Tag: Jose Lezcano

Where’s My Ring Ships In To Take Gazelle

There's never a bad day to win your first race but Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy) sure picked an opportune day to do it, breaking her maiden and earning 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a dominant effort in the GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct Saturday.

A career maiden through seven starts, the $100,000 Keeneland September grad could perhaps be forgiven for running behind the likes of MGSW Dreamfyre (Flameaway), champion Just F Y I (Justify) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and not once but twice to 'TDN Rising Star' Kinza (Carpe Diem). Five lengths behind in second to that runner last out in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. March. 9, trainer Val Brinkerhoff opted to ship Where's My Ring to Aqueduct after scratching his runner from last week's GII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. Favored at 5-2 on the last day to earn qualifying points towards the first Friday in May, Where's My Ring broke with some speed from the inside gate but was quickly headed by Carmelina (Maximus Mischief) to her outside on the run into the first turn. Content to sit off that runner, the favorite was swarmed by a trio of runners and managed to hold third as the top five separated themselves from the second flight. Still glued to the fence around the far turn, Where's My Ring tipped outside of the dueling duo on the lead and ran them both down strongly, surging past 19-1 longshot Regulatory Risk (Omaha Beach) to graduate with her ears pricked on the line.

“It's not about breaking the maiden, we wanted to be in the Oaks, that was our goal,” admitted winning owner Michael McMillan. “I just got into horse racing, I met Val and Kelly Brinkerhoff and I told them 'I'm not in this for little races, we are in it for the big races.' I told them it was going to be the Kentucky Oaks. Everyone was shocked that we came here, but our whole team figured out the best race for us. It was a huge team effort.”

“I'm ecstatic to get a chance like this,” added Brinkerhoff. “I come from the bush tracks in Utah and to get to do this is pretty awesome. It's his [Michael McMillan's] first horse and I've had one in the Breeders' Cup where we ran third [Restrainedvengence in the 2021 Dirt Mile], but this filly has a lot of potential. It's been a long time getting to here and she's getting better and better, so hopefully by the Oaks, we'll be even better.”

Pedigree Note:

Twirling Candy is now represented by his 48th stakes winner and 18th graded winner. The first foal from her dam, Where's My Ring is out of a half to SW Merlazza (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSP Gold Standard (Medaglia d'Oro). She is also similarly related to Saturday's GIII Distaff S. winner Shidabhuti (Practical Joke) as third dam Crystal Current, a $3.1m FTKNOV broodmare in 2008, is a daughter of Shidabhuti's third dam MGSIW Dream Supreme. Mapit had her 2-year-old McKinzie colt bring $300,000 from Klaravich Stable at the 2023 FTSAUG sale and she reported another colt by McKinzie this spring.

 

Saturday, Aqueduct
GAZELLE S.-GIII, $200,000, Aqueduct, 4-6, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.33, ft.
1–WHERE'S MY RING, 118, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
                1st Dam: Mapit, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Mi Vida, by Distorted Humor
                3rd Dam: Crystal Current, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Michael McMillan; B-Don Alberto
Corporation (KY); T-Val Brinkerhoff; J-Jose Lezcano.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 8-1-3-1, $202,620.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Regulatory Risk, 118, f, 3, Omaha Beach–
Walkwithapurpose, by Candy Ride (Arg). 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($235,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Upson Downs Farm & Louis W.
Wright (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Gin Gin, 120, f, 3, Hightail–Before You Know It, by Hard
Spun. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Calumet Farm;
T-Brad H. Cox. $24,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 5 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.55, 19.20, 6.80.
Also Ran: Whocouldaskformo, Life Talk, Barbratina, Carmelina, Princess Vino, Munny Grab. Scratched: Six Pack Senorita.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Twirling Candy’s Gear Jockey Doubles Up in Ainsworth Turf Sprint

In a mad scramble for the wire in Saturday's $1-million GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs, 23-1 Calumet homebred Gear Jockey (6, h, Twirling Candy–Switching Gears, by Tapit) got a desperate head down in front of 3-2 choice One Timer (Trappe Shot) and 11-1 Bad Beat Brian (Jack Milton). It was a repeat of his success in this same race two years ago when it was a Grade III, albeit by a far slimmer margin.

Final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.59. The Turf Sprint is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race, giving Gear Jockey an automatic berth into the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

The winner was prominent throughout, stalking the :21.77 and :45.08 early fractions set by Bad Beat Brian. Gear Jockey didn't give the leader a comfortable time of it while pressuring from the outside. The duo remained one-two until late stretch with Bad Beat Brian digging in gamely, but Gear Jockey determinedly stuck his head in front as One Timer–who won the GII Franklin-Simpson S. over this course last year–closed down the middle and entered the scene from the outside. The largest margin between the first seven horses across the wire was a neck.

“He broke very sharp. He gave me the same race he gave me two years ago when he won here,” said winning rider Jose Lezcano. “To be honest with you, I knew it was going to be very close… I was very happy for the horse. He is a tough horse and he tries all the time. I am very happy for [trainer] Rusty [Arnold] and his whole team. They work very hard.”

Gear Jockey brings his best to Kentucky Downs, as he won this race in 2021 with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, his top to date, but had neglected to find the winner's circle since until Saturday and makes it two-for-two over the Kentucky Downs lawn. He was coming off a sixth-place finish in the July 22 Van Clief S. at Colonial Downs–his first start since last November–behind Front Run the Fed (Fed Biz), who finished sixth in Saturday's Turf Sprint. While he hasn't shied away from top competition and has just the two Kentucky Downs graded stakes on his CV, Gear Jockey has faced and finished just behind some of the best grass sprinters of the last few years. His five graded placings include the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and the 2022 GII Shakertown S.

“We're pretty happy,” said trainer Rusty Arnold. “He's a favorite. I thought he had lost his edge. He's had his issues and we thought we had him in pretty good shape. He loves this course. Two times he's won on it, so obviously he does. Great ride. Very happy.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Thanks to the healthy purses at Kentucky Downs, Gear Jockey is the richest of Twirling Candy's 43 black-type winners, although the stallion's 18 graded winners also include GISWs Concrete Rose, Pinehurst, Gift Box, and Rombauer, as well as four additional Grade I winners. The son of Candy Ride (Arg) stands alongside his sire at Lane's End. Gear Jockey is also one of 90 stakes winners out of daughters of Tapit, whose 2023 successes as a broodmare sire have catapulted him into the leading damsire of the year. Gear Jockey joins luminaries such as Cody's Wish, Pretty Mischievous, and Arcangelo on the Gainesway sire's 'best-of' list as broodmare sire for 2023.

Calumet bought Switching Gears for $20,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January sale with Gear Jockey in utero. The mare is out of a half-sister to GISW and sire Stroll (Pulpit). Her most recent foal is a yearling colt by Bravazo. She was bred to Mandaloun for next term.

Saturday, Kentucky Downs
AINSWORTH TURF SPRINT S.-GII, $998,667, Kentucky Downs, 9-9, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:10.59, fm.
1–GEAR JOCKEY, 121, h, 6, by Twirling Candy
                1st Dam: Switching Gears, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Pace, by Indian Ridge (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Maid for Walking (GB), by Prince Sabo (GB)
O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II; J-Jose Lezcano. $589,680. Lifetime Record: GISP, 24-5-2-6, $1,586,651. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–One Timer, 121, g, 4, Trappe Shot–Spanish Star, by Blame. ($21,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-Patricia's Hope LLC and Richard Ravin; B-St. Simon Place LLC (KY); T-Larry Rivelli. $192,800.
3–Bad Beat Brian, 121, g, 6, Jack Milton–Ultimate Class, by During. ($22,000 RNA Wlg '17 KEENOV; $16,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $115,000 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-Marsico Brothers Racing LLC; B-Pope McLean, Pope McLean Jr., Marc McLean & Phil Hager (KY); T-Brittany A. Vanden Berg. $96,400.
Margins: HD, NK, NK. Odds: 23.30, 1.50, 11.84.
Also Ran: Olympic Runner, Cogburn, Front Run the Fed, Eamonn, Dr Zempf (GB), Dream Shake, Counterstrike, Noble Reflection. Scratched: Anaconda, Nobals.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Weekly Stewards And Commissions Rulings, Aug. 15-21

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

The TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These will include decisions from around the country.

California
Track: Del Mar
Date: 08/17/2023
Licensee: Tiago Pereira, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey Tiago Pereira, who rode Legislator in the eighth race at Del Mar Race Track on August 13, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (August 24, 25 and 26, 2023) for altering course without sufficient clearance in the stretch, causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount from first to sixth; a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

New York
Track: Saratoga
Date: 08/19/2023
Licensee: Jose Lezcano, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey Mr. Jose Lezcano having waived his right to an appeal is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days August 23rd 2023, through August 25th 2023 inclusive. This for careless riding during the running of the 9th race at Saratoga Racecourse on August 17th 2023.

Track: Saratoga
Date: 08/20/2023
Licensee: Rafael Bejarano, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey Mr. Rafael Bejarano having waived his right to an appeal is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days August 26th 2023, August 27th 2023, August 30th 2023 inclusive. This for careless riding during the running of the 9th race at Saratoga Racecourse on August 19th 2023. See the story here.

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit's “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

This does not include the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Violations of Crop Rule
Belterra Park
Jose Lopez – violation date Aug 16; $250 fine, no other records

Delaware Park
Augusto Ali Marin – violation date Aug 16; $250 fine, no other records
Carol Dyann Cedeno – violation date Aug 17; $250 fine, no other records

Horseshoe Indianapolis
Hannah Leahey – violation date Aug 15; $250 fine, no other records
Santo Sanjur – violation date Aug 16; $250 fine, no other records
Emmanuel Esquivel – violation date Aug 19; $250 fine, no other records

Presque Isle Downs
Jose Lucio Riquelme  – violation date Aug 15; $250 fine, no other records
Wilfredo Martinez – violation date Aug 15; $250 fine, no other records
Gary John Wales – violation date Aug 15; $250 fine, no other records
Heman Kumar Harkie – violation date Aug 17; $250 fine, no other records

Pending ADMC Violations
Date: 07/31/2023
Licensee: Steve Asmussen, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Intra-articular injection
Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314—Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method—on the horse, Bramito. This is also a possible violation of Rule 4222–Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout

Date: 07/21/2023
Licensee: Kenneth Cox, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Not as Lucky as Us, who won at Colonial Downs on 7/21/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/20/2023
Licensee: Arnoud Dobber, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violatio
Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Coyote Runner. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/19/2023
Licensee: David Reid, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Grand Hideaway, who won at Hawthorne on 7/19/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/17/2023
Licensee: Troy Smith, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Rattleme, who won at Finger Lakes on 7/17/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/13/2023
Licensee: Christophe Clement, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dantrolene—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from My Royal Vow. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/07/2023
Licensee: Candice Cryderman, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Methocarbamol—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Dontforgetthesuga, who finished third at Emerald Downs on 7/7/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 07/07/2023
Licensee: Lynn Rarick, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Methocarbamol—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Calzone, who finished third at Canterbury Downs on 6/20/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Licensee: Peter Miller, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged Violation: Three medication violations
Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in samples taken from Forgiving Spirit, who finished second at Santa Anita on 6/11/23; from Anmer Hall, who won at Santa Anita on 6/4/23; and from Giver Not a Taker, who finished fourth at Santa Anita on 6/4/23. These are possible violations of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 07/18/2023
Licensee: Roberto Lopez, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility beginning on August 16, 2023; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points.
Alleged Violation: For the presence of Lidocaine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Hardly Working, who finished sixth at Finger Lakes on 7/18/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

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War Like Goddess Beats The Boys in Turf Classic, BC Turf Next

If Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had any qualms whether his star turf distaffer could hold her own against the boys, George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel) dispelled all doubts with an emphatic 2 3/4-length score over males in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, run this year at Belmont at the Big A. Pacesetter Bye Bye Melvin (Uncle Mo) was second with Astronaut (Quality Road) checking in third, and second choice Gufo (Declaration of War), third as the favorite in last year's renewal, a dull last of seven. It had been nearly four decades and a 1983 renewal of the Joe Hirsch that pre-dated the inception of the Breeders' Cup when the great All Along (Fr) (Targowice)–that year's winner of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-last beat the boys in the race, also the last time it was run at Aqueduct.

“I always thought she belonged,” said Mott, who indicated War Like Goddess will face males a second time in the Nov. 5 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. “There's good horses and she could get outrun, but I think she deserves an opportunity, for sure. I don't think we're out of line whatsoever. We're a long ways from the winner's circle, but I think she deserves her opportunity. She's done nothing wrong.”

The Joe Hirsch and the Breeders' Cup Turf are both contested at 1 1/2 miles, while the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, in which War Like Goddess finished third last year, will be held at 1 3/16 miles due to Keeneland's configuration. War Like Goddess is undefeated in five tries at 1 1/2 miles.

In the Joe Hirsch, run over Aqueduct's inner turf, Bye Bye Melvin went straight to the lead and led the field on a merry chase, clocking the first quarter in :24.25, the half in :48.96, and the mile in 1:39.10. Astronaut rated in second while War Like Goddess settled on the rail in third as the odds-on favorite. The field got closer to Bye Bye Melvin on the backstretch and after the third of three turns, War Like Goddess shifted to the outside, got a couple of right-handed taps from jockey Jose Lezcano, and overhauled the leader, lengthening her stride and taking over with aplomb. She was an easy winner.

“The filly is very easy to ride,” said Lezano. “She broke very good and I moved her up a little more than I wanted to, but she seemed a little quiet so I moved her up a little more. I wanted position at the start of the race and [Bye Bye Melvin] and [Astronaut] went, so I sat right there. I stepped aside and stayed there the whole way around. It was very easy to get there, there were only seven horses.

“She's a very nice mare and she does everything right. When I asked her, she gave me her race. She's a very good horse. When you ride a horse for Billy [Mott], you've always got a chance to win this kind of race.”

But for a pace-compromised neck defeat in the GII Flower Bowl S. Sept. 3, War Like Goddess would be undefeated for the year. She captured the Aug. 6 GII Glens Falls S. at the Spa after a minor physical issue that kept her away from the races for a few months following her GIII Bewitch S. win Apr. 29 at Keeneland. Last year, she won four straight graded stakes, including the then-GI Flower Bowl, prior to her Breeders' Cup third in the Filly/Mare event run in 2021 at 1 3/8 miles.

Pedigree Notes:

Brad Kelly's Calumet Farm is having somewhat of a resurgence this year as a breeder, with both GI Kentucky Derby victor Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and War Like Goddess, among others, emerging from the program. Both Rich Strike and War Like Goddess are by Calumet-standing stallions, although English Channel was lost after a brief illness last November. English Channel, himself a turf champion in 2007, has been a reliable conduit for turf class, with 11 of his 12 Grade I winners coming on the grass. Overall, English Channel has 34 graded winners and 65 black-type winners in the Northern Hemisphere. It's also not the first time he's made an impact in the Joe Hirsch: he won the race himself in 2006 and 2007 after a second in 2005 and his Canadian champion son, Channel Maker, won it in 2018 and 2020 and finished second in 2019.

War Like Goddess is out of a North Light (Ire) mare and is one of six stakes winners out of daughters of the Danehill stallion and 2004 G1 Epsom Derby winner. Misty North, purchased by Calumet at the 2014 Keeneland November sale for $30,000 in foal to Cape Blanco (Ire), was resold at the same sale in 2019 to Charles Yochum for $1,000. She produced a colt named North of Bali (Bal a Bali {Brz}) the next spring, currently the last reported foal for the 12-year-old mare, although she was bred to Curlin for next term.

Saturday, Belmont at The Big A
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.29, gd.
1–WAR LIKE GODDESS, 123, m, 5, by English Channel
                1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
                3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000
2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY);
T-W Mott; J-J Lezcano. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 12-9-1-1,
$1,612,184. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: F.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bye Bye Melvin, 126, g, 5, Uncle Mo–Karlovy Vary, by
Dynaformer. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Alex G. Campbell, Jr.;
B-Alex G. Campbell, Jr. Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-H. Graham
Motion. $100,000.
3–Astronaut, 126, h, 5, Quality Road–Armanda (Ger), by
Acatenango (Ger). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-John M. B.
O'Connor; B-Anastasie Astrid Christiansen-Croy (KY); T-Thomas
Albertrani. $60,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3/4, NO. Odds: 0.95, 6.70, 67.75.
Also Ran: Rockemperor (Ire)-(DH), Soldier Rising (GB)-(DH), Adhamo (Ire), Gufo. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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