Tag: Racing

KatieRich Stables' Grade 3-winning filly American Apple headlines a field of 11 turf sprinters that entered Sunday's third running of the $100,000 Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson, Ky.

The Pea Patch Stakes, run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, will go as Race 7 of 9 with a post time of 3:50 p.m. (all times Central) First post is 11:45 a.m.

American Apple achieved the most notable win in her career last season when she won Aqueduct's Matron Stakes (G3) at odds of 47-1. Trained by Daniel Leitch, American Apple has yet to find the winner's circle in her 3-year-old stand but was a game runner-up to Dance Macabre in the Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs and was defeated two lengths by Queen Picasso in the Soaring Softly Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will be back aboard from the rail.

Another stakes winner that entered the Pea Patch Stakes was Lilliesformillie. Owned in partnership by Kelly Bownes, Tom Van Meter, Randy Finegan, William Sparks, Jocelyn Morgan, Allen Nohsey Jr., Karen Arnold and Wayne and Cathy Sweezy, Lilliesformillie is 2-for-4 lifetime with a victory on New Year's Eve in the Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park. The Sarah Hamilton trainee is set to make her first start in five months in the Pea Patch Stakes with Jack Gilligan in the irons from post 10.

Here is the complete field for the Pea Patch Stakes in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

1. American Apple (Corrales, Leitch)

2. Twice as Sweet (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh)

3. Daring Do (Walter Rodriguez, Wesley Ward)

4. Foolish (Luan Machado, Caio Caramori)

5. Erna (Rafael Bejarano, Pavel Matejka)

6. Condensation (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)

7. Isabel Alexandra (IRE) (Rey Gutierrez, Gustavo Delgado)

8. Mornin Boss (Ferrin Peterson, Rey Hernandez)

9. Twirled (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen)

10. Lilliesformille (Gilligan, Hamilton)

11. Zoom Erin (Brian Hernandez Jr., Joe Sharp)

The Pea Patch Stakes is named in honor of the soybeans that grow in the infield of Ellis Park. The late James C. Ellis popularized the infield crop when he took over as the namesake of the track in 1954. According to a 1960 article published by the Park City Daily News authored by sports editor Bert Borrone, “The late Colonel Jim Ellis thoughtfully grew soybeans in the infield so the bettor can sit back and look at the color of money.”

Just how prominent was the soybean crop in 1954? According to The Owensboro Messenger, the price of a bushel of No. 2 yellow soybeans was $3.15. The current price is around $14.80.

Jim Elkins of the Sun-Democrat stated in a 1961 article, “If you don't care anything about the betting or the horses, you might be on hand to observe the fine crop of soybeans growing in the track oval. Farm lovers tell me the 60 acre field of soybeans will net $5,000, which will probably be the biggest purse of the year at the Henderson horseyard.”

If fans want to “sit back and look at the color of money” they can do so by wagering on all the action from Ellis Park on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

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Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will give two of his previous Grade 1 competitors class relief when Juddmonte's Accede and Klaravich Stables' Randomized seek their first stakes triumph in Friday's second edition of the restricted $135,000 Wilton going one mile from the Wilson Chute for sophomore fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Both Accede and Randomized enter off unplaced efforts in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. going a one-turn 1 1/16 miles on June 9 at Belmont Park, finishing a respective fifth and sixth.

Accede broke to the outside of the eight-horse Acorn and bumped at the start with Goodgirl Bad Habits, who rushed up to even terms with Accede down the backstretch. Accede attempted an inside move nearing upper stretch but ultimately faded. Meanwhile, Randomized chased the pace while in between horses from fourth and retreated around the far turn.

Following a triumphant debut going six furlongs on March 16 at Gulfstream Park, Accede earned black type with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 5 at Churchill Downs. There, she chased a dueling Red Carpet Ready and Munnys Gold in the stretch drive and finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the respective one-two finishers.

Accede is out of the dual surface graded stakes winning Mizzen Mast mare Jibboom, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Giant Treasure.

“She got eliminated down the backside of the race,” said Brown of the Acorn effort. “A horse got left at the start and rushed up to the outside of her. It just totally messed her race up so it's one to draw a line through.”

Prior to her Acorn effort, Randomized earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure when emerging from an eight-month layoff to break her maiden March 31 going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. The daughter of Nyquist made her debut when a distant third in a six-furlong maiden sprint last July at Saratoga.

Randomized is out of the Elusive Quality mare French Passport, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Smooth Air. She was bought for $420,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“She never could make the lead, didn't fire and ran flat,” Brown said. “She came back and worked great and I think some class relief here is in order for her. She's trained great since, so we'll see if she can get back into form.”

Breaking from post 4, Accede will be piloted by Flavien Prat while Randomized leaves from post 5 in rein to Irad Ortiz, Jr.

WSS Racing's Unsung Melody [post 2, Luis Saez] will make her sakes debut when stretching out past 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time for trainer John Ortiz. The Maclean's Music bay was a gate-to-wire winner at third asking going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park two starts before defeating older winners at the same distance on June 18 at Ellis Park.

Unsung Melody breezed a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on Saturday at Ellis Park.

“I worked her this morning and she worked really well. She came out of that last race in perfect condition,” Ortiz said. “We feel like we finally have her figured out and we're happy to be at Saratoga. We feel that the filly can and should eventually stretch out. She's long bodied, has tactical speed and a turn of foot. We're just taking a look at what we can do at Saratoga.”

Unsung Melody is out of the Bodemeister mare Narrow Sea. Her third dam Magical Flash produced Glinda the Good – the dam of 2017 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and leading second crop sire Good Magic. She was bought for $65,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Trainer George Weaver will saddle graded stakes placed Sacred Wish [post 3, John Velazquez] after finishing second against elders in a June 16 allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park. The Not This Time dark bay began her career at Oaklawn Park with trainer Lynn Chleborad, finishing third behind next out winners Punchbowl and returning rival Unsung Melody on debut in February before graduating at second asking the following month.

In her first start for Weaver, Sacred Wish was a late closing second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks behind Affirmative Lady.

Completing the field is R T Racing Stable's Just Katherine [post 1, Javier Castellano] for trainer Jose Jiminez. The Justify bay arrives from a third-place finish in a June 16 allowance optional claimer at Belmont where Sacred Wish was second.

The Wilton, which is restricted to 3-year-old fillies yet to win a stakes other than state-bred, is slated as Race 4 on Friday's nine-race program, which also features the $150,000 Coronation Cup in Race 9. 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/.

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The Irish War Cry Handicap may need to be renamed in the years to come at Monmouth Park.

The He'spuregold Stakes might be more apt.

He'spuregold, a 5-year-old gelding, rallied from off the pace to collar There Are No Words in the final sixteenth of a mile to win Sunday's $85,000 Irish War Cry Handicap – the third straight year the Kelly Breen-trained son of Vancouver has won the race for New Jersey-breds.

Owned by Roseland Farm Stable, He'spuregold has won seven races from 21 career starts – six coming on the grass. He has won four state-bred stakes races at Monmouth Park.

“I kind of envisioned what happened today. I thought Chuck Spina's horse (There Are No Words) would be right there and it would be a little bit of a stretch duel between us and that's what happened,” said Breen. “He's a special horse. I'm going through a lot right now (physically). With the time I've missed (following neck fusion surgery in mid-May), to come back after three weeks with the barn in such good order and this horse in such good order I have to tip my hat to my crew.

“Jesus Gomez is in charge when I'm gone. He's been with me for 20 years. Despite me missing time we're having a good meet and I really think that's a credit to the good help I have.”

Ridden by Paco Lopez, He'spuregold returned $3.60 to win as the favorite in the field of 10 Jersey-breds going a mile on the turf.

The winning time over a course listed as firm was 1:34.01.

“I think this horse wants to go a little longer so I wasn't really comfortable with a mile today,” said Lopez. “But he broke well and there were those three horses were having a duel early and I was able to get him comfortable and see everything happening.

“He is so much better as a grass horse. He's a different horse on the turf. He has won a race on the dirt but I don't know how since he is so good on the grass.”

With Crafty Don, Smithwick's Spice and Leo Monte all dueling for the lead through early fractions of :22.95 and :46.62, Lopez had He'spuregold in fifth, just behind There Are No Words.

Coming out of the turn There Are No Words got the jump on the field and opened a 1½-length lead in mid-stretch before He'spuregold caught him late to win by three-quarters of a length. It was another 8½ lengths back in third to Smithwick's Spice.

He'spuregold, bred by John Bowers Jr. from the graded stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Smart N Classy, has a 5-1-0 line from seven starts on the Monmouth turf.

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