Tag: pacific classic

TAA Joins Pacific Classic Day At Del Mar

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for Pacific Classic Day Saturday, Sept. 2. They will be honored with a named race on the card and, following the running of the race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections including a TAA-branded blanket sponsored by Fenwick Equestrian and a TAA swag bag.

“We are thrilled to partner with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and enhance the Pacific Classic Day experience for our guests,” said Josh Rubinstein, President, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “By merging the thrill of top-notch racing with a spotlight on accredited aftercare throughout the day, our goal is to craft a genuinely unforgettable experience for both dedicated racing enthusiasts and newcomers alike.”

The post TAA Joins Pacific Classic Day At Del Mar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Smile Happy To Whitney; Rattle N Roll To Wait For JCGC Or Pacific Classic

Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) for next Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Race Course, but his stablemate for the same owner, Rattle N Roll (Connect), will take his show on the road.

Both horses last raced in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs September 2 and are “Win and You're In” qualifiers for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Smile Happy, who captured the GII Alysheba S. May 5 at Churchill Downs, got his first glimpse of the Oklahoma training track Friday.

“He galloped really well this morning over the Oklahoma track,” McPeek said. “This was his first day here. We stood him in the gate, backed him out and gave him some gate schooling. He did well.”

Smile Happy last breezed July 22 at Churchill Downs, completing a half-mile move in 49 seconds.

“We've had plenty of work into him at Churchill. He had a work days ago with a long, strong gallop and I don't know that we'll breeze him at all,” McPeek said.

McPeek described the 4-year-old as a quirky horse that likes doing things his own way.

“He's a bit of an alpha. He wants to run the show, but the talent is unquestioned,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Smile Happy will be ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr.

The post Smile Happy To Whitney; Rattle N Roll To Wait For JCGC Or Pacific Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mandella Rules Out Travers; Mulling Options with Geaux Rocket Ride

Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his victory in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. in good order, trainer Richard Mandella reported Sunday. The victory earned the lightly raced colt an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and Mandella said he has several routes to consider to get to that Nov. 4 race at Santa Anita.

The Sept. 23 GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, the Sept. 2 GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar and the Sept. 30 GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita are all on the table. While Geaux Rocket Ride would be facing just 3-year-olds at Parx, he would face older horses in both California options.

“I'll think about all of those races and about running against older horses,” Mandella said.

Mandella has ruled out another trip east for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. at Saratoga.

“I think it's too much to think about, taking him to Saratoga,” Mandella said. “He's young and he's not raced very much and we've pushed him along to get to this point. I don't like the idea of bringing him to Monmouth, bringing him back to California, and then coming back for the Travers. We pushed him to this point and we don't want to keep pushing. The Travers doesn't seem like the right thing to do.”

A debut winner at Santa Anita in January, Geaux Rocket Ride was second in the Mar. 4 GII San Felipe S., but was knocked off the Triple Crown trail when a fever caused him to miss the GI Santa Anita Derby. He returned with a win in the June 4 Affirmed S. and was earning his first graded score in the Haskell.

Asked if having the Breeders' Cup at his home track of Santa Anita would give Geaux Rocket Ride an advantage in November, Mandella said, “It does if you're fast enough. We think he's fast enough and so far he's passed every test. But that's another step up to get to the Classic and it's against older horses so we'll just have to wait and see if he leads us there.”

Geaux Rocket Ride and the Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), the third-place Haskell finisher, were scheduled to ship back to Southern California Tuesday.

The post Mandella Rules Out Travers; Mulling Options with Geaux Rocket Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lyon Looking Forward to the Future With Flightline and His Siblings

After watching her undefeated homebred sensation Flightline (Tapit) demolish the GI TVG Pacific Classic field by 19 1/4 lengths Saturday, Jane Lyon was in just as much awe as the rest of the racing world.

“It was unbelievable,” Lyon said. “The fact that I bred him almost doesn't come into my mind. I don't take credit for any of that because I think a horse like this is a gift. After not running until a very late 3-year-old, he is just seems like he is getting better every day and more mature. He is just now coming into himself. That's not something you can plan. I am very proud of him.”

Lyon was so amazed by Flightline's latest accomplishment that she decided she simply could not part with his yearling half-brother by Curlin and withdrew the colt–who is named Eagles Flight–from next week's Keeneland September Sale.

“We will see what Flightline does in November [in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic] and I'm going to make my decisions from that point,” Lyon said. “I'm partnering already in two of my horses [out of Feathered]. I've been thinking about it and it would be hard to part with him and the [Into Mischief–Feathered] filly, if Flightline is what they say he is.”

The breeder continued, “Somebody interviewed me for a podcast, I think in Europe, and they had met [husband] Frank [Lyon] long time ago. Anyway, a question they asked me was, 'Well, after that race, what do you think Frank would have said?' I said he probably would have said why didn't you keep all of him? That really put it into focus.”

When asked if Lyon would consider partners on the Curlin colt, she said, “I have not made that decision. I need a little time. My world has just exploded since last week. I need to savor it. Everyone who has come to see this colt has been extremely positive about him. If Flightline is capable of doing what he did at Del Mar in the Breeders' Cup, I will have just as many people, if not more, interested in [the Curlin colt] after that.”

The other son of Feathered that Lyon owns in partnership is Flightline's unraced 2-year-old full-brother Olivier. The colt RNA'd for $390,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale last year, after which WinStar acquired majority interest in the gray. He has been training at WinStar's training center with Rodolphe Brisset and his last breeze was at Keeneland, going five furlongs in 1:02.20.

Flightline's MGSW dam Feathered (Indian Charlie) produced an Into Mischief filly this year and was bred back to Tapit. The filly will be retained by Lyon and one day join her dam in Summer Wind's star-studded broodmare band.

“I will be keeping her as well. She's a lovely filly,” Lyon said. “She's very independent.”

The post Lyon Looking Forward to the Future With Flightline and His Siblings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights