Tag: Racing

Stakes action for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicked off with an in-hand winning effort from Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending in Thursday's Grade 2, $200,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies on the inner turf.

The triumph in the nine-furlong test provided four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown with a record-extending fourth Wonder Again conquest. Consumer Spending entered from a game winning effort in her seasonal debut against Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca in the Memories of Silver on April 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Consumer Spending broke from post 2 under returning rider Manny Franco and rated between horses around the first turn as Vergara, winner of last year's Tepin at Aqueduct, led over the yielding turf through splits of 24.53 seconds and 50.12 with graded stakes-placed Skims just off her flank under Flavien Prat.

Skims inched her way up to even terms with Vergara around the far turn while Franco gave Consumer Spending her cue from the three path. At the top of the stretch, Consumer Spending moved right past Skims and Vergara.

Myriskyaffair launched a late bid on the far outside, but Consumer Spending was all wrapped up inside the sixteenth-pole, scoring her third stakes victory by two lengths in a final time of 1:50.73.

Myriskyaffair took place honors by a neck over Skims. Vergara and Sweet Sensation rounded out the order of finish. Shad Nation and main-track only entrant Tap the Faith were scratched.

Consumer Spending, who returned $2.90 as the favorite, earned her first graded win in the Wonder Again and third overall stakes win. In addition to the last out Memories of Silver, she won the Selima in October at Laurel Park in her stakes debut before finishing a close sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“She's really come around. She's actually surprised me how much she's improved from two to three,” said Brown, whose other Wonder Again accolades include Lady Eli [2015], New Money Honey [2017] and Cambier Parc [2019]. “I thought she was a nice prospect last year and good enough for the Breeders' Cup, but you never know which ones are going to make the jump. She's moved forward quite nicely. We're very excited about her.”

Consumer Spending, who is undefeated in three starts with Franco aboard, is also undefeated over yielding going, including a second-out maiden score in September at Saratoga Race Course.

“I said, 'They're going slow, so I've got to move,'” said Franco, who has piloted Consumer Spending to 3-of-4 lifetime wins. “My filly responded to me and I just engaged them and that was it. The filly did the rest. As soon as I moved on her, she went. She has a nice turn of foot.”

The win was a second collaborative stakes win of the meet for Franco and Brown, who joined forces to get Masen a stateside stakes coup in the Seek Again on May 22.

“She's a lot more mature and Chad does a great job with his horses. I'm happy to be on her and hopefully we keep going,” Franco said.

The Wonder Again offers the top-three finishers an automatic invite to the 10-furlong Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 9, the opening leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series for fillies.

Brown said the Belmont Oaks would be her likely next start, noting his success with More Than Ready progeny.

“I'd say so. You are always looking at her saying, well it's a More Than Ready horse and we've had so much luck with them over the years with horses like [Champion Turf Females] Rushing Fall and Uni, but you wouldn't be screaming for a mile and a quarter with a lot of them,” Brown said. “But, she hasn't done anything wrong and she ran through the wire good with no target in front of her, so I have to think if she's got someone to follow, there's more there, so onto the Belmont Oaks.”

Brown added that stakes-winner Haughty and multiple graded stakes-placed McKulick also will point to the Belmont Oaks.

Consumer Spending is the second progeny out of the Scat Daddy mare Siempre Mia, whose dam Shaconage was a dual graded stakes-winning turf distaffer. She was bought for $200,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Eaton Sales. Her record now stands at 6-4-1-0 with $350,000 in earnings.

Christophe Clement, trainer of runner-up Myriskyaffair, expressed delight in seeing the Cedar Hill homebred garner black type in her stakes debut. She was a last-out 14-length winner in a local off-the-turf maiden at the Wonder Again distance on May 22.

“It was a great trip. The usual style from Joel Rosario – he saved ground and gave her a great ride,” Clement said. “I'm delighted; the filly belongs to the owner-breeder and she placed in a Grade 2.”

The Wonder Again honors John Phillips' five-time graded stakes-winning millionaire, who captured the 2002 Garden City Handicap [now the Belmont Oaks] and the 2004 Diana at Saratoga, both Grade 1 events. The Jimmy Toner-trained Silver Hawk mare banked earnings in excess of $1.4 million and produced Bernardini mare Amazement – the dam of multiple Grade 1-winner Colonel Liam.

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The $125,000 Queenston Stakes, a key prep on the road to this year's Queen's Plate (August 21), takes the spotlight on Sunday's 10-race card at Woodbine. ​

​The seven-furlong Queenston, for three-year-olds, foaled in Canada, has attracted some top contenders hoping for a shot at Plate glory, including undefeated The Minkster.

​Tabbed as the 7-1 fourth choice in the Queen's Plate Winterbook, The Minkster, trained by Dan Vella for owner Sea Glass Stables LLC, will be making the first start of his three-year-old campaign in the Queenston.

​“He matured very well over the winter and he's training better than ever,” said Vella. “He was in Ocala with Mike Cook at Classic Mile. He was excited about him, and we're excited to get him running.”

​Bred in Ontario by Dr. Tan Hyka, the son of English Channel-Cabriole is undefeated in two career starts, including a 6 ¼-length romp over the E.P. Taylor Course last October.

​Sent on his way at 5-1, The Minkster, under David Moran, broke inwards at the start of the 6 ½-furlong grass race contested over good ground.

​Two lengths on top at the stretch call, the bay colt sprinted away from his rivals down the lane to notch the milestone victory in a time of 1:17.19.

​The Minkster then moved up to the stakes ranks on October 30, where he took on 13 rivals in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile test on the Toronto oval Tapeta.

​Dismissed at 13-1, The Minkster, despite lugging in during the stretch drive, notched a 1 ¼-length win in a time of 1:52.51.

​“The Coronation, people want to take away something from it because of the early time of the race,” offered Vella. “Any horse that can go out and win the Coronation quite comfortably and still run green in the second start of his life, going from 6 ½ furlongs on the grass to a mile and an eighth on the main track, that's a pretty incredible feat.

​“For me, as a trainer, for a horse to go from that distance in his first race to a mile and an eighth, to win comfortably against more seasoned horses… first off, he showed me distance isn't a problem and secondly, he showed a lot of class. Very few horses have that high of cruising speed. In the Coronation Futurity, he was up close the whole way, and just kicked on like he had been dawdling. His high cruising speed and the way he finishes in his works is very impressive. So now, we'll go from here and face the next challenge.” ​

​Norcliffe, in 1975, was the last horse to notch the Futurity-Plate double.

Vella, who has two Plate trophies to his name, in 1994 with Basqueian, and in 2012 with Strait of Dover, won't look any further than Sunday's race with his sophomore star.

​“In horse racing, it doesn't matter what you did before. From now on, every race is more important than the last.”

​Vella's praise for The Minkster goes beyond what he delivers on the racetrack.

​“For an English Channel, and I've had a few of them, he's pretty calm and collected. He's a colt and he likes to be tough at times, but in general, he's a good-natured horse and he likes what he's doing. He's a fun horse to be around. He's got some character. He'll kind of come at you a little bit, but he doesn't mean it. He's kind of playful, and there are other times – this is very typical of English Channels – when you walk in the stall, and you know he wants to be left alone. He has a strong personality, but in general, he likes people.”

​Other starters include multiple stakes winner Ironstone, U.S. invader Perfect Day, Sir for Sure, second in last year's Frost King Stakes, and Rondure, trained by Katerina Vassilieva, who broke his maiden in impressive fashion last time out.

​The Queenston is slated as race nine. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

​FIELD FOR THE $125,000 QUEENSTON

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Ironstone – Kazushi Kimura – Willie Armata
​2 – Sir for Sure – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
​3 – His Time – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
​4 – Hidden Honor – Antonio Gallardo – Tino Attard
​5 – The Minkster – David Moran – Daniel Vella
​6 – Duke of Love – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
​7 – Rondure – Shaun Bridgmohan – Katerina Vassilieva
​8 – Perfect Day – Abner Adorno – J. Tyler Servis ​

The post Path To The Queen’s Plate Heats Up In Sunday’s Queenston Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Desert Dawn, the unlikely winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks who went on to run a solid third at 50-1 in the G1 Kentucky Oaks, returns to Santa Anita on Sunday and heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade 2, $200,000 Summertime Oaks.

Owned and bred in Arizona by H and E Ranch, Inc., Desert Dawn, who crafted a lofty 90 Beyer Speed Figure in Kentucky on May 6, is conditioned by Santa Anita's leading trainer Phil D'Amato, who seeks his league-leading 16th Winter/Spring stakes win.

Off at 14-1 in the 1 1/16 mile Santa Anita Oaks, Desert Dawn rallied turning for home and outdueled heavily favored Adare Manor to prevail by a neck under Umberto Rispoli, who will be aboard for the fourth consecutive time on Sunday. A bay filly by Cupid out of the Honour and Glory mare Ashley's Glory, Desert Dawn is easily the leading money earner in the field with $492,150 from an overall mark of 8-2-0-3.

A runaway maiden winner in her first try at two turns, the John Shirreffs-trained Lady T will likely try to employ similar front-running tactics in what will be her first graded stakes assignment.

A $235,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Lady T shot out of the gate and in a race that seemingly just pitted her against the clock, she rolled to a 14 ½ length score in her one mile maiden win here on May 15 as the 1-5 favorite, earning a career-best 86 Beyer.

By Into Mischief out of the Malibu Moon mare Red Carpet Miss, Lady T made her debut going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 5, a race in which she rallied to be second, beaten a nose at 11-1. Subsequently second to repeat stakes winner Eda in the six furlong Anoakia Stakes here on Oct. 24, she put it all together in her maiden victory under regular rider Victor Espinoza.

Owned by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Moss and his wife Tina, Lady T is 6-1-4-0 with earnings of $102,800.

A winner of the Grade 2, seven furlong Santa Ynez Stakes three starts back on Jan. 8, Under the Stars stumbled badly leaving the gate in the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks on April 9 and gets the first-time services of leading rider Juan Hernandez.

Classy Under the Stars, originally conditioned by the now-suspended Bob Baffert, will be making her second start for Tim Yakteen. Off at 7-2 in the Oaks here on April 9, Under the Stars was shuffled back to last in the run to the Club House turn and was never a factor thereafter in a race in which her heavily favored former stablemate Adare Manor finished second by a neck to Desert Dawn.

A solid second, beaten a half length as the even money favorite two starts back in the G3 Santa Ysabel at 1 1/16 miles, Under the Stars, who is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, is 6-2-1-2 with earnings of $214,520.

Lightly raced Ganadora, a $1 million Keeneland September Yearling, will be trying two turns and stakes company for the first time and looms extremely dangerous in her third start with Abel Cedillo up for the first time.

Ridden to consecutive 6 ½ furlong sprint victories by Juan Hernandez on Feb. 26 and April 10, Ganadora, who was originally trained by Bob Baffert, has been training a proverbial hole in the wind for Sean McCarthy, who sent her out to a gutty nose allowance score in her second start.

A filly by Quality Road out of the Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, Ganadora is owned by Baoma Corp.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Empire Gal will also be stretching out in what will be her third start. An impressive 2 ¼ length first-out maiden winner going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 20, she came back as the 9-5 favorite in the ungraded Angel's Flight Stakes going seven furlongs here on May 8 and finished third by five lengths behind multiple stakes winner Elm Drive after stumbling at the break.

A Florida-bred filly by Empire Maker out of the Tapit mare Double Tapped, Empire Gal will be ridden for the first time by Ramon Vazquez, as Victor Espinoza sticks with Lady T. Owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Empire Gal should appreciate the added distance of the Summertime Oaks.

THE GRADE 2 SUMMERTIME OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1. Desert Dawn—Umberto Rispoli—124
2. Ganadora—Abel Cedillo—120
3. Bicameral—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
4. Kirstenbosch—Tyler Baze—120
5. Empire Gal—Ramon Vazquez—120
6. Under the Stars—Juan Hernandez—120
7. Lady T—Victor Espinoza–120​

First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.

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Trainer Wayne Catalano is bursting in confidence for his Aloha West, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar, who invades for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

“We are here to win,” said Catalano. “He is going into the race perfectly and you can't always get horses as perfect as this before a big race, knock-on-wood, but I know we got him as good as he can be.”

The son of Hard Spun, from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, must face the fastest horse of 2021, Flightline [118] for West Coast-based conditioner John Sadler, and thus far in 2022, Speaker's Corner [114] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Aloha West will also race beyond seven furlongs for the first time his career, but the late runner is bred to handle the ascent and has two victories over seven furlongs, including a Saratoga allowance win in September, earning his best figure of 102.

He breezed a bullet five furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 3 in :58.60 in his final preparation for Saturday's test.

“His last work was amazing and he's been training really well since – nice and relaxed – and even today, when he jogged a half and galloped a half [at Belmont], he looked great,” Catalano said. “You always question if they can get a mile with a come-from-behind sprinter like him, but there's only way to find out and that's to lead them over there. Don't get me wrong, it's obviously a tough race, but it will still tell us if he gets the mile.

“If I had the money, I would buy a rabbit to make sure we could get a strong pace in front of us, but we aren't in that position,” Catalano said, with a laugh. “But in all seriousness, Billy's horse has speed and the California horse is fast inside, so hopefully they go out and we can do what we want from there.”

Aron Wellman, the president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbreds, also believes that Aloha West could be sitting on a big effort. He will be joined by a large contingent of syndicate partners – much like on Kentucky Derby Day when Aloha West was third last out in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs—to amplify that faith.

“This is the race that we have had in mind since the Breeders' Cup and it was just a matter of how we were going to get here,” Wellman said. “We're very pleased to have got a prep race into him at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and he ran a really good race. He deserves a little more credit for the race he ran, I think. He took the worst of it on a dead rail and up against a horse like Jackie's Warrior. We were probably second-best on the day, not third, but the race was designed as a means to an end for him.

“The Met Mile, certainly with the presence of Flightline and Speaker's Corner, is a heavyweight bout and we feel as though we belong,” Wellman continued. “We are sportsmen, will take on the challenge and we feel like Aloha West is deserving of this opportunity. In the best of all worlds, they lock horns and potentially soften themselves up for a horse like Aloha to mow them down. It's going to take a serious horse to beat either of them and a lifetime-best from our horse, but we are game and the horse is doing as well as we could possibly imagine. He's never raced beyond seven furlongs, but we feel like if the pace unfolds the way it looks, a one-turn mile configuration could be perfect for him.”

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