Tag: Racing

Holy Cow Stable's Naughty Gal made her stakes debut a winning one in Sunday's $200,000 Adirondack (G3), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas and piloted by Luis Saez, the Into Mischief bay entered from a 9 1/4-length romp in a six-furlong maiden special weight on July 4 at Churchill Downs.

Naughty Gal broke alertly from post 2 and took command through fractions of :22.46  and :46.15 over the fast main track with maiden winner Apple Picker pressing along the rail under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and the Flavien Prat-piloted maiden Janis Joplin looming a threat into the turn.

A misbehaving Naughty Gal traveled extremely wide through the turn as Janis Joplin, Apple Picker, and Sabra Tuff cut the corner and began to make up ground on the runaway pacesetter. Despite racing down the center of the track, Naughty Gal persevered to the wire a 2 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:18.97.

Janis Joplin, third last out in the Schuylerville (G3), completed the exacta by a head over Sabra Tuff with Apple Picker and Damaso rounding out the order of finish. Promise of Hope was pulled up through the turn by Jose Ortiz and vanned off.

It was the third stakes win of the meet for Saez, last year's meet-leading rider, following scores with Fearless [ in the Birdstone] and Art Collector [in the Alydar]. He said Naughty Gal was a little green turning for home.

“At the three-eighths, her ear was back-and-forth looking at something and got a little lost, but she kept running and going,” Saez said. “She gave me another gear and ran good.”

A $350,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training purchase, Naughty Gal is out of the stakes-winning Spanish Steps mare Conway Two Step. She provided Lukas a record-extending seventh score in the Adirondack.

The Hall of Famer's past winners include Nervous Baba [1985], Sacahuista [1986], Over All [1987], Pat Copelan [1988], Salty Perfume [1997], and Folklore [2005].

Lukas, who also conditions Schuylerville (G3) runner-up Summer Promise, will look to keep the two fillies separated by having Naughty Gal make her next start in Kentucky in either the $500,000 Alcibiades (G1) on October 7 at Keeneland or the  $300,000 Pocahontas (G3) on September 17 at Churchill Downs.

BC Stables' Summer Promise, by Uncle Mo, will target the $300,000 Spinaway (G1) on September 4 at Saratoga.

Naughty Gal had a trio of breezes over the Oklahoma training track to prepare for her Spa and stakes debut, which Lukas said was a result of seeing Summer Promise tire late in the Schuylerville.

“I didn't have her tight enough and I underestimated how this track is. I think I got her beat, but we'll try to correct that in the Spinaway,” Lukas said. “This one here [Naughty Gal], we pointed for and got a little smarter about what we were going to do. We put a couple of five-eighths [breezes] in her and it paid off.”

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, conditioner of Janis Joplin, said the oddly run stretch drive made it difficult to discern who was in command.

“I thought we had a good shot, and then coming down [the stretch], I couldn't tell whether we were in front or who was in front,” Casse said. “We were watching from the wire and when they got up close, I was like, 'Oh well, second.' I'm happy for Wayne [Lukas]. If we're not going to win, I want Wayne.”

Prat said the now dual graded-stakes placed maiden continues to improve.

“She ran really well and broke better than last time,” Prat said. “She got us into the race and we were traveling well. I thought she could win for a little bit, but the other horse was just better.”

Tom Amoss, trainer of Promise of Hope, reported via Twitter that the filly was in good order back at the barn.

“Happy to report that Promise Of Hope is completely sound at the barn,” Amoss tweeted. “Jose thought he felt something behind when she switched to her inside lead and wanted to be cautious. I am grateful he took care of my horse.”

Bred in Florida by Loren Nichols, Naughty Gal banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 2-0-0 from three starts. She returned $4.90 for a $2 win bet.

The post Naughty Gal Goes Wire To Wire For First Stakes Win In Adirondack, Provides Lukas Record Seventh Triumph In Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ironhorse Racing Stable's Half Is Enough will try grass for the first time in Thursday's $150,000 Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies on the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the daughter of Frosted was handed her first loss in four starts last out when a game second to Hot Peppers in the six-furlong Victory Ride (G3) on July 9 at Belmont Park. There, she stalked 2 3/4 lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. and swung three-wide in the turn to make a run at Hot Peppers but came up just shy and lost by three-quarters of a length. The effort garnered a career-best 71 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It was a very nice race,” Trombetta said. “That last race was by far the toughest of what she's done and we didn't know how it would shake out.”

Half Is Enough streaked into the Victory Ride with a perfect 3-for-3 record that began with an impressive debut maiden victory in September at Monmouth Park where she bested four rivals by 7 1/4 lengths. After an eight-month respite, she returned in May at Laurel Park to win her first outing against a field that included subsequent stakes-placed Bandits Warrior before defeating older rivals in a non-winners of three on June 4 at Delaware Park.

Trombetta said Half Is Enough has continued to improve with each of her outings.

“She's done well. After her first start, we brought her back and were able to get a few starts under her belt against a couple of stakes caliber horses before trying the big ones,” Trombetta said.

The Galway will be the first time Half Is Enough has stepped on a turf course in the afternoon. She had her first and only work over the grass on July 31 at the Oklahoma training track, breezing a half-mile in 50.82 seconds.

Half Is Enough has a pedigree rich in both dirt and turf talents, hailing from the family of turf graded stakes winner Filimbi. Her dam, the Indian Charlie mare Morea, is a half sister to Bourbon (G3) winner Current and to Weep No More, a Grade 1 winner on dirt. In addition, her third dam is dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Flute.

“We're going to enter her and see how she is and try,” Trombetta said. “She's like so many other horses where we won't really know until we try it. If everything goes well it's a good time to give it a try.”

Along with a new surface, Half Is Enough will cut back a furlong from her last outing to run the shortest race of her career, something Trombetta said he is not concerned about.

“The cutback shouldn't be a problem, it's just whether or not she handles the surface,” Trombetta said.

Ricardo Santana Jr. picks up the mount from post 5.

Augustin Stable's Empress Tigress, winner of Saratoga's Coronation Cup going the Galway distance last out on July 15, is one of two entrants for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Undefeated through two starts, Empress Tigress debuted in May over the all-weather track at Woodbine before making her way to the Spa for a successful stakes debut in the Coronation Cup.

The Classic Empire chestnut raced a half-length off pacesetter Mystic Eyes before taking charge at the stretch call and fending off the bid of Poppy Flower to post a half-length score that was awarded a career and field-high 90 Beyer.

“She's always trained like she's a talented filly and obviously it's great seeing it replicated in the afternoon,” said Thomas. “She's an exciting little filly and we were thrilled.”

Thomas' other entrant, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Benbang, was entered and scratched from the Coronation Cup to make a successful trip to Monmouth Park to take the Blue Sparkler just one day later.

The daughter of Shanghai Bobby was a debut winner on dirt at the Spa last July before finishing a close fourth in her turf debut sprinting six furlongs in the Stewart Manor in November at Belmont Park. Her other win this year was an off-the-turf first-level allowance facing older company in June at Monmouth.

“She's cool. She broke her maiden up here and is a stakes winner,” said Thomas. “I love those kinds of fillies.”

Empress Tigress will be piloted from post 7 by returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez while Manny Franco is tasked with the ride aboard Benbang from post 3.

Arnmore Thoroughbreds' Poppy Flower returns to the scene of her narrow defeat last out in the Coronation Cup for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott.

A chestnut daughter of Lea, Poppy Flower attempts her second stakes victory two starts after taking the Stormy Blues by 1 1/4 lengths in June at Laurel Park. She followed with her game runner-up finish behind Empress Tigress in the Coronation Cup.

Poppy Flower broke her maiden at third asking last June at Belmont Park for former trainer Wesley Ward before making her stakes debut with a runner-up finish in the Bolton Landing that summer at the Spa. She picked up another stakes-placing when third in the Ainsworth at Kentucky Downs before closing out her juvenile season with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Futurity against males in October at Belmont.

She kicked off her 3-year-old season with Mott in May with a fourth in an off-the-turf allowance one start before her Stormy Blues victory. She will emerge from the inside post with Jose Ortiz in the irons.

The Irish-bred Group 3 winner Have A Good Day makes her stateside debut for new trainer Gustavo Delgado in the first start of her sophomore campaign. The bay daughter of Adaay has been on the

bench since a narrow defeat in the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (G2) in October at Chantilly. She tracked just behind the pace in the six-furlong event contested over soft going and took the lead with three-sixteenths to the finish but was collared and defeated a neck by Malavath.

Previously trained by Florian Guyader, Have A Good Day won the Prix de Cabourg (G3) at Deauville before finishing a close sixth in the Prix Morny (G1) in her next outing. Since posting her first works In the United States in April at Gulfstream, Have A Good Day had several breezes at The Thoroughbred Center in Kentucky before her first spin around the Saratoga main track on Saturday, clocking a half-mile in :49.75.

Owned by Ramiro Restrepo, a Florida-based market representative for Fasig-Tipton Co., and horse racing partnership OGMA Investments, Have A Good Day will exit post 4 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano up.

Completing the field are Delmona [post 2, Luis Saez], who races with blinkers on, Breeze Easy [post 6, Flavien Prat], Makin My Move [post 8, Irad Ortiz Jr.], Artos [post 9, Julien Leparoux], and Derrynane [post 10, Joel Rosario]. Freedom Speaks is entered as an also-eligible while Mystic Eyes is entered for the main track only.

The post Half Is Enough Tries Turf For First Time, Empress Tigress Looks To Stay Perfect In Galway At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate will try to add a second consecutive stakes victory to his record Wednesday in the $135,000 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course.

The seven-furlong event for 4-year-olds and upward is restricted to runners who have not won a graded stakes race this year.

The son of Mark Valeski was a front-running winner of the 6 ½-furong Work All Week Stakes on June 11 at Hawthorne Race Course in his previous outing, defeating subsequent Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) runner-up Kneedeepinsnow.

Since being transferring to trainer Tom Amoss last fall, Isolate has registered three victories, which include two open-lengths wins at Fair Grounds in addition to his stakes coup last time out.

Isolate will see added ground in the Tale of the Cat, which will be his first start at more than six furlongs since a distant third in the one-turn mile Nashua (G3) in November 2020 at Aqueduct.

“The race will be a bit of a test for us determining just how far he wants to go,” said Amoss, who early Sunday afternoon was just two races shy of his 4,000^th career win. “He's a brilliant sprinter and he just is coming off a stakes win on the front end. That extra eighth of a mile is something we're going to learn a lot about when we run him. It's a restricted stake, which limits the field a little bit, so hopefully that makes a difference as well.”

Isolate has recorded three serious moves over the Saratoga main track, most recently going a half-mile in :49.60 on Sunday. He drilled through a half-mile the week prior in :46 flat – the fastest of 128 recorded works at the distance.

The consistent Isolate boasts a record of 5-1-2 from 10 lifetime starts, with victories at three different tracks.

A win would also provide Reeves Thoroughbred Racing owners Dean and Patti Reeves with a third stakes victory this meet. The Suwannee, Georgia residents visited the winner's circle after triumphs with City Man in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple and Big Invasion in the Grade 3 Quick Call.

“After a few weeks with the horse I told Dean that this was his best horse and he's gone on to prove that,” Amoss said. “We're looking forward to keeping the Reeves train rolling. They've had a great meet so far.”

Tyler Gaffalione will pilot Isolate from post 1.

Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks will seek his first stakes victory after placing against graded stakes company on three occasions for trainer Greg DiPrima.

The Virginia-bred Tapiture 4-year-old was a distant third to Life Is Good in the John A. Nerud (G2) on July 2 at Belmont Park last out. He finished second to Drafted in the Toboggan (G3) in February at the Big A before finishing third in the Tom Fool (G3) the following month at the same track. He made his debut for DiPrima in April a winning one, capturing a six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Belmont by 5 3/4 lengths.

Andrew Wolfsont will pick up the mount from post 4.

Klaravich Stables' Southern District will attempt his fourth straight victory while making his stakes debut for four-time Spa leading trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old son of Union Rags ran through his conditions in his last three starts, which all took place over different racetracks. He will be cutting back in distance from a one-turn mile on June 10 at Churchill Downs, where he garnered a 101 Beyer from a two-length win.

Purchased for $335,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Southern District is out of the graded stakes-winning Include mare Open Water, who produced two stakes winners on grass.

Southern District will be piloted by Manny Franco from post 3.

John Fanelli, LC Racing, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch's Awesome Gerry will attempt his third victory this year for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The gray son of Liam's Map enters off a third in the Hanshin on July 4 at Churchill Downs, which came after two consecutive seven-furlong wins on the Kentucky circuit.

Awesome Gerry is seeking his first stakes win after placing second or third in three stakes during his 18-race career.  After finishing second in the 2020 Jean Laffite at Delta Downs during his juvenile year, he followed with a third in Gulfstream Park's Mucho Macho Man in 2021. He also was second in the 2021 Robert Hilton Memorial last August at Charles Town.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 2.

Completing the field is Sandford Goldfarb, Madaket Stables, Alan Kahn, and the Estate of Ira Davis' Mr Phil, who will look to make amends following a distant fifth to Jackie's Warrior in the True North (G2) on June 10 at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old Mr Speaker gelding is 2-2-0 from four starts at the Tale of the Cat distance, including his most recent victory on May 22 at Belmont, where he registered a 101 Beyer in a non-winners of three allowance optional claimer

Kendrick Carmouche, the pilot in his last four starts, will ride from post 5.

The Tale of the Cat honors the 1997 King's Bishop winner [now run as the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial] who went on to have a highly prosperous stud career. The son of Storm Cat, trained by John Forbes, produced multiple champion Gio Ponti as well as Grade 1 winners Stopchargingmaria, My Trusty Cat, and Lion Heart.

The post Isolate Gets More Ground While Seeking Second Straight Stakes Win In Saratoga’s Tale Of The Cat appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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