Tag: Racing

Trainer William “Doug” Cowans and jockey Luan Machado each earned their first Saratoga Race Course victory when heavy post-time favorite Next coasted to an impressive win in Thursday's $150,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile marathon for older horses, over the Spa's fast main track.

Owned by Michael A. Foster, Next found the winner's circle with a stalking trip under a patient Machado, allowing New York-bred Sea Foam to control the tempo before pouncing with ease into the final turn to notch his fourth stakes victory in his last five outings. The son of Not This Time entered from a strong 2 1/4-length triumph in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“We were worried about coming up here with a deeper track and an extra two furlongs, but the horse got into his rhythm like he does,” said Cowans, whose lone previous start at the Spa was a close runner-up finish with Next Shares in the 2015 Grade 2 With Anticipation. “We weren't worried about where we were positioned in the race. Everything went just like planned.

“First win at Saratoga is awesome,” Cowans added. “Came up here with one other horse that got beat a neck. It's great to come up here. It's prestigious.”

Next was away cleanly from the outermost post 7 and tucked into the three path to stalk a length back of the sharp Sea Foam, who bounded to the front to lead through the first two turns and into the backstretch. Dash Attack and Lone Rock, winner of this event in 2021, matched strides in third as Machado kept a loaded Next within one length of Sea Foam.

Dash Attack attempted to inch up along the rail into the final turn as Next was given his cue and ranged up on the outside of a toiling Sea Foam. Machado needed only to shake the reins for Next to take a clear advantage into the top of the stretch before widening his margin under a confident hand ride.

The Ricardo Santana Jr.-piloted Time for Trouble made up ground late to battle with Dash Attack for place honors, but the two were no match for Next, who crossed the finish line first by 11 3/4 lengths. Time for Trouble swept past a game Dash Attack by four lengths for second with The Skipper Too coming on late for fourth another 4 1/4 lengths back. Sea Foam, Lone Rock and Treasure Trove completed the order of finish.

Due to a timing issue, the Birdstone will be hand-timed with a final time published on Friday.

Machado, aboard for each of Next's last five outings, said it is special to win at Saratoga, especially with a horse as talented as him.

“It just feels great,” Machado said. “The horse was great and we're happy to be here and get another one. When we were passing by the half-mile pole, it was the first time I checked on him to see how he was doing and he grabbed the bridle and gave me all that confidence. It was done by the half-mile. He was looking good and the other horses were asking already. He still had much to give and I felt super comfortable at that point.”

Next has proven to be the acquisition of Cowans' career after he was haltered for $62,500 out of a distant ninth when sprinting seven furlongs last April at Keeneland. The veteran conditioner won first off the claim with the grey gelding when stretching him out to nine furlongs in a $50,000 claiming tilt, but saw the biggest improvement when bringing him up to the marathon distance for the first time with an 18 1/4-length romp in an off-the-turf edition of the 12-furlong Cape Henlopen in September at Delaware Park.

Foster, who enjoyed his first graded victory when Next won the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Keeneland, said he never anticipated the journey Next would take him on when he was first claimed last spring.

“We've claimed a lot of horses and had a lot of success. It's not our first stakes horse that we've claimed, but this guy's a claim of the century,” said Foster. “Doug figured him out early. We ran him back for $50,000 [tag] and we're amazed we got away with it. He's just a dream come true, I tell you. We have more fun with this horse than we ever dreamed of. We take every race one at a time, but we wanted Saratoga so bad just to be able to race up here. We're very happy.”

Cowans said Next will now target the 12-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup on September 23 at Parx Racing with an eye to a repeat victory in the 13-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on November 3 at Santa Anita Park.

Bred in Kentucky by Silverton Hill, Next banked $82,500 in victory and improved his lifetime record to 18-8-0-1. He returned $3.20 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with an 11-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam in Race 10. 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/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Next Gives Trainer Cowans, Jockey Machado First Saratoga Victory In Marathon Birdstone appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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