Tag: Racing

Breeder Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's Irish-bred European shipper Aspen Grove, patiently handled by Oisin Murphy, arrived in the final strides to capture Saturday's $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), at Belmont Park.

The 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies is the first leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which is followed by the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3, $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 3, $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 16 going 11 furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm said the James “Fozzy” Stack-trained Aspen Grove is likely to stay in North America and target the Saratoga Oaks or the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on August 19.

“The money is great here. She's already a Grade 1 winner. I think she would have a hard time winning a Group 1 in Europe. There's a whole program for her here,” Bernick said. “We'll talk about it tonight over drinks with Fozzy. Jack [Sisterson] is at Saratoga, Tom Proctor is at Del Mar, and Mark Enright [traveling assistant/former rider] is here with the horse. We'll figure it out. We came thinking we could win, but it's a nice surprise, too.”

The Justify bay was loaded into the outermost post 9 with a blanket on and after breaking awkwardly she was guided to the rail to save ground in fifth position as Prerequisite and Be Your Best dueled through an opening quarter-mile in :24.16 over the firm footing.

Prerequisite, last out winner of the Grade 2 Wonder Again here, took command down the backstretch under Irad Ortiz Jr. through a half-mile in :50.55 with Be Your Best pressing and 2-1 mutuel favorite Mission of Joy saving ground in third position to the inside of Aspray.

Mission of Joy angled off the rail to launch her bid as Prerequisite led the closely-bunched field to the far turn through three-quarters in 1:16.69 with Aspen Grove traveling comfortably in sixth position. Murphy gave Aspen Grove her cue midway through the turn, maneuvering off the rail to follow the run of Aspray before surging to the inside of a retreating Be Your Best at the head of the stretch and ranging outside of Mission of Joy to collar Prerequisite for the three-quarter length score in a final time of 2:04.09.

Prerequisite completed the exacta by a neck over the late-running Papilio, who stumbled at the start under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano. Aspray, Freydis the Red, Speirling Beag, Mission of Joy, Strikingly Spun and Be Your Best rounded out the order of finish.

Murphy secured his third graded win in North America following past success with Blond Me in the 2017 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine and aboard Marche Lorraine in the 2021 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

“She broke a little slowly compared to American horses,” Murphy said. “I used to work for Fozzy Stack when I was a small boy, 14 and 15. To team up and win a Group 1 for him in the Belmont Oaks is brilliant, really brilliant.”

Aspen Grove captured the one-mile Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF in August at the Curragh under recently retired Enright, who joined the filly on her journey to New York and was aboard for her local training.

She made her last two outings with Enright at the controls, finishing third in her seasonal debut in the one-mile Group 3 Cornelscourt in May at Leopardstown before an off-the-board effort in the one-mile Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on May 28 at the Curragh over good ground.

“She won a turf race as a 2-year-old over a mile, so we always thought distance [would be fine],” Murphy said. “I was very happy because I was able to save ground towards the rail and when the pace stopped in front of me, I was able to get out on the back of a horse going forward – number seven, Chad Brown's filly [Aspray]. I switched out into the straight and it wasn't a very difficult ride.”

Stack said Aspen Grove had an excuse for her Irish 1000 Guineas effort.

“She ran huge today. Last out, she was in season unfortunately, but you have one Guineas to run in,” said Stack. “It didn't work out, but she did well today and shipped over well. Mark used to ride her at home and came over with her. He's done a good job with her for the last week or so. He kept her fresh and happy and she did it well.”

Irad Ortiz said he was proud of the effort from Prerequisite.

“I was enjoying it [the pace] and she was enjoying her time out there,” he said. “She was happy, she was relaxed. She gave me everything and when we turned for home, I feel like she was running. Unlucky we got beat.”

Aspen Grove banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 7-2-0-1. She returned $33.40 for a $2 win bet.

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LSU Stables' Far Bridge repelled the strong rally of favorite The Foxes and won the $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) Saturday at Belmont Park.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Far Bridge won by one length and finished 1 1/4-mile turf contest in 2:01.75.

An English Channel colt, Far Bridge broke through for his first stakes win and third win overall from five career starts while rebounding from a pair of seconds in Grade 2 races in his previous starts: the American Turf May 6 at Churchill Downs and Pennine Ridge June 3 at Belmont. He was ready to fire Saturday and got the job done for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Mondego was out to set the tempo and laid down fractions of :23.71, :50.06, and 1:14.89 while Far Bridge bided his time from seventh, then sixth, and Irish-bred The Foxes relaxed next to last in the field of 11.

Far Bridge was roused while inside on the far turn, angled out in early stretch and rallied strongly in the final furlong before gaining command in the final sixteenth. The Foxes, fifth in early stretch under Oisin Murphy, was full of run, closed with determination when called upson, and put his nose in front of 41-1 longshot Mondego but could not get the winner.

British-bred Mondego held on for third.

Far Bridge, who bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, was produced by the Kitten's Joy mare Fitpitcher. He returned $8.70 for the win.

Belmont Derby Invitational Quotes:

Todd Pletcher, winning trainer of Far Bridge: “We got a fortunate trip today. Everything worked out. We were able to save some ground pretty much around both turns, especially the far turn. We knew he had a good closing kick, we just needed to be in position to deliver it. I really liked the way he was moving around the turn and then when he got clear in the stretch, I knew he'd keep coming. We always felt like the added distance was going to be to his advantage.”

On privately acquiring Far Bridge following his second start: “They [owner LSU Stable] really liked the horse and they made a serious offer on him. They deserve any success they have with the horse.”

On targeting the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course: “I think that's a logical next target.”

Jose Ortiz: “I rode him one time [a win in March at Gulfstream] and I think that helped, but every race developed differently. Unfortunately, last time he was in some trouble but the horse doesn't help himself – he lugs in a little bit and that can get you into trouble and that's what happened last time. It's nothing [Joel] Rosario did wrong, the horse looks for it. We've been working for him to try and get him straight. Todd has been working with his bit and I think we finally nailed him. He went straight today but I think the trip helped him because he was on the rail, so he can't lug in no more. He cut the corner on the quarter-pole – beautiful trip – and when I tip him out, he exploded. It was a nice kick in the end.

“I knew the 11 [The Foxes] was behind me. I tried to look for him on the back side and couldn't see him. I could see the Klaravich horse [No. 10, Redistricting]. I knew he was behind me and Oisin [Murphy, aboard The Foxes] is a very smart rider and I knew he would be following me and my horse was one of the tougher horses in the race and he is very smart. So, I guess he was following me and he was because he told me after the wire [laughs].”

On the race to win the riding title at the Belmont spring/summer meet: “I'm taking it one race at a time. I've put myself in a great position to win it right now, but I remember when Eric [Cancel] won six the last day of Aqueduct [2021 winter meet] and caught Kendrick [Carmouche]. Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] could wake up and win six. So, I take it day-by-day and race-by-race. I put the work in and if I get it, I get it.”

Anna Lisa Balding, wife of Andrew Balding, the trainer of runner-up The Foxes (No. 11) and general manager of their Park House Stables, Kingsclere operation: “His final furlong must have been a very quick one. He's run a hell of a race. Unfortunately, he didn't break well enough and didn't deserve to win after breaking like that. He took a while to get into stride. I think the 10 furlongs is the right trip for him. Oisin [Murphy] said he finished with lots of horse under him, so I think he has a Group 1 in him, we just have to find the right one.”

On a potential start in the Saratoga Derby: “He might well do. We'll see how he comes out of this.”

Oisin Murphy: “He stood to jump and was a little slow away. I followed the winner but I wanted to sit closer in the run. The winner got first run on me as we turned into the straight and The Foxes picked up brilliantly, but I'd have loved to have been more forward in the run.”

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Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic scored a hard-fought victory in the 86th running of the $500,000 Delaware Handicap (G2) Saturday at Delaware Park.

With Florent Geroux aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin prevailed by a head over Classy Edition after a stretch-long battle. It was another 9¼-lengths farther back to Morning Matcha in third. Idiomatic returned $2.80 as the favorite in the field of six.

Previously, the Kentucky-bred trained by Brad Cox won the Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs om June 3. With the Delaware Handicap victory, she raised her career record to six wins from nine starts with earnings of $774,490. This was the second career Delaware Handicap for her jockey Florent Geroux who won the race in 2016 aboard I'm a Chatterbox. It was the first Delaware Handicap victory for her trainer Brad Cox.

“She has been training tremendously in the morning and we have very high hopes for her,” said winning rider Florent Geroux. “We are hoping, if she stays healthy and keeps on progressing, hopefully, she will be a player in the Distaff division in November.”

Kentucky-bred Idiomatic ($2.80) was produced by the First Defence mare Lockdown.

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Tim Shaw is going to savor  this win for a while.

After 22 years as a trainer, and 1,337 starters, Shaw notched his first career stakes win when front-running Precious Avary held on for a neck victory in Saturday's $85,000 Jersey Girl Handicap at Monmouth Park, doing so at odds of 22-1.

The win was the third in a row for the 3-year-old daughter of Divining Rod, all coming since she returned to facing New Jersey-breds.

“It's a great feeling,” said Shaw. “It means the beer is going to be colder, the steak is going to taste better. I've only run two horses in stakes races in my career and she is one of them. Mostly I claim horses and have some homebreds with limited ability. But I never had a real horse who could run like this one.”

Racing against older fillies and mares, and stretching out on the turf for the first time, Precious Avary was put on the lead by jockey Silvestre Gonzalez, loped through an opening quarter in :25.08 and a first half in :50.24 and had just enough left to hold off 2-1 Bramble Bay, who was charging up the rail. It was another 1¾ lengths back to Riding Pretty in third.

The winning time for the mile over a turf course listed as firm was 1:37.31.

“She's in very good form right now,” said Gonzalez. “She just loves to run – dirt, turf, short, long. She's just game. She comes out of there and gives 100 percent.

“When I broke out of there and I saw there was no speed I put her on the lead and then grabbed her and she rated very well today. She settled in nicely, we got an easy pace and that helped us down the stretch. Right now she's in a happy place. She's a Jersey-bred and in these Jersey-bred races she fits very well.”

The victory was her fourth straight against state-bred company, the last three coming at Monmouth Park this year.

“I think the change back to Jersey-bred company has given her confidence again,” said Shaw, who keeps a 10-horse stable based at Parx Racing. “She had a good race against open company at Penn National to start the year and that was kind of the spark. Then once we were able to get her in Jersey-bred company it seemed her confidence kept building.

“It's a little of a case of being back with her own company thing, being back with some confidence, and she's a 3-year-old filly who is getting better. She's won short turf, long dirt, slop going short and now turf going two turns. Honestly, I don't know what she wants or what she's best at. As long as Monmouth stays open I think we have to keep her with Jersey-breds.”

A Smith Farm and Stable homebred, Precious Avary  has a 4-2-1 line from 10 career starts with earnings of $201,460. She was produced by the Mutakddim mare Alytania.

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