Tag: Racing

Echo Zulu, 2021 champion 2-year-old filly, was reported to be in good shape Sunday morning after having been scratched at the gate by the track veterinarian due to lameness in her left foreleg prior to the start of Saturday's $500,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

“She is giving us all the signs that we want to see,” said Scott Blasi, trainer Steve Asmussen's assistant who added that she will be shipped to Kentucky for a full evaluation by Dr. Larry Bramlage and his team.

Immediately following the scratch, Echo Zulu, who is owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing, was examined at the barn and Asmussen reported later in the day that all her x-rays were “clean.”

“She was fine again this morning, but we will do all of the complete diagnostics on her and go from there,” said David Fiske, the general manager of Ron Winchell's operation. “We'll take every precaution, as we do with all of our horses.”

The post Champion Echo Zulu Headed To Kentucky For Precautionary Tests appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Cyberknife rebounded from his 18^th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and put his nose in front of pacesetter Howling Time at the wire to narrowly win Sunday's 25th running of the $225,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

Cyberknife, owned by Al Gold's Gold Square LLC, clocked 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:41.98 under Florent Geroux, who rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox. Both Geroux and Cox teamed to win last year's Matt Winn with Fulsome. Additionally, Geroux won the 2016 Matt Winn aboard Cyberknife's sire Gun Runner.

Cyberknife, breaking from post No. 6 of seven, hesitated slightly at the start as last year's Street Sense Stakes winner Howling Time broke alertly from the three-stall to lead the field of seven through fractions of :24.19, :47.81, 1:11.51, and 1:35.60. Cyberknife was never more than a length off Howling Time's right hip. Leaving the final turn, the two drew even and brushed each other slightly before engaging in a thrill stretch battle. A photo finish was needed to determine the winner as the two appeared to hit the wire together.

The narrow victory was worth $136,520 and improved Cyberknife's overall record to 4-2-0 and earnings of $996,520 from eight starts.

“He broke a little slow but I was able to get him into a good position,” Geroux said. “He was traveling well and (Howling Time) was really game on my inside. We were battling the whole stretch. I couldn't tell which one of us won, but I'm glad it was Cyberknife.”

Added Howling Time's jockey Joe Talamo, “You can't get a more brutal beat than that.”

Cyberknife, the odds-on 1-2 favorite, returned $3.

Howling Time, the 4-1 second choice and finished six lengths in front of Rattle N Roll under Brian Hernandez Jr.

Droppin G's was another eight lengths back in fourth, and was followed by Camp David, Trafalgar, and Tough to Tame.

Cyberknife, out of the six-time stakes-winning Flower Alley mare Awesome Flower, was bred in Kentucky by Ken and the late Sarah Ramsey. The colt is named after Accuray Inc.'s robotic radiation therapy that was successfully used to treat 66-year-old Gold's prostate cancer.

“He's still a developing 3-year-old and he gets that experience by running in the afternoon,” Cox said. “I think he's making good progress and ran hard today. We got on the right side of a tight photo. (Howling Time) ran a really game race. (Cyberknife) is a horse that I think we are looking to take the next step. He's a sound, happy horse and he's growing up. We're excited about him as a prospect throughout the rest of the year.”

The Matt Winn is named in honor of the famed Churchill Downs president that served as the driving force in the development of the Downs and his beloved Kentucky Derby.

The post ‘We Were Battling The Whole Stretch’: Cyberknife Prevails By Slimmest Margin In Matt Winn Thriller appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After having her five stakes win streak snapped in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) last month at Pimlico Race Course, standout 3-year-old filly Luna Belle is enjoying some well-earned time off.

Campaigned by Deborah Greene and Laurel Park-based trainer Hamilton Smith and bred by Smith, Greene, and her late father, Fred Greene Jr., Luna Belle has spent her vacation at Chanceland Farm in West Friendship, Md., owned and operated by fellow Laurel trainer Katy Voss.

“She came out of the race fine. We couldn't find anything wrong with her, that's why I kept her three or four days before I did anything with her. She didn't break good and [jockey Denis Araujo] decided to settle in behind horses, and when he asked her to do something she didn't respond. That was the end of that,” Smith said Sunday. “She kind of told me it was time to give her a rest.”

Maryland's champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, Luna Belle debuted last July and took three tries to break her maiden before graduating in late August at Colonial Downs. The daughter of Great Notion raced at least once a month leading up to the May 20 Black-Eyed Susan, her first loss as a 3-year-old.

Leading up to that race, her graded-stakes debut, Luna Belle won the Maryland Juvenile Fillies last December and the Xtra Heat, Wide Country, Beyond the Wire, and Weber City Miss – all at Laurel – to open 2022, the latter earning her an automatic berth in the Black-Eyed Susan.

“We're very proud of her. She's done much more than I expected,” Smith said. “The last race, I thought she would do better than she did, naturally. She trained good over at Pimlico. I galloped her a few days leading up to the race and she handled it fine. Everybody thought she looked good on the track, which she did.

“She didn't lie down as much as she usually does here, with people coming up all the time. I don't think it was a case where she was upset, she just didn't lie down as much,” he added. “Down here, as soon as she gets in the stall after she gallops or whatever she'd lie down and take care of herself in that respect.”

Smith anticipated Luna Belle rejoining his Laurel string later this month, but has no specific plans in mind. Fourth by a length in last year's Maryland Million Lassie following a troubled trip, the 37th Jim McKay Maryland Million program Oct. 22 at Laurel will be a target.

“I was going to give her three weeks to a month before I bring her back into the routine. She'll be running again late summer at some point. I'm in no rush. She's got the Maryland-bred stuff in the fall and there's a few races in August to look at,” Smith said. “I'm not going to rush her back. She started last July and she'd run every month since then up to the Black-Eyed Susan. I'm glad we got her a break.”

Petition Prayer Nearing Return

Smith worked Mens Grille Racing's filly Petition Prayer Sunday morning as she prepares to make her 3-year-old debut. The Maryland-bred daughter of Divining Rod has not raced since finishing sixth in the Selima last October at Laurel.

Petition Prayer had won two straight races heading into her stakes debut, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the dirt in late July at Pimlico and an open allowance going the same distance four weeks later at Colonial Downs. She is nominated to the $100,000 Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the Laurel turf June 19.

“I nominated to take a look at it. She hasn't run since last fall, so it would be her first race back if I was to use it and that's asking quite a bit,” Smith said. “She was disappointing [in the Selima] but she came out of it with a little problem so we had to give her some time off. We've got her back and she's pretty much ready to run. I worked her this morning, using it as a last work for a couple spots next week where she could go in. I think she's going to prefer the grass over the dirt, myself, but that remains to be seen.”

The post Maryland-Bred Standout Luna Belle On Break At Chanceland Farm, To Rejoin Trainer Smith’s String Later This Month appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It was an action-packed evening at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday with the 8th annual World Jockey Challenge taking place over the nine-race card. Action came down to the wire, but Team Puerto Rico emerged on top with 48 points over Team USA to claim their second straight victory in the event.

A total of eight teams competed for their countries and Puerto Rico got off to a fast start with a win from apprentice jockey Andrea Rodriguez. Team Panama, which consisted of Santo Sanjur and Marcelino Pedroza Jr., rallied to take the lead with a one-two finish in the second, but blazing back to take the lead was Puerto Rico with a pair of wins from Jockey Joe Ramos. Marcelino Pedroza Jr. retook the lead for Panama in the evening's fourth race.

Just when it looked like it would be a two-team finish to the end, Team USA began to pour it on, getting wins from apprentice jockey Gage Holmes and Jockey Tommy Pompell. Going into the final race, Puerto Rico held a slight edge over Team USA and completed their victory by two points for the title.

“This means a lot to me because I started from the very bottom in Puerto Rico,” said Ramos, who is currently in second place on the leaderboard this season. “We all tried very hard, and it was a team effort. We love to win this for our country.”

In addition to Rodriguez and Ramos, Jockeys Sammy Bermudez and Joshua Morales added points to the tally for Team Puerto Rico. All four were in the winner's circle following the event for the trophy presentation. Other jockeys from Puerto Rico who are part of Horseshoe Indianapolis' jockey colony but did not ride on the Saturday card were Edgar Morales, Bryan Rivera, Orlando Mojica and Rafael Mojica.

Other countries represented in the 8th annual World Jockey Challenge included England, who had a win by Jack Gilligan, Peru, represented by Fernando De La Cruz, and Mexico, represented by Jose Beltran, Edgar Diaz, Manny Esquivel, Juan Marquez (winner of the last race), Daniel Martinez, Eddie Perez, Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, Rolando Del Rio Pina, and German Rodriguez.

Other members of Team USA who put points on the board included E.T. Baird, Erik Esqueda, Lindsey Hebert, Dex Mitchell, DeShawn Parker, Rodney Prescott, and Shanley Jackson.

The post Team Puerto Rico Repeats In Annual World Jockey Challenge At Horseshoe Indianapolis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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