Tag: Racing

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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Thomas Coulter's multiple stakes winner Nimitz Class, who lost for the first time in six races in his graded debut last month, embarks on starting a new streak when he returns to Maryland for Saturday's $100,000 Deputed Testamony at Laurel Park.

The 27th running of the 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony for 3-year-olds and up and the seventh renewal of the $100,000 Alma North for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting 6 ½ furlongs are among five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a 10-race program headlined by the $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash featuring seven older sprinters including Grade 3 winners Wondrwherecraigis and Lightening Larry.

Rounding out Saturday's stakes action is a pair of $75,000 events restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses – the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds and Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies, both contested at seven furlongs. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

Based at Penn National with trainer Bruce Kravets, Nimitz Class has made a home for himself at Laurel where he has won each of his last four races, all in stakes – the 2022 Robert T. Manfuso in December and John B. Campbell, Harrison E. Johnson Memorial and Native Dancer to open his 4-year-old campaign, the latter April 29.

In his two other local starts, Nimitz Class ran second by a length to Old Homestead in the seven-furlong Concern and fourth, three lengths behind Tom Fool (G3) winner Little Vic, in the City of Laurel last summer and fall.

“I know he loves it at Laurel,” Coulter said. “It looks to me like this race is a little bit tougher than the races we [won] earlier this year, so I think he's going to have to be at his best.”

The connections were hoping to give Nimitz Class his first graded test in the historic Pimlico Special (G3) on the eve of the 148th Preakness Stakes (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course, but the race came up too quickly. Rather, they stayed closer to home where the Munnings colt romped by 5 ¼ lengths in an open Parx allowance going a mile and 70 yards to extend his win streak to five.

“He's doing fine,” Coulter said. “The way the schedule worked out, after the [Native Dancer] we had planned to go in the Pimlico Special which has a lot of meaning to me because it's such a well-known race, but the timing didn't work out. So, we tried to just figure out a new schedule for the horse.”

Nimitz Class wound up getting his first taste of graded competition in the June 17 Salvator Mile (G3) at Monmouth Park, where he dueled up front and took a one-length lead into the stretch before settling for second, a half-length behind Petulante's third consecutive victory.

“I thought he had a tough trip last time,” Coulter said. “It wasn't a really big field, but the race didn't really go the way we intended. I thought he should have won that race. Since then we've changed his blinkers a little bit and I think that'll help him coming down the stretch.”

Drawing Post 3 in a field of seven, Nimitz Class will carry topweight of 126 pounds including regular rider Jevian Toledo, yielding from four to six pounds to their rivals.

“The fact that Bruce has kept him going so long and doing so good, he shows up in every stakes race and always runs a good race,” Coulter said. “I think he's super and I think it shows how much ability he really has. I still think he has a top end that we haven't seen yet. I'm hoping sometime this summer we get to see that.”

Cash is King and LC Racing's Ridin With Biden returns to make a title defense for trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr. The 5-year-old gelding had his own way in a front-running 6 ¼-length score in last year's race, and will attempt to become the second straight horse with a repeat victory following Harpers First Ride in 2020 and 2021.

“It looks like a little stiffer group this time so he's going to have to run well and then some,” Reid said. “He's doing very well. We were going to wait past this race, but he got so good here in the last couple of weeks we decided to go ahead and take a shot.”

Last year's Deputed Testamony was the first time Ridin With Biden had gone nine furlongs; he got in trouble early and was overmatched in his only other attempt at the distance in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. He got time off before returning with a an allowance victory June 18 over his home track at Parx, and most recently settled for third behind Grade 1 winner Doppelganger after setting the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Battery Park July 8 at Delaware Park.

“He didn't have the best of trips last time,” Reid said. “We were a little disappointed with that start, but he came out of it super well and we're really looking forward to this race on Saturday.”

Andrew Wolfsont, up for the Parx win, returns to ride from outermost Post 7 at 122 pounds.

“Andrew is going to have catbird seat, I believe, to look at and he's going to be able to sit and have control,” Reid said. “He'll rest comfortably for you on the outside, so I really am happy with the draw. That's another one of the reasons we're coming down.”

Red-hot trainer Jamie Ness, who had his win streak snapped at 20 consecutive calendar days July 20 but has won 40 races in 24 days to open the month including his 4,000th July 16 at Laurel, entered the pair of Ournationonparade and Yodel E.A. Who. Troy Johnson, Charles Lo and Jagger Inc.'s Yodel E.A. Who is a 14-time career winner that ran second in the Feb. 18 General George (G3) and exits a last-to-first half-length optional claiming allowance victory going 1 1/16 miles July 8, both at Laurel.

Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs and Jagger Inc.'s Ournationonparade has never been worse than third in 10 lifetime tries at Laurel including three wins and four seconds. Winner of the 2019 Maryland Million Nursery and 2022 Maryland Million Classic, the latter coming first off a $50,000 claim, the 6-year-old gelding ran behind Nimitz Class in the Manfuso, Campbell and Johnson. He returns to stakes company after back-to-back open allowances going 1 1/16 miles at Laurel, beating Zabracadbra by less than a length for first April 14 and running second to that rival July 7.

Repole Stable homebred Be Better takes a two-race win streak into the Deputed Testamony, his fourth stakes attempt and first since the November 2022 Discovery at Aqueduct for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of champion Uncle Mo joined Maryland's leading trainer, Brittany Russell, over the winter and has a third and a second to go along with the two wins, both at 1 1/16 miles by nine combined lengths, the latest June 17 at Laurel.

Rounding out the field are Burning Daylight Farms, Inc. and Rebecca Galbraith's Mischief Afoot, fourth in last year's Deputed Testamony and entered to make his first start since last August at Colonial Downs; and Steve and Debbie Jackson's Wish for Peace, first or second in 10 of 22 lifetime starts.

The Deputed Testamony returned to the Maryland stakes calendar in 2020 after not having been run since 2008. It pays homage to the last Maryland-bred winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1), who upset Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sunny's Halo in 1983. Bred and raced by Bonita Farm and Francis P. Sears and trained by Bill Boniface, Deputed Testamony also won the 1983 Haskell (G1) and Federico Tesio.

The post Multiple Stakes Winner Nimitz Class Faces ‘A Little Bit Tougher’ Group In Laurel’s Deputed Testimony appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing's Echo Zulu has won three Grade 1 races and earned an Eclipse Award for 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly. The brilliant daughter of Gun Runner secured another notable accomplishment in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap when garnering a 112 Beyer Speed Figure – the fastest number recorded by any horse going six furlongs this year.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who also conditioned her 2017 Horse of the Year and leading third-crop sire, Echo Zulu put away multiple graded stakes winner Frank's Rockette and led through every point of call en route to a 7 1/4-length score in a swift final time of 1:08.76.

“I'm extremely proud of her race. That obviously was an impressive race and that would put a [big] number on it,” Asmussen said.

Echo Zulu's Honorable Miss conquest marked a successful return to the Spa for the 4-year-old filly. She won her debut maiden race at Saratoga in July 2021 before returning to capture the Grade 1 Spinaway going seven furlongs. The Championship-earning season concluded with Grade 1 scores in the one-mile Frizette at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

The prosperous juvenile campaign warranted Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks aspirations, which propelled Echo Zulu to a victory in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks the following March. She suffered her first loss and lone off-the-board effort when fourth in the Kentucky Oaks.

Echo Zulu entered the Honorable Miss from a win in the six-furlong Grade 3 Winning Colors on May 29 at Churchill Downs, where she stopped the clock in 1:08.99.

“I'm very happy with how she came out of the race yesterday. I'm unbelievably impressed with her and I honestly didn't expect anything less,” Asmussen said. “We got off track last year chasing the Oaks with a filly that is brilliant to a mile and obviously, we'll try to get her another Eclipse Award this year. When she goes that fast that easily, it makes you dream of a lot of things.”

While the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap on August 26 at Saratoga is the likely next target for Echo Zulu, neither Asmussen nor Winchell Thoroughbreds' racing manager David Fiske ruled out a future start against males.

Asmussen and Winchell also campaign fellow Gun Runner-progeny Gunite, winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful in 2021, who is currently a major force in the male sprint division and will run in Saturday's Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap.

“It probably has everything to do with how Gunite does in the division with the common ownership,” Asmussen said. “But I'm definitely not scared to run her against anybody. We'll do whatever is best for the other horses that Winchell and L and N own.”

“She has the highest Beyer at six furlongs of anyone in the country – male or female,” Fiske added. “We'll have to see what happens as we go along.”

Winchell and Asmussen also campaign three-time graded stakes winning millionaire Wicked Halo, who also is by Gun Runner. The gray 4-year-old filly, who captured the 2021 Grade 2 Adirondack, was a last out winner of Ellis Park's Twin Bridges on July 23 and could target the Ballerina.

“The plan last week was that if Wicked Halo ran well and Echo Zulu ran well, they would both show up in the Ballerina,” Fiske said. “We'll try to keep everyone healthy and go on down the path.

“People are speculating that Echo Zulu should go to the Breeders' Cup Sprint and pass the Filly and Mare Sprint,” Fiske added. “We do have Wicked Halo, but I don't know what we would do with Gunite because he could win the sprint, too.”

Fiske, who said he was left speechless following Echo Zulu's triumph, stated that Gun Runner's progeny have hit the ground running and have maintained their form later in their careers.

“When Gun Runner's first crop came out, people were conjecturing that his foals would be better the older they got, like he was. A bunch of them came out running at two and people thought, 'Maybe we were wrong.' But it looks like they weren't wrong. As good as they are at two, they're even better at four,” Fiske said.

Asmussen reflected on Gun Runner's swift ascension to one of the most sought after stallions in North America.

“I don't know that I can put into words what Gun Runner means for the breed, for a horse to break the records in his first crop,” Asmussen said. “Winning the Hopeful and the Spinaway in his first crop is hard to imagine, but it happened. For them to be going 1:08 and change every time you lead them over at four after they won all the Grade 1s at Saratoga, not only is it a level of ability that is rare to be seen, but it's a durability that this sport desperately needs.”

The post ‘Not Scared To Run Her Against Anybody’: Asmussen Considering Start Against Males For Echo Zulu appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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