Tag: Racing

Smooth Like Strait, Going Global Headliners In Saturday’s Del Mar Stakes Doubleheader

Del Mar will present a stakes doubleheader Saturday with the 48th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes being one of the offerings and the 54th edition of the Grade 2, $200,000 San Clemente Stakes being the other.

The pair of black type, added-money affairs will highlight an 11-race card that has a first post of 2 p.m.

The Eddie Read, named for Del Mar's long-time publicity director, has drawn a field of seven solid older stakes aces, including Cannon Thoroughbred's Smooth Like Strait and LNJ Foxwoods' United. They'll run a mile and one-eighth on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in Race 8 on the program.

Then the San Clemente, named for the Orange Country beach town just above the Marines' Camp Pendelton base north of the track, will go forth with a dozen 3-year-old fillies in the gate for a one-mile spin on the grass that is scheduled to be Race 10.

The Irish filly Going Global, a stakes winner of all four of her U.S. starts this year, appears a stout choice and surely the one to beat in the San Clemente, which serves as a key prep for the track's championship race for sophomore fillies – the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks at nine furlongs on Saturday, Aug. 21.

Here's the field for the Eddie Read with weights and riders: OXO Equine's Vintage Print (121, Adam Beschizza); United (121, Flavine Prat); Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word (123, Mike Smith); Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Count Again (121, Joe Bravo); Amerman Racing's Award Winner (123, Juan Hernandez); Smooth Like Strait (125, Umberto Rispoli), and Brinkerhoff or Grayson Jr.'s Restrainedvengence (121, Tyler Baze).

The San Clemente lineup looks like this: Perry and Ramona Bass' Pizzazz (120, Kyle Frey); Dubb, Gevertz or Nentwig, et al's Going Global (1232, Prat); Bernsen, Lambert or Hale's Founder's Day (118, Baze); Branham or Naify's Freedom Flyer (120, Victor Espinoza); Slam Dunk Racing or Platts' Tetragonal (120, Bravo); Strand Beach's Equilove (120, Ricky Gonzalez); Derrick Fisher's Jibber Jabber (118, Geovanni Franco); Roncelli Family Trust and Roney's Dramatizer (118, Edwin Maldonado); Kaleem Shah's Madone (123, Henandez); Schumer or Screnci's Karakatsie (118, Kent Desormeaux); SF Racing's Nimbostratus (120, Abel Cedillo), and Harris Farms' Closing Remarks (123, Rispoli).

Smooth Like Straight, trained by Mike McCarthy, comes into the Read off a front-running tally in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 31. The handy 4-year-old by sprint champion Midnight Lute is a seven-time winner who has banked $933,823 and could take a bunch of catching Saturday.

United has won eight races and more than $1.5 million over a 19-race career thus far. The 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway won the Eddie Read last year.

In the San Clemente, Going Global, a daughter of the Irish stallion Mehmas, won only one of four starts in her native land as a 2-year-old, but has done nothing but win with her shift stateside. She is conditioned by Phil D'Amato.

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Malathaat Puts Her Unbeaten Status On The Line In Saturday’s CCA Oaks

Shadwell Stable's undefeated Malathaat has demonstrated class and determination through five wins in as many lifetime starts and will vie to keep her perfect ways afloat in Saturday's 105th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks going nine furlongs for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

The Coaching Club American Oaks was named in honor of a club formed in 1875 for which a membership requirement was to be able to navigate a coach and four horses with a single group of reins. Inaugurated in 1917, the historic event often attracts the winner of the Kentucky Oaks and has seen 14 fillies sweep the Kentucky Oaks-CCA Oaks double, including Hall of Famers Princess Doreen [1924], Dark Mirage [1968], Davona Dale [1979], Bold 'n Determined [1980], and Open Mind [1989].

Multiple fillies have used the CCA Oaks as a steppingstone to Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors, including Ruffian [1975], Wayward Lass [1981], Mom's Command [1985], Ajina [1997], Ashado [2004], Smuggler [2005], and Questing [2012]. Three of the last five winners of the CCA Oaks have notched such honors with Songbird [2016], Abel Tasman [2017], and Monomoy Girl [2018].

Two-time Grade 1-winner Malathaat arrives at the CCA Oaks off a hard-fought triumph in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs, where she engaged in a stretch duel with graded stakes winner Search Results and won by a neck, garnering a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Kentucky Oaks triumph came after a successful sophomore bow in the Grade 1 Ashland on April 3 at Keeneland where she tracked leisurely fractions and closed in on Pass the Champagne in the final half-furlong to win by a head.

During her juvenile campaign, Malathaat notched stakes triumphs at Aqueduct in the Tempted and Grade 2 Demoiselle after giving Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez his 2,000th Belmont Park victory in October.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will look to extend his seven-win record in the prestigious race when he saddles Malathaat. A victory would give Pletcher a third CCA Oaks triumph with a Kentucky Oaks winner, having sent out Ashado and Princess of Sylmar [2013].

“She's a very gifted filly,” Pletcher said. “She's just been perfect so far and she's a pleasure to train, and just does everything right. When you have one that's undefeated you just want to keep that intact and hope that everything goes smoothly and that she's able to show her capabilities once more.”

Malathaat could also provide her multiple champion-producing sire Curlin his third CCA Oaks winner after Curalina [2015], also trained by Pletcher, and last year's winner Paris Lights.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Malathaat is the first offspring out of the A.P. Indy broodmare Dreaming of Julia, who captured the 2012 Grade 1 Frizette and the 2013 Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks for Pletcher.

“She's a bigger physical than Dreaming of Julia and maybe Dreaming of Julia was a tad quicker than she is,” Pletcher said. “But she's just so efficient and has a long stride and it seems like she's bred to get better now. She's growing into that big frame. She's fun to have in the barn and I'm looking forward to get her going again.”

Malathaat was initially campaigned for an earlier return to action.

“We did miss a little time with her and she was a little bit sore, so we took it easy with her,” said Shadwell Stable's vice president and general manager Rick Nichols. “Todd had her training real well into the Ashland. I loved the way that she fought in the Oaks. She just has so much class and determination.”

Malathaat has settled into her surroundings at Saratoga and recently breezed a half-mile in 48.05 seconds on July 17 over the main track in company with Grade 2 Mother Goose-winner Zaajel.

“She's doing great and seems to be loving Saratoga,” Nichols said. “The main thing about her is early on, she had such an effortless gallop. She covers the ground so easily. It doesn't look like she has to work hard at all.”

Pletcher said he is grateful for his relationship with Shadwell, for whom he also has campaigned recent graded stakes winner Mutasaabeq.

“We've been blessed to have received some of their horses and have built some good relationships so far,” Pletcher said. “To have [graded stakes winners] Mutasaabeq and Zaajel and Malathaat, we're off to a good start and happy to be part of the team.”

Shadwell purchased Malathaat for $1.05 million from the Denali Stud consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Shadwell Stable's founder Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum passed in March, and Nichols said Malathaat could dawn a new era for the prestigious racing and breeding operation.

“Physically, she's about as perfect as you can get,” Nichols said. “She just looked like a horse that would have a lot of class. She had a very attractive head, beautiful balance, and her limbs were good. As soon as I saw her at the sale, I knew Sheikh Hamdan would love her. Malathaat could be the foundation mare of the next generation for his family.”

Velazquez, who has guided Malathaat to three of her five wins, retains the mount from post 1. A five-time winner of the CCA Oaks, Velazquez seeks to become the standalone winningest jockey in the race's history.

Two Kentucky Oaks participants face Malathaat once more, including Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' Maracuja, who was seventh in the Kentucky Oaks.

The Rob Atras-trained daughter of third crop sire Honor Code broke a touch slow in the Oaks, but made up considerable ground to run seventh.

“In the Oaks, she broke a little flat footed, but we're hoping she breaks sharper and won't be too far back in a shorter field,” Atras said. “She was down on the inside and going into the first turn she got shuffled back. She made a good run late and I was happy with the performance. She just needs to break sharper and get in a more tactical position.”

Prior to the Kentucky Oaks, Maracuja was a third-out maiden special weight victress going 6 ½ furlongs over the Aqueduct main track en route to a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3 at the Big A.

“She came back really well, and we skipped the Acorn and were targeting the Mother Goose but she wasn't quite right,” Atras said.” She's doing well right now. She bounced out of it well. We worked her three times and I'm hoping she's good enough to run a top race.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will guide Maracuja from post 2.

Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere, fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, arrives off a close third to Zaajel in the Grade 2 Mother Goose for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

The bay daughter of Curlin attempts a second graded stakes victory after notching her seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra on February 13 at Fair Grounds Race Course over Travel Column. Clairiere was second to Travel Column in the next out Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks.

A Kentucky homebred, Clairiere is the first offspring out of the three-time Grade 1-winning Bernardini mare Cavorting, who earned over $2 million through a lifetime record of 13-8-1-1.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. earned his first Grade 1 victory when guiding Questing to victory in the 2012 CCA Oaks and will ride Clairiere from post 4.

Completing the field is allowance winner Rockpaperscissors for WinStar Stablemates Racing, who swept the exacta in last year's CCA Oaks with Paris Lights and Crystal Ball.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the daughter of Distorted Humor broke her maiden at a one-turn mile in September at Churchill Downs and did not race again until June 21, where she defeated older allowance company at Indiana Grand Race Course by 9 ¾ lengths.

Breaking from post 3, Rockpaperscissors will be ridden by Luis Saez.

The Coaching Club American Oaks is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Caress. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Field Pass Gets Class Relief In Saturday’s BWI Turf Cup

Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass, a Grade 3 winner on both grass and synthetics, will make his eighth consecutive start against graded company and first at Pimlico Race Course in Saturday's $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).

The 15th running of the one-mile BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up headlines a nine-race program featuring four grass stakes worth $500,000 in purses. Launched as the Colonial Turf Cup in 2005, it was held at Colonial Downs through 2013 before moving to Laurel Park in 2015 following a one-year hiatus. It returns after not being part of Maryland's pandemic-shortened 2020 stakes schedule.

Also on Saturday's program are the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 ½ miles and a pair of stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up – the 100,000 Big Dreyfus at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash sprinting five furlongs.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Field Pass has gone winless in three races this year including fourths in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) April 9 at Keeneland in his 4-year-old debut and last out in the 1 1/16-mile Wise Dan (G2) June 26, beaten a total of five lengths.

In between, the Lemon Drop Kid colt faded to be last of eight after pressing the pace in the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War (G1) May 8 at Belmont Park, where he blew out three furlongs in 36 seconds Wednesday.

“He's doing well,” trainer Mike Maker said. “He had a nice, easy work this morning and he's ready to go.”

Field Pass has raced exclusively in graded company since running third in the American Turf (G2) last September and in nine of his last 12 starts, winning the Jeff Ruby (G3) and 1 1/8-mile Ontario Derby (G3) over all-weather surfaces at Turfway Park and Woodbine respectively last spring and fall, as well as last July's 1 1/16-mile Transylvania (G3) on the Keeneland turf.

In 19 starts with $608,143 in purse earnings, Field Pass has raced four times at one mile with one win and one third, his victory coming in the Dania Beach on the grass at Gulfstream Park to open his 2020 campaign. Bred in Maryland by Mark Brown Grier, he was beaten a length when fourth as the favorite in the 2019 Laurel Futurity in the only previous trip to his home state.

Victor Carrasco is named to ride from the rail in a field of six at topweight of 124 pounds, two more than each of his rivals.

“I think the class relief will be the main thing. He ran good in the Maker's Mark off the layoff so the distance isn't a concern,” Maker said. “It's still going to be a tough race, but he's been hooking some tough guys lately so we're looking forward to it.”

Other graded winners entered in the BWI Turf Cup are Pixelate and English Bee.

Godolphin homebred Pixelate earned his fifth career win and third in a stakes in the 1 1/8-mile Prince George's County June 13 at Pimlico, getting a perfectly timed ride to edge Logical Myth by a length.

The 4-year-old City Zip colt won the Del Mar Derby (G2) and Woodchopper in 2020 and this year was beaten a nose for the win in the Henry S. Clark April 24 at Pimlico and three lengths when fifth in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream.

“He came out of the last race great,” trainer Michael Stidham said. “It was great to get him back in the winner's circle. He deserves it. He runs great every time.”

Feargal Lynch gets the call from Post 4.

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Calumet Farm's English Bee, a 5-year-old homebred by turf champion English Channel, is still trying to recapture his 2019 form when he won four of eight starts including the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby (G3) and a pair of one-mile stakes, the James W. Murphy at Pimlico and Parx Fall Derby, all on the grass.

He hasn't won since, finishing second twice in seven 2020 starts – beaten a half-length in the one-mile Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream and a neck in the Wise Dan.

“I think he just needs some luck,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I think he's as good as he was. He's a hard-knocking horse.”

This year English Bee was a troubled seventh, 2 ½ lengths behind Maker-trained pacesetter Somelikeithotbrown in the 1 1/16-mile Dinner Party (G2) May 15 at Pimlico, his first race in more than seven months, and no better in the Prince George's County.

“I didn't quite know what to make of his last race, but he didn't have a great trip. He certainly had an unlucky trip the first time I ran him,” Motion said. “I think he's done well. I wasn't in a hurry to run him back. I'd like to think he's coming into this pretty fresh.”

Jorge Vargas Jr. has the assignment from Post 5.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Ramsey Solution will be making the step up to graded competition for the first time. The winner of the one-mile, 70-yard Tapit last fall at Kentucky Downs – over a field that included English Bee, fellow graded winners Hembree and Hawkish and Dixie show finisher Midnight Tea Time – is trained by Wesley Ward.

“He's always been maybe a cut below the top ones but he's a very talented horse, especially when you get him in the right company,” Ward said. “He's tough.”

Ramsey Solution went four-for-seven in 2020, ending the year with a front-running 1 ½-length optional claiming allowance triumph in November at Keeneland. In his lone start this year he ran second, beaten four lengths by subsequent Wise Dan winner Set Piece, in the 1 1/16-mile Douglas Park overnight stakes May 29 at Churchill Downs.

“He ran big last time. We got kind of compromised by the ride but I think there's a lot more to him and he's going to run a big race this time,” Ward said. “I think after this we'll have a good opinion of where we need to go from here. This will be the race that kind of determines where we're at with him, class-level wise.”

Mychel Sanchez will be up for the first time on Ramsey Solution, breaking from outside Post 6.

“I think he's pretty versatile. He can do anything, that guy,” Ward said of the Real Solution gelding. “He can come from a little off of it or he can bounce right out there. If there's a little give in the ground or it's on the slop or if it's a soft turf, he doesn't mind that either. He's a pretty cool horse.”

Lael Stables' Talk Or Listen exits the same last two races as English Bee, having run second by a length in the Dinner Party and sixth by less than four lengths in the Prince George's County, contested over a turf course rated good.

“He doesn't like the soft turf. His previous race on firm was really good, probably a lifetime best in my opinion,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “The soft turf was a question mark, but he just didn't handle it at all. The jock told me when he came off the bridle, that was it.

“I hope for a firm turf. The forecast is pretty good, and I think that he'll like the mile. There should be plenty of pace and he should be able to sit there and do his thing and hopefully run well,” he added. “I've been happy with him. He had a good work the other day and came back well, so everything's good.”

Daniel Centeno, aboard in the Prince George's County, gets a return call from Post 3.

Completing the field is Posterity, owned and trained by Hassan Elamri. The 7-year-old Posse gelding rallied to edge Lucky Ramsey by a neck in a 1 1/16-mile claiming event June 18 at Pimlico, his fifth career win and first since an August 2019 allowance at Laurel.

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