Tag: Racing

Gary and Mary West's Best Actor, an unlucky second last out in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby, cruised to a 5 3/4-length score in Tuesday's Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. The Smarty Jones for 3-year-olds was one of three stakes on the day, following the $200,000 Parx Dash and the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden to victory by Florent Geroux for Brad Cox, Best Actor covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:44.14. The colt by Flatter out of Abraqat, by Smart Strike, was bred in Kentucky by E.H. Beau Lane, Gail McMichael Lane, J.B. Lane and Michael Orem.

Kissalot – a $30,000 Saffie Joseph Jr. claim two starts back ridden by Jose Ortiz – finished second, two lengths ahead of 8-5 favorite Creative Minister and Brian Hernandez Jr. in third. They were followed by Golden Alchemist, Practical Coach, Clapton, Witty, and Pioneer of Medina. Camp David and Icy Storm were scratched.

Best Actor, winning for the third time in four career starts, paid $7 as the 5-2 second choice.

Practical Coach and Frankie Pennington rushed to the lead after the break, with Best Actor his closest pursuer going into the first turn. Kissalot raced just to Best Actor's outside and was carried wide around the first turn by the eventual winner.

Practical Coach went the opening quarter mile in :23.76 and the half in :47.72 before Best Actor moved to the lead with little encouragement from Geroux, the six furlongs clocked in 1:11.97. Best Actor opened up two lengths on Kissalot at the top of the stretch, passed the mile marker in 1:37.75, and widened his advantage to the finish despite racing on the wrong lead.

Best Actor finished second, beaten a half length by Actuator, in the July 9 Indiana Derby, his lone defeat. Best Actor stumbled coming out of the gate and then was bumped solidly by Actuator, who veered into him. Best Actor rallied from off that pace and was gaining on Actuator when that one drifted out, the two horses  brushing in the final furlong. Stewards lit the inquiry sign for the trouble at the start and Geroux claimed foul for stretch interference, but the result was allowed to stand.

The Wests acquired Best Actor through agent Ben Glass at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, paying $330,000. He was consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock.

Violent Turbulence, Green Up Victorious

In the Parx Dash, a race originally carded for about five furlongs on grass but moved to dirt because of wet turf, the main track only entrant Violent Turbulence registered a 12-1 upset going wire-to-wire under Silvestre Gonzalez.

Trained by Kathleen Demasi for Pewter Stable and Spedale Family Racing, Violent Turbulence was 3 1/4 lengths clear at the wire after covering five furlongs in :57.95. The gelding by Violence set fractions of :22.43 and :45.74 en route to his win. Another outsider, 42-1 longshot Extreme Force, finished second, with 9-10 favorite Doc Amster third. The winner paid $26.40.

There were three scratches because of the surface switch, including 2021 Parx Dash winner The Critical Way.

Violent Turbulence was winning for the sixth time in 18 starts. This was his first added-money victory.

Team Valor International's Green Up came from just off the pace to defeat 1-2 favorite Interstatedaydream in the Cathryn Sophia Stakes. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Todd Pletcher, Green Up was winning her fourth consecutive race and second stakes, following a July 3 victory in the Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park. Her only defeat came in May 2021 in her only start at 2.

Green Up, a filly by Upstart out of Green Punch, by Two Punch, ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:39.77, tracking Interstatedaydream and Florent Geroux throughout and taking command in the stretch to win by two lengths. She paid $7.80 as the second betting choice in the field of five. Runner-up Interstatedaydream was 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Morning Matcha in third, followed by Shotgun Hottie, anjd Emerald. Bazinga, Butterbean, Ha' Penny, and Silverleaf were scratched.

The post Once-Beaten Best Actor Romps To Smarty Jones Victory At Parx appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The field is set for the 153rd running of Saturday's Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where three-time graded stakes winner Epicenter leads a competitive group of eight, including four Grade 1 winners.

The Travers is among the most historic and prestigious races for 3-year-olds, and predates all three Triple Crown races. Inaugurated in 1864, the 10-furlong event is the Spa's marquee race and honors Saratoga's first president, William Travers, who won the first running with the A.J. Minor-trained Kentucky.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter enters from a victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 30 and will attempt to become the 12th horse to sweep the Jim Dandy-Travers double. One of five millionaires in the field, Epicenter boasts field-best earnings of $2,270,639 and a record of 9-5-3-0.

Epicenter, one of two sons of Not This Time in the Travers, enters off a string of four triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures as the only horse in the race with more than one triple-digit number.

Following a victory in the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds, he registered a 102 Beyer in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the New Orleans oval. He followed with two Triple Crown placings behind returning rivals, including a 100 Beyer when second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, beaten three-quarters of a length by Rich Strike, two weeks before running a 102 with a closing second in the Grade 1 Preakness to Early Voting.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, in search of his first Travers victory, said he believes the talented colt is at the forefront of this crop of sophomores.

“He's arguably the best 3-year-old in the division despite not having a Grade 1 win that he needs,” Asmussen said. “We've all witnessed his Classic defeats with our mouths agape. But watching that happen in the Derby and the Preakness, we realize how fortunate we have to be. It looks like an incredible field, and I imagine all eyes will be on him on the grandstand and the racetrack.”

In the Jim Dandy, Epicenter was last-of-4 down the backstretch and displayed a strong kick when advancing to the lead at the stretch call and drew off to a 1 1/2-length victory. The winning effort produced his third 102 Beyer.

“I love the race that he ran over this racetrack. I like him at a mile and a quarter,” Asmussen said. “Nothing but respect for some extremely good 3-year-olds, but I think we have the right one.”

Joel Rosario, also in search of his first Travers victory, retains the mount aboard Epicenter from post 6. Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farm, he has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite.

Four-time Saratoga meet leading trainer Chad Brown will unleash three contenders in Grade 1 Preakness winner Early Voting [post 7, Jose Ortiz, 8-1], Grade 1 Blue Grass winner Zandon [post 8, Flavien Prat, 5-1] and rising star Artorius [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 9-2].

Early Voting, owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, set the tempo last out in the Jim Dandy, finishing fourth beaten 3 3/4 lengths. Early Voting, one of two Travers entrants by Gun Runner, ran a field-best 105 Beyer for his Preakness conquest, which came following a narrow defeat to eventual Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on April 9 at Aqueduct.

Brown opted to skip the Kentucky Derby following the Wood Memorial with Early Voting in favor of more time between races, a pipeline he took with 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, who ran eighth in that year's Travers.

Early Voting was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm.

Jeff Drown's Zandon, bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, enters off a game second to Epicenter in the Jim Dandy, which came following a nearly three-month layoff from the Kentucky Derby. The dark bay son of Upstart, who ran fourth in the 2015 Travers, was a hard-fought third in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in arrears of Rich Strike. Zandon secured his first stakes victory four weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby when capturing the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 9 at Keeneland.

Never out of the money in six lifetime starts, Zandon's record stands at 6-2-2-2 with earnings of $1,133,000.

Artorius, a Juddmonte homebred, will attempt to make a significant rise to the top following a victory in the restricted Curlin on July 29 at Saratoga in his third lifetime start. The dark bay colt was second on debut traveling six furlongs in April at Keeneland and graduated two months later when stretched out to a one-turn mile at Belmont Park in June prior to the Curlin. He made his two-turn debut in the nine-furlong test, where he took up fourth position down the backstretch, before drawing clear to a 4 3/4-length score over fellow Travers aspirant Gilded Age.

A victory from Artorius would be a special one for Juddmonte, who campaigned Artorius' sire Arrogate – a memorable 13 1/2-length winner of the 2016 Travers in a track record time of 1:59.36. Artorius is out of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Paulassilverlining, who was campaigned by Juddmonte in her last year of racing.

The last Travers winner sired by another Travers victor was Summer Bird in 2009, a son of 2004 winner Birdstone.

Reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will try for a second straight Travers victory after campaigning last year's winner Essential Quality en route to Eclipse Award honors as champion 3-year-old male.

This year, he will saddle Gold Square's Cyberknife, who is the only two-time Grade 1-winner in the race. The son of Gun Runner was a last out-winner of the Grade 1 Haskell on July 23 at Monmouth Park against fellow Grade 1-winners Taiba and Jack Christopher. The last horse to capture both the Haskell and Travers was Point Given in 2001.

Cyberknife burst onto the scene in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 2 at Oaklawn Park, defeating eventual Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath while holding off a late inside rally from Barber Road. The chestnut colt finished an uncharacteristic 18th in the Kentucky Derby, but made amends with a victory in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on June 12 at Churchill Downs.

The well-travelled Cyberknife, bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, owns victories at four different racetracks. In addition to the trio of ovals where he garnered graded stakes success, he won twice at Fair Grounds Race Course at maiden and allowance level.

Cox, who secured Grade 1 success at Saratoga with Monomoy Girl [2018] and Covfefe [2019] en route to Eclipse Award honors in their respective years, said Cyberknife should handle the Spa surface based off his three breezes over the main track.

“We've had luck shipping in here. The likes of Covfefe never really breezed here. Monomoy Girl never breezed here prior to their races, so it just depends on the horse,” Cox said. “With his situation, having run at Monmouth, the owner being a local Saratoga guy, I thought it made the most sense for him to come up here. He's had three works over the track. The first we weren't looking to do much, just let him skip over it. The second one we were looking to do a little more, but the track was a little deeper last week, it was a good move in 1:01. [On Saturday], he was a minute flat. I actually had him a little quicker myself, but regardless the track was much tighter, and he did it the right way. More important is how he's come out of it – he looks fantastic, so we're set up. We're ready.”

Installed as the second choice at morning line odds of 7-2, Cyberknife will break from post 1 under Florent Geroux.

RED TR-Racing's Rich Strike will seek his first win since his memorable 80-1 upset victory in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Eric Reed. The son of Keen Ice, who upset Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers, skipped the Preakness in favor of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11, where he finished a distant sixth. The last Kentucky Derby winner to capture the Travers was 2007 winner Street Sense.

Rich Strike was haltered for $30,000 out of a 17 1/4-length maiden claiming score in September at Churchill Downs and found his best form at Turfway Park, finishing third in the Leonatus in January, fourth in the John Battaglia Memorial in March, and third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks in April to qualify for the Kentucky Derby field.

Rich Strike, bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, arrived at Saratoga over one week in advance of the Travers and recorded a five-eighths breeze under exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes on Friday morning in 59.82 seconds over the main track.

“I asked Gabriel, who is always on the money, for 49 or 50 and 1:02, and that would make me tickled to death,” Reed said. “He went in 46 and 59 but he did it so easy. He skipped across the track. Now, we just have to get a trip and see if he can do what he did all year and that's finish strong.”

Sonny Leon, the pilot in his last six starts, will return to the irons aboard Rich Strike, who will leave from post 2 at 10-1 morning line odds.

Grandview Equine and Don Alberto Stable's Gilded Age is only horse in the field without a stakes victory, but arrives off a late-closing second to Artorius in the Curlin for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The royally-bred son of 2002 Travers winner Medaglia d'Oro, out of Grade 1 winner Angela Renee, completed the Curlin exacta at 10-1 odds, which came nearly four weeks following a triumph against winners going nine furlongs at Churchill Downs. There, he was 19 lengths off the pace down the backstretch and advanced from sixth at the stretch call to defeat next-out stakes-placed Brigadier General by a head.

A fourth-out graduate in his juvenile swan song at Churchill, the Don Alberto Corporation Kentucky-bred made his sophomore debut when third to Early Voting in the Grade 3 Withers on February 5 at Aqueduct.

Junior Alvarado will retain the mount from post 4 aboard Gilded Age, the longest shot in the field at 30-1 morning line odds.

Completing the field is RPM Thoroughbreds' Iowa homebred Ain't Life Grand for trainer Kelly Von Hemel. The son of Not This Time owns five lifetime wins in eight starts, including wins against his Hawkeye State-bred counterparts in last year's Iowa Cradle and the last out Iowa Stallion on July 23, both at Prairie Meadows. He also defeated open company in the July 9 Iowa Derby as well as last year's Richard Radke Memorial at the Altoona, Iowa oval.

“He's settled in really well,” Von Hemel said. “He's trained well over the track, he's keeping his weight good, his energy level is really good. Everything's been great. He's trained great and like I said he's carrying his weight well and he's very happy right now, so everything's been good.”

Von Hemel said he is hopeful that Ain't Life Grand will pass the class test on Saturday.

“We don't know what quality, but he is a mile-and-an-eighth, mile-and-a-quarter horse for sure,” Von Hemel said.

Tyler Gaffalione will pick up the mount from post 3 aboard Ain't Life Grand [20-1].

The Runhappy Travers headlines a blockbuster program, which also includes the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa, the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign, and the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational – a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

The Runhappy Travers on FOX, with the Travers slated as Race 11 at 5:44 p.m. Eastern, will air as part of a 90-minute broadcast from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. First post on Saturday's 13-race card is 11:35 a.m.

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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Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector returns to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Friday night as he looks to defend his crown in the track's marquee event of 2022 – the $1,000,000 Charles Town Classic (G2).

The Charles Town Classic joins the Charles Town Oaks (G3), a trio of other stakes each worth $250,000 and a pair of $75,000 restricted stakes on Charles Town's biggest card of the year, which gets underway at 5:00 P.M. EST. The night also offers some terrific wagering opportunities for horseplayers with a $100,000 guaranteed Pick 5 that kicks off in Race 9, a $100,000 guaranteed Pick 4 that starts with Race 10 and a mandatory distribution of the Charles Town 6-12 carryover that currently sits at $23,527.

Trained by Bill Mott, Art Collector will look to replicate the path he took to West Virginia's eastern panhandle in 2021 when he also captured the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga prior to his run in the Classic. Unlike last year, Art Collector came into the 2022 Alydar off a lengthy layoff following his trip to the Middle East and the $20 million Saudi Cup but didn't disappoint with a dominating effort that could have signaled a return to his 2021 form that saw him capture the Charles Town Classic and Grade 1 Woodward.

“The Alydar was a good comeback for him,” said Art Collector's Hall of Fame conditioner. “It looked like he did everything effortlessly. He came back out of it well. There's no reason to think he's not coming into the race as well this year as he was last year.”

Much like Mott, Lunsford is confident in the way the 5-year-old has exited the Alydar and is looking forward to getting back to West Virginia on Friday evening.

“It was a little bit of a tough winter with him, but once we got him back over here, he's been doing great. He actually ran better this year in the Alydar than he did last year. And he's been training really well since, so we feel like he's coming into the race great. He's in good hands with Bill.”

Art Collector will be trying to buck some recent history as the last eight horses attempting to win back-to-back Charles Town Classics have come up short, with the most recent being Sleepy Eyes Todd in 2021.

Luis Saez has the return call on Art Collector and will leave from Post 4.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control has routinely made his mark in his career in one turn events with the highlights being victories in the Hopeful (G1) as a 2-year-old and the Allen Jerkens (G1) in his sophomore campaign. But last time out in the Salvator Mile (G3) at Monmouth, the now 6-year-old son of Stay Thirsty notched the first two-turn graded stakes triumph in his career by winning a stretch battle with the Grade 1 winning multimillionaire Hot Rod Charlie.

While the Salvator Mile was his first graded win going two-turns, Mind Control tipped off his ability to go longer in his last start of 2021 – a win over Met Mile (G1) winner Silver State in the $200,000 Parx Dirt Mile.

Taking a horse known more for his sprint prowess and stretching him out with success in the Charles Town Classic wouldn't be something new for Pletcher who sent out Caixa Eletronica to a win ten years ago in the 2012 edition. He would later win his second Classic with Stanford in 2016.

John Velazquez makes the trip down from Saratoga to ride Mind Control in the Charles Town Classic.

Pletcher and Mott aren't the only Hall of Fame trainers represented in the Charles Town Classic as legendary conditioner D. Wayne Lukas will saddle his first horse at Charles Town in twelve years when he sends out Willis Horton Racing's Oaklawn Handicap (G2) upsetter Last Samurai.

Lukas himself is in the midst of a successful 2022 that's seen him win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) for a fifth time with Secret Oath, the Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga with Naughty Gal and unleash multiple 2-year-old's with promise including impressive Saratoga maiden winner Bourbon Bash.

As for his 4-year-old son of Malibu Moon, he had struggled to find his niche, racing on both dirt and turf and at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/2 miles within the first ten starts of his career before eventually breaking through for his signature win in the $1,000,000 Oaklawn Handicap. Last Samurai followed that win up with subpar efforts in the Stephen Foster (G2) and R.A. Cowboy Jones Overnight Stakes at Ellis Park, but looks to rebound on Friday night.

Last Samurai's regular pilot Jon Court has the call on Friday night and leaves from Post 3.

Vesgo Racing Stable's homebred Officiating exits a score in the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) at Prairie Meadows in last start. Much like fellow Classic entrant Mind Control, the Saffie Joseph trainee had previously had his most success sprinting in the graded stakes ranks with wins in both the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park and Tom Fool (G3) at Aqueduct.

By Blame out of the Dixie Union mare Come a Callin – who also produced Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' and Eclipse Award winner Caledonia Road – Officiating's pedigree page doesn't reveal many distance challenges and his trainer believes his tactical speed should serve him well around the Charles Town oval.

“Tactically, he's a horse who wants to be forwardly placed, especially stretching out so that certainly helps at Charles Town,” said the Barbados native who has sent out Math Wizard and Ny Traffic in the last two Chares Town Classics. “He's a hard-trying horse. We tried turf, and he ran well, but he got much better on the dirt. Then we hit a little plateau with him sprinting, so we stretched him out and it went well, and that's when we pointed to Charles Town.”

Javier Castellano, the only rider to win the Charles Town Classic three times, will ride Officiating.

Charles Town's local contingent is far from without hope as undefeated West Virginia-bred Muad'dib will put his perfect 10-for-10 record on the line in his first try in unrestricted stakes company.

Out of the barn of Jeff Runco, who himself is a perfect 2-for-2 in the Classic sending out Researcher to his wins in both 2009 and 2010, Muad'dib is a full sibling to multiple graded stakes winner Late Night Pow Wow and has summarily dispatched virtually all of his opponents to date but his trainer certainly recognizes Friday will represent a step up in class.

“This is a big step up for the horse,” said Runco – who currently sits 12th amongst trainers on the all-time wins list in North American Thoroughbred racing history. “He tries hard every time. Does what he has to do. But this race is a whole different dimension facing the kind of horses he's going to have to face. But he's doing great. It's his home track. If he gets a trip, anything could happen.”

Runco is no stranger to success in the Charles Town Classic as he remains the only trainer to saddle back-to-back winners, but also assents to some differences between his past champion and current hope.

“Researcher won everywhere, and he ran against some real, serious horses. So he had already been tested. This is going to be the test for Muad'dib. He has the hometown advantage. He obviously loves the track, and he's unbeaten. It's a million-dollar race right in his backyard. You can't get too caught up in being undefeated and focus too much on his record. Obviously it would be great if he stayed undefeated, but it's about doing what's best for the horse and for [Owner] David [Raim], and so if he wins and stays undefeated, great. But if he gets beat and gives a good account of himself, that's fine too.”

Charles Town's leading rider Arnaldo Bocachica – aboard for all ten of Muad'dib's outings – will once again be in the irons.

Laurel Park based Plot the Dots and a pair from the Normal Cash barn in 2021 DeFrancis Dash (G3) winner Jalen Journey and Treasure Trove complete the lineup.

The Charles Town Classic is scheduled as Race 12 on the card with a post time of 10:18 EST.

$1,000,000 CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC (G2)

August 26, 2022

Race 12 – Post time 10:18pm EST

3&up, 1 1/8 Miles

PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer

1. Plot the Dots, Angel Cruz, 118, Claudio A. Gonzalez

2. Mind Control, John R. Velazquez, 120, Todd A. Pletcher

3. Last Samurai, Jon K. Court, 120, D. Wayne Lukas

4. Art Collector, Luis Saez, 118, William I. Mott

5. Treasure Trove, J.D. Acosta, 118, Normal L. Cash

6. Officiating, Javier Castellano, 120, Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.

7. Muad'dib, Arnaldo Bocachica, 118, Jeff C. Runco

8. Jalen Journey, Angel S. Arroyo, 118, Norman L. Cash

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