Tag: Racing

Can The Queen Best In Sensible Lady At Pimlico

Joanne Shankle's Can the Queen, beaten less than three lengths in the Jameela Stakes last out after setting the pace, came from just off the pace Saturday to win the $100,000 Sensible Lady at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. by 1 ¾ lengths over Flyingontheground. What a Trick finished third while 7-5 favorite Golden Can was fourth.

Can the Queen, a 5-year-old daughter of Can the Man, covered a firm five-furlong turf course in :56.41 under jockey Victor Carrasco for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon.

Can the Queen broke alertly and raced three-wide outside pacesetter What a Trick and Golden Can past an opening quarter in :21.63. After Golden Can dropped back a bit on the turn, Can the Queen chased What a Trick and jockey Feargal Lynch into the stretch before driving to the lead and finish line.

The mare set the pace in the Jameela July 4 with an opening quarter in :22.60 before finishing fourth.

“I'm so excited for this filly,” said Sanchez-Salomon. “I never expected her to run this good. She just needs a good ride, patient, and she can run a little bit. At the end when she started moving up, I was just hoping she wouldn't stop because she usually stops a little bit when she gets in front. She got a perfect ride. She wasn't rushed in the beginning; she was just sitting there waiting for the moment to move on.”

“The instructions were to be forwardly placed,” Carrasco said. “I got out there the first few jumps to make sure I'm on the lead or second and then when we got near the quarter pole I was just sitting on her and I see Feargal already asking and I'm just sitting there. When I said go, she exploded and got the job done.”

Can The Queen has now won four of 12 starts. She was bred in Maryland by Carol Ann Kaye.

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Tightly Twisted Holds Off Counterparty Risk In Big Dreyfus At Pimlico

Trainer Juanita Bennett admitted when she saw the entries for the $100,000 Big Dreyfus, including Klaravich Stables Inc.'s 4-5 favorite and stakes-placed filly Counterparty Risk, “I was like 'Oh my gosh.' “

But Bennett's 5-year-old mare Tightly Twisted, owned by Fiasco Farms, Ltd and ridden by Jhonatan Mendoza, proved every bit up to the task by defeating Counterparty Risk by a half-length Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. while covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.05. It was another 5 ¾ lengths to pacesetter Sailingintothewind in third.

A daughter of Hard Spun, Tightly Twisted came into the Big Dreyfus off a two-length win at Delaware Park June 28. A winner of five of 21 starts, Tightly Twisted had finished second in the Robert Dick Memorial last year and won the George Rosenberger in 2019.

“It's a family and group effort,” said Bennett. “We bought her out of the Keeneland sale, one of the few we could afford, and she's just performed for us, and we hope we keep going on this ride. It's been a great ride this month.”

Mendoza rated Tightly Twisted a length in front of Counterparty Risk in fourth along the inside while Sailingintothewind set fractions of :24.52, :47.96, and 1:11.44. Around the far turn, Mendoza continued to save ground while moving into second while Counterparty Risk followed. But, inside the final eighth, Tightly Twisted took a clear lead from Sailingintothewind and had plenty left to hold off Counterparty Risk.

“She broke a little bit slow, and I put her in the race,” Mendoza said. “She was traveling good right into the stretch, and she kicked on. I was worried a little bit when [Counterparty Risk] was coming but she just kept going. I knew I had a nice filly, too.”

Tightly Twisted, bred by Normandy Farm, returned $21.20.

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Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks At Saratoga

In her much-anticipated return to the races after her April 30 victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Malathaat battled Maracuja down the stretch and found herself on the losing end of a close finish for the first time in her six starts. Maracuja, who finished seventh behind Malathaat in the Oaks, came away with the upset and the first stakes victory of her career, winning the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by a head at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Facing only three others, Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, broke cleanly from post position one, taking a short lead over Clairiere around the first turn. John Velazquez kept the Shadwell filly on the lead throughout the race, setting early fractions of :23.38 for the first quarter and :47.13 for the half-mile. Clairiere settled in a half-length back, with Maracuja and Rockpaperscissors lingering close on the backstretch.

Around the final turn, Clairiere challenged Malathaat's lead, Irad Ortiz, Jr. keeping pressure on the Pletcher trainee. On their outside, Maracuja accelerated, Ricardo Santana, Jr. positioning his filly for their stretch run. Into the Saratoga straight, Malathaat maintained her short lead on the rail, Clairiere unable to catch her while Maracuja moved up to confront the leader. Malathaat and Maracuja dueled through the last half of the stretch, Maracuja showing a head in front as they hit the wire. Clairiere was third and Rockpaperscissors fourth. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.29.

Find this race's chart here.

With only four horses in the field, the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks had no show betting. Maracuja paid $31.40 and $6.00. Malathaat paid $2.10.

“She broke really sharp, which I was happy with, and she was kind of right there. They all seemed like they were coming and I thought Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] made a smart move by backing off and coming around the outside. What a race.” said trainer Rob Atras after the race. “She loves the two turns. She puts a lot into her gallops every day. The further, the better for her.”

“The trip was perfect. She broke really well today. She was running comfortably. Rob liked the filly a lot and I was happy with her. There wasn't much pressure in this race.” Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. said after the CCA Oaks.  “He told me, 'Just do what you have to do' and we took the victory today. I had some pressure on the side from the 4 [Clairiere] and I just let my filly take a deep breath. As soon as I took her back out, she came rolling. She ran a great race today.”

Bred in Kentucky by River Bend Farm and Austin and Janie Musselman, Maracuja is a 3-year-old daughter of Honor Code out of the Unbridled's Song mare Patti's Regal Song. She is owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds. Maracuja was consigned by Buck Pond Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale and was purchased by Jason Servis for $200,000. The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks is Maracuja's second victory in five starts in 2021. Her record is two wins in six lifetime starts for career earnings of $407,100.

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