Tag: Racing

Pizza Bianca will commence her 3-year-old season on Closing Day at Aqueduct Racetrack, facing a talented but compact field in Sunday's $100,000 Memories of Silver for sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles over the outer turf.

Pizza Bianca, owned and bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, captured last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5 at Del Mar, providing trainer Christophe Clement with his first Breeders' Cup score.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock was expertly piloted by Jose Ortiz from the rail and was last around the far turn, before weaving her way through traffic and displaying a strong turn of foot to win by a half-length.

Sent off at 10-1 odds for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Pizza Bianca defeated European invaders Malavath [second] and Cachet [fourth], who both earned Group 3 victories on their side of the pond in their respective starts following the Breeders' Cup.

“The Breeders' Cup form is stronger than ever. Two of the fillies who finished second and fourth came back and won in Europe,” said Clement, who targets his third straight Memories of Silver score following wins by Feel Glorious [2019] and Bubbles On Ice [2021]. “Pizza Bianca is doing well. She had a break at Payson Park after the Breeders' Cup and she's training very forwardly so I'm excited to see her run.”

While luck was on her side in the Breeders' Cup, Clement noted that her natural talent was also highly instrumental in securing the win.

“She had an amazing trip. She came from way out of it. Jose took her to last and the inside opened up,” Clement said. “Everything worked out perfectly. She had a good ride, good trip, racing luck and she's a good filly. She had a very good turn of foot.”

En route to her Breeders' Cup score, Pizza Bianca was a debut winner over the summer at Saratoga Race Course before finishing second in the Grade 1 Natalma in September at Woodbine.

Pizza Bianca is out of the unraced Galileo mare White Hot, who Flay purchased at the 2014 Tattersalls October Sale. Her second dam, Gwynn, is a full-sister to Group 3 winner Dawn Patrol and a half-sibling to dual Group 3 winner Gagnoa and Group 1 winner Pour Moi.

Jose Ortiz will be reunited with Pizza Bianca from post 6.

Also making their first start since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf are Treadway Racing Stable's Sail By and Klaravich Stables' Consumer Spending.

Trained by Leah Gyarmati, Sail By was a 12-1 upset winner of the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park one month before finishing 13th in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. The bay Astern filly lit up the tote board earlier that summer at Belmont in her June 28 debut at 28-1 odds before earning black type when second in Monmouth Park's Colleen and third in an off-the-turf P.G. Johnson at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 5, Sail By will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.

One of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, Consumer Spending was a close sixth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Pizza Bianca. The gray or roan More Than Ready filly won her stakes debut in the Selima in October over a yielding Laurel Park turf.

Her stablemate, Miss You Ella, finished third in her stakes debut last out in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant on February 5 at Gulfstream Park following a maiden triumph on the synthetic surface at the South Florida oval. The Pennsylvania-bred Declaration of War filly is owned by Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Golconda Stable.

Consumer Spending will leave from post 7 under Manny Franco, while Miss You Ella will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy from post 3.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will saddle Courtlandt Farms' On Alert following a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro won her 2022 debut, a second-out maiden triumph on the Gulfstream Park turf.

McGaughey said he was encouraged by On Alert's Florida Oaks effort, where she rallied from last-of-9 to finish only 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Dolce Zel.

“She finished behind a very slow pace, and I think running over the Aqueduct turf will help her. It'll help us see where she stands in that bunch,” McGaughey said. “I can always run her back in an 'a other than', but I'm a little interested to see how some of these horses run over a different track.”

On Alert, bought for $500,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Sale, is out of the Bernardini mare Darlings Darling – a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Heavenly Love and graded stakes winner Forever Darling.

Breaking from post 1, On Alert will be piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Completing the field is stakes-winner Alittleloveandluck [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] and main track only entrant Waters of Merom.

The Memories of Silver honors John and Joan Phillips' dual Grade 1-winning millionaire, who captured the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland in 1996 and the Beverly D. at Arlington Park in 1997. Trained by Jimmy Toner, the daughter of Silver Hawk also won prominent stakes in New York, including the 1997 Just a Game at Belmont and the Ballston Spa and Diana in 1998 at Saratoga Race Course.

The Memories of Silver is carded as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race program, which also features the $200,000 NYSSS Park Avenue in Race 3. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Breeders’ Cup Winner Pizza Bianca Will Make 2022 Debut In Sunday’s Memories Of Silver appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Southern California-based Idol has been idle for most of the last year, but the Grade 1 winner is scheduled to launch another comeback in Saturday's $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Idol was a candidate for last year's Oaklawn Handicap after winning the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March 2021 at Santa Anita. But Idol has run just once since the Santa Anita Handicap, finishing a well-beaten sixth in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 2 at Santa Anita.

“If you look at the horse, he's a big horse, a tall horse,” Baltas said Tuesday afternoon. “Covers a lot of ground. On those deeper tracks like Santa Anita, he just kind of struggled getting through them and he had some hind-end stuff going on, like muscle.”

Baltas said Idol appears to have shaken his physical issues and has trained forwardly this year at San Luis Rey Downs in Southern California for his 2022 debut. Idol was based at Santa Anita in the winter and spring of 2021.

“He's been doing good lately, though,” Baltas said.

Baltas has a small string at Oaklawn and said he considered several other races for Idol's comeback, including the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Keeneland, $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 30 at Santa Anita and the $500,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles May 6 at Churchill Downs.

“He's a funny horse,” Baltas said. “He seems to run better on tighter tracks, like Churchill. Even though he won the Santa Anita Handicap, I'm not so sure he likes Santa Anita because he doesn't train well over it and that's one of the main reasons why I sent him to San Luis Rey Downs. He hasn't missed a beat for a while. Look, it's a lot to chew off – off a layoff – but I don't think this race is like extremely tough, not for a million bucks.”

Idol, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen, Baltas' longtime client, has a 3-2-1 record from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $416,964. Idol made his first three career starts in 2020 at Churchill Downs and set a 1 3/16 mile track record (1:55.97) in an allowance race at its fall meet before moving to Southern California.

A 5-year-old son of Curlin, Idol is a full brother to Nest, a leading candidate for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies May 6 at Churchill Downs.

The projected eight-horse Oaklawn Handicap field from the rail out: Beau Luminarie, Florent Geroux to ride, 117 pounds, 12-1 on the morning line; Thomas Shelby, David Cohen, 117, 8-1; Last Samurai, Jon Court, 117, 8-1; Idol, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 6-1; Rated R Superstar, Ricardo Santana Jr., 120, 5-1; Plainsman, Joel Rosario, 121, 5-2; Super Stock, Isaac Castillo, 118, 10-1; and Fearless, Jose Ortiz, 121, 9-5.

Probable post time for the Oaklawn Handicap, which goes at the 11th of 12 races, is 5:41 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.

The post Big ‘Cap Winner Idol, Full Brother To Oaks Contender Nest, Ready To Launch Comeback In Oaklawn Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Letruska spent roughly two months at Oaklawn during the 2021 meeting. While her 2022 stay will be much shorter, the goal remains the same – win Saturday's $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

Now an Eclipse Award winner, Letruska got her first feel of the Oaklawn surface this year by jogging two laps the wrong way and schooling in the gate after the first renovation break Thursday morning under jockey Geovanni Franco. The track was rated muddy.

Letruska, who arrived Wednesday, is trying to become just the fourth horse to win multiple runnings of the Apple Blossom, following Hall of Famers Paseana (1992, 1993), Azeri (2002, 2003, 2004) and Zenyatta (2008 and 2010).

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska recorded her breakout victory nationally in last April's Apple Blossom when she edged two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl by a nose. Letruska rode that momentum to three more Grade 1 victories and an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older dirt female. Her more calculated 2022 racing schedule resumes Saturday.

“The idea is to go back to the Breeders' Cup, especially now that it's on this side of the country,” Gutierrez said after watching Letruska train Thursday morning. “We have more chances to check what mistakes we had last year and make much better decisions this year. The idea is to run here in the Apple Blossom and maybe three or four more races and try to win the Breeders' Cup. But we need to go step-by-step and now the most important race is the Apple Blossom.”

Letruska was based this winter and early spring in south Florida, where she opened her 6-year-old campaign with a front-running three-length victory in the $150,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 at Gulfstream Park. Letruska was racing for the first time since finishing a leg-weary 10th in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Letruska's only other loss in a rugged eight-race cross-country 2021 campaign was a runner-up finish in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn's final major prep for the Apple Blossom. Letruska arrived about 10 days before the Azeri (March 13) and was still on the grounds roughly a week after her April 17 victory in the Apple Blossom.

Gutierrez said Letruska will return to her Keeneland base – she breezed five furlongs there April 15 – “one or two days” after the Apple Blossom. The 2022 Breeders' Cup is at Keeneland.

Letruska schooled in the paddock Thursday morning after training and Gutierrez said he plans to jog the champion two laps the wrong way again Friday morning.

“I don't want to gallop her again before the race because she's very explosive,” Gutierrez said.

A daughter of Super Saver, Letruska has an 18-1-1 record from 24 lifetime starts and earnings of $2,348,529.

The projected five-horse Apple Blossom field from the rail out: Maracuja, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 119 pounds; 6-1 on the morning line; Letruska, Jose Ortiz, 124, 7-5; Clairiere, Joel Rosario, 121, 5-2; Miss Imperial, Tiago Pereira, 115, 12-1; and Ce Ce, Victor Espinoza, 121, 2-1.

Champion Ce Ce (2021 female sprinter) also trained Thursday morning after arriving Wednesday from Southern California. Ce Ce won the 2020 Apple Blossom.

Probable post time for the Apple Blossom, which goes as the fifth of 12 races, is 2:18 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.

The post Fausto Gutierrez Hopes To ‘Make Much Better Decisions This Year’ With Champion Letruska appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The first leg of the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH Series) concludes April 23 at Laurel Park with some of the best filly and mare sprinters in the region and the return of turf racing in two divisions.

$100,000 Primonetta Stakes

The $100,000 Primonetta Stakes (Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division), $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes (3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Turf division) and $100,000 Dahlia Stakes (Filly and Mare Long—Turf division) are among five stakes on the Saturday card at Laurel. The first turf races of the year at Laurel were held April 16.

The Primonetta, at six furlongs, attracted the 6-year-old Munnings mare Kaylasaurus, who has delivered on a claim for $25,000 in late November 2021 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, where she is based with trainer Tim Kreiser. Though she entered the 2021 MATCH Series too late to pick up bonus money, Kaylasaurus won the Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel in late December in her first start off the claim.

In three 2022 starts—all at Laurel—Kaylasaurus, owned by Bush Racing Stable, Liberty House Racing, BlackRidge Stables and George Saufley, finished second in the What A Summer Stakes, was a close fourth in the Grade III Barbara Fritchie Stakes and finished second in an open allowance sprint. Horacio Karamanos, who was aboard for the Willa On the Move and the most recent allowance race, has the call in the seven-horse field.

Kaylasaurus, a winner of seven of 22 starts with earnings in excess of $264,000, also has wins at Penn National and Parx Racing, both of which will offer stakes in her MATCH Series division this year.

Trainer John Robb has entered two in the Primonetta: Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, a two-time Maryland-bred champion who will make her 2022 debut, and Eric Rizer's Princess Kokachin, who has 10 wins in 16 starts and defeated Kaylasaurus by three-quarters of a length in their last meeting March 13. Xavier Perez, who has exclusively ridden both fillies for Robb, was named on both fillies at time of entry.

$100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes

The one-mile Henry S. Clark drew a field of seven including the undefeated Chez Pierre, who won his first three races in France in 2020-21 and was victories in his United States debut March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs for owner Lael Stables and trainer Arnaud Delacour. The 4-year-old Mehmas gelding, who has won on soft, heavy and firm grass courses, will be ridden by Daniel Centeno, who was aboard at Tampa.

Maryland-bred turf champion Field Pass, a multiple graded-stakes winner based at the Churchill Downs Training Center with trainer Mike Maker, hasn't raced since a 10th-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29. Victor Carrasco, who piloted Field Pass to victory in the Grade 3 Baltimore Washington Turf Course last year at Pimlico Race Course, is named to ride the 5-year-old Lemon Drop Kid horse. Field Pass is owned by Three Diamonds Farm.

$100,000 Dahlia Stakes

A field of 12 has been entered for the one-mile Dahlia. Though Deciding Vote, a 5-year-old Mr. Speaker mare, has not competed in a stakes, she has run very well on the Laurel turf course in all of her outings and has been prepping at Fair Hill Training Center for her 2022 debut. Angel Suarez, back in the Mid-Atlantic region after riding in Louisiana this past winter, has the call for owner-breeder William Pape and trainer Edward Graham.

Trainer Brittany Russell has entered a pair of fillies owned by Respect the Valleys LLC. Adelaide Miss and Out of Sorts (Jevian Toledo named on both fillies at time of entry) spent the winter in Louisiana competing in stakes. Both of them have posted strong efforts on the turf at Pimlico but have not competed on the grass at Laurel.

With one race in books for the 2022 MATCH Series, the leader is Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and Blue Lion Thoroughbreds' Disco Pharoah, who won the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division) at Laurel April 16. After a break in May, the second leg of the MATCH Series will be held in Pennsylvania June 14 at Parx (turf races) and June 17 at Penn National (dirt races).

The MATCH Series originally debuted in 1997 and ran for five years. It returned with great success in 2018 and was held in 2019 and 2021. The innovative regional racing series—the only one of its kind in horse racing—combines rich stakes and bonuses for participating owners and trainers who compete over a five- to seven-month span. Horses competing in MATCH earn points based on participation and order of finish in each series race, and the leading point-earners in each of the series divisions, as well as the owner and trainer of the overall points leader, win lucrative bonuses.

The post First Leg Of 2022 Match Series Continues At Laurel April 23; Two Turf Races Highlight Saturday Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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