Tag: opalina

Opalina Looks to Double Up in ‘Bride’

GIII Sweetest Chant S. victress Opalina (Optimizer) looks to double up Saturday in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. Running away to a 12-length graduation at third asking against state-breds here in September, the chestnut closed from well back to be fifth in the GII J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine S. a month later. Third in the local Ginger Brew S. Jan. 1, she posted a 3/4-length decision in the Sweetest Chant Feb. 5.

Christophe Clement saddles a live one in Lia Marina (Uncle Mo). Earning her diploma at second asking at Belmont Oct. 23, the dark bay captured this venue's Wait a While S. Dec. 3.

Michael Tabor's Beside Herself is another daughter of Uncle Mo with a strong chance here. Finishing third in her first two tries, debuting at Belmont Oct. 29 and then running Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, the bay wired the field next out in a two-turn event in Hallandale Jan. 30.

Also worth a look is Gainesway's Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}), who graduated in her career bow at this oval Feb. 2.

The post Opalina Looks to Double Up in ‘Bride’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Opalina Gives Optimizer a First Stakes Winner in Sweetest Chant

Opalina (Optimizer), the third choice in a wide-open pari-mutuel affair, took the overland route into the final furlong and a half of Saturday's GIII Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream Park, but stayed on gamely late to become the first black-type winner for her Calumet Farm-based stallion.

One of the first to break the line from her low draw, Opalina ultimately settled just ahead of centerfield and raced with cover down the backstretch as longshot Myfavoritedaughter (Carpe Diem) galloped them along at a decent clip. Given her cue with a bit more than three furlongs to race, Opalina was left with no choice but to circle horses into the stretch, rallied four wide under a full head of steam and looked to be idling a bit late, but was home comfortably in front.

Opalina defeated state-bred maidens by a dozen lengths in a hand-timed affair over yielding Gulfstream turf Sept. 17 and was a sneaky good fifth, beaten a length and a half, behind California Angel (California Chrome) in Keeneland's GII Jessamine S.

Oct. 13. Given some time off thereafter, Opalina came to win the Jan. 1 Ginger Brew S. at the eighth pole, but couldn't finish the job and settled for third as the even-money pick.

“When she took the lead in the stretch she kind of waited for the other ones, but when she got on the left [lead] she gave me another gear,” Saez said of Saturday's effort. “Last time, she needed a race and she didn't want to be too close. Today, we wanted to race a little bit from behind and make one move with her. Everything turned out like we were expecting.”

Pedigree Notes:

In addition to being the first black-type winner for Optimizer, Opalina is the 24th stakes winner (11 graded) out of daughters of Kitten's Joy, who have produced the likes of Grade I winner Channel Cat and other graded winners Spooky Channel, English Bee and Admiralty Pier to the cover of Optimizer's late sire English Channel.

Bernardo Alvarez-Calderon purchased Opalina's dam with the filly in utero for the upset price of $1,000 at Keeneland November in 2018. Calderon, who also bred GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational hero Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) and last year's GII Tampa Bay Derby upsetter Helium (Ironicus), passed away in August 2020 at the age of 78.

Opalina, also a half-sister to the stakes-placed Red Hornet (English Channel), is the last listed produce for Go Kitten Go.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
SWEETEST CHANT S.-GIII, $100,000, Gulfstream, 2-5, 3yo, f,
1 1/16mT, 1:41.56, fm.
1–OPALINA, 118, f, 3, by Optimizer
                1st Dam: Go Kitten Go, by Kitten's Joy
                2nd Dam: Go Cherokee Go, by Cherokee Run
                3rd Dam: First Flyer, by Riverman
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Teneri
Farm & J Stables LLC; B-Teneri Farms Inc. & Bernardo Alvarez
Calderon (FL); T-Roderick R Rodriguez; J-Luis Saez. $59,520.
Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1, $135,770. *First stakes winner for
second-crop sire (by English Channel). Werk Nick Rating: A++.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ambitieuse, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Lucky Folie, by
Distorted Humor. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE.
O/B-Wertheimer and Frere; T-H Graham Motion. $19,200.
3–Miss You Ella, 118, f, 3, Declaration of War–Newstouse, by
Unbridled's Song. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE.
($135,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT). O-Wonder Stables, Madaket
Stables LLC & Golconda Stable; B-Equivine Farm (PA); T-Chad
C Brown. $9,600.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.30, 4.80, 5.80.
Also Ran: Myfavoritedaughter, Battle Charge, Ocean Safari, Roughly a Diamond, Hal's Dream, Nostalgic. Scratched: Running Legacy. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Opalina Gives Optimizer a First Stakes Winner in Sweetest Chant appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Opalina Makes The Grade In Sweetest Chant

Teneri Farm and J Stables' Opalina (Optimizer) came with a steady run around the far turn and powered through the stretch to reel in 25-1 long shot leader Myfavoritedaughter and win Saturday's $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 27th running of the 1 1/16-mile Sweetest Chant for fillies and mares on turf was the fourth of five graded-stakes for 3-year-olds on the program, immediately preceding the 33rd edition of the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), the next step on the road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1).

Opalina ($10.60) hit the wire in 1:41.56 over a firm turf course to give jockey Luis Saez his third graded-stakes win on the card, following My Prankster in the Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) and Girl With a Dream in the Forward Gal (G3), both on the main track.

“When she took the lead in the stretch she kind of waited for the other ones, but when she got on the left [lead] she gave me another gear,” Saez said. “Last time, she needed a race and she didn't want to be too close. Today, we wanted to race a little bit from behind and make one move with her. Everything turned out like we were expecting.”

Myfavoritedaughter, sent off at the longest odds in a field of nine at 25-1, sped through fractions of 23.16 and 46.88 seconds to lead the group by open lengths with Ocean Safari, runner-up in the one-mile Ginger Brew Jan. 1 at Gulfstream, a distant second. Saez, meanwhile, had Opalina – third as the favorite in the Ginger Brew – settled in fourth.

“She ran great, and that's the way she runs her best, coming off the pace a little bit,” winning trainer Roderick Rodriguez said. “The last time she was anxious in the receiving barn, but today she was perfect. She was relaxed. She broke alertly, but she settled back and just made one big run, and that's the way I want her to run.”

Saez gave Opalina her cue leaving the backstretch, swinging out three wide to launch their bid. They quickly passed Ocean Safari and straightened for home with their sights set on Myfavoritedaughter, who dug in determinedly but could not hold off the closers.

Opalina earned her first career stakes victory by three-quarters of a length over late-running Ambitieuse, making just her third career start and first in a stakes. Miss You Ella came on for third, another 1 ¼ lengths back. Myfavoritedaughter, Battle Charge, Ocean Safari, Roughly a Diamond, Hal's Dream and Nostalgic – narrowly favored over Opalina and Ocean Safari – completed the order of finish.

“I felt good, because I know Luis can get the horse going,” Rodriguez said. “She was coming on really nice. I felt really confident at the top of the stretch.”

Source of original post

Ginger Brew Placegetters Rematch in Sweetest Chant

Ginger Brew S. placegetters Ocean Safari (Temple City) and Opalina (Optimizer) face off yet again in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Soldi Stable and Ohana Racing, Ocean Safari looked home free in the stretch after coming in four wide, but was out-kicked late by Alittleloveandluck (Arrogate) to miss by a half- length in the Ginger Brew Jan. 1. She graduated at second asking in a local turf test in September and was third next out in an optional claimer on the synthetic in October.

Romping by 12 lengths to earn her diploma at third asking in a state-bred event over a yielding course here in September, Opalina rallied from well back to be fifth in Keeneland's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 13 and completed the trifecta in the Ginger Brew.

“She was kind of too anxious, a little too nervous in the receiving barn,” trainer Roderick Rodriguez said of the filly's last effort. “That was the first time she did that and I think that's what did her in. She was a little flat at the end, but she ran OK. The main thing is, she came out of it good and is doing very good. I think she'll be fitter this time.”

Ambitieuse (Medaglia d'Oro) closed well to be third first-out Nov. 19 on a firm Aqueduct turf course. Graduating on Gulfstream Park's all-weather track Dec. 29 at 8 1/2 furlongs, the Graham Motion trainee will make her 2022 bow in this first stakes try.

“She's a horse that we've always liked. We wanted to get her going earlier than we did, but she broke her jaw and it took time to get over that. It was a freak thing, and she's perfect now,” Motion said. “I thought her first race was good and then she ran another good race on the Tapeta to break her maiden. She's had a bit of time since then and we're excited to get her going.”

Breaking from the rail, Nostalgic (Medaglia d'Oro) stormed home to a 7 3/4-length graduation in her career bow on the dirt at Belmont Oct. 22 and was last seen finishing fourth in the GII Demoiselle S. Dec. 4 on the main track at Aqueduct. Trained by Bill Mott, who won last year's Sweetest Chant, the Godolphin homebred will be making her first start on turf in this contest.

The post Ginger Brew Placegetters Rematch in Sweetest Chant appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights