Cody’s Wish likely has one more race left in a brilliant career. Judging by what happened Oct. 1 in the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes, it should be dazzling.
Tag: Racing
‘Simply Extraordinary’: Ace Impact Stays Unbeaten With Arc Victory, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth
Ace Impact won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Europe's premier middle-distance test Sunday at ParisLongchamp, after taking on the front-runners in midstretch at such speed that no opponent could match strides.
A Jean-Claude Rouget trainee ridden by Cristian Demuro, favorite Ace Impact passed the post almost two lengths ahead of runner-up Westover. Onesto was third in the field of 15.
With Sunday's victory, Ace Impact earned an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
Japanese competitor Through Seven Seas took fourth place in the Arc by a good length ahead of Doncaster's St. Leger (G1) winner Continuous, both horses having been bred in Japan.
Earlier this season, Ace Impact, who was unraced at age 2, captured the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (G1) (French Derby) in a record time. The 3-year-old son of Cracksman covered the Arc's 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) in 2:25.50 on turf rated as good to soft and is undefeated in six career starts.
Ace Impact was born in Ireland but raised in France by Mrs. Waltraut Spanner. Rouget bought the colt, who is out of the Anabaa Blue mare Absolutly, for €75,000 at the Deauville yearling sales, where he was presented by Élise Drouet's Domaine de l'Étang. He is campaigned by Serge Stempniak and the Chehboub family.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Quotes:
Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer, Ace Impact, 1st): “He wins as usual, with the same tactics. He's an extraordinary horse, a crack horse. He leaves us speechless. He had a clear journey and his great action did the rest. It's simply extraordinary. He is very sensitive.
“The big winner today is…Kamel Chehboub, who dared to buy half of Ace Impact, although he does not have a classic pedigree, as well as Horizon Doré. He has the two best 3-year-old foals in France!”
Cristian Demuro (Ace Impact jockey, 1st):
“I got closer on the false straight. The horse was very relaxed and I know that when he is like that, as soon as you press the button, he flies away!”
Serge Stempniak (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “I was relatively calm and, like Ace Impact, I tensed up in the last ten minutes. And, from now on, I'm like the foal in the winner's circle (laughs)! The tension has gone down but I don't realize it, I think. I would need a few days, a bit like during the Jockey Club. He is truly impressive and I believe he is very intelligent. Yes, he tenses up but because he knows he has a job to do and he does it very well! Today the planets were aligned. I was just afraid that Cristian would get injured yesterday or that he wouldn't stay in the saddle today!”
Kamel Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's done ! I would like to thank Jean-Claude Rouget, who did an extraordinary job. I also say thank you to my family, who have been investing for 25 years and it is thanks to them that we are here today. I hope we gave everyone a lot of fun today. I am certain that he will have a great career as a stallion in France.”
Pauline Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's a dream come true. We had a lot of pressure today. We are very proud to be able to offer, when the time comes, this crack to French breeders at our Beaumont stud farm. For the rest, we will let him recover before deciding on his future program.”
Raph Beckett (trainer, Westover, 2nd): “He slackened a little in the boxes and it took an effort to get a good place in the peloton. The host set his pace. But I think we are simply beaten by a better horse than us. We could never have finished ahead of Ace Impact. Westover can be proud of its second place. One day he will win his big race. I'm thinking about the Breeders' Cup Turf now. It's very tempting. He likes to travel, we saw him in Dubai. It was a good idea to run the Arc, but we were beaten by a very good horse.”
Fabrice Chappet (Onesto coach, 3rd): “I did say that his last outing, in Ireland, in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), did not count. Except for this occasion, Onesto has always done all his shopping, without necessarily being very happy each time. Today he found himself far away but he had a good race in the wake of the winner. He finishes very close to second, it's great. But unfortunately, horses that carry three kilos more (as 4 year olds) go slower… For the future, it would be logical to go and compete in a Breeders' Cup.”
Tomohito Ozeki (trainer of Through Seven Sea, 4th): “His jockey Christophe Lemaire imagined a race without a lot of train and wanted to place the mare as close as possible to the lead. She didn't come out of the stalls very well and therefore had a bit of ground to rebuild. I'm quite happy with her race, she finished well. The rest of his program will be decided upon his return to Japan. She should run another time or two this year.”
Aidan O'Brien (trainer of Continuous, 5th): “We are really happy with the run of Continuous. He drew a very nice straight line. He appreciated the good terrain. We will see with his owners but he could go to the Japan Cup (G1). Hong Kong and Dubai are also possibilities. He is a horse that travels well. He should still progress at 4 years old.”
Lanfranco Dettori (jockey Free Wind jockey, 13th): “I had a golden journey for my last Arc. I didn't have too many illusions before the race. It's a great moment and I'm very proud to have ridden this exceptional race 34 times. It's a record that will stand.”
The post ‘Simply Extraordinary’: Ace Impact Stays Unbeaten With Arc Victory, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Champion Nest Among Pletcher Runners Training At Saratoga For Keeneland Starts
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has kept his top string of horses stabled at Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma training track in the weeks following the summer meeting that concluded on Sept. 4 at the upstate New York oval.
Among them are a bevy of graded stakes contenders eyeing starts at Keeneland, including reigning champion 3-year-old filly Nest and juveniles Wine On Tap and Locked.
Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest, a three-time Grade 1-winner, is currently training towards a start in the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) on Oct. 8, where a win would guarantee her a spot in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on November 4 at Santa Anita Park.
Nest was last seen finishing an even third in the Personal Ensign (G1) on August 25 at the Spa over a sloppy and sealed main track, finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Idiomatic. That effort came on the heels of a successful return from an eight-month layoff when taking the Shuvee (G2) by 2 1/4 lengths on July 23.
Nest has breezed back four times since the Personal Ensign, most recently covering a half-mile in :51.25 over the Oklahoma on Saturday.
“She's doing well and we're planning on the Spinster,” said Pletcher. “Her works have been excellent. She's a pleasure to train and does whatever you want her to do.”
The Curlin bay was awarded divisional honors last year for a campaign that included victories in Keeneland's Ashland (G1) and two memorable Grade 1 scores in the Spa's Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama. She then captured the Beldame (G2) at the Belmont at the Big A ahead of a fourth as the post-time favorite in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland to complete her season.
Pletcher also expects to send MKW's stakes-placed Wine On Tap and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked for Grade 1 engagements at Keeneland. The former is targeting the $600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) on Friday while the latter looks to the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) on Saturday.
Wine On Tap enters the Alcibiades from a prominent second in Monmouth Park's one-mile Sorority on August 20 where she vied for early command and took charge down the backstretch, but was overtaken by the victorious Princess Indy in the stretch while preserving place by a head over the rallying Lagonisi. She garnered a 52 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, which came on the heels of an even fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Schuylerville (G3) on July 13 at Saratoga.
Wine On Tap has also been nominated to the $400,000 Frizette (G1) on October 7 at Belmont at the Big A going a one-turn mile, but Pletcher said he is partial to a trip to Kentucky with the daughter of Tapit.
“We're leaning towards the Alcibiades – two turns would probably be beneficial for her,” said Pletcher. “She was favored in the Schuylerville and she ran steadily like a horse that wants more distance.”
The grey has worked twice at Saratoga in September, and breezed a half-mile in :50 flat on Friday.
Locked, a chestnut son of Gun Runner, was a dominant winner at second asking on September 1, drawing off to a 7 1/4-length victory in a one-mile maiden special weight and garnering a 96 Beyer. The $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase improved from a closing third in his August 5 debut with added distance and more prominent tactics under jockey Jose Ortiz.
Pletcher said Locked remains on track for a try around two turns in the Breeders' Futurity.
Repole Stables' Noted, winner of Monmouth's Sapling on August 26, has been nominated to both the Breeders' Futurity and Saturday's American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita. Pletcher said he could lean towards the latter, which, like the Breeders' Futurity, offers a berth into the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at the Arcadia oval.
“Maybe… maybe,” Pletcher said of the American Pharoah. “It would just kind of split everyone up.”
Among Pletcher's other top horses stabled at Saratoga is Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Bright Future, who is training up to the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The 4-year-old Curlin chestnut notched his first stakes score in the September 2 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), and has since worked twice over the Oklahoma, including a half-mile move in :49.90 on Friday.
“He's doing good and he's got plenty more breezes to go,” said Pletcher. “I like the way he's doing. That was a big win and a Grade 1, and he's a horse we've always had high hopes for. He seems like he's starting to put it together and the more he matures, the better he gets. He needs to continue to improve and step up, but it seems like that's what he's been doing.”
Pletcher also provided an update on LSU Stables' Grade 1 winner Far Bridge, who was last seen finishing second in the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3) on September 3 at Kentucky Downs. The son of English Channel, who won the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) in July at Belmont Park, will not target the $500,000 Jockey Club Derby (G3) on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A.
“He's not going in there and he's getting a little bit of a vacation,” said Pletcher. “He had a pretty steady season and we look forward to getting him back.”
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Multiple Grade 1-Placed Soldier Rising Seeks Stakes Breakthrough In Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
Given his credentials, it might be hard to believe that multiple Grade 1-placed millionaire Soldier Rising has yet to win a stakes since joining the stable of trainer Christophe Clement in the summer of 2021. After coming close on several occasions, the 5-year-old son of Frankel will pursue a top-level victory in Saturday's rescheduled edition of the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) going 1 1/2 miles at Belmont at the Big A.
Solider Rising enters from a runner-up effort Aug. 26 in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1), which was contested over yielding ground at Saratoga Race Course. There, he raced from last-of-six before surging late to finish second beaten 4 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Bolshoi Ballet.
Although winless in four starts this year, Soldier Rising posted two other Grade 1-placings when second in Belmont Park's Man o' War (G1) on May 13 and the Resorts World Casino Manhattan (G1) on June 10, both contested over firm going.
But Soldier Rising has placed in five-of-six Grade 1 starts, starting with his North American debut for Clement when second beaten one length to State of Rest in the 2021 Saratoga Derby Invitational. In last year's Sword Dancer, he registered a career-high 103 Beyer Seed Figure when finishing third, just one length behind victorious stablemate Gufo.
“He's doing very well. He finished second in three Grade 1s in New York so far this year,” noted Clement, who captured the 2010 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic with Winchester. “He keeps running well, and we're going to keep trying with him. It's a good race, a tough race on paper, but I think he does OK on soft ground. He should be there, and we'll try for the best. He's run very well on every kind of ground, so I'm not too concerned about the ground.”
Soldier Rising is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso and has banked $1,144,997 in earnings through a consistent 19-4-8-3 record. Bred in Great Britain by Dayton Investments, Solider Rising is out of the stakes-winning German-bred Pivotal mare Sahrawi.
The post Multiple Grade 1-Placed Soldier Rising Seeks Stakes Breakthrough In Joe Hirsch Turf Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
