Tag: Racing

Cypress Creek Equine's New York homebred B D Saints will look to improve off a runner-up effort in stakes company last out when headlining an overflow field in Saturday's $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong test for eligible state-sired juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Linda Rice, the bay son of Laoban was last seen finishing a game second to his highly-regarded stablemate El Grande O in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow against fellow state-breds on October 29 over a muddy and sealed Big A main track. There, B D Saints was jostled at the start and trailed in last 10 lengths off the lead before showing a strong turn of foot under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche to pass all but one foe down the lane and come up 1 1/4 lengths shy of victory. He was awarded a field-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He loved the mud that day,” said Rice. “This race is a little short for him, but hopefully it's the right company.”

B D Saints made his first two outings on turf for trainer Will Walden this summer before transferring to the Rice barn in August. He graduated at fourth asking in his second start for Rice, taking a state-bred maiden by 4 3/4 lengths going 1 1/16 miles on the turf in September at the Big A. He followed with an even sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October before returning to dirt for his Sleepy Hollow effort.

Rice said the New York Stallion Stakes Series' lucrative purses were incentive to bring B D Saints back to the main track to target this event.

“He won impressively on the turf and then we tried him in the Pilgrim and he got outrun, period,” said Rice. “We tried the New York-bred stake and he ran a nice second, and now with a nice purse like this, you have to take the opportunity to give it a whirl. It may not work, but we're going to be in it.”

Out of the unraced Tapizar mare Winsanity, B D Saints is a full-brother to the Cypress Creek Equine-bred and Rice-trained Les Bon Temps, a multiple stakes-winner who captured two legs of the NYSSS in 2022-23.

B D Saints will emerge from post 9 on Saturday.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Brick Ambush [post 12, Junior Alvarado] impressed with a second-out graduation on November 17 here, taking a one-mile state-bred maiden special weight by two lengths with a tidy stalking trip executed by returning pilot Junior Alvarado.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the bay son of Laoban bred in the Empire State by Seidman Stables, improved from a fourth-place finish on debut in October at Belmont at the Big A where he made a mild bid from 13 lengths off the pace to land 5 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Solo's Fury, who he will face again on Saturday.

“We gave him his first race just to get a race into him, and we were hoping he'd win second time out,” said Gargan. “We've been aiming towards the Stallion Stake all along. He stepped up and won, and we were really impressed with that. This horse is going to get better with racing, and I think he could be grass, too.”

Gargan and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing have seen immense success in the New York Stallion Stakes Series over the past two years, taking the Spectacular Bid division in July with Ramblin' Wreck, and last year's Spectacular Bid and Cab Calloway with Dakota Gold. Ramblin' Wreck also finished second in last year's running of the Great White Way.

“There's a lot of money in it and we keep capitalizing on it,” said Gargan. “We've never won the $500,000 one and finished second in it last year. We'd love to win it. Even if you run second, you get great money. It's huge.”

Out of the winning Tale of Ekati mare Steve's Philly, Brick Ambush is a full brother to Yo Cuz, who won three consecutive stakes in 2021-22 that included a score in the 2021 NYSSS Fifth Avenue.

Greyhound Stables and Christopher Dunn's Solo's Fury [post 11, Jose Lezcano] is one of four entrants representing top New York sire Solomini.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the chestnut colt was last seen finishing a distant ninth in the Sleepy Hollow after battling for the early lead and fading under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

“He's been doing good. We didn't have much excuse after the last race and weren't sure if he just didn't like the track, but he seems like he came out of the race in good order,” said Englehart. “The plan all along was to give him a shot in the Stallion Stakes, so that's what we're doing.”

Solo's Fury, bred in the Empire State by Saratoga Glen Farm, flashed his talents at second asking with a professional two length score sprinting six furlongs on October 5 here, inching clear down the lane to defeat next-out winner Slammin Gold in a final time of 1:11.64.

Englehart said while a cutback to seven furlongs benefits Solo's Fury on Saturday, a stretch-out could still be in the colt's future.

“He's two still, so I'm not sure that he doesn't want to do the distance, but cutting back is always a decent thing,” said Englehart. “That Stallion Series has been beneficial for New York and for stallion owners, and it's really helped the program a lot.”

Windylea Farm's New York homebred Profitability [post 5, Eric Cancel] seeks a maiden-breaking triumph in his first start for conditioner George Weaver. The gelded son of Mission Impazible makes his first start outside of Finger Lakes Racetrack, where he finished on-the-board in his two career outings for conditioner Jonathan Buckley, including a last-out second in a six-furlong maiden on November 20 with an off-the-pace trip.

Profitability has shown promise in the morning since joining Weaver, and has worked in company with the stakes-winning filly Soloshot, who will contest Saturday's NYSSS Fifth Avenue.

Blair Golen, Weaver's Belmont Park-based assistant, said the two worked well together on Saturday when covering a half-mile in 50.69 seconds over the training track.

“I've had him here for a few weeks and he's pretty cool. I like him,” said Golen. “He ran a little green in his last race, but he shows like he has some talent.”

Conditioner Rudy Rodriguez will saddle three contenders, led by Antonio of Venice [post 1, Manny Franco], whom he co-owns with Michael Imperio, Robert Cotrone and Hibiscus Stables. The son of Laoban finished a close fourth in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant after setting the pace last out at Finger Lakes, and is in search of his first win since graduating at third asking by 4 1/4 lengths against restricted company in July at Saratoga Race Course. The bay colt was bred in the Empire State by Cypress Creek Equine.

Also representing the Rodriguez stable are maiden winner King Freud [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], whom he co-owns with Frank Witz, and Heavyweight Champs [post 3, Ruben Silvera], who debuts for owners Big Dom Racing Stable and Big Toe Stables.

Completing the field are maiden winner Solo in Paris [post 10, Lane Luzzi] for trainer Randi Persaud; maidens The Big Torpedo [post 7, Javier Castellano] for trainer Tom Morley, Liberty Central [post 6, Jose Gomez] for trainer Patrick Quick, and the James Ferraro-trained Solo Empire [post 2, Luis Rivera, Jr.]; and first-time starter Wo Hop [post 8, Joey Martinez] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Palace Boss and Kaz' Mega Bank have been listed as also-eligible.

The NYSSS Great White Way is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card, which co-features the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies in Race 8. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

The post B D Saints Should Find ‘The Right Company’ In Saturday’s $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinbank Stables' Soloshot headlines a robust field of 12 in Saturday's $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Fifth Avenue, slated as Race 8 for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies, co-headlines a lucrative Saturday program also offering the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way for eligible state-sired juveniles in Race 9. Both races are contested at seven furlongs on the main track. First post on the 10-race card is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by George Weaver, Soloshot, one of five Solomini progeny entered here, won her first two career outings in gate-to-wire fashion traveling 5 1/2-furlongs on the main track against fellow New York-breds. The speedy chestnut graduated by 7 3/4-lengths on debut in August at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a two-length score in the Lady Finger on September 25 at Finger Lakes.

Soloshot bobbled at the break last out in the six-furlong state-bred Key Cents and rushed into contention before fading to finish a distant fifth.

Blair Golen, Weaver's New York-based assistant, said she is hopeful returning rider Manny Franco can work out a smoother trip when they exit post 11.

“She's doing well. Hopefully, she breaks a little better to be able to get the lead. I think that helps her,” Golen said. “She's filled out a little bit since I've got her and I think she's going to be a very useful horse. She's training well and doing well. Her two wins were at 5 1/2-furlongs, but I think she'll be fine at seven.”

The $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, bred in the Empire State by Rhapsody Farm, is out of the multiple stakes-placed Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Queen Ofthe Catsle.

Bad Boy Racing's New York homebred My Perfect Mistake [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] graduated by 1 3/4-lengths on November 10 here as the mutuel favorite for trainer Rob Atras.

With returning rider Kendrick Carmouche up from post 5-of-6 in the six-furlong state-bred sprint, the Freud dark bay broke inward causing returning rival Tour Jete to steady. My Perfect Mistake raced wide down the backstretch before making a three-wide move through the turn to take command once straightened away. The dark bay stayed on strong to the wire to hold off the late charge of Tour Jete.

Atras said he used the maiden effort as a prep for Saturday's lucrative test.

“With her being New York-sired we've had this race in mind, but we wanted to get a race into her,” Atras said. “I knew she might be a little green and a little short, but she did show a little bit of ability and I wanted to get her started. She ran a little green but Kendrick gave her a great ride and she won. I'm hoping she'll move forward off that race.”

My Perfect Mistake worked a half-mile Friday in 50.95 seconds over the Belmont training track in company with Perliano, who is entered in a Friday state-bred allowance here.

Out of the Super Saver mare To the Nines, My Perfect Mistake is a half-sister to the stakes-placed G Munning.

Shea D Boy's Stable's stakes-placed My Shea D Lady [post 2, Javier Castellano] will make her fourth straight appearance in stakes company for trainer Carlos David.

The Solomini dark bay graduated at first asking by 3 1/4-lengths out of a key five-furlong maiden special weight in July at Gulfstream Park that runner-up Fiona's Magic and third-place Cherokee exited to graduate.

My Shea D Lady, bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, then shipped north to contest a trio of state-bred sprints, finishing a distant third in the six-furlong Seeking the Ante in August and fourth here in both the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma in September and six-furlong Key Cents last out on November 18.

The $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the Teuflesberg mare Ladyberg, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect.

Artemis Girl [post 10, Jose Gomez], a Solomini chestnut bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and Empire Equines, will make her dirt debut following a fourth-place finish in the one-mile Tepin on November 17 here.

Trained and co-owned by David Donk with John Behrendt, Charles Marquis, Suzanne Haslup, Sean Carney, William Punk, Jr. and Philip DiLeo, Artemis Girl stalked and pounced to a three-quarter length score in her November 2 debut traveling 1 1/16-miles against fellow state-breds over good Big A turf at 50-1 odds.

The $30,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase followed last out with an even fourth-place finish in the Tepin while racing on two weeks' rest.

Artemis Girl, a half-sister to turf stakes-winner General Ken, is out of the Malibu Moon mare Dancing Onthemoon, who is a half-sister to Mail – a frontrunning winner of the 2013 Traskwood here traveling 1 1/16-miles over the old inner dirt course.

Wizard Stables' maiden winner Walk With Me [post 8, Dylan Davis] maiden a winning debut in a six-furlong state-bred sprint on November 9 for trainer David Duggan.

The Central Banker bay, bred in the Empire State by Richard Nicolai, made every pole a winning one to post a narrow head score over Call Her Bluff, who subsequently finished fourth when stretched out one furlong at the same classification. Walk With Me, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale purchase, earned a 52 Beyer in her debut score.

She is out of the multiple stakes-placed Posse mare Might Be, who is a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner Sheriffa and a half-sister to stakes-winner Tiergan.

Adam Madkour's maiden-claiming winner Sun and Wind [post 12, Ruben Silvera] will step up in class for three-time Fifth Avenue-winning conditioner Rudy Rodriguez.

The Freud dark bay dropped in for a $30,000 tag at the state-bred level last out on October 20 and made every pole a winning one in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint contested over a sloppy and sealed main track.

Sun and Wind, bred by Sequel New York and Stonegate Stables, sports a ledger of 5-1-0-2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won this event in 2021 with the maiden Yo Cuz, will look to repeat that feat when he sends out a pair of maidens in Book of Wisdom [post 7, Junior Alvarado], who boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 4-0-3-1, and Miss Lao [post 1, Eric Cancel], who finished a distant fourth on debut.

Other maidens looking to graduate in style are the Horacio De Paz-trained Tour Jete [post 5, Jose Lezcano] and the James Ferraro-conditioned Holder Close [post 4, Eliseo Ruiz]; as well as debutantes Elite Status [post 9, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer John Terranova and E Stormy [post 3, Romero Maragh] for three-time Fifth Avenue-winning trainer Linda Rice.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

The post ‘Hopefully She Breaks A Little Better’: Soloshot Seeks More Stakes Success In $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Two-mile stakes on turf don't come around very often, so trainer Graham Motion seized the opportunity – twice – to participate in Saturday's $100,000 J. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Gulfstream Park.

Motion has entered Stone Farm's Swore and Wertheimer and Frere's Serifos in Saturday's feature, knowing that his two trainees' best chances for victories are enhanced by distance – the longer the better.

Swore, one of the most lightly raced horse in the Jerkens field, played catch-up during the summer while stretching out on turf. The 4-year-old son of Broken Vow broke his maiden at Kentucky Downs Sept. 3 in a 1 ½-mile maiden special weight event on turf. He's coming off a wide-trip fourth in a 1 3/8-mile allowance on turf at Aqueduct.

“I was a little disappointed with his last race, but having said that, I've always thought the farther the better, and there aren't many opportunities to run two miles,” Motion said.

Motion is prepared to run Swore rain or shine in the Jerkens, which will be run at 1 5/8 miles on Tapeta should the race be taken off the turf.

“That perhaps is a bit of a leveler with this group considering what some of the others have done before,” said Motion, who has named Tyler Gaffalione to ride the Kentucky bred colt. “He's a horse I like a lot. He's trained well here, and I know Tyler likes him a lot.”

Motion trained Swore's sire, who won his first two career starts at Gulfstream before going on to become a Grade 1 stakes-placed multiple graded-stakes winner in the early 2000s.

“There are certain horses in a trainer's career that get him to the next level, and he was one of those horses,” said Motion, who trained Broken Vow for the late Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stable. “When you get a horse like that it catches people's attention, and I was lucky to have him. I was very lucky to train for Mrs. Abercrombie for as long as I did.”

Motion-trained Serifos enters the Jerkens off a distant fourth in the 1 ½-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2) on dirt on Breeders' Cup Weekend at Santa Anita.

“That race came up very competitive. I think the winner [Salesman] is really good. He kind of ran them off their feet. I think that it turned into a quicker-paced race than normally a mile and a half race would,” Motion said.

Serifos won the off-the-turf Presious Passion at 1 ½ miles at Monmouth two starts earlier.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call on the 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding.

Defending Jerkens champion Value Engineering has been assigned highweight of 124 pounds and will concede between one and 13 pounds to his nine rivals. (Six pounds more than the Motion duo).

The 7-year-old gelding excelled at running long distances on both turf and Tapeta last season at Gulfstream Park. After being purchased for $35,000 at the Keeneland November sale and transferred to trainer Michael Maker, the son of Lemon Drop Kid won at first asking in the Jerkens, which was transferred to the Tapeta course and run at a mile and five furlongs.

Value Engineering, who had won 3 of 15 starts for trainer Chad Brown, stepped up to finish a close second behind Maker-trained Grade 1 stakes-winner Red Knight in the 1 3/8-mile McKnight (G3) at 1 ½ miles on turf. He broke through with his first graded-stakes victory five weeks later in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida (G2).

Value Engineering went on to finish off the board in the Elkorn (G2) at Keeneland and Man O' War (G1) at Belmont before going to the sidelines. He returned to action two weeks ago with an off-the-board finish in a Turfway optional claiming allowance.

Maker is also scheduled to saddle Lawrence Goichman and Jennifer Goichman's Shawdyshawdyshawdy, who finished behind Value Engineering in last season's McKnight and Mac Diarmida, and Michael Dubb's Catch That Party, an allowance winner on turf at Aqueduct last time out.

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the Maker trainee's three Gulfstream starts last season, will be reunited with Value Engineering Saturday. Edgard Zayas has the call on Shawdyshawdyshawdy, while Joe Bravo has the mount on Catch That Party.

Team Valor International LLC's McLovin will be in receipt of just one pound from Value Engineering while coming off a one-length triumph in the two-mile John Forbes Memorial over Fair Hill's turf course for trainer Rodolphe Brissett. The 5-year-old son of Animal Kingdom has been transferred to trainer Arnaud Delacour, who had formerly trained him for two starts last year – victories in a 1 3/8-mile maiden special weight race at Tampa Bay Downs on turf and an optional claiming allowance at Keeneland at 1 ½ miles on turf.

Sean Levey, a multiple Group 1 stakes-winning jockey in Europe who is wintering at Gulfstream, has the call on McLovin.

Ferro Family Trust and partners' F Five, a promising son of Not This Time, won a 1 5/8-mile optional claiming allowance on turf at Ellis Park before finishing off the board in the River City (G3) at Churchill last time out. The Brian Lynch-trained 4-year-old gelding, who has been assigned 121 pounds, will be ridden Saturday by Luis Saez.

Repole Stable, trainer Todd Pletcher and Jake Pletcher's Six Minus, Arindel's Knox and trainer Roger Attfield's Twowaycrossing round out the field.

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