Tag: Racing

George Weaver didn't get the result he was looking for when he shipped No Nay Mets overseas to race at Ascot last month but the veteran trainer hasn't lost any confidence in the freshman turf sprinter.

To that end, he will send out the son of No Nay Never – possibly along with Please Advise – in Sunday's $100,000 Tyro Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on the grass at Monmouth Park.

No Nay Mets, bred in Ireland by Coolmore and co-owned by Houston Astros' third baseman Alex Bregman, won his career debut by 3½ lengths in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park before Weaver decided to test the son of No Nay Never during the prestigious Royal Ascot meet in England on June 22. No Nay Mets finished ninth in a field of 14, beaten 7¼ lengths.

A full field of 14, along with two also eligible possibilities, has entered the 82nd running of the Tyro Stakes.

“He's precocious,” said Weaver. “We won a stakes with him first time out and went to Ascot. Things didn't go the way we wanted but there was a little give in the ground and he wasn't on the best part of the turf.

“He wasn't beat a lot so it wasn't a complete embarrassment. He has bounced back well in training and this is the next logical step.”

Weaver said that No Nay Mets, who has been working at Saratoga in advance of his return to the races, is in for turf only.

Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park's leading rider, has the mount.

Weaver has yet to name a rider for Please Advise, who was a first-out winner at five furlongs on the turf at Belmont Park on June 22, in large part because he is uncertain about whether the son of Palace Malice will make the starting gate on Sunday.

“I'm not 100 percent sure of what I'm doing with him,” said Weaver. “I want to see how things shake out. He broke his maiden pretty easily so we've got to make a decision. We'll do that Saturday.”

Seven of the 14 horses entered in the main body of the Tyro are 1-for-1 lifetime. A total of eight will be trying turf for the first time, which is something Weaver does not have to worry about with either of his colts.

The post Weaver Looking For No Nay Mets To Bounce Back From Ascot In Sunday’s Tyro Stakes At Monmouth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer William “Doug” Cowans and jockey Luan Machado each earned their first Saratoga Race Course victory when heavy post-time favorite Next coasted to an impressive win in Thursday's $150,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile marathon for older horses, over the Spa's fast main track.

Owned by Michael A. Foster, Next found the winner's circle with a stalking trip under a patient Machado, allowing New York-bred Sea Foam to control the tempo before pouncing with ease into the final turn to notch his fourth stakes victory in his last five outings. The son of Not This Time entered from a strong 2 1/4-length triumph in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“We were worried about coming up here with a deeper track and an extra two furlongs, but the horse got into his rhythm like he does,” said Cowans, whose lone previous start at the Spa was a close runner-up finish with Next Shares in the 2015 Grade 2 With Anticipation. “We weren't worried about where we were positioned in the race. Everything went just like planned.

“First win at Saratoga is awesome,” Cowans added. “Came up here with one other horse that got beat a neck. It's great to come up here. It's prestigious.”

Next was away cleanly from the outermost post 7 and tucked into the three path to stalk a length back of the sharp Sea Foam, who bounded to the front to lead through the first two turns and into the backstretch. Dash Attack and Lone Rock, winner of this event in 2021, matched strides in third as Machado kept a loaded Next within one length of Sea Foam.

Dash Attack attempted to inch up along the rail into the final turn as Next was given his cue and ranged up on the outside of a toiling Sea Foam. Machado needed only to shake the reins for Next to take a clear advantage into the top of the stretch before widening his margin under a confident hand ride.

The Ricardo Santana Jr.-piloted Time for Trouble made up ground late to battle with Dash Attack for place honors, but the two were no match for Next, who crossed the finish line first by 11 3/4 lengths. Time for Trouble swept past a game Dash Attack by four lengths for second with The Skipper Too coming on late for fourth another 4 1/4 lengths back. Sea Foam, Lone Rock and Treasure Trove completed the order of finish.

Due to a timing issue, the Birdstone will be hand-timed with a final time published on Friday.

Machado, aboard for each of Next's last five outings, said it is special to win at Saratoga, especially with a horse as talented as him.

“It just feels great,” Machado said. “The horse was great and we're happy to be here and get another one. When we were passing by the half-mile pole, it was the first time I checked on him to see how he was doing and he grabbed the bridle and gave me all that confidence. It was done by the half-mile. He was looking good and the other horses were asking already. He still had much to give and I felt super comfortable at that point.”

Next has proven to be the acquisition of Cowans' career after he was haltered for $62,500 out of a distant ninth when sprinting seven furlongs last April at Keeneland. The veteran conditioner won first off the claim with the grey gelding when stretching him out to nine furlongs in a $50,000 claiming tilt, but saw the biggest improvement when bringing him up to the marathon distance for the first time with an 18 1/4-length romp in an off-the-turf edition of the 12-furlong Cape Henlopen in September at Delaware Park.

Foster, who enjoyed his first graded victory when Next won the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Keeneland, said he never anticipated the journey Next would take him on when he was first claimed last spring.

“We've claimed a lot of horses and had a lot of success. It's not our first stakes horse that we've claimed, but this guy's a claim of the century,” said Foster. “Doug figured him out early. We ran him back for $50,000 [tag] and we're amazed we got away with it. He's just a dream come true, I tell you. We have more fun with this horse than we ever dreamed of. We take every race one at a time, but we wanted Saratoga so bad just to be able to race up here. We're very happy.”

Cowans said Next will now target the 12-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup on September 23 at Parx Racing with an eye to a repeat victory in the 13-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on November 3 at Santa Anita Park.

Bred in Kentucky by Silverton Hill, Next banked $82,500 in victory and improved his lifetime record to 18-8-0-1. He returned $3.20 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with an 11-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam in Race 10. 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/.

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.

The post Next Gives Trainer Cowans, Jockey Machado First Saratoga Victory In Marathon Birdstone appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's reigning Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance will take his world tour back to North America in Sunday's 65th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green going 1 3/8 miles over the Saratoga Race Course inner turf.

Rebel's Romance captured last year's Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland, providing international racing and breeding powerhouse Godolphin with their fifth victory in the prestigious race. A winner in four different countries, the Charlie Appleby-trained 5-year-old Dubawi gelding captured Germany's Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten and Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne en route to his Breeders' Cup conquest, where he came from 10th-of-13 to secure a 2 1/4-length victory over fellow European invader Stone Age.

En route to his German endeavor, Rebel's Romance won England's Group 3 Glorious at Goodwood and Fred Archer at Newmarket in his turf debut. During his sophomore season, he captured the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby over the main track at Meydan Racecourse and had won his first two lifetime starts over all-weather surfaces in England. He enters from an uncharacteristic seventh in his lone defeat on turf in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March at Meydan, where he finished 11 lengths in arears of highly-regarded Japanese-based Equinox.

“He's a well-travelled horse; Germany, Keeneland, England and Dubai,” said Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett. “He's traveled this trip pretty well and he's settled in good shape. He's a typical Dubawi, he's got better with age. He's a big horse that's really grown into his frame. Hopefully, we'll get to see him at his best on Sunday.”

Rebel's Romance has won over a variety of different turf conditions, including firm, good and good-fast.

“He's pretty versatile,” Connett said. “The ground in Germany was on the softer side, Keeneland was definitely on the quicker side of things. I'd say ground wise it doesn't really matter that much.”

Rebel's Romance arrived at his Breeders' Cup Turf endeavor in the shadows of his accomplished stablemate Nations Pride, who captured last year's Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational after finishing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on the NYRA circuit.

“The team always has held the horse in high regard,” Connett said of Rebel's Romance. “As a 3-year-old, he won the UAE Derby on the dirt. Up until this year in Dubai, he was unbeaten on the turf. He's a classy animal. Nations Pride had the form and was quite impressive in his runs out here. He had been here and done it before whereas Rebel's Romance hadn't been around the tighter turned tracks. The way he's training out here at the moment, I think he'll perform nicely on Sunday.”

Rebel's Romance will leave from post 9 in rein to Richard Mullen.

Trainer Graham Motion will saddle Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto's The Grey Wizard [post 7, John Velazquez], who arrives from a runner-up effort behind the Appleby-trained Siskany in the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 9.

The 4-year-old Caravaggio gelding was in 11th-place early and inched his way into contention down the final backstretch run and launched a wide bid in upper stretch. He finished two lengths behind the winner while staving off a late inside rally from 44-1 shot British Royalty. An allowance winner going 10 furlongs at Santa Anita and 12 furlongs at Keeneland, The Grey Wizard finished second to Nations Pride in last year's Jockey Club Derby.

“I'm very happy with him. We've kind of pointed for this race for a while,” Motion said. “He seems like he keeps improving every time I run him. I wish this was a mile and a half – the distance is what really helps him. He's not very quick from the gate and that's part of the problem; it puts him at a disadvantage. Johnny knows him so well, and that's a big help. We've taken some shots with this guy, but he's always kind of responded. He's a horse that has improved a lot since we got him, and I'm not saying that because of us, I'm saying that because he's gotten older and figured it out.”

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Soldier Rising [post 5, Jose Ortiz] and Tawny Port [post 10, Joel Rosario] in attempt of his fourth Bowling Green victory.

Solider Rising, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso, is five-time graded stakes-placed but is still in search of his first graded stakes triumph. The 5-year-old Frankel gelding finished second in Belmont's Grade 1 Man o' War and Grade 1 Manhattan this year while completing the trifecta behind former stablemate Gufo in last year's Grade 1 Sword Dancer.

Clement said the Bowling Green will likely propel the hard-luck Solider Rising into a return engagement in this year's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer going 12 furlongs on August 26.

“One day it will be his day,” Clement said. “He came out of the Manhattan in good shape and has trained well. The plan is to go Bowling Green to Sword Dancer.”

Peachtree Stable's Tawny Port is a new addition to Clement's stable but will make his grass debut following a distant seventh in the Grade 3 Ben Ali in April over the Keeneland main track for previous conditioner Brad Cox. The Pioneerof the Nile 4-year-old was fifth in both the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at Fair Grounds and Grade 3 Essex in March at Oaklawn.

A winner over Turfway Park's synthetic in his first pair of starts, Tawny Port won the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland and Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown during his sophomore campaign.

“He trains well on the grass. He looks like a nice stayer, so we're going to try him and see what happens,” said Clement, whose Bowling Green accolades include Flag Down [1996], Honor Glide [1999] and Grassy [2011].

Andrew Farm, For The People Racing Stable and Windmill Manor Farm's Verstappen [post 4, Declan Cannon] will seek to recapture the winning form that earned him a victory in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 22 going 12 furlongs at Keeneland.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old War Front gelding was seventh in the 11-furlong Man o' War on May 13 on short rest at Belmont before cutting back in distance to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile Jonathan Schuster on July 8 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“He ran very well the last day at Indiana. We knew that would be a little sharp for him, and he nearly won it. It was way too short for him, but we were looking at the big picture to come up here and have a go at the Bowling Green,” Walsh said. “I probably ran him back a little quick in the Man o' War off of his huge run at Keeneland, but the race was there and you take these shots. This time around, he's been here two weeks and we were able to work him on the turf here. He's fit and ready to go.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle 2020 Champion Turf Horse Channel Maker [post 8, Manny Franco], who seeks his first victory since besting Solider Rising in last year's Grand Couturier at Belmont. The evergreen 9-year-old English Channel gelding was a last out 10th in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup and will compete in his fifth Bowling Green. Channel Maker captured the 2018 edition of the Bowling Green, where he dead-heated for victory with Glorious Empire, before finishing fourth [2019], third [2020] and seventh [2021].

Completing the field are the Chad Brown-trained pair of Highest Honors [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Rockemperor [post 2, Flavien Prat]; Grade 3 Dinner Party winner Never Explain [post 3, Luis Saez] for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey; and three-time winner Strong Quality [post 6, Florent Geroux] for Hall of Famer Mark Casse. Marc Keller's stakes-placed Bobby Ribaudo-trained homebred Daunt [post 11, Javier Castellano] is also eligible.

The Bowling Green is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program. 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 Reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Winner Rebel’s Romance Back In America For Sunday’s Bowling Green appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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