Tag: Racing

Rodney Lundock's homebred Maryquitecontrary rediscovered her winning form in a familiar spot, rallying for a popular one-length victory to defend her title in Saturday's $125,000 Rampart Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The 45th running of the one-mile Rampart for fillies and mares was the first of five stakes, three graded, worth $725,000 in purses co-headlined by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a prep for the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), and $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), a prep for the $3-million Pegasus World Cup, both Jan. 27.

Racing first time for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. and with regular rider Luca Panici aboard, Maryquitecontrary ($4.60) completed the distance in 1:38.16 over a fast main track to become just the second horse to win the Rampart in back-to-back years, joining Awesome Maria (2011-12).

Breaking from Post 3, 6-5 favorite Maryquitecontrary raced on the inside ahead of one horse, Nostalgic, as 16-1 longshot Dreaming of Snow set fractions of :24.53 and :47.97 up front from the rail, pressed to her outside by Imonra.

Panici tipped Maryquitecontrary off the rail on the far turn and moved out to the middle of the track once straightened for home with sights set on Imonra, who had wrested a short lead. Panici and the 4-year-old First Dude filly came with a rush on the outside and surged past Imonra inside the eighth pole.

“The pace was pretty slow, especially the first quarter. She broke good and I decided to stay off the pace,” Panici said. “At the beginning of her career she was learning, but now she has developed the experience. She's very different and she feels very good.”

Imonra was second, three lengths ahead of Unifying, followed by Rosie's Halo, Dreaming of Snow and Nostalgic.

It was the fifth stakes win for Maryquitecontrary, all at Gulfstream, with four of the coming during a five-race win streak between last summer and late January, when she captured the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2). The Rampart is her only time racing as far as a mile.

“I have to thank the owner, he always lets me ride. Mr. Plesa did an excellent job, so I'm very delighted to keep riding this filly,” Panici said. “She showed more kick today than usual but I can't complain. She's special.”

Plesa took over the training of Maryquitecontrary after her runner-up finish for trainer David Fawkes in the Princess Rooney (G3) Oct. 7 at Gulfstream. He left the race strategy up to Panici, who has been aboard for all but one of her 12 starts, including 10 in a row.

“I told him, 'If you're on the outside fence the whole way I'm not going to be mad at you. You're on her, I'm not,'” Plesa said. “Needless to say, he was not on the outside. He rode her like a racehorse. He did a great job. She was the best horse today.”

Plesa was unsure whether Maryquitecontrary would be pointed to making a title defense in the $200,000 Inside Information Jan. 27.

“We'll get her back to the barn and go over things and have a conversation with the owner and the jock, and the horse, and see what she says,” Plesa said. “She's got the most important words to tell us.”

Maryquitecontrary was produced by the Major Moran mare Mary Kate 'n Kelly.

The post Maryquitecontrary Scores Rampart Repeat In First Start For Plesa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The 10-race New Year's Eve card at Fair Grounds on Sunday includes divisions of the Louisiana Futurity, each offering a $100,000 purse for state-breds.

Ten were entered for the 57th running Louisiana Futurity for fillies, headlined by Clearly a Test and Freeburn, while seven were entered the 61st running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity for males, with the focus on Carpis, an impressive debut winner for Sam David Jr. Both races will be run at six  furlongs.

Post time on Sunday is 12:45 p.m. (CT). The fillies division of the Louisiana Futurity is scheduled to go off at 5:15 p.m. as race 10. The male equivalent is slated for earlier on the card at 2:15 p.m. as race 4.

After testing her mettle against top-class juveniles at Saratoga over the summer, finishing fourth in a maiden special weight event, Brittlyn Stable's homebred Clearly a Test returned to her home state, broke her maiden, and earned black type in the Donovan L. Ferguson Memorial on Nov. 17, opening day at the New Orleans track. The Clearly Now filly backed that effort up with a game second-place finish in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Dec. 9. At the sixteenths pole in that race, she appeared to be the likely winner, but in the final stages, Clearly a Test was outfinished by Accommodate Eva.

“I don't think she saw (Accommodate Eva) until it was too late,” trainer Shane Wilson said. “She was concentrating so hard on catching (pacesetter and eventual third-place finisher Guitar Solo) on the rail. Whenever she passed that one, she saw (Accommodate Eva) and she accelerated to the wire with the outside horse. She's still a young horse figuring things out.”

Atop the respective trainer and jockey standings as of Friday, Dec. 28, Wilson and Jose Guerrero will look to continue their success, as Clearly a Test will be guided by Guerrero from post 6 as the 4-1 morning line second favorite.

World War IV Racing's homebred Guitar Solo reopposes Sunday and is tabbed at 9-2 odds.

Clearly a Test's main rival is the Coteau Grove Farms' homebred Freeburn. Also debuting out of state, Freeburn ran an impressive third to Halina's Forte for trainer Steve Asmussen on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Facing state-bred maidens last out Dec. 10, the Mitole filly won by open lengths, despite running greenly in the stretch. Brian Hernandez Jr. retains the mount and will break the 7-2 morning-line favorite from post 9.

After winning last year's edition with Norah G, trainer Patricia West sends out Tom Galvin's Tommie G, who on a similar path as Clearly a Test exits the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie (fifth-place finish) after a runner-up finish in the Ferguson (second place).

Following is the complete field for the Louisiana Futurity fillies division from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, morning-line odds):

1. Lil Chilly (Erica Murray, Gary Scherer, 8-1);

2. Guitar Solo (Corey Lanerie, Allen Landry, 9-2);

3. Lulu's Magic (Edgar Morales, Shane Wilson, 12-1);

4. Custom Sunshine (Florent Geroux, Chasey Pomier, 12-1);

5. Radiant Rebel (Jareth Loveberry, David Terre, 20-1);

6. Clearly a Test (Jose Guerrero, Shane Wilson, 4-1);

7. Diamond Deal (Jamie Torres, Jayde Gelner, 10-1);

8. Platinum Minit (Rey Gutierrez, Dallas Stewart, 6-1);

9. Freeburn (Brian Hernandez Jr., Steve Asmussen, 7-2); and

10 Tommie G (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Patricia West, 8-1).

Unchallenged while making all the pace in a maiden special weight test Dec. 9 at Fair Grounds, Spring Run Thoroughbred Stable's homebred Carpis won by 2 1/4 lengths  at 34-1 odds, defeating 11 rivals by  lengths. The son of Star Guitar is trained by Sam David Jr. Made the 5-2 morning-line favorite, the chestnut gelding will break from post 5 under Erica Murray.

With as many wins as the rest of the field combined, Norman Stables' Strong Promise is tabbed second favorite at the 3-1. Along with Clyde Moran Sr. and Jeff Plotkin's Stovall, Strong Promise enters the Futurity after a disappointing run in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile. The Broken Vow colt trained by Jayde Gelner was sent off as the favorite but finished sixth under Florent Geroux, who returns in the irons on Sunday. If Strong Promise is able to right the ship, the Futurity would be the fourth stakes win on his record.

Following is the complete field for the Louisiana Futurity male division from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, morning-line odds):

1. Tdzshininluckystar (Chris Rosier, Roy Roberts, 5-1);

2. Deacon Jones (Alfredo Contreras, Javier Ortiz, 12-1);

3. Cajun Cyclone (Gerard Melancon, Ricky Courville, 8-1);

4. Stovall (Corey Lanerie, Samuel Breaux, 9-2);

5. Carpis (Erica Murray, Sam David Jr., 5-2);

6. Take Charge J J (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun, 9-2);

7. Strong Promise (Florent Geroux, Jayde Gelner, 3-1).

The post Freeburn, Carpis Head Divisions Of Louisiana Futurity On Fair Grounds’ New Year’s Eve Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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