Tag: Racing

LC Racing, Cash Is King and Gary Barber's Morning Matcha will be seeking to continue a winning tradition when she faces seven rivals in the $300,000, Grade 3 Delaware Oaks this Saturday. The mile and a sixteenth affair has been carded as the sixth race on the card with an approximate post time of 3:00pm.

The Cash Is King/LC Racing ownership group combined with trainer Robert “Butch” Reid, Jr. to win the the Delaware Oaks with Project Whiskey in 2020. Chuck Zacney, the primary owner of Cash Is King which gained national fame by campaigning Delaware Park maiden winner Afleet Alex to the 3-year-old championship in 2005, has won the Delaware Oaks two more times. In 2019, the greater Philadelphia area native won the race with Jaywalk and in 2007, he won the race Moon Catcher with the his CJZ Racing Stable ownership group.

“Getting back to Delaware Park is special for me because that is kind of where it all started for me with Afleet Alex and Tim Ritchey,” said Chuck Zacney. “I have so many wonderful memories from when Afleet Alex ran there, but I have always loved Delaware Park and I always look forward to going there. It is beautiful and I love the atmosphere and the history of the track. It is my favorite racetrack without a doubt. I am looking forward being down there this Saturday.”

Zacney feels good about Morning Matcha, but he also knows winning the prestigious local races is never easy.

“A lot of good horses have raced in the Delaware Oaks,” Zacney said. “We have run some nice ones in the race and we have gotten very lucky through the years. I have been fortunate to win the race three times and with three different trainers (Robert Reid, John Servis & Tim Ritchey). Lets hope it is four times with three different trainers after Saturday. She is an honest and consistent filly, so we are optimistic about our chances to do it again because this is the kind of race you can never win enough and if I can win another, it will be just as special as the first.”

Morning Matcha has a career record of three wins, four seconds and two thirds from 12 starts with earnings of $334,390. In her most recent, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Central Banker tried the turf for the first time in her career and finished seventh in the seven furlong $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park on June 19.

“She is coming into the race perfect,” said trainer Robert “Butch” Reid, Jr. “We are coming into the race on a little short notice but when we tried her on the turf in her last in New York, she did not do a whole lot of running, so she is still pretty fresh which gave us the idea of coming back in two weeks and taking a shot at the Delaware Oaks.”

Previously, Morning Matcha ran sixth in mile and an eighth $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 20. Her most recent victory was in the in the mile and seventy yard $100,000 Main Line Stakes at Parx on March 8.

Trainer Robert Reid, Jr. is looking forward to the opportunity of winning a second Delaware Oaks.

“I am from South Jersey and I have been coming to Delaware Park since the 1970s and I have been there for quite a few really good Delaware Oaks, so that is a race I would love to win again.”

$300,000 Grade 3 Delaware Oaks

For  3-year-old fillies

at a mile and a sixteenth

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	ODD
1	Republique	J&D Fradkin	Saffie Joseph	Tyler Conner	116	6-1
2	Midnight Stroll	Gatsas, Hill, Schoenfel	John Terranova II	Eric Cancel	116	5-1
3	Shotgun Hottie	Aldabagh & Ganje	William Morey	Trevor McCarthy	116	5/2
4	Chardonnay	Speedway Stable	Michael Stidham	Jaime Rodriguez	116	6-1
5	Morning Matcha	LC, Cash is King, Barb	Robert Reid Jr	Carol Cedeno	120	6-1
6	Sandstone	Susan Moulton	Wayne Catalano	Angel Suarez	116	7/2
7	Unadulterated	Respect the Valleys	Brittany Russell	Feargal Lynch	116	8-1
8	Frippet	Augustin Stable	Jonathan Thomas	TBD	116	12-1

The post Morning Matcha Faces Seven Rivals In Saturday’s Delaware Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer will be looking to prove that his recent upset victory versus graded competition was a not a fluke when he meets seven rivals in the $200,000, Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The mile and an eighth grass stake for 3-year-olds has been carded as the seventh race on the card with an approximate post time of 3:30pm.

In his last outing, Wow Whata Summer returned $168.80 after a posting a 1 ½-length triumph against seven foes in the one mile $400,000 Penn Mile over the Penn National turf course on June 3. In his only other outing this season, the home-bred son of Summer Front finished third in a 5-½ furlong turf allowance at Laurel Park on April 23. Last year, the Kentucky-bred trained by James Lawrence posted a record of a win and a third from five starts. His career record is two wins and two thirds from seven starts with earnings of $296,000.

Trainer James Lawrence has always thought highly of Wow Whata Summer, it had just been a matter of patience.

“Even going into the Penn Mile, we knew he had the ability,” said trainer James Lawrence. “Last year, we just absolutely loved this horse, but he never delivered with what we saw in the morning. We gelded him over the winter and gave him some time off. He just seems like a little different horse now in that when the jockey asks him to go, he goes. We hope he will repeat his effort he had in the Penn Mile in the Kent Stakes. We feel really good that he will. He is coming into the race very well. He looks great and he has been a very happy horse.”

Since his last outing, he has been training steadily at his home base at the Fair Hill Training Center. In his most recent work, he breezed six furlongs in 1:12.60 on the all-weather training course on June 23.

“He had a great breeze last week,” said trainer James Lawrence. “His jockey Tyler Connor breezed him and he said that he had plenty in the tank. I am sure there will be some tough ones coming in from out of town, but we are going to come ready to play.”

His final start last year and his first start this year were the two races his connections used to decide to stay with him going long on the turf.

“His only poor performance was on the dirt at the end of his 2-year-old season,” said trainer James Lawrence. “But gelding him and giving him time, really made a difference. I was very excited about his first race of the year at Laurel. He came from last going short and he finished third, but he finished strong which gave me the confidence to run him longer in the Penn Mile and he responded.”

$200,000 Grade III Kent Stakes

For 3-year-olds

at a mile-and-an-eighth (turf)

#	HORSE	OWNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	Wg	OD
1	Speaking Scout	Eclipse Thoroughbred	H. Graham Motion	Feargal Lynch	119	4-1
2	XY Time	Gelfenstein Farm	Bernardo Lopez	J D Acosta	117	15-1
3	Elizar	Madaket, Dubb Morris	Christophe Clement	Trevor McCarthy	117	4-1
4	Rod Two Rod (MTO)	Gelfenstein Farm	Bernardo Lopez	J D Acosta	117	12-1
5	Wow What a Summer	Jeremy Brooks	James Lawrence II	Tyler Conner	122	10-1
6	Main Event	Harrell Ventures	George Weaver	Eric Cancel	117	2-1
7	Uncle Irish	Kernan & Jagger	Jamie Ness	Jaime Rodriguez	117	12-1
8	King of Hollywood	MonmouthStud & Pinnacle	Gregory Sacco	Mychel Sanchez	117	12-1
9	Tommy Bee	LaPenta & Madaket	Brad Cox	Angel Suarez	119	3-1

The post Wow Whata Summer Out To Prove He’s No Fluke In Saturday’s Kent Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Last year's celebrated winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia, Verry Elleegant has been transferred from trainer Chris Waller to the care of Francis Graffard in France for a try in the Arc de Triomphe this fall.

According to racingpost.com, Graffard is planning to start the mare's European campaign at Deauville in just over a month's time.

“Everything is going well and the mare has acclimatized in Chantilly pretty well,” Graffard to racingpost.com. “We're heading in the right direction and the idea is to perhaps run her in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Aug. 2.”

The one-mile contest would be a step back in trip for Verry Elleegant, but Graffard explained that the mare can be a bit aggressive in her races so he wanted to start her at the shorter distance.

Read more at racingpost.com.

First gallop on the grass at Chantilly for Elle @GraffardRacing @Jour_de_Galop @francegalop @TDNAusNZ @anz_news @7horseracing pic.twitter.com/WmXGfKS8XA

— Verry Elleegant (@VerryElleegant) June 23, 2022

The post Melbourne Cup Heroine Verry Elleegant Targeting European Debut At Deauville appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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