White Abarrio was the upset winner of the Grade 1 $1 million Whitney Stakes, beating fan favorite Cody’s Wish on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.
Tag: Racing
French Filly Elusive Princess Proves Deserving Favorite In Saratoga Oaks Invitational
Sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of 10 sophomore fillies, Elusive Princess proved her dominance in Friday's Grade 3, $400,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, powering over the yielding turf in the final furlong to complete 1 3/16 miles in 1:57.08. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the 3-year-old daughter of Japanese sire Martinborough (Deep Impact) saved ground in the first turn and angled out to fresh ground in the stretch run, galloping by her rivals with ease to win by about three lengths.
American Sonja (9-1) outfinished Papilio (7-2) to finish second.
Jean-Philippe Dubois is the winning trainer and breeder, while French-bred Elusive Princess is owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Ecurie Victoria Dreams, NK Racing, and Anthony V. Munafo. She came to the United States off a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Prix de Diane preceded by a second in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary. Overall, Elusive Princess has won four of her eight career starts for earnings just shy of $400,000.
According to the Daily Racing Form's David Grening, Elusive Princess will remain in the United States to be trained by Arnaud Delacour.
Breaking from the gate under a rainy Saratoga sky, Elusive Princess settled along the rail near the back half of the pack to save ground along the first turn. Prat stalked the pacesetter Selenaia through fractions of :23.55 and :48.57, then worked his way up along the rail heading into the turn.
Joseph O'Brien trainee American Sonja made a big move to take the lead heading into the lane, though jockey Oisin Murphy allowed the filly to carry her Mark Casse-trained rival Papilio out to the center of the track as they straightened into the stretch. Those two battled fiercely, but neither was any match for Elusive Princess once Prat angled her even further to their outside for fresh ground.
Elusive Princess cruised by an easy winner, while American Sonja was game late to hold second over Papilio and Javier Castellano.
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One In Vermillion Continues ‘Derby Hunting’ In West Virginia
One in Vermillion, who was purchased at an Arizona Thoroughbred auction for $26,000 by his owner, Jonathan Kalman, as a yearling late in 2021, has earned $328,840 in 10 starts since his career debut April 13, 2022, at Turf Paradise in Arizona.
Now, he will attempt to win his first graded stakes in the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby on Sunday evening.
The 3-year-old California-bred colt by Army Mule made three starts in 2022 and came away with two stakes scores in the Open Spring Futurity and Lost in the Fog Juvenile at Turf Paradise. He began 2023 with a win in the Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico, which would be his third of five victories thus far.
His connections tried One in Vermillion in the G3 Sunland Park and the G1 Santa Anita Derby in California, and he finished fifth both times. He bounced back to win the seven-furlong Laz Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita and was shipped to Canterbury Park in Minnesota with Southwest-based trainer Esteban Martinez to perhaps take a shot at some of the prominent Midwestern events for 3-year-olds.
One in Vermillion won an allowance race upon his arrival at Canterbury and followed up with a second-place finish in the Canterbury Derby. He then was shipped to Prairie Meadows in Iowa for the Iowa Derby, in which he led from gate to finish only to be disqualified and placed second behind How Did He Do That for drifting out late in the stretch.
The effort, however, was enough for Martinez and Kalman to try another Derby.
“These things happen,” Martinez, who shipped One in Vermillion to Mountaineer early to prepare for the Derby, said of the disqualification. “I think he'll go long. It's more about how he handles the track, but he always tries hard, and I think he has got a chance. I hope I'm right. The horse is feeling good right now.”
In many of his races One in Vermillion has been on the lead, and in half of his starts has carried that speed all the way. He has been ridden by Harry Hernandez, the leading rider for the 2022-23 Turf Paradise meet and current leading rider at Canterbury, in eight of his races.
“Harry really likes this horse,” Martinez said. “Wherever the horse goes, he wants to go with him. He's very excited about riding in the West Virginia Derby.”
Martinez, who began training in 2017, is usually based in Arizona in the fall and winter and Minnesota in the spring and summer. He has won 107 races with purse earnings in excess of $2 million.
The West Virginia Derby program will begin at the special Sunday post time of 5 p.m. ET. The Grade 3 West Virginia Governor's Stakes is set for 7:40 p.m. followed by the Derby at 8:15 p.m.
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Maiden Maltese Falcon May Rate Edge Over La Jolla Handicap Rivals
The La Jolla Handicap, a Grade 3 test that is the second of three grass challenges that Del Mar puts forth each year for the 3-year-old set, will be up for grabs Sunday as the featured attraction on an 11-race card that starts at 2 p.m. PT.
This 82nd edition of the La Jolla carries a purse of $150,000 and has drawn eight runners for its 1 1/16-mile presentation. It will be Race 10 on the San Diego county seaside track's afternoon program with a likely post time of 6:30 p.m.
There are no standouts in the lineup, leaving all sorts of possibilities for the last major prep to the track's showcase 3-year-old offering, the Grade 2, $300,000 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby, which goes on Sunday, Sept. 3.
It doesn't happen often, but there's a legitimate chance that the maiden Maltese Falcon might be the apple of more than a few eyes in the La Jolla. The Irish-bred gelding by the Scat Daddy sire Caravaggio is owned by Red Barons Barn or Rancho Temescal and has been knocking on the door in his five U.S. starts, including a good second in the Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita on June 11.
His connections plead his case further: he's handled by the rising conditioner Leonard Powell and gets the saddle services of the top rider Juan Hernandez. They break from Post 3 in the field.
Here's the complete crew for the La Jolla from the rail out with riders:
C R K Stable's Smart Mo (Joe Bravo in the tack); Muir Hut Stables' Agency (Ramon Vazquez); Maltese Falcon; Lamarock Stable's Justin's Legacy (Hector Berrios); Hronis Racing's Panic Alarm (Umberto Rispoli); CYBT, Nentwig or Pell's Kid Azteca (Asa Espinoza); The Del Mar Group's Henry Q (Antonio Fresu), and Madaket Stables and Convergence Stable's Zalamo (Mike Smith).
Henry Q makes his Del Mar debut in the feature. The Blame colt was most recently in the east running third in Belmont Park's Peter Pan in May, then fifth in Thistledown's Ohio Derby in June – both of them Grade 3 events on dirt. He was a minor stakes winner at Sunland Park in New Mexico earlier this year, winning the Mine That Bird Derby by 14 3/4 lengths. This will be his first race on turf, but he's had two breezes over the Del Mar grass course.
Panic Alarm will be making his U.S. bow on Sunday. The Irish-bred and raced gelding has been in the John Sadler barn since early July and shows a pair of victories from his 2-year-old season and four starts this year, the most recent coming on June 22.
In the race prior to the La Jolla, the 70th running of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes will unfold. The dash for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies has lured eight lassies out of their barns for a run of 5 1/2 furlongs and a $125,000 purse.
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