Last Samurai Holds Off Super Stock To Win Poinsettia At Oaklawn

Jon Court, still riding winners at age 61, showed that a jockey can turn in a bold ride at any age with his late-stretch move on Last Samurai to win the inaugural Poinsettia Stakes at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Ark. After stalking the pace, a wide move on the far turn gave Last Samurai the clear running lane he needed to battle Super Stock and emerge victorious by three-quarters of a length.

Flash of Mischief got the best of a clean break, getting out to an early lead over Myopic and Super Stock into the first turn. Down the backstretch, Flash of Mischief was a length in front, with Last Samurai stalking in fourth. Into the far turn, Flash of Mischief still held the advantage, with Court moving Last Samurai three-wide to find a running lane for their stretch bid.

Into the Oaklawn straight, Flash of Mischief held a half-length lead with Last Samurai and Super Stock driving on his outside. Those two dueled down the latter part of the stretch, with Last Samurai digging in to take over the lead inside the last sixteenth of a mile. He was three-quarters of a length in front at the wire, with Super Stock second and Flash of Mischief holding on for third. Defeater, Ram, Myopic, and Simovitch rounded out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.70. Find this race's chart here.

Last Samurai paid $10.20, $4.40, and $3.00. Super Stock paid $3.60 and $2.40. Flash of Mischief paid $2.80.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Last Samurai is by Mailbu Moon out of the First Samurai mare Lady Samuri. He is trained by Dallas Stewart and owned by Willis Horton Racing, who purchased the colt from consigner Gene Recio for $175,000 at the March 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the Poinsettia, the 3-year-old colt has two wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of three wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $312,744.

The post Last Samurai Holds Off Super Stock To Win Poinsettia At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Uncharacteristic Beats Myopic To Wire Again In Canadian Derby

In his sixth lifetime start, Uncharacteristic added graded stakes winner to his resume, taking the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile Racetrack in Nisku, Alberta. The gray 3-year-old gelding sat midpack through much of the 1 1/4-mile stakes, went to the outside on the final turn, and then wore down the favorite Myopic in the stretch to win.

Breaking from post two, jockey Alexander Marti wrapped up on the Texas Wildcatter gelding early, as Myopic was squeezed between horses at the start but found his way to second behind front runner Smart Play. Uncharacteristic ran fourth on the rail behind Smart Play and Myopic as the two traded the lead on the backstretch and into the far turn.

Still behind the front runners as they entered the turn, Marti took Uncharacteristic to the outside, entering the stretch two wide as Myopic and Smart Play battled for the lead. Uncharacteristic dug in and wore down both in the last sixteenth of a mile to win by a length. The final time for the 1 1/4-mile G3 Canadian Derby was 2:04.16.

Winner of the listed Manitoba Derby over Myopic last out, Uncharacteristic paid $9.20, $4.20, and $3.30. Myopic paid $3.50 and $2.90. Smart Play paid $5.40 to show.

Bred in Kentucky by Glen Todd, Uncharacteristic is out of the Macho Uno mare My Kentucky Rose. He is owned by Adam Isfeld and trained by Robert VanOverschot. The 3-year-old gelding has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of three wins in six starts.

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Weekend Winners Headed to Fasig

A trio of horses that visited the winner's circle over Fourth of July weekend will make their next appearances in the Fasig-Tipton auction ring Monday as part of the company's July Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) (Hip 557) gave his resume a major boost last weekend with his first black-type win. On July 2, the sophomore gelding scored an emphatic victory beneath Jose Ortiz, taking the Iowa Derby by 4 1/2 lengths at odds of 16-1. The chestnut earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort.

“We were thrilled with the win [July 2] and more over the fashion in which he won it by, beating an accomplished field of horses by 4 1/2 lengths, earning a career best 95 beyer,” Paramount Sales' Lesley Campion said. “He truly is a turn-key horse, he has been as sound as bell metal and shows up every time! I think this colt is primed for a big summer, a ton of conditions open with already a quarter of a million in earnings and maybe a trip to the Dubai Carnival as a fun target for the new owners in 2022. He is a standout physical with a fantastic mind and we are delighted to be offering him next Monday.”

Hitting the board in his first four starts, Stilleto Boy graduated at fifth asking at Oaklawn in April, defeating future GIII Indiana Derby hero Mr. Wireless (Dialed In), and was fourth in the Prairie Mile prior to his breakout win in the Iowa Derby for trainer Doug Anderson. He is a half-brother to SW Rosie My Rosie (Purge) and SP Condo Closing (Offlee Wild).

Elite offers another new stakes winner in Josie (Race Day) (Hip 501), who captured the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows July 3. She kicked off 2021 with an allowance score in the slop at Oaklawn in February. Off the board next out there in Apr. 8, she won an Indiana optional claimer 20 days later and repeated in Iowa.

Out of SW Spirited Away (Awesome Again), Josie is a half to MGSW Prospective (Malibu Moon) and the dam of GSW & GISP Kalypso (Brody's Cause).

“It is always crucial to come into these horses in training sales off of wins and it is even better to come in off a stakes win,” Elite's Brad Weisbord said. “She is one of a handful of stakes-winning fillies in the catalogue. That was her first time in stakes company and I thought her race was very impressive. She ran a nine on the Ragozin sheets, which is a lifetime top and it would be competitive in Grade II races the rest of the year.”

Weisbord and Liz Crow's consignment also includes a promising sophomore colt in Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) (Hip 659). Second in both the GII Rebel S. and Sir Barton S. for trainer Bob Baffert, the $625,000 FTSAUG purchase was transferred to Rodolphe Brisset. Failing to fire in the June 26 GIII Ohio Derby, the bay bounced back just eight days later at Ellis, winning a one-mile allowance July 4. Owned by the group known as the Avengers, he is a son of MGSW Merry Meadow (Henny Hughes).

“We ran him off eight days' rest after running in the Ohio Derby,” said SF's Tom Ryan. “That race just didn't work out for him. We thought it was a throw out race and Rodolphe felt confident enough that the horse would come back and race very well. He had good energy, his head was in the feed tub and he was training well throughout the week. It wouldn't be fair to bring him into the sale off such a sub-par performance in the Ohio Derby. It was an interesting maneuver to run a horse back on eight days' rest, but it turned out to be the right one. Getting a win on a Saturday afternoon is what it's all about.”

Ryan continued, “He has shown he has class and he will fit nicely in someone's program. He is lightly enough raced horse with a lot of conditions ahead of him that he can be a lot of fun for a lot of people.”

Ryan also pointed out another sophomore colt of note who broke his maiden June 23 named Myopic (Candy Ride {Arg}) (Hip 525). Off the board in two starts for Baffert, the SF homebred donned cap and gown by six lengths at Indiana.

“He won quite emphatically about 10 days ago and ran an 85 Beyer,” Ryan said. “He really looks like a progressive colt. He is just figuring things out.”

Myopic's second dam is Grade I winner Key Phrase (Flying Paster), who is the dam of SW Yankee Gentleman (Storm Cat).

“He only has sight in one eye,” Ryan said. “We were slated to sell him as a foal and he got this little eye injury. He was raised with Gerry Dilger and we thought it would rectify itself by the time he was a yearling, but it didn't really. He ended up losing sight in the eye. He is a big boy now and he is unaffected by it. He is out there strutting his stuff and looks like he wants to become a nice racehorse.”

The trio of Fasig-Tipton July auctions kick off Monday with the Breeding Stock Sale starting at 2 p.m. and the Horses of Racing Age Sale immediately following. The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale will take place Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m.

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