Tag: Racing

Two-year-olds Philip My Dear and Cairo Consort shared the spotlight on Saturday as Woodbine showcased the $144,300 Soaring Free Stakes and filly companion race the $132,350 Catch a Glimpse.

The 6 ½ furlong sprints contested on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course are local preps for the upcoming Grade 1 Pattison Summer and Johnny Walker Natalma, a pair of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' one-mile turf stakes set for September 17 at the Toronto oval.

Kevin Attard, who will send out star filly Moira in Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate, will no doubt hope the Soaring Free result is a harbinger.

It was Poulin in O T, undefeated in his first two starts, who sped to the front, as Ninetyfourexpos and outsider Battle Strike kept close tabs on the leader through an opening quarter timed in :22.85. Kazushi Kimura, aboard Philip My Dear, was positioned in eighth of 10 in the early going.

Poulin in O T was still on the lead at the half, reached in :45.77, a head in front of a persistent Ninetyfour Expos, with Chiseler now in third.

As the field geared up for the long stretch drive to the wire, Philip My Dear and Kimura (who returned to action after a July spill) had plenty of work to do, sitting eighth at the stretch call in 1:10.03.

The pair was able to muscle their way between foes in the late strides and went on to record a three-quarter length win in a time of 1:16.31 over firm ground.

Smoke Lightening, at 62-1, was second, while Stayhonor Goodside and Chiseler, finished third and fourth, respectively.

The victory was a near carbon copy of the dark bay's debut on July 3. Eighth of 10 at the half of the 6-furlong turf race, Philip My Dear split foes late to earn a 1 ½ length win. ​

“I didn't think he was going to make it,” said Attard, of the Soaring Free performance. “He showed a lot of grit and a lot of determination. He's a nice colt.”

A colt that looks to be headed towards a date in the Summer Stakes.

“Absolutely,” said Attard. “That's where we have been aiming for. We kind of thought he might need another race in between his maiden race and the Summer, and that fell today. We're one step closer.”

Rajendra Maharajh, the man behind Raroma Stables, paid $100,000 (U.S.) for the son of Silent Name out of Involuntary at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Philip My Dear paid $4.30 for the win.

Cairo Consort, contesting her first stakes race, was full of run along the rail in the stretch, powering to an impressive win in the Catch a Glimpse to notch her second straight score.

Grand Oak set the early tone, guiding her 11 rivals through an opening panel of :22.87. Antonio Gallardo, aboard Cairo Consort, kept a patient hand aboard the daughter of Cairo Prince out of Absolutely Awesome, the duo sitting in seventh after a half in :45.71.

As the field came off the turn and straightened for home, Cairo Consort was full of run to the inside and carved out a head advantage at the stretch call, going on to a 2 ½ length score in a time of 1:16.00 over firm ground. Adora was second, Collecting Flatter finished third, with Grand Oak fourth.

“Sometimes, you're the lucky guy,” said Gallardo, who picked up the mount earlier in the day. “I had a really good trip. She's really honest. Everything worked perfect. I watched the replay [of the filly's last race] and what the trainer [Nathan Squires] explained to me about her and it's true, she's very easy to ride. Whatever position you put her, she stays there, and when it's time to go or you need a little bit more, you ask her and she gives it to you. That's pretty cool. It makes my job more easy.” ​ ​

It was a job well done for Squires, who earned his first career stakes triumph.

The veteran conditioner had anticipated a strong effort from Cairo Consort, who was bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm.

“Any race is special to win, but when you go to the sales or breed them or you pick them out, or help pick them out, it's extra special it's a great feeling.”

The gray, owned by William B. Thompson Jr., is now 2-0-1 from four starts. She broke her maiden in her previous start on July 23.

“She was always smart,” offered Squires. “She is getting better and better, and I think she'll even be a better 3-year-old. We have to [look at running her in the Natalma]. She beat good company here today. I was just looking at her and screaming. Of course, if she's healthy, we have to look at the Natalma. I think she will fit there.” ​

Sent postward at 9-2, Cairo Consort paid $11.20 for the win.

The post Philip My Dear, Cairo Consort Shine In Two-Year-Old Stakes At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeding, Cambron Equine, and Team Hanley's Haughty made every pole a winning one in Saturday's $200,000 Lake Placid (G2), a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Haughty, by the late Empire Maker, was one of four contenders for trainer Chad Brown, who won the Lake Placid for the fourth consecutive time following scores with Rushing Fall [2018], Regal Glory [2019; dead heat with Varenka], and Technical Analysis [2021]. The Lake Placid was not contested in 2020.

The Brown-trained Dolce Zel broke alertly under Irad Ortiz Jr., but it was the Jose Ortiz-piloted Haughty, who took command through fractions of :24.52 and :48.80 over the firm footing with Sail By tracking in second position.

Dolce Zel advanced up the rail approaching the turn as With The Moonlight, who stumbled at the start from the inside post under Luis Saez, launched her wide bid. Haughty enjoyed a 1 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call as Dolce Zel angled off the rail and With The Moonlight sped past the Brown-conditioned Consumer Spending. But Haughty was game to the wire to turn back With The Moonlight for a three-quarter length score in a final time of 1:41.16.

Dolce Zel completed the trifecta with Consumer Spending, Eminent Victor and Sail By rounding out the order of finish. Koala Princess and Canisy, who is entered in Thursday's $135,000 Riskaverse, scratched.

Brown praised the forward ride from Ortiz, who picked up the mount from Joel Rosario, and rode a prominent race after mutuel favorite With The Moonlight's gate mishap.

“I thought With The Moonlight would go and our plan was to get right next to her. When she didn't break early, Jose just took the initiative and went,” Brown said. “I'm very grateful. Joel Rosario was sick today and couldn't ride. Jose filled in for us and did a fabulous job and we hope Joel gets better soon.”

Jose Ortiz said he expected to be close to the pace.

“It was a six-horse field so I've got to break,” he said. “We [Chad Brown] got three other horses in the race, so I got the most speed of all of them and I was supposed to be forward, but the two-horse [Sail By] didn't go to the lead as expected so I took it and she ran a huge race. She came out running and hit another gear at the eighth-pole and I was very happy with her.”

Haughty won three of her first four starts, including a close third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in November at Del Mar and a 4 3/4-length score in the one-mile Penn Oaks over soft going in June at Penn National. She entered from an off-the-board effort in the 10-furlong Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 9 at Belmont Park.

“She was a bit unlucky in the Breeders' Cup on short rest and a wide trip in there. I thought maybe she could've won the race as a 2-year-old,” Brown said. “We had been waiting for the right race to get her back in form. She had a couple of excuses this year. She ran on very soft turf at Penn and I ran her too far in the Belmont Oaks. We have her at a distance that she's comfortable with today, and she delivered.”

The Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin homebred With The Moonlight was returning on 13 day's rest from her prominent score in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) under William Buick on August 7 at the Spa. That effort came on the heels of a similarly forward runner-up effort in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 9 in her North American debut.

Chris Connett, traveling assistant for Appleby, said the stumbled beginning was unfortunate.

“That wasn't the game plan. Ideally, we wanted to be on the pace if not leading,” Connett said. “Unfortunately, she was a step slow away from the gate and when you draw the one hole and get away slightly slow, it makes it very difficult to be on the pace. She still ran a very big race. She closed from way off the pace on a slow, easy fractions for the horse in front. She ran a big race. The team will see how she comes out of this race and go from there.”

Saez said With The Moonlight was unable to close when asked.

“She had the one hole but broke a step slow and first time we made the move at the top of the stretch, she got there but couldn't get by,” Saez said.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Haughty banked $110,000 while improving her record to 3-0-2 from six career starts. She returned $13.40 for a $2 win ticket.

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Just call trainer Uriah St. Lewis the upset king of Monmouth Park.

A little more than a year after Informative shocked the field by winning the Salvator Stakes (G3) at odds of 79-1, the 5-year-old son of Bodemeister pulled another upset, surging past even-money favorite Highly Motivated to score a 1½-length victory in Saturday's Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

The second-longest price in the field of six at odds of 14-1, Informative raced wide for most of the 1 1/16-mile race before grinding away and passing Highly Motivated at the sixteenth pole. It marked Informative's first win since the stunning Salvator Mile upset and was the first graded stakes win of jockey Dexter Haddock's career.

Informative was third, beaten four lengths, in his last start in the Monmouth Cup (G3) on July 23 by the Chad Brown-trained Highly Motivated.

“He loves Monmouth Park,” said St. Lewis. “He has been running against some real tough competition. He came out of the (Grade 1) Met Mile two races ago. Those were some real tough horses. Look at the company he has been keeping and you see why he hadn't won in a while.

“The difference to me this time is that we carried 118 pounds and Highly Motivated was carrying 124. That's a big difference. Weight can stop a freight train.”

The winning time was 1:44.22, with Informative returning $30.80 to win.

In addition to the $150,000 winner's share, owner Trin-Brook Stables also received $15,000 toward the entry fees to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November at Keeneland as part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Series.

Promise Keeper, trained by Todd Pletcher, finished third, 1¾ lengths behind Highly Motivated.

“I felt good about him today,” said Haddock. “I have been breezing him a lot in the mornings and he was showing he was ready to run a big one. Being on the outside (post position six in a six-horse field) was a better position for him. His last race he was inside and there was no room for him. He likes being on the outside. He is more comfortable on the outside even as wide as he was. He is a better horse when he has room to run.”

Informative had plenty of room to run being five-wide most of the early going, just outside of Highly Motivated, as the field bunched up through early fractions of :24.07, :47.47 to the half, and 1:11.12 for six furlongs.

It was entering the final turn that early leader Forza Di Oro began to tire, with Highly Motivated and Informative emerging from the pack. Highly Motivated had a slight lead for most of the stretch before Informative surged by late to end his nine-race losing streak.

St. Lewis entered the day with just six wins from 105 starters for the year but won two races on Saturday's Monmouth Park card. The native of Trinidad, who came to the United States 49 years ago, began training in 1988.

The victory for Informative was his fifth in 35 career starts.

“His last race he was stuck inside with nowhere to go. Highly Motivated got away from us that time,” said St. Lewis. “I told Dexter Haddock to keep him wide and keep him out of trouble and ride him like he was the best, which he did. The Salvator Mile was a bigger surprise to me. This race we knew what we were coming into and what kind of horse we had.”

Informative was bred in Kentucky by Rose Hill Farm and John Trumbulovic. His dam is the Hard Spun mare Lucky Black.

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