Tag: Racing

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.

The post Canadian HOY Moira Rolls To Dominating Victory In Canadian appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.

The post Regal Realm Powers Gate To Wire In Ladies Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After Welcome Back barely prevailed in the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, Bentornato proved much the best in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, giving trainer Jose D'Angelo a sweep of Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

In the first leg of the series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions, Soldi Stable LLC's Welcome Back eked out victory by a nose following a troubled trip, while Leon King Stable Corp.'s  never gave D'Angelo an anxious moment while scoring by 7 ½ lengths.

“I'm very happy,” D'Angelo said. “Last year, it was my goal to pick up and train horses for the Florida Sire Stakes. We worked hard at the sales. Thank God, we won both races.”

Bentornato, it should be noted, is Italian for “welcome back”.

Bentornato, who was purchased fBentornatoor $170,000 at the OBS March sale for 2-year-olds in training, remained undefeated in three starts while following up a 4 ¼-length triumph in the six-furlong Proud Man at Gulfstream Park Aug. 12.

“I was very confident in him today. In his last stake he wasn't really ready because he had a fever before the race and missed a couple of very important workouts,” D'Angelo said. “For this race, I just worked him two times, easy for him, without company. Last race I had to push him to get ready.”

The son of Valiant Minister, the 2-5 favorite in a field of nine, broke alertly from his outside post position and advanced along the backstretch to hook up with Dickens approaching the far turn without pressure from jockey Emisael Jaramillo. Asked to pick up the pace on the far turn, Bentornato quickly opened up a clear lead on the turn into the homestretch and drew off with authority. Bentornato ran six furlongs in 1:11. 44 off half-mile fractions of 22.33 and 45.51 seconds.

Dickens, who was coming off a third-place finish in the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga, held gamely to finish second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Jive.

Bentornato will be pointed toward the next two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes, the $200,000 Affirmed at seven furlongs Oct. 21 and the $300,000 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 2.

“I think he will go longer, because of the way he trains,” D'Angelo said.

Welcome Back, who inherited the role of favorite when 7-5 morning-line favorite R Harper Rose was scratched Saturday morning due to a fever, was coming off an impressive debut victory that came against winners on Tapeta in a July 29 optional claiming allowance.

The strapping, long-striding daughter of Adios Charlie, got away from the gate well to chase pacesetter Field of Greens along the backstretch with Epona's Hope to her outside. Jockey Edwin Gonzalez was forced to check Welcome Back on the far turn when Epona's Hope made an outside move to the lead, allowing Mist to get the jump on her with an outside move of her own. Gonzalez made a four-wide move on the turn into the homestretch as Mist set her sights on Epona's Hope. It took Welcome Back time to get untracked and employ her huge stride, but she was able to prevail over Mist by a nose at the wire.

“My filly was a little green, between horses, she'd never run between horses. So today she was between horses and she's so big, so I have to check a little when the 8 [Epona's Hope] comes down. She almost clipped heels,” Gonzalez said. “When I take her out, she grabbed her spot, and she came running.”

Welcome Back ($3.60) ran six furlongs in 1:14.28 off half-mile fractions of 23.46 and 46.68 seconds. Mist finished second under Emisael Jaramillo, a half-length ahead of Epona's Hope and jockey Edgar Perez.

The Soldi Stable homebred sported an equipment change that may well have meant the difference between victory and defeat.

“We put on her today a new bit. She looked much better today because when Edwin wants to move her, she responds very well,” D'Angelo said. “I'm very happy with the race.”

Welcome Back will be pointed toward the $200,000 Susan's Girl, the seven-furlong second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series Oct.21. The $300,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile series final, is scheduled for Dec. 2.

“I think the hard race for her is going to be this one because she's perfect to go long,” D'Angelo said. “I was afraid this race was going to be too short for her, so I'm happy she won the race.”

The post D’Angelo Trainees Sweep Florida Sires Stakes At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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