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Masen Gets the Money in Poker

Juddmonte homebred Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) justified 1-5 favoritism with a decisive score in Belmont's GIII Poker S. Saturday. Away alertly from the one hole, the bay was wrangled back into second by Flavien Prat, allowing Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) a clear lead through opening splits of :24.05 and :48.26. Ranging up alongside the pacesetter turning for home, Masen took control and extended clear for a one-length score. Wolfie's Dynaghost held second over Masen's stablemate Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“He [Masen] ran back just inside a month, which is a little tight for him, but I wanted to get another race between now and the [GI] Fourstardave [Aug. 13],” trainer Chad Brown said. “It worked out. [He was] a little headstrong off the slow first quarter, but he did settle nicely after that. Flavien [Prat] indicated that he was pretty much in control from there just decided when he wanted to take over. By mid-stretch, he felt pretty comfortable when he forced the lead.”

“He broke well and when I asked him to switch off, it took him a little while,” Prat said. “It was a slow pace, so that didn't help, but after that he switched off nice for me. He has a great turn of foot, so I wasn't so worried about the slow pace [to close into]. It was only a matter of getting him to switch off. After that, I was fine.”

Starting his career in Europe, Masen won three of his six starts there for trainer G. M. Lyons, including the Knockaire S. at Leopardstown in October. Sent Stateside to Brown, the gelding missed by just a nose to 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) in Keeneland's GI Maker's Mark Mile Apr. 15. He rolled home to a five-length win next out in the course-and-distance Seek Again S. May 22.

Pedigree Notes:
Masen is the 26th graded winner for his sire Kingman. His dam Continental Drift (Smart Strike) is a daughter of champion Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill). This is also the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill); European and American champion Banks Hill (GB) (Danehill); English and French Highweight Dansili (GB) (Danehill); and Group 1 winners Romantica (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Cacique (Ire) (Danehill) and Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert). Continental Drift produced a full-sister to the winner in 2019 Lady Illiana (GB); a half-sister named Rodinia (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in 2020; and another full-sister in 2021.

Saturday, Belmont Park
POKER S.-GIII, $242,500, Belmont, 6-18, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.16, fm.
1–MASEN (GB), 120, g, 4, by Kingman (GB)
                1st Dam: Continental Drift, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Intercontinental (GB), by Danehill
                3rd Dam: Hasili (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $137,500. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-Ire, GISP, 9-5-2-1, $426,298. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wolfie's Dynaghost, 118, c, 4, Ghostzapper–Dynaire, by Dynaformer. O/B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $50,000.
3–Public Sector (GB), 124, c, 4, Kingman (GB)–Parle Moi (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (170,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-The Kathryn Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
Margins: 1, NO, NO. Odds: 0.30, 8.90, 3.50.
Also Ran: Sanctuary City, Penalty.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Mother-To-Be Oleksandra Beats The Boys In Poker Stakes

On Father's Day, it was the mother-to-be who brought home the victory for Team Valor International. Oleksandra (AUS), the lone mare in the field of nine, won the one-mile Grade 3 Poker Stakes by a neck over favored Raging Bull in Sunday's feature on the turf at Belmont Park, Elmont, Ny.

In her fourth start of 2021, Oleksandra, who is currently in foal to Into Mischief, broke a step slow from the gate, bumping into favorite Raging Bull, and was last for the first six furlongs of the one-mile Poker. Jockey Joel Rosario did not panic, though, content to let his mount run at the back of the pack and allow the race to develop in front of them. Get Smokin, winner of the Seek Again Stakes in his previous start, took the lead within the first furlong, with Raased and Tell Your Daddy running close behind, and he held onto that advantage until the final turn.

Favorite Raging Bull found himself boxed in for much of the race, but, as the field entered the stretch, he made his move on the rail, just to the inside of Get Smokin. At the back of the field on that last turn, Rosario took Oleksandra to the outside, moving down the center of the course as Raging Bull began to overtake Get Smokin. Raging Bull got to the lead in that last furlong, but Oleksandra moved past him, taking over first place and determinedly holding off Raging Bull to win the G3 Poker by a head. The final time for the mile was 1:32.11.

Behind Oleksandra and Raging Bull came Front Run the Fed, Sanctuary City, Get Smokin, Penalty, Tell Your Daddy, Raased, and Veronesi.

Oleksandra paid $36.80, $7.30, and $5.40. Raging Bull paid $2.60 and $2.10. Front Run the Fed paid $3.00 to show.

Trainer Neil Drysdale was pleased with Oleksandra's career finale. “Things haven't gone exactly smooth this year for her. We ran in Kentucky and realized she doesn't like the soft going. So, then we decided not to run here [in the Jaipur] because it was raining a lot here too at the time. Since she's more relaxed this year, we decided to try her at a mile hoping she could get the distance, and she did. She's pregnant [in foal to Into Mischief], so this was her swan song. She'll go out on a high note.”

Joel Rosario was not deterred by that slow start. “She always comes out of there like that [slow] but then she can be a little aggressive after. She relaxed very nicely. Neil Drysdale is a tremendous trainer.”

Foaled in Australia, Oleksandra is a daughter of 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom out of the Caesour mare Alexandra Rose. Bred by her owner Team Valor, this 6-year-old mare was a $1.45 million RNA at the November 2020 Keeneland Breeding Stock sale. This victory in the G3 Poker Stakes is her first win of 2021 and her eighth career victory in 20 starts for career winnings of $705,748.

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Raging Bull Draws Rail for Poker

Peter Brant's MGISW Raging Bull (Dark Angel {Ire}) looms the one to beat in Sunday's GIII Poker S. at Belmont. The late-running 6-year-old has scored at the highest level a trio of times–in the GI Hollywood Derby in 2018, GI Shoemaker Mile last May and last out in Keeneland's GI Maker's Mark Mile Apr. 9. He was forced to skip a Shoemaker Mile defense due to travel complications. The pace fell apart in the Maker's Mark, and Raging Bull's connections seem to be taking matters into their own hands here to ensure another good set up for Raging Bull here. French import Veronesi (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) makes his first appearance since setting the table for Brant's eventual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the 2019 G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp.

Brown's third chance at a first-ever Poker title is Klaravich Stables's lightly raced Front Run the Fed (Fed Biz), who was most recently a neck second to subsequent GI Jaipur S. upsetter Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in the seven-furlong Elusive Quality S. here Apr. 24. Narrow third finisher Value Proposition (GB) (Dansili {GB}), also trained by Brown, returned to take an optional claimer with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Overachiever Get Smokin (Got Stormy) was eighth when part of that hot pace in the Maker's Mark, but he's won three of his last five, including the GII Hill Prince S. in October and GIII Tampa Bay S. in February. He was last seen running off with the Seek Again S. here May 22, two spots ahead of savvy $40,000 claim Tell Your Daddy (Scat Daddy).

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Raging Bull Gets Class Relief In Saturday’s Poker

After twelve consecutive starts against Grade 1 company, Peter Brant's Raging Bull will gain slight class relief in leading a strong hand for trainer Chad Brown, who vies for his 100th graded stakes win at Belmont Park in Saturday's 35th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Poker for 4-year-olds and upward.

The one-mile Widener turf test honors the Ogden Phipps-owned champion broodmare sire whose daughters produced Kentucky Derby winners Seattle Slew and Silver Charm among many other notable thoroughbreds. During his racing career, Poker won the 1967 Bowling Green Handicap over champions Assagai and Buckpasser.

Raging Bull, who brags an 18-7-3-3 record, is the field's lone millionaire posting $1,496,750 in lifetime earnings and has registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures on five occasions.

The French-bred son of Dark Angel recorded a dozen straight Grade 1 appearances dating back to his victory in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November 2018 at Del Mar. His most recent non-Grade 1 endeavor was a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Hill Prince in October 2018 at Belmont.

Raging Bull arrives off a sharp 2021 debut in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on April 9 at Keeneland, where he made a sweeping move around the far turn and took advantage past the quarter-pole, powering home a two-length winner. The victory garnered a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure. Raging Bull also commenced his 2020 campaign with a Grade 1 victory by capturing the Shoemaker Mile last May at Santa Anita.

Brown said he had intentioned to send Raging Bull back to Santa Anita for a repeat engagement in the Shoemaker Mile.

“We had planned on going out to California, but there were some travelling complications that got in the way,” Brown said. “But we're glad that we're able to run him out of his own stall. It should be a good steppingstone moving forward to the Fourstardave.”

The one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event, is slated for August 14 at Saratoga Race Course. Raging Bull has finished a respective second and fifth in the last two editions of the Fourstardave.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who returned to action Thursday after being sidelined for two weeks with an injury, retains the mount from post 1.

Fellow Peter Brant color-bearer Veronesi, a French-bred son of Kendargent, makes his first start in North America and cuts back considerably in distance for Brown. The 5-year-old bay has not raced since September 2019 when fourth in the Group 2 Prix Niel behind eventual 2020 Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass.

“I think this is a good starting point for him,” Brown said. “He showed some promise overseas and unfortunately was injured. He's come back good and strong and we're ready to get going with him.”

Jockey Eric Cancel rides form post 3.

Klaravich Stables' Front Run the Fed will see an increase in ground off a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Elusive Quality on April 24 at Belmont Park. The son of Fed Biz briefly held command in the stretch run of his last effort but was gunned down in the final strides by Casa Creed, who went on to win the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day.

Front Run the Fed, who sports a consistent 12-4-4-1 record, has one stakes win on his resume when capturing his stakes debut in the Better Talk Now in August 2019 at Saratoga.

“Hopefully he'll be closer and get into good rhythm and position early on,” Brown said. “He's a nice and versatile horse from six furlongs to a mile.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano, a four-time winner of the Poker, has the mount from post 6.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Get Smokin arrives at the Poker in top form with three of his last five outings being stakes wins. Following a second out maiden victory in September 2019 at Belmont Park, the speedy 4-year-old son of Get Stormy acquired black type in four stakes races before notching a graded stakes victory when going gate-to-wire in the Grade 2 Hill Prince on October 18 over a yielding Widener turf course.

After a close fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar, Get Smokin began his 2021 campaign by utilizing stalking tactics to capture the Grade 3 Tampa Bay on February 5. Last out, he won the Seek Again in frontrunning fashion while recording a career-best 99 Beyer.

“He's just matured on his own. He's a very nice horse,” Bush said. “He's got a big, long stride and he has a little fight in him, too. He's got plenty of good qualities.”

Get Smokin, who is 3-for-5 at Belmont Park, has shown an affinity for the one-mile distance as well as the local turf course. He boasts a record of 9-3-2-1 when travelling one mile.

“A mile seems to suit him pretty well,” Bush said. “We had a pretty soft pace last time. I'm not sure how it will shake out this time, but that worked out very well for him in that they didn't go too fast up front.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for both stakes victories this year, returns to the irons from post 4.

Team Valor International's Oleksandra will try to make amends after three losses this year while seeking another triumph against males for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale. The Australian-bred daughter of Animal Kingdom last won when displaying a powerful turn of foot to win last year's Grade 1 Jaipur against colts.

Jockey Joel Rosario will ride Oleksandra for the twelfth time from post 2.

Completing the field are Sanctuary City [post 5, Manny Franco], Raased [post 7, Jose Ferrer], Tell Your Daddy [post 8, Luis Saez], and Penalty [post 9, Jose Ortiz].

The Poker is carded as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m.

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