Tag: Racing

Sam Freedman has said it would give him a huge “sense of national pride” if Artorius can become the first Australian-trained horse to win the Darley July Cup at the Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket after impressing in a gallop on the July Course.

After finishing third on his first start in Britain in last month's Group One Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the 3-year-old of Flying Artie will now bid to go two places better by giving his country a breakthrough success in the six-furlong Group One, which this year is worth a record £600,000 (about US$716,000).

With the sporting rivalry between Britain and Australia stretching far beyond the boundaries of horseracing, Freedman believes victory for the globetrotting colt, who he trains in partnership with his father Anthony, would be well received by those back home.

Artorious, who runs in the colors of China Horse Club, Newgate Stud Farm and Partners, is a winner at the top level back in Australia having claimed the Group One Neds Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February of last year.

The closest an Australian-trained horse has come to winning the Darley July Cup was in 2003, when Choisir finished as runner-up to Oasis Dream.

Freedman said: “There is that rivalry between Australia and England but it's healthy and good for racing in general to have competition like this.

“There would definitely be a sense of national pride if he won, particularly as there will be a huge Australian contingency coming over for the week of the sales and races.

“This horse really sums up Australian racing as he was purchased for not a lot of money (120,000 Australian dollars, around US$80,500). We syndicated him among stable clients and he then won a big race and a stud got involved. He sums up how a horse can change people's lives.

“There are people that have come over and it is the first horse they have owned so that gives you an added sense of national pride as you feel like you want him to perform well for the whole stable and the country.

“If he could win a Group One in both hemispheres it would look good on his CV.”

In order to acquaint himself with his next assignment Artorius was put through his paces by his big-race rider Jamie Spencer in a four-furlong spin at the July Course today (Friday 1st July) ahead of his return to the track on Saturday week.

Working alongside the Harry Eustace-trained Ancient Times, Artorius finished upsides his gallops companion, much to the delight of Freedman.

The trainer said: “The work went really well. They just went four furlongs and quickened up the last 400 yards. He really started to hit top gear the last 100 yards.

“A really good part of his attitude is that he never overdoes it and he conserves his energy. That was as good as I've seen him work for a while. He seemed to handle the track well enough.”

Reflecting on his performance at the Royal meeting, Freedman was delighted with the effort which he believes not only justifies the horse staying on for the Darley July Cup but one that offers encouragement of even better to come.

Freedman, who spent two years working in Newmarket with trainer Roger Varian, said: “He put a lot into the race at Ascot and lost a little bit of weight but he put it back on a couple of days later. He bounced out of it well and he seems to be thriving at the moment.

“Ascot was one of those things. He got that little check at the 75-metre mark and it just halted his momentum. He did a very good job to pick up again.

“We couldn't have been happier how he performed and like we said – he just needs things to go right in a field of that size. It was a brilliant ride and the horse performed very well. He just didn't get the break at the right time.

“If anything he has probably improved a tad for the run as he hadn't run since March. He is now in an established routine and we hope he can improve again on his next start.

“The stiffer the finish at Newmarket will be better for him as that is when he is doing his best work and horses up on the speed are tiring.

“A slightly smaller field is probably not as ideal as I do think he does enjoying being amongst them but if they go a good tempo, which they usually do over here, then he can settle and finish off well.”

Throughout his career Artorius, who is based in Newmarket at the yard of Charlie Fellowes for his UK stay, has made a habit of starting slowly. However, Freedman feels that if anyone can get the best of him it is twice champion jockey Jamie Spencer.

He added: “What has cost him more wins is his lack of early speed and when you are slow out of the gates in Australia it becomes increasingly difficult to bridge the gap as they are largely tight, turning tracks with short straights.

“Fortunately (breaking from the gates) it is not as significant here as it is in Australia and you do get time to get into a rhythm and work into the race. He takes a bit of time to get into gear but once he hits top speed he can sustain it.

“We've been trying to change it (sharpness out the gates) for 12 months but unfortunately his biggest attribute and to his detriment is how laidback he is, however it is not something we are going to able to change now as he is an established horse.

“Jamie is the best drop out rider in the country and this horse is a drop out horse. Mark Zahra has done a lot of the prep work on him at home but we were keen to change it up a little bit.

“Jamie has now had a sit on him and done a couple of little pieces of work on him so he has a good handle on the horse now so it all bodes well.

“Jamie was very complimentary last time and the first thing he said when he got off him was that he would definitely improve for this and that it might switch him on, which is something we've noticed in his training since.

“To his credit he has never run a bad race but hopefully he will get his time in the sun again in the July Cup.”

For now the focus might be on ensuring Artorius gets to the July Cup in the best shape possible but having seemingly enjoyed the experience this time Freedman admits a return trip to Britain is likely to be on the agenda in 2023.

He added: “The whole experience has been awesome and hopefully he can win the July Cup but going forward we will be looking to identify more horses to bring over here.

“He will probably come back next year for the Platinum Jubilee as a four year old as having handled all this before we know it is not going to bother him, although he would still need to be racing at a high level back in Australia to justify coming back.

“Hopefully bringing him over will result in a lot more Australians bringing horses over in the future.”

The post ‘National Pride’ At Stake As Australian-Trained Artorius Takes On Saturday’s July Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bass Racing's Kentucky homebred Annapolis was an empathic winner for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Monday's $100,000 Manila for sophomores going one-mile over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

The win gave Pletcher a sweep of the weekend stakes at Belmont after taking both the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud with Life Is Good and the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer with Charge It on Saturday, as well as the $100,000 Perfect Sting with Jouster on Sunday.

“We've had a great weekend,” said Pletcher. “It's been a lot of fun for the whole team and a lot of people putting in a lot of work for it. I'm grateful.”

Annapolis improved from a runner-up effort last time out when he labored over soft turf in the Grade 2 Penn Mile on June 3 at Penn National and suffered his first career defeat. The Manila was the second stakes win from four lifetime starts for the lightly-raced son of War Front.

“I can't emphasize enough how soft the ground was at Penn,” Pletcher said of Annapolis' last outing. “It wasn't your normal soft turf course, it was bottomless.”

Annapolis broke from post 2 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons and settled into fourth while stablemate Chanceux set an even tempo up front, coasting through an opening quarter-mile in 23.41 seconds over the firm turf. Boston Tea Party pressed a half-length behind before coming to even terms with Chanceux as the field reached the turn. Coinage angled to the three-path with two foes to his inside to make it three across the track after a half-mile in 46.14.

It looked to be anyone's race as the field straightened for the drive to the wire and Annapolis needed to find a seam, but Ortiz, Jr. guided him confidently to split rivals and display a powerful turn of foot down the center of the racetrack, leaving the others in his wake to fight for second. Annapolis was in hand at the sixteenth pole and strolled home a 2 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:32.81. He returned $3.30 for a $2 win wager.

Double Clutch responded well to urging from Manny Franco to close from last and secure place honors by a half-length over Ready to Purrform. Chanceux rounded out the superfecta with Boston Tea Party, Coinage and Smokin' T completing the order of finish. Ohtwoohthreefive was scratched.

Pletcher said he was pleased to see Annapolis find racing room in the final quarter-mile.

“He was loaded up and had plenty of horse and just needed a place to go. Fortunately, it kind of opened up and he was able to get his way through there,” said Pletcher. “He was actually a touch closer than I thought he would be. He was on his game from the beginning, but he [Ortiz, Jr.] hid him pretty well and he was able to get through and kicked on nicely. I thought it was a good gallop out.”

Ortiz, Jr. said everything worked out perfectly once Annapolis found an opening.

“Going to the quarter-pole, my horse was full of run but I had nowhere to go, honestly. I had to wait a couple of strides to get out of there,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I was biding my time and I rode him with confidence. I was able to hold him back going to the quarter-pole and he still overcame everything. He's a nice horse. He was much the best today.

“I got a perfect post position,” Ortiz, Jr. added. “He was there behind the speed and was able to save ground the whole way. In the stretch, I tipped him out and he responded really well.”

Pletcher had considered running Annapolis in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby on Saturday, but said he opted for the Manila to prepare him a stretch-out in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby on August 6.

“We thought really hard about the Belmont Derby but we felt doing that off of one start might be a little bit too much,” said Pletcher.” So, we figured we'd try this and get this under his belt and hopefully set us up for Saratoga. He gives me the impression [that he will stretch out].”

Manny Franco said he was proud of the last-to-second effort from Double Clutch.

“He gave me a great run in the stretch. I was following the winner in the stretch,” Franco said. “I tried to make my move before him, but my horse ran great.”

Annapolis posted a perfect 2-for-2 juvenile campaign, starting with a debut maiden victory in September at Saratoga Race Course before making a successful stakes debut in the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont, registering a determined win by a head over Portfolio Company. He earned $55,000 for his Manila coup, boosting his total purse earnings to $297,600 and improving his record to 4-3-1-0.

Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont with a nine-race card, featuring the $150,000 Grand Couturier in Race 4. 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.

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Becca Taylor won her second graded stakes in a span of 30 days when she captured the $201,000 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) by two lengths Monday at Los Alamitos.

The victory was the ninth in 10 starts—her lone loss came by a nose on turf earlier this year in the Irish O'Brien Stakes at Santa Anita—for the California-bred 4-year-old daughter of Old Topper out of the General Meeting mare Lady Sax. The $120,000 winner's share of the purse pushed her earnings $499,160.

Becca Taylor's victory as the 7-10 choice marked the second stakes success of the meet for owner-breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi. Nine days earlier, they had taken the $100,000 Bertrando with Desmond Doss.

Becca Taylor, who is now 2-for-2 under jockey Juan Hernandez, broke well, disposed of longshot Brandon'smylawyer, who had the lead briefly out of the gate, then repelled challenges from Elm Drive and Samurai Charm in the final quarter. She finished the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.25 on a track rated as fast.

The win was also the second in as many starts at Los Alamitos for the versatile filly. She broke her maiden when 17-1 in her debut during the 2020 Winter Meet.

Favored for the eighth race in a row, Becca Taylor returned $3.40.

Samurai Charm, a 7-1 shot who had won her earlier starts at Los Alamitos, finished second, 1 ¼ lengths in front of 9-2 second choice Elm Drive in third.

“It's funny,'' said Miyadi. “Her form doesn't look like she is real speed, but she is. One day she is going to break running and wow everyone—I hope. As soon as (Elm Drive) kind of took back, Juan knew what to do and he took advantage of the situation.

“That nose (regarding her sole defeat in the Irish O'Brien) is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.''

Hernandez, who rode Becca Taylor for the first time in the Desert Stormer (G3) June 4 at Santa Anita, was impressed.

“It was almost the same race as last time,'' he said. “She was a little aggressive away from there and really responded when I asked her in the stretch. She's getting better and better.''

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A field of 10 that includes recent American Derby victor Rattle N Roll and Texas Derby winner King Ottoman is set for the $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) to be run Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Several horses come into the Indiana Derby off victories in their most recent starts.

King Ottoman, a son of Curlin, owned by Three Chimneys Farm, has drawn post four and will team up with Horseshoe Indianapolis leading rider Marcelino Pedroza Jr. for the first time. The lightly raced 3-year-old hails from the Steve Asmussen barn, and the Indiana Derby will be his fifth career start at his fifth different racetrack.

Trainer Ken McPeek also has entered Rattle N Roll, who on Saturday (July 2) won the off-the-turf American Derby at Churchill Downs.

“Rattle N Roll might be hard to beat three times in a week,” joked Asmussen in a reference to Rattle N Roll's most recent win in Louisville and also being cross-entered in upcoming Iowa Derby Saturday at Prairie Meadows with the Indiana Derby sandwiched in between.

King Ottoman won the Texas Derby, his first career victory, after breaking from post four, and Asmussen was pleased with drawing post four again for the Indiana Derby.

“Number 4 for King Ottoman; it's his lucky number,” Asmussen said.

Rattle N Roll has drawn post six for the Indiana Derby. The chestnut son of Connect was a $210,000 yearling purchase from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Rattle N Roll has three wins, including the 2021 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), in 10 starts with more than $600,000 in career earnings.

“We didn't work him going into the American Derby,” McPeek said. “We went into it off just gallops. The horse has been doing just fantastic. There are limited opportunities for a horse like him. We looked at the calendar and there isn't another race for him until maybe middle to late August.

“I know it's unconventional. I'm a little nervous about it. But we jogged him up and back Sunday morning after the race. He cleaned up (eating) by 8 o'clock the night after he ran. He cleaned up the next morning. He's never been better. We buy horses to race them. It could be exciting. We're going to look at the PPs. Nothing is set until we ship him up there.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. gets the call aboard Rattle N Roll for McPeek.

One horse returning to the track after a big campaign on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail earlier this year is Un Ojo, who has moved to the Robertino Diodoro Stable. The one-eyed son of Laoban was a winner this spring in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park before incurring a foot bruise that took him out of this year's Kentucky Derby. He makes his return from post 9 with David Cohen aboard. Un Ojo is the richest entrant in this year's Indiana Derby with over $782,000 in career earnings. He has a win and a second in three starts for 2022

The field for the Indiana Derby, in post position order with jockey, includes Trademark (Rafael Bejarano); First Glimpse (Orlando Mojica); Mowins (Jon Court); King Ottoman (Marcelino Pedroza Jr.); New Year's Fever (Rodney Prescott); Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Best Actor (Florent Geroux); Actuator (James Graham); Un Ojo (David Cohen); and Fowler Blue (Sonny Leon).

Prior to the Indiana Derby, the 27th running of the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) will lead into the Derby.

Eight fillies have been entered for the Oaks, slated as Race 11, including Black-Eyed Susan winner Interstatedaydream from the Brad Cox barn. The Classic Empire filly, owned by Flurry Racing Stable, has not raced since Preakness Day in mid-May, but comes into the event with two wins and a second in three starts for 2022. Interstatedaydream has drawn post five with Florent Geroux aboard.

A total of eight stakes are included on the Indiana Derby Day racing program.

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