miss j mckay | Horse Racing Free Tips

Always Shopping Defends Via Borghese Title; Miss J McKay Best In Abundantia

Repole Stable's Always Shopping, without a victory in six straight starts, ended her 5-year-old season the way it began – on a winning note – with a determined nose triumph over Harajuku to defend her title in Friday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 1 3/8-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up was the second of three $100,000 turf stakes on the New Year's Eve program, preceded by the Janus for 3-year-olds and up and followed by the Abundantia for females 3 and older, both sprinting five furlongs.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Always Shopping ($7) completed the distance in 2:13.86 over a firm course to earn her eighth career victory, fourth in six tries on the Gulfstream turf and sixth against stakes company.

Breaking from the far outside in a field of nine as the narrow 5-2 favorite, Always Shopping raced in the clear two wide on the hip of Candy Flower, who broke alertly and set an easy pace. Always Shopping moved up to challenge for the lead once straightened for home while Harajuku continued a sustained run on the far outside. They pulled away from the field and dueled through the lane, with Always Shopping digging in again after losing the lead approaching the wire.

“I think [Harajuku] put a nose to a head in front of her, and she fought back. It was a determined effort,” Pletcher said. “I was so proud of her. She fought hard today. She got in a good stalking position from an outside post and stalked the pace. I thought they had her surrounded at the top of the stretch, but you could see her dig in and fight for the win.”

Harajuku was three lengths clear of Beautiful Lover in third. It was a neck back to Onyx, sent off at 111-1, who edged Hungry Kitten by a half-length for fourth.

Always Shopping passed the $600,000 mark in career purse earnings with the win, her first since the Jan. 23 La Prevoyante (G3). Other stakes victories have come in the 2019 Gazelle (G2) at Aqueduct and 2020 Monroe and Via Borghese at Gulfstream.

“She's had a great career and she seems to really love Gulfstream. It's great to see her come back,” Pletcher said. “I'll talk to Mike [Repole] and see what the plan is. She's probably going to be off to stud here at some point, but we might have time to run her one more time. We'll see what Mike wants to do.”

Miss J McKay Sprints to $100,000 Abundantia Victory
Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka's Miss J McKay overcame some traffic trouble at the top of the stretch to sweep past her rivals through the lane and capture Friday's $100,000 Abundantia.

It was the second straight win for the 4-year-old Hangover Kid filly in three starts since joining trainer Christophe Clement earlier this summer, and her second career stakes win following the 2019 Anne Arundel County at Laurel Park.

The win also allowed jockey Tyler Gaffalione to sweep the two stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up, having previously won the $100,000 Via Borghese aboard Always Shopping for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Miss J McKay ($8.20) rated in mid-pack as 45-1 long shot Cat's Astray was sent to the lead chased by Beautiful Grace. Gaffalione was able to split horses on the far turn and get in position, had to swing wide around Luis Saez and 7-5 favorite Miss Auramet straightening for home, and closed with a steady run to nail Drapes (14-1) nearing the wire. Strong Odor finished third while Miss Auramet wound up sixth.

The winning time was 55.86 seconds over a firm turf course.

“The filly broke well and the speed went on. It set up exactly as we thought it would. She settled nicely and coming into the stretch I was able to follow Luis out. Once she got clear run, she kicked it in nicely,” Gaffalione said. “We got fanned out a little bit, but she was much the best today.”

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Hidden Scroll Sells For $525,000 To Lead Tuesday’s Trade At Keeneland November Sale

Horses of racing age headlined Tuesday's penultimate session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which was led by the $525,000 purchase of Hidden Scroll, a 4-year-old graded stakes performer by Hard Spun, by Fergus Galvin, agent for Marc Detampel.

Consigned by WinStar Racing, agent for Juddmonte Farms, Hidden Scroll has competed in graded stakes company at Belmont, Oaklawn and Gulfstream. He is out of the Empire Maker mare Sheba Queen and from the family of Group 1 winner Etoile Montante, Grade 2 winner Starformer and 2020 stakes winner Flavius.

WinStar Racing was the session's leading consignor with sales of $1,644,000 for 27 horses. For Juddmonte, WinStar also sold Delaware, a 4-year-old son of Frankel who was third in Saturday's Artie Schiller at Aqueduct. Steven W. Young, agent, bought Delaware, who is a half-brother to French stakes winner Environs and from the family of Group/Grade 1 winner Proviso.

As agent for Detampel, Galvin was the session's leading buyer, spending $555,000 for two horses. Another purchase was the winning 5-year-old First Defence gelding Vanbrugh, also consigned by WinStar for Juddmonte, for $30,000.

On Tuesday, Keeneland sold 216 horses for $5,697,700, for an average of $26,378 and a median of $10,000.

Cumulative sales through nine sessions are $149,709,700 for 1,984 horses, for an average of $75,459 and a median of $28,500.

ELiTE, agent, consigned five of Tuesday's 10 highest-priced horses. Leading the group was Maryland-bred stakes winner Miss J McKay, a 3-year-old daughter of Hangover Kid, who sold to Jackson Farms for $300,000. A stakes winner of $210,053, the filly is out of Ballykiss, by Street Boss, and from the family of Grade 2 winners Crowned and Best of Luck and Grade 3 winners Betty Lobelia and Lady Horseowner.

Eddie Kenneally, agent for William K. Werner, paid $275,000 for the supplemental entry Edgemont Road, a 4-year-old Speightstown gelding who was third in Keeneland's Lafayette on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard. Team V LLC consigned Edgemont Road, who is out of Swaythisaway, by Scat Daddy. His family includes champion Rhythm, Grade 1 winner Frost Giant and sire Not For Love.

Shepherd Equine Advisers, agent for Larry Hirsch, spent $180,000 for Catch a Bid, a 4-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Real Solution consigned by ELiTE, agent. She is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Elusive Champagne and from the family of Grade 1 winner Nereid and Grade 3 winner Belong to Sea.

T&C Horse Farms purchased Moral Reasoning, a 3-year-old stakes-placed daughter of More Than Ready, for $175,000. Consigned by ELiTE, agent. she is out of Alhucema, by Aldebaran, and from the family of Group 1 winner and sire Karakontie, European highweight East of the Moon and Group 1 winner and sire Kingmambo.

David Ingordo, agent, paid $150,000 for the supplement Growth Engine, a 4-year-old Tapit gelding consigned by ELiTE, agent. An allowance winner at Monmouth in his most recent start, on Sept. 19, Growth Engine is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Pyro and a full brother to Grade 3 winner War Echo. He is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision.

ELiTE, agent, also consigned Abuse of Power, sold to Preferred Equine, agent for Lindy Farms, for $120,000. A 3-year-old filly by Karakontie out of Oblivious, by Cozzene, Abuse of Power is a half-sister to stakes winner Street Storm.

The session's top-priced weanling was a colt from the first crop of Mo Town sold to P & B Stable for 65,000. Consigned by Mulholland Springs, agent, he is out of Supplement, by Sky Mesa and from the family of Grade 3 winners Thatlookonyourface, Dark Nile and Lou Brissie.

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Rispoli Guides Lighthouse To Music City Stakes Score At Kentucky Downs

LNJ Foxwoods' Lighthouse showed them the way home in the $400,000 Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., becoming the first runner to win at the current meet after shipping in from California. The 1 1/2-length victory over Miss J McKay sent burgeoning superstar jockey Umberto Rispoli home with a winner out of only two mounts after spending most of a week in town.

But Rispoli came — and wanted to stay — for the Simon Callaghan-trained Lighthouse, a daughter of Mizzen Mast who in her last race was second by only a neck against older fillies and mares.

“When they postponed the races, I could have traveled back for the meeting at Santa Anita,” said the Italian-born Rispoli, who rode in Hong Kong before relocating to Southern California, where he lost the Del Mar riding title on the last day by one win to his close friend Flavien Prat. “I decided to stay. I knew she was going to have a chance. She probably could have won last time as well, but the distance was too short at Del Mar. So I knew she might handle the track. When Simon ships a horse, he's always confident. This was good. It was a nice experience. The track is a funny track. But being around Europe, I've been riding many times on tracks like that so it doesn't bother me at all. I waited three more days and I'm so happy to go back home with a winner. So that's perfect.”

Evil Lyn and Bredenbury (IRE) led through the first quarter-mile in a swift 21.87 seconds while Rispoli kept Lighthouse in striking distance, just 1 1/2 lengths off the pace.

With a half-mile booked in 45.27 seconds, Lighthouse was about to roll by Evil Lyn, and the eventual winner led by a quickly-widening three lengths with a furlong remaining. Lighthouse easily held safe Miss J McKay, who was fourth by two lengths during the first four furlongs and gamely stayed on to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner. The time for 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:14.99 over a course rated good.

“We were surprised because there wasn't much speed in the race,” Rispoli said. “When I looked around and nobody wants to go, I say, 'Well, I'll take it.' I knew she was good enough to win from the front… I decided to run away, and she ran very good to the line. So I'm very pleased and happy with her.

“I've been riding around the world, and even in Italy we have a few up and down tracks. Not like this. But in England and France too. But I love the grass, so I can adapt myself anywhere, no matter what.”

Lighthouse, who had previously run six times exclusively at Santa Anita and Del Mar, has failed to hit the board only once in seven starts. With her victory at Kentucky Downs, she has three wins, two seconds and a third combined with earnings of $335,171 after today's payday of $233,120. Available money in the Music City was $360,385.

“She's been incredibly consistent,” Callaghan said by phone. “I've been on a really progressive path, and I think her best race of her lifetime was against older fillies. I think that's when she really showed she's really improving. We felt it warranted the trip. We thought it's good timing, it's a big pot and makes sense. It was great that she got the win.

“She was in a good spot. But you're always cognizant on that track that you don't want to go too early. You just want to be patient. She was just loaded the whole way. Umberto hasn't ridden much at this track but is a world-class rider. I said 'Just don't take anything away from her. But certainly don't be too aggressive.' She just placed herself there. He sat as as long as he could, and she was loaded and he went on and got the job done.”

Even-money favorite Kimari was another length-and-a-quarter back in third, and Outburst was fourth, an additional 2 3/4 lengths back.

Trainer Wesley Ward — who settled on the Music City after entering Kimari in three stakes this meet, including in Wednesday's closing-day Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson against males, joked afterward, “Maybe I'll run tomorrow, too.” More seriously he said, “She ran well.”

The top two finishers were each sent off at 11-1 odds, producing a $2 exacta worth $206.40. Mutuels paid $24.00, $10.40 and $6.80 to win, place and show on $2 tickets with Lighthouse on them. Miss J McKay produced payoffs of $10.00 and $5.60 to place and show, and Kimari paid $3.20 to show.

After the four best runners, rounding out the order of finish were Lucrezia and Bredenbury who dead-heated for fifth, She's My Type (FR), Evil Lyn, Enola Gay, She's So Special and Finite. Scratched were Hear My Prayer, Mom's Red Lipstick and also-eligibles Fashionable Lady, Poseidon's Passion and Lucky Jingle.

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