Tag: Racing

Woodslane Farms recent Grade 2 winner Wolfie's Dynaghost will face a stellar field of 12 plus two also-eligibles that were entered for Saturday's 28th running of the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park.

The Prairie Bayou Stakes will be contested in Race 7 of nine. Post time for the 1 1/16-mile event is 8:55 p.m. (ET), first post is 5:55 p.m.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the accomplished Wolfie's Dynaghost has won nine starts from his 24-race career, including the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed) March 25 on the undercard of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at the Northern Kentucky track. Following his win in that race, Thomas campaigned the 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper across North America, including at Woodbine, where he was victorious in the Autumn Stakes (G2) Nov. 2 in his most recent outing. Jockey Tyler Conner will ride Wolfie's Dynaghost from post No. 7.

Also entered in the Prairie Bayou are the 2022 and 2021 winners of the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb and Like the King.

Tiz the Bomb, trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Brookdale Racing, has a perfect record from two starts at Turfway. Prior to his 2¼-length victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb held off a late charge of Stolen Base to win the John Battaglia Memorial. Tiz the Bomb will be in search of his first victory since the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He will start out of post 4 with Joe Talamo in the irons.

M Racing Group's Like the King will attempt to win his fifth-lifetime race in the Prairie Bayou. Like the King scored a 7-1 upset victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks and for the majority of his 4-year-old and 5-year-old seasons has been competing at Woodbine. The Mark Casse trainee will be ridden by Fernando De La Cruz from the rail.

Another accomplished runner in the field is Robert Hunt's recent Bryan Station Stakes (G3) winner Runaway Storm. Trained by Ethan West, the ultra-consistent Runaway Storm is a three-time winner from just five starts. The 3-year-old son of Midnight Storm has been based on the backstretch of Turfway Park for the majority of his career with now year-round training at the facility.

Five weeks ago, Runaway Storm rallied from just off the pace to defeat seven foes in the Bryan Station at Keeneland. Prior to that start, West shipped Midnight Storm to Colonial Downs where he finished third by 3 ½ length to Integration and Program Trading in the highly productive Virginia Derby (G3). Four of nine runners in the Virginia Derby returned to win stakes events – Integration (Grade 2 Hill Prince), Program Trading (Grade 1 Hollywood Derby), Runaway Storm (Bryan Station) and sixth-place finisher Gigante (the off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf). Runaway Storm will be ridden in the Prairie Bayou by Colby Hernandez out of post No. 6.

Following is the complete field for the Prairie Bayou Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Like the King (De La Cruz, Casse); Ocean Atlantique (Luan Machado Mike Maker); Temple (Axel Concepcion, Mike Maker); Tiz the Bomb (Joe Talamo, Kenny McPeek); Hush of a Storm (Gerardo Corrales, Billy Morey); Runaway Storm (Hernandez, West); Wolfie's Dynaghost (Conner, Thomas); Kitodan (Alex Achard, Eric Foster); Cellist (Martin Garcia, Rusty Arnold); War Bomber (IRE) (Orlando Mojica, Norm McKnight); Packs a Wahlop (Abel Cedillo, Billy Morey); Leave It to Kitten (Joe Ramos, Kathy Jarvis). Also-eligibles: Fair Dinkum (Axel Concepcion, Joe Sharp); Vintage Print (Gerardo Corrales, Paulo Lobo).

The Prairie Bayou Stakes is named in honor of the 1993 winner of the Jeff Ruby Stakes (formerly Jim Beam Stakes). Prairie Bayou, who was owned by Loblolly Stable and trained by Tom Bohannan, was the 4-1 favorite in that year's Kentucky Derby (G1) but finished second to Sea Hero. He would go on to win the Preakness Stakes (GI) two weeks later en route to earning the Eclipse Award a champion 3-year-old.

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Secret Reserve took Sunday's $100,000 Steady Growth Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, contested at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta.

It was an early scramble for the lead with Dun Drum emerging on top and Secret Reserve, with Leo Salles aboard, riding the rail to sit second, followed by Perfect Crime and Avoman. Dun Drum was a half-length ahead of Secret Reserve through a quarter in :24.01 and extended that lead to a length over Perfect Crime, while Secret Reserve was a further head back, after a half in :47.74.

Turning for home, Secret Reserve, winless in his past 10 starts, waited for an opening to emerge, as a host of others, including Avoman, Ron's Gizmo, and Grandson, second-last and last, respectively, at the half-mile mark, and 2-1 choice Cruden Bay, all came with a run.

Secret Reserve grabbed a tenuous lead in upper stretch before being headed by a rival, but the 5-year-old son of Giant Gizmo out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Suzie reclaimed the advantage and then dug in to cross the wire a head in front of 14-1 Grandson, who was supplemented to the race. Ron's Gizmo was third and Cruden Bay finished fourth. Artie's Storm, Rapid Test, and Town Cruise were scratched.

The final time was 1:43.91.

“I love this horse,” said Salles. “The trip is working very well. I could save ground all the way. He's not an easy ride, but I could control him well, and he waited for me.”

Secret Reserve, who had posted four thirds from eight starts this year for trainer Mike Mattine and owners Carlo D'Amato and Stacey Van Camp, recorded his fourth stakes score. The dark bay won the 2021 editions of the Elgin and Lake Superior, and last year's Bold Venture Stakes (G3), his most recent victory prior to the Steady Growth.

“He's a nice, honest horse and this year we had a lot of tough results,” said Mattine. “But he finally came through today. The inside was really good the last week or so and he had a good post. He stayed on the rail and saved ground.”

A US$6,764 purchase from the FAV Racing consignment at the 2019 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Secret Reserve, sixth in the 2021 Steady Growth, is now 6-1-6 from 21 starts. He was bred by Dr. B. Van Arem

He paid $9.60 for the victory.

The post Secret Reserve Hangs On For Steady Growth Win, Halts Winless Skid appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Third favorite Ascoli Piceno claimed the $1,071,000 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse, marking her third win in as many career starts while lowering the stakes record to 1:32.6.

The winning time for the 1,600 meters (about one mile) on turf rated as good to firm was just just 0.3 seconds off the course record.

After breaking her maiden in her debut start at Tokyo in June, the Daiwa Major filly stepped up in class and immediately won her first graded stakes in the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3) on Aug. 27, then struck at the elite level Sunday for owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. and trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa.

The race got underway with Chicago Sting sent to the front, followed by Nanao pressing the pace on her outside while Ascoli Piceno traveled two-wide and in midpack. Still behind a group of horses when entering the straight, Ascoli Piceno switched a path out for clear running and dueled with Corazon Beat down the middle of the stretch.

After finally pinning the pacesetter 100 meters out, Ascoli Piceno shook off the stubborn Corazon Beat and dug in strongly, holding off the late-charging Stellenbosch by a neck.

“The stable staff did a great job and she was in very good condition, so I had every confidence in her,” said winning rider Hiroshi Kitamura. “The filly broke better than in her previous start, was relaxed during the race, and responded well in the stretch. I was a bit worried for a second that we were going to get caught, but she gave her all, all the way to the line.”

Fifth pick Stellenbosch, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, was reserved around 10th right behind the eventual winner and although struggled for room in early stretch, launched the fastest late kick to catch Corazon Beat 100 meters out but was a neck short at the wire and finished second.

Second choice Corazon Beat settled in around sixth, circled wide into the lane and dueled with the winner but lacked the final kick and missed the runner-up seat while securing third another 1 1/4 lengths back.

Race favorite Safira ran on the outside and beside the eventual runner-up in the early stages and lost ground when shifted out wide on the last turn, but she closed strongly picking off her rivals to finish fourth, three lengths behind Corazon Beat in the field of 18.

Ascoli Piceno was bred by Northern Farm from the Danehill Dancer mare Ascolti.

Past winners of the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies include many successful Grade 1 champions, such as 2006 winner and 2008 and 2009 Horse of the Year Vodka; 2008 champion and 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista; and last year's victor Liberty Island, who subsequently became the seventh filly to sweep Japan's fillies' Triple Crown and went on to recently mark a respectable runner-up effort against Equinox in the Japan Cup (G1).

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By Tom Peacock

Andre Fabre's reputation as an international target trainer is unsurpassed and, nine years after his last victory at Sha Tin, the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) was the Frenchman's for a third time on Sunday.

A trailblazer at the Breeders' Cup, winner of virtually every European classic, and an eternal champion of his homeland, Fabre had flown slightly under the radar with his runner Junko in what had looked hot competition from around the world in the showdown going 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles).

Fabre, though, insisted afterwards that he had felt confident that there was plenty to come from the strapping 4-year-old Intello gelding, and the positivity was shared by his rider, Maxime Guyon, who had also been in the saddle back in 2014 when the globetrotting Flintshire had struck for the same combination.

It was only a month ago that Junko had made his top-level breakthrough in the Grosser Preis von Bayern (G1) in very different conditions on soft ground against three rivals, but the runner produced by the famed breeding operation of Alain and Gerard Wertheimer eventually scored with similar conviction.

Settled at the rear of a modest pace set by La City Blanche, Guyon had conceded first run to Ryan Moore and Warm Heart as the gallop picked up turning for home.

Junko came wide of rivals on the bend and tore past Warm Heart and Japanese runner Zeffiro with 200 meters remaining. Guyon punched the air in celebration as he crossed the line, a length in hand over Zeffiro with Moore's mount fading to third in the eight-horse field, 2 1/4 lengths in arrears.

“I'm really happy because it's time to win this race (again). Nine years ago, it was Flintshire,” said Guyon.

“We didn't know before the race if he would like this ground or not, because normally he prefers the soft ground, but today in Hong Kong the ground was good. We had a good race, we had not a lot of runners so I'm not too far back and just after the last turn, he has a good turn of foot.

“He's very relaxed and of course the pace is not way fast, but the most important thing with the horse is if he's breathing really good and everything is OK. That's why I relaxed with him because he's very relaxed.”

Guyon quickly offered praise to the trainer who has given him so many fine moments.

“Everybody knows Andre Fabre. He's the best trainer,” he said.

“He has done a really good job with this horse because he has just won a second Group 1 with this horse — he's just won a Group 1 in Germany — and he comes to Hong Kong for a win and it's not easy to do that. I'm really happy for the team.

“It's a really important place; all the jockeys want to come to Hong Kong to finish the year and it's a really good weekend.”

Fabre himself had been on the end of three seconds in the Vase since 2014, with Flintshire again a year later, Talismanic in 2017, and Botanik 12 months ago. His first had been with Borgia (1999), who was another of the sort of accomplished frequent flyers that he feels Junko could become.

“I'm really delighted,” Fabre said. “It was expected because he's improving race after race. He's not had a lot of races, he's only four. He had a setback in Deauville so he couldn't run in the Grand Prix and he had the race in Germany. He didn't run that much. He will be back in Dubai; we kept him for that and for the international races.”

Bred in Great Britain, Junko was produced by the Dynaformer mare Lady Zuzu.

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