Tag: john sadler

Adios Charlie Firster Too Fast for Debutante Foes

Stone Silent, a $410,000 OBSMAR purchase off a speedy :20 2/5 breeze, ran five rivals off their feet in a sharp debut performance in Saturday's Fasig-Tipton Debutante S. at Santa Anita. The 3-1 second choice sped through an opening quarter in :22.08, kicked for home in complete command and never looked back as Kentucky Juvenile S. winner and $390,000 Fasig-Tipton digital sale buyback Tom's Regret ran on to narrow the gap.

“First I'd like to thank the trainer and the owners for the opportunity,” said winning pilot Ramon Vazquez. “I worked her three times in the morning, and I knew she was a nice filly. She broke good and got a good position and she responded really well.”

Asked if he expected to be on the lead, Vazquez said, “I wasn't surprised because she's a first timer and nobody knew that this filly could run.”

Trainer John Sadler added, “I think some of the commentators picked up on the fact that she worked :20 2/5 in the sale, so she's very quick. We were hoping that she went through and could run early because I knew she had a ton of speed.  Ramon was good, he came out and worked her three times and knew her. We hadn't really pressed her hard in the morning, we just got her fit because we knew the speed was in there.

“She'll go into the stake program for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar. We have a couple of other ones coming along behind her, so it's good to have the first one out and get one under our belt.”

The winner's 22-year-old dam has also produced the dams of MGSW Last Judgment (Congrats) and SW/GSP Isolate (Mark Valeski). She produced another Adios Charlie filly last year before returning again to the Ocala Stud resident, who was a $400,000 OBSMAR grad himself.

FASIG-TIPTON DEBUTANTE S., $100,500, Santa Anita, 6-18, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.28, ft.
1–STONE SILENT, 119, f, 2, by Adios Charlie
                1st Dam: Travelator (MSW & MGSP, $647,672), by A. P Jet
                2nd Dam: Rajadiddle, by Raja's Revenge
                3rd Dam: Taradiddle, by Damascus
($410,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Talla
Racing LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds & Edwin S. Barker;
B-William J. Terrell & Frank De Savino (FL); T-John W. Sadler;
J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0,
$60,000. *1/2 to Hollywood Jet (Uncaptured), SW, $231,160.
2–Tom's Regret, 123, f, 2, Tom's Tribute–Pure, by Quality Road.
($20,000 Ylg '21 FTCAYR; $390,000 RNA 2yo '22 FTDMAY).
O-Cinema Thoroughbreds, Michelle K. Beckerle, Saul Carrillo,
Victor M. Flores, Burton Johnson & Eugene Zondlo; B-DP
Racing, LLC (CA); T-Jorge Periban. $20,000.
3–E Z Pharis, 123, f, 2, American Pharoah–Ez Indy, by A.P. Indy.
($350,000 Ylg '21 FTCAYR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Griffin Stables
LLC & Terry C. Lovingier; B-Terry C. Lovingier (CA); T-Walther
Solis. $12,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 4 3/4, HF. Odds: 3.00, 0.60, 7.30.
Also Ran: Dancing Mo, Rousing Jewel, Paddle On Polly. Scratched: Smokem for You.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Adios Charlie Firster Too Fast for Debutante Foes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Week in Review: The Day That Jack Christopher and Flightline Stole the Show

After winning the GII Remsen S. and the GII Wood Memorial S. and running a credible fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) put it all together on Saturday. He was the decisive winner of the GI Belmont S. to give New Yorker Mike Repole a one-two finish in the final leg of the Triple Crown at his home track. It was a good story and a good performance from a very good horse.

It was not, however, the highlight of the day.

It's hard to overshadow a Triple Crown race, but that's exactly what happened Saturday at Belmont Park, where we saw a pair of performances from two special horses that are freakishly fast and talented. It's rare when horses can live up to the hype, but Flightline (Tapit) and Jack Christopher (Munnings) didn't meet expectations, they shattered them. These are superstars.

As impressive as Flightline had been in his first three starts, he came into the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. with something to prove. He had won the GI Runhappy Malibu S., but that was against 3-year-olds and at seven furlongs. The Met was an entirely differently story. Though there were just five horses in the field, the competition included GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun), GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver (Super Saver) and the hottest horse on the East Coast, GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

It was going to be the first true test of his brief career and the test became even more daunting when he broke a step slow. That kept him from getting the lead, which was where jockey Flavien Prat wanted his horse to be. Riding the rail, Prat tried to squeeze past Speaker's Corner but it didn't work. Flightline had to regroup, take back and come around Speaker's Corner. None of it mattered. He swept past a fading Speaker's Corner on the turn and proceeded to gallop away from the field to win by six lengths over Happy Saver. He's not just good, he's tenacious.

Flightline earned a 112 Beyer speed figure.

While it may seem sacrilegious to say that a horse who has only run four times is among the best horses we've ever seen, in the case of Flightline, it doesn't seem like a stretch. That's how dominant he's been and how fast he has run. Horses that can do what he can do come around once in a decade, if even that.

How good is Jack Christopher? We still don't know.

He showed a tremendous amount of potential when winning the GI Champagne S. last year but a shin problem kept him out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He had to have surgery, so he was not ready for the Triple Crown races. Instead, trainer Chad Brown took his time and had Jack Christopher ready for the GII Pat Day Mile on Derby Day. He won the Pat Day Mile by 3 3/4 lengths and was arguably the best 3-year-old to perform that day at Churchill Downs.

Not ready to go a 1 1/2 miles, Jack Christopher bypassed the Belmont and was sent to the GI Woody Stephens S. at seven furlongs. As good as he had been in his three prior starts, it was the Woody Stephens where he made a statement. He won by 10 lengths and earned a 107 Beyer, nine points higher than the number given to Mo Donegal. Once again, he was the best 3-year-old to perform on the card.

The Belmont is the unofficial ending of the first half of the season and the second half figures to include some of the best races we have seen in some time.

As for the 3-year-olds, it's been hard to define who's the best of the group since so many horses ducked one or more of the Triple Crown races. Starting with the GI Haskell S., which is expected to attract Jack Christopher, that should change. This year, the Haskell, the GII Jim Dandy S., the GI Runhappy Travers S. and the GI Pennsylvania Derby may turn out to be more important than the Triple Crown races. You might just get a race that includes some combination of Jack Christopher, Rich Strike (Keen Ice), Early Voting (Gun Runner), Mo Donegal and the division's unluckiest horse, Epicenter (Not This Time).

It's not clear yet where Flightline will run next. The GI Whitney H. at 1 1/8 miles seems like the perfect spot but after the Belmont, co-owner Kostas Hronis mentioned the GI Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles when asked about Flightline's next race.  Considering that he's by Tapit and probably better suited to those distances and two-turn races than what he has been running in, there's every chance he might even get better. It's a scary thought.

The older-horse division also includes Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who looked so good when winning the GI Pegasus World Cup, where he thrashed Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter). After running fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup, he's scheduled to come back in the July 2 GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont before going in the Whitney. And don't forget about Country Grammer (Tonalist), the winner of the Dubai World Cup. He'll resurface soon.

A lot can happen between now and the Breeders' Cup Classic and the key for every horse is that they have to stay healthy. But there's a chance that the Classic could include Flightline, Jack Christopher, Life Is Good, Country Grammer, Rich Strike, Early Voting, Mo Donegal, Epicenter and a bunch of other really good horses. Let's hope so. It could be one of the best fields ever assembled.

Super Trainers Dominate at Belmont

While it's nice to see a “little guy” like trainer Eric Reed win the Kentucky Derby, the reality is that the “super trainers” have become more dominant than ever. The very best horses in the sport are concentrated in the hands of just a few trainers, which is not a good thing.

The top four trainers in the nation in terms of earnings combined to win seven of the nine graded stakes run Saturday at Belmont.  Steve Asmussen, who is first, won the GI Ogden Phipps S. with Clairiere (Curlin). Chad Brown, who is second, won the GI Woody Stephens with Jack Christopher, the GI Just A Game S. with Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) and the GI Manhattan S. with Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}). Pletcher, who is third, won the Belmont and the Brooklyn S. with Fearless (Ghostzapper). Fourth-place holder Brad Cox won the GI Acorn S. with Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile).

Mike Maker, who is fifth in the earnings standings, did not have a Belmont day winner. Bill Mott, who is sixth, did. He won the GI Jaipur S. with Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed). John Sadler, who is the trainer of Flightline and is 19th in the standings, was the only trainer not among the top six in earnings to win a stakes race. Brown, Asmussen and Cox also won graded stakes Friday at Belmont.

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Prat in a New York State of Mind for Belmont Stakes Day

ELMONT, NY – There will be a capped crowd of 50,000 on hand for Saturday's blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program. Nobody will have a better seat in the house all day than jockey Flavien Prat.

The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one.

WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's We the People will take on seven rivals–including GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice), Derby fifth-place finisher Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and the filly Nest (Curlin)–in the 1 1/2-mile Classic. He's clearly the one to catch off his 10 1/4-length, front-running romp for trainer Rodolphe Brisset in the Belmont slop in the GIII Peter Pan S.

With Saturday's forecast calling for cloudy skies and temperatures nearing 80 degrees, he'll have a fast main track to work with this time.

“I think the talent is there,” Prat said. “His Peter Pan was a really good race. It's just a question mark with the distance, but it seems like we are all in the same boat.”

The unbeaten Flightline, pound-for-pound the most exciting horse in training, has won his first three starts in Southern California for trainer John Sadler by a combined margin of a whopping 37 1/2 lengths, led by his last out jaw-dropping score with a gaudy 118 Beyer Speed Figure in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. Dec. 26. He will face off against the ultra-talented GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) as well as last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun) in the highly coveted stallion-making race. The $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and 3-5 morning-line choice is campaigned in partnership by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, breeder Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

“He feels like a special horse,” Prat said. “He's been responding really well to everything we ask him to do. He could be any type of horse.”

Some of Prat's other high-profile mounts on the absolutely loaded 13-race card include:

  • Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) (GI Acorn S.) (Brad Cox) (6-5)
  • Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (GI Longines Just a Game S.) (Chad Brown) (even-money)
  • Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) (GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S.) (Chad Brown) (4-1)
  • Bonny South (Munnings) (GI Ogden Phipps S.) (Brad Cox) (8-1)
  • Pappacap (Gun Runner) (GI Woody Stephens S.) (Mark Casse) (10-1)

Prat's rapidly growing resume already includes wins in the first two legs of the Triple Crown and a trio of Breeders' Cup victories. In the irons aboard promoted 2019 GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Country House (Lookin At Lucky) as well as last year's GI Preakness S. hero Rombauer (Twirling Candy), he looks to go one better in the Belmont following a huge second-place finish aboard Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in 2021. Prat won last year's GI Manhattan S. on the Belmont undercard aboard Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“Whether it's the Belmont, Preakness, Derby or Breeders' Cup weekends, this is the goal when you're a jockey,” Prat said. “You want to ride the best horses and face the best riders. That's the main goal. When you have the chance to ride and participate in these types of weekends, I'm obviously really grateful.”

After dominating the scene in Southern California for the past few years, Prat, somewhat surprisingly, shifted his tack to Belmont–home of the deepest jockey colony in the country–earlier this spring. His goal for the remainder of the year is simple: win an Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding jockey.

“I was doing really well out there, but if I ever wanted to try New York, I felt like it was the right time to do it,” Prat said of relocating to Long Island along with his wife and two young children. “Try to keep improving my riding style and see what we can do out here.”

It's no coincidence that recent Eclipse Award winners Joel Rosario (2021), Irad Ortiz, Jr. (2018-20), Jose Ortiz (2017) and Javier Castellano (2013-16) all called the Big Apple home. Prat, represented by agent Brad Pegram, was an Eclipse finalist last year while boasting a career high in victories (246) and earnings ($23,214,813). Prat's first full season riding in North America was 2015.

“That's the whole point, to ride with the best riders in the country and also to try to keep improving,” Prat said.

He concluded, “I'm really happy here.”

Stars Come Out on Belmont Stakes Day…

Quality over quantity.

In addition to an intriguing renewal of the GI Belmont S. and a showdown for the ages in the five-deep GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile,

there will be six other Grade I events, albeit with some short fields, held on Saturday's star-studded program.

Champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) will cut back in distance to a one-turn mile in the GI Acorn S. after suffering the first defeat of her brilliant career while tiring to fourth in the GI Kentucky Oaks. She will meet just four rivals in the Acorn, led by the streaking Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), a good-looking winner of the GII Eight Belles S. on the Oaks undercard.

The undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), a dominating return winner in the GII Pat Day Mile S., puts his unblemished three-for-three record on the line against five fellow sophomores in the GI Woody Stephens S. The 1-2 morning-line favorite won last year's GI Champagne S. at Belmont in the fall before scratching from the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a stress fracture in his left shin. The seven-furlong contest is named in honor of the legendary late trainer Woody Stephens, who won five consecutive renewals of the Belmont Stakes from 1982-86.

Champions Letruska (Super Saver) and 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) will clash in a highly anticipated GI Ogden Phipps S. The former has five top-level wins to her credit, including a wire-to-wire tally in this race last year, and is perfect in two attempts since a forgettable performance in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Last term's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Malathaat, a good third in the Distaff, kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a well-timed win in Keeneland's GIII Baird Doubledogdare S.

The best wagering opportunities of the day will likely come in two of the grass stakes.

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) returns for the 13-deep GI Jaipur S. after pulling off a 10-1 upset last year. Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile), a last out winner of the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

A field of 10, led by GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. winner Santin (Distorted Humor), MGISW Gufo (Declaration of War) and GI Man o' War S. upsetter Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), will line up for the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. Trainer Chad Brown has won the Manhattan a record seven times, and will send out a trio–Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), L'Imperator (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})–seeking a fourth straight.

Speaking of Brown, he will also saddle the three top choices–Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a visually impressive heroine of the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. in her U.S. debut, MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})–in the five-horse GI Longines Just a Game S. He won this race four straight years between 2017-20.

First post for the 13-race program, featuring a trio of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' events (Met Mile, Ogden Phipps and Jaipur), is 11:20 a.m. ET. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:44 p.m.

National television coverage of Belmont Stakes Day will begin on FS2, where America's Day at the Races will air from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Coverage shifts to CNBC from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and NBC from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Click here for our Belmont Stakes day video preview from TDN Writers' Room.

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Terry Finley Previews Flightline’s Met Mile on the TDN Writers’ Room

The long-anticipated return of undefeated superstar Flightline draws more excitement by the day, especially now that the John Sadler-trained son of Tapit has arrived at Belmont Park in preparation for Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. Terry Finley, whose West Point Thoroughbreds campaigns Flightline along with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine and Woodford Racing, has been counting down the days until the Met Mile for quite some time. Finley joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to chat with hosts Joe Bianca and Bill Finley about the upcoming showdown between Flightline and his top competitors.

“When you think about the race on Saturday, it's not a gimme,” admitted West Point's President and CEO. “I wish it was, but it's not. They don't give million-dollar races away for free. We've got other Grade I winners in there including Breeders' Cup Champion Aloha West (Hard Spun) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who is one of the most talented horses that we've seen in a while. We're going to have to show up in a big way on Saturday. I think we will but man, it's going be a heck of a race.”

Asked about where Flightline could wind up next assuming all goes well in the Met Mile, Finley could not give a definitive answer.

“I really have not posed that question to anybody in the partnership or to John Sadler,” Finley said. “I know John has been thinking about it. I've always thought John was a great trainer and a great person, but to see him perform over the last 18 months has been otherworldly. Obviously he's thinking about either Del Mar or Saratoga and I'll leave it up to him because he has made the right choice step after step after step. We'll put our trust and our confidence in John and his team to do the right thing by this horse.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, XBTV, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers previewed the GI Belmont S. and the rest of Saturday's card at Belmont, but lamented the small field sizes in some of the day's most prestigious races. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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