Tag: Racing

West Virginia-bred Coastal Mission ventures to New York for the first time and brings a six-race win streak into next Saturday's $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jeff Runco, who bred and campaigns the gray/roan gelding with his wife, Susan, in the name of Coleswood Farm Inc., the 4-year-old Great Notion gelding has won 11 of 16 career starts, including a trio of stakes wins at his Charles Town base, led by an open-company score two starts back in the two-turn seven-furlong Russell Road on Aug. 25 and the state-bred Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders' Classic going 1 1/8 miles last time out on Oct. 14.

Coastal Mission stalked and pounced to victory in the Russell Road, scoring by 2 3/4-lengths over graded stakes-placed Mish with graded stakes-placed Sir Alfred James in third and stakes-placed Payne in fourth.

“He's doing great and ready to go. He ran against some pretty good horses in the Russell Road and done well. He brings his game whenever he comes over,” Runco said.

Coastal Mission's current win streak has been accomplished exclusively at Charles Town and dates back to an open-company allowance win in April and includes a state-bred score in the Confucius Say. The win-friendly gray, who has won at distances ranging from 4 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, shipped to Laurel Park in February 2022 to win an optional-claiming sprint.

Runco said the versatile Coastal Mission should appreciate the one-turn mile configuration at Aqueduct.

“I think a mile will be great for him. He just ran a mile and an eighth for the first time last out. But he runs seven-eighths really good and I think a mile out of the chute over there will be a good distance for him,” Runco said. “He ran a 98 Beyer in the Russell Road and he got a 95 Beyer last time and he did that easily – they were pulling him up in that race. His numbers are getting better and that's why we're giving him a shot at this race.”

Coastal Mission will mark Runco's ninth starter at the Big A having previously found success in the 2008 Queens County with the graded stakes-winning millionaire Researcher, also a West Virginia-bred .

“That horse won stakes everywhere. He won all over the Mid-Atlantic and made over a million,” Runco said.

Coastal Mission, a full brother to multiple graded stakes-placed Lewisfield, is out of the Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Duckhorn. He has banked $566,653 through a record of 16-11-3-1.

The post West Virginia-Bred Standout Coastal Mission To Try First Graded Win In Cigar Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bold Journey delivered a winning last-to-first performance in Friday's $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3), a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Bill Mott for Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Pantofel Stable and receiving a well-timed ride from Jose Ortiz, New York-bred Bold Journey collected his first stakes victory with a wide late bid down the stretch to collar post-time favorite and 134-pound highweight Durante just in time and post the one-length score.

Ortiz said the ambitious trip was nothing new for Bold Journey, who entered from a narrow score in an open-company optional claimer going the same distance on October 12.

“He likes to do that, especially when there's a little bit of pace to help him,” Ortiz said of the winner, who toted 128 pounds. “The last couple times we've been sitting at the back and making one run and it worked out for me both times. The horse is doing very good. Mr. Mott has him in great form and I'm happy to win today.”

The 4-year-old Hard Spun colt was away slowly from the inside and trailed the field while the Manny Franco-piloted Durante broke sharply to his outside from post 4. Durante established command through an opening quarter-mile in :22.68 over the fast main track with Win for Gold in second ahead of a slow-starting Rotknee and Cowan in a tight bunch.

Durante continued to dictate terms into the turn with Win for Gold applying pressure to his outside, with the race seemingly between those two as Bold Journey continued to trail while angling outside after the half-mile in :46.06. Durante, who tossed his head slightly as Win for Gold matched his stride, dug in determinedly to hold a narrow advantage over his foe at the eighth pole, but Bold Journey was finding his best stride and flew down the middle of the track under left-handed encouragement from Ortiz.

Ortiz switched to his right hand just past the sixteenth marker and wrapped up with confidence as Bold Journey swept past Durante with ease to complete the trip in 1:10.91. Durante held second by 1 1/2 lengths over third-place Rotknee and fourth-place Cowan, who dueled with each other strongly down the stretch and passed a tiring Win for Gold late. Sir Alfred James was scratched.

Ortiz said the slow break from the Dylan Davis-piloted Rotknee, who steadied slightly down the backstretch, helped lead to Durante being the lone target to catch.

“I was anticipating that and Rotknee didn't break that well otherwise the pace would have been more aggressive,” Ortiz said. “Everything should have unfolded a bit easier for me, but Manny was able to clear him and unfortunately Dylan had to take a hold and that horse doesn't like that, he likes to run free. I was a little nervous when I saw Dylan had to take a hold because I figured the pace wasn't going to be as fast as I thought it could be. Approaching the quarter pole, I was approaching the field nice and easy and when I asked him to go he responded very well.”

Franco, who guided Durante to a strong win last time out in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler (G3) Oct. 27 at Aqueduct, said the high weight was a tough challenge for the David Jacobson trainee.

“He's a little uncomfortable [turning his head in the stretch run], but that's the way he runs, just got to get used to it,” said Franco. “He carried a lot of weight — the winner carried 128 pounds and I had 134, six pounds is a lot.

“There was a lot of speed in the race, but my horse is fast and I didn't want to take anything away from him,” Franco added. “He broke good and I put him where he likes — we were just second best.”

Bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, Bold Journey is the second graded stakes winner out of the winning Super Saver mare Polly Freeze, who also produced Grade 1-winning New York-bred millionaire Americanrevolution, by Constitution. McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent, went to $80,000 to buy Bold Journey at the 2021 OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he was offered by McKathan Bros. Sales.

Bold Journey made just his fourth start in stakes company in 19 starts, his previous best finish coming with a second in the one-mile Gander against fellow state-breds last February. He banked $110,000 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $486,243 through a record of 19-6-6-0 while returning $6.20 for a $2 win wager.

The post Bold Journey Comes From Last For Fall Highweight Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Favorite in the morning line and bet like it by the public, Miles Ahead was much the best in the 99th running of the $200,000 Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds. Thursday's dominant win going six furlongs put Jay Em Ess Stable's 6-year-old Competitive Edge gelding within striking distance of the millionaire milestone.

After breaking last of seven, Miles Ahead would have to work hard early to get into position and not lose touch with the speedster Super Ocho, who shot out to the lead. At the top of the stretch, Miles Ahead switched leads and powered past the distance-challenged Super Ocho to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Super Ocho hung on for second, followed by Kavod, who was a length back in third.

Corroborated by the final time of 1:08.49, Paul McGee trainee's effort in the Thanksgiving Classic had the look of a horse running in peak form. The six-furlong track record is 1:08.03, set by Mountain General in the 2002 edition of the race, then known as the Thanksgiving Handicap.

Jefferson Parish's own Joe Talamo was in town from Kentucky to ride Miles Ahead. He made his riding debut in June 2006 at Louisiana Downs and went on to become the first apprentice jockey to win Fair Grounds' leading jockey title, accomplished at the 2006-'07 meet.

“He's a real nice horse to ride,” Talamo said of Miles Ahead. “He's definitely one who can get a little lazy early on, especially with that outside post. I had to ride him for a quarter mile to keep him in contention. When he switched leads at the top of the stretch, he exploded. I couldn't believe that final time. He was really running. He's one of those consistent horses, he's always second or third, not getting beat too far. Today he really put it all together. A testament to Paul McGee's training. I know he was coming back quickly, but he and his team did a great job with this horse.”

Thursday's win put Miles Ahead within striking distance of the millionaire status. Sitting at $932,313 in purse earnings, he boasts a 32-13-7-3 career record. On Thursday, he halted a six-race winless skid dating from his victory in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes Sept. 22 at Churchill Downs. His record includes a victory in the 2021 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) at Gulfstream Park as well as a runner-up finish in the Whitmore (G3) in March at Oaklawn Park.

Chasing Time, Gilcrease, and Machine Gun Man rounded out the finishing order.

Miles Ahead was bred in Kentucky by Nicholas M. Lotz and Betsy Kelley. Produced by the Awesome Again mare Jennie R., he was a $175,000 purchase by Ellman, Melin, Plesa at the 2019 OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Top Line Sales consigned him.

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