Ward Sends Overbore, Kaufymaker In Skidmore Friday At Saratoga

After saddling Golden Pal to a superb victory in last year's $120,000 Skidmore, trainer Wesley Ward will vie for more prosperity in the 5 ½-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 2-year-olds, sending out stakes-winner Overbore and impressive maiden winner Kaufymaker in the ninth edition of the race on Friday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by Peter Leidel, Overbore arrives off a two-month layoff after breaking his maiden in the Tremont on June 4 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He tracked a swift pace from third to capture the 5 ½ furlong event over muddy and sealed going by three-quarters of a length.

The favorite in all three of his starts, Overbore, a dark bay or brown son of Speightstown, will return to turf two starts after finishing second, beaten a nose to Artos in a maiden race over the Churchill Downs turf on May 21.

“We gave him a little break and he's back to doing well,” Ward said. “I wanted to give him a little breather after he fired three races like he did. He's been doing well at Keeneland. We shipped him up to Saratoga and he's settled right in nicely.”

As the lone stakes winner in the Skidmore field, Overbore boasts $108,500 in earnings.

Purchased for $275,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overbore is the first progeny out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-stakes placed Saffir mare Galina Point.

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 9.

Mr. Gregory Kauffman's Kaufymaker returns stateside following an endeavor across the pond in the Group 2 Coventry on June 15 at Royal Ascot, where she was eighth beaten four lengths.

The chestnut Jimmy Creed filly was outstanding on debut, breaking her maiden by 6 ¼ lengths over a good main track in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexinton, Ky.

Kaufymaker resumed training at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where she recorded a half-mile work in :48.11 Sunday over the Oklahoma turf course under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She's doing very well. Ascot was disappointing because I was pretty confident going into that race,” Ward said. “She was really working tremendously on the grass. She had a real nice work this morning over the Oklahoma turf with Johnny V up. She's doing really well and we're looking for a big effort with her.”

Velazquez will return to the irons from post 3.

[Story Continues Below]

Leading trainer Mike Maker sends a formidable contender in Kendall Hansen's Pure Panic, who scored on debut last month in a 5 ½-furlong maiden event over the turf at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. The gray or roan son of Summer Front will look to give Maker his fourth stakes triumph of the meet.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Bonus Appreciation after a second-out maiden victory in an off-the-turf event on July 11 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Completing the field are Barone Cesco [post 1, Eric Cancel], Catch the Smoke [post 5, Jose Ortiz], and Baytown Warrior [post 10, Brandon Whitacre].

Averly Jane [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], Backnthewoods [post 4, Jose Ortiz], and Golden Bell [post 7, John Velazquez] have been entered for main track only.

The Skidmore is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Ward Sends Overbore, Kaufymaker In Skidmore Friday At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Speightstown Colt Graduates in Tremont for Red-Hot Wesley

Overbore benefitted from a key scratch in the morning and a pace duel in the afternoon to graduate and become his 23-year-old sire's 123rd stakes winner in this longstanding event. Third by a half-length behind Baytown Frosty (Frosted) after a rough start at even-money at Keeneland Apr. 18, the dark bay second by a nose on the Churchill turf May 21. He inherited the favorite's role when big-figure debut romper Little Drama (Dramedy) was withdrawn, and he was bothered at the start before moving up to sit third behind runaway leaders Baytown Frosty and Trust Our Journey. He brushed with Kavod when that one tried to force his way out for clear sailing, and kept on steadily over the top to prevail.

“He broke better than the first time I rode him,” said Joel Rosario, who was aboard for Overbore's first start but not his second. “It looked like those two horses were going to keep the speed going. I was setting up in the perfect spot. When I said go, he was there for me. He kept going from there.”

The Wesley Ward barn is hitting at better than 40% at the meet, and also took Thursday's Astoria S. with the dominant Happy Soul (Runhappy).

“When you get winners, it's a good spot to be in,” said former rider David Flores, who is serving as Ward's New York-based assistant. “Wesley and I have known each other almost 30 years. When he was riding, I was riding on the West Coast. We go back to since we were kids. It's a great friendship.”

The winner has a yearling half-sister by More Than Ready. His dam, who races exclusively on synthetic and turf at Woodbine but was effective going both short and long, most recently visited Yoshida (Jpn). Speightstown was also represented by a juvenile winner in the Churchill Downs opener Friday.

TREMONT S., $139,500, Belmont, 6-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.44, my.
1–OVERBORE, 120, c, 2, by Speightstown
                1st Dam: Galina Point (MSW & MGSP, $486,561), by Saffir
                2nd Dam: Celtic Craft, by Danehill
                3rd Dam: Crissy Aya, by Saros (GB)
($275,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Peter
Leidel; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Joel
Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $108,500.
2–Kavod, 122, c, 2, Lea–Weekend Connection, by Pulpit.
($3,500 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James J. Chapman & Tritain
Biddinger; B-Steve J. Grant (KY); T-James K. Chapman. $30,000.
3–Trust Our Journey, 122, c, 2, American Pharoah–Tribal Music,
by A. P. Warrior. O-Palm Beach Racing; B-Hallmarc Stallions,
LLC & R Star Stallions (FL); T-Carlos A. David. $18,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 13 3/4. Odds: 0.65, 6.20, 2.05.
Also Ran: Baytown Frosty. Scratched: Little Drama, Rising Outlaw.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 

The post Speightstown Colt Graduates in Tremont for Red-Hot Wesley appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights