Justify’s Buchu Stays Unbeaten at Keeneland with Appalachian Win

Rigney Racing homebred Buchu (f, 3, Justify–Flowering Peach {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), winner of the GII Jessamine S. over this course last year at two, made her 3-year-old debut a winning one and kept her Keeneland record perfect with a late-closing score in the $400,000 GII Appalachian S. Saturday. California shipper Mo Fox Givin (Mo Town) and last-out GIII Florida Oaks third Dancing N Dixie (Neolithic) chased her home in second and third, respectively.

Buchu broke smoothly from the nine hole and quickly settled into a midpack spot on the outside, rating throughout while in the clear as Poolside With Slim (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) set fractions of :22.88 and :47.25 and favorite Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) tracked from third. Midway on the turn, Buchu unfurled a sharp turn of foot as she circled the field while five wide and hit the front in a no-nonsense effort despite bobbling in the last sixteenth. Mo Fox Givin and Dancing N Dixie, both longshots who were 11th and 12th at the first call, got within a half-length and a neck, respectively, but couldn't catch the winner. The final time for the one mile was 1:36.36.

“We came over here knowing she had run well,” said winning trainer Phil Bauer. “But this was a pretty good test and you don't expect those efforts. I was a little worried maybe she hit the front too early, but she's game and hung on. So it's a pretty special feeling to be out here for the second time [after winning the Jessamine last year]. You come here as a kid and dream about it, and it's pretty surreal.”

Buchu had an exceptional fall last year as a juvenile. After initial tries at Ellis Park and Saratoga, she broke her maiden by daylight in her second try on the lawn and first time at Churchill. A powerful performance in the Jessamine followed before an off-the-board finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Freshened since that effort, she has worked consistently during the last month at Churchill, including a bullet four furlongs in :48 1/5 (1/20) over the training track Mar. 22 and a :47 1/5 half (4/30) Mar. 29 on the main track.

Pedigree Notes:

Hailing from the same family as MGISW Medaglia d'Oro, dam Flowering Peach (Ire) is out of MGSW Naples Bay (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to that stellar Darley sire and who herself brought $3.6 million to the bid of M. V. Magnier at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. Flowering Peach is a full-sister to French GSW First Minister (Ire) and has producded two foals following Buchu: a now-yearling colt by Uncle Mo and a Golden Pal filly born Feb. 10. Buchu is one of 323 stakes winners out of a daughter of Galileo (Ire).

The Appalachian winner is also one of 18 graded winners and 26 black-type winners worldwide for 2018 Horse of the Year Justify, who stands at Coolmore America and was the leading second-crop sire of 2023.

 

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $386,888, Keeneland, 4-6, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.36, gd.
1–BUCHU, 120, f, 3, by Justify
           1st Dam: Flowering Peach (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
           2nd Dam: Naples Bay, by Giant's Causeway
           3rd Dam: Cappucino Bay, by Bailjumper
($275,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O/B-Rigney Racing, LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer; J-Martin Garcia. $226,300. Lifetime Record: 7-3-0-2, $541,255. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mo Fox Givin, 118, f, 3, Mo Town–Givine (Fr), by Blackdoun (Fr). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($2,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Woo Pig Stables; B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-Leonard Powell. $73,000.
3–Dancing N Dixie, 118, f, 3, Neolithic–Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured. ($35,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Quintessential Racing Florida LLC, Rocky Top Stable (Ventura) and LEMB Stables; B-Freddie Hyatt (FL); T-Mark E. Casse. $27,375.
Margins: HF, NK, 3. Odds: 6.52, 58.91, 10.77.
Also Ran: Simply in Front, Poolside With Slim (Ire), Austere, Living Magic, Grecian Goddess, Kairyu (Ire), Crown Imperial, Pounce, Dozen Diamonds.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings, Oct. 3-9

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

The TDN also posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from the same week. These include decisions from around the country.

California

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 09/06/2023

Licensee: Edwin Maldonado, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Edwin Maldonado, who rode Where's My Ring in the second race at Santa Anita Park on October 1, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (October 14, 15 and 20, 2023) for failure to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch, causing interference. This constitutes a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 09/06/2023

Licensee: Abel Cedillo, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Abel Cedillo, who rode Sea of Cortez (IRE) in the third race at Santa Anita Park on October 1, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (October 14, 15 and 20, 2023) for altering course without sufficient clearance in the stretch, causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount from third to fourth; a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 09/09/2023

Licensee: Juan Hernandez, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode Endlessly in the sixth race at Santa Anita Park on October 8, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (October 20, 21 and 22, 2023) for altering course without sufficient clearance in the stretch; a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

Kentucky

Track: Churchill Downs

Date: 10/01/2023

Licensee: Declan Cannon, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: After a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Declan Cannon, who rode Levy in the second race at Churchill Downs on September 24, 2023 is hereby suspended 3 racing days, October 11 through October 13, 2023 (inclusive) for careless riding in the stretch that resulted in the disqualification of his mount.

Track: Churchill Downs

Date: 10/01/2023

Licensee: Martin Garcia, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: After a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Martin Garcia, Who rode Candy Landy in the third race at Churchill Downs on September 21, 2023 is hereby Suspended 3 racing days, October 14, October 15 and October 18, 2023 for Careless riding near the six and one-half-furlong pole that resulted in the disqualification of his mount.

 

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit's “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

This does not include the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

 

Violations of Crop Rule

Fresno

Brayan Pena – violation date Oct 8; $250 fine but no further records of the ruling

Horseshoe Indianapolis

Ferrin Peterson – violation date Oct 3; $250 fine but no further records of the ruling

German Terraza – violation date Oct 9; $250 fine but no further records of the ruling

Parx Racing

Angel Castillo – violation date Oct 4; $250 fine but no further records of the ruling

Presque Isle Downs

Maicol Inirio – violation date Oct 4; $250 fine but no further records of the ruling

 

Pending ADMC Violations

Date: 09/28/2023

Licensee: Barbara Hippie, veterinarian

Penalty: Provisional Suspension

Alleged violation: Possession of banned substances

Explainer: For the possible possession of Bisphosphonate; Pitcher Plant Extract (Sarapin); Levothyroxine (Thyro-L); Isoxsuprine. This is a possible violation of Rule 3214(a)–Possession of Banned Substances

Date: 09/28/2023

Licensee: Scott Shell, veterinarian

Penalty: Provisional Suspension

Alleged violation: Possession of banned substances

Explainer: For the possible possession of Bisphosphonate; Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA); Isoxsuprine. This is a possible violation of Rule 3214(a)–Possession of Banned Substances

Read more on the two cases above here and here.

Date: 09/16/2023

Licensee: Keith Desormeaux, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Auto Dial. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 09/10/2023

Licensee: Carlos Mancilla, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Gabapentin—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Cara in the City, who finished second at Pimlico on 9/10/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 09/03/2023

Licensee: Debbie Van Horne, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from You're the Cause, who won at Emerald Downs on 9/3/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 08/25/2023

Licensee: Daniel Kenney, trainer

Penalty: Provisional Suspension

Alleged violation: Possession of banned substances

Explainer: For the possible possession of Levothyroxine (Thyro-L). This is a possible violation of Rule 3214(a)–Possession of Banned Substances

Date: 08/12/2023

Licensee: Ron Moquett, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Lundberg. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 08/05/2023

Licensee: Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Explainer: For the presence of Flunixin—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Matty Bo, who won at Laurel Park on 8/5/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List Workout).

 

Resolved ADMC Violations

Date: 09/07/2023

Licensee: Ismael Bahena, trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission of ECM Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences

Explainer: For the presence of Diclofenac—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Yammy Yammy Bella, who finished second at Kentucky Downs on 9/7/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 09/1/2023

Licensee: Jonathan Thomas, trainer

Penalty: A fine of $3,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission of ECM Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences

Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314—Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method—on the horse, Bay Storm. This is also a possible violation of Rule 4222—Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout.

Date: 08/28/2023

Licensee: David Wayne Baker, trainer

Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission of ECM Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences

Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Gerlach's. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 08/25/2023

Licensee: Sammy Stevens, trainer

Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final Decision by HIWU

Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Pandora Who. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 08/17/2023

Licensee: John Guciardo, trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Final Decision by HIWU.

Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone and Trichloromethiazide—Controlled Medications (Class C)—in a sample taken from Cuz, who won at Presque Isle Downs on 8/17/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List Workout).

Date: 07/07/2023

Licensee: Chad Brown, trainer

Penalty: A written reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Admission of ECM Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences

Explainer: For the presence of Omeprazole—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Forced Ranking. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

Date: 06/09/2023

Licensee: Luis Jorge Perez, veterinarian

Penalty: 14-month period of Ineligibility, beginning on June 14, 2023; a fine of $5,000. Final Decision by Arbitral Body

Explainer:  Possession of a Banned Substance, Levothyroxine (Thyro-L). Rule 3214(a): “Other Anti-Doping Rule Violations Involving Banned Substances or Banned Methods. The following acts and omissions constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violations by the Covered Person(s) in question: (a) Possession of a Banned Substance or a Banned Method, unless there is compelling justification for such Possession.”

Date: 06/07/2023

Licensee: Dennis VanMeter, trainer

Penalty: Disqualification of the Covered Horse's race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission of ECM Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences

Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)— in a sample taken from Templement, who finished sixth at Thistledown on 6/7/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance.

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Happy Trails at Oaklawn

Like countless owners, Marshall Gramm has a race circled on the first Saturday in May. But it's not the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” aka the Kentucky Derby.

Gramm's affection is for a race that lasts approximately three minutes, a 1 3/4-mile event at Oaklawn Park with a history, albeit, esoteric, of its own. The “Trail's End,” a starter-allowance marathon, is traditionally the final race each season at Oaklawn, the Hot Springs, AR, venue that opened in 1905. The 1 3/4-mile race debuted in 1972 and has been won the last three years by Ten Strike Racing, a highly successful racing syndicate founded in 2016 by Gramm and Arkansas native Clay Sanders, and trainer Bentley Combs.

“It means the world to me,” said Gramm, a noted handicapper and economics professor at Rhodes College in Memphis. “I set my calendar by it. Again, it's hard to imagine ever being in a position to own like a Derby horse, even though we put together partnerships, and to be in a position to spend the kind of money to chase those kind of dreams. A Trail's End horse, a guy like me, claim a horse for $10,000 and take a shot. It's great.”

Marshall Gramm | Lucas Marquardt

Oaklawn senior vice president Eric Jackson said he believes the Trail's End was the brainchild of the late W.T. “Bish” Bishop, an iconic figure at Keeneland before becoming Oaklawn's general manager in 1978. A visionary, Bishop was instrumental in creating Oaklawn's popular Racing Festival of the South in 1974. It featured a stakes race each day during the final week of the meeting.

Prior to the Trail's End, Oaklawn had ended its season with a non-descript race, 1 mile and 70 yards, 1 1/16 miles or 1 1/8 miles, for lower-level claimers immediately following the Arkansas Derby. The 1 3/4-mile Trail's End starts in the six-furlong chute and covers three turns, making it the longest race each season at Oaklawn.

“It's without a doubt one of the neatest things about Oaklawn,” said Jackson, a Hot Springs native who became Oaklawn's director of operations in 1979 and succeeded Bishop as general manager upon his death in 1987. “The only time we screwed it up is when we ran it as the first race. I think (racing secretary) Pat Pope had a shortage of horses. When we ran it as the first race, we heard about it from everybody in the grandstand.”

What gives the Trail's End added zest is the buildup throughout the day and, ultimately, a sentimental twist at the end. The horses stop and face the crowd during the post parade as “Auld Lang Syne” is played by the bugler.

“That's beautiful,” said jockey Martin Garcia, who has won the last two runnings of the Trail's End. “That's really beautiful because that's like an appreciation to all those people that have come. That's the last day and last race and kind of a thank you to them for being here this year with us. Believe it or not, all those people, the public, that means a lot to us because they're coming to see and support us.”

Garcia guided favored Hellorhighwater (Ghostzapper) ($5.20) to a 10 1/2-length victory May 6. A 7-year-old gelding, Hellorhighwater covered 1 3/4 miles over a fast track in 3:00.10.

Garcia, Ten Strike and Combs also teamed to win the 2022 Trail's End with Original Intent (Creative Cause). Original Intent won the 2021 Trail's End under Ramon Vazquez.

Combs joined David Vance as the only trainers to win the Trail's End three consecutive years. Vance captured the first three runnings (1972-1974), all for powerhouse Arkansas owner Dan Lasater.

Reflecting its popularity, the Trail's End had a $125,000 purse the last two years, a colossal sum for the starter-allowance level. It has averaged 11.8 starters the last four years.

“This race right here, now don't get me wrong, it's almost like that treasure island for me at this point,” Combs, 35, jokingly, said.

“It's a $125,000 starter ($10,000). Don't tell people about this damn thing, although I'm sure Pat's going around saying, 'Tell everybody about this.' I've got the bug. It's bitten me. We've won it three years in a row. We've tied David Vance and, hopefully, we're looking for the one to go ahead and beat David.”

Combs, who saddled his first winner in 2017 after coming up under trainer Dallas Stewart, said he initially believed the Trail's End was just another race before being in the crosshairs of the pomp and circumstance for the first time in 2021.

“I had no idea,” Combs said. “I went in and saddled the horse and was kind of walking away and some lady looked over and said, 'Have you ever seen this before? I said, 'A post parade? Yeah, I've seen a post parade.' She said, 'No, no, no. The horses face the crowd and we do “Auld Lang Syne” and all this stuff.' I didn't know it was that big of deal and I kind of got worried that my horse was going to get loose, to be completely honest. Like I said, I had no idea. It's kind of funny because it's Marshall's biggest thing and now he's kind of got the bug bitten in me. It's like, 'Man, we've got to point towards this race.' It's really cool when everybody sings the song and the stuff like that.”

The 2023 Trail's End was for 3-year-olds and up that had started for a claiming price of $10,000 or less in 2022-2023. Combs, on behalf of Ten Strike, claimed Hellorhighwater for $10,000 out of a fifth-place finish Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

Hellorhighwater won a co-meet-high four races this season at Oaklawn, helping Ten Strike finish third in the owner's standings with 15 victories. Ten Strike's biggest score came with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky), a one-time fringe Kentucky Derby candidate, in the $200,000 Hot Springs S. for 3-year-olds at 1 mile April 1. Eyeing Clover was a $55,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase.

Ten Strike finished second with its two other Trail's End starters to date–Far Out Kailee (Summer Bird) for trainer Randy Matthews in 2017 and Tiger Moon (Upstart) for trainer Lindsay Schultz in 2023. The Trail's End purse was $55,000 in 2017. The May 6 exacta gave Ten Strike a sparkling 3-2-0 record in five Trail's End starts, with purse earnings of $231,000.

“I'm not from the area and didn't grow up like Clay and some of our other partners following the race,” Gramm said. “I remember learning about it, of course, watching the Arkansas Derby. It was always followed up by this mile and three-quarters race and I loved the tradition and pageantry. I think one of the most underrated moments in horse racing is when they go through the post parade and they turn to the crowd and play “Auld Lang Syne.” I quickly realized this is my kind of race. Claiming race, it's a marathon race, it's a dirt race. I should start looking for horses that sort of fit the profile of a Trail's End horse.”

Oaklawn ran the closing-day Trail's End in April, capping the Arkansas Derby Day program, until shifting its racing dates in 2019. A May close means the Trail's End is now run on the heels of the Kentucky Derby. Gramm attended this year's Kentucky Derby and said he watched Hellorhighwater's victory from a home adjacent to Churchill Downs.

Ten Strike and Lasater, a three-time Eclipse Award winner, are the only owners to win the Trail's End three consecutive times.

“It's my favorite race out there,” Gramm said. “Obviously, I would aspire to win the Derby and stuff like that. I want to win the Trail's End every year. I'm looking right now for a Trail's End horse.”

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Mariah’s Princess Draws Off To Win Inaugural Running of Mistletoe Stakes

Trainer Phil Bauer has had Saturday's $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes circled on his calendar for a while and his plan came together perfectly when Rigney Racing LLC's Mariah's Princess drew off to win the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies impressively at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Ark.

Ridden confidently by Martin Garcia throughout, Mariah's Princess sat right off of Lovely Ride through fractions of :24 2/5 and :49 2/5 for the first half mile before putting her head in front turning for home. The winner continued to edge clear of the field through the stretch, drawing off to win by three lengths over 8-5 favorite Amendment Nineteen in a final time of 1:44 over a fast track. Lovely Ride held on for third.

Mariah's Princess, a Ghostzapper filly, improved her record to 6-3-1-0 and has now earned $214,870. She returned $6.60, $3.40, and $3.00 as the 2-1 second choice in the field of eight. Marion Francis and Suki scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first post.

The post Mariah’s Princess Draws Off To Win Inaugural Running of Mistletoe Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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