Tag: Racing

By Declan Schuster

Chancheng  Glory found his groove and trainer Francis Lui hopes the Iowa-bred gelding can lift his game again in Tuesday's Class 3 Pak Tin Handicap  at Sha Tin.

Unbeaten across three starts since switching to the mile and also eligible for the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Chancheng Glory has been a revelation this season with two wins in Class 4 and one in Class 3 – the latest returned at the end of November.

“He's good. If he can win, of course, at this moment his rating is a little low (for the Four-Year-Old Classic Series),” Lui said.

The Four-Year-Old Classic Series comprises three races: HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile on Feb. 4, HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup on March 3, and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby on March 24.

“He can go a little bit further, he seems a little bit one-paced but he can handle a bit more (distance),” Lui said of Chancheng Glory, a private acquisition after he failed to meet his reserve price on a final bid of $220,000 at the 2022 OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he was offered by Pike Racing. He was unraced in the United States.

A 3-year-old son of Mor Spirit out of the Consolidator mare Solid Scam who was bred by H. Allen Poindexter, Chancheng Glory faces quality opposition, including Billionaire Secret, Let's Do It, and Accolade Start. Lyle Hewitson rides Chancheng Glory from barrier five.

Lui declared Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty to be in good condition. He will chase an 11th Group 1 win in the HK$13 million Stewards' Cup (G1) on Jan. 21 at Sha Tin, in what shapes as potentially his second last run before retirement.

“He's doing normal work. We're happy with him, he galloped on Thursday,” Lui said. “He's the same, but actually, I think his condition is a little bit better.”

The post Iowa-Bred Chancheng Glory Making His Name In Hong Kong, Eyes Fourth Straight Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Second favorite Do Deuce, making his third start in a comeback from injury, claimed his third elite-level win in the $8,283,000 Arima Kinen (G1) against a quality field that included eight Grade 1 winners Sunday at Nakayama Racecourse.

With legendary Japanese jockey Yutaka Take aboard for the first time since early this season, Do Deuce was unhurried out of the gate and rated near the rear outside a rival. Held back and still well behind the pace along the backstretch, the 4-year-old Heart's Cry colt advanced along the outside approaching the third corner and was already joining the front group turning for home while still about four lengths behind the leader.

With 200 meters to go, Do Deuce, together with filly Stars on Earth, closed in on the leader with a strong late charge to pin that foe 100 meters out. He then outdueled Stars on Earth just before the wire for a half-length victory.

Titleholder was third, one length behind Stars on Earth. Favorite Justin Palace was fourth in the field of 16.

Time for the 2,500 meters (about 1 9/16 miles) was 2:30.9 on turf rated as good to firm.

“It's great to comeback with Do Deuce to win this race against some really strong opponents,” Take said. “He was in good shape coming into this race, and although the colt was a bit keen and I had to keep him in hand and maintain a good rhythm and not let him rush and gave him the go from about 700 meters out. His response was very good rounding the last corner and gave a terrific late charge to the wire. We did have our struggles after winning the Kyoto Kinen (G2) early this year, but I was determined to show his true strength and prove what he was really made of in this big race.”

Do Deuce had a major setback after the Kyoto Kinen in February in which he was ruled out of his intended start in which he was ruled out of his intended overseas start  in the Dubai Turf (G1) with a lame left foreleg, then, in his comeback this fall in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) in October as well as the following Japan Cup (G1) in November–Take was unable to take the reins due to injury from another race—he finished seventh and fourth, respectively. Reunited with his regular rider Sunday, Do Deuce would not be denied.

Stars on Earth broke sharply from the widest stall under Christophe Lemaire and tracked the leader off the rails in second. After allowing the pacesetter to open the margin by a distance, the Duramente filly maintained her position while joined by the eventual winner on the outside and matched that foe up to the wire while outdueled in the end.

Sixth choice Titleholder shot out of the gate to dispute the lead with Stars on Earth and eventually assumed command entering the homestretch (first round). Eventually opening the gap by more than seven lengths along the backstretch, the son of Duramente continued strongly to maintain his lead until finally being caught by the top two finishers after the 100-meter marker and hold off the fast-closing Justin Palace to finish third.

Race favorite Justin Palace missed a beat coming out of the starting gate and raced at the very rear, almost 20 lengths or so from the leader along the backstretch, before making headway approaching the third corner and circling wide into the homestretch. Under strong urging from Takeshi Yokoyama, the Deep Impact colt closed strongly with a furlong to go and, while unable to reach the top two, turned in a strong finishing run to just miss third place by a head.

Take previously won the Arima Kinen with Oguri Cap (1990), Deep Impact (2006), and Kitasan Black (2017). His victory Sunday marked his fourth Arima Kinen, which ties Kenichi Ikezoe for most wins in the race.

Do Deuce is trained by Yasuo Tomomichi for Kieffers Co. Ltd. Bred by Northern Farm, his dam is the two-time graded stakes-winning Vindication mare Dust and Diamonds, runner-up to Groupie Doll in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida paid $1 million for her in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Three Chimneys Farm consigned her.

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Talla Racing's 2-year-old filly Julias Dream pressed the pace from second and withstood swift early fractions before grabbing the lead in the stretch and drawing off to win Saturday's $125,000 Gowell Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths at Turfway Park.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Julias Dream improved her overall mark to three wins from four starts. She was ridden to victory in the Gowell Stakes by Luan Machado while completing six furlongs in 1:11.21.

In the early stages of the race, Baraye was fleet-footed from the rail under jockey Gerardo Corrales but was quickly joined to her outside by Julias Dream. The duo clocked an opening quarter mile in :22.15 and half mile in :45.29. As the field entered the stretch, Julias Dream poked her head in front of her speedy rival and began to draw clear as they entered the final furlong.

Baraye was able to hold the runner-up position by a neck over the fast-closing Pipit. They were followed in order by Pinotslilgirl, Candi Girl, Trial, Edge of Town, Secret Glenda, Kerlo's Cause, and Logistics.

Julias Dream was bet down to the 5-2 post time favorite and paid $7.86 for the victory.

Julias Dream is a daughter of Flameaway out of Cinnamon Girl, by Meadowlake. She was bred in Kentucky by David Soblick.

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Fighting through and winning the early battle for positioning in and out of the first turn, Full of Run Racing and Madakat Stables' Alpine Princess wired five fillies in Saturday's $100,000 Untapable at Fair Grounds.

Though Alpine Princess' lead seemed insurmountable, stablemate West Omaha never quit through the stretch to finish two lengths back at the wire, securing the Brad Cox-trained exacta. Alpine Princess covered the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.08 to earn 10 points toward a possible start in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) next spring. West Omaha collected five Oaks points.

Breaking from the rail and brushing an outer foe, Alpine Princess found herself in the rear at the outset, but her jockey Florent Geroux urged her through the encroaching outside fillies unscathed and into command of the field with first-time router Legadema in chase mode at her tail. After scrambling through the first turn three-wide, West Omaha took a tracking position in fourth.

Traveling comfortably in :24.27 and :48.29 through a half mile, Alpine Princess grew bold, adding distance to her lead at every call, as Legadema began to fade turning for home. West Omaha and Sistina Chapel were coming on, but the latter could not match strides and crossed the wire three lengths behind West Omaha in third for trainer Ken McPeek, earning three Oaks points. Legadema held on for fourth and two points. Band of Gold managed fifth and one point.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Alpine Princess returned $5.40 for the win.

“It wasn't my plan to go to the lead,” Geroux said. “But she broke well and I was going to get squeezed pretty hard leaving there, so I just took the best option and that was to let my filly run and not take a very strong hold going into the first turn. I had to give her a couple of reminders right at the end. She was getting a little lost the last furlong. She's a very honest filly. We've liked her from the beginning. I don't see many fillies on this circuit right now who blow my mind. We know the route to take (toward the Kentucky Oaks).”

Alpine Princess's first stakes victory ratcheted her career earnings up $210,810 to match her 5-3-0-1 record.

Last year's Untapable winner, Pretty Mischievous, would go on to win the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and finish second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) en route to an eventual score in Kentucky Oaks.

Alpine Princess was bred in Kentucky by Betz/DJ Stables, Peter V Lamatia, and Classic Empire Syndicate. Produced by the Curlin mare Le Moine, she sold to Full of Run Racing for $190,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Betz Thoroughbreds consigned her.

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks through Fair Grounds picks back up on Jan. 20. Fasig-Tipton sponsors Fair Grounds' 2024 series for 3-year-old fillies. The Fasig-Tipton Tremé Triple consists of the Silverbulletday Stakes (Jan. 20), the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra (Feb. 17), and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) (March 23). The name of the race series is a tribute to the historic Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans that borders Fair Grounds.

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