Tag: jose ortiz

‘Rising Star’ Conquest Warrior Earns Possible Florida Derby Ticket In GP Allowance Romp

The defection of big-figure maiden winner Speak Easy (Constitution) to Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. made the task at hand for 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time, by Pulpit) that much easier on paper, and the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer made light work of the six rivals that stuck around to likely punch his ticket to the GI Curlin Florida Derby in four weeks' time.

Away only fairly, the 3-5 chalk was handy enough to the early pace of 5-2 second pick Merit (Mastery)–rerouted from the Fountain of Youth–banking around the first turn and was settled nicely in fourth by Jose Ortiz through early sections of :23.79 and :47.62. Traveling a path or two away from the inside down the backstretch as the pacesetter opened just a touch of daylight, Conquest Warrior was ridden along just a bit 3 1/2 furlongs out, and when Raguel (Justify) failed to go on from a three-wide position, he had dead aim on the pacesetter. Claiming that one more or less on his own courage at the three-sixteenths, Conquest Warrior quickly opened up and was under a full-nelson for the final sixteenth of a mile, stopping the clock in a very respectable 1:50.52 for the nine furlongs on a fast strip.

“I thought there was a couple horses in there that might show a little speed. He wanted to be a little keen going into the first [turn] but then he settled perfect for [Ortiz]. I thought it was a perfect race for him,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He got to settle in behind horses, eat a little dirt, make his run the way you'd want him to and finished up on his own. When those horses came to him galloping out [Ortiz] said he wanted to go with them, so he let him do it. I'm pleased.”

A debut third to giant-figure El Capi (Maclean's Music) going seven furlongs in the Aqueduct mud Dec. 2, Conquest Warrior was pinched at the start of a local mile maiden Jan. 13 and was steadied a couple of more times in transit, but nevertheless managed to overcome all that to graduate by a half-length. The runner-up on that occasion, Centennial Farms' Antiquarian (Preservationist), backed up that effort with a maiden-breaking victory of his own on the Risen Star undercard at the Fair Grounds Feb. 22.

McGaughey was non-committal about the colt's next start n the immediate aftermath of the race.

“We'll see,. The timing's good [to the Florida Derby],” he said. “We can take him there, Kentucky or New York. He's got two wins over this track. We only have to travel and hour and a half [from Payson Park] [unlike] the other places. I'll watch [the Fountain of Youth]. I'm looking forward to it.”

Betz Thoroughbreds acquired the three-time stakes-winning Tea Time for $250,000 in foal to Union Rags at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and that produce, a filly named Soul Play, was purchased by Don Adam's team at Keeneland September in 2021 before signing for her half-brother 12 months later. Tea Time's dam Asian Empress (Empire Maker) is a full-sister to GI Juddmonte Spinster S. winner Acoma and a half to five other winners, including the late Grade I-winning sire Arch, as well as the unraced dam of two-time Eclipse Award and dual Grade I winner Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Japanese MGSW/MG1SP Albiano (Harlan's Holiday). Tea Time is responsible for the 2-year-old colt Brodeur (Nyquist), a $110,000 FTKOCT yearling purchse by D J Stable, and is due to Justify this season.

7th-Gulfstream, $73,420, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.52, ft, 5 lengths.
CONQUEST WARRIOR (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time {MSW, $279,966}, by Pulpit) Sales history: Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $96,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Betz/B & K Canetti/J Betz/CoCo Equine/D J Stables (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

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Twirling Candy’s Top Conor, Million-Dollar OBSMAR Grad, Debuts Nicely At Gulfstream

8th-Gulfstream, $70,840, Msw, 2-17, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.22, ft, 2 lengths.
TOP CONOR (c, 3, Twirling Candy–Divine Dawn {GSP, $187,875}, by Divine Park), the second choice on the board at 5-2, sat narrowly off fifth-time starter Wistucky (Nyquist) through a half in :45.61. Tipped out past the quarter pole by Jose Ortiz, he closed stoutly and got up with plenty left despite drifting close to home to pick up the two-length win on debut over Military Road (Quality Road). Pinhooked as a $200,000 KEESEP yearling and secured by Flanagan Racing for a top-four price of $1,000,000 as a 2-year-old at OBS March last year after breezing in :9.4, Top Conor is the second winner out of a graded-stakes placed full-sister to GSW/GISP Divine Miss Grey. Divine Dawn saw her 2-year-old Gun Runner colt bring $850,000 as a yearling at FTSAUG last summer and produced a full-sister to Top Conor last year before visiting Epicenter for 2024. Sales History: $200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $1,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Flanagan Racing; B-International Equities Holding, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.

 

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Didia Outclasses Rivals In Pegasus World Cup F/M Turf

The exceptionally consistent Didia (Arg) (Orpen) won for the 10th time in 15 career starts and for the sixth time in eight appearances since coming to North America, kicking on gamely in the final eighth of a mile to take out Saturday's $500,000 GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Sent off the lukewarm 33-10 favorite, some $1,500 more than GIII Cardinal S. romper Star Fortress (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Didia jumped alertly and put herself right into the race, as she settled just off the flank of longshot leader Accomplished Girl (Street Boss) through the opening exchanges. The pace was not overly taxing up front–Didia eyeballed Accomplished Girl past a half-mile in a modest :48.62–and Didia was held together by Jose Ortiz on the turn, waiting for her cue to sprint for the wire.

Asked for her best when level with the front-runner on the swing for home, the 6-year-old stuck her head in front at the furlong marker and was home first. Surprisingly (Mastery), a 25-1 outsider, was able to drop down onto the fence rounding the  first turn when Star Fortress was taken hold of and rode the rail throughout. She turned in a menacing late rally to be a good second. California raider Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) was well and truly taken out of her game when unable to make the running, as is her custom, but she was settled well enough by Frankie Dettori from a forward position and finished a highly creditable third, just ahead of the well-bet Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}).

Twice a Group 1 winner in Argentina, Didia won the first four starts of her stateside sojourn, capped by a powerful victory in the GIII Modesty S. at Churchill last May. A pace-compromised second in the GI New York S. June 9, the bay was freshened with an eye on the tail end of the season and she returned to boss her rivals in the GII Rodeo Drive S. Oct. 7. She was most recently 10th to champion Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as the 9-1 fourth choice in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Nov. 4.

“I told [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] to be close and don't leave her that much to do,” said winning trainer Ignacio Correas of Saturday's effort. “He was a bit closer but when I saw that the pace was not that fast, I was very happy with where she was. I thought if she got beat it was going to be if she beat herself. She had everything in her favor.

“I think that probably she's better than I ever imagined,” Correas added. “She can do whatever. When you think that she was running a mile and a quarter and them come and put in such a performance almost wire to wire, close to the lead, these horses they just train themselves. We just need to stay out of the way.”

The victory earns Didia a spot in the field and a $25,000 travel stipend for the G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Glorious Goodwood later this summer.

Saturday, Gulfstream
TAA PEGASUS WORLD CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF INVITATIONAL S.-GII, $485,600, Gulfstream, 1-27, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.90, fm.
1–DIDIA (ARG), 120, m, 6, by Orpen
1st Dam: Delambre (Brz) (G1SP-Brz), by Rainbow Corner (GB)
2nd Dam: Diya, by Ariosto (Arg)
3rd Dam: Sevilla (Arg), by Ringaro
O-Merriebelle Stable; B-La Manija (ARG); T-Ignacio Correas,
IV; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $282,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly &
MG1SW-Arg, GISP-US, 15-10-2-0, $1,074,109. *Full to
Davide (Arg), Ch. All-Weather Horse & SW-Sin, $549,642; and
Dedini (Arg), MG1SP-Arg; half to Desvelo (Arg) (Sunray Spirit),
MSP, $181,511. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Surprisingly, 120, m, 5, Mastery–Vagabond, by Arch.
($1,000,000 4yo '23 KEENOV). O-Repole Stable; B-Phipps
Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $94,000.
3–Ruby Nell, 120, f, 4, Bolt d'Oro–Rich Love, by Not For Love.
($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $85,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP;
$1,200,000 2yo '22 FTFMAR). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC;
B-Solana Beach Sales (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $47,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, HD. Odds: 3.30, 26.60, 4.10.
Also Ran: Fluffy Socks, Mission of Joy, Chili Flag (Fr), Sister Lou Ann, Accomplished Girl, Queen Goddess, Cairo Consort, Star Fortress (Ire). Scratched: Be My Sunshine, Full Count Felicia.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Homebred Mystifying Holds On To Graduate At First Asking In Hallandale

6th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-14, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:11.68, ft, 1/2 length.
MYSTIFYING (f, 3, Curlin–Puzzling {SP, $127,312}, by Ghostzapper) debuted with Lasix and as a 7-1 shot here. The homebred hustled for the lead to the inside of a pair of competitors up the backstretch. Poking her head in front around the far turn, the filly continued to pour on the speed at the top of the lane and she gamely held off the favorite Bedazzle 'Em (American Pharoah) to graduate by half a length. “Jose [Ortiz] worked her out of the gate one day at Payson and she worked really well,” said trainer Shug McGaughey. “I thought she was tactical enough to run three-quarters, but she's going to want to run farther. He told me she just took him there on her own. He was like, 'If you want to go, we'll go.' I think she's got a good future in front of her.” Puzzling is responsible for a newly-turned juvenile colt by Street Sense, who was purchased for $500,000 by Centennial Farms at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The stakes-place mare was covered by Oscar Performance for this year. Mystifying's second dam–GISP Dancinginmydreams (Seeking the Gold)–is a full-sister to champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Prize, in addition to GI Matron S. heroine Oh What A Windfall. Dancinginmydreams is also responsible for GI Manhattan H. scorer Dancing Forever (Rahy). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

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