Tag: Racing

Last year's G2 Norfolk Stakes hero Perfect Power showed he will be a sprinter to be reckoned with for the rest of the season with a dominant performance in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on Friday at Royal Ascot.

A dual Group 1-winning juvenile over six furlongs, Richard Fahey's stable star was stretched out over a mile in the 2,000 Guineas, but it was an experiment that didn't come off as he finished seventh.

Given a patient ride today by Christophe Soumillon, the Ardad colt (7/2F) made smooth headway towards the far side and hit the front inside the final furlong to score by a comfortable length and a quarter.

Flaming Rib (14/1) took second, coming home strongly towards the stands' side, with 40/1 chance Flotus half a length further back in third.

Soumillon, enjoying his third Royal Ascot winner, said: “It's great. I think the track was a bit fast for him and, with that draw, I didn't have any option but to sit back. When I looked around at the two-furlong marker, I saw I had seven lengths to make up. I thought that was a bit far, but in the race before I saw Ryan Moore took the same line and the track was looking good there. I'm sure Perfect Power can be much better on softer ground, so it's good news.

“That is the greatness of a top trainer. We tried to give him more stamina for the 2,000 Guineas. Now we know he is a top sprinter. He is a great horse. He has such a big heart and when I came by, I wasn't sure if he would quicken again, and then the last 150 yards he showed another turn of foot.

“It is very special to win here. That is why you have to be very humble when you come over here as it is the toughest place to win races. When you have the chance to ride a great horse for great owners and a great trainer, you have to put it all together.

“Perfect Power was the best 2-year-old I have ridden in terms of speed and, now at three, he is still giving a great performance. I hope this is just his first Group 1 of the season and I'm sure that if he went to Deauville for the Prix Maurice de Gheest, that would be his race. Then maybe at the end of the season we go seven furlongs, but the trainer knows more than me.”

An emotional Fahey said: “He was further back than I wanted, but Christophe Soumillon is the man. When you have a great belief in a horse and he doesn't let you down – it's fantastic.

“When you're a small trainer from the north of England, you need Group 1 horses. He has won three Group 1 races now, and it will be four soon. He is a special horse.

“We lost nothing by having a go at the Guineas. In hindsight we are all geniuses, and he is definitely happier sprinting.

“He is a dude of a horse. He just lays down, eats, trains, and looks at all of us and just carries on with his life.

“You go to work him, switch him on and off, and it is incredible. We switched him on for the last two gallops and it was just sensational. I felt that whatever beat him today would be a special horse.

“This guy when we were training to stay a bit further, we were cantering him from the bottom of the gallop. He has not gone further than five and a half furlongs since then. He just seemed happier in himself and his work was better.

“It is not very often you are confident going into an Ascot race, but last year I thought he was a certainty said to Sheikh Rashid, 'Whatever beats this guy, you buy him he will be a special horse!' Luckily nothing beat him and I have got a special horse!

“We have loads of options. As well as the July Cup, we can go seven furlongs or we can go to the Prix Maurice de Gheest. I will speak to the Sheikh. He is very involved, and I'd like to thank him because I was a little bit worried about the ground as he was a little bit jarred after Newmarket. He just agreed with everything that we discussed and gave me the confidence to have a go today.”

Hugo Palmer said of Flaming Rib: “I was nervous about the ground, although James [Doyle] said he would improve again on better ground. Flaming Rib did a piece of work last week, and he has always been a horse who has worked well, but this was pretty wow stuff. He beat a horse rated considerably higher than him and there is just a chance he has improved again. I am very proud of what he has done.

“I think watching it back now we only had Flotus to beat. Our lad knuckled down and beat her. The cameraman thought he had won and then panned out to Perfect Power, who is very good. He is now a triple Group 1 winner and we have to beat him one of these days I guess.”

Part-owner Michael Owen added: “Flaming Rib is such a tough horse. He beat everything that was around him and then all of a sudden one appears on the far side that he might not have seen. He has run with so much credit.”

Flotus' co-trainer Ed Crisford said: “I was delighted with that – obviously she bounced back to her Cheveley Park form. She has been a bit unlucky this year, with the stalls at Newmarket, and ran a great race at Haydock, but to see her run like that was fantastic. I am so pleased.

“We will see what there is. I don't think she even has a Listed penalty now, because she won before August, so we've got all the options and we'll see where she is. We'll pick and choose for her.”

The post ‘A Dude Of A Horse’: Perfect Power Proves Sprinting Is His Game In Commonwealth Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A dazzling winner of his only two stateside starts, Irish-bred Hong Kong Harry steps into graded stakes competition and shortens up a furlong as he heads a field of 10 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 American Stakes at one mile over the Santa Anita turf.

In what shapes up as perhaps the best betting race on the closing day program, the inaugural American, which was won by Bing Crosby's Ligaroti in 1938 at Hollywood Park, will be contested for the 83rd time on Sunday.

Small in stature but blessed with what appears to be tremendous talent, Hong Kong Harry, a 5-year-old chestnut gelding, won four out of his seven starts in England at ages three and four and made his U.S. debut here at Santa Anita on March 6. Off at 1-2 in a mile and one eighth turf allowance, he was away slowly but won easily by three lengths under Flavien Prat.

With Ramon Vazquez taking over on April 16, the result was similar in a second condition allowance at a mile and one eighth as Hong Kong Harry stalked the early pace, pounced around the far turn and finished up impressively to win by 1 ½ lengths at 9-5.

In his final English start and his only try at one mile on turf, “Harry” was second, beaten a half length as the 7-2 favorite in a field of 10 on Sept. 18.

One of two Phil D'Amato trainees in the American, Hong Kong Harry is owned by Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa and Tony Valazza. With an overall mark of 9-6-1-1, he has earnings of $125,097.

Most recently second, beaten a half length as the 5-2 favorite in the G3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields April 30, Vanzzy would appear to rate big chance in what will be his first start for trainer Dan Blacker. A well beaten fifth in his Southern California debut going six furlongs out of the turf chute in the Clockers' Corner Stakes three starts back on Jan. 22, Vanzzy came back to register an emphatic one-length score in a one mile turf allowance here March 25, earning a lofty 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

A three-time ungraded stakes winner on the east coast, Vanzzy is owned by Michael and Julie Iavarone and will be ridden for the third time in a row by Joe Bravo. With two wins and a second at a mile on grass, Vanzzy, a 5-year-old horse by Verrazano out of the Forest Wildcat mare Selva, is 19-6-2-3 overall with earnings of $390,692.

Although he was never a threat, finishing 11th at 4-1 in the G3 San Francisco Mile, French-bred Ecrivain ran a big third, beaten 1 ½ lengths as the even money favorite in a one mile turf classified allowance on March 25, posting a 93 Beyer. Trained by Richard Mandella and owned and bred by Wertheimer and Frere, 5-year-old Ecrivain will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli, who was aboard two starts back. A two-time Group 3 winner at one mile on turf in France, Ecrivain is 18-4-2-2 overall with earnings of $213,922.

Neil Drysdale's Brazilian-bred Homer Screen, a Group 2 winner at one mile on turf in Brazil, comes off an improved fourth place run going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the G3 Daytona Stakes May 29. Owned by Team Valor International, LLC, 6-year-old Homer Screen rates a solid chance with Drayden Van Dyke aboard for the first time.

Last year's G1 Pacific Classic winner Tripoli, idle since well beaten in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6, returns to turf after running five consecutive races on dirt. Trained by John Sadler and owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, Tripoli has a win, two seconds and a third place finish from five tries at one mile on turf and rates and upset chance with his Pacific Classic-winning jockey Tiago Pereira back aboard.

A 5-year-old horse by Kitten's Joy out of the Tapit mare Love Train, Tripoli is 16-4-3-3 overall with earnings of $889,960.

THE GRADE 3 AMERICAN WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 11 Approximate post time 6 p.m. PT

1. Ecrivain—Umberto Rispoli–124
2. Hong Kong Harry—Ramon Vazquez—122
3. Vanzzy—Joe Bravo—122
4. Gregdar—Ryan Curatolo—122
5. Restrainedvengence—Abel Cedillo—124
6. Kentucky Pharoah—Julien Leparoux—122
7. Tarantino—Juan Hernandez—122
8. Homer Screen—Drayden Van Dyke—122
9. Tripoli—Tiago Pereira—124
10. Majestic Eagle—Edwin Maldonado–122

First post time for an 11-race card on closing day, Sunday is at 1 p.m.

The post Hong Kong Harry Appears Horse To Beat In Sunday’s American Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Santa Anita's leading trainer with 55 wins at closing day entry time, Phil D'Amato seeks his fourth consecutive win in Santa Anita's traditional closing day feature on Sunday, the Grade 3, $125,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes. He'll send out a pair of veterans, 6-year-old Rijeka and 8-year-old past winner Red King, as they figure prominently among a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going a marathon 1 3/4 miles on turf with a hillside start.

Although Red King, who won the 2020 San Juan and was third in last year's edition is the more accomplished of the two, Irish-bred Rijeka is also in sharp current form and he'll be making his third start off an extended layoff on Sunday. An impressive off the pace allowance winner in his first start for D'Amato going 1 3/8 miles on turf three starts back on Aug. 19 at Del Mar, he comes off a clever starter allowance score going 1 ¼ miles on turf here May 15 and has thus won two out of his last three starts, all in partnership with turf ace Joe Bravo.

Like his stablemate Red King, it would appear that Rijeka's best case scenario is to lag early and make a big run late with “Jersey Joe,” who is currently ninth in the standings with 28 wins, including four stakes, riding his first-ever San Juan as he now approaches the one year mark as full-time rider in Southern California.

A 6-year-old gelding owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Michael Nentwig, Rijeka, although he's never won a stakes, has placed in four turf stakes lifetime, including a second place finish in the G3 Cecil B. DeMille at age two. Twice victorious at a mile and one half over the Gulfstream Park turf, he's 31-6-5-3 overall with earnings of $310,440.

A full horse at age eight, Red King, who will be making his fourth appearance in the San Juan Capistrano, having won it in 2020 and finishing third last year and also at age five in 2019, comes off a second place finish in a 1 1/4-mile turf allowance here on May 22. Ridden by Abel Cedillo, “Red” sat much closer to the early pace and finished evenly to be beaten by 1 ¼ lengths at 3-1. Far back early in the G3 San Luis Rey Stakes March 12, he lacked the necessary closing kick and was fifth, beaten 5 ¼ lengths.

A 1 3/8-mile turf allowance winner four starts back on Nov. 7 at Del Mar, Red King is 19-5-2-7 over the Santa Anita lawn and will likely be the post time favorite on Sunday. With Cedillo back aboard, Red King, a son of English Channel out of the A.P. Indy mare Youre Speeding, seeks his third lifetime stakes win in what will be his 41st career start.

Owned by Philip Belmonte and Gordon Jacobsen, Red King is 40-8-6-10 with earnings of $560,555.

Trainer Brendan Walsh's Irish-bred Modus Operandi ships in from Churchill Downs and looms a very serious threat from off the pace with Umberto Rispoli up. A 4-year-old gelding, Modus Operandi has one win from six stateside starts and was most recently a close eighth, beaten 3 ½ lengths in the G3 Louisville Stakes going 1 1/2 miles on turf at Churchill May 21.

A 4-year-old gelding by European superstar Frankel, Modus Operandi was bred in Ireland by Bobby Flay Thoroughbreds and has a 10-2-3-0 overall mark. Owned by Marc Detampel, Fergus Galvin and E Squared Stables, LLC, Modus Operandi will be making his second graded stakes start in his first appearance at Santa Anita.

THE GRADE 3 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

1. Breakpoint—Tyler Baze—122
2. Kazan—Ryan Curatolo—122
3. Avenue—Juan Hernandez—122
4. Dean Martini—Edwin Maldonado—122
5. Red King—Abel Cedillo—122
6. Muhammed Ali—Tiago Pereira—122
7. Modus Operandi—Umberto Rispoli–122
8. Rijeka—Joe Bravo—122

First post time for an 11-race race card on closing day, Sunday, is at 1 p.m.

The post D’Amato Enters Pair In Search Of Fourth Straight San Juan Capistrano Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Steve Bradley's The Ridler (GB) confounded the betting market to pull off a surprise victory in the 5-furlong Norfolk Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds at odds of 50-1 and earned a guaranteed start in the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 4-5.

Just two weeks ago Paul Hanagan, the two-time champion jockey, revealed he would no longer ride as first jockey for trainer Richard Fahey with whom he has a 24-year association. Oisin Orr has since been appointed stable number one.

But Fahey's decision to keep Hanagan on The Ridler paid off when the son of Brazen Beau (AUS) denied the favorite Walbank (IRE), following up the same trainer-jockey triumph with Perfect Power (IRE) in the 2021 Norfolk Stakes.

The connections had to survive a stewards' inquiry as The Ridler, who after challenging widest of the 10 runners in the field, had veered left, impeding Crispy Cat (GB), Brave Nation (IRE) and crossing Walbank on the way to recording a victory by a margin of 1 ¾ lengths. The stewards were satisfied the interference had not improved the winner's placing as Walbank was confirmed runner-up by a neck from Crispy Cat, with Brave Nation finishing fourth.

The Ridler completed the 5 furlongs in 1:05.05 on a course rated good to firm. He also became the highest-priced winner in the history of the Norfolk Stakes.

“It's a worry when you hear the stewards' inquiry klaxon [announcement bell] go but I thought he won so well and pulling up the other lads said I was well clear,” said Hanagan. “When you hit the front there is a lot for a horse to look at here.

“There has been a lot going on but I am just going to enjoy the moment. I've had a few setbacks with injuries and whatsoever but I am here again in the winners' enclosure at Royal Ascot.

“I have to say this is a bit of a surprise,” said winning trainer Fahey. “I would have been happy with a place. He's a good hardy horse and you need a good 6 furlong horse to win this. It was a good performance. It's great for Paul.”

Of the new stable riding arrangements, he added: “It wasn't really a change around, it was about bringing a young guy in and Paul would still ride for us, which he has today.”

The Ridler is named after the Batman supervillain, the Riddler, because he has a birthmark in the shape of a reversed question mark on his face.

“As soon as he was born it was a no-brainer,” said Bradley. “Weatherbys [racing administrators] didn't like the name with two 'ds', I think for copyright reasons, so we settled for one. The fact we bred him as well, you can't describe what this is like. He wasn't hard-pressed to win that and there are loads of other races to come.

“The normal progression, if you look at Perfect Power last year, is to go from here to Goodwood, maybe something in France. I would like to go to the Gimcrack Stakes (G2) at York (Aug. 19) and yes, the Breeders' Cup has got to figure highly in it absolutely.”

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for The Ridler to start in the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 ½ furlongs. Breeders' Cup also will provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 24 to receive the rewards.

The post The Ridler Earns Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Berth With Controversial Norfolk Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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