Tag: Racing

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.

The post Kentucky Downs: Annapolis, British-Trained Ancient Rome Standouts For Saturday’s $2 Million Mint Millions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.”

The post Harlan Estate Gives Beckman First Stakes Win In FanDuel Tapit At Kentucky Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

WSS Racing's undefeated Brightwork brings a perfect 3-for-3 record into Sunday's 132nd running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies going seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The Spinaway has been won by subsequent Champion 2-Year-Old Fillies Before Dawn [1981], Family Style [1985], Meadow Star [1990], Flanders [1994], Golden Attraction [1995], Countess Diana [1997], Vequist [2020], and Echo Zulu [2021]. In its earlier years, the Spinaway was won by Hall of Famers such as Miss Woodford [1882], Maskette [1908], Top Flight [1931], Cicada [1961], Affectionately [1962], La Prevoyante [1972] and Ruffian [1974].

Brightwork, by fourth-crop sire Outwork, announced her presence as a major force to be reckoned with in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Adirondack on August 6 at Saratoga. She stalked a swift pace in between horses from third down the backstretch before tipping out wide around the far turn en route to an easy five-length score under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who retains the mount from post 9. The win garnered an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Brightwork has seen added ground through each of her starts for trainer John Ortiz. After breaking her maiden by three lengths in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden test on April 26 at Keeneland, she captured the six-furlong Debutante on July 2 at Ellis Park.

Since her Adirondack conquest, Brightwork has engaged in interval training which puts emphasis on the post-work gallop out.

“She came out of her last race in great shape,” Ortiz said. “In her last work, we gave her some interval training where we broke off from the half-mile pole nice and steady and then came home from the quarter pole out a half-mile. She went 49 flat and continued to gallop out almost to the three-eighths pole again. She got plenty of distance that day, nice, slow and steady. I gave her a target last week, and she did a half-mile from the pole in 48 and change. That's just exactly what we needed.

“The thing about her works is that she's only getting better and better,” Ortiz continued. “Her heart rate is showing that she's asking for more distance and so we're going in there as confident as can be.”

A Spinaway win would give Ortiz, who opened his stable in 2016, his first Grade 1 victory as a trainer.

“That's life goals right there, isn't it? When you become a trainer, that's your number one goal,” Ortiz said. “I told Elliott Walden [CEO of WinStar Farm] one day that if I become a trainer, I don't want to just be a trainer, I want to be a Champion trainer. That's the whole purpose of doing this – being in the big leagues and making it to the top. It looks like this filly is looking to take us that way and I'm enjoying the ride.”

Bought for $95,000 as a weanling from the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Brightwork is out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Clarendon Fancy, who also produced stakes-placed Quiet Company.

Four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown will send out highly impressive maiden winner Ways and Means for Klaravich Stables.

The bay daughter of third-crop stallion Practical Joke, who also was campaigned by Brown and Klaravich, displayed talent in her August 6 debut when tracking in fifth before taking the lead in upper stretch.

Jockey Flavien Prat, who retains the mount from post 8, was described as “poised like a statue in the irons” by the Equibase chart as Ways and Means strolled home a 12 3/4-length winner while earning a 90 Beyer for the win.

Ways and Means has registered two breezes over the Oklahoma training track since her phenomenal maiden coup, including a last out half-mile in 49.77 seconds on August 27.

“She's had two easy works since, and she looks fine. I'm excited to see her run again. We've been training easy,” Brown said.

A Kentucky homebred, Ways and Means is out of the Ontario-bred stakes winner Strong Incentive, who also produced Brown-trained and Klaravich-owned graded stakes-winners Highly Motivated and Surge Capacity.

Hall of Famer Bill Mott will saddle CJ Thoroughbreds' Sugar Hi [post 3, Junior Alvarado], who impressed in her Opening Day debut at the Spa with a six-length win. The daughter of Twirling Candy earned an 80 Beyer from her first-out graduation going 5 1/2 furlongs, where she sat a close second off a pace set by returning rival Lady Moscato before dueling with her foe in upper stretch and kicking clear to victory.

CJ Johnsen of CJ Thoroughbreds said the ultimate goal with Sugar Hi is to go two turns, which is one reason they bypassed the Adirondack.

“With her pedigree, I think the longer the better. I know she won at 5 1/2 [furlongs], but then going 6 1/2 in the Adirondack is a whole different animal,” Johnsen said. “I don't think there was any real reason to push her to get to [the Adirondack] because it was a three-week turnaround. She came out of her race great and probably could have easily made the race, but we wanted to make sure to develop her properly. The last thing you want to do with a filly like this is throw them into a race when they aren't 100 percent and they get crushed and get their spirits broken. She's so mentally smart, that we wanted to make sure we did the right thing for her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, Sugar Hi is out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Laughing Matters, whose second dam Justenuffheart produced 2006 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and black type producer Dreaming of Anna as well as turf graded stakes winner Justenuffhumor and multiple graded stakes winner Lewis Michael.

Trainer Kenny McPeek will saddle Wonder Ride [post 7, Julien Leparoux] following a winning debut on August 13 at Saratoga. There, the daughter of leading third-crop stallion Gun Runner rated a close third down the backstretch and won by a half-length in an effort which garnered a 72 Beyer.

McPeek mentioned targeting either the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette going a one-turn mile on October 7 at Belmont at the Big A or the previous day's Grade 1, $600,000 Alcibiades at Keeneland following the Spinaway.

“She was probably only 80-85 percent first time out. She did everything I asked of her and trained like a very good horse,” McPeek said. “Anytime you can run first, second or third in these kind of races with a filly is good. We'll see how she runs there and then come back in either the Frizette or the Alcibiades.”

McPeek also campaigned her New York-bred dam Wonderment, a daughter of Cosmonaut who won the 2016 Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park as well as three state-bred stakes.

“She's bigger, stronger and more talented than her mother and her mother was a very good horse,” McPeek said. “This filly seems to have an aura about her. Her mother was a Grade 3 winner, can this filly be a Grade 1 winner? Fingers crossed.”

Gary Contessa, who trained 2018 Spinaway winner Sippican Harbor, will send out Lee Pokoik's Becky's Joker [post 5, Javier Castellano], who won her career debut at 21-1 odds in Opening Day's Grade 3 Schuylerville going six furlongs. There, Becky's Joker raced from one length off the pace down the backside and pounced to a 3 1/4-length score. The daughter of Practical Joke was a lackluster seventh in the last out Grade 3 Adirondack, where she finished 15 1/4 lengths back off Brightwork.

Hall of Famer and three-time Spinaway winner Steve Asmussen will saddle Douglas Scharbauer's Closing Act [post 4, Jose Lezcano] following a third-place finish in the Schuylerville. The Texas homebred Munnings chestnut previously captured the Astoria on June 11 at Belmont Park following a triumphant neck score on debut on May 11 at Churchill Downs.

Completing the field are Miz Sense [post 1, Manny Franco] for Hall of Famer and six-time Spinaway winner Todd Pletcher; Lady Moscato [post 2, John Velazquez] for Hall of Famer and six-time Spinaway winner D. Wayne Lukas; the Tom Amoss-trained Alys Beach [post 6, Dylan Davis]; and Lemorian [post 10, Fernando De La Cruz] for conditioner Michelle Elliott.

The Spinaway is named in honor of George Lorillard's talented chestnut who won seven of her nine starts, including stakes wins at the defunct Jerome Park and Sheepshead Bay Park. Successful in her career as a broodmare, Spinaway was the granddam of Tanya, who won her grandmother's namesake race in 1904 before defeating males in the following year's Belmont Stakes.

Other prominent descendants of Spinaway include multiple Champion producing stallion Giant's Causeway, prolific broodmare Hasili and European Champion Gleneagles.

The Spinaway is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 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 Brightwork Brings Perfect 3-For-3 Record Into Sunday’s Grade 1 Spinaway appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Arnmore Thoroughbreds and Even Keel Thoroughbreds' Gala Brand scratched out of an engagement against her female counterparts in Wednesday's off-the-turf P.G. Johnson, but the daughter of Violence showed grit and determination to defeat males in Thursday's 19th renewal of the Grade 3, $175,000 With Anticipation, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who sent out Magic Cross to win yesterday's P.G. Johnson, Gala Brand swept from last-to-first under Jose Ortiz to outduel Carson's Run in a thrilling stretch drive, awarding her with both her first triumph against winners and first career stakes score on the heels of a debut win on August 3 here.

Mott credited Megan Jones, managing partner of co-owner Arnmore Thoroughbreds, with the decision to take on males in the With Anticipation.

“I owe a lot to her,” said Mott. “She made sure she was nominated to both races and the plan was to enter in both. She was ready to scratch yesterday even before they came off the grass because she wanted the better turf course. As it turned out, there was no decision to make. Everything fell into place and then another filly won yesterday.”

Gala Brand broke cleanly from the inside post in the field of seven and settled in last along the hedge as Market Street bounded to the front with Nomos and Spirit Prince in a battle for second through an opening quarter-mile in 25.02 seconds over the good footing.

Market Street led into the backstretch as Ortiz opted to bring Gala Brand two paths off the rail to the outside of Wine Collector and just behind Carson's Run with a half-mile in 51.61. The Mott-trained Get Spooled, who went widest of all in the first turn after a slow start and raced near the back of the field early on, was asked to make an early move by Jose Lezcano and took up second position near the half-mile call.

Nomos was swung wide mid-turn through three-quarters in 1:16.42 to make his bid for the lead while the Dylan Davis-piloted Carson's Run and a loaded Gala Brand were given their cues in tandem as they each opted to make a run to the outside of a tiring Nomos. Get Spooled got the jump on his rivals and came away with the lead at the stretch call, but Carson's Run and Gala Brand made up ground with every stride down the center of the course in an exciting battle to the wire.

Spirit Prince made one last bid for the lead in between Get Spooled and Carson's Run, but neither he nor the latter could hold off the impressive turn of foot from Gala Brand, who swept by in the final strides to post the half-length triumph in a final time of 1:45.93.

A game Carson's Run secured place honors 1 1/4 lengths ahead of his Christophe Clement-trained stablemate Spirit Prince, with Nomos and Get Spooled finishing fourth in a dead heat. Wine Collector and Market Street completed the order of finish. British Sea was scratched.

Ortiz, who won his third stake of the meet, said following the talented Carson's Run throughout was key to the victory.

“The main thing first time going long was to keep her in good rhythm and just let her be and that's what I did,” Ortiz said. “I followed Dylan, I liked his horse. I saw him work the other day on the Oklahoma and he worked very well. I followed him every step of the way until we hit the quarter-pole. I went outside of him and it worked out. She was full of run, very nice filly.”

Gala Brand boasts an eye-catching color pattern, with white splotches on her underside and tall white markings on her legs. Jones said the flashy filly's colors may not have been popular with prospective buyers at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was purchased for $30,000.

“The color helped us buy her because I couldn't find any holes in her at the sale,” said Jones. “She was a little rangy, I think it was the European in her. She looked pretty awkward [when she was] younger, the white covered more than it does now. She almost kind of grew into her color as she went. I think it helped us in the long term.

“Her personality actually fits her color,” Jones added. “She has a lot of charisma and confidence. As soon as I saw her under tack and got to know her, I was like, 'That's just right for her.' She was born to be that color.”

The With Anticipation marks the first graded win for Arnmore Thoroughbreds, a milestone Jones said she will savor before making any further plans for Gala Brand.

“We'll just enjoy this for now and then get together and see where we go, but I think she overcame a little bit today,” said Jones. “They went slow up front and she ran them down and was challenged for the first time really and galloped out nicely. I was proud of her.”

Mott noted Get Spooled, a New York-bred son of Hard Spun, was compromised by a troubled trip.

“My other horse broke bad and he should have been up close,” said Mott. “He wound up getting into second position going into the turn and took the lead turning for home. I thought, maybe we're going to be one-two, but he folded a bit inside the sixteenth pole.”

Bred in Kentucky by Desmond Ryan and Martin Schwartz, Gala Brand is out of the multiple graded/group stakes-winning Lord of England mare Olorda. She banked $96,250 in victory and returned $7.80 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at the Spa with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3 Saranac in Race 4. First post is 1:10 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 Gala Brand Bests The Boys In Thursday’s With Anticipation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post