Tag: Racing

Trainer Kevin Attard, who celebrated two major victories in Canada this week, will hope to add to his recent accolades as he sends out Grade 1 winner Last Call in Saturday's Grade 3, $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Jockey Club Oaks is the final leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which began with Aspen Grove's victory in the 10-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 8 at Belmont Park and saw Elusive Princess capture the middle leg in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 4 at Saratoga Race Course.

Attard sent out reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Moira to win Saturday's Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine, as well as Velocitor to win Tuesday's Prince of Wales – the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown – at Fort Erie. Lanni Bloodstock and SF Racing's Last Call vies to provide Attard with more stakes success as she takes on six rivals in the fourth running of the Jockey Club Oaks.

Last Call wheels back on 13 days' rest after finishing a closing fourth in the Dueling Grounds Oaks traveling 1 5/16 miles on Sept. 3 at Kentucky Downs. There, she stretched out beyond one mile for the first time and was 12 lengths back at the half-mile call, but steadily improved position under Joel Rosario to narrowly miss show honors by a neck, finishing 5 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Freydis the Red.

“It's coming back a little quick, but she came out of the race in good order and is doing well, so we kind of figured we'll take a stab at it,” said Attard. “I thought she ran well last time. It's a different course and she was a little lost and confused early in the race, but she made a good rally and stalled a little in traffic. We ran a game fourth and we were very pleased.”

The daughter of English Channel graduated at third asking in memorable fashion, posting a 21-1 upset in the Grade 1 Natalma last September at Woodbine as the longest price of three entrants for Attard. Though winless in five starts since, the chestnut filly finished a rallying sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her 2-year-old season and has hit the board in two sprint stakes this season at Woodbine in the Ruling Angel [second] over Tapeta in May and the Alywow [third] on turf in June.

Attard said distance and maturity will likely benefit Last Call, whose full brother English Tavern is multiple stakes-placed at nine-furlongs on the turf.

“Her pedigree leans towards stretching out and getting a little better as she gets older,” said Attard. “She got ready early as a 2-year-old and she was fortunate enough to win the Natalma and then take us to the Breeders' Cup. I thought she ran a credible race there, but here in Canada there's not many races that go a route of ground beyond a mile and an eighth for open-breds, and in her mile races, she had a little rough luck. I thought she was relaxing good and galloping out good, so we were looking forward for the opportunity to stretch her out.”

Last Call, a $30,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, will exit post 1 in rein to Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable and Haras d'Etreham's Group 3-winner Speirling Beag will look to capture her first American victory for conditioner Graham Motion on the heels of a narrow defeat in the 1 1/16-mile Searching on Aug. 13 at Laurel Park. The Irish-bred daughter of Mastercraftsman made up ground late in the stretch when closing from sixth of eight, but came up a nose shy of victory behind Bolivie, who is entered in Friday's Winter Memories at the Big A. Speirling Beag was awarded a 79 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“It's a good opportunity for a lot of money with a filly who seems to be doing well,” said Motion. “I thought she was pretty unlucky last time to be honest. The distance is a question mark, but I think it's something that could be within her scope.”

Speirling Beag made her debut for Motion in the Belmont Oaks after finishing fifth in the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud in her lone outing for conditioners Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti. She made her first six starts for trainer James Bolger in her native Ireland, which included a nose triumph from off the pace in the nine-furlong Group 3 Eyrefield in October over soft footing at Leopardstown. In the Belmont Oaks, she again was given a stalking trip by Hall of Famer John Velazquez and was off a step slow, but made up ground down the backstretch and finished sixth 2 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Aspen Grove.

“I think that effort gives me confidence to take another shot,” said Motion. “We hadn't had her very long and she is certainly fitter now than she was then. It's always a little bit of an unknown when these horses come to you about what they've been doing, and I feel more comfortable now having run her twice.”

Manny Franco has been tasked with the ride from post 7.

Godolphin's Irish homebred Eternal Hope [post 6, Jamie Spencer] ships in for trainer Charlie Appleby after finishing a close third to Group 1-winner Jannah Rose in the 10-furlong Group 2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head over soft Deauville green on Aug. 20. The runner-up in that event, Lumiere Rock, exited to win the Group 2 Blanford on Monday at The Curragh.

Eternal Hope's latest effort was a strong improvement from a distant seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Epsom Oaks on June 2 where she raced evenly throughout and failed to fire. The Teofilo chestnut, whose dam Voice of Truth is a half-sister to multiple group-winner and sire Rio de La Plata, graduated at second asking going 10 furlongs in February at Chelmsford ahead of a successful stakes debut when taking the Oaks Trial in May at Lingfield.

Joyce Young's Highland Grace [post 5, Javier Castellano] makes her stakes debut for trainer Barclay Tagg on the back of two victories this summer at Belmont Park. The American Pharoah bay was last seen notching a 1 1/2-length allowance coup on July 4 going 10 furlongs over yielding footing in an effort that garnered a career-best 81 Beyer. That win followed a fifth-out graduation on June 3 traveling the Jockey Club Oaks distance, as well a close runner-up effort to next-out Grade 2 Wonder Again-winner Prerequisite in a May 7 maiden.

Completing the field are Marc Keller's Kentucky homebred Quarrel [post 2, Jose Ortiz], a last-out allowance winner for trainer Bobby Ribaudo; Michael Milam's stakes-winner Neecie Marie [post 3, Abner Adorno], who is cross-entered in Friday's Winter Memories for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.; and R.T Racing Stable's multiple stakes-placed Stephanie's Charm [post 4, Junior Alvarado], who is on the also-eligible list for the Winter Memories for trainer Jose Jimenez.

The Jockey Club Oaks is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Last Call Has Quick Turnaround In Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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DATTT Stable homebred Smokin' T, a stakes winner last month that came within a half-length of earning a million-dollar payday just two weeks ago, wheels back for another chance at picking up graded credentials in Saturday's $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 17th running of the one-mile BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up is the headliner of an 11-race program featuring six stakes, three each scheduled for grass and dirt, worth $650,000 in purses on the penultimate weekend of Pimlico's boutique nine-day fall meet.

Other scheduled turf stakes are the $100,000 All Along for fillies and mares 3 and older going 1 1/8 miles and $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs.

Rounding out the stakes action are a trio of six-furlong dirt sprints – the $100,000 Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up, $100,000 Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies, and $75,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up that have not won an open sweepstakes.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Smokin' T, a 4-year-old son of War Front and grandson of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, will be making his 17th start and first in Maryland for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who previously won the BWI Turf Cup with Mr Speaker in 2015 and Doctor Mounty in 2018, both at Laurel Park.

The bay colt exits three consecutive stakes, having run second by less than a length as the favorite to Big Everest in the May 27 Cliff Hanger at Monmouth Park before forging a neck victory in the Aug. 5 Lure at Saratoga, both going 1 1/16 miles, the latter over a yielding course. McGaughey cut Smokin' T back to a mile and shipped him to Kentucky Downs for the Mint Million (G3) Sept. 2, a race where he wound up third just a head behind runner-up Stitched.

“He shows up every time. You've just got to put the bridle on him and take him over there. He seems to always run his race,” McGaughey said. “He ran really well to win the Lure in Saratoga and ran a bang-up race at Kentucky Downs. He's coming back a little quick, but he seems to be training good so we'll take a shot and see what happens.”

Smokin' T has put together a strong 2023 campaign where he has run third or better in all six of his starts, two of them wins, having also captured a one-mile optional claiming allowance on Kentucky Oaks (G1) day at Churchill Downs. He began the year running third in a pair of races at Gulfstream Park, one each on the turf and all-weather Tapeta.

“I think racing has helped him,” McGaughey said. “Naturally he has matured some from 3 to 4 and I think we've got a pretty good bead on him right now, and he's responded to it.”

Feargal Lynch gets the call on Smokin' T from Post 7 in a field of nine that includes main-track-only entrants Business Model (Post 6) and Grade 1 winner Doppelganger (Post 1).

“The post is fine,” McGaughey said. “He won't be laying too far off the pace so then he can finish when the speed develops.”

Woodslane Farm gelding Wolfie's Dynaghost, a homebred son of Ghostzapper, beat Smokin' T in their last meeting, the Carousel Club Handicap Jan. 28 at Gulfstream, which the 5-year-old bay won for a second straight year. Wolfie's Dynaghost won the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park in his next start, also over the Tapeta, and exits a head victory in a one-mile allowance Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs.

“He's what everybody would love to have in their barn. He's just a hard-trying, honest, very reliable horse,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “He's been a lot of fun to train and most times we lead him up there, we lead him up with some confidence. He's a neat horse and we were happy to see him get his head back up in front the other day.”

Jevian Toledo is named to ride from Post 4 at topweight of 126 pounds, giving four to 10 pounds to his rivals.

Willow Lane Stable, Inc.'s Highestdistinction will take a two-race win streak into his graded debut. The 6-year-old Point of Entry gelding was a popular winner of a 7 ½-furlong allowance July 14 at Delaware Park before finding stakes success for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Oceanport Aug. 13 at Monmouth.

Prior to his current streak Highestdistinction hadn't won since a dirt allowance in the fall of 2020 at Delaware for previous trainer Tom Proctor. He also spent time with trainers Randy Morse and Robert Medina before joining Lindsay Schultz in the spring, for whom he ran second by a length behind Catnip May 27 at Monmouth. Catnip would go on to win the Monmouth Cup (G3) and run second in the United Nations (G1).

“When we got him over to Monmouth he ran second to Catnip who ended up winning a big next start, and that was very encouraging,” Schultz said. “That kind of made us think that maybe he is a little better than he's shown. We found him a nice spot at Delaware and it was on soft ground, which I'm not sure he loves, but he really put a good effort in and got the win.

“I think with these older horses, when they get a win they get a little confidence. Training up to the Oceanport he was as good as he could be. He worked massive the week before,” she added. “He's just been really exciting. He's gotten placed well and found some good spots to run in. The owner has been very conscientious about running him in the right spots. He's not trying to put him in over his head, so he really had to show us that he was ready for a stakes race.”

Jairo Rendon, aboard for both his recent Monmouth races including the Oceanport, rides back from Post 3.

“We're taking a big step up. We're running against some really nice horses this weekend but the horse has kind of pushed us to this spot and he's doing really well so we'll take a shot,” Schultz said. “He's never run at Pimlico but he's run at quite a few different tracks. He's a pretty cool horse to have around. I'm excited to give him a chance.”

He'spuregold, bred and owned by John Bowers Jr., is a multiple stakes winner on turf, having captured the one-mile Irish War Cry Handicap each of the past three years, as well as the Charles Hesse III Handicap last summer on dirt, all for New Jersey-breds at Monmouth. Trained by Kelly Breen, the 5-year-old gelding rallied on the inside to get within a length of Highestdistinction at the top of the stretch in the Oceanport and settled for third, beaten three lengths.

HPG Thoroughbreds' King Vega is a 5-year-old British-bred gelding based with Graham Motion at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. He raced seven times last year after coming to the U.S. with two wins, including the 1 1/8-mile Buckland on the Colonial Downs turf, and was fourth by three lengths as the favorite in the 1 3/8-mile Singspiel (G3) at Woodbine.

King Vega returned to Colonial for his season debut Aug. 3, leading all the way around under jockey Forest Boyce in the 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance and finishing in a dead-heat for first with Commandeer – his first start in 285 days.

“He was very game, I thought,” Motion said. “He ran a very brave race and Forest gave him a great ride. We've always thought he was that kind of horse, but it's a lot to do coming off that long layoff.

“I think he's just a very honest horse; very talented and very honest,” he added. “The main thing is he settles. I didn't necessarily expect him to be on the lead last time, but if there's not much pace in the race he's going to be on the lead. It's just how he is.”

Boyce gets the return call from outermost Post 9 on King Vega, who Motion said was also under consideration for last weekend's Singspiel.

“Honestly I wish this race was a little further but I don't exactly know what his best distance is,” he said. “I considered running him a mile and a quarter in Canada, but I just focused on this race because it's close to home and I thought it would be great that Forest could ride him back.”

Completing the field are David Jacobson-owned and trained Cazadero, a winner of the 2022 Nearctic (G2) at Woodbine sprinting six furlongs on the grass that has never raced beyond seven furlongs and is winless in four tries this year; and Mastic Beach Racing's Tee At One, the lone 3-year-old that has raced just four times with two wins and two seconds, including a runner-up finish in the July 15 Kent going 1 3/8 miles over soft turf at Delaware.

This marks the third straight year the BWI Turf Cup will be run at Pimlico after being contested at Laurel Park from 2015-19. It was run as the Colonial Turf Cup from 2005-13 at Colonial Downs, returned to the schedule in 2015 at Laurel as the Commonwealth Cup, was renamed the Commonwealth Turf Cup for 2016 and was shelved in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Past winners of the BWI Turf Cup include champion English Channel; fellow millionaires Showing Up, Battle of Hastings, Paddy O'Prado, Rahystrada, Mr Speaker and Field Pass, who captured the $75,000 Find Aug. 19 at Laurel in his first try against Maryland-breds. Last year's BWI Turf Cup was won by Set Piece, who earned Grade 1 credentials Aug. 12 in the Arlington Million.

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