Tag: Racing

The first time Necker Island raced at Ellis Park, he used his time at the Pea Patch to prove he deserved a chance to test himself against the best of his generation at the classic distance.

In his most recent outing at the Henderson, Kentucky oval, the son of Hard Spun drove another point home where his career aspirations are concerned.

Necker Island's evolution from Kentucky Derby (G1) starter to accomplished sprinter added another chapter on July 24 as the 5-year-old horse found daylight between rivals in midstretch en route to earning a neck victory over Tut's Revenge and seven others in the $75,000 Jeff Hall Memorial Stakes.

The 6 1/2-furlong Jeff Hall Memorial was run in honor of Ellis Park's longtime popular director of racing operations who died on June 4 at the age 75.

Hall was known as the heart and soul of the track he worked at for more than 50 years, and Necker Island proved a fitting victor in displaying his share of mettle during a drive that saw him battle to find room under jockey Mitchell Murrill.

Being a gutsy sort has been the modus operandi for Necker Island during his 26-race career, however, as the chestnut horse used a third-place finish in the 2020 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby as a steppingstone for what would be a ninth-place run in that year's COVID-delayed Kentucky Derby.

Since cutting back in distance beginning with an allowance win going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs last October, Necker Island has not only rejuvenated his career but is enjoying his best results yet. He earned his first stakes win in the six-furlong Bet on Sunshine beneath the Twin Spires last November and his triumph in the Jeff Hall marked his seventh career victory, four of which have come in the last 10 months.

“He's been special to us for sure, being our first Derby starter,” trainer Chris Hartman said of Necker Island. “He's turned into a nice sprinter. I think when we ran him in the Derby, it was never a distance he really wanted to be at. But it was a bucket list for the owner and it was where we had him. But he's where he wants to be now.”

Necker Island was not where Hartman wanted him to be a few weeks ago when he had a troubled trip on his way to finishing second in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on July 2. The betting public sided with the trainer in believing his charge was better than what he showed in that outing, sending him off the 6-5 favorite in the Jeff Hall over a group that included his old rival Bango, who had bested him in the June 4 Aristides Stakes.

With expected pacesetter Kneedeepinsnow scratched, the complexion of the Jeff Hall shifted such that the aforementioned Bango found himself on the lead out of post No. 4, setting fractions of :22.58 and :45.44 with Robo Man at his neck in second. As the field came off the far turn, Murrill angled Necker Island off the inside path he had been tracking in and surged up between Robo Man and Tut's Revenge, hitting the wire in a final time of 1:15.23 over a track rated fast.

“He's an awesome horse. He puts you right in the race where you need to be,” Murrill said of his mount. “Every now and then he can get aggressive and it puts me in tough spots but today it worked out perfect. I was able to tuck in and stay where I was and split horses down the lane.

“He was the best today, as he should be.

Tut's Revenge held for second, a neck in front of Surveillance in third while Bango faded to sixth. Strongconstitution was a late scratch.

Owned by The Scherr Boys, Necker Island was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. He is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Jenny's Rocket. Sunday's triumph was his first in three starts at Ellis Park, having also finished third in the 2021 Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Mint Million Stakes, and he improved his career bankroll to $780,657.

The post Favorite Necker Island Edges Tut’s Revenge In Jeff Hall Memorial At Ellis Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The first of eight Golden State Series races scheduled for this summer at Del Mar will be run Thursday when a group of 3-year old fillies take center stage in the 37th running of the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar.

The seven-furlong dirt race is restricted to Cal-breds or California-sired fillies.

Trainer Phil D'Amato swings a tough one-two punch with Connie Swingle and Rose Dawson, both owned and bred by Nick Alexander. Connie Swingle, a daughter of top California sire Grazen, has finished first or second in all six of her career starts, winning the General Portion as a 2-year old here at Del Mar last summer. She missed by a head in her 3-year old debut, the Evening Jewel at Santa Anita in April, but rebounded from that loss with two straight allowance victories. Connie Swingle drew Post 7 and will be ridden by Kyle Frey.

Rose Dawson was runner-up to her stablemate last out, an open allowance at Santa Anita in June. She had won the one mile, $200,000 California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita in her 3-year-old debut in January. She's drawn the inside post in the eight horse field and will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez.

Trainer Bob Baffert hopes to upset the D'Amato/Alexander duo when he sends out Fun to Dream, a six-length winner in her career debut, a maiden special weight at Santa Anita. The daughter of Arrogate will break from Post 5. Juan Hernandez will ride.

Larry Williams' Tam's Little Angel ships in from Northern California riding a two-race win streak. She wired the field in the mile and a sixteenth $75,000 She's A Tiger Stakes at Pleasanton exactly one month after blasting a group of entry level allowance runners by five lengths at Golden Gate Fields.

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Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter Brant's Jack Christopher was handed his first career loss when running a game third in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park on Saturday, but trainer Chad Brown was nevertheless proud of the talented colt's effort when stretching out to two turns for the first time.

The chestnut son of Munnings showed his usual prominent tactics off the flank of pacesetting longshot Benevengo. Jack Christopher assumed command around the far turn but was unable to fend off rallies from the victorious Cyberknife and runner-up Taiba, finishing third beaten two lengths in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Brown said he plans on cutting Jack Christopher back to one turn for a possible start in the seven-furlong $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) on August 27.

“The horse ran really well and I thought he had a good trip,” Brown said. “He got a little quick on the final turn when they moved from [the half-mile in] :46 into [three-quarters in] 1:09. That probably emptied him a little bit. But all in all, it looked like it was a little too far. I was a little disappointed that he couldn't kick on through the lane, but he tried hard. We just shipped him up to Saratoga. As long as he comes out of the race okay, I'll cut him back and point to a race like the Allen Jerkens.”

But not all was lost for Brown at Monmouth Park, having saddled four stakes winners at the Jersey Shore oval on Saturday, including Adhamo [Grade 1 United Nations], Search Results [Grade 3 Molly Pitcher], Highly Motivated [Grade 3 Monmouth Cup] and Lemista [Grade 3 Matchmaker].

“I was proud of all the horses and my team to have them all ready on a big day like that,” Brown said. “There's a lot of moving parts to get it done and they did fabulous. I'm proud of them all.”

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro's Adhamo notched his first stateside victory in the United Nations following a trio of graded stakes placings, including a second to stablemate Tribhuvan in the Manhattan (G1) at Belmont.

Brown said the Irish-bred son of Intello could target the $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational (G1) on August 27 at the Spa.

“He got the trip we were looking for and he's been a work in progress. He looks to be continually improving and he finished off his race well on Saturday,” Brown said. “He shipped up here today, so we'll see how he bounces out of it, but surely, I would like to point to that.”

Brown didn't give any set plans for his three other stakes heroes, but did say Search Results could be “possible” for the $600,000 Personal Ensign (G1) on August 27.

The post Haskell Third Jack Christopher To Cut Back In Distance, Possible For H. Allen Jerkens Next Month appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing's graded stakes-placed Creative Minister competed in two-thirds of the Triple Crown, but will step into restricted company in Friday's 13th renewal of the $135,000 Curlin Stakes, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.

The Curlin, which is restricted to horses that have not won a graded event at one mile or over this year, is often used as a springboard to the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) on August 27. V. E. Day successfully completed the Curlin-Travers double in 2014.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Creative Minister garnered a field-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his third-place Preakness (G1) finish in May before running fifth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) last out on June 11.

McPeek said the Preakness effort was an indicator of Creative Minister's class.

“It was an excellent race. He stepped up to a high level real quick there and he's going to need to run back to that,” McPeek said. “I think this will be a good spot. It should be a race that sets him up good for a Travers run. He didn't handle the racetrack at Belmont. He struggled with the surface over there for some reason and unfortunately that didn't work out.”

The Creative Cause gray graduated at second asking in April over a sloppy and sealed Keeneland main track ahead of a sharp optional-claiming win on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

McPeek also entered Joseph B. Murphy's Wolfe County, by Medaglia d'Oro, who broke through in his eighth start, besting older company in a maiden special weight on June 24 traveling 1 3/16-miles at Churchill Downs.

Creative Minister has breezed four times over the Oklahoma training track, including a five-eighths bullet in 1:00.66 Saturday in company with Wolfe County.

“They worked well. It was a good maintenance breeze and got a good blow out of it,” McPeek said.

McPeek said he may consider another option for the improving Wolfe County.

“His development has been good [off the maiden score],” McPeek said. “We'll take a look at this one and see how he fits.”

Dylan Davis will guide Creative Minister from post 7, while Julien Leparoux will pilot Wolfe County from post 6.

Juddmonte's Kentucky homebred Artorius steps into stakes company for the first time for trainer Chad Brown, following a three-quarter length graduation in a one-turn mile maiden tilt against older horses on June 10 at Belmont.

The regally bred Arrogate colt is out of the Brown-trained multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Paulassilverlining, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Dads Caps.

“He's come along nicely,” Brown said. “He's lightly raced but he's always looked like a horse that wants to go two turns. I'm excited to get him stretched out further.”

Brown conditioned Paulassilverlining to a pair of seven-furlong Grade 1-scores in 2017, taking the Madison at Keeneland and the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs. But the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer said he expects Artorius will relish stretching out.

“He's not a very big horse like his mom, but he definitely has more range than her,” Brown said. “He can run further than her, I believe. He's by a great horse, out of a great horse, so we're hoping he turns into a great horse.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount from the outermost post 9.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a pair of strong contenders in Repole Stable's allowance winner Be Better and Red Oak Stable's stakes winner Make It Big.

Be Better, a dark bay son of Uncle Mo, debuted with a distant third to Saturday's TVG-com Haskell (G1) third-place finisher Jack Christopher in August at the Spa and followed with a three-quarter length maiden score in June traveling one mile and 70 yards in his seasonal debut at Monmouth Park.

The Kentucky homebred enters from a 5 1/4-length allowance romp at the same course and distance over next-out allowance winner Cyberviking.

“I thought his last effort was very good. It was kind of a step forward again and it seems like he keeps getting better,” Pletcher said. “He's a colt that we had high hopes for last year and he had a setback. He's come back for two good performances and it seems like he'll really appreciate more distance.”

Make It Big, a Florida-bred son of Neolithic, won his first three career starts for his former conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr., graduating in October going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park and following with a 2 1/4-length victory in the Juvenile Sprint Stakes at the same distance at the Hallandale Beach oval.

He traveled to Remington Park in December to post a half-length score in the Springboard Mile ahead of a distant 10th-place finish in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs.

Make It Big was transferred to Pletcher and has worked extensively at Belmont Park, including a bullet half-mile in :48.89 on July 14 over the dirt training track.

“He's trained well,” Pletcher said. “We put blinkers on him, which he's worn in the past, and it seems like his last two works have been much better with the blinkers on. We'll obviously stay with those and see what he can do.”

Luis Saez will guide Be Better from post 8 while Make It Big will emerge from post 4 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Grandview Equine and Don Alberto Stable's Gilded Age rallied from 19 lengths off the pace to capture a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt by a head on July 4 last out at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The grinding score came three months following an off-the-board effort in the UAE Derby (G2) on March 26 at Meydan.

Mott said he was pleased with the performance off the layoff.

“We gave him plenty of time and he ran a good race at Churchill. I was very happy with him,” Mott said. “He got the mile and an eighth and he wore them down. He got them in the last jump or two.”

Mott said he is not yet considering a start for Gilded Age in the “Mid-Summer Derby.”

“If he jumped up and runs good in there that would be an option for us, but I haven't thought any further ahead than this race,” Mott said. “This a restricted race and hopefully he'll fit in there and be able to compete.”

A maiden winner at first asking in November at Churchill, Gilded Age, a $600,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, followed with a third-place finish in a muddy renewal of the Grade 3 Withers in February at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Medaglia d'Oro bay is out of the Grade 1-winning Bernardini mare Angela Renee, who is a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire To Honor and Serve.

Junior Alvarado retains the mount from post 2.

Rounding out the field are two-time winners Western River [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], A.P.'s Secret [post 3, Manny Franco], and Golden Glider [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione].

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