Extravagant Kid, Carotari Set To Clash In Friday’s Janus

During his 54-race career, Extravagant Kid has established himself as one of the all-time great claims while winning a worldwide legion of fans with his year-in-year-out success in turf sprints.

DAARS Inc.'s enduring gelding with relatively obscure bloodlines will seek to add to his impressive resume in Friday's $100,000 Janus Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint which will be featured on Gulfstream Park's eight-race program with the $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, and the $100,000 Via Borghese, a 1 3/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares. One day before his official ninth birthday, the Florida-bred son of Kiss The Kid will make his fifth career start in the Janus.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Extravagant Kid was claimed for $75,000 out of a Jan. 18, 2018 optional claiming allowance victory at 36-1 odds at Gulfstream, and he has more than justified that rather extravagant gamble. Heading into the Janus, he has a record of 15-17-4 in 54 starts and earnings of more than $1.6 million. His biggest career performance came earlier this year when he captured the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) in Dubai, three starts after he came up a neck short of defending his 2019 Janus title by a neck.

Extravagant Kid, who finished third in the King's Stand (G1) at Ascot following his Dubai score, will make his first start Friday since finishing off the board in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call aboard Extravagant Kid in Friday's Race 1 feature.

William Branch's Carotari has also established himself with Gulfstream fans in recent years while showing a distinct affinity for the local turf course. The Brian Lynch trainee has won three of four starts at Gulfstream, including back-to-back editions of the Silks Run Stakes, his only loss being a close-up second-pace finish in the 2020 Gulfstream Turf Sprint.

The 5-year-old gelded son of Artie Schiller will be making his first start since winning an Oct. 22 optional claiming allowance at Keeneland.

Leading rider Luis Saez has the call.

Crown Way Racing LLC's Smokin Jay, Michael Dubb's Xy Speed, Mohamed and Bibi Jehaludi's Omaha City, Pedro Estevez's Breakthrough, Move Horse Inc.'s Romario, and Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free are also entered in the Janus.

David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's Miss Auramet, the ever-versatile 5-year-old mare with 10 victories and 21 in-the-money finishes in 26 career starts, will seek to rebound from a rare off-the-board finish in last year's $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares that has been carded as Race 8 Friday at Gulfstream.

The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained daughter of Uncaptured was eliminated from contention in last year's edition of the Abundantia after being bumped between horses at the start. The Florida-bred mare enters this year's renewal off a dominating three-length optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream while coming off a four-month layoff.

In addition to establishing herself as a talented turf sprinter, Miss Auramet has demonstrated uncommon versatility while finishing first or second in all five starts on off tracks and winning two of four races run on fast dirt tracks.

Leading rider Luis Saez has the call aboard Miss Auramet.

Colts Neck Stables LLC's Introduced is no stranger to Miss Auramet, whom the Jorge Duarte Jr. trainee met three times at Monmouth Park during the summer. The 5-year-old daughter of El Padrino scored back-to-back victories over the Plesa trainee in turf sprints after finishing fourth behind the victorious Miss Auramet in the off-the-turf Politely Stakes on a sloppy track.

Introduced, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Oct. 17 Floral Park at Belmont Park, will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka's Miss J McKay, a multiple stakes winner at five furlongs on turf, enters the Abundantia off a Nov. 21 six-furlong optional claiming allowance win over Aqueduct's turf course.

T-N-T Equine Holdings LLC's Dana's Beauty, Freddy Lewis Jr.'s Strong Odor, Willow Lane Stables Inc.'s Morning Molly, Glen Hill Farm's Drapes, Voodoomon Racing's Ambassador Luna, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Palomita and Winning Stables Inc.'s Beautiful Grace are also entered in the Abundantia.

Repole Stable's Always Shopping will seek to regain her winning form while making a title defense in Friday's $100,000 Via Borghese, a 1 3/8-mile stakes for fillies and mares carded as Race 5 at Gulfstream Park.

The Todd Pletcher-trained 5-year-old mare scored a dominating three-length victory in last year's Via Borghese before winning the Le Prevoyante (G3) by three lengths in her very next start at Gulfstream.

Always Shopping has gone winless in six subsequent starts, which include a pair of graded-stakes placings. The daughter of Awesome Again is scheduled to make her third start off a 3 ½-month layoff with Tyler Gaffalione scheduled to ride her for the first time since finishing a close second in the Dowager (G3) at Keeneland in October 2020.

Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd.'s Beautiful Lover enters the Via Borghese off a second-place finish at Belmont in the Nov. 7 Zagora, in which Always Shopping finished sixth. The Christophe Clement trainee is a multiple graded stakes-placed 5-year-old daughter of Arch.

Clement is also scheduled to saddle Sorrel, who is scheduled to make her second start off an eight-month layoff and third start since being imported from Europe. The 4-year-old daughter of Dansili, who finished five in the Nov. 27 Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct off the layoff, finished third in last season's Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream.

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Beautiful Lover for the first time Friday, while Paco Lopez has the call on Sorrel.

Jordan Wycoff's Candy Flower enters the Via Borghese off a close second-place finish in the Long Island two starts after being claimed for $40,000. The Mike Maker trainee finished third in the Zagora in her first start off the claim.

Emisael Jaramillo is slated to ride the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride for the first time in the Via Borghese.

Carolyn Friedberg's Sweet Serenade, Emory Hamilton's Hungry Kitten, Arindel's Onyx and Key Biscayne, Flaxman Holdings Ltd.'s Harajuku, and Sanford Bacon and Patrick Biancone's Kelsey's Cross are also entered.

The post Extravagant Kid, Carotari Set To Clash In Friday’s Janus appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Introduced Best In Incredible Revenge At Monmouth

It took a little longer than he might have preferred but trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. has finally figured out the key to bringing out the best in Introduced, his talented 5-year-old mare.

Kept calm in pre-race for the second straight start, Introduced surged to a three-quarter length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., adding a grass stakes victory to the stakes win she earned in the slop in the Smart N Fancy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a year ago.

Kept just off the early speed duel between Running Memories and Miss Auramet, the race favorite, Introduced rallied past both in mid-stretch to post her second straight victory on the grass and eighth overall from 19 career starts.

In recent losses, Duarte has said Introduced often lost races before they were even run because of how high-strung and nervous she can get. But a new routine of having a pony accompany her to the paddock has seemed to keep the Maryland-bred daughter of El Padrino from getting overly worked up.

“I think we did a good job keeping her calm before the race,” said Duarte, who won both grass sprints on the card and is now 9-for-20 at the meet. “That has always been the biggest battle with her. She helped us because she didn't get too fired up. She was better pre-race today.

“We did the same thing as we did last race (a nose victory over Miss Auramet in an allowance at Monmouth on July 23) with the paddock routine and bringing her over with the pony and she was fine. I felt good when I put the tack on her. Everything was smooth. She has really been running big lately. I'm very pleased with her right now.”

Introduced's winning time for the 5½ furlongs over a firm turf course was 1:02.50.

Running Memories, who set the early fractions of :22.20 and :44.51, held on for second, one length ahead of Miss Auramet.

Owned by Colts Neck Stables and ridden by Albin Jimenez, Introduced paid $10.60 to win.

“My first time riding her, though I breezed her a couple of times. She's a nice filly,” said Jimenez. “I got a beautiful trip right behind the speed. Jorge told me there would be speed inside of her so just break and see where she is and take it from there. It could not have worked out any better. I had a nice, beautiful position. She's a very nice filly. I can tell that after riding her one time.”

Introduced now has five wins from 15 career grass starts. The $60,000 winner's share boosted her career earnings to $384,801.

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, with the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes headlining an 11-race card. The popular Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival will also wrap up its second day then.

First race post time is 12:15 p.m. Parking and admission are free.

The post Introduced Best In Incredible Revenge At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Duarte Looking For ‘Calmer’ Introduced To Show Up In Incredible Revenge Stakes

When Introduced failed to live up to expectations in her first three starts of the year trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. went searching for answers. What he came to realize was this: His talented 5-year-old mare can lose the race before it is even run because of how nervous she gets pre-race.

A change in routine followed, as did an upset victory at Monmouth Park against allowance company on July 23 in her next start.

Now Duarte is eager to see if his adjustments can pay dividends in a stakes race as well.

Introduced, who has won stakes races on the main track but not yet on the grass, is among nine fillies and mares entered for Saturday's $100,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park.

Once again, the Kathleen O'Connell-trained Miss Auramet, beaten a nose by Introduced in that Monmouth allowance race after defeating her by 8½ lengths two starts prior, looms as the horse to beat. O'Connell is adding blinkers to Miss Auramet in an effort to get the classy 5-year-old mare back to her winning ways.

But Introduced may have something to say in the race if Duarte can keep her calm before it goes off.

“At the beginning of the season she had a couple of races where she was getting a little too nervous before the race,” said Duarte, who has won with seven of his 18 starters at the Monmouth Park meet. “We changed a couple of things before her last race, like bringing her in with the pony and saddling her outside.

“We tried to keep her as calm as we could pre-race. It seemed like it worked.”

The 86 Beyer speed figure for her last race, a five-furlong turf dash, equaled a career-best on any surface. Introduced, a Maryland-bred daughter of El Padrino, has won 7-of-18 starts in her career with earnings of $324,801.

She also sports a 4-3-1 line from 14 career grass starts – but lacks a stakes victory on the turf. She did win the Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga last year over a muddy track and captured the state-bred Miss Disco Stakes at Laurel on the dirt in 2019.

“I think she's good enough to win a stakes race on the grass,” said Duarte. “We always thought she would like Monmouth Park but her last race was the first time she put it all together here. We're going to try the same thing pre-race as we did last time and see how it works.

“She's just a high-energy, nervous mare. It seems like if you keep her calm pre-race she will fire.”

Albin Jimenez has the mount on the Colts Neck Stable-owned Introduced, who was 10-1 when she upset 3-10 Miss Auramet last time out.

“There are some nice fillies and mares in this race,” said Duarte. “I trained Miss Auramet last year. I know how good she is. She is very consistent. I don't think she got the best trip last time. My horse kind of got an advantage that day. Miss Auramet was stuck inside and had to wait and seemed to check a little and then had to some around us. So we had the first jump.

“But my filly has some confidence. We'll see if keeping her calm again helps as much as it did last time.”

Miss Auramet enters the race with a 9-8-3 line from 24 career starts and earnings of $444,090. She has hit the board in 12 of her 15 career grass starts, though her last stakes win was in the Politely at Monmouth Park in the slop on May 30.

Paco Lopez has the mount.

The field also includes Love and Peace, a California shipper from trainer Neil Drysdale. She has not raced since March 6 at Santa Anita.

The post Duarte Looking For ‘Calmer’ Introduced To Show Up In Incredible Revenge Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pixelate Leads List Of Nominees for Pimlico Turf Stake

Godolphin homebred Pixelate, coming off a victory in last month's Prince George's County over the track, is one of seven graded-stakes winners among 28 horses nominated to the $200,000 Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup Saturday, July 24 at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The one-mile G3 BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up is one of four grass stakes worth $500,000 in purses on the program, joined by the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby at 1 ½ miles for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash sprinting five furlongs and $100,000 Big Dreyfus going 1 1/8 miles, both for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Pixelate posted a third consecutive bullet workout Sunday over the all-weather surface at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., going a half-mile in :48 flat. All three have come since the 4-year-old City Zip colt, winner of the 2020 Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park, rallied to beat fellow BWI Turf Cup nominee Logical Myth by a length in the 1 1/8-mile Prince George's County June 13.

Also exiting the Prince George's County are Eons, Talk Or Listen, and English Bee, who respectively ran third, sixth, and seventh. Eons, a 5-year-old horse, saw his winless streak extend to 10 races since capturing the 2019 Kent after encountering trouble last out, finishing just a length behind Logical Myth.

Eons' Arnaud Delacour-trained stablemate Talk Or Listen chased the pace in the Prince George's County before fading, though beaten less than four lengths. In his previous start, the 5-year-old gelding ran second by a length to Somelikeithotbrown in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Dinner Party May 15 on the undercard of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes.

English Bee won the James W. Murphy at Pimlico, Grade 3 Virginia Derby, and Parx Fall Derby in 2019 but has been unable to win since, running second in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf and Grade 2 Wise Dan last year. A 5-year-old son of turf champion English Channel, he was also seventh in the Dinner Party, beaten 2 ½ lengths.

Field Pass, trained by Mike Maker, won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby, the Grade 3 Transylvania, and the Grade 3 Ontario Derby in 2020 and has finished fourth in three of four starts this year, including the G2 Wise Dan last out June 26 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile April 9 at Keeneland.

Mr Dumas, winner of the 2019 Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf, has yet to race since capturing a Keeneland allowance last October. California-based Neptune's Storm made his 2021 debut running second in the June 20 Grade 3 American at Santa Anita Park. Graded wins have come in the 2020 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile and 2019 Grade 2 Hill Prince.

Also nominated are Oak Bluff Stables' 6-year-old Therapist, four-for-seven lifetime at one mile with earnings of $671,865 for New York-based trainer Christophe Clement, fellow multiple stakes winner Rinaldi, owned and trained by James Bond; and Augustin Stable homebred Corelli, who beat Pixelate by a neck in the April 24 Henry S. Clark at Pimlico and was most recently third in the June 5 Grade 3 Monmouth.

Wootton Asset and Doubleoseven, respectively third and fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Kent July 3, are among 20 sophomores nominated to the Bald Eagle Derby. The Kent was the season opener for Wootton Asset, second by a nose in the Laurel Futurity last fall at Pimlico, and the turf debut for Doubleoseven, stakes-placed sprinting on dirt.

Also nominated are Michael Matz-trained filly Line Dancing, third in the Grade 3 Edgewood April 20 in her 2021 opener; Eamonn, fifth in the Kent; Indian Lake, third by less than a length in the 7 ½-furlong Sussex July 8 at Delaware Park; Experienced and Vikram, debut maiden special weight winners for Jonathan Thomas, who also trains Corelli; and Shackled Love, winner of the March 13 Private Terms over Laurel Park's main track.

Line Dancing is also one of 29 nominees to the Big Dreyfus, along with four from Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown – 2021 Grade 3 Endeavour winner Counterparty Risk, Feb. 6 Suwannee River winner Great Island, third in the May 15 Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico; German Group 2 winner Kalifornia Queen and Nay Lady Nay, winner of the All Along at Laurel and Grade 3 Matchmaker in 2020. Speaktomeofsummer, winner of the 2020 Grade 2 Lake Placid at Saratoga, multiple stakes winner Summer in Saratoga, and Sosua, undefeated in three career starts, are also nominated.

The Sensible Lady Turf Dash also attracted 29 nominees including multiple stakes winners Street Lute, who has yet to run on grass; Caravel, bred, co-owned and trained by Maryland-based Liz Merryman, and Jakarta; Ellanation, Dendrobia, Quiet Company, Can the Queen, Introduced, and Spun Glass, the top six finishers from the July 4 Jameela at Pimlico; Gotta Go Mo, second to Caravel in the five-furlong The Very One May 14 at Pimlico; and Miss Auramet, runner-up behind Caravel in the June 25 Goldwood at Monmouth Park.

 

The post Pixelate Leads List Of Nominees for Pimlico Turf Stake appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights