Tiz The Law Named 2020 New York-Bred Horse Of The Year

Tiz the Law took home the biggest prize of the evening during Monday's New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. 2020 Awards, snagging Horse of the Year honors for a second straight season.

The son of Constitution was also named champion 3-year-old male during the online ceremony.

Tiz the Law won four of six starts during his 2020 campaign and earned $2,388,300 for owner Sackatoga Stables. He started his season at Gulfstream Park with victories in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes and G1 Florida Derby, establishing himself as one of the biggest threats on the originally scheduled Kentucky Derby trail before the race was postponed due to the emerging pandemic.

Instead, Tiz the Law reemerged in the summer to win the Belmont Stakes, suddenly positioned as the first leg of the Triple Crown after a re-shuffled racing calendar. He then continued to claim his home state's top prizes for 3-year-old males with a 5 1/2-length drubbing of the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

The colt's fall campaign saw a narrow runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby in early September, then he ran sixth in his final start, the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. He began his stallion career earlier this year at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky.

Tiz the Law's award-winning campaign also had a ripple effect in other divisions of the NYTB Awards, as well. His trainer, Barclay Tagg, was named Trainer of the Year, while regular rider Manny Franco was named Jockey of the Year. Twin Creeks Farm, which bred Tiz the Law, was named Breeder of the Year, and Tizfiz, the colt's dam, earned Broodmare of the Year honors.

This is the second New York Horse of the Year title for Tiz the Law, who earned the award last year with a season highlighted by a win in the G1 Champagne Stakes. His 2019 season also helped earn Jockey of the Year honors for Franco and Broodmare of the Year honors for Tizfiz.

A full list of the year-end award winners can be found below.

Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Male – Tiz the Law
Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm
Owner: Sackatoga Stable
Trainer: Barclay Tagg

2-Year-Old Filly – Simply Ravishing
Breeder: Meg Levy
Owners: Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing, Nehoc Stables
Trainer: Kenny McPeek

2-Year-Old Male – Brooklyn Strong
Breeders: Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan
Owner: Mark Schwartz
Trainer: Danny Velazquez.

3-Year-Old Filly – Sharp Starr
Breeder: Stonewall Farm
Owner: Barry Schwartz
Trainer: Horacio DePaz

Older Dirt Female – Lucky Move
Breeders: Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables
Owners: Ten Strike Racing
Trainer: Juan C. Guerrero

Older Dirt Male – Mr. Buff
Breeders/Owners: Chester and Mary Broman
Trainer: John Kimmel

Female Turf Horse and Female Sprinter – Lead Guitar
Breeder: Windylea Farm
Owners: Jim and Susan Hill
Trainers: George Weaver, Eddie Kenneally

Male Turf Horse – Somelikeithotbrown
Breeders: Hot Pink Stable & Sand Dollar Stable
Owners: Skychai Racing & Sand Dollar Stable
Trainer: Mike Maker

Male Sprinter – Funny Guy
Breeder: Hibiscus Stable
Owners: Gatsas Stable, R.A. Hill Stable, Swick Stable
Trainer: John Terranova

Broodmare of the Year: Tizfiz
Breeder of the Year: Twin Creeks Farm
Jockey of the Year: Manny Franco
Trainer of the Year: Barclay Tagg
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ellen Bongard; Frank and Patricia Generazio
Special Award: Jeffrey Cannizzo.

The post Tiz The Law Named 2020 New York-Bred Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Black-Eyed Susan Winner Miss Marissa Among Seven In 150th Running Of Ladies Handicap At Aqueduct

Miss Marissa found a comfort level going two turns in a stellar sophomore campaign and will look to follow a similar recipe in her 4-year-old bow as part of a seven-horse field of fillies and mares 4-years-old and up in the 150th running of Sunday's $100,000 Ladies Handicap going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Miss Marissa, sixth last out in the Grade 3 Comely on November 27 over an Aqueduct track rated good, is the field's most accomplished entrant, having won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on October 3, Preakness Day, at Pimlico Race Course for trainer James Ryerson.

Miss Marissa, owned by Cammarota Racing, won just once in her first nine starts. But the He's Had Enough filly found a comfort zone when placed at longer distances, winning three straight entering the Comely, including 1 1/8-mile victories against optional claimers on August 13 at Saratoga and the Black-Eyed Susan, where she edged Bonny South by a neck over a fast track.

After tiring in the stretch in the Comely to cap her sophomore year, Ryerson said Miss Marissa has been training forwardly at Belmont in anticipation of her 4-year-old bow. She breezed four furlongs in 47.40 seconds on Wednesday over the main track.

“We're happy with her. She breezed real well yesterday,” Ryerson said. “We're excited about running. We're hoping we get a good track, but whatever we get, we'll try either way and hopefully she'll show up.

“We'll race here and then I think we'll give her a break after this, but hopefully we'll be seeing her at Belmont later on,” he added.

Jose Lezcano will pick up the mount for the first time since riding her to a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong Wide Country last February at Laurel Park. The duo will break from post 4 with Miss Marissa carrying the 122-pound highweight.

“We decided to make a change and Jose knows her; he got to ride her going seven-eighths and he never had the chance to ride her in a two-turn race, so we're really happy to have him,” Ryerson said.

Jeff Drown's Smooth With a Kick has finished in the money in three of her last four starts, including a victory against allowance company going the Ladies' distance on August 9 at the Spa and a 3 ¼-length score against optional claimers at 1 1/16 miles on October 11 at Keeneland.

Trainer Chad Brown moved the Candy Ride mare up to stakes company last out in the Grade 2 Falls City going nine furlongs on November 26 at Churchill Downs. Despite finishing fifth, she posted an 86 Beyer, the highest in her 13 career starts, and has trained at Belmont since December. Smooth With a Kick will carry 120 pounds.

“She's real straightforward,” said Whit Beckman, an assistant to Brown. “No bad habits and nothing too tricky about the filly. You just take her out there and she does the rest. She's easy to be around and has a professional attitude. That makes a good racehorse.”

Manny Franco will ride from post 2.

Bass Stables' Thankful earned black type in her stakes – and Aqueduct Racetrack – debut last out and will look to build on that effort in returning to the Big A.

Thankful capped her sophomore campaign with a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Comely. The Todd Pletcher trainee did not race as a juvenile but posted a 2-1-1 mark in five starts during her 3-year-old season, breaking her maiden at third asking on August 20 at Saratoga before edging next-out winner Mrs. Danvers in a one-turn mile on September 27 when facing older horses at Belmont Park, netting a personal-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah will look to register the trifecta at NYRA-operated tracks in her second start at Aqueduct as she seeks her first stakes win.

Thankful, a $625,000 purchase at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton New York Select Sale, will have the services of meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche from the outermost post 7 and carry 120 pounds.

Ten Strike Racing's Lucky Move dispatched fellow New York-breds in consecutive stakes, starting with the Empire Distaff Handicap in October at Belmont and the Bay Ridge last out on December 13 at Aqueduct, and will face open company for trainer Juan Guerrero.

Bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables, Lucky Move will make the first start of her 7-year-old year, with the veteran compiling a 7-7-4 record through 32 starts. Jorge Vargas, Jr. will be in the irons from the inside post [121 pounds].

Ujjayi, a T.L. Wise Pennsylvania homebred conditioned by Mike Maker, bested optional claimers at the Ozone Park-based track on December 13 and has half of her four career wins at the Big A. The Smarty Jones mare will break from post 6 with Trevor McCarthy aboard carrying 120 pounds.

Am Impazible earned the right to try stakes company after returning from a 10-month layoff with a win against allowance company on December 18 going a one-turn mile at the Big A. Overall, the Kelly Breen trainee has won her last four starts dating to November 2019, with all those victories coming at Aqueduct.

Owned by Richard Troncone, Jr. and Troncone, Sr., the New York homebred will have jockey Eric Cancel's services from post 5 and carry 118 pounds.

Bridlewood Farm's Bridlewood Cat is seeking her first win since 2019 and will be making her third consecutive stakes appearance for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Dylan Davis has the call from post 3. Bridlewood Cat will carry 118 pounds.

The Ladies Handicap is slated as Race 8 on Aqueduct's nine-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Black-Eyed Susan Winner Miss Marissa Among Seven In 150th Running Of Ladies Handicap At Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Lucky Move Avenges 2019 Loss To Mrs. Orb In Bay Ridge

Ten Strike Racing's Lucky Move overtook Mrs. Orb in deep stretch, rallying from last to outkick the even-money favorite by a half-length in Sunday's $100,000 Bay Ridge for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Lucky Move, the winner of the Empire Distaff Handicap on October 24 at Belmont Park going 1 1/16 miles, handled the stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the seventh running of the Bay Ridge, notching her second consecutive victory. The result was the reversal of last year's 1-2 finish in the Bay Ridge, when Mrs. Orb bested Lucky Move by a nose.

The Juan Carlos Guerrero trainee broke sharp from the inside post under Kendrick Carmouche but stayed off pacesetter Singular Sensation's early speed as she led the compact four-horse field through an opening quarter-mile and the half on the fast main track.

Out of the turn, Singular Sensation kept the lead under Manny Franco near the rail, with Mrs. Orb giving close pursuit before gaining temporary command from the outside. But Carmouche, who urged Lucky Move up from the rear of the field, continued to press his charge as she thundered home in the stretch, getting the edge in the final jumps to hit the wire in 1:56.54.

“It was a different result this year. I had that nose in mind from last year when I lost this race,” Carmouche said. “I knew it was going to be slow up front. I just had to sit, wait and bide my time. My horse ran very well. Juan Carlos Guerrero had this horse ready to run.”

Off as the 6-5 second choice, Lucky Move returned $4.40 on a $2 win bet. The veteran Lookin At Lucky mare, bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables, capped her 6-year-old campaign by improving her career earnings to $429,759.

“You don't worry about [the pace]. You just got to sit and wait as long as you can to make them run and let them run home the last eighth of a mile,” Carmouche said. “She had me in a good spot the whole way around. No excuses today. I just had to get the job done.”

Mrs. Orb, ridden by Dylan Davis, finished second for the fifth consecutive race, besting Singular Sensation by 1 ½ lengths. Firenze Freedom completed the order of finish.

Owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and trainer Michael Miceli, Mrs. Orb added another runner-up effort to her ledger, joining her efforts this year in the Critical Eye, Union Avenue, Empire Distaff Handicap and the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm in her previous start on November 7 at Aqueduct.

“She was nice and relaxed,” Davis said. “She always tries hard. It's just a timing thing with her. She locked eyes with the five [Singular Sensation] and just barely got by. She's a steady grinder. Once she gets there, she kind of steadies up a bit.”

Sky Kitten and Kilkea were scratched.

Live racing resumes on Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

The post Lucky Move Avenges 2019 Loss To Mrs. Orb In Bay Ridge appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mr. Buff Strikes Again To Lead Empire Showcase Day Winners

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff got back on track to take the $175,000 Empire Classic Handicap in front-running fashion for the second straight year, putting the finishing touches on a thrilling day of New York-bred stakes action on Saturday's annual Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Winning trainer John Kimmel praised the Bromans for their continued support of his barn and the New York-bred program, which shined on Saturday with eight stakes worth $1.2 million.

“They have been with me since their inception in the thoroughbred game,” said Kimmel. “They've been big supporters and sent me a lot of top well-bred New York-breds over the years.

“They have really taken the New York-bred program to another level,” added Kimmel. “No one has done what he's done and bred his mares to the best stallions in the marketplace – Tapit, Storm Cat, American Pharoah, Justify – he's really tried to prove that you can raise a good horse in New York.”

A hard-knocking 6-year-old, Mr. Buff began 2020 with smashing wins in the Jazil and Haynesfield at Aqueduct, the latter of which was a 20-length tour de force against state-breds that netted him a sparkling 106 Beyer Speed Figure, but he was well beaten in each of his last two starts. His disappointing results in the Grade 1 Whitney and Grade 2 Suburban this summer led to many jumping off his bandwagon in the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up on the main track, as he was sent off as a distant 7-2 second choice in the wagering.

Breaking from post 2 with regular rider Junior Alvarado aboard, Mr. Buff broke sharply and went out to lead the field through sensible splits of 23.50 seconds for the opening quarter mile, 47.56 for the half, and 1:11.50 for three-quarters, and while he readily yielded a soft lead in the stretch of the Whitney in his most recent outing, he had no such trouble on Saturday as he powered home a 3 1/4-length winner over a talented group of late-runners.

Mr. Buff completed the distance in 1:48.75 and returned $9.40 on a $2 win wager, and the win gave the millionaire his 15th victory from 40 career starts for the Bromans, who also bred the Friend Or Foe gelding.

“He's a 17.1 [hands] horse with a huge stride length,” said Kimmel. “The key is to get to the top of the lane and switch to his outside lead turning for home. I knew then it was over and there was no way they were going to beat him at that point.”

Alvarado said he was determined to make Mr. Buff's challengers work for a shot at defeating the defending champ.

“The big horse is back. I couldn't be any happier for him. I really wanted to do it for him. He deserves it. He's the best older New York-bred,” said Alvarado. “I like him when he takes a hold of the bridle. That's how he likes to be ridden. I just got out of there running. I wasn't intending to get to the lead. I just wanted to get him out of there going forward and take my position, whatever it will be.

“He's a horse that can go 22 and 45, too, but I just gunned him out of there to get a good position,” continued Alvarado. “If anyone else wanted the lead they were going to have to work hard to get it, I wasn't going to give it to them easily today.”

Bankit came out on top of the host of pursuers that lined up to take their shots at Mr. Buff in the stretch of the Empire Classic. The son of Central Banker trained by Steve Asmussen had similarly gone off form in recent starts after a promising start to his 4-year-old campaign, but he closed strongly on the inside and finished a clear second by three lengths over Sea Foam.

Heavy favorite Funny Guy had to settle for fourth in his return to the statebred ranks. The John Terranova trainee had previously beaten Mr. Buff in the Commentator on June 12 at Belmont and won the John Morrissey at Saratoga against New York-breds, but he couldn't get back to his best form in the Empire Classic and finished a neck behind Sea Foam.

Winston's Chance, Chestertown, and Evaluator completed the order of finish. Our Last Buck was scratched.

In the $175,000 Empire Distaff for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the class-dropping Lucky Move turned heads with an impressive sustained rally around the far turn that propelled her to victory for trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero and owner Ten Strike Racing.

A 6-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky, Lucky Move had been a frequent visitor to the New York-bred ranks over the winter at Aqueduct Racetrack, but the remainder of her 2020 campaign was spent in open company stakes races, which produced a win in the Obeah at Delaware Park in late spring. Despite her credentials, she was sent off at 4-1 in the Empire Distaff and fittingly made a four-wide blitz under Irad Ortiz, Jr. around the turn to seize control of the lead in upper stretch, with enough left in the tank to hold off a late-charging Mrs. Orb for a 1 3/4-length victory.

Bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables, Lucky Move returned $10.40 as the third choice in the wagering and completed the distance 1:43.36.

Fellow 6-year-old mare and race favorite Ratajkowski finished fourth, just behind Makingcents in third. Singular Sensation, Forever Changed, and Critical Value completed the order of finish.

Trainer Daniel Velazquez made a splash on Empire Showcase Day taking the first two stakes on the card, which were also the first two stakes scores of the young conditioner's career.

Laobanonaprayer kicked off the stakes action on Empire Showcase Day with an emphatic upset in the $150,000 Maid of the Mist for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on the main track, which she won by 5 1/2 lengths at odds of 8-1.

Owned and trained by the mid-Atlantic based horseman Velazquez, Laobanonaprayer entered the race as a maiden but surged to an easy win in the stretch after settling off the early pace and drafting behind runners around the turn before being tipped into the clear by jockey Kendrick Carmouche turning for home.

Laobanonaprayer, a daughter of Laoban bred by Christina Deronda, completed the distance in 1:38.06 and returned $19.20 on a $2 win wager. Her breakthrough score happened to coincide with her donning blinkers for the first time in her young career.

Co-favorite Frost Me finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Chasing Cara, who was followed home by Party At Page's, Infringement, and Mashnee Girl. Cara's Dreamer was scratched.

Velazquez, who saddled his first winner in 2009, waited 11 years to notch his first career stakes win but needed a little more than a half hour to record his second stakes victory when Brooklyn Strong followed his stablemate with a 2 1/4-length score in the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow for juveniles going one mile in Race 3.

Like his stablemate the race prior, Brooklyn Strong stayed off the pace before showing late speed. Eagle Orb led the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.63, the half in 47.17 and three-quarters in 1:11.86.

In the stretch, Brooklyn Strong continued to close strong under Jose Ortiz, overtaking Eagle Orb in the final furlong before drawing away to complete the mile in 1:37.16.

“We came in very confident with both horses. We loved the distances for them,” said Velazquez.

“You kind of foresee it and wish it but you don't know if it's going to happen, but it happened,” Velazquez added about his remarkable day. “There was a lot of hard work going into this.”

Owned by Mark Schwartz and bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Brooklyn Strong, off at 7-2, returned $9.60 and earned blacktype for a second consecutive stakes after running third in the Bertram F. Bongard on October 2 at Belmont.

Eagle Orb ran 2 1/4 lengths clear of the favorite Breadman for second. Hold the Salsa, Masked Marauder, Let's Workout and Boss Bear completed the order of finish.

Lawrence Goichman homebred Myhartblongstodady made every pole a winning one to run her current win streak to four in the $150,000 Ticonderoga for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the firm inner turf in Race 4.

Trained by Jorge Abreu and perfectly piloted by Jose Lezcano, the 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare marked off moderate splits of 25.11, 51.05 and 1:14.51 with Short Pour tracking in second. The dark bay, who picked up her first stakes win last out in the Yaddo on September 4 at Saratoga, enjoyed a 2 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and despite bearing out in the stretch run extended her winning margin to three lengths in a final time of 1:44.66.

War Canoe earned place by a neck over Niko's Dream with Wegetsdamunnys, Pecatonica and Short Pour rounding out the order of finish.

Sent to post as the even money favorite, Myhartblongstodady returned $4.20.

Ronald A Brown's Tribecca led gate-to-wire in the 43rd running of the $125,000 Hudson going 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7 to give Carmouche his second score of the afternoon.

Trained by Chris Englehart, the 6-year-old Bustin Stones gelding set swift splits of 22.27, 45.29 and 1:09.54 under pressure from Arthur's Hope. Under siege from Captain Bombastic and Big Engine in the stretch run, Tribecca continued to find more and powered home a three-length winner in 1:16.01.

Bred by Laurel Least and Joseph Lech, Tribecca improved his record to 39-13-5-5.

A loaded renewal of the $150,000 Mohawk in Race 8 went to 6-5 favorite Somelikeithotbrown, who prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up, a division that has routinely produced some of the finest performances in the New York-bred ranks.

After trainer Jimmy Bond's Rinaldi broke on top over Belmont's inner turf course, the speedy Somelikeithotbrown, who's historically been at his best on the lead, was ridden aggressively to the front by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano. Their gambit paid off handsomely as, despite carving out some taxing early fractions on a firm turf course that had some give to it, Somelikeithotbrown stayed on resolutely in the stretch to easily thwart a challenge from Therapist.

The win marked the first time Somelikeithotbrown faced fellow statebreds since he broke his maiden by eight lengths as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in August 2018. The talented son of Big Brown, bred in tandem by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, won the Grade 3 Jack Ruby Steaks as a sophomore and the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at the Spa earlier this year against open company for trainer Mike Maker.

Owned by Skychai Racing LLC and David Koenig, he completed the distance in a rapid 1:42.02 and returned $4.50.

Therapist finished second, 2 1/2 lengths in front of Somelikeithotbrown's stablemate Cross Border, whose resume entering the race was nearly as impressive as the winner's. Dot Matrix, Sanctuary City, and Rinaldi rounded out the order of finish. Yankee Division and Opt were scratched.

Parx-shipper Collegeville Girl schooled the field in the $125,000 Iroquois in Race 9, rallying from last-of-10 heading into the turn before surging under jockey Joel Rosario in the stretch. Angled out wide in the straightaway, the 4-year-old Central Banker filly picked off rivals one-by-one before overtaking Timely Tradition in the final sixteenth and fending off Prairie Fire by a half-length.

Trained by Richard Vega, Collegeville Girl, bred by Andy Beadnell, won for the second time in three career Belmont starts, returning $48.20 as a 23-1 longshot. Owned by Robert Brittingam, Salvatore De Bunda and Wire To Wire Stable, she completed the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up over Big Sandy in a final time of 1:16.48.

Prairie Fire, trained by Linda Rice, edged Timely Tradition by a neck for second. Officer Hutchy, Espresso Shot, Fair Regis, Bertranda, Spin a Yarn, Newly Minted and My Roxy Girl completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at Belmont with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Athenia. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

The post Mr. Buff Strikes Again To Lead Empire Showcase Day Winners appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights