Tag: Racing

For the second consecutive start, Godolphin's homebred Eternal Hope (IRE) came out on the winning end of a dramatic stretch battle with Neecie Marie when keeping her newfound foe at bay in Saturday's 29th running of the $200,000 Sands Point (G2) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf at Belmont at the Big A.

Eternal Hope and Neecie Marie replicated the exacta from the Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3) going 1 3/8 miles on September 16 over the same course, where the former held off the latter's late rally to win by a neck for trainer Charlie Appleby. A Teofilo chestnut. Eternal Hope once more got the better of Neecie Marie, staving off her outside rally to hold on for a half-length triumph.

“She has a big heart. She fights. She knows her business,” said Sophie Chretien, assistant to the Newmarket-based Appleby. “She really fights to the end. At some stage, I was scared of the filly coming on the outside, but she responded to beat her on the post. She's a very brave filly.”

Under jockey Jamie Spencer, Eternal Hope was away easy from post 6 as Grade 1 winner Leave No Trace, who was making her turf debut, took command leaving the chute and led through a moderate opening quarter-mile in :24.42 over the yielding inner turf. Quarrel tracked 1 1/2 lengths behind in second with Eternal Hope to their outside in the clear from third.

Leave No Trace extended her early advantage to 2 1/2 lengths through a half-mile in :49.59 with jockey Kendrick Carmouche on a tight hold aboard Quarrel back in second. Eternal Hope and Grade 1-placed Be Your Best battled for third as Neecie Marie moved up into contention to their outside.

Quarrel inherited command from a retreating Leave No Trace nearing the far turn through three-quarters in 1:15.22 as Spencer began asking more of Eternal Hope and Neecie Marie poised to menace under Abner Adorno to her outside.

Quarrel remained the one to catch in upper stretch with Eternal Hope and Neecie Marie launching their rallies. Passing the chute, Eternal Hope put her head in front from a backpedaling Quarrel, but a resilient Neecie Marie continued to fight it out through the stretch. Eternal Hope had enough to keep her rival at bay and held on to post a half-length triumph in 1:53.56.

Neecie Marie finished second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of the late-closing Highland Grace, who finished third.

Completing the order of finish were Alpha Bella, Root Cause, Quarrel, Be Your Best, and Leave No Trace. Soviet Excess and Stephanie's Charm were scratched along with main-track only entrants Essaouira, Amanda's Folly, and Ichiban.

Spencer, who was in the irons for Eternal Hope's Jockey Club Oaks conquest, said the circumstances were better for Saturday's race.

“She's very genuine. She had a better break today and obviously a shorter trip, so I had to maximize her stamina,” Spencer said. “She was very brave from the half-mile pole because I was just lacking a little bit of speed and I was getting pressure from the outside. She fought her corner on the turn and in the straight, I always knew I was going to win because [she's an] English turf horse and horses [were] starting to get tired. She was always going to keep going, and that's what she did in the end.

“Stamina came into play, and class,” added Spencer. “Going back to nine furlongs from 11 furlongs last time – she only got up in the last strides last time, so we had to change things up a little bit. Charlie [Appleby] was pretty confident.”

Eternal Hope, now 2-for-2 in North America, picked up her fourth lifetime win after scoring in a 1 1/4-mile maiden weight for age in February at Chelmsford followed by a victory going 1 1/2 miles in the Oaks Trial in May at Lingfield, both races were contested over a synthetic surface. Prior to the Jockey Club Oaks, Eternal Hope was seventh in the Epsom Oaks (G1) in June at Epsom Downs and third in the Prix Alec Head (G2) in August over soft ground at Deauville.

The Sands Point coup also provided Appleby, Godolphin, and Spencer with a second straight day of North American graded glory after capturing Friday's Sycamore (G3) at Keeneland with Bold Act (IRE), who broke the 12-furlong event's stakes record.

Spencer has been in demand on all corners of the globe, piloting West Wind Blows to a runner-up effort in last Saturday's  Turnbull (G1) at Flemington Racecourse in Australia.

“I have had a busy time traveling, but you don't mind the traveling when the horses are getting the luck,” Spencer said.

Butch Reid Jr., the trainer of Pennsylvania-bred Neecie Marie, was full of praise for his now dual graded stakes-placed daughter of Cross Traffic as well as jockey Abner Adorno.

“He did a good job. We had that horse hemmed in there a little bit, but he kind of pushed his way out. Abner did a great job. I thought he rode a fine race,” Reid said. “She was up a little closer than I thought she would be today, but it seemed like everybody was trying to put their horses in the hunt on that really soft turf course to see who could handle it and who couldn't. I thought we had her at the eighth pole, but that horse is very strong and we couldn't get by her.”

Eternal Hope is out of the Dubawi (IRE) mare Voice of Truth (IRE), who is a half-sister to multiple group winner and sire Rio de La Plata. She banked $110,000 in victory, which increased her lifetime earnings to $358,183 and record to 7-4-0-2.  She returned $5 for a $2 win bet.

The post ‘We Couldn’t Get By Her’: Eternal Hope Repels Familiar Rival Once Again For Sands Point Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's homebred Bold Act (IRE) split horses passing the eighth pole and collared the pace-setting Cellist in deep stretch to post a three-quarters of a length victory in the 29^th running of the $269,213 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up Friday afternoon on College Scholarship Day at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Jamie Spencer, Bold Act completed the 1½ miles on a firm turf course in a stakes-record 2:28.08. The previous record of 2:28.81 was established in 2020 by Red Knight. It is the first Keeneland victory for Spencer and fourth Keeneland stakes victory for Appleby.

Bold Act became the third 3-year-old to win the Sycamore, joining Big Bend (2017) and Mustanfar (2004).

Cellist led the field through fractions of :24.93, :50.39, 1:15.16 and 1:40.32 while being unopposed on the front end as Spencer gave Bold Act a ground-saving trip while running seventh.

At the top of the stretch, Cellist maintained a daylight advantage while Bold Act was moving off the rail and looking for running room. He found it at midstretch, diving between two horses, and had a clear run to the wire that enabled him to get past Cellist.

Bold Act is an Irish-bred son of New Approach out of the Dubawi mare Dancing Sands. In posting his first graded stakes victory, Bold Act improved his record to 12-6-2-2 and increased his earnings to $331,470 that includes Friday's $141,438 check.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of 12, Bold Act returned $7.76, $4.84 and $3.90. Cellist, ridden by Martin Garcia, returned $13.60 and $8.56 and finished a neck in front of Limited Liability, who paid $4.76 to show under John Velazquez.

It was another 1¼ lengths back to Red Run, who was followed in order by Tawny Port, Red Knight, Therapist, Highest Honors, Shawdyshawdyshawdy, Kitodan, Channel Maker and Another Mystery.

Racing continues Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET with a 10-race program highlighted by the 40^th running of the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana. The QE II goes as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. post time.

The post Bold Act Collars Frontrunning Cellist In Deep Stretch To Win Sycamore appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A Maryland mainstay for parts of six decades and a winner of more than 2,000 career races, trainer Hamilton Smith is inching closer to one race that has yet eluded him.

Smith, 78, will send out Kathleen Willier's All Threes in the $150,000 Classic, the 1 1/8-mile centerpiece for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday's 38^th Jim McKay Maryland Million program at Laurel Park celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Eight stakes and four starter stakes worth $1.08 million in purses make up 'Maryland's Day at the Races,' with a special first race post of 11:30 a.m. ET. The Classic goes off as Race 11 with a scheduled post time of 5:10 p.m.

Based at Laurel, Smith has run in the Classic five times since 2013 and finished third in each of the past two years with The Poser, who was beaten less than a length at odds of 7-1 in 2021 and 6 ¼ lengths at 11-1 in 2022.

Smith also finished third with favored Just Jack in 2016. Talk Show Man, a two-time Maryland Million Turf winner for Smith, was fourth as the favorite in the 2015 Classic and fifth in 2013.

“Everybody would like to win that one,” Smith said of the Classic. “I've run in it several times, but I haven't quite gotten there yet. It would be nice. Maryland Million Day is a big day for Maryland, and you always like to do good. We're going take a swing at it and see what happens.”

Bred in Maryland by Walter Vieser, All Threes is a 5-year-old son of Great Notion, who has produced at least one Maryland Million winner for 13 consecutive years. All Threes will be trying nine furlongs for the first time, but has two seconds and a third – beaten a total of four lengths – going a mile and a sixteenth in three of his last four races.

Among the horses to beat All Threes are stakes winners Everett's Song, Yodel E.A. Who and Grade 3 winner Double Crown, who is the 9-5 program favorite in the main field of eight Maryland-sired horses. Three Maryland-breds are on the also-eligible list, including third alternate Big Blue Kitten (8-5).

“He's run with some good company, no doubt about that. He's been on the board, anyway. He always tries so we'll give him a shot and see what happens,” Smith said. “He tries hard and he's been very consistent.”

All Threes, who drew Post 6 with jockey Sheldon Russell, is rated as the 7-2 third choice behind Grade 3 winner Double Crown and defending champion Ournationonparade (3-1), seeking to become just the sixth horse to win back-to-back Classics and seventh with three Maryland Million victories. All Threees has been third or better in eight of nine starts this year and 11 of 15 of 24 lifetime.

Smith is tied for the fourth-most Maryland Million wins with eight, seven behind all-time leader Dale Capuano, who retired at the start of 2023. Smith won the Nursery for 2-year-olds with Carnivorous Habit in 1997 and Greatbullsoffire in 2016, the Lassie for 2-year-old fillies with Gin Talking in 1999, the Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass with Debbie Sue in 2006, the Distaff for fillies and mares 3 and up with Blind Date in 2010 and Lionhearted Lady in 2015, and the Turf with Talk Show Man in 2014 and 2018.

“Talk Show Man, he won two there and he hooked that real good horse of Rodney Jenkins' in a couple of those races [Phlash Phelps]. They fought it out pretty good, back and forth. They were pretty evenly matched and they were very exciting races those two ran,” Smith said. “He handled turf and dirt, anything. He was a real nice horse.”

In addition to All Threes Smith has two other starters on the day, both in the $100,000 Distaff sprinting seven furlongs – Response Time and Luna Belle, Maryland's champion 2-year-old filly of 2021 and 3-year-old filly of 2022. A five-time stakes winner, also by Great Notion, she is making her first start since last spring's Black-Eyed Susan (G2).

“It feels good to win any of them, to tell you the truth. Doggone right. You've got all the Maryland people and big crowd out there. It's always great to perform well under those circumstances,” Smith said. “I hope we have a good day. These horse breeders and the farms, they deserve a big day. Without them we wouldn't have the Maryland-bred racing.”

Stakes preceding the Classic include the $125,000 Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and up in Race 3, $125,000 Turf for 3-year-olds and up in Race 5, $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies in Race 6, $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7, $100,000 Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up in Race 8, $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds in Race 9 and $100,000 Distaff in Race 10.

The Ladies and Turf, both at 1 1/8 miles, and 5 ½-furlong Turf Sprint are all scheduled for the Exceller turf course. The Lassie, Nursery and Sprint are set for six furlongs and the Distaff for seven furlongs on the main track.

There will be carryovers of $8,851.08 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 8-12), $3,766.83 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 7-12) and $2,916.56 in the $1 Jackpot Super High 5 (Race 6).

Notes: Jockey Jeiron Barbosa doubled for the second straight day Friday, aboard La Traviesa ($10.40) in Race 8 and Poggibonsi ($9.40) in Race 9 … Jaime Rodriguez also rode two winners, Berks ($3.20) in Race 5 and Moncrief ($22.40) in Race 10 … Jockey Sheldon Russell was shaken up after his mount, Binnie, acted up in the gate and was scratched prior to Race 7, a maiden claiming event for 2-year-old fillies. A younger full sister to multiple stakes winner Crabcakes favored at 7-5 for her debut, the Morgan's Ford Farm homebred daughter of Great Notion is named for late horsewoman Elizabeth 'Binnie' Houghton, who bred and raced Crabcakes. Russell was replaced on his lone remaining mount, Gastown Babe, who ran second behind La Traviesa in the second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up. The winning time was 1:02.83 over a firm Exceller turf course … Poggibonsi held off Violent Vixen the length of the stretch to win the co-feature, a second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs, in 1:04.87 on a fast main track.

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