Tag: Racing

A year ago, Paluxy was running for a $25,000 claiming tag at Remington Park and couldn't have warmed up 2021 Oklahoma Derby (G3) winner Warrant, conditioned by nation's current leading trainer, Brad Cox.

It's amazing the difference a year makes. Blue and Gold Racing (Mike Combs) of Kingfisher, Okla., claimed Paluxy out of that race in August 2022 and it paid off Friday night at Remington Park as the gelding scored the biggest win of his career at 24-1 odds.

Paluxy, the former claimer, fought off millionaire Warrant in the final strides to win the $100,600 Governor's Cup, a listed stakes, by a head in a thrilling last-to-first victory on opening night of the 2023 Thoroughbred meet at the Oklahoma City racetrack.

Under jockey Floyd Wethey Jr., Paluxy hit the wire with Warrant in the 1 1/8-mile race and prevailed in the photo finish.

A 5-year-old gelding trained by Scott Young, Paluxy earned his first stakes win after covering the distance in 1:52.77. Warrant, the 3-5 favorite, checked in three lengths in front of third-place finisher Holden the Lute, the early pacesetter.

“All the credit goes to these guys,” Young said, pointing to a contingent of his owners in Blue and Gold Racing in the winner's circle. “They had enough faith in me and our barn to give this horse the time he needed to get prepared for this. We always thought he had a chance to be really good. I thought we had him ready for the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) (July 8 at Prairie Meadows), but he had a really bad trip in that race (finishing seventh).”

Friday night was a different story. Paluxy, a son of Brody's Cause out of Grade 2-placed Miss Pippa, by Master Command, had a clean trip and it was just a matter of heart and a bit of luck at the wire.

“Scott and I talked about the race and decided it was best to take back, save ground, and see if we could beat Warrant,” said Wethey. “He ran huge.”

Wethey was asked if he knew he had the victory at the wire and he replied, “You never know against a horse like Warrant. He's a great horse, but we had him today.”

Paluxy paid $51.40 for the win.

The remaining order of finish in the Governor's Cup was Number One Dude (4th), Sonneman (5th), Presidential (6th), and Kokokomo (7th).

Paluxy has a 7-3-4 from 20 career starts and $224,244 in lifetime earnings. He was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm and sold to Lori and Mark Collinsworth for $45,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Warrendale Sales consigned him..

The post Opening Night Thriller: Former Claimer Paluxy Pulls 24-1 Upset In Governor’s Cup At Remington appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Sister Otoole did an instant replay in the featured attraction Friday evening at Del Mar, as she came from last once again – just as she had here in 2022 – and rolled to an impressive 1 1/4-length tally in the $101,000 CTT & TOC Stakes at 11 furlongs on the grass.

The winner, a 6-year-old mare trained by eastern-based H. Graham Motion, had the Italian expat Antonio Fresu in the boot. Last year when she won the race by half a length, she had another Italian expat in the irons, Umberto Rispoli.

Finishing second in the feature was John McCormack's Eylara, who had a half length on race favorite Neige Blanche, owned by De Seroux, Naify or M. Powell.

Final time of the marathon was 2:17.45. The winner picked up a check for $60,000, thus increasing her earnings to $395,470. She paid $12.60 top her backers for the win.

Racing resumes at Del Mar Saturday with a 10-race card highlighted by the 67th edition of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks. First post is at 2 p.m. Sunday's scheduled card has been cancelled because of an oncoming hurricane/tropical storm.

The post Sister Otoole Repeats In CTT & TOC Stakes At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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We haven't seen many Arrogates over jumps, but an NSA newcomer with the late stallion's bloodlines put in a late move under Graham Watters to take Friday's maiden special weights hurdle for 4-year-olds, the first of three steeplechase races on the Colonial Card.

A field of eight faced starter Harrison Young, and it was Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Garrison Forest, with Robbie Dunne, who took the lead and held it for much of the 2 1/4-mile contest. Though the field was never spread out by more than five or so lengths, Garrison Forest was determined to show the way, and repelled multiple challenges by Del Rio Racing's Tiger to Remember (Bernie Dalton), who stalked in second throughout and secured the advantage turning for home the final time.

Several horses made a late move into the stretch, but navigating into the straightaway became more challenging as loose horse Travesuras headed the field, causing potential traffic problems. But it was Daniel Baker's Aftermath, trained by Mark Beecher and making only his second try over hurdles, who took command with a sixteenth of a mile to go and coasted clear by a length. Tiger to Remember held the place spot with Gill Johnston's Active Duty (Tom Garner) third.

For Aftermath, who made his NSA debut in a maiden claimer at the Queen's Cup in late April, it was his third career victory in 25 starts. Most of those previous starts came at Laurel and Turfway Park.

Animal Kingston gives Watters a riding double

William Russell's Animal Kingston made a late bid to overtake a determined Ancient Times to take the $35,000 overnight handicap for horses rated at 115 or less by about three-quarters of a length.

Ridden by Graham Watters for trainer Neil Morris, Animal Kingston — along with three other starters — found themselves far back of the leader, Carrington Holdings' Ancient Times (Conor Tierney) for most of the 2 1/4 miles.

Ancient Times broke on top and extended his lead to around 20 lengths, and carried that advantage into the stretch. Rounding the far turn the final time it looked as if Animal Kingston and Jacqueline Ohrstrom's Tease and Seize (Mell Boucher) would zoom past the tiring leader — whose fizzle was colorfully described by the racecaller as “evaporating like a snow cone in Virginia.” But Ancient Times, despite setting all of the fractions, dug in gamely as Animal Kingston drew alongside, and still maintained a slight lead with 100 yards to go. It was only in the final few strides that Animal Kingston passed his foe to give Watters the victory. Tease and Seize finished third.

Animal Kingston, an eight-year-old son of Animal Kingdom, has had a long and successful career on the flat and over jumps. This was his seventh career victory — along with 18 other in-the-money performances — in 40 starts.

Bourbon Diversion goes wire to wire in filly and mare hurdle

Carrington Holdings' Bourbon Diversion, a four-year-old daughter of Bellamy Road, snatched the lead shortly after the break, controlled the pace, and held off a challenge by Bonnie Rye Stable's Afraid Not to score in the $40,000 filly and mare hurdle at 2 1/4 miles.

Ridden by Tom Garner for trainer Arch Kingsley, the New York-bred, making her second start over jumps, quickly extended her advantage to as much as eight lengths heading up the backside the first time around the course. Afraid Not (Gerard Galligan) sat in second, with the rest of the field close behind.

There was little change in position throughout the race, as Bourbon Diversion maintained a lead of about five lengths with three-sixteenths of a mile to go. As the leader rounded the far turn the final time, Afraid Not inched closer, gradually gaining ground and shrinking the lead to about three lengths with a furlong remaining. Afraid Not continued to narrow the gap, but fell a length short of Bourbon Diversion at the wire. Atlantic Friends Racing's Lacey Underall (Mell Boucher) was another 4 1/2 lengths back in third.

The post Arrogate Son Breaks Maiden Over Hurdles At Colonial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Keystone Thoroughbreds' graded stakes-winner Noah And The Ark will carry a field-high 158 pounds as he attempts to double up on Grade 1 scores in Wednesday's $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile hurdle test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Todd McKenna, the 9-year-old son of Vinnie Roe notched the biggest win of his career in September when taking the 2 1/2-mile Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont at the Big A at odds of 41-1 with an off-the-pace trip under regular pilot Harrison Beswick.

“It was a shock to me and it was a shock to the bettors,” said McKenna, with a laugh. “He's a beautiful horse and he came over to America with five wins [in England], so to have wins over there before arriving here was a good thing. We did have high hopes for him, it was just a tough time getting to that spot.”

Noah And The Ark followed with a distant runner-up effort to Hewick in the Grade 1 Grand National at Far Hills over yielding footing to close out his 8-year-old campaign. He returned this year in the Grade 1 Iroquois at Percy Warner where he finished a fading fifth after stalking the pace in the three-mile test for older horses.

The chestnut gelding arrives from a closing fourth in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap on July 19 at the Spa where he tracked in last-of-9 throughout before putting in a mild bid at the 1 3/4-mile call and improving to finish fourth 13 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Belfast Banter.

McKenna said some pre-race antics contributed to Noah And The Ark being farther back than usual in the Smithwick, and that he expects Beswick to be a bit more aggressive on Wednesday.

“He was able to get Harry off his back in the paddock,” said McKenna. “He's a funny horse in that sense and he can throw a tantrum, but when it comes to doing business, he's professional. But Harry thought he was going to be really keen, so he dropped him out thinking that he would fight his way up closer, and the exact opposite happened. By the time he gathered him up to go, it was a little too late. I would expect him to be more handy this race.”

McKenna said he has been getting on Noah And The Ark in the mornings and that he shows eagerness in his training.

“He's doing very well and I breezed him myself yesterday,” said McKenna. “I worked him by himself because he's plenty keen enough to put in a good work without company.”

Beswick retains the mount from post 5.

Hudson River Farms' L'Imperator [post 1, Parker Hendriks, 148 pounds] was a graded stakes-winner on the flat and will look to secure his first graded triumph on the hurdle as one of two entrants for conditioner Archibald Kingsley, Jr., who also sends out Merry Maker [post 6, Graham Watters, 144 pounds].

L'Imperator enters from an impressive allowance coup on July 26 at the Spa where he notched his first triumph against winners over the hurdles in a 2 1/16-mile route. The son of Holy Roman Emperor was as far as 18 lengths back of pacesetter Beat Le Bon but showed a tremendous turn of foot in the final turn to overtake the lead and coast home an 8 3/4-length winner under Stephen Mulqueen.

“He looked good in that race up here,” said Kingsley, Jr. “He's shown talent and aptitude from the very start. His first two runs [on the hurdle] were pretty educational and his flat form tells you that he's such a classy horse. He's taken to hurdling with aplomb. It's all very satisfying; he enjoys it and is good at it. It's fun for us to have a horse like this in our barn.”

L'Imperator, who won last year's Grade 2 Fort Marcy on the flat for trainer Chad Brown, earned his other victory over hurdles at third asking in a 2 1/4-mile maiden special weight on May 13 at Percy Warner ahead of a distant off-the-board finish in the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on the flat at Belmont Park.

“You can draw a line through the Belmont Gold Cup and his first two races [over hurdles] were pretty educational,” said Kingsley, Jr. “When he broke his maiden in Nashville, it's a very different style racetrack as more of a galloping track and he came back on something much more speed favoring. It shows his versatility.”

Hurricana Farm's Merry Maker arrives from a third-place effort in the Jonathan Kiser Novice on August 2 at the Spa where he rallied from seventh-of-8 to improve to third position into the final straightaway and kept on well to secure show honors 14 1/2 lengths behind returning rival McTigue.

Merry Maker makes his graded debut in his third start of the season and looks to build upon an allowance coup in May at Grand Meadow.

“We like him, too,” said Kingsley, Jr. “He might be a little more suited for the hunt meet, but he didn't do anything wrong in the Kiser and was just in need of the race. He was coming off a bit of a layoff.”

Completing the field are last-out Kiser-winner McTigue [post 9, Gerard Galligan, 150 pounds] for trainer Cyril Murphy; the Keri Brion-trained pair of stakes-winner Theocrat [post 4, Bernard Dalton, 150 pounds] and impressive allowance-winner Jimmy P [post 2, Danny Mullins, 144 pounds]; graded stakes-winner Redicean [post 7, Robert Dunne, 146 pounds] and stakes-winner Caramelised [post 10, Corey McGivern, 146 pounds] for trainer Leslie Young; stakes-winner West Newton [post 8, Jack Kennedy, 146 pounds] for conditioner Richard Hendriks; and Kiser runner-up Awakened [post 3, Thomas Garner, 146 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher.

The Jonathan Sheppard is slated as Race 1 on Wednesday's 10-race card, which also features the $135,000 John's Call in Race 7. 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/.

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