Tag: Racing

Coastal Mission denied stablemate Muad'dib a third consecutive Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders' Classic win on Saturday night when cruising wire to wire en route to a comfortable 5 3/4-length triumph in the $300,000 race for 3-year-olds and older at Charles Town Races.

The Great Notion gelding took charge into the first turn under Arnaldo Bocachica and led 129-1 shot Tyry Tyrannosaurus by a length through the first half mile while Muad'dib rated in seventh. Coastal Mission extended his advantage on the far turn and opened up by 8 1/2 lengths in early stretch before coasting across the finish line for a six straight victory.

West Virginia's reigning horse of the year, Muad'dib, who took the back-to-back editions of the race in 2021 and 2022, unleashed his rally entering the far turn and advanced to third but could not get close enough to challenge Coast Mission and settled for second. Late in the Game finished another length back in third.

Sent off the 1-5 favorite in the field of 10 West Virginia-breds, Coastal Mission returned $2.40 for the win after finishing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.40 on a sloppy (sealed) track.

Trained by Jeff Runco, who bred and campaigns the gray/roan gelding with his wife, Susan, in the name of Coleswood Farm Inc., Coastal Mission notched his eighth win from nine start this year while scoring his third stakes of the season, all at Charles Town. His only off-the-board finish came at Laurel Park March 18 when he was fifth in the Not For Love Stakes.

Overall, Coastal Mission has won or placed in 15 of 16 career starts, his career line standing at 11-3-1. The $141,075 winner's share of purse increased his lifetime earnings to $572,728.

Coastal Mission was produced by the Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd, the dam of Maryland-bred stakes winner and $535,264-earner Lewisfield, who was twice graded-placed.

The post Coastal Mission Dominates Rivals In West Virginia Breeders’ Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Millie Girl, under Rafael Hernandez, rallied late to take the $150,000 Ontario Matron (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.

Millie Girl is trained by Catherine Day Phillips, who also co-owns (through her Kingfield Racing Stable, Ltd.) with Braconcrest Inc. and Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds.

The Ontario Matron marked the fourth win and first stakes win for the 5-year-old Hard Spun mare after finishing third in both the Royal North Stakes (G2) and the Nassau Stakes (G2) and second in last month's Seaway Stakes (G3).

Darley's Kentucky-based Hard Spun also is the sire of Spun Glass, who one race later on the card captured the Ontario Fashion (G3) for a back-to-back graded stakes double for the stallion, who stands at Jonabell Farm in Lexington.

From post 8 in the 1 1/16-mile race on the Tapeta main track, Millie Girl broke in the center of the field. With Angelou in the lead, the field reached the opening quarter in :24.53.

Angelou continued to lead with Tamarama (GB) following closely behind with Souper Hoity Toity and Il Malocchio battling for third. The field made it to the half in :48.87. Millie Girl was third last.

Millie Girl started to make ground around the turn, moving up to fourth behind Angelo in first, Mouffy in second, and Il Malocchio in third. Down the stretch, Millie Girl flew past the leaders on the outside, winning by a head. Angelou was second, Il Malochio third, and Mouffy fourth.

The final time was 1:35.75.

“I thought when she got into the clear she would run them down but they weren't coming back to her very quickly and I thought uh-oh, we might be in trouble here but she still found a way to get there,” said Day Philips, who never lost confidence in the mare.

“She's run very hard, we've always believed in her so much and really felt that she deserved to be a stakes winner, and a graded stakes winner now. I'm very happy for her.”

Millie Girl, who was bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry from the Smart Strike mare Mendocino Beano, paid 10.70 to win.

The post ‘We’ve Always Believed In Her’: Millie Girl Scores Stakes Breakthrough In Ontario Matron appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In an exciting 27-1 upset, Spun Glass came from off the pace to win the $150,000 Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Woodbine.

Spun Glass, trained by Michael Trombetta for owner-breeder Larry Johnson, achieved her seventh win and first graded stakes win. She was returning to Woodbine for the first time since winning an allowance race there in October 2020.

Spun Glass is a a 6-year-old Maryland-bred mare by Hard Spun, Darley's Kentucky-based stallion who also sired Millie Girl, winner of the Ontario Matron (G3) one race earlier on the card for a back-to-back graded stakes double.

After an even break, Hard Edge lead the field with Loyalty in second, and Hazelbrook in third, the quarter was reached in :22.54. Spun Glass, with Luis Contreras aboard, was second last in the field of nine.

Spun Glass took the turn from the inside, making her way into fifth. The time at the half was :44.24. Loyalty was first, followed closely by Hazelbrook in second, Ready To Venture (GB) in third and Hard Edge in fourth.

In the stretch, Spun Glass came through the center of the field to win. Awesome Treat was second, Loyalty third, and Hazelbrook fourth.

“She broke really good so I just let he go at whatever speed she was comfortable,” said Contreras, who was aboard the mare for first time. “Once I was in the post parade, I got a good feeling of her and just went from there.”

Vamtarsi and Time for an Angel were stewards scratches.

Spun Glass, who was produced by the Songandaprayer mare Allwewantforxmas, paid $57.20 to win.

The post Spun Glass Pulls 27-1 Surprise In Ontario Fashion, Caps Woodbine Graded Double For Hard Spun appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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My Boy Prince proved to be much the best with an easy-looking gate-to-wire victory in Saturday's 86th running of the Cup and Saucer Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at Woodbine Racetrack.

Making his first start since finishing runner-up in the bet365 Summer Stakes (G1) on September 16, My Boy Prince bested nine rival in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile event on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Sent off at odds of 1-5 odds, Gary Barber's My Boy Prince bobble slightly leaving the gate but still managed to move out to a clear lead under Sahin Civaci. Arashi ran a couple lengths off the controlling heavy favorite, while the bulk of the field was a few more lengths back.

With the field at his mercy, My Boy Prince was relaxed on the lead with a few rivals moving to within a length or two coming off the turn. Straightening out for the stretch run, Civaci finally unleashed My Boy Prince, who stormed away impressively to win by 4 1/4 lengths over turf rated as good.

Arashi held on for second, while King Rosso was third.

The fractions and final time were :24.34, :49.08, 1:13.88, 1:36.98 and 1:43.30.

Trained by Mark Casse, My Boy Prince now has three wins, including a 14-length victory in the Simcoe Stakes, and two seconds from five starts. The son of Cairo Prince put of the Silent Name (Jpn) mare Hopping Not Hoping has stamped himself the front-runner for year-end Canadian honors.

“He handled (the turf) great,” said Civaci. “He had easy fractions up front and I was comfortable. I held him for a pretty long while and no one was coming up and when I asked him he kicked on really nice like a good horse.

“It's an honor to ride a horse like this. I truly appreciate the opportunities I'm getting from this barn, and I thank Gary Barber and Mark Casse.”

Casse has won the Cup and Saucer Stakes seven-times, including four of the last five years, while Civaci adds another stakes score to his breakout 2023 season.

My Boy Prince, who was bred by Murray Smith, paid $2.40 to win.

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