Tag: Racing

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest, a winner of three of four career starts including the Grade 2 Demoiselle, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Friday's 85^th running of the $600,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

The 1 1/16-mile main track test is the ninth race on the 10-race program that opens the 15-day Spring Meet that runs through April 29. First post is 1 p.m. ET with the Central Bank Ashland scheduled to go at 5:16 p.m.

The Central Bank Ashland also offers 170 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. The Kentucky Oaks, to be run May 6 at Churchill Downs, is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box.

Thirty-five fillies who raced in the Central Bank Ashland have won the Kentucky Oaks, including last year's winner, Malathaat, whose 2021 resume includes the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Nest was away from the races for two months following her Demoiselle victory and returned with a 6-length victory in the Suncoast (L) at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12.

Pletcher, who trains Malathaat, will seek to join Shug McGaughey, Stanley Rieser and B.B. Williams as the only trainers to win consecutive runnings of the race.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been aboard for all three of Nest's victories, has the mount Friday and will exit position four.

Two other trainers, Kenny McPeek and Brad Cox, will be trying to add to their Central Bank Ashland win totals.

McPeek, who won the race in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and in 2014 with Rosalind, will send out Cocktail Moments for Dixiana Farms. Third in the Davona Dale (G2) in her most recent start, Cocktail Moments will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and leave from post position seven.

Cox, winner of the 2018 running with Monomoy Girl, will be represented by Flurry Racing Stables' Interstatedaydream, a 5-2 co-second choice. A winner over allowance company by 8¼ lengths at Oaklawn Park in her 2022 debut, Interstatedaydream will exit post position two and be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Invading from California is Reddam Racing's three-time graded stakes-placed Awake At Midnyte for trainer Doug O'Neill. Third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds in her most recent start, Awake At Midnyte (4-1) will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez and break from post position three.

The speed of the race figures to come from Gayla Rankin's Happy Soul, also at 5-2. Trained by Wesley Ward, Happy Soul has won her past three starts by a combined 26¼ lengths and will be making her two-turn debut with regular rider John Velazquez aboard. Happy Soul drew post position six.

The field for the Central Bank Ashland with riders and morning line odds, from the rail out, is:

1. Miss Mattie B (Joel Rosario, 15-1)
2. Interstatedaydream (Geroux, 5-2)
3. Awake At Midnyte (Gutierrez, 4-1)
4. Nest (Ortiz Jr., 2-1)
5. Sterling Silver (Jose Ortiz, 15-1)
6. Happy Soul (Velazquez, 5-2)
7. Cocktail Moments (Lanerie, 12-1)
8. Heavenly Hellos (Edgar Morales, 50-1)

All starters will carry 121 pounds.

The post Todd Pletcher-Trained Nest Headlines Field Of Eight In Friday’s Ashland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Whisper Hill Farm's Grand Sonata, a winner of two grass stakes this winter at Gulfstream Park, and D. J. Stable and Chester and Mary Broman's Coinage, winner of the Palm Beach (L) in his most recent start, top a field of six 3-year-olds entered Tuesday for Friday's 34^th running of the $400,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3). The 1 1/16-mile grass race is one of three stakes on the card at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

The Kentucky Utilities Transylvania will go as the afternoon's eighth race on the 10-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, who won the Transylvania in 2013 with Jack Milton, Grand Sonata won the Dania Beach (L) and Kitten's Joy (G3) in his two starts of 2022. Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for both wins, has the mount Friday and will break from post four.

Coinage, trained by Mark Casse, has compiled a 5-2-0-2 record on grass with his lone off-the-board finish coming in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar to close his 2021 campaign. Luis Saez has the mount Friday and will break from post five.

Two-time race winner Chad Brown will send out undefeated Verbal for Juddmonte. Winner of the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar to close 2021, Verbal will be ridden by regular rider Jose Ortiz and break from post six.

The field for the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania with riders and weights, from the inside, is:

1. Credibility (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds)
2. Napoleonic War (Flavien Prat, 118)
3. Sy Dog (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118)
4. Grand Sonata (Gaffalione, 118)
5. Coinage (Saez, 118)
6. Verbal (Jose Ortiz, 118)

The post Stakes Winners Grand Sonata, Coinage Face Off In Friday’s Transylvania appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Potager upset a strong field of G1 winners which included the reigning Horse of the Year and race favorite Efforia and defending champion Lei Papale to claim his first G1 title in Sunday's Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan.

The 5-year-old son of Deep Impact was unable to make it to the Triple Crown as a 3-year-old and while he turned in four consecutive wins during 2020 and 2021, his best score in six graded-race starts was a second in the Niigata Daishoten (G3) in May last year—he was sixth in his only previous start at G1 level, the 2021 Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi won his 15th JRA-G1 title, his latest G1 victory being the 2021 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes with Do Deuce, while jockey Hayato Yoshida registered his fourth G1 title, the first since with Sodashi in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) last year.

Potager broke smoothly along with the rest of the field and was positioned near the front group in fifth behind defending champion Lei Papale who came with good speed to secure fourth position from gate 14, while second pick Jack d'Or set the pace for most of the 1 1/4-mile trip. As the field began to close in on the leader approaching the final turn, Potager continued to chase Lei Papale, shifted to her outside for the bid while soon joined by Arrivo, and showed considerable guts to out-win both by a narrow margin to claim his first G1 victory.

“We had a good draw so I was hoping to secure a good position today,” commented winning jockey Hayato Yoshida. “Potager adapts well to various race developments and he was terrific in that he was able to keep up with the pace of the other really strong horses in front. He really gave his all in the end and all I could do was keep urging him on so I'm happy that we were able to win.”

Lei Papale was just a neck short in defending her Osaka Hai title after an impressive performance from an outside draw. Always prominent, she maintained her speed throughout the 2,000-meter trip, overtaking early leaders at the furlong pole and pinned just before the wire for second.

Arrivo, who had traveled in mid-field, just behind race favorite Efforia, chose not to follow that foe to the outside for the stretch run but instead found a clear path in the center lane as the top two finishers broke away from the rest of the crowd and made his bid outside of the eventual winner, finishing a close third.

Heavy favorite Efforia was unable to show much in his kick-off start of this season. Breaking smoothly and rated outside a rival in mid-division, he made his move 600 meters out, angled to the outside for a clear run turning for home but failed to find another gear and was well beaten for the first time of his career.

“Efforia was not himself. We made an early move but he just didn't have anything to give at the straight. He was a bit heavy and wasn't as sharp in his movement during training last week which may have affected his performance today,” commented Takeshi Yokoyama.

Other Horses:
4th: (10) Hishi Iguazu—sat in 7th behind eventual winner, showed effort but failed to threaten top finishers
5th: (4) Jack d'Or—set pace, sustained lead up to 200m marker, weakened thereafter
6th: (1) Scar Face—hugged rails in 14th, tied fastest late kick at stretch
7th: (15) African Gold—tracked leader in 2nd from wide stall, remained in contention up to 200m pole
8th: (11) Stellaria—settled around 10th behind favorite, showed belated charge
10th: (5) Akai Ito—sat 3-wide in 13th, lacked needed kick outside favorite at stretch
11th: (13) King of Koji—broke slowly, ran near rear, angled out, never fired
12th: (12) Shonan Bardi—raced around 5th outside eventual winner, dropped back turning final corner
13th: (2) Red Genesis—trailed in rear, no factor
14th: (16) Makahiki—traveled in 11th, gradually fell back
15th: (3) Humidor—took economic trip around 8th, outrun after 3rd corner
16th: (7) Win Marilyn—saved ground around 3rd, faded after 300m out

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