Tag: Racing

Fourth pick Durezza conquered the 3,000-meter (about 1 7/8-mile) distance of the $3,298,000 Kikuka Sho (G1) (Japanese St. Leger) Sunday to score his first graded and fifth consecutive win while vanquishing the victors of the first two legs of the Japan's Triple Crown in a stunning 3 1/2-length triumph at Kyoto Racecourse.

Durezza, who started from the farthest post position in the field of 17 in the final leg of the classic series, rushed to the front to take the lead while Pax Ottomanica sat on his tail a length behind in second. After covering the first 1,000 meters in 1:00.4, the son of Duramente was steadied to third from the front in the backstretch, briefly giving up the lead to Pax Ottomanica and Libyan Glass.

As the field started making their bids after the third corner in the second lap, Durezza was second to enter the lane, kicked into gear catching Libyan Glass before the 200-meter pole to take command once again, and stretched with the fastest closing speed to clear the wire by a comfortable margin.

Durezza covered the distance in 3:03.1 on good to firm turf.

“He made a flying start and was keen to go, so I decided to let him take the lead. He responded well between the third and last corner, which made me confident that he was going to close strongly,” winning ridder Christophe Lemaire said of Durezza. “When he accelerated in the stretch, I knew we were going to win. To see him beat such a strong field today over the 3,000-meter distance means we can look forward to him doing well among Grade 1 company over 2,000 and 2,400 meters also.”

Lemaire enjoyed a third victory in the Kikuka Sho following wins in 2016 and 2018  with Satono Diamond and Fierement, respectively.

Sent off the second choice, Tastiera, Tokyo Yushun (G1) (Japanese Derby) winner, was settled around ninth and traveled wide in the backstretch before turning home alongside the favorite Sol Oriens. Tastiera showed a good turn of foot down the center of the lane with the second fastest late kick but failed to threaten the winner in a runner-up effort.

Race favorite Sol Oriens was unhurried traveling wide in fifth to sixth from the rear, made headway at the third corner and made a wide sweeping bid into the straight. The Satsuki Sho (G1) (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner picked off his tired opponents and dug in fiercely for third in the final strides, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind Tastiera.

Durezza is trained by Tomohito Ozeki for owner Carrot Farm Co. Ltd. He was bred by Northern Racing from the Australian-bred More Than Ready mare More Than Sacred.

The post Durezza Denies Classic-Winning Pair In Japanese St. Leger appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Cherie DeVaux had little time to rest of her laurels Sunday as she sent out a multitude of horses for works the morning after Vahva provided her with her first Keeneland stakes victory, a gritty, half-length win over Alva Starr in the seven-furlong Lexus Raven Run (G2) Saturday.

“She's good this morning,” DeVaux said of Vahva. “Right now the goal is the La Brea (G1).”

The La Brea is a $300,000 test going seven furlongs Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

A daughter of Gun Runner who has won or placed in five of her six starts this year, Vahva captured the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 25 in her start prior to the Raven Run. Her career line stands as 4-2-2 from 10 starts and purse earnings of $873,810 for a large partnership that includes Belladonna Racing LLC and West Point Thoroughbreds.

Meanwhile, trainer Brett Brinkman said Alva Starr would be headed to Fair Grounds next weekend after the close of the 17-day Fall Meet at the Lexington track.

“I was not disappointed with her effort yesterday,” Brinkman said of Alva Starr, who battled Vahva the length of the stretch in her first race beyond six furlongs. “We will go to New Orleans with her and then get her cranked up at Oaklawn Park.”

Brinkman said he would have no qualms about trying Alva Starr seven furlongs again and one such race that could fit the bill next spring is the Madison (G1) at Keeneland.

“We'd like to make this (coming to Keeneland) part of our regular routine,” Brinkman said.

The post DeVaux Eyes Top-Level La Brea For Raven Run Winner Vahva appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Mo Stash, winner of this spring's Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3), and Secretariat (G2) winner Gigante, headline a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for the 19th running of the $300,000 Bryan Station (G3) to be run at one mile on turf Saturday.

The Bryan Station will be the eighth race on closing day of the Keeneland Fall Meet, with a 4:44 p.m. (ET) post time.

Trained by Vicki Oliver for BBN Racing, Mo Stash has made three starts at Keeneland, beginning with a runner-up finish in the listed Indian Summer last fall that was followed four weeks later by a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The Mo Town colt will seek to halt a four-race winless stretch since taking the Transylvania April 7 at the Lexington track. He will depart post position 5 in the Bryan Station and be ridden by Luis Saez.

Gigante is trained by Steve Asmussen for Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing. Gigante cuts back to a mile after he finished sixth in the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) going 1 1/8 miles in his most recent start on Sept. 9 at Colonial Downs. A winner of three of four starts at the mile distance, Gigante will be ridden by Joel Rosario and exit post position 2.

Asmussen won the 2007 Bryan Station with Inca King.

The field for the Bryan Station, with riders and weight from the rail out, is: Talk of the Nation (Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds), Gigante (Rosario, 122), Dude N Colorado (GB) (Flavien Prat, 118), Smokey Mandate (James Graham, 118), Mo Stash (Saez, 120), Runaway Storm (Colby Hernandez, 118), Worthington (Rey Gutierrez, 118), Santorini (Alex Achard, 118), More Than Looks (John Velazquez, 120), Appraise (IRE) (Tyler Gaffalione, 118).

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A Group 1 winner in Chile, a Grade 2 winner at Santa Anita, and five Grade 3 winners are among 14, including two also-eligibles, entered for the 66th running of the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland on Saturday.

The Fayette, which serves as the closing-day feature of the 17-day Fall Meet, will go as the ninth race on the 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. (ET) post time.

O'Connor (CHI) has the 2022 Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at the top of his 10-win resume. Now trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode, O'Connor is winless in five starts this year but is graded stakes-placed in three of those races. He most recently was fifth in the Woodward (G2) Oct. 1 at Belmont at the Big A. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 9.

Also coming in from New York is Twin Creeks Racing Stable's Law Professor.

Trained by Rob Atras, Law Professor is a four-time stakes winner with his biggest victory coming in the Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) in 2021. He was most recently was third in the Woodward. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 8.

The Grade 3 winners in the field are Lothenbach Stables' Happy American, Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury, Albaugh Family Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds' Giant Game, Alexandres LLC's Il Miracolo, and Gary and Mary West's Best Actor.

The field for the Fayette, with riders and weight from the rail out, is: Film Star (Jose Ortiz, 121 pounds), Happy American (James Graham, 121), King Fury (Corey Lanerie, 121), Giant Game (Joel Rosario, 121), Twilight Blue (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Speed Bias (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121), Il Miracolo (Luis Saez, 118), Law Professor (Florent Geroux, 121), O'Connor (CHI) (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Trademark (Martin Garcia, 121), Dash Attack (John Velazquez, 121), Best Actor (Flavien Prat, 121). Also-Eligible: Gasoline (Saez, 121), Time for Trouble (Joe Talamo, 121).

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