Tag: Racing

Pipit and jockey Patrick Husbands took the $125,000 Victoria Stakes for 2-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine in impressive fashion.

A late vet scratch of Got's Got It left this field with only four runners for the 5 1/2-furlong contest, and Pipit was the only filly in the field.

After an even start, favorite Mattingly had the inside lead with Yacht Boy close behind. Ron Potts trained Going Up trailed five lengths behind in the third, and Pipit rated in fourth under Patrick Husbands.

At the quarter, Going Up and Pipit closed the gap, as Pipit moved into third from the outside. It was then a battle between Mattingly, Pipit, and Going Up, with Yacht Boy a length behind in fourth. Down the stretch Pipit surged to the front from the outside, taking the win by four lengths. Mattingly held on for second, a half-length in front of Going Up in third. Yacht Boy was fourth to complete the order of finish.

The final time was 1:03:60 on the Tapeta.

Trainer Kevin Attard is familiar with having a filly beat the boys in a stakes race, with 2022 Horse of the Year Moira having accomplished the feat in last year's Queen's Plate. Pipit and Moira also share the ownership group of X Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC.

“I was a little disappointed with her first start. I thought she was good enough to win her first time out. She kind of opened up a good lead and got loafing,” Attard said. “We came back and experimented with the blinkers. I thought she breezed well, so I thought we would give it a go today.”

Pipit paid $5.60 to win. She entered Sunday's contest off a runner-up finish in her debut in a five-furlong maiden special weight race June 3 at Woodbine but made amends with aplomb in the Victoria with Patrick Husbands aboard for the first time..

Husbands let the Quality Road filly get comfortable in the early going.

“She was a little bit confused with the blinkers, she was like, 'What is this on my face', so it took about 10 strides to get her going,” Husbands said. “She got in the race, then I had to give her a breather so she could get a second wind and she just exploded.”

Pipit, who is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Browse, was bred in Kentucky by Gage Hill Stables and W. S. Farish. Offered by Farish's Lane's End, she sold to X-Men Racing for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The post Pipit Vanquishes Males In Victoria Stakes At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lael Stables' homebred Daring Do recorded the first stakes win of her young career when she powered past favored American Apple in midstretch to win Sunday's $100,000 Pea Patch Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Ellis Park.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Daring Do completed 5½ furlongs on the firm turf in 1:01.82 under jockey Walter Rodriguez.

Daring Do broke well but was then relegated to fourth when American Apple made a bold rush at the rail to lead the field through a sharp opening quarter-mile in :21.15. Around the far turn, Rodriguez remained patient at the rail saving ground while American Apple boldly completed a half-mile in :44.17. Just outside the eighth pole, Daring Do was positioned to the outside of American Apple and easily powered past for a one-length victory.

Twice as Sweet closed from seventh to complete the exacta while a tiring American Apple held third.

A daughter of Into Mischief, Daring Do tallied $59,140 for her victory in the Pea Patch. The win was her third from five career starts. Daring Do's overall earnings stand at $184,275.

Daring Do was produced by the Blame mare More'n Likely.

The post Daring Do Zips Past Favorite To Earn First Stakes Victory In Ellis Park’s Pea Patch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Long Range Toddy, a prominent contender on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2019, exerted his back class to capture Sunday's Race 8 feature at Gulfstream Park, visiting a winner's circle for the first time since he won the 2019 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

Making his first start for Zenith Stable and trainer Victor Barboza Jr., the 7-year-old son of Take Charge Indy stalked the early pace before drawing clear by 2¼ lengths under Emisael Jaramillo. Long Range Toddy boosted his career earnings over $1.2 million while running seven furlongs in 1:22.47 in his first start since finishing off the board in the April 8 Commonwealth (G2) at Keeneland for owner/breeder Willis Horton Racing LLC and trainer Dallas Stewart.

“The horse came into my barn three months ago, but I waited to give confidence to the horse. It was a good race for the horse,” Barboza said. “I was impressed. The next time, he'll run in a stake. I don't know if it will be at Gulfstream or somewhere else.”

Long Range Toddy ($6.80), who finished 16th in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1), has been graded-placed multiple times since his Rebel score but had been unable to break through with a win in 29 subsequent starts.

The post Former KY Derby Starter Long Range Toddy Scores For New Connections, Halts 29-Race Winless Skid appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Pretty Mischievous, last seen posting a gutsy head victory in the Acorn (G1) on June 9 at Belmont Park, recorded her second work back with a half-mile drill in :49 flat Saturday over Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track. The daughter of Into Mischief worked in company with maiden Create Trouble.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said he was pleased with the move as the bay filly targets the seven-furlong $500,000 Test (G1) on August 5 at the Spa.

“She worked great and I'm very happy with her,” said Walsh. “It was just a half and we'll do more with her next week – she doesn't need to overdo it. She's doing good.”

Pretty Mischievous placed herself at the top of the sophomore filly division with a breakout score in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs where she bravely held off the late surge of the New York-bred Gambling Girl by a neck, providing Walsh with his first Oaks triumph.

“I've just been blessed and very lucky to have a horse of her caliber,” said Walsh. “I've been lucky that since I've started training for Godolphin, every year they've produced some very good horses. She's exceptionally good, and it's a privilege to have her.”

The Kentucky Oaks marked the farthest Pretty Mischievous has run in her eight-race career. She cut back to a one-turn 1 1/16 miles in the Acorn and posted a similar trip to the Oaks, holding onto victory by a head over the rallying Dorth Vader.

Walsh said he had been considering a cutback for the filly for some time.

“She's got bags of natural speed, so I think the timing is very good,” Walsh said. “We were able to give her a little more time between races and we've always kicked around the idea of shortening her up, so this seems like a good opportunity. She's a good horse, and most of them when they're that good can go two turns or shorten up. She's just got that natural speed, so why not try to utilize it? We can always go back to two turns if it doesn't work.”

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