As arguably the most well-known and successful practitioner of sports talk radio, Mike Francesa has covered or discussed every major sporting event in the United States. Maybe the world. Yet there’s something about a winning horse race, especially a Grade 1 stakes, that brings out the kind of smile he would flash whenever his beloved New York Yankees won the World Series.
Tag: Racing
Bell’s The One Uncoils Rally From Last To Capture First Running Of Lady Tak At Churchill
Lothenbach Stables Inc.'s Bell's the One returned to the Churchill Downs winner's circle for the first time in nine months after she rallied from last in the stretch and surged past pacesetters Joyful Cadence and Lovemesomeme inside the final sixteenth of a mile to win Saturday's inaugural running of the $200,000 Lady Tak by 1 ½ lengths.
Ridden by Corey Lanerie for trainer Neil Pessin, Bell's the One ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.22.
It was Bell's the One's 10th career stakes win and first in four tries this year. Her 2021 campaign includes wins in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs; Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga; Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) at Keeneland; and Dream Supreme last November at Churchill Downs.
Joyful Cadence was the expected early leader in the compact field of five fillies and mares and rattled off the first quarter mile in :22.42 and the half in :45.42 with Lovemesomeme in close pursuit, who was followed by Music City Star, 4-5 favorite Sconsin and the trailing Bell's the One. Leaving the turn, Bell's the One commenced her wide rally and loomed boldly from the outside as she got up for the victory inside the final sixteenth of a mile.
“No matter what she always comes with a late kick and she did that today,” Lanerie said. “We sat a perfect trip behind the pacesetters and she really responded well when I asked her to go. She's a really special mare and I'm very thankful to be able to ride her.”
Joyful Cadence, the 5-1 third choice under Rey Gutierrez, paid $4.34 and $5.58. Lovemesomeme, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up, was another half-length back in third. Favorite Sconsin was fourth.
The win was worth $124,000 and improved Bell's the One's career earnings to $1,795,675 with a record of 12-5-3 in 26 starts. She's earned $952,325 from five wins and three seconds and one third in 11 career starts at Churchill Downs.
“She's taken us on a lot of journeys and I'm so thankful most of them have been successful here at Churchill,” Pessin said. “She's a special mare and backs that up every time on the track. They didn't go too fast on the lead but it was a contentious pace. She was able to rally past them and show the strong kick in the stretch.”
Bell's the One, who returned $4.82, is a 6-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection out of the Street Cry mare Street Mate and was bred in Kentucky by Bret Jones.
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Odds-On Going Global Dominates Yellow Ribbon Handicap Rivals
Winning for the eighth time in 11 U.S. starts, Irish-bred Going Global cruised to an easy three-length victory over a half-dozen filly and mare rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar.
Carrying the 125-pound high weight (conceding five to eight pounds to the others) and jockey Umberto Rispoli, the Phil D'Amato-trained Going Global was sent away as the 3-5 favorite and paid $3.40 after covering 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.18. French-bred Avenue of France, ridden by Juan Hernandez, finished second, with pacesetter Javanica and Drayden Van Dyke holding third by a head over Irish-bred Burgoo Alley and Ramon Vazquez.
Going Global races for John Rochfort's CYBT, Michael Dubb, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano.
Rispoli put Going Global in fourth, a couple of paths off the rail in the early going as Javanica outran Park Avenue and Burgoo Alley for the lead. Javanica set fractions of :23.88 for the opening quarter mile, :48.16 for the half, and 1:12.13 for six furlongs as the field made its way to the far turn.
Rounding the final bend, Going Global moved up on the leading trio on her own, and put her head in front at the top of the stretch. She drew away quickly, leading by 2 1/2 at the eighth pole and held sway to the wire.
“When you ride one like her, you're feeling very well,” said Rispoli. “I was excited to ride her today. When we came out of the turn, she gave me another gear. Then it was all over. She did it; I didn't do a thing.”
Going Global, a 4-year-old filly by Mehmas out of Wrood, by Invasor, won one of four starts in Ireland in 2020 before joining D'Amato's barn, where she made her debut a winning one in the G3 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2021. She added three more stakes wins before losing in the G2 San Clemente at Del Mar in 2021, then bounced back to win the G1 Del Mar Oaks. Going Global won again at Del Mar in the G2 Goldikova on the Breeders' Cup undercard in November before struggling home sixth in the G1 American Oaks at Santa Anita after the race was moved from turf to dirt because of wet conditions.
After a break of a few months, Going Global won her 2022 debut in the G2 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita, then ran third to Ocean Road there in the G1 Gamely on May 30 in her start prior to the Yellow Ribbon
“I thought Umberto had her perfectly placed from the get-go and it was just a matter of when he was going to press the button. When he did, she responded. All credit to Umberto and the filly and we'll move on to the Mabee (G2 John C. Mabee Stakes Sept. 10 at Del Mar).”
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‘Primed And Ready’: Favorite Lady Speightspeare Takes Woodbine’s Trillium
Lady Speightspeare, under Emma-Jayne Wilson, was full of run late in taking the $158,200 Trillium Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Woodbine.
Sent off as the even-money choice in the 1 1/16-mile main track race, Lady Speightspeare, a 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown out of Lady Shakespeare, by Theatrical, tracked in fourth through opening fractions of :24.12 and :50.59.
Wilson had the multiple graded stakes winner rolling around the turn for home and soon engaged leader Dreaming of Drew, eventually gaining the upper hand to notch a 1 ¼-length win in a time of 1:45.75.
Dreaming of Drew finished three lengths ahead of Kate's Kingdom, while Talbeyah headed Lake Lucerne for fourth
It was the sixth win and second straight score from 11 starts for the Charles Fipke homebred. Last time out, Lady Speightspeare dead-heated with Crystal Cliffs for top spot in the Nassau (G2).
The Trillium was only the second career start on the synthetic for Lady Speightspeare, who won her first test on the Toronto oval Tapeta, the Bessarabian (G2), last November.
“It was a little different with a mile and a sixteenth on the synthetic,” said Wilson. “But she's been working lights out on the synthetic. She trains on it and does everything very effortlessly for the most part. I was quite confident. The trip was a little different than I expected, but it's a different kind of race going a mile and a sixteenth, there's a little more pace in there. I just looked to try and get her to settle, and she did. She knew it was a bit different, but she was primed and ready. She gave a big effort yet again.”
Dual Hall of Fame conditioner Roger Attfield was equally pleased with the performance.
“She's just all heart. She really is a tough filly.”
Lady Speightspeare paid $4.10.
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