Tag: Kendrick Carmouche

Laopanonaprayer Much Best In Fifth Avenue Division Of New York Stallion Series

Kendrick Carmouche captured his first New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) riding title by guiding Laobanonaprayer to a convincing victory in Sunday's $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Carmouche entered the day with 21 wins, four more than second-place Jose Lezcano and clinched the title in style with an eight-length score aboard Laobanonaprayer, who is owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez.

“I got the best post position,” said Carmouche. “The best thing to do was to just watch everything go on to the inside of me and go from there. Everything set up perfect. I just had to be patient and let my horse run on. I'm just very happy for my buddy Danny Velazquez and his family and his team. We all came together to win another race. It's wonderful when you are in the winner's circle.”

Laobanonaprayer assumed a stalking position in fourth as Flower's Fortune set a contested opening quarter-mile of 23.95 seconds under pressure from U Should B Dancing and the rail-surging Jill's a Hot Mess.

Jill's a Hot Mess wrestled the lead away heading into the turn through a half-mile in 47.30 as Carmouche asked Laobanonaprayer to shift into gear racing outside of rivals. Moving comfortably throughout, Laobanonaprayer kicked clear of Jill's a Hot Mess down the lane and sprinted home in 1:24.95 on the fast main track.

Jill's a Hot Mess stayed on strong to complete the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths over Shanes Pretty Lady.

Rounding out the order of finish were Pop the Bubbly, Pazzion, Ms Wicked, Gray Destiny, Vive La Liberty, Flower's Fortune, Athena Dancer and U Should B Dancing. Tangerine Dream was scratched.

Following a pair of on-the-board efforts at Delaware Park to start her career, Velazquez added blinkers and the services of Carmouche for the filly's 5 1/2-length maiden win in the Maid of the Mist on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

Velazquez said he was confident of a strong effort despite a slight cutback in distance from her last out one-mile win over state-breds.

“I knew we came prepared,” said Velazquez. “I was questioning the distance but I knew she could handle it. I think she can actually go a mile and an eighth. I'm really looking forward to testing her against open company. That's where we'll really know where she is. It's fun to compete in these stakes, but we got to test her against open company.

Bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, Laobanonaprayer banked $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 4-2-1-1. A bay daughter of Laoban, out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance, Laobanonaprayer returned $4 on a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with a nine-race card to kick off Opening Day of the 56-day winter meet, which will include 42 stakes races worth $4.57 million in purse money. First post is 12:20 p.m.

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Cigar Mile Winner May Head For Taller Timber In Pegasus, Saudi Cup

Cigars and timber are not usually a good pairing. But Calumet Farm's True Timber proved his talent at the highest level with a 5 1/2-length win over Snapper Sinclair in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trainer Jack Sisterson said True Timber will fly to Keeneland on Monday and could start preparations for another challenging race, with the nine-furlong Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup on January 23 a possibility, along with the nine-furlong $20 million Saudi Cup on February 20 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“He's going on 7 [years old] and I don't want to take away what he loves to do, which is train and run,” Sisterson said. “He's not slowing down any. You need to capitalize. We'll look to bring him down to Palm Meadows in Florida and look at the Pegasus race form. We've also been invited to the Saudi Cup. We'll look at options like that and stretch him out. It'll be the first time around two turns for us, so we'll train him a little differently and see if he takes to that, and we'll go from there.”

True Timber registered his first win since September 2018, earning a trip to the winner's circle for the first time in 14 starts. The son of Mineshaft capped his 6-year-old year by capturing a race in which he's come close in the past, having run second by three-quarters of a length to Patternrecognition in 2018 and third in 2019 to Maximum Security.

“For True Timber, what impressed me the most was proving to people that he could win a big race and do it impressively,” said Sisterson. “He showed us in the morning that he has such a will to compete at a level like that. But from the outside looking in, the general public may have questioned his talent. He put forth his best effort, which we knew he had, yesterday.”

True Timber gave both his rider and conditioner an early Christmas gift. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who has been riding professionally since 2000, earned his first career Grade 1 victory after piloting the bay Kentucky bred.

The victory also marked the second career Grade 1 score for Sisterson, who took over True Timber's training duties this summer when Kiaran McLaughlin retired to become a jockey agent. Sisterson, who started on his own as a trainer in 2018, previously won the Personal Ensign with Vexatious this summer at Saratoga Race Course.

True Timber graduated at second asking in December 2016 on the Big A inner track with Carmouche in the irons. The pair have partnered up on nine occasions for a record of 3-1-3. Carmouche entered Sunday's Closing Day leading Jose Lezcano by four wins for the fall meet's leading rider.

“It means a lot for me for my staff who does all the hard work and to have someone like Kendrick say he'd ride them back, it gave us a lot of confidence and means a lot,” Sisterson said. “To be able to team up and win a race like that, it's been a long time coming but a well-deserved victory for Kendrick, who is a talented jockey and deserves a win like that. I didn't give him any instructions. He just told me, 'I got you, brother,' before the race in a text. We are just fortunate enough to add one victory to what is hopefully a riding title for him.”

Though True Timber was on a winless streak, he still registered competitive efforts against top-flight competition, including a third in the Grade 1 Forego on August 29 over a sloppy Saratoga track. With the Cigar Mile being contested over another sloppy and sealed track, Sisterson said that experience proved beneficial in preparing him to take dirt, as he tracked in third position through the opening half-mile on Saturday behind pacesetter Mr. Buff and King Guillermo.

“I think what benefitted him the most yesterday was his outside position,” said Sisterson on True Timber leaving from post 5 in the six-horse field. “We learned in his training and in the runs that he had, he doesn't like being shut on the inside. We don't work him on the inside in company; he's always on the outside, and he breezes like a happy horse and trains like a happy horse on the outside.

“He ran a credible race in the Forego and I think if he was on the outside and not pressured, he might have hung around to not be beat as far, but he still finished a good third. I think his outside position yesterday really helped him out.”

Sisterson's other Cigar Mile entrant, Bon Raison, finished last of six but came out of the effort in good order. The 5-year-old son of Raison d'Etat entered off a 10th-place finish in last month's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland and will now receive a freshening after running nine times in 2020.

“We took a shot. He's a homebred and a beautiful horse who has talent and I think as a plan for him moving forward, he'll get a well-deserved break,” Sisterson said. “We think he has a few nice wins in him. Maybe not at that sort of caliber, but if we pick and choose our spots, we can bring him back in the springtime and have some fun with him next year.”

Also owned by Calumet, Bon Raison won against on October 16 going six furlongs against optional claimers at Keeneland.

 

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True Timber Relishes the Slop in Cigar Mile Romp

True Timber (Mineshaft) has been knocking at the door of a Grade I win throughout his career, including in-the-money finishes in the last two renewals of the GI Cigar Mile H. The Calumet Farm runner broke through at the highest level in a big way at Aqueduct Saturday, romping in the mud to take this year’s edition of the prestigious Cigar Mile.

With his last victory coming in a Belmont optional claimer in September of 2018, True Timber was overlooked at 7-1 in this event, which lost three contenders Saturday morning due to track condition, including second-choice Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior). Racing two-wide, the bay stalked from third as come-backing sophomore King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) and hard-knocking New York-bred Mr. Buff (Friend of Foe) battled through a :22.89 first quarter. Mr. Buff edged ahead of his younger foe through a half in :45.82 with True Timber maintaining his position in third and favored Performer (Speightstown) trailing the field.

Ranging up outside the top two approaching the far turn, True Timber turned for home in front and splashed clear of the field in the lane under confident handling from Kendrick Carmouche to pull off the upset by 5 1/2 lengths. Snapper Sinclair (City Zip), a 13-1 shot, completed the exacta and Performer got up for third.

“I’ve got to give credit to True Timber, the farm, the incredible staff I have, and of course Kendrick [Carmouche],” said winning trainer Jack Sisterson. “I had all the confidence in the world when Kendrick texted me, ‘I got you brother, don’t worry’, with a little peace sign.”

He continued, “As soon as I got the horse [this spring], the Cigar Mile was a year-end goal. A lot of emphasis has to be put on how good a trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is. He had this horse before I did and had him sent him to me in such good shape. This really shows how good of a trainer he really is.”

The Cigar Mile was the first Grade I score for the popular Carmouche, who currently sits atop the fall meet standings with one day left in the meet.

“I owe it all to my fans, my wife and kids and how much they stuck with me and kept me pushing and fighting in this game,” said Carmouche. “This means so much to me. This is the biggest win of my career and I hope I have many more blessed ones.”

As for his trip aboard True Timber, Carmouche said. “We got an outside position this time with the horse being inside the last two times that I rode him at Saratoga and Belmont. I was very pleased with the draw we got and we had a couple scratches because of the sloppy track. I had perfect position leaving the gate and all the way around there. Right before we got to the quarter pole, I pulled the trigger and I knew they were going to have to run me down from here.”

Second in the 2018 Cigar Mile and third to champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in last year’s edition, True Timber kicked off 2020 with an eighth-place finish in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Jan. 25 and was fourth in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile Feb. 29. Transferred to Sisterson after McLaughlin retired from training to take the book of jockey Luis Saez Apr. 1, the 6-year-old was third behind subsequent MGSW C Z Rocket (City Zip) when cut back to a sprint distance in a Keeneland optional claimer July 12. Completing the trifecta in a sloppy renewal of Saratoga’s GI Forego S. Aug. 29, True Timber was fourth to Firenze Fire in Belmont’s GII Vosburgh Invitational S. Sept. 26 and was second in the Lafayette S. at Keeneland on Breeders’ Cup Saturday Nov. 7.

Pedigree Notes:

True Timber is the seventh Grade I winner, 22nd graded victor and 52nd black-type scorer for Mineshaft, who, along with Honor Code, looks to carry on the legacy of his legendary late sire A.P. Indy at Lane’s End. The winner’s dam Queen’s Wood (Tiznow) was purchased by Haymarket Farm for $47,000 in foal to Quality Road at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale as part of the complete dispersal of VinMar Farm LLC. The resulting foal is the now-3-year-old gelding Motown Music, a $250,000 KEESEP acquisition by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm, who won two of his three starts this year. Her unraced juvenile colt by Into Mischief was purchased by the same connections for $560,000 at KEESEP and is named Floodgate. Queen’s Wood did not have a foal in 2019 and aborted her Malibu Moon foal this year. The 12-year-old mare was bred back to Omaha Beach earlier this term. True Timber hails from the family of MGISW stallion Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony); European champion Elusive Kate (Elusive Quality); and Group 1-winning sire Distant View (Mr. Prospector).

Saturday, Aqueduct
CIGAR MILE H.-GI, $250,000, Aqueduct, 12-5, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.49, sy.
1–TRUE TIMBER, 119, h, 6, by Mineshaft
1st Dam: Queen’s Wood, by Tiznow
2nd Dam: Salon Prive, by Private Account
3rd Dam: La Trinite (Fr), by Lyphard
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($170,000 Wlg ’14 KEENOV). O-Calumet Farm; B-Mr. &
Mrs. Marc C. Ferrell (KY); T-Jack Sisterson; J-Kendrick
Carmouche. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 29-5-5-9, $1,215,150.
Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Snapper Sinclair, 117, h, 5, City Zip–True Addiction, by Yes
It’s True. ($30,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $180,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable LLC (Jeffrey Bloom); B-K & G Stables
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $50,000.
3–Performer, 118, c, 4, Speightstown–Protesting, by A.P. Indy.
O-Phipps Stable & Claiborne Farm; B-Phipps Stable (KY);
T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $30,000.
Margins: 5HF, NK, 6HF. Odds: 7.30, 13.40, 0.85.
Also Ran: King Guillermo, Mr. Buff, Bon Raison. Scratched: Firenze Fire, Majestic Dunhill, Mind Control.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Laobanonaprayer Cuts Back In Distance For Sunday’s NYSSS Fifth Avenue

Laobanonaprayer, owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, headlines Sunday's $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Fifth Avenue is one of three stakes on Closing Day of the Big A fall meet, which also features the $250,000 NYSSS Great White Way at seven furlongs for eligible New York-sired juveniles and the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Laobanonaprayer, a Laoban bay bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, was purchased for $15,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She made her first two starts at Delaware Park, finishing third on debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint in September and a good second to Celestial Cheetah when stretched out to one mile on Oct. 5.

Velazquez added blinkers and the services of rider Kendrick Carmouche for Laobanonaprayer's stakes debut in the one-mile Maid of the Mist for state-breds on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park and the filly responded with a 5 1/2-length romp that garnered a field-best 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She put me in a perfect spot and she was travelling easy,” said Carmouche. “She finished up really well. I think the cutback in distance will be even better for her. He told me she's been training really well. We'll just break and sit and watch it develop.”

The victory marked the first stakes score for Velazquez, who then doubled his stakes totals in the very next race when Brooklyn Strong – who is entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A – captured the Sleepy Hollow.

Carmouche leads all riders at the Big A fall meet with 16 wins and purse earnings of $968,619 heading into Thursday's card, boasting a 62 percent in-the-money record in tandem with Velazquez [27-4-7-6].

Laobanonaprayer, who Velazquez said is training without blinkers but will race with them on Sunday, has posted a pair of bullet works out of the Maid of the Mist score, including a five-eighths effort in 1:00.60 on Saturday on the Delaware Park dirt.

Carmouche will guide Laobanonaprayer from post 11 and he said he hopes to double up in stakes company for his good friend Velazquez.

“He's my little brother and I'm always rooting for him,” said Carmouche. “I won the stakes for him the other day and we'll try again on Sunday. You have to be in it to win it.”

Trainer Wayne Potts will saddle a pair of contenders for their dirt debuts in Dennis L. Deeb, Mary Lentini and Eric Miller's Athena Dancer and Domenic Dilalla's Ms Wicked.

Athena Dancer, a dark bay daughter of War Dancer out of the multiple stakes-winning Catienus mare Talking Treasure, earned a 62 Beyer when breaking her maiden at second asking on Nov. 20 on the Big A turf.

Potts has trained Athena Dancer, a $21,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, extensively over the Monmouth Park dirt and said the filly should handle the surface switch.

“I think Athena will be able to dirt and turf. She's a quiet, laid-back filly and does whatever you need her to do,” said Potts. “I was working her for several dirt efforts at Monmouth and I was never able to get a chance to run her on the dirt. She trains really good on the dirt. I was never able to breeze her on the grass but I thought she would grass and she did. She's doing very well.”

Bred in Ontario by Janeane Everatt, James Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Ms Wicked made her first four starts at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Cole Bennett, culminating in a last-to-first charge to win an open 1 1/16-mile maiden-claiming tilt on the Tapeta on Nov. 8.

The dark bay daughter of War Dancer is stakes-placed having completed the trifecta in the 6 1/2-furlong Muskoka, a sales stakes Tapeta sprint for juvenile fillies foaled in Canada.

She joined the Potts barn 10 days ago and worked a half-mile in company Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track in 51.24 seconds.

“I worked her behind a horse and she took the dirt very well,” said Potts. “She went an easy half-mile and the gallop out was very good. The whole question will be can she take all that dirt in her face, because she'll be coming from way back.”

Potts said a possible wet track wouldn't hinder the chances of either filly.

“If we get a wet surface, I don't think it will bother either one of those fillies,” said Potts. “They'll both have to step it up a little bit, but they're both worth giving a shot in this race.”

Dylan Davis has the call on Ms Wicked from post 6, while Jose Ortiz will guide Athena Dancer from post 9.

Cobra Farm and R R Partners' Gray Destiny, by Mission Impazible and out of the More Than Ready mare Happy Retreat, earned a 62 Beyer in her winning debut when 4 3/4-lengths the better of next-out winner Cara's Dreamer in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight on Oct. 30 at Belmont.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who leads all trainers at the Big A fall meet with 14 wins heading into Thursday's card, Gray Destiny was purchased for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale.

Bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Gray Destiny has breezed twice since her maiden win including an easy half-mile in 50.54 on Nov. 28 on Big Sandy.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from the inside post.

Jeremiah Englehart will saddle Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Pazzion and Fortune Farm's Flower's Fortune.

By Mission Impazible and out of the Big Brown mare Brown Eyes Blue, Pazzion rallied to a maiden victory last out on Oct. 26 in an open six-furlong sprint on a sloppy main track at Finger Lakes.

Flower's Fortune, by Effinex, completed the exacta in Pazzion's maiden win and followed with another runner-up effort on Nov. 22 at the Big A in a one-turn mile for state-breds.

Andrew Shivnarine Worrie retains the mount on Pazzion from post 5, while Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. will guide Flower's Fortune from post 12.

DutchessViews Farm's New York homebred Shanes Pretty Lady graduated by 3 3/4-lengths at first asking in a six-furlong state-bred sprint on Sept. 20 at Belmont for former conditioner Gary Gullo.

Last out, in her first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, the dark bay daughter of Bellamy Road trailed throughout in the six-furlong Key Cents for New York-breds on Nov. 15 at the Big A.

Joel Rosario picks up the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field are maidens Vive La Liberty [post 7, Luis Cardenas], Tangerine Dream [post 2, Charlie Marquez], Jill's a Hot Mess [post 4, John Velazquez], U Should B Dancing [post 10, Junior Alvarado] and Pop the Bubbly [post 8, Manny Franco].

The NYSSS Fifth Avenue is slated as Race 6 on Sunday's 9-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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