karakontie | Horse Racing Free Tips

Spanish Loveaffair Tops Field Of 11 In Wednesday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Jessamine Stakes

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber's Spanish Loveaffair leads Wednesday's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) for 2-year-old fillies on turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., live on NBCSN at 4 p.m. ET. The winner of the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine, which drew 11 starters, will earn an automatic berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

Wednesday's telecast, produced in association with TVG, marks the 11th and final program in this year's “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, scheduled for Nov. 6-7 and airing on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Reporting and commentary for the telecast will be provided from Keeneland by TVG's Todd Schrupp, Matt Bernier, Caton Bredar, Gabby Gaudet, Britney Eurton and Caleb Keller. Simon Bray will be providing commentary from home.

Spanish Loveaffair, a bay daughter of 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Karakontie (JPN), has won both her starts at Gulfstream Park. Spanish Loveaffair is trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who won this race in 2016 with La Coronel. After breaking her maiden at 1 mile by an eye-popping 11 lengths on July 23, Spanish Loveaffair returned on Aug. 29 to win the 1-mile Sharp Susan Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths as the 1-2 favorite. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Spanish Loveaffair and will break from post position 10.

Among the challengers to Spanish Loveaffair is the Brad Cox-trained Aunt Pearl (IRE). In her lone start on Sept. 1 at Churchill Downs, Aunt Pearl, a bay daughter of Lope de Vega (IRE), set the early pace in a 1-mile race and drew off by 5 lengths. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group, Aunt Pearl will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 7.

Another impressive debut winner is Don Alberto Stable's Ingrassia. Trained by Chad Brown, who has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf three times, Ingrassia overcame a bumpy start in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Saratoga on Aug. 19 and steadily worked her way to the front to win by a nose. A daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, Ingrassia will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post 5.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Ben Rollins and Shelia Rollins' Beautiful Star, a daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow, who was fifth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies on Sept. 7. Adam Beschizza has the mount and will break from post position 4. Asmussen also will send out Kentucky Downs debut maiden winner Arm Candy for the partnership of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron and Kurz Equine Investments. Ricardo Santana Jr. will ride from post position 6.

The post Spanish Loveaffair Tops Field Of 11 In Wednesday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Jessamine Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Steady Trade Produces $500,000 Karakontie Colt On Tuesday At Keeneland September Sale

Marsha Naify paid $500,000 for a colt by Karakontie to top a day of active commerce during Tuesday's ninth day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Naify also acquired two fillies, one by Jimmy Creed for $35,000 and the other from the first crop of Gormley for $30,000. She the session's leading buyer with a total of three purchases for $565,000.

The $500,000 colt, consigned by Gainesway, agent, is the first foal out of the Speightstown mare Untouch, a half-sister to recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve third-place finisher Mr. Big News. The colt is from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Glorious Song, Eclipse Award winner Devil's Bag and Grade 2 winner Saint Ballado.

Gainesway sold a total of 29 horses for $1,337,000 to lead consignors on Tuesday.

A total of 253 yearlings sold for $6,484,100 during the session, for an average of $25,629 and a median of $15,000. With three days remaining in the 12-day sale, Keeneland has sold a total of 1,773 horses for $230,574,800, for an average of $130,048 and a median of $60,000.

On Tuesday, Solis/Litt paid the session's second-highest price of $240,000 for a filly by Jimmy Creed out of the Malibu Moon mare On Reflection. Consigned by Woods Edge Farm, agent, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Rutherienne and Grade 3 winners Adorable Micol, Adcat, Ruthenia and Oiseau de Feu.

D.J. Stables spent $240,000 on a colt by Speightster who is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Hotshot Anna. Consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock, agent for Paul Tackett, he is out of the winning, stakes-placed mare Avalos, by Holy Bull.

The September Sale continues Wednesday and runs through Friday with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

The post Steady Trade Produces $500,000 Karakontie Colt On Tuesday At Keeneland September Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Storm The Court, Attachment Rate, And Sole Volante

Each day of Kentucky Derby week, we'll take a look at the pedigrees of some Derby contenders and how those pedigrees might factor into their ability to succeed at 1 1/4 miles.

Storm the Court
Court Vision x My Tejana Storm, by Tejano Run
Court Vision had no trouble getting the distance over dirt or turf. On the main track, he took the G2 Remsen Stakes (1 1/8 miles) and the G3 Iroquois Stakes (1 1/16 miles). After finishing 13th in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, he was moved to the turf, where he finished the year with a win at 10 furlongs in the G1 Hollywood Derby and one at 1 1/8 miles in the G2 Jamaica Handicap. He then became a star turf miler, taking home Grade 1 wins in the Breeders' Cup Mile, Woodbine Mile Stakes, and Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes.

Storm the Court, the winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and champion 2-year-old male, is one of two graded stakes winners by Court Vision. The other is Mr. Havercamp, who is a Grade 2 winner at 7 furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, as well as a Grade 3 winner at 1 mile, all on the turf. His runners also include Canadian champion King and His Court, who is a stakes winner at 9 furlongs over Woodbine's all-weather main track, and finished third in the third leg of Canada's Triple Crown, the 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Stakes.

Despite having several examples to prove he can sire a distance runner, Court Vision's average progeny winning distance of 6.89 furlongs puts him in the lower half among this year's Derby sires.

My Tejana Storm spent her entire career racing at Philadelphia Park, where she won three times around one turn, once on the turf and twice on dirt.

Save for the Eclipse Award winner, My Tejana Storm's most successful runner is the U S Ranger filly Belleoftheprairie, who earned six figures as a multi-surface runner, excelling at the 5 furlong distance. He's Great, by Greatness, is a five-time winner racing exclusively at Charles Town, where those wins came between 4 1/2 and 7 furlongs. What a Wicked Game, by Tizway, went unplaced in seven starts in New Mexico.

Attachment Rate
Hard Spun x Aristra, by Afleet Alex
Hard Spun finished second in his own Kentucky Derby try in 2007, but he proved himself to be a versatile runner, taking the G1 King's Bishop Stakes at 7 furlongs and the G2 Lane's End Stakes and Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. He also finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles.

His own foals post an average winning distance of 7.64 furlongs, which is near the top of the list for this year's Derby sires. His most notable runner on the classic stage is Wicked Strong, who won the G1 Wood Memorial Stakes 1 1/8 miles en route to finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Aristra won one of six starts racing in New Mexico and Pennsylvania, graduating in a Penn National maiden claimer in her final start, going 1 mile 70 yards on the main track. She was claimed for $5,000 that day.

Attachment Rate is her lone six-figure earner, having run second in the Ellis Park Derby (1 1/8 miles) and Unbridled Stakes (1 1/16 miles), and third in the G3 Gotham Stakes (1 mile). Aristra's next-best runner is Talk Less, a son of Blame who is a three-time winner in Ohio, all at distances at or near a mile. Arkadag, by Union Rags, is a two-time claiming winner at Laurel Park at 7 furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, both on the dirt. Rounding out the group is Base Jumper, a son of Arch who won twice at Finger Lakes, both at 1 mile 70 yards.

How did a nickel claimer get into the books of such high-end stallions? Aristra is a half-sister to four graded stakes producers, including the dams of champion Caledonia Road, Grade 1 winners Hymn Book and Data Link, and Grade 3 winner Strike The Bell.

Sole Volante
Karakontie x Light Blow, by Kingmambo

Karakontie, a Japanese-born homebred for the Niarchos family's Flaxman Holdings Ltd., spent most of his career racing in Europe. At two, he took the French G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and Prix La Rochette, both at 7 furlongs. He came back at three to win the French 2000 Guineas at 1 mile, and he finished that season with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Sole Volante is a member of Karakontie's first crop of runners. However, the sire's average progeny winning distance of 7.34 furlongs is an excellent number for a rookie stallion at this point in the season.

Beyond Sole Volante, Karakonte's top runners include Kenzai Warrior, an English Group 3 winner at seven furlongs; multiple turf sprint stakes winner Karak; and Ketil, who is multiple Group 3-placed in France at 1 1/2 miles or longer.

Light Blow, also a Niarchos homebred, won once at an eye-popping 1 7/8 miles during a short racing career in England. She also ran second at about 1 1/4 miles on debut.

She has lived up to the lofty expectations of the Niarchos program as a broodmare. Sole Volante is her top earner, but she has already had an elite 3-year-old in Explode, a son of Trappe Shot who was a Sovereign Award finalist in 2019 off a campaign that featured wins in the G3 Canadian Derby at the classic distance. He went even further to finish third in the G3 BC Premier's Handicap at 1 3/8 miles.

Light Blow is also the dam of Light of Joy, by Kitten's Joy, who was stakes-placed in England at 1 1/2 miles.

The post Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Storm The Court, Attachment Rate, And Sole Volante appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘This Is The Time’: Sole Volante Sharp In Five-Furlong Turf Breeze Ahead Of Kentucky Derby

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone's Sole Volante turned in a sharp five-furlong workout on turf Friday morning at Palm Meadows Training Facility in preparation for a scheduled start in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1).

The Patrick Biancone-trained son of Karakontie, who was ridden by jockey Luca Panici, was timed in 57.80 seconds, the fastest of four recorded at the distance on turf at Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“He worked really well. We did a shorter work today to get a little speed into him,” said the trainer's daughter and assistant Andie Biancone. “He worked very well and came back great.”

Sole Volante is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs Saturday at 6 p.m.

Sole Volante captured the Pulpit Stakes, in which he defeated Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner King Guillermo on turf, and finished third in the Mucho Macho Man during Gulfstream's Championship Meet. He went on to win the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs and finish second behind King Guillermo in the Tampa Bay Derby. He won a stakes-quality handicap at Gulfstream June 10 before sustaining his first out-of-the-money finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Panici, who has worked closely with the Biancones in the development of Sole Volante, will ride in his first Kentucky Derby Saturday.

“I'm excited to be there. I'm thankful to the connections for giving me this opportunity with a good horse. I'm very, very happy to be a part of this team,” Panici said. “I'm very, very proud and proud of the people who work with me.”

The son of a jockey, Panici grew up playing soccer with Frankie Dettori across the street from the racetrack in Milan, Italy, Dettori, four years his senior, inspired Panici with his immediate success as a jockey at the age of 16, as well as the subsequent fame and fortune he earned in England and across the world. Panici went on to enjoy success while riding more than 500 winners in Italy, but racing in the U.S. first caught his attention in 1996, when he spent a winter in South Florida galloping for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for free in exchange for one mount (fifth-place finisher Yokama in a Feb. 19, 1996 allowance at Gulfstream).

Panici, who returned to South Florida the following winter to gallop from trainer Gary Sciacca, moved permanently to the U.S. in 2009. He has won nearly 700 races in the U.S., none more important than Sole Volante's Sam F. Davis score that put him on the Triple Crown trail.

“When you work with a baby, you think always maybe they can take you to the Derby,” said the 46-year-old Panici, who will travel to Louisville following Sunday's Gulfstream program. “Finally, this is the time.”

Biancone also sent multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops to the Palm Meadows turf course Friday morning to prepare for a start in the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Sept. 4. The 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky, who is Grade 1 stakes-placed on turf and dirt, was timed in 45.90 seconds, the fastest four-furlong turf work of 19 recorded.

Diamond Oops captured the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3) before stretching out to finish a strong fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) during Gulfstream's Championship Meet. He finished second in his first start back in a June 13 overnight handicap in his return off a layoff. Diamond Oops finished second back-to-back in last year's seven-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland before getting eliminated at the start of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

The post ‘This Is The Time’: Sole Volante Sharp In Five-Furlong Turf Breeze Ahead Of Kentucky Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post