Tag: Racing

Win Win Win Strikes Gold In Forego With Last-To-First Rally

Despite a heavy downpour of rain just minutes before post time, Win Win Win did just that, coming from well off the pace and passing five rivals through an assertive stretch run to take the 41st running of the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation and trained by Mike Trombetta, Win Win Win, a 4-year-old son of Hat Trick, arrived off a runner-up finish to fellow Forego contender Complexity in a one mile allowance optional claiming tilt on July 2 at Belmont Park.

Breaking from post 7, Win Win Win was initially last in the 11-horse field, 16 1/4 lengths off the pace as Complexity dueled up front alongside True Timber through an opening quarter-mile in 22.28 seconds and a half in 44.63 over the sloppy and sealed main track.

Around the far turn, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano engaged his charge at the three-eighths pole while Complexity and True Timber continued their upfront battle. At the top of the stretch, Castellano angled Win Win Win, still last, nine wide and in pursuit as Complexity established a one-length lead with True Timber still fighting to the inside and Funny Guy putting in a bid to the outside. In the final strides to the wire, Win Win Win found a new gear and powered home a half-length winner in a final time of 1:21.71.

Win Win Win at the wire in the Forego

Castellano, who scored his first Forego victory since piloting Mass Media to victory in 2005, picked up the mount aboard Win Win Win in his last out runner-up effort and said that his first time aboard the son of Hat Trick was a learning experience.

“What an amazing horse. I'm truly honored to ride the horse and very blessed with the way everything went,” Castellano said. “He was very far back and made a huge run to win the race. Not too many horses can do that. He did it and in a nice way. He's a really nice horse. I rode him last time at Belmont and he didn't break out of the gate. I rushed to get the spot I was looking for and didn't have the best result. I think I learned through that experience and today it paid off with a Grade 1 win in the Forego.”

Complexity finished another three-quarters of a length to True Timber, who garnered graded stakes black type for the eighth time in his career.

Rounding out the order of finish were Funny Guy, Lexitonian, Everfast, 2018 Forego winner Whitmore, Mind Control, Majestic Dunhill, Fortin Hill and Firenze Fire.

The victory was a first graded stakes triumph for Win Win Win, who was a stakes winner on dirt and turf. Last January, he won the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs and broke the track record for seven-furlongs finishing the race in 1:20.89 and capped off his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in his turf debut in the Manila over the Widener turf last July at Belmont Park.

Trombetta had been anxious to get his horse back to the seven-furlong distance over the main track and was thrilled to see him display such an effort.

“It's a distance he likes, but he doesn't have the best gate speed,” Trombetta said. “The way this track has been playing, it's very hard to close. Well, what he did, I haven't seen the whole meet.”

Trombetta said he was a bit concerned when Win Win Win was so far back.

“I honestly don't know what to say; he dropped so far back, and his chicklet and number actually went off the screen and I couldn't even see across the track,” Trombetta said. “I thought he was absolutely out of the race and might not have had a chance to even finish. But then turning for home, he came back on the screen. It's just unbelievable.”

Win Win Win was off the board in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes and Trombetta said that he had shorter races in the back of his mind for a while.

“It's been on my mind for a long time,” Trombetta said. “We got caught up in the Triple Crown, for which he made a good run at it. We tried him on the grass, and he won there. He's just a good horse. These races are a little hard to find, but he certainly deserves it.”

Returning $16.20 for a $2 win bet, Win Win Win enhanced his consistent lifetime record to 12-5-3-1 and his earnings past the half-million dollar mark to $601,600.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at Saratoga with an 11-race card which features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee going 1 1/8 miles for older fillies and mares on the main track. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Chart Lands Ontario Colleen In Four-Horse Blanket Finish At Woodbine

With a determined stretch run, Chart prevailed in a photo finish to take the $125,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes (Grade 3) for three-year-old fillies on a windy Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

One of four Mark Casse trainees in the field of six, Chart got the first call breaking sharply from the gate for jockey Justin Stein and settled into second behind the Casse-trained Grade 3 Selene champion Two Sixty, who sped out front and clocked an opening quarter in :23.55 and half-mile in :46.93.

Heading into the turn in the one-mile turf test, Chart advanced outside of the pacesetter with the Alex Patykewich-trained Saratoga Vision moving three-wide and Diamond Sparkles, another Casse contender, poised to go widest of all past three-quarters in 1:10.38.

Down the stretch into a headwind, Chart battled on gamely against Two Sixty with even-money favorite Avie's Samurai, from the Josie Carroll barn, emerging at the rail.

Digging in, the determined Chart prevailed in a blanket finish, getting the nod in 1:35.24 over Avie's Samurai. Diamond Sparkles finished another head back on the outside in third, with Two Sixty a half-length back between foes. Saratoga Vision finished less than a length behind in fifth while Fly So Pretty rounded out the field.

“She broke sharp and I didn't have to ask her to leave there,” said Stein, who is now just a couple wins behind meet-leading rider Rafael Hernandez. “She settled into stride right away and just galloped around there until it was really time to start running.

“I got to sit and wait for a while. I was pretty comfy sitting up to the quarter pole and when I asked her to run, she really kicked. I just could feel the try that she had inside. She was digging in and giving me everything that she had. Running into that headwind, I don't know how she did it, but she found more to get the job done.”

The lightly raced Kentucky-bred filly sired by Lea has now won half of her six career starts for owner D. J. Stable LLC.

Sent postward as the 9-2 second choice, Chart returned $11.20 to win.

Morning line favorite Walk In Marrakesh was scratched.

In other action, Theregoesjojo ($7.80) and Kazushi Kimura won the $50,000 second leg of the Woodbine Turf Endurance Series for trainer Michael De Paulo and the Samotowka Stables.

Stretching out to 1 1/2 miles, the five-year-old English Channel gelding stalked the top pair before sweeping to command on the final turn and winning by two lengths in 2:29.78 over the late-rallying Peace of Ekati.

Theregoesjojo was a runner-up in the 1-3/8-mile first leg to Artistico, who finished third in round two as the 6-5 favourite.

The series, which offers $40,000 in bonuses to the top point-earners, continues on Saturday, Sept. 26 with the third round at 1-5/8-miles.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues at Woodbine on Sunday, featuring the $770,000 Canadian Yearling Sales Stakes. Post time for the 11-race card is 1 p.m.

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Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory

Yaupon answered another challenge thrown his way, improving to 3-for-3 in his career by wiring a six-horse field by two lengths in his stakes debut in the 28th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam for sophomores on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was unraced as a juvenile but won his debut by a nose going six furlongs on June 20 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt proved he could ship well in his last start, a 3 3/4-length allowance win at Saratoga on July 18, before handling the step up in class on Saturday.

Breaking well from post 2 under jockey Joel Rosario, Yaupon was sent to the front, where he registered the opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and the half in 44.68 over a muddy and sealed main track after earlier rainfall.

Out of the turn, Rosario kept Yaupon focused for the stretch run, repelling any potential challenge from runner-up Basin, completing six furlongs in 1:08.50.

“He's extremely fast. He's got an elite amount of speed,” Asmussen said. “It's very important that a horse with his physical [gifts], and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

Owned by L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Yaupon rewarded his 7-5 favoritism, returning $4.80 on a $2 win wager.

“He broke out of there well. I was trying to get a forward position and he put himself on the lead,” said Rosario, who notched his third win on the card. “He went on well. He's a very talented horse. He had no problem [with the surface].”

Yaupon, purchased for $255,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, won on an off track for the first time. He nearly doubled his career earnings to $168,264.

“He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you're capable of going that fast,” Asmussen said. “We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100 percent.”

Basin, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, finished two lengths in front of Premier Star for second in his first start at Saratoga since winning last year's Grade 1 Hopeful.

“The winner was very good,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a bit of a speed duel, but it never really developed. We were pleased with the effort though.”

Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend and Liam's Pride completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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