Tag: Racing

Gary and Mary West's homebred filly West Sunset led from start to finish in Sunday's 11th running of the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) at Churchill Downs and easily defeated stablemate Gin Gin by 6¾ lengths.

Odds-on 1-9 favorite V V's Dream was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third.

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Brad Cox, West Sunset ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.31 on a sloppy (sealed) track while making her two-turn debut. Previously, she broke her maiden by a neck while running six furlongs at Churchill Downs in her Sept. 16 debut.

Breaking from post 4 in the compact field of five 2-year-old fillies, West Sunset was fastest out of the gate and was able to dictate a measured pace – quarter-mile splits of :24.23, :48.99, and 1:13.52 – without any pressure. Down the backstretch, Candy Landy was about two lengths back of the leader with Gin Gin and V V's Dream, who walked out of the starting gate, another length behind in third and fourth, respectively.

Into the far turn, Candy Landy, Gin Gin, and V V's Dream attempted to close into West Sunset's advantage, but she had plenty of run left and spurted 5½ lengths clear at the top of the stretch to widen her margin through the finish.

“It always felt like I had a lot of horse beneath me,” Prat said. “She was pretty straightforward when she left the gate, and I got her to relax a little bit on the lead. Turning for home I was confident she'd have enough left in the tank to continue strong.”

V V's Dream, who walked out of the starting gate as the heavy 0.19-1 favorite after a September win in the Pocahontas (G2) and a second to Candied in the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland 23 days ago, raced three-wide throughout and lacked a closing kick down the homestretch. V V's Dream was pre-entered in Friday's $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Santa Anita and would have been one of the favorites behind divisional leader Tamara, but her connections opted to stay in Kentucky for Sunday's Rags to Riches.

West Sunset, at odds of 7-1, paid $17.72 for the win. Gin Gin outfinished V V's Dream by 2 3/4 lengths for second. Candy Landy was fourth and Floored was last of five. Shimmering Allure and Twirling Good Time were scratched.

Sunday's payday was worth $124,000 and West Sunset improved her record to 2-2-0-0 and increased her purse earnings to $193,000. She also collected 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) as the Rags to Riches was added to the prep season schedule for the first time. The top five finishers earned points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.

“Hopefully with some more seasoning this is a filly we can dream running in the Kentucky Oaks,” Cox said.

By West Coast, West Sunset is a Kentucky-bred bay filly out of the Vindication mare Vindicated Ghost.

Sunday's race is named in honor of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's 2007 Kentucky Oaks winner. Six years ago, Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables' Monomoy Girl cruised to a 6½-length score in the Rags to Riches prior to her triumph in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks.

The post West Sunset Powers Gate To Wire In Two-Turn Rags To Riches appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Qatar Racing's stakes-winning sophomore Everso Mischievous defeated elders in his graded stakes debut, fending off a late rally from dual New York-bred stakes winner Dr Ardito to capture Saturday's 43rd running of the $300,000 Forty Niner (G2) – formerly known as the Kelso – going a one-turn mile at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Brad Cox, Everso Mischievous entered the Forty Niner from a sharp 3 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Harrods Creek on September 23 at Churchill Downs. The Into Mischief bay has finished no worse than second in six lifetime starts, which also includes a seven-furlong maiden triumph at second asking at Churchill Downs as well as a first level allowance score against elders at the same distance on August 5 at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 2 under Cristian Torres, Everso Mischievous rated a close second and tipped a path to the outside of the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted pacesetter Swiftsure, who registered an opening quarter mile in :23.29 and a half-mile in :45.89 over the fast main track. Around the far turn, Everso Mischievous matched strides with Swiftsure, and graded stakes placed Film Star joined them widest of all.

Everso Mischievous held clear command at the stretch call as Film Star and the slow-starting post time favorite Accretive put in their runs on the outside, but Everso Mischievous was able to keep his foes at bay and hang on to a half-length win in a final time of 1:35.32. Dr Ardito charged late to grab place honors, a nose in front of fellow Chad Brown trainee Accretive.

Completing the order of finish were Film Star, Swiftsure, Business Model and Double Crown. Synthesis was scratched.

“He was perfect. The trip worked out perfect. Kendrick went to the lead and I sat two-wide the whole race – that's where he runs comfortable,” said Torres. “When we were turning for home, I asked my horse and he took off again. He's a nice horse, so he finished up. They always thought this was a nice horse. In the beginning of his career, he was a little green, but it was just a matter of time that he'd mature. They put blinkers on him at Saratoga and he improved a lot. They're very happy, I'm very happy, and I'm very grateful to ride this kind of horse.”

Torres earned his first career graded stakes triumph aboard Last Samurai in this year's Razorback (G3) at Oaklawn Park and collected his sixth graded stakes win in the Forty Niner.

“It's unbelievable. I can't express how I feel,” Torres said. “To win a stakes race in any part of the country is awesome, but NYRA? It's great.”

Brown was proud of Dr Ardito's run under Manny Franco, but said he often is late on the scene.

“Dr Ardito ran good late. He's frustrating as sometimes he's just late to get going and it was just a little too late,” Brown said. “It's a double-edged sword; if you push him off the bridle too early, he's kind of a one-run horse. He wasn't really taking Manny there and I'm sure Manny wanted to be closer. It is what it is and just the way the race unfolded. The winner got a jump on everyone, but ran a really good race start-to-finish and finished the race off when it counted when everyone was running at the wire.”

Brown said Accretive, who was a last out second to Cody's Wish in the Vosburgh (G2), was hindered by missing the break.

“It cost him a little bit there. It forced him to rush up and get a wide trip and it probably cost him a length or so,” Brown said. “My horses both ran solid, but the winner just ran a little bit better.”

Brown indicated that Dr Ardito and Accretive could target the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2)on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Everso Mischievous, who returned $7.20 for a $2 win wager, banked $165,000 in victory which increased his lifetime earnings past the half-million mark to $524,640. He now has a 6-4-2-0 record.

Bought by Fergus Galvin for $85,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Horse of Racing Age Sale, where Highgate Sales consigned him, Everso Mischievous is out of the graded stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Ever So Clever. He was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms.

The post Everso Mischievous Shows Up Elders, Wins Forty Niner In Graded Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode's O'Connor (CHI) prevailed in a three-way photo finish to post a head victory in the 66^th running of the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Saturday's closing day of the Keeneland Fall Meet.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., O'Connor was one of 25 winners during the season for leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione. O'Connor covered 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track labeled fast in 1:50.61.

“He was very game, and it was very hard-fought,” Gaffalione said of the winner. “He took everything that was thrown at him. He was loving his position going around the turn. I was really happy with where I was at. Coming into the stretch he kept finding more, and every time I asked him he responded. All the credit goes to (trainer) Saffie (Joseph Jr.) and his team. They brought him over here ready to run. I was just fortunate to be the passenger today.”

Bred by Haras Carioca, O'Connor is by Boboman out of the Touch Gold mare Torrente de Agua. He earned $179,025 for the Fayette victory, his 11th in 26 career starts, and increased his bankroll to $660,969. A Group 1 winner in his native Chile, O'Connor won his North American debut at Gulfstream Park in October 2022. Previously placed second or third in three stakes, all graded, earlier this year, he broke through for his first North American stakes victory in the Fayette.

O'Connor paid $12.92 for the win. Il Miracolo outfinished Speed Bias by a head for second.

Twilight Blue was fourth and was followed by Dash Attack, Law Professor, Trademark and Happy American.

The post O’Connor Wins Three-Horse Photo In Fayette For First North American Stakes Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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