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Search Results Dominates Filly Rivals In Gazelle Stakes At Aqueduct

Search Results ran her record to a perfect 3-for-3 and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. scored his fifth victory on the day when the Klaravich Stables 3-year-old easily defeated five other fillies seeking Kentucky Oaks points in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Racing just off pacesetter Alwayz Late, Search Results moved to the lead on the turn for home without any urging and was never threatened down the stretch, drawing off to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Maracuja, who trailed the field in the run down the backstretch under Kendrick Carmouche, finished second, with Army Wife and Trevor McCarthy third, The Grass Is Blue fourth, Alwayz Late fifth and Mia Martina sixth.

A 3-year-old filly by Flatter bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and purchased from Select Sales at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Mike Ryan, agent, for $310,000, Search Results, produced from the Candy Ride mare Co Cola, is trained by Chad Brown. She covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.14 and paid $2.80 as the odds-on favorite. Fractions of the Gazelle were :24.88, :50.99, 1:15.06 and 1:40.70.

The top four finishers in the Gazelle earned 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks, to be run at Churchill Downs on April 30.

Search Results did not race at 2 but won her debut at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 3, taking a six-furlong maiden contest by four lengths. Brown sent the filly to New York for her next start in the Busher Invitational on March 6 and she responded with a half-length win, getting up in the final strides to defeat favored Miss Brazil.

Post-race quotes:

Chad Brown, winning trainer of Search Results (No. 8, $2.80*) and fourth-place finisher The Grass Is Blue (No. 5): “I thought she [Search Results] was very professional today. She maybe lost focus when she surged to the front and there was no one around her in deep stretch. When she had a horse in front of her, I loved the way she was moving into the bit. I was relieved to see that she could handle the mile and an eighth. We were cautiously optimistic, but you always have to see them do it first to be sure.”

On running in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30: “If she comes out of it in good shape, that would be the next step and it's something we've been working towards. Although she got her season started late, she seems to be catching up fast on this crop. She seems like one of the contenders, at least, so we're thankful for that.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., winning jockey aboard Search Results (No. 8): “She relaxed so good. She did everything right. We broke out of there and had a target. Going into the last turn, I had plenty of horse, I was just waiting to make my move. When I asked her, she really picked it up.”

On notching his fifth win on the card and returning to New York to ride in the spring meet: “I'm so happy to be back home in New York. I have to thank all the trainers and owners. I know all the people here and I'm happy to be riding for so many trainers.”

Rob Atras, trainer of runner-up Maracuja (No. 2): The track was a little slow and they were going slow, but I wasn't too concerned as she has that late running style. She was settled and when Kendrick [Carmouche] asked her to pick it up, she did it. She raced wide and closed and ran a really game second. I'm really happy with her effort.”

Kendrick Carmouche, jockey aboard runner-up Maracuja (No. 2): “I loved this filly today. I knew coming from six and a half [furlongs] and stretching out to a mile and an eighth, I just wanted to get a good break and ride her like I did last time [a win on February 21 at Aqueduct]. She made a big run and did it well. I'm looking forward to riding her next time because this distance should really move her forward.”

Trevor McCarthy, jockey aboard third-place finisher Army Wife (No. 4): “I had an inside trip the whole way. The hole was there when we shot for it. We had a bit of inside pressure and outside pressure. It was just a tough situation. Sometimes, you get lucky. Sometimes, you don't.”

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Bound For Nowhere Does It Again: 7-Year-Old Captures Second Shakertown Stakes

Twenty percent of his career starts have come in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland in the Spring, and this Saturday, the 7-year-old Bound For Nowhere made a big late run to win by a nose as the 2-1 favorite. The son of the The Factor has now run his record in the Shakertown to 2-1-1, with his previous win coming in 2018; he was second and third by a neck in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, Bound For Nowhere ran the 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf rated “good” in 1:02.19. Joel Rosario, winning his third race on the card, had to work out a trip from the outside stall in a field of 12 rivals, but had the older horse flying late to run down Imprimis, the 2019 Shakertown winner, by a nose.

“He's a really hard horse to train,” Ward said. “He's got a lot of issues that he's overcome. Just minor deals, but major setbacks when you're trying to keep him at this level. I've got to give all the credit to his rider who rides him every day, Julio Garcia, who's ridden him the majority of his career. He was supposed to ride him today and he said, 'No Wesley I'm officially retired.' But he's on him every day for all these years, and I can't thank that little fella enough.”

Imprimis broke out of the gates ahead of the start, but was cleared by the state veterinarian to re-load and start. Johnny Unleashed and The Critical Way were sharpest off the blocks, speeding through a first quarter in :21.42. Imprimis was in fifth position near the inside, while Bound For Nowhere was about eight lengths off the leaders and five wide.

The Critical Way and Johnny Unleashed stayed on strong until mid-stretch, but Imprimis had found clear room on the outside and took command at the sixteenth pole. Bound For Nowhere had perfect aim on him, though, and laid his heart down to get his nose down on the wire. Imprimis settled for second with The Critical Way Third, and Johnny Unleased fourth.

Bound For Nowhere has now won nine of his 15 lifetime starts, earning just shy of $1 million. Bred in Kentucky by Wayne, Gray, and Bryan Lyster, Bound for Nowhere is out of the Alydeed mare Fancy Deed, herself a half sister to multimillion-dollar earner Midnight Lute.

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Mischevious Alex Breaks Through With Grade 1 Performance In Carter Handicap

Returning to New York a little more than a year after his resounding victory in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack last March, Mischevious Alex became a Grade 1 winner on Saturday at the Big A, taking the $300,000 Carter Handicap with ease as the odds-on favorite under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

A compact-but-talented group of five assembled for the seven-furlong Carter, and the winner certainly delivered a Grade 1-caliber performance, rallying from off the pace to prevail by 5 ½ lengths and light up a stellar undercard for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.

Departing from post 4, the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained Mischevious Alex broke well and sat in third position early as the fleet-footed Chateau went out to lead the field down the backstretch through an honest opening quarter-mile of 23.09 seconds, with Souper Stonehenge in second, multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control in fourth, and Shoplifted at the tail of the field.

Chateau spurted away from the trailing quartet around the far turn, picking up the pace to run a half in 45.89, but Mischevious Alex and Ortiz remained patient while perched three-wide on the track. Turning for home Chateau maintained a sizable advantage, but once straightened out for the drive Mischevious Alex came with steady strides, gobbling up ground to overtake the frontrunner at the eighth pole and from there drawing off handily before being geared down nearing the wire.

“I broke so well and the other horse [Chateau] went, so there was some speed. I was in no hurry,” said Ortiz, Jr.. “I just rode him with confidence and patience. Turning for home, I changed leads on him and he just took off.”

The win was a long time coming for Mischevious Alex, who burst onto the scene last year as a 3-year-old for trainer John Servis with daylight wins in the Gotham and Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park before his sophomore year was cut short after disappointing performances in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga Race Course and Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park.

Transferred to Joseph for his 4-year-old campaign, the son of Into Mischief won a pair of races at Gulfstream in style, including the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on February 13, prior to his breakthrough score on Saturday, which gave the young Florida-based horseman just his second Grade 1 victory.

“I was a little concerned early in the race,” said Joseph. “He was a little far back and I know the track has been heavy and I didn't know if he could make up that much ground. Obviously, he was giving Irad some feel and he rode him with a ton of confidence. He ran well but I didn't expect him to win a Grade 1 as easy as he did. Mind Control is a Grade 1-winner and the horse on lead, Chateau, going seven-eighths might be a tad further than what he wants to go, but he has been very impressive. I have a lot of respect for the competition.”

A popular choice at the windows, Mischevious Alex returned $3.70 on a $2 win wager and completed the seven-furlong distance in 1:23.97. Notching his seventh win from just 12 career starts, the bay colt bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm also increased his career earnings to $614,730 for owners Cash is King LLC and LC Racing.

The classy millionaire Mind Control rallied to get second beneath Junior Alvarado, finishing a length in front of Souper Stonehenge in third. It was another neck back to Chateau in fourth, who distanced Shoplifted by 17 ¾ lengths.

“We were stuck on the rail a little bit but that's how it goes,” said Mind Control's trainer Gregg Sacco. “We took what they gave us. The winner ran dynamite, take nothing away from him. Congratulations to Saffie and his crew. We were coming off a little bit of a break and we'll meet again down the road. We're very proud of Mind Control. It was a great way to start the year.”

As for Mischevious Alex's next assignment, it would appear the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan on June 5 at Belmont Park on the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes undercard is squarely in play, though the Met Mile may not be an ideal spot for the brilliant sprinter, according to Joseph.

“Chuck [of Cash is King Racing] has always wanted to go to the Met Mile because we want to make him [Mischevious Alex] a stallion,” said the trainer. “Winning a Grade 1 today takes a lot of pressure off. In my opinion, he wants to sprint six or seven furlongs. Can he get a mile? Yes, against the right company. But it all depends on who shows up. The Met Mile is definitely under consideration and then the two Grade 1s at Saratoga [Forego and Vanderbilt]. There's a lot of options. Hopefully, he comes out of it good and then we'll make a game plan.”

With Aqueduct closed on Easter Sunday, racing resumes at the Big A next Thursday with a scheduled first post of 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Flagstaff Rallies Late Under Rosario For Commonwealth Stakes Triumph

Bottled up on the inside after breaking from the rail post, Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff was taken to the outside in the stretch by jockey Joel Rosario, and the 7-year-old gelding by Speightstown finished with determination to overtake front-runner Special Reserve and win Saturday's Grade 3 Commonweath Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by John Sadler, Flagstaff was winning for the first time since taking the G2 San Carlos at Santa Anita on March 7, 2020. He completed the seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:21.84 and paid $5.80 as the 9-5 favorite.

Special Reserve just held second over a fast-closing Attachment Rate, with Bango fourth and Mucho fifth in the field of seven older sprinters.

Special Reserved, claimed two starts back for $40,000 by trainer Mike Maker, set all the fractions: :22.98 for the opening quarter mile, :45.97 for the half and 1:09.80 for six furlongs. Bango chased the front-runner from the outside with Flagstaff racing along the inside until Rosario eased him off the rail turning into the stretch. He guided the gelding further out in mid-stretch and Flagstaff responded to the clear sailing with a strong finish.

Flagstaff, bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, is out of the A.P. Indy mare, Indyan Giving. He improved his record to six wins, six second and three thirds from 18 starts. He was coming off a third-place finish in the Hot Springs Handicap at Oaklawn behind C Z Rocket and reigning sprint champion Whitmore.

Post-race quotes:

Joel Rosario (winning rider of Flagstaff)

“I was thinking (about) trying to get out at some point. With an inside post position I just had to be there. He broke really sharp and I was in a good spot, and I was just waiting to be in the clear when I could going forward.”

“He was running for me (coming into the stretch). Sometimes you know how much (horse) you have when you start moving, but I stopped moving and he kept moving forward so I felt very good about how much horse I had.”

Bill Farish (of winning co-owner Lane's End Racing)

“When you have the one post, you either send him or you don't, and it looked like (Joel) was sending him in the beginning and maybe the horse just got outfooted a little bit. But when he swung him outside he really made a great run. It's really fun to have an older gelding like him. He just keeps coming on big days and winning big races, and it's a lot of fun for everybody involved.”

Mike Maker (trainer of runner-up Special Reserve)

“He made a really good effort – was trying very hard down the lane.”

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