Tag: Racing

Winngate Stables' multiple stakes-winning filly Kathleen O. kept her perfect record intact and further established herself as one of the leaders of her division with a powerful 2 ¾-length triumph over Goddess of Fire in Saturday's $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

Favored at 1-2 over six rivals off three wins to start her career, the last two coming this winter at Gulfstream, Kathleen O. completed the distance in 1:43.75 over a fast main track to give Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his fifth Oaks win following Glitter Woman (1997), My Flag (1996), Inside Information (1994) and Dispute (1993). All four came when the race was contested as the Bonnie Miss.

Kathleen O., with regular Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano aboard, was making her two-turn debut in the Oaks. She graduated last fall sprinting seven furlongs at Aqueduct before heading south, where she captured a pair of one-mile stakes – the Jan. 1 Cash Run by 8 ½ lengths and the March 5 Davona Dale (G2) by two lengths. All her wins came in late-running fashion.

“We got an outside post going around the first turn the first time, and she kind of drifted out a bit, anyway. I think she wants to run a distance of ground,” McGaughey said. “She just does everything right. She laid in there and Javier you can see when he kind of let her run up to them, she does it pretty easy. He said from there, he just kind of let her cruise.”

Kathleen O. was unhurried early trailing horses in the clear on the far outside as 25-1 long shot Cancel This led through a quarter-mile in :24.17 and a half in :48.27, pressed by Amani's Image with Blustery and Running Legacy in the next flight ahead of Goddess of Love.

Luis Saez and Goddess of Love launched their bid leaving the backstretch, moving up to fourth and taking over the lead on the far turn as the long shot leaders began to fade. Castellano followed on her outside and ranged up to the leader as they straightened for home.

“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano, who previously won the Oaks with In Tune (2014) and Grace Hall (2012), said. “I had no question at all that she would handle two turns. She has strong power at the finish. I like the way she did it today, nice and easy with a strong finish. She has a lot of potential. I think she's going to be fun in the future.”

Goddess of Fire held a slim advantage after going six furlongs in 1:12.50, but Castellano and Kathleen O. were in full flight as they rolled up alongside and kept going. Goddess of Fire was 17 ¼ lengths ahead of show finisher Running Legacy, followed by Amani's Image, Blustery and Cancel This. Catiche was scratched.

“She ran super,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said of Goddess of Fire, runner-up in the Feb. 19 Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds. “Luis tried to spread the race in the middle of the turn and the favorite just ran her down, but I was pleased with her effort.”

Said Saez: “We just got run down. The winner is a good filly. I knew she was right there and I tried to stay in front of her and make my move a little early so I could get away from her, but we were second-best.”

Kathleen O., who returned $3, is one of just two horses owned by Winngate's Patrick Kearney, purchased for $275,000 as a 2-year-old in training last April in Ocala. The other is Cloudy, a 3-year-old Noble Mission colt, is winless in two starts.

“This is just awesome,” Kearney said. “A year ago, I didn't own a horse. I told Shug, we'd known each other a long time, 'I'd like to do something different and get some excitement in my life. Do you mind if I get a horse?' He said, 'You don't get one horse, you get two.' Long story short, in Ocala last year he picked out Kathleen O. This is just incredible. I know I'm living a dream. It's just wonderful.”

Kathleen O. earned 100 qualifying points and, with a total of 150, moved to the top of the leaderboard for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs.

“I figured that Todd's filly (Goddess of Fire) was going to be the one that we were going to have to chase and it was. This is kind of a miracle. The (owner) gets one horse, and it's this one. If he doesn't have any more fun, which he will, he's had a lot of it,” McGaughey said.

“We'll see how she comes out of it. Obviously the Kentucky Oaks is a big spot for me,” he added. “I really like the Oaks. I've won it one time. I remember the thrill and I'd like to have it again. The long stretch at Churchill Downs, maybe it will be for her.”

The post Kathleen O. Stamps Ticket To Kentucky Oaks With Gulfstream Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

One race after rallying Fulsome from last to first in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile, jockey Florent Geroux sent Yuugiri to the front and the 3-year-old Shackleford filly never looked back en route to a neck victory over Beguine in Saturday's Grade 3, $600,000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Bubble Rock finished third, with I Feel the Need fourth and Dream Lith fifth in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. Heartyconstitution, Mariah's Fortune and Magic Circle completed the order of finish.Eda was scratched. Time for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:43.65 after fractions of :22.89, :46.65, 1:11.46 and 1:37.09.

Yuugiri, bred and owned by Sekie and Tsunebumi Yoshihara and trained by Rodolphe Brisset, paid $10.20 for the win, her first stakes triumph and second win overall from five starts.  She was produced from the Medaglia d'Oro mare Yuzuru.

The Fantasy is a qualifying race for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks awarding 100 points to the winner, 40 for second place, 20 for third and 10 for fourth.

Stewards posted the inquiry sign and reviewed the stretch run, with Beguine coming up the rail and having things tightened up by Yuugiri and Geroux. Yuugiri drifted in slightly and Beguine came out under left-handed urging from Francisco Arrieta. Stewards ruled no change.

Yuugiri won her debut by 7 1/4 lengths sprinting six furlongs last September at Churchill Downs, then finished second twice and third once when stretched out to two turns in stakes competition. “I was going to cut her back to one turn, but may rethink that,” Brisset told TVG's Caton Bredar after the win.

 

 

The post Geroux Guides Yuugiri To Front-Running Score In Oaklawn’s Fantasy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Dismissed at 52-1, Candy Raid roared to lead in early stretch and spurted away to capture the $250,000 Bourbonette Oaks Saturday at Turfway Park.

The daughter of Candy Ride relaxed in last place in the field of 12 as dueling front-runners Let's Be Clear and Schlofmitz set the early pace. After a sweeping move into contention, Candy Raid grabbed the lead just past the quarter pole and coasted clear under Rafael Bejarano, winning by 4 1/2 lengths.

Candy Raid covered 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic main track in 1.42.96 while notching her first stakes win.

Catiche was second, and Tap Dancing Lady was third. Sandstone, the 8-5 favorite, finished seventh.

The race for 3-year-old fillies offers Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points of 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.

Based at Fair Grounds over the winner, Candy Raid shipped to Delta Downs to win in allowance company Dec. 31 for the first time, then returned to the New Orleans track where she was unplaced in two stakes: a fourth in the listed Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 22 and then eighth in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) Feb. 19. Ready to run Saturday, she won in a big way for trainer Keith Desormeaux, who also co-owns the filly with Don't Tell My Wife Stables, returning $106.

Candy Raid, who has won three of 10 career starts, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Her dam is the First Samurai mare Lady Samuri. A 2020 Keeneland September yearling in the Denali Sales consignment, she sold for $35,000 to Don't Tell My Wife Stables.

The post Candy Raid Springs Bourbonette Oaks Surprise appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post