The 11th running of the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds was the first of three $100,000 stakes on the program, followed by the Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, also sprinting seven furlongs, and 1 1/8-mile Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden by Mychel Sanchez for trainer Kelly Breen, Pickin' Time ($12.80) earned his fourth career stakes win and first in open company since the 2020 Grade 3 Nashua last November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. Most recently, he won the Monmouth Park's New Jersey Breeders Handicap Aug. 29. The winning time was 1:23.74 over a fast main track.

Breaking outside all but one horse in the field of eight, Pickin' Time was positioned third while in the clear behind multiple stakes-placed pacesetter Awesome Gerry, who led through a quarter-mile in :23.28 pressed by 31-1 long shot Three Two Zone. Three Two Zone assumed the lead after a half in :46.60 with Pickin' Time poised to pounce.

“He gave me a pretty good feeling from the beginning. I think the team did a great job getting him ready for the race,” Sanchez said. “He was pretty easy. He broke really well. I had a good position. I didn't have to use him in the beginning, so I pretty much sav[ed ground] the whole way and when I asked him to go, he really took off.”

Pickin' Time rolled past Three Two Zone once straightened for home and powered through the stretch while He'smyhoneybadger, who beat Pickin' Time in the Oct. 23 Perryville at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., came with a belated run. It was three lengths back to Three Two Zone, who was three-quarters of a length better than Awesome Gerry in fourth.

Stakes winner Everett's Song, the 3-2 favorite, ran fifth to snap his three-race win streak. Riden With Biden, Plamen, and Depository completed the order of finish.

“I guess my horse was ready to go today,” Sanchez said. “It seems like he does better when he gets early position clear. The last couple times he was kind of in between horses [when] he broke a little poorly. I think the post position helped me today.”

The post Pickin’ Time Wins City of Laurel Stakes At Laurel Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Stakes action begins Friday, Nov. 26 with a pair of $75,000 events for Maryland-bred/sired horses, the seven-furlong Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and six-furlong Politely for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Hillside Equestrian Meadows' 8-year-old Laki, unraced since finishing sixth Sept. 18 in defense of his 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash victory at Laurel but a winner of at least one stakes race five straight years, is one of 25 nominees to the Bender. Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber, and BTR Racing's Whereshetoldmetogo owns 12 career wins, nine in stakes, is Grade 2 placed and five-for-seven lifetime at Laurel.

Other prominent Bender nominees are Oct. 23 Maryland Million Sprint winner Air Token and multiple stakes winners Double Crown, twice graded-stakes placed Alwaysmining, Galerio, 14-time career winner Penguin Power, and 3-year-old filly Street Lute.

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute is among 19 nominees to the Politely. The daughter of Street Magician has won nine of 15 lifetime starts with eight of those victories in stakes. Most recently, she ran third in the Oct. 23 Maryland Million Distaff behind Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful, also nominated.

Purchased by trainer Brittany Russell for just $6,500 in December 2018, 4-year-old Hello Beautiful is 10-for-18 in her career and nine-for-13 at Laurel with $582,570 in purse earnings and eight stakes wins, including three in a row. She made history in the Distaff as one of just eight horses with three career Maryland Million victories.

Saturday, Nov. 27 will feature three $100,000 stakes – the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, and the 1 1/8-mile Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up.

Roseland Farm Stable's 2020 G3 Nashua winner Pickin' Time is among 25 nominees to the City of Laurel. The Stay Thirsty colt was second behind Jackie's Warrior in the G2 Gallant Bob Sept. 25 and most recently fifth to fellow City of Laurel nominee He'smyhoneybadger in the Oct. 23 Perryville at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Louis Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion, a stakes winner on turf and dirt that snapped a seven-race losing streak Nov. 11 at Laurel, is nominated to both the City of Laurel and Bender. Other City of Laurel nominees include stakes winners Beren, Everett's Song, Maythehorsebwithu, Mohs, Officiating, The King Cheek, and Waist Deep, and graded-stakes placed Momos and Riden With Biden.

Mopo Racing's Moquist tops 22 horses nominated to the Safely Kept. The daughter of G1 Florida Derby and G1 Kentucky Derby winner and 2-year-old male champion Nyquist is 4-0 lifetime, all this year, with the last three of her wins coming at Laurel. A winner by 13 ¼ combined lengths, Moquist will be facing her own age group for the first time in the Safely Kept.

Also nominated are Li'l Tootsie, third last out in the G2 Prioress Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; stakes winners Lovely Ride, Malibu Beauty, Prodigy Doll, and Street Lute; Fraudulent Charge, who has four seconds, three in stakes, from six starts; and Oct. 23 Maryland Million Ladies runner-up Maldives Model.

The Small attracted 23 nominations including Trin-Brook Stables, Inc.'s Informative, winner of the June 12 G3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.; Sept. 25 G3 Greenwood Cup winner Magic Michael; multiple stakes winner Cordmaker, third in the 2019 and 2020 G3 Pimlico Special; 2019 G1 Woodward runner-up Bal Harbour; and 7-year-old gelding Bobby G, who has earned 13 of his 15 career wins at Laurel.

Laurel will host its traditional Thanksgiving Day program Thursday, Nov. 25, featuring the return of the popular family-sized pie giveaway with the purchase of a racing program, while supplies last.

The post Thanksgiving Weekend Card At Laurel Attract Long List Of Stakes Winners appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Perryville is scheduled as the seventh race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Mark Casse, Soup and Sandwich won his first two career starts and was second in the Florida Derby (G1) before his run in the Kentucky Derby. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount Saturday and break from post position one.

Looming as one of the main threats to Soup and Sandwich is Roseland Farm Stable's Pickin' Time.

Trained by Kelly Breen, Pickin' Time has returned to sprinting and enters Saturday's race off a runner-up effort to Jackie's Warrior in the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx on Sept. 25. Corey Lanerie has the mount and will exit post position five.

The field for the Perryville, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

1. Soup and Sandwich (Gaffalione, 118 pounds)
2. Boca Boy (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., 118)
3. Ram (Rafael Bejarano, 118)
4. He'smyhoneybadger (Florent Geroux, 118)
5. Pickin' Time (Lanerie, 120)
6. Pipeline (John Velazquez, 118)
7. Irish Unity (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118)
8. Cool Quest (Julien Leparoux, 118)
9. Runway Magic (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118)

The post Kentucky Derby Runner Soup And Sandwich Headlines Saturday’s Perryville Stakes At Keeneland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Lopez, who tied his own Monmouth Park record by riding seven winners on Saturday, captured two of the three stakes races during Sunday's New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., while Breen won the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap with Pickin' Time, last year's champion New Jersey-bred 2-year-old.

Pickin' Time, who held off Golden Brown to win by 1¾ lengths in the six-furlong New Jersey Breeders' Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, is owned and was bred by John Bowers.

Bowers was honored during the day as the 2020 New Jersey Breeder of the Year.

“It's great that Pickin' Time and Mr. (John) Bowers would win this race on Jersey-bred day,” said Breen. “He's a top breeder. It's difficult when you have a top 2-year-old and you have to transition to 3. Then at 3, having to run against older horses in a race like this like Golden Brown, who is a top older horse, one of the best Jersey-breds ever.

“We knew we had our work cut out for us. Our horse was training well and doing well. I'm just glad he showed up. We talked a lot about the cut back (to six furlongs from a mile and an eighth in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational in his last start). We sharpened him up with the breezes. We did all I thought we needed him to do to get him ready for a top effort off the shelf. He showed up. They went fast. But he's a fast horse too.”

Ridden by Nik Juarez, Pickin' Time looped three-wide coming out of the final turn while Golden Brown, ridden by Lopez, shot the rail.

“It was for the best that I had to go wide coming out of the final turn,” said Juarez. “The favorite (Golden Brown) was down on the rail so I wanted to get the jump before he got through and make sure I was clear and kick some dirt. We were able to get the jump on him and that made a difference.”

Pickin' Time, making his first start since being elevated to fourth in the Grade 1 Haskell, returned $8.60 to win.

The winning time for the son of Stay Thirsty was 1:09.58, with Dr. Doyle getting third.

The other two stakes races on the 12-race card for state-breds belonged to Lopez.

The track's leading rider guided Amatteroftime to a 4¾-length victory over Prendimi in the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap at a mile and a sixteenth and also captured the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap, doing so with a rousing stretch run that saw Alta Velocita get up to win by a nose over Jersey Jewel.

Amatteroftime, trained by Silvino Ramirez, earned his first stakes win since capturing the 2018 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap. The 6-year-old gelding is now 5-for-13 at Monmouth Park during his career.

Amatteroftime paid $5.40 to win, covering the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.49. Optic Way finished third, another two lengths back.

Lopez's victory in the six-furlong Eleven North aboard Alta Velocita wasn't nearly as easy, with the filly rallying from eighth, seven lengths back, at the quarter pole, finally catching Jersey Jewel on the wire. The winning time was 1:10.45.

Though Alta Velocita has won four of her last five starts, the Eleven North marked the first stakes victory in her 15-race career.

“At the top of the stretch, I was hoping we'd get fourth because of how far back she was. Maybe fifth and then a long drive home,” said winning trainer Andrew Simoff. “As it got closer my hopes picked up. I still didn't she was going to get there inside the sixteenth pole. She had that late surge and switched to that right lead and took off and that was it.”

Alta Velocita returned $6.20 in the field of 11 fillies and mares, three and up.

“At the five-eighths and then the half-mile pole I was thinking `she is dead last,' ” said Lopez, who is virtually assured of his eighth Monmouth Park riding title. “I let her go very wide and let her do her thing. She was flying. I think she made up 10 lengths in the stretch.”

The post Lopez Wins With Amatteroftime, Alta Velocita On New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mandaloun was part of a contingent of Cox runners that arrived at Monmouth Park on Tuesday, a group that included four horses entered for the four other graded stakes races on the Haskell Day card.

Arklow (Grade 1 United Nations), Juliet Foxtrot (Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker), Night Ops (Grade 3 Monmouth Cup) and Vault (Grade 3 Molly Pitcher) accompanied Mandaloun on the van from Kentucky.

“Everyone shipped in very well,” said Blake Cox. “All of them galloped Wednesday and today.

“Mandaloun is doing very well. We'll probably point for a work on Saturday, weather dependent. It will be a nice, easy half. He's ready to go.”

Mandaloun already has a race over the track, having won the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes on June 13.

The list of possible starters for the 54th edition of the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes includes Belmont Stakes runner-up Hot Rod Charlie; Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer; Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon; Following Sea; Pickin' Time; Basso and Antigravity.

Pickin' Time, trained by Kelly Breen, Basso (trained by Gregg Sacco) and Antigravity (trained by Jerry Hollendorfer) are stabled at Monmouth Park.

Blake Cox said the Grade 1-winning Arklow, coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 15 in his seasonal debut, “might work an easy half” on Sunday in preparation for the mile and three-eighths United Nations on the turf.

The post Haskell Contender Mandaloun Penciled In For Saturday Work At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bred by Holly Crest Farm, Horologist began her 4-year-old campaign in California under the care of Richard Baltas, but was ultimately turned over to Bill Mott, for whom she posted a two-length victory in the GIII Molly Pitcher S. The 2019 GIII Monmouth Oaks heroine would go on to finish third to champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI La Troienne S. in September before posting her most important career victory to date in the GII Beldame S. at Belmont Park, her first black-type success beyond the borders of the Garden State.

John Bowers, Jr. was the breeder of two divisional champions. His homebred Royal Urn (Kantharos) was named champion sprinter and top older male in a campaign that featured a trio of stakes victories, while Pickin' Time (Stay Thirsty) was champion 2-year-old on the strength of scores in the Smoke Glacken S. at Monmouth and in the GIII Nashua S. at Aqueduct. Both Royal Urn and Pickin' Time are sons of Bowers, Jr.'s mare Born To Royalty (King of Kings {Ire}), who was named Broodmare of the Year for 2020. She is the dam of a yearling New Jersey-bred colt by Tonalist.

The other New Jersey-bred champions included: Pianzi (Shanghai Bobby), champion 3-year-old; Bramble Bay (Bullet Train {GB}), champion turf runner; Hey Chub (Carson City), stallion of the year.

The post Horologist Named New Jersey-Bred Horse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Horologist started her championship campaign in California with trainer Richard Baltas and was ultimately transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in June. Under Mott's supervision Horologist won the $250,000 Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park and the $150,000 G2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park. Horologist also finished second in the $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel and third in the $500,000 G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Gemologist out of Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even finished 2020 with $345,334 in earnings. She has won seven of 20 career starts with earnings of $715,439. Horologist was bred in New Jersey by Holly Crest Farm.

John Bowers, Jr.'s homebred Royal Urn was named champion sprinter and champion older male after his successful campaign that finished with three stakes wins.

The son of Kantharos out of the King of Kings mare, Born to Royalty won the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap and $75,000 New Jersey Breeders Handicap at six furlongs by a combined six lengths. Royal Urn showed his versatility and stretched out to one mile and one sixteenth in the $100,000 Charles J. Hesse III Handicap for his third stakes win of 2020. Royal Urn finished his championship campaign with $172,250 in earnings under the care of trainer Kelly Breen.

Hope Haskell Jones and Isabelle de Tomaso's homebred Pianzi is the champion 3-year-old after his three consecutive wins from July 17 to Aug. 30. The son of Shanghai Bobby out of Faker, by Petionville broke his maiden in his second start of the year on July 17 by 4 3/4 lengths. Trained by Cal Lynch, Pianzi came back on Aug. 8 and won his nw1x condition and his nw2x condition on Aug. 30. Pianzi finished 2020 with earnings of $132,815.

Pickin' Time gave breeder/owner John Bowers, Jr. and trainer Kelly Breen their second champion as he took home the honor of champion 2-year-old.

Pickin' Time had a successful campaign, winning three races at distances ranging from 4 1/2 furlongs to one mile. The son of Stay Thirsty out of Born to Royalty, by King of Kings (Ire), broke his maiden in his first start at Monmouth Park going 4 1/2 furlongs on July 4.  Pickin' Time finished second in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes at one mile before cutting back to six furlongs and winning the $75,000 Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park. The champion 2-year-old saved the best race of his campaign in the $100,000 G3 Nashua Stakes winning the one-mile event over the Aqueduct oval by 2 1/4 lengths. Pickin' Time finished his 2-year-old season with earnings of $193,025.

Ballybrit Stables, LLC's homebred Bramble Bay is the champion turf runner after her three-win season.

Bramble Bay won over the Gulfstream Park turf course in May prior to shipping to Monmouth Park and winning the $75,000 Jersey Girl Handicap at one mile on the turf. The daughter of Bullet Train out of Regal Rose, by Empire Maker is trained by Michael Dini. Bramble Bay earned $119,830 during her championship campaign and has career earnings of $196,988.

Born to Royalty was honored as Broodmare of the Year in 2020. John Bowers, Jr. owns the 19-year-old mare by King of Kings out of Teenage Queen. Teenage Queen, also owned by John Bowers, Jr., was named New Jersey's Broodmare of the Year in 2007. Born to Royalty is the broodmare of Royal Urn, champion sprinter and champion older male, and Pickin' Time who is the champion 2-year-old of 2020.

Born to Royalty has produced 10 foals ,of which nine have started, including a yearling New Jersey-bred colt by Tonalist.

Hey Chub is the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey's Stallion of the Year for the fifth time in his career. The 21-year-old son of Carson City out of Donna Doo by Spend A Buck was a multiple stakes winning New Jersey-bred who hit the board in 30 of his 36 starts and earned $441,755.

Hey Chub has sired stakes winners Chublicious ($653,393), winner of the 2017 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes, 2018 New Jersey-bred champion sprinter Brother Chub ($542,336) along with stakes placed Chubbiana ($119,872).

The post Horologist Named 2020 New Jersey-Bred Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The 30th running of the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is the next step for 3-year-olds on Gulfstream's road to the March 28 Florida Derby (G1), and headlines a program featuring five graded-stakes worth $600,000 in purses.

Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq was a popular 1 ½-length winner of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, his return to the main track after winning the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G2) on grass and finishing 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The next four horses that finished behind him – Papetu, Awesome Gerry, Pickin' Time and Ultimate Badger – are also nominated to the Holy Bull.

John Bowers Jr.'s New Jersey homebred Pickin' Time won the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth Park and Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct in back-to-back starts last fall before a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) Dec. 5 and the Mucho Macho Man, where he wound up beaten 11 ¼ lengths after a troubled start.

Albaugh Family Stables' Sittin On Go has been training forwardly at Gulfstream for trainer Dale Romans ahead of his 3-year-old debut. Winner of his first two career stats in Kentucky, including the Iroquois (G3), before finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), a race where Romans-trained stablemate Smiley Sobotka and fellow Holy Bull nominee ran second by less than a length.

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemate of Awesome Gerry, exits a 7 ½-length romp as the favorite in the six-furlong Limehouse Jan. 2 at Gulfstream. The Maclean's Music colt has won all three races he has finished, losing his rider when the irons broke in the Jean Laffite Nov. 30 at Delta Downs.

Championship Meet-leading trainer Todd Pletcher nominated five horses including Remsen (G2) runner-up Known Agenda and recent Gulfstream maiden winners Amount, Donegal Bay and Prime Factor. Also among nominees are Capo Kane, winner of the Jan. 1 Jerome at Aqueduct; and Gulfstream maiden winners Greatest Honour, Jiraifales, Lucky Law, Simovitch and Willy Boi, the latter improving to 2-0 with a Florida-bred allowance victory Jan. 7.

Amount, Awesome Gerry, Drain the Clock, Papetu, Sittin On Go, Smiley Sobotka, Ultimate Badger and Willy Boi are also among 22 nominees to the $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, along with Competitive Speed, winner of the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 2 at Gulfstream; Hot Blooded, winner of the one-mile Proud Man on the Gulfstream turf last summer; and Poppy's Pride, a winner of three consecutive stakes and four races overall.

Along with being nominated to the Swale, John Minchello's Competitive Speed is among 16 3-year-old filly nominees to the $100,000 Forward Gal, also contested at seven furlongs. She is joined by Gulf Coast, half-length winner of the one-mile Cash Run Jan. 1 at Gulfstream; Shea D Summer, fourth in the Cash Run after winning the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Nov. 14 at Gulfstream Park West; Gasparilla winner Adios Trippi; and Gone to Cabo and Dial to Win, respectively third and fifth in the Glitter Woman.

Rounding out the stakes are a pair of $100,000 turf events for 3-year-olds – the Kitten's Joy (G3) led by stakes winners Kentucky Pharoah, Hot Blooded, Never Surprised and Omaha City, and the Sweetest Chant (G3) for fillies featuring stakes winners Con Lima, Dirty Dangle and Gulf Coast.

The post Trio Of Graded Stakes Winners Top Nominees For Jan. 30 Holy Bull Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Nashua runner-up Ten for Ten (Frosted) romped by eight lengths when extended to two turns in his second start in the slop at Belmont Oct. 16. Favored in the Nashua, he led most of the way, but was run down late by Pickin’ Time.

“He worked in :48 and change and went fine,” conditioner Shug McGaughey told the NYRA notes team. “We’re on the right track. He acts like he’s a pretty nice horse. It will be interesting seeing him go a mile and an eighth. He’s quick so we’ll see how he does on Saturday. He should be able to place himself well.”

Todd Pletcher saddles a live runner in St. Elias Stable homebred Known Agenda (Curlin). Second to next-out Nyquist S. winner Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in his 6 1/2-panel career bow at Belmont Sept. 27, the chestnut broke through net out when extended to nine furlongs at the Big A Nov. 8.

“I was actually surprised he ran as well as he did sprinting, but it helped him a lot for his maiden win,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s designed to run longer. He’s had two good efforts so far.”

Native New Yorker Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) looks to take the next step up Saturday. A first-out winner in a $40,000 maiden claimer at Delaware Sept. 12, the gelding was third in the state-bred Bertram F. Bongard S. Oct. 2 and captured the NY-bred Sleepy Hollow S. next out Oct. 24 at Belmont.

Rounding out the field of five is Erawan (Rock Hampton), a debut winner at Laurel Nov. 8. He crossed the line fourth, but was promoted to third next out there in a Nov. 22 optional claimer.

The post Jersey-Bred Returns to the Big Apple for Remsen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“He's back at Belmont and that's what we're pointing for,” said Breen.

The 5-year-old Poseidon's Warrior bay rallied from 11th to finish third last out in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Racetrack under Jose Lezcano.

“It was a good race,” said Breen.

Breen said Lezcano, aboard for Firenze Fire's Grade 2 Vosburgh Invitational win on Sept. 26 at Belmont, will retain the mount for the Cigar Mile.

Top contenders confirmed for the Cigar Mile include Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby-winner King Guillermo and 2019 Grade 3 Discovery-winner Performer. Other horses under consideration for the Cigar Mile include New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff and last-out Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap-winner Majestic Dunhill.

Breen took over training duties for Firenze Fire earlier this year and has saddled the horse to a record of two wins from six starts, including a victory in the Grade 2 True North on June 27 on a fast Belmont main track. Two of Firenze Fire's losses for Breen came in Grade 1 events – the Carter Handicap at Belmont and the Forego at Saratoga – on sloppy tracks.

The Cigar Mile Day card also includes a pair of Grade 2, $150,000 nine-furlong events for juveniles in the Remsen and its filly counterpart, the Demoiselle, as well as the Grade 3, $100,000 Go for Wand Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile.

Breen will send out New Jersey-bred Pickin' Time, a John Bowers, Jr. homebred, in the Remsen. The Stay Thirsty colt earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure last out, winning the Grade 3 Nashua at a one-turn mile on the Big A main.

“He came out of it in good order,” said Breen.

Breen said Mr. Amore Stable's New York homebred It's a Gamble could target the $100,000 Central Park, a 1 1/16-mile turf tile for juveniles on Nov. 28 at Aqueduct.

“I'm not sure what we're going to do, but that is a possibility,” said Breen.

The English Channel bay graduated at first asking in a state-bred turf sprint on Aug. 13 at Saratoga ahead of a fourth in the one-mile Nownownow on Oct. 4 on the Monmouth Park turf. Last out, on Oct. 31, It's a Gamble bobbled at the start of the 1 1/16-mile Awad on yielding Belmont turf and failed to menace when seventh.

Gary and Mary West's Full Impact, a 3-year-old Street Sense colt, earned a 94 Beyer for his impressive 4 1/2-length score in a first-level allowance on Nov. 13 contested at 6 1/2-furlongs on a sloppy and sealed Big A main.

Out of the multiple graded stakes winning Even the Score mare Four Gifts, Full Impact was purchased for $140,000 at the Keenland September Yearling Sale.

Breen said no future targets have been set as of yet for the promising colt.

The post After Third-Place Finish In Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Firenze Fire To Stretch Out In Cigar Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post