‘Scrappy Little Horse’ Mighty Heart Up For The Challenge In Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday

Lawrence Cordes' Mighty Heart will keep an eye on the prize – literally – after the 4-year-old son of Dramedy leaves the starting gate in Saturday's $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Although he has the use of only one eye, the over-achieving colt has persevered to become a multiple graded-stakes winner with purse earnings over $1 million. The homebred colt, whose left eye had to be removed following a paddock accident when he was only two-weeks old, reached the pinnacle of Canadian racing when he won the 2020 Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Triple Crown for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds. The homebred colt also won the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on his way to being honored as the 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year.

“He has been a lot of fun for us. He was the underdog in the Queen's Plate and he ran the race of his life,” trainer Jose Carroll said. “He always shows up. I call him a scrappy little horse. He loves to go head-and-head. He's a trying little horse.”

Mighty Heart will carry highweight of 126 pounds in the Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational [(G1), Jan. 29], on Saturday's 11-race program with five stakes, four graded, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale, a 1 1/8-mile prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The ultra-consistent Mighty Heart, who is coming off a victory in the Autumn Stakes (G2) on Woodbine's Tapeta surface over which he won the Queen's Plate. The resilient colt captured the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt but failed to pull off a series sweep, finishing far back in the Breeders' Stakes over Woodbine's turf.

“I don't think the turf was the reason. He broke sharply and was headed by a longshot, and he never came off the bridle. He galloped right along early and got tired,” Carroll said.

Mighty Heart is rated second in the morning-line at 9-5 behind Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, the 8-5 favorite who captured the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) last season.

The post ‘Scrappy Little Horse’ Mighty Heart Up For The Challenge In Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fans Cheer Mighty Heart Home In Dominion Day Stakes

Horse racing fans were back in the stands at Woodbine Racetrack for the first time this season and cheered home Canada's reigning Horse of the Year Mighty Heart in the $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Grade 3) on Thursday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack.

Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, who was aboard the popular one-eyed colt when he won the first two-thirds of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown last year, was reunited with the champion for today's featured Dominion Day contested over 1-1/16 miles on the main track.

Trained by Josie Carroll and owned by Larry Cordes, the millionaire son of Dramedy established the lead out of the gate and crossed to the rail as he headed into the first turn. A pair of Mark Casse-trained graded stakes winners, Lookin to Strike stalked in behind with the favored March to the Arch just outside pressing the pace.

After a quarter in :25.23 and half-mile in :48.49, the pressure mounted as March to the Arch matched strides with Mighty Heart on the turn while Malibu Mambo rallied three-wide into contention as they passed three-quarters in 1:11.99. However, Mighty Heart fought back and pulled clear of his rivals down the lane to score in 1:43.33.

March to the Arch settled for second, 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner, while Malibu Mambo finished third in front of Lookin to Strike. Skywire, Canada's 2020 Champion Older Main Track Male, completed the field that was scratched down to just five starters.

“I'm glad to get the opportunity to ride this horse again,” said Fukumoto, who enjoyed a career highlight with Mighty Heart when they won last year's $1 million Queen's Plate. “I breezed him a couple times and today I was ready to go, and we did it today.”

Mighty Heart was well prepared for his return to Woodbine, coming off a victory in the Blame Stakes last time out on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

“I thought it [the Blame Stakes] just put him right where I wanted him,” said the four-year-old colt's Hall of Fame trainer. “In fact, he had two works after that, simply because he came out of it so well, we had to sort of take the high note off of him a little bit four days ago so he could settle in this race.

“I think he's just a good horse and he's maturing. We're pretty happy with him today.”

Mighty Heart now boasts five victories from 11 career starts for Cordes, who relished the moment to witness his homebred star in person and hear the fans trackside.

“It's quite a difference,” said Cordes from the winner's circle. “The feeling was much, much better, obviously, and so many fans were behind him.”

Sent postward as the 9-5 slight second choice in the wagering, Mighty Heart paid $5.80 to win.

The scratches were Atone and the Carroll-trained Breeders' Stakes champion Belichick, whose connections opted for an allowance race on Saturday's card.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday. Post time for the eight-race program is set for 4:50 p.m.

The post Fans Cheer Mighty Heart Home In Dominion Day Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Can Mighty Heart Claim The Crown?

Woodbine is back in the spotlight this weekend as the Ontario track hosts the Breeders' Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. TVG will air the Breeders' Stakes as Mighty Heart attempts to become the first horse to sweep the series since Wando in 2003.

Racing from Belmont Park is televised on “America's Day at the Races” on FS2. “America's Day at the Races” will also broadcast races from the opening day of Churchill Downs' fall meet on October 25.
.
Saturday, Oct. 24

5:43 p.m.—$400,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Mighty Heart will continue his quest to join an elite group of horses to sweep all three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown this Saturday in the Breeders' Stakes. Trained by three-time Queen's Plate winner Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart headlines the final jewel of the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, which concludes on Woodbine's world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course with the longest leg at the distance of 1 ½-miles. The son of Dramedy, bred and owned by Lawrence Cordes, is the even-money morning line favorite in the field of 12 having already scored wins in the $1 million Queen's Plate at 1 ¼ miles over Woodbine's Tapeta track on September 12 and the $400,000 Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt course on September 29.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO102420CAN10-EQB.html

7:37 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Unbeaten in four starts by a combined 25 ½ lengths, trainer Mark Glatt's Magic At Midnight will try stakes competition for the first time as she squares off with Wesley Ward's multiple stakes winning Jo Jo Air in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes which has attracted a field of seven at 5 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf. Claimed for $30,000 out of a first-out 13 length romp on July 14 at Los Alamitos, Magic At Midnight has been nothing short of tremendous in three subsequent starts for Glatt, including a 2 ¾ length score in her only try on grass two starts back in a turf allowance at Del Mar August 14.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA102420USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, Oct. 25

4:55 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing's Feel Glorious will look to bounce back from an off-the-board finish in last month's Grade 3 Noble Damsel with another graded stakes appearance, serving as one of two entrants for trainer Christophe Clement in the Athenia going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course. Feel Glorious is looking to recapture the form she showed earlier in her 4-year-old campaign, including a half-length victory in the Perfect Sting going the Athenia's distance on August 14 at Saratoga Race Course. Cut back to one mile in the Grade 3 Nobel Damsel on September 26 at Belmont, Feel Glorious ran seventh after going five-wide in the upper stretch and failing to rally, marking just the first time in her last seven starts the English-bred daughter of Bated Breath did not hit the board.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL102520USA9-EQB.html

7:30 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

In top form and bidding for her third consecutive win, trainer Phil D'Amato's Raymundos Secret, along with Simon Callaghan's classy Maxim Rate, head a field of seven in Sunday's Goldikova Stakes. A gutty gate to wire winner of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes, Raymundos Secret should relish the cutback in distance, as she's won four out of her five starts at a flat mile. Second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive on September 26, Maxim Rate has three wins from six tries at one mile on grass and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli, who guided her to a pair of wins this past summer at Del Mar.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA102520USA9-EQB.html

The post Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Can Mighty Heart Claim The Crown? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Canadian Triple Crown Hopeful Mighty Heart Is ‘Up To The Challenge’ In Saturday’s Breeders’ Stakes

Mighty Heart will continue his quest to join an elite group of horses to sweep all three legs of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown this Saturday in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Queen's Plate winner Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart headlines the final jewel of the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred three-year-olds, which concludes on Woodbine's world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course with the longest leg at the distance of 1 ½-miles.

The son of Dramedy, bred and owned by Lawrence Cordes, is the even-money morning line favorite in the field of 12 having already scored wins in the $1 million Queen's Plate at 1 ¼ miles over Woodbine's Tapeta track on September 12 and the $400,000 Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt course on September 29.

“He's a little horse that's overcome [a lot],” said Carroll, who won the 2006 Plate with Edenwold and the 2011 running with the filly Inglorious. “There's something in racing we call heart, and horses with heart are what you're looking for more so sometimes than horses with talent.”

Aside from contending with 11 rivals, Mighty Heart could have to contend with turf that has some give to it. The Toronto area has experienced rainy weather in the lead-up to Saturday.

“I can't tell you how he's going to handle a yielding turf,” offered Carroll. “In North America, we very seldom get the chance to run on very soft turf. I believe he'll handle the grass. He's run once on the grass, and we had him up on the E.P. course the other day, and he just skipped across it. Pedigree-wise, we have every reason to think he'll handle it [the 1 ½-mile distance], but until a horse does that, you really don't know. It's a very, very challenging thing to be asking him to do right now. This horse has run two hard races and now you're asking him to go a mile and a half on a possibly tiring course. Hopefully, he's up to the challenge.”

Cordes is thrilled to see the outpouring of affection for Mighty Heart, which continues to swell ahead of the Breeders' Stakes.

“In this time of COVID, this is a boost to people,” he said. “The phone calls I get from the west coast to east coast of Canada, my girlfriend and I have had multiple dozens of calls… people are just so excited. I feel the same thing, it just puts the excitement into me, so for all of the racing fans and all of his fans, let's make it happen. Just cheer him on, we need everything we can get.”

Mighty Heart will once again have Daisuke Fukumoto in the irons.

The young Japanese-born rider is still wrapping his head around the significance of what it would mean to come out on top in the Breeders' Stakes.

“It would be very special,” said Fukumoto. “To win the Queen's Plate is already special, but the Triple Crown is the highest. You never think of winning the Triple Crown.”

The pair will square off against some familiar foes on Saturday.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Clayton (6-1), who won the Plate Trial in mid-August, was third in the Queen's Plate and runner-up in the Prince of Wales. Owned by Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe, the son of Bodemeister finished second, 2 ½ lengths behind Mighty Heart in the middle jewel at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt track on September 29.

Belichick, who finished a strong second in the Queen's Plate, and is the 7-2 second choice in the morning line, will look to turn the tables on his stablemate.

The son of Lemon Drop Kid, also coached by Carroll, has a pair of seconds and a third in three lifetime starts.

Owned by NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, Belichick should appreciate the move to turf and the mile-and-a-half distance.

“This is a really talented horse,” said Carroll, who won the 2014 Breeders' Stakes with Ami's Holiday. “I think from the moment he came in my barn, he showed a great deal of ability. If anything has surprised me, it's that it has taken this long for him to really blossom. I'm not surprised to have him in this position. It's also very rewarding to train a horse of his caliber.”

Other Breeders' Stakes hopefuls include Conrad Farms' Muskoka Giant (20-1), who broke his maiden over one mile of turf two starts prior to his fifth-place finish in the Prince of Wales for trainer Mark Casse.

A two-time (2014 with Lexie Lou and in 2018 with Wonder Gadot) Queen's Plate winner, Casse, who won the 2007 Breeders' with Marchfield and the 2018 renewal with Neepawa, will also send out Deviant (30-1).

A chestnut son of Daredevil, Deviant won last year's El Joven Stakes and Sunday Silence Stakes. The Red Lane Thoroughbreds' gelding will be making his second straight start at Woodbine, after finishing seventh in the Queenston Stakes this July.

Unraced as a two-year-old, English Conqueror (12-1), a chestnut son of English Channel, will make his Triple Crown debut in the Breeders'.

Bred and owned by JWS Farms, the Darwin Banach trainee finished third in his career bow on July 5 at Woodbine, a seven-furlong maiden special weight turf engagement. After a disappointing 10th-place finish next time out, English Conqueror rebounded with a fourth in 1 1/16 mile race run on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, an effort that saw him display plenty of vigor in the late going.

He arrives at the Breeders' off a maiden-breaking score on September 19, a head victory that was earned over 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Inner Turf.

“He's doing really well,” said Banach. “He's like an immature little boy, in that it took him a little while to learn what was going on, and he's still learning. You have to ask him to do what you want him to do. He doesn't just go ahead and do it. I thought Emma [jockey, Wilson] would suit this horse fantastically after he finished fourth, and it did. I was quite concerned in that race because they went so slow early, but he does have a great turn of foot and he was able to kick on from there, get the lead and then get the win. I was very happy with that effort.”

Banach believes the lightly-raced Ontario-bred will be even better on Saturday.

“We always thought he was a good horse. We even considered the Queen's Plate and other races, but he couldn't quite get his game together before that time. So, here we are. We think he can handle a mile and a half and we've got to give it a shot.”

A victory would be even more special considering the sire of English Conqueror's dam, champion Sky Conqueror, was bred and owned by William Sorokolit, Sr., who recently passed away.

Banach trained the multiple graded stakes winning son of Sky Classic for Sorokolit. Sky Conqueror's victories included consecutive (2006-07) editions of the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G2T) and the 2007 running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T). Multiple graded stakes winner Classic Stamp was also another a horse of note for Sorokolit.

A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Sorokolit won 212 career races along with over $10.1 million (U.S.) in purse earnings.

“Emma rode Sky Conqueror, so maybe this is meant to be,” said Banach. “We loved training for Mr. Sorokolit and he'll be dearly missed. I believe he started owning horses in university, so for 70-some years he owned horses.”

Enchant Me (50-1), Glorious Tribute (30-1), and Olliemyboy (12-1) will also go postward after making an appearance in the opening legs of the Triple Crown.

Told It All (12-1), Meyer (30-1) and Kunal (50-1) complete the field.

In 2018, the Casse-trained filly Wonder Gadot won the first two Triple Crown races but did not compete in the Breeders' Stakes. Casse sent out Neepawa to victory in the final leg that year.

The last Triple Crown contender prior to Wonder Gadot was the great Wando, just the seventh horse to complete the series sweep since it was established in 1959 when he won the 2003 Breeders' Stakes with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Michael Keogh and the late owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.

Since then, A Bit O'Gold (2004), Pender Harbour (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two-thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs.

The longest shot to win the Breeders' was Miami Deco in 2010. The Ontario-bred son of Limehouse returned $132.10 for a $2 win bet. Catherine Day Phillips became the first female trainer to win the race courtesy of A Bit O'Gold in 2004. One year later, she was in the winner's circle again, this time with Jambalaya. Roger Attfield holds the record for most wins by a trainer with nine. His first came with Carotene in 1986. Jockey Rafael Hernandez has won three of the past four runnings.

“This is a great time for racing in Ontario,” said Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson. “It's fun. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to promote the sport of horse racing. We're thrilled that there is this opportunity.”

Post time is set for 1:10 p.m. ET, with the Breeders' Stakes scheduled as the ninth race (approximately 5:39 p.m. ET). The historic event will be broadcast live from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on TSN. Coverage is led by Canadian broadcasting legend Brian Williams, alongside TSN's Laura Diakun and Woodbine Entertainment's Jason Portuondo, with Brodie Lawson contributing reports from track level.

FIELD FOR THE BREEDERS' STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer – Owner – Morning Line

1 – Meyer – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler – Bruno Schickedanz – 30-1

2 – Enchant Me – Steven Bahen – Santino Di Paola – York Tech Racing Stable – 50-1

3 – Clayton – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard – Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe – 6-1

4 – Olliemyboy – Patrick Husbands – Sid Attard – JMJ Racing Stables LLC – 12-1

5 – English Conqueror – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Darwin Banach – JWS Farms – 12-1*

6 – Glorious Tribute – David Moran – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford – 30-1

7 – Deviant – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse – Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC – 30-1

8 – Mighty Heart – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll – Lawrence Cordes – 1-1

9 – Belichick – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll – NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods – 7-2

10 – Kunal – Emile Ramsammy – Steven Chircop – Bruno Schickedanz – 50-1

11 – Told It All – Kazushi Kimura – Norm McKnight – Rainbow Stables – 12-1*

12 – Muskoka Giant – Justin Stein – Mark Casse – Conrad Farms – 20-1

The post Canadian Triple Crown Hopeful Mighty Heart Is ‘Up To The Challenge’ In Saturday’s Breeders’ Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights