Tag: Racing

Dynamic One capitalized on a patient approach from the outset that left enough in reserve to fend off a game First Captain in the final jumps for a victory by a nose in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park main track.

The 136th running of the Suburban, the first of four graded stakes on Saturday's Stars and Stripes Racing Festival card, saw Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One build on a last-out victory in the Blame on June 4 at Churchill Downs to win consecutive races for the first time in his career.

Out of the gate, 4-5 favorite Dynamic One was content to sit last-of-five as stablemate Untreated led the quintet through the opening quarter-mile in :24.90, the half in 49.39 and three-quarters in 1:13.75 over the fast track.

Approaching the final turn, jockey Irad Ortiz  Jr. urged Dynamic One up from the outside, heading into the stretch on equal terms with First Captain to his inside and Untreated by the rail.

Ortiz used right-handed encouragement and his charge responded, gaining the slight edge over Dynamic One in the final sixteenth and holding on, hitting the wire in 2:01.26.

The victory continued an impressive Belmont run for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who captured last month's Belmont Stakes (G1) and started the spring/summer meet's closing weekend by saddling a winner for the fifth time in the last six stakes contested at Belmont, adding to last weekend's stakes sweep of the Manila [Annapolis]; Perfect Sting [Jouster]; Grade 2 John A. Nerud [Life is Good]; and Grade 3 Dwyer [Charge It].

“I was just concerned – I didn't think we got the best head bob and I thought he had a head in front right before the wire and First Captain got a good head bob, but thankfully we were able to get there,” Pletcher said.

Dynamic One returned $3.80 on a $2 win wager and increased his career earnings to $699,950. The 4-year-old Union Rags colt, who ran second in last year's Grade 2 Wood Memorial before running 18th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, has finished on the board in all four his starts this year. After running third in the Grade 3 Challenger in March at Tampa Bay and second in the Grade 3 Ben Ali in April at Keeneland, he is now a back-to-back winner for the first time in improving his career ledger to 4-3-1 in 12 starts.

“He has progressed and caught kind of a tough race first time back at Tampa and then we were at a starting point and felt like he would improve after that,” Pletcher said. “He made a move forward at Keeneland and then put together probably his most professional race last time in the Blame. It seems like he just keeps getting a little better and he's starting to figure things out. He's a horse that we've always had high hopes for.”

Ortiz earned his second Suburban win and first since Diversify in 2018.

“He's getting better,” Ortiz said. “His mind is much better. He's starting to figure out the game and he's changed a lot. He's having a great mind right now, switched up [leads] when I wanted to and he let me do my thing. Then he turned it on when I wanted to. His mind is getting better and better every time.

“When he made the lead, he waited a little bit and then he fought back,” he added. “We always liked him, but he could do some things that were a little green out there. I think the last three times [he ran], he's started to figure it out.”

The Luis Saez-piloted First Captain, previously unbeaten at Belmont for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, followed his win in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May by besting Untreated by three-quarters of a length for second.

“He tried and he ran his race,” Saez said. “He was battling, but the other one just got the jump. My horse tried pretty hard.”

Untreated, who was third in the Pimlico Special for Pletcher, finished 7 3/4 lengths ahead of three-time graded stakes-winner Max Player. Forewarned completed the order of finish.

“We were a little unsure that Untreated likes to be on the lead, but we decided after talking to Barry [Irwin, owner of Team Valor International] that from the one-hole going a mile and a quarter with the start on the turn there that we might as well go ahead and secure our position,” Pletcher said. “I thought we got a comfortable pace and the horse ran good. We were a little concerned with Dynamic One; how the pace scenario was going to set up for him. He's a horse that wants to settle and make one late run. In this case, you couldn't let him [Untreated] get too far away.”

The Suburban's top-four finishers will have their nomination, entry and starting fees waived if they start in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 3 at Saratoga Race Course. The 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland. Should a Grade/Group 1-winner in 2022 start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the purse will increase to $1.25 million. Pletcher indicated Dynamic One would target the Jockey Club Gold Cup next.

The post Pletcher Continues Stakes Haul At Belmont As Favorite Dynamic One Takes Suburban By Slimmest Margin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Rick Dawson's RED TR-Racing's Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Rich Strike Strike breezed a half mile Saturday at trainer Eric Reed's Mercury Training Center in Lexington, marking his first timed move since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) June 11.

The son of Keen Ice was clocked in :50.40 for the four furlongs to launch his preparations for the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) August 27 at Saratoga. His workout was moved up a day due to the threat of severe thunderstorms in the area.

“It was really easy work,” Reed told the BloodHorse. “But he behaved and he didn't try to overdo it, which is what I was more concerned with than anything else since I tried freshening him up. But he actually was very, very comfortable in the work, just super easy. So very happy with it.”

Rich Strike sprung an 80-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby, winning by three-quarters of a length from favorite Epicenter. Skipping the Preakness (G1), he went on to finish unplaced in the 1 1/2 mile Belmont. The Travers is run at the Kentucky Derby's 1 1/4 mile distance.

Reed added that Rich Strike would work again around July 16 before shipping to Churchill Downs, where he would have a couple of works before heading to upstate New York.

The post Rich Strike Breezes Half Mile at Mercury Training Center In Return to Worktab appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Alcohol Free provided a shock Saturday at Newmarket to defeat strong opposition and take the Darley July Cup (G1).

Jockey Rob Hornby made it a weekend to remember adding success in the Darley July Cup to his brilliant performance riding 16-1 Prosperous Voyage in defeating 1-7 favorite Inspiral in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (G1).

Alcohol Free, a dual Group 1 winner at a mile last season, was ninth in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot last month on her first start at six furlongs since her 2-year-old days.

Several of the sprinters that finished in front of her that day were running again at Newmarket, but the 14-1 chance coped much better with the strong six-furlong pace.

Sitting behind the front-running Naval Crown, Rob Hornby sent her to the front inside the final quarter.

Alcohol Free finished well to beat Naval Crown into second place 1 ½ lengths back, with Artorius, the Australian-trained challenger, staying on from off the pace to finish third. Time for the six furlongs on good to firm turf was 1:09.47.

Alcohol Free returned $32.80 in North American pools.

Trainer Andrew Balding's filly's biggest previous wins came last year at Goodwood in the Qatar Sussex Stakes, at Ascot in the Coronation Stakes (G1), and at Newmarket in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1).

Owned by J. C. Smith, Alcohol Free is 4-year-old filly by Coolmore's Irish-based stallion No Nay Never and was bred in Ireland by Churchtown House Stud from the Hard Spun mare Plying. This is the family of 1971 champion 2-year-old filly Numbered Account.

The post Hornby Gets Group 1 Double At Newmarket As Alcohol Free Wins Darley July Cup At 14-1 Odds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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At the ripe age of 8-years-old, the veteran iron horse Channel Maker continued his winning ways by capturing Friday's $150,000 Grand Couturier at 12 furlongs for older horses over Belmont Park's Widener turf course.

Channel Maker, the 2020 Champion Turf Male, has captured some of the NYRA circuit's premier Grade 1 turf events for older horses including the Man o' War [2019], Sword Dancer [2020] and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic [2018, 2020].

The Grand Couturier score marked the ninth career stakes victory for Channel Maker, who has won at least one stakes race in six of his seven years of racing, dating back to the 2016 Vandal at Woodbine during his juvenile season.

Winless in six starts last year, the son of fellow turf champion English Channel commenced his 8-year-old season on a winning note in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 23 at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He entered from his fifth appearance in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 11 at Belmont, finishing ninth after missing the break.

Channel Maker flaunted his usual head-high frontrunning tactics when breaking from post 3 with Highest Honors applying pressure to his outside heading into the first turn through an opening quarter-mile in 25.02 seconds over the firm going. Positions remained unchanged down the backstretch with four lengths covering the five-horse field as Channel Maker marked the half in 50.47 and three quarters in 1:16.31.

As the field approached the far turn, Luis Saez nudged Channel Maker slightly as Highest Honors began to inch his way closer to even terms with Solider Rising under a drive and looming from a close fourth. Highest Honors and Channel Maker were nip-and-tuck just past the quarter pole with the latter maintaining a slight advantage.

Solider Rising gave Channel Maker a bigger problem from the three-path, briefly capturing command at the stretch call. But Channel Maker showed the heart of a true champion, turning back a game Soldier Rising to win by a neck in a final time of 2:27.54. Soldier Rising finished another length ahead of Highest Honors, followed by British Royalty and Admission Office.

Saez, also aboard for the Elkhorn, is the sixth jockey to have won aboard Channel Maker, who returned $4.50 as the favorite.

“He always tries – that's him. He's always waiting on other horses, and today he came to the top of the stretch and was fighting,” Saez said. “He finally got the jump in the last bit. He fights and he doesn't win that impressively, but he can run in a little stake or a big stake the same. He just wants to be there first and he doesn't want to give in to anyone.”

Now boasting a record of 46-9-6-5 and earnings in excess of $3.6 million, Channel Maker continues to leave his connections in awe. Dean Reeves, who co-owns Channel Maker with R.A. Hill Stable, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, credited Mott for keeping the horse in good form.

“To keep an 8-year-old at this level – a horse that's come back from overseas – and has won so many Grade 1s is impressive. He's got the horse to work with, who has tremendous heart,” Reeves said. “He wants to be on the lead and you've got to come beat him. He showed today his tenacity and heart – if they were all like that we'd be having blanket finishes. He's a fan favorite and it's great that he's stayed around for this long, so the fans really get to where they know Channel Maker.”

Reeves noted the whirlwind ride Channel Maker has taken his connections on, including four Grade 1 wins, and two international engagements in the Middle East led by a runner-up effort in the 2021 Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“He runs in Grade 1s, and he's been all over the world and he just gets it done. He brings his best game every time,” Reeves said. “Today, he showed just the kind of horse he is because I thought he was beat. Soldier Rising, I thought, had it. But he just saw him out of the corner of his eye and said, 'No. I'm going to get there.' He shows up every time.”

Bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker is out of the black type producing Horse Chestnut mare In Return. Her other progeny are multiple graded stakes-placed Court Return, four-time winner Proud Vixen and Grade 1-winner Johnny Bear, who is a full-brother to Channel Maker.

Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont Park with an 11-race program for the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival, which is headlined by the first legs of the Caesars Turf Triple Series – the Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds going 10 furlongs in Race 9 and the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks in Race 7. The stacked card also includes Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong handicap for older horses in Race 4 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies in Race 8. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post ‘Tremendous Heart’: 8-Year-Old Channel Maker Back On Top In Friday’s Grand Couturier appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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