Tag: Racing

A stakes tripleheader – highlighted by the 72nd running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies – is on tap for Saturday at Del Mar, the penultimate day of the seaside track's 2022 summer racing season.

Joining the Debutante on the black type list are the 65th edition of the Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares and the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The stakes trio will be run back-to-back-to-back with the Juvenile Fillies Turf as Race 7, the Debutante as Race 8 and the Mabee as Race 9. They're part of an 11-race card with a first post of 1 p.m.

The Debutante, which is contested at seven furlongs out of the chute on the main track, has drawn eight promising fillies for what is considered the meet's championship race for their bracket.

Not surprisingly, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a specialist with young horses who has won the Debutante 10 times previously, including the last three runnings – has the race's solid favorite at 9/5 in Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Home Cooking, who'll have the saddle services of Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. He'll also saddle Fast and Shiny, owned by the same trio.

In the Mabee, which goes at nine furlongs on the grass out of Del Mar's diagonal infield chute, there are seven older distaffers topped by the win machine out of the Phil D'Amato barn named Going Global, who races for the owner grouping of Dubb, Gevertz or Nentwig and partners. The 4-year-old Irish-bred bay – who has won nine of her 15 starts and just shy of a million dollars — will have turf ace Umberto Rispoli in the saddle and has been hung a stout 4/5 morning line favorite.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf, which is being held for the 11th time Saturday, has lured a collection of 11 young lassies all looking for their first stakes victory. The race is seen as a stepping stone to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which will be run at Keeneland in Kentucky this year in early November. That race carries a $1-million purse.

The morning line favorite at 5/2 in Del Mar's version of the race is De Seroux or Naify's Havana Angel, an import from Europe who'll be making her U.S. bow for trainer Leonard Powell. Del Mar's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, has the call.

The Debutante's Home Cooking was a galloping winner of her second start on August 21 at Del Mar, drawing off late to score by more than nine lengths in a five and a half furlong straight maiden affair. She's by the A.P. Indy sire Honor Code and fetched $260,000 at a 2-year-old in training sale earlier this year.

Chief threats to the top one look to be Aldabbagh, Cady or Leatherman's Vegas Magic, winner of Del Mar's Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on August 13 and Peter Redekop's And Tell Me Nolies, a game winner of a straight maiden race locally on August 14. Abel Cedillo rides Vegas Magic, while Ramon Vazquez handles “Nolies.”

Here's the field for the Debutant from the rail out with riders and morning line odds: Vegas Magic (3-1); Exline-Border Racing's Kissed by Fire (Joe Bravo, 8-1); And Tell Me Nolies (3-1); The Del Mar Group's Satin Doll (Kyle Frey, 20-1); Fast and Shiny (Hernandez, 8-1); Home Cooking; J Stables' Arella Star (Hector Berrios, 15-1), and Perry and Ramona Bass' Ice Dancing (Flavien Prat, 8-1).

The Mabee field from the rail out will look like this: Going to Vegas (Prat, 5/2); Kaleem Shah's Bellamore (Bravo, 20-1); Convergence Stable and Madaket Stables' Avenue de France (Hernandez, 6-1); Hronis Racing's Park Avenue (Berrios, 6-1); Going Global; Agave Racing Stable and partners' Burgoo Alley (Vazquez, 12-1), and Reddam Racing's Eddie's New Dream (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1).

The lineup for the Juvenile Fillies Turf from the rail out shapes up as follows: Roadrunner Racing or Evenson's Cahuilla (Ryan Curatolo, 20-1); Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Sally's Sassy (Ricky Gonzalez, 12-1); Barber or Pell's Candy Carmel (Berrios, 12-1); R Unicorn Stable's Excelia (Vazquez, 8-1); CYBT, Aldabbagh, Nentwig or Pagano's Thebestisyettobe (Prat, 4-1); Havana Angel; Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stable's Comanche Country (Rispoli, 3-1); Roncelli Family Trust and Roney's Queenzy (Smith, 8-1); Brown, Klein or Lebherz's Sell the Dream (Cedillo, 6-1); Haagsma, Hallmark or Vanderdussen's Court Snort (Gutierrez, 20-1), and West Coast Stables' Pride of the Nile (Frey, 20-1).

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His last two trips to historic Pimlico Race Course have resulted in stakes victories, and West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner's Grade 3 winner Jaxon Traveler returns with a chance to extend his streak in Saturday's $100,000 Lite the Fuse.

The seventh running of the six-furlong Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up, named for the two-time Carter (G1) and Frank J. Memorial Dash (G2) winner, was won by Yaupon last year in its return to the Maryland stakes calendar for the first time since 2001. It is among four stakes worth $875,000 in purses on a 10-race program headlined by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).

Also scheduled for the turf is the $100,000 Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles, while fillies and mares 3 and older that have never won an open sweepstakes will sprint six furlongs on the dirt in the $75,000 Shine Again.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Jaxon Traveler has won three of his four career starts at Pimlico, dating back to a debut victory in September 2020. He ran second in the 2021 Chick Lang (G3), winning the Star de Naskra three weeks later and the Maryland Sprint (G3) May 21 on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1) for his first graded triumph.

“He loves Pimlico. Every time he's gone there he's broke well and had running on his mind. He's had some really good efforts down there so we loved it when we saw this spot earlier in the summer. We took dead aim on it,” West Point founder, president and CEO Terry Finley said. “He's had a couple of really good works and he's ready to rock and roll.”

From the barn of Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who also trained Yaupon, Jaxon Traveler is based in New York with assistant trainer Toby Sheets. He comes into the Lite the Fuse having run third by 1 ¼ lengths in the 5 ½-furlong Ben's Cat on the Laurel Park turf July 30.

“I think he's a better horse on the dirt than he is on the turf,” Finley said. “He's doing very well. Toby, who's had him the whole time up at Belmont, has been super pleased. He tries hard every time. I wish we had a whole bunch of these in our barn because it's always good to have a horse this honest and talented. He seemed to come out of the last race in good shape.”

Finley said the connections have lofty goals for Jaxon Traveler, a son of Munnings bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Pineau that was named the state's champion 2-year-old of 2020 and 3-year-old of 2021. He has a record of 6-6-4 from 17 starts with $578,810 in purse earnings and three of his four stakes wins have come in Maryland, including the 2020 Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel.

“I know we still have a ways to go, but we'd love to make him a millionaire. He's almost at [$600,000] now and we'd like to see him get to a million dollars,” Finley said. “He's not going to be a stallion, he's going to be a racehorse for the foreseeable future. Although he's run plenty, he seems like he still loves what he does for a living.”

Jaxon Traveler drew Post 2 in a field of eight and will be ridden by Sheldon Russell.

Among the challengers are stakes winners Wudda U Think Now, Nimitz Class, Wendell Fong and Quick Tempo. The Elkstone Group's Wudda U Think Now has won two of his last three starts for New York-based trainer Rudy Rodriguez, the Feb. 19 Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct and Aug. 12 John Morissey at Saratoga, both six-furlong sprints for New York-breds. He was a front-running 10 ½-length winner against open company Jan. 16 at Aqueduct to launch his 5-year-old campaign.

Thomas Coulter's 3-year-old Nimitz Class strung together three straight wins earlier this year, all at Penn National, where trainer Bruce Kravets is based. He had his win streak snapped when second by a length to Old Homestead in the seven-furlong Concern July 2 at Laurel, and most recently was last of seven facing elders on Presque Isle's all-weather surface in the July 26 Hard Spun.

“He didn't care for the track last time. Never picked his feet up,” Kravets said. “I think he's doing good. He's training great. He's worked a couple times since then and worked really good, really fast.

“He never trained any different. He came out of the [last] race perfect. He went right back to his regular schedule,” he added. “When we breezed him the other day he looked good which was the case when he first breezed back, so he's dead fit and ready to go.”

Nimitz Class nearly overcame a poor start where he stumbled and was checked on the first turn in the Concern, and it will be up to new rider Angel Rodriguez to navigate a better trip from Post 6.

“He ran a big race that day,” Kravets said. “If he didn't stumble at the start, I'm not saying he wins but it would have been a lot closer.”

Wendell Fong is owned by Dark Horse Racing Stable, Serio Racing Stables, Rich Spiesman and trainer Natalia Lynch, a Maryland native whose first career victory came courtesy of the 6-year-old gelding in last January's Fire Plug at Laurel. He ran second in the Tom Fool (G3) before going to the sidelines last winter, returning in the fall with a new trainer but without a win. It will be his first start since being claimed by Lynch for $40,000 out of a third-place finish sprinting six furlongs July 20 at Saratoga.

Also racing first off the claim is Hinder Holdings' Quick Tempo, haltered for $25,000 following a front-running 4 ¼-length optional claiming allowance score Aug. 8 at Colonial Downs going the Lite the Fuse distance. The 4-year-old gelding won the 2020 Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds and has placed in three other stakes – the 2021 Iowa Sprint and Rumson and May 4 St. Matthews.

“We're going to take a shot,” Pimlico-based trainer Kieron Magee said. “It won't be entirely new for him. He's been there before.”

Appropriately enough, Quick Tempo has done his best running on the front end and Magee – who won a seven-way shake for the son of Grade 1 winner Tapizar – expects nothing different Saturday under Jevian Toledo, who returns to ride from outermost Post 8.

“He went three-quarters in 1:09 [last time] and was just much the best,” Magee said. “[The front] is where he wants to be and it's more than likely where he'll be. If there's somebody in there with my kind of speed, maybe we'll try to sit off a little bit. But, that's where he wants to be and he's all speed.”

Trin-Brook Stables, Inc.'s War Tocsin is entered to make his 44th career start in the Lite the Fuse. Owned and trained by Uriah St. Lewis, the 6-year-old Violence gelding has placed three times in stakes, twice in Maryland – the Feb. 19 General George (G3) at Laurel, where he was second to multiple stakes winner Cordmaker, and Maryland Sprint, third by 4 ¾ lengths to Jaxon Traveler.

John Conforti's Chief Ron, riding a two-race win streak sprinting at Delaware Park for trainer Chelsea Moysey; and Jun H. Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius, a last-out winner going six furlongs Aug. 10 at Saratoga, are also entered.

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Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Grade 2 winner Plum Ali, winless in her last three starts, faces six rivals as she chases a fifth career stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 All Along at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 51st running of the All Along for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass is one of four stakes worth $875,000 in purses on a 10-race program headlined by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).

Also on tap are a pair of six-furlong dirt sprints, the $100,000 Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up featuring Grade 3 winner Jaxon Traveler, 3-for-4 lifetime at Pimlico, and $75,000 Shine Again for non-winners of an open sweepstakes which drew a wide-open field of nine fillies and mares 3 and older.

Post time is 12:40 p.m.

Trained by Christophe Clement throughout her career, Plum Ali is a 4-year-old daughter of First Samurai that fetched $65,000 as a yearling in 2019 and has gone on to win five of 15 starts and $767,042 in purses. She signaled her quality early on, winning each of her first three races including the 2020 Mint Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and Miss Grillo (G2) at Belmont Park before running fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland.

“She is doing well. She's a nice horse, good filly,” Clement said. “We looked at our choices and said, 'Let's go to Pimlico.' It seems like a good spot for her.”

Plum Ali began this season by winning the one-mile Plenty of Grace April 16 at Belmont after ending 2021 with a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Winter Memories at Aqueduct. She was a disappointing seventh in the Beaugay (G3) in May at Belmont before rebounding with solid efforts running fourth by three lengths in the July 2 Nassau (G2) at Woodbine and second by a length in the De La Rose Aug. 7 at Saratoga, both going one mile.

“She's a really good filly. I thought she was a little bit unlucky in Canada when she finished fourth and she came back and ran well in a good stakes at Saratoga, just got beat,” Clement said. “She won the stake before in New York. She's won a graded stakes before.

“She's been a very special horse for us. She's been very straightforward, no issues. I think she'll be very competitive.”

Plum Ali has tried 1 1/8 miles twice before, running second by a half-length to Con Lima in the Wonder Again (G3) and fifth, beaten less than two lengths, in the Sands Point (G2), both last year at Belmont. Clement is not worried about stretching her out off back-to-back mile efforts.

“The distance won't be an issue for her,” he said. “The race at Saratoga going a mile I thought might have been a touch too short for her, so I think she'll be very happy to go a mile and an eighth. She's very versatile. She can wait and she can come from out of it, or she can be on the lead. You can do whatever you want with her.”

Dylan Davis, who traveled to Canada for the Nassau, will be in town to ride from Post 4 at 122 pounds.

Sharing topweight of 124 pounds are Capital Structure and Gladys. Klaravich Stables, Inc.'s Capital Structure is trained by Chad Brown, who ran first and third, respectively, in the 2020 All Along with multiple graded-stakes winner Nay Lady Nay and subsequent Grade 3 winner Beautiful Lover.

Capital Structure, bred in England, exits a two-length optional claiming allowance victory going 1 3/8 miles July 31 at Saratoga. The 5-year-old mare has tried stakes company before, finishing fifth by three lengths in the 2020 American Oaks (G1) going 1 ¼ miles at Santa Anita. Feargal Lynch has the call from Post 3.

Dede McGehee's Gladys has placed twice in graded-stakes, finishing third in both the 1 1/8-mile Hillsborough (G2) March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs and 1 3/8-mile Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) July 9 at Delaware Park. In her most recent effort she raced up near the leaders for six furlongs before winding up seventh, beaten 4 ½ lengths, in the 1 1/16-mile Old Nelson Aug. 16 at Colonial Downs. Junior Alvarado is named from outermost Post 7.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, winner of the All Along in back-to-back years with Onus (2016) and On Leave (2017), returns with Stuart Janney III's homebred In a Hurry. The 5-year-old daughter of Blame is still seeking her first stakes victory, having run third in each of her last three starts – the May 21 Gallorette (G3) at Pimlico, July 16 Big Dreyfus at Laurel Park and Old Nelson. Second in the Laurel's April 23 Dahlia to open 2022, she was third by a length in the Suwannee River (G3) last December at Gulfstream Park.

Forest Boyce, McGaughey's go-to rider in Maryland, will be in the irons from Post 5.

Like In a Hurry, Godolphin homebred Lake Lucerne is also chasing an elusive stakes win after being graded-stakes placed. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 5-year-old mare is seeking to end a seven-racing losing streak dating back to an optional claiming allowance triumph last September at Saratoga. She has placed twice since, running third in the 1 1/8-mile Athenia (G3) at Belmont in her subsequent start and the1 1/16-mile Indiana General Assembly Distaff July 9 at Horseshoe Indiana.

Lake Lucerne is coming out of fifth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Trillium (G3) over the all-weather surface Aug. 13 at Woodbine. In her last try at the All Along distance, she was fourth by two lengths at odds of 33-1 in the May 6 Modesty (G3) behind next-out Grade 1 winner Bleecker Street. Fellow multiple graded-stakes winner Fluffy Socks, who captured the 2020 Selima at Pimlico, was second.

“She's doing great. She's been working great and doing well. This is a tough spot but I feel if she runs to her best race and gets a little luck in running, she should be very competitive,” Walsh said. “We did put blinkers on her two starts back and she ran really well at Indiana. She was a little bit prominent behind a fast pace and just paid the price for it at the end. That might have been her best race yet.

“Her last race, I think we draw a line through it because she just didn't have a great trip and it was the Polytrack, so she had some excuses,” he added. “There's a couple of real nice fillies in here but I feel like if she reproduces her Indiana run or her run at Churchill on Derby weekend, then that should be good enough to put her right there.”

Lake Lucerne will break from the rail with Sheldon Russell aboard.

Rounding out the field are Elements Racing's Champagne Toast, most recently fifth in the Fort Indiantown Gap Aug. 19 at Penn National and winless in three prior tries on turf; and Jaroslaw Kowalczyk's Youens, returning stateside after a pair of races on the Woodbine turf this summer.

The All Along is named for the French-bred filly that won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Rothmans International, Turf Classic and Laurel's Washington D.C. International in the span of 41 days in 1983 en route to becoming the first foreign-based horse to be voted U.S. Horse of the Year. A winner of nine races and more than $3 million in purses from 21 starts, she was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1990.

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