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Half To Clairiere, La Crete Re-Rallies To Win Silverbulletday

The half-sister to Clairiere out of top racemare Cavorting, Stonestreet homebred La Crete proved her mettle on the track this Saturday afternoon. The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro set the pace in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at the Fair Grounds, but was passed in the stretch by Fannie and Freddie (3-1). Jockey Joel Rosario refused to give up aboard La Crete, driving her to the finish until she re-rallied in the shadow of the wire to score a one-length victory. The even-money favorite, La Crete completed a mile and 70 yards over the fast main track in 1:43.93 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

It was the third win on the card for Rosario and Asmussen. La Crete earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with her victory.

La Crete was not the quickest out of the gate, but she picked up the pace heading into the clubhouse turn and took command before the first quarter mile. Rosario kept her pace measured through fractions of 24.50 and 48.79 seconds, leading Fannie and Freddie by two lengths up the backstretch.

Fannie and Freddie ranged up alongside La Crete around the far turn, and the two raced head-and-head at the top of the stretch. The pair drifted out to the center of the track as they battled toward the wire, and Fannie and Freddie got her neck in front nearing the eighth pole.

Rosario switched his stick from left-to-right for one reminder, then went right back to his left hand to encourage the royally-bred La Crete to dig in. La Crete responded willingly and burst away from her rival in the final strides, crossing the wire a length in front of Fannie and Freddie. It was several lengths back to Bernabreezy in third, and Candy Raid rounded out the superfecta.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, La Crete is out of the three time Grade 1-winning Bernardini mare Cavorting, who earned over $2 million on the track for Stonestreet. La Crete's half-sister, Clairiere (Curlin) earned over $1.2 million with the G1 Cotillion her biggest score.

La Crete won on debut at Churchill Downs in November, and remains undefeated after her Silverbulletday victory. Her two-for-two record has compiled earnings of $159,460.

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‘Another Super Breeze’ For Life Is Good Ahead Of Pegasus World Cup

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good put in his final work Saturday morning for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Life Is Good, millionaire son of Into Mischief, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.90 over a fast main track at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, ranking third of 15 horses.

It was the seventh work for Life Is Good since his front-running 5 ¾-length triumph in the Dirt Mile Nov. 6, the last six following his mid-December arrival in South Florida. The Pegasus will be his first race at 1 1/8 miles.

“It was another super breeze. He looked awesome, moving really well, in hand throughout,” Pletcher said. “It's kind of what we've been seeing every week. Just beautiful action, and does things effortlessly. We couldn't be more pleased with how he went.”

Life Is Good has never raced at Gulfstream with five wins from six career starts, his lone loss coming by a neck in the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens (G1) last August 28 in his first race since joining Pletcher. He also owns graded wins in the Sham (G3), San Felipe (G2) and Kelso (G2).

“We know he's super talented and he's training great,” Pletcher said. “We're excited about the race, we're excited about the way he's coming into it, and we're looking forward to it.”

Repole Stable's Fearless, also among the 17 Pegasus invitees, worked a half-mile Saturday in 48.80 seconds for Pletcher. Fearless exits a four-length triumph in Gulfstream's Dec. 18 Harlan's Holiday (G3), and the trainer said a decision is forthcoming on whether he will run in the Pegasus or $150,000 Charlatan presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G3), formerly the Fred Hooper, going one mile.

Also working for Pletcher Saturday was Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, who went five furlongs in 1:01.34 as he prepares to defend his 2021 victory in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1). Colonel Liam went to win the Muniz Memorial (G2) and Turf Classic (G1) but has gone unraced since finishing off the board in the Manhattan (G1) last June.

Pletcher's other Pegasus Turf contender, Repole Stable's Never Surprised, worked a half-mile Saturday in 49.66 seconds. Never Surprised enters the race off back-to-back wins including the Dec. 27 Tropical Turf at Gulfstream, the same race Colonel Liam used as a springboard to his Pegasus win.

“Kind of different strategies with those two. Never Surprised, we're just trying to keep him happy. He's coming off some good races and he's kind of had a consistent schedule here recently, so we're just trying to keep him sharp,” Pletcher said.

“With Colonel Liam we wanted to do a little more,” he added. “He hasn't run in quite a while so we wanted to get another good work into him which we did, and it seems like he's fit and ready to go. We'll hope he can run as well as he did last year.”

The Pegasus World Cup program will feature seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses, including the inaugural $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) where Pletcher is planning to run the Lows' multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania. Sweet Melania worked a half-mile in 48.98 seconds Saturday.

At Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Pedigree Partners' Grade 3 winner Shifty She breezed a half-mile in 49.50 seconds for Championship Meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

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Chilean Group 1 Winner First Constitution Goes Wire-To-Wire In Aqueduct’s Jazil

Don Alberto Stable, WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' First Constitution made every pole a winning one in Saturday's $100,000 Jazil, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, First Constitution, a Group 1-winner in his native Chile, secured his first win in North America with the 6 3/4-length score under Jose Lezcano.

First Constitution broke well from post 2 and was hustled to the front through sharp splits of 23.13 seconds and 46.78 over the fast main track under pressure from Core Conviction. The duo continued their pace battle into the final turn with Why Why Paul Why tracking in third ahead of Twelve Volt Man and Forewarned.

The 5-year-old Constitution chestnut extended his advantage through the final turn as Kendrick Carmouche guided Why Why Paul Why into contention outside of a fading Core Conviction and Forewarned – a 42-1 upset winner of the Queens County last out – launched his trademark late run.

Lezcano continued to ask his charge for more, opening up a 5 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and never looked back en route to a smart score in a final time of 1:47.96. Why Why Paul Why completed the exacta by 10 lengths over Twelve Volt Man.

The prominent score marked the first stakes win of 2022 for Lezcano, who said he felt confident throughout despite the sharp splits.

“He broke sharp enough to be there and he did it very comfortably and solid,” Lezcano said. “He brought his race today. He broke running and finished running. I know I was going pretty fast, but he did it confidently.

“When we got to the backside, [Core Conviction] gave me a half-length in front of my horse and we really got comfortable,” Lezcano added. “When we got to the half-mile he jumped back in the bridle and I knew I had a lot of horse. He's a very nice horse and did everything right to win the race today.”

Forewarned and Core Conviction rounded out the order of finish. Empty Tomb, who will contest next Saturday's Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, and Splicethemainbrace were scratched.

The victory marked the second Jazil win for Pletcher, who captured the inaugural running in 2015 with Micromanage. Byron Hughes, Pletcher's New York-based assistant said the prominent steer from Lezcano paid dividends.

“The two speed horses scratched and we weren't sure what Kendrick was going to do,” Hughes said. “I think Jose just took matters into his own hands and was a little aggressive into the first turn, but it paid off.”

First Constitution captured the Group 1 Gran Criterium Mauricio Serrano Palma in his native Chile in October 2020. He was transferred to Pletcher last season and kept good company through four starts, garnering a career-best 98 Beyer with a runner-up effort to stakes-placed Speaker's Corner in October at Belmont ahead of a runner-up effort in November at the Big A to Empty Tomb.

Hughes said the nine furlongs proved beneficial for the classy First Constitution.

“He's a Group 1 winner going a mile and three sixteenths in South America, so you would imagine a mile and an eighth wouldn't be a problem up here,” Hughes said. “Todd will get with the ownership group and decide what's next for him.”

Bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto, First Constitution banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 9-4-2-2. He returned $7.90 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with nine-race card, headlined in Race 8 by the $100,000 Busanda – a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers. First post is 12:20 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.

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Agent Ron Anderson: Knicks Go ‘Seems To Run Around The Turn As Fast As He Does Around The Straight’

Bet on this: there are at least two sure things when the 2021 Eclipse Award winners are announced at the 51st annual dinner Feb. 10 at Santa Anita: Joel Rosario will be named top jockey and Knicks Go will be named Horse of the Year.

Take it from Ron Anderson, agent for Rosario, the regular rider of Knicks Go, who is set to make his 2022 debut in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park a week from tomorrow on Jan. 29.

“I don't know how they could deny Joel,” said Anderson, who has been his agent since 2012 and who also represents Hall of Fame veteran John Velazquez.

“Joel led the country in graded stakes wins and purse earnings, and he would have broken the records if he hadn't missed time due to injuries, but he had an outstanding year and it's justified that he wins.”

Rosario was aboard Knicks Go in his last four races, winning wire-to-wire as is his wont, including the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar last Nov. 6.

“He was riding at Keeneland last Fall,” Anderson recalled, explaining how Joel got the mount, “and Brad (trainer Brad Cox) needed a rider for Knicks Go in an allowance race. Joel rode him and the horse ran freaky.

“It just so happened the Breeders' Cup was at Keeneland in 2020 and we rode him back and won the (Dirt) Mile. There's no big story to it. I just was riding at Keeneland on the right day, and ended up on Knicks Go who's an awfully unique horse.

“You can't run with him, or you're going to come out feet first, and if you let him go, he's probably one of the very, very best horses around the turns that I've ever seen.

“He seems to run around the turn as fast as he does around the straight. He would have been a crazy bull ring horse back in the day when we had bull rings. When he gets to the three-eighths pole he just takes off, and he runs the turns so well that many can't catch him. If they try and catch up, they spend their energy trying to get within range and then he just takes off again.

“From 1984 to 2021, I've won 38 Breeders' Cup races as an agent, my point being I've been around a lot of really good horses, a lot of good three-year-olds and won 15 Triple Crown races but Knicks Go is maybe as unique a horse as I've ever seen.

“He's going to make the lead, so it will be interesting to see what happens (against Life Is Good in the Pegasus), because basically it's going to be a match race.”

In his most recent race, likely Pegasus starter Life Is Good won the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile wire-to-wire by 5 ¾ lengths on Nov. 6.

“There will be others in the race but it comes down to Life Is Good and Knicks Go,” Anderson said. “Good luck to Life Is Good, but he's not going to be in front of my horse; there's just no way.

“He's not only fast, but more important, he's quick on his feet. It doesn't take him but three or four strides to be gone. When they leave the gate, he's going to be in front, and they're going to have to try and get him at some point.

“It's happened far more than once. He leaves there in front, he's a length or two further in front at the first turn, then it seems they try and catch up going into the turn, and just about that time he takes off again.

“He's a very unique animal and he's been very good to us.”

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