George Papaprodromou’s faith in American Theorem paid off at Del Mar July 30 in the $400,000, Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes. “We’ve always believed in this horse,” said the emotional trainer after he sprinted to the winner’s circle nearly as fast as his charge.
Tag: Racing
Smith Guides Royal Ship To San Diego Handicap Upset
Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship stayed close to the leaders on the backside, then when Hall of Famer Mike Smith let him roll approaching the far turn the 6-year-old Brazilian horse found another gear and ran off in the stretch to score a 2 1/4-length victory in the 81st running of the $302,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar Saturday.
The veteran gelding acted like a young boy in earning a $180,000 prize in the Grade 2 feature finishing up the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.75. He paid $21.00 for the win and pushed his career earnings to $570, 405.
Royal Ship, by 2008 Del Mar Futurity winner Midshipman, is trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, though the conditioner wasn't at the track for the festivities today. He was home nursing a case of COVID, but his stable was in the able hands of his son, Gary, a trainer on his own who has certainly won his share of races.
Finishing second was the 2-1 favorite, Commonwealth Thoroughreds, Winstar Farm and Zedan Racing Stables' Country Grammer, who was 4 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Stilleto Boy, owned by Steve Moger.
Royal Ship returned $21.00, $9.20 and $6.00 across the board. Country Grammer paid $5.20 and $3.40, while Stilleto Boy was worth $5.20 to show.
For the sixth straight afternoon, the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager was not solved and its carryover pushed higher to $393,249. That will be in the pot when racing resumes at 2 p.m. Sunday.
MIKE SMITH (Royal Ship, winner) – “I wasn't going to take anything away from him today. If he wanted to go, he could go. He was rolling on the backside and just kept going. I hope this win helps Mr. Mandella (Richard Mandella, the trainer who is home with COVID) feel better. He and his son get all the credit with this horse.”
GARY MANDELLA, son of Richard Mandella (Royal Ship, winner) — “We're going to enjoy this and figure the next race after that; this is a good one and we're gonna enjoy it for a while. He (Mike Smith) had a lot of horse under him and he's keeping the favorite in his sights. That's what makes Mike great, he made all the right calls, put the horse in position he could win and got it done. ”
FRACTIONS: :23.71 :47.44 1:11.19 1:36.21 1:42.75
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Smith, but his second (Giacomo, 2006) in the San Diego. He now has 75 stakes wins at Del Mar, 11th most among all riders.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Mandella, but his second (Catch a Flight, 2015) in the San Diego. He now has 71 stakes wins at Del Mar, fifth most among all trainers.
The winning owners are Fox Hill Farms of Elizabeth Porter of Lexington, Ky., and the Siena Farm of David Pope of Paris, Ky.
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Who’s The Star Powers From Last To Win Niagara In Record Time On Woodbine’s E. P. Taylor Course
Who's the Star, at 13-1, rallied from well off the pace to win Saturday's $105,800 Niagara Stakes, setting a record time in the 1 ¼-mile test over Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson and Who's the Star, a 4-year-old son of Lane's End sire Tonalist out of Shine Forth, by Carson City, had no one behind them at the start of the Niagara. By the end of the race, they were in front of everyone winning by a half length in a final time of 1:59.77, a course record.
Last of 11 at the break, Who's the Star and Wilson watched as stablemate Like the King, to the inside, and a very wide Town Cruise, winner of last year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1), tussled on the front end, with former holding a half-length advantage after an opening quarter in :25.40.
The pacesetters continued their battle through a half in :49.78, this time with Town Cruise on top by a half-length, and Mighty Heart in third. Wilson maintained a patient hand with her charge, still at the back of the pack, and waiting for the right moment to give the bay gelding his cue.
As the field rounded for home, Like the King was back on top and under pressure from all sides. Who's the Star, owned by M Racing Group LLC, began to pick up steam and ground on his rivals, as Wilson had him rolling on the outside, seventh at the stretch call, and gathering more momentum with every stride.
At the wire, the Mark Casse trainee bested 36-1 Collective Force, who was up for second. Like the King, also owned by M Racing Group and trained by Casse, held on gamely by a nose for third. Keyflower, another Casse entrant, was fourth.
Wilson, who found out that she had the mount earlier in the day, was impressed by the late-running talents of the horse bred in Kentucky by Oscar and John Penn.
“I was watching it all unfold,” said Wilson. “On paper, it was an interesting race, a mile and a quarter and top-heavy with speed. When Mark called me this morning to say I was going to ride this one, I had a quick chance to go back through his replays. I was quite confident when we turned for home that he was going to quicken with a ferocious kick.”
For Wilson, it was simply a question if they had run out of time and turf.
“It was about getting my rhythm and getting him happy [early on]. He seemed to be quite settled where we were. You don't want to build him up and get him going too soon. I knew about half-way down the backside that things were going to get more interesting. I thought we had a little too much to do at the top of the stretch – the other half of the entry kind of took control at the top of the lane – and I thought we were going to have a lot of work to do. I relied back on that :22 and change quarter he had last time, and I was confident the jet fuel was going to hit.”
It was the fourth win, along with a second and two thirds, from 13 career starts for Who's the Star, who arrived at the Niagara in winning form. He was victorious in his Woodbine debut on June 19 in a similar performance, going from last to first in the 1 ¼-mile test over the E.P. Taylor Turf.
Who's the Star paid $29.50.
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Ridin With Biden Easy Winner Of Deputed Testamony At Laurel, Divine Huntress Among Four To Take Undercard Stakes For MD-Breds
Cash is King and LC Racing's Ridin With Biden, second to First Captain in last year's Dwyer (G3), slowed things down early and came home running for an easy 6 ¼-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Deputed Testamony at Laurel Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony for 3-year-olds and up was the richest of five stakes worth $400,000 in purses on a 10-race program that marked the last of Laurel's three spectacular Saturdays in July featuring a total of 11 stakes worth $1.05 million.
Preceding the Deputed Testamony were four $75,000 stakes restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses. Divine Huntress won the Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies, Spun Glass took the Jameela for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass, Alottahope captured the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds, and Justwaveandsmile won the Ben's Cat on turf for 3-year-olds and up.
With regular rider Frankie Pennington aboard for trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr., Ridin With Biden ($7.60) completed the distance in 1:50.30 over a fast main track to become a stakes winner in his 15th start.
“We were fortunate enough to get a good break and get good position early on and I think that really helped us a lot,” Pennington said. “Like me and Butch talked about, [if] a crazy pace goes in front of us we'll sit because he can sit and make a run. We ended up getting out there easy. Butch had him ready and when I asked him for home he really took off.”
Pennington kept a snug hold on Ridin With Biden as they coasted through an opening quarter-mile in :24.60 and a half in 48.94 with only mild pressure from Tappin Cat, who exited a victory in the one-mile Sussex July 7 at Delaware Park in his prior start. Commandeer, racing first time since a fifth in the April 2 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream Park, and Grade 3 winner Magic Michael were also part of the early mix.
Plot the Dots came up the rail to get into a challenging position down the backstretch, moving into third after six furlongs went in 1:13.31. Pennington took a quick peek behind him rounding the far turn and had plenty left once straightened for home, opening up through the lane.
Favored at 8-5, Plot the Dots finished second, 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Magic Michael. It was another 1 ¼ lengths back to Treasure Trove in fourth followed by Tappin Cat and Commandeer. Armando R was scratched.
“He caught me by surprise. It looked like he tried to break through the gate once so I thought Frankie must have him really cranked up,” Reid said. “But he settled so nicely for him and put that half a length on them. When I saw the half-mile time I was feeling pretty good at that point.”
A 4-year-old son of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Constitution, Ridin With Biden has placed in all five of his starts since being gelded to start this year, including an open allowance win July 17 at Delaware Park. Last out he was second by two lengths behind multiple graded-stakes winner Tax in the 1 1/16-mile Battery Park July 9, also at Delaware.
“It made him into a completely different horse,” Reid said. “It was just a very wise move by the owners and the management team to do something like that, and it's worked wonders for this horse. He was a little bit of a bad actor back in the stall and he's calmed down so much. He shipped down here perfectly and was great in the paddock, so I couldn't ask for things to be any better.”
The Deputed Testamony returned to the Maryland stakes calendar in 2020 after not having been run since 2008. It pays homage to the last Maryland-bred winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1), who upset Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sunny's Halo in 1983. Bred and raced by Bonita Farm and Francis P. Sears and trained by Bill Boniface, Deputed Testamony also won the 1983 Haskell (G1) and Federico Tesio.
Grade 1-Placed Divine Huntress Earns First Stakes Win In Miss Disco
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Long Valley Stables' Grade 1-placed Divine Huntress, facing fellow Maryland-breds for the first time, battled the length of the stretch with Sweet Gracie to her inside before getting her nose down on the wire to earn her first career stakes victory in the $75,000 Miss Disco.
Ridden by Victor Carrasco, Divine Huntress ($3.20) completed seven furlongs in 1:24.23 over a fast main track to give trainer Graham Motion his second win in the Miss Disco following Majestic Reason in 2018.
It was the first win for Divine Huntress, a daughter of Divining Rod, since taking a January 19 optional claimer at Parx in her 3-year-old debut. She had been facing graded stakes company in her previous four starts, finishing fifth to Interstatedaydream in the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 20 at Pimlico and second behind Matareya in the one-mile Acorn (G1) June 11 at Belmont Park.
Little Bit of That, making her stakes debut, broke sharply and quickly established the lead with Petition Prayer to her outside and Divine Huntress in the clear in third. Sweet Gracie moved up along the rail to get into second as Little Bit of That went a half in :46.18, with Divine Huntress poised three wide.
Divine Huntress moved past Little Bit of That at the top of the stretch but Sweet Gracie was a determined foe inside, and the two raced to the wire together as Petition Prayer came flying with a late run but finished third, a neck behind Sweet Gracie.
Alottahope Dominates In Star De Naskra Victory
No Guts No Glory Farm's Alottahope became a stakes winner in spectacular fashion, handing previously unbeaten Super Love his first defeat while powering to a 15-length triumph in the $75,000 Star de Naskra.
Owned and trained by Jerry Robb, who won the 2004 Star de Naskra at Pimlico with Move to Strike, Alottahope ($5.40) finished up in 1:22.91 over a fast main track, the third-fastest of 11 times the race has been run at seven furlongs. It has primarily been contested at six furlongs and was held at one mile in 1985.
Alottahope, a younger half brother to eight-time stakes-winning mare Street Lute, and jockey Jevian Toledo were content to sit off the a pace set by his Robb-trained and co-owned stablemate Al Loves Josie, ridden by Xavier Perez. Super Love entered the race with a perfect 3-0 record but broke awkwardly and then rushed up to join the leaders but was unable to get around Al Loves Josie on the backstretch and raced in third.
Alottahope, second to turf and dirt stakes winner Joe in the 2021 Maryland Juvenile, continued to press Al Loves Josie until taking over the top spot leaving the far turn and had nothing but daylight in front of him, sprinting clear of his rivals through the lane.
Buff Hello, the 2021 Maryland Million Nursery winner, got up to be second by 2 ¼ lengths over Al Loves Josie.
Jockey Horacio Karamanos lodged a claim of foul against Toledo for interference on the backstretch, but it was disallowed.
Late-Running Justwaveandsmile Takes Ben's Cat
Steve Newby's Justwaveandsmile came with a strong late run on the far outside to pass 3-5 favorite Grateful Bred and Grade 3 winner Jaxon Traveler and earn his third consecutive win and sixth in a row on the turf in the $75,000 Ben's Cat at Laurel Park.
The victory marked was the first career stakes win for jockey Jean Alvelo as well as Justwaveandsmile, a son of Secret Circle owned by Steven T. Newby.
“[It's] more than amazing. It's a dream come true,” Alvelo said. “You come in here every morning and work horses and try to do the best you can. I really do appreciate all the help from Dale and the owner. I'm more than excited.”
Front-runners Grateful Bred and Jaxon Traveler could not hold off Justwaveandsmile's late flourish on the far outside. The gelding ran 1:04.46 over a Kelso turf course rated good to edge Grateful Bred by a neck, with Jaxon Traveler a length back in third.
Justwaveandsmile returned $13.40. He notched his eighth win from 17 career starts.
Spun Glass Breaks Through With Stakes Win In Jameela
Larry Johnson's homebred Spun Glass split horses in midstretch and held off a host of late challengers including defending winner and stablemate Ellanation on the far outside to earn her first stakes victory in the $75,000 Jameela.
It was the fifth career win for Spun Glass, a 5-year-old daughter of Hard Spun, and third with jockey Feargal Lynch aboard.
Lynch was unhurried on Spun Glass as Golden Can sped through a quarter mile in :22.70 and a half in :47.81 with two-time turf sprint stakes winner Can the Queen giving chase to her outside. A gap between the top two opened as they came down the stretch and Lynch put Spun Glass through to get to the front, powering home by 1 ½ lengths in 1:04.28 over a Fort Marcy turf course labeled as good.
Ellanation, like Spun Glass trained by Michael Trombetta, raced far back early before making a big late run on the far outside to edge 35-1 long shot Island Philo by a head for second.
The Jameela was the fourth race this year for Spun Glass, seventh behind Can the Queen in the May 20 The Very One at Pimlico in her first start in nearly eight months. With Saturday's win her record improves to five wins from 17 lifetime starts.
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