Tag: Ken McPeek

Tiz The Bomb Made 3-1 Morning Line Favorite For Kentucky Jockey Club

Phoenix Thoroughbreds' $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (Grade 1) runner-up Tiz the Bomb was tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in Saturday's 95th running of the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club, the featured event on Saturday's “Stars of Tomorrow II” program at Churchill Downs.

Trained by two-time Kentucky Jockey Club-winning conditioner Kenny McPeek, Tiz the Bomb finished second by 1 ½ lengths to Modern Games in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf when he rallied from more than seven lengths off the early pace.

“We've always thought highly of him from the start,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “Before the (Juvenile Turf) he handled things professionally when we were waiting behind the gate during the scratch situation. He ran a really good effort to finish second after we got back a little bit farther than we planned at the start.”

Bettors were rewarded with Tiz the Bomb's 7-1 mutuel price in the Juvenile Turf after Modern Games was mistakenly scratched from the tote system but allowed to run for purse money only.

Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the Derby. McPeek has made six starts in the Kentucky Derby and finished second in 1995 with Tejano Run.

“We've been on the Road to the Kentucky Derby before and it's always exciting,” McPeek said. “We have three really nice horses so far this year in Rattle N Roll along with Tiz the Bomb and Smile Happy, who are in the Jockey Club.”

McPeek won the 2018 edition of the Kentucky Jockey Club with Signalman and in 2001 with Repent.

The Kentucky Jockey Club will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.

Here's the complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Classic Causeway (Joel Rosario, Brian Lynch, 7-2); Guntown (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 15-1); Rich Strike (Rafael Bejarano, Eric Reed, 50-1); Texas Red Hot (Julien Leparoux, Randy Morse, 12-1); Howling Time (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans, 7-2); Tiz the Bomb (Hernandez, McPeek, 3-1); Vivar (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 12-1); Smile Happy (Corey Lanerie, McPeek, 12-1); Red Knobs (Ricardo Santana Jr., Romans, 15-1); White Abarrio (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph, 8-1); Ready Pursuit (Martin Garcia, Jerry Antonuik, 50-1); Ben Diesel (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart, 15-1); Mannix (IRE) (Edwin Gonzalez, Mark Casse, 20-1); and Call Me Midnight (Chris Landeros, Keith Desormeaux, 15-1).

The post Tiz The Bomb Made 3-1 Morning Line Favorite For Kentucky Jockey Club appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Undefeated Howling Time Takes On Juv. Turf Runner Up Tiz The Bomb In Kentucky Jockey Club

The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday from Churchill Downs where Albaugh Family Stables' undefeated colt Howling Time, the winner of the $200,000 Street Sense four weeks ago, tops an ultra-competitive cast of 14 colts and geldings that entered the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade 2).

The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The race will share the Saturday spotlight with its counterpart for 2-year-old fillies, the $400,000 Golden Rod (G2). The Golden Rod will award the same scale of points to the Top 4 finishers for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

The Kentucky Jockey Club will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. First post is 1 p.m. Along with the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod (Race 10), the Saturday program also features the inaugural runnings of the 6 ½-furlong $200,000 Lively Shively in Race 9 and $200,000 Fern Creek for fillies in Race 12.

Howling Time enters the Kentucky Jockey Club unblemished in two career starts for trainer Dale Romans. The colt by Not This Time cruised to a 3 ¼-length victory in the Street Sense, the local prep for the Kentucky Jockey Club on “Stars of Tomorrow I.” The Kentucky-bred broke his maiden at first asking in September when he rallied from six lengths off the early pace for a 1 ½-length victory at odds of 5-1.

“We always thought he showed some promise in his training,” Romans said. “He was really impressive breaking his maiden back in September and proved it wasn't a fluke winning the Street Sense. His looks remind me a lot of his sire. He's got the size and stride that make them similar.”

Howling Time will once again be ridden by Joe Talamo from post No. 5.

“It seems like every race he keeps improving,” Talamo said. “Dale said he's doing even better going into this race than the last one. He has the right mind to him. Coming out of a sprint in his first start he had every right to get tired going two turns for the first time but he was all class. That's half the battle right there, especially with a young horse. He sure passed the test.”

One of the other top contenders Howling Time will face in the Kentucky Jockey Club is Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper's 6 ½-length Saratoga debut winner Classic Causeway. Trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway was the 9-5 favorite in the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) but after breaking from post 13, he tired late and settled for third behind accomplished juveniles Rattle N Roll and Double Thunder.

“He's always been a horse that breaks sharp from the gate,” Lynch said. “We knew that going into the debut so it didn't really surprise us he broke on top like he did but it's always a pleasant surprise to see them win that impressively. Last out in the Breeders' Futurity, he was hung wide from the gate and he battled pretty hard on the lead through fast fractions. I thought he gamely held on for third after the field closed in on him. Going into this start I've been trying to get him to relax a little bit in his training. I've worked him behind horses and in company so he doesn't have to be on the engine.”

Joel Rosario has the call on Classic Causeway from the rail.

Trainer Kenny McPeek entered a duo of budding stars in the Kentucky Jockey Club: Phoenix Thoroughbreds' $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) runner-up Tiz the Bomb and Lucky Seven Stable's eye-catching 5 ½-length debut winner Smile Happy.

“Tiz the Bomb was impressive last out at Del Mar after dealing with all of the pre-race incidents in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf,” McPeek said. “He's handled really anything we've thrown at him so far so going back to the dirt shouldn't be a problem for him.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the mount on Tiz the Bomb from post 6. Hernandez rode Smile Happy last out at Keeneland for his victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. Corey Lanerie will ride the Runhappy colt from post 8.

Another undefeated colt that entered the Kentucky Jockey Club is C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's Florida-invader White Abarrio. The Saffie Joseph-trained colt is perfect in his young career from two starts at Gulfstream Park with a 6 ¾-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight and a four-length front-running score in a first-level allowance at one-mile. Florida-based jockey Edgard Zayas, who rode White Abarrio to his allowance victory, will travel to Churchill Downs for the mount from post 10.

Here's the complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Classic Causeway (Rosario, Lynch)
  2. Guntown (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen)
  3. Rich Strike (Rafael Bejarano, Eric Reed)
  4. Texas Red Hot (Julien Leparoux, Randy Morse)
  5. Howling Time (Talamo, Romans)
  6. Tiz the Bomb (Hernandez, McPeek)
  7. Vivar (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
  8. Smile Happy (Lanerie, McPeek)
  9. Red Knobs (Ricardo Santana Jr., Romans)
  10. White Abarrio (Zayas, Joseph)
  11. Ready Pursuit (Martin Garcia, Jerry Antonuik)
  12. Ben Diesel (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart)
  13. Mannix (IRE) (Edwin Gonzalez, Mark Casse)
  14. Call Me Midnight (Chris Landeros, Keith Desormeaux)

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

The post Undefeated Howling Time Takes On Juv. Turf Runner Up Tiz The Bomb In Kentucky Jockey Club appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Saturday Insights: Promising Maidens on Display at Aqueduct, Churchill and Del Mar

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 11:50 a.m. ET
Stone Farm homebred WAR FIGHTER (War Front), a full-brother to European champion 2-year-old and young Coolmore sire Air Force Blue, kicks off his career over the Aqueduct lawn for Graham Motion. The dark bay posted a pair of bullets at Fair Hill for this, including a four-furlong spin in :48 (1/6) over the all-weather Nov. 15. Chatham (Maria's Mon)'s 2020 War Front colt brought $1 million from Lynnhaven Racing at this year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPs

5th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:45 p.m. ET
WINIT (Tapit), a $410,000 KEEESEP yearling purchase by Whisper Hill Farm, debuts in this two-turn grass affair for trainer John Kimmel. The gray was produced by a winning full-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro). Winit tuned up for this with a four-furlong breeze in :48 (2/36) from the gate at Belmont Nov. 11. TJCIS PPs

7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, post time: 4:06 p.m. ET
Stonestreet homebred LA CRETE (Medaglia d'Oro) gets her career started in this two-turn test beneath the Twin Spires. The bay filly is a half-sister to GISW Clairiere (Curlin), who rallied to finish a close fourth after a wide trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. The 5-2 morning-line favorite is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. TJCIS PPs

11th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 6:06 p.m. ET
Trainer Ken McPeek unveils RUN THE TAP (Gun Runner), a half-sister to grassy GI Fourstardave H. winner Halladay (War Front). The gray brought $210,000 from Walking L Thoroughbreds LLC at last year's Keeneland September Yearling sale. Leading freshman sire Gun Runner is already responsible for 21 winners. She is listed at 8-1 on the morning-line in this nine-horse field. TJCIS PPs

6th-DMR, $70k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, post time: 6:00 p.m. ET
MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC's well-named MICRO SHARE (Upstart) takes on nine rivals in this debut run for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. The dark bay, out of the unraced The Daddy mare Who'sbeeninmybed, was a :20 4/5 breezer and $450,000 purchase at the OBS April Sale. The field also includes fellow firster Empire Gal (Empire Maker), produced by a winning full-sister to the brilliant Untapable (Tapit). TJCIS PPs

The post Saturday Insights: Promising Maidens on Display at Aqueduct, Churchill and Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Turf Festival At Del Mar Attracts Number of East Coast Trainers

The nomination deadline is not until Thursday night for the seven stakes races from Thanksgiving Thursday to closing day on Sunday, November 28, unofficially known as the “Turf Festival” at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

And New York-based trainer Chad Brown, who has shipped in nine winners from his deep bench of grass runners in the past, hasn't been heard from yet.

But several other prominent Midwest- and East Coast-based conditioners have, leading to expectations in the racing office of quality and quantity invaders for the main events on the Bing Crosby Season's final four days.

A sneak peek, with horse names being withheld until close of entries:

Hollywood Turf Cup, Friday, November 26th, Grade 2, $250,000, 1 ½ miles (turf), 3-year-olds and up: Trainer Mike Maker has placed five in nomination for a race Brad Cox won last year with Arklow.

Hollywood Derby, Saturday, November 27th, Grade 1, $400,000, 1 1/8 miles (turf), 3-year-olds: Wesley Ward, Dallas Stewart, Ken McPeek, Maker (2), Jack Sisterson (2), Graham Motion, and Gregory Sacco have nominees. Brown has won it three times, sending out Annals of Time (2016), Raging Bull (2018), and Domestic Spending last year.

Seabiscuit Handicap, Saturday, November 27th, Grade 2, $250,000, 1 1/16 miles (turf), 3-year-olds and up: One horse from Japan is listed while Maker has submitted two names and Motion one. Phil D'Amato has carried the locally-based trainer banner to wins with Midnight Storm (2015), Hunt (2017), and Count Again (2020). Add Richard Baltas' win with Next Shares in 2019 and this has been a good Festival race for the home team.

Jimmy Durante Stakes, Saturday, November 27, Grade 3, $100,000, 1 mile (turf), 2-year-old fillies: Maker and Motion (2) have nominees for an event dominated by shippers over the years. Brown-trained Fluffy Socks won last year. Mike Stidham won the two years before that and George Weaver, Motion, and Mark Casse have also scored in the seven editions at Del Mar.

Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, Sunday, November 28, Grade 3, $100,000, 1 mile (turf), 2-year-olds: Motion has an early nominee in an event that has been good for locals. Smooth Like Strait won for Mike McCarthy in 2019 and Beer Can Man for Mark Glatt last year. Both horses ran during the recent Breeders' Cup Week here.

Matriarch Stakes, Sunday, November 28, Grade 1, $400,000, 1 mile (turf), older fillies and mares: Trainer Joe Sharp has two nominated and Stidham one for the climactic stakes race of the meeting. Brown has shipped in three winners in seven meetings, among them Viadera in 2020.

The post Turf Festival At Del Mar Attracts Number of East Coast Trainers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights