Tag: Racing

L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' multiple Grade 1-winner Echo Zulu will look to keep her perfect record at Saratoga Race Course intact in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Gun Runner bay graduated on debut here in July 2021 and followed with a four-length score in the Spa's Grade 1 Spinaway. She completed a perfect 4-for-4 season with Grade 1 wins in the Frizette at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar en route to honors as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.

Echo Zulu, who captured the Grade 3 Winning Colors in May at Churchill Downs in her seasonal debut, will look to parlay Wednesday's test into a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint on August 26 that offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“I think we're right where we want to be with her,” Asmussen said. “Obviously, the Breeders' Cup is the major target for her. We're expecting two runs for her here and then the Breeders' Cup. She's formidable to say the least.”

Echo Zulu, who finished second to Goodnight Olive in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November at Keeneland, has breezed twice at Saratoga, including a half-mile effort in 49.50 over the Oklahoma training track on July 17.

Florent Geroux retains the mount from the inside post aboard Echo Zulu, who carries a field-high 123 pounds.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Kentucky-homebred Frank's Rockette [post 2, Junior Alvarado, 122 pounds] boasts a record of 27-12-9-3 for purse earnings in excess of $1.4 million.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 6-year-old Into Mischief bay finished second to Kimari in this event last year – one of three runner-up efforts in graded stakes at the Spa for Frank's Rockette to go along with a win in the 2020 Grade 2 Prioress.

Frank's Rockette is a perfect 2-for-2 this season, taking the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie in March at Gulfstream Park and the Roxelana in April at Churchill Downs. She has breezed back eight times at Saratoga, including a half-mile in 48.62 Wednesday over the Oklahoma training track.

Rodney Lundock's Florida homebred Maryquitecontrary [post 3, Luca Panici, 122 pounds] made her first seven starts at Gulfstream Park for trainer Joseph Catanese, III, posting wins in the state-bred Sheer Drama as well as the open-company Rampart en route to a rallying score in January in the Grade 2 Inside Information.

The First Dude bay made her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey last out with a runner-up effort to the reigning Champion Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland.

“I thought she ran good that day,” McGaughey said. “Turning for home, I thought we were going to get her, but to get beat a length by a Champion – there's nothing wrong with that. I've only had her since March, but I watched her races in Florida – they were pretty darn good.”

Maryquitecontrary has breezed twice over the Oklahoma training track, including a half-mile effort this morning in 50 seconds flat.

“She's training really good and breezed over this sealed track this morning and went great. She's done really well,” McGaughey said.

Maryquitecontrary is out of the Mecke mare Mary Kate 'n Kelly, who is a full-sister to multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Supah Blitz.

Cash is King and LC Racing's graded-stakes winner Dr B [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 119 pounds] will turn back in distance from a distant fourth-place finish last out in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Bed o' Roses on June 17 at Belmont Park.

Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the 5-year-old Liam's Map bay has proven to be a versatile runner with wins at distances ranging from six furlongs to her one-turn mile score in the Grade 3 Go for Wand in December at the Big A.

Reid, Jr. said Dr B should be sharp coming into her second career start at Saratoga after finishing second here in August in an optional-claiming event won by Goodnight Olive.

“Absolutely. It was by design, that is why I did it. We know she is plenty fit to go three quarters coming off that seven-eighths race,” Reid, Jr. said.

She worked a half-mile in 48.02 Wednesday over the Spa main track in her second breeze back since the Bed o' Roses.

“It was good to see her really handle it well, nice and easy, well in control, just a real nice breeze,” Reid, Jr. said.

Dr B, out of the graded-stakes placed Proud Citizen mare Boleyn, is a half-sister to stakes-winners Hi Holiday and Stand Up Comic.

The Honorable Miss is slated as Race 4 on Wednesday's 10-race card. 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 filly that captured top honors at Del Mar in 2022 returns Opening Weekend, trying something new for the first time. And Tell Me Nolies, who was named top 2-year-old filly at the summer meet last year, returns to the seaside oval in the G2 San Clemente Saturday. It's the first graded stake of the meet, a one mile test on the grass for 3-year-old fillies.

And Tell Me Nolies broke her maiden at Del Mar last August and parlayed that into a breakout win in the G1 Debutante. She followed that with another impressive victory in the G1 Chandelier at Santa Anita, punching her ticket to the Breeders' Cup. The daughter of Arrogate ran eighth in the Juvenile Fillies.

She returned as a 3-year-old with runner-up finishes in the G3 Santa Ysabel and the G2 Santa Anita Oaks earning her a shot at the Kentucky Oaks. But the day before the race, she tossed her exercise rider and galloped through the stable area. She was unharmed and eventually made the race, but ran 12th.

And Tell Me Nolies returned to Southern California only to put in a head-scratching seventh in the G2 Summertime Oaks.

“She didn't run her race,” Miller says. “We don't know why. We gave her a little break after and she's doing very well. She worked really good the other day.”

He's referring to a 5-furlong work in 1:00.00 at San Luis Rey Downs last Saturday, third best out of 42 works at that distance that day. This will be her first stab at running on the grass.

“All the races here are really turf,” Miller explains when asked why he chose to switch surfaces. “They don't have any big 3-year old dirt races at Del Mar so your choice is to either run against older horses or try the grass. Her pedigree says she might handle the turf. Arrogate is by Unbridled Song and they like the grass.”

“We'll see what happens,” he continues. “If it goes well we'll look to the Del Mar Oaks and, if not, maybe the Torrey Pines.”

She'll have some stiff competition in the San Clemente starting with a pair of runners from the Philip D'Amato barn. Paris Secret won the G3 Providencia at Santa Anita in April before finishing third last out in the G3 Honeymoon behind Selenaia and Broadway Girls.

“That last race I threw her in there kind of happenstance,” D'Amato says. “I was going to wait for the San Clemente and I thought maybe I'd run her one more time. You can blame the trainer for that one.”

D'Amato has put the blinkers on Paris Secret and believes she's ready to run a big race. His other entry, Comanche Country is looking to rebound back into form. She won three straight races last year including the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in September. The daughter of Highland Reel tried the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and finished seventh. She came back as a 3-year-old and ran second in the China Doll at Santa Anita but finished out of the money in her last two starts, both graded stakes.

“She was a little bit farther back than I liked,” D'Amato says of her last race in the Summertime Oaks. “She didn't show the interest she showed me as a 2-year-old so we added blinkers and I think she'll be more forwardly placed this time.”

Ancient Peace is trained by John Sadler. She was runner-up in the Summertime Oaks to Window Shopping. She broke her maiden at Santa Anita in December at the San Clemente distance and followed that with a six length victory in an off-the-turf entry level allowance.

Trainer Doug O'Neill brings Broadway Girls into the San Clemente off a runner-up finish in the Honeymoon, her best finish in five starts as a 3-year-old. The daughter of Army Mule broke her maiden and won the $100,000 Blue Norther as a 2-year-old.

Chismosa returns to Del Mar where she won twice during the summer meet last year. The Cal-bred daughter of Clubhouse Ride won the CTBA Stakes and the Generous Portion for trainer Rafael DeLeon. Most recently she finished second to the highly regarded Eda in the Great Lady M at Los Alamitos.

The 56th G2 San Clemente will go off as the ninth of 11 races Saturday. Estimated post time is 6 p.m.

Here's the field from the rail out with the jockeys: Flying Connection (Rene Diaz, 20-1); Ancient Piece (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Anisette (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1); Delight (Joe Bravo, 5-1); And Tell Me Nolies (Antonio Fresu, 15-1); Spicybug (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1); Infinite Diamond (scratched); Paris Secret (Edwin Maldonado, 6-1); Ocean Club (Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1); Olivia Twist (Kyle Frey, 50-1); Wed (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Comanche Country (Ramon Vasquez, 6-1); Fast And Shiny (Abel Cedillo, 20-1); The Wild Grazer (Hector Berrios, 15-1)and Broadway Girls (Giovanni Franco, 10-1). AE: Justique (Antonio Fresu, 5-1).

The post ‘Her Pedigree Says She Might Handle The Turf’: Grade 1 Winner On Dirt, And Tell Me Nolies Tries Grass In San Clemente appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Churchtown, who began his current campaign with a pair of gutsy second-place finishes south of the border, has been back at Woodbine since early May and will be looking to return to the winner's circle in Sunday's Connaught Cup Presented by Bulleit Bourbon.

The Connaught Cup (G2T), a seven-furlong race on the E.P. Taylor Turf, which offers a purse of $175,000, has attracted a solid field of 10 older horses.

“He's training very, very well,” said Roger Attfield, who conditions Churchtown for William Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo. “I expect him to run very well here. We gave him quite a bit of time off, to get ready for this race.”

Churchtown, a close second in the one-mile Toronto Cup on the Taylor surface last year, went on to become a stakes winner in the 1 1/16-mile Gio Ponti over Aqueduct turf.

After winding up his sophomore campaign with a seventh-place finish in in the Tropical Park Derby on Gulfstream's Tapeta surface, the Kentucky-bred 4-year-old gelding was back in action there April 1 and was a battling second, beaten a half-length by Steady On in the Appleton Stakes over one mile of turf.

Five weeks later, Churchtown stopped over at Churchill Downs on his way north and suffered another tough beat, dropping a head decision to the Grade 1 winner Annapolis in the May 4 Opening Verse, also over one mile on the grass.

“That last race was an excellent, excellent race, no question about that,” said Attfield. “That was a nice horse that beat him. He's a real fighter, this guy. His last two races were two-turn races, and this is seven furlongs, with the one sweeping turn. But I don't think that makes any difference, really.”

Bound for Nowhere, the senior member of the field, is 9 years old but has made just 22 career starts under the judicious handling of owner/trainer Wesley Ward.

“I don't race him so often, because he's been so good to us,” said Ward. “I give him every winter off. I think that's one of the reasons for the longevity.”

The Kentucky-bred will be making his third appearance on the Taylor course after winning last year's Highlander (G2T) and running second in the Nearctic (G2), both at six furlongs.

The Connaught Cup, however, will be the first race as far as seven furlongs since the fall of 2019 for the multiple stakes winner whose resume includes a close third-place finish in Ascot's 2018 running of the Grade 1 Diamond Jubilee, one of his four trips across the pond.

“That's why I chose this race, because of the distance” said Ward, who supplemented Bound for Nowhere to the Connaught Cup at a cost of $2,625. “I think one of the best races of his life was at Belmont, going seven-eighths. He won an allowance race there (on Oct 25, 2019). At this stage I think five, 5 ½ furlongs is a little too short for him.”

Also invading for the Connaught Cup is Dreams of Tomorrow, who is shipping in from Saratoga off a respectable fifth-place finish in Belmont's Poker (G3T) over one mile of turf for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Dream Shake is another intriguing prospect. The Kentucky-bred, briefly on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2021, was an impressive winner when making his local debut at seven furlongs on the Tapeta in his second start back from a lengthy layoff for new trainer Michael Stidham.

Lucky Score, winner of Woodbine's Highlander on Canada Day, will be looking to repeat in his second start for trainer Mark Casse following a private purchase.

Luckman, upset winner of last year's Toronto Cup at the direct expense of Churchtown, comes into the Connaught Cup off a one-mile score under allowance terms on the inner turf course.

Rounding out the field will be War Bomber, winner of the Toronto Cup in 2021; Roaring Forties, successful in the restricted Sunshine Turf Gulfstream this January; and the Marty Drexler-trained pair of Old Chestnut and Banff, both minor turf stakes winners at Woodbine.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2, $175,000 CONNAUGHT CUP
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Banff – Eswan Flores – Martin Drexler

2 – Churchtown – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

3 – Dream Shake – Rafael Hernandez – Michael Stidham

4 – Lucky Score – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

5 – War Bomber (IRE) – Rico Walcott – Norm McKnight

6 – Dreams of Tomorrow – Patrick Husbands – Shug McGaughey

7 – Luckman – Ryan Munger – Vito Armata

8 – Bound for Nowhere – Manuel Franco – Wesley Ward

9 – Old Chestnut – Kazushi Kimura – Marty Drexler

10 – Roaring Forties – Declan Carroll – Katerina Vassilieva

The post ‘He’s A Real Fighter, This Guy’: Churchtown Back At Woodbine For Sunday’s Connaught Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key prep on the road to this year's King's Plate (August 20), has drawn 12 hopefuls, including Stanley House and Simcoe, Sunday at Woodbine. ​ ​

The 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial, for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada, has attracted top contenders being pointed towards the 164th edition of the longest continually run stakes race in North America.

Stanley House, trained by Mike De Paulo for John and Diana Russell, will make his stakes debut in what will be his seventh lifetime start. The son of Army Mule-Stormy's Song, bred in Ontario by Elevage II, LLC, and St. Elias Stables, LLC, grabbed De Paulo's attention immediately.

“I liked him when we bought him,” said De Paulo, of the $120,000 (U.S.) purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. “It was a bit of a gamble because he is from a first-year sire and the first foal out of the mare, so you were basically just looking at an athlete. We had him broke in Ocala with Mike Cooke and he liked him all along. Any time he did something, he did it well. He's always had a lot of class and showed ability in every work he had.”

“He's calm and laid-back,” added De Paulo's wife, assistant trainer Josie De Paulo. “You'd never know he's a colt. Our son Joe rubs him, and they are just like one another.”

Stanley House debuted last November at Woodbine and finished second in a 5 ½-furlong race on the Tapeta. One race later, on December 4, the dark bay posted another runner-up effort.

He made his 3-year-old debut at Gulfstream on February 16, a fifth-place performance at one mile and 70 yards on the main track, before breaking his maiden next time out at the Florida oval, in a 1 1/16-mile run over the same course.

“His first race at Gulfstream, when he was fifth, I was a little disappointed. But it was the first time I had run him long and he came back, literally, with three shoes on. He had some wolf teeth that were bothering him, so we took care of that. Next time out, he came back and won nicely.”

On May 5, Stanley House, back at his Woodbine home, finished second in a 1 1/16-mile race over the Tapeta.

“The winner (4-year-old Tyson) came back to win the Dominion Day (G3), so he was runner-up to a very good older horse.”

Stanley House rides into his latest engagement off a winning effort on June 18 when he rallied to record a one-length score over 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

“He finished strong and that's the way he works and runs. Luis [jockey Contreras] had to stand up to pull him up on the backstretch. There was no easing to wire, he was running through it.”

De Paulo, who has 954 career wins, is in search of his first King's Plate victory.

For now, he'll focus his attention on the Plate Trial with a horse who has stamped himself as a top contender for this year's $1 million Canadian classic slated for August 20.

“We'll just look to keep the winning streak going. Ideally, it would be nice to win the race and not take too much out of him. Obviously, we are aiming for the King's Plate, but for now, we'll set our sights on Sunday. There are some people that say his sire means he won't be able to get the Plate distance of a mile and a quarter, but Army Mule ran three times and won all those starts, including a Grade 1, and he's from the A.P. Indy sire line. The mother is by Unbridled's Song, and there is plenty of stamina with Unbridled, so we'll just have to show them.”

Simcoe, a son of Uncle Mo-Aurora Lights, goes after his third win in what will be the gelding's sixth career start.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Simcoe finished fifth in his most recent outing, the 1 1/16-mile main track Marine (G3) on July 1.

“He had a bit of a rough trip last time out,” said Vassilieva. “He got walled-in behind horses and stuck on the inside rail. So, it was not the ideal trip. I noticed that he galloped out really well and that meant it wasn't a case of the horse getting tired or not getting the distance. The race didn't play out the way we would have liked, so for those reasons, we're coming back on what I would view as a short period of time. It's 22 days between races, but I believe the horse deserves another chance and a better trip.”

Bred and owned by Chiefswood Stable, Simcoe, unraced at two, debuted in February at Gulfstream, finishing fifth in a six-furlong race. Six weeks later, also at the Hallandale oval, he was fourth in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race.

The third time proved to be the charm for the dark bay, who broke his maiden over 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Tapeta on May 7. He then doubled up at the same distance and over the same surface on June 4.

“I think his first win at Woodbine was the more impressive one to me because he got into a similar traffic trouble situation there, where he got stopped and checked a couple of times. You might expect him to stop running, but he kept on running. That showed some maturity on his part, that he was able to overcome those factors.”

Vassilieva, off to an outstanding start to the 2023 Woodbine season, is confident Simcoe can tackle the Plate Trial distance.

“He's a plodder, a large, imposing horse, who is one-paced. But I do think that he can get the mile and one eighth, and beyond. He's very laid-back, very professional. He loves his job. He's just a true athlete.”

Mark Casse, who won the 2013 Plate Trial with Dynamic Sky, the 2018 edition with Telekenisis, and last year's running with Sir for Sure, will send out Paramount Prince on Sunday.

Owned by Michael Langlois and Gary Barber, the son of Society's Chairman-Platinum Steel owns a 1-2-1 record from four starts and comes into the race off a second in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes on June 11.

“He's got to step up his game,” noted Casse, of the Ericka Rusnak-bred gelding. “It's going two turns, so we'll see. Keeping our fingers crossed on that one.”

First post time for Sunday's card, which includes the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, along with the $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes Presented by Bulleit Bourbon (G2T), and $150,000 Trillium Stakes Presented by Stella Artois (G3), is 1:05 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE $150,000 PLATE TRIAL

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Tiburon – Manuel Franco – Kevin Attard

2 – Guns n' Rojas (S) – Ryan Munger – Angus Buntain

3 – Paramount Prince – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Stanley House – Luis Contreras – Michael De Paulo

5 – Velocitor – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

6 – Twin City – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon

7 – Pat's Gamble (S) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard

8 – Forest Buzz (S) – Eswan Flores – Sid Attard

9 – Philip My Dear – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

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