Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from a huge Saturday of racing at Virginia’s Colonial Downs headlined by the Arlington Million and the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes, both Grade 1 contests on Saturday, as well as other major developments.
Tag: Racing
Fourth Time The Charm For Five Star General In Longacres Mile
Five Star General won the $150,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday at Emerald Downs and entered the record books as the first horse to finish in the money in four consecutive editions of the race.
The 7-year-old Distorted Humor gelding was second in 2020 and third in 2021 and 2022 but would not be denied this year, scoring comfortably by 1½ lengths under Joe Bravo, who was aboard for trainer Grant Forster.
Tracking early pacesetter A Man's Man from second, about 1½ lengths back while two wide, Five Star General easily dispatched that rival nearing the quarter pole and scooted to victory as the 2-1 favorite.
Il Bellator was second, 3 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Slew's Tiz Whiz.
Five Star General returned $6 after finishing the trip in 1:34.73 on a fast track.
Ken Alhadeff campaigns the winner in the name of Elttaes Stable after purchasing the bay horse for $110,000 from the Estate of Glen Todd Dispersal conducted by Fasig-Tipton on its digital platform in April 2022. Pegasus Training Center was the consignor.
Forster succeeded Doris Harwood in training Five Star General.
Five Star General, who won the Evangeline Mile this spring, has a 10-5-6 record from 30 career starts and earnings of $602,769.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, his dam is the Bernardini mare Party of Interest.
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Highestdistinction Takes Oceanport; Eamonn Wins Select As Prelude To Orseno’s Milestone 2,000th Win
Lindsay Schultz didn't have to wait nearly as long for her second stakes victory as she did her first.
One month after the 35-year-old Schultz notched her first stakes win as a trainer she added a second one when Highestdistinction came from off the pace to score a 1½-length victory in Sunday's $108,000 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park.
This one happened almost out of necessity, too.
“He worked phenomenal last week and we nominated him because we were having trouble finding a spot for him,” said Schultz, whose first career stakes win came with Alex Joon on July 15 in the Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial Downs. “Rather than wait around we thought we'd put him in this spot, especially after he worked so well last week. He beat a nice group of horses today.”
Earlier on the card, trainer Joe Orseno notched career win No. 1,999 when Eamonn rallied under Paco Lopez for a half-length victory over Yes and Yes in the $102,000 Select Stakes at 5½ furlongs on the grass. Orseno then reached the 2,000-win milestone when Lord Eddard Stark won the ninth race at Gulfstream Park later in the day.
Eamonn's winning time was 1:02.96.
The 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile managed to overcome being steadied during the turn to record his seventh win in 21 turf starts for owner Robert Cotran. He paid $13 to win.
“It's a big accomplishment for me, my barn and my staff,” Orseno said of his milestone victory. “It shows all the hard work that everyone has put in has paid off. We've been grinding for years so it's nice to add this to the list of achievements.”
Highestdistinction, meanwhile, was kept within early striking range of front-running race favorite Big Everest by jockey Jairo Rendon before sweeping three wide coming out of the turn in the mile and a sixteenth grass feature for 3-year-olds and up. Highestdistinction assumed command in midstretch, easily holding off the late charge of There Are No Words, who was another 1½ lengths ahead of He'spuregold in third.
The winning time over a firm grass course was 1:43.05.
Schultz, a graduate of the University Louisville's Equine Industry Program, took over training of Highestdistincton three races ago. He was second to Cat Nip in a turf race at Monmouth Park on May 27, then won a $50,000 allowance at Delaware Park on July 14.
The gelded son of Point of Entry, owned by Willow Lane Stable, became a first-time stakes winner at the age of 6. He was 0-for-6 last year.
“He seems like he is improving with age, though he showed a lot of promise as a 3-year-old,” said Schultz, who has 25 horses at Monmouth Park. She started training on her own full-time in January of 2022. “Since his break he has done really well.”
Highestdistinction returned $23.20 to win.
“The other time I rode him two races ago he was a good second to Cat Nip, who I think is a very good horse,” said Rendon. “That horse beat us that day but I got my horse in trouble on the turn. But my horse still ran good. That's why I liked him a lot today. He ran big again for me. I knew the favorite (Big Everest) is a speed horse and you get worried sometimes that they will get away on the lead. I didn't want to be too far from him when I made my move.
“The horse helped me a lot because he was ready to go when I asked him. I tried to keep my position because I thought going in that Big Everest was the best horse in the race. I didn't want to be too far away from him.”
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Baffert-Trained Prince Of Monaco Upstages Favored Stablemate In Best Pal
Most folks at Del Mar on Sunday thought trainer Bob Baffert had a real live one for the Best Pal Stakes (G3) in the expensive colt Muth. Well, Muth ran a good race, as predicted, but it wasn't good enough as another Baffert runner, Prince of Monaco, stormed through the lane to take the $200,000 race by a handy 4 1/4 lengths over his highly touted stablemate.
Flavien Prat, a seven-time seaside riding champion who has been plying his trade of late on the East Coast, flew in for the assignment on the winning son of 2004 champion sprinter Speightstown and handled his charge perfectly, letting a pair of speedsters go fast early, then taking over at the head of the lane and finishing strongly.
Prince of Monaco's final time – 1:09.19 – was the fastest six furlongs of the meet. It bested the previous mark of 1:09.24, set by win machine The Chosen Vron in capturing the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on July 29.
Prince of Monaco, who cost “only” $950,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale (stablemate Muth cost $2-million earlier this year at the OBS March Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale) is owned by an extended partnership consisting of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan.
Muth, who races in the silks of Zedan Racing Stables, was second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Raging Torrent.
Prince of Monaco, the 9-5 second choice in the wagering (Muth went favored at 1-2), returned $5.60 to win.
The winner's share of the purse was $120,000 and increased Prince of Monaco's bankroll to $147,000. He won his only other start, a straight maiden race at Los Alamitos on July 9 where he was an eight-length winner.
The score in the Best Pal was Baffert's record 10th in the race. It was Prat's second.
Best Pal Quotes
JOCKEY FLAVIEN PRAT (Prince of Monaco, winner) – “Mr. Baffert called me and asked me to come out and ride a horse for him. And so here I am. He was very comfortable out there; felt good all the way. I saw the pace was hot and I just waited my turn. He's a nice colt. And yes, I think he can run farther.”
TRAINER BOB BAFFERT (Prince of Monaco, winner) – “He (Prat) rode that filly (in Race 3) really fast and I said 'That's OK, just don't do that on this one.' We knew the other horse was really quick and I was hoping Muth would lay off the pace but he just engaged early. Prat saw what was going on and he took back and I like the way the horse responded and he had a good post for it. You put good riders on good horses, but it was really key that he rode that filly for me in the third race.” (That filly was favored Elegant, who showed speed, but fell back and finished fifth.)
FRACTIONS: :21.76 :44.76 :56.90 1:09.19
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