Tag: Racing

Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock is prominent on the nominations list for the $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) July 2 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig, Drain the Clock is one of 14 3-year-olds and up nominated to the six-furlong sprint that will be featured on the Summit of Speed program headlined by the $300,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2).

Bo Hirsch LLC's Ce Ce is scheduled to defend her title in the Princess Rooney, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. The Michael McCarthy-trained daughter of Elusive Quality, who captured the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) and an Eclipse Award last year, is featured on a list of 14 invitees and three reserve invitees.

The Smile is one of 12 graded dirt stakes included in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen, an incentive-based participation bonus program. The winner of the Smile will earn a $30,000 credit toward the entry fee for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The second-place finisher will earn a $15,000 credit, while the show horse will earn a $7500 credit.

Drain the Clock earned his Grade 1 credentials with a victory in the Woody Stephens on the 2021 Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard. The 4-year-old son of Maclean's Music also won the Bay Shore (G3) at Aqueduct and the Swale (G3) at Gulfstream last year. He hasn't run since finishing off-the-board in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on the March 26 Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard.

Joseph is also represented on the Smile Sprint nominations list by John Fanelli, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's Awesome Gerry, who is coming off back-to-back optional claiming allowance scores at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, and Girolamo's Attack, who is coming off an optional claiming allowance win at Gulfstream.

Lightening Larry and Willy Boi represent Lea Farms LLC and trainer Jorge Delgado on the Smile Sprint nominations list. Lightening Larry, a 3-year-old son of Uncaptured, is coming off a victory on the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico on the May 21 Preakness Stakes undercard. Willy Boi captured the May 26 Big Drama Stakes at Gulfstream by 5 ¼ lengths.

Lightening Larry and Willy Boi are among nine Smile nominees that are eligible for a $50,000 Florida-bred “Win Only” bonus.

Daniel Walters' Absolute Grit, who romped to victory in the June 9 Cooper City by seven lengths to collect his fourth win in five starts for trainer Rohan Crichton; David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's King Cab, the runner-up in the Big Drama; and Elizabeth Dobles and Imaginary Stables' Pudding, who captured the Sprint Stakes for Florida-breds at Tampa two starts back; are also nominated to the Smile Sprint.

Diamond Oops, the 2019 Smile Sprint winner who finished third in last year's running, is also among this year's nominees, along with Gatsby, Legal Deal, Omaha City, Real Talk and Yes I'm a Beast.

The $100,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up on Tapeta that will wrap up Summit of Speed weekend July 3, also drew 14 nominations, including Richard Ravin and Patricia's Hope's One Timer. The Larry Rivelli-trained 3-year-old son of Trappe Shot is undefeated in three starts, including two stakes wins, on Tapeta. One Timer is coming off a victory in his 2022 debut in the Tom Ridge at Presque Isle Downs.

The post Smile Sprint Nominations Led By Grade 1 Winner Drain The Clock appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lothenbach Stables' Grade 1 winner Bell's the One and Lloyd Madison Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Sconsin, two of the top filly and mare sprinters in the country, are set to clash Saturday in an extremely competitive renewal of the $200,000 Chicago Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Bell's the One and Sconsin were entered against seven rivals in the seven-furlong Chicago. First post Saturday is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. and the Chicago will go as Race 9 of 10 with a post time of 4:55 p.m.

Bell's the One and Sconsin have faced one another in several starts. Most recently, Sconsin got the better of Bell's the One by a half-length in the $300,000 Open Mind. Prior to that start, Bell's the One was victorious by three-quarters of a length over Scosin in the $110,000 Roxelana.

Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One has won four of her 11 lifetime starts at Churchill Downs. Her most notable win was in the 2020 Derby City Distaff (G1) where she defeated former Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress by a scant nose. Jockey Corey Lanerie has ridden Bell's the One in 19 of 24 starts. He'll be aboard the 6-year-old Majesticperfection mare from post No. 4.

Sconsin, trained by Greg Foley, returned four weeks ago from an eight month layoff in the $200,000 Winning Colors (G3). In the Winning Colors, Sconsin defeated four rivals by three-quarters of a length. Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione was named on the 5-year-old Include mare and drew post 7.

Whitham Thoroughbreds multiple Grade 3 winner Four Graces will attempt to avenge her runner-up effort in last month's $750,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) in the Chicago. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces won the 2020 Dogwood (G3) and Beaumont (G3) as a 3-year-old. In the Derby City Distaff, the now 5-year-old mare, battled hard against Obligatory but fell three-quarters of a length short. Regular rider Julien Leparoux will be in the saddle from post 6.

Belladonna Racing's $160,000 Roxelana Stakes winner Bayerness returns for the Chicago. Bayerness scored a 4 ½-length win in the April 30 Roxelana, her first start in more than eight months for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Jockey Luis Saez will be in town to pilot the five-time winning daughter of Bayern from the rail.

Godolphin's Pennybaker is another talented filly that was entered in the Chicago. The five-time winner, trained by Mike Stidham, arrived in his barn this spring from France and sports a stout 6 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Heavenly Cause Stakes. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro is on a five-race win streak which dates back to Aug. 19, 2021 at Deauville when she broke her maiden. Pennybaker will be ridden by James Graham out of post 2.

The Chicago field is rounded out by 2021 La Brea (G1) winner Kalypso and Grade 3 winner Lady Rocket.

This will be the second time the Chicago Stakes has been run at Churchill Downs. The storied race was previously run at Arlington. The other time the Chicago was run at Churchill Downs was in 2017 when Finley'sluckycharm defeated nine rivals as the heavy 1-5 favorite.

Here's the field in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer):

1. Bayerness (Saez, DeVaux)
2. Pennybaker (Graham, Stidham)
3. Lady Rocket (Ricardo Santana Jr., Brad Cox)
4. Bell's the One (Lanerie, Pessin)
5. Kalypso (Gerardo Corrales, Steve Asmussen)
6. Four Graces (Leparoux, Wilkes)
7. Sconsin (Gaffalione, Foley)

The post Bell’s The One, Sconsin Renew Rivalry In Saturday’s Chicago Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Aidan O'Brien has supplemented Epsom Oaks winner Tuesday for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday.

One of 16 horses going forward for the weekend's highlight, she will be ridden by Ryan Moore as she bids to become the third horse to win the Oaks and the Irish Derby after success in both races for Salsabil in 1990 and Balanchine four years later.

O'Brien, a record-breaking 14-time winner of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, has also left Anchorage, Changingoftheguard, Stone Age and Temple Of Artemis in the race with Epsom Derby third Westover, trained by Ralph Beckett and the mount of champion jockey Colin Keane, heading a British-trained challenge that also includes David Menuisier's Lionel.

Donnacha and Joseph O'Brien are well represented, with Piz Badile set to run for the younger sibling and Hannibal Barca, winner of the Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh on his first start in Ireland last month, Buckaroo and Vega Magnifico possible runners for his brother. Paddy Twomey's French Claim remains in contention along with Jim Bolger's Boundless Ocean and Manu Et Corde, the Dermot Weld-trained Duke De Sessa and Andy Oliver's Glory Daze.

The Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes heads up Saturday's supporting card and Aidan O'Brien holds another strong hand with Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle Stakes winner Little Big Bear and Coventry Stakes fourth Blackbeard standing their ground, with Michael O'Callaghan's Norfolk Stakes third Crispy Cat and John O'Donoghue's Chesham Stakes runner-up Pearling Path also among the 12 contenders.

There are 13 horses going forward for Saturday's ARM Holding International Stakes with last season's Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Mac Swiney and Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Helvic Dream, trained by Jim Bolger and Noel Meade respectively, potential rivals for the likes of Gear Up and Patrick Sarsfield from the Joseph O'Brien yard, the Michael Halford-trained Bear Story and Paddy Twomey's Rumbles Of Thunder.

The Twomey-trained Rosscarbery has been supplemented for the Group 1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes, the feature race on the Curragh's Sunday card. Unbeaten in four starts this season, she could be joined in the race by her stable companion La Petite Coco.

In opposition might be the recent Longchamp Group 1 winner Above The Curve, trained by Joseph O'Brien and Aidan O'Brien's Concert Hall. From across the Irish Sea, David Simcock's Ad Infinitum is one of four potential challengers along with the Ed Walker-trained Dreamloper, winner of the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp last time, and two from the William Haggas stable, My Astra and Purplepay.

The post Classic-Winning Filly Tuesday Supplemented To Irish Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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