Palazzi Kicks From Last For Singspiel Triumph

Unhurried early, Palazzi, under Sahin Civaci, was full of run down the lane to take Saturday's $150,000 Pattison Singspiel Stakes (G3), run at 1¼ miles on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Collective Force broke sharply to take the lead, followed by Dun Drum and Town Cruise, while Civaci and Palazzi, who broke a step slowly, took up residence at the back of the pack, in seventh, through an opening quarter in :25.30.

Collective Force was three lengths in front of Town Cruise through a half in :49.36, as Civaci maintained his patient hand aboard the Mark Casse-trained Palazzi.

As the field worked its way into the turn for home, Collective Force was still on top but was soon pressured by Town Cruise and Malibu Mambo, while 6-5 choice Rockemperor, on the outside, and Palazzi, along the rail, each began to pick up momentum.

Malibu Mambo struck front in early stretch but was quickly engaged by both Rockemperor and Palazzi, who then made it a two-horse race midway down the lane, with the latter emerging victorious by a half-length in a time of 2:02.26. Malibu Mambo was third and Dun Drum finished fourth.

It was the third straight score and first graded victory for the Gary Barber-owned Palazzi, who is now 5-3-2 from 23 career starts.

Bred by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC & Pioneerof the Nile Syndicate, the well-traveled 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile out of Kindle, by Indian Charlie, broke his maiden in his fifth start, at 15-1, in a one-mile turf race at Fair Grounds on Dec. 19, 2020. His first stakes success came in the 2021 running of the Texas Turf Mile Stakes at Sam Houston.

Palazzi, third choice on the board at 4-1, returned $10.50 for the win.

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Canadian HOY Moira Rolls To Dominating Victory In Canadian

Moira, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, rocketed away from her rivals en route to an emphatic score in Saturday's $200,000 Canadian Stakes (G2) on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine.

The Canadian, an about 1 1/8-mile race over the E.P. Taylor turf for 3-year-olds and up, went postward with six fillies and mares after the scratch of Talbeyah.

Miss Dracarys, fresh off an impressive score, her third straight victory, in the Dance Smartly (G2), powered to the front under Dylan Davis, while 3-5 choice Fev Rover, last year's Canadian winner who came into the race off a sensational triumph in the Beverly D. (G1), shadowed the pacesetter to the outside, followed by Skims, Ready Lady, Moira, and Atomic Blonde, through an opening panel in :24.65.

It was status quo through a half in :48.25 as Miss Dracarys and Fev Rover continued their chess match on the front end, while Rafael Hernandez, aboard Moira, watched the lead pair from in fifth.

Miss Dracarys, still on top as the six-pack navigated the turn for home, was engaged to her outside by Fev Rover, but it was Moira, last year's Queen's Plate victress, in full flight, who swooped past the leaders with eye-catching ease and assumed control.

Ahead by four lengths at the stretch call, the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper out of Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song, continued to pour it on, going on to a 6 ¼-length win in a time of 1:46.04 over turf rated as good.

Skims was second, Atomic Blonde was third and Fev Rover finished fourth. Ready Lady and Miss Dracarys rounded out the order.

It was the first win since the tough-as-nails bay won the Plate, an emotional victory for her connections, including Hernandez and trainer Kevin Attard.

“I just want to tell you guys, 'Guess who is back? Moira,'” said Hernandez. “When she started warming up in the post parade, she started dancing and that's it… they weren't going to beat her today. She's 100 per cent. She was just playing around in the backyard that she knows. When she turned for home, I let her switch her lead and said, 'Come on baby, do what you know what to do.' And she showed up today. Every time I ride her, it's not just another horse. She has a special place in my heart.”

Attard, closing in on 720 career wins, was visibly moved when speaking of the Adena Springs-bred miss, now a graded stakes winner.

“She is a very special horse,” said Attard, who had watched Moira finish second, including in the Nassau (G2) and Dance Smartly (G2), in her three previous 2023 starts. “It was a little disappointing at the start, she just had some hard racing luck. Last time, she put it together and had a good trip, just kind of ran out of ground. She looks probably the best she's ever looked. She's trained well and it's just so satisfying to see her put it all together. Now, we're stretching out to distances where she is going to excel and show her true class.”

Moira, sporting a record of 5-4-0 from 11 starts for owners X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC, appears to be headed to the $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on October 8 at Woodbine.

“Most definitely,” said Attard, of the 1¼-mile E.P. Taylor. “I'm pretty sure. I have bosses, but 'wink-wink.' ”

Moira paid $7.90 for the win.

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Gear Jockey Lands KY Downs’ Turf Sprint For Second Time In Thriller, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth

Calumet Farm homebred Gear Jockey fought out a thrilling finish to spring a 23-1 surprise in the $1-million Ainsworth Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs and earned his second victory in the race Saturday.

The 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy scored comfortably by 2 ½ lengths in the 2021 edition of the six-furlong contest but needed every inch of the stretch this year to win by head from favorite One Timer.

Ridden by Jose Lezcano for trainer Rusty Arnold, Gear Jockey returned $23.30 after finishing the trip in 1:10.59.

Pacesetter Bad Beat Brian finished third, a neck behind One Timer.

With the victory, Gear Jockey earned an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Santa Anita via the Breeders' Cup Challenge 'Win and You're In' series.

With the $589,680 winner's share of the purse, Gear Jockey's lifetime earnings increased to $1,586,651. His overall record stands at 5-2-6 from 24 starts. His dam is the Tapit mare Switching Gears.

Ainsworth Turf Sprint Quotes

Trainer Rusty Arnold, 1st, Gear Jockey – “We're pretty happy. He's a favorite. I thought he had lost his edge. He's had his issues and we thought we had him in pretty good shape. He loves this course. Two times he's won on it, so obviously he does. Great ride. Very happy.”

How did you have the confidence to try him here? “We had this horse in at Ellis to get him ready We got him down there and were ready to go. It was a beautiful day, but the sprinklers had been left on all night so we couldn't run him.

Then we were scrambling and I don't think he got to Virginia (where he was sixth in the Van Clief Stakes July 22 in his first starts since Nov. 25) the right way. It was a disaster. Then we just pointed for here. He had three really, really good works.

“We thought we had him right, but there is a way of being fit and there is racing fit. Everybody else has been running and we've been on the shelf with one start in a year basically.”

“He's had his issues. You get him over here without his issues and you've got a different horse. Each time he ran one of those there was a reason for it. We tried to give him the winter off and get him right. The only one we kind of scratched our head on was the last race in Virginia because we thought we had him good enough to run a good race. We knew we were coming here. But he didn't run at all. We had shipped down the day before and nothing went right. Everything went right for this one.”

“He won kind of the same way two years ago. We wanted to run here last year. We missed it. It's nice to get him back.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano, 1st, Gear Jockey – “He broke very sharp. He gave me the same race he gave me two years ago when he won here (2021 Turf Sprint). To be honest with you, I knew it was going to be very close. At first, I thought the other horse (One Timer) got me. I thought he got me in the last bob and I was like (clenches his teeth). I really didn't know. Sometimes you know. The angle here is different so it's hard to know. I was very happy for the horse. He is a tough horse and he tries all the time. I am very happy for Rusty and his whole team. They work very hard.”

Trainer Larry Rivelli, 2nd, One Timer – “He likes this track. We'll see him next year. Same race. That's what we're going to do. We'll run him in the Breeders' Cup and give him some time off.

Were you compromised by not getting to the lead right away? “The other horse, Bad Beat Brian, caught a flyer. We've ran against him several times and we've been in front of him. There's nothing you can do. He just got us. Baird knows the horse well enough that he let him settle in.”

Jockey E. T. Baird, 2nd, One Timer – “I thought I got there. He ran good. They out footed me the first part so I just conceded and held him together. I didn't know at the wire. I knew it was going to be close. He ran hard.”

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Regal Realm Powers Gate To Wire In Ladies Turf

Augustin Stables homebred Regal Realm struck for a breakthrough graded stakes triumph Saturday when breaking first from the gate and leading all the way to win the $1-million Castle Hill Gaming Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs.

Sent off at 6-1 odds under Florent Geroux, the 4-year-old Animal Kingdom filly was winning her fourth race from five outings this year and her fifth in 12 career starts.

She landed her first stakes win June 21 at Canterbury Park in the Lady Canterbury, then finished second in the De La Rose Aug. 2 at Saratoga as a tune-up to Saturday's lucrative 1 1/2-length win. The $604,560 winner's share lifted her career purse earnings to $819,757.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Regal Realm paid $14.16 for the victory.

Sparkle Blue finished second, and White Frost was third in the field of seven fillies and mares.

Ladies Turf Quotes

Winning trainer Jonathan Thomas, Regal Realm: “She's been training great. We were looking forward to getting her here. I thought Flo did a great job of getting her to the lead comfortably. She looked super with her body language. Took to the track very well. We're just thrilled. Really, really happy for Mr. Strawbridge. Great owner-breeder, fantastic guy to work with. So this was really special to do for him.”

(On first graded stakes win) “Oh yeah. She's a beautiful filly herself, great family, adding some graded stakes black type. And the million dollars doesn't hurt at all. We're just thrilled.”

Jockey Florent Geroux, 1st, Regal Realm: “She broke super fast and made the lead very easily. We just wanted to see how she broke. We thought she might be forward because of a lack of speed in the race. When she jumped very well I just took control of the race. Sh did it very easily and she really liked the track. She had more and felt great.”

Alice Clapham, assistant trainer to Graham Motion, trainer of runner-up Sparkle Blue: “She ran great. We weren't sure about backing her up to the mile, but she ran really well. Just maybe ran out of ground.”

Jockey Vincent Cheminaud, 2nd, Sparkle Blue: “She ran very well, we had a very good trip. The winner was in front and I wanted to relax my filly. She finished very good. I tried to keep my position in the last turn. I'm happy. The winner is a good filly.

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