrack and in the auction ring, with notable foals including champions Abel Tasman and Caledonia Road, as well as Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootenanny.

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Promises Fulfilled Returns From Eight-Month Layoff In Saturday’s True North

Robert Baron and WinStar Farm's Grade 1-winner Promises Fulfilled returns off a more than eight month layoff to headline Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 True North, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-years-old and up at Belmont Park.

Trained by Dale Romans, the 5-year-old Shackleford chestnut last raced in the Grade 2 Phoenix on October 4 at Keeneland when sixth, defeated less than four lengths. That effort capped off an otherwise sparkling campaign that included four wins, led by a 4 1/2-length romp in the seven furlong Grade 2 John A. Nerud in July at Belmont that garnered a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

Promises Fulfilled, who will ship up to New York from Kentucky on Thursday, has trained forwardly at Churchill Downs, including a bullet five-eighths breeze in 59 seconds flat on June 13 and a similarly speedy effort in 59.20 Saturday on the Churchill Downs main track.

“He had ankle surgery [during his time off] and since he's come back he's been training very well,” Romans said. “He just keeps getting better. There's a lot of money out there for him. I think he'll run well. He's doing good enough.”

Promises Fulfilled, who sizzled to a front-running score in the 2018 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga Race Course, boasts a record of 17-7-0-3 with purse earnings of $1,455,530.

After running fourth in last year's Runhappy Met Mile in June, he turned back successfully with a dominating front-end effort in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud under regular pilot Luis Saez.

Romans said he expects a similar approach on Saturday when Promises Fulfilled bursts out of post 7 under Saez.

“He likes every track, but he did perform very well there last year,” Romans said. “He's going to do the same thing this time, they're going to have to come get him.”

Chiefswood Stables homebred Yorkton, a multiple graded-stakes winner on synthetic, will seek his first dirt win.

The 6-year-old Ontario-bred son of Speightstown captured back-to-back renewals of the 2018-19 Grade 3 Bold Venture on the Woodbine Tapeta for former trainer Stuart Simon. Last out, in an April 25 optional-claiming sprint at Gulfstream Park, Yorkton set the pace but could not fend off last year's Grade 3 Peter Pan champ Global Campaign in a solid runner-up effort.

Following that effort, Yorkton has breezed five times at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

“He's coming out of the really tough allowance race down in Florida that came off like a graded race,” said Motion. “I thought he ran a huge race that day. I think it took a lot out of him, which is why I wasn't in a hurry to get him back into the entries.”

Dylan Davis will pilot Yorkton from post 5.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Diamond King, a 5-year-old multiple stakes-winning son of Quality Road, was fifth in his Belmont debut in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in October. The John Servis-trainee exited that effort to capture the one-mile Stymie with a prominent trip on March 7 at the Big A. Last out, on May 23 at Churchill Downs, Diamond King bobbled at the start en route to running seventh in the Blame.

Looking to make the grade in his 20th career start, Diamond King will emerge from the inside post under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche.

Wicked Trick, co-owned by trainer Linda Rice with Stephen G. Cooper, ran off a six-race win streak from a maiden claiming score in July 2019 at Saratoga Race Course through a 9 1/4-length allowance score on January 20 at the Big A. The 5-year-old Hat Trick gelding, claimed for $16,000 out of a 6 3/4-length score in August at the Spa, was fifth last out in his stakes debut in the one-mile Stymie at Aqueduct.

Jose Lezcano has the call from post 3.

Rounding out the field are Stan the Man [post 6, Joel Rosario], Firenze Fire [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and a pair from the barn of Ed Coletti Jr. in Midnightcharly [post 2, Javier Castellano] and Wait for It [post 4, Manny Franco].

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Brown Enters Three In Pursuit Of Fourth Straight Just A Game Victory

Trainer Chad Brown will bring a strong hand of cards to the table when he saddles turf champion Uni, Grade 1-winner Newspaperofrecord and two-time graded stakes winner Regal Glory in pursuit of a fourth consecutive win in the 27th running of Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

The one-mile event for fillies and mares is one of four graded stakes events carded for Saturday afternoon's action packed program at beautiful Belmont Park, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 New York at 1 ¼ miles on Belmont Park's inner turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 True North, for 4-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs, and the Grade 3, $100,000 Vagrancy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting at 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.

Brown has saddled Antonoe (2017), A Raving Beauty (2018) and Rushing Fall (2019) to victory in the past three editions of the Just a Game, which is named in honor of Peter Brant's six-time graded stakes winning filly who was named Champion Grass Mare in 1980.

Defending Champion Turf Mare Uni will make her 2020 debut in the Just a Game, having not raced since taking last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita, where she became the sixth female to score a win in the race.

Known for her devastating late kick, the 6-year-old daughter of More Than Ready made up 11 lengths in the Breeders' Cup, where she broke sharply, was taken back in the early stages and put her sweeping turn of foot on display around the far turn with a five-wide move and stormed to victory by 1 ½ lengths. The impressive triumph registered a career-best 106 Beyer and was the fourth triple-digit speed figure recorded by the talented chestnut mare.

Uni, whose last eight starts took place at the Just a Game's distance, is a three-time Grade 1-winner with all three victories at such caliber taking place over different surfaces. Following a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch in December 2018 at Del Mar, where she made up 19 lengths, Uni secured a victory in the Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland en route to her Breeders' Cup Mile triumph.

“She's doing well,” Brown said. “There's a little uncertainty with the layoff, but she seems to be training well. She has a great turn of foot and we'll just see how it plays out.”

Uni began her career in France for former conditioner Fabrice Chappet and has placed in 11 of her 12 starts in the United States for Brown.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners and Michael Caruso's Bethlehem Stables, Uni has won at six different tracks in the United States and boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field with $2,347,880.

Uni is bred in Great Britain by Haras D'Etreham and is out of the Dansili broodmare Unaided.

Jockey Joel Rosario has been aboard for her last six outings and will pilot once more from post 6.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord arrives at the Just a Game off a wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 over the Widener turf, where she recorded swift fractions but still had enough left in the tank to draw off to a four-length victory recording a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega made amends from a disappointing 3-year-old campaign where she went winless in three starts. Newspaperofrecord began her career with an unscathed 2-year-old campaign, which included victories in a Saratoga turf maiden event, the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs by a combined 20 lengths.

“She's doing fine,” Brown said. “She seems very settled in the mornings. She went fast fractions last time, which wasn't really what I wanted, but she doesn't need to do that. She's been pretty relaxed and settled.”

Favored in all seven of her career starts, Newspaperofrecord boasts a 7-4-2-0 record, with all four of her victories taking place over yielding turf courses.
Bred in Ireland by Times of Wigan, Newspaperofrecord is out of the Holy Roman Emperor broodmare Sunday Times.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been aboard for all of her starts and will return to the irons from post 4.

Rounding out the Brown threesome is Paul Pompa, Jr.'s dual graded stakes-winner Regal Glory. The 4-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom was second to Newspaperofrecord in the Intercontinental last out in her first start of the year. Her summer at Saratoga last year was a prosperous one as she took the Grade 3 Lake George over stablemates Blowout and Dogtag and followed up with a win in the Grade 2 Lake Placid over good ground, where she dead-heated for victory alongside Varenka.

Regal Glory has never finished worse than second in eight of her nine career starts. Her lone off the board effort was when she stretched out to a mile and an eighth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland finishing sixth beaten four lengths to stable mate Cambier Parc.

“A mile is a good distance for her. It's a big step up for her, but hopefully can grab a piece of it,” Brown said.

A Kentucky homebred, Regal Glory is out of the dual turf graded stakes winning More Than Ready broodmare Mary's Follies who also produced multiple graded stakes-winner Night Prowler and unbeaten Japanese group stakes winner Café Pharoah.

Breaking from post 5, Regal Glory will be ridden by Manny Franco.

Looking to make amends after three losses in 2020 is Gary Barber's two-time Grade 1-winner Got Stormy who will attempt to put her best foot forward for trainer Mark Casse, who saddled 2015 Champion Turf Female Tepin to victory in the Just a Game five years ago.

The daughter of Get Stormy was a hard-fought second to Uni in the Breeders' Cup Mile and recorded six straight triple-digit speed figures last season, including a 109 from her victory in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga against males.

The chestnut mare arrives off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park, which came after finishing second beaten a neck in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita.

Jockey Luis Saez will be aboard Got Stormy from post 2.

Trainer Brad Cox sends out last year's runner-up Beau Recall who will try to move forward off a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Sir Prancealot won the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar last season.
Jockey Jose Ortiz will be aboard from post 1.

Rounding out the field are Valedictorian [post 3, Jose Lezcano] and Zofelle [post 7, Javier Castellano].

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Jockey Pablo Morales Celebrates 2,000th Winner With Family, Friends Present In Spirit

Despite winning on 4-year-old filly Dreaming Diamonds on March 20, Pablo Morales knew something wasn't right with the left foot he'd injured six days earlier in a starting-gate mishap.

An X-ray revealed a break, sending the 31-year-old jockey to the sidelines for seven weeks.

At the time, Morales was four victories shy of 2,000 for his career. He rode one race on May 8, but quickly realized he had not recovered sufficiently to compete at the level to which he is accustomed.

Determined to reach 2,000 before the current Tampa Bay Downs meeting ended, Morales set his mind to the task.

“I dedicated myself for 10 days to strengthening the area, jogging a lot and doing a lot of Equicizer work,” he said, referring to the mechanical horse controlled by a rider's movement.

“When I came back (on June 3), I felt such a difference.”

Two dates extensions granted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation made it possible for Morales to hit the milestone at Tampa Bay Downs, and he made the most of his opportunity. The Lima, Peru product hit the mark in today's second race, a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight contest on the turf, on 4-year-old filly Sanguine for owner Augustin Stable and trainer Jonathan Thomas.

After racing in fourth place early, Sanguine and Morales moved smartly to the lead nearing the far turn and held off a late challenge from Aunt Dorothy to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Sanguine paid $4.60 to win as the betting favorite. “I knew she was the best horse in the race,” Morales said of the daughter of Quality Road. “I'm glad (Thomas) put the confidence in me to ride her.”

The occasion was recognized with a ceremony that included his rival jockeys in the winner's circle after the race.

“”It's a big accomplishment to me, because when I started. … you never think you're going to even make it to 1,000. Making it to 2,000, it's hard to believe,” Morales said. “I've been thinking about it a long time and it's not an easy task, so I'm very proud and I'm very thankful for all the help I've gotten through my career. I just want to keep on going.”

He got a good start in that regard in the fifth race, helping 3-year-old filly Leishlanick break her maiden for owner Wills Jarrett and trainer Angel M. Rodriguez.

Given the circumstances surrounding his injury and the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic that has affected all aspects of daily life, Morales accepted achieving the feat in front of an empty grandstand, with his wife Erin and their two children, agent Paula Bacon and other relatives and friends watching from home.

“It definitely would have been sweeter with them here, but I really waited too long. I couldn't care less if I was the only person here,” he said, laughing.

But they were foremost in his thoughts beforehand and afterward. “Paula has made a big difference in my career, and I think I have made a difference in hers,” he said. “We are a great team. I give all the thanks to my wife, my parents and my brothers and sister, and my kids (Sophia and Camilo), who watch me every race. My parents are in town with me, so we'll go buy a steak after the races and celebrate a little.”

Morales, a five-time riding champion at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., plans to return there for the meeting beginning July 27.

Morales is fourth in the 2019-2020 Oldsmar standings with 61 victories. He has won two graded stakes, capturing the Grade II Super Derby in 2005 at Louisiana Downs on The Daddy and the Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes here last year on Well Defined.

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