With the major summer tests for 3-year-olds looming on the horizon, Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer will be returning to the East Coast.
Tag: Racing
Boardroom, Amalfi Coast Headline Saturday’s Whimsical To Kick Off Woodbine’s Stakes Schedule
The Grade 3 $150,000 Whimsical Stakes and the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes share the spotlight on Saturday's 12-race card at Woodbine.
Eight starters are set to go postward in the Whimsical, a 6-furlong main track event for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, while eight hopefuls chase top prize in the 6-furlong main track Star Shoot for 3-year-old fillies.
The added-money offerings kick off Woodbine's lucrative 2021 stakes calendar, which includes the $1 million Queen's Plate (August 22), North America's oldest continually run stakes event, and first jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown series.
LNJ Foxwoods' stakes winner Boardroom, a finalist for the 2020 Champion Female Sprinter Sovereign Award, is set to vie for top honors in the Whimsical.
Trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, the 4-year-old daughter of Commissioner has assembled a 3-1-1 record from five lifetime starts.
“Solis/Litt bloodstock bought her at the OBS April 2019,” noted Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods, whose top stars include multiple Grade 1 stakes champion Covfefe. “Her breeze was very special. Going 20.1 bounding over the track effortlessly was impressive. Also, when Josie called excited after her first 5-furlong work, we knew we may have a special filly.”
Boardroom's first two performances, both wins, justified the hype and hopes.
After breaking her maiden first time out on June 27 of last year, the bay, bred by Polo Green Stable, made it two straight scores in another strong outing, this time on July 30.
The Kentucky-bred finished third in the Ruling Angel, despite having a rein break while exiting the gate, in what was her first stakes appearance, on September 12. She then went on to notch her first added-money crown courtesy of a strong rallying effort in the Duchess Stakes on October 3.
“She's a wonderful filly,” Carroll said after the Duchess win. “This filly showed a lot of promise as soon as she came to me and she's lived up to every bit of it. This filly could be any kind. I think she's just going to get better.”
Roth was equally pleased with the victory.
“What impresses me most about Boardroom is her athleticism. She has a ton of class and is all business when she hits the track.”
Unraced as a 2-year-old, Boardroom will now contest her fourth consecutive stakes race, having finished second in the Grade 2 Bessarabian to close out her 2020 campaign.
Roth will be tuning in on Saturday to watch the Woodbine card.
“We are just so happy Woodbine has opened. While she may have been ready to run months ago giving her the winter off, in my opinion, is always good for fillies. It gives them time to relax, mature and grow.”
LNJ Foxwoods will also be represented in the Star Shoot, sending out Drunk Dial, a bay daughter of Dialed In who notched an impressive 5 ½-length win in her debut last November at Woodbine.
Kevin Attard, who won 43 races in 2020, and was a Sovereign Award finalist as Canada's outstanding trainer, sends out multiple stakes winner Amalfi Coast in the Whimsical.
The 5-year-old Terra Farms homebred endured an uneven 2020 campaign, winning one race and posting a third from six starts.
After a sixth-place effort to launch her season last June, a 7 ½-furlong allowance dash on the Woodbine Inner Turf, Amalfi Coast finished fourth to Elizabeth Way in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes three weeks later.
The daughter of Tapizar was third and eighth, respectively, in the Grade 3 Seaway and Grade 2 Canadian, before a 4 ¼-length romp in the 6 ½-furlong Sweet Briar Too Stakes on October 23.
She closed out her year with a fourth in the Grade 2 Bessarabian.
“I think we were a little overambitious with her in a few spots,” offered Attard. “Right from the get-go, in her first start, she got slammed leaving the gate, and it was just a brutal trip. Then we had a little bit of a throat issue that we had to rectify and get sorted out. Then with the pandemic, getting off to a late start, things just kind of didn't get off on the right foot with her. She ended off her 3-year-old campaign so well, and then her 4-year-old year didn't start off as promising. But she showed she still had it with that win in the Sweet Briar Too. I was expecting a bit of a better race in her final start of the season, but she wintered well and looks good.”
Amalfi Coast brings a 5-2-2 mark from 14 starts into Saturday's engagement.
“She was with me in Caledon [Ontario] in the winter. She came to Woodbine in the spring and hasn't missed a beat. I'm excited to see her get going. It might be a tad short of her best, distance-wise, but she's good and sharp.”
The Whimsical goes as race nine with a 5:31 post time. The Star Shoot is slated as race seven with a 4:28 p.m. post time. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.
FIELD FOR THE WHIMSICAL
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
2 – Chart – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
3 – Summer Sunday – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon
4 – Sav – Keveh Nicholls – Ricky Griffith
5 – Golden Ami – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll
6 – Our Secret Agent – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
7 – Artie's Princess – Kazushi Kimura – Wesley Ward
8 – Boardroom – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
FIELD FOR THE STAR SHOOT
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Sweet Souper Sweet – Patrick Husbands – Michael Trombetta
2 – La Libertee – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
3 – Magical Soul – Leo Salles – Pat Parente
4 – Polyanthus (S) – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
5 – California Lily – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
6 – Can't Buy Love (S) – Justin Stein –Michael Trombetta
7 – Drunk Dial – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
8 – Dirty Dangle – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mark Casse
The post Boardroom, Amalfi Coast Headline Saturday’s Whimsical To Kick Off Woodbine’s Stakes Schedule appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Royal Ascot: Ward-Trained Pair Headline Thursday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Norfolk Stakes
Trainer Wesley Ward is seeking his third victory in the US$113,000 Norfolk Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds when he sends out U.S. maiden winners Lucci and Nakatomi in the 5-furlong race on Thursday at Royal Ascot. The winner of the Norfolk Stakes will gain an automatic berth into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Norfolk Stakes winner to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 furlongs at Del Mar. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 25 to receive the rewards.
The Norfolk Stakes is the third of four Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races to be conducted during the Royal Ascot meeting. The race will be televised live on NBCSN and TVG.
Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable, and Windmill Manor Farm's Lucci, a Kentucky-bred son of Not this Time, won a 5-furlong maiden special weight by 3 lengths over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park on May 9 under jockey John Velazquez, who has the mount again for the Norfolk.
Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and David Howden's chestnut Kentucky-bred gelding Nakatomi, by Firing Line, broke his maiden by 2 ¼ lengths over a sloppy track in a 4 ½-furlong race at Keeneland on April 14.
“At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together,” said Ward, who has 11 victories at Royal Ascot coming into the 2021 meeting. “Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”
Last year, the Ward-trained Golden Pal finished second by a neck in the Norfolk Stakes before going on to capture the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Ward saddled Norfolk winners No Nay Never (2006) and Shang Shang Shang (2018).
Trainer Aidan O'Brien plans to start a son of No Nay Never in the Norfolk with Cadamosto (IRE), owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg. Cadamosto broke his maiden on April 10, winning the 5-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden by 3 ½ lengths.
O'Brien has saddled three Norfolk Stakes winners in Johannesburg (2001), Waterloo Bridge (IRE) (2015), and Sioux Nation (2017).
Amo Racing Limited and Peter Waney's Go Bears Go (IRE) has a maiden victory over the Ascot course. Trained by David Loughnane, Go Bears Go, a son of Kodi Bear (IRE), won a 5-furlong Novice stakes at May 8 by 1 ½ lengths.
Another winner first time out is Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Instinctive Move (GB). A bay son of Showcasing (GB) out of Peach Melba (GB) by Dream Ahead, Instinctive Move earned a 2 ¼-length victory in a 5-furlong EFB maiden race at Bath on May 12.
The post Royal Ascot: Ward-Trained Pair Headline Thursday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Norfolk Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Sconsin, Bell’s The One Among Salty Cast For Saturday’s Roxelana Stakes
Lloyd Madison Farm's multiple graded stakes winning filly Sconsin headlines a field of six fillies and mares that were entered in Saturday's $110,000 Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The 6 ½-furlong Roxelana will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.
Sconsin, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Include, won the $150,000 Winning Colors (Grade 3) four weeks ago beneath the Twin Spires. The Greg Foley-trainee finished second behind Gamine in the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby. Overall, Sconsin sports a stout record of 12-4-3-1 with purse earnings of $546,512.
Current Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount and will break from post No. 5.
Also entered in the Roxelana is Lothenbach Stables 2020 Derby City Distaff (G1) winner Bell's the One. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One is searching for her first victory in her 5-year-old campaign. She finished second behind Kimari in the $300,000 Madison (G1) in early April and fourth in this year's Derby City Distaff.
Corey Lanerie has the mount from post 4.
Another accomplished mare that was entered in the Roxelana is Whitham Thoroughbreds' multiple Grade 3 winner Four Graces. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces recorded four victories through seven starts as a 3-year-old. The now 4-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection will make her seasonal debut from post 3 with Julien Leparoux in the saddle. Four Graces defeated Sconsin by 4 ¾ lengths in last year's $100,000 Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland.
The complete field for the Roxelana from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Shesomajestic (Joe Talamo, Michelle Nihei)
- Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, Ben Colebrook)
- Four Graces (Leparoux, Wilkes)
- Bell's the One (Lanerie, Pessin)
- Sconsin (Gaffalione, Foley)
- Jungle Juice (IRE) (Adam Beschizza, Anna Meah)
Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Fans can catch the Roxelana, along with the entire 11-race program, on “America's Day at the Races.” The action is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2.
Tickets are available for Saturday at Churchill Downs on www.churchilldowns.com/tickets. Admission gates are scheduled to open at 11:30 a.m. and “Churchill Downs Today” will air at 11:45 a.m. throughout the facility and on www.TwinSpires.com.
The post Sconsin, Bell’s The One Among Salty Cast For Saturday’s Roxelana Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
