Tag: Racing

King Ottoman went from being a footnote to the headline when he captured Lone Star Park's $300,000 Texas Derby on Memorial Day. Now Three Chimney Farms' 3-year-old colt can take another step toward building his resume in Saturday's $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

King Ottoman, to be ridden by meet-leading jockey Marcelino Pedroza, is the 5-1 fourth choice in the field of 10 horses entered in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby. First post is 12:20 p.m. ET, with the Indiana Derby set for 6:40 p.m. as the last of 12 races.

“He's obviously a very talented horse,” said King Ottoman's Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. “We always thought very highly of him, and were surprised in the races he got beat in. So it was great to see him put it all together in a race that meant so much to me (living in nearby Arlington).

“The Indiana Derby is a good opportunity. It's a graded stakes, and we want that on his resume – and expect him to run even better than he did in the Texas Derby. We expect him to finish off his 3-year-old season well but be even better as an older horse.”

King Ottoman had been best known as the workmate for 2-year-old filly champion Echo Zulu in the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Oaks. The role of work partner of a top horse often is as unglamorous as it is important, while decidedly short on fame. The workmate must challenge its stablemate to ensure the better-known horse gets enough out of the workouts. At the same time, the workmate must also be of stout mind to handle the competition.

“He's also a product of my parents' training center,” said Asmussen, referencing Keith and Marilyn Asmussen's El Primero training facility outside of Laredo, Texas, where many of the trainer's horses get their early lessons on being a racehorse. “He handles (things) extremely, and he obviously has a good level of ability. He's had a temperament that you were very comfortable with having him be around her — and having enough ability that she'd get something out of the works with him. But I think it's his time to come into his own.”

King Ottoman certainly is familiar with big race days, just not the featured attraction but rather maiden races. He finished fourth in his first two starts, which came on the undercards for the Grade 2 Risen Star in New Orleans and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He subsequently ran third in the maiden race that kicked off the Kentucky Derby program.

The performance was good enough that Asmussen jumped King Ottoman into stakes company. King Ottoman repaid the confidence by wearing down the leaders late to take the Texas Derby by a head under meet-leading rider Stewart Elliott.

“It was a quickly run maiden race and it was a one-turn mile,” Asmussen said of the Derby Day race. “I think he's better suited for farther. But it was a good time, quite a bit of traffic with a full field. With the timing of it, we felt he had gotten enough out of the race to take the chance in the Texas Derby — and proved right.”

Asmussen is well familiar with King Ottoman's sterling pedigree, having trained both his mom and pop. The colt is a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and out of the Tapit mare Shook Up, who finished second in the 2015 Kentucky Oaks.

“Huge pedigree,” he said. “A son of Curlin, very big-bodied horse, obviously getting considerably better with his races. Definitely don't believe we've seen the best of him yet.”

Pedroza will be aboard King Ottoman for the first time.

“When you have a horse trained by Steve Asmussen, he's just won the Texas Derby and he's in great form right now. He's probably going to be one of the favorites,” Pedroza said. “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to ride the horse, and let's see. Hopefully the home team can get it done.”

Pedroza is working on his fourth Indiana riding title, all since 2017. He'd love nothing more than to be able to add the track's biggest race to his record.

“That would be great,” he said. “You always want to win. This is where I'm riding the most right now. It would mean a lot to win an Indiana Derby. I'm just fortunate to be in it. If you get the job done, even better.”

The Indiana Derby field (with jockey/trainer and morning line odds in post position order):

1. Trademark (Rafael Bejarano/Victoria Oliver, 15-1)
2. First Glimpse (Orlando Mojica/Carlos Silva, 20-1)
3. Mowins (Jon Court/Michael Lauer, 15-1)
4. King Ottoman (Marcelino Pedroza/Steve Asmussen, 5-1)
5. New Year's Fever (Rodney Prescott/Brandi Steele, 20-1)
6. Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr./Kenny McPeek, 5-2)
7. Best Actor (Florent Geroux/Brad Cox, 4-1)
8. Actuator (James Graham/Michael McCarthy, 7-2)
9. Un Ojo (David Cohen/Robertino Diodoro, 6-1)
10. Fowler Blue (Sonny Leon, Doug O'Neill, 8-1)

The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

The post Workmate Of Champion Echo Zulu, King Ottoman Ready To ‘Come Into His Own’ In Indiana Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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BB Horses' Miss Leslie tops Saturday's 85th renewal of the $500,000, Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. The filly and mare summer classic has attracted a field of seven. The Delaware Handicap has been carded as the seventh race with an approximate post time of 3:30 p.m.

In her most recent effort, Miss Leslie notched a half-length victory in the local prep, the 1 1/16-mile $150,000 Obeah Stakes on June 8. Previously, the 4-year-old daughter of Paynter won the mile and seventy-yard $106,000 Serena's Song at Monmouth Park by 4 ½-lengths on May 8. The Kentucky-bred trained by Claudio Gonzalez has career record of nine wins, three seconds and two thirds from 21 starts with $565,650. She is unbeaten at Delaware Park. In her only other outing over the Stanton-oval, she posted a 5 ¼-length score in a mile and seventy-yard allowance last year.

“She is coming into the race really good,” said trainer Claudio Gonzalez. “She came back in great shape after the Obeah Stakes. The longer the race, the better it is for her. The older she gets the better she gets. She has become so much more mature this year which is reason she has been getting better with each race. We feel good that she likes the track. She won the Obeah and last year, she won a nice allowance at Delaware. She seems like she is getting better with each start, she should like distance and she likes the track, so we are looking forward to this Saturday.”

Michael Dubb and Gandharvi Racing Stables's Battle Bling will be looking to turn the tables on Miss Leslie. In her last, she ran second to Miss Leslie as the 4-to-5 favorite in the Obeah Stakes. Previously, Battle Bling was fourth in the G1 La Troienne over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs on May 6. The 4-year-old daughter of Vancouver trained by Rob Atras has a career record of thee wins, seven seconds and a third from 17 starts with earnings of $315,617.

Since the Obeah Stakes was inaugurated in 1996, three fillies or mares have won the race and followed with a victory in the Delaware Handicap. They were the 2006 older female champion Fleet Indian, I'm a Chatterbox, who won the race in 2016, and Miss Marissa, who won last year. Two fillies have finished second in the Obeah and won the Delaware Handicap. They were Power Play in 1997 and Unbridled Belle in 2007. Three winners of the Obeah Stakes have followed by running second in the Delaware Handicap. They were Under the Rug in 2001, Your Out in 2002, and the 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

500,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap

PP	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Let's Cruise	Giles & Hilliebrand	McLean Robertson	Carol Cedeno	113	8-1
2	Onyx	Arindel	Juan Alvarado	Jeremy Rose	112	10-1
3	Tonal Vision	Ten Strike Racing	Juan Carlos Guerrero	Jeiron Barbosa	116	8-1
4	Battle Bling	Dubb & Gandharvi Racing	Rob Atras	Kendrick Carmouche	117	3-1
5	Microcap	Gulliver Racing	Grant Forster	Jorge Vargas Jr	114	4-1
6	Bees and Honey	Gainesway & Rosen	Claude McGaughey III	Umberto Rispoli	115	6-1
7	Miss Leslie	BB Horses	Claudio Gonzalez	Angel Cruz	121	2-1

The post Local Prep Winner Miss Leslie Tops Saturday’s Delaware Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pocket Aces Racing's Temple City Terror tops Saturday's $200,000, Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park Wilmington, Del. The 1 3/8-mile turf affair for fillies and mares has attracted a field of ten. The Robert G. Dick Memorial has been carded as the sixth race with an approximate post time of 3:00 p.m.

In her most recent start, the 6-year-old daughter of Temple City posted a half-length triumph in the mile and a half $160,000 Keertana Stakes over the Churchill Downs turf course on May 28. In her only other outing this season, the Kentucky-bred conditioned by Brendan Walsh finished fifth in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance at Keeneland on April 14.

“She came out of her race at Churchill Downs in good shape and her workouts since have been solid, so we are pretty confident she is going to run a good race on Saturday,” said Walsh. “Considering her recent form and her experience, this should be a really good for spot for her.”

Last year, Temple City Terror won the the Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs before running third in the Robert G. Dick Memorial. She followed by closing her 2021 campaign with a third in the 1 1/2-mile G2 Glenn Falls at Saratoga. Before making any plans beyond Saturday, however, her connections are focused on the Robert G. Dick Memorial.

“We will see how Saturday goes first,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “The main thing is she is doing good coming into this race and we hope she runs a good race. Maybe we can go one or two better than we did last year in this race. That is what we are thinking about now.”

Temple City Terror has a career record of five wins, four seconds, and five thirds from 24 starts with earnings of $435,718.

Trainer H. Graham Motion will be going for his ninth career victory in the Robert G. Dick Memorial when he sends Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Sister Otoole postward. Since Motion won the Delaware Handicap with Power Play in 1997, he has made a point of making sure he has starters in the big Delaware Park races. He has also won the Delaware Oaks twice and he has won the Robert G. Dick Memorial eight of the 25 renewals. He won the Robert G. Dick with Guilty Twelve (2017), Real Smart (2016), Caprice (2009), Rosinka (2007), Alternate (2003 and 2004), New Economy (2002) and Bursting Forth (1999).

Sister Otoole will be bringing a career record of two wins, four seconds and three thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $198,032 into the race. In her most recent, the 5-year-old daughter of Amira's Prince was fourth in the G2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont on May 7. Previously, the Florida-bred finished fourth in the G3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park on April 2.

$200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Key Biscayne	Arindel	Juan Alvarado	Daniel Centeno	118	12-1
2	Belle Belisa	GoldMark & Applegate	Michael Dickinson	Tyler Conner	118	10-1
3	Treasure Trails	Lucille Bishop	Cara Holtzinger	Angel Moreno	118	15-1
4	La Lune	Alex Frost	Edward Vaughan	Angel Suarez	118	5-1
5	Sister Otoole	Eclipse Thoroughbred	H. Graham Motion	Kendrick Carmouche	118	10-1
6	Stand Tall	Humphrey & Ashbrook	George Arnold II	Feargal Lynch	118	4-1
7	Whimsical Muse	USA Thor & Cavallino	Kelly Breen	Albin Jimenez	122	8-1
8	Gladys	Dede McGehee	Kelsey Danner	Jaime Rodriguez	122	10-1
9	Luck Money	Catherine Mills	Arnaud Delacour	Mychel Sanchez	118	6-1
10	Temple City Terror	Pocket Aces Racing	Brendan Walsh	Umberto Rispoli	124	3-1

The post Temple City Terror Tops Field Of 10 In Saturday’s Robert Dick Memorial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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