Tag: Racing

Lea Farms' Power Squeeze closed stoutly down the center of the track to sweep past horses through the stretch and spring an 8-1 upset of her stakes debut in Monday's $150,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The fourth running of the one-mile Cash Run for newly turned 3-year-old fillies, first step on the road to the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) March 30, shared top billing on a New Year's holiday program with the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Jorge Delgado, Power Squeeze ($18.80) was making just her fourth start and first since a 4 ½-length triumph in an off-the-turf maiden special weight Oct. 7 at Delaware Park.

Ortiz kept the late-running daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags in the clear four wide as Done Enough, back on dirt after a failed turf try in the 7 ½-furlong Wait a While Dec. 9 at Gulfstream, cruised through an opening quarter-mile in 24.16 seconds and a half in 46.75, pressed to her outside by Sweet Hazely, with multiple stakes winner Chi Chi racing in between De Regresso on the rail and 9-5 favorite Queen's Martini.

When Queen's Martini moved up to launch a bid three wide rounding the far turn, Ortiz tipped further out to follow suit and set Power Squeeze down for a drive once straightened for home, soaring to the front and going away to win by five lengths in 1:37.19 over a fast main track.

“It's always a plus to have Irad on her back. He did everything right today,” Delgado said. “The filly was very good today. I think we'll have a nice filly moving forward.”

Queen's Martini, an eye-catching winner of her lone prior start July 19 at Saratoga, was a clear second, 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Done Enough, who held off Sweet Hazely for third. Chi Chi and De Regresso completed the order of finish.

Power Squeeze was racing for the first time at Gulfstream after making three starts at 2, running fourth and second in six-furlong maiden special weights at Delaware and Monmouth Park before her graduation.

“We've been trying to find races to stretch her out,” Delgado said. “In her last race, it was the first time she had a chance to develop her stride like the run she had today.”

Delgado said he would likely target the next race in Gulfstream's series for 3-year-old fillies on dirt, the $125,000 Forward Gal (G3) sprinting seven furlongs Feb. 3.

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With a change of tactics and a change in riders, Clyde Moran Sr. and Jeff Plotkin's Stovall won Sunday's $100,000 Louisiana Futurity for state-bred males at Fair Grounds.

After being in the thick of the early mix in each of the juvenile's five races, Stovall's trainer Samuel Breaux called upon Corey Lanerie to settle the son of Half Ours early and save his run for the last two furlongs.

“We did a few adjustments and decided to come off the pace instead of going up there,” Breaux said. “There was lots of speed in there, and he stopped the other day (in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile), so we decided to change strategies.”

With his eyes set on the even-money favorite Carpis throughout, Stovall followed that leader through the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Lanerie showed him daylight and Stovall responded to run down Carpis, officially besting that foe by a half length. Going six furlongs, he stopped the timer in 1:11.54.

“I looked at his form and he's always up front battling and he always sort of stops,” Lanerie said. “I hadn't spoken to Sam (Breaux) until I got into the paddock, and he said 'there's a lot of speed, maybe we got to come from behind.' We both agreed we shouldn't take him back but we wouldn't send him. He put me in a great spot right behind the favorite. He's pretty strong. He wasn't really wanting to sit back there but he wasn't crazy rank. When I showed him daylight, he gave me another gear and it was enough.”

Later in the card, Lanerie won the fillies division of the Louisiana Futurity aboard Guitar Solo.

Stovall, bred by Clear Creek Stud, returned $22.60 for the win.

After winning his first stakes in his fourth try, Stovall's 2-year-old record tops off at 6-3-0-1 and $105,850 in earnings.

Guitar Solo Bests Freeburn In Fillies Division

Though she came up short on Louisiana Champions Day, Guitar Solo substantiated her monster debut effort with a dominant win the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity for fillies.

With the lead and the rail, World War IV Racing's homebred trained by Allen Landry and ridden by Lanerie saved every inch to beat six Louisiana-bred fillies to the wire by 2 1/4 lengths over Freeburn.

“She showed up today,” Landry said. “Last time (in the Lassie) we ran her back in just nine days. It was a little quick, but we just sort of had to.”

Being pressured throughout by Freeburn, Guitar Solo ran professionally and in tune with Lanerie throughout to cover the six furlongs in 1:10.87, more than a half-second faster than the winner of the male division earlier on the card.

“I really just had to be a good passenger and hope we got a good break and she did the rest,” Lanerie said. “(Freeburn) came up to me around the turn and I wasn't sure, I thought it was going to be close all the way to the end. She proved to be the best horse today and got the job done.”

The Star Guitar filly could be even better covering a route of ground.

“I think once we get to stretching out she'll be better,” Landry said.

Guitar Solo paid $6.20 for the win.

Platinum Minit scrambled down the center of the track to edge out Clearly a Test for third.

Capping off her freshman year at 3-2-0-1, Guitar Solo has earned $96,800.

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Trainer Richard Mandella rang up his second stakes win in the past two days on Sunday at Santa Anita as Spendthrift Farm LLC's heavily favored Ruby Nell went to the front, controlled the pace throughout, and won the $100,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes by 4½ lengths.

With regular rider Edwin Maldonado up, the 3-year-old daughter of Bolt d'Oro finished one mile on turf in 1:34.01.

A respectable fifth, beaten just two lengths in Del Mar's Matriarch (G1) going one mile on turf Dec. 3, Ruby Nell was taking a big drop in class Sunday and she relished the conditions, registering her fourth win from five tries over the Santa Anita lawn.

A similar gate-to-wire winner of the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) at one mile on turf her two starts back on Nov. 5, Ruby Nell, who had also taken the Unzip Me Stakes at about 6½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on Oct. 1, attracted a massive show pool of $141,144. Off as the prohibitive 1-5 favorite among a field of six sophomore fillies, she paid $2.40 for the victory.

Far back early, Justique was next to last and on the move at the rail three furlongs out, about six lengths off the lead under Mike Smith. She angled out three-deep turning for home and finished well but was no threat to the winner. The second choice at 8-1, Justique finished two lengths clear of Irish Patsy in third.

Ruby Nell set early fractions of  :22.09, :45.59, 1:09.47 and 1:21.57.

“My job was just to try to slow down as much as I could and just hang on,” Maldonado said of the winner. “Even with a :45 fraction, I feel like she's going slow because she's got her ears pricked forward and was just waiting for me to ask her. I'd like to thank Richard (Mandella) and wish a Happy New Year for everybody.”

In garnering her third stakes win, Ruby Nell improved her overall mark to 10-5-2-1. With the winner's share of $60,000, she has career earnings of $304,520.

Mandella said Ruby Nell looked pretty comfortable at the half-mile pole.

“I just hope next year is as good as this year was,” he added.

A $1.2-million purchase from the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select (Gulfstream) Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale Ruby Nell is out of the Not For Love mare Rich Love.

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