Tag: Racing

Five weeks ago, trainer Michelle Lovell said, “Look at this 2-year-old that is in my barn. I've never had one that acts this professional or with this much class. He could be special.”

Lovell was referring to Cliff and Michele Love's homebred colt Damon's Mound, a son of Girvin who dazzled in his debut Saturday at Churchill Downs with a 12 ½-length romp in a six-furlong maiden special weight contest.

Damon's Mound scorched his 10 rivals in 1:09.84 and recorded a 93 Brisnet Speed Rating, one point faster than top local 2-year-old Gulfport did in his debut three weeks ago beneath the Twin Spires. Gulfport is the 4-5 morning line favorite in Monday's $175,000 Bashford Manor Stakes.

“He's such an amazing horse and has such a great presence for one at this stage of their career,” Lovell said. “He's always done things so professionally in the mornings when he trains, and he really showed us his potential early on.”

Damon's Mound began working at Churchill Downs in late April and recorded two gate works prior to his debut, including a swift :47.60 half-mile move.

Lovell isn't known for training many 2-year-olds. The former jockey switched careers in 2003 and her barn found a new stride in the last two years with multiple stakes winners Change of Control and Just Might. Perry Harrison's former $50,000 claim Change of Control has earned $833,725 while Lovell and co-owner Dr. Robert “Pappy” Griffon's homebred Just Might has earned $958,100.

What's next for Damon's Mound?

“The sky is the limit for this colt,” Lovell said. “I'm so relieved we got yesterday's win out of the way, but he could be very, very special. It's also very gratifying to his owners because they have been in the game for such a long time. They deserve a homebred with his type of potential.”

Damon's Mound and the rest of Lovell's stable will ship to Colonial Downs next week.

The post ‘He Could Be Very, Very Special’: 2YO Colt Damon’s Mound Wows In Career Debut At Churchill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainers Mark and Norm Casse are set to face one another Monday as two of their promising juvenile fillies, Wonder Wheel and Les Bon Temps, headline the $175,000 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The six-furlong Debutante, a listed race, is carded as Race 7 of 9 with a post time of 3:50 p.m. (ET). First post is 12:45 p.m. (ET). The Debutante is part of a stakes trio on closing day of the track's Spring Meet. It shares the July 4 holiday racing spotlight with the $175,000 Bashford Manor Stakes or 2-year-olds  and the $175,000 Hanshin Stakes, both also listed events.

Wonder Wheel, trained by the elder Casse for D.J. Stable, cruised to a 2 ¼-length debut triumph on June 3 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Into Mischief has worked twice since her maiden victory including a swift :46.40 half-mile move Saturday, the best of 125 works recorded at the distance. Churchill Downs' leading rider Tyler Gaffalione will be back aboard.

Norm Casse is set to take on his father with one of his top 2-year-old filly prospects in Les Bon Temps.

Owned by Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson, and Brett Setzer, Les Bon Temps held off Towhead in the final stages of the May 26 maiden special weight contest to win by a neck at odds of 4-5. The bay daughter of late sire Laoban will be ridden by Florent Geroux .

The $175,000 Debutante Stakes in post-position order (with jockey and trainer):

1. Crackalacking (Ferrin Peterson, Sarah Hamilton)
2. Eyes of Gold (Colby Hernandez, Larry Demeritte)
3. Wonder Wheel (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse)
4. Sabra Tuff (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart)
5. Les Bon Temps (Florent Geroux, Norm Casse)
6. Frango Electrico (Rogelio Miranda, Ismael Bahena)
7. Empire of My Own (Julien Leparoux, Steve Asmussen)

The post Casse vs Casse With Promising Fillies In Debutante Stakes At Churchill Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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William and Corrine Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, and Whispering Oaks Farm's impressive seven-length maiden winner Gulfport will try stakes company against five rival 2-year-olds in the $175,000 Bashford Manor Stakes on Monday, July 4, at Churchill Downs.

The 121st running of the Bashford Manor, a listed stakes, will go as Race 6 of 9 with a post time of 3:18 p.m. (ET) on the track's closing day card, which will also feature the $175,000 Debutante Stakes for juvenile fillies and the $175,000 Hanshin Stakes, both also listed events.

Gulfport and three other entrants are making their stakes debuts.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Gulfport dazzled on debut June 10 at Churchill Downs. The bay son of Uncle Mo dominated eight other juveniles as the heavy 1-2 favorite, completing five furlongs in a swift :56.85 and earning a solid 92 Brisnet Speed Rating. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the return call.

Asmussen has won the Bashford Manor six times, most recently with Cazadero in 2020.

Another promising entrant is Susan Moulton's homebred debut winner Andthewinneris, who tries dirt for the first time in the Bashford Manor.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, Andthewinneris caught the eyes of many in his first start April 28 on Keeneland's turf course when he closed from 7 ¾ lengths off the early pace to win by two lengths under Flavien Prat. He earned a 79 Brisnet Speed Rating for the victory in the 5 1/2-furlong event.

The bay son of Oscar Performance has worked twice at Churchill Downs, including a swift half-mile move in :46.80, the best of 155 horses at the distance on June 18. James Graham has the mount.

Trainer Mark Casse will send out D. J. Stable's Stayhonor Goodside. The Ontario-bred son of Honor Code trounced six rivals in his debut on Woodbine's all-weather track with Kazushi Kimura aboard, romping gate to wire for a 5 ½-length victory as the 6-5 favorite. Florent Geroux has the mount.

Owen's Leap, trained by Tom Amoss, captured his debut May 27 at Churchill Downs with Edgar Morales in the irons. The Bolt d'Oro colt won by 1 ¾ lengths going five furlongs.

Two other entrants have previous stakes experience: Mr. Gordy and Simply Super, both unplaced (fourth and eighth, respectively) behind Tom's Regret in the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile Stakes May 5 at Churchill. Each won their respective debuts: Mr. Gordy, a son of Mo Town, on April 13 at Keeneland; Simply Super, by Super Saver, on April 20 at the Lexington track.

All runners carry 120 pounds.

$175,000 Bashford Manor Stakes in post-position order (with jockey and trainer):

1. Gulfport (Brian Hernandez Jr., Steve Asmussen)
2. Owen's Leap (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss)
3. Andthewinneris (James Graham, Wayne Catalano)
4. Mr. Gordy (Gerardo Corrales, John Hancock)
5. Stayhonor Goodside (Florent Geroux, Mark Casse)
6. Simply Super (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker)

The post Fireworks Possible: Talented Juveniles Gulfport, Andthewinneris Seek First Stakes Win In Bashford Manor appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Marablue Farm and Pegasus Stud's Old Homestead, knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten in his last trip to Maryland, got back on the winning track in his return with a popular one-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Concern at Laurel Park.

The sixth running of the seven-furlong Concern for 3-year-olds, honoring the first Maryland-bred winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), served as co-headliner of a 10-race program with the $100,000 Caesar's Wish for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile.

The Concern and Caesar's Wish are the first of 11 stakes worth $1.05 million in purses run every other Saturday during the month of July at Laurel, where the 37-day summer meet began June 3 and continues through Aug. 21.

Ridden for the first time by Charlie Marquez, Old Homestead ($4.60) completed the distance in 1:22.65 over a fast main track to beat fellow stakes winner Nimitz Class by a length and avenge his first career loss in the May 21 Chick Lang (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course after three straight wins.

“I'm glad the old Old Homestead showed up,” winning trainer Brett Brinkman said. “This horse gives you a lot of confidence with how easy he does things, and that day at Pimlico he just looked like he struggled the whole race. He never looked like he was comfortable. I don't know what it was, but it just wasn't his day. I was glad to get him back to the winner's circle.”

Nimitz Class stumbled out of the gate and trailed the field as Old Homestead and Defend to his inside vied for the early lead along with Scaramouche along the rail. Scaramouche forged a short lead after going the opening quarter-mile in 22.68 seconds pressed to his outside by Old Homestead as Defend dropped back into third.

Marquez gave Old Homestead his cue on the far turn and the bay son of Grade 1 winner Overanalyze surged to the front following a half-mile in 45.86. Marquez took a peek behind him as they came into the stretch with the lead, and they were never really threatened coming through the lane. Nimitz Class made a big run on the far outside for second, a length ahead of Scaramouche. Defend and Alottahope completed the order of finish. Tops the Chart was scratched.

“I knew [Defend] was going to show some speed, as well. The goal was to just try and get out of there in front of him and kind of set the pace, and that's what we did,” Marquez said. “We got into a little bit of a duel, but that didn't seem to bother him; in fact, he really enjoyed that. When I asked him to run, he really kicked on.

“Once Defend kind of took back, I kind of took back off [Scaramouche] a little bit and was sitting in like the four path, just to give him a little bit of a breather,” he added. “I came down around the turn, and the trainer mentioned he takes the turns very well, so I tried to make some lengths around the turn and once we straightened out, he was gone. It was game over.”

Old Homestead went unraced at 2 before winning his Jan. 28 unveiling by 11 ½ lengths at Delta Downs, where he returned to beat his elders in an open allowance March 2. His third straight front-running triumph came in his stakes debut, the seven-furlong Lafayette April 8 at Keeneland, before chasing the pace and ultimately finishing fifth in the Chick Lang.

Brinkman credited the 19-year-old Marquez with a great trip for Old Homestead, who had been ridden exclusively by Tom Pompell – a winner of nearly 3,000 career races riding currently in Indiana.

“Once he got away where he did and Charlie put him in position, that's the way the horse breezes when we work him. I felt like if he runs to his breezes he's going to be fine, and he was,” Brinkman said. “For never having sat on him, Charlie followed instructions really well and rode him with a lot of confidence and that always helps matters.”

Concern, trained by the late Dickie Small, won seven of 30 career starts and more than $3 million in purse earnings from 1993-95. His 1994 season included wins in the Breeders' Cup and Arkansas Derby (G2), seconds in the Travers (G1), Super Derby (G1) and Ohio Derby (G2) and thirds in the Preakness (G1), Haskell (G1), Molson Export Million (G2) and Round Table (G3).

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