Tag: Racing

Fresh off of double digit scores in her last two races, Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor looms a short priced favorite versus four rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

A pivotal race for those trying to get qualifying points to the G1 Kentucky Oaks, the Santa Anita Oaks will provide the winner with 100 Oaks qualifying points, with 40, 20 and 10 points going to the second through fourth place finishers.

A 12 length gate to wire maiden winner at one mile on Jan. 7, Adare Manor pressed the early pace en route to a resounding 13 length win at 2-5 in the G3 Las Virgenes Stakes at the same distance on Feb. 6. Trained by recently suspended Bob Baffert through her first four starts, she'll be saddled for the first time by Tim Yakteen on Saturday with sights fully set on the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs May 6.

An odds-on favorite in three out of her four starts, Adare Manor, a filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, was purchased out of a 2-year-old in training sale for $375,000. With two wins and a second place finish, she has earnings of $176,600.

Stablemate Under the Stars, a fast finishing second as the even money favorite in the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes going 1 1/16 miles March 6, will also be transitioning from Baffert to Yakteen and appears to be the likely second choice in the Oaks while ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

A front-running winner of the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs two starts back on Jan. 8, Under the Stars will undoubtedly be forwardly placed in what will be her second try at a route of ground. A bay filly by Pioneerof the Nile out of the Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent, Under the Stars is owned by Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor. With an overall mark of 5-2-1-2, she has earnings of $190,520.

A one mile maiden special weight winner going one mile in her second start Aug. 26 at Del Mar, Arizona-bred Desert Dawn was subsequently third in the G2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on Oct. 1 and was distanced in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at 42-1.

Trained by Phil D'Amato and owned by her breeders, H and E Ranch, Inc., Desert Dawn was a creditable fourth, beaten 3 ¾ lengths by top filly Eda in the G1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos Dec. 4 and in her lone start this year, was fourth, beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Eda in the G3 Santa Ysabel on March 6. With a recent race under her belt Desert Dawn, a bay filly by Cupid out of the Honour and Glory mare Ashley's Glory, will hope to improve enough to be competitive against the top two.

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

Race 4 of 12 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

1. Desert Dawn—Umberto Rispoli—124
2. Ain't Easy—Juan Hernandez–124
3. Under the Stars—Mike Smith—124
4. Micro Share—Victor Espinoza—124
5. Adare Manor—John Velazquez–124

Special early first post time for a 12-race card on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day this Saturday is at 12 noon with admission gates opening at 10 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

The post Adare Manor Looms Over Four Rivals In Santa Anita Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Tapwater, a huge second in her lone hillside start, will hope to be rolling late as she heads a field of six older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

A huge second, beaten a head in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes on Jan. 9, Tapwater, who is trained by Richard Mandella, didn't have the same late kick when finishing fifth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the restricted Wishing Well Stakes which was run at 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute on Feb. 26.

Second beaten a head by Zero Tolerance in the Las Cienegas, Tapwater and Joe Bravo surged late to just miss while galloping out well in front of the field.  With Bravo back aboard, Tapwater's connections are hoping for a similar run as the LNJ Foxwoods' homebred seeks her first stakes win.

A 6-year-old mare by Tapit out of the Indian Charlie mare Fiji Moon, Tapwater, who earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the Las Cienegas, is 17-3-4-3 with earnings of $222,714.

In sharp recent form at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, trainer Eddie Kenneally's Brooke Marie rallied from off the pace to take an ungraded stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on turf two starts back on Dec. 4 and she was most recently an even third, beaten 3 ¾ lengths in another ungraded stakes at the same distance on Jan. 29.

Versatile, the 6-year-old Lemon Drop Kid mare was a front-running winner of a classified allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on turf three starts back at Keeneland Oct. 28 and dating back to April 17 of last year, she's won three out of her last four starts, all at 5 ½ furlongs on grass.

Owned by Castleton Lyons, Brooke Marie's most recent work, a half-mile in :47.40 at Keeneland on March 31, was her fifth since her last start on Jan. 29.  With an overall mark of 14-5-3-2 and earnings of $288,730, she'll be seeking her first graded win in the Monrovia in what will be her first-ever start in California.

Phil D'Amato has a talented California-bred in Nick Alexander's homebred Alice Marble, who was second to her multiple stakes winning stablemate Leggs Galore in her only try down the hill, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint two starts back on Jan. 15.  Head and head for the early lead, the 5-year-old mare by Grazen went on to prevail by a half-length in the Wishing Well Feb. 26 and rates an upset chance as she seeks her first graded win in the Monrovia with Edwin Maldonado riding back.

Out of the More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, Alice Marble is 9-4-1-1 with earnings of $221,180.

Brian Lynch ships west from South Florida with 4-year-old filly Tobys Heart, a three-time ungraded stakes winner who has raced exclusively on turf in all 10 of her starts.  Most recently eighth, beaten 4 ½ lengths in an ungraded stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park, Tobys Heart has seven works at Palm Meadows Training Center dating back to Feb. 8, with her most recent a five-furlong drill in 1:01.60 on April 1.

A Kentucky-bred by the War Front stallion Jack Milton, out of the Lil's Lad mare Pick of the Pack, Tobys Heart is a three-time stakes winner sprinting, and she was also a first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at age two at Churchill Downs.  Easily the leading money earner in the field with $503,250, Tobys Heart is 10-4-1-1 overall.

GRADE II, $200,000 MONROVIA STAKES
WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 1 of 12 Post time 12 noon PT

1. Alice Marble—Edwin Maldonado—120
2. Tobys Heart—John Velazquez—120
3. Brooke Marie—Juan Hernandez—120
4. Cover Version—Kyle Frey–120
5. Tapwater—Joe Bravo—120
6. Royal Address—Drayden Van Dyke–120

Special early first post time on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day Saturday is at 12 noon with admission gates open at 10 a.m.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Tapwater Seeks First Graded Win In Monrovia On Santa Anita’s Hillside Turf Course appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal will make his 2022 debut Saturday when he headlines a field of 11 in the 26th running of the $350,000 Shakertown (G2) going 5½ furlongs on the grass at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

The Shakertown will go as the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program with a 4:30 p.m. (ET) post time.

Trained by Wesley Ward, who won the 2016 Shakertown with Undrafted and the 2018 and 2021 runnings with Bound for Nowhere, Golden Pal is undefeated in two Keeneland starts, having won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) in 2020 and last year winning the Woodford (G2) before going on to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar.

Golden Pal is a 4-year-old sired by Uncle Mo out of top turf sprinting mare Lady Shipman, by Midshipman.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will have the mount on Golden Pal and break from post position 10.

The field for the Shakertown, with riders and weights from the rail out, is:

1. Chess Master (Jesus Castanon, 122 pounds)
2. Natural Power (Corey Lanerie, 122)
3. Barraza (Julien Leparoux, 124)
4. Diamond Oops (Florent Geroux, 122)
5. Gear Jockey (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124)
6. The Lir Jet (Tyler Gaffalione, 124)
7. Cowan (Rafael Bejarano, 122)
8. Johnny Unleashed (Gerardo Corrales, 122)
9. Filo Di Arianna (Luis Saez, 122)
10. Golden Pal (Ortiz Jr., 126)
11. Just Might (Colby Hernandez, 122)

The post Dual Breeders’ Cup Winner Golden Pal Makes 2022 Debut In Saturday’s Shakertown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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