Tag: Racing

King Ice loves to make it a horse race. The 3-year-old used a big move midway through the stretch to move from seventh to first to win the 20^th running of the $250,000 Governor's Handicap Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Ind.

Starting from post nine in the 12-horse lineup, King Ice was disinterested in tackling the early speed and went to his normal spot at the back of the pack in the one mile, 70-yard event. Bad Boy Geist and Santo Sanjur pushed out of the gate and beat Run Away Rojo and Reylu Gutierrez to the top spot heading into the turn. The top horse had lots of company early as Looking Good Lewis and Alberto Burgos was stalking in second with Win Me Over and Eddie Perez sitting three-wide. Run Away Rojo was tucked in along the rail behind the leader and was saving ground and energy early on.

Around the final turn, horses began to tire and Run Away Rojo saw an opportunity to advance up the inside. As track announcer John Dooley called it, “Run Away Rojo slips through for Reylu” and appeared to be on his way to a big effort. King Ice was just coming up to the horses in the first pack on the outside and barely in the camera view.

In the stretch, Run Away Rojo took over and a blur began to appear on the outside. King Ice was in full motion and was on a mission, delivering a 3 1/4-length blow at the end to claim the title. Run Away Rojo finished second over Corona Grande and Edgar Morales for third.

“I think he enjoys it (coming off the pace),” said Graham. “Last time, I tried to force him to move on, but he didn't go. This time, I just let him have his way. He's a great horse to ride.”

King Ice paid $3.20 for the win. The Keen Ice colt is owned by Ron Hillerich's Hillerich Racing and Bernie Flint's L.T.B. Inc. The homebred is from the Hillerich Racing-Flint's breeding operation. The dam of King Ice, Express Run, is a former standout in Indiana, winning six races and earning the title in the Frances Slocum and more than $343,000 in earnings. The sire is Unbridled Express, who was also bred by Hillerich and Flint. The standout Indiana sire stands at Swifty Farm and has earned year-end honors as the top stallion in the state. His most recent son, King Ice, joins a long list of elevated winners. The colt is trained by George Leonard III.

“He's a very cool horse to have in the barn,” said Leonard III. “He's very relaxed. I'm very blessed to have a horse like this in my barn.”

Hillerich and Flint have long been partners on the Indiana racing circuit. They have campaigned many winners over the years. King Ice is the latest to join their elite group of top performers in the Hoosier State.

“We are totally blessed to have a horse like him, and all credit goes to Jimmy (Graham) and George (Leonard III),” said Hillerich. “We'd be lying if we weren't nervous when he comes from behind like that, but he's a great horse. Bernie (Flint) is the brains behind our operation, and he wanted to be here today. He's on the mend.”

Flint was most likely tuned in to see his most recent horse thriving in Indiana. As Hillerich concluded, “The 'king' reclaimed his crown today.”

The 21^st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Live racing is held Tuesday through Thursday with Saturday racing added in during the summer months. First post Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. Thursday racing begins at 2:10 p.m. The Summer Saturday Racing Series includes four all-Quarter Horse dates July 22, Aug. 12, Sept. 2, and Oct. 7 beginning at 10:45 a.m. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

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In her second start following a nine-month layoff, Klaravich Stables' horse-for-course Technical Analysis returned to the site of three of her six lifetime wins, adding another meaningful victory to her resume in Wednesday's $135,000 De La Rose, restricted to older fillies and mares who have not won a graded sweepstakes in 2023, going one mile over the Saratoga Race Course inner turf in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Technical Analysis arrived from her 5-year-old debut in the one-mile Perfect Sting on July 2 at Belmont Park, where she tracked in second off the early foot of returning rival Evvie Jets and finished second as the heavy favorite in her first start since finishing fourth in Keeneland's Grade 1 First Lady in October. The Kingman bay got the jump on her familiar foe out of the gate in the De La Rose and maintaining her command throughout en route to a 3 1/2-length score.

The De La Rose marked the third straight year where Technical Analysis has garnered stakes glory at Saratoga, where she now boasts a 5-4-1-0 record. A winner of the Grade 3 Lake George and Grade 2 Lake Placid in 2021, she earned a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure after winning last year's Grade 2 Ballston Spa following a runner-up effort to stablemate In Italian in the Grade 1 Diana.

Trainer Chad Brown, who earned his fifth De La Rose win, spoke volumes of his Spa specialist and compared her to the fan-favorite “Sultan of Saratoga” Fourstardave, who won at least one race at Saratoga each year from 1987-94.

“Her record [at Saratoga] is she has four wins in five starts here with a good second in the Diana, so she's like my little Fourstardave of Saratoga,” Brown said. “Every year, she just thrives up here and loves it. She's a bit of a nervous horse, and this environment can really bring out the best in horses that are a little challenging mentally. It's big country up here and a lot of trees and cool air in the evenings and such. She's just so calm around the barn and in her training, and I think she's able to reserve a lot of energy for the afternoons.”

Technical Analysis was away well from post 5 and was sent to the front under Jose Ortiz with Regal Realm and Evvie Jets tracking a respective second and third heading into the first turn. Technical Analysis registered the opening quarter-mile in 24.54 seconds over the firm going with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano angling Evvie Jets to the outside of Regal Realm.

Through a half-mile in 48.49, Ortiz peeked behind his right shoulder to see Regal Realm right off his charge's flank with Evvie Jets launching a bid to the outside widest of all. Technical Analysis received a few nudges from Ortiz around the far turn and responded by drawing off to a one-length advantage at the stretch call. Regal Realm battled with graded stakes winner White Frost for place honors, but there was no reeling in Spa specialist Technical Analysis, who completed the one mile in 1:33.98.

White Frost nosed out Regal Realm for second, with Haughty, Eminent Victor, Evvie Jets and Runaway Rumour completing the order of finish. Main track only entrants Chi Town Lady, Movie Moxy and Sunset Louise were scratched.

Brown, who also saddled Haughty and Eminent Victor, said he was pleasantly surprised to see Technical Analysis alone on the front end.

“I thought it would be a little bit of a duel maybe to get right to the front, but our plan was to go right to the front if we could do it – she's happiest there and she loves Saratoga,” Brown said.

Ortiz, who earned his second De La Rose triumph after piloting last year's Champion Female Turf Horse Regal Glory to victory in 2021, said Technical Analysis was bound to be sharper having already ran once from the layoff.

“The plan was to be aggressive and get the lead today. Last time, the other filly Evvie Jets was able to take the lead on me, but my mare was coming from a layoff,” Ortiz said. “The pace was a little bit hot [last time] and I was on the inside, I didn't want to burn her up so I tried to sit off and close, and the other mare beat me that day. I knew today my mare loves Saratoga. We were very confident, it was second off the layoff, she loves Saratoga, and her best races are here – she's way better two turns. We were very confident we were going to turn the tables on the other one.”

Ortiz has ridden Technical Analysis in all but two of her 14 lifetime starts, which includes a victory in the Grade 3 Gallorette last May at Pimlico in addition to her Spa scores.

“I have a very good record with this mare. She used to be tricky to ride. She loves Saratoga because she lives outside in the pony stall,” Ortiz said. 'It has a lot to do with her loving it here. Of course, we wanted to turn the tables around, but this mare doesn't owe us anything. She has been great to [owner] Seth Klarman, Chad and me. I'm just very grateful for Chad and Mr. Klarman to get me on her and let me build that relationship with her and become very successful with her. I love to ride her and it is kind of tricky, but I know her already.”

Brown said the Grade 2, $300,000 Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa on August 24 would be a quick turnaround, but that his talented mare could still pursue a repeat win in the 1 1/16-mile test to kick off Travers Week stakes action.

“Seeing how much she loves Saratoga, if you're going to go back on short rest somewhere, it would be here,” Brown said.

Gainesway Stable's homebred White Frost picked up black type for the fifth start in a row, entering from a runner-up effort in the Anchorage Overnight on July 2 at Ellis Park.

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has piloted White Frost in 9-of-11 lifetime starts, said he was expecting more pace up front.

“I had a great trip. The last couple races with her, I've been chasing the speed and taking away a little of her finish. I tried to stick with the plan today and make sure I sat off of it, so I could come with a run,” Alvarado said. “On paper, it looked like there would be more speed than that, but they ended up walking the dog up front. She still ran a great race. I might have probably still finished second, but I might have given my filly a little better chance to win had we got out of there a little more forward at the beginning.”

Technical Analysis returned $3.80 for a $2 win wager and banked $74,250 in victory, which brought her lifetime earnings up to $964,543 through a 14-7-4-1 record.

Bred in Ireland by Rabbah Bloodstock, Technical Analysis is out of the two-time winning Sea the Stars mare Sealife and was bought for $258,109 from the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The De La Rose honors Henryk de Kwiatkowski's 1981 Champion Grass Mare, who captured that year's Diana, Athenia and Saranac on the NYRA circuit and also captured the E.P. Taylor and Hollywood Derby. She finished second in that year's Kentucky Oaks to stablemate Heavenly Cause, who also was conditioned by Hall of Famer Woody Stephens. As a broodmare, De La Rose produced Grade 1 winner Conquistarose and graded stakes winner De La Devil.

Live racing resumes on Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls in Race 8 [5:10 p.m. Eastern]. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Pretty Mischievous vies for sovereignty atop the sophomore filly division while cutting back in distance in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Test, a seven-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Test, carded as Race 8, is one of five stakes slated for Saturday's lucrative 12-race card, which is led by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney in Race 10, along with the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational in Race 9, the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy in Race 6, and the $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure in Race 7. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Pretty Mischievous enters the Test on the heels of back-to-back Grade 1 scores for conditioner Brendan Walsh, beginning with a tenacious win in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs. There, she pounced from 2 1/4 lengths off the pace under regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione to claim the lead at the top of the stretch and gamely fend of the late rush of Gambling Girl by a neck.

The Test will be Pretty Mischievous' first start at a sprint distance since scoring her first triumph against winners in a seven-furlong optional claiming contest in October at Churchill. Walsh said he looks forward to the pace scenario his filly is likely to get in an extended sprint and that the Test's timing proved favorable over a start in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, which was run on July 22.

“We're a little more comfortable going to the Test,” said Walsh. “It's a seven-eighths that takes getting, and they will roll in it. It's more like a one-turn mile anywhere else, plus it gives us a little more time.”

The daughter of Into Mischief was last seen posting a nearly identical performance to the Oaks in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. on June 9 at Belmont Park, a 1 1/16-mile test conducted around one turn. She stalked and pounced to the lead at the top of the lane once again under Gaffalione, but faced a strong bid from returning foe Dorth Vader in the stretch and held on by a head in a dramatic final sixteenth. That effort garnered a career-high 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pretty Mischievous, who earned her way into the Oaks starting gate with a win in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra and runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, has enjoyed a lighter training regime since the Acorn. She has breezed four times since, including a half-mile move in 49.70 seconds on June 29. Walsh said the talented bay has flourished in the weeks since the Acorn.

“Since we started running her last year, she missed one race at the Fair Grounds over the winter but she's run pretty much every four or five weeks since,” said Walsh. “Even though she's taken her racing well, I had it in mind I wouldn't mind giving her a couple weeks after the Acorn and back off her and jog her for 10 days. We did that and I think she's really benefitted from it.”

Gaffalione retains the mount from the inside post.

August Dawn Farm's undefeated New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel looms large after an easy last-out score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 8 at Belmont Park in her first outing for her conditioner and namesake Melanie Giddings.

Bred by Joe Fafone, the daughter of Cross Traffic began her career with trainer Jeremiah Englehart, whom Giddings previously worked as an assistant for, and graduated on debut last August at the Spa with an eye-catching five-length score against fellow state-breds. She followed with a 3 1/2-length romp in the Seeking the Ante before a seven-month respite that ended with a triumphant return in the state-bred East View, taking the six-furlong sprint by 7 3/4 lengths in March at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Maple Leaf Mel made her graded debut in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course and passed her first test outside of state-bred company with flying colors, notching a 2 1/2-length win under returning rider Joel Rosario. She returned seven weeks later to land a similar score in the Victory Ride, coasting home a 2 1/2-length winner after utilizing her usual pacesetting tactics.

Giddings, who saddles her first Grade 1 contender, said the Victory Ride proved to her just how classy Maple Leaf Mel is.

“It just gives you more confidence every time you run her that as the competition has gotten steeper, she does it easily. It makes you feel good going into a race like this,” said Giddings.

Maple Leaf Mel has been on the lead through every point of call in her perfect five-race career, but Giddings said she is confident the grey filly can handle stronger pace pressure from rivals like fellow frontrunner Munnys Gold.

“I'm not really worried about it. I think she's just found herself on the lead because she just has natural speed,” Giddings said. “If Joel has to sit off of somebody, he could, no problem.”

Giddings expressed gratitude for the opportunity to saddle a top contender in a Grade 1 just eight months after going out on her own.

“I feel good and I'm not nervous at all. I'm very grateful, especially at this point in my career and haven't even been training for a year,” said Giddings. “I'm very fortunate to have a horse like this.”

Rosario has the call from post 8.

John Ropes' graded stakes-winning homebred Dorth Vader [post 6, John Velazquez] will face a rematch with Pretty Mischievous after coming up a head shy in the Acorn with a strong late rally under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez for trainer George Weaver.

The daughter of Girvin made the grade in March when taking the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks for previous conditioner Michael Yates, awarding her enough points for a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate. She finished a prominent fifth in the Oaks in her last start for Yates before entering Weaver's barn and making her first start for her new conditioner in the Acorn.

In addition to the Gulfstream Park Oaks, Dorth Vader boasts stakes coups in the Florida-bred Juvenile Fillies Sprint in October at Gulfstream and in the open-company Sandpiper in December at Tampa Bay Downs. She is in search of her first victory outside the Sunshine State as she makes her 11th lifetime outing.

Robert and Lawana Low's Munnys Gold [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was last seen finishing a pacesetting fourth in the Acorn, defeated 4 1/2 lengths by Pretty Mischievous after setting moderate fractions under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Munnings garnered a field-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for an eye-catching 17 1/4-length romp in the Sophomore Fillies against fellow Florida-breds when making her stakes debut in March at Gulfstream Park. The dark bay filly dazzled on debut last June at Monmouth Park when earning a 101 Beyer for a 14 1/2-length score ahead of a seven-month layoff.

The Acorn was the longest race of Munnys Gold's career after making her first four outings at sprint distances. Pletcher said a return to seven furlongs should be perfect for the speedy filly.

“She's doing well,” said Pletcher. “We were experimenting and felt like if we were going to do it [stretch out], the Acorn was the time to do it. It gave her plenty of time to the Test if it didn't work out. I think it proved to be a little far for her, so I'm looking forward to getting her back to seven furlongs. She's fast and a little headstrong, so it's kind of give and take with her.”

A $300,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, Munnys Gold is out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Haraawa. She is a direct maternal descendant of dual Champion filly Vagrancy, as well as influential broodmare Natasha.

Completing the field are the dual-winning Michael McCarthy trainee Clearly Unhinged [post 2, Javier Castellano]; stakes-winner Tappin Josie [post 3, Kevin Gomez] for trainer Horacio De Paz; stakes-placed Jersey Pearl [post 4, Luis Saez], a last-out 9 1/2-length allowance winner at Ellis Park for conditioner Darrin Miller; and graded stakes-placed Interpolate [post 5, Flavien Prat] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Whitney Day beginning with Saratoga Live on FS2 at 12:30 p.m. Coverage then picks up on FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY which will air from 3-6:00 p.m. on FOX. Saratoga Live will complete the live coverage of Whitney Day on FS2 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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