Tag: Racing

With all of the training titles Claudio Gonzalez has collected from Maryland over the past decade, it would be easy for him be blasé about the prospect of yet another one.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The 45-year-old Gonzalez says the possibility of being the leading trainer at Monmouth Park for the first time would be “special, not only for me but for my family as well.”

To that end, Gonzalez, who holds a four-win lead over Kelly Breen entering the four-day racing weekend, has six horses entered on Sunday's New Jersey Thoroughbred card at Monmouth Park, with the 10 races restricted to state-breds offering $828,125 overall and featuring three stakes races.

Gonzalez has a runner in all three stakes races.

“Winning the Monmouth Park title would mean a lot,” said Gonzalez, who has won 16 training titles at Laurel Park and two at Pimlico. “I got my start there (in 1995). I have good friends there. But it would really be special to my family because our family started at Monmouth Park.

“No matter what, this has been a good meet for me. It won't be easy to finish this. Kelly Breen is right behind me, and Jerry Hollendorfer is close, too (five wins off the lead). With three or four weeks to go in the meet it is still open for someone to win.”

Breen has seven horses entered on Sunday's card. Overall, just 12 race days remain in the meet, which ends September 18.

“This weekend will be very important because Kelly and I are both running a lot,” said Gonzalez. “We will have a better idea after this weekend.”

In Sunday's feature $125,000 Charles Hesse II Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles, Gonzalez will send out Irish Meadow, a 7-year-old Il Postino gelding who is coming off a win. The 7-year-old gelding was fourth in the Hesse a year ago.

“His last race was a good one,” said Gonzalez. “He is showing us in the morning that he is ready to run another good race on Sunday.”

In the $100,000 Eleven North Handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares, Gonzalez will send outs Princess Georgia, a 7-year-old El Padrino mare, and I Can Run, a 3-year-old Tourist filly, both of whom are coming off good efforts. Princess Georgia was a 3¼-length winner Monmouth Park on Aug. 13.  I Can Run prefers longer, Gonzalez said, but there are not a lot of options for the 3-year-old filly now.

In the $100,000 New Jersey Breeders' Handicap at six furlongs 3-year-olds and up, Gonzalez is expecting another big effort from Dr. Doyle, a 5-year-old Commissioner gelding who won his first start off the claim for his new connections by 3½ lengths on August 8 at Monmouth Park.

“He ran really big for me,” said Gonzalez. “The last breeze (jockey) Jomar Torres was really happy with him, so this looks like a good spot. He is telling us in the mornings he is ready to compete with these horses.”

Gonzalez, who hails from Santiago, Chile, enters the weekend with 1,155 career victories since going out on his own in 2012. He spent several years as an assistant to Ben Perkins Jr., at Monmouth Park after arriving in the United States.

“It's going to be tough over the final few weeks,” he said. “A lot depends on what races go, not just for me but for Kelly and anyone else.

“But you do feel competitiveness when you are this close. You want to win it. But there is pressure when you are in front. Everyone is after you. The pressure increases as you get down to the end.”

The post ‘This Weekend Will Be Very Important’: Gonzalez Looks To Extend Lead For Monmouth Training Title, To Send Out Six Runners On New Jersey Festival Day For State-Breds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bruce Lunsford's homebred Art Collector had an easy time of it on Friday evening, reprising his 2021 victory in the Grade 2, $1-million Charles Town Classic in Charles Town, W.Va.

Under Luis Saez, the 5-year-old son of Bernardini trained by Bill Mott went to the front at the start, shook off a pesky Muad'dib on the turn for home, then drew off for a 4 1/4-length victory, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.30. Art Collector set all the fractions: :24.46 for the opening quarter mile, :48.70 for the half, 1:13.16 for six furlongs, and 1:38.12 for the mile.

Sent away as the 1-2 favorite in the field of eight, Art Collector paid $3 to win and collected  $588,055 for the winner's share of the purse.

Muad'dib held second under Arnaldo Bocachica, with Mind Control and John Velazquez third. They were followed by Officiating (Javier Castellano), Last Samurai (Jon Court), Jalen Journey (Angel Arroyo), Plot the Dots (Angel Cruz), and Treasure Tove (J. Acosta).

The win was the 10th in 19 lifetime starts for Art Collector, whose previous graded stakes victories were in the G2 Blue Grass in 2020 and the G1 Woodward in 2021 (along with the G2 Charles Town Classic). He finished 12th in the G1 Saudi Cup in his 2022 debut in February, then returned with a wire-to-wire victory at Saratoga on Aug. 4 in the Alydar Stakes in his prep for the Charles Town Classic.

Lunsford and Mott were both on hand for the Charles Town Classic win.

Society Resumes Winning Ways In Oaks

Society, a Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds homebred filly trained by Steve Asmussen,  won the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks by 6 3/4 lengths under Tyler Gaffalione. Sent off as the 7-5 favorite, the Gun Runner filly was winning for the fourth time in five career starts, her only defeat coming last out when fourth behind Nest in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

She paid $4.80 to win after running the seven furlongs in 1:23.42, winning wire to wire. Fractions were :23.28, :46.54, and 1:10.60.

Free Like a Girl finished second, with Midnight Stroll third in the field of eight.

Society earned $294,055 from the $500,440 purse.

 

The post Art Collector Repeats In $1-Million Charles Town Classic; Society Romps In Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Eric Reed will be starting his first runner in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, sending out RED TR-Racing's Rich Strike for his run at another top level victory after shocking the world with his 80-1 rail-skimming victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby this May.

“Who would have ever thought I'd be in the Travers? Not me,” Reed said, with a laugh. “I'm glad to be here and I hope 'Richie' runs his normal race, because win, lose or draw, everybody will respect him.”

Rich Strike made his final preparations on Friday morning over Saratoga's main track.

“He's doing really good,” Reed said. “Today was his last day on the track and he was real happy, bucking and playing on the way back. We just galloped him a mile and a quarter, and for him, that's a real light day. He's ready. He just has to keep his composure tomorrow and he'll try to do the impossible again.”

Normally, the winner of the “Run for the Roses” would be at the forefront of the conversation in any race, but Rich Strike faces the unusual scenario of flying somewhat under the radar in a loaded Runhappy Travers field that includes formidable Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter and Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner Cyberknife.

The betting public has turned their attention elsewhere after Rich Strike, 10-1 on the morning line for the Runhappy Travers, ran a disappointing sixth-of-8 in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in June. There, he stayed to the outside of rivals instead of an inside trip like the Kentucky Derby and never threatened, fighting with jockey Sonny Leon for much of the 1 1/2 miles and wanting to maneuver towards the rail.

Although he enters from a distant effort in the Belmont, Rich Strike displayed his talent and heart in the Kentucky Derby when he broke from the outermost post 20 and made his way to inside position under expert handling from Leon. He eventually worked his way through traffic down the stretch and was forced to quickly angle to the outside of a tiring Messier before coming away with the three-quarter-length victory over Travers favorites Epicenter, Zandon and a well-beaten Cyberknife.

Reed said he hopes that the Travers will change peoples' minds about Rich Strike and that he won't be seen as a one-time wonder going forward.

“It just bothers me because everybody said that the Belmont isn't for horses like him and doesn't play good for horses like him, and then he runs like they said and they say, 'see, he's no good,'” Reed explained. “He's got to have everything go right, but he can do it – he's already done it and did it easily. He had trouble in the stretch of the Derby and had to wait quite a while in the turn. [But] I know Epicenter is on his game and [trainer] Steve [Asmussen] wants it bad.”

Reed, a longtime horseman with nearly 1,500 wins on his resume, said winning the Travers isn't about him, but about the charismatic son of Keen Ice who has taken him to the heights that all trainers dream of.

“I want it for him. Just to solidify his place, and if he won, I'm sure it would give him a shot at the 3-year-old title,” said Reed. “I want everything the horse can have. For me, it would be fun and great, but it's always been about 'Richie' for me. It sets a place in history. He's already got that, but maybe he'll finally get some respect from people. If he comes running down the stretch like he has done in every other race this year other than the Belmont, that's all I ask of him.”

Rich Strike will emerge from post 2 with Leon in the irons again.

The post Derby Upsetter Rich Strike Will ‘Try To Do The Impossible Again’ In Travers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Wesley Ward said that two-time Group 1 winner Campanelle will race next in Kentucky Downs' The Mint Ladies Sprint, triggering a purse increase from $600,000 to $1 million in the Grade 3 stakes on Sept. 10.

Kentucky Downs announced earlier this summer that if a Grade or Group 1 winner competes in the Ladies Sprint, $750,000 Ladies Turf (G3) or $600,000 Franklin-Simpson (G2) the purse will increase to $1 million for registered Kentucky-breds.

Owned by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables, Campanelle won last year's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in England and as a 2-year-old captured Deauville's Group 1 Darley Prix Morny in France.

Because she was bred in Ireland, Campanelle is not eligible for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) enhancements that make up part of the total purse. Still, she helps her cause by raising the base purse for which all horses would run from $300,000 to $550,000. That's still the highest of any turf sprint in America outside of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

The KTDF component rises from $300,000 to $450,000 in the Ladies Sprint if a Grade 1 winner competes.

“Where else can you go and race for $550,000?” Ward said. “It only stings that you're not racing for the full million until you look around and see we're still running for the most money outside the Breeders' Cup. Barbara Banke is always looking for ways to help the industry. Well, she's helping the other owners in the race by raising the purse for them, too.

“Having raced more than half her starts in Europe, Campanelle should feel right at home running over Kentucky Downs' course.”

Based at Keeneland with Ward's main stable, the 4-year-old filly has won five of nine career starts, with two thirds, while earning $725,280.

Campanelle is coming off a narrow defeat against males in the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee at six furlongs on June 18, finishing third by a total of three-quarters of a length in the field of 24 at Royal Ascot. In her only other start this year, Campanelle won Keeneland's $200,000 Giants Causeway in April.

“We are serious about getting our stakes elevated to Grade 1 status. One way you do that is by attracting Grade and Group 1 winners,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' vice president for racing. “Campanelle is exactly the type of horse we wanted to lure when offering to raise the purse to $1 million for the three stakes. Barbara Banke and Wesley are both strong supporters of Kentucky Downs' racing program, and we're honored they are bringing Campanelle our way.

“Now, we just need to get Grade 1 winners in the Ladies Turf and Franklin-Simpson. We'd love nothing more than to have five $1 million races on Sept. 10.”

That's the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs' marquee card, which includes the $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup and $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint. Both Grade 2 stakes are “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races for the corresponding Breeders' Cup events Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

Trainer Al Stall has said that 2021 Ladies Turf runner-up Dalika, who in her last start became a Grade 1 winner in the Beverly D. at Churchill Downs, is under consideration for the Ladies Turf.

Kentucky Downs is able to offer the stakes' purse incentives because of agreements with its horsemen's association, the Kentucky HBPA, as well as with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which must approve KTDF allocations recommended by its advisory committee.

The post Ward Points Campanelle To Kentucky Downs’ Ladies Sprint, Elevating Purse To $1 million appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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