Tag: Racing

Hit The Road Finds Room Late, Takes Kilroe Mile For Blacker’s First Grade 1

In a thrilling head and head battle to the wire, trainer Dan Blacker's Hit the Road prevailed by a neck over 5-2 favorite Smooth Like Strait, in Saturday's $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita, providing Blacker, 38, with his first Grade 1 triumph.  Ridden for the first time by eastern-based Florent Geroux, Hit the Road, 4-year-old colt by More Than Ready, out of the U S Ranger mare Highway Mary, got the mile on grass in 1:34.48.

With longshot Flying Scotsman hustled from his outside post, Smooth Like Strait fell into a stalking trip second, while Hit the Road was at joint third at the rail with Casa Creed to his outside and about three lengths off the lead heading into the far turn.

Leaving the quarter pole, Smooth Like Strait, under Umberto Rispoli, assumed command while Hit the Road was forced to wait for racing room behind a three-horse spread that included Smooth Like Strait, Flying Scotsman and Casa Creed.  Full of run, Geroux found a seam two from the rail a furlong out and from there, it was game-on between Hit the Road and the runner-up.

“I was pretty anxious, but I thought if he can get through, he's got a good chance,” said Blacker in recanting the final quarter mile.  “Luckily 'Flo' found a gap and he proved he's the best today.  I gave myself 10 years to win a Grade I and luckily we got it done in year nine.  I don't want to make this all about me.  It's all about the horse, he's such a professional animal, he is a true racehorse.  He was born that way, he's just a true athlete and so mentally focused on racing.”

With Rispoli opting to stay with multiple graded winner Smooth Like Strait over recent G3 Thunder Road Stakes winner Hit the Road, Geroux was more than happy to take the Kilroe call and Hit the Road was off at 4-1, returning $10.40, $5.40 and $4.20.

“The trip made the difference, we got very lucky with the trip,” said Geroux.  “It opened up at the right time and the horse got the job done.  It was all heart.  Sometimes when you have to go through a tight spot, the horse doesn't necessarily cooperate, but he did great and did everything I asked him to … I liked my horse and the one horse (Smooth Like Strait), and I thought it was going to be very tough between those two.  I was able to follow him all the way around and got through on the inside.”

Owned by D K Racing, LLC, Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road, in taking his first Grade I stakes, improved his overall mark to 9-6-0-0 and with the winner's share of $240,000, increased his earnings to $494,751.

In a huge effort, Smooth Like Strait, who finished a neck better than a flying Count Again, paid $4.40 and $3.40.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Count Again rallied from far back and paid $6.60 while off at 16-1.

Fractions on the race were 23.17, 47.32, 1:11.28 and 1:22.91.

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Brickyard Ride Gives Rider Alexis Centeno First Graded Victory In San Carlos

Fresh off a huge win versus California-breds, Alfred Pais's homebred Brickyard Ride made short work of open company in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he made every pole a winning one in covering seven furlongs in 1:21.51.  Ridden by apprentice Alexis Centeno and trained by Craig Lewis, Brickyard Ride, a 4-year-old colt by top California-based stallion Clubhouse Ride, was never threatened as he won by four lengths.

Breaking like a shot from post position six in a field of nine, Brickyard Ride outfooted 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court while under restraint in the early running and was merely a chestnut blur around the far turn.  With just three taps of the stick to keep him focused, Brickyard Ride cruised to the wire, where he received a congratulatory pat on the right shoulder from Centeno, who celebrated his first-ever graded stakes victory.

“Well, speed kills and he killed today, with his speed,” said Lewis, who also trained Clubhouse Ride.  “He's blessed with a lot of natural speed obviously, he's learning how to relax.  He's maturing, he's a big powerful horse.  He reached for (more) ground like a horse that could run forever.  He's starting to look like he could be the goods.”

A 3 ¼ length winner of the six-furlong Don Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint on Jan. 16, Brickyard Ride was off at 5-1, a considerable overlay off of his morning line of 3-1, and paid $12.00, $5.40 and $4.20.

“This is of big significance to me,” said Centeno, a 27-year-old Puerto Rican native.  “Craig Lewis gave me the opportunity to work this horse and since I've been on him, he's run well for me and he's comfortable with me.”

Out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride collected his first graded stakes win and his seventh overall victory from 13 starts.  With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $380,277.

Fellow Cal-bred Tigre Di Slugo, who was second to the winner in the Cal Cup Sprint, rallied well for second today, finishing a nose better than Exaulted.  The 5-2 favorite with Joel Rosario, Tigre Di Slugo paid $3.80 and $2.80.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Exaulted was off at 6-1 and paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.63, 43.93 and 1:08.49.

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Will’s Secret Holds Off Pauline’s Pearl To Win Oaklawn’s Honeybee

Willis Horton Racing LLC's Will's Secret secured a place in the starting gate for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) with her third straight victory in Saturday's $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. The triumph was worth 50 points towards eligibility in the Oaks and put her at the top of the leaderboard with 60 total points following her other stakes win in the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 30.

Updated Kentucky Oaks leaderboard

Will's Secret and Tabor Hall were within a half-length of each from the start, with the later having the lead through an opening quarter mile in :24.25 before the eventual winner took over after a  half mile in :49.70. Will's Secret continued to widen her lead through the stretch and finished three-quarters of a length in front of the fast closing Pauline's Pearl. The winning time was 1:44.61 over a fast track.

“She broke really well today and we weren't pressured early on,” winning jockey Jon Court said. “She was comfortable on the front end and able to dictate a moderate, easy pace. Therefore, I was able to have plenty of horse to finish with and when I called on her, she was full of run down the stretch. It just worked out very favorably today. I want to thank the Hortons and trainer Dallas Stewart.”

Sun Path was third and was followed by Oliviaofthedesert, Coach, Tabor Hall and Willful Woman. Absolute Anna was scratched. Pauline's Pearl received 20 points toward Oaks eligibility for second, Sun Path received 10 and Oliviaofthedesert received five.

Will's Secret, a homebred by Horton's champion Will Take Charge, improved her overall record to three wins from six starts and she has now earned $343,300. She returned $6.20, $4.40 and $3 as the 2-1 favorite.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 1 p.m. first post.

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