Tag: Racing

Implicated enjoyed a perfect ground-saving trip from the inside post under Manny Franco en route to a smart half-length score in Saturday's $200,000 Pebbles (G3), a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The gray Connect filly, owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Cambron Equine and Laura Leigh Stable, was one of three Chad Brown trainees along with 8-5 mutuel favorite Rhiannon, who finished a wide fifth, and 7-2 third choice Startup Mentality, who closed to complete the trifecta.

Franco, who secured his 2,000th career win last month en route to capturing the recently concluded Belmont at the Big A fall meet title, said he felt comfortable throughout tracking the pacesetting Precious Avary.

“I was able to break sharp and my filly put me in a great position in the turn,” Franco said. “After that, I saw the horse on the lead so my only chance was to get through to the inside and I was glad I had the horse to make the move. She was there for me. I knew the horses from behind would close but, at the same time, it was a flat mile and I knew I had the filly to get there.”

Precious Avary, at odds of 53-1 under Silvestre Gonzalez, set fractions of :23.91 and :48.69 over the firm footing with Silver Skillet stalking from second position under Joel Rosario and Implicated hugging the rail in fourth to the inside of Rhiannon.

Implicated maintained her position through the final turn and was full of run after cutting the corner to take command at the stretch call. She stayed on strong to the wire to stave off the late run of Sacred Wish and stop the clock in a final time of 1:35.82.

It was a neck back to third-place Startup Mentality, who closed from deep to nose out Silver Skillet with Rhiannon, On the Shortlist, Plentitude, Precious Avary and Stephanie's Charm rounding out the order of finish. Main-track only entrant Just Katherine was scratched. Precious Avary, who was reported to have bled, was pulled up in the gallop out and vanned off.

Implicated completed a three-race juvenile campaign last October at Aqueduct with a win in the 1 1/16-mile Chelsey Flower. She returned last month off nearly a one-year layoff to finish an even fourth under Jose Ortiz in a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt against elders.

“I don't know what happened last time. Maybe she needed the race, but generally my horses don't first time off a layoff,” Brown said. “The only thing I was thinking about when I spoke to Manny in the paddock was maybe she didn't like seeing daylight the whole way.

“Jose gave her a great ride last time in the two path clear and out of trouble. It looked comfortable, but maybe it's just not what the horse wanted to do,” Brown continued. “I think it's a combination of her needing the race and getting her back covered up. Last year when she ran covered up, she was better. I told Manny in the paddock, 'You drew a nice, cozy post here. If you can get a pocket trip, let's test her out.' I thought I had her ready last time but sure enough, a covered trip worked for her and Manny did a great job.”

The George Weaver-trained Sacred Wish was a close second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) in July over the Saratoga Race Course dirt before winning her turf debut in the Winter Memories here in September. She arrived from a deep-closing fourth in the Valley View (G3) on October 27 at Keeneland.

Javier Castellano said he got the trip he wanted aboard Sacred Wish, closing from sixth to ensure a dramatic finish.

“I wanted to be in a good stalking position off the pace a little bit on the outside and let her run. That's what I did, but I just got beat,” Castellano said. “The winner got a dream trip along the inside and she got the jump on us.

“I think going 1 1/16 miles, maybe she would have got it done,” he added. “But I like the way she finished and I like the way she ran in the end, we just got beat.”

Bred in Kentucky by Somewhere Stables, Implicated banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 5-3-0-1. She returned $23.60 for a $2 win bet. The $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase from the Brookdale Sales consignment is out of the Tale of the Cat mare Wysteria, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Kallio.

The post ‘I Had The Filly To Get There’: Comebacking Implicated Takes Pebbles In Graded Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lothenbach Stables' She Can't Sing will attempt to defend her victory in last year's Chilukki Stakes (G) when she meets eight fillies and mares entered for this year's edition of the $300,000 one-mile race next Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The Chilukki is carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:35 p.m. (ET). First post is 1 p.m.

Trained by Chris Block, She Can't Sing is an eight-time winner from 38 starts. The 6-year-old daughter of Bernardini has won four of those races at Churchill Downs, including her 3¾-length triumph in last year's Chilukki.

Block opted to return She Can't Sing to the turf following her Chilukki victory on Churchill's main track and she finished fourth in the Tom Benson Memorial at Fair Grounds and third in the Lady Canterbury at Canterbury Park. The Chilukki will be She Can't Sing's first start since her fourth-place effort in the Romacaca Handicap in early August on the turf at Hawthorne. Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode She Can't Sing in last year's Chilukki, has the return call from post No. 5.

Block also has entered Richard Perkin's 14-time winner Oeuvre, who's set to make her first start against graded stakes company. The 4-year-old Illinois-bred daughter of Shackleford is on a three-race win streak with victories in the Jean Elizabeth Handicap at Hawthorne and consecutive allowance wins at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland. Jockey Jareth Loveberry will be in the irons from post 4.

Trainer Bill Mott, a two-time Chilukki winner, aims for his third victory in the race with 2022 Gazelle (G3) winner Nostalgic. Ridden by Florent Geroux from the rail, Godolphin's homebred Nostalgic finished 10th in the 2022 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), just ahead of fellow Chilukki rival Hidden Connection, who finished 12th. Nostalgic, a Medaglia d'Oro filly, began her 4-year-old season in mid-July, finishing second to Sixtythreecaliber in a third-level allowance contest. Four weeks later she defeated five rivals in allowance company and would go on to finish third to Randomized and A Mo Reay six weeks later in the Beldame (GII).

Mott previously won the Chilukki with Obligatory (2021) and Feasibility Study (1997).

Here is the complete Chilukki field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Nostalgic (Geroux, Mott); Raindrops on Roses (Joe Talamo, Pat Huffman); Hidden Connection (Tyler Gaffalione, Bret Calhoun); Oeuvre (Loveberry, Block); She Can't Sing (Hernandez, Block); Braganza (Declan Cannon, Eddie Kenneally); Falconet (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher); Be Like Water (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver); and Hot and Sultry (Ricardo Santana Jr., Norm Casse).

The post She Can’t Sing To Bid For Second Chilukki Victory In Main Track Return appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Muth, runner-up to upset winner Fierceness in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita, is among the nominees for trainer Bob Baffert for the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

The race at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds – won last year by Practical Move – will be run for the 10th time at Los Alamitos on Saturday, Dec. 16, the next-to-last day of the upcoming Winter Thoroughbred meet.

Owned by Zedan Racing Stables Inc., Muth, a son of Good Magic, won the American Pharoah (G1) prior to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and hasn't been worse than second in four career starts.

Other Futurity nominees for Baffert, who won the race seven consecutive times at Los Alamitos between 2014-2020, include Prince of Monaco, a Los Alamitos graduate and winner of the Del Mar Futurity (G1), Mirahmadi, second in the Del Mar Futurity, and impressive maiden winners Coach Prime and Wynstock.

The Winter meet will also feature the $200,000-guaranteed Starlet (G2) for 2-year-old fillies. Run at the same distance as the Futurity, the Starlet, which last year was captured by Faiza, will be offered for the 10th time at Los Alamitos Saturday, Dec. 9.

Among the nominees are Dua, a Baffert-trained daughter of Arrogate who was third in both the Sorrento (G3)  and Chandelier (G2), recent Santa Anita maiden winner Don't Bring Crazy, and first out graduates Iscreamuscream, Pinecone, and Tap Your Dream.

The six-day Winter Thoroughbred meet will begin Friday, Dec. 8 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 17.

The post Muth, Prince Of Monaco, Mirahmadi Among Baffert Nominees To Los Al Futurity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The $100,000 Jean Lafitte provided race fans at Delta Downs with plenty of fireworks Friday evening when Lynne M. Boutte's Spinning Aces just edged out Awesome Ruta and Good Like Magic to win the seven-furlong test for  2-year-olds in a thriller.

The Jean Lafitte was one of two stakes for juveniles carded and was followed three races later by the $100,000 My Trusty Cat for fillies, which unlike the Jean Lafitte, turned into a runaway for Willis Horton Racing's homebred Tapit Jenallie.

In the Jean Lafitte, Spinning Aces broke well before stalking the early pace set by longshot Gone Elvis, who covered the opening quarter mile in :22.95  while pressed by Good Like Magic. Nearing the half-mile mark Good Like Magic put away Gone Elvis, who clocked the half mile in :47.58 but then had to deal with the eventual winner. Good Like Magic and Spinning Aces ran side-by-side turning for home before Spinning Aces forged a narrow lead under Joel Dominguez after going six furlongs in 1:14.18.

Through the homestretch a late challenger appeared on the scene in the form of 42-1 longshot Awesome Ruta, who launched a stout rally before coming up a neck short of the winner at the finish line. Good Like Magic held the third spot another neck behind the runner-up in the field of nine.

Spinning Aces covered the distance in 1:27.86 on a sloppy (sealed) track while making his stakes debut.

The Louisiana-bred Hard Aces gelding has won two of his three career starts. He earned $60,000 for his win against open company in the Jean Lafitte and has a bankroll of $99,540.

Bred by Gerald L. Averett Jr., Spinning Aces is out of the Afternoon Deelites mare Just Alex. He is conditioned by Allen Landry.

Sent to the starting gate at odds of 8-1, Spinning Aces paid $19.80 to win.

In the My Trusty Cat, even-money favorite Tapit Jenallie was ridden to victory by Richard Eramia. The Eddie Milligan Jr. trainee came from off the pace to score a decisive 5 1/2-length victory, her first in stakes company after winning her debut Sept. 30 at Remington Park.

After breaking cleanly from post position two, Tapit Jenallie took back off the early pace set by Kant Resist It, who covered the opening quarter mile in :22.91 and the half mile in :47.27. As the field entered the second turn Tapit Jenallie started gaining on the leader and eventually slipped through a gap at the rail to take command turning for home. She hit the three-quarter mark in 1:14.13 while widening her margin through the lane.

At the finish line Tapit Jenallie was all by herself while Kant Resist It settled for second. Noriskit Nobiscuit was no threat to the top pair, finishing another two lengths behind the runner-up.

Tapit Jenallie covered seven furlongs in 1:27.91.

With first-place prize of $60,000, Tapit Jenallie raised her lifetime bankroll to $80,094.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Tapit Jenallie is a chestnut filly by Tapit out of the War Front mare Take Charge Tressa.

Tapit Jenallie paid $4 to win.

The post Spinning Aces, Tapit Jenallie Sparkle In 2YO Stakes At Delta Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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