Six-Time Dirt Stakes Winner Street Lute Tries Turf In Pimlico’s Stormy Blues

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, already a six-time stakes winner on the dirt, is set make her turf debut as part of a field of 13 entered in Sunday's $100,000 Stormy Blues at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 13th running of the Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies and the fourth renewal of the $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up, both sprinting five furlongs, are among four scheduled turf stakes on a 10-race program. They are joined by the $100,000 Prince George's County at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Searching for females 3 and older at 1 ½ miles.

Rounding out Sunday's stakes action is the $100,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, it features undefeated multiple stakes winner Chub Wagon facing off against Anna's Bandit, Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya, who have combined to win 29 races, 18 stakes and more than $1.37 million in purse earnings.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Even as his young stable star has piled up wins on the dirt, trainer Jerry Robb has been waiting for a grass opportunity for Street Lute, a chestnut daughter of Street Magician out of the Midnight Lute mare Alottalute bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman.

“She's bred for grass top and bottom. Just off her breeding alone, I'd be shocked if she didn't take to it. She's got just a ton of natural ability,” Robb said. “I definitely want to try the grass if we have it, or I can go for the mud if we don't.”

Street Lute won the 5 ½-furlong Small Wonder last fall at Delaware Park over a sloppy track while all her other races have come over fast surfaces including victories in the 2020 Smart Halo, Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Gin Talking and 2021 Xtra Heat and Wide Country during a five-race win streak, all at Laurel Park at six or seven furlongs.

Third when stretched out to a mile for the March 13 Beyond the Wire at Laurel, Street Lute exits her first off-the-board finish when sixth following a troubled trip in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) May 14 at Pimlico on the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) undercard, her graded-stakes debut.

Street Lute has had one timed breeze since the Miss Preakness, going three furlongs in 36.20 seconds June 5 at Delaware Park, the fastest of 22 horses. Regular rider Xavier Perez – who earned his 1,000th career win Monday at Delaware on Robb-trained In the Loop – climbs back aboard from Post 10 in a field of 13 that includes main track only entrant Malibu Beauty.

“Her last race she broke horrible, got pinched back and had no shot. Plus, it was a tough spot,” Robb said. “I'm looking for her to bounce right back.”

Trainer Wesley Ward, in England for the upcoming Royal Ascot meet, entered a pair of stakes winners in Wink and Irish-bred Amanzi Yimpilo. Stonestreet Stables' Wink, Group 3-placed in France last fall, was a front-running winner of the five-furlong Melody of Colors on the Gulfstream Park turf March 20. Last time out, the Midshipman filly ran last of nine after dueling for the lead in the May 8 Mamzelle.

Purchased as a yearling for $110,000 at Keeneland in September 2019, Wink debuted last June with a 1 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph at Belmont Park and was immediately stepped up to stakes company, winning the Colleen at Monmouth Park. Both victories came in gate to wire fashion.

From there, Wink and stablemate Campanelle traveled to France, where she ran second by a length in the Prix d'Arenberg (G3) at Longchamp Sept. 3. Two weeks earlier, Campanelle gave Ward his third career win in the Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville.

“She went over there to accompany Campanelle and she ran really, really good. It wasn't really a plan to race there but to bring her there for the other filly. There was a race there and now she's got graded-stakes placing. She led every jump but the last little bit, so she ran a real credible race there,” Ward said. “She's well-traveled, so right after the race we brought her home and gave her some time.”

Victor Carrasco has the call on Wink, who drew outside Post 13.

Susan Moulton, Marc Detampel and CJ Thoroughbreds' Amanzi Yimpilo ran seventh in the Mamzelle to open her 2021 campaign. By No Nay Never, a French Group 1 and American Grade 3 winner also trained by Ward, she won two of three starts at 2 including a head triumph in the 5 ½-furlong Speakeasy last fall at Santa Anita.

“She kind of lost it there on her comeback race day. She kind of got real hot and was worked up a little bit and just was sweating,” Ward said. “We've worked on that a little bit, brought her over a couple times to Churchill to breeze on the grass and she just got completely over that. I think she just had the nervous jitters coming back and I really look for her to run a big race.”

A $300,000 yearling purchase in September 2019, Amanzi Yimpilo breezed four furlongs in 48.80 seconds June 6, the fastest of eight horses, and will get the services of jockey Mychel Sanchez from Post 9.

“We paid dearly for her. She's by a sire that I trained … so I'm responsible for her success and failure. I want to keep moving forward with her. I think she's really going to turn out to be a nice filly. We gave her all time off this winter and she's a good, fresh filly,” Ward said. “I just think that first race was a throwout based on how she was acting that day.”

Beautiful Grace, Catching the Wind, Door Buster and What a Trick all enter the Stormy Blues off wins. Multiple stakes-placed Honey Pants, fifth by three lengths in the one-mile Sweetest Chant (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream, ships in from New York for trainer Christophe Clement, while Kentucky-based Ben Coleman brings in April 10 Cheryl S. White winner Prodigy Doll. Can't Buy Love, Proper Attire and Whiskey and Rye – who finished behind Street Lute in the Gin Talking, Xtra Heat and Wide Country – complete the field.

The post Six-Time Dirt Stakes Winner Street Lute Tries Turf In Pimlico’s Stormy Blues appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Undefeated Chub Wagon Regroups For Sunday’s Shine Again Stakes

Even in a career that counts more than 2,000 winners and a dozen graded-stakes, trainer Guadalupe Preciado can count the truly special ones he's had on one hand.

Two fingers, even.

The first belongs to millionaire Favorite Tale, who captured the 2014 Gallant Bob (G3) and 2015 Smile Sprint (G2), and later that year ran third in the A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Favorite Tale was no stranger to Maryland, winning the Dave's Friend at Laurel Park in 2018 in his penultimate career start.

Preciado points a second finger to his current stable star, Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's 4-year-old homebred filly Chub Wagon, undefeated through six career starts. The bay daughter of Hey Chub will be aiming for her third consecutive stakes triumph in Sunday's $100,000 Shine Again at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The six-furlong Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up is among five stakes worth $450,000 and the only one on dirt. It is also the next installment in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Other stakes on the June 13 program are all on the turf, led by the $100,000 Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Searching at 1 ½ miles for females 3 and older. A pair of five-furlong sprints are also on tap – the $100,000 Stormy Blues for sophomore fillies and $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired horses 3 and up.

Based at Parx, where he was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2013, Preciado is a native of Mexico who began training in 1989. He topped $1 million in season earnings for 24 consecutive years, from 1997 to 2017, exceeding $2 million four times. His brother, Ramon, also trains.

“The last nice horse I trained before her is Favorite Tale. He was a [Pennsylvania]-bred, too,” Preciado said. “She's a nice one. It's not easy to find those kinds of horses. It's easy for guys like the Todd Pletchers and the Chad Browns and all the guys that have so many 2-year-olds every year. It's no problem to find them. We have local horses over here. It's hard.”

Preciado was working for trainer Ron Benshoff when the two attended a party where Benshoff introduced him to Jack Mondel of Hidden Lane Farms. A friendship developed that soon had Mondel sending Preciado the kind of horses to give his fledgling career a boost, including Debutante's Halo, winner of the 1990 Demoiselle (G2), and Mr. Nasty, who won the 1990 Gravesend (G3) and 1991 Tom Fool (G2).

Other graded-stakes winners Preciado trained are Caught in the Rain, Iron Punch, Score a Birdie, Joker, Michael's Star and Sham Francisco. Favorite Tale's Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park was his most recent.

Among his previous Maryland stakes wins are Michael's Star in the 1996 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial, Mary's Silver Pen in the 2000 Marshua and Rockin Jojo in the 2016 Geisha and Maryland Million Distaff.

Preciado initially entered Chub Wagon in the seven-furlong Bed o' Roses (G3) June 4 at Belmont Park, where she was installed as the morning-line favorite, but opted to skip the race. She comes back to a distance where she has already won three times including her unveiling, which didn't come until mid-November of her 3-year-old season at Parx and provided Preciado with his milestone 2,000th victory.

“When I got her, the owner told me that she's a nice filly,” Preciado said. “Sometimes you have a little problem and when you have a horse that can run, you do the best you can to take care of the little problem before you got a big problem. Especially with the 2-year-olds. If you don't wait, they make you wait.”

Chub Wagon reeled off three straight allowance wins before romping in the seven-furlong Unique Bella against state-breds April 27 at Parx. In her first open-company stakes, she captured the Skipat at Pimlico May 15 on the undercard of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1).

The competition in the Shine Again is expected to include heavyweights such as Hello Beautiful, a five-time stakes winner that hasn't raced since the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 20 at Laurel, and Dontletsweetfoolya, who strung together five straight wins, two in stakes, before losses in the Fritchie and Skipat, where she ran fourth in her comeback. Hibiscus Punch, the 41-1 upset Fritchie winner, is also nominated.

Affable and easy-going, Preciado is less worried about maintaining the streak as he is seeing Chub Wagon run well and enjoying the ride.

“At my age, I don't care too much anymore because I know whatever will happen, will happen. For me it's exciting.”

The post Undefeated Chub Wagon Regroups For Sunday’s Shine Again Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pimlico: Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Will Be $974,564

Live racing will return to historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Friday, June 11 with the Maryland state record carryover having grown to $974,564.10 after going unsolved during Sunday's program.

Two horses, longshots Seize the Day and Mine to Hold, were live to take down a life-changing jackpot of $1.029 million heading into the eighth-race finale, won by Makes Mo Cents ($11). A total of $114,011 was bet into the popular multi-race wager that began with a carryover of $938,090.78 from Saturday.

Multiple tickets with all six winners Sunday each returned $3,456.08.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had its previous state record carryover reach $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

First-race post time Friday is 12:40 p.m.

Pimlico will cap next weekend with a program featuring five stakes worth $450,000 in purses Sunday, June 13. Parx-based undefeated multiple stakes winner Chub Wagon scratched out of the Bed o' Roses (G3) June 5 at Belmont Park to point for the $100,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series. Chub Wagon improved to 6-0 lifetime with a two-length triumph in the six-furlong Skipat May 15 at Pimlico.

Also on the June 13 stakes program are four turf stakes – the $100,000 Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Searching at 1 ½ miles for fillies and mares 3 and older, and $100,000 Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies and $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up, both sprinting five furlongs.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for all five stakes Thursday, June 10.

Notes: Jockey John Hiraldo doubled Sunday with Bobby Two Times ($4.40) in Race 4 for trainer Damon Dilodovico, and Baptize the Boy ($7.80) in the co-featured Race 7 for meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Jockey Jevian Toledo also won twice, aboard No Down Days ($5) in Race 2 and Makes Mo Cents ($11) in Race 8 … Runner-up in the Maryland Million Sprint last fall at Laurel Park, Baptize the Boy ran six furlongs in 1:10.70 over a fast main track to win by 2 ¾ lengths, spoiling the season debut of well-meant Artistic Reason, half-brother to 2020 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) winner Majestic Reason … In Sunday's other allowance event, 2020 Concern winner Air Token edged Halite by a head in Race 6 for his sixth career win. The winning time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.64 … Jockey Xavier Perez was winless with two mounts Sunday, leaving him at 999 career victories. He is named in Race 6 Monday and Race 4 Wednesday at Delaware Park.

The post Pimlico: Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Will Be $974,564 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Quality Runs Deep Among Shine Again Nominations At Pimlico

Graded-stakes winners Hibiscus Punch, Pacific Gale and Victim of Love, 11-time stakes winner Anna's Bandit and Chub Wagon, undefeated through six starts, top 19 horses nominated to the $100,000 Shine Again at historic Pimilco Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up is one of five stakes worth $475,000 in purses Sunday, June 13, that drew a total of 117 nominations. The six-furlong Shine Again is the only stakes both scheduled for the main track and as part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

No Guts No Glory Farm homebred Anna's Bandit has yet to make her 7-year-old debut, having gone unraced since finishing third in the Dashing Beauty last July at Delaware Park. The Great Notion mare owns 17 career wins and more than $780,000 in purse earnings.

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Hibiscus Punch became a stakes winner with her 41-1 upset of the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 20 at Laurel Park, finishing fifth last out in the Derby City Distaff (G1) May 1. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love, winner of the What a Summer last January at Laurel, defended her 2020 victory in the Vagrancy (G3) May 8 at Belmont Park over fellow Shine Again nominee Sadie Lady.

Third in the Vagrancy, Holly Hill Stables' Pacific Gale won the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) and 6 ½-furlong Hurricane Bertie (G3) over the winter at Gulfstream Park for trainer John Kimmel. Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's Chub Wagon kept her perfect record intact with a popular two-length triumph in the six-furlong Skipat May 15 at Pimlico on the Preakness (G1) undercard.

Also prominent among nominees are Maryland-based multiple stakes winners Dontletsweetfoolya, Hello Beautiful and Never Enough Time as well as Rising Seas, second May 22 in the Winning Colors (G3).

The four remaining June 13 stakes are all scheduled for the grass, including the $100,000 Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and $100,00 Searching for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 ½ miles.

Three of the top four finishers from the Dinner Party (G2) May 15 at Pimlico are among the 26 Prince George's County nominees – Talk Or Listen, Midnight Tea Time and 2020 Saranac (G3) winner Bye Bye Melvin, who respectively ran second, third and fourth. Also nominated are Corelli and Grade 2 winner Pixelate, separated by a nose in the 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark April 24 at Pimlico; 2019 Kent (G3) winner Eons; stakes winners Alwaysmining, Clubman, Doc Boy, English Bee and Logical Myth, third in the March 20 Muniz Memorial (G2); and 2020 Maryland Million Turf runner-up Cannon's Roar.

Among 19 nominees to the Searching are 2020 Dowager (G3) winner Blame Debbie; Crystalle, winner of the P.G. Johnson and second in the Miss Grillo (G2) in 2019; Judi Blue Eyes, a winner of two straight since being put back on grass by leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez; 2020 Long Island (G3) winner Mutamakina and Christophe Clement-trained stablemate Sorrel, third in the Gulfstream's March 27 Orchid (G3); Sister Hanan, third in the $125,000 The Very One (G3) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream; and stakes winners Luck Money and Thankful.

Sprinters 3 and up will go five furlongs in the $100,000 Stormy Blues for females and $100,000 Ben's Cat. The Stormy Blues attracted nominations from Soaring Softly (G3) winner Bye Bye; stakes winners Amanzi Yimpilo and Wesley Ward-trained stablemate Wink; Door Buster, Farsighted, Illegal Smile, Prodigy Doll and Tobys Heart. Also nominated is Lucky 7 Stables' six-time stakes winner Street Lute, yet to race on turf.

Most popular among horsemen, the Ben's Cat's 27 nominees include 2020 Futurity (G3) runner-up After Five; Eastern Bay, a stakes winner and runner-up in the 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) on dirt that also owns two wins from six grass starts; multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred Fiya; Hemp, third in the Chick Lang (G3) on dirt May 15 at Pimlico; 2019 Ben's Cat winner Oldies But Goodies; So Street, winner of the 2019 Howard County on the Laurel turf; and multiple dirt stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo.

The post Quality Runs Deep Among Shine Again Nominations At Pimlico appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights