Tag: Racing

NBS Stable and Elements Racing's graded stakes-winner Danse Macabre will face an overflow field when she returns to New York for Thursday's $125,000 Glen Cove, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Kelsey Danner, the Army Mule chestnut rallied to finish 1 3/4-lengths back in third here last year in the Grade 3 Matron won by American Apple, who got the jump and posted a neck score over Redifined.

Danse Macabre exited that effort to win her seasonal debut in March at Gulfstream Park in the one-mile Grade 3 Herecomesthebride, posting a head score over Papilio, who returned to win the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland.

The talented chestnut has shortened up in distance in her most recent two outings, taking the 5 1/2-furlong Mamzelle by 2 1/4-lengths over American Apple in May at Churchill Downs and finishing a prominent second last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Music City on September 2 at Kentucky Downs.

Danse Macabre exited post 1-of-12 under regular rider Adam Beschizza in the Music City and prompted the pace from second position. She angled four-wide for the stretch run and landed one length back of the victorious Secret Money and three-quarter lengths in front of the multiple graded stakes-placed Bling, who exited that effort to register a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in an allowance score at Keeneland.

“I thought she ran a really big race,” Danner said. “I think the filly that beat her is a really nice filly and I know they thought a lot of that filly, as well. She ran a big race coming off the fence.”

Danner said the ultra-consistent Danse Macabre has plenty of heart.

“A lot of it,” agreed Danner. “She's doing very good. Three-quarters is right up her alley. I'd like it better if it's not soaking wet. Anywhere from five-eighths to a mile, she's OK.”

The $55,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase has banked $858,340 through a record of 8-4-3-1. She is out of the Blame mare Sylphide, who is half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Cambodia.

“I picked her out at the sale. She's got a nice build, a strong hind end and she looked quick,” Danner said.

Beschizza has the call from post 2.

Trainer Christophe Clement will hope to saddle a trio of top contenders in stakes-placed Love Appeals [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], three-time winner Dontlookbackatall [post 9, Jose Ortiz] and well-related allowance winner Plentitude [post 11, Dylan Davis], who is on the also-eligible list.

Moyglare Stud Farm's Kentucky homebred Love Appeals closed to finish third two starts back in the 5 1/2-furlong Blue Sparkler on July 15 at Monmouth Park, landing a neck back of her victorious returning rival Beauty of the Sea. The Speightstown bay followed with a troubled fourth last out in the Galway traveling the same distance over good going on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course.

Love Appeals is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Gioia Stella, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Nereid and the Grade 1-placed Sea Queen.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables' Pennsylvania-bred Dontlookbackatall sports a ledger of 8-3-3-0 that includes a state-bred allowance score over the main track in July at Parx and a last-out frontrunning win in an open allowance on September 14 here, besting next-out allowance winner Play the Music.

The speedy dark bay, a $150,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed En Wye Cee.

CHC Inc.'s Kentucky homebred Plentitude, by Quality Road and out of the Grade 1-winning Gemologist mare Yellow Agate, is a full-sister to recent Grade 2 Pilgrim-winner Agate Road.

Plentitude graduated on debut over the main track in April at Tampa Bay Downs and followed by stalking and pouncing to victory against elders in a six-furlong turf allowance on June 16 at Belmont, besting a pair of next-out allowance winners in Z First and Shootoutthelights.

The lightly-raced bay was last seen finishing fourth in the aforementioned Blue Sparkler when three lengths back of Beauty of the Sea.

R. Larry Johnson's Maryland-homebred Future Is Now [post 5, Victor Carrasco] will make her stakes debut following a frontrunning open-company allowance win traveling five furlongs over good going on September 16 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Great Notion bay zipped through splits of 22.64 seconds and 45.95 under Victor Carrasco en route to a 4 3/4-length score in a final time of 58.39. The impressive effort garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She ran really fast last time when she won the allowance, so it's probably a good time to take a crack at stakes company with her,” Trombetta said.

Future Is Now graduated on debut sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over firm turf in a restricted maiden special weight on August 5 at Colonial Downs. She returned 20 days later at Colonial to finish a distant fourth in her dirt debut ahead of her last-out score.

The speedy bay is out of the Bernardini mare Past as Prelude, who is a half-sister to Street Magician – winner of the 2007 Grade 3 Hirsch Jacobs over the Pimlico main track for Trombetta and Johnson.

Richard Schermerhorn's lightly-raced Lady Beth [post 4, Manny Franco] will look to secure her first stakes win for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The Hard Spun bay graduated on debut in February over the Gulfstream Park synthetic and followed in May with a third-place finish in the aforementioned Grade 3 Soaring Softly. Last out, she set the pace when fifth in the one-mile Winter Memories on September 15, landing two lengths back of the victorious Sacred Wish.

Out of the Makfi mare Boreale, the third dam of the $390,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds-In-Training purchase produced multiple graded stakes-winner Interactif.

A talented field includes a strong pair from Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse in stakes-winner Ticker Tape Home [post 10, Junior Alvarado] and stakes-placed Personal Pursuit [post 7, Javier Castellano]; also featured are Group 3-placed Zoinnocent [post 1, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Kevin Boniface; the Joe Orseno-trained stakes-winner Beauty of the Sea [post 6, Jairo Rendo]; and Determined Jester [post 3, Forest Boyce], who won the Rosie's last September at Colonial Downs for trainer Phil Schoenthal.

The also-eligible list includes the stakes-placed Violet Gibson [post 12, Tyler Conner] for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr.; and maiden winners Queen of the Mud [post 13, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer Graham Motion and the Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon-conditioned Gatita Suave [post 14, Katie Davis]. Tappin Josie is entered for the main-track only.

The Glen Cove, which was originally scheduled for Sunday and re-scheduled due to forecasted inclement weather, is slated as Race 8 on Thursday's 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.

The post Danse Macabre Faces Overflow Field For Thursday’s Glen Cove Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A. Bianco Holding Limited's Pioneering Spirit will see a cutback in distance for the 63rd running of Friday's $150,000 Knickerbocker (G3) for 3-year-olds and upward going nine furlongs over the outer turf at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, Pioneering Spirit arrives from a seventh-place finish in the 12-furlong Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on October 7 over yielding ground at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah entered that event from a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch on September 4 over firm inner turf at Saratoga Race Course, where he ran a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pioneering Spirit, haltered for $40,000 in March, returned to turf for the first time since December 2021 when graduating at 13th asking for a $40,000 tag on May 11 at Belmont Park to kick off a four-race winning streak. He then defeated starter allowance company on June 4 going nine furlongs at the same track before winning two events at allowance and allowance optional claiming level.

“He's doing fine. There are limited opportunities before we stop on him for a winter break,” Rice said. “He'll get some time off over the winter instead of going south and running at a different location. It seems like he's a little better at a shorter distance than a longer distance. He can go longer, but maybe he needs a firm course.”

Jose Lezcano will ride from the outermost post 8.

Grade 1 winner Rockemperor [post 5, Manny Franco] will look to give trainer Chad Brown a third Knickerbocker win after he saddled Devamani [2020] and Sacred Life [2021].

The 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding won the 2021 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont Park as well as last year's 11-furlong Bowling Green (G2)  at Saratoga, but is looking to round back into winning form this season. He was last seen posting a runner-up finish in the 10-furlong Singspiel (G3) on September 9 at Woodbine.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber and Michael J. Caruso, Rockemperor is the lone millionaire in the field with $1,208,397 in earnings.

Veteran conditioner Jimmy Toner will have two chances for a Knickerbocker triumph with Commandeer [post 3, Dylan Davis] and Siege of Boston [post 7, Jorge Ruiz].

Owned by AJ Suited Racing Stable, Commandeer will cut back in distance from a fourth-place finish in the 12-furlong Cape Henlopen on September 16 at Delaware Park. The son of Street Boss had previously dead heated for victory in an August 3 allowance optional claimer at Colonial, but was subsequently disqualified from purse money. A three-time winner over the main track, Commandeer made his turf debut when second beaten a neck in a 1 1/16-mile Keeneland turf allowance on April 20.

“He improved when we got him on the grass. I had been waiting to get him on grass for a long time and I finally did,” Toner said. “Last time, he ran well. I thought he would get up for third, but he was wide and the ground was a little too soft. He always tries and he tried that day. He's a tough old guy. I think a mile and an eighth is his best distance. He's knocking on the door and we'll get there one of these days.”

Joseph Allen's Kentucky homebred Siege of Boston returns to the site of his sixth-out maiden victory in November. The 4-year-old War Front bay came from 13 lengths off the pace before he unleashed a devastating late run in deep stretch to score by 3 1/4 lengths. Since his maiden score, Siege of Boston has picked up allowance optional claiming triumphs when going gate-to-wire on March 25 at Gulfstream Park and stalking the pace from fifth en route to a 5 1/2-length win on June 18 at Laurel Park.

Siege of Boston enters from a pair of placed efforts on the Kentucky circuit when third beaten one length in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup on August 6 going 10 furlongs at Ellis Park, one month before finishing second going one mile at Kentucky Downs.

“He was impressive last fall and he's been right along all summer,” Toner said. “He's run well every time we've run him, he's been right there for us. He ran two good races in Kentucky. The race at Ellis, he maybe hung a little bit but when we cut him back at Kentucky Downs, he just couldn't catch the winner. He's been solid in every race he's run in so far.”

Alice Bamford's Kentucky homebred St Anthony [post 4, Javier Castellano] enters from a pair of victories over the Monmouth Park turf for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale. Following a respective third and fifth going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park, the 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding captured a July 28 allowance optional claimer at the same distance at Monmouth before earning his career third stakes triumph in the one-mile Red Bank on September 4.

St Anthony was a two-time stakes winner during his sophomore season, taking the Alcatraz at Golden Gate Fields and the Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa.

Nice Guys Stables' King Cause [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] returns in pursuit of a repeat Knickerbocker conquest for trainer Mike Maker, looking to join Shady Character [1974-75], Charge d'Affairs [1999-2000], Boisterous [2011-12] and Blacktype [2017-18] as back-to-back winners. The 8-year-old son of Creative Cause set an easy tempo in last year's Knickerbocker en route to a two-length score over dual graded stakes-winner Pixelate.

King Cause will look to get back to winning form, entering from two unplaced finishes after winning the Texas Turf Classic on June 24 at Lone Star Park.

Completing the field are graded stakes winner Master Piece [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.] for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. and stakes-placed Wicked Finn [post 1, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Kelly Blake.

The post ‘He’s A Little Better At A Shorter Distance’: Pioneering Spirit Shortens Up For Knickerbocker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In 2-year-old stakes action at Woodbine Sunday, filly Tripolina took on the boys and captured the $125,000 Display Stakes, and A Little Frisky gave jockey Ryan Munger his first career stakes win in the $125,000 Glorious Song for fillies.

Tripolina, trained by Kevin Attard and ridden to victory by Woodbine leading jockey Kazushi Kimura, is owned by X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC. The Kentucky-bred Constitution filly is now perfect in two starts, the first being a maiden special weight on August 13 at Woodbine.

Out of the gate, Western Whirl took the lead while favorite Tripolina settled in the midfield among the eight runners.

After an opening quarter of :23.15, Western Whirl was passed by Gotts Got It and Magic Slips, the latter leading through a half mile in :45.53.

Around the turn, Tripolina surged up to the leaders from the outside. Down the stretch, she pushed past the front-runners, winning by 2 3/4 lengths. Two Ghosts was second, Western Whirl was third, and Break the Spell was fourth after a photo for the show spot.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.81 on the Tapeta main track.

Tripolina was entered into both of Woodbine's Sunday stakes, but ultimately Display was decided upon.

“We kind of looked at the race set up and obviously we're trying to see if we can win both divisions,” Attard said. “We thought this filly here suited this race best. It just worked out like we planned.”

“She's very smart, she is big, kind of scopey filly. I don't like to rush them off their feet too early, if she broke well and kind of wanted to be in the early fight, we would have let her do that. But on paper it looked like there would be plenty of speed, so we hoped it would transpire like it did and it worked out in our favor today.”

Tripolina was bred WinStar Farm LLC from the Street Boss mare Ballykiss. Offered at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Vinery Sales, she sold to X-Men Racing for $70,000. With Sunday's win, she has $87,031 in purse earnings.

Tripolina paid $4.70 to win.

In the Glorious Song for fillies, A Little Frisky earned her first win with a last-to-first rally to score by three-quarters of a length in her second career start.

A Little Frisky, trained by Josie Carroll and owned by Mark Dodson, was the runner-up in her debut in a maiden special weight on September 1 at Woodbine but made amends in fine style Sunday.

Mystic Lake broke ahead of the pack and maintained the lead through the opening quarter in :22.75 with Bolt Enoree in second and Witwatersrand in third. A Little Frisky, out of post 7, was last in the field of eight.

The field reached the half in :44.69, A Little Frisky remained at the back of the pack. Mystic Lake led, 2-1 favorite Witwatersrand was second, Rosa was third, and Bolt Enoree was fourth.

Just before the turn, A Little Frisky quickly began making up ground along the rail. Down the stretch, jockey Ryan Munger found a gap between Witwatersrand and Rosa, passing the duo to challenge the leader. Just before the wire, A Little Frisky took the lead from Mystic Lake, who finished second. Witwatersrand was third, and Uphill Dance was fourth.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.87 on the Tapeta main track.

“Got the monkey of my back, it feels great. It all worked out and the plan came together,” said Munger, who captured his first stakes. “Josie Carroll gave me a lot of instructions and big thanks to her, she had the filly in spot on condition.”

“It was actually a funny race, I didn't get the best of jumps, which was a bit unfortunate. There were four horses abreast, and I decided it is a very competitive field and the only way I can knockout punch was to save ground and take a chance. So that's what I did, then I just waited for the gaps to open.”

Carroll sees a bright future for A Little Frisky, an Ontario-bred daughter of Army Mule.

“We loved this filly from the start, but she is still very immature, there's nothing but upside to her,” Carroll said. “She's got a lot of growing up and learning to do. But she was brave and bold today, we are very proud of her.”

Bred by Josham Farms Limited from the Zensational mare Tulsa, A Little Frisky has $78,858 in purse earnings. Ben McElroy, agent, signed the $140,000 sales ticket for her at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Hill 'n' Dales Sales Agency consigned her.

A Little Frisky paid $15 for the win.

The post Juvenile Fillies Tripolina, A Little Frisky Shine In Stakes At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Overwhelming favorite Liberty Island claimed this year's $1,822,000 Shuka Sho (G1) Sunday at Kyoto Racecourse to sweep Japan's Triple Crown for fillies, which includes her victories this spring in the Oka Sho (G1) (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and the Yushun Himba (G1) (Japanese Oaks).

Liberty Island is the seventh filly to dominate all three' Triple Crown races for fillies, following Mejiro Ramonu (1986), Still in Love (2003), Apapane (2010), Gentildonna (2012), Almond Eye (2018),and Daring Tact (2020). She also extended her Group 1-winning streak to four, including last year's Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, which earned her the JRA Award's Best Two-Year-Old Filly title.

Starting this year, a Japanese-bred horse that achieves the filly Triple Crown title will receive a bonus of 100 million yen (approximately $668,846).

Liberty Island broke smoothly and settled two-wide in good position behind the leaders, around seventh along the backstretch, and made headway 600 meters out while turning the last corners wide. After taking command around the 400-meter pole, the Duramente filly found another gear to exert a strong drive along the stretch and, although threatened by the fast-closing chase by Masked Diva before the wire, managed to hold off the Rulership filly by a length margin for her Triple Crown title.

Time for the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) was 2:01.1 on turf rated as good.

“I'm grateful that we were able to achieve the Triple Crown,” said winning rider Yuga Kawada. “She is a horse with great ability, so I placed top priority on letting her run comfortably and finding a good path for her. I was confident of her victory when we had an open space at the third corner. She has great potential, and her dreams for the future are wide open, but first of all, I would like to praise her for achieving the Triple Crown.”

Liberty Island is trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida for owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. She was bred by Northern Racing from the All American mare Yankee Rose.

Third pick Masked Diva broke sharply and eased back to settle around 13th. Though meeting traffic at the top of the stretch, the filly found an opening 300 meters out and dislodged a powerful late charge that timed the fastest last three furlongs to close in on the leader but was a length short at the wire to finish second.

Second pick Harper sat around fifth in front of the winner, angled out slightly turning the final corner and, while unable to keep up with the winner's speed, managed to pass the tiring frontrunners 100 meters out but missed the runner-up spot before the wire for third.

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