Tag: Racing

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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NBS Stable and Elements Racing's Danse Macabre made a bold inside move in the late stages of Thursday's $125,000 Glen Cove to earn her fourth career stakes victory in the six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomore fillies at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Kelsey Danner, the daughter of Army Mule showed her versatility with her off-the-pace triumph, which was her first when racing farther back than third in the early stages. Last year, she came from 3 1/2 lengths off the pace to capture Kentucky Downs' Untapable by a nose, but needed to make up seven lengths in the Glen Cove to get up in time under regular pilot Adam Beschizza and return to the winner's circle for the first time since May.

“I was a little worried,” Danner said about being far off the pace. “She doesn't like soft ground and Adam said there's a lot of cut down there. She's just a nice filly. She knows what she's doing and she does it. She has a lot of heart.”

Danse Macabre broke evenly from post 2 in the 10-horse field as Zoinnocent broke slow to her inside and Determined Jester rushed up to assume command to her outside in company with Future Is Now and mark an opening quarter-mile in 22.20 seconds over the good footing.

The pair opened up four lengths on the field down the backstretch with Dontlookbackatall biding her time in third and Danse Macabre racing in sixth along the inside. Approaching the turn, Beschizza angled his mount a few paths out and coaxed her along as Dontlookbackatall inched closer to the pacesetters and Love Appeals tracked to her outside in fourth after the half-mile in 44.92.

Danse Macabre found herself three-wide in pursuit of the top flight entering the stretch with Determined Jester and Future Is Now beginning to yield to their oncoming opponents. Dontlookbackatall took charge past the eighth pole with Love Appeals putting in a serious bid in the center of the course, prompting Beschizza to ask his mount to duck down inside of the former for the final hundred yards to the wire. Danse Macabre responded with an impressive burst of speed to pass Dontlookbackatall in deep stretch and notch the 1 1/2-length score in a final time of 1:09.34.

Dontlookbackatall secured place honors by a neck over her oncoming Christophe Clement-trained stablemate Love Appeals with Personal Pursuit rallying from ninth late to round out the superfecta another 2 3/4 lengths back.

Lady Beth, Ticker Tape Home, Future Is Now, Beauty of the Sea, Determined Jester and Zoinnocent completed the order of finish. Also-eligibles Plentitude, Violet Gibson, Queen of the Mud, Gatita Suave and main track-only entrant Tappin Josie were scratched.

Beschizza, who earned his 600th career win in the Glen Cove, said the softer footing kept Danse Macabre from utilizing her usual prominent trip.

“She's a fast ground filly. When it's fast, I can usually sit there on the bridle close to the speed,” Beschizza said. “I'd say it was the soft side of good today and I was just wheel spinning and scrambling early. We were going a good honest tempo, so I was hoping it would break. The class shined through and she got up.”

Beschizza, who began riding in 2015, reflected on what Danse Macabre has meant to both him and Danner.

“She's done wonders for my career and Kelsey. The owner puts his hard-earned money into the game and he's getting his just rewards with fillies like her. For a cheap purchase she's definitely a diamond in the rough and an owner's dream,” Beschizza said of the $55,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase. “I can't complain, I've been on the back of her through losses as well and Kelsey still throws me back on.”

Danner added she has not yet made any plans for Danse Macabre's next outing.

“There's a few options this winter. I might just give her a bit of a break as there's kind of a lull of options right now,” said Danner.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, Danse Macabre boasts a graded victory after taking the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in March at Gulfstream Park, as well as additional stakes scores in the Mamzelle in May at Churchill Downs and aforementioned Untapable. The talented chestnut banked $68,750 in victory and is nearing millionaire status with $927,090 in total purse earnings through a perfect in-the-money record of 9-5-3-1. She returned $4.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Jose Ortiz, aboard runner-up Dontlookbackatall, said his mount was valiant in defeat.

“Very clean trip, picture perfect,” said Ortiz. “We knew the winner would be tough going in, she's a very nice horse. I'm very happy with our filly. She's nice and she's proved that she's getting better each time.”

Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card that features the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker in Race 6. 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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OLG Canadian Triple Crown jewel winners Velocitor and Touch'n Ride are set to compete in the $150,000 Grade 3 Ontario Derby on Saturday at Woodbine.

The Grade 3 Ontario Derby for 3-year-olds is run at a mile and an eighth on the Tapeta. Saturday's contest has attracted a field of 10.

Kevin Attard trainee Velocitor will make his return to the track after winning the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown at Fort Erie Race Track on September 12.

“Velocitor has been doing well since his Prince of Wales win,” said Attard to Woodbine Communications. “He's had a few easy breezes since and has been feeling very good about himself.”

Owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Velocitor has a record of 4-1-1 from 10 starts. The son of Mor Spirit won the Coronation Futurity last November and ran fourth in The King's Plate ahead of his Prince of Wales win.

Twin City, Cool Kiss, Stanley House and Twowaycrossing join Velocitor and Touch'n Ride as horses racing in Saturday's Grade 3 Ontario Derby that competed in a leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown. All six horses raced in two of the three legs of the Triple Crown.

Layne Giliforte trainee Touch'n Ride won the mile and a half Breeders' Stakes over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 1. Twowaycrossing is the only other starter in Saturday's Ontario Derby that ran in the Breeders'.

Attard is looking forward to sending Velocitor out in Saturday's race against some familiar Canadian bred rivals plus new opponents, including the Mark Casse trained fillies Forever Dixie and Solo Album.

“The cut back to nine furlongs should be to his liking. It's a very competitive field and should set up to be an exciting horse race.”

With seasonal temperatures expected Saturday, Velocitor is a proven winner in cooler temperatures after winning last year's Coronation Futurity.

“Definitely some horses enjoy the cooler weather, (Velocitor) obviously won in the fall as a juvenile, but at the same token I didn't ever think that the heat was an issue for him in the summer months or effected his performance”, said Attard. “I think since gelding him he's just gotten more focused and has steadily improved to get back to the type of horse we were hoping he would turn out to be.”

Justin Stein has the assignment again aboard Velocitor in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby. Stein and Attard are both seeking their first Ontario Derby victories.

The lightly raced Touch'n Ride enters with a record of 2-0-1 from 4 starts for owner/breeder Chiefswood Stables Limited. Jockey Kazushi Kimura will once again ride and is seeking his fourth consecutive victory in the Ontario Derby.

Chiefswood last won the Ontario Derby with Tiz a Slam in 2017.

The Ontario Derby will be Saturday's ninth race. First post time is 1:15 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.

$150,000 ONTARIO DERBY (GRADE 3)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Souper Blessing – Willie Martinez – Michael Trombetta

2 – American Blaze – Ryan Munger – Riley Rycroft

3 – Twin City – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Stuart Simon

4 – Cool Kiss – Louis Contreras – Michael De Paulo

5 – Stanley House – Rafael Hernandez – Michael De Paulo

6 – Velocitor- Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

7 – Touch'n Ride – Kazushi Kimura – Layne Giliforte

8 – Forever Dixie – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

9 – Twowaycrossing – Keveh Nicholls – Rodger Attfield

10 – Solo Album – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

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