Gufo Breezes In Preparation For Joe Hirsch Turf Classic At Belmont

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo breezed an easy half-mile in :52 flat over the Belmont Park inner turf Sunday in preparation for the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at the Elmont, N.Y., track.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the son of Declaration of War was a last-out winner of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga, where he fended off a stretch rally from the Aidan O'Brien-trained multiple Group 1-winner Japan.

“It was an easy work on his own on the turf,” Clement said. “We'll work him back on the turf next week to be a little more aggressive. He looked good.”

Never off the board in a dozen starts, Gufo commenced his 4-year-old campaign with a second-place finish beaten a nose in the Grade 1 Man o' War before rallying from 17 lengths off the pace to finish third beaten four lengths to Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Manhattan.

Gufo, who captured the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last year, regained his winning form when stretching out to 1 ½ miles under regular rider Joel Rosario for the Grand Couturier on July 5 at Belmont where he added blinkers for the first time.

Clement said Gufo has shown improvement when adding blinkers.

“He was a bit more aggressive than usual last time, but it all worked out,” Clement said. “I think it's always a question of pace. Wherever Joel is comfortable, I'm happy usually. Blinkers on gives him a little more cruising speed. Joel never had to hit him, and the horse was a bit more consistent in the stretch. He wasn't erratic like sometimes he can be. He looked better.”

Gufo will attempt to become the fourth horse in the past decade to sweep the Sword Dancer-Joe Hirsch double, joining Channel Maker [2020], Main Sequence [2014], and Point of Entry [2012].

On Saturday, Clement saddled Soldier Rising to a runner-up finish to Yibir in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational. The son of Frankel raced along the hedge in fourth down the backstretch with a ground-saving trip and launched his bid once finding racing room in upper stretch, finishing 2 ½ lengths behind Yibir.

He was second in his previous outing in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7 at the Spa, where he was a rallying second to Irish invader State of Rest.

“He ran really well. He looked good and came back from his race in good shape,” Clement said. “He's a very nice horse. We just have to keep him sound. We'll run him maybe once or twice more, but I'm not sure where yet. Then we should have a very nice horse for next year.”

[Story Continues Below]

Clement shipped two-time allowance winner La Dragontea to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, for a victory in the Grade 2 Canadian on Saturday. The Lope de Vega dark bay or brown filly displayed stalking tactics while under a strong hold by Rosario down the backstretch. Rosario did not coax his filly until mid-stretch, where she extended her advantage to a one-length score.

La Dragontea, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen, captured her North American debut with a wire-to-wire score in a Belmont allowance at 1 ¼ miles before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. Prior to the Canadian, she defeated optional claiming company over a yielding Mellon turf at Saratoga.

“She's a nice filly,” Clement said. “She was a bit unlucky when I ran her in the stakes at Delaware as the turf was very soft that day. She won yesterday nicely. It gives you an idea of the level of racing at Belmont when you think she was in her conditions. She is an improving kind of a filly.”

The post Gufo Breezes In Preparation For Joe Hirsch Turf Classic At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Yibir Gets 97 Beyer Speed Figure For Jockey Club Derby Win

Godolphin's Yibir displayed a devastating turn of foot with a last-to-first run to capture Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, garnering a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in his North American debut in the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Charlie Appleby-trained son of Dubawi took to the rear of the seven-horse field in the 12-furlong Widener turf test for sophomores, before fanning several paths wide around the far turn and catapulted himself to the front in upper stretch, drawing away to a 2 ½-length score under jockey Jamie Spencer.

Traveling assistant Chris Connett said Yibir will remain at Belmont Park through the next two days before shipping back to Appleby's training yard at Newmarket in England on Wednesday.

“He pulled up well. We were very happy with him,” Connett said Sunday morning. “He takes his races pretty well. He puts a lot into his runs, so he usually comes out nicely.”

Yibir entered the Jockey Club Derby off a triumph in the Group 2 Voltigeur on August 18 going 12 furlongs at York Racecourse, where he defeated next-out Group 1-placed The Mediterranean by 1 ¼ lengths over good ground. He also captured the 1 5/8-mile Group 3 Bahrain Trophy on July 8 at Newmarket in his first grouped stakes score.

“The form was very solid from his previous race,” Connett said. “As long as he handled the travel over here, we were very confident he would run a big race.

“He's a true mile and a half horse and can potentially go further in trip as well,” Connett continued. “As was seen yesterday, he has a nice turn of foot also. He'll go back out tomorrow morning for a little trot around and hopefully we'll see him in remain good spirits.”

Yibir, who is out of the German-bred Monsun mare Rumh, is a full-brother to multiple Group 1-winning filly Wild Illusion, who finished second to Sistercharlie in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2018.

“I was fortunate enough to travel for some of her races as well,” Connett said. “She was a lovely filly. They both had their own characters.”

In capturing the Jockey Club Derby, Yibir earned a “Win And You're In” berth to the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. Connett said the horse will be evaluated upon returning to his overseas base before any definite plans are made.

“They'll have discussions about that,” Connett said. “We'll get him back to the U.K. He'll fly home Wednesday and the team will make plans from there.”

Connett also saddled Godolphin filly Creative Flair to a fourth-place finish in the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on Saturday for the same connections.

Yibir's victory provided another meaningful stakes triumph on the NYRA circuit for Appleby and Godolphin, who ran one-two in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Diana on July 17 at Saratoga with Althiqa and Summer Romance. The good run of form for Appleby in North America was also on display when Walton Street captured Saturday's Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine Racetrack.

“It was a huge day for the team,” Connett said. “Charlie's horses have been in good form. We've been very fortunate to have such good horses that can handle the ship out here and win.”

The post Yibir Gets 97 Beyer Speed Figure For Jockey Club Derby Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Yibir Punches Ticket To Breeders’ Cup Turf With Win In Jockey Club Derby At Belmont

In last place with a quarter of a mile to go, winning looked out of reach for Yibir, but the English bred went three-wide into the final turn of the 1 1/2-mile Jockey Club Derby Invitational and found running room on the far outside of the bunched field in the Belmont stretch to take the race and earn a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

After breaking slow, jockey Jamie Spencer settled Yibir into last of eight early, with Tango Tango Tango and Slicked Back running one-two into the first turn of the 12-furlong Jockey Club Derby. Bolshoi Ballet, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in July, was third, Ryan Moore putting his colt in an ideal stalking position. With early fractions of :25.37 for the first quarter, :49.45 for the half-mile, and 1:14.46 for the six furlongs, Tango Tango Tango maintained his lead through the first mile, but Slicked Back took over after 1 1/4 miles.

Around the final turn, Spencer took Yibir wide, seeking a running lane, and then went wider still in the stretch as the field bunched up in the closing furlongs. Six wide, down the middle of the turf course, Yibir finally found a running lane and took the lead, winning the Jockey Club Derby by 2 1/2 lengths. Soldier Rising rallied from midpack to finish second with Slicked Back holding on for third.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:26.23. Find this race's chart here.

Yibir paid $7.30, $3.50, and $3.40. Soldier Rising paid $3.00 and $2.80. Slicked Back paid $6.40.

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is a Win and You're In Event for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Winners received a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled for Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in England by owner Godolphin, Yibir is a 3-year-old gelding by Dubawi out of the Monsun mare Rumh. He is trained by Charles Appleby. Yibir has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 11 starts and $815,580 in career earnings.

The post Yibir Punches Ticket To Breeders’ Cup Turf With Win In Jockey Club Derby At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jockey Club Derby: Tango Tango Tango Should ‘Switch Off’ Without Blinkers

Following a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Bruce D on August 14 at Arlington Park, trainer Jack Sisterson will make an equipment change with Calumet Farm's Tango Tango Tango, who will race with blinkers off in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont.

The 12-furlong test for sophomores on the Widener turf, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar, is the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for males that commenced with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby [won by Bolshoi Ballet] in July and continued with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby [won by State of Rest] in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race card which will also feature the 1 3/8-mile $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9; and the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational in Race 4.

The Tourist bay broke his maiden at fourth asking against stakes company in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park when racing with blinkers for the first time. He sported blinkers once more in the last-out Bruce D, where he was a close second down the backstretch before taking command at the quarter-pole. Unable to hold off a mid-stretch confrontation from Point Me By, Tango Tango Tango fended off a game Ginsburned to complete the exacta.

“We pulled the blinkers off to see if we can get him relaxed and get him the distance, and we have a big positive with having Flavien Prat aboard,” Sisterson said. “We'd like to see him switch off a touch more. The removal of the blinkers will get him to switch off. I'd be shocked if he's not on the lead tomorrow, especially drawing the rail. Not sure what Ryan [Moore aboard Bolshoi Ballet] will do on his horse, but I think we'll get an easy lead and hopefully take them all the way.”

Sisterson added that Tango Tango Tango has matured since his American Derby coup.

“He's got that natural speed about him,” Sisterson said. “We put the blinkers on him just to get that maiden win. He's a horse that trains forwardly and doesn't need them. It was just something he needed at the time, but he finally figured out how to put his head in front.”

Tango Tango Tango will make his first start past 1 1/16 miles on Saturday and Sisterson said that the added distance should be no problem for the horse, who scratched out of the Franklin-Simpson on September 11 at Kentucky Downs.

“Looking at his form, he always acted like a two-turn type,” Sisterson said. “The farther the better. When he got invited to this race tomorrow, it was a no brainer for us to scratch out of Kentucky Downs. I don't see the distance being an issue. In his works, he gallops out strong and he puts a lot of energy into his gallops.”

Tango Tango Tango is the fourth offspring out of the Deputy Commander mare First Consul, whose three other progeny are all winners.

Sisterson also added that Grade 1 A.G. Vanderbilt winner Lexitonian and Grade 1 Man o' War victor Channel Cat are likely to train up to their respective Breeders' Cup aspirations. Lexitonian, a son of Speightstown, is on target for the Breeders' Cup Sprint while English Channel progeny Channel Cat will point for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

The post Jockey Club Derby: Tango Tango Tango Should ‘Switch Off’ Without Blinkers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights