A week after Gulfstream Park hosted a Triple Crown prep race in the Holy Bull Stakes, Florida will be the site of another Kentucky Derby qualifying stakes. This week, Tampa Bay Downs will host the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, which will award 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top four finishers.
Tag: Racing
Gear Jockey Gears Up In Saturday’s Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint
Gear Jockey will gear up for his 2022 campaign in Saturday's $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3) where the Calumet Farm homebred produced a career breakthrough during last season's Championship Meet.
The Rusty Arnold-trained 5-year-old registered a maiden-breaking victory in his ninth career start that would set the tone for a most productive 2021 season that culminated in a start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.
“He started out his 4-year-old year as a maiden and he got good. During the year we figured out what he probably wanted to do – be a sprinter instead of going long. He had a great year,” Arnold said. “He didn't run well in the Breeders' Cup. He didn't finish off the year, but he's freshened up good and he's ready to go.”
Gear Jockey made a wide bid on the turn into the backstretch but flattened out in the stretch to finish sixth in the five-furlong Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
“The race was fine. We broke good and got in a good spot. I'm not sure he's a perfect five-eighths horse. His best races have been from 5 ½ [furlongs] to three-quarters [of a mile],” Arnold said. “He might not be at his best at five-eighths. Sometimes you have trouble finding [longer races than five furlongs]. We'll stretch out a little bit when we leave here, but we just need a starting point to get going.”
The five-furlong Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint will co headline Saturday's program with the $100,000 Ladies Turf Sprint, a five-furlong dash for older fillies and mares.
“He's done great. He's had five works here in Florida – the last two were very good. He's ready to roll,” Arnold said.
Clearly, Gear Jockey was no ordinary eight-race maiden when he broke through with his first victory in a mile maiden special weight race on turf Jan. 21, 2021. He was a graded stakes-placed maiden when he finished third in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita.
“We've liked the horse all along. You could tell when we ran him in the Breeders' Cup as a maiden. He ran third, beaten about a length or so,” Arnold said.
Gear Jockey came up a half-length short while finishing third in the Canadian Turf (G3) in his next start. He went on to win a mile allowance at Keeneland before flattening out late to finish fourth in a mile allowance at Churchill Downs. Arnold opted to try him at sprinting distances at Saratoga, where he won an allowance and finished a late-closing third in the Troy (G3), both at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.
“He just didn't want to finish off his races last year,” Arnold said. “He had two or three that he looked like he was going to win, and he hung. We decided to back him up and sprint him, and he seemed much more comfortable.”
Gear Jockey earned a trip to the Breeders' Cup while winning the six-furlong Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G3) by 2 ½ lengths.
Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Gear Jockey for the first time in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.
Just For Fun Stables Inc.'s Warrior's Pride is slated to seek his third sprint stakes in only his fourth career start on turf. The 4-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior had won two of six starts on dirt before registering a front-running victory in the five-furlong Texas Glitter in his turf debut during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet. The Antonio Cioffi trainee went on to win the Turf Sprint for Florida-breds two starts later during the Spring/Summer Meet before heading to the sidelines following an off-the-board finish in an overnight handicap on turf Aug. 7.
Junior Alvarado, who rode Warrior's Pride to his Texas Glitter score the only time he has ridden him, returns to the saddle Saturday.
Trainer Mohamed Jehaludi and Bibi Jehaludi's Omaha Beach is scheduled to seek a return to form Saturday following a trio of off-the-board finishes since finishing second behind Golden Pal in the July 15 Quick Call (G3) at Saratoga.
The 4-year-old son of Temple City, who broke his maiden in the five-furlong Hollywood Beach at Gulfstream in his second lifetime start, will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez.
Peace Sign Stables' Belgrano, a turf-sprint stakes winner who finished third in the mile Tropical Turf (G3) last time out; Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free, who most recently finished fourth in the five-furlong Janus; Crown's Way Racing LLC's Richy, a late-rallying winner of a starter allowance on the Tapeta last time out; and Pedro Estevez's Breakthrough, eighth in the Janus; are also entered in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.
Urban Appears Filly To Beat In Down-The-Hill Sweet Life Stakes
In a race in which all 10 entrants will be trying Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course for the first time, the Simon Callaghan-conditioned Urban, fresh off an impressive maiden score, appears to be the filly to beat in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Trainer Graham Motion's French-bred Ouraika, who comes off a solid second in an allowance race at Aqueduct, ships in from Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and helps to make the Sweet Life a very deep and competitive affair.
Add in Phil D'Amato's Kitty Kitana, who was a solid second to the top choice in her U.S. debut and punters will have plenty of pari-mutuel options on Saturday.
Off as the 2-1 favorite going 6 ½ furlongs out of Santa Anita's turf chute on Jan. 8, Urban was attentive to the early pace without being asked, swung off the rail two-wide turning for home and prevailed the three quarters of a length while appearing to win with deceptive ease under Flavien Prat, who rides her back in the Sweet Life.
Owned by Gainesway Stable, LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing, Urban, who has now sprinted four times on grass, will be making her initial stakes appearance. A $375,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase in May of last year, Urban, who is by Quality Road and is out of the Sky Mesa mare Moonlight Sky, has a win, a second and two thirds and has earnings of $75,920.
A winner of one of her three starts in her native France at age two, Ouraika made her U.S. debut going a mile and one sixteenth on grass in an ungraded stakes at Belmont Park on Nov. 6. Off at 8-1 in a field of nine juvenile fillies, she finished an even fourth, beaten seven lengths. Wheeled back in a six furlong turf allowance at Aqueduct Dec. 3, Ouraika pressed the pace and finished a much improved second, beaten a half length.
With Juan Hernandez appearing to have taken off recent one mile maiden turf winner I Got a Gal to ride Ouraika, look for her to be well supported in her Southern California debut. Owned by Michael Dubb and Madaket Stables, LLC, Ouraika was favored in two out of her three French starts, including a 3 ½ maiden win four starts back versus 12 rivals going seven furlongs on grass July 11.
Second in a field of 14 juvenile fillies in her debut going seven furlongs on synthetic Sept. 24 in Ireland, English-bred Kitty Kitana rallied from off the pace to finish second, beaten three quarters of a length by Urban in her U.S. debut going 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute Jan. 8.
Although Urban appeared to win in better than looked fashion, Kitty Kitana was certainly not asked for her absolute best and would appear to have considerable upside with John Velazquez taking over on Saturday. Owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables, LLC, Kitty Kitana will try to put a win alongside her two seconds in what will be her third career start.
THE GRADE 3 SWEET LIFE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
- Ellamira—Tyler Baze–124
- Ouraika—Juan Hernandez—120
- I Got a Gal—Umberto Rispoli—120
- Half Past Twelve—Kyle Frey
- Dolly May—Ryan Curatolo—120
- Baby Steps—Mike Smith—120
- Kitty Kitana—John Velazquez—120
- Impeached Alexander—Ricardo Gonzalez–120
- Urban—Flavien Prat—120
- She's So Shiny – Drayden Van Dyke – 120
First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
California Shipper Queen Goddess Gets ‘Extended Stay’ At Oaklawn, Ready For Delayed Bayakoa
Southern California-based Queen Goddess will try to make the most of her extended stay in Arkansas when the Grade 1 winner faces six rivals in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares Saturday at Oaklawn.
The Bayakoa originally was scheduled Feb. 5 before being postponed because of a winter storm that closed the track last weekend. The Bayakoa was redrawn Monday, with the original cast of seven again entered. Probable post time for the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa, the eighth of 11 races, is 3:47 p.m. (Central). The 10th race is the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Queen Goddess exits a front-running 2 ¾-length victory in the $300,000 American Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. The 1 ¼-mile American Oaks, moved from the grass to the main track because of rain, marked the dirt debut of Queen Goddess, a 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker who races for her breeder, TOLO Thoroughbreds, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
McCarthy said Queen Goddess arrived in Hot Springs Feb. 1 after being flown via FedEx to Memphis and vanned approximately 190 miles.
“Little bit of a curveball with the weather,” McCarthy said Tuesday afternoon. “Not something we get much of out here in California. But the filly seems like she's doing well, even with the extended stay.”
Queen Goddess worked an easy half-mile in :53.40 Monday in advance of the Bayakoa, which is a major local prep for the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 12 and, ultimately, the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 23. The Azeri and Apple Blossom are also 1 1/16-mile races.
Queen Goddess made her first five career starts on grass, breaking her maiden at 1 1/16 miles Aug. 7 at Del Mar and finishing fifth in the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 16 at Keeneland.
McCarthy said he considered staying home for the $100,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3) at 1 mile on the turf Jan. 29 at Santa Anita before opting to keep Queen Goddess on dirt and shipping to Oaklawn.
“Nothing out here kind of made sense on the schedule,” McCarthy said. “We gave some thought to the Megahertz. Her race on the dirt was so good in the American Oaks. Thought we would go back there and try our hand on that surface and if she adapted well to it, took well to it, obviously would give some thought to the Apple Blossom in the spring.”
McCarthy won the 2020 Apple Blossom with Ce Ce, among three finalists for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion female sprinter of 2021. Ce Ce punctuated her 2021 campaign with a victory in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar. She finished second in the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) last Saturday at Santa Anita in her 6-year-old debut.
McCarthy said Ce Ce could return to Oaklawn this year, adding much may hinge on Queen Goddess' performance in the Bayakoa.
“I'd like for you to see both of these there in the spring,” McCarthy said.
Queen Goddess has a 3-1-1 record and career earnings of $303,080. The Bayakoa will be her second start outside California.
The Bayakoa field from the rail out:
- Matera, Florent Geroux to ride, 119 pounds, 3-1 on the morning line;
- Miss Bigly, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 9-2;
- She's All Wolfe, Francisco Arrieta, 119, 12-1;
- Jilted Bride, Joel Rosario, 119, 8-1;
- Mariah's Princess, Martin Garcia, 119, 5-1;
- Queen Goddess, David Cabrera, 119, 3-1; and
- Coach, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 5-2.
Two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl won last year's Bayakoa for trainer Brad Cox, who will send out Matera and Coach.
The 1 1/16-mile Razorback drew nine older horses: Popular Kid, Super Stock, Lone Rock, Rated R Superstar, Promise Keeper, Thomas Shelby, Last Samurai, Plainsman and Silver Prospector.
Millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner Lone Rock is the 3-1 program favorite after winning 7 of 9 starts last year, including the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes Dec. 18 for trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Probable post time for the Razorback is 4:56 p.m. The Razorback is a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 23.
