Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Favored Jouster Runs Away With Appalachian Stakes

Luis Saez seized the advantage with Jouster right from the start of Saturday's Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, and the 3-year-old Noble Mission filly never looked back, winning the one-mile turf race at the Lexington, Ky., track easily by 1 1/2 lengths for Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Setting easy fractions of :24.82, :49.87, 1:14.29 and 1:25.39 on a course rated good, Jouster completed the distance in 1:36.83 and paid $5.40 as the 8-5 favorite in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.

Gift List finished second, with Plum Ali a half length back in third and Saranya fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, Jouster was a $360,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase by Starlight from the Lane's End consignment.

Out of the Street Cry mare, Playtime, Jouster was winless in two dirt starts at two, but is a nose shy of being unbeaten in four races on this grass this year. She broke her maiden by 8 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park Jan. 10, then won an allowance race at the South Florida track by 1 3/4 lengths on Feb. 7. Jouster was beaten a nose by Domaine Expertise in the G3 Florida Oaks in her most recent start at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. She trained up to the Appalachian at Pletcher's Florida headquarters at Palm Beach Downs.

Post-race quotes:
Luis Saez (winning rider of Jouster)

“She was so professional today, she broke from there so sharp. We just tried to relax and she did it so perfect. She came into the stretch and I had so much horse so I was just letting her be happy and we came to the end she just took off. She's good.”

Jack Wolf (managing partner of winning owner Starlight Racing)

“These last few days on this turf, the speed hasn't been holding which is what I was concerned about. Luis said before the race that he was going to try to get her to relax. The fractions you saw were perfect.”

Brian Lynch (trainer of runner-up Gift List [GB], who was making her North American debut)

“When I looked up at the half-mile pole and saw :49, I knew we were in trouble. She ran a really great race and now we are Grade 2-placed.”

Joel Rosario (rider of third-place finisher Plum Ali)

“That horse (the winner) took the lead easily and it was hard to catch her after that. But (Plum Ali) put in a nice run. I'm happy with my filly. She was running nice in the end, but just with the way the pace went it made it difficult.”

The post Favored Jouster Runs Away With Appalachian Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Drain The Clock Under Wraps Taking Bay Shore As Heavy Favorite

Saturday's stakes action at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., kicked off when Drain the Clock solidified his 1-5 favoritism while capturing his second graded stakes triumph, going gate-to-wire in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore for 3-year-olds.

The Maclean's Music chestnut colt cut back in distance for the seven-furlong sprint after finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on February 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Drain the Clock was a step slow leaving the gate under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., but quickly established command. Two-time winning Parx invader Beren, who stumbled at the start, kept close company to the outside in second as Drain the Clock led the compact five-horse field through opening fractions of 23.68 and 47.97 seconds over the fast main track.

Around the turn, Drain the Clock extended his advantage as Beren began to relinquish. Ortiz, Jr. got busy aboard his charge nearing the quarter pole and opened up a 4 ½-length lead in upper stretch.

Drain the Clock lugged out slightly nearing the furlong marker as Ortiz, Jr. went to the left hand with Whiskey Double launching a late bid to the outside. By the sixteenth pole, Ortiz, Jr. had Drain the Clock under wraps as he strolled past the finish line a 1 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:25.97. Whiskey Double made up considerable ground to get second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of Too Boss in third.

Beren and Garoppolo rounded out the order of finish.

Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig, Drain the Clock improved his record to 7-5-1-0, with his other graded stakes win coming two starts back in the Grade 3 Swale on January 30 at Gulfstream Park, which also was at seven furlongs.

“He just wants to break out of there. He broke a little [slow] out of there but he put himself right away into the race and took me to the lead,” said Ortiz, Jr., who returned to New York fresh off a riding title at Gulfstream Park. “I let him relax and then I asked him to go and he was running hard to the wire.”

The victory was a first graded stakes win in New York for Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who will have a string at Belmont Park this summer for the first time.

“I thought he kicked away well at the top of the lane and did what he had to do. If you ease up on him, he's going to relax,” Joseph, Jr. said. “The five [Beren] didn't get a good break, unfortunately, and we didn't get pressed. If that horse went, we were going to sit. He's a very versatile horse and he doesn't need the lead.”

A NYRA Grade 1 could be in order for Drain the Clock, as Joseph, Jr. listed the $400,000 Woody Stephens on June 5 at Belmont Park and the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 28 at Saratoga as long terms goals for the talented colt.

“I'll talk it over with the ownership group. The Woody Stephens was in play even before this race but this puts it even more up there,” Joseph, Jr. said. “It's definitely on the radar. The Woody Stephens and Allen Jerkens are the types of races you want to be in. If we could win one it would be nice, if we could win both it would be great.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nick Cosato, Drain the Clock is the third offspring out of the Arch mare Manki, whose two other progeny of racing age are winners.

Drain the Clock banked $110,000 in victory while improving his lifetime earnings to $319,550. He returned $2.70 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

The post Drain The Clock Under Wraps Taking Bay Shore As Heavy Favorite appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Fonner Files: Martinez Chases 2,000th Career Riding Win

Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak shares slices of life from the Grand Island, Neb., racetrack throughout the 2021 meet in the Fonner Files.

One month ago, trainer Kelli Martinez saddled her 500th career winner as a trainer. This weekend, Armando Martinez, her first-call jockey and husband of over 20 years, is expected to record his 2,000th career winner.

Over the years and decades, the pair has emerged as a force to contend with at Fonner Park. Together they win races with claiming horses and an occasional allowance horse; they're a no frills and hardscrabble success.

Last year, Armando won his first-ever champion jockey belt buckle at Fon. This year, he and perpetual leading jockey Jake Olesiak have been head-and-head for top jock throughout the season. Armando has paid his dues on the Nebraska circuit and deserves achieving his milestone win.

The post Fonner Files: Martinez Chases 2,000th Career Riding Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Twenty Carat, Scarlett Sky, Chasing Artie Win Opening-Day Keeneland Stakes

Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Twenty Carat swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and had plenty left in the tank to hold off even-money favorite Slumber Party by 1½ lengths to win the 36th running of the $150,000 Beaumont (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Friday to highlight opening day of the 15-day Keeneland Spring Meet that runs through April 23 in Lexington, Ky.

Also capturing stakes Friday afternoon were Stuart Janney III's homebred Scarlett Sky in the 33rd running of the $150,000 Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-olds and Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Chasing Artie in the second running of the $100,000 Palisades Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds.

In the Beaumont, Twenty Carat, trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Luis Saez, covered the Beard Course of 7 furlongs, 184 feet in 1:26.04. The victory was the second in the race for Ward, who saddled Gypsy Robin to win in 2012, and Saez, who won in 2019 on Fancy Dress Party.

Twenty Carat also picked up her first 10 points toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but is not nominated to the race.

My Girl Red led the field of seven through fractions of :22.18 and :44.79 with Farsighted and Twenty Carat in closest pursuit. On the far turn, Twenty Carat made a three-wide move and surged to the front at the head of the lane, quickly opened a daylight advantage and was never threatened in the run to the finish.

The victory was worth $90,000 and increased Twenty Carat's earnings to $115,600 with a record of 3-2-1-0. Twenty Carat is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Secret Jewel.

Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) wins the Beaumont Stakes

Twenty Carat returned $9, $4 and $3. Slumber Party, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $3 and $2.40 and finished 1½ lengths ahead of Amalfi Princess, who paid $3.60 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.

Lady Traveler finished fourth and was followed in order by Farsighted, Cilla and My Girl Red.

Scarlett Sky rallies to win Kentucky Utilities Transylvania
In the Transylvania, Scarlett Sky rallied from last in the field of six at the top of the stretch to overhaul even-money favorite Fire At Will and longshot Palazzi in deep stretch to win by a half-length and post his first stakes victory.

Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Joel Rosario, Scarlett Sky covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course rated as good in 1:43.89. It is the second victory in the race for McGaughey who won in 2011 with Air Support.

Fire At Will, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland, shot right to the front under Tyler Gaffalione and maintained a clear advantage through fractions of :24.63, :49.83 and 1:14.32 as Scarlett Sky raced at the rear of the field.

In the stretch, Fire At Will turned back a bid from Barrister Tom at the eighth pole and was clear at the sixteenth pole only to have Palazzi and then Scarlett Sky blow past in deep stretch.

Scarlett Sky wins the Transylvania

The victory was worth $90,000 and improved Scarlett Sky's earnings to $210,400 with a record of 7-3-3-0. Scarlett Sky is a Kentucky-bred son of Sky Mesa out of the Arch mare Mata Mua.

Sent off as the third choice, Scarlett Sky returned $7, $3.60 and $2.40. Palazzi, ridden by Chris Landeros, returned $7.20 and $3 and finished a half-length in front of Fire At Will who paid $2.20 to show.

Barrister Tom was another 1¼ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by Earls Rock (IRE) and Breadman.

Chasing Art takes Palisades Turf Sprint
In the Palisades Turf Sprint, Joel Rosario rallied Chasing Artie from last place at the top of the stretch in the field of nine to overhaul Fauci inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1¾ lengths.

Trained by Wesley Ward, who also conditions Fauci, Chasing Artie covered the 5½ furlongs on a “good” turf course in 1:03.46. The victory was worth $60,000 and increased Chasing Artie's earnings to $87,000 with a record of 4-2-1-0.

Longshot Lock Up led the field through an opening quarter in :21.76 with Bodenheimer and Unitedandresolute in closest pursuit and Chasing Artie far back. The leaders remained unchanged until the upper stretch where Fauci waited to split horses before taking over at midstretch only to be caught and passed by Chasing Artie.

Chasing Artie wins the Palisades Turf Sprint

Chasing Artie is a Kentucky-bred son of We Miss Artie out of the Kitten's Joy mare Frisky Kitten.

Chasing Artie returned $10.20, $4.80 and $3.60. Fauci, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.20 and $2.60 as the favorite with Unitedandresolute finishing another 2 lengths back in third and paying $5.60 to show under James Graham.

Blameworthy finished fourth and was followed in order by Lookin for Loki, Bodenheimer, J C's Champ, Lock Up and Smokin' Jay.

Racing continues Saturday with a blockbuster 11-race program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET. The card features six graded stakes headlined by the $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2), a major prep for the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 1, and the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) a key steppingstone to the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on April 30.

The post Twenty Carat, Scarlett Sky, Chasing Artie Win Opening-Day Keeneland Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post