Caravel Wires the Turf Sprint

LEXINGTON, KY – Gutsy Pennsylvania-bred mare Caravel (Mizzen Mast) took the field wire-to-wire and just held off Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) with Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) closing powerfully late to give Godolphin the two-three in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Saturday at Keeneland. The gray mare, dismissed at 42-1, shot out to the early lead as favored Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), who had been expected to set the pace, was off to a slow start after jumping at the break. The favorite was rushing up through the field, while Caravel set the tempo through an opening quarter in :21.91. Caravel turned for home a length in front and was still clear as the half went up in :44.25. Emaraaty Ana, a 21-1 outsider himself, was tracking the pacesetter from the rail and when Caravel drifted ever so slightly off the rail, Ryan Moore sent the the 6-year-old through the narrow opening. Caravel refused to let that rival get by her, finishing a determined half-length victory.

“She broke alertly. No one really went, so I decided to take control of things,” said winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who captured his first Breeders' Cup race just Friday. “Coming into the stretch, she just kept finding more. She's a very solid filly. She shows up every time. She's trained by one of the best in the country, Brad Cox. He brings them over ready to fire.”

Golden Pal, looking for his third Breeders' Cup win, faded in the stretch to finish 10th. Trainer Wesley Ward also saddled Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who was stymied by a traffic-plagued trip before checking in seventh.

Caravel trailed the field home in last year's Turf Sprint for trainer Graham Motion and owner/breeder Elizabeth Merryman and co-owner Bobby Flay. She went through the sales ring just days later and was purchased for $500,000 by the partnership of Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. Transferred to Brad Cox, the gray mare added wins in the Queen S. at Turfway in March, the GIII Intercontinental S. in June at Belmont and the Smart N Fancy S. at Saratoga in August. She tuned up for her second Breeders' Cup engagement with a victory over the Turf Sprint's course and trip in the Oct. 16 GIII Franklin S.

“She was running back in 20 days, but had a race over the course,” said Cox. “She was doing extremely, extremely well. She's a filly that has had a hard time keeping on weight and since the end of the summer, she's really blossomed. We decided to take a swing and it worked out.”

The mare could make another appearance in the sales ring this coming week. She is entered as hip 224 in Monday's session of the Keeneland November sale.

“She's in the sale; we'll have to discuss with the partnership and [Hunter Valley Farm's] Fergus [Galvin] and Marc and Brad and we'll see what's going on,” said Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing. “She's improving, which is going to make it very tough trying to sell her or keep her. But we'll see.”

Pedigree Notes:
Mizzen Mast became the second straight stallion to have been trained by the late Bobby Frankel to have a winner on the Breeders' Cup card, following Ghostzapper's triumph with Goodnight Olive in the Filly and Mare Sprint. The Juddmonte stallion is also the sire of two-time Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection.

Zeezee Zoomzoom, who is also the dam of 3-year-old stakes winner Witty (Great Notion), produced a colt by Great Notion in 2021 and a filly by Street Boss this year.

Saturday, Keeneland
BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT-GI, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-5, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.79, fm.
1–CARAVEL, 123, m, 5, by Mizzen Mast
   1st Dam: Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
    2nd Dam: Zee Zee, by Exchange Rate
    3rd Dam: Emblem of Hope, by Dynaformer
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($330,000 RNA 3yo '20 WANOCT; $500,000
4yo '21 FTKNOV). O-Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel & Madaket
Stables LLC; B-Elizabeth M. Merryman (PA); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Tyler Gaffalione. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 20-12-0-3,
$1,331,152. *1/2 to Witty (Great Notion), MSW, $275,900.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Emaraaty Ana (GB), 126, g, 6, Shamardal–Spirit of Dubai
(Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Godolphin, LLC Lessee; B-Rabbah
Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Kevin A. Ryan. $170,000.
3–Creative Force (Ire), 126, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Choose Me (Ire),
by Choisir (Aus). (€400,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Godolphin, LLC
Lessee; B-Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Charles Appleby.
$90,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 1. Odds: 42.89, 21.05, 7.50.
Also Ran: Highfield Princess (Fr), Artemus Citylimits, Flotus (Ire), Campanelle (Ire), Arrest Me Red, Casa Creed, Golden Pal, Cazadero, Go Bears Go (Ire), Oceanic, Naval Crown (GB). Scratched: Bran (Fr), Dancing Buck.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Caravel Wires the Turf Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Zero Tolerance Outlasts Fast-Closing Tapwater In Las Cienegas

Zero Tolerance stalked favored Hear My Prayer to the top of the lane en route to a hard fought head victory over late-closing Tapwater in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., thus providing trainer Ruben Alvarado with his first career stakes win. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Zero Tolerance, a 4-year-old grey daughter of Mizzen Mast, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:13.26.

Drawn on the far outside, Zero Tolerance fell into a perfect trip as speedy Hear My Prayer went to the lead, maintaining a one-length advantage past the half mile pole, but the winner gained the advantage at the dirt crossing at the top of the stretch and was all out to hold off the runner-up.

“Unbelievable, I don't have the words to say,” said Alvarado, a longtime assistant to Peter Miller, who has taken a hiatus from training, handing over his stable to Alvarado.  “I remember I had this moment when Roy H won the Breeders' Cup (Sprint, in 2017 and 2018).  That was a moment I would never forget…

“That's her (Zero Tolerance), I knew she could run.  She's a horse that can come off the pace or be on the lead. … She loves six and a half, so I knew she was going to run huge for me. She was a little fresh, so that was what we expected from her.”

A winner of a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar on Nov. 20, Zero Tolerance was off as the second choice at 2-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.

Owned by Custom Truck Accessories, Jason Hall, Joe Kelly and Michael Riordan, Zero Tolerance, who is out of the El Prado mare Torreadora was a winner of Santa Anita's ungraded Unzip Me Stakes two starts back on Oct. 3 and she is now a two-time stakes winner with four wins from six overall starts.  With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $215,000.

“She was traveling super relaxed and it does help to have a target, I think it helped her to relax,” said Prat, who although he didn't ride her in her most recent start, has now won three of his four engagements with her. “She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well.”

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Tapwater was unhurried from her rail post position, running next to last after the first quarter mile. In her first try down the hillside, the 6-year-old mare, who was shortening up out of a series of two turn races, rallied impressively while trying to drift in and just missed. Off at 10-1 Tapwater paid $10.00 and $5.00 while finishing 1 ½ lengths better than a tiring Hear My Prayer.

The 8-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Hear My Prayer paid $2.40 to show.

With the win, Prat notched his third on the day and he went to get his fourth victory of the afternoon in the next race, making 21 for the meet, four better than runner-up John Velazquez. The Las Cienegas also marked Prat's meet-leading sixth stakes win as well.

Fractions on the race were 21.99, 44.16 and 1:06.92.

Racing resumes with a special four-day holiday week on Friday, with first post time for an eight-race card at 12:30 p.m.

The post Zero Tolerance Outlasts Fast-Closing Tapwater In Las Cienegas appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Flashiest Prepares For Twilight Derby At Santa Anita Oct. 31

Flashiest, who has outrun his odds in almost all six of his career starts, could continue that pattern in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on closing day next Sunday, Oct. 31.

A son of Mizzen Mast conditioned by Leonard Powell, Flashiest has three wins and two seconds, his lone disappointing performance an eventful 11th in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., last Aug. 7.

“When we shipped to Saratoga, the experience was too much for him,” the trainer explained. “He got really hot in the paddock and he got to be a handful for the jockey. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming.

“He had his first race in April of this year, so he's still quite immature. But once we got back to Del Mar and into his routine, he's been just fine.”

A three-year-old gelding, Flashiest has a win and a second over Santa Anita's turf course, and the mile and an eighth of the Twilight Derby should suit his strong stretch-running style.

“That should be the right distance for him,” Powell said, “and Abel (Cedillo) will ride him back.”.

Cedillo was aboard last out on Sept. 4 when second by three-quarters of a length at odds of nearly 13-1 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and at nearly the same odds on July 16 when he guided him to victory by a head in the restricted Oceanside.

Flashiest worked four furlongs this morning in :50.40.

The post Flashiest Prepares For Twilight Derby At Santa Anita Oct. 31 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Taking Stock: Caravel’s Merryman Legacy

The game is getting smaller and the bigger players are getting larger. That's how it seems, anyway, whether you're talking about owners, breeders, trainers or stallions.

For example, Saturday's sire of the moment was Juddmonte's European-based Frankel (GB). His G1 Epsom Derby-winning son Adayar (Ire) impressively won the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot for owner/breeder Godolphin, becoming the first 3-year-old since Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire) 20 years ago to land the prestigious double.

One of the best stallions in the world, Frankel stands for £175,000 and is patronized by high-end breeders like Godolphin, which also races Frankel's G1 Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane (Ire). Two weeks ago, Hurricane Lane won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, giving his sire the two best European 3-year-old colts of the season and Godolphin an embarrassment of riches. Godolphin is also enjoying a banner season in North America with such as Maxfield (Street Sense), Essential Quality (Tapit) and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) among many others.

It's much the same story if you substitute the “Godolphin” name with Coolmore, Juddmonte, WinStar, or several other prominent ownership groups, just as you can count on two hands the high-profile super trainers that condition most of the top horses or the elite group of stallions that have cornered the market on the best mares in the world to get the drift that racing is indeed becoming exclusively a sport for the “kings” of the game.

That's why it's always refreshing to see success for smaller players on a big stage. These days, it's rare, but it happens.

Juddmonte's Kentucky-based Mizzen Mast, a still-active 23-year-old who stands for a fraction of Frankel's fee and is far removed from the height of fashion, also was represented by a graded winner on Saturday when the 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred filly Caravel won the Glll Caress S. on turf at Saratoga. The Caress obviously isn't as glamorous a race as the one Adayar won, but it was a triumph for a segment of the game that's quickly disappearing. The filly was bred and is co-owned by her trainer Elizabeth Merryman, who comes from a Maryland racing family that's been breeding and training homebreds for decades.

Mizzen Mast, who stands for $7,500, began his racing career in Europe, where he was a notch below the best of his generation. He was second in the Grand Prix de Paris, the race Hurricane Lane won, but he didn't find success at the highest level until he was transferred to California and won the Gl Malibu S. at Santa Anita on the dirt. Ironically, as a stallion he gets his best runners on turf, and seven of his eight Grade I/Group 1 winners (excluding one in Peru) have performed at that level on grass. In that sense, Caravel is running true to form, and she's reportedly being aimed for the Gl Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. If that sounds ambitious, keep in mind that several fillies have won the race, including two-time winner Mizdirection, who also was sired by Mizzen Mast.

From what I've read, Merryman got Caravel's dam Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats) for free after she was done racing. The mare's lone win had come in a one-mile maiden special on the turf at Saratoga, and Merryman sent her, sight unseen, to be covered by grass specialist Mizzen Mast, a friend of small owner/breeders because he gets runners at an affordable fee. Caravel was foaled at her breeder's farm in Pennsylvania.

Merryman acquired her skills naturally and from an early age. Her parents were the late John B. and Katharine “Kitty” Merryman, longtime Maryland owner/breeders who owned the 500-plus acre The Orebanks, a farm near Sparks, MD, where they raised six kids, along with horses and cattle. Her father once headed the Maryland Horse Breeders' Association, and her parents bred and raced the decorated Maryland-bred filly Twixt (Restless Native) in the 1970s with relative Mrs. John Franklin, in whose colors she ran.

Twixt was bred by the Merrymans from an inexpensive mare and was sired by an Alfred Vanderbilt-bred and -owned son of Native Dancer who'd made only three starts (no stakes) and was standing at his owner's Sagamore Farm for $1,000.

I was a kid following racing during this period and was fortunate to see the popular Twixt race several times. All told, she won 26 races from 70 starts, including the Gl Top Flight H., and earned $619,141. She was trained by Katy Voss (who owns Chanceland), Elizabeth Merryman's oldest sister. Of the Merrymans' six kids, five became trainers at one time or another, mostly starting out with their parents' stock.

Back then, this wasn't as rare as it now seems. There were plenty of folks like the Merrymans in the Mid-Atlantic region with similar backgrounds–educated, somewhat preppy, frequently WASPy–whose lives revolved around horses and livestock, whether it was showing ponies, riding hunts, timber racing or racing on the flat. It's a world in which horsemanship was crafted from the bottom up, and horses were developed with patience, because racing them, instead of selling them as yearlings, was the priority. It's why Katy Voss could seamlessly take Twixt to the biggest of stages and compete against the best trainers of the era, just as Elizabeth Merryman has now done with Caravel at Saratoga.

Like Twixt, who was unraced at two and brought along patiently, so too was Caravel. Merryman, who trained Caravel at Fair Hill, started her five times last year at three, winning four sprint races with the filly, all in the Mid-Atlantic region at Penn National and Presque Isle in races on turf or all-weather. Caravel made one start at Pimlico, in the Listed Hill Top S., in which she was third in her lone start at a mile and a sixteenth on turf, but the filly won two black-type races on the all-weather at Presque Isle.

Once Merryman had established that sprinting on turf or all-weather was Caravel's metier, the trainer has honed that aspect of the filly's game and gradually upped the level of competition, culminating in her first graded win on Saturday–her fourth start of 2021. To date, Caravel has won seven of nine starts and earned $367,872, with her best days seemingly still to come.

This is a pattern of development that's rarely seen nowadays because the focus of many, it seems, is on the now instead of the future. You see it all the time with trainers quick to jump young well-bred maiden winners into graded black-type races to enhance value as quickly as possible, sometimes to the detriment of development.

As it turns out, Merryman has been rewarded for her patient approach with Caravel, because chef and high-end collector Bobby Flay purchased a reported 75% of the filly prior to the Caress, and she ran in his silks. Caravel, with Merryman's blessing, has now been moved to Graham Motion's barn to prepare for a possible tilt at the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Wanamaker's

Elizabeth Merryman's daughter Liza Hendriks is a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program and is co-founder of the monthly online auction site Wanamaker's, which debuted last year. I have no idea what Flay paid for his interest in Caravel, but the filly was available for purchase on Wanamaker's last October before her run in the Hilltop S. She didn't find a buyer and was unsold for a $330,000 RNA–a bargain in retrospect.

As a family, the Merrymans have been strong supporters of Wanamaker's, with Chanceland, Katy Voss's farm, and Ann Merryman (another trainer and sister to Katy Voss and Elizabeth Merryman who races as The Orebanks) also consignors on the site. I've been a longtime fan of Ann Merryman's Twitter page (the handle, @Orebanks, is a paean to the farm where it all began for her parents), but that aside, it's notable that she sold her homebred gelding Fiya (Friesan Fire) to Robert Masiello last July on Wanamaker's for $400,000. Fiya has since won four of five starts for Masiello, including the Maryland Million Turf Sprint H. and the Claiming Crown Canterbury S., and most recently Fiya won an allowance/optional claimer at Belmont on July 4.

 

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

The post Taking Stock: Caravel’s Merryman Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights