Tag: Racing

Whisper Hill Farm's Kentucky homebred Charge It ran exactly how his 3-5 odds suggested he would, setting a moderate tempo down the backstretch and drawing away in the stretch under little urging to earn his second graded win in Saturday's 137th running of the $350,000 Suburban (G2) for older horses, at Belmont Park.

Mandy Pope, owner of Whisper Hill Farm, expressed excitement in now owning a potential commercial stallion prospect.

“It's always wonderful to win any graded race, but the Suburban here at Belmont is a good stallion-making race looking forward to his next career,” Pope said. “We're really happy to have won and to have won so easily and not take too much out of him.”

The Suburban kicked off graded stakes action on Saturday, which also includes the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational in Race 10; the Grade 1, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational in Race 8; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride in Race 11. The Suburban awards the top-four finishers a free entry into the $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

Charge It, a 4-year-old gray son of Tapit, made amends from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont. Despite having never won past 1 1/16 miles, the added ground appeared to be no deterrence for Charge It, who captured the local one-mile Grade 3 Dwyer last year by an astounding 23 lengths.

Graded stakes-placed Red Run broke on top through an opening quarter-mile in :24.49 over the fast main track, but Charge It, from post 4, matched strides with his foe passing the chute and established command while racing several paths wide under John Velazquez. Charge It maintained his advantage through a half-mile in :48.12 as Clapton, Tonal Impact, and Unbridled Bomber attempted to launch bids from the rear of the dense field.

Around the far turn, Charge It completed three-quarters in 1:11.80 with Clapton beginning to advance into second under Emisael Jaramillo and Red Run tiring toward the inside. Velazquez saw no serious threats passing the quarter-pole as he peeked behind from both directions and kept his mount to task with Clapton continuing to make up ground. Charge It's class prevailed in the end as he crossed the wire a 4 3/4-length winner in a final time of 2:01.31 for the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track.

Clapton finished another four lengths ahead of Unbridled Bomber, who beat out Red Run by a neck for third. Tonal Impact completed the order of finish.

Charge It won his 2023 debut in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer in February at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) in March and fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April.

Velazquez, who rode Charge It for the first time in last year's Dwyer, piloted the colt to his Met Mile effort, and said the biggest difference was the break.

“Last time, he broke slow and I tried to put him into the game. I was so far back and all of a sudden he took hold of the bridle and I was moving towards the leaders, but I wasn't going to be that dumb and let him go from eighth to first,” said Velazquez, a now three-time Suburban winner. “So, I took a hold of him and I let him loose in the turn. He kind of got confused and he kind of stayed the same pace all the way around. After looking back, obviously he ran a really good race and if he had [broke better] last time and be in a better position, he would have been right there. Today, it was a different story. [He was the] speed and was close, he used some momentum and that's the way it worked out.”

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also notched his third Suburban conquest, said the $1-million Whitney (G1) on August 5 at Saratoga is now a viable option for Charge It. The nine-furlong test is a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November at Santa Anita.

“We're happy with his performance today. We'll talk to everyone and consider the Whitney,” Pletcher said. “It was a good win for him. It proved he could stay a mile and a quarter. The spacing is pretty good if we want to consider the Whitney, which is obviously going to be a more difficult assignment, but he's always been a horse that's impressed us as a top-class horse. Maybe he's starting to put it all together.”

Pletcher said there were no anxious moments during the race.

“He was in cruise control throughout,” Pletcher said. “He left him off the rail a little bit to keep him relaxed, but he was traveling so well and it was coming pretty easily to him, you don't want to take that away.”

Jaramillo praised Clapton's effort and said the Arindel Florida homebred gives it his all every time. The 4-year-old Brethren chestnut was third in Charge It's allowance triumph two starts before capturing Gulfstream's Grade 3 Ghostzapper at 21-1 odds.

“It was a good race and he's a good horse,” Jaramillo said. “He's adapted to every track he runs at. I'm very happy with the performance today. He's a horse where every time he runs, he's a longshot – and every time, he runs well. I'm really, really happy.”

Charge It returned $3.30 for a $2 win wager and banked $192,500 in victory, which brought his lifetime earnings up to $717,600 and record to 4-3-0 from 10 career starts.

Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, whose Grade 1-winning and producing dam Take Charge Lady was the mother of 2013 champion 3-year-old male Will Take Charge, Grade 1-winner Take Charge Indy and Charming – the dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire Omaha Beach and 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi.

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Hoolie Racing Stable's Chiseler had a perfect rail-skimming ride by Corey Lanerie to record the first stakes victory of his career in Saturday's third running of the $100,000 Dade Park Dash at Ellis Park.

Chiseler is trained by Greg Foley, who won three stakes events over the last seven days. Prior to Saturday's Dade Park Dash, Foley had a stakes double on Stephen Foster Day when Stitched pulled a massive upset in the Wise Dan (G2) and veteran Bango won the Kelly's Landing Stakes.

It was a four-way duel for the early lead in the Dade Park Dash between Mounsieur Coco, Bal a Kazoo, Major Blue, and Storm Daddy as the quartet dashed through a quarter mile in :21.29. Lanerie positioned Chiseler fifth in the early stages of the 5½-furlong turf sprint, about one-length behind the pacesetters. Around the far turn, Lanerie guided Chiseler to the rail but initially didn't have enough of a space to come through. At the eighth pole, Chiseler stuck his nose inside Mounsieur Coco and powered through for a convincing 2¼-length victory in a final time of 1:01.82

“It was really special winning this race with the Hudson Family from Hoolie Racing here with us,” assistant trainer Travis Foley said. “The Hudsons have a rich history here at Ellis Park and it was a great win for our barn and owners.”

The Dade Park Dash was Chiseler's second career victory from 10 starts. The chestnut gelding tabbed $60,535 for his win bringing his career purse earnings to $166,582.

Chiseler is a 3-year-old son of Speightstown out of the Hard Spun mare Spindle. He was bred in Kentucky by Purple H Bloodstock.

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Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks made the grade with a last-to-first score under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in Friday's Grade 3, $250,000 Manila, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the More Than Ready colt closed to win a paceless allowance test last out traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm footing on June 17 at Ellis Park. There was plenty of pace on offer Friday as More Than Looks, who broke a step slow, found his best stride late to make his stakes debut a winning one.

“We have a really nice one here,” said Anthony Bartolo, managing partner of Victory Racing Partners. “We felt going into this race that it was a tough group, but if we had fair fractions to run into, he could run them down. He did a really good job with that and when it [the half-mile] came up in 45 and change, I knew he was going to be coming. It was wonderful. Johnny did a great job.

“This is our first stakes win, let alone graded win, so it's a real treat,” Bartolo added. “We've had a great group of horses along the way and we just never got to win a bigger one like this. Cherie DeVaux does a fantastic job and I'm thrilled with what she's done with this horse.”

Talk of the Nation broke alertly under the spring/summer meet's leading rider Jose Ortiz and set a pressured pace, marking off splits of 22.65 seconds and 45.53 over the firm going with graded-stakes winner Nagirroc on his flank.

Talk of the Nation led the field to the turn with Nagirroc pestering and multiple graded-stakes winner Major Dude saving ground in third as a hard-to-handle Belouni advanced outside of rivals. Talk of the Nation and Nagirroc continued their battle through the turn and deep into the stretch run with neither foe backing off from the challenge, but More Than Looks, who saved ground through the turn and angled outside of Major Dude at the top of the lane, was in full flight. He swooped outside the frontrunning duo in the final sixteenth and secured the 1 1/2-length win in a final time of 1:33.19.

Talk of the Nation won the place battle by a neck over Nagirroc with Major Dude, Dreaming of Kona, Belouni and Amstrong rounding out the order of finish. Activist Investing was scratched.

Velazquez said he was prepared for a potentially tough break from the gate.

“Cherie told me he could be difficult and not to push him or touch him. I thought he would have broke a little better, but it didn't really matter today,” Velazquez said. “He got into a good rhythm by the time we got to the five-eighths pole. I was pretty confident then. The way he broke I was a little concerned because that's a lot to make up, but by the time he caught up to them, I was a little more at ease that he was in a good place.”

More Than Looks graduated at second asking on March 31 over the Gulfstream Park synthetic ahead of a rallying runner-up effort in a one-mile Keeneland turf allowance captured by Turf King, who won the Grade 3 Marine last weekend at Woodbine Racetrack.

“The race at Keeneland, he was way wide again and got nipped at the wire,” Bartolo said. “Then he won at Ellis coming from last, so we felt he belonged in this race if we gave him the opportunity. Now I feel we belong.”

Bartolo said More Than Looks will point to the Grade 2, $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course where he could face another DeVaux trainee in recent Belmont maiden winner Northern Invader.

“Believe it or not, Cherie pointed to that race a ways out, so this is the path we needed to take,” Bartolo noted. “That being said, he's done everything to show he belongs there, so now I'd say if he comes back alright, that's the spot we'd shoot for next.”

The Graham Motion-trained Nagirroc captured the Grade 3 Futurity in October at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Keeneland. He was a game second in the Grade 3 Transylvania in April at Keeneland to kick off his sophomore season and entered from a 3 1/4-length score in the one-mile James W. Murphy on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.

Ortiz, who won four races on Friday's card to establish a 55-53 lead over his brother Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the spring/summer meet standings, said he was pleased with the effort from Nagirroc.

“The speed on the track has been holding up nicely, so we felt like if he jumped well, we would try and go to the front,” Ortiz said. “He ran a great race, he was just a little unfortunate to get beat late. He dug in and ran too good to lose. But that's the game. In these types of races, there's always a lot of good horses. He got beat by another good horse. I'm content with his effort.”

More Than Looks is out of the stakes-winning Harlan's Holiday mare Ladies' Privilege, who is a full-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Takeover Target – winner of the 2015 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. His third dam, Critical Crew, produced multiple Grade 1-winning New York-bred Critical Eye.

Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, More Than Looks banked $137,500 in victory while improving his record to 5-3-1-0. He returned $16.40 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont Park with a 12-race card featuring the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational in Race 10; the Grade 1, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational in Race 8; the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban in Race 5; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride in Race 11. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Douglas Scharbauer's stakes-winning Texas homebred Closing Act will look to preserve her undefeated record for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in Thursday's Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Schuylerville, slated for Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card, kicks off stakes action on Opening Day of the 40-day summer meet at Saratoga, which features 71 stakes worth $20.8 million. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Closing Act, a chestnut daughter of Munnings, arrives as the lone stakes-winner in the field of 11, boasting a last-out romp in the 5 1/2-furlong Astoria on June 11 at Belmont Park. There, she engaged in a three-way battle for the lead into through the first three-eighths under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and kicked clear at the top of the lane to coast home a 3 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:06.59.

The Astoria was Closing Act's first test against winners after graduating on debut by a neck in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden tilt in May at Churchill Downs. She is out of the stakes-placed Master Command mare Evening Show and is from the family of multiple graded stakes-winners Mea Domina and Greek Sun.

Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount from post 6.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. has entered a talented pair of contenders in debut maiden winners Carmelina [post 1, Jose Ortiz] and Kiss for Luck [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Carmelina leads the Reid, Jr.-trained duo off a dominant 5 3/4-length debut graduation on June 18 at Parx Racing. The daughter of Maximus Mischief led at every point of call in the 4 1/2-furlong sprint under Mychel Sanchez to draw off easily down the lane and post the victory in a final time of 53.77 seconds. She garnered a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“She had shown signs as she was training along. She trained very well and reminded me a lot of her daddy,” said Reid, Jr., who trained Maximus Mischief to a victory in the 2018 Grade 2 Remsen. “She was a very forward filly and did everything we asked of her and she put in a performance to match it.”

Reid, Jr. added Carmelina has shown enough professionalism in her training to be competitive either on or off the lead.

“She's got a very good head on her shoulders,” Reid, Jr. said. “We breezed her in company and put her behind horses and let her eat a little dirt. She handled everything very well. Nothing seems to faze her too much. We think she'll give a good effort.”

Carmelina was a $44,000 purchase as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed Sale. Bred in Pennsylvania by Lillith E. Boucher, she is the first foal produced from the stakes-winning St Averil mare Complete St.

Swilcan Stables' Kentucky homebred Kiss for Luck also graduated on debut in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden at Parx, landing a 1 3/4-length triumph on May 23. The Accelerate bay broke fifth-of-6 from post 5, but recovered well to take command early and notch the frontrunning score under Paco Lopez in a final time of 54.95, garnering a 36 Beyer for the effort.

“For a first timer, she didn't get away real clean,” Reid, Jr. said. “She ducked in behind horses and looked around a little bit. I thought it was a solid effort for a first-time starter. I was thinking it would be way too short for her – she's a natural route horse. So, to get the money in there was a little bit of a bonus and, for me, the numbers aren't all that significant on 2-year-olds. I look more for style and how they do it rather than what kind of number they throw. I think her best game will be when they really stretch it out in the fall. The six furlongs will not be a problem.”

Kiss for Luck, who Reid, Jr. said schooled successfully at the gate in preparation for her stakes debut, is out the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore – runner-up in the 2014 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course. She is a half-sister to the 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist, who Swilcan Stables co-owned and Reid, Jr. trained to a pair of Grade 1 scores in Saratoga's Spinaway and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.

Vero Amore proved to be an astute acquisition for Reid, Jr., who bought her for $15,000 as a 2-year-old at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

“It's been a solid family. Unfortunately, this is the last one in the line as she passed away a couple of years ago,” said Reid, Jr. “She was a godsend from when we found her for $15,000. She's been quite a producer for us all the way along. One thing she did was throw a lot of fillies, so we can perpetuate it. That pedigree will be around for a while.”

Manor Stable's Dancing Diana [post 9, John Velazquez] was a visually impressive winner of her June 17 debut sprinting five furlongs at Delaware Park for conditioner James Lawrence, II. She emerged from the inside post in the field of four and held a slim lead over Ursuline down the backstretch before drawing off in the turn and powering home a 7 1/2-length winner. She was awarded a 66 Beyer for the victory.

“We were very pleased with how this filly trained up to the race and her professionalism, and she carried that through her race,” said Lawrence. “She broke well and listened to the rider – whenever he wanted to ask her to go, she responded. If she can do that Thursday, she should be well placed. She's a very intelligent filly.”

Dancing Diana has had one work since her win, posting a five-furlong breeze in 1:03 on July 1 at Delaware.

“I've been extremely happy with her in the morning,” Lawrence said. “She seems to be eating well and she's enthusiastic in her training. We're hoping to ship up to Saratoga on Monday and as long as all goes well, we're looking forward to a big race on Thursday.”

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Bolt d'Oro was purchased for $100,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and is the first foal out of the dual-winning Scat Daddy mare Oh Scatty Oh. She is a direct maternal descendant of the 1958 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and influential broodmare Quill.

MKW Racing's Wine On Tap [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] boasts a field-best 76 Beyer for a debut maiden victory on June 18 at Belmont for Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher. The Tapit grey pounced from just off the pace in the five-furlong sprint to draw clear down the stretch and cross the wire three lengths in front.

Out of the graded stakes-winning Quality Road mare Princess La Quinta, Wine On Tap was a $600,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Completing the field are the Gary Contessa-trained first-time starter Becky's Joker [post 2, Javier Castellano], whose second dam is multiple stakes-winner Vertical Vision; Astoria runner-up Union Suit [post 3, Manny Franco] for conditioner Graham Motion; Status Seeker [post 4, Joel Rosario], a determined winner on debut for trainer Rudy Rodriguez; the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Saratoga Secret [post 5, Luis Saez], whose dam is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-placed millionaire Lookin At Lee; Mila Junes [post 10, Jose Gomez], a half-length winner from off the pace in her June 16 debut for trainer Kent Sweezey; and Sugar Treat [post 11, Flavien Prat], a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Absolute Grit for Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse.

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/.

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