Tag: Racing

Ghost Hero captured the biggest race on Remington Park's Oklahoma Classics Night card in fine style Friday–the $131,000 Classics Cup.

The 3-year-old Shaman Ghost colt won last year's Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and the Don McNeill Stakes last year at Remington before being soundly defeated there in the Springboard Mile to end the season. This year, he won the Lafayette at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana and Will Rogers Stakes Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., before returning to Remington Park and finishing 10th in the Oklahoma Derby (G3), but emphatically rebounded in the Classics Cup.

Under jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. Ghost Hero romped to a  7 1/4-length triumph while covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.37 on a fast track.

“He just bounced in his last race (Oklahoma Derby),” said trainer Jayde J. Gelner. “He had two big races before the Oklahoma Derby.”

Ghost Hero was sitting two lengths off the lead after a half mile in the Classics Cup, stalking pacesetter Kwontro (29-1), who eventually faded to last. Kwontro set early fractions of :23.25 for the first quarter mile and :46.93 for the half mile. Ghost Hero took over when he hit three-quarters in 1:11.67 and clocked a mile in 1:38.17.

Despite Ghost Hero's comfortable five-length led in early stretch, Wethey continued to urge on the winner through the stretch.

“I didn't want to hold anything back,” said Wethey, “and I didn't. My first win on him, I knew he was something special. I was going to stick with him (wherever he went).”

As Wethey returned to the winner's circle, he began tearing the flowers off the blanket of carnations placed over the horse's withers after the race and throwing them into the air in celebration. It was Wethey's second win of the night in the Classics, also taking the $76,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie aboard Miss Code West.

The win marked Gelner's second trip to the winner's circle on the night, taking the $99,600 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf with Run Slewpy Run earlier in the evening. Ghost Hero gave Gelner his third career Classics win.

The 6-5 second choice, Ghost Hero is owned by Norman Stables (Robert Norman) of Thomasville, Ala. He improved his record to 13 starts, six wins, one second and one third for earnings of $326,282. He was purchased at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, where Fort Christopher's Thoroughbreds consigned him. The ticket was signed in the name of “Father and son”.

Number One Dude, as the 4-5 odds-on favorite, checked in second and was another 1 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place Absaroka (11-1), who won the race two years ago.

Ghost Hero ($4.40)  was bred in Oklahoma by Clark Brewster of Tulsa, Okla. His dam is the Super Saver mare Queen Buxley.

Also on the the Oklahoma Classics Night card, Boom Baby Flats won the $76,000 Juvenile, Dicey took the $99,600 Distaff Sprint, Stormieis Blue won the $111,000 Distaff Handicap, Fly to the Bank captured the $99,600 Sprint, and Eakly took the $99,600 OKC Turf Classic Handicap.

The post ‘Something Special’: Ghost Hero Rolls Home Unchallenged In Oklahoma Classics Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.

The post Commandeer No Match For Pioneering Spirit In Two-Horse, Off-Turf Knickerbocker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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