Tag: Racing

A full field of 12, including 2-1 program favorite Valentine Candy (#10), is entered in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters Friday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the 5 1/2-furlong Advent, the ninth of 10 races on Oaklawn's opening-day card, is 4:14 p.m. (Central). The first race is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

The Advent field:

1. Spirit's Mischief, Gerardo Corrales to ride, 117 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line;
2. Frost Free, Chel-c Bailey, 117, 30-1;
3. Market Street, Cristian Torres, 117, 20-1;
4. Molly's Town, Emmanuel Esquivel, 121, 3-1;
5. Ceepeegee, Rafael Bejarano, 117, 20-1;
6. Sweet Soddy J, Martin Chuan, 119, 9-2;
7. Andy's Candy, Chris Landeros, 117, 12-1;
8. Drewmania, Jon Court, 117, 30-1;
9. General Shipman, Francisco Arrieta, 121, 20-1;
10. Valentine Candy, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 2-1;
11. Bye Bye Liam, Keith Asmussen, 117, 10-1; and
12. Willy D's, Nik Juarez, 117, 30-1.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will start Valentine Candy and Bye Bye Liam in search of a record-extending 105th career Oaklawn stakes victory. The Advent debuted in 2021 and will be the first stakes race run since Oaklawn renovated its racing surface in the offseason.

“Obviously, next step for these 2-year-olds, coming from different areas and meeting in the middle,” Asmussen said. “It looks like a very competitive race. It will be interesting to see how the racetrack's playing. It seems considerably different training over it right now than the racetrack when we left last spring. So, obviously, curious to see who handles it and who doesn't.”

Valentine Candy was a gate-to-wire winner of his July 22 debut at Saratoga and exits a third-place finish in the $200,000 Bowman Mill Stakes Oct. 28 at Keeneland. Bye Bye Liam came from off the pace to break his maiden Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs in his last start. All three races were 6 furlongs.

Valentine Candy also finished ninth in the seven-furlong $300,000 G1-Hopeful Stakes at seven furlongs Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

“On his best day, he's very fast away from there,” said Asmussen, who trains Valentine Candy for a partnership that includes longtime clients William and Corinne Heiligbrodt. “He had a little bit of traffic early in his last spot. Put him in what I thought was a compromising situation. But on his best day, he's very fast away from there and then Bye Bye Liam, obviously, is a closing sprinter.”

Supplemental nominee Molly's Town dominated Indiana-breds in his first four career starts at Horseshoe Indianapolis for owner/trainer Genaro Garcia. Molly's Town then tested open company and ran fourth in the $225,000 Ed Brown Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

Sweet Soddy J won the Timonium Juvenile for trainer Raymond Ginter, Jr.

Prairie Meadows Freshman winner General Shipman removes blinkers for trainer Casey Schleis.

Ellis Park debut winner Market Street cuts back to a sprint after four consecutive poor route efforts for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“That horse hasn't been finishing very well,” Lukas said. “I'm either doing a poor job or he's got me fooled. He hasn't been finishing, so the 5 1/2 appealed to me.”

The post Oaklawn: ‘Very Fast Away’ Valentine Candy Headlines Friday’s $150,000 Advent Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ahead of what shapes as his fourth and final appearance at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, Golden Sixty was as enthusiastic as ever at Sha Tin this morning (Monday, 4 December) under former jockey Alex Yu – his regular work rider – while trainer Francis Lui watched on from his traditional vantage point in the trainers' stand.

Aiming to join Good Ba Ba as the only three-time winners of the HK$32 million (US$4 million) G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on Sunday (Dec. 10) after his wins in 2020 and 2021, the 8-year-old Golden Sixty warmed up in the sand ring, then on the inner dirt course before eagerly bouncing onto the main dirt course to work through a key gallop under Yu, clocking a time of 25.7s over 400m.

“He's good. Everything is fine, it's smooth and he's improved with each barrier trial he's had. His condition is very good now,” Lui said. “They're all very happy – Vincent (Ho) and the whole team.”

A 25-time winner from 29 starts, Golden Sixty will commence his sixth season of racing in Sunday's LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. It will be 224 days between runs when he reappears under race conditions with jockey Vincent Ho in front of an adoring home crowd against opposition from Japan, Ireland, France and Singapore.

“He likes to run fresh. His form and even this morning, he'll have a turf gallop on Thursday (7 December). It's been a long time, it's a tough field, especially the Japanese horses. Hopefully he stays away from trouble and gets a clean run,” Lui said.

Golden Sixty has won all of his five seasonal reappearances, however, he's yet to resume at Group 1 level against overseas raiders. The Medaglia d'Oro gelding's last return run saw him defeat California Spangle at Group 2 level, before that horse sensationally reversed the result one start later in the 2022 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Slated for probable retirement in Japan after only a handful of runs this season, Golden Sixty has banked HK$147.93 million (US$18.93 million) in prize money and boasts nine Group 1 wins.

“We're just focused on the big race. We don't know though – let the horse tell me (when it's time to retire). I think so (last Hong Kong International Races) – he's done his job,” Lui said.

Golden Sixty will face 13 rivals this weekend. California Spangle, Beauty Eternal, Serifos, Soul Rush, Tribalist, Voyage Bubble, Cairo, Encountered and Namur are among his opponents.

The post ‘He’s Done His Job’: Hong Kong Superstar Golden Sixty, Now An 8-Year-Old, Readies For International Swansong appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Oaklawn is scheduled to run 10 races Friday, which would equal an opening-day record for a track that conducted its first meeting in 1905.

Oaklawn has opened with nine-race cards every year since 1956, with the exception of 2003 when 10 races were run for the first time. That 10-race card attracted 114 entrants and 109 starters after scratches.

Friday's card drew 109 entrants (including also eligibles) in an era when foal crops are declining and much lower than 20 years ago. Entries were taken and post positions drawn last Friday.

“Yesterday, you saw entries went very well,” Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope said Saturday morning. “Look at the type of races we're making. I mean, three special weights and you're splitting allowance races.”

At least 10 horses were entered in eight races, including a full field of 12 in the featured $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds. Oaklawn raised the purse of maiden special weight races to $115,000 and allowance events to at least $140,000 – both record levels to open a season – in 2023-2024.

The post Oaklawn Opener: 10 Races With 109 Entrants Carded For Friday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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