Tag: Racing

Awesome Strong paid immediate dividends for CSLR Ranch Partners Saturday at Gulfstream Park, capturing the $100,000 Dr. Fager in his first start since being privately purchased for $500,000.

The six-furlong Dr. Fager co-headlined Saturday's program with the $100,000 Desert Vixen, a six-furlong stakes for fillies, which was won by Lynx, while kicking off the 2022 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Awesome Strong, who was sold after capturing his May 9 debut by six lengths while running 4 ½ furlongs in :51.62, was in complete control from the very start of the Dr. Fager, setting an uncontested pace and drawing away to a commanding 4 ¾-length victory.

“I'm pleased he fulfilled my expectations,” trainer Jorge Delgado said. “When you have a long layoff, you have a lot of doubts in your mind, but thank God he brought his 'A' Game. I'm happy with the outcome.”

Delgado, who saddled the son of Awesome Slew for his debut score, was retained by the new owners following the sale and prepared Awesome Strong for the Dr. Fager while trying not to focus on the high price tag.

“I try to put that away from my mind and not have that pressure,” Delgado said. “I know it was big money. I'm trying to build my stable, and $500,000 is good money for any horse, I'm happy for them. They're new in the game. They want to invest in the game. They're off to a good start.”

CSLR Ranch Partners is headed by Bill Childs and his son Alex Childs.

“My dad and I got a couple quarter horses and a Thoroughbred, but this horse is kind of a different animal than we usual have,” Alex Childs said. “There's about 10, 12 people in the group.”

Awesome Strong, the 5-2 second choice who returned $7.40, ran six furlongs in 1:11 under Miguel Vasquez after setting fractions of :22:05 and :45.13 for the first half-mile.

“He broke very well. The plan wasn't to go to the front,” Vasquez said. “The plan was to stalk the pace, but he took the lead immediately.”

Turbo, who chased the pacesetter while saving ground under Edgard Zayas, finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of late-rallying Cajun Hope. This Run's for You, the 2-1 favorite, tired to fifth after stalking the early pace.

The Florida Sire Stakes series will continue on September 3 with the $200,000 Affirmed at seven furlongs and on October 1 with the $400,000 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles.

“From the beginning, we've felt like he's going to be a long-distance horse,” Delgado said of the colt, who is out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Ring.

Lynx lagged behind a contested pace during the early going of Saturday's $100,000 Desert Vixen before pouncing on her tiring rivals in the stretch to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths in the first leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream Park.

Lynx is an Arindel homebred daughter of Brethren. She covered the six furlongs in 1:12.53 and returned $8.40.

“First of all, I'm really grateful to have Arindel on my side. They've been great. I think [Brethren] is one of the top Florida-bred stallions right now. I got a hang of training them,” said winning trainer Carlos David, who saddled Arindel's Octane to victories in the $200,000 Affirmed and $400,000 In Reality during the 2021 Florida Sire Stakes series.

Lynx, who overcame traffic to capture her May 19 debut by 1 ¾ lengths, raced in sixth along the backstretch and around the far turn, taking kickback from the heated competition in front of her. Go Lil Lady raced head-to-head with Girl Bye while vying for pacesetting honors with Gemma's Curls in close pursuit.

Gemma's Curls made a three-wide sweep under Luca Panici to take the lead turning for home and open a clear lead in mid-stretch, only to shorten stride in deep stretch. Meanwhile, Lynx kicked in with an outside drive under Edgard Zayas to pass the tiring leader and win going away.

“I think it worked out the way we wanted,” Zayas said. “Before the race, Carlos told me, 'There is plenty of speed. Don't rush out of there. Let the speed kill each other and when you're ready to make a move, go to the outside and make one move.' That's what we did. She was there for us.”

Gemma's Curls, a daughter of Bucchero, held second, 2 ¾ lengths ahead of late-running Trust Me, a daughter of Big Beast who finished second behind Lynx in her debut before graduating impressively June 17. Lynx ran six furlongs in 1:12.53 after racing far back during the first half-mile run in :45.93.

“I didn't want her to be that far back,” David said. “When she broke out of the gate she got in a little trouble and it cost us a little, a couple lengths, but she finished up so good. I'm really excited about the next couple races.

“I got to give it to Zayas. He came to Palm Meadows to breeze her to get to know her a little bit because Paco [Lopez] rode her the first time.”

The Florida Sire Stakes series for fillies will continue on September 3 with the $200,000 Susan's Girl at seven furlongs and on October 1 with the $400,000 My Dear Girl at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think she's going to love seven furlongs. I don't think that's going to be a problem. I look forward to that,” Zayas said of Lynx, who is out of the Red Bullet mare Darby Rose. “She was getting all the kickback and she didn't mind it at all. She was very professional on that end. That's why I think she'll love the seven furlongs. She won't be as far back. She'll be closer before she makes her move.”

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After finishing second in his stateside debut, Irish-born Nations Pride did it one better on Saturday, and drew clear to win the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old Teofilo colt was settled in on the rail by visiting jockey William Buick, tucked in third behind pacesetter Classic Causeway, and longshot Main Event on the outside. Classic Causeway, who defeated Nations Pride during their previous meeting in the Belmont Derby Invitational, maintained a 1 1/2-length cushion over Main Event through the first turn, and set an opening quarter in :29.42 seconds.

The lead trio remained unchanged as the field crossed the backstretch through an opening half-mile in 51:37 seconds, but Main Event began to give up his position on the outside as they entered the final turn. Classic Causeway continued to maintain a comfortable cushion as he led Nations Pride into the stretch, but Buick swung his mount to the outside of the leader as they headed into the straightaway.

Under left-handed urging by Buick, Nations Pride overtook Classic Causeway in the final furlong, and he drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Annapolis staged a late move from the middle of the pack to nip Classic Causeway for third.

Nations Pride stopped the clock for the 1 3/16-mile turf race in 1:45.26 over a firm course. He paid $6.20 to win as the post time favorite.

Nations Pride is a homebred for Godolphin's Irish operation, trained by Charlie Appleby.

Saturday's victory was the colt's first graded or group stakes win, improving his record to five wins in eight starts for earnings of $899,216.

Prior to his U.S. debut in the Belmont Derby Invitational on July 9, Nations Pride had established himself as a reliable runner in the Eastern Hemisphere, winning races in England and the U.A.E., including the Newmarket Stakes in England. His final start before testing U.S. company was an eighth place effort in the Group 1 Cazoo Derby.

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It took some convincing for starters to get Chi Town Lady into the gate for the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga on Aug 6; a few strides out, she still didn't seem that interested in the task at hand, trailing the field and hugging the rail under Joel Rosario. Then, at the top of the stretch, she sprung into action, swinging seven wide out of the turn and taking aim at pacesetter Hot Peppers. Chi Town Lady took down that rival and Matareya expertly with an impressive turn of foot, leaving them 1 1/2 lengths behind at the wire.

The Wesley Ward 3-year-old also survived a stewards' inquiry, as they examined light contact between Chi Town Lady and her two rivals as she passed to their outside.

The win is the first graded stakes victory for the Castleton Lyons homebred, who is a daughter of Verrazano and Harlan's Holiday mare Toni's Holiday. She came to this race off a second in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill in May. She won the listed Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga last season.

Chi Town Lady went off at 17-1, paying $36.00, $11.80, and $3.70.

The race took place on a sealed dirt track rated as good after a rain shower prior to the eighth race. The final time for the seven and a half furlongs was recorded as 1:23.87.

Find the full chart here.

G1 Longines Test Quotes, courtesy of the NYRA media office

Wesley Ward, winning trainer of Chi Town Lady (No. 7, $36): “We got lucky. She had been training great and I was looking at this race after her last race in my mind and gave her a little time because she started coming from behind. I had Joel [Rosario] work her here a couple of times and she was just working phenomenal. I told the owners we were probably going to be running a 30-1 shot, but I wanted to take one shot from way back and do what she's been asking me to do, which is make a big charge and a big grind. We were hoping for a second or third – a graded placing – to see if the race fell apart, and here we are in the winner's circle.

“She's come a long ways. I just think that I had to kind of learn to listen to her to where she wanted to go easy the first part and come on late. This will be her running style from now on.”

On a potential next start: “We haven't thought that far. We just are going to sit down in a couple weeks and figure out which direction we're going to go, but certainly the Breeders' Cup is going to come into play, especially this year being at our home track [Keeneland]. With her style, she'll sit way back and make one big run, so we'll see what happens.”

On if there was concern when the inquiry was posted: “There was for me because I saw it happen and I thought I was coming down. They didn't throw the inquiry sign up at first, so I thought maybe we would skate through it, and sure enough it came up. I was a little worried until I actually saw the replay. I knew the stewards were going to rule in our favor, and they did.”

Joel Rosario, winning jockey aboard Chi Town Lady (No. 7): “They went fast in front and she came with a run. That was an amazing race.

“It looked like they came out a little bit and I ran into them a little bit, but it looked like they were coming more from the inside. My horse was kind of on the wrong lead at that point and I was correcting her trying to keep her straight. She did great.”

Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of runner-up Hot Peppers (No. 6): “She ran her race, tried hard and did what she could. Right now, we'll see how she comes out of the race and take it day by day. I'll talk to Mr. Dubb and we'll see where we are.”

Luis Saez, jockey aboard runner-up Hot Peppers (No. 6): “I was riding my filly. I felt a little bump, not much, and I just tried to get in my lane. She broke full of run and that's how she is. I didn't want to take much from her and she ran pretty big. It was a big race.”

Brad Cox, trainer of third-place finisher Matareya (No. 1): “My first thought was I didn't think she was traveling that well down the backstretch. Flavien [Prat] thought the same, she wasn't really taking them up there. I thought he did a good thing at the three-eighths pole by dropping her down to the inside. It's probably a sign of her just not getting a hold of the track. No excuse really. I think she's a very good filly. Obviously she showed up and maybe not a favorable surface for her, and she still ran a good race.

Flavien Prat, jockey aboard third-place finisher Matareya (No. 1): “To me, there was nothing [regarding the inquiry]. I got bumped a bit. [The rain] changed the track and she never felt comfortable or happy on it. She broke well and after that she spit the bit right away and I never got myself into a nice rhythm and she was just struggling.”

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