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Freddy Head-Trained Call The Wind To Defend Title In Saudi Long Distance Turf Handicap

Call The Wind is on course to defend his crown in the $2.5million Long Distance Turf Handicap The Saudi Cup meeting later this month.

The French raider, ridden by experienced jockey Olivier Peslier, was a cozy 2 1/2-length winner of the 3000m (about 1 7/8 miles) contest 12 months ago when beating Mekong and Prince Of Arran. Subsequent Melbourne Cup hero Twilight Payment was back in seventh.

It proved to be the start of a profitable year for the 7-year-old son of Frankel as he went on to win two Group races over 3000m at Deauville later in the season.

Call The Wind's trainer Freddy Head is looking forward to a return to the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh for the two-day Saudi Cup meeting.

He said: “The horse is in very good form. He's wintered well and everything is fine with him at the moment.

“He won nicely last year and I was very pleased with him. He's got a bit more weight this time and I've not seen which other horses he is likely to be up against but I think we have a good chance of winning.

“He liked the track so everything is in order. The reception we got in Saudi Arabia was very good and we had everything we could have wanted. I'm really looking forward to him running there again.”

The Long Distance Handicap will be run on Saturday, Feb. 20, taking place on the same day as the $20million Saudi Cup, the world's most valuable race.

The meeting will kick off on Friday, Feb. 19 with an eight-race card featuring the International Jockeys' Challenge where some of the world's best male and female riders will go head-to-head.

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Spooky Channel Gets Perfectly Timed Ride To Win John B. Connally Turf Cup

Trainer Mike Maker had his streak of six consecutive victories in the John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas, snapped last year when Brad Cox-trained Dot Matrix defeated Bemma's Boy and Marzo from Maker's deep stable of turf runners.

Maker came loaded again this year, with three starters in Sunday's $200,000, Grade 3 Turf Cup, just as he did in 2020. Once again, however, he had to settle for the minor awards as 3-2 favorite Spooky Channel, from the Brian Lynch stable, collared Maker's pace-setting Conviction Trade inside the furlong pole, then held off a furious late rally by Maker-trained Ajourneytofreedom to win by a neck.

Spooky Channel, a 6-year-old English Channel gelding owned by Terry Hamilton, was clocked in 2:30.94 on a firm grass course for the 1 1/2 miles of the Turf Cup. He paid $5 for the win, his ninth in 18 career starts. Ajourneytofreedom finished a length ahead of Conviction Trade, giving Maker a 2-3 finish for the second year in a row. Tenfold was fourth for trainer Steve Asmussen, with Ken McPeek-trained Signalman fifth in the field of a dozen older runners.

The John B. Connally Turf Cup was one of six stakes – two of them graded – offering over $1 million in purses on Sunday's Houston Racing Festival as Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas,

It was a big day for the track, with a record $5.3 million wagered on the 10-race card.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year's Houston Racing Festival and getting a record handle of $5.3 million,” said Frank Hopf, senior director of racing. “It was a team effort from everyone at Sam Houston and our thanks go out to all the horsemen and owners for supporting our meet. This would not be possible without our horseplayers, both here in Texas and nationally. It was a great day.”

Leparoux allowed Spooky Channel to settle into fifth position after breaking from the 10-post in the three-turn Turf Cup. Rafael Hernandez put Conviction Trade in front from the start, going an opening quarter mile in :24.57, a half mile in :48.97 and six furlongs in 1:14.00. Leparoux began asking Spooky Channel to pick it up with a half mile to run, the mile clocked in 1:40.52, and by the time they reached the quarter pole, after 1 1/4 miles in 2:05.67, he was on the front-runner's right flank.

Conviction Trade fought back and maintained a half-length lead with a furlong to run, but Spooky Channel finally put him away just as Ajourneytofreedom and Jesus Castanon emerged on the scene with a powerful stretch rally that came up just short at the wire.

“I have ridden him before and felt he would like this turf course,” said Leparoux. “Brian and I talked and we knew he would have enough to come off the pace and make his run. He left it up to me and the horse did exactly what he hoped for.”

Spooky Channel began his racing career for Hamilton in Arizona in the care of trainer Clay Brinson, winning six of his first eight starts at Turf Paradise, including the 1 7/8-mile Hasta La Vista Handicap.

After shipping east and being transferred to Lynch's barn (following one off-the-board finish at Canterbury Park), Spooky Channel has won three of nine, including the G3 W.L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January 2020. Following a sixth-place finish in the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park last July 4, was given some time off, then returned to be fourth in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale at Gulfstrealm Park on Dec. 12. He trained up to the Turf Cup at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida.

“It was exciting to be part of the big stakes day at Sam Houston Race Park,” said Lynch from his base in South Florida. “Spooky Channel is a true marathoner and ran a great race. Julien is a multiple Eclipse winning rider and I am one of his biggest fans. I am grateful to my owner Terry Hamilton, who is also a great friend.”

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Front-Running Letruska Too Much For Houston Ladies Classic Foes

St. George Stable's front-running Letruska lived up to her odds-on favoritism in Sunday's $300,000, Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas, fighting off a pesky Motion Emotion, then drawing away to win the ninth running of the filly and mare fixture by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Jesus Castanon.

MIke Maker-trained Ujjayi finished second, with 2020 Houston Ladies Classic winner Lady Apple four lengths farther back in third and Tom Amoss-trained Figure It Out fourth. Motion Emotion, who like Lady Apple is trained by Steve Asmussen, finished fifth after making a bold mid-race move to pressure the eventual winner. Ken McPeek-trained Jeweled Princess finished sixth and Scott Geiner-trained Shes Our Fastest rounded out the field of seven.

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, who brought the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare to the United States from Mexico City near the end of the 2019 racing season after winning all six of her races there, Letruska covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.02 after setting fractions of :23.66, :48.56, 1:12.99 and 1:38.42. She paid $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite and was winning for the 12th time in 16 career starts. Six of those wins have come in the U.S., including two other graded stakes: the G3 Shuvee at Saratoga last August and the G3 Rampart at Gulfstream Park in her last start on Dec. 12.

The Houston Ladies Classic was one of six stakes – two of them graded – with over $1 million in purses offered on Sunday's Houston Racing Festival program that saw wagering total $5,342,599.

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Robust Group Of Nominations For Laurel Park’s Winter Sprintfest Races

Graded-stakes winners Eres Tu, Pacific Gale, Sharp Starr and Victim of Love; multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful, undefeated on the local main track; and Dontletsweetfoolya, riding a five-race win streak, are among 23 older females nominated to the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Saturday, Feb. 13 at Laurel Park.

The 69th running of the Fritchie for fillies and mares 4 and older and the 45th renewal of the $250,000 General's Stake (G3) for 4-year-olds and up, formerly the General George, highlight a Winter Sprintfest program offering six stakes worth $900,000 in purses. Both graded-stakes are contested at seven furlongs.

Eres Tu captured the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont (G3) Dec. 26, her second straight stakes win at Laurel for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Pacific Gale snapped a 17-race losing streak with a 16-1 upset of the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Sharp Starr, trained by Horacio DePaz, won the one-mile Go for Wand (G3) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct over fellow Fritchie nominee Portal Creek to cap her 3-year-old season, and opened 2021 running second in the seven-furlong La Verdad Jan. 3. Victim of Love is a two-time winner at Laurel including the What a Summer last January. Second in last year's Fritchie, she went on to capture the 6 ½-furlong Vagrancy (G3) at Belmont Park.

Hello Beautiful owns five career stakes wins but is seeking her first graded triumph. The 4-year-old filly has strung together three straight wins for trainer Brittany Russell, all in stakes; is 7-0 on the Laurel dirt with three of those wins coming at seven furlongs; and exits a popular triumph in the Jan. 16 What a Summer. Dontletsweetfoolya, yet to run in 2021, has won five consecutive races by 28 ¾ combined lengths including the Nov. 28 Primonetta and Dec. 26 Willa On the Move at Laurel.

Always Sunshine, who returned from a 541-day layoff to win a Jan. 24 optional claiming allowance at Laurel, and fellow graded-stakes winners Laki, Majestic Dunhill. Mischevious Alex, Share the Ride, Shotski and Sunny Ridge are among 30 horses nominated to the General's Stake.

Trained by Edward T. 'Ned' Allard, Always Sunshine won the 2015 Fire Plug at Laurel and 2016 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico Race Course, where he is currently in training. Laki won the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) last October at Pimlico and has since run behind Whereshetoldmetogo in the Frank Whiteley and Dave's Friend and Wendell Fong in the Jan. 16 Fire Plug. Both Whereshetoldmetogo and Wendell Fong are also nominated.

Majestic Dunhill won the 2018 City of Laurel and became a graded winner in the 2020 Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont. After finishing off the board in the 2019 Laurel Futurity, his only career try on turf, Mischevious Alex reeled off three consecutive stakes wins including the Swale (G2) and Gotham (G3) to open 2020. Share the Ride won the 2020 Fall Highweight (G3), was beaten a neck by Wendell Fong in the Fire Plug, then came back to be third as the favorite in the seven-furlong Toboggan (G3) Jan. 30 at Aqueduct.

Shotski broke his maiden at Laurel Park in October 2019 for trainer Jerry O'Dwyer then won the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) to cap his juvenile season and ran second in the Withers (G3) and fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) last winter before going to the sidelines, returning in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Jan. 15 at Aqueduct. Sunny Ridge, stablemate of Pacific Gale, won the 2019 Richard Small at Laurel and has not raced since finishing third by a head in the 2020 Toboggan last January.

Also among the nominees are multiple stakes winners Cordmaker, third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3); Funny Guy and Lebda, and Tattooed, an upset neck winner of the one-mile Jennings Jan. 16 at Laurel.

Sophomores will be in the spotlight in the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile and the $100,000 Wide Country for fillies sprinting seven furlongs. Multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion; 2020 Nashua (G3) winner Pickin' Time; Shackqueenking, Ain't Da Beer Cold and Erawan, respectively 1-2-3 in the Howard County Dec. 26 at Laurel; multiple stakes-placed Maythehorsebwithu and stablemate Hello Hot Rod, a winner of two straight are prominent among 24 Miracle Wood nominees.

Five-time stakes winner Street Lute, on a four-race win streak and a neck shy of being undefeated through seven career starts, tops 25 nominations to the Wide Country. She is joined by fellow stakes winners Gulf Coast and Miss Leslie; Fraudulent Charge, beaten a nose when second in the seven-furlong Gin Talking Dec. 26 at Laurel; and Little Huntress, a 14-length maiden special weight winner Dec. 27 at Laurel.

Older horses will travel about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 John B. Campbell, where Cordmaker, Shotski and Tattooed join multiple stakes winner and defending champion Alwaysmining among 24 nominees, and the $100,000 Nellie Morse for females, whose 18 nominations include Eres Tu and stakes winners Artful Splatter, Estilo Talentoso, Gibberish, Lucky Move, Lucky Stride, Pat's No Fool, Queen Nekia, Saguaro Row, Thankful and Wicked Awesome.

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