Tag: Racing

Hong Kong Harry responded perfectly to rider Flavien Prat's cues and came running in the lane to pull clear late and capture the $302,000 Del Mar Mile (G2) by 2 ¼ lengths at Del Mar in one of five stakes races on the seaside oval's sparkling Saturday agenda.

The 5-year-old Irish-bred son of Es Que Love is owned by a trio of Californians – Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa, and Tony Valazza – and is trained by Phil D'Amato.

“Harry” picked up a check for $180,000 for his good work in the $302,000 Del Mar Mile. He now has a total earnings record of $415,097 and eight wins in 12 lifetime starts.

“Flavien was sitting in the right spot,” said D'Amato, who enjoyed a third win in the race. “Around the quarter pole my horse was picking up steam, angling out and ready to kick in. Once he did, I thought it was just a matter of time and he did it stylishly.”

Finishing second was Irideo, who had 1 ¼ lengths on third-place finisher Cathkin Peak.

The winner covered the mile in a rapid 1:33.15 on firm turf as the race's 6-5 favorite. He returned $4.40.

“We had a good trip,” Prat said. “The pace was strong. I got lucky when I was able to drop myself inside around the turn and he made a good run when I asked him to do it. The leader was really far in front. Obviously, that's the way he ran last time, so I didn't know if he was going to come back to me. I rode this horse for his first race in the country and really liked him a lot. It seems like he's improving a lot and is getting even better.”

The victory in the Mile was rider Prat's third straight in the event. He had come to town from his current New York headquarters to ride the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) favorite Flightline, who won by an eye-popping 19 1/4 lengths, but Hong Kong Harry proved a nice stop along the way.

Hong Kong Harry was bred by Amarath Business Management from the Gold Away mare Vital Body.

The post Late Run Propels Hong Kong Harry To Del Mar Mile Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Taking to the racecourse amidst a summer rainstorm, Chop Chop gamely outbattled Towhead in a long drive to the finish line and won the $500,000 Aristocrat Gaming Juvenile Fillies Stakes by a nose Saturday at Kentucky Downs.

Ridden by Reylu Gutierrez for trainer Brad Cox, Chop Chop was unfazed by the inclement weather and covered the one-mile event over a yielding turf course in 1:1:43.86.

Gutierrez had Chop Chop ideally positioned in third as pacesetters Towhead and C C Cruise Control dueled through the first half mile. C C Cruise Control tamely yielded when Towhead knuckled down and thrust her head in front through six furlongs in 1:16.82 but Gutierrez had Chop Chop ready to roll and she came to within a head of the leader. The two battled through the stretch, but Chop Chop had stamina to spare and got the job done. She returned $10.22.

C C Cruise Control faded to third, nine lengths behind Towhead. Favorite Callie's Grit was never a threat and finished last in the field of eight.

A  daughter of City of Light campaigned by Selective LLC, Chop Chop earned her first stakes win and is perfect in two career starts following her debut victory August 12 at Ellis Park. She is the first stakes winner for her sire, a four-time Grade 1 winner who stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Kentucky.

Bred in Kentucky by Cobra Farm and MRJ Thoroughbreds, Chop Chop was produced by the unraced Giant's Causeway mare Giant Sofia. She was $230,000 purchase by Selective/Cary Bloodstock, agent, from the Bluewater Sales consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Sale.

With the $300,000 winner's share of the Juvenile Fillies purse, Chop Chop's lifetime bankroll increased to $336,700.

Kentucky Downs canceled the card after the Juvenile Fillies Stakes because of the bad weather. The races canceled include the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile and the WinStar Mint Million Stakes. The latter will be run on Sept. 10, with the Juvenile Mile rescheduled for Sept. 14.

The post Game Chop Chop Wins Juvenile Fillies Stakes By Slimmest Margin At Kentucky Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hurst Racing Stables' Go Joe Won, the longest shot on the board at 21-1, battled for the lead from right out of the gate, then fought through a furious stretch battle to just hang on to score by a nose in the one mile Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday at Del Mar.

The Kentucky-bred ridgling by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico barely bested 9-10 race favorite High Connection, owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud. Finishing third, more than 10 lengths behind the top pair, was Bernsen, Little Red Feather Racing or Rockingham Ranch's Newgrange.

Go Joe Won was ridden by veteran Jose Valdivia, Jr. and is trained by Paula Capestro. It was his second victory in his fifth start and the $75,000 winner's share of the $125,000 purse increased his bankroll to $145,780.

Winning time for the dirt mile was 1:37.69.

Go Joe Won paid $44.80, $8.80 and $3.40. High Connection returned $2.60 and $2.10, while Newgrange paid $2.60 to show.

This was the 48th edition of the Shared Belief, named for the champion gelding who died unexpectedly in 2015 at the age of 4. The race previously was known as the El Cajon Stakes.

Post-race quotes:

JOSE VALDIVIA, JR. (Go Joe Won, winner)—“He broke out of there running, that was the whole idea. That other horse (High Connection) came on to me and it was a battle right from the gate. Every time I would take a hold of my horse, he kept wanting to fight. He was just game. He just would not let that other horse go by, even on the gallop out. Hats off to Paula Capestro and crew. We were brushing the whole way.  He's the bigger horse and as you can see, he was laying on me from the quarter pole. And once he laid into me, it made my horse come out a little. The pressure was coming from the outside and he had the whole length of the stretch to get by me.  And he never did.”

PAULA CAPESTRO (Go Joe Won, winner) – “We didn't know who was going to win the break and who was going to get the lead. If they had to go kamikaze, we'd sit off, but if we got the lead we'd just make them come get us. I thought he was going to run hard. I thought they were going to have to run hard to beat us. He tends to wait on other horses. It's sort of a game for him. He just waits on horses and then races them.”

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FRACTIONS:  :21.89  :45.14  1:10.82  1:24.00  1:37.69

The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Valdivia, Jr, but his second (Latin Rhythms, second division, 2007) in the Shared Belief. He now has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Capestro and her first in the Shared Belief. She now has three stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owner is Hurst Racing Stable of Eric Hurst of Hubbard, Ohio.

The post Go Joe Won Noses Out High Connection For Shared Belief Upset appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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