miss Leslie | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cordmaker Clinches MATCH Title With Robert T. Manfuso Triumph

In a fitting end to his 6-year-old season, Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker paid tribute to his breeder by earning his 12^th career victory and eighth against stakes company in Sunday's $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The inaugural Manfuso for 3-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles and the return of the 1 1/8-mile Carousel for fillies and mares 3 and up, which carried Grade 3 status from 1988 through 1997 and was last run in 2002 at Laurel, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Cordmaker ($4.40) was bred in Maryland by Manfuso and his life partner, Laurel-based trainer Katy Voss, who presented the winner's trophy to the connections, including Hillwood's Ellen Charles, trainer Rodney Jenkins and regular rider Victor Carrasco.

A longtime owner and breeder and former owner of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course who was instrumental in revitalizing Maryland racing, Manfuso passed away in March 2020.

“We've all been talking about it for about a week. I'm glad we were able to get it done,” Jenkins said. “It was nice. He's such a good horse.”

A gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Cordmaker won for the third time in four starts – all in stakes – and clinched the older male long dirt division and overall MATCH Series titles.

Breaking from the rail as the 6-5 favorite in a field that scratched down to six, Cordmaker settled in fourth as multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining took the lead and held it through a quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds and a half in 47.38 pressed by Workin On a Dream, who finished second to Cordmaker in the Richard W. Small Nov. 27 at Laurel.

Carrasco tipped Cordmaker out leaving the far turn and set his sights on 3-2 second choice Shackqueenking, who had inherited the lead after Alwaysmining began to fade. Cordmaker straightened out, powered past Shackqueenking and opened up for a 3 ½-length victory. Workin On a Dream edged Shackqueenking by a half-length for second, with Plot the Dots a nose better than McElmore Avenue in fourth.

“Naturally he drew the one hole of all days, but he figured it out,” Jenkins said. “He got around that turn and saved some ground there, and then when they straightened out and Victor asked him, I think he won as easy as he's won any race in his life.”

Cordmaker has finished third or better 23 times in 34 career starts including 12 wins and $794,640 in purse earnings. He is 17-for-26 in the money at Laurel, his home track, with other stakes wins in the 2018 Jennings, 2019 Polynesian, and 2019 and 2021 Harrison Johnson Memorial and last month's Small. He also won the Aug. 23 Victory Gallop at Colonial Downs and 2019 DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park, and was third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3).

Miss Leslie wins her third consecutive race in the Carousel for trainer Claudio Gonzalez

Miss Leslie Runs Win Streak to Three in $100,000 Carousel
BB Horses' Miss Leslie extended her win streak to three races including back-to-back stakes after sweeping to the lead once straightened for home and sprinting clear through the stretch to a 3 ¾-length triumph in the $100,000 Carousel.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Miss Leslie ($5) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.21 over a fast main track as the 3-2 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares. Fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Kiss the Girl, who edged Belle of the North by a neck for third.

Scatrattleandroll, breaking from one spot inside Miss Leslie who drew the far outside, was sent out of the gate by jockey Jaime Rodriguez and in front through fractions of 24.58 and 49.11 seconds, pressed by Artful Splatter. Smooth With a Kick, racing for the first time since Jan. 17, led the second flight with Kiss the Girl.

Cruz gave Miss Leslie her cue leaving the backstretch and the 3-year-old daughter of Paynter began to roll while in the clear on the outside, reeling in Artful Splatter at the top of the stretch and opening up after a mile in 1:39.52.

“I felt really comfortable because we worked her last week and she worked really good,” Cruz said. “Today, every horse was coming from off the pace and my filly comes from off of it. It played out really well.”

Miss Leslie won the Anne Arundel County to cap her 2-year-old campaign and the April 24 Weber City Miss in her third start at 3. She went winless in five starts, including graded attempts in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Charles Town Oaks (G3), before ending the slide with a last-to-first optional claiming triumph Oct. 21 at Delaware Park.

In her prior start, Miss Leslie rallied from next-to-last to capture the Nov. 13 Thirty Eight Go Go going about 1 1/16 miles at Laurel. Each of the wins during her streak have come over older horses and with Cruz aboard.

“She's a good filly. She's nice to ride. We've had to work hard with her but she does everything right,” Cruz said. “A lot of times I just work her because she's really nervous in the morning. Claudio lets me work her and it's been playing out really good. She works good and she runs good.”

Notes: Laurel will host a special Monday program of nine races Dec. 27 featuring carryovers of $10,645.14 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $2,170.08 in the $1 Super Hi-5. Tickets with five of six winners in Sunday's Rainbow 6 each returned $1,419.50.

The post Cordmaker Clinches MATCH Title With Robert T. Manfuso Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Miss Leslie Finds Winner’s Circle Again In Thirty Eight Go Go At Laurel

BB Horses' Miss Leslie returned to her multiple stakes-winning form after five straight off-the-board finishes, outrunning long shots Lookin Dynamic and Villanelle to win Saturday's $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and up, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, was the last of three $100,000 stakes on the card, preceded by the James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds and Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies.

Miss Leslie ($4) was ridden by jockey Angel Cruz, who escaped injury after being unseated during Saturday's third race. Together they settled near the back of the pack in the early going, trailing all but one horse as Sosua and Grade 1-placed Off Topic raced together through splits of :23.94 and :47.29.

Cruz tipped Miss Leslie off the rail leaving the backstretch and began to roll on the turn, getting into contention after six furlongs went in 1:12.02. They continued on once straightened for home and hit the wire in 1:43.63 over a main track rated good, turning back Lookin Dynamic by a half-length. It was just a head back to Villanelle in third.

Miss Leslie entered the Thirty Eight Go Go off a 5 ¼-length optional claiming allowance win going one mile, 70 yards Oct. 21 at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., with Cruz up. Her previous stakes wins came in the April 23 Weber City Miss April 23 and last December's Anne Arundel County, both going 1 1/16 miles at Laurel.

“I rode her one time so I knew how she does. She breaks a little slow,” Cruz said. “Claudio just told me to wait for a moment to move and that's what I did. I waited, I moved on the outside and she kicked on.”

The Thirty Eight Go Go honors the two-time Maryland-bred champion bred and trained by Hall of Famer King Leatherbury. Eight of her 10 career wins came in stakes including the Grade 2 Gardenia, Grade 3 Tempted, and Maryland Million Lassie in 1987 and three consecutive runnings of the Geisha (1988-90).

The post Miss Leslie Finds Winner’s Circle Again In Thirty Eight Go Go At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Weber City Miss Triumph Gives Miss Leslie Black-Eyed Susan Berth

BB Horses' Miss Leslie, stretched back out around two turns after opening the year with back-to-back sprints, proved trainer Claudio Gonzalez's contention that longer is better with a 1 ½-length victory in Saturday's $125,000 Weber City Miss at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies co-headlined an 11-race Spring Stakes Spectacular program featuring six stakes worth $650,000 in purses with the $125,000 Federico Tesio, a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 146^thPreakness Stakes (G1) May 15.

In its sixth year, the Weber City Miss was being contested for the first time at Pimlico after having its first five runnings at Laurel Park. With the victory, Miss Leslie ($21.20) earned an automatic berth in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 14 at Pimlico, on the eve of the 146^th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Gonzalez, a 44-year-old cancer survivor, entered Grade 2 winner Landing Zone in last year's Black-Eyed Susan but had to scratch the morning of the race.

“Everybody wants to run in that race, and if this filly is doing good we're going to run,” Gonzalez said. “Definitely.”

Moonsafe, a front-running 15 ¼-length maiden claiming winner in her previous start Feb. 27 at Laurel, established command early and was in front after a quarter-mile in 24.59 seconds and a half in 48.59, with 13-1 long shot Exogen in pursuit. After hopping at the gate and getting squeezed back, Miss Leslie trailed the field through six furlongs in 1:12.78.

Miss Leslie began to gain momentum around the far turn and was swung five wide by jockey J.D. Acosta approaching the stretch as Moonsafe continued to lead. Miss Leslie continued her drive and swept past horses to earn her fourth career victory and second in a stakes.

The winning time was 1:44.28 over a fast main track. Oliviaofthedesertgot was up for second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Littlestitious, winner of the March 13 Beyond the Wire at Laurel and the 7-5 favorite.

Exogen, Moonsafe and Hybrid Eclipse completed the order of finish. Fraudulent Charge, second in three consecutive stakes and a 5-2 second choice on the morning line, was scratched.

“Everybody knows speed is good, and a lot of horses had speed. I told J.D., stay behind the speed and then do one move,” Gonzalez said. “He did it perfect. He rode just like we planned.”

Gonzalez claimed Miss Leslie for $25,000 out of a win last November at Laurel and won two straight starts 16 days apart with the Paynter filly, including the about 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26 at Laurel, her only previous try going two turns. This year, she ran second to Street Lute in the six-furlong Xtra Heat Jan. 16 and sixth in the seven-furlong Wide Country Feb. 20.

“You see in that time I run from six furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth close together, because it was the only choice, and she proved to me that she can go long. This year she ran the two races short, and she was coming, but it's not the same as two turns. That's why I waited for long, and I know she can do it,” Gonzalez said. “For me, a mile and a sixteenth or more is better.”

The post Weber City Miss Triumph Gives Miss Leslie Black-Eyed Susan Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Spectacular Bid, Xtra Heat Stakes Highlight Laurel Park’s Winter Carnival Program

Louis J. Ulman and H. Neil Glasser's multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion, beaten a neck in his most recent start, looks to snap a two-race losing streak when he takes on eight rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Spectacular Bid at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The inaugural Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, are among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Winter Carnival program that kicks off Maryland's 2021 stakes calendar.

Post time for the first of nine races is 12:25 p.m.

The defection of undefeated Jaxon Traveler with a minor foot bruise leaves Kenny Had a Notion and Shackqueenking, respectively trained by Laurel-based brothers Dale and Gary Capuano, as the lone stakes winners in the field.

Kenny Had a Notion won the 5 ½-furlong Jamestown against fellow Virginia-breds over Laurel's world-class turf course and the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery on dirt in successive starts 15 days apart in October.

In his most recent start, the Great Notion gelding set a demanding pace in the seven-furlong Heft Stakes Dec. 26, fought on gamely along the inside and just missed by a neck behind winner No Cents. He has breezed twice since, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.60 Jan. 6.

“He's been doing pretty well since that last race. He ran a pretty game race that day,” Dale Capuano said. “He ran pretty hard, so hopefully he'll improve for it a little bit this time. We'll see. Hopefully, everything goes well.”

Kenny Had a Notion will be racing for the second time after having a minor procedure performed following an atypical effort in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Nov. 14 where he raced in contention for a half-mile before flattening out to be sixth, again behind No Cents.

“He displaced his palate and then we did the surgery on him, so [the Heft] was his first race after having the surgery,” Capuano said. “I thought he would have run better if he didn't displace his palate. That really seemed to help. He's been good since then.”

Jorge Ruiz, aboard for both stakes wins as well as the Heft, gets a return call from Post 6 at co-topweight of 122 pounds.

“You have to strike when the iron's hot with some of them. He'll probably get a break after this race,” Capuano said. “There's not a whole lot coming up so we'll probably give him a little rest after this one, I'm thinking. But we'll see.”

Pocket 3's Racing's Shackqueenking alternated finishing first and second through four starts last year, breaking his maiden second time out and emerging from an extended stretch duel a nose in front in the Dec. 26 Howard County, both races going 1 1/16 miles over Laurel's main track. Victor Rosales, up in both wins, rides back at 122 pounds from Post 7.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu beat Kenny Had a Notion when second in the First State Dash Sept. 26 at Delaware Park. A first-out maiden winner last summer at Delaware, the gelded son of 2009 Whitney (G1) winner Bullsbay made his Laurel debut Dec. 11 with a popular front-running 1 ¼-length triumph.

“It was nice that we actually got to keep him home last time. He's Pennsylvania-bred and we considered taking him up there for a stake. He's also Delaware certified and he ran second in the stake they have there,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “He ran well on this track and I think it means a lot walking out of his own stall so I think he deserves a shot on Saturday. He's been doing really well. No complaints with that guy.”

Maythehorsebwithu will be trying stakes company for the second time and first with Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, who was up for the last race. Russell was also named for Maythehorsebewithu's unveiling but broke his wrist in a starting gate mishap three races prior.

“It was kind of nice last time to see Sheldon get on him because he's done so much work with him in the morning. When he finally got to ride him in the afternoon the horse broke well and he ran like a good horse. Sheldon has said all along that he thinks the horse is pretty decent,” Brittany Russell said.

“This horse has some gas to him and he's just had a little bit of bad racing luck as far as getting away right,” she added. “It's nice to move forward into deeper waters coming off a win. It gives you a bit more confidence.”

Maythehorsebwithu drew Post 8 outside both stakes winners and will carry 118 pounds.

Erawan, third in the Howard County; recent Laurel maiden winners Golden Gulley and Wicked Prankster; Scotch Rock's, who graduated by a neck going 6 ½ furlongs Dec. 23 at Parx; Tiz Mandate, fifth in the Heft in his second career start; and Nobody Knew complete the field.

Four-Time Stakes Winner Street Lute Launches Season in $100,000 Xtra Heat
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, a winner of three consecutive stakes to cap her juvenile campaign, will get the chance to make it four straight and get her sophomore season off to a successful start in the $100,000 Xtra Heat.

Last run at Pimlico in 2007, the Xtra Heat honors the Maryland-based Hall of Fame mare and champion 3-year-old filly of 2001 that won 26 of 35 career starts, captured 25 stakes including the Prioress (G1), and was second against the boys in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), both during her championship season.

Street Lute was a neck shy of being undefeated through six starts at 2, losing the six-furlong Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 24 by a neck to Miss Nondescript. She followed with wins in the Nov. 14 Smart Halo going six furlongs and the Dec. 5 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Dec. 26 Gin Talking sprinting seven furlongs, the latter by a desperate nose after taking a four-length lead into the stretch.

“In the Maryland Million that day, the only reason she got beat is because she never saw that horse coming,” trainer Jerry Robb said. “She was trying to get by the one on the inside of her, which she did, but she never saw the one on the outside of her until it was too late.

“I think she's definitely a better sprinter. I think seven-eighths is pushing it. She did seven-eighths easy against Maryland-breds but almost got beat in open company,” he added. “I'll keep her sprinting and try to pick some easy spots for her where she belongs.”

Robb said Street Lute gave an indication early on that the connections were in for a special season, overcoming a serious eye injury that required surgery and meticulous follow-up care to win her unveiling last fall at Delaware Park.

“During that time she had lost a lot of training. I had been pointing her toward the Delaware-certified stake and I knew I wasn't going to make it,” Robb said. “The only way I could make it was to maybe run her once at Delaware and use that race as a workout, so I ran her not expecting her to do anything and she won.

“I knew right then and there that there was something special about her, because she beat some nice horses that day when she was nowhere near ready to win,” he added. “She was good enough to go over there and get a race over the track and that was about it. From that point on, I knew she would just keep improving and that's what she's done.”

Xavier Perez, up for each of her last three wins, rides back from Post 3 in a field of eight.

“She's been the same as always. She's always been a handful. She's ready to go,” Robb said. “You try to give her a little break and just jog her and she goes crazy. You have to train her just to keep her on the ground.”

Street Lute will face another stakes winner in BB Horses' Miss Leslie, who will be cutting back to six furlongs off her thrilling come-from-behind head triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26.

It was the third straight win for the daughter of Grade 1 winner Paynter and second since being claimed for $25,000 by Maryland's four-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Roimes Chirinos gets the return call from Post 2.

“I wish we had a race that was going longer because I think longer is going to be better for her, but we're going to give it a try,” Gonzalez said. “Last time she ran big. She ran right back in two weeks after running six furlongs to running a mile and a sixteenth and it's not easy, especially for 2-year-olds. She had to run between horses and she still won. Everything we ask her, she does it.”

Also entered are Plane Drunk, winner of the Shamrock Rose Nov. 6 at Penn National; Trip to Freedom, third in the Maryland Million Lassie; Whiskey and Rye, fourth in the Gin Talking; It Can, unbeaten in two starts at 2 making her stakes debut; Breeze Off the Bay and Incomparable.

The post Spectacular Bid, Xtra Heat Stakes Highlight Laurel Park’s Winter Carnival Program appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post