Horses are powerful animals. For many of us, they are beautiful, majestic, noble, strong, but also gentle and sensitive. Throughout the history of mankind, horses have been our faithful companions who helped us survive, thrive, and develop. Since ancient times when they were domesticated, approximately 5,000 years ago, we’ve used them to travel, to hunt, for agriculture and cargo transfer, and in warfare.
Tag: Racing
Grey, Mazarine Stakes Shine Woodbine Spotlight On 2-Year-Olds
Nine 2-year-olds, including impressive first-time winner Haddassah, are set to contest Sunday's $125,000 Grey Stakes (G3), at Woodbine, on a card that also includes the $125,000 Mazarine Stakes (G3) for fillies.
Bred and owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Haddassah, a bay son of Air Force Blue, didn't fly under the radar in his curtain-raising effort on Nov. 1.
Trained by Kevin Attard, the Ontario-bred went off as the 9-5 choice in the mile and 70-yard main track maiden special weight event, a race that was originally scheduled for the turf.
Under Justin Stein, Haddassah improved from seventh at the quarter-mile mark to second at the stretch call, going on to record a half-length score in a time of 1:42.50.
The gelding will now look to build off that smart score when he takes to the Woodbine Tapeta again on Sunday.
“The farm in Kentucky liked him as a baby, then as he got to Kevin, from day one, he has liked him,” said Al Ulwelling. “He had more leg than his brother and sister … just a taller, better-balanced horse. What stood out to us most was if he was fit enough [for his debut], and he was.”
Stein, who has 125 wins (as of Nov. 18) on the season and currently sits atop the Toronto oval jockey standings, was impressed by Haddassah's debut.
“He really showed a determination to beat his company in his first lifetime race,” praised Stein. “He ran like a true professional.”
The Ulwellings would like to see a carbon copy of that effort in Haddassah's second start.
“We are really excited to watch him Sunday,” said Al Ulwelling. “We feel he will run better with a race under his belt and just knowing he has been through the process.”
“Haddassah had trained really well heading into his first start,” noted Attard. “It was nice to see him transfer that into his debut. He was very professional and looked impressive graduating. He has come back to work well in the interim and we're hoping to see him take another step forward Sunday.”
The same connections will also send out Stephen, a 2-year-old son of Constitution.
Bred by Trackwest Racing Inc., the Ontario-bred colt broke his maiden in his most recent start, the $250,000 Coronation Futurity, on Nov. 1 at Woodbine.
After an eighth to launch his career on Aug. 30, Stephen finished second in his next start, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on Oct. 4.
“Stephen has really taken a step forward since his career debut,” said Attard. “Going into his second start, we thought he'd run a big race and he did. He had some traffic trouble but closed really well to run second. In the Coronation, he ran a similar race, but was able to get by and win. He's a colt that has a great mental attitude and is very easy to ride. We're excited to have two nice Canadian-breds.”
Mark Casse will present the one-two punch of Helium and Easy Time in the Grey Stakes.
Owned by D J Stable LLC, Helium deflated his competition in both of his starts, including a 4 ¼-length romp in the Display Stakes on Oct. 18 at Woodbine.
Under Emma-Jayne Wilson, the son of Ironicus watched his lead balloon from one length at the stretch call to an open-length victory in a time of 1:22.62 for seven furlongs on the Woodbine main track.
Helium won his debut, also at seven furlongs on the Tapeta, by 3 ¼ lengths on Sept. 27, paying $16.10 for the win.
“Where these races [Grey and Mazarine] are situated in the calendar – especially the Grey – is going to make to this one a really good race,” said Casse. “In the past, we would run the Grey [earlier]. I don't know who else is going to go in there, but we're going to run two really good horses.”
A victory by Helium would certainly stamp him as a legitimate contender – along with Grade 1 winner and fellow Casse pupil Gretzky the Great – for Sovereign Award 2-year-old male honors.
“Helium is quite talented,” said Casse. “He's raced extremely well in both of his races.”
Casse's other trainee, Easy Time, a dark bay son of Not This Time, was exceptional in taking his debut on Oct. 25 at Woodbine.
Sent off as the slight 7-5 choice, the colt, bred by Breeze Easy LLC, converted a mid-stretch bid into a 2 ¾-length win. Easy Time covered the seven-furlong Toronto oval Tapeta test in 1:23.92.
“He was extremely impressive in his first start. He's by one of the best young freshman sires in North America. And now, we're going to run him two turns for the first time. I think Easy Time will give Helium a run for his money.”
Owner J.K.L Ross won five straight editions of the race, from 1921-25. Wando, Canada's most recent Triple Crown champion (in 2003), won the Grey in 2002. Mine That Bird, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, took the race in 2008.
***
Casse, who has seven Mazarine titles, has two opportunities to add to that impressive total on Sunday.
The 1 1/16-mile Mazarine, which offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $125,000, has attracted a field of seven 2-year-old fillies, including Casse charges Souper Sensational and Sleek Lynx.
Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Souper Sensational has lived up to her name over two starts, including a fantastic four-length display in the Glorious Song Stakes on Oct. 17 at Woodbine.
Sent on her way as the 3-5 choice, the chestnut daughter of Curlin widened her advantage down the lane, going on for the easy score in a time of 1:21.84 over seven furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta.
Three weeks earlier, Souper Sensational broke her maiden at first asking as she registered a 2 ¼-length win, also at seven panels, in a time of 1:23.54, in a $126,800 maiden special weight event.
“We decided not to go to the Breeders' Cup with her,” offered Casse. “She's been very impressive so far in her couple of races. We feel like her pedigree says she should be able to stretch out. She's coming out into it well. She had a nice breeze [four furlongs in :48.80 over the Woodbine main track on November 14], but it wasn't so much what she did during the breeze, but what she did after it. She galloped out really strong. Every indication says she should get two turns. But until you try it, you don't know.”
Sleek Lynx, owned by Gary Barber, will contest her fourth lifetime race, and second stakes outing.
The dark bay daughter of War Front, who finished fifth in the Natalma (G1T) on Sept. 20, broke her maiden last time out, a 1 ¼-length victory over one mile over “good” going on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Bred in Britain by Haras Don Alberto, Sleek Lynx finished second in her debut on July 23 at Gulfstream Park, finishing a half-length behind Director's Cut in a one-mile grass race.
“She's probably a better turf horse, but we're getting near the end of the year. She has a huge pedigree and it would be nice to pick up some black type with her.”
Casse won three straight Mazarines from 2012-14. His most recent triumph came three years ago with 2018 Queen's Plate champ and Canada's 2018 Horse of the Year, Wonder Gadot. He was also victorious in 2004 and 2007 with Higher World and Officer Cherrie, respectively, as well as in 2016 with Gale Force.
The Grey Stakes is race 10 and the Mazarine is slated as race 11 on Sunday's 13-race card. First post time is 1:25 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.
$125,000 GREY STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Haddassah – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
2 – British Royalty – Patrick Husbands – Barbara Minshall
3 – Stephen – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Lucky Score – Daisuke Fukumoto – Ralph Biamonte
5 – Barrister Tom* – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Ewing
6 – Lomaki's Gem – Jerome Lermyte – Stuart Simon
7 – Helium – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
8 – Easy Time – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
9 – Gospel Way – Emile Ramsammy – Nathan Squires
* denotes supplemented
$125,000 MAZARINE STAKES
1 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
2 – Sleek Lynx – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
3 – Do You Love Me – David Moran – Michael Trombetta
4 – Batyah – Justin Stein – Graham Motion
5 – Army Wife* – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Maker
6 – Designer Ready – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Barbara Minshall
7 – Souper Sensational – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
* denotes supplemented
The post Grey, Mazarine Stakes Shine Woodbine Spotlight On 2-Year-Olds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Hot Blooded Looking To Heat Up Again In Juvenile Turf At Gulfstream Park West
Palm Beach Racing Partnership's stakes winner Hot Blooded, once under consideration for the Breeders' Cup, ends a 12-week gap between starts when he makes his return in Saturday's $60,000 Juvenile Turf at Gulfstream Park West.
By Declaration of War, Hot Blooded has raced exclusively at Gulfstream Park in three starts. He debuted running fourth against fellow Florida-breds June 24 after bobbling and having to steady at the start, returning four weeks later to graduate in a seven-furlong maiden special weight that was rained off the grass.
Hot Blooded was then stepped up into stakes company in the one-mile Proud Man Aug. 29. Under Emisael Jaramillo, who rides back from outside Post 10, Hot Blooded settled off the early pace before tipping outside to take a short lead into the stretch, drawing clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Trainer Carlos David said the connections thought enough of Hot Blooded to plot out a course to the Breeders' Cup that included a start in the Oct. 4 Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes, which offered the winner automatic entry to the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, both races at Keeneland.
A minor mishap at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County where David is based, nixed the idea.
“We had a little hiccup with him,” David said. “He needed to go to Keeneland the first week of October and he got loose and just got scraped and banged up a little bit so we had to pass on the Breeders' Cup. Obviously, the Bourbon was a 'Win and You're In' but, unfortunately, we couldn't do it. We decided to just stay here and train him toward this race. He's doing really good, really good.”
Hot Blooded has worked twice at Palm Meadows since overcoming his setback, half-mile breezes in 49.80 second Oct. 24 and 49.30 seconds Nov. 1.
“Since he got loose and got banged up just days before he would have gone out [to Kentucky], we had to just take it easy with him and try to get him back to his form,” David said. “He's had a couple of good workouts. This seems like a logical spot. It's a good race for him to come back.”
Stonehedge's Seazan is entered to make his turf debut after finishing third in the final two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes, the Aug. 29 Affirmed and the Sept. 26 In Reality. The son of Khozan has yet to finish worse than third in four starts, including a maiden special weight triumph Aug. 1 and more than $118,000 in purse earnings.
Jerry Campbell's Castle King is also multiple stakes-placed, having run third in the Proud Man behind Hot Blooded and seven-furlong Armed Forces Sept. 26. Most recently, the Verrazano gelding was second in an optional claiming allowance Oct. 26 over the Gulfstream West turf.
Armed Forces runner-up Fulmini, Catching Fish, Chess's Dream, El Sicario, Light Us Up and Toretto complete the field. Big Thorn is entered for main track only.
The post Hot Blooded Looking To Heat Up Again In Juvenile Turf At Gulfstream Park West appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Picara Seeks Third Straight Millions Filly And Mare Turf Preview Score
P & G Stables Picara, yet to register her first victory of the year, looks to regain her winning form in a familiar spot as she goes for her third straight triumph in the $60,000 Millions Filly and Mare Turf Preview Saturday at Gulfstream Park West.
The 7 1/2-furlong Filly and Mare Turf Preview for females three and older is one of two stakes for Florida-breds on the nine-race program, along with the $60,000 Juvenile Turf for 2-year-olds going one mile. First race post time is 12:35 p.m.
Picara, a 5-year-old, won the Filly and Mare Turf Preview for the first time in November 2018 to cap her sophomore season for previous trainer Todd Pletcher. The Turbo Compressor mare returned from a five-month break last August with Gulfstream West-based Jorge Delgado to rally from off the pace to defend her title by three-quarters of a length at odds of 28-1.
“She has been training very good, she's fresh, and she seems to love this track,” Delgado said. “She seems to love the grass here, I don't know why. Maybe it's hard and she likes that. She loves the surface.
“She has won this stakes twice and this will be the third time that she can win it. She won it last time at [big odds], and she's doing better this year,” he added. “She is more mature and more focused and having a good time right now.”
Picara has four wins from six lifetime starts at Gulfstream West, and was second after setting the pace in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Oct. 23, an off-the-turf race in what was her first start since finishing off the board in the one-mile In the Breeze Stakes July 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Starting with last year's Filly and Mare Turf Preview Picara had run in seven consecutive stakes, three coming at Gulfstream's Championship Meet last winter. She was third in the 1 1/16-mile Ginger Punch June 6.
“She has been running over her head a little bit. The stakes she ran in the beginning of the year were too tough for her, but she still showed up and she ran good. She had a break and when she came back and she had to run in the slop, and she ran a good second,” Delgado said. “We wanted to give her a preparation for this race and she couldn't run on the grass that day, but it still worked out pretty good for us because she ran good.
“She came back fresh, she gained weight and she was a different horse when she came back,” he added. “She's eating better, doing everything better and she has been training really, really well.”
Joe Bravo is named to ride Picara, who will be looking to surpass $200,000 in purse earnings, from Post 2 in an overflow field of 16 that includes main-track-only entrants Crumb Bun, R Prerogative, Sayonara Baby and Thisismytime.
CJ Thoroughbreds' Bienville Street was one of the favorites in last year's Filly and Mare Turf Preview, finishing fourth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. The 5-year-old mare also has yet to win in 2020, coming with a neck of capturing the Monroe Stakes Sept. 7 at Gulfstream. She hasn't raced since running third in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Sept. 27.
First on the also-eligible list, Hallmarc Racing's homebred filly Centsless Drama is looking to break a string of three consecutive runner-up finishes, the last two in one-mile optional claiming allowance company Aug. 20 and Sept. 27 at Gulfstream.
Last out, Centsless Drama was 1 3/4 lengths behind Mo of the West, who also shows up in the Filly and Mare Turf Preview, and 3 1/4 lengths ahead of beaten favorite Dynatown in fifth. Both horses are trained by U.S. and Canadian Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who won his 3,000th career race Thursday at Gulfstream West.
“She's been second, second, second in really tough races. I ran her in an open allowance last time against two of Mark Casse's very nice, well-bred fillies,” trainer Carlos David said. “She's all right, and I think this definitely suits her running style. Every time she goes a mile and a sixteenth she gets beat because she's a front-runner, and she's very hard to rate. She just kind of takes the lead and she doesn't want to give it up.
“When she goes past a mile is when she struggles a little bit, but she should be able to handle the ground,” he added. “I think the distance is going to help, although there's a couple horses, sprinters, in there that are probably going to chase me around there which is not ideal, but I think she can do a good job.”
David won two stakes last weekend at Gulfstream West – the Millions Sprint Preview with Legal Deal and Juvenile Fillies Sprint with Shea D Summer.
“It was good,” he said. “I'm really happy when the horses run well for everybody. It's been kind of challenging with the weather and everything else this year.”
Hear My Prayer, winner of the Melody of Colors sprinting five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf March 21; multiple stakes-placed Starship Nala; Aizu, Amadora, High On Gin, Lookinlikeaqueen, Lovely Luvy and Sweet Hitch Hiker are also entered.
The post Picara Seeks Third Straight Millions Filly And Mare Turf Preview Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
