Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park, the $500,000 ,Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, and other major d
Tag: Racing
Heavy Favorite Wicked Halo Prevails In Inaugural Running Of Ellis Park’s Twin Bridges
Winchell Thoroughbreds' classy homebred Wicked Halo pressed by Non Violence through the final sixteenth before edging clear to win Sunday's inaugural running of the $125,000 Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park.
Cristian Torres rode Wicked Halo for trainer Steve Asmussen. The 4-year-old Gun Runner filly completed six furlongs in 1:10.36.
The compact field of five fillies and mares broke well, but it was Dealing Justice who was hustled hard for the early lead under Martin Garcia. She was pressed to her outside by Non Violence and jockey Rey Gutierrez while heavily favored Wicked Halo sat just off the front-running duo through an opening quarter mile in :22.99.
Around the turn, Non Violence passed the tiring Dealing Justice while Wicked Halo continued her wide journey with closer Last Leaf improving her early position at the rail. In the stretch, Torres asked Wicked Halo for her best run while Non Violence and Gutierrez continued to fight hard to her inside. Just inside the final sixteenth, Wicked Halo dug down deep to get by Non Violence and score a 1¼-length victory.
Wicked Halo, who is out of the Tapit mare Just Wicked, banked $76,500 for her victory in the Twin Bridges. A multiple graded stakes winner, she sports an impressive record of 8-2-4 from 15 career starts and purse earnings of $1,297,700.
She returned $2.42 for the victory.
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Dream Shake Earns First Stakes Win In Connaught Cup, Survives Foul Claim
Michael Stidham trainee Dream Shake notched his second straight score at Woodbine, taking Sunday's $175,000 Connaught Cup (G2) .
With Rafael Hernandez in the irons, Dream Shake broke sharply and tracked longshot leader Roaring Forties from second through early opening splits of :22.92 and :45.23 in the seven-furlong trek for 3-year-olds and up over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf, as Bound for Nowhere, supplemented to the race, was positioned third.
The 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy out of Even Song, by Street Cry was given his cue by Hernandez as the field came off the turn for home and Dream Shake responded by striking front in early stretch, with a host of rivals quickly closing in on from all sides.
Dream Shake, who arrived at the Connaught Cup, off a 1¼-length triumph over seven furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta (the race was originally scheduled for the grass), wouldn't be denied in the late going, fending off War Bomber to win by a length. Lucky Score, a further head back, bested 2-1 choice Churchtown by a nose for third.
A rider's claim of foul against the winner was disallowed. The final time was 1:20.33.
It was the first stakes crown for the multiple graded stakes-placed dark bay gelding, who won his debut at Santa Anita on February 7, 2021.
With the win, Dream Shake, owned by Exline-Border Racing LLC, Peter Eurton, Richard Hausman, and Stonestreet Stables LLC, and bred in Kentucky by Dunwoody Farm, is now 4-1-2 from 12 lifetime starts. Exline-Border Racing picked him up for $75,000 at the 2020 OBS Spring 2-year-olds in training sale, where Cary Frommer consigned him. He has bankrolled $469,265 in lifetime earnings.
He paid $22.10 for the win. Luckman was scratched.
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Il Malocchio Scores Narrow Victory In Trillium Thriller At Woodbine
Il Malocchio, rallying strongly on the outside, was up in the shadow of the wire for a head victory in Sunday's $150,000 Trillium Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.
Angelou outdueled the 3-2 favorite Souper Hoity Toity by a neck for second, but her number taken down after the stewards ruled she had interfered with that rival during the stretch run and she was placed third.
The Trillium, a 1 1/16-mile main track race for fillies and mares, went with a field of eight.
Il Malocchio, trained by Marty Drexler, returned $18 for her victory under the red-hot Sahin Civaci.
“We had her down in the U.S. (Palm Meadows Training Center) for the winter to get her started,” said Drexler. “We started her in Kentucky (Turfway Park on March 25).
“Off Lasix, it wasn't the best for her, and she was a little bit flat that day and then we came back here. Last time (Grade 3 Belle Mahone, on June 3), she caught in a pace [battle] on the front and she doesn't like that, so this is much better.”
Super Hoity Toity rallied strongly up the rail to just miss while Angelou was dead game after turning back several challenges.
Kate's Kingdom, invading from Kentucky, was prominent throughout and launched a menacing move around the far turn but weakened slightly to finish fourth, another three lengths back as the second choice.
Valentina Day, Saratoga Vision, Batyah, and Sister Seagull completed the order of finish.
Inventing was scratched.
The final time was 1:44.14 off Angelou's slow early fractions of :25.62, :50.06, and 1:13.50.
Il Malocchio was winning for the fifth time in 23 career starts with all of her victories coming in stakes races at Woodbine, including last fall's Maple Leaf (G3). The 5-year-old daughter of Souper Speedy out of Egbert Bay, by Sligo Bay, is a homebred campaigned by Franco Meli.
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