Tag: Racing

George Krikorian's War Like Goddess, a 6-yera-old English Channel mare ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer William Mott, won Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over male runners for the second year in a row during the Belmont at the Big A meet at a soggy Aqueduct racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Sitting in sixth position early in the mile and one-half Turf Classic as 90-1 longshot So High opened up as much as 19 lengths on the field, War Like Goddess commenced her rally on the turn for home, collared So High nearing the sixteenth pole and drew away to the 4 1/2-length victory.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, War Like Goddess covered the 12 furlongs on yielding turf in 2:32.86. Soldier Rising finished second, with So High hanging on for third after setting fractions of :24.76, :49.56, 1:15.62, 1:40.94 and 2:06.42. Rebel's Romance, the 1-2 favorite, finished fourth with no apparent excuse.

War Like Goddess paid $9.60 to win. She carried 123 pounds, with her male rivals toting 126.

The Turf Classic was the 11th victory in 17 career starts for War Like Goddess, who came into the race off two defeats: a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the G1 New York Stakes at Belmont June 9 and a close second to McKulick in the G2 Glens Falls at Saratoga.

This was Mott's sixth victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, named for the longtime columnist for Daily Racing Form who died in 2009.

The post War Like Goddess Goes Back-To-Back In Joe Hirsch Turf Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Delta Downs in Vinton, La. opened its 2023-2024 Thoroughbred race season on Friday night with a nine-race program that featured a pair of $100,000 stakes races.

Fans were treated to the Gold Cup and the Magnolia Stakes. Both events were for Louisiana-bred runners going seven furlongs. The Magnolia featured fillies and mares.

The Gold Cup featured heavily favored Touchuponastar, who was gunning for third win in as many starts at Delta Downs. His last appearance in Vinton resulted in a rousing victory in the Louisiana Premier Night Championship back in February.

Touchuponastar did not disappoint by coming through with a 5½-length victory and it could have been even more.

After breaking sharply under jockey Tim Thornton, the eventual winner cruised to an easy lead and carved out fractional times of :23.75 for the opening quarter mile and :47.61 for the half-mile. As the field of eight made the turn for home Thornton shook the reins and his mount responded, going on to a dominant win over Big Chopper while Autumns Strong Man finished another 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

The final time for Touchuponastar, who is trained by Jeff Delhomme, was 1:24.64. Each race on the program was contest over a fast track and with near perfect weather conditions.

Touchuponastar has now won eight of 11 career starts and has banked a total of $468,100 for his owner, Set-Hut LLC (Jake Delhomme). His win in the Gold Cup was worth $60,000.

Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, Touchuponastar is a 4-year-old bay gelding by Star Guitar out of the Quiet American mare Touch Magic.

Leaving the starting gate at odds of 1-5, Touchuponastar paid $2.60 to win.

All eyes were on Free Like a Girl in the $100,000 Magnolia Stakes as the 4-year-old filly was attempting to the race for the second year in a row and become a millionaire at the same time. But it wasn't to be as Noneya pulled the upset under jockey Vicente Del Cid, who was riding for owner/trainer Ronnie Ward.

Free Like a Girl made a late bid but came up short finishing third behind the winner and Norah G who wound up second.

As the seven-furlong race for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares began it was Norah G who showed early speed by setting fractional times of :23.71  for the quarter mile and :48.21 for the half. Meanwhile, Noneya sat patiently off the leader while stalking the pace before digging in for a sustained rally turning for home.

At the wire Noneya was 2 1/4 lengths clear of Norah G while Free Like a girl was another three-quarters of a length behind in third. The winner covered the distance in 1:25.97.

Noneya has now won six of 18 career starts. Her $60,000 winner's share in the Magnolia raised her lifetime bankroll to $202,340.

Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock and Hume Warnall, Noneya is a 5-year-old mare by Palaceout of the Quiet American mare American Placed.

Dispatched at odds of 6-1, Noneya paid $15 to win.

The post Delta Downs Opener: Touchuponastar Wires Gold Cup; Noneya Takes In Magnolia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Idle since winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, trainer Tim Yakteen's Practical Move returned to action in a big way on Friday at Santa Anita, as he waltzed to a four-length victory in a one mile classified allowance, getting the trip under Ramon Vazquez in 1:35.14.

In a race reduced by three scratches to a field of four 3-year-olds and up, Practical Move sat a perfect trip, just off of dueling leaders Newgrange and Tripoli into and around the Club House turn.  As the field turned up the backside, it was Newgrange at the rail and Tripoli to his outside, with Practical Move about 1 ½ lengths off the lead a half mile from home.

Around the far turn, Practical Move glided into contention while well within himself and made the lead in the four-path leaving the quarter pole in-hand under Vazquez, who would go on to register his third win of the afternoon.

As for any speculation as to where Practical Move would run next, including the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, both at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, Yakteen declined to speculate.

“We were hoping for this,” he said.  “Very happy with the way he ran, he'd been training very well but you never know until you run 'em…Things set up well for us today and he replicated what he's been doing in the morning.

“We're going to take a day or two, think about where we'll go next and we'll figure it out.  I'll get together with Peter and Leslie (Amestoy, part owners along with Roger Beasley) and then we'll take it from there.”

The 2-5 favorite, Practical Move returned $2.80 and $2.20 with no show wagering.

By the Into Mischief stallion Practical Joke out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty, Practical Move, who was bred in Kentucky by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners, now has five wins from eight starts.  With today's winner's share of $39,000 from total purse money of $65,000, Practical Move now has earnings of $923,200.

Tripoli, a 6-year-old full horse trained by John Sadler and a winner of the G1 Pacific Classic in 2021, was sent aggressively from his outside post and prevailed by three quarters of a length over 5-2 second choice Newgrange.

Off at 6-1, Tripoli paid $4.00 to place.

Fractions on the race were 21.79, 44.92, 1:09.47 and 1:22.18.

Racing resumes with first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday at 1 p.m.  Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

The post Santa Anita Derby Winner Practical Move Best Of Four In Comeback appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post