Tag: Racing

Glass Ceiling showed she could be a strong contender when capturing the Garland of Roses to conclude her 2021 campaign. The Constitution mare has capitalized on that experience as a 5-year-old, improving to 3-for-3 after overtaking Kept Waiting from the outside and finishing strong for a five-length win in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Co-owned by Michael Foster along with trainer Charlton Baker, Glass Ceiling started the year with an off-the-pace optional-claiming score in January at Aqueduct before posting a half-length win in her graded stakes debut last out in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie in February at Laurel Park, with both wins coming at the Distaff distance.

The 68th running of the Distaff, which kicked off the first of six races on a stacked card highlighted by the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, saw Glass Ceiling break sharp form the outermost post carrying 122 pounds with Dylan Davis aboard. Glass Ceiling settled into second position as Kept Waiting led the five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.98 seconds and the half-mile in 45.98 on the fast main track.

Out of the turn, Glass Ceiling stayed within striking distance of Kept Waiting as 3-5 favorite Search Results maintained her position in third. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche maintained Kept Waiting's position to the inside, but Davis used right-handed encouragement to coax Glass Ceiling, who had plenty in reserve in surging to the wire in a final time of 1:21.71.

Glass Ceiling, bred in Kentucky by Twin Creeks Farm, captured her fourth consecutive race and for the fifth time in her last six starts. Her lone non-winning effort in that span was a narrow head defeat in a division of the Pumpkin Pie in October at Belmont. Sent to post at odds of 2-1, Glass Ceiling returned $6.50 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $613,512.

“I watched her and she was on the muscle the whole time [in the post parade]. But she's just doing great and she's on the muscle the same way in the barn going to the track,” Baker said. “It's nothing new for me to see her like that. I wasn't concerned. I was glad she was on her toes because I wanted her to get a good break and a good position. I didn't know how the race was going to set up. I didn't know if the one [Easy to Bless] was going to go or the five [Kept Waiting]. I was hoping she broke good to get a fair trip.”

Davis, bolstered by winning the first riding title of his career at the recently concluded Aqueduct winter meet that ended March 27, has been aboard in each of her four straight victories.

“She's on the right path and Charlie is doing a great job with her,” Davis said. “She's improving with every start and I enjoy riding her. She does everything right and lays it on the line. I couldn't be any happier with her today. If I were to have had a challenger late down the lane, she would have a little more extra for me.

“It could be that she's just maturing, but it could be once Charlie got a hold of her and I was able to get on her – maybe it's just the jockey and horse combination,” Davis added. “I get along with her well and I think Charlie is the main ingredient behind the success with her.”

Baker said the time between the Distaff and the upcoming Grade 2, $300,000 Bed O' Roses on June 10 at Belmont could make that a good spot with an eye towards the Grade 1 Ballerina this summer at Saratoga remaining in play.

“The spacing between her races has been great – I figure two month's time they've got another seven-furlong race, so that's the plan for now. And if everything goes good from there, the prime objective is the Ballerina,” Baker said.

The New York-bred Kept Waiting, trained by Robert Falcone, Jr., entered with a three-race winning streak and produced another strong effort, besting Search Results by 8 1/2 lengths for second.

Bred by John Lauriello, Kept Waiting, carrying 119 pounds, moved to 5-4-1 in 12 career starts and has finished on the board in 10 of her last 11 starts.

“No speed in the race. I figured to put the horse on the lead and see how far we can carry her,” Carmouche said. “The best horse won the race. My filly ran a game race for second and I think she'll improve each time she goes out with these horses. Looking for a good future with her.”

Search Results, winner of the Grade 1 Acorn in June at Belmont, was returning off an eight-month layoff from a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Test in August at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Chad Brown. She finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of Zaajel for third as the 123-pound highweight. Easy to Bless completed the order of finish, with Dealing Justice scratched.

“The filly that won has been running all winter,” said Search Results' rider Jose Ortiz. “She's seasoned and doing well. She had good position. Dylan was sitting in the right spot. My filly ran good. It was her first start of the year, and we got it out of the way.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Top Flight Invitational. 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.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Glass Ceiling Makes It Four In A Row With Distaff Victory At Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In her first Southern California start, 6-year-old Brooke Marie sat close to a slow early pace and kept to her task through the lane to prevail by a half length in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes, which was contested at about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course in Arcadia, Calif.  Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by Eddie Kenneally, who remained in Kentucky, Brooke Marie got the trip in 1:13.42.

Second, a neck off of eventual runner-up Alice Marble at the top of the stretch, Brooke Marie was between horses with Tapwater a half length back to her outside as John Velazquez and Tobys Heart drove up the rail, but in a resolute performance, Brooke Marie, who shipped in from Keeneland,  prevailed in what was her first-ever graded stakes victory.

“On paper, it looked like there was going to be one speed horse (Alice Marble) and my filly broke really fast,” said Hernandez, who was aboard the bay mare by Lemon Drop Kid for the first time.  “She put me right there.  She was enjoying the trip and I just sat behind (Alice Marble) and waited for them to cross the dirt to kick to the wire.

“I like her, she's really professional, she crossed the dirt really good and then soon after that I asked her a couple of time and she passed the other filly.”

Most recently third in an ungraded stakes going 5 ½ furlongs at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, Brooke Marie was off at 9-2 in a field of six older fillies and mares and paid $11.20, $5.00 and $3.60.

Owned by Castleton Lyons, Brooke Marie is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Mamasez.  With the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her bankroll to $408,730.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado and trained by Phil D'Amato, Alice Marble was the second choice at 2-1 and paid $4.00 and $3.00 while finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of Tobys Heart.

The 9-5 favorite, Tobys Heart paid $2.80 to show while finishing 1 ½ lengths better than Irish-bred Royal Address.

Fractions on the race were 23.05, 45.55 and 1:07.62.

JOCKEY QUOTES
JUAN HERNANDEZ, BROOKE MARIE, WINNER: “On paper it looked like there was going to be one speed horse, the number one (Alice Marble) and my filly broke really fast. She put me right there.  She was enjoying the trip and I just sat behind the one and waited for them to cross the dirt to kick to the wire. I like her, she's really professional, she crossed the dirt really good and then soon after that I asked her a couple of times and she passed the other filly.”

EDWIN MALDONADO, ALICE MARBLE, SECOND: “There was no speed in the race, so we went right to the front.  My horse ran a big race, we just didn't have enough in the end.”

JOHN VELAZQUEZ, TOBYS HEART, THIRD PLACE: “It was the first time I had the opportunity to ride her. She broke quite nicely, but I was able to get in a good position behind one and three. But then she got flat.”

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Giving jockey Tyler Gaffalione his third victory on the afternoon, Gainesway Stable's homebred Karakontie filly Spendarella came from just off the pace to score an easy and popular win by 1 3/4 lengths in Saturday's Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Winning for the third time without a defeat, Spendarella covered one mile on good turf in 1:37.41 and paid $3.40 as the 3-5 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. Dolce Zel, the second choice in the wagering, finished second, with Skims third and Kneesnhips fourth.

Trained by Graham Motion, Spendarella was produced from the Unusual Heat mare Spanish Bunny. She debuted in February, winning a Gulfstream Park maiden race at 1 1/16 miles, then jumped into stakes competition next out, going wire to wire to win the G3 Herecomesthebride at the South Florida track on March 5.

In the Appalachian, Gaffalione put Spendarella just behind the pacesetter, Glenall, who set fractions of :24.50, :49.11 and 1:14.12 for the first six furlongs. Spendarella took command into the stretch and was never challenged thereafter.

“She was going into the first turn very comfortably,” said Gaffalione. “She was in a great rhythm, and that other horse (Glenall-IRE) coming up inside didn't bother her at all. She relaxed beautifully and had some turn of foot.”

“She's made me look good,” Motion said of Spendarella. “She just does everything so easily. She's such a professional, she's a fighter – she obviously loves it. She makes me look smart.”

What's next for the filly? “I've heard mention of Ascot possibly, so we'll see,” said Motion. “I need to talk to Wesley” (a wink and nod to Keeneland-based trainer Wesley Ward, who is notable for success at England's Royal Ascot).

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Prevalence pressed early pacesetter and favorite Nashville from second then surged to the lead in early stretch and won the $300,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) Saturday at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Or, a Godolphin homebred, cruised clear by 2 1/4 lengths and finished seven furlongs under Tyler Gaffalione in 1:22.47. He earned his career stakes triumph while providing trainer Brendan Walsh his third win on the day's card.

Long Range Todd was up for second, a head in front of third-place finisher O Besos.

With Prevalance in close attendance, Nashville set swift opening fractions of :22.12 and :44.61 through a half mile had nothing for the stretch run and finished last in the 10-horse field.

“I wasn't sure we'd get that close to (Nashville),” Walsh said. “(The plan was) let (Prevalence) work his way into the race. They were going quick, but he looked comfortable the whole time. Tyler said he was just cruising along for him.”

Prevalence came into the Commonwealth after a 4 ¾-length triumph in an optional allowance race March 5 at Gulfstream Park. After winning his first two starts last year, he was briefly on the classics trail but finished unplaced in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct in his first try in stakes company.

With Saturday's win Prevalence, who returned $7, improves to four wins from seven lifetime starts. He is out of the Ghostzapper mare Enrichment.

“He's just a very smart horse,” Gaffalione said. “He does everything so easily. The first thing Brendan (Walsh) said (after the race) was, 'Man, they went quick, but it looked like he was doing it well within himself,' and he really was. He has a high cruising speed, and he's a very intelligent horse. I had plenty left.”

Walsh also won the day's second race with Emirates Road, a full brother to Prevalence, and the third race with Longpants Required.

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