Into Mischief’s Root Cause Overcomes Traffic to Earn ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Root Cause (f, 3, Into Mischief–Vertical Vision {MSW, $202,979), by Pollard's Vision), second at Saratoga Aug. 14 last season in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden which yielded SP Towhead (Malibu Moon), SP Beauitfulnavigator (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}), and SP Forever Dixie (Quality Road), made it look effortless here en route to 'TDN Rising Star'-dom at 1-5 favoritism in her 2023 bow over Gulfstream Park grass.

Breaking well but in no hurry to challenge the eager early speed, Root Cause stalked from the two path in third through the first bend. Midway up the backstretch, the eye-catching bay found herself locked in traffic as Tawaret (Pioneerof the Nile) rushed up the rail to claim an opening and the field was closing ranks around her for the run through the far turn. Shuffled back to fifth as 1:13.80 flashed across the board, Irad Ortiz opted for the overland route, and was full of horse when they arrived at the head of the stretch. Unleashing a wicked turn of foot, Root Cause put 2 1/2 lengths on her rivals with a motionless rider in the irons and won as easily as she pleased to claim her diploma over Settling Storm (Tonalist).

A half to Vertical Oak (Giant Oak), MGSW, $773,095–herself dam of 'TDN Rising Star' SP Giant Mischief (Into Mischief)–the victress is her sire's 37th runner to get the TDN stamp of approval. Half-brother Payne (Paynter), SP, $437,870 was a six-time winner in his own right. Thus far the most recent to the races, Root Cause has a 2-year-old half-sister Mitole Vision (Mitole) as well as a yearling half-sister by Authentic. Vertical Vision visited Caravaggio for 2023.

1st-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.11, fm, 2 1/2 lengths.
ROOT CAUSE, f, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Vertical Vision {MSW, $202,979} by Pollard's Vision)
2nd Dam: Caney Creek, by Service Stripe
3rd Dam: Grace Creek, by Allen's Prospect
Sales record: $375,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $63,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Jeff Drown; B-Warran J Harang (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.

The post Into Mischief’s Root Cause Overcomes Traffic to Earn ‘Rising Star’ Nod appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Early Voting to Jim Dandy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- Klaravich Stables's GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) was shipped from Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Course Sunday and will run in the GII Jim Dandy July 30.

Trainer Chad Brown announced that Early Voting will go in the Jim Dandy with stablemate Zandon (Upstart), rather than face another stablemate, unbeaten Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI Haskell S. July 23. Brown is aiming all three of his graded stakes-winning 3-year-old colts for Saratoga's signature race, the $1.25-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 27. He waited until after Early Voting's work Saturday at Belmont Park before deciding whether the colt would go to Monmouth Park with Jack Christopher in a Grade I contest or come to Saratoga and have a race over the track before the historic Travers.

“Jack Christopher looked great this morning, he looks ready to go for the Haskell and at the end of the day I'm going to run two horses in one race and one on the other,” Brown said. “I'd rather only run the one in the Haskell and I just didn't see the benefit of putting Early Voting in a larger field against a really fast horse, what it might do to him five weeks out from the Travers.”

In the Jim Dandy, for decades the local prep for the Travers, Jeff Drown's Zandon will be making his first start since finishing third in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7. He won the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. April 29.

Early Voting gave Brown his second Triple Crown race win in the Preakness May 21. In 2017, Brown brought his Preakness winner Cloud Computing back in the Jim Dandy.

Jack Christopher, co-owned by Jim Bakke, Gerald Ibister, Coolmore Stud and Peter Brant, extended his record to 4-0 with a smashing 10-length victory in the seven-furlong GI Woody Stephens June 11. The nine-furlong Haskell will be his first race beyond one mile and his first around two turns.

The post Early Voting to Jim Dandy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Owner Who Filed Remsen Protest Surprised NYSGC Won’t Hear It

A Monday news story in the Blood-Horse stating that the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) would be taking no action on a formal protest lodged by the owner of the runner-up in the Dec. 4 GII Remsen S. came as a surprise to that owner and his attorney, who told TDN later in the day they had received no communication from the commission indicating that the protest wouldn't be allowed to advance.

The matter involves Jeff Drown, the owner of Remsen second-place finisher Zandon (Upstart), who said that the actions of victor Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and that colt's jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr., cost him the win, which was decided by only a nose. In the immediate aftermath of the race, the stewards conducted an inquiry and listened to a foul claim lodged by jockey John Velazquez, but let the order of finish stand without any disqualification.

On Dec. 9, Drown, through his lawyer, Drew Mollica, lodged a protest with the NYSGC over the non-DQ, arguing that the very tight margin of victory was part of what merited a second look by the commission.

The Blood-Horse first reported Dec. 20 that there is no mechanism in this instance for the NYSGC to overturn the stewards' decision. That story quoted NYSGC communications director Brad Maione, who said, “The Remsen was declared official by the stewards. There is no process for appeal once the race is declared final by the stewards.”

That decision was news to Mollica, who spoke to TDN on Monday both before and after checking with his client to confirm that the NYSGC had never alerted either of them that their formal protest would not move forward.

“Neither my client nor I have been officially informed of any action or inaction by the gaming commission,” Mollica said. “As such, we have no comment. But we are surprised there are press stories about this without the gaming commission contacting us. When we are officially informed that that's their position, we'll weigh our options.”

When TDN attempted to get a clarification from Maione via email Monday afternoon, Maione did not directly answer a question asking if the NYSGC had made any attempt to communicate with Drown. Instead, Maione's reply contained only a link to the original stewards' decision from Dec. 4, plus a copy of commission rule 4025.1.

That rule states, “Every person subscribing to a sweepstake or entering a horse in a race to be run under this Article accepts the decision of the stewards or the decision of the commission, as the case may be, on any question relating to a race or to racing.”

As the two colts crested the eighth pole in lockstep for the final furlong of the Remsen, Mo Donegal tightened the gap between them under right-handed stick work from Ortiz, then the two colts bumped and brushed approaching the wire.

The Equibase chart described how Ortiz threw “repeated exaggerated crosses with the left-hand rein near the face of the runner-up” in an “attempt to intimidate” Zandon.

Velazquez said post-race that Mo Donegal, “laid on top of me right before the wire and just beat me by very little.”

The day after the Remsen, Ortiz was suspended 30 days by the Aqueduct stewards for careless riding, primarily for his role in unseating another jockey in a Dec. 3 race. But state steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. told Daily Racing Form Dec. 5 that part of that penalty also had to do with Ortiz's stretch ride in the Remsen.

In addition, there were two substitute stewards on the job at Aqueduct on the day of the Remsen, when state steward Baeza and Jockey Club steward Jennifer Durenberger were both not officiating the races.

The post Owner Who Filed Remsen Protest Surprised NYSGC Won’t Hear It appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

NYSGC: No Action Will Be Taken On Owner’s Appeal Of Remsen Finish

Owner Jeff Drown filed a protest with the New York State Gaming Commission over the finish of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 4, 2021 at Aqueduct, in which his horse Zandon was beaten a nose by Mo Donegal. Stewards held an inquiry into the finish, looking at contact between the first and second-place finishers in the stretch run, but they ultimately upheld the original order of finish.

This week, a the NYSGC's communications director Brad Maione told bloodhorse.com that the commission will not take action on the protest, since there is no way to overturn the stewards' decision.

“The Remsen was declared official by the stewards. There is no process for appeal once the race is declared final by the stewards,” Maione said.

According to the Equibase chart notes of the race, second-place finisher Zandon “rallied to the lead in upper stretch, lost the advantage to the winner [Mo Donegal] before the eighth pole, dug in gamely on the inside in the final furlong, had the winner's rider [Irad Ortiz, Jr.] attempt to intimidate him late then bumped approaching the wire and just missed in a determined effort.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. was subsequently suspended 30 days for an incident that occurred on Friday, Dec. 3 at Aqueduct.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

The post NYSGC: No Action Will Be Taken On Owner’s Appeal Of Remsen Finish appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights