There are many traditions at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes day. They include the Belmont Breeze cocktail, the playing of “New York, New York” as they come on the track, and the running of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes on the undercard.
Tag: Racing
Miss Leslie Captures Local Prep For Delaware Handicap
BB Horses' Miss Leslie notched her sixth career stake victory in the $150,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park today. The Obeah Stakes is the local prep for the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap to be run on July 9.
With Angel Cruz aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Paynter prevailed by a half-length over the 4-to-5 favorite Battle Bling, with Kendrick Carmouche. It was another 2 3/4 lengths farther back to Hybrid Eclipse, with Jevian Toledo, in third.
Miss Leslie returned $6.60 as the second choice in the field of six. The Kentucky-bred trained by Claudio Gonzalez covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:47.14 over a fast-main track.
Flight to Shanghai, with Victor Carrasco, cut early fractions of :51.10 for the half mile and 1:15.53 for the three-quarter miles before finishing fourth.
Miss Leslie, who was claimed for $25,000 after her third lifetime outing in 2020, raised her career record to nine wins from 21 starts with earnings of $565,650.
Trainer Claudio Gonzalez is considering the Delaware Handicap for her next start.
“She ran really big,” said trainer Claudio Gonzalez. “She closed after getting no pace. There are not many horses who can do that. The Del Cap is a possibility. It is all going to depend on how she comes back. If she comes back in good shape we will point for the Delaware Handicap.”
Despite drifting out in the stretch, Miss Leslie secured the victory and her jockey Angel Cruz is confident the mile and a quarter distance of the Delaware Handicap will not be an issue for her.
“I hit her one time left handed and I guess she shied away from stick, but it played out well,” said winning rider Angel Cruz. “The pace was slow and she came with a big run. The longer the better for her. This team really had her ready to go today.”
The Obeah Stakes is named in honor of the two-time Delaware Handicap winner in 1969 and 1970 and the dam of the Hall of Fame filly Go For Wand who was locally owned by Jane and Harry duPont's Christiana Stable.
Since the Obeah Stakes was inaugurated in 1996, three fillies or mares have won the race and followed with a victory in the Delaware Handicap. They were the 2006 older female champion Fleet Indian, I'm a Chatterbox, who won the race in 2016, and Miss Marissa, who won last year. Two fillies have finished second in the Obeah and won the Delaware Handicap. They were Power Play in 1997 and Unbridled Belle in 2007. Three winners of the Obeah Stakes have followed by running second in the Delaware Handicap. They were Under the Rug in 2001, Your Out in 2002 and the 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.
The post Miss Leslie Captures Local Prep For Delaware Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Newgrange Tops Former Baffert Trainees Entered In Saturday’s Affirmed Stakes
A two-time graded stakes winner, trainer Tim Yakteen's Newgrange heads an evenly matched group of six sophomores going 1 1/16 miles in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
A winner of the G3 Sham Stakes in his second career start here on Jan. 1, Newgrange then shipped to Oaklawn Park, where he posted an impressive 1 ½ length win G3 Southwest Stakes as the 3-2 favorite. Subsequently the 4-5 favorite among a field of 11 in the G2 Rebel Stakes at the same 1 1/16-mile distance, Newgrange tasted defeat for the first time as he came up empty through the stretch to finish sixth, beaten 4 ¼ lengths.
Idle since the Rebel, Newgrange, one of four Affirmed entrants originally trained by currently suspended Bob Baffert, will make his first start for Yakteen and rates top billing. A $125,000 Keeneland September Yearling by Violence out of the Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti, Newgrange has earnings of $555,334 and is owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al.
A runaway 10 length first out maiden winner going 6 ½ furlongs here on March 26 with Baffert, High Connection was subsequently off as the 3-5 favorite in a first condition allowance going 1 1/16 miles on May 8, but he was soundly beaten by his front-running stablemate Armagnac, finishing second by 4 ¼ lengths.
Although he shuffled his feet a bit leaving the gate, High Connection could never get on terms with the winner but will hope to make amends in his second two-turn assignment Saturday in what will be his second start for trainer Sean McCarthy. A $290,000 Florida 2-year-old in training sale purchase a year ago March, High Connection is by the Curlin stallion Connect and is out of the Forest Camp mare Forest Legend. Owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, he has earning of $54,000.
Never a factor in his six furlong turf debut Feb. 25, Hopper shifted to seven furlongs on dirt here May 7 and the result was a solid 2 ¼ length win. With Juan Hernandez sticking with High Connection, Hopper, in what will be his second start for Sean McCarthy, will stretch out for the first time and be ridden by Abel Cedillo.
A $90,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Hopper, who is by Declaration of War out of the Caesour mare Irridescence, has earnings of $40,700 and is owned by Lanni Bloodstock, SF Racing, LLC and Madaket Stables, LLC.
An impressive first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Doppelganger, who was purchased for $570,000 as a yearling, has been winless in four subsequent starts, all graded stakes. Following his maiden win he ran an even fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Richard Mandella's Forbidden Kingdom at odds of 4-5 in the seven furlong San Vicente Stakes Jan. 29 and was then second by 5 ¾ lengths to Forbidden Kingdom in the G2 San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles March 5.
In his first start for Yakteen, Doppelganger never threatened in the G1 Arkansas Derby, finishing fourth by eight lengths at 7-1 and in his most recent outing, he was sixth, beaten 10 lengths in the G2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 7.
A bay colt by Into Mischief out of the Quiet American mare Twice the Lady, Doppelganger will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al, he's got a win and a second place finish from five starts and earnings of $190,700.
THE GRADE 3 AFFIRMED WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 10 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
- Hopper – Abel Cedillo – 120
- Doppelganger – Drayden Van Dyke – 120
- High Connection – Juan Hernandez – 120
- Fast Draw Munnings – Tyler Baze – 124
- Newgrange – Edwin Maldonado – 124
- Pioneering Papa – Umberto Rispoli – 120
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's admission gates will open early at 8 a.m. for simulcast wagering on a Belmont Stakes Day card from New York.
The post Newgrange Tops Former Baffert Trainees Entered In Saturday’s Affirmed Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Star-Studded ‘Win and You’re In’ Trio Highlights Belmont Stakes Day Undercard
Saturday’s Belmont Park card is headlined by the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. However, the Belmont is far from the only marquee race on the program. The card features eight additional stakes races, including seven Grade 1 events.
