Tag: Racing

Twin Creeks Racing Stable moved Law Professor from California because of the greater options offered with more racetracks in the East and Midwest. It proved a good move as the 4-year-old Constitution gelding won his first start for New York-based trainer Rob Atras, taking Thursday's $400,000 FanDuel Tapit Stakes on opening day of the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs.

“It was incredible. I couldn't believe it,” Atras said by phone of winning his Kentucky Downs debut. “I never expected to win first time at that track.”

With Julien Leparoux aboard, Law Professor pushed the pace set by Megacity, with Spanish Kingdom taking over after six furlongs. Law Professor took the lead at the eighth pole and edged away in the final strides from the tenacious Spanish Kingdom, who drew into the race off the also-eligible list to finish second by a half-length at 15-1 under Gerardo Corrales.

“We just thought there were some better opportunities on the East Coast,” said Randy Gullatt, manager and co-owner of Twin Creeks Farm and Racing Stables with Steven Davison. “I thought this was a good opportunity. He was fit and acting like he was ready to run. So we took a shot.”

Atras said he'd always been “enthralled with that place.”

“Watching races, they're kind of wild to watch,” he said. “You think you've got a grasp on them turning for home, but you're not really sure your horse has horse. It's just so different than a regular dirt race or turf race (camera) pan shot.”

Law Professor covered the mile and 70 yards over turf in 1:38.10 after fractions of 22.23 seconds, 44.91, 1:09.00 and 1:33.90 for the mile. He returned $21.10 to win. The $1 tri returned $3,616.72, with the $1 superfecta paying $17,557.72.

“He broke well,” Leparoux said. “At some point I thought I was going to be on the lead. But I saw Tyler (Gaffalione on Megacity) kind of pressuring to be there. So I just took back off of him and followed him around there. He traveled very nice, which is something you really need on this track. I found a spot to get going in the stretch, and he went all the way to the wire.

“I didn't feel like anybody was coming on very fast; we kind of stayed the same. But the main thing was during the race he traveled very nice, where some horses kind of bobbled. He won very nicely today.”

Atras acknowledged being concerned about the pace.

“Turning for home, I wasn't sure if we had enough horse because the fractions looked really fast to me,” he said. “But Julien was really smart and backed off the pace a little bit. He tucked him in and then he went down the rail and then the (camera) angle changed. I thought we had a shot, but I couldn't quite tell because the angle was really tough for me to read. All of a sudden as the camera angle kind of went more to the traditional pan shot, they were still there. Julien was going left-handed and riding him and he was still there.”

California invader Shadow Sphinx and jockey Joe Rocco were another three-quarters of a length back in third, with Floriform fourth. Favored In Love, last year's Tapit winner, finished fifth, followed by Ramsey Solution, Souper Dormy, Skyro, New Year Surprise and Megacity.

Peace Achieved, winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile in 2019, was pulled up on the far turn with a possible non-displaced fracture of the long pastern bone in his left foreleg. He was transported to a Lexington clinic for evaluation.

Law Professor's first 10 races were with California-based Michael McCarthy. Unraced at 2, Law Professor ended last season with victory in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile that came off the turf. In three prior starts this year, he was second in the Grade 2 San Pasqual on dirt, fifth in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe on turf and then getting time off after he was last during a troubled trip in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile.

The Kentucky-bred gelding now is 4-1-1 in 11 starts, earning $516,440 with the $237,800 payday.

“He's coming off of a freshener and I think that's what he needed,” Gullatt said. “He was training well. You never know how they're going to handle Kentucky Downs. It's a different turf course. We took the shot and it paid off.”

The Tapit was restricted to horses that had not run a stakes in 2022. Last year In Love used his victory as a springboard to another victory in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile. Asked if that $1 million race, now called the Coolmore Turf Mile, was in play, Gullatt said, “We were just focused on this race. We'll see how he comes back, and we'll talk with Rob and try to figure it out.”

Betting on the 10-race card was $9,695.501.76.

The post Rob Atras Wins Kentucky Downs Debut As Law Professor Takes Opening Day Tapit Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Coming from off the pace under Bernie Dalton, Atlantic Friends Racing's Theocrat rallied through the stretch and repelled a challenge from Upland Flats Racing's Freddy Flintshire to narrowly take the seventh and final steeplechase race at the Spa for the season.

It was the second straight win for the five-year-old Irish-bred son of Teofilo, who took a 115 handicap at Colonial Downs in Virginia on July 18. Keri Brion trained both the first and second-place finishers, who raced side-by-side for most of the 2 3/8 miles of the Walsh.

Jockey Jamie Bargary, coming off a two-for-two day at Colonial Downs on Monday, made it three straight wins with an incredible come-from-behind victory in Wednesday's $70,000 allowance race with Bruton Street-US' Proven Innocent.

Launching a furious rally on the far outside — about as far to the outside as you can go without running through the bushes — Proven Innocent, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, nailed Michael Smith's Bandua and Gerard Galligan in the final strides.

The replays for both races can be found here: https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/replays

Full results can be found here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/racing/

The post NSA: Theocrat Repels Stablemate Freddy Flintshire In Saratoga’s Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A field of 11 3-year-old turf horses were entered in the 19th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby, the pinnacle of a stakes-laden card at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Since its inaugural in 1998, the race has been won by champions English Channel and Kitten's Joy, who scored in back-to-back years 2004-05, as well as multiple champion Gio Ponti who captured the 2008 edition.

Eleven races have been carded for Tuesday with a first post of 1:45 PM. The 1-1/8 miles Virginia Derby itself will be carded as the 10th of 11 races with a 6:14 PM post and will serve as final leg of All-Stakes All-Turf Pick-4 and Pick-5 wagers. The Pick-5 features a low 12% takeout.

Klaravich Stables' Great Britain-bred Unanimous Consent, a Chad Brown trainee, is the morning line 3-1 favorite. The consistent runner started his career with three straight victories including a triumph in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct in April. In the Almanzor colt's most recent out, he finished a solid fourth in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont June 4. Brown is a four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer, honored consecutively from 2016-2019. Manny Franco will ride from post seven.

Trainer Graham Motion will seek an unusual grand slam in the Virginia Derby with Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Royal Patronage who is fresh off a pair of Grade 1 starts in the Saratoga Derby Invitational and Belmont Derby Invitational. The Wootton Bassett colt, bred in France, finished sixth and fifth respectively in the pair, which are his only U.S. starts of 11 total. His previous nine came in England where he scored victories in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes and Grade 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes. Defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Joel Rosario will ride Royal Patronage who drew the rail.

Motion saddled last year's Virginia Derby winner Wootton Asset, 2019 champ English Bee and 2017 Commonwealth Derby winner Just Howard. There was no comparable race in 2018 and the 2020 edition was not held due to Covid. The 2017 edition was held at Laurel Park since Colonial had not yet reopened. The Colonial Downs Group reopened the New Kent track in 2019.

Limited Liability, a Kitten's Joy colt, from the same owner-trainer combination as 2011 Virginia Derby winner Air Support — Stuart S. Janney III and Shug McGaughey. Limited Liability has a proven to be competitive in graded stakes events. As a 2-year-old, he finished third in the Grade 3 With Anticipation and Grade 2 Pilgrim. As a sophomore he added a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge. Jose Oritz will ride from post nine.

Granpollo Stable's Grand David comes into the Derby on a three-race win streak. The Tapiture colt scored in a maiden race June 11, followed by an allowance tally July 3 and most recently the Bears Den Stakes July 30 all three were over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta course. Edwin Gonzalez will ride from post 11.

Two-time stakes winner California Frolic boasts seven top three finishes from eight lifetime starts — all at Gulfstream — and a bankroll of $167,450. The California Chrome colt captured the English Channel Stakes and Not Surprising Stakes this spring and was runner-up in the Bears Den Stakes most recently. Owned by Julian J. De Mora, Jr. and trained by Armando De La Cerda. California Frolic will be ridden by Edgar Perez from post four.

Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer, winner of the Grade 2 Penn Mile earlier this year, is high money earner in the field with $304,000. The Summer Front gelding, who competed at Colonial three times last summer, prevailed via disqualification in a maiden race before going on to finish third in the Hickory Tree Stakes and fourth in the Kitten's Joy Stakes. Overall, he has two wins from nine starts. Tyler Conner will ride the James Lawrence trainee who starts from post two.

Steven Newby's Vance Scholars is fresh off a stakes victory at Laurel in the Bald Eagle Derby, which was taken off the turf August 6. The Holy Boss gelding has won two straight and three of his last four but has yet to start on grass in six career outs. The Dale Capuano trainee will be ridden by Jorge Ruiz and start from post three.

Completing the line-up are (with trainer and jockey listed are): Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert V. LaPenta, Gainesway Stable and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables' Capensis (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz, Jr., post 10); Susan and John Moore's Catnip (Mike Stidham, Jevian Toledo, post 5); Three Diamonds Farm's Camp David (Mike Maker, Horatio Karamanos, post 8); and Rachid Racing's Marwad (Mohamed Moubarak, Miguel Vasquez, post 6).

Four additional stakes will precede the Virginia Derby: the Woodford Reserve Da Hoss Stakes (race 6) kicks off the all stakes Pick-5 followed by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Kitten's Joy Stakes as race 7 which will start the late Pick-4. They will be followed by the Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes (race 8) and the Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks (race 9). An Oaks-Derby Double will be available in Races 9-10.

The Virginia Derby will be televised by Fanduel TV (formerly)TVG, who will provide on-site coverage, and will be broadcast by Horse Racing Radio Network which can be found on Sirius216/XM 2014 and on the Internet at horseracingradio.net.

The post Unanimous Consent Tabbed Morning Line Favorite In Tuesday’s Virginia Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Holy Cow Stable's graded stakes winner Naughty Gal headlines a talented field of 10 juvenile fillies in Sunday's 131st running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen qualifying incentive on the road to the Breeders' Cup in November at Keeneland, at Saratoga Race Course.

The seven-furlong main track sprint is named after the chestnut filly who won 7-of-9 career starts. A daughter of Leamington out of the Eclipse mare Megara, Spinaway's career ended at age 3 in 1881 before becoming a successful broodmare. Among her progeny was a granddaughter, Tanya, who won the 1905 Belmont Stakes. The Spinaway has been conquered by some of racing's most talented fillies including Hall of Famers Cicada [1961], Ruffian [1974] and Ashado [2003]. The last two winners of the Spinaway, Vequist [2020] and Echo Zulu [2021], went on to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November en route to Eclipse Award honors as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will look to become the winningest trainer of the race when he saddles Naughty Gal against nine rivals, including Kaling, trained by Lukas mentee and fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who is tied with Lukas with six Spinaway wins.

Naughty Gal [post 4, Jose Ortiz] graduated impressively at second asking, taking a six-furlong maiden event by 9 1/4-lengths at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Into Mischief immediately followed by making the grade in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack on August 7 at the Spa, defeating third place finisher and returning rival Sabra Tuff.

Naughty Gal has breezed back once since her stakes score, covering a half-mile in 49.49 seconds on August 16 over the Oklahoma training track, and Lukas said his filly should benefit from being one of the more experienced horses in the field.

“That's a planned program to have a little more experience,” said Lukas. “My job is to make sure they're on their game when they get to this Grade 1 level. You don't want to be wondering. We planned her program to have her at this point.”

Lukas said facing Pletcher in a Grade 1 event is always an exciting experience.

“I enjoy it and I pull for him,” said Lukas. “Let's just hope that we keep it in the family. On numerous occasions when we've been in the same field and they're turning for home, if it doesn't look like we can win my wife and I both will start hollering for Todd. That's a very satisfying thing.”

Bred in Florida by Loren Nichols, Naughty Gal is 3-2-0-0 with $148,735 in earnings.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Kaling [post 1, Flavien Prat] will make the jump to Grade 1 level off of a debut maiden score July 24 at the Spa.

Kaling turned heads when, under the guidance of jockey Flavien Prat, she posted a 2 3/4-length win over the Wesley Ward-trained Rarify, who is a half-sister to Champion Sprinter Runhappy.

Pletcher said Kaling has trained forwardly out of that maiden score, which saw her post a co-field high 77 Beyer Speed Figure, breezing back three times, including a half-mile in 48.24 August 28 over the Spa main track.

“Very professional debut,” said Pletcher. “She trained like she was going to run well in her first start and we're happy that she did. She's come back with some more good breezes since then.”

A daughter of Practical Joke, Kaling was purchased for $220,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Penn Sales consignment.

D. J. Stable's Wonder Wheel [post 9, John Velazquez] will look to build on her stakes success after the Into Mischief dark bay captured the six-furlong Debutante last out on July 4 at Churchill Downs in gate-to-wire fashion, defeating six rivals including the returning Sabra Tuff.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the undefeated Wonder Wheel also debuted at the Louisville oval, displaying off-the-pace tactics when she closed from fifth-of-7 to draw away by 2 1/4-lengths.

Casse said he has extremely high expectations for his filly.

“She's the first horse I look at in the morning and the last one I look at when I leave, so that tells you everything,” said Casse. “[She's training] fantastic. Look, with horse racing you never can tell, but if she doesn't [perform well], I'll be shocked.”

Out of the multiple Grade 1-placed mare Wonder Gal, Wonder Wheel was purchased for $275,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Clarkland Farm's undefeated Kentucky homebred Just Cindy [post 5, Luis Saez] will attempt to make it 3-for-3 after capturing the six-furlong Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day at the Spa when she broke from the rail in a seven-horse field.

The daughter of Justify has won both of her starts in stalking fashion, pouncing on rivals in the stretch run and prevailing both times by 2 1/4-lengths. The last out Schuylerville score garnered a 73 Beyer. She returned to Kentucky after that race and has trained weekly at Keeneland, recording five half-mile works between starts for conditioner Eddie Kenneally.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Kentucky homebred American Rockette [post 10, Junior Alvarado] will look to continue in the footsteps of a talented family tree for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The daughter of American Pharoah, out of the Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone, is a half-sister to the Mott-trained multiple-graded stakes winner Frank's Rockette.

American Rockette debuted July 21 at the Spa in an off-the-turf maiden special weight, closing from 8 1/2 lengths off the lead after breaking last-of-9 and having to go five-wide at the quarter-pole.

Rounding out the field is the graded stakes-placed Sabra Tuff [post 7, Manuel Franco]; and maiden winners Miss Georgie [post 2, Victor Carrasco], Apple Picker [post 3, Dylan Davis], Leave No Trace [post 6, Jose Lezcano] and Aunt Shirley [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]

The Spinaway is slated as Race 11 on Sunday's 12-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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