Tag: Racing

Trainer Mike Maker Chasing Eighth Victory In John B. Connally Turf Cup

The Houston Racing Festival will take place on Sunday, Jan. 30 with a special afternoon post time of 1:45 pm (CT). The event includes six stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic. The second graded stakes feature, the G3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, attracted an overflow field of 14 turf specialists.

Trainer Mike Maker has won seven of the past ten editions of the mile and one-half stakes which is run on the Connally Turf Course, named for the late Texas Governor John B. Connally. The esteemed conditioner will saddle three entrants, with a fourth possibility if Shady McGee draws in from the also-eligible list.

Maker's runners this year will include 2021 Connally runner-up, Ajourneytofreedom, who drew post position 11 at odds of 7-2. Owned by Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher, the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun, will be making his 23rd career start. The bay gelding exits the H. Allen Jerkens, a 2-mile feature at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 24. Nationally prominent rider Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Grade 2, Jockey Gold Cup last June at Belmont Park, has the call.

“He's a deep closer, so the post is really not an issue, said Maker. “This horse always runs a strong race and I have faith that Joel will figure it out.”

Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher also own Malthael, who ran sixth in the H. Allen Jerkens. Claimed by Paradise Farms for a $35,000 in June at Belmont Park, he will break from post seven under up and coming young rider Reylu Gutierrez. The gelded son of Nobel Mission impressed Maker in his allowance victory at Keeneland last October.

“He ran a great race going a mile and a half at Keeneland,” said Maker. “I'm happy to give the mount to Reylu; he won a stakes for me at Finger Lakes (Blue Gator in the 2020 New York Breeders' Futurity). He's riding very well lately.”

Tide of the Sea, a 6-year-old son of English Channel, was given a freshening by Maker following his tenth-place finish in the Grade 2, Red Smith at Aqueduct on November 20. Tyler Gafflione will ride the impeccably bred turf runner who has banked $453,253 in 19 previous efforts. Tide of the Seas is owned by Three Diamonds Farm, who won three editions of the Connally with Bigger Picture.

“We gave him a break after Aqueduct,” said Maker of Tide of the Sea. “He's been training well.”

Maker's past Connally winners include Papa Bodie in 2012; Admiral Kitten in 2014; Coalport in 2015; Da Big Hoss in 2016 and a three-peat by Three Diamonds Farm's Bigger Picture who captured the 2017-2019 editions of the turf stakes. For the past two years, Maker's runners finished second to Dot Matrix in 2020 and Spooky Channel last year. With multiple entrants each year in the Connally, rounding out the exotics is not what Maker is aiming for on Sunday.

“I love coming over to Houston and winning the Connally is something I look forward to each year,” acknowledged Maker. “It will be a busy weekend, but I'm planning on winning the Pegasus and flying to Texas to get my winning streak back on track on Sunday!”

Maker's trio will have some very stiff competition from a number of quality turf runners including Fantasioso. Co-owned by Jeff Bloom and Ignacio Correas, IV, the 7-year-old Argentinian bred gelding, has won five of his 31 starts, and will make his Sam Houston debut off a third-place finish to Ajourneytofreedom in the aforementioned Allen Jerkins at Gulfstream Park. James Graham will pilot Fantasioso from post position six at morning line odds of 9-2.

“He's a seasoned veteran,” said Bloom, who purchased the son of Strategic Prince with Correas last year. “We have been looking at the Connally for some time as he's run twice at two miles, but we believe this distance will suit him. James rides a lot for Ignacio and is one of the more capable turf riders on the circuit.”

Team Block, who won the 2006 Connally with Fort Prado, returns to Houston with Another Mystery. Trained by Chris Block, the Illinois-bred son of Temple City ran sixth in the 2020 edition of this turf handicap. Jareth Loveberry will ride the 6-year-old, who captured the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds in November.

“In the 2020 Connally, he was coming off just ten days rest, but still ran a good race,” said Block. “This is his best distance and a good to firm turf course on Sunday would be ideal. He will face a very competitive field this year but I am looking for a big effort from him.”

Trainer Joe Sharp will send in Logical Myth, a multiple-stakes winner for owner JPS Racing as well as Hierarchy, who surpassed the $400,000 earnings mark for Texas owner Carl Moore Management, LLC.

The John B. Connally Turf was awarded Grade 3 status in 2006 and boasts a solid roster of past winners including Chorwon, Warleigh, Fort Prado, Rod and Staff, Swift Warrior as well as three-time champions, Candid Glen and Bigger Picture.

The Connally Turf Cup will be run as race eight, with an approximate post time of 5:23 pm (CT).The field, from the rail, with riders and morning-line odds: Conviction Trade, Lane Luzzi, 20-1; Hierarchy, Corey Lanerie, 5-1; Tide of the Sea, Tyler Gafflione, 10-1; Strong Tide, Giovanni Franco, 10-1; Decision Maker, Marcelino Pedroza, Jr., 12-1; Fantasioso, James Graham, 9-2; Malthael, Reylu Gutierrez, 12-1; Logical Myth, Adam Beschizza, 6-1; Another Mystery, Jareth Loveberry, 8-1; Dyn O Mite, Stewart Elliott, 20-1; Ajourneytofreedom, Joel Rosario, 7-2; Parrot Head, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, , 30-1; Shady McGee (IRE), Richard Eramia ,30-1 and Celerity, Iram Diego, 50-1.

As previously announced, the tenth renewal of the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic will run as the seventh race on the Houston Racing Festival Card. The field of seven, from the rail, with riders and morning line odds, is as follows: Velvet Crush, Ry Eikleberry, 8-1); Audrey's Time, Corey Lanerie, 7-2; Pauline's Pearl, Joel Rosario, 6-5; Becca's Rocket, Adam Beschizza, 10-1; Champagne Affair, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, 30-1; Golden Curl, Tyler Gafflione, 20-1, and The Mary Rose, Reylu Gutierrez 3-1.

In addition to the two graded stakes on the Houston Racing Festival card, Sam Houston Race Park will present the following features:

$200,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile- 3YO -1 Mile (T)

$100,000 Pulse Power Turf Sprint – 4&up – 5 Furlongs (T)

$75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf – 4&up F&M – 1 1/16 Mile (T)

$75,000 Stonerside Sprint – 4&up – 6 Furlongs

“We are proud of our Houston Racing Festival, which continues to attract top connections and offer an exceptional afternoon of quality racing,” said Frank Hopf, Sam Houston Race Park's Assistant General Manager. “Our thanks go out to our horsemen for marking our marquee day on their calendar, as well as our tremendous racing fans who support our entire meet with great enthusiasm.”

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Shifty She Faces Toughest Challenge Yet In Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Fully recovered from a career-threatening injury that cost her all of 2020, Shifty She, with her distinctive name and background, is ready for a stern test Saturday in the inaugural running of the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Presented by PEPSI (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Peter Brant's Grade 1 winner Regal Glory, trained by Chad Brown, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/16 miles turf test that drew a field of 11 stakes runners. Regal Glory will start from Post No. 4 with jockey Jose Ortiz. The lineup includes Robert amd Lawana Low's Sweet Melania, who edged Shifty She in the Suwannee River (G3) on Dec. 18, and Team Valor's Irish-bred Wakanaka, who will make her U.S. debut.

The $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf is the newest addition to Gulfstream Park's program of seven graded stakes topped by the sixth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) present by 1/ST Bet.

Shifty She, a Florida-bred daughter of Gone Astray, had won three of four starts as a 3-year-old in 2019 before going to the sidelines with a tendon injury.

“In this game you have to be very patient and I'm a very patient guy,” said Chris Pallas, who is the mare's co-breeder and co-owner.

Pallas credits the vets at Ocala Equine with the treatment that enabled her to resume her career.

“We got her back and she is just a pleasure to be around,” he said. “She's just a very smooth horse. When you watch her, she glides over the grass. She's very graceful and she loves what she's doing. That's really her mindset. She's all about the business and she loves to run.”

Since her return in April with new trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., the speedy daughter of Gone Astray has a record of 3-1-1 from seven starts, topped by a victory in the Noble Damsel (G3) on Oct. 23 at Belmont Park.

Chris Pallas and his brother-in-law George Klein bred the mare and Pallas is a co-owner in Pedigree Partners. Pallas and Klein were given the unraced broodmare Perilous Hope and they followed their plan to have the Phipps family mare Pure Profit on both sides of Shifty She's pedigree. Pure Profit's daughter, Educated Risk, is the third dam of Perilous Hope and her Hall of Fame daughter, Inside Information, is the third dam of the Florida-based sire Gone Astray.

“We had won a silent auction to a season with Gone Astray so we kind of did this for practically nothing. Here we are today,” Pallas said. “This is an expensive sport and if you can match up your pedigrees you can do this fairly inexpensively and you can get pretty lucky.”

Pallas, a longtime Fort Lauderdale resident, said there was a similar breeding approach with the graded-stakes winning sprinter Mambo Meister he co-owned from 2007 to 2012.

Shifty She – Pallas fashioned the name from her breeding – showed stakes ability while tiring and finishing fourth in her comeback race in April in an optional claimer and has been in stakes company since. At her best when on or near the lead, she led from gate to wire in the Noble Damsel.

“I was numb for three days after that. It was amazing. She had two really sharp works here and when you're an owner and you can come and watch the workouts, you learn a lot more about your horse than at a race. I knew she was ready to run. Everybody that handled her from here to Belmont was fantastic. Just being there that day, it was an overcast day, it was cool. She ran them off their feet. She just did her thing.”

Brant purchased Regal Glory for $925,000 in January of 2021 in the disbursement of the late Paul Pompa's racing stable. The daughter of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Animal Kingdom has been trained by Brown throughout her career. Last year, she won the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct and De La Rose at Saratoga around a fourth in the Just a Game (G1) then finished second by a half-length to stablemate Blowout in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland. In front from the start, she picked up the coveted Grade 1 victory in the Matriarch on Nov. 28 at Del Mar.

Sweet Melania, a 5-year-old daughter of American Pharoah, was in the money four times during a seven-race winless streak going into the Suwanee River. She stayed within striking distance of pacesetting Shifty She, engaged her in the stretch and earned her third graded stakes victory by a half-length. Sweet Melania, the 5-1 second choice on the morning line, will start from the rail.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher liked what he saw Saturday when the mare worked a half-mile in :48.98 at Palm Beach Downs.

“I thought her last race was one of her best. I think she's actually coming into this one even better,” Pletcher said. “This will be a more demanding race, but she's training like she's made a move forward since the last one. Hopefully she can step up.”

Charles Fipke's homebred Lady Speightspeare won the first four starts of her career, all at Woodbine in suburban Toronto, before finishing third as the 6-5 favorite after a troubled trip in the Tropical Park Oaks on Dec. 26. The daughter of Speightstown out of the Theatrical mare Lady Shakespeare, will have a new rider with Junior Alvarado. She drew Post No. 3 and is 8-1 on the morning line.

Fortune Racing's Bipartisanship won the Tropical Park Oaks at 19-1 for trainer Graham Motion and has two wins and a third in four starts since being imported from Ireland last year. She drew the outside post and is 20-1.

Stuart Janney's homebred 5-year-old In a Hurry finished third in the Suwannee River behind Sweet Melania and Shifty She. Her regular rider Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has the mount on the daughter of Blame, who will start from Post No. 10.

Trainer Michael McCarthy will saddle Nicest, the Irish-bred daughter of American Pharoah. She was third in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1) and Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot before being imported last year. In her most recent start, she was second in the off-the-turf American Oaks (G1) on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

Godolphin's Alms was seventh in the Suwannee River after missing by a neck in her previous start at Fair Grounds. Gift List will be making her first start for trainer Brian Lynch since finishing third as the favorite in the Wonder Again (G3) on June 3 at Belmont Park. Summer in Saratoga, trained by Joe Sharp, closed out the 2021 season with three wins in four starts. In her most recent race, she won the Blushing KD by a neck at Fair Grounds on Dec. 26.

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Colonel Liam Attempts To Defend Pegasus Turf Title Off 239-Day Layoff

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, thrilling winner of last year's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in his graded-stakes debut, will end a 239-day gap between starts as he launches his comeback while attempting to defend his title in the richest turf race of the winter Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The fourth running of the Pegasus World Cup Turf presented by Baccarat and the sixth renewal of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) presented by 1/ST BET on dirt, both at 1 1/8 miles, and the inaugural $500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) presented by PEPSI comprise the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, headlining a blockbuster 12-race program featuring seven graded stakes worth $5.2 million in purses.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m. EST. NBC will provide live national coverage from 4:30 to 6 p.m. EST.

Colonel Liam will become one of only five horses to run in the Pegasus Turf more than once, a group led by California-based Next Shares, who took part in each of the first three editions. Cross Border, third behind Colonel Liam and Pletcher-trained stablemate Largent last year, as well as Sacred Life and Channel Cat, respectively fourth and 10th in 2020, also return this year.

Neither previous Pegasus Turf winner –subsequent 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar or Zulu Alpha (2020) – returned for a title defense.

“It would be awesome,” Pletcher said of back-to-back Pegasus Turf victories. “We feel good about everything going into it. We'll just keep our fingers crossed for a good trip and, hopefully, he can come with another big effort.”

During Tuesday's post-position draw inside Gulfstream's Sport of Kings Theater, Colonel Liam was made the narrow 3-1 favorite among 11 stakes winners, nine of them graded, including fellow Grade 1 winners Channel Cat and Hit the Road. Second choice on the morning line at 7-2 is stablemate Never Surprised, with Sacred Life (6-1) and Hit the Road (8-1) the others listed at single-digit odds.

Following the Pegasus, Colonel Liam went on to capture the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) and dead heat for first with Domestic Spending in the Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. A 5-year-old son of Liam's Map, a two-time Grade 1 winner on dirt for Pletcher, Colonel Liam has not raced since finishing eighth to Domestic Spending in the 1 ¼-mile Manhattan (G1) last June at Belmont Park. He got some time off starting in late summer and returned to the work tab in early December at Palm Beach Downs.

“I think over the years we've done pretty well in layoff situations, so I think it was important that we got the works into him that we did and we were fortunate enough that everything went according to the way we mapped it out,” Pletcher said. “So, I feel good about that. You never know if they're going to be quite as sharp off a layoff, but he's certainly trained well enough and has run well fresh before. Hopefully we can get the same type of effort. He's given us every indication that he's come up to it as good as ever.”

Among his rivals in the Pegasus Turf will be 4-year-old Never Surprised, a front-running type that is coming off a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, the same race Colonel Liam won in his Pegasus prep.

“When we came down looking at the Tropical Derby, we were hoping he'd run well enough to earn his way into the Pegasus. He was able to do that,” Pletcher said. “I think Never Surprised is coming in with a live chance. We'll see how much speed is in the race, but he's kind of shown that he's able to get into that high cruising speed and keep going. It'll be a fun race to watch.”

Riding a two-race win streak that includes the 1 1/16-mile Gio Ponti last November at Aqueduct, Repole Stable's Never Surprised has never finished worse than second in seven career starts. He won the 2020 Central Park in his second lifetime trip and ran second in the 2021 Kitten's Joy (G3) at Gulfstream, Saranac (G3) and Hill Prince (G2).

“Never Surprised is a free-running horse and he's got good natural speed. The key is just trying to get him to settle and relax,” Pletcher said. “I think he made a real step forward last time in the Tropical Derby. It was a very impressive performance. We'll let him do his thing and hopefully he won't overachieve early on. If he's able to just relax and settle in and get away with a decent pace, then I think he could be dangerous.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard Colonel Liam for last year's Pegasus Turf, gets the return call from Post 6, while Championship Meet-leading rider Luis Saez is named on Never Surprised from the far outside Post 12.

The Pegasus Turf will be the 31st career race for Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat, a millionaire son of late grass champion English Channel. He became a graded winner in the 2020 Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga and a Grade 1 winner in the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War last May at Belmont.

Unraced since finishing second by a neck after setting the pace in the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith (G2) last November at Aqueduct, 7-year-old Channel Cat (12-1) has been working steadily at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, for his return.

“We couldn't ask him to be doing any better. His final piece of work was last Thursday and it was probably the finest piece of work he's ever done with us,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “He came out of the breeze in good shape, and he just really seems to be getting bigger and stronger and faster and he should be going the other way because he's getting older. It's quite remarkable. We're looking forward to Saturday.”

Joel Rosario, widely regarded as the favorite to earn his first Eclipse Award as champion jockey for 2021, will ride from Post 10.

D K Racing, Radley Equine Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark's Hit the Road, 5, strung together four consecutive wins between May 2020 and March 2021 capped by the Thunder Road (G3) and Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. He has raced 12 times, the last 11 at eight furlongs, and is coming off back-to-back thirds in the Del Mar Mile (G2) and City of Hope Mile (G2), the latter Oct. 2.

Based in California, Hit the Road (8-1) was purchased privately by trainer Dan Blacker and Australian bloodstock agent Craig 'Boomer' Rounsefell. The son of More Than Ready has six wins and ventured east once before, running fifth in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) last April.

“He's the best horse I've ever trained. Hopefully there'll be more like him to come, but, he's a really special horse,” Blacker said. “It meant a lot that myself and Craig Rounsefell bought him ourselves at the sale and watched him develop into a great horse. I always had a confidence that he could be a top-level horse, but you never know. To have him go and win a Grade 1, it was more than I could have hoped for, a real thrill. I'm just thankful to the owners to give me the chance to buy horses like him.”

Hit the Road will have the services of Tyler Gaffalione from Post 5.

Trainer Mike Maker has had two Pegasus Turf starters each of the past two years, winning with Zulu Alpha and finishing third last year with Cross Border, who is part of Maker's quadruple threat this year along with Atone, Field Pass and recent acquisition Flavius. A triple stakes winner for breeder Juddmonte Farms, Flavius (15-1) was purchased for $230,000 at Keeneland's November breeding stock sale and turned over to Maker at Gulfstream, where the 7-year-old ridgling has breezed eight times over the main track. Paco Lopez will be up from Post 3.

Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm owns both Cross Border and Field Pass. An 8-year-old millionaire son of English Channel, Cross Border (15-1) has the most experience among Pegasus Turf horses with 39 previous starts, 11 of them wins including the 2021 Bowling Green and Dec. 18 Prairie Bayou over Turfway Park's all-weather surface last time out. Winless with a second and two thirds over Gulfstream's turf, Cross Border gets the services of Reylu Gutierrez from Post 11.

Field Pass (10-1) has more stakes wins than any of his Pegasus Turf rivals with seven, five of them in graded-company, the most recent in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) Nov. 27 over the Del Mar turf. He also owns four Grade 3 victories and won in his only previous try over Gulfstream's grass course in the 2020 Dania Beach. Umberto Rispoli rides from Post 9.

Jordan Wykoff's 5-year-old Atone (20-1), by Into Mischief, will be making his second straight graded-stakes start and third overall after finishing second to fellow Pegasus Turf contender Doswell in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 18 at Gulfstream. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, up for a one-mile optional claiming allowance win Nov. 21 at Aqueduct, rides back from Post 2.

Coming into the Pegasus Turf off a last-out win over the track is Joseph Allen's homebred Doswell (10-1), who captured the Fort Lauderdale by 1 ½ lengths Dec. 18 for trainer Barclay Tagg. Doswell ran a troubled second in last year's Fort Lauderdale and Tagg opted to skip the Pegasus and run Doswell in the 1 ½-mile W.L. McKnight (G3) instead, where he finished third.

“He came out really, really well. Not a blemish on him. He's happy, eating well and he hasn't missed a breeze since. We feel good about him,” Tagg said. “If he can get to where he can relax and be up close, then I think it'll work out fine.”

Junior Alvarado, up in the Fort Lauderdale, rides back from Post 7.

Live Oak Plantation homebred March to the Arch (20-1) will give U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse his first starter in the Pegasus Turf. The 7-year-old son of Arch is a six-time stakes winner, including Grade 2 victories in the 2020 King Edward and 2019 Wise Dan. He is two-for-five over Gulfstream's turf course, breaking his maiden in 2018 and winning the Sunshine Millions Turf in 2020, and was sixth in the one-mile Artie Schiller on the grass at Aqueduct in November to cap 2021.

Edwin Gonzalez will be aboard from Post 4.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso's Sacred Life (6-1) beat Field Pass by a head in the 1 1/8-mile Knickerbocker (G3) last October at Belmont, then fell short by the same margin in the Seabiscuit. Overall, the 7-year-old ridgling has finished third or better in 16 of 22 starts with seven wins, including the 2017 Prix Thomas Bryon (G3) in his native France.

Jose Ortiz rides from Post 8.

Completing the field is Clipper Logistics' Space Traveller, a British-bred 6-year-old that in 2019 won the Jersey Stakes (G3) in England and Boomerang Salonaway Stakes (G2) in Ireland. He is winless in four U.S. tries, all last year, running fourth in the Mr D (G1) shortly after arriving stateside. Second in the Woodbine Mile (G1) and fifth in the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1), Space Traveller made a belated run to be fourth, beaten 3 ¾ lengths by Doswell, in the Fort Lauderdale.

“He seems like he came out of it good. We were a little disappointed that he didn't run better, but to be fair to him he had his excuses. He was drawn wide and there was a bit of lack of pace, as well, I think,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “I think we could have done with a little bit of a better setup, plus he was coming off a layoff. He's been doing really well since, so I'm hoping he can turn it around on the big day.”

Irish jockey Jamie Spencer, based in England, is named to ride from the rail.

Here's the full field with morning-line odds:

  1. Space Traveller (12-1)
  2. Atone (20-1)
  3. Flavius (15-1)
  4. March To The Arch (20-1)
  5. Hit The Road (8-1)
  6. Colonel Liam (3-1)
  7. Doswell (10-1)
  8. Sacred Life (6-1)
  9. Field Pass (10-1)
  10. Channel Cat (12-1)
  11. Cross Border (15-1)
  12. Never Surprised (7-2)

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