Tag: Racing

Godolphin's homebred Proxy make all the pace, determinedly shook off challenges from Whelan Springs and Calibrate, and powered to victory in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup (G3) Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The 5-year-old Tapit horse, the 1-5 favorite, was scoring for the sixth time in 18 career outings while rebounding from an unplaced finish in the Stephen Foster (G1) earlier this month at Ellis Park.  The Monmouth Cup standout, he took the  Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs last November, was second in the  Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March, then took Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 22 and before finishing eighth in the Stephen Foster July 1. He would not be denied Saturday, showing his class for Joel Rosario to get the victory after making all the pace in a race for the first time in his career..

Proxy returned $2.8o after covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.99. He set early fractions of :23.80, :48,13, 1:12.05 and 1:37.37 before cruising across the finish line 2 1/2 lengths in front of Whelen Springs. Calibrate finished third, another 4  3/4 lengths back.

Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy earned the $240,000 winner's share of the Monmouth Cup purse, boosting his lifetime bankroll to $2,024,970.

Kentucky-bred Proxy is out of Grade 1 winner Panty Raid, by Include.

Monmouth Cup Quotes:

WINNING TRAINER – Michael Stidham: “He really showed some guts. He's never been on the lead in his life. He's laid close early on in his career so we knew he could be close and still finish. But he was never on the lead so I didn't know what to think. I was hoping for the best, and then when they hooked him at the three-sixteenths pole, I thought, `Oh Boy. here we go.' Then he dug in and class came through in the end.

“That was very gratifying because his last race (in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Ellis Park), with Ellis being speed favoring and getting shuffled back around the first turn he had no chance. We just felt like we're not going to sit around and wait 60 days and plan to hopefully run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (Grade 1 at Saratoga) but that was another 60-day break. He had already had one of those. He ran big today.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joel Rosario: “I think it was just a case of too much class. He was the best horse in the race. He broke well and I just kind of let him go and do his thing. He's a little tricky sometimes to ride. You have to let him do the work. I know he always tries. He never gives up. He just does what he does. I was on the best horse and I rode him that way. They put some pressure on us but I was never worried. He has so much class. I just let him show the way.”

The post ‘Never Been On The Lead In His Life’: Proxy Makes All To Win Monmouth Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte added blinkers to cover a half-mile in :50  flat in company Saturday at Saratoga in his final work ahead of next Saturday's $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2) at the upstate New York track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Forte, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, went in company with four-time graded stakes-winning stablemate Emmanuel. It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 last Friday.

The dark bay son of Violence, a last out second in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10, won Gulfstream Park's Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 4 and Florida Derby (G1) on April 1. He entered the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs as the morning-line favorite but was scratched the morning of the race with a bruised foot.

Pletcher said he decided to make the equipment change following last week's work.

“In the Florida Derby, he lost concentration a little bit around the far turn and fortunately enough he was able to rally and get up in time. He sort of did the same thing in the Belmont,” Pletcher said. “We thought in his breeze last week, he was kind of more focused on what the horse next to him is doing rather than what he should be doing.

“Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him,” Pletcher continued. “We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Pletcher said the blinkers made a noticeable difference.

“He was locked in and more aggressive going to the pole and then he settled in a really good rhythm,” Pletcher noted. “But when Irad asked him, he responded right away. He didn't seem to care what his workmate was doing as much.”

The post ‘Noticeable Difference’: Forte Perks Up With Addition Of Blinkers In Final Jim Dandy Tune-Up appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Consumer Spending and Surprisingly, the respective 1-2 finishers in the Eatontown (G3) last time out at Monmouth Park, fought out the finish of the $300,000 WinStar Matchmaker (G3) Saturday at the Oceanport, N.J. track, with Consumer Spending once again handing her rival defeat.

Surprisingly, the 3-1 second choice, snatched the lead in stretch upper stretch, but even-money favorite Consumer Spending quickly roared up on her outside to challenge and dug in through closing strides to get the win by a half length.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Consumer Spending relaxed in fifth through six furlongs as Canisy laid down the early tempo. Advancing on the far turn, Consumer Spending moved two wide into the stretch and angled out widest to rally. Surprisingly, who closely stalked the early pace under Paco Lopez, made her bid nearing quarter pole and soon took charge, but Consumer Spending unleashed an eager response when given the cue and wore her down to triumph.

Consumer Spending covered the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48 flat and returned $4 for the win.

Gam's Mission was up for third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Surprisingly.

A 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables, Consumer Spending added a sixth victory, and third graded win, to her 11-race career. Brown has trained seven of the last nine Matchmaker winners, including the past four.

Bred in Kentucky Forging Oaks Farm, Consumer Spending is out of the Scat Daddy mare Siempre Mia. Offered by Eaton Sales at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearlings Showcase, she sold to Northway Bloodstock for $200,000. The $180,000 winner's share of the Matchmaker purse increased her lifetime bankroll to $737,000.

The Matchmaker awarded a total value of $50,000 in seasons to the race's top three finishers to WinStar Farm stallions Global Campaign, Independence Hall, and Improbable.

WinStar Matchmaker Quotes:

WINNING TRAINER – Luis Cabrera (assistant to Chad Brown): “She's a nice filly in her class. I was a little concerned about the slow early pace but her class came through and she showed how good she is. With horses like these, she's a classic horse. They know where the wire is. She was ready for this race.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joel Rosario: “It looked like there was not too much speed in the race. But she came out there really fine and I was able to get her a good spot. She is a nice horse. It's easy when you ride this kind. I wasn't really worried about the slow pace because she was moving really good for me and I just wanted to save ground going around the turns. When I asked her a little bit to get closer to the lead going into the final turn she responded for me. It was a slow pace but she was going so easily for me so I wasn't too worried.”

The post Not Surprisingly: Consumer Spending Denies Familiar Rival In WinStar Matchmaker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

This year's edition of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, set to run Sunday, will be an emotional time for those connected to Flysofreeashleeb.

Every moment, from the time groom Reson White walks the filly over to the Woodbine paddock, to when trainer Patrick Dixon gives jockey Jose Campos a leg up, to the first sight of the black silks emblazoned with a red and purple lightning bolt on the racetrack, will bring about a mix of both joy and sadness for those closest to the dark bay daughter of Midnight Lute.

Flysofreeashleeb, owned by John Brnjas' Colebrook Farms, is named after Ashlee Brnjas, John's daughter, who passed away in September 2021.

Everyone who takes care of the Colebrook string of horses in Barn 5 on the Woodbine backstretch knows the story of how the filly came to be known as Flysofreeashleeb.

“It's very special,” said Dixon. “The fact she has shown a bit of talent, and that she has a shot to be there is special too. Even though she is her own individual, she responds to her name being Ashlee. She has been called that since day one and she knows it's her name. This filly has that strong personality Ashlee did, so it's a wonderful thing to see how the two are connected in so many ways. It's also special for John, the whole Brnjas family and the Colebrook family. It's been quite a rollercoaster the past two years, but we have stuck together.”

White, who has worked for Colebrook Farms since 2012, including alongside Ashlee Brnjas, has groomed the filly since she arrived at the track as a 2-year-old.

“She's intelligent, she knows what she wants, but she can go off at times. “She gets better and better. She never gets tired. She always wants to train forwardly and since the first time anyone's got on her, they've always said she wants to go long. I know her so well and I have a great bond with her.”

A multiple stakes-placed trainer, Dixon knows winning the Oaks will be a monumental task for Flysofreeashleeb, who was bred by Janeane Everatt (who passed away on July 12), James Everatt, and Arika Everatt-Meeuse. Produced by the Touch Gold mare Sinful, the filly was purchased by Richard Hogan for $67,000 at the  2021 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned her.

Still a maiden after seven starts, Flysofreeashleeb heads into the Oaks with a pair of thirds, including in her most recent start on June 15, in a 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race at Woodbine.

Breaking from the rail, she will face 13 rivals in the pre-eminent race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

“She is coming into the race in great shape and ready to run,” said Dixon. “There are some really nice fillies, and the field seems evenly matched. We will just run our best race and see what happens.”

On Friday afternoon, the barn sent out the winner of the first race, the aptly named Ashlee's Ring, a 3-year-old daughter of Paynter. It was a maiden-breaking score for the Colebrook homebred.

Maybe, just maybe, that red and purple lightning bolt will strike again in Sunday.

“That was a great moment, to see Ashlee's Ring win,” said Dixon. “Obviously, that filly was named after Ashlee too. I know John was very happy. He was delighted. We all were.”

One day from now, Flysofreeashleeb will go walk towards the starting gate for what will be the biggest race of her career to date.

That the Oaks presents a tall task and big ask isn't lost on her connections.

Win or lose, Dixon knows what to expect from the horse listed at 30-1 in the morning line for the 1 1/8-mile main track race.

“She'll run a good race because she's in really good order. She'll run to the best of her ability, and she'll be in with a shot.”

As for her most notable on-track attribute, Dixon points to a willingness to go the extra furlong.

“Her stamina really stands out. She's bred to go long, and she wants to go long. This is her first time going a mile and an eighth. She seems like she wants to go longer than that. She also gallops out well after every race. So, stamina is her best ability. Her turn of foot gives her a shot.”

A win in the 68th running of the Oaks would be like something out of a Hollywood script for those who work in Barn 5.

It's a thought that has crossed Dixon's mind more often in the past few days.

“I do think about it. But you try not to think about it because you end up putting pressure on yourself, the filly, and everyone in the barn. I gallop her myself because I don't want to put pressure on the other staff because I know what she means to everybody. At the end of the day, she is a special individual, a horse we all care about, just like we did with Ashlee.”

Flysofreeashleeb will have her own cheering section out in full force for Race 10 early Sunday evening at Woodbine.

Dixon expects it to be an emotional moment for many.

“Everybody that is in the barn now was there when Ashlee worked there, so we're all still the same staff who relates to what happened to Ashlee and what this filly symbolizes. This filly gets a lot of love from so many people. We're happy to give that love.”

The post ‘We Have Stuck Together’: Flysofreeashleeb Could Deliver Team Emotional Win In Woodbine Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post