Tag: Racing

A. Bianco Holding Limited's Pioneering Spirit proved superior to his lone foe Commandeer in Friday's Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up that was moved from the outer turf to the main track, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, Pioneering Spirit visited the winner's circle for the sixth time since being haltered for $40,000 out of a March maiden claiming tilt at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah has hit the board in 8-of-10 starts for Rice, including his Knickerbocker score and a stakes win on turf in the Bernard Baruch in September at Saratoga Race Course, which followed a Grade 1 placing when third in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer in August.

“When I claimed him, he had been running on the dirt, but he had never won a race on the dirt – that's a negative,” said Rice. “But he really trains well in the morning and breezes well on the dirt. That doesn't always hold true from turf to dirt – a lot of grass horses will [work well on dirt] and then not perform on it.”

Piloted to victory by Jose Ortiz, Pioneering Spirit broke the best of the pair but kept back as the Dylan Davis-piloted Commandeer took command along the inside and raced a half-length ahead of his pressing rival through splits of 23.91 seconds and 47.02 over the sloppy and sealed going.

Ortiz nudged Pioneering Spirit to move closer approaching the turn before turning his mount loose after three-quarters in 1:11.06. Pioneering Spirit responded to urging with aplomb and drew clear of the Jimmy Toner-trained Commandeer in the stretch, clocking one mile in 1:37.35 and cantering home down the center of the course when shown a right-handed crop to complete the course 15 3/4 lengths in front in a final time of 1:51.42.

Wicked Finn, St Anthony, Rockemperor, Master Piece and Siege of Boston were scratched. King Cause was scratched at the gate, which led to the match race.

Rice said she was confident in both Ortiz and Pioneering Spirit.

“I haven't been in very many match races. This might be the first one,” said Rice. “He's very tactical this horse and he has a beautiful way of moving. He has a very efficient stride and great mechanics. Jose put the heat on the other horse and it worked.”

Ortiz, who was aboard Pioneering Spirit for the first time since an optional claiming win in July, said he knew the race was won in the far turn.

“At that point, I felt very confident and comfortable at the three-eighths pole,” said Ortiz. “I felt like Dylan's horse was struggling a bit over the backside, off the bit a little. From that point on, I just applied more pressure, more pressure and my horse was traveling well under the bridle. I was very happy at that point.”

Rice added Pioneering Spirit could come under consideration for the $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up, on November 12 here for his next outing.

Bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding, Pioneering Spirit banked $82,500 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $530,750 through a record of 20-6-4-2. He returned $3.40 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Trainer Jose D'Angelo hopes to welcome back his two FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes runners to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle in Hallandale Beach, Fla., once again Saturday.

Bentornato and Welcome Back are both undefeated and both won their races in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions.

The two juveniles have even more in common

Bentornato, the morning line favorite for Saturday's $200,000 Affirmed, and Welcome Back, who will seek a FSS repeat in the $200,000 Susan's Girl, have the same name, sort of.

“I picked Bentornato out when he was a yearling at the OBS sale, and the owner decided to pinhook him. They sold the horse for $170,000, but they returned the horse because the horse didn't pass the test,” D'Angelo said. “After that, they tried to buy the horse back for the same amount of money, but the owner said, 'No, no, I'm going to run the horse.' That's why they named the horse Bentornato, which means 'welcome back' in Italian,” D'Angelo said.

Leon King Stable Corp.'s Bentornato and Soldi Stable Inc.'s Welcome Back do not share common ownership.

“The filly's name is Welcome Back, so it's similar. It's similar – related, but not related,” D'Angelo said.

One thing is clear, Bentornato and Welcome Back are both precocious 2-year-olds that D'Angelo believes will improve with experience.

Bentornato, a son of Valiant Minister rallied from off the pace to win his five-furlong debut on a sloppy track July 1 before going on to win the six-furlong Proud Man in front-running fashion by 4 ¼ lengths and the FSS Dr. Fager by 7 ½ lengths after taking the lead in the backstretch.

“From the start, he showed ability,” D'Angelo said. “I think he's a very talented horse.

Welcome Back, who closed from off the pace to beat winners in her debut in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta, overcame traffic to register a victory in the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen at six furlongs.

“She's a two-turn horse, 100 percent,” D'Angelo said. “When we go longer with her, she's going to appreciate that. She's perfect to go two turns. The longer we run her, she's going to be better.”

Bentornato will put his undefeated record on the line while facing Mattingly, a highly regarded stakes winner on Tapeta who will be making his first start on dirt, as well as Hurricane Nelson, a Christophe Clement-trained New York invader who has finished second twice in maiden special weight races at Saratoga and Aqueduct.

Welcome Back will clash with undefeated R Harper Rose, a Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Khozan who missed the Desert Vixen due to a fever.

“For sure you feel pressure every race. You want to win the race for both horses,” D'Angelo said. “Both horses are training really good.”

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Patches O'Houlihan will put his perfect three-year-old record on the line in Sunday's $100,000 Overskate Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.

A deep group of eight Ontario sired three-year-olds and up will race 7 ½ furlongs over Woodbine's bet365 Inner Turf for the Overskate.

The Robert Tiller trained Patches O'Houlihan is a perfect six for six this season and holds a career record of seven wins from eight starts. The son of Reload is coming in off victories in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes (September 16) and the Grade 3 Bold Venture (August 20).

Patches O'Houlihan will be making his second turf appearance of the season after winning the Lake Huron Stakes on July 8. The Tiller trainee's only loss was a troubled journey sixth in last year's Bull Page Stakes over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The 7 ½ furlong distance will be the longest of Patches O'Houlihan's career. The Tiller trainee has been forced to show his determination in his last two starts to fend off rivals for the victory.

Daisuke Fukumoto will ride Patches O'Houlihan for owner/breeder Frank Di Giulio, Jr.

The rivals looking to knock off 'Patches' include last year's Sovereign Award winning two-year-old mare Philip My Dear and 2021 Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner Town Cruise.

The Kevin Attard trainee Philip My Dear last raced in the mile and a half Breeders' Stakes on October 1, finishing up well for fourth. The son of Silent Name was making his first turf appearance of the season after winning three of four last season on the grass.

The eight-year-old Town Cruise will look to capitalize on facing Ontario sired foes and find his first stakes win since the 2021 Ricoh Woodbine Mile. The Brandon Greer trainee picked up his first win since that September 2021 afternoon in an Allowance Optional Claiming event on July 30 over the Inner Turf. He then ran sixth in the Grade 3 Singspiel on September 9 before finishing fourth in his most recent race on September 30.

The $100,000 Overskate Stakes is carded as Race 6 (4:01 p.m.) on Sunday.

The $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes for Ontario sired fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, will also be held Saturday. A field of 11 will square off in the 7 ½ furlong bet365 Inner Turf contest.

Kevin Attard is the lone trainer with multiple entrants in the Eternal Search, sending out Fashionably Fab and Strega.

The four-year-old Strega has made just two starts this season, winning her most recent in a mile and an eighth Allowance Optional Claimer back on August 20. The four-time winner has finished in the top-three in 11 of 15 career starts and won last year's Ashbridges Bay Stakes, while also running second in the 2022 Bison City Stakes.

Kazushi Kimura will ride for owner Lanni Bloodstock.

The Eternal Search Stakes will go as Race 8 (5:08 p.m.) on Sunday.

First post is at 1:15 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.

Field for the Overskate Stakes
Post-Horse-Jockey-Trainer

1 – Patches O'Houlihan – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

2 – Dun Drum – Ryan Munger – Ian Black

3 – Lac Macaza – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Julia Carey

4 – Mason's Gamble – Sahin Civaci – Josie Carroll

5 – Town Cruise – Keveh Nicholls – Brandon Greer

6 – Perfect Crime – Kazushi Kimura – Patrick Dixon

7 – Banff – Rafael Hernandez – Martin Drexler

8 – Philip My Dear – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

Field for the Eternal Search Stakes
Post-Horse-Jockey-Trainer

1 – Breathing Fire – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Sid Attard

2 – Gamble's Silver – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

3 – Fashionably Fab – Patrick Husbands – Kevin Attard

4 – Pleasure's Gold – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard

5 – Hello Friends – Juan Crawford – John LeBlanc, Jr

6 – Miss Speedy – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

7 – Trading Bay – Eswan Flores – Darren Glennon

8 – My Girl Sky – Christopher Husbands – Katerina Vassilieva

9 – Taquanyah – Leo Salles – Saul McHugh

10 – Talk to Ya Later – Ryan Munger – Ian Black

11 – Strega – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

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