Tag: Racing

Wicked Whisper, Bravo Team Up For Miss Preakness Stakes Victory

Winless since her victory in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park nearly one year ago, Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Wicked Whisper got a ground-saving trip from Joe Bravo, came off the rail at the furlong pole, then ran down frontrunning Ain't No Elmers to win Saturday's Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Ain't No Elmers finished second, beaten one length after setting all the fractions, with Sound Machine third, another three-quarters of a length back, and 1-2 favorite Mundaye Call fourth in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies.

Wicked Whisper ran the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.36 and paid $12.60 for the win, her third in six career starts.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Wicked Whisper is from the first crop by Liam's Map out of the Bernardini mare Zayanna. She was bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms and sold for $500,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Fly On Angel and Angel Cruz broke on top, but Gabriel Saez sent Ain't No Elmers through on the inside to take command in the run down the backstretch, the opening quarter mile in :23.08. Wicked Whisper sat just behind the top pair on the inside after a half mile in :45.78, awaiting racing room as the field turned into the stretch.

A patient Bravo swung Wicked Whisper off the rail when seeing an opening after five furlongs in :57.97, and the Liam's Map filly took command from Ain't No Elmers in the final sixteenth of a mile to win going away.

“You just can't draw them up to be any better than that,” said Bravo. “She broke good. The only thing I was really told was 'make sure you pay attention to her leaving the gate. She's been having trouble getting away from there.' When she broke so cleanly it was like the pressure got off me. She was able to breathe around the turn. I know the '5' horse (Mundaye Call) is a very good filly, but all horses relaxed and it just gave me all the confidence.”

Mundaye Call raced in the clear to the outside of Wicked Whisper for the opening three furlongs, made a three-wide bid on the turn and lacked any stretch punch.

Wicked Whisper captured the 2019 Frizette  after a stylish debut at Saratoga, winning a maiden special weight race by 6 1/4 lengths. She ran fifth at 7-2 in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to wrap up her 2019 campaign, then finished a well-beaten fourth going seven furlongs in the G3 Beaumont Stakes on July 10 in her 2020 debut at Keeneland. Wicked Whisper ran a good second to Fly On Angel in most recent start, the G3 Charles Town Oaks on Aug. 28, then returned to the Asmussen stable in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to train up to the Miss Preakness.

“She's been definitely interrupted by this year's racing calendar,” said Asmussen. “She was getting ready late for things and then with the cancellations, we got off track. It's beautiful to see her show the quality that she's always had. Joe gave her a great trip today. There are big things in her future.”

Trainer Bret Calhoun said the inside post position did not work in Ain't No Elmers' favor.

“It probably wasn't the best post to have, but she ran great and did everything to win,” Calhoun said. “She got pressed the whole way and that's the difference between an inside and outside post and being a presser instead of a pressee.”

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Juliet Foxtrot Holds Off Varenka To Win Gallorette

Getting a perfect trip under Florent Geroux, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Juliet Foxtrot won Saturday's Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes by one length to kick off the graded stakes action on Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Varenka closed strongly down the middle of the turf course to get within a length of Juliet Foxtrot at the wire, with No Mo Lady third and She'sonthewarpath fourth in the field of six older fillies and mares.

Juliet Foxtrot, a5-year-old English-bred daughter of Dansili trained by Brad Cox, covered 1 1/16 miles on yielding turf in 1:49.24 and paid $4.20 for the win, her second in a G3 stakes since coming to the United States from England and fifth win overall from 18 career starts.

Longshot Jabuticaba set the early fractions of :25.24, :50.49 and 1:15.92 with Juliet Foxtrot lapped on her from the outside for much of the way. Geroux asked Juliet Foxtrot to move to the lead on the turn for home, and she responded, opening a clear lead in the stretch and having enough left in the tank to hold off Trevor McCarthy and Varenka, a G2 winner in 2019  who has been off the board in all three of her starts in 2020.

“A little further and she might of gotten there,” said Graham Motion, Varenka's trainer. “The winner is a good filly.”

“(Jabuticaba) looked like she had a lot of speed,” said Geroux. “I just wanted to break good and get away from there and not be on the rail. I wanted to make sure I got a clear shot. I sat second place all the way and when I asked her, she went on. We were concerned how far she wanted to go. I think she's a true miler. I think she's more effective on the firm turf. The ground was a concern, but she was able to show off her class. She won on her class today, and not on what she likes.”

Produced from the King's Best mare, Kilo Alpha, Juliet Foxtrot has been facing top company since winning the G3 Modesty at Arlington Park in July 19 – her third consecutive success after arriving in the U.S.. She finished second, beaten a nose by Vasilika in the G2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar, second to Uni in the G1 First Lady at Keeneland, and third to Got Stormy in the G1 Matriarch at Del Mar to close out her 2019 campaign.

This year, Juliet Foxtrot ran sixth behind Secret Message in the G3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs, third behind Rushing Fall in the G1 Jenny Wiley and then fourth behind Beau Recall in her most recent start in the G2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.

“Definitely some class relief here helped,” said Ricky Giannini, assistant to Brad Cox. “We just hadn't been able to find the right spots and get her going, but she got the win today.

“Florent [Geroux] read it right. There wasn't much speed in the race. He kind of hustled her out of the gate and let the long shot go, just tipped out and gave her a perfect stalking trip and she kicked on.”

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Harpers First Ride Scores Frontrunning Victory In Pimlico Special

Harpers First Ride went to the front from the outside post and led throughout in Friday's $250,000, Grade 3 Pimlico Special, fighting off a bid from 3-5 favorite Owendale and drawing away in deep stretch under Angel Cruz to register his first career graded stakes triumph in his 14th start.

Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride – a 4-year-old gelding by Paynter bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm – covered 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:54.97.

He paid $13 for the win.

Owendale, a three-time Grade 3 winner who finished third behind War of Will in last year's Preakness at the Baltimore, Md., track, held second after dogging Harpers First Ride throughout under John Velazquez. Cordmaker finished third, with 7-2 second choice Tenfold (third behind Justify in the 2018 Preakness) fourth and Forewarned fifth in the field of seven older runners. Monongahela and Plus Que Parfait were scratched.

Harpers First Ride set moderate fractions of :24.41, :48.41, 1:12.11 and 1:35.94 en route to his final clocking.

The Pimlico Special winner was coming off a victory in the Sept. 5 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel in which he sat third, then rallied in the stretch. That  was his first stakes victory and fourth win of 2020 in seven starts.

Harpers First Ride began his career in Kentucky racing for his breeder. He was claimed for $30,000 in his third start, a maiden victory on Sept. 14, 2019, then transferred to the Maryland circuit and the barn of Gonzalez, who has dominated the training ranks.

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