Tag: Racing

Graded Stakes Winner Sole Volante Returns To Action Saturday At Gulfstream

Sole Volante, who ran in two legs of the 2020 Triple Crown, will be return to action in Saturday's featured optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park.

The graded stakes-winning son of Karakontie is slated to come off a four-month layoff in Race 10, a mile optional claiming allowance on dirt on a 12-race program highlighted by the $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

“We gave him a good break and two months on the farm to give him a chance to be a horse,” trained Patrick Biancone said. “We don't expect too much. We just want him to have a good run in his first race back.”

Sole Volante distinguished himself as a strong contender on the Road to the Triple Crown in 2020 when he won the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Unfortunately, the Kentucky Derby (G1), the Preakness (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1) were postponed until later in the summer and fall.

Sole Volante came off a three-month layoff to win an optional claiming allowance, a stakes-quality mile race in which Jesus' Team, who would go on to finish third in the Preakness and second in both the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G2), finished second. Ten days later, the gelding owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and assistant trainer Andie Biancone finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes. The Biancone trainee went on to finish 11th in the Derby after being squeezed at the start before finishing off the board in a pair of turf stakes.

“He was ready early, but like everybody, everything was delayed because of problems with COVID,” Biancone said. “He was a little bit over the top when it came the right time. In May, he was just perfect.”

Sole Volante began his career with back-to-back victories on turf in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park West and the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park in the fall of 2019. He finished a promising third in his dirt and 2020 debut in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream prior to his strong performances at Tampa Bay Downs.

Saturday's one-turn mile race attracted a strong field of six older horses, including graded-stakes winner Trophy Chaser, who is scheduled to make a long-awaited return from a 13-month layoff. The Juan Carlos Avila-trained son of Twirling Candy, who won the 2020 Challenger Stakes at Tampa.

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Oisin Murphy Bounces Back To Win Royal Ascot’s Coronation Stakes On Alcohol Free

On Friday at Royal Ascot, Oisin Murphy bounced back from losing a G1 in the stewards' room by winning the G1 Coronation Stakes 40 minutes later aboard Alcohol Free (11/2).

The Andrew Balding-trained filly was fifth in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on her latest start, but turned the tables on the winner that day, Mother Earth (9/2), who finished third. Second place went to Snow Lantern (14/1), a length and a half behind the winner.

Alcohol Free – racing in the famous Jeff Smith silks – gave Balding a 109.5/1 Friday Royal Ascot double, and a third winner of the week. Murphy was also scoring for the third time this week, joining Frankie Dettori at the head of the leading jockey standings.

Murphy said: “I didn't get a chance to stress ahead of Alcohol Free. I had a plan and I don't know if Andrew agreed me, but he filled me with confidence when I told him what I was going to do.

“She jumped normal and what worried me was the clerk of the course decided to put the stalls on the far rail. That was fine, but then everyone wants to get to that rail, so it is congested and I was worried it was going to get congested.

“Alcohol Free relaxed, I stayed on the bit for as long as I could and given her pedigree, she was always going to handle the ground.”

On losing the G1 Commonwealth Cup in the stewards' room, Murphy said: “I am disappointed for the connections of Dragon Symbol. There was a massive Japanese interest, he finished the race in front, but it wasn't meant to be.

“I didn't give it much thought, I went in the stewards' room, I told them I was on the best horse, Frankie said I was on the best horse, but it didn't go my way.

“Sorry to the Japanese fans and to Archie Watson's team, and well done to Wesley Ward.”

Speaking about coming out for the Coronation Stakes straight after the outcome of the stewards' enquiry, he added: “I said to my valet when he put his hand around me: 'there's no place for tears in here. There are far worse things going on in the world, we're in the entertainment industry, and I'm steering these marvelous animals and keep looking forward to the next one'.”

Jeff Smith said: “It was very emotional because we felt we were very unlucky in the Guineas and there's only one Guineas.

“The whole team at Kingsclere have just done a wonderful job. They've trained her for this race, after the Guineas, as a specific target and what a delivery. It's just absolutely fabulous.”

Balding said: “Alcohol Free is very classy. We had heavy hearts after Newmarket because it isn't often you go into a Classic expecting to win it. For whatever reason it didn't pan out that day and she was below-par, but she was back to her best today, and she looked pretty good.

“We were a bit concerned when all the rain came, because her stamina wasn't guaranteed, but full credit to Oisin – it's the measure of the man to have the disappointment he had five minutes before they go in the stalls, and to give her such a good ride takes some doing.

“We have worked her at home plenty of times on soft ground, it doesn't inconvenience her and she travels very strongly; it was just whether she would see out the final furlong, and I was very grateful that she really powered home.

“Today was the first time ever she has got some cover, and it's been through ill-luck rather than design that she hasn't before. The slightly awkward draw turned into a really good draw when they started to race down under the trees, and she got some cover and switched off beautifully.

“She did win a G1 last year, so there's never been any doubt about her ability, but she needed a bit of luck and everything to drop right.

“She's in the July Cup and the Sussex Stakes – whether she does both or one I don't know, but I think we'll stick to Britain this year.”

Reflecting on the week so far, Balding added: “This is the reason we do it. We have been looking forward to this meeting and had such high expectations. We had plenty of horses to run here and we thought we should have one winner with the number of horses we've got; two winners is fantastic, but three is cloud nine. We'll have a bit of fun tonight.

“It's great to do it for Jeff Smith – ask any of his trainers: he's loyal, patient and he loves racing. He loves his horses and there is never any pressure; it's just fabulous when any of us can get results for him.”

Trainer Richard Hannon said of Snow Lantern: “Her day will come and she's run a super race. We had a point to prove after York. She is an aeroplane. In terms of what I came here wanting, she's done – she was so much less keen.”

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Royal Ascot Drama: Wesley Ward-Trained Campanelle Elevated To Victory In G1 Commonwealth Cup

The Wesley Ward-trained Campanelle was awarded the G1 Commonwealth Cup in the stewards' room following a dramatic renewal of the six-furlong contest for 3-year-olds.

Campanelle (5/1), ridden by Frankie Dettori, and Dragon Symbol (4/1) for Oisin Murphy fought out a ding-dong battle throughout the final furlong, with the latter having a head to spare at the winning post.

However, interference was deemed to have taken place, with Dragon Symbol drifting right as they raced to the line, and the US-challenger was promoted to first place. Measure Of Magic (11/1) was five lengths behind the front two in third.

Victory for Campanelle – who won the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2020 – gave Ward a 12th success at Royal Ascot while it was a 76th for Dettori.

Ward said: “We are elated. Both horses ran fantastic, they dug down deep and there were only inches apart. I think it was a validated result – in the United States terms, he has taken her across the track. Archie Watson shook my hand after the enquiry, a true gentleman.

“This was Campanelle's first run since the Breeders' Cup. It was a gritty performance on heavy ground and, to come back from that, it is a true testament of how good this filly is.

“I actually thought the ground boded well for her chances. We weren't sure about heavy ground, but we knew she liked soft ground.

“Winning at Royal Ascot is so special, especially with my children here from the onset in 2009, it has been so special. To have Campanelle ponied down by my first winner Strike The Tiger too means a lot.

“Royal Ascot has changed my life. If it wasn't for Royal Ascot, my kids would be going to community college and instead my eldest son is going to law school in August.

“We'll sit down with the owners. Campanelle worked well on the July Course, but the July Cup could come a bit quick. I have run horses in the Prix Maurice De Gheest in the past and I think she'll do well whatever ground comes on the day. I think it would suit.

“Campanelle is going up the pecking order. Lady Aurelia was very special, but if she keeps delivering, she'll keep going up!”

Dettori said: “It is never nice winning a race in the stewards' room. I feel sorry for Dragon Symbol's connections that I took it off them. But in these conditions, when you are taken across about eight lanes, I got nudged three times, lost my momentum and got beaten a head, so the stewards felt they gave me the benefit of the doubt.

“I was coming back on the line, and it was a good effort by Campanelle and by the original winner, but I'm glad that we've got it. I feel very sad that I got it, but I had reason to believe that my filly was still the best on the day.

“Campanelle won the Queen Mary, she won the Prix Morny, and now she has won the Commonwealth. They keep on bringing horses here and I'm always delighted to ride winners for Wesley.”

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Stidham Hoping For Big Effort From Micheline In Sunday’s Eatontown Stakes

Now that Micheline has notched her first graded stakes victory, doing so in her 2021 debut, trainer Michael Stidham is convinced there's much more to come this year for the 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini.

The next step is Sunday's Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park, with the $150,000 Father's Day feature race attracting a full field of 12 (as well as four alternates). Stidham is hoping the mile and a sixteenth grass race sets up the Godolphin runner for the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes on Aug. 14 at Arlington.

“We had her ready to go at Belmont Park on June 4 (in the Grade 2 New York Stakes) but it absolutely poured rain,” he said. “It had rained there for a couple of days and right before the race they had to postpone the post parade because it was raining so hard. So we scratched her out of that.

“We needed a race for her. We knew this one would come up tough but we're pointing to the Beverly D. So we needed a race. It's time to get another race in her.

“Hopefully we'll get a good firm turf course on Sunday at Monmouth.”

Stidham learned about Micheline's aversion to a soft or yielding turf the hard way. After a sharp seasonal debut that saw her win the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Downs on March 6 off a five-month layoff – “I didn't feel like I had her cranked up to 100 percent but she won anyway,” Stidham said – Micheline was a tiring sixth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on April 10.

That race was run over a yielding turf course.

“The race at Keeneland was a disappointment but the rain came down in buckets all morning and all day and the turf was horribly soft,” said Stidham. “She hated it. She never looked comfortable on it. When it came time for her to make her move she was spinning her wheels.

“To me it's a throw-out race.”

Micheline has proven to be a consistent turf router during her 14-race career with five wins, two seconds and a third. She has earned $671,978.

“She was always a filly that showed us a lot of ability and talent,” said Stidham. “The proof of that is we shipped her to Saratoga for her first career start (in 2019). That will tell you what we thought of her. We rarely ship to Saratoga unless we really like one.”

Micheline finished third in her racing debut. Stidham then shipped her to Monmouth Park, where she won the Sorority Stakes at a mile on the grass – as a maiden.

If Stidham has any reservations about the Eatontown Stakes — beyond the full, competitive field — it's the distance. Micheline won the Hillsborough at a mile and an eighth and has also won a mile and a half stakes race.

She is 1-for-5 lifetime at the Eatontown distance.

“I would say it's a little short for her,” Stidham said. “I would say she is better going a mile and an eighth and up. We hope she can overcome the distance Sunday with her class and talent.”

Mychel Sanchez has the mount.

First race post time for Sunday's 12-race card is 12:15.

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