Tag: Racing

Full fields and plenty of fan festivities are highlights of the Louisiana Legends card at Evangeline Downs Saturday night. Six stakes races, each with a purse of $75,000 for Louisiana-bred runners, are the featured events on a nine-race program that drew a total of 88 entries. The card also includes a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old Louisiana-bred runners.

In addition to the excellent card that was drawn, Evangeline Downs has many other attractions for race fans. Prior to the races, jockeys will be available for pictures and autographs in a meet and greet from 4:30-5:00pm and jockeys will be tossing t-shirts from the winner's circle after each stakes race. A Legends Night dance party with an 80's theme will take place in Mojo's after the races. There will be many food vendors with specialty foods and treats in the paddock area as well.

The stakes action kicks off with the $75,000 Soiree in the third race of the card. Multiple-stakes winner Free Like a Girl is the morning line favorite in race for 3-year-old fillies going one mile. She returns to face state-bred runners after finishing fourth behind Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in her most recent start. Wholelottamo merits consideration after her runner-up finish in the Acadiana Stakes earlier in the meet.

The $75,000 Cheval, for 3-year-olds at the distance of one mile, brings together a competitive field of eight runners. Vodka Gimlet, Cosmic Train and More Memories have traded decisions in recent stakes races at Delta Downs and the Fair Grounds and all look to have big chances in the Cheval. But perhaps the most intriguing runner in the field is the recent maiden winner Touchuponastar, who was less than a second off the track record in a 21 ¼-length win at seven furlongs last out.

Net a Bear is the 2-1 morning line favorite over eight rivals in the $75,000 Turf Distaff at one mile on the turf. The Allen Landry trainee has won her last four races over turf courses and has a field topping seven career turf victories. Offspring, the defending champ of the Distaff, will be one of the runners looking to turn the tables on the favorite, as she has finished behind Net a Bear in her last four matchups.

Ova Charged has been installed as a solid 6/5 favorite over seven other runners in the $75,000 Mademoiselle over 5-1/2 furlongs for 3-year-old and up fillies and mares. A winner of four of five career starts, Ova Charged suffered her only defeat in a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Victory Ride stakes at Belmont last summer. Strong Beauty brings a two-race winning streak into the Mademoiselle and Snowball, cross-entered in the Distaff, will be looking to upset the potential heavy favorite.

A full field of 12 runners will fill the gate for the $75,000 Sprint over the 5-1/2 furlong distance. Yankee Seven, the moderate 5/2 morning line favorite, brings a four-race winning streak into the race. Alterana, a winner of six of his last seven races, and Bertie's Galaxy, winner of five of his last eight, are both accomplished runners that have terrific chances.

A very competitive field of 12 will line up in the $75,000 Turf over the 1-1/16 mile distance. Recent stakes winner Mangelsen has drawn the rail and is the morning line favorite at 5/2. Forestdungone and Jaci's Royalty have both won at the track this season, while a return to the turf could help wake up Treys Midnite Moon. Jax Man and Behemah Star are among the many runners that could take the Turf.

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will be awarding two $1,000 scholarships during the evening. Students are encouraged to attend the races and enter the drawing, with the winners to be selected after the fifth race. First post time Saturday will be 5:30pm Central Time.

For more information on racing at Evangeline Downs, visit the track's website at www.evdracing.com and on Twitter @evdracing. The racing calendar for 2022 is a Wednesday through Saturday schedule until the end of the meet on August 27.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Evangeline Downs is located in Opelousas, Louisiana, off I-49 on Cresswell Lane at Exit 18.

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Last to the quarter pole, the Brendan Walsh-trained Ocean Road, in her third North American start, unfurled an impressive turn of foot the final three sixteenths of a mile to win Monday's Grade 1, $400,000 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., by a half length under Umberto Rispoli while getting 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.66.

Last while in-hand behind five rivals in the run to the first turn, Ocean Road began to inch forward leaving the half mile, but was still last, about 2 ½ lengths behind Canoodling and Going to Vegas approaching the quarter pole.  At that point, Rispoli angled out four-deep and Ocean Road went on to overtake Going to Vegas and Irad Ortiz, Jr. close home in a big effort.

“I think there's some more improvement in her and I can't see why she wouldn't keep going forward,” said Walsh, who is based in Kentucky and flew in earlier from Lexington.  “Umberto had her in a nice spot and he was able to creep in a little closer going to the (far) turn.  There were a couple nice fillies in this race and we knew we weren't going to get by them too easy.  She showed a nice kick and it's always good to see that from a horse coming over here to run in this country.

“The guys that came out with her here to Santa Anita have been telling me all week how good she's been doing, that she's just blossomed out here.  Today, she had a bit of a swagger about her.  I knew she was going to run a good race, whether it was going to be good enough or not remained to be seen.

“I've been lucky here at Santa Anita.  I won a couple Breeders' Cup marathons back when I first started out (in 2014 and 2016), so this makes three stakes here.”

A respectable sixth, beaten seven lengths with trouble in her U.S. debut, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6, Ocean Road, in her first start for Walsh, took a first condition allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf by a nose at Keeneland on April 15.  Off at 5-1 with Rispoli up for the first time today, she paid $12.20, $5.40 and $2.60.

“It's very special,” said Rispoli, who despite relocating in early April to Kentucky, opted to return to Santa Anita recently.  “Sheikh Fahad (owner, Qatar Racing) always was a big supporter of mine when I was in France and even overseas a couple of times, he came to run in Hong Kong with a couple of horses and I was always pleased to wear his colors…Coming back and having a Grade 1 win here (at Santa Anita)…makes me very happy.”

Owned by Qatar Racing, Ocean Road, a 4-year-old filly, got her first Grade 1 win today, thus improving her overall mark to 8-3-1-2.  With the winner's share of $240,000, she increased her bankroll to $351,772.

Going to Vegas, who put away longshot Canoodling turning for home and repelled a stout challenge from Going Global in deep stretch, finished second by one length and paid $4.00 and $2.20 while off at 2-1.

One of three Irish-breds in the race, Going Global was the 4-5 favorite with Flavien Prat and finished one length clear of Canoodling with no apparent excuses, returning $2.10 to show. Pacesetter Canoodling finished fourth, with Eddie's New Dream and Thrumps Dream rounding out the order of finish. England's Rose and Neige Blanche were scratched.

Fractions on the race were 23.49, 47.81, 1:11.65 and 1:35.11.

Live racing returns with first post time for an eight-race card on Friday at 1 p.m.

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Putting the finishing touch on a four-win day for the trainer-jockey combination of Steve Asmussen and Stewart Elliott, Ed and Susie Orr's 5-year-old Silver Prospector ended a two-year stakes drought by winning Monday's Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The gray son of Declaration of War was forwardly placed throughout while wide, ran down pace-setting Mish inside the eighth pole and drew off late to win by 1 1/2 lengths, covering the mile in 1:37.20 on a fast track. Silver Prospector, winning for the fifth time in 21 career starts, paid $13 to win.

Mish, making his stakes debut for Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., held second by a neck after setting all the fractions under Edwin Gonzalez. Shaaz, a West Coast invader made the 2-1 favorite under Florent Geroux in his stakes debut, finished third, with local hope Popular Kid another neck back in fourth in the field of nine older runners. Rated R Superstar, Sheriff Brown, Flash of Mischief, Mine That Star and Tesoro completed the order of finish. Elector was scratched before making the trip to Texas from his California base.

Earlier on the day, Asmussen and Elliott teamed to win a starter/optional claiming race with Lady Ave, took the Memorial Day Sprint Stakes with Kalypso and then scored a 10-1 upset in the $300,000 Texas Derby with the Curlin colt King Ottoman for Three Chimneys Farm.

Silver Prospector, bred by Hargus and Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm LLC and produced from the stakes-placed Tapit mare Tap Softly, was a $180,000 2-year-olds in training purchase by the Orrs at the OBS April sale from the consignment of Eisaman Equine. Later that year, Silver Prospector won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2019, defeating eventual G1 Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law among others. As a 3-year-old, the gray colt won the G3 Southwest Stakes, but a sixth-place finish in the G2 Rebel began a  streak of nine non-winning performances in graded stakes, though he would finish second in the G3 Razorback and G3 Mineshaft.

The Steve Sexton Mile was his first win since an allowance victory Oct. 30, 2020.

After breaking from the outside post and racing five wide around the first turn, Elliott moved toward the leader approaching the far turn after Mish set fractions of :24.00 for the opening quarter mile and :46.99 for the half. Silver Prospector loomed up to challenge Mish nearing the quarter pole and overtook the front-runner to get the win following a six-furlong fraction of 1:11.33 and seven furlongs in 1:23.91.

“Stewart gave him a great trip,” Asmussen told TVG's Scott Hazelton. “You know he's kept great company his whole career – a couple of graded stakes wins. It's great to have him in the winner's circle after a great race like this.”

The race is named for the respected racetrack executive who was part of the management team when Lone Star Park opened in 1997. Sexton held executive positions at a number of other tracks, including Canterbury Downs, Golden Gate Fields, Thistledown, Arlington Park and Churchill Downs, serving as president from 2002-'09 at the home of the Kentucky Derby. A member of the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Sexton died Dec. 12, 2016, at the age of 57 after battling brain cancer.

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Last early, Count Again pounced like a big cat when it counted to take Monday's $500,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) going away by 2 ¼ lengths, thus providing Eastern kingpin Irad Ortiz Jr. with his second consecutive Grade 1 stakes win on the Memorial Day card at Santa Anita.

Owned by Agave Racing and Sam-Son Farm, Count Again got a mile on turf in a sizzling 1:32.40.

The Shoemaker Mile is a Breeder's Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Keeneland Nov. 5.

A troubled sixth, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland April 15, Count Again got a perfect trip Monday, slicing through the competition around the far turn and reeling in favored Smooth Like Strait a furlong out.

“He was in great position today and turning for home, he had the leader measured,” said trainer Phil D'Amato, who posted his fourth Shoemaker Mile win. “He was sitting on a big race today. This puts him in a position to win the Breeders' Cup Mile in November.”

A winner of the Kilroe Mile (G1) two starts back on March 5, Count Again was off as the 5-2 second choice and paid $7.

A 7-year-old Ontario-bred gelding by Awesome Again out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Thee, Count Again notched his fifth graded stakes victory and is now 17-7-1-4 overall.  With the winner's share of $300,000, he became racing's newest millionaire with total earnings of $1,069,915.

“I just followed instructions,” said Ortiz, a three-time Eclipse Award winner who won the previous race, the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), with longshot There Goes Harvard. “Phil told me to let him do his thing and don't rush him.  He had a big turn of foot.  The horse was ready to run today, was ready to win.

“They went a little fast but I wasn't too far (back).  Honestly, I was happy where I was with my horse. Most of the time, he comes from off the pace. I just wanted to be in contact with the field and when he put me right there in the first turn… I said, 'Why not,' let him be there and he responded really well. When I went through horses at the quarter pole, Phil told me to make sure to keep him outside down the stretch. In the clear and that's what I did.  When we were in the clear, I asked him and (he) took off.”

Smooth Like Strait, who tracked pacesetter and eventual last place finisher Dance Some Mo early, opened up turning for home but was no match for the winner, finishing second. A close third in the Maker's Mark Mile, Smooth Like Strait was off as the 2-5 favorite while finishing 3 ½ lengths in front of D'Amato's Masteroffoxhounds.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Masteroffoxhounds ran from off the pace to finish one length in front of Heywoods Beach.

The post ‘Ready To Run, Ready To Win’: Count Again Completes Last-To-First Rally In Shoemaker Mile, Provides Ortiz Second Grade 1 Win On Santa Anita Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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