Tag: Racing

Barry Schwartz's homebred El Grande O lived up to his 3-5 favoritism with a front-running score in Sunday's $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard, a seven-furlong main track sprint for New York-bred juveniles at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, El Grande O notched his first stakes victory on the heels of two runner-up efforts in stakes company this summer at Saratoga Race Course, including a head defeat to The Wine Steward last out in the Funny Cide on August 27.

Ridden to victory Sunday by Jose Ortiz, the dark bay son of Take Charge Indy brushed with a foe when breaking from post 3 while Detective Tom broke sharpest of all, but took back as El Grande O skipped to the front and clocked fractions of :22.76 and :46.03 over the sloppy and sealed main track.

Detective Tom stalked in second into the turn with Aggelos the Great in third before El Grande O began to draw clear of the former with Bonne Chance putting in his bid from fourth on the outside of Aggelos the Great. El Grande O held a six-length advantage at the top of the stretch and drew clear with ease over Aggelos the Great, who passed a tiring Detective Tom on the inside to give chase down the lane after three-quarters in 1:10.79.

El Grande O was never threatened and was wrapped up within the final sixteenth by Ortiz, crossing the wire 8 1/4 lengths in front and stopping the clock in a final time of 1:23.89. Aggelos the Great was a clear second two lengths ahead of Bonne Chance with Skyler's Starship rounding out the superfecta. Detective Tom and Ranger Blue completed the order of finish. Trust Fund was scratched.

Rice said she left the race tactics in the capable hands of Ortiz.

“I told Jose to just use his best judgement, and obviously he put him up on the front end and everything worked out well,” said Rice.

Ortiz said El Grande O was simply superior in a race where the other likely speed, Detective Tom, was making his dirt debut.

“He broke sharp. Obviously, he has speed. I went out there and he was the fastest in the race,” said Ortiz. “He proved that he was much the best today. I can't take any credit – he was the best horse.

“I rode the six horse [Detective Tom] first time out and I knew moving to dirt, especially on the slop, he wasn't going to have as much speed,” Ortiz added. “Plus, my horse can rate, so I had that option. But I broke so clean and so smoothly, I just went up there and took control of the race.”

Rice said El Grande O will now likely be pointed to the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile for state-bred juveniles, on October 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

“I think he can stretch out,” said Rice. “He certainly ran nicely today at seven [furlongs].”

El Grande O, a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Meal Ticket, is out of the stakes-placed Unbridled's Song mare Rainbow's Song. He banked $68,750 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $204,000 through a perfect in-the-money record of 6-2-3-1, returning $3.40 for a $2 win ticket.

The post ‘He Was The Fastest In The Race’: El Grande O Wires Bertram F. Bongard appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Richard Greeley's Cara's Time took control early on and was never headed, fending off a late surge from 4-5 post time favorite Caldwell Luvs Gold to post a 22-1 upset in Sunday's $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma for New York-bred juvenile fillies going seven furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Cara's Time made amends from the last-out Seeking the Ante on August 27 at Saratoga Race Course, where she first sported blinkers and finished a distant fifth behind Caldwell Luvs Gold. The Mitchell Friedman-trained daughter of prominent Central Kentucky sire Not This Time took the blinkers off for Sunday's race, where she appeared comfortable on the front end and won by 1 1/2 lengths under Dylan Davis.

Breaking from post 1, Cara's Time was in command within a few strides out of the gate with My Shea D Lady keeping company a close second through a :22.87 opening quarter mile over the sloppy and sealed main track. Nicky Jolene and My Mane Squeeze raced a respective third and fourth with Caldwell Luvs Gold bringing up the rear, five lengths behind Cara's Time.

As the field rounded the far turn, Cara's Time remained in front through a half-mile in :46.23 with Caldwell Luvs Gold advancing a position under Florent Geroux, who had his filly under an all-out drive and went four-wide nearing upper stretch.

Cara's Time was at a five-length advantage in the stretch, but Caldwell Luvs Gold had dead aim at the pacesetter and attempted to reel her in in the final furlong. Cara's Time had enough to hold on for victory, completing the trip in 1:23.28. Caldwell Luvs Gold finished another 5 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher My Mane Squeeze, followed by My Shea D Lady and Nicky Jolene.

Davis said his filly appreciated the sloppy going.

“I'd never sat on her in the morning, but I saw she had good gate speed. Our plan was to break and come out running,” Davis said. “When she got there, she was loving every part of it. She was a little skipper on that mud and she really got comfortable. I could hear them behind me trying to range up at the 2 1/2, and I just tried to get her run going a little bit, but not too much because she got late there with [Jose] Lezcano last time out. She just kept finding more and more down the lane, so it was great. The one closer [Caldwell Luvs Gold] was coming, but I knew it was too late for her.”

Friedman spoke of the decision to use blinkers for her last start, which came following a debut triumph in June at Belmont Park where she unseated jockey Jose Lezcano following the race.

“I thought she would probably get the lead by herself, but I was surprised [to win] a bit. She didn't run good last time, but I knew she had a good excuse,” Friedman said. “I put the blinkers on her and it made her a little worse. She's nervous and wants to react to it. She had dumped the rider after she broke her maiden, and in the mornings, if she sees something, she won't walk through the end of the barn – she has to go through the middle if there's something she doesn't like. I thought the blinkers would help with all of that and she worked well with them, but we took them off and [hoped] she would stay focused.”

While Friedman said he is in “no rush” to decide a next target for Cara's Time, other stakes events for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies include the $200,000 Maid of the Mist on October 29 going a one-turn mile at Belmont at the Big A and the six-furlong $100,000 Key Cents on November 18 at the Aqueduct fall meet.

Geroux said the sloppy track hindered the previously undefeated Caldwell Luvs Gold's chances.

“She had a tough time. The first half-mile of the race, I just couldn't get her going. I know usually she's far back, but she's in contention – this time she was completely out of it and they were getting away from me,” Geroux said. “I got her into the clear and she came with a nice run, but the horse on the lead just never stopped. I feel like if she was a little closer, she could have won.”

Cara's Time returned a cool $47 for a $2 win wager, also banking $68,750 in victory which brought her lifetime earnings up to $118,000. Her record now stands at 3-2-0-0.

Bred in the Empire State by Stephen Crestani Jr., Cara's Time is out of the Macho Uno mare Zindra, whose multiple stakes-placed half-sister Bahia Beach produced multiple graded stakes winner Next, also a son of Not This Time who landed the Greenwood Cup (G3) Saturday at Parx Racing.

The post No Catching 22-1 Upsetter Cara’s Time In Joseph A. Gimma appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lucky Seven Stable's five-time graded stakes winner Rattle N Roll leads a competitive field of nine older horses that were entered for Saturday's 10th running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Lukas Classic will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (ET). 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) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, and the $200,000 Jefferson Cup. First post is 12:45 p.m.

In the Lukas Classic, Rattle N Roll will attempt to rebound from his sixth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) as the 8-5 favorite. Prior to that race, Rattle N Roll finished just a half-length second behind West Will Power in the Stephen Foster (G1). The Kenny McPeek-trained 4-year-old Connect colt sports victories earlier this year in the Ben Ali (G3) in April at Keeneland, Pimlico Special (G3) in May, and Blame (G3) June 3 at Churchill.

As a 3-year-old, Rattle N Roll tallied victories in the American Derby, St. Louis Derby, and Oklahoma Derby (G3) and at age 2 won at the highest level in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

Rattle N Roll will break from post No. 4 in the Lukas Classic under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.

Rattle N Roll's competition in the Lukas Classic includes Lothenbach Stables' Stephen Foster third-place finisher Happy American, RRR Racing's Grade 3 winner Clapton, and Elttaes Stable's Longacres Mile winner Five Star General.

Here is the complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Happy American (James Graham, Neil Pessin); Clapton (Cristian Torres, Chad Summers); Warrant (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Trademark (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver); Blue Devil (Ricardo Santana Jr., Jeff Hiles); Whelen Springs (Jose Ferrer, Lindsay Schultz); Five Star General (Corey Lanerie, Grant Forster); and Americanrevolution (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher).

The post Rattle N Roll Looks To Get Back On Track In Lukas Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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