Tag: Horse Racing

Smooth Like Strait Gets His Grade I In Shoemaker Mile

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), narrowly beaten in three previous attempts at the top level, earned an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile with a wire-to-wire victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. Monday at Santa Anita. Sent off at 3-5, the bay colt broke alertly and took the early lead under his own steam. He hugged the rail while pressed by Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back) and Whisper Not (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and the top trio separated themselves from the rest of the field through fractions of :23.46 and :46.43. The favorite began inching clear approaching the quarter pole and quickly put the matter to rest with a powerful kick in upper stretch that saw him burst away from his rivals before sailing under the wire a geared-down 1 1/2-length winner. Say the Word (More Than Ready) closed late to be second.

“Today feels very gratifying because the horse shows up and runs hard every time,” said winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “I don't think he was getting the respect he deserved earlier in the year, but he showed up and put together a nice campaign. I've had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year.”    “I was just waiting for a Grade I for this horse,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli, who was capturing his third race on the holiday card at Santa Anita. “He deserves it so much. So does the owner, Michael Cannon. We have some feedback after the races, he's always positive. He always says, 'Don't worry, we're going to go to the Breeders' Cup'. He was positive from the first day. I was hoping to see him today but, I'll probably see him in Del Mar. I'm so glad for Michael and the groom, who treats him like a son, also the work rider, they do an amazing job with this horse. He's so clever, so smart, he deserves a Grade I.”

Smooth Like Strait's berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile will come over the same Del Mar course and distance at which he won the 2019 GIII Cecil de Mille S. as a 2-year-old. The bay colt captured last year's GIII La Jolla H. and GII Twilight Derby and missed by just a head when second in the GI Hollywood Derby before concluding the year with a win in the Dec. 26 GII Mathis Brothers Mile.

Smooth Like Strait opened 2021 with a neck runner-up finish in the Mar. 6 GI Frank Kilroe Mile and was a neck back in third behind the dead-heating Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) after setting the pace in the nine-furlong GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic last time out May 1.

Pedigree Notes:

Smooth Like Strait is the th Grade I winner for Midnight Lute, who is also the sire of champion Midnight Bisou and 2013 GI Malibu S. winner Shakin It Up and 2020 GI Gamely S. winner Keeper of the Stars, and 2013 GI Acorn S. and 2014 GI Humana Distaff S. winner Midnight Lucky.

Smooth As Usual has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Temple City named Unusually Smooth. She produced a colt by Midnight Lute in 2020 and was bred back to GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Smooth Like Strait's third dam, Sky Meadows (Conquistador Ciel), produced the dam of ill-fated Grade I winner Siphonic (Siphon {Brz}). This is also the family of multiple Grade I placed Summer Front (War Front) and Grade I winner Laragh (Tapit).

Breeder Mike Cannon purchased Smooth As Usual for $35,000 while in foal to Hat Trick (Jpn) at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

Monday, Santa Anita
SHOEMAKER MILE S.-GI, $300,500, Santa Anita, 5-31, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.19, fm.
1–SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT, 124, c, 4, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley
2nd Dam: Beautiful Lil, by Aptitude
3rd Dam: Sky Meadows, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 15-7-3-2, $933,823.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Say the Word, 124, g, 6, More Than Ready–
Danceforthecause, by Giant's Causeway. O-Agave Racing
Stable & Sam-Son Farm; B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Philip
D'Amato. $60,000.
3–Restrainedvengence, 122, g, 6, Hold Me Back–Cupids
Revenge, by Red Ransom. ($67,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP).
O-Kelly Brinkerhoff & Bob Grayson, Jr.; B-Westwind Farms
(KY); T-Val Brinkerhoff. $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.70, 2.90, 19.30.
Also Ran: Next Shares, Whisper Not (GB), Crossfirehurricane. Scratched: Raymundos Secret. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Fulsome Maintains ‘Winn’-ing Ways at Churchill

Four weeks after the commonly owned 'TDN Rising Star' and stablemate Mandaloun (Into Mischief) crossed the line second in the GI Kentucky Derby, Juddmonte's Fulsome (Into Mischief) was afforded his own chance to shine and made the most of the opportunity in Saturday's GIII Matt Winn S., overcoming a sluggish break to defeat Derby fifth O Besos (Orb) and that race's eighth-place finisher Helium (Ironicus) in convincing fashion.

Sent off the 17-10 chalk to remain perfect in three tries on the main track, the impeccably bred bay walked out of barrier five, but that caused jockey Florent Geroux little concern, as he settled Fulsome last of the septet as Helium poked through from between rivals to take up the running. Allowed to dictate reasonably soft fractions of :23.75 and :48.69, Helium galloped along comfortably enough as Fulsome continued to trail from within striking distance. O Besos was the first to come after the front-runner as the field neared the stretch, rolling up boldly three wide, but Fulsome had that move covered and was just finding his best stride four deep off the final corner. Fulsome claimed his two chief market rivals with relative ease outside of the eighth pole and strode home a good-looking winner.

“I was pretty confident he could take some dirt in his face and got him to relax early,” Geroux explained. “I was just hoping they were going fast up front after the slow break. He was able to go past those horses easily to win.”

Hailing from an extremely versatile female family, Fulsome began his career on the grass, besting three next-out winners when graduating by a neck at third asking at the Fair Grounds. Fourth in the Feb. 27 Black Gold S. in New Orleans, the bay romped in a rained-off Keeneland allowance in the slop Apr. 10 and was exiting a hard-fought, 1 1/4-length success in the May 1 Oaklawn S., getting the better of fellow Brad Cox trainee Warrant (Constitution).

Pedigree Notes:

Fulsome, the 43rd graded winner for his all-conquering sire, was produced by a winning daughter of French MSW & GSP Viviana, whose distinguished produce include Juddmonte's Sightseek (Distant View), a seven-time Grade I winner at distances from seven to nine furlongs on the dirt and dam of GSP Raison d'Etat (A.P. Indy); and Tates Creek (Rahy), a dual Grade I winner on the turf whose son Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) won his second race at group level in the G3 Premier's Cup Saturday at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Australia.

Fulsome's third dam Nijinsky Star, a half-sister to champion Chief's Crown (Danzig)'s dam Six Crowns (Secretariat x Chris Evert), was responsible for GSW & GISP Revasser (Riverman) and SW & MGISP Hometown Queen (Pleasant Colony), the 1987 GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up who would go on to produce GSW & MGISP sire Bowman's Band (Dixieland Band), whose unraced full-sister Etats Unis was the dam of MGSW & MGISP sire Pollard's Vision (Carson City). Viviana's full-sister Willstar bred Etoile Montante (Miswaki), winner in France of the G1 Prix de la Foret and a MGSW/GISP runner in this country under the care of the late Bobby Frankel. The latter's grand-daughter Oyster Box (Tapit) was a good fourth in Saturday's GIII Regret S.

Fulsome, who is bred on the exact same cross as 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good and fellow GSW Naughty Joker, has a 2-year-old half-brother named Rimprotector (Point of Entry), a yearling half-sister by Frosted and a foal half-sister by Twirling Candy.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
MATT WINN S.-GIII, $150,000, Churchill Downs, 5-29, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.88, ft.
1–FULSOME, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Flourish, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms
Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $91,140. Lifetime
Record: 7-4-1-0, $373,854. *1/2 to Mr Darcy (Harlan's
Holiday), GSP, $263,876. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–O Besos, 118, c, 3, Orb–Snuggs and Kisses, by Soto.
O-Bernard Racing LLC, Tagg Team Racing, West Point
Thoroughbreds & Terry L Stephens; B-L Barrett Bernard (KY);
T-Gregory D. Foley. $29,400.
3–Helium, 123, c, 3, Ironicus–Thundering Emilia, by Thunder
Gulch. ($55,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-D J Stable LLC; B-Teneri
Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY); T-Mark E Casse.
$14,700.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 1.70, 1.90, 2.70.
Also Ran: Southern Passage, Ready to Pounce, Game Day Play, Sittin On Go. Scratched: Hello Hot Rod.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG

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Gam’s Mission Gives DeVaux First Stakes Winner in Regret

Carrying the silks of the famed Lazy F Ranch, Gam's Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) rallied through the final eighth of a mile to take out Saturday's GIII Regret S. at Churchill, giving trainer Cherie DeVaux her first stakes winner since going out on her own.

Bumped soundly at the break by her inside rival Postnup (Declaration of War), the homebred settled slightly worse than mid-division from fifth, as favored Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) argued a moderate pace from the fence inside of Postnup, who raced in the two path. Ground-saving around the clubhouse turn, Gam's Mission switched off nicely through the middle stages and traveled three deep down the back of the track in the slipstream of the bald-faced Flown (Kitten's Joy). Urged along three furlongs out, Gam's Mission continued to follow Flown into the stretch, was switched off heels and grabbed a game Spanish Loveaffair in the final 50 yards en route to the victory. Flown held for third ahead of Oyster Box (Tapit), who ran a deceptively good race to be fourth after trailing those soft fractions.

“I'm very pleased with her effort today,” DeVaux, a long-time assistant to Chad Brown, said. “[Jockey] Adam [Beschizza] had her in a really good position throughout. She was a little green coming up the stretch, but she's lightly raced and still figuring it out. The Triple Tiara (in New York) is definitely on the table; it would be great to go compete in that.”

Second behind a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy maiden-breaker from future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf winner Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) over this course last September, Gam's Mission came from last to graduate at the Fair Grounds Mar. 21 and was exiting a neck defeat of Flown in a first-level allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs of this turf course May 8.

Pedigree Notes:

Gam's Mission is the fourth graded and black-type winner for her expatriated stallion and is his second stakes-winning 3-year-old filly of 2021, joining GII Appalachian S. heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' Jouster.

The February foal is one of two winners from as many to the races for her dam, a winning daughter of Lazy F Ranch's outstanding turf distaffer Auntie Mame, winner of the GI Flower Bowl Invitational H. and runner-up in the GI QE II Challenge Cup, a race that would certainly be on the radar for Gam's Mission. Auntie Mame's year-older half-sister was Star de Lady Ann (Star de Naskra), who upset Yanks Music (Air Forbes Won) in the 1996 GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park.

Auntie Martha sold for $11,000 in foal to Tonalist at the 2018 Keeneland November sale and produced a colt now named Tricky Lee, who is in training at Emerald Downs. The dam of a yearling filly by Cat Burglar, Auntie Martha foaled a colt by Dads Caps this season.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
REGRET S.-GIII, $150,000, Churchill Downs, 5-29, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:51.02, gd.
1–GAM'S MISSION, 118, f, 3, by Noble Mission (GB)
                1st Dam: Auntie Martha, by War Pass
                2nd Dam: Auntie Mame, by Theatrical (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Lady Vixen, by Sir Ivor
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Lazy F
Ranch (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-Adam Beschizza. $90,210.
Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $201,258. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spanish Loveaffair, 118, f, 3, Karakontie (Jpn)–Spanish
Bunny, by Unusual Heat. ($35,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon & Gary Barber;
B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-Mark Casse. $29,100.
3–Flown, 118, f, 3, Kitten's Joy–Rumbaua, by Bernstein.
($90,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Marc
Detampel; B-John R Cummins, Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey
(KY); T-Brendan P Walsh. $14,550.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 6.10, 1.40, 5.20.
Also Ran: Oyster Box, Barista, Munnyfor Ro, Line Dancing, Postnup. Scratched: Saranya. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Hot Rod Charlie ‘Getting More And More Confident’ For Team O’Neill

Idle since a close third in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie drilled five furlongs before Friday's first race at Santa Anita in 1:00.48, his final prep for the Grade I Belmont Stakes at a mile and one half a week from Saturday, June 5.

With Flavien Prat aboard, Hot Rod Charlie, who was accompanied by O'Neill's Hall of Fame gelding Lava Man and workmate Liam's Pride, came on Santa Anita's main track via the quarter mile chute at 12:14 p.m. PT, jogged by the Grandstand and was then set down for his work at the five furlong pole with Liam's Pride positioned about two lengths in front of him as a target.

With Prat sitting still, Hot Rod Charlie rattled off splits of 24.06 and 48.32 while gaining the advantage an eighth of a mile from the wire. With Prat remaining motionless, Hot Rod Charlie galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.62.

“Very happy with his breeze today,” said O'Neill. “Flavien was happy with the way he did it and that makes me happy. He had a good strong gallop going into this work and now he's got a strong work and gallop-out going into the race.

“We just want to stay injury-free and we're pumped up and optimistic about a week from tomorrow. This horse is getting more and more confident and he's starting to separate himself from the others. He'll leave Saturday morning at about 3 a.m., along with Lava Man, who's going to take him to the post for the Belmont.”

A winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby two starts back on March 20, Hot Rod Charlie, who broke his maiden at Santa Anita going a flat mile in his fourth start on Oct. 2, was third, beaten a neck three starts back by eventual Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes here on Jan. 30.

Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Ltd, Hot Rod Charlie, who is a Kentucky-bred colt by Oxbow, out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss, is 8-2-1-3, has earnings of $1,305,700.

Prat, who won the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on May 15 aboard the Santa Anita-based Rombauer, made the decision to stick with Hot Rod Charlie, who skipped the Preakness, for racing's third and final jewel of the Triple Crown.

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