Tag: Racing

Breeders’ Cup: Hopefuls Arcangelo, Asmussen Quartet Gallop Saturday At Santa Anita

Top-rated Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hopeful Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) in his two most recent starts, galloped for the second straight day Saturday at Santa Anita under exercise rider Robert Mallari.

Mallari said Jena Antonucci, Arcangelo's trainer, was expected to visit Santa Anita from New York early next week.

Also galloping Saturday were four Breeders' Cup-bound horses trained by Steve Asmussen: former champion Echo Zulu and Grade 1 winners Clairiere, Gunite, and Society.

Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant, reported all four horses under his care have continued to do well in their first week at Santa Anita. He added that none of the foursome was likely to have a work until sometime next week.

The other Classic contender on the grounds is Grade 1 winner White Abarrio, who has been only jogging. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. was expected visit Santa Anita this weekend, his assistant and brother Chip Dutrow said on Friday.

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NYRA Reschedules Joe Hirsch Turf Classic For Next Saturday

Following New York State Gaming Commission approval, the New York Racing Association Inc. has moved the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) from Sunday to next Saturday, October 7, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Friday's 11-race Aqueduct card was canceled due to a powerful coastal storm causing widespread flooding and hazardous conditions throughout New York City and Long Island. In addition to Friday's cancellation, NYRA moved Saturday's 11-race card to Sunday and pushed Sunday's 10-race program to Wednesday.

By moving the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf contest for 3-year-olds and up, Sunday's program will now feature 10 races, including a trio of Grade 2 events over the main track in the $400,000 Woodward, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, and the $250,000 Vosburgh, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, initially slated as Race 6 on the 11-race card, will not be replaced and will result in the cancellation of the Pick 3 and middle Pick 5 beginning in Race 4; as well as the Daily Double, Pick 3 and middle Pick 4 beginning in Race 5. All wagers beginning in Race 6 are canceled. First post on Sunday's revised 10-race program is 12:05 p.m. (ET).

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic will be re-drawn with entries to be taken on Wednesday, joining a stacked stakes card led by two Grade 1 “Win and You're In” qualifiers at one-mile for juveniles in the $500,000 Champagne [Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)] and $400,000 Frizette [Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)].

The Saturday, October 7 card is supported by the $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint (G3), the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya (G3,; and the $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3).

The 10-race card originally scheduled for Sunday was moved in its entirety to Wednesday with a first post time of 1:05 p.m. Wednesday's action is co-headlined by a pair of Grade 2 “Win and You're In” qualifiers for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The $200,000 Pilgrim awards a berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) while the $200,000 Miss Grillo for fillies awards a berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

Friday's co-featured Ashley T. Cole was moved to Friday, October 6 as part of a card that also offers the $135,000 Gio Ponti, while the Noble Damsel (G3) was moved to Sunday, October 8. The Ashley T. Cole and Noble Damsel will be re-drawn Sunday and Thursday, respectively.

The Noble Damsel will join a lucrative Sunday, October 8 card that includes the final “Win and You're In” event of the meet with the $150,000 Futurity (G3) for juveniles sprinting six furlongs on the lawn in hopes of securing a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Also featured are the $250,000 Beldame (G2) and the $150,000 Matron (G3).

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Caravel, Set Piece, Get Smokin Anchor Churchill’s Saturday Work Tab

It was a busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs where 157 horses recorded published workouts, including graded stakes winners Caravel, Get Smokin. and Set Piece (GB).

Caravel, a Pennsylvania-bred horse of the year who won last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1), made her return to Churchill Downs about three weeks ago from Saratoga to continue her regular training following a fourth-place finish in the Troy Stakes (G3) on soft turf. On Saturday, Caravel cruised a half-mile in :48.80 while her trainer Brad Cox watched from the grandstand. Caravel is nominated to next Saturday's Woodford (G2) at Keeneland.

A few minutes before Caravel worked, fellow Cox trainee Set Piece, winner of the Arlington Million (G1) in his most recent start, breezed an easy half-mile in :48.40 with jockey Florent Geroux in the irons. Set Piece is nominated to the $1-million Coolmore Turf Mile (GI) next Saturday at Keeneland.

Recent Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) winner Get Smokin returned to the work tab for the first time since his front-running score three weeks ago at Kentucky Downs. The Mark Casse trainee breezed a maintenance half-mile in :49.40.

Other notable horses that worked Saturday include Rebel (G2) winner Confidence Game (five furlongs, 1:00.20); impressive allowance winner Fibber (four furlongs, :48.80); Iroquois (G3) runner-up Risk It (half-mile, :50.40); and Hopeful (G1) runner-up Timberlake (five furlongs, 1:01.40).

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WATCH: Ghostwriter Stays Unbeaten With ‘Win & You’re In’ Royal Lodge Score

Ghostwriter coasted clear of rivals in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) Saturday at Newmarket in an impressive manner to win his group stakes debut. With his victory in the one-mile race for 2-year-old colts, the son of Invincible Spirit  earned an automatic starting position into the $1-million Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

After a level break, the nine-runner field split into two groups as Richard Hannon-trained Son and 9-5 favorite Capulet, trained by Aidan O'Brien, set a steady pace.

As the runners approached the halfway mark, Ghostwriter, trained by Clive Cox, was settled midfield alongside Caviar Heights and Al Musmak. Inside the final two furlongs, the eventual winner was traveling with ease. He responded well when jockey Richard Kingscote asked him to quicken and surged to keep his unbeaten record intact with a 1 1/4-length victory at odds of 3-1.

Al Musmak finished second, a half-length ahead of Capulet in third.

Ghostwriter, now 3-for-3, completed the mile in 1:37:06 over a course listed as good to firm.

Cox, who is closing in on his 1,000th winner as a trainer, said: “He was very much learning on the job on each of his first two runs. Today was a proper test and we couldn't be more pleased. He's got lots of class. I'm so pleased for Jeff (Smith), and all the team at home.

“It's a real joy to have a winner like this on a day like this. He's definitely going to want a bit further, but we'll take it one step at a time. It looks like he could be exciting.”

Kingscote said: “He jumped and got in a nice rhythm… (and) picked up nicely heading into the dip. He's a very likable sort going forward. He's going to be a middle-distance horse next year, but he's not short of toe, he's got a bit of class.”

Ghostwriter was bred in Ireland by Norelands Bloodstock and Irish National Stud. From the family of Zafonic, his dam is the Champs Elysees mare Moorside, who was stakes-placed.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Ghostwriter to start in the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, which will be run at 1 mile. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.

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