Tag: Racing

Trainer Todd Pletcher began Saturday of opening weekend at the Saratoga in style, debuting promising juvenile Pirate, a half brother to Preakness (G1) winner National Treasure, in the first race, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight.

The son of Omaha Beach coasted to a three-length victory in front-running fashion under Irad Ortiz Jr. and completed the trip in 1:04.89.

“He got away alertly, but they put a lot of pressure on him early. I thought it was a good performance and very professional like he's been since we got him,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said the $300,000 Hopeful (G1) going seven furlongs on Sept. 4 at Saratoga is a logical option.

“We'll play it by ear. Normally we'd wait for the Hopeful, but we'll see how things go,” Pletcher said.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Pirate was a $350,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Bridie Harrison consigned the dark bay or brown colt out of Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro. His second dam, Proposal, produced multiple stakes winner Inspired – the dam of graded stakes-placed Carmel Road. He hails from the female line of Mahubah, who was the dam of the mighty Man o' War and is great-great grandam of 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault.

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Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice breezed a half-mile in :49.15 over the Belmont Park main track on Saturday in preparation for the $1-million TVG.com Haskell Invitational (G1) on July 22 at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Haskell winner Todd Pletcher, the son of Tapit was a last-out third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10.

“He just did what he normally does which is work well and gallop out strongly. He was moving great. It was everything we wanted to see,” Pletcher said of Tapit Trice, who won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and then the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland prior to finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in his start prior to the Belmont.

Luis Saez will ride Tapit Trice in the Haskell.

The post ‘He Was Moving Great’: Tapit Trice Breezes Toward Haskell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Cody's Wish worked five-eighths in 1:00 flat Saturday over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in preparation for the $1-million Whitney (G1)going 1 1/8 miles on August 5.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old Curlin bay has won nine of 13 career starts and is currently on a six-race winning streak topped by a powerful 3 1/4-length score last out in the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“He was very good. He went five-eighths and went well and appeared to be well within himself,” Mott said.

Cody's Wish is currently ranked atop of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 315 points, eclipsing his stablemate Elite Power [271], who is targeting the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on July 29.

“I'm not going to argue with it. At this point, he's a good choice,” said Mott, with a laugh.

Cody's Wish has yet to win beyond one mile, finishing third in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight in July 2021 at the Spa and second in the 1 1/16-mile Challenger (G3) in March 2022 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“We're uncertain about the nine furlongs, but we're going to remain optimistic,” Mott said. “Until they do it, you never know. Maybe now that he's more mature than he was early on, maybe he'll do it. He's more seasoned.”

Elite Power worked a bullet five-eighths in :59.60 Friday over the Oklahoma training track and could make two starts here this summer with the $500,000 Forego (G1) on August 26 also under consideration.

“His work was very good,” Mott said. “He'll go to the Vanderbilt and then possibly the Forego.”

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Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1 winner Caravel worked a half-mile solo in :48.88 Saturday over the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga as she prepares to take on the boys in the $300,000 Troy (G3), a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older horses there  August 5.

Trained by Brad Cox and piloted through her breeze by exercise rider Kelvin Perez, NYRA Clockers caught Caravel through splits of :13.60, :25.40 and out five-eighths in 1:01.20 and six-furlongs in 1:15.60.

Cox said the reigning reeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner impressed in her second move back since taking the six-furlong Jaipur(G1) over the boys on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“Really good. She's an outstanding workhorse,” Cox said. “It's her first move up here on the turf. She breezed last weekend at Churchill. It's just a maintenance move and she's doing great. She's pointing to the Troy right now.”

Caravel has won 15-of-23 starts and made just shy of $1 million last year, posting wins in the Intercontinental (G3) at Belmont and the Franklin (G3) at Keeneland. She is undefeated in three starts this year, taking the Shakertown (G2) in April at Keeneland ahead of a score at Churchill Downs in May in the Unbridled Sidney.

Cox said he likes to keep Caravel fresh and is spacing out her races accordingly with an eye to a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park.

“She ran extremely well at Keeneland off the layoff,” Cox said. “If there's something that makes sense [between the Troy and Breeders' Cup] we can try it before Santa Anita.”

Cox said Caravel is in career form.

“She's really good. Physically, she looks amazing. She's happy,” Cox said. “I don't know if we need her to get any better, she just has to continue to be as good as she's been the first half of the year. If we can duplicate that in the second half, we'll be in great shape.”

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Wet Paint worked five-eighths in 1:00.60 Saturday over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for next Saturday's $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies.

“Really good move this morning. She went five-eighths from the half in 1:00.60 and out in 1:13.60,” Cox said. “She's not the flashiest workhorse, but this morning she was on it and she was wanting to do it. I loved what I saw from her. She's set up for a big run next week.”

Flavien Prat will pilot Wet Paint in the CCA Oaks.

Gary and Mary West's Kentucky homebred West Will Power worked a half-mile in 51.40 this morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for a possible start in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 5.

“It was just a really easy half mile and if all is well he make the trip up this week,” Cox said.

The 6-year-old Bernardini horse has posted six consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, including a career-best 109 in winning the New Orleans Classic (G2) in March at Fair Grounds and a 102 last out when a half-length winner of the Stephen Foster (G1) on July 1 at Churchill Downs.

Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire and Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, who dead-heated for fourth last out in the Belmont Stakes (G1), worked five-eighths in company in 1:00.90 Friday over the Oklahoma training track.

“Very good move. I'm very happy with them,” Cox said.

Both horses earned a 99 Beyer for their Belmont effort and will point to the nine-furlong $500,000 Jim Dandy(G2) on July 29 with an eye towards the 10-furlong  $1.25-million Travers (G1) on August 26.

Cox said a turnback from 12-furlongs can only help.

“It shouldn't hurt,” Cox said. “I don't know if any of these horses want to run a mile and a half, but they ran big races in the Belmont and got really good figures. They've had time to recover and had some really good moves down at Churchill.”

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