Tag: Racing

Trainer Christophe Clement enjoyed his eighth stakes conquest of the Saratoga Race Course meet on Saturday when West Point Thoroughbreds and Dream With Me Stable's Parnac posted a gate-to-wire upset score in the Flower Bowl (G2).

Piloted by Dylan Davis, the 4-year-old French-bred daughter of Zarak was in control throughout the three-turn event and maintained her command in spite of a stretch surge from 2-5 favorite McKulick to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Parnac earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Clement enjoyed previous Spa stakes success this meet with Roses for Debra, who stuck gold twice when capturing the Caress (G3) on July 22 and the Smart N Fancy on August 25 – both 5 1/2-furlong turf sprints – as well as Silver Skillet, who captured the August 16 Suzie O'Cain for New York-breds. Clement captured the John's Call on August 23 going 1 5/8 miles with Tawny Port. On the August 27 New York Showcase Day, he saddled a trio stakes winners in New Ginya [Yaddo], Drake's Passage [Albany] and fan-favorite City Man [West Point presented by Trustco Bank].

“They've been running very well. We've been winning sprinting, dirt, turf, mile and five-eights, so we've been all over the place,” Clement said. “We're extremely lucky to have great owners and a great team. I'm a lucky man.”

Parnac entered the Flower Bowl from a close third-place finish in the Robert Dick Memorial (G3) on July 1 going the Flower Bowl distance at Delaware Park which followed a victorious 11-furlong debut over Belmont's inner turf on June 11.

“She looked well this morning,” Clement said. “I'm delighted and still enjoying the win from yesterday. Dylan gave her a great ride on the lead. She's been improving all year long if you look back at her form. It's nice when it works out.”

Parnac could have plenty of options moving forward from her Flower Bowl triumph, where she earned an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) in November at Santa Anita. The Filly and Mare Turf is among those options according to Clement, who also mentioned the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya (G3) on October 7 going 11 furlongs at Belmont at the Big A, the E.P. Taylor (G1) on October 8 going 10 furlongs at Woodbine and the Long Island (G3) in November at Aqueduct Racetrack as potential targets.

“We'll enjoy this for a few more days and start thinking about her next start. There's the Breeders' Cup, the Waya, the Long Island, the E.P. Taylor. No need to make a decision now,” Clement said.

Clement also saddled Moyglare Stud Farm's Amazing Grace to a third-place finish in the Flower Bowl. The 5-year-old German bred Protectionist mare ran an even fourth throughout most of the running before making up ground to round out the trifecta and finished 1 1/2 lengths in arrears of her stablemate. She entered the Flower Bowl from a troubled third behind McKulick in the Glens Falls (G2) on August 3 going 1 1/2 miles at Saratoga.

“She also ran a really good race. A longer stretch would probably help her a little bit,” Clement said of Amazing Grace. “Her last two races I thought she ran really well, she was just a touch unlucky in both races because of the pace scenario yesterday and in the time before that she got squeezed at the three-eighths pole. She's a good mare and something good is going to happen. One day will be her day. I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half she's fine. She just needs pace and a clear trip.”

The post Clement: Options For Flower Bowl Winner Parnac Include Breeders’ Cup, E.P. Taylor appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Michael Stidham expressed a strong sense of pride in Godolphin's homebred Proxy who, despite lacking racing room down the backstretch, was able to launch a strong stretch drive to come up a nose shy of victory in Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga. The gutsy effort garnered a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

Proxy, a son of multiple champion-producing sire Tapit, added to a consistent record during his 5-year-old season which includes victories in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April and the Monmouth Cup (G3) in July. His lone off-the-board efforts this season took place in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January at Gulfstream Park [fifth] and the Stephen Foster (G1) on July 1 at Ellis Park [eighth], where he drew the rail both times. Proxy also drew post 1 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“The one-hole has been a huge detriment to us all year long,” Stidham noted. “If you look at his only bad races, they were both from the one-hole in the Pegasus and the Stephen Foster. When I saw we drew the one hole again here, it was very depressing, but he did overcome a lot of it yesterday and almost won in spite of it.”

Nevertheless, Stidham couldn't be happier with his talented horse's effort and said the performance was worthy enough to try the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 4 at Santa Anita Park.

“He certainly stamped himself in that top group to go to the Breeders' Cup,” Stidham said. “I would say right now, we're looking at just going straight to the Breeders' Cup.”

Prior to the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Proxy's lone 1 1/4-mile start took place in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March, where he made up eighth lengths to finish second beaten a neck to Stilleto Boy.

“The mile and a quarter definitely helps him,” Stidham said. “He just came up short both times. It's right in his wheelhouse. We'll see how it sets up, but we just hope we don't draw the one hole again.”

Proxy's strong run of form is nothing new. As a 3-year-old, he finished second in Fair Grounds Race Course's Grade 3 Lecomte and Grade 2 Risen Star. He returned as a 4-year-old to post a 6-2-2-2 record, including a triumph at the end of the year in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs.

“As trainers, we are all striving to get to the very highest level,” Stidham said. “A horse that's been able to do the right things since he was a 2-year-old is still around at the top level as a 5-year-old is what we all dream about getting to in the industry. I couldn't be happier or prouder of the horse. The whole situation is a dream come true.”

The post Gutsy JCGC Runner-Up Proxy Could Go ‘Straight To The Breeders’ Cup’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's newly minted Grade 1 winner Bright Future garnered a lifetime-high 103 Beyer Speed Figure for his gutsy nose victory over the late-running Proxy in Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with the effort from the 4-year-old son of Curlin and that he emerged from the race in good order.

“He looks excellent and came out of the race well,” said Pletcher. “Happy guy.”

Bright Future placed his name in the conversation of top older horses with a prominent score in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, guided by Javier Castellano from one length off the pace set by Warrior Johny to claim the lead at the one-mile call before facing a strong challenge from post-time favorite Proxy in midstretch. Bright Future dug in gamely to the inside of Proxy and fended off his foe by a nose in a final time of 2:03.

“He got the trip we were hoping to get in a good stalking position and a good rhythm,” said Pletcher, who won his second Jockey Club Gold Cup after taking the 2020 edition with Happy Saver. “He had to fight to the wire – I was happy [he got] his nose down just in time.”

Pletcher added he was not surprised to see such determination from Bright Future, who entered from a strong 4 3/4-length score in a nine-furlong optional claimer on July 21 at the Spa after a distant off-the-board effort in the 12-furlong Brooklyn (G2) in June.

“He's always been competitive and he's essentially run well in all of his races except the Brooklyn,” said Pletcher. “That [the Brooklyn] was kind of a trip that he was always kind of bottled up and never really able to get into a comfortable rhythm, which seems to be a key component to having any success in those type of races. Aside from that, he's always been very competitive.

“[His last race] was a rebound from the Brooklyn and showed that he liked the track and handled the mile and an eighth well,” Pletcher continued. “He galloped out well, too, and kind of gave us the encouragement that he could handle the mile and a quarter. It was something where usually you don't go immediately from an allowance race thinking you're going to go into a Grade 1, but in that case we did because we thought it was a good enough performance and the timing of the Jockey Club seemed to fit.”

For his victory Bright Future secured a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park, where he will likely face his champion stablemate Forte. Pletcher said Bright Future will train up to the Classic and that he believes the charismatic colt belongs in the mix of top older horses.

“I haven't discussed it all with the team, but that [training up] would be my first reaction,” said Pletcher. “It appears to be a wide-open division at the moment, so I think he's improving at the right time.”

Bright Future capped a memorable day at the races for his owners and trainer, who also sent out impressive second-out maiden winner Agate Road to capture Saturday's sixth race, a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight for juveniles.

The son of Quality Road, out of Grade 1 winner Yellow Agate, went wide throughout from post 10 under Irad Ortiz Jr., but was aided by the trip in the stretch when several foes bumped and lost position well to his inside. Agate Road swept past his troubled rivals to land the neck score in a final time of 1:46.79.

“It was a wild race and we were wide throughout, but that probably benefitted us in the end because that horse came out and then shied away, and it left him clear of all the traffic,” said Pletcher of green moves from Walley World and Vin Santo. “He had a pretty good head of steam built up by that point, and it was an impressive finish.”

Pletcher said Agate Road will now target the$200,000 Pilgrim (G2) on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

The post ‘I Think He’s Improving At The Right Time’: Bright Future To Train Up To Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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