Tag: Racing

Great Escape turned the tables on favorite Red Knobs in the $200,000 Canadian Derby (G3) Saturday at Century Mile Racetrack, stalking his pacesetting stablemate to the quarter pole, handily dispatching that rival, then blazing through the stretch en route to 3 ½-length, track record-setting victory.

Rico Walcott guided Great Escape across the finish line in a time of 2:01.35, a new standard for the 1 ¼ miles on a fast track.

A tiring Red Knobs hung on for second in the 12-horse field, giving trainer Robertino Diodoro a 1-2 finish in the race. Ridden by Jorge Carreno, he was a half length to the good of third-place finisher Regal Riot.

Walcott notched a sixth win in the Canadian Derby, having previously ridden the winners in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018 when run at the now-shuttered Northlands Park.

Red Knobs posted a quick half mile in :45.35 with Great Escape rating in second, a length back, before getting to within a half-length of the leader through six furlongs in 1:09.53. Challenging Red Knobs nearing the quarter pole, the Midnight Storm colt easily took charge for the decisive victory, his first stakes triumph.

The pair reversed the finish of their previous race, the 1 1/8-mile Manitoba Derby, in which Great Escape set the pace as Red Knobs chased from second then took control in the stretch to get the win August 1 at Assiniboia Downs.

Diodoro has won three editions of the Canadian Derby: Broadway Empire in 2013; Edison in 2014, and Sky Promise in 2018. He also had Chief Know It All cross the finish line first in 2017 only to be disqualified.

Great Escape broke his maiden by 2 ½ lengths last September at Churchill Downs in his second career start, his only win from eight starts prior to the Canadian Derby.

“Great Escape still needs to fill out a bit,” Diodoro said prior to Sunday's race. “He's meant to be a good horse. “(He) has all the tools. He can be a handful sometimes, but he's very nice to be around. He trains like a good horse. He looks like a good horse.”

Diodoro said Walcott told him that Great Escape could turn the tables on Red Knobs in the Canadian Derby at the South Edmonton, Alberta track.

“Rico said the track at Century Mile is a little faster than it was (in the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs) and that Great Escape is going to like that.”

Great Escape, who has a 2-4-0 record from nine lifetime starts and $226,836 in earnings, races for a partnership that includes Arnold Bennewith, and Rick, Clayton and Lana Wiest, Randy Howg, R6 Stables, Gary Kropp, and Norman Tremblay. He returned $7.30.

The colt was bred in Kentucky by Usquebaugh Stables LLC. Produced by the Indian Charlie mare Chickasaw Gal, he is from the family of graded stakes winner and Central Kentucky sire Cairo Prince and sold for $200,000 to Maverick Racing in the Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Showcase.

The post ‘He’s Meant To Be A Good Horse’: Great Escape Blazes To Track Record-Setting Win In Canadian Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Gainesway Stable's classy Spendarella, shipped west to seek Grade 1 gold in Saturday's $304,000 Del Mar Oaks, got what she came after in impressive fashion, sitting third in a perfect stalking spot for jockey Tyler Gaffalione until the quarter pole, then firing in the lane to come away a 4 1/2-length winner.

The daughter of Karakontie, trained by eastern-based H. Graham Motion, never looked anything but a winner in the 66th edition of the nine-furlong grass test as she cleared the traffic in the 13-horse lineup of 3-year-old fillies early, then just waited for the “go” signal from her rider in registering her first Grade 1 victory.

She ran the distance in a good 1:47.09 to pick up a first prize of $180,000 and push her earnings mark to $596,459. It was only the fifth career start for the bay miss, but her fourth victory and her third stakes score. Her previous outing had her running second to the top European filly Inspiral at Ascot in England in June.

Nentwig, Agave Racing Stable or CYBT, et al's Bellabel finished willingly to take second, 1 1/4 lengths better than Schroeder Farms or David Bernsen's Cairo Memories.

The victory completed a nice West Coast double for trainer Motion. He had shipped his mare Sister Otoole with Spendarella and saw the older horse score by half a length Friday in Del Mar's $100,000 CTT & TOC overnight stakes at 11 furlongs on the grass.

Spendarella, the 6-5 favorite in the Oaks, returned $4.40, $3.20 and $2.40 across the board. Bellabel paid $4.00 and $2.80, while Cairo Memories returned $3.00.

Motion previously had won the Del Mar Oaks in 2011 with Summer Soiree. It was his seventh stakes win at Del Mar. Gaffalione was scoring his second seaside stakes triumph.

Racing will resume at Del Mar Sunday with first post at 2 p.m. PT.

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TYLER GAFFALIONE (Spendarella, winner) – “I had a terrific trip. She broke alertly and we took up a good spot behind the speed. When we cleared the chute, she dropped the bit and relaxed. She's special. I have to give Graham (trainer H. Graham Motion) and his team all the credit. I'm just happy I got to ride her. I don't get to ride too many like her.”

ALICE CLAPHAM, assistant to trainer H. Graham Motion (Spendarella, winner) – “When he got the nice spot coming in the bend and she relaxed it was like, if she's good enough, she's going to win. And then when she kicked for home and left them, that was pretty incredible.”

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FRACTIONS: :23.82 :47.05 1:10.71 1:35.09 1:47.09

The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Gaffalione and his first in the Del Mar Oaks. He now has two stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Motion and his second (Summer Soiree, 2011) in the Del Mar Oaks. He now has seven stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are the Gainesway Stable of Graham Beck of Lexington, KY.

The post Spendarella Earns First Grade 1 With Overpowering Del Mar Oaks Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A good break and a clean trip made the difference on Saturday for multiple graded stakes-winner Caravel, who pounced from off the pace to win the $150,000 Smart N Fancy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Caravel improved from a disappointing off-the-board finish last out in attempt of a title defense in the Grade 3 Caress where she broke poorly from the inside post and was boxed in along the rail. This time, the 5-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast broke sharply under Luis Saez and secured a half-length victory for the eighth stakes win of her career.

Away from the outermost post 9, Caravel hustled up to the front with Robin Sparkles and Sarah Harper vying for the lead to her inside. The trio marked off an opening quarter mile in :21.69 over the firm turf before Robin Sparkles came away with a narrow advantage over Sarah Harper approaching the turn.

Caravel came under urging from Saez as the field rounded the turn after a half-mile in 44.37 with the Colby Hernandez-piloted Change of Control moving up the rail to the inside of rivals and beginning her run from the back of the pack.

It looked to be anyone's race at the stretch call with Caravel battling a stubborn Robin al Sparkles and severmenacing foes, but the talented gray continued to hold on to her advantage with the late-running Illegal Smile advancing to her outside.

Caravel dug in under urging from Saez as Robin Sparkles tired and Change of Control weaved from off the rail to split rivals and make a strong run down the center of the course, angling to the outside of a game Illegal Smile. The determined Caravel would not be denied the victory and held off all challengers to claim the victory in a final time of 1:01.92.

Change of Control bested Illegal Smile by a neck for place honors with Miss J McKay three-quarters of a length back of them. Lady Edith, Fouette, Too Sexy, Robin Sparkles and Sarah Harper completed the order of finish. Spicy Marg, entered for the main track only, was scratched.

Cox said he was unsure if Caravel would run in the Smart N Fancy and that he had considered sending her to Presque Isle for a potential start in the $400,000 Presque Isle Masters (G2) on September 19.

“It was a little bit of a late decision to run her here. We didn't really have it on our radar after the last race,” said Cox. “It was one of those that you mark it off. The trip was brutal, she broke a step slow and she was squeezed into the turn. I decided to talk to the ownership group and thought Presque Isle would make sense. Then I thought, 'Man, I've got over two months.' She was doing fine and there was no reason to not run her. We're here and we don't have to ship.

“I thought it made sense giving her a run here today and it kind of worked out as a filler between the Caress and the Presque Isle,” Cox added. “That's on our radar. I'm not committed. We'll see how she comes out of this and see where we land.”

Caravel has consistently trained over the Oklahoma training turf at the Spa, something Cox said helped her come ready to give her best performance.

“She likes it here and has breezed across the street several times and did well there. She was training every bit as good leading into this one, maybe even better, as opposed to the Caress,” Cox said.

Saez said Caravel was game to the wire.

“She broke from there pretty sharp and was in the right spot,” Saez said. “She came to the top of the stretch and she just kept going and won the race. That was a big turn of foot she had and she fought, too. They came close to her and she just kept going. She was pretty comfortable and she did pretty well.

“Today, the difference was the break,” Saez continued. “She had a clean break and she was right there. When she came to the top of the stretch, she was really low so she took off. It was a great race.”

It was the second Saratoga stakes score for Caravel, who won the Caress last year for previous conditioner and breeder Elizabeth Merryman. She went on to finish third in the Grade 1 Highlander at Woodbine last August and won the Queen at Turfway Park and Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont earlier this year. Her other stakes victories include the Lady Erie and Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs, the The Very One at Pimlico Race Course and the Goldwood at Monmouth Park.

With her Smart N Fancy victory, Caravel, who was bred in Pennsylvania, now boasts a consistent record of 10-0-3 from 17 starts and earnings of $647,777. She returned $9.80 for a $2 win wager. She is campaigned by Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables.

Change of Control's trainer Michelle Lovell, who won her first Saratoga start with Damon's Mound in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special last Saturday, said the mare gave her all in overcoming the difficult trip to come away with place honors.

“We got a brutal trip. I thought she ran her heart out despite having trouble. There's nothing you can do,” Lovell said. “We were on the inside draw and she looked like she got a little pinched on the backside. Colby kept trying to find a spot for her. She's got a big heart.”

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