The $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff is the signature race restricted to fillies and mares at the 2020 World Championships, which will be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
Tag: Racing
Unbeaten In Three Starts This Year, Fiya Steps Up For Saturday’s Maryland Million Turf Sprint
Robert Masiello's Fiya, unbeaten in three starts this year, will put his speed and streak to the test when he steps up to stakes company for the first time in Saturday's $75,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint Handicap at Laurel Park.
The 5 ½-furlong Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and older going 1 1/8 miles, each scheduled for Laurel's world-class grass course, are among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.
First race post time is 11:25 a.m. The headliner comes in Race 11, the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up featuring historic Pimlico Special (G3) winner Harpers First Ride and fellow stakes winners Cordmaker, Monday Morning Qb and Top Line Growth.
This year marks the return of the Turf Sprint to the Maryland Million program following a seven-year absence. Won in each of its final three years by late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben's Cat, the Turf Sprint was last run in 2012.
Bred in Maryland by Ann Merryman and trained through his first four starts by her son, Michael, Fiya made an auspicious debut last November at Laurel, getting loose before the race then tiring to third behind next-out winners Pitching Ari and Tastes Like Plaid after setting the pace.
Second in his juvenile finale last December, Fiya was then gelded and moved to the turf and hasn't lost since. He graduated by five lengths in a six-furlong maiden claimer June 26 and followed up with a front-running three-length allowance triumph going 5 ½ furlongs July 17 in 1:00.99, just .25 off the Exceller turf course record. Two weeks later, Masiello purchased him at auction for $400,000.
“It looked like he was breezing, just the way [jockey] Feargal [Lynch] was sitting on him on the turn. He was absolutely just cruising around there, but he was going in 43 and change against a pretty good field,” Masiello said. “We spent a decent amount of money on him. The question is going to be, 'Can he take that to the next level?' We'll find out at some point, but when they do that they're giving you an indication that they might be pretty special.”
Moved to the New York barn of trainer Tom Albertrani, Fiya was considered for such races as the Aug. 26 Mahony at Saratoga, Sept. 7 Laurel Dash and Sept. 16 Franklin-Simpson (G3) at Kentucky Downs. Ultimately, he remained at Belmont Park where he debuted for his new connections Sept. 20, leading all the way in a 3 ¼-length victory in 1:06.70 that earned him a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, tied for the fastest by a 3-year-old on the grass this year.
“I felt very confident going into the race. If you would have told me he was going to go down there and just be a tick off the track record, I wouldn't have believed that. But he certainly did it very impressively,” Albertrani said. “Since I've gotten the horse he really is impressive, both physically and the way he trains.
“I got him at Saratoga over the summer and he was very impressive. I felt pretty confident going into that last race,” he added. “We just felt we'd keep him at home and kind of run him in our own backyard without shipping in a different direction when we first got him, and he certainly delivered that day.”
Maryland's four-time overall riding champion Trevor McCarthy, aboard for his debut last fall, gets a return call on Fiya from outside Post 9. They are favored at 6-5 on the morning line.
“He's got a lot of natural speed. The last race it just looked like he was coasting along and doing it very easy, so going back to 5 ½ [furlongs] I don't think is going to make any difference at all,” Albertrani said. “He's run well at Laurel. We know the history that he's got there so we feel very optimistic going into the race. If he runs back to his last three races he could be very tough in there.”
R. Larry Johnson's homebred A Great Time takes his own two-race win streak into the Turf Sprint, the most recent coming in dramatic fashion. Trailing by as many as 15 lengths, the 6-year-old mare came flying late to capture the five-furlong The Very One Oct. 1 at Pimlico Race Course. Julian Pimentel returns to ride from Post 1.
Street Copper, unraced since running fifth by 2 ½ lengths in last year's Maryland Million Turf; So Street, winner of the Howard County Stakes last fall at Laurel; Love You Much, third in the Laurel Dash and Jim McKay Turf Sprint in his last two outings; Joseph, fifth in the Laurel Dash; Jammer and Godlovesasinner complete the field. Maryland-bred Stroll Smokin is the lone also-eligible.
Already a four-time winner of the event, trainer Dale Capuano can add to his record total with Gallinella and Gennie Highway in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies.
A winner of more than 3,500 career races including a chart-topping 11 in the Maryland Million, Capuano became the first trainer with four Ladies victories when 2013 heroine Monster Sleeping repeated in 2015. Capuano also won in back-to-back years with Caveat's Shot (2000) and Stal Quest (2001).
Capuano haltered Taking Risks Stable and Louis J. Ulman's Gennie Highway for $16,000 out of a third-place finish in a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint on the grass July 3. After an off-the-turf try where she ran last after stumbling at the start, the 4-year-old Seville filly stretched out to be third going 1 1/16 miles and a three-quarter-length winner Sept. 19 in a one-mile claimer originally carded for the grass.
“She was coming off a layoff and she ran on turf and it was early in the year so we figured we'd take a chance on her. Little did we know we were going to get rained out most of the year, but she did win an off the turf race so that helped,” Capuano said. “She's run pretty well in claiming races. This race is obviously a step up in class for her, but she might like the mile and an eighth. She's very consistent.”
Neil Glasser's Gallinella is another horse Capuano claimed for $16,000, after the 4-year-old daughter of Friesan Fire ran second by a half-length in a six-furlong claiming event on the main track. In the first start for the new connections, she raced near the back after getting bumped at the start but was able to get up for fourth in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance.
“We just got her. She's gotten into our program and she's bred decent for grass. The last race was a tough race, but she didn't run all that bad,” Capuano said. “For $100,000 we figured we might take a shot. Plus, she had trouble last time and it was her first time at a distance, and I thought she handled the distance OK.”
The 1-5 program favorite for the Ladies is R Larry Johnson and RDM Racing Stable's No Mo Lady, a Maryland-bred daughter of champion Uncle Mo who sits first on the also-eligible list and would need two scratches to get in. No Mo Lady has placed in three consecutive stakes, running second in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Indiana Grand and 1 1/8-mile All Along at Laurel, and third in the Gallorette (G3) last out Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course.
Charles J. Reed's Something Magical set the pace in last year's Ladies before fading to be fourth, beaten seven lengths by upset winner Zonda. The 5-year-old mare is winless in three tries this year, running second in her June 13 debut and returning from a three-month layoff to be sixth Oct. 8 in a pair of optional claimers.
Mosalah, Breviary, Epic Idea, Shifra Magician, Redeem My Heart and Little Lion Girl are also entered. Something Magical's Phil Schoenthal-trained stablemate Quiet Company is the second also-eligible.
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Stakes Winner Super Stock Headlines Sunday’s Street Sense, Steppingstone To Kentucky Jockey Club
Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's multiple graded stakes placed Super Stock was made the solid 8-5 morning line favorite in Sunday's $98,000-added Street Sense at Churchill Downs, while Kueber Racing's undefeated Coach tops the $98,000-added Pocahontas as the 3-1 early favorite.
The 1 1/16-mile Street Sense and Rags to Riches are the co-headlining races of the 11-race kickoff of the 24-day Fall Meet. Dubbed as Stars of Tomorrow I, the afternoon will feature all 2-year-old racing. First post is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Super Stock, a Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In, broke his maiden Aug. 11 in the $113,000 Texas Futurity at Lone Star Park. The colt subsequently finished third in the $200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (Grade III) and $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (GI). Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call from post No. 7.
The complete field for the Street Sense in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Crime Spree (Mitchell Murrill, Eric Heitzmann, 15-1); Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 9-2); Arabian Prince (Joe Talamo, Dallas Stewart, 4-1); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 9-2); Eucharist (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset, 5-1); Franz Josef (Julien Leparoux, Glenn Wismer, 10-1); and Super Stock (Santana, Steve Asmussen, 8-5).
The Street Sense annually serves as a steppingstone to the $200,000 Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. It is carded as Race 8 with a post time of 4:36 p.m.
Two races later, Coach will stretch out in distance for the first time in the Rags to Riches. Trained by Brad Cox, Coach recorded dominant victories at Indiana Grand breaking her maiden by 4 ¼ lengths and besting first-level allowance company by 9 ¾ lengths. The daughter of Commissioner will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post No. 8.
The field for the Rags to Riches from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Orsetto (Declan Cannon, Tim Austin, 8-1); Malibu Bird (Tyler Gaffalione, Norm Casse, 9-2); Dash to the Top (Gabriel Saez, Wayne Catalano, 15-1); Oliviaofthedesert (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 4-1); Lady Traveler (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans, 5-1); Salty as Can Be (Ricardo Santana Jr, Mark Casse, 5-1); Torsie's Charm (Adam Beschizza, Eddie Kenneally, 20-1); Coach (Geroux, Cox, 3-1); and Midnight Ballerina (Julien Leparoux, Bill Mott, 8-1).
Inaugurated in 2005, the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs have helped launch the careers of more than 50 future Grade I winners including Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Monomoy Girl and Preakness (GI) winner Swiss Skydiver.
A total of 104 horses were entered in the body of Sunday's card for an average of 9.45 horses per race.
Sunday's National Weather Service forecast calls for cloudy conditions with highs in the high 60s. The rail on the Matt Winn Turf Course will be set in Lane 2, 15 ft. off the inside hedge.
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Curlin’s Voyage, Afleet Katherine Rematched In Woodbine’s Wonder Where
This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara comes to a conclusion when 10 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies take to the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course in Sunday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.
Set at the distance of about 1 1/4 miles, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Curlin's Voyage, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up in the Oaks and runner-up in the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on September 12.
A bay daughter of Afleet Alex, Afleet Katherine, trained by Kevin Attard, arrives at the Wonder Where off that silver effort in the Bison City, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Woodbine main track.
Sent off as the 4-5 choice, Afleet Katherine hopped leaving the gate before jockey Justin Stein settled her mid-pack in the eight-horse race. Hustled from the rail and sent two-wide into the final turn, she rallied gamely, but crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Mizzen Beau.
Bred and owned by Terra Racing Stable, the Ontario-bred will now make a return to the grass, the surface in which she contested her first two races.
Both efforts came over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course and both resulted in trips to the winner's circle.
Dismissed at 29-1 in her career bow on July 5, Afleet Katherine rallied impressively to win by a neck at seven furlongs over “firm” going. She followed it up 20 days later with another late burst to win by a head at the same distance and on the same ground.
“She got up in the nick of time both times,” said Attard, who is seeking his first Wonder Where crown. “She's shown she's a decent filly and we've been looking forward to this race for a while now.”
Which one of her wins stood out?
“I think the second race was the more impressive of the two because in that one she looked like she was backing up, going to be out of the picture, just kind of not fire. But she turned it around and won. First time out, I thought she was overlooked. She comes from a decent family and her half-sibling [Amalfi Coast, scheduled to run in Friday's Sweet Briar Too Stakes] had a great year last year. I thought that deserved a little respect, but it is what it is. She's just a big filly and has a little bit of attitude. She was a little immature and green to start, but she's come a long way and developed over time. You look at her record and it speaks for itself.”
The conditioner is also represented by Merveilleux.
A daughter of Paynter, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Merveilleux has a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts. She was third in the Woodbine Oaks and sixth in the Queen's Plate.
“I will say she has had three rough trips in a row, and I love her,” said Al Ulwelling. “She looked very comfortable working on grass in her last work. We are going to have her more forwardly placed this race as we feel she will encounter less trouble. From that point on, it's up to her.”
Attard's stakes weekend kicks off on Saturday when Clayton goes postward in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
The son of Bodemeister, third in the Queen's Plate and second in the Prince of Wales, will look to play spoiler in Mighty Heart's bid to become the first Crown winner since Wando in 2003.
“He's here in the third leg of the series now. I thought he ran a great race in the Prince of Wales and we're hoping he goes one better this time.”
In the Wonder Where, Afleet Katherine will once again face Curlin's Voyage, the chestnut daughter of Curlin who fashions a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts.
A four-time stakes winner, the Josie Carroll trainee finished fifth to Mighty Heart (also trained by Carroll) in the Queen's Plate on September 12.
Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage will be testing the turf for the first time under racing terms.
The filly breezed over the Woodbine turf on October 17, travelling five furlongs in 1:03 flat.
Ballrooms of Mars, Beyond Mybudget, Forty Zip, Gun Society, Justleaveitalone and Sansa's Vow and She's a Dream round out the Wonder Where field.
The race is named in honor of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as race eight.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.
FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – She's a Dream – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Justleaveitalone – David Moran – Nicholas Gonzalez
3 – Gun Society – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield
4 – Beyond Mybudget – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
5 – Merveilleux – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
6 – Curlin's Voyage – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
7 – Afleet Katherine – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
8 – Ballrooms of Mars – Steven Bahen – Catherine Day Phillips
9 – Sansa's Vow – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll
10 – Forty Zip – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Shug McGaughey
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