Tag: Racing

Fourteen 3-year-olds, including King's Plate winner Paramount Prince and runner-up Elysian Field, Kaukokaipuu, who contested the Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, and three Kevin Attard trainees, are slated to go postward in Sunday's $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine.

The final event of the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred sophomores concludes on the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course with the longest leg of 1 ½ miles.

Dual hall of fame conditioner Mark Casse will have two chances to win his fourth Breeders', having won in 2007 with Marchfield, in 2018 with Neepawa, and last year with Sir For Sure.

This year, he'll be represented by the formidable one-two punch of Paramount Prince and Elysian Field.

Paramount Prince, who won the Plate Trial, at 1 1/8 miles over the Tapeta on July 23, went on to take the 1 ¼-mile Plate by 1 ½ lengths over a determined Elysian Field.

The son of Society's Chairman-Platinum Steel, owned by Mike Langlois and Gary Barber, finished a game third in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on September 12.

“He was really gutsy in the Prince of Wales,” praised Casse. “(Trainer) Josie Carroll's horse (Ottawa) ran head-and-head with him three-quarters of the way, and obviously, the pace was very quick, but he is what he is and that's the way he runs. He ran his butt off, and the winner (Velocitor) ran great and deserved to win.”

The Breeders' will mark the first time Paramount Prince, bred by Ericka Rusnak, will race on the turf.

“His breeding says he should like the grass, but we're going to find out,” offered Casse. “We just went easy with him after the Prince of Wales. It's coming back pretty quickly, so we didn't feel the need to do too much with him.”

Both the Plate triumph and the third in the Prince of Wales are ideal examples of the chestnut gelding's game ways, noted Casse.

“He's just full of guts, a give-it-all-you-got type of horse. After the Prince of Wales, Patrick said that after Paramount Prince caught his breath, he ran off with him after the race. After you battle with one horse and then take on another one, sometimes you don't have time to catch your air. Patrick said he caught his air after the wire. Cooling out, he acted like he hadn't done anything. His efforts in the Plate Trial, the Plate, and the Prince of Wales… he's just one tough son of a gun.”

Elysian Field, owned by Gary Barber and Team Valor International, rallied stoutly to win the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks, Canada's pre-eminent race for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, and followed it up with her second-place finish in the Plate.

The daughter of Hard Spun-Elysian launched her career with a pair of turf races, including in her lone 2-year-old start when she rallied from eighth at the stretch call to finish second at 47-1 in a 5 ½-furlong sprint at Saratoga last August. She was fifth, placed eighth, in her next start, at 7 ½ panels in January at Gulfstream.

Bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., she brings a 2-3-0 record from seven starts into Sunday's race.

“Watching Paramount Prince and Elysian Field go one-two in the Plate is definitely in my top 10 highlights,” said Casse. “We were extremely fortunate. It's funny, Gary (Barber) told me all morning the day of the Plate that he had a dream we were going to run one-two. And it happened.”

Casse, zeroing on 3,600 career wins, has high praise for the filly.

“She's big and strong and looks like a colt. She's a little fresher than most, including Paramount Prince. It's all about how she handles the grass and she's trained well coming into the race. The only thing that could stand in her way is her not liking the grass, but I would be surprised at that.”

A son of Mr Speaker-Grey Pride, Kaukokaipuu, trained by Ted Holder for Culpepper Island Syndicate, finished 15th of 17 in the Plate on August 20 but rebounded with a strong runner-up effort to Velocitor in the Prince of Wales Stakes.

“He showed up,” said Holder, of the Prince of Wales. “That's the horse I thought we had. In this game, you never know how each race will go, but I did expect that he would run well. I was down there for the seven days he was at Fort Erie, and I didn't leave his side. I prepped him as I would for any other race. I expected him to show up and he did.”

The grey, bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry, will now take to the E.P. Taylor turf and tackle 1 ½ miles, a surface and distance Holder believes his colt can handle.

“His pedigree says that it is not a problem,” said Holder. “Mr Speaker was a mile and a quarter, to mile and a half horse on all surfaces, and he is out of a granddaughter of Radiant Ring who is tested at the classic distances in the early to mid-90s.”

Sporting a mark of 2-8-0 from 13 career starts, Kaukokaipuu broke his maiden on May 20 in a nine-length romp over seven furlongs on the Tapeta. He continued to move forward with a victory in the Queenston, and Holder supplemented him to the G3 Marine on July 1 as his final Plate prep.

Kaukokaipuu ran second in the Marine, at 1 1/16 miles, before his disappointing result in the Plate.

Holder still isn't certain as to what happened in the 164th edition of Canada's most famous horse race and North America's longest continually run stakes race.

He is, however, confident that Kaukokaipuu, who has three runner-up efforts from three starts on the turf, will be at his best on Sunday.

“On paper, he has run only one questionable race, which was the Plate,” noted Holder. “He has been consistent throughout his career. Every other time, he has shown up. I took him to the equine hospital in Guelph after the Plate to make sure nothing was wrong. Everything checked out fine, so we just kept on going.”

Holder is hoping the third time is the charm with this year's Canadian Triple Crown.

“He's a hard-trying horse who has taken me places. We would be very happy if he were to win the Breeders'. He's a wonderful horse. He's pretty laid-back once he's out of the stall. Being a colt, he's a little nippy when you walk by. He likes his carrots, and he likes his attention, which we are happy to give him.”

Marge Szigeti and Meverton Douglas share groom duties. ​

There will also be some other familiar faces from the opening two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Trainer Kevin Attard, who won last year's Queen's Plate with reigning Canadian horse of the year Moira, will is represented by the quartet of Enjoythesilent (first on the also-eligible list), Philip My Dear, Tiburon, and Wickenheiser.

Owned by Lanni Bloodstock, Daniel Plouffe, and Canuck Racing Club, Enjoythesilent, sixth in The King's Plate, debuted on the turf last July and finished fifth in the 6 ½-furlong sprint.

The dark bay son of Silent Name (JPN)-Spun Lace is 1-1-1 from five starts.

“I thought Enjoythesilent raced well in the Plate,” said Attard, of the Adena Springs-bred gelding. “He's a lightly raced horse and we've always been very high on him. He's had one run on the turf, but he's matured both physically and mentally since then. We think this is a horse that will continue to get better over time and hopefully, he can come up with a big performance if he gets in.”

Shane Springer is the groom.

Philip My Dear, Canada's champion 2-year-old male, will look to get back on the winning track in the Breeders'.

Also bred by Adena Springs, the son of Silent Name (JPN)-Involuntary was ninth in The King's Plate. His last win came in October's Coronation Futurity, a 1 1/16-mile test over the E.P. Taylor turf.

The dark bay colt, owned by Raroma Stable, is no stranger to the Woodbine turf, having contested the first four races of his career on the grass, which yielded three wins and a second.

Attard believes Philip My Dear, 3-0-2 from eight starts, will appreciate a return to the green scene.

“We're very excited to see Philip My Dear get back on the grass. He's hooked some tough horses this year, but when you look back at his form, he loves running on the turf and has done exceptionally well on it. He's coming into the race in great shape and hopefully, he's ready to show what we know he's capable of.

Joshua Attard is the groom.

Owned by WinStar Farm LLC, Lessee, and Siena Farm LLC, Tiburon will get his first opportunity to race over the turf and make his second appearance in the Canadian Triple Crown series.

The son of Good Magic-Enoree was fifth to Attard trainee Velocitor in the Prince of Wales.

Sporting a mark of 1-0-0 from four starts, the dark bay colt, bred by Mark Dodson, broke his maiden in his second race, a three-quarter length score at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Tapeta this June.

“Tiburon is another lightly raced horse and he's never competed on the grass, but I think he'll appreciate the ground and the distance,” offered Attard. “He likes to come from off the pace, so if there are some fast early fractions, he can come running and he'll have a lot of runway to work with on that nice, long stretch.”

Howard Carter is the groom.

Wickenheiser, second in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, was eleventh in The King's Plate and then second in the Wonder Where Stakes, the final jewel in the Canadian Triple Tiara series.

Bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry, the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid-Game (FR) was a first-time out winner last June when she notched a half-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf.

Owned by Clay Scherer, Al and Bill Ulwelling and Attard, Wickenheiser is 1-3-0 from eight starts, including 1-1-0 in four grass appearances. The bay has posted six top-four finishes to date.

“I thought Wickenheiser came back with a nice effort last time out in the Wonder Where,” said Attard. “She broke her maiden on the grass and it's a surface she's run on before. In seven of her eight races, she's been within four lengths of the winner, so we're expecting another competitive effort from her on Sunday.”

Howard Carter is the groom.

The last Triple Crown winner was Wando, just the seventh horse to complete the series sweep when he won the 2003 Breeders' Stakes with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Michael Keogh and late owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.

Since then, A Bit O'Gold (2004), Pender Harbour (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two-thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs. In 2020, Belichick won the Breeders', denying stablemate Mighty Heart a Triple Crown sweep.

The longest shot to win the Breeders' Stakes was Miami Deco in 2010. The Ontario-bred son of Limehouse returned $132.10 for a $2 win bet. Catherine Day Phillips became the first female trainer to win the race courtesy of A Bit O'Gold in 2004. One year later, she was in the winner's circle again, this time with Jambalaya.

Roger Attfield holds the record for most wins by a trainer with nine. His first victory came with Carotene in 1986.

The $125,000 Ontario Damsel Presented by Ketel One is also part of Sunday's 11-race card. Five 3-year-old fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

Kevin Attard won three consecutive (2019-21) editions of the Ontario Damsel. He also won in 2013 with Surtsey. Mark Casse has sent out five winners, including last year with Souper Hoity Toity. ​ ​

Post time is set for 1:15 p.m. ET, with the Breeders' Stakes scheduled as the ninth race (approximately 5:42 p.m. ET). The race will be broadcast live from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on TSN.

Field for the Breeders' Stakes (Race 9)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Kaukokaipuu – Rico Walcott – Ted Holder

2 – British Artillery – Omar Moreno – Barbara Minshall

3 – Simcoe – Christopher Husbands – Katerina Vassilieva

4 – Hemlo Gold – Eswan Flores – Elizabeth Elder

5 – Tiburon – Leo Salles – Kevin Attard

6 – Tito's Calling (S) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Michael De Paulo

7 – Paramount Prince – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

8 – Sammy Stone – Ryan Munger – Catherine Day Phillips

9 – Midnight in Malibu – Luis Contreras – Sid Attard

10 – Philip My Dear – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

11 – Touch 'n Ride (S) – Kazushi Kimura – Layne Giliforte

12 – Elysian Field (S) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

13 – Twowaycrossing – Keveh Nicholls – Roger Attfield

14 – Wickenheiser – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

AE 15 – Enjoythesilent (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

AE 16 – Legal Catch – Daisuke Fukumoto – Michael De Paulo

AE 17 – Over and Ollie – Rico Walcott – Sid Attard

AE 18 – Greystone – Jason Hoyte – Sylvain Pion

Field for the Ontario Damsel Presented by Ketel One (Race 5)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Forever Dixie – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

2 – Sal's Blue Jacket – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Stidham

3 – Love to Shop – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard

4 – Solo Album – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

5 – Witch Hazel – Rafael Hernandez – Katerina Vassilieva

The post ‘One Tough Son Of A Gun’: King’s Plate Winner Paramount Prince Faces 13 Rivals In Breeders’ Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Multiple graded stakes winner Rattle N Roll spent the majority of the summer based at Saratoga for trainer Kenny McPeek but has now made his return to Churchill Downs and will attempt to round back into form in Saturday's $500,000 Lukas Classic (Grade 2).

Tabbed as the 7-5 morning line choice in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic, Rattle N Roll finished a disappointing sixth four weeks ago in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga.

“He was just a bit flat in that race,” said jockey Brain Hernandez Jr., who's been aboard Rattle N Roll for 17 of his 20-career starts. “The race shape didn't help him much, either. There wasn't a whole lot of speed and he never really made up any ground. He ran a little bit like this earlier in the year (in the New Orleans Classic) where he just seemed to need the race.”

Owned by Lucky Seven Stables, Rattle N Roll reeled off three consecutive victories following the March 25 New Orleans Classic (G2). His win-streak started at Keeneland where he was victorious in the Ben Ali (G3). One month later, Rattle N Roll vanned to Pimlico where he defeated Speed Bias by a scant nose in the Pimlico Special (G3). McPeek opted to run Rattle N Roll back on just two weeks rest but the move proved successful when he won the Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs.

“There looks to be some speed in the Lukas Classic,” Hernandez said. “That should definitely benefit him and the return back to Churchill should help as well.”

Rattle N Roll arrived back to Louisville on Tuesday from upstate New York. The 4-year-old son of Connect drew post No. 4 in the Lukas Classic.

Saturday's 10th running of the Lukas Classic will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. Saturday's stellar program from Churchill Downs also will feature the $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) – a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event for the Dirt Mile (G1) – and the $200,000 Jefferson Cup. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Here is the Lukas Classic field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

1. Happy American (James Graham, Neil Pessin, 8-1);
2. Clapton (Cristian Torres, Summers, 6-1);
3. Warrant (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 8-1);
4. Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 7-5);
5. Trademark (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver, 12-1);
6. Blue Devil (Ricardo Santana Jr., Jeff Hiles, 20-1);
7. Whelen Springs (Jose Ferrer, Lindsay Schultz, 12-1);
8. Five Star General (Corey Lanerie, Grant Forster, 15-1); and
9. Americanrevolution (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher, 5-2).

Fans can wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The Lukas Classic, along with every race from Churchill Downs, is broadcast on FanDuel TV and the FanDuel TV+ app.

The post Early Speed Would Benefit Rattle N Roll In Lukas Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Flurry Racing Stable's Interstatedaydream, a two-time graded-stakes winner that has enjoyed success in her only two prior trips to Maryland, will get the chance to end her career on a positive note when she takes on eight rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Twixt at Laurel Park.

The 41st running of the 1 1/16-mile Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and up is the third of four stakes worth $500,000 in purses on an 11-race program headlined by the $150,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds and $150,000 Selima for 2-year-old fillies scheduled for the turf.

Rounding out the stakes action on opening weekend of Laurel's calendar year-ending fall meet is the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup scheduled for 1 ½ miles on the grass. First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Owner Staton Flurry said Interstatedaydream, a 4-year-old filly trained by Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, is entered in Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale which runs Nov. 8-16. The daughter of champion Classic Empire has a record of 5-3-3 from 12 starts with purse earnings of $663,869.

“This will more than likely be her last race,” Flurry said. “She's given us a good run. I'm really not into the breeding side; I like the racing side. I think 4 turning 5 is kind of their peak, so let's just see how she comes out of it. We are planning on putting her in the November sale, so hopefully she can go out a winner in this race.”

Interstatedaydream became a stakes winner with a 6-1 upset in last year's Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at historic Pimlico Race Course, where she returned to capture this year's Allaire du Pont on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard as the 3-5 favorite. Both races came at 1 1/8 miles.

A winner of the 2022 Indiana Oaks (G3), Interstatedaydream followed the du Pont running second in the 1 1/8-mile Lady Jacqueline June 24 at Thistledown and third in the one-mile Groupie Doll Aug. 13 at Ellis Park, beaten a total of five lengths.

Interstatedaydream lost by less than three lengths in each of her first two races this year, when she was third behind Secret Oath and Clairiere in the Azeri (G2) and fourth in the Doubledogdare (G3), the latter as the favorite.

“She's been a consistent horse,” Flurry said. “She's just had some bad luck in her last two races. We hooked two real monsters in the Azeri but every other race she's run this year I feel like she could have finished better than she did, going into the races, the way she was training and everything. She just ran into a bad set of circumstances.”

The connections had initially considered keeping Interstatedaydream closer to home for the 1 1/16-mile Locust Grove (G3) Sept. 16 in Kentucky but opted instead for the Twixt.

“It was shaping up to be more of a Grade 1 than a Grade 3 … so we said, 'Let's dodge the tough competition and point toward Laurel,” Flurry said. “We looked around and said, 'Let's get her back to Maryland. She seems to really like that state.'”

Among the horses standing in Interstatedaydream's way are defending Twixt champion and Grade 3 winner Battle Bling and multiple stakes winner Hybrid Eclipse, one of two entries from Maryland's leading trainer, Brittany Russell.

Flurry got his biggest win as an owner in partnership on 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil, a multi-millionaire that was retired following last season and sold for $5 million at the Keeneland sale. He anticipates a similar feeling when Interstatedaydream is no longer racing.

“It will be bittersweet, same way as when we had Shedaresthedevil. When it was her last race, it was like, 'Man.' You know what's on the table before her and hopefully you can go out with a strong finish,” Flurry said. “Battle Bling looks like a salty horse. Brittany's got two in there, and when you're in Maryland, or really anywhere Brittany has a horse, you know she's going to be tough.

“It's going to be a salty race,” he added. “Hopefully we can break good and get a good spot to sit and make a late run. We'll see how it plays out. You can never predict how the race is going to go, you just hope it's an easy, smooth trip.”

Sheldon Russell has the call on Interstatedaydream from outermost Post 9.

Michael Dubb and Gandharvi Racing Stables' Battle Bling led most of the way to win last year's Twixt by 1 ¼ lengths in the midst of a three-race win streak capped by her front-running triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Turnback the Alarm (G3) at Aqueduct. She has yet to win back, and will be making her first start since finishing sixth in the July 8 Delaware Handicap (G2) behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Idiomatic.

“She was working real good going into her last race and she really didn't run how I expected her to, so we kind of gave her a little time until this start,” trainer Rob Atras said. “She's been training really good. Obviously we were a little concerned with her last race, but we didn't really find anything on her so we gave her a little bit of time and decided to point toward this race, where she's run well. We're hoping she can get back into form.”

Battle Bling opened her 5-year-old campaign running second in the Ladies on New Year's Day and third to next-out Doubledogdare winner Frost Point in the Heavenly Prize, both at Aqueduct. Angel Cruz, up for last year's Twixt, gets the return call from Post 8.

“Basically we're just trying to get her back into form, but from what I've seen in the morning we're hopeful that she'll do that,” Atras said. “She's worked real steady, no interruptions, so everything like that's been good. She's coming into it fresh and training well. Sometimes these mares, they get a little bit older and they lose their competitive edge a little bit. I'm hoping that's not the case. If she runs like she's been training, I think that she's going to be very competitive.”

The Elkstone Group's Hybrid Eclipse was scratched from last year's Twixt but returned the next week to run third in the Beldame (G2) and later won the Thirty Eight Go Go, her second stakes win at Laurel following the Caesar's Wish in late spring. The 5-year-old mare has added two more Laurel stakes wins this year, in the 1 1/16-mile Nellie Morse Feb. 18 and a repeat in the one-mile Caesar's Wish July 15, her most recent start.

“There wasn't really anything else for her that made sense so we kind of pointed for this spot,” Brittany Russell said. “It just seemed to work out. She's trained well and she's done everything right and she'll be ready to go.”

Hybrid Eclipse raced in last and trailed by as many as 8 ¼ lengths after a half-mile in the 2023 Caesar's Wish before uncorking a rally under jockey Joe Rocco Jr. to catch Award Wanted by a neck. Intrepid Daydream, winner of the Sept. 16 Shine Again at Pimlico, was third.

“Around the turn I thought, 'Man, this filly might be going the wrong way. Like, this might be it,' and then she kind of came from the clouds and got herself up,” Russell said. “Joe rode her so well. It was really rewarding because these fillies sometimes they fall off a bit and eventually they're done and it was nice to see that she found her way back in the winner's circle, in a good way.”

Russell also entered Full of Run Racing and Madaket Stables' Batacuda, a winner of three of four career starts. Trained by Cox for her first three races, she was moved to his Russell, his former assistant, in the spring and debuted for her with an impressive four-length optional claiming allowance triumph Aug. 30 at Delaware Park.

“We actually got her because she's just a little tricky and they just thought maybe a change of scenery to Fair Hill might be good for her, and she's done really well out there,” Russell said. “She's a talented filly. She has some quirks about her but it's probably going to be time [to try her]. She needs to step forward and either be that kind or not, really.”

ZWP Stable and Non Stop Stable's Malibu Beauty is a four-time stakes winner, three of them coming at Laurel, the most recent in the 1 1/8-mile Carousel last December. She is 0-for-3 this year with a third in the Jan. 21 Geisha at Laurel and a second in the Aug. 26 Timonium Distaff.

AMO Racing USA's Miss New York was supplemented into the Twixt for her first start since finishing eighth in the July 29 Monmouth Oaks (G3). Prior to that, the Jorge Delgado trainee won the one-mile, 70-yard Boiling Springs at Monmouth by 2 ¾ lengths. The Good Magic filly's first win came last November in a maiden special weight on the all-weather Tapeta at Gulfstream Park.

Freccia d'Argento, third or better in 17 of 30 career starts; Champagne Toast, third to Hybrid Eclipse in the 2022 Thirty Eight Go Go; and Six the Hard Way, third in the April 15 Weber City Miss, complete the field.

Twixt was a Maryland-bred champion every year she raced, from 1972-75, retiring as Maryland's all-time money-winning mare. Her 18 stakes wins were also a Maryland-bred record on the flat. Bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Merryman and trained by their daughter, Katy Voss, Twixt won the Barbara Fritchie (G3) and was named Maryland's Horse of the Year in 1973 and 1974.

The post ‘Hopefully She Can Go Out A Winner’: Interstatedaydream To Make Final Start In Saturday’s Twixt appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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