Tag: Racing

Nine 3-year-olds will match strides Sunday at Del Mar in the 78th edition of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby, a Grade 2 feature that carries a $300,000 purse and meet championship honors among the sophomore set.

The nine-furlong turf test will go as Race 10 on the 11-race program. Earlier – Race 7 to be precise – there will be the first half of the black-type double with the 49th running of the Shared Belief Stakes. The $125,000 offering, also for 3-year-olds only, is contested at a mile on the main track. It has drawn a field of six.

The horse to beat in the Derby is Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stable's Conclude, winner of the opening day Oceanside Stakes in handy fashion. The son of Pacific Classic winner Collected had won a small stakes at Santa Anita in his start before that and his three-for-five record and bankroll of $179,600 is tops among the Derby participants.

As he did in the Oceanside, Hector Berrios will ride the colt for trainer Phil D'Amato and they're listed as the 9-5 morning line favorite for the feature.

A pair of geldings appear to be the chief threats to Conclude in Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Maltese Falcon and CYBT, McLean Racing Stables or Gevertz's Almendares. Both come into the test off winning races, the former in Del Mar's La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn on Aug. 6, while the latter was a handy winner of a turf allowance test at the shore on July 23 in his U.S. bow.

Leading rider Juan Hernandez has the call on Maltese Falcon for trainer Leonard Powell, while Antonio Fresu will climb aboard Almendares for trainer D'Amato.

In the Shared Belief, the likely favorite will be the homebred Arrogate colt Mr Fisk, who races in the silks of Sunny Brook Stables. Bob Baffert, who conditioned Arrogate, calls the shots for Mr Fisk, and has secured the saddle services of top rider Hernandez for Sunday's affair.

Here are the fields for the two stakes listed in post position order with riders and morning line odds:

Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby — Great Friends Stables or Davis' Ah Jeez (Tiago Pereira, 15-1); Conclude; Maltese Falcon (3-1); Cuyathy's Reiquist (Ramon Vazquez, 15-1); Almendares (3-1); Hronis Racing's Panic Alarm (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Al and Sandee Kirkwood's Smart Code (Mike Smith, 12-1); Lamarock Stable's Justin's Legacy (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1), and CYBT, Nentwig or Pell's Kid Azteca (Joe Bravo, 30-1).

Shared Belief Stakes – Pegram/Watson/Weitman's Tahoe Sunrise (Victor Espinoza, 4-1); ISK Racing Stable, Hames or Lewkow's Clouseau (Berrios, 6-1); The Del Mar Group's Henry Q (Fresu, 5-2); Reddam Racing's Low Expectations (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1); C R K Stable's Smart Mo (Bravo, 3-1), and Mr Fisk. (2-1).

First post Sunday goes at 2 p.m.

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Carl Spackler, trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, backed up his heavy 1-5 favoritism and doubled up on Saratoga Race Course graded stakes scores in Friday's 116th running of the Grade 3, $175,000 Saranac for sophomores traveling 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf.

Carl Spackler, an Irish-bred chestnut by Lope de Vega, captured the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame just three weeks ago over good going at the Spa, defeating fellow Brown trainee Appraise by 2 1/4 lengths.

Leaving from post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione, Carl Spackler left in good order, but Taking Candy broke sharpest of all to his inside and assumed command into the first turn. Carl Spackler was one length behind in second through an opening quarter-mile in 23.58 seconds over the good going. It was a gap of four lengths back to Lost Ark in third, followed by Mendelssohns March and Yacowlef trailing the field.

Carl Spackler briefly matched strides with Taking Candy down the backside but took back to his initial stalking position through a half-mile in 48.56. The field grew more compact nearing the far turn with Taking Candy still controlling the tempo through three-quarters in 1:12.56 as Gaffalione lightly coaxed a loaded Carl Spackler. An all-out Taking Candy fought Carl Spackler valiantly in upper stretch, but there were no yips or shanks for Carl Spackler, who strolled home an in-hand 3 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:42.23.

Taking Candy held second three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place finisher Lost Ark, a half-brother to 2022 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest. Mendelssohns March and Yacowlef completed the order of finish. Activist Investing, Freedom Trail, and main track only entrant Gilmore were scratched.

Named after a main character portrayed by Bill Murray in the film Caddyshack, Carl Spackler now boasts a 5-3-1-0 record with his lone off-the-board effort taking place when eighth as the lukewarm favorite in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 6 at Churchill Downs. A runner-up in his January 21 debut at Gulfstream Park to eventual Grade 1 winner Far Bridge, Carl Spackler was a sharp 8 3/4-length winner one month later at the same oval.

Carl Spackler utilized new tactics in the Saranac when sitting right off the pace as opposed to making up 6 1/2 lengths in the Hall of Fame with Gaffalione aboard for the first time.

“That day I wanted to be a little more forwardly placed, but we had a little hiccup out of the gate,” Gaffalione said of the Hall of Fame effort. “What I loved is that he relaxed back there and showed a real nice turn of foot that day, and that gave me confidence moving forward that I can place him wherever I need to. He's very talented.

“He was traveling well within himself,” Gaffalione added, regarding the Saranac. “I just wanted to try and get him to shut off. We have bigger things down the road, so didn't want to do too much today.”

Brown, who captured his third Saranac, said he expected to see his horse on the lead given the compact field.

“Once we had a target, I felt pretty good. I thought we would be on the lead actually, but Tyler knows this horse so well and, with all his horses, he comes well prepared,” said Brown, who saddled previous Saranac winners Public Sector [2021] and Raging Bull [2018]. “These short fields with a short price can be tricky sometimes, and I just said, 'Look, ride it loose and if you go to the lead, which I expect, fine. If someone really wants to go, it's even better,' because with a target, it worked out perfect.”

Brown mentioned the possibility of tackling older horses with Carl Spackler, who could make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile on October 7 at Keeneland, which was won last year by Saranac victor Annapolis.

“I'm looking at what I want to do with him in early October at Keeneland, and I just thought it was too big of a gap because we're going to possibly go after the Coolmore Mile, which will be a tall order,” Brown said. “I wasn't crazy about the eight weeks [off] for this horse, so I ran it by Bob [Edwards, owner of e Five Racing Thoroughbreds] and he said, 'Whatever you feel is right for the conditioning and development of the horse.' It all worked out.

“I love a little cutback into a mile in a bigger field with some pace,” Brown continued. “Again, tall order, [but] he'll get a little bit of a weight break being a 3-year-old, and as long as he's healthy and doing well, that's where he'll run.”

Bred in Ireland by Edwards' Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, Carl Spackler is out of the Brown-trained and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds-campaigned graded stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Zindaya, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Western Aristocrat.

“It's very rewarding and I trained this horse's mother for the Edwards family – it was one of our first big winners together, and to see her handsome colt that she threw out here winning two stakes at the same meet at Saratoga is hard to do, I know that very well,” Brown said.

Carl Spackler, who returned $2.50 for a $2 win wager, banked $96,250 in victory which enhanced his lifetime earnings to $432,250.

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 12-race card featuring the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup in Race 11 – a “Win And You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl – a “Win And You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress and the listed $150,000 Harvey Pack. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

The post Carl Spackler Proves Deserving Favorite In Saranac, Will Point To Keeneland’s Grade 1 Turf Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The first stakes offering a $2 million purse in Kentucky Downs history is all set as the Grade 3 mile Mint Millions headlines Saturday's 11-race card at the FanDuel Meet.

The Mint Millions offers a base purse of $1 million, with another $1 million from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) for registered Kentucky-born and -sired horses. Last year, with the race called the Mint Million, the base was $600,000 with a $400,000 supplement from the KTDF.

The Mint Millions is one of three Kentucky Downs stakes worth $1 million or more for Kentucky-breds Saturday, joining the Grade 3 Big Ass Fans Music City for 3-year-old filly sprinters and the Gun Runner for 3-year-olds at a mile. That triumvirate kicks off the sequence of 11 stakes that carry $1 million or more purses with KTDF during the meet. The second-richest is the $1.7 million, Grade 2 FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles. All the $1 million stakes have a base purse of $600,000.

A capacity field of 12 older horses was entered in the Mint Millions, with California-based multiple graded-stakes winner Cabo Spirit expected to scratch out of Thursday's opening-day $500,000 FanDuel Tapit Stakes to run for the bigger money. Money talks, and the Mint Millions attracted the entry of British's Group 1-placed Ancient Rome, trained by Charlie Hills with European standout jockey Jamie Spencer named to ride. Although based overseas, Ancient Rome is a Kentucky-bred who will compete for all the money.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher entered Annapolis, winner of last year's Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile against older horses, in what would be a three-week turnaround from the colt's close second in Saratoga's Grade 1 Fourstardave.

With 10 of the 12 entrants being Kentucky-bred the Mint Millions for 3-year-olds and up has huge potential to be:

• America's richest turf race outside the Breeders' Cup.
• the second-richest race offered by a racetrack in Kentucky outside the $3 million Kentucky Derby
• third-richest in North America not counting the Breeders' Cup, topped only by the Kentucky Derby and Gulfstream Park's $3 million Pegasus World Cup in Florida, both on dirt.
• Of the 14 Breeders' Cup races, only the $6 million Longines Classic and $4 million Longines Turf surpass $2 million.

The Mint Millions is the marque feature on the second day of the FanDuel Meet, which runs Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13 over the distinctive kidney-shaped course with subtle elevation changes.

Among the favorites for the Mint Millions figures to be the Greg Foley-trained Stitched, winner of the Grade 2 Wise Dan held at Ellis Park.

Kentucky Downs' all-time leading trainer Mike Maker, who finished 1-2 in the last year's stakes with Somelikeithotbrown and Atone, comes back with Atone and adds Max K. O.

Atone kicked off his 6-year-old season by becoming a Grade 1 winner in Gulfstream Park's Pegasus World Cup Turf. Most recently he faded to last after pushing a strong pace in the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs, but Maker is never hesitant to wheel back a horse who is doing well.

The 7-year-old Max K. O. is 2-for-2 at Kentucky Downs but not against stakes company. The 12-time winner most recently was sixth, beaten a total of three lengths, in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions at Ellis Park.

Winning the Ellis Park prep to earn a fees-paid berth in the Mint Millions was the Rodolphe Brisset-trained Hozier, who in his prior start was a very good fourth in the Grade 2 Wise Dan run at Ellis Park.

At age 8, Gray's Fable is back for another crack at the Mint Millions. The gelding finished a close fifth last year race after winning the prep race at Ellis Park. He returned to the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions four weeks ago, rallying to finish fourth but beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

“Hopefully he breaks a lot better, because that's where he's been getting in a tangle at the gate,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “But his (handicapping) numbers have been good and he's been running great. But he's just a horse that seems to have some little gate issues. Hopefully if he ever gets a clean break and a clean trip there will be a big difference.”

Others entered in the Mint Millions: multiple Grade 1-placed Get Her Number as trainer Peter Miller ships in from California, Saratoga's Lure winner Smokin' T, Canadian-based Churchtown and Dhabab.

The Mint Millions is carded as the 10th race, with an approximate post of 5:28 p.m. Central. First post is 12:30 p.m. CT.

The Music City (race 9, 4:54 p.m. CT) at 6 1/2 furlongs came up with a sensational field of 12 plus the maximum four also-eligibles.

The Kelsey Danner-trained Danse Macabre, winner of last year's Untapable, returns to the site of her most lucrative victory. The daughter of Army Mule comes into the Music City with a 4-2-1 mark in seven starts, including being 2-for-2 as a 3-year-old after Gulfstream Park's Grade 3 Herecomesthebride and Churchill Downs' Mamzelle.

She takes on Grade 3 winner and British invader Mammas Girl and stakes-winners stakes-winners L J's Emma, American Apple, Queen Picasso, Mohawk Trail, Malley Moo, Jill Jitterbug and Determined Jester. Though she hasn't won a stakes, Secret Money was a good third in her last start in Saratoga's Grade 3 Lake Placid.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Major Dude, winner of the Grade 2 Penn Mile and two other graded stakes, heads a field of 10 for the Gun Runner (race 8, 4:21 p.m. CT). Brad Cox entered Godolphin's Wadsworth, winner of the American Derby and Ellis Park's Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby. Others entered: Grade 3 UAE 2000 Guineas winner Tall Boy, stakes-winners Gaslight Dancer and Talk of the Nation, Georgie W, Highway Robber, Smokey Mandate, Escape Artist and Communication Memo.

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When the horses came out on the track for the $500,000 FanDuel Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Thursday, trainer Whit Beckman had to do a double take.

He knew his 5-year-old gelding Harlan Estate would not be one of the favorites in the field of 11. But he didn't think the son of Kantharos would be the longest shot on the board, either.

That's exactly what he saw as Harlan Estate was 37-1.

“That surprised me.” Beckman said. “We knew it was going to be a gamble, but I didn't think the odds would be that big. He has had some good races the past three or four months.”

His horse then went out and showed the betting public had made a big mistake as he took control of the mile and 70 yard race at the eighth pole and then rolled home to a 1 ¾-length win.

Ridden by Declan Cannon, Harlan Estate won for the first time this year in his seventh start.

For Beckman, a former assistant to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and perennial New York champion Chad Brown, as well as a stint in Saudi Arabia, this was his first stakes win since he went out on his own on Sept 11, 2021.

“This is a huge day,” Beckman, who is from Louisville, said. “We brought a horse that was ready to run.”

Harlan Estate last raced in an allowance at Colonial Downs on Aug. 3 and finished fifth, beaten by 7 ¾ lengths. Three starts before this race, he finished third in the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes at Churchill. The horse that won that, Set Piece, would go on to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million at Colonial on Aug. 12.

After a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Ellis Park on July 1, Hidden Estate was off until the Colonial allowance.

“We felt that was not a true test of his ability,” Beckman said. “We felt with Kentucky Downs being a different kind of setup, it was worth taking a shot down here.”

Harlan Estate was in mid-pack early on and began moving on the outside to upper stretch.

He was full of run when he came into the stretch, not looking anything like a horse wearing 37-1 odds.

“Once I tipped him out and got some daylight, he ran hard all the way to the line,” Cannon said. “I was never really in doubt from there.”

Harlan Estate has won five of 24 career starts. On grass, he has three wins in 12 tries. Beckman said he was not sure what would be next for the gelding.

English Bee, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Graham Motion, finished second at 10-1 and were a head in front of Yes This Time, who was 8-1 for trainer Peter Miller and jockey Gerardo Corrales.

Gaffalione and jockey Jareth Loveberry, who was fifth with Speaking Scout for Motion, filed jockey objections. They were disallowed by the stewards.

“I didn't see anything that was outside of normal race running,” Beckman said. “I have to watch it again. I really have no idea what happened.”

Cannon also said he was surprised at the claims.

“This track, you kind of turn and you turn again,” he said. “I stayed on my line. Horses can kind of look around a little bit. It's just a different configuration for them. For a half million dollars, jocks aren't going to just give it to you.”

The final time was 1:38.47. Harlan Estate paid $76.52, $33.20 and $16.60.

Strong Quality finished fourth. Portfolio Company, the 5-2 favorite, was sixth followed by Kitodan, Play Action Pass, Flavius, Tiberius Mercurius and Whisper Not.

Harlan Estate is owned by Mary Roberts and Adam Ainspan of Clifton, Va. This was their first trip to Kentucky Downs.

“It's beautiful,” Ainspan said.”We both grew up just outside of Saratoga Springs, so we know what a beautiful racetrack looks like. This is certainly up there with the best of them.”

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