Tag: Racing

Chester Thomas Looking Forward To By My Standards’ Rematch With Tom’s D’Etat In Whitney

Allied Racing Stables' Chester Thomas will celebrate his first starter at Saratoga Race Course when By My Standards bursts from the gate as one of five millionaires in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney, a 1 1/8-mile test for 4-year-olds and upward.

Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the historic Whitney, with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland on the line. The card is bolstered by the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November; and the Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial presented by Runhappy for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs. The stakes-laden card also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for 4-year-olds and up on the turf and the $200,000 Caress, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares. The card will be broadcast on Saratoga Live beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, the son of leading third-crop sire Goldencents has already given Thomas a couple of “firsts” in providing the Kentucky native with a first graded stakes win in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby last March at Fair Grounds, which propelled him to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby – Thomas' first starter in the 'Run for the Roses' – where he was elevated to 11th.

By My Standards arrives at the Whitney off a runner-up effort to Toms d'Etat, the Whitney's 6-5 morning line favorite, in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs where he tracked the pace but was unable to catch the leader, who set a tepid pace under Miguel Mena.

“Our horse came out of the race very well,” Thomas said. “He kept his weight up and we're competitive and we like to win, but these races aren't easy. Toms d'Etat ran a huge race at Churchill. I give Miguel Mena a lot of credit, he took control of the race right out of the gate. The fractions were fairly slow at the beginning, and you aren't chasing a horse like that down with those kinds of fractions. Coming in second is not bad, so we're looking forward to trying again.”

Following the Kentucky Derby, By My Standards received a freshening but returned with a six-length optional claiming victory at Fair Grounds which he followed up with Grade 2 scores in the New Orleans Classic and Oaklawn Handicap.

“He's by far better than he was last year. He was coming into himself very well,” Thomas said. “The Louisiana Derby shocked everybody, and we thought he had a real shot in the race back then. The Derby was hard on him and we gave him all the time off he needed. He got his foot issues squared away and Bret has been meticulous with everything he's done.”

By My Standards defeated eight graded stakes winners, including subsequent Grade 2 Suburban victor Tacitus in the Oaklawn Handicap, registering a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The races haven't gotten any easier, especially the Oaklawn Handicap. That was a stacked race,” said Thomas. “We're excited to be a part of it and hopefully we can get our first Saratoga win.”

Thomas, who also owns multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Money and stakes winner Mr. Big News with Calhoun, said he hopes for another strong race on Saturday from By My Standards.

“Bret has done just a beautiful job. The horse has come back and is doing really well,” Thomas said. “No doubt this is a very tough race even with only five horses. They're all very, very good horses. Code of Honor is clearly a super horse. Toms d'Etat is a super horse, so it's going to take a super horse to win that race Saturday.”

Thomas could double up his Saratoga starters with Mr. Big News, who is a possibility for the $500,000 Saratoga Derby, part of the Turf Triple Series for 3-year-olds at 1 3/16-miles on August 15.

“His pedigree screams turf,” Thomas said of the sophomore son of Giant's Causeway, who won the Oaklawn Stakes two starts back. “In the Blue Grass, he stumbled out of the gate and the track was speed-biased. It might be a good time to look at turf racing with him.”

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Mr. Big News is out of the Galileo mare Unappeased, who is a half to multiple graded stakes winner on grass Sligo Bay.

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Diamond Oops To Prep For Smile Sprint Defense In Sunday’s Opening Lead Stakes

Multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops will face six rivals in Sunday's $60,000 Opening Lead at Gulfstream Park while prepping for a title defense in the Sept. 5 Smile Sprint (G3).

The Patrick Biancone-trained 5-year-old earned graded-stakes credentials with an off-the-pace three-quarters of a length triumph in last year's Smile, which the son of Lookin At Lucky used as a springboard for back-to-back Grade 1 second-place finishes in New York and Kentucky in his next two starts.

This year, Biancone has no plans to stray from South Florida in the foreseeable future.

“We decided to stay and run here and then the Smile,” said Biancone, who had entertained the idea of running Diamond Oops in the July 4 Met Mile (G1) at Belmont. “Last year, there was no Covid-19. Andie, my daughter, travels with the horses. I don't want to take the risk that she gets sick or something.”

Biancone, whose daughter serves as his assistant at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, is looking for Diamond Oops to improve off his second-place finish as the even-money favorite in the June 13 Coaltown Handicap, in which he conceded seven pounds to victorious Eye of a Jedi while making his first start in nearly five months.

“He had no excuse. The winner came on the outside and he didn't see him. It was a good race,” Biancone said.

Last year, after winning the Smile, Diamond Oops went on to finish second behind Imperial Hint in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga and a game second in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland. He subsequently finished a troubled eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) before concluding the 2019 season with a victory in the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream for Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, D P Racing LLC, Patrick Biancone Racing LLC and Amy Dunne.

Although a one-turn specialist, Diamond Oops ran in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, acquitting himself nicely with a fourth-place finish in a field of 10.

Luca Panici, who rode Diamond Oops for the first time in the Coaltown Handicap, has the return mount in Sunday's six-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Monarch Stables Inc.'s Art G is Back is scheduled to be back in action Sunday after a seven-month layoff. The 4-year-old son of Exchange Rate had a busy and successful 3-year-old campaign, in which he won a pair of stakes and placed in fourth other stakes.

“He looks fabulous. The rest did him good,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “Hopefully, he runs well.”

Art G is Back ran 13 times at distances between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, winning four of six starts over the Gulfstream Park main track, including two stakes wins at seven furlongs.

“He's never run six furlongs. I think it's a little bit short. This is a spot to jump off,” said Spatz, who also saddled Art G is Back for three stakes placings on turf.

Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard for Art G is Back's victory in the Thirsty Fish last year, will be reunited with the Florida-bred colt.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Garter and Tie will seek his first victory in six starts since capturing the Ocala Stakes by 10 ½ lengths prior to finishing fifth behind Diamond Oops in last year's Smile. The 4-year-old homebred son of Brooks 'n Down has captured three stakes over the Gulfstream track, including the $200,000 Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed in 2018.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the Ralph Nicks-trained half-brother to Shivaree, who finished second in the March 28 Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Imaginary Stables and Glenn K. Ellis' Royal Squeeze, who finished fourth in last year's Smile, will seek his 11th career win over the Gulfstream track Sunday. The Elizabeth Dobles-trained 8-year-old gelding has won four stakes at Gulfstream and is coming off a May 31 optional claiming allowance victory.

Victor Lebron has the return call aboard the won of Wildcat Heir.

Mi Tres Por Ciento, a multiple-stakes winner in Chile who won his U.S. debut at Gulfstream three starts back, is scheduled to make his first start for owners Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher and trainer Michael Maker after being claimed for $62,500 out of his most recent start.

Edgard Zayas has the call aboard in the 5-year-old gelding.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow and Linda Riznick's Running for Riz round out the field.

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Connections ‘Taking Things Slow,’ But Top Florida-Bred Chance It On Comeback Trail

As the annual FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series gets under way at Gulfstream Park Saturday with the running of the $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen, last year's hero, Chance It, will continue making progress along the comeback trail in Ocala, FL.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's stable star, who was victorious in two of the three legs of the 2019 Florida Sire Stakes, was sent to the sidelines with a foot injury sustained during the running of the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 7.

“He's doing really well. He's gotten bigger and stronger. He's happy. He came out of the Tampa Bay Derby with a foot injury, and it takes a while to grow a foot,” said Mary Lightner, syndicate manager of Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC. “We just started putting him under tack two weeks ago.”

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Chance It, who won his 2020 debut in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream to take a step onto the Derby Trail, is being patiently handled on the comeback trail from an injury that resulted in the first off-the-board finish of his career.

“At the training center, it's up and down hill, so he's getting a lot from walking up and back from the track. Probably, in a week and a half, he'll start jogging,” Lightner said. “We're going real slow with him. We hope to get him back running in the fall.

“It's about three-quarters of a mile to the track and back. It's up and down hill on the horse path,” she added. “We're having our groom walk him up to the track and back. He's doing good and doing everything right.”

Chance It bounced back from a second-place finish in his career debut last June to turn in a brilliant 9 ¼-length maiden-breaking triumph at Gulfstream. The overachieving son of Currency Swap came right back to capture the $100,000 Dr. Fager before finishing second in the $200,000 Affirmed and winning the $400,000 In Reality by 7 ¼ lengths to close out a highly productive 2-year-old campaign.

“It was an unbelievable year – hard to duplicate, that's for sure. I think he became the workingman's horse and had a huge following because of his pedigree that no one thinks about. I think they kind of saw him as overcoming a lot to win those kind of races and be that kind of horse,” Lightner said. “Everybody got behind him. We had a great time.”

Coming off a three-month layoff, Chance It made a sweeping move to the lead in the mile Mucho Macho Man only to be headed by multiple-stakes winner As Seen On Tv in mid-stretch. Chance It found a late reserve of energy to fight back and win by a head.

“He really laid his body down to win that race. I can't take anything away from As Seen On TV. They both ran a great race,” Lightner said. “You thought he was beat and he came back. He has a huge heart. It makes you so proud of him.”

Lightner is looking forward to a long future for Chance It.

“There are a lot of races for him. Nobody thinks of him as a stallion and as long as he stays healthy and we try to do the right thing by him, he can run until he's 5 or 6 years old. That's why we're taking things slow with him and that everything's right before we send him back,” she said. “Saffie is looking forward to getting him back, but he's on the same page. He doesn't want to rush anything.”

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