Tag: Racing

The world's oldest classic, the Cazoo St. Leger (G1) at Doncaster, went to Eldar Eldarov, who captured the rescheduled race Sunday after a 24-hour delay out of respect to Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday.

Observing a two-minute silence before the day's racing started to honor the Queen, who was a longtime patron of horse racing, jockeys and trainers bowed their heads prior to the Great Britain's national anthem.

Jockey David Egan was aboard Eldar Eldarov, a 3-year-old son of Dubawi, who won by two lengths from Haskoy while 11-8 favorite New London finished another half length back in third in the nine-horse field.

Egan had Eldar Eldarov ideally positioned in midfield, and although he was slightly hampered over two furlongs out, he advanced down the center of the track before grabbing the lead inside the final furlong, drawing well clear with 100 yards to run to seal the victory.

Haskoy was later demoted to fourth, while New London, also by Darley sire Dubawi, was promoted to second.

A lightly raced colt, Eldar Eldarov has now won four from five starts, including  the Queen's Vase (G2), in which he became Dubawi's 150th individual group winner, in June at Royal Ascot.

Owned by KHK Racing Ltd. and trained by Roger Varian, Eldar Eldarov's final time for the 1¾ miles and 132 yards was 3:08.39 on turf rated as good to soft.

Varian won the St. Leger for a second time after taking the 2014 edition with Kingston Hill.

Eldar Eldarov was bred by Kirsten Rausing and is the third foal out of the stakes-winning Sea The Stars mare All At Sea.

The post Eldar Eldarov Wins St. Leger At Doncaster; Saturday’s Card Follows Two Minutes Of Silence To Honor Queen Elizabeth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pegram, Watson, and Weitman's Speed Boat Beach sped to a track record in his racing debut Saturday at Del Mar when he covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.86.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the Bayern colt out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Sophia Mia took the lead out of the gate in the maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds and was never headed under Flavien Prat. He set fractions of :21.34, :44.17, and :55.96 en route to a 1 1/4 -length triumph.

The previous track record of 1:02.10 was set by Power Jam, also trained by Baffert, in the 2016 Pirate's Bounty Stakes.

Baffert also trained Speed Boat Beach's sire and broodmare sire. His dam was unraced.

Earlier this year, Speed Boat Beach fetched $200,000 from Three Amigos (Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman) at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Finishing behind him Saturday were two other Baffert trainees: Zedan Racing Stables' runner-up Hejazi (a $3.5 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training sale) and co-breeder SF Racing and partners' third-place finisher Fort Bragg (a $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase in 2021).

Baffert had put 10 works into Speed Boat Beach at Los Alamitos and Del Mar prior to his Saturday start, including a handy :58.60 five-furlong drill out of the gate on Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

Baffert's track record-setting win Saturday with Speed Boat Beach was his 10th 2-year-old maiden special weight victory of the meet. He also won the 2-year-old Best Pal Stakes with Havnameltdown.

Speed Boat Beach was bred in Florida by Caperlane Farm. He returned $6.40 for the win.

The post Baffert-Trained 2YO Speed Boat Beach Streaks To Track Record-Setting Win In Career Debut At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A total of 143 nominations were made to a four $100,000 stakes, two each on dirt and turf, on the Saturday, Sept. 24 program during closing weekend of Pimlico Race Course's fall meet.

Pimlico launched its nine-day fall meet Sept. 9 and served up four stakes worth $475,000 in purses Sept. 10 led by Set Piece's second straight graded triumph at Pimlico in the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3). Set Piece's prior win came in the May 21 Dinner Party (G2) on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Featured on the final Saturday of Pimlico's fall stand are the 1 1/16-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies on dirt and the Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and up and Sensible Lady Turf Dash for fillies and mares 3 and older, both sprinting five furlongs on the grass.

Most popular among horsemen was the Sensible Lady, which attracted 41 nominations led by 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) winner Twilight Gleaming and Robin Sparkles, 21-1 upset winner of the Caress (G3) July 23 at Saratoga; and fellow multiple stakes winners Bulletproof One, defending winner Can the Queen, Creative Credit, Dontletsweetfoolya, Miss J McKay, and Spun Glass.

Also prominent among Sensible Lady nominees are stakes winners Can't Buy Love, Ellanation and Lady Edith; Honey Pants, and Whispurring Kitten, respectively 2-3 behind Can the Queen in the May 20 The Very One at Pimlico; and Golden Bell, the Wesley Ward-trained stablemate of Twilight Gleaming that is unbeaten in two starts this year including a win over her elders last out Aug. 1 in a Monmouth Park allowance.

Twilight Gleaming and Golden Bell are also among 38 nominees to the Laurel Dash along with Carotari, whose multiple grass stakes wins include the 2021 Troy (G3) at Saratoga; and Dale Capuano-trained stablemates Alwaysinahurry, winner of the 2021 Concern at Laurel Park, and Justwaveandsmile, who strung together six consecutive wins sprinting on the turf including the July 30 Ben's Cat at Laurel before a troubled fourth in the Da Hoss Sept. 6 at Colonial Downs.

Also nominated are 3-year-old colt Blue Collar Boom, undefeated in two career dirt starts this year for trainer Damon Dilodovico; and stakes winners Chess Master, Classicstateofmind, Cowan, Determined Kingdom, Grateful Bred, Greeley and Ben, Nothing Better, Smooth B, and Spycraft.

Ridin With Biden, fourth in the Aug. 20 Iselin (G3) at Monmouth following his dominant victory in the 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony July 30 at Laurel, and 2020 Maryland Million Classic winner Monday Morning Qb top 29 nominees to the Polynesian. Both were trained by Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr. at the time of their wins, but Monday Morning Qb was claimed out of his last start Aug. 24 at Delaware Park for $62,500 by trainer Norman 'Lynn' Cash.

Other nominees include 2021 Peter Pan (G3) winner Promise Keeper, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher; multiple stakes winners Bal Harbour, claimed from Pletcher by trainer Robertino Diodoro out of an 8 ¾-length victory Sept. 5 at Saratoga, Double Crown, Sea Foam and Tappin Cat; Dontmesawithme, winner of the April 23 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel; Laurel's Feb. 19 John B. Campbell winner Galerio; Joe Sharp-trained stablemates Twilight Blue and Intrepid Heart, respectively 1-2 in the Aug. 13 Fort Larned; and Plot the Dots, second to Ridin With Biden in the Deputed Testamony.

Lady Scarlet, who captured the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) May 20 at Pimlico; Elm Drive, winner of the 2021 Sorrento (G2) at Del Mar; Feb. 5 Forward Gal (G3) winner Girl With a Dream, unraced since March 5; stakes winners Buy the Best, Disco Ebo, Stand Up Comic, and Swayin to and Fro, the latter in Pimlico's Sept. 10 Shine Again; graded stakes placed Half Is Enough and Smash Ticket; and Intrepid Daydream, riding a three-race win streak; are among 35 nominees to the Weather Vane.

Pimlico will wrap up the fall meet Sunday, Sept. 25 before racing moves to Laurel Park for its calendar year-ending fall stand starting Friday, Sept. 30.

The post Pimlico’s Closing Weekend Attracts 143 Nominations To Four Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It wasn't a particularly memorable start, but it turned out to be an unforgettable finish for Sister Seagull, who rallied to win the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, final leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-bred fillies Sunday at Woodbine.

The 1 ¼-mile grass test saw Sister Seagull steadied slightly heading into the first bend, but when crunch time arrived, the Catherine Day Phillips trainee was in full flight down the E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch.

Strega broke sharply and was sent to the front with Swoop to Finish, one of two Sam-Son runners taking up the chase in second, followed by Devil's Bit, Keep It Neat, Sister Seagull, and Whimsical Dance, the other Sam-Son colorbearer.

The first quarter, in :26.27, saw Strega holding a half-length lead over Swoop to Finish, as the running order remained mostly unchanged through a half in :51.69.

After reaching three-quarters, Swoop to Finish began to ratchet up the pressure on the leader, as Antonio Gallardo gave Sister Seagull her cue.

The chestnut came off the final turn needing to track down Swoop to Finish, who continued to run determinedly to the inside. Sister Seagull eventually got onto even terms with her rival and defeated that gutsy foe, winning by one length in 2:04.65 over firm going.

Devil's Bit was third and Whimsical Dance was fourth.

“I had to check just a little bit,” said Gallardo, of the less-than-ideal start. “But thank God it's one mile and a quarter because you have plenty of time to figure out and pull everything together again. She's a nice filly. I liked her more today because of the distance. It's perfect for her. I feel like she's more on the bridle on the turf. Today, everything was beautiful… really easy today.”

Bred by Sean Fitzhenry, who co-owns Sister Seagull with his wife, Dorothy, it was the second straight score and third in the last four attempts for Sister Seagull.

With the Wonder Where win, it gave the filly two triumphs in the Triple Tiara. After a second to Moira in the first leg, the Woodbine Oaks on July 24, Sister Seagull took the second leg, the Bison City, on August 14.

The daughter of Hard Spun now sports a record of 3-1-1 from eight starts.

“That was exciting,” said Sean Fitzhenry. “I figured the long stretch would help her and it did. It's [winning two legs of the Triple Tiara] a testament to what we do with our broodmares. It's a good source of pride.”

As it was for Day Phillips, who was celebrating her wedding anniversary with her husband, Todd Phillips, on Sunday.

The multiple graded stakes winning trainer felt the Wonder Where distance would be beneficial for her sophomore star.

“She's always acted like she wants to go further,” she said. “Her breeding suggests turf. But she's had two tough races coming into this, so that was a little bit of a concern. She's not a big, strong filly. If you see her, she looks bigger when she's coming to the wire than she does standing beside her. She just is all heart. I'm so proud of her.”

Sister Seagull, who returned $7.90, was produced by the Kitten's Joy mare Sweet Kitten.

The post ‘She Just Is All Heart’: Sister Seagull Shines In Wonder Where To Secure Two-Thirds Of Canada’s Triple Tiara appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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