Tag: plainsman

Wondrwherecraigis Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Bold Ruler

If you want to know where you can find Wondrwherecraigis, try the winner's circle. After his DQ to second for interference in his last graded stakes try in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park, the Munnings gelding stayed straight and true throughout to add graded stakes winner to his resume with his victory in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

With jockey Luis Saez aboard, Wondrwherecraigis was fastest out of the gate, going immediately to the lead with Wendell Fong in second and favorite Plainsman third. Around the far turn, Plainsman had to check in traffic, shuffled back to fifth, as Wondrwherecraigis maintained his lead over Continuation and Wendell Fong.

Into the stretch, Wondrwherecraigis powered through the slop to draw away and win by 2 1/4 lengths, completing the seven furlongs in 1:23.31 over the wet Belmont track. Plainsman took third while Drafted was fourth. Find this race's chart here.

Wondrwherecraigis paid $6.40, $3.70, and $2.60. Continuation paid $6.00 and $3.30. Plainsman paid $2.20.

“The seven furlongs was a question, but it's nice to find out he can do it. Luis [Saez] did a beautiful job. He jumped out of there and slowed it down the best he could and didn't take anything away from the horse either. He's sat on him so he knows he can get that drift, but that's just him. I don't know that he's necessarily getting late – in some of his other races, he's just had to go faster early. It's the race on the day and how it sets up,” trainer Brittany Russell said after the Bold Ruler.

“I took him away from the pony and when he was in his stall, he broke pretty well. He controlled the pace and when we came to the top of the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse to finish with and he responded really well,” jockey Luis Saez told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “He was handling it pretty well. The plan was to try to slow the pace early so everything went according to plan.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fleur de Lis Stables, Wondrwherecraigis is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Social Assassin. The gelding is owned by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Wondrwherecraigis was a $210,000 RNA consigned by ELiTE at the 2020 Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Digital Sale. With his win in the G3 Bold Ruler, the 4-year-old gelding has four wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 10-6-1-1 and career earnings of $347,640.

The post Wondrwherecraigis Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Bold Ruler appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plainsman, Wondrwherecraigis Square Off In Sunday’s Bold Ruler

Shortleaf Stable's two-time graded stakes winner Plainsman will make the trek back to the Empire State when taking on a field of eight assembled for Sunday's 45th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

The Bold Ruler headlines Sunday's card, which will also include two divisions of the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie at seven furlongs over Big Sandy for fillies and mares.

Due to significant rainfall from a coastal storm that impacted Long Island Tuesday and Wednesday, a trio of turf stakes initially slated for Sunday – the $150,000 Zagora, a 12-furlong test for fillies and mares; the $100,000 Chelsey Flower at 1 1/16-miles for juvenile fillies; and the $100,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles for juveniles – have been re-scheduled for the following weekend.

The Awad will be brought back on Friday, November 5 for a stakes-laden card that will also feature the $100,000 Atlantic Beach at six-furlongs on turf for juveniles; the $150,000 Tempted at one-mile over Big Sandy for juvenile fillies; and the $200,000 Ticonderoga, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for state-bred fillies and mares which was re-scheduled from Saturday's Empire Showcase Day card.

The Chelsey Flower will be brought back on Saturday, November 6 for a bumper card that includes the Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap at nine furlongs for fillies and mares; the $100,000 Stewart Manor at six furlongs on turf for juvenile fillies; and the $200,000 Mohawk, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for state-breds 3-years-old and up initially slated for Empire Showcase Day.

The Zagora will return for the Sunday, November 7 card – Closing Day of the Belmont fall meet – joining the Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua at one mile for juveniles.

Plainsman, trained by Brad Cox, captured the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct during his sophomore campaign in 2018 over graded stakes winner Title Ready and Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski. The 6-year-old Flatter bay arrives at the Bold Ruler off a sharp one length triumph in the Grade 3 Ack Ack on October 2 at Churchill Downs, recording a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sporting an accomplished ledger of 25-8-6-3 with a field-best bankroll of $729,207, Plainsman has won four of his last five starts all over different ovals. Following an allowance optional claiming score on April 15 at Oaklawn, he upped his game to stakes level with victories in the Jim Rasmussen on June 4 at Prairie Meadows and the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial five weeks later at Indiana Grand Race Course.

Plainsman boasts a record of 3-1-0-1 over Big Sandy, including an allowance score in September 2018.

“He's been doing great after the Ack Ack. He seems to like the track up at Belmont, so it made sense to ship him up for this spot that's a little easier,” Cox said. “We're taking things one race at a time, but he's been in great form this year and has always proven to be versatile.”

Carrying 123 pounds as the field high weight, Plainsman will break from post 3 under Joel Rosario.

Trainer Brittany Russell will saddle graded-stakes placed Wondrwherecraigis, who captured the restricted Tale of the Cat in August at Saratoga two starts back.

Owned by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Wondrwherecraigis crossed the wire first last out in the Grade 3 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash on September 18 at Pimlico, but was disqualified to second-place for drifting out into Jalen Journey at the sixteenth-pole.

In addition to his Saratoga stakes victory, Wondrwherecraigis was a two-time allowance optional claiming winner this year at Pimlico.

“He's had a good year, especially winning at Saratoga,” Russell said. “Many of us could argue that he deserved to stay up in his last race. It was a bummer because the horse deserved a graded stakes win. Hopefully, this time around, he can show that he belongs in a graded stakes.”

Luis Saez, who piloted the 4-year-old Munnings gelding to victory in the Tale of the Cat, will be back aboard from post 7. He will carry 120 pounds.

Gold Square's Wendell Fong [118 pounds] arrives off a nearly seven-month respite while making his debut for trainer Chad Summers. The 5-year-old son of Flat Out was second in the Grade 3 Tom Fool on March 6 at Aqueduct where he made up considerable ground in the stretch to finish 3 ½ lengths behind winner Chateau. Wendell Fong was victorious in his 2021 commencement, capturing the Fire Plug on January 16 at Laurel Park.

Breaking from post 5, Wendell Fong will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.

Red Oak Stable homebred Bal Harbour [118 pounds] will attempt to overcome a 17-race losing streak for trainer Gregg Sacco. Although winless since capturing the Gio Ponti in November 2018 at Aqueduct, Bal Harbour has consistently made good showings at a high level the past few years, adding nine graded stakes placings since his last coup.

Manny Franco will ride Bal Harbour from post 2.

Completing the field are Lil Commissioner [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche, 117], Drafted [post 4, Dylan Davis, 116], Continuation [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 116], and Amatteroftime [post 8, Paco Lopez, 116].

The Bold Ruler honors the 1957 Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old, who captured 11 of his 16 starts that season, including the Wood Memorial, Flamingo, and Preakness Stakes. Bold Ruler built a larger legacy as a stallion and is still regarded as one of the most prolific sires of the modern North American thoroughbred. In addition to siring 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, Bold Ruler went on to become a prolific sire-of-sires. American Classic winners such as Seattle Slew, Foolish Pleasure, Dust Commander, Cannonade, Spectacular Bid, Swale, Risen Star, A.P. Indy, Bernardini, Rags to Riches, Orb and Tonalist are all direct paternal descendants of Bold Ruler.

The Bold Ruler is slated as Race 7 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Plainsman, Wondrwherecraigis Square Off In Sunday’s Bold Ruler appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plainsman Out Duels Favored Beau Liam To Take The Ack Ack

Shortleaf Stable's Plainsman rallied from off the pace, grabbed the lead with a furlong to run and out-kicked 1-2 favorite Beau Liam to the wire to win Saturday's 29th renewal of the $300,000 Ack Ack (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs by one length.

Plainsman, a 6-year-old son of Flatter, ran one mile on a fast track in 1:33.85, which was just .07 off Pants On Fire's 2013 stakes record (1:33.78) and .59 off Fruit Ludt's 2014 track record (1:33.26).

Joel Rosario rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox, who swept the Saturday stakes at Churchill Downs. Two races earlier, Knicks Go won the G3 Lukas Classic.

For Rosario it was his fifth win on the day, which marked the 72nd time a jockey has accomplished that feat and the first since Florent Geroux won five races from nine mounts on Sept. 4, 2020. Rosario's nine mounts earned a hefty $603,170 on the day.

Atoka, with Mr Dumas in tow, led the field of nine older horses down the backstretch in the one-turn mile through fractions of :22.65, :45.21 and 1:09.15 with Plainsman sitting off the pace and in clear.

Leaving the turn after a three-wide move, Plainsman was in fifth behind the leaders and ducked inside to split Mr Dumas on the rail and Atoka on his outside. He grabbed the lead with an eighth of a mile to run and turned back favored Beau Liam, who made his stakes debut after winning his first three starts.

“I was able to sit a good trip for most of the race,” Rosario said. “I knew turning for home I'd have a decision to make whether to keep him inside or go out. I knew I had a lot of horse underneath me and the race developed well for him.”

The first prize was $178,800 and hiked Plainsman's bankroll to $729,207 with a record of 8-6-3 from 25 starts. It was his fourth career stakes win. Previously he won the 2018 G3 Discovery at age three and prevailed in the $50,000 Jim Rasmussen at Prairie Meadows and $85,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial at Indiana Grand earlier this year.

“This horse has been in great form this year,” Cox said. “I think two turns is probably his best distance, but today he was able to sit a good trip from off the pace at the one-turn mile. He showed a lot of adversity today and ran a good effort.”

Six of the last eight Ack Ack winners – Pants On Fire (2013), Tapiture (2015), Tom's Ready (2016), Awesome Slew (2017), Seeking the Soul (2018) and Mr. Money (2020) – used the race as a springboard to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, which is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Del Mar with a $1 million purse. Cox non-comital to Plainsman's next start.

Plainsman paid $13.60, $3.80 and $3.20 at odds of 5-1. Beau Liam, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., paid $2.60 and $2.40. Atoka was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third under Rafael Bejarano and paid $8 to show.

Rushie, South Bend, Mr Dumas, Guest Suite, Exculpatory and Mo Mosa completed the order of finish. Ebben and Aloha West were scratched.

Plainsman, out of the Street Sense mare S S Pinafore, was bred in Kentucky by Joseph Minor.

The race is named in honor of Cain Hoy Stable's 1971 Horse of the Year Ack Ack, who is enshrined in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In his only Churchill Downs appearance, Ack Ack won the 1969 Derby Trial in 1:34.40 which was a track record for one mile that has since been eclipsed.

The post Plainsman Out Duels Favored Beau Liam To Take The Ack Ack appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plainsman Tabbed Morning-Line Favorite In Remington’s Opening Night $175,000 Governor’s Cup

The country's second-ranked trainer by horses' earnings this year, Brad Cox, entered Plainsman Friday morning in the $175,000 Governor's Cup. The first stakes race of the season headlines the opening night program for Remington Park racing on Aug. 20.

Remington Park morning-line maker Jerry Shottenkirk has established Plainsman the 2-1 favorite for a competitive field of 10 horses top to bottom. The Governor's Cup will go as the eighth race on a nine-race card that begins at 7:07 p.m. next Friday. Post time for the 1-1/8th mile race on the dirt has been set for approximately 10:23 p.m.-central.

Plainsman, a 6-year-old by Flatter, out of the Street Sense mare S S Pinafore, is owned by Shortleaf Stable of Hot Springs, Ark. and he will be ridden by Francisco Arrieta. Arrieta took over the duties on Plainsman three races back at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, and has not lost on him since he was given a leg up by Cox. Plainsman won an allowance race on April 15 at Oaklawn, followed by victories in the $50,000 Jim Rasmussen, an overnight stakes at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa on June 4, and the $85,000 Michael G. Schaefer Stakes at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind. Arrieta has most recently been riding at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. Plainsman's record is 23 starts, seven wins, five seconds and three starts for $515,407 in earnings.

Despite the win streak, Plainsman has been beaten by a couple of horses in this race, including defending champion Hunka Burning Love in the 2020 Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial at Remington Park. Hunka Burning Love won the Governor's Cup last year by 6-1/2 lengths and has been made an 8-1 slight outsider to repeat because of his recent dull form. Trainer Karl Broberg sends out this 7-year-old gelded son of Into Mischief, out of the Thunder Gulch mare Touch of Fire, for owner End Zone Athletics of Mansfield, Tex. He will be ridden by Remington Park newcomer Reylu Gutierrez.

Hunka Burning Love has never lost in three tries around two turns at Remington Park. Three-time defending champion jockey David Cabrera has ridden him in two of those wins and Ramon Vazquez was aboard for the other. Both of them have other mounts in the Governor's Cup. Hunka Burning Love has had a third and two fourth-place finishes in his last three starts. He was fourth in the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tex. All of three of his recent losses came over a sloppy or muddy track, however.

Vazquez will ride Rated R Superstar, who was supplemented for $5,260 at time of entry by Remington Park's all-time leading owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. (371 wins). The 8-year-old gelded son of Kodiak Kowboy, out of the Gold Case mare Wicked Wish, was made the 9-2 second choice in the morning-line in this spot. He is one of two millionaires in the field. Rated R Superstar, trained by Federico Villafranco, has earned $1,068,014 in 54 starts with eight wins. He finished a neck back of Plainsman in the Rasmussen, but hasn't won in stakes company the past two years.

The other millionaire is Tenfold, the top money-earner in the field with $1,179,745 in 25 starts. The 6-year-old by Curlin, out of the Tapit mare Temptress, appears to be the class of the field, having run against graded stakes horses in nine of his last 13 races.

Asmussen, the new all-time leading trainer by wins in racing, also has Tapit Wise representing the barn at 10-1 morning-line odds.

Another horse entered on a win streak is Guided Missile, going for his third straight win. At 8-1 odds, trainer Boyd Caster sends out this 4-year-old colt by Tapit from the Tiznow mare Pussyfoot. He has won two in a row in allowance events at Prairie Meadows.

This will be the 30th Governor's Cup at Remington Park, contested at 1-1/8 miles since 2011. The race was originally called the Remington Cup from 1988-1994. Asmussen has won the race six times (2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018) while Broberg has one win, last year with Hunka Burning Love.

Jockey David Cabrera is the lone rider in the field to have a score in the Governor's Cup, winning aboard Hunka Burning Love last year.

Here's a look at the field from inside to outside with jockey, trainer and morning line odds:

  1. Tenfold, Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 5-1
  2. Guided Missile, Curtis Kimes, Boyd Caster, 8-1
  3. Trident Hit, David Cabrera, Ron Moquett, 6-1
  4. Box Seat, Iram Diego, Boyd Caster, 20-1
  5. Rated R Superstar, Ramon Vazquez, Federico Villafranco, 9-2
  6. Baozun, Weston Hamilton, Juan Gomez Jr., 30-1
  7. Plainsman, Francisco Arrieta, Brad Cox, 2-1
  8. Popularity, Richard Eramia, Joe Offolter, 15-1
  9. Tapit Wise, Leandro Goncalves, Steve Asmussen, 10-1
  10. Hunka Burning Love, Reylu Gutierrez, Karl Broberg, 8-1

Tracked by more than 167,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $269 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park features live and simulcast horse racing, and the casino is always open! The 2021 Thoroughbred Season begins Aug. 20. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

The post Plainsman Tabbed Morning-Line Favorite In Remington’s Opening Night $175,000 Governor’s Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights