Tag: Racing

Bound for Nowhere, trained and owned by Wesley Ward, found daylight in late stretch to win in the $203,200 Highlander Stakes (G2) Saturday at Woodbine.

It was a cavalry charge for the lead in the six-furlong turf sprint for 4-year-olds and up contested over a firm E.P. Taylor Course, with Irish-bred Chuck Willis emerging on top. The 6-year-old gelding, on a two-race win streak, proceeded to lead his rivals through an opening quarter in :21.84 as Pablo Morales settled the Bound for Nowhere into sixth.

Chuck Willis was still in control after a half-mile in :44.25, but a host of rivals began to set their sights on the leader around the turn for home.

As the field straightened for the long stretch drive, Arzak took over top spot at the stretch call while Morales and Bound for Nowhere, behind a wall of horses, desperately looked for daylight.

When the opportunity came, the duo punched through and attempted to collar front-running Arzak, which they eventually did, grinding out a one-length triumph in a time of 1:08.01. Bound for Nowhere returned $13.

Arzak finished second, a neck ahead of longshot White Flag. Silent Poet finished fourth.

“For a second, I thought I might be a little closer, but it worked out perfectly,” said Morales. “A lot of horses came out together head and head and I was able to drop in and save a little bit of ground. He was very powerful all the way around there. I was sitting on a ton of horse. I was following a couple that I thought would carry me, but it seemed like everybody sort of stayed together. I was getting a little worried there, but I'm glad I was able to work out a trip. When I put him in the clear, and he felt a little bit of room, he just took off.

“I didn't even see the (Daily Racing) Form. If Wesley Ward wants you to come to Woodbine, I'm going to come to Woodbine. I had no idea what horse it was, of course for my surprise, for a great surprise, I looked at the horse and I'm like, 'Well, you're put on an awesome horse.' I was really excited to be here.”

It was the second straight trip to the winner's circle for multiple graded stakes winner Bound for Nowhere, an 8-year-old son of The Factor out of the Alydeed mare Fancy Deed bred in Kentucky by Wayne Lyster, Gray Lyster, and Bryan Lister.

“He was full of run the whole way,” Morales said. “He broke really good, and I think I put him in a good spot. He wants to go. He's big and strong, there's horses in front of me that are sort of running, but are not really taking off, so mine just wanted to go and go and I'm just trying to stay as close as possible, so when it opens, I can go for it. I was going to go for a wider bid and, you're right, he was he was just powerful all the way around there. I did have to steady him a little bit because he just wants to run them over.”

Bound for Nowhere has nine wins, two seconds, and three thirds from 19 career starts.

The post ‘He Was Full Of Run The Whole Way’: Veteran Bound For Nowhere Overhauls Front-Runner Late To Win Highlander appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Rondure, a 3-year-old Ontario-bred son of Oxbow, put in a head-turning performance in Saturday's $177,900 Marine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

After two troubled starts to launch his career in 2021, Rondure looks to be on the road to a date in the starting gate for the 163rd running of the Queen's Plate.

Ironstone, who went off as the 5-2 choice, galloped out to a sizable lead as the field of eight headed into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race for three-year-olds, holding a four-length advantage through an opening quarter in :24.59, as Allegorical and Rondure, held the second and third spots, respectively.

On top by 1 ½ lengths after a half in :49.06, Ironstone, a multiple stakes-winning son of Mr Speaker, soon had to contend with Rondure and jockey Rafael Hernandez, the duo looming as a major threat heading into the turn for home.

As the field straightened for the dash to the wire, Rondure began to effortlessly distance himself from his rivals, converting a 2 ½-length advantage at the stretch call into a dominating 5 ½ length score. Duke of Love edged Ironstone for second, while Mannix was fourth.

The final time was 1:43.57. Rondure paid $10.40.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva for owner-breeder Borders Racing Stable Ltd., Rondure, now 2-1-0 from five starts, encountered a pair of tough journeys to launch his career last fall. He arrived at the Marine off a second-place finish, a head back of The Minkster, in the Queenston Stakes on June 12.

“I was worried about the short timeline between the Queenston and this race,” Vassilieva said of Rondure, who is out of the Trajectory mare Carat Weight. “There were a few question marks there. But, boy, it didn't seem like a factor at all today. I just told him [Rafael Hernandez] to save as much ground as he could and come from behind. I wasn't sure where exactly he was going to find himself because in the first race, he was more forwardly placed than the last race in the Queenston. So, I just left that up to Rafi. I just wanted him to stay out of trouble and get it as clean of a trip as he could.”

With two wins and a second in his past three starts, the diminutive colt looks like a big-time contender ahead of the Queen's Plate, slated for August 21 at Woodbine.

“Excited, of course,” Vassilieva said about the possibility of a Queen's Plate bid. “But business as usual when it comes to the horse. I'm just going to do what I always do try to take the best care as I can of the horse, do right by him, and hopefully we get to the Plate and get to have some fun.”

The post Rondure Cements Status As Queen’s Plate Contender With Marine Triumph At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It made amends for his last out 17th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby (G1) by posting an authoritative 23-length victory in the $250,000 Dwyer (G3) Saturday at Belmont Park.

The eye-opening triumph in the one-mile test for 3-year-olds came just minutes after Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm notched a graded stakes victory with 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil in the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Breaking from post 1 as the 3-5 favorite, Charge It maintained his inside position in the early stages behind pacesetter Fluid Situation through an opening quarter-mile in :22.47 over the fast main track. Further down the backstretch, John Velazquez angled Charge It to the outside of Fluid Situation and came under steady urging as the half-mile was marked in :44.92.

Charge It took control around the far turn and expanded on his advantage throughout the stretch drive, stopping the clock in 1:34.67. Runninsonofagun secured place honors 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Fluid Situation. Unbridled Bomber, No Sabe Nada and Nabokov completed the order of finish.

The Dwyer was a first graded stakes win for Charge It, who was a game second in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park en route to the Kentucky Derby (G1). He was a gate-to-wire 8 1/2-length winner at first asking in a one-turn mile Gulfstream maiden special weight in February.

Velazquez, who piloted Charge It for the first time, said getting an outside position into the turn was key.

“He felt great. I tried to do what was best for him and tried to get a position that I thought he was going to do it,” said the Hall of Fame rider. “I had to take the position [approaching the turn] because I knew the horse on the lead wasn't going to stay there forever. I didn't want him to put me behind horses that aren't going to last. So, I got into position and then it was easy.”

The victory topped a four-win day for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who captured the John A. Nerud (G2) with Life Is Good and unveiled maiden winner Capensis, a $2 million yearling sale purchase, in a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test. He closed out the card with a turf allowance win by Jerry the Nipper.

Pletcher said he was hoping for a prominent trip for Charge It.

“We drew the one-hole again and needed to come away and establish some position,” Pletcher said. “We felt like that's where we would be and he would work his way into the clear, and it was pretty much game over from there.”

Following the Kentucky Derby, Charge It underwent a minor surgical procedure for a displaced palate, something Pletcher said made a big difference.

“We always had a lot of confidence in this horse's ability,” Pletcher said. “We tried to correct the problem from the Derby [displaced palate], which we think we successfully did. Today, we saw the talent level that we'd been seeing from him.”

Pletcher indicated that Charge It will now target a summer campaign at Saratoga Race Course with potential starts in the $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2) on July 30 and the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) on August 27.

He used the same route with 2003 Dwyer winner Strong Hope, who defeated 2003 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker in that year's Jim Dandy ahead of a third-place finish to Ten Most Wanted in the Travers.

“We were hoping for a good performance today that would put us in the position to look at the Jim Dandy or the Travers or both,” said Pletcher, who also won the 2007 Dwyer with Any Given Saturday. “It was a powerful effort today, so we're back on track to where we thought we were at Florida Derby time.”

Returning $3.20 for a $2 win wager, Charge It banked $137,500 in victory, which brought his lifetime earnings up to $367,900. His record stands at 5-2-2-0.

Hailing from the prominent maternal bloodlines of 2013 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, a half sister to Grade 1-winners Take Charge Indy and As Time Goes By, as well as 2013 Travers winner and champion 3-year-old male Will Take Charge. The influential family also includes Grade 1-winner Omaha Beach and 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi.

The post Going, Going, Gone: Former Classic Starter Charge It Eye-Popping Winner Of Dwyer Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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