Tag: Racing

Wesley Ward is a Kentucky-based trainer who has been known to run a horse or two at Del Mar. He saddled the 2014 Debutante winner Sunset Glow. He's known for his turf runners such as two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Golden Pal; Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Judy the Beauty, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Twilight Gleaming.

Ward currently has four horses stabled on the backside here including one that ran in the Breeders' Cup two weeks ago. Unfortunately, Nakatomi is not slated to run at Del Mar this fall but is scheduled to be shipped back to Kentucky this weekend.

Ward does have a 2-year-old filly who turned heads in her debut. So much so that she has been made the morning line favorite in the 36th running of the $100,000 Desi Arnaz, part of a stakes doubleheader Saturday at Del Mar.

Royal Slipper won her debut at Keeneland last month wiring the field and winning by four lengths, bounding clear early and coasting home much the best in the field of 12.

“She's got a big long stride,” assistant trainer Blake Heap says. “She's a nice filly that's for sure.”

Heap says the daughter of Uncle Mo wasn't the easiest to deal with at first. That's how she ended up in Ward's care.

“She was a little bit tough to break,” Heap notes. “That's why they gave her to us because she was hard to handle. He (Ward) spent a little bit of time with her and then he passed her on to the regular exercise riders and she's moved forward from there.”

As is often the case with 2-year old races in Southern California, trainer Bob Baffert comes to the Desi Arnaz with a live one.

Nothing Like You broke her maiden last out at Santa Anita by six lengths, wiring the field in a one-mile affair. Prior to that she had run three sprint races, coming close in her debut at Del Mar last summer but then running eighth on closing day and fourth in a race at Santa Anita.

Instead of dropping her in class, Baffert stretched her out and the daughter of Malibu Moon shined.

“I think going the two turns probably was the main factor,” Baffert says. “I like her going a mile or more. I don't think she's a one turn horse but there was nothing between now and the Los Alamitos Futurity so we thought this would be a good spot for her.”

Don't be surprised if she isn't back up on the lead again in the Desi Arnaz and, if so, she'll have plenty of company.

“Going long it's easier to make the lead than it is going short,” Baffert notes. “That horse coming in from Kentucky looks fast so you just don't know.”

Another runner who likes to be up or near the lead is Tambo, a smart-looking filly who ran a close second in the $85,000 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita last out. She broke her maiden three starts back at Del Mar. Trainer Peter Eurton then tried her on the turf in the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar and she ran fourth, but bounced back with a nice effort in Anoakia.

“She seemed like she was making up ground,” Eurton says of her run in the Anoakia. “The seven-eighths seems to be something she can do. There's always the level. You have a Baffert in there in the one hole that can run. I never look past the competition. I just worry about my own and hopefully she's good enough.”

Don't Bring Crazy, out of the Doug O'Neill barn, and another Baffert runner, Halone, round out the field in the Desi Arnaz, formerly known as the Moccasin Stakes when run at Hollywood Park.

The Desi Arnaz is named after the popular actor, bandleader and husband of comedienne Lucille Ball. It's the second of nine races on the Saturday card. Approximate post time for the stakes is 1 p.m.

Here's the field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds: Nothing Like You (Juan Hernandez, 5-2); Tambo (Antonio Fresu, 7-2); Don't Bring Crazy (Umberto Rispoli, 12-1); Royal Slipper (John Velezquez, 4-5), and Halone (Flavien Prat, 6-1).

The post ‘A Little Bit Tough’ Early On, Ward-Trained Royal Slipper Now Favored For Saturday’s Desi Arnaz appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Of the 150 horses that ran in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita two weeks ago, many have been retired. Others have been turned out, freshening up for a 2024 campaign. Then there's a small number who remain in training. One is running Saturday at Del Mar.

The Chosen Vron, winner of the G1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar this past summer and fifth of eight runners in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, is back in the $100,000 Cary Grant, one of two stakes races on the Saturday card at Del Mar.

The son of Vronsky made the giant leap into elite company this summer with his win in the Bing Crosby, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Trainer Eric Kruljac had limited the 5-year old to mostly Cal-bred races throughout his 18-race career and for the most part, The Chosen Vron had won those races. Eight in a row heading into the Breeders' Cup.

So why is Kruljac wheeling his prized pupil back so quickly?

“Just the way he came back from the Breeders' Cup,” Kruljac says. “I thought he was going to fire real big in the Breeders' Cup. I don't know if it was the competition. I gotta give credit to the East Coast horses, they were dominant.

“But after five or six days he swelled up and was on fire,” Kruljac continues. “He seems extra sharp now.”

The next Cal-bred race for The Chosen Vron isn't until January 7 and Kruljac doesn't want to wait that long.

“I don't think I've ever run a horse back in two weeks,” Kruljac says. “But he was just screaming for a race. Dr. Araujo (his veterinarian) took blood on him the other day and said it was fabulous. The horse is really on his toes.”

While The Chosen Vron will be a heavy favorite in the Cary Grant, there are a couple of others in the nine-horse field who are worth keeping an eye on.

Big City Lights has done little wrong during his six-race career. The 4-year-old son of Mr. Big has won three races and placed in the other three. He captured last year's Real Good Deal at Del Mar, beating Slow Down Andy and came back and ran second to The Chosen Vron in the 2022 edition of the Cary Grant. He ran in the Cal Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in January, missing by a neck to, who else, The Chosen Vron, before being put out for a freshening for much of 2023.

“He's been training great,” assistant trainer to Richard Mandella, Taylor Cambra, says. “He's coming right along. Everything we've asked of him he's done real easy.”

So how does Cambra hope to turn the tables on The Chosen Vron.

“He just got beat in the Breeders' Cup,” Cambra notes. “That can hurt a horse's confidence. We're coming in with a fresh horse. He's coming in with a horse that's been running all year.”

Cambra's also counting on Big City Light's past form.

“The last time he got turned out he came back and won first time out,” he says. “He's a horse that kind of stays a little tighter anyway so we're not too worried about it though it's always a concern.”

Other contenders in the Cary Grant worth noting are Moose Mitchell, winner of four of his last six races including a second level allowance race at Del Mar this past summer. Lovesick Blues has been knocking on the door, finishing second to Kings River Knight in the $100,000 Bertrando at Los Alamitos in June. And the hard-knocking None Above the Law, winner of the 2021 G2 Del Mar Derby.

The 40th renewal of the Cary Grant Stakes is the eighth race on the nine race Saturday card. Approximate post time for the stakes is 4 p.m. It's named after the popular actor of the 1940's, 50's and 60's and was formerly known as the On Trust Stakes when run at Hollywood Park.

Here's the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Principe Carlo (Kyle Frey, 15-1); Trip to Spain (Geovanni Franco, 20-1); None Above the Law (Flavien Prat, 6-1); Lovesick Blues (Umberto Rispoli, 12-1); Fast Draw Munnings – Scratched; Big City Lights (Juan Hernandez, 5-2); The Chosen Vron (Hector Berrios, 4/5); Moose Mitchell (Mario Gutierrez, (12-1), and Desmond Doss (Tyler Baze, 12-1).

The post The Chosen Vron ‘Seems Extra Sharp’ After Breeders’ Cup Fifth, Wheels Back In Cary Grant appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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As the 2023 season comes to a close, Horseshoe Indianapolis honors the top performers of the 123-day meet. Itzforever from the Tony Granitz Stable was crowned 2023 Leading Thoroughbred Horse of the Year with five wins and a total of $244,150 in earnings.

A 3-year-old daughter of Forever d'Oro, Itzforever has been with the Granitz Stable from the beginning. She was a $60,000 purchase from the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale in 2021 by David Walters, who has been an owner with Tony Granitz for more than 20 years. Now a resident of Nashville, Tenn., Walters had the best season of his career with Itzforever.

“This filly (Itzforever) was a second foal from a mare Tom Dorris used to race and she made quite a bit of money, so I liked her breeding,” said Granitz. “We knew there was a $10,000 reserve on her, but we had to go all the way to $60,000 to get her. This is the best horse David has ever owned and she gave him his two biggest stakes wins of his career.”

Itzforever won the $100,000 ITOBA Stallion Fillies and returned on Indiana Champions Day for a win in the $200,000 Lady Fog Horn, a race that means a lot to Granitz.

“We were so thrilled to win the Lady Fog Horn with her since we used to train Lady Fog Horn,” added Granitz. “That is a special win for us and one of the highlights of the meet.”

Itzforever and members of the Granitz Stable were presented with a blanket for the honor as Leading Thoroughbred Horse of the Year. Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager made the presentation along with Rachel McLaughlin, Racing Broadcast Production Manager at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“This filly has really come around this year,” added Granitz. “She didn't show a lot as a two-year-old, but she came back strong this year. The first time Marcelino (Pedroza Jr.) rode her, he said she was waiting on horses and needed blinkers. As soon as we did that, she won four straight. She ended the year with five straight races on the dirt. Our team, including exercise rider Caleb (Longworth), groom Jaime (Conche), and Juan (Gongora), my assistant, have worked hard with her all year.”

The 22nd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing begins with a special Monday, April 8 racing program at 12 p.m. for the Total Solar Eclipse Day in the area. Racing extends through Thursday, Nov. 14. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

The post With Five Wins In 2023, Itzforever Named Horse Of The Year At Horseshoe Indianapolis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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