Tag: Racing

Pauline’s Pearl Headlines Sunday’s John B. Connally Turf Cup At Sam Houston

The fields are set for the premier day of Thoroughbred racing at Sam Houston Race Park. The Houston Racing Festival will take place on Sunday, Jan. 30 with a special afternoon post time of 1:45 p.m. (CT). The 11-race card includes six stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic and Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup.

Now in its tenth running, the Houston Ladies Classic, at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, has been a springboard for top older fillies and mares The purse was boosted to $400,000 this year (from $300,000) in its previous editions and Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen will go for his third victory with Stonestreet Stable LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl. The filly by Tapit out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, drew post position three with Joel Rosario riding the 6-5 morning line favorite. He and Asmussen have teamed successfully of late; Rosario guided La Crete to victory in Saturday's Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds.

The victory by Pauline's Pearl would vault Asmussen into the record books as the only conditioner to win three editions of the Houston Ladies Classic. He won with Midnight Bisou in 2019, the remarkable champion who went on to capture five Grade 1 stakes, banking $7.4 million and was honored as 2019 Eclipse Award winning older female. He also captured 2020 Houston Ladies Classic with Lady Apple, a 5-year-old daughter of Curlin owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III Ltd.

Pauline's Pearl will be making her 11th career start on Sunday. She made her debut at Fair Grounds last year before shipping to Oaklawn Park for the 2021 Honeybee on March 6. She finished second in that Grade 3 before triumphing in the G3, $600,000 Fantasy. The gray filly completed her 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Zia Park Oaks on Nov. 23. Asmussen sent the Kentucky-bred filly back to Fair Grounds where she had a series of works in December and January before vanning to Houston last week. On Saturday, Jan. 22, she looked comfortable jogging on a fast main track under exercise rider Eulalio Rivera.

“She's a very nice filly,” said Asmussen. “We have had success with both Midnight Bisou and Lady Apple in this race and look forward to running Pauline's Pearl for Stonestreet Stables.”

The Mary Rose, bred and owned in Arkansas, by Shortleaf Stable, Inc, will ship to Houston from Oaklawn Park on Thursday, according to her trainer John Alexander Ortiz. He has conditioned the 5-year-old Macho Uno mare since last summer, with four on the board placings in five starts. She finished her 2021 season with an impressive seven-length score in a $50,000 allowance at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 31.

“The lightbulb turned on for me in her second race last August at Colonial Downs,” said Ortiz. “She pretty much sprinted. I wanted to see what she did going two turns and she blew the doors off in her last race.”

Jockey Reylu Gutierrez has the call and will break from the far outside post at odds of 3-1. The talented young rider will make his second appearance in the Houston Ladies Classic after riding Jeweled Princess last year for Kenny McPeek.

Shipping from Fair Grounds in New Orleans will be Lothenbach Stable's Inc's Audrey's Time who just won the $75,000 Joseph Spanky Broussard Stakes for trainer Neil Pessin. Corey Lanerie has the return call aboard the 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo. Trainer Michael Stidham has entered Velvet Crush, a 5-year-old Tapit mare bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farms and owned by Famousstyle Stables, LLC. Stakes placed at Monmouth Park and Belmont Park, she ran third to Audrey's Time at Fair Grounds last month. Current Sam Houston leading jockey Ry Eikleberry has the call and will break from the rail at odds of 8-1.

Trainer Scott Gelner who competed in last year's edition of the race with Shes Our Fastest for Norman Racing Stables, will saddle Becca's Rocket  for the same connections with Adam Beschizza in the irons. The 4-year-old daughter of Orb will be making her 16th career start. Golden Curl, owned by George A. Sharp, will ship in from Turfway Park. The 6-year-old Curlin mare is trained by Shawn H. Davis with Tyler Gafflione flying in from Gulfstream Park to ride. Champagne Affair will make her Sam Houston debut for owners L & G Racing Stable. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil will be ridden by Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez for trainer Cesar Govea.

The field for the Houston Ladies Classic, will run as the seventh race, with an approximate post time of 4:53 pm (CT). The field, from the rail, with jockeys and morning line odds:

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).

Inaugurated in 2013, the Houston Ladies Classic was awarded its graded status by the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2016. It anchors the annual Houston Racing Festival, which also includes the G3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, the $200,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile, the $100,000 Pulse Power Turf Sprint, the $75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes and the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint.

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Nominations Plentiful For Inaugural Turf Champions Day Stakes At Tampa Bay Downs

The highly acclaimed Tampa Bay Downs turf course will grab the spotlight on Feb. 5 during the track's inaugural Turf Champions Day, which features a pair of Grade 3 stakes for older horses.

Part of the track's Festival Preview Day showcase in recent years, both the $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes for horses 4-years-old-and-upward and the $175,000 Endeavour Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward will be run on the grass at a distance of 1 1/16 miles. Track officials believe allowing both races to stand alone on a high-caliber stakes card will enhance the Oldsmar oval's burgeoning turf racing program.

Peter Berube, the track's vice president and general manager, said moving both races up a week on the calendar should benefit both the turf and main track stakes programs.

“When you look at some of the recent winners of the Endeavour and the Tampa Bay Stakes – horses such as Tepin, Zagora and World Approval – as well as winning trainers like Claude McGaughey, Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse, Chad Brown and Graham Motion, it becomes obvious that our turf course is considered one of the safest and most consistent in the sport,” Berube said.

“By offering both races on a day when they will be the most lucrative turf stakes anywhere in the nation, we are hopeful of widespread exposure for both the turf and the main track, as well as the facility and our overall quality of racing,” Berube added.

Nominations for both races closed Saturday in the Tampa Bay Downs racing office, with the 36th running of the Tampa Bay Stakes attracting 37 horses and the 23rd running of the Endeavour drawing 32.

Moving the two races ahead on the stakes calendar also allows trainers of the Endeavour starters additional time to prepare for the Grade 2, $250,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares, part of the track's March 12 Festival Day card highlighted by the 42nd running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

The Oldsmar oval's restructured Festival Preview Day card on Feb. 12, meanwhile, now consists of the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes for 3-year-olds, which awards qualifying points to the first four finishers on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby;” the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race; the $100,000 Pelican Stakes for horses 4-and-upward sprinting six furlongs; and the $50,000 Minaret Stakes for fillies and mares 4-and-upward at six furlongs.

The list of Tampa Bay Stakes nominees is headed by Lawana L. and Robert E. Low's 5-year-old horse Colonel Liam, who won a pair of Grade 1 turf stakes last year. The lightly raced (6-for-9) career millionaire is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Get Smokin, who won last year's Tampa Bay Stakes out of the barn of trainer Thomas Bush and is now trained by Mark Casse, is also nominated, along with a number of accomplished campaigners.

That group includes millionaire and multiple-Grade 2 winner Cross Border, an 8-year-old trained by Mike Maker; Devamani, an 8-year-old multiple graded-stakes winning gelding trained by Chad Brown who was second in the Tampa Bay Stakes two years ago; Maker's multiple graded-stakes winner Field Pass, an earner of more than $900,000; Pletcher's 6-year-old gelding Largent, who may be rounding into form after spending most of 2021 on the sidelines; and Sole Volante, trainer Patrick Biancone's 5-year-old gelding who won the 2020 Sam F. Davis Stakes and was runner-up in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

Here is a link to the entire list of Tampa Bay Stakes nominees, followed by a link to their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220205-573143

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220205-573143

Owners Lawana and Robert Low and trainer Pletcher also have one of the top Endeavour Stakes nominees in the popular 5-year-old mare Sweet Melania, a multiple graded-stakes winner who captured the Grade 3 Suwanee River Stakes at Gulfstream in her most recent start and finished third in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

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One of the more intriguing Endeavour nominees is 4-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare, who won the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes as a 2-year-old and the Grade 2 Bessarabian at 3, both at Woodbine. She is trained by Roger Attfield.

Other leading nominees include Pletcher's consistent multiple graded-stakes winner, Always Shopping; Brown's unbeaten (3-for-3) 4-year-old filly, Bleecker Street; Gift List, 4-year-old Grade 2 winner who has never been out of the money in eight starts, trained by Brian Lynch; and Wakanaka, a 4-year-old Irish-bred who was 6-for-8 in Italy, trained by Bill Mott.

Here is a link to the entire list of Endeavour Stakes nominees, followed by a link to their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20220205-573141

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20220205-573141

Thoroughbred racing continues Wednesday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:15 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs races on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule, with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 17, when the track is closed.

Otherwise, the Oldsmar oval is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits poker action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.

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Magic Circle Breaks Through For First Stakes Score In Busanda

J.W. Singer's Magic Circle got her breakthrough victory in her fourth attempt at stakes level with a commanding gate-to-wire performance in Sunday's $100,000 Busanda for 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The chestnut daughter of Kantharos was a close third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December at the Big A, displaying the same forwardly-placed tactics before lugging out in deep stretch. Magic Circle never relinquished this time around, maintaining her advantage throughout to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

In capturing the Busanda, Magic Circle earned 10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, pushing her total up to 13 points. She earned two points when third in the Demoiselle and one point when fourth in the Grade 1 Frizette in October at Belmont Park.

Updated Kentucky Oaks and Derby Leaderboard

Piloted by Jose Ortiz, a now three-time Busanda winner, Magic Circle was nudged a few strides out of the gate from her inside post, and led the field through an easy opening quarter-mile in 24.38 seconds over the fast main track. Rosebug kept close company to her outside in second with two-time winner Waters of Merom another half-length back in third.

Positions remained unchanged through a half-mile in 48.28 seconds, but the tempo picked up around the far turn with Morning Matcha launching her usual late move. Ortiz kept Magic Circle to task approaching the quarter pole and into upper stretch as Morning Matcha continued to sweep up ground. But Magic Circle could not be caught, coming under the wire in a final time of 1:51.29.

“She broke really sharp and put me there by herself,” said Ortiz, who also piloted Fierce Boots [2014] and Flora Dora [2016] to Busanda scores. “She was traveling very nicely the first quarter. She was pulling me a little too much. I was a little bit nervous and I just wanted to put my hands down and relax and she finally did passing the seven furlongs. When she entered the backside she was completely relaxed and going a very decent cruising speed. She didn't walk the dog but the track is fast and inside is good, so I wasn't afraid to let her go.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez tasked Ortiz with piloting Magic Circle, who was ridden by Manny Franco in all four of her previous efforts.

“At Belmont, when she finished second, I was hoping that Manny didn't [use the crop] the way he did because she doesn't like the whip too much,” Rodriguez said. “I told him, 'Don't try to surprise her because she ducks in and out.' Jose is one of the top riders in the country and we are happy to get him in the race. Nothing against Manny; I told the owner that if we couldn't get Jose, we would try to get Manny.”

The remaining local qualifiers for the Kentucky Oaks are the one-mile $250,000 Busher Invitational [50-20-10-5] on March 5 and the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle [100-40-20-10] on April 9.

“I'm going to talk to the owner about that and decide what we are going to do,” Rodriguez said. “I don't know. You never know. Right now she's learning, so we just have to hope for the best.”

Returning $4.10 for a $2 win wager, Magic Circle brought her lifetime earnings up to $194,000 and boasts a record of 5-2-1-1.

Morning Matcha maintained her perfect in-the-money record and picked up a third career stakes placing when finishing second. She finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Reigning Chick.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. did not rule out the addition of blinkers for Morning Matcha's next start.

“We'll try it in the mornings with her and see if it perks up her interest early on a little bit and go from there,” Reid, Jr. said.

Reid, Jr. said Morning Matcha will likely target the Gazelle.

“That's a definite possibility because it's not easy finding races long enough for this filly and the Gazelle is a mile and an eighth,” Reid, Jr. said.

Completing the field were Rosebug, Waters of Merom and Gamestonks.

Magic Circle, bred in Kentucky by Manitou Farm, is out of the Distorted Humor mare Magic Humor. She was purchased for $110,000 from the 2021 OBS April Sale, where she was consigned by Costanza Stables.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Knicks Go Sharp in Final Breeze Before Pegasus World Cup Defense

Knicks Go tuned up for a title defense in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with a 'bullet' five-furlong workout Sunday morning at Fair Grounds Louisiana.

The Brad Cox trainee, who captured last year's Pegasus World Cup by 2 ¾ lengths, was timed in 1:00.40, the fastest of 57 workouts recorded at the distance at the New Orleans track. Exercise rider Edvin Vargas was aboard.

Sunday's breeze was the son of Paynter's second straight 'bullet' in a series of eight workouts (seven at Fair Grounds) since capturing the Breeders' Cup Classic by 2 ¾ lengths at Del Mar Nov. 6.

Knicks Go, widely expected to be named 2021 Horse of the Year next month, is scheduled to ship to Gulfstream Park by van Monday for his final career start in the Pegasus, in which he is slated to clash with Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good.

“He breezed good and we're really happy with him. We'll check him in the morning (Monday) and if everything is good to go, he'll be on the van and head out at 8:30 a.m.,” Cox said. “We'd like to get him there as quickly as possible; I'm thinking it will take around 13 hours. I'm flying in Monday afternoon, so I'll meet him there and we'll be ready to go.”

Pegasus Post Position Draw Tuesday, 1:30 P.M.
Post positions for Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G3) will be drawn Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The post position draw will be held in Sport of Kings at Gulfstream Park and can also be viewed on the Pegasus Facebook page and Pegasus website:

https://www.facebook.com/PegasusWorldCup

https://www.pegasusworldcup.com/live-stream/

Saturday's Pegasus World Cup 12-race program, which will also feature the $200,000 Inside Information (G2), the $200,000 William L. McKnight (G3), the $150,000 La Prevoyante (G3) and the $150,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3), will get under way with an 11:30 a.m. ET post time.

Saturday's Late Pick 5 (Races 8-12) and Late Pick 4 (Races 9-12) will both offer guaranteed gross pools of $750,000.

Advance wagering on the entire Pegasus World Cup program will be available on Friday.

The Pegasus World Cup will be nationally televised on NBC from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

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