Tag: Racing

Going Global Makes Stylish U.S. Debut In Sweet Life Stakes

In her first stateside start, Irish-bred Going Global unleashed a furious stretch rally to take Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita by a widening half length under Flavien Prat.  Trained by Phil D'Amato, Going Global, who had been idle since Nov. 11 in her native Ireland, got six furlongs on turf in 1:07.68 at the Arcadia, Calif., oval.

Unhurried but in contention while about 6 ½ lengths off the lead at the half-mile pole, Going Global, in an eye-catching move, was able to save ground while full of run at the rail around the far turn, shifted into the four-path a furlong out and blew by front-running Five Pics Please in the shadow of the wire in a most impressive effort.

“I watched her last race and you could see she could run,” said Prat.  “Phil talked to me this morning and said they really liked her.  She's a little tough, likes to do things her way, but she was very professional.”

Purchased for $16,900 at public auction as a yearling, Going Global, who registered a 1 ¼-length win versus 13 rivals that included males on Nov. 11, had a steady series of drills on Santa Anita's inner dirt training track and paid $19.80, $9.60 and $6.60 while off at 8-1 in a field of 12 sophomore fillies.

“We were trying to point for an allowance race for the last couple weeks and it didn't come,” said D'Amato, who registered his sixth stake win of the meet.  “It was one of those things.  She trained well enough to where I thought she merited a chance in here.  So, either run or wait a while until the allowance goes.  Luckily, we were able to get Flavien here and a beautiful trip.

“I think the sky is the limit for this filly.  Flavien hinted that she could definitely use some more ground, so we'll definitely look at the two turn stakes schedule here and go from there.”

Owned by Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, Going Global, a filly by Mehmas out of the Invasor mare Wrood, now has two wins from five overall starts.  With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $68,792.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Five Pics Please set fractions of :21.65, :44.16 and :55.85 and held second by three quarters of a length over Nimbostratus.  Off at 9-1, Five Pics Please paid $10.40 and $7.00.

French-bred Nimbostratus, with Joel Rosario up, paid $5.40 to show and finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 9-5 favorite Majestic Steps, who had no apparent excuses.

Note:  Prat also went on to win Sunday's eighth and ninth races, giving him four on the day and 27 for the meet, putting Prat and Umberto Rispoli in a tie for the lead.

Racing resumes with an eight-race Presidents Day holiday card on Monday with a 12:30 p.m. PT first post.

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Nicky The Vest Gives Runhappy Initial Stakes Winner In Gander

Robert LaPenta's Nicky the Vest rewarded his even-money favoritism in his stakes debut, taking command in the turn and drawing away from a seven-horse field to win by 11 3/4 lengths in Sunday's $100,000 Gander for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

After Nicky the Vest won his first start on Dec. 18 in a one-turn mile at the Big A, trainer Jonathan Thomas saw him replicate that effort at the same track and distance, cruising in the stretch under meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche to easily outkick Lobsta. Nicky the Vest, a Runhappy colt, became his sire's first stakes winner.

Nicky the Vest broke sharply from post 5, staying in second position behind pace-setter Lobsta with the opening quarter-mile in 23.61 seconds and the half in 47.17 on the fast main track.

Carmouche urged Nicky the Vest outside of Lobsta to take command with three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.33. He continued to press on in the stretch, completing the course in a final time of 1:37.94 while geared down in the final 70 yards.

“He broke real sharp, had me in a good spot and the track has been good with forward positioning,” said Carmouche, who won his sixth stakes of the meet. “When I asked him, he responded very, very well. Jonathan Thomas and his assistant and their team did a good job of getting this horse back to the races after a couple months off.

“As long as I got my horse going at the pace he's going, I don't worry about the person next to me,” Carmouche added. “I figured once I asked him, he should respond and he got me to the winner's circle.”

Purchased for $110,000 at the 2019 OBS Yearling Sale, Nicky the Vest more than doubled his career earnings in improving to 2-for-2, upping his bankroll to $88,500.

“We were very pleased with him,” Thomas said. “He trained that way leading up to it and it's always nice to see what you're seeing in the morning replicated in the afternoon.

“We felt we needed to get him out of there,” he added. “His stamina is a key strength of his and we didn't want to get him in behind horses and have him take dirt. That's an unknown variable with him. We didn't want to do that today, so we planned on being aggressive.”

Nicky the Vest, bred by Highclere, returned $4.30 on a $2 win wager. Thomas said he could possibly target the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham going one mile on March 6 at Aqueduct in a race that offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

“Because we gave him 60 days between his maiden win and this start, I'd feel comfortable we could contemplate that,” Thomas said. “But we'll leave that up to the team.

“John Panagot [LaPenta's racing manager] will be a big barometer here,” he continued. “We'll digest the race and see how he comes out of it and keep a lot of options open. If we do step out [outside of New York-bred company], he's run well here on this track so it stands to reason we would stay here.”

Lobsta, making his first stakes appearance in his third career start for trainer Gary Sciacca, finished a half-length in front of Perfect Munnings for second.

“This horse is a really classy horse,” said Lobsta rider Eric Cancel, who notched four victories on the day in addition to his runner-up effort. “He likes to run on the lead and his brother [2020 Gander winner Chowda] was the same way, so I just figured to ride him the same way. He was in a perfect spot. As soon as they pushed the button on the other horse. He kept on for second and fought well the whole way.”

Dancing Buck, Horn of Plenty, Uno and Re Created completed the order of finish.

Live racing at Aqueduct will continue with a special eight-race Presidents Day holiday card on Monday, highlighted by the $100,000 Hollie Hughes for state-bred 4-years-old and up going six furlongs in Race 7 at 4:25 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:20 p.m.

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