Tag: Racing

Full Sister To Rachel Alexandra Set To Make Career Debut At Gulfstream Friday

Gladys, a full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, is set to make her career debut in Friday's sixth race at Gulfstream Park. According to the Daily Racing Form, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro and Lotta Kim has been training at Palm Meadows with Kelsey Danner for owner Dede McGehee.

Gladys will make her first start in a maiden special weight over six furlongs, breaking from Post 10.

Samantha Nicole, also a full sister to Rachel Alexandra, raced between 2014 and 2016, collecting two wins in a maiden special weight and an allowance, and competing in two stakes races before retiring with a record of 10-2-2-1. She has since retired to Stonestreet Farms, where she is part of the broodmare band.

Rachel Alexandra remains at Stonestreet, living the retired life and occasionally greeting starstruck visitors.

Read the complete race preview at the Daily Racing Form

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Guildsman Prevails In Closing-Day Franklin-Simpson Stakes At Kentucky Downs

Tyler Gaffalione put an exclamation mark on his first riding title at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., completing a three-win day as Qatar Racing's French-bred 9-1 shot Guildsman came from far back to beat 21-1 shot Island Commish by a neck in the $500,000, Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson Stakes.

It was another neck back to 47-1 Souper Dormy in the capacity field of 12 3-year-old sprinters in the final stakes of the six-date RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs.

The Brendan Walsh-trained Guildsman provided the 26-year-old Gaffalione his meet-leading 11th win one race after clinching the 2020 Kentucky Downs riding title. He nailed at least one race on five of the meet's six days.

“That was nice,” Gaffalione said. “It was a great meet. My agent (Matt Muzikar) has done an incredible job preparing for this meet. I'm so thrilled for Brendan. He's been helping me for a long time. We've been trying to hook up with this colt. The distance was key today, just a little extra ground. He kept coming and really proved his stuff today. It was a great race all around.”

Johnny Unleashed led through blistering opening fractions of 21.47 and 44.77 seconds for the quarter- and half-mile, most closely followed by Maven, Island Commish and 2-1 favorite Turned Aside. Meanwhile, Guildsman had one horse beat and was 6 1/2 lengths off the pace entering the stretch run in the seven path.

From there, Guildsman did his best running, and by mid-stretch only 21-1 longshot Island Commish was in front of him with Souper Dormy, longest odds in the field at 47-1, looming after being far behind early.

Guildsman was best in the closing yards to prevail by a neck over Island Commish, the only horse in the early pace that stayed on. Souper Dormy just missed second by another neck. Flap Jack, who was sent off at 37-1 odds, finished fourth, beaten three lengths.

Named after the host town and county of the south-central Kentucky track venue, the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Simpson yielded among the highest exotics payoffs of the meet.

The foursome fueled a 10-cent superfecta payoff of $6,919.15; the $2 exacta paid $364.00; and the $1 trifecta returned $3,956.30. As for the $2 win-place-show money, Guildsman tickets were worth $21.80, $10.60 and $6.40. Island Commish paid $19.80 and $12.00, and Souper Dormy tickets were redeemed for $18.20.

Following the top four across the finish line were, in order, Turned Aside, Old Chestnut, Another Miracle, Johnny Unleashed, Fore Left, Embolden, Maven and Competitive Saint.

Guildsman was timed in 1:15.87 for 6 1/2 furlongs on turf rated firm. The win pushed Guildsman's record to three wins from 11 starts, with a second and two thirds. The value of the race turned out to be $343,875 because no Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund money was available to the French-bred gelding Guildsman. With the winner's share of $144,150, he upped his earnings to $254,636.

Guildsman made his first six starts in England, France and Ireland last year. Sent to Walsh, he was making his fifth start in America, racing well each time against quality competition. He came into the Franklin-Simpson off his first U.S. win, that coming in Presque Isle's $75,000 Tom Ridge Stakes over a synthetic surface.

“They just sent him over here,” Walsh said. “I guess they just thought maybe he'd fit here. The 5 and the 5 1/2 races, he's been running well but they're a little bit on the short side for him, maybe. We were going six at Presque Isle last time and the 6 1/2 today was right in his wheelhouses. I'm not actually surprised. He's a really talented horse.”

The victory was the third of the meet for Walsh, who also won Wednesday's fourth race with Born Great, the only two-time winner at the meet.

“I'm not just a one-horse trainer,” Walsh said with a laugh.

The victory capped a huge two-week run for Qatar Racing's Sheikh Fahad al Thani. Sheikh Fahad is partners on the Brad Cox-trained Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil. Guildsman also provided Qatar Racing its second straight victory in the Franklin-Simpson, being the co-owner of last year's Doug O'Neill-trained winner Legends of War.

“Sheikh Fahad was watching closely at home in England,” said his representative, Fergus Galvin, who was at the Keeneland yearling sales. “He was thrilled. He had a big couple of weeks with Shedaresthedevil. Brendan has done a great job with the horse. He had it mapped out from a few months ago. but Sheikh Fahad has gotten a massive thrill out of him. He's always shown a lot of promise, this horse. He ran in some of the bigger 2-year-old races over there. The distance, 6 1/2 furlongs, and the configuration of the track obviously played to his advantage. But it certainly made Sheikh Fahad a big fan of Kentucky Downs. He's already wanting to stock up the stable to point to the meeting next year.”

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Group 1-Placed Magic Attitude Will Make North American Debut In Saturday’s Belmont Oaks

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude, a Group 3 winner in France, will make her North American debut in Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, a 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational is the first of seven Grade 1 events during the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet, which kicks off on Friday and runs through Sunday, November 1.

In addition to 22 graded stakes, the lucrative meet will also include seven Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the two-day Breeders' Cup 2020 World Championships to be held November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered on Monday, October 12 and will resume on Friday, October 16.

By Galileo and out of the Group 1-winner Margot Did, Magic Attitude was bred in Great Britain by Katsumi Yoshida and is a full-sister to 2018 Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible, who is also multiple Grade/Group 1-placed.

Magic Attitude presents an impressive ledger that includes a victory in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in May when racing off a nearly eight-month layoff for former conditioner Fabrice Chappet.

She followed in June with a second in the 10-furlong Group 1 Prix Saint Alary at Chantilly in a race won by the undefeated Tawkeel, who exited that effort to win the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette at Deauville.

Last out, in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly, Magic Attitude finished a strong fifth, defeated three lengths to Fancy Blue, in a loaded edition of the 1 5/16-miles test known as the French Oaks.

New trainer Arnaud Delacour said Magic Attitude has matched strides with some of the top sophomore fillies in Europe in her brief career.

“She's right there with them. When she ran in the Prix de Diane all the form was very solid,” said Delacour. “It was a very good edition of the French Oaks this year and the fillies that finished in front and around her have come back and won graded stakes, so the form is excellent.”

Fancy Blue, victorious in the Prix de Diane, came back to win the Group 1 Nassau at Goodwood ahead of a third in the Group 1 Matron at Leopardstown. The fourth [Raabihah] and sixth-placed [Ebaiyra] finishers exited the Prix de Diane to win a Group 3 and Group 2 respectively.

Magic Attitude was transferred to the care of Delacour in the summer where she has trained at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

“She arrived here in late July. We liked her right away,” said Delacour. “She's not very big, but she's very athletic. She moves very well on the grass.”

The talented bay has breezed four times at Fair Hill, including a half-mile work in 50 flat on September 11 over the dirt.

“She's training very well,” said Delacour. “We've gotten to know her a little bit. It looks like she needs to be covered up, so we put her behind a pacesetter to let her relax and then gallop out strong.”

While Magic Attitude demonstrated ability to run well off the layoff in her Group 3 score, Delacour said Saturday's test, to be contested off a two-month layoff, will be a different experience.

“That win was coming off the winter with a trainer that knew her,” started Delacour, regarding the Prix Vanteaux. “When she came to us she was ready to run. We just had to maintain her, so I don't think that the time off should be a problem.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will guide Magic Attitude from post 2.

Madaket Stables, Laura De Seroux, and Marsha Naify's Neige Blanche will make her second start in North America for trainer Leonard Powell.

The French-bred daughter of Anodin graduated in November on the synthetic surface at Marseille-PV when traveling 10 furlongs and followed in December with an allowance score at the same track and surface.

In June, when making just her second start on turf, Neige Blanche captured the 11-furlong Group 3 Prix Cleopatre over soft going at Lyon-Parilly. She was subsequently transferred to the care of Powell in California where she ran a closing fourth last out on debut in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on August 22 over nine furlongs of firm turf.

Powell said he hopes the added distance on Saturday will benefit.

“It was her first race stateside and although the pace wasn't very strong, she was a little outpaced the first part of the race but it was still a promising debut and she finished very well,” said Powell. “I'm hoping the mile and a quarter on the big track at Belmont Park will be to her liking. Hopefully, she will not be too far back as it's going to be a small field.”

Neige Blanche will exit post 4 under Jose Lezcano.

Godolphin's versatile Hard Spun bay Antoinette will remain on turf after capturing the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks last out on August 16 over firm footing.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Antoinette captured the off-the-turf Tepin in December at the Big A ahead of third-place efforts on the dirt in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March and the Gardenia in May at Oaklawn Park.

Following a third in the Grade 3 Wonder Again in June on the Belmont turf, Antoinette returned to dirt and finished a good third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 18 preceding her Saratoga Oaks effort.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez retains the mount from post 5 as Antoinette looks to improve on a record of 8-3-0-4 that includes purse earnings of $483,750.

Rounding out the field are Arindel's Key Biscayne [post 3, Manny Franco], who was third last out in the Saratoga Oaks for trainer Juan Alvarado; and Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Setting the Mood [post 1, Luis Saez], winner of an off-the-turf maiden in May at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 1:00 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the 27-day fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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