Tag: Racing

The classy mare Edgeway tied her running shoes tight Sunday at Del Mar, and it was a good thing she did. The extra-fast New Mexico filly Slammed put her to the test, going head and head with her older rival through the last five-sixteenths of a mile in the six and one-half furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap. In the end, though, Edgeway edged clear late and prevailed by a half length under a strong ride by Juan Hernandez.

It was the second straight victory in the Rancho Bernardo for the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by the Super Saver stallion Competitive Edge. She'd won the 2021 running of the Grade 3 stakes by a full length for her connections, Hronis Racing.

Slammed, who races for the partnership of Fincher Racing, King or Kirby, and was handled by Drayden Van Dyke, had 7 1/2 lengths on 5th Street Stables, Saldana or Urbina's Cover Version.

Edgeway picked up a check for $90,000 from the $150,000 purse to increase her career earnings to $753,860 for her eighth win in her 13th start.

Final time for the dash was 1:15.97.

Edgeway returned $3.80, $2.10 and $2.10.  Slammed paid $2.10 and $2.10 and Cover Version returned $3.40 to show. Edgeway and Slammed both had gone off at 9-10 on the board, but the winner was a slight favorite by approximately $3,000.

The victory was one of three on the day for Hernandez, who now has 39 wins through the first 23 days of the session. In the jockey standings, he is 16 winners ahead of the second-place rider, Umberto Rispoli.

Racing will return to Del Mar Thursday, Sept. 1. There will be a 1 p.m. PT post that day, which will be the norm for all September dates for the balance of the meet. The exception to that rule will be the two remaining Fridays in the session when first post is 3 p.m.

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JUAN HERNANDEZ (Edgeway, winner) — “She is a really good filly, really professional. She was standing really good, and when (the gates) opened she broke really sharp. The other filly battled with me and was trying to come back at me again, but my filly is a big strong filly and she knows where the wire is. She looked for the wire and in the last 1/16th she picked it up. I was working a little bit harder but she responded to me.”

JOHN SADLER (Edgeway, winner) – “It was a good win for her. It wasn't easy, she gutted it out; it was a really good horse race and we're happy. We had a lot of seconds and thirds this week so I was a little grumpy face, but with horse races it's a new day every day. She's one that needs spacing. She won't run again now until the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.”

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FRACTIONS:   :22.05  :44.85  1:09.24  1:15.97

The stakes win was the ninth of the meet for rider Hernandez, but his first in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 24 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Sadler, but his seventh in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 84 stake wins at Del Mar, second most among all trainers.

The winning owners are Kosta and Pete Hronis of Delano, CA.

The post Edgeway Outbattles Slammed To Win Rancho Bernardo At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will hope to see the talented Hot Peppers pick up her second graded score Friday in the $250,000 Prioress (G2) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track at Saratoga Race Course.

 

Owned by Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Hot Peppers enters from a game runner-up effort in the Longines Test (G1) on August 6 at the Spa where she was defeated 1 1/2 lengths by 17-1 upset winner Chi Town Lady in her Grade 1 debut. There was a brief steward's inquiry into the stretch run of the Test after Hot Peppers drifted and brushed with the Wesley Ward-trained Chi Town Lady and third-place finisher Matareya.

 

“She ran a great race,” said Rodriguez. “The horse for Wesley Ward looked like she was going to win either way. There was an inquiry, but everything was clear and we'll keep fighting another day. The value as a broodmare went higher for sure with a Grade 1 placing.”

 

A daughter of Khozan, Hot Peppers earned her best victory two starts back with a gutsy three-quarter-length effort over returning rival Half Is Enough in the Victory Ride (G3) on July 9 at Belmont Park, scoring her first graded win on the heels of a win in the Jersey Girl at the same oval in her first start with Rodriguez. She began her career with three wins from five starts for former owner/trainer Ronald Spatz, with all three victories coming at Gulfstream Park.

 

Rodriguez said both her performance in the Test and her ability to travel well gives him confidence that she is a top-level filly.

 

“Definitely. But at the same time, we've got to make it easy for her and try to do the right thing,” said Rodriguez. “Every stakes race is tough. She's still got to show up. But at least she doesn't look like she needs a track. She's won at Gulfstream and Belmont and [ran well] at Saratoga. That's a plus when you see horses bring their form to the next track. She's not that big, but she's got a lot of heart.”

 

Hot Peppers is one of several horses owned by Dubb and Caruso that are trained by Rodriguez, who said he is grateful for the chance to train another classy filly.

 

“She's doing everything we ask her. We're just lucky they picked us and give us the opportunity,” said Rodriguez. “We just have to keep her happy and she's a runner. I think the trainer before [Spatz] did a very good job.”

 

Rodriguez said that Hot Peppers has grown out of the immaturity she showed in the starting gate earlier this year at Tampa Bay Downs.

 

“Unfortunately at Tampa, she started acting up in the gate. We've had the chance to school her here and show her everything and it's working,” said Rodriguez. “No issues with her, thank God. I tell the guys at the gate that she has had problems in the gate and they've been patient with her. So far, she's been nice and calm.”

 

Hot Peppers put in her final preparations for the Prioress with a half-mile breeze in 51.60 seconds over the main track on Sunday.

 

“She had a nice light breeze today, just light maintenance. It was nice and easy,” said Rodriguez. “She seems happy.”

 

Hot Peppers will be ridden by regular pilot Luis Saez from post 2.

 

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Winchell Thoroughbreds will look to continue their graded stakes success at the Spa with Wicked Halo, who streaks in from two solid stakes wins at Churchill Downs in the Leslie's Lady and Tepin, winning by a combined 7 1/2 lengths.

 

A daughter of Gun Runner, Wicked Halo already boasts a graded win at Saratoga after taking last year's Grade 2 Adirondack sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs. She earned another Grade 2 placing when third in the Eight Belles in May at Churchill Downs and boasts a 7-for-8 lifetime in-the-money record.

 

Tyler Gaffalione, aboard for both stakes wins at Churchill, has the call from post 1.

 

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Lady Scarlet is in search of her second graded win this year, hoping to add to an off-the-pace victory by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.

 

Trained by Mike Maker, the dark bay Union Rags filly made her first three starts for conditioner Brad Cox before she was claimed for $150,000 out of her maiden-breaking score in November at Churchill. She went on to capture Aqueduct Racetrack's Cicada by 4 3/4 lengths and was last seen finishing an even sixth in the Coronation Cup over the Spa turf on July 15.

 

Lady Scarlet will exit post 3 in rein to Jose Ortiz.

 

The New York-bred Phil Serpe trainee Bank On Anna wheels back on three weeks rest from a smart 2 3/4-length win in the Union Avenue facing state-breds on August 12 at Saratoga. There, she tracked a length off the pace in second before taking her cue from jockey Jose Lezcano to gain a two-length lead at the top of the stretch and widen her margins down the stretch.

 

Owned by WellSpring Stables and bred by Lou Corrente, Bank On Anna will be ridden by Lezcano once again from post 5.

 

Completing the field are dual winner Mischievous Diane [post 4, Manny Franco]; stakes-placed Angitude [post 6, Joel Rosario]; two-time New York-bred stakes winner Sterling Silver [post 7, Trevor McCarthy]; Grade 3 Victory Ride runner-up Half Is Enough [post 8, Flavien Prat]; Grade 2-placed Smash Ticket [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche]; and two-time winner Union Lake [post 10, John Velazquez].

The post ‘She’s Not That Big, But She’s Got A lot Of Heart’: Hot Peppers To Try For Second Graded Stakes Win In Prioress appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Kelly Breen knew he was rolling the dice a little by trying He'spuregold on the dirt for the first time in his career on Sunday on Monmouth Park.

But he also saw enough in the morning from the 4-year-old gelding to give it a try.

Shortly after being named New Jersey's champion turf runner for 2021, He'spuregold made his dirt debut a winning one with a 2½-length victory in the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap, the feature race on the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival card for state-breds.

“He has breezed so well over the Monmouth Park dirt and after finally convincing owner John Bowers that he would run well on the dirt (his first 13 career starts were on the turf) this was a perfect opportunity to try,” said Breen. “Paco Lopez still thinks he's better on the turf. John Bowers thinks he's better on the turf. He could be better on the turf but pound for pound against Jersey-breds he is a top notch horse and this was the perfect spot for him.”

The victory by He'spuregold, who was last in the Grade 1 United Nations in his previous start, was the fifth from 14 career starts for the Bowers homebred sired by Australian Group 1 winner Vancouver. His dam is stakes winner Smart n Classy, by Smart Strike.

Earlier on the all-Jersey-bred card, Holly Crest Farm's homebred Speaking impressed with a 1½-length victory in the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap for trainer Eddie Owns, while I Can Run roared from off the pace for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez for a 1¾-length win in the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap.

He'spuregold was able to stick close to early leader Prendimi in plodding early fractions for the mile and a sixteenth Hesse, and had plenty left when the running started.

After early fractions of :25.13, :49.94 and 1:13.74, He'spuregold sprinted away from the field late, with Golden Brown rallying for second, two lengths ahead of Irish Meadow.

The winning time was 1:44.15, with He'spuregold returning $5.60 as the favorite in the eight-horse field.

“I was worried a little bit about him being on the dirt for the first time,” said Lopez. “The past couple of times he has worked on the dirt he didn't work the best but I knew he can handle it. So I was a little concerned about it.

“I wanted to come from behind, maybe be a couple of lengths off, but no one wanted to take the lead. It was very slow early so my horse was up close right off the leader. This is a very classy horse. He probably showed a little more speed when the 10 horse (Amatteroftime) didn't break and with the fractions being so slow. So I had a good position and a good break. Everything worked out for us.”

Speaking, who has won against both state-breds and in open company, was vigorously urged to the early lead by jockey Albin Jimenez in the six-furlong New Jersey Breeders' Handicap and was never seriously threatened. The winning time was 1:09.57, with Speaking returning $5.60 to win.

Dr. Doyle was second, a neck better than Pianzi.

Owens said he would point Speaking, by Mr Speaker out of High Noon Nellie, by Silver Deputy, to the  seven-furlong Vosburgh (G2) October 8 during Belmont Park fall meeting at Aqueduct.

I Can Run provided jockey Carlos Rojas with his first career stakes victory with his late-running win in the Eleven North, with the 3-year-old daughter of Tourist covering the six furlongs in 1:11.38.

Roselba took the eight-horse field to the half in :44.92, setting up I Can Run's furious rally. Alta Velocita was second, one length ahead of a tiring Roselba.

It marked I Can Run's first career stakes victory in her 12^th lifetime start. The filly, bred by Bright View Farm, is out of the Peaks and Valleys mare Hana J. She is campaigned by Robert Bone and Magic Stable LLC.

The post State Turf Champ He’spuregold Wins Dirt Debut In Charles Hesse Handicap On New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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By David Blicksilver

Two-time graded stakes winner Wit drew away from five rivals to post a 2 3/4-length score Sunday in the $135,000 Better Talk Now, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores that have never won a stakes other than state-bred at a mile or over.

A Practical Joke colt trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Gainesway Stable, Wit was patiently handled by jockey Jose Ortiz en route to his first career win on the lawn in just his second attempt on the surface.

Breaking from post 3 as the 3-5 betting favorite, Wit sat comfortably in third position as longshot Fluid Situation and Legends Can't Die broke on top and battled for early position through an opening quarter-mile of :22.93 over the firm footing.

Fluid Situation went around the clubhouse turn in front and increased his margin to as many as eight lengths down the backside through a half-mile in :46.98 before his lead began to diminish as the field rounded the far turn with three-quarters in 1:12.12.

At the quarter pole, it was Legends Can't Die who got the first run at the lead from the two-path under jockey Manny Franco, but Wit followed with a three-wide move and was able to draw away from the rest of the field in the stretch to post the victory in a final time of 1:36.87.

Ohtwoohthreefive, who was last for most of the race, split rivals down the lane under jockey Eric Cancel and got up for place honors 3 1/2-lengths ahead of the Chad Brown-trained Napoleonic War.

Rounding out the field was Legends Can't Die, Emboite and Fluid Situation. Serifos, Camp David, Riot House and main-track only entrant Seal Beach were scratched.

Ortiz said the early jump from Fluid Situation didn't concern him.

“Going into the first turn, the pace developed very fast and I was very happy to see that and go to the backside with great position,” Ortiz said. “The grass is soft so the pace he was running, I knew there was no way. At that point, I only worried about the horses behind me. Chad's horse and I felt like the gray horse in front of me [Legends Can't Die] was the other horse to beat.”

Wit made his first six starts on the main track, taking the six-furlong Grade 3 Sanford here last summer ahead of on-the-board efforts in the Grade 1 Hopeful at the Spa and Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont to close out his juvenile campaign.

He captured the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct in April in his seasonal debut before finishing a distant fourth to Jack Christopher in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in June at Belmont.

Wit made his turf debut in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, closing four-wide to finish second.

“He was very good early on, on dirt,” said Ortiz. “He was a very good horse, but he found Jack Christopher in and it was hard for him. Todd decided to work him on the turf a couple of times and he found another life. He likes it and the two times he ran on turf have been great.”

Pletcher said Wit looks like a new horse since he moved to the turf.

“We feel like he kind of sprung to life when we put him on the turf, and I think for right now we'll probably keep him on it,” Pletcher said. “It was really just about kind of looking for an opportunity and when we worked him on it, it was obvious that he took to it.”

Cancel said he was proud of the effort Ohtwoohthreefive made to close from so far back.

“Once I started asking him getting close to the quarter pole, he started responding little by little,” Cancel said. “By the time he took off, the other horse already opened up a few lengths on me but he gave me a big kick. He's a really big grinder and has a really big heart.”

Bred in Kentucky by Rosilyn Polan from the Medaglia d'Oro mare Numero d'Oro,, Wit banked $74,250 in victory, increasing his earnings to $500,250, while improving his record to 4-2-1 from eight career starts. He returned $3.30 for a $2 win wager.

The post Wit Posts First Turf Win In Better Talk Now At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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