Tag: Racing

August Dawn Farm's undefeated New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel will look to double up on graded victories while maintaining an unblemished record in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Victory Ride marks Maple Leaf Mel's first outing for trainer Melanie Giddings, who the grey filly was named for. Giddings worked for several years as an assistant to the filly's former trainer, Jeremiah Englehart, before venturing out on her own in November. Maple Leaf Mel will be her first stakes starter.

“I just want to do the best job for this horse that I can,” Giddings said. “I've always done the same job for her and I hope the outcome is the same. Obviously, other people will see that it's some added pressure for someone like me that's only won two races and here I am with an undefeated graded stakes winner.”

Maple Leaf Mel was last seen scoring her first graded triumph in the six-furlong Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course, leading at every point of call under Joel Rosario to land a tidy 1 1/2-length win over returning rival Topsy. She completed the course in 1:09.56 and earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Miss Preakness was the daughter of Cross Traffic's first foray outside of state-bred company and marked her second outing off a seven-month respite. She made her career debut with a dominant five-length score in August at Saratoga Race Course and followed 16 days later with her first stakes win in the Seeking the Ante. She did not return until March when she trounced a seven-horse field in Aqueduct's East View by 7 3/4 lengths.

Giddings said Maple Leaf Mel has made every logical step forward and that scoring a Grade 1 triumph in Saratoga's $500,000 Test on Aug. 5 is her main objective for both the filly and her owner, Hall of Fame NFL coach Bill Parcells.

“The goal is to get a Grade 1 for her and for Coach as well,” said Giddings. “He's put a lot of money into the game and he loves this game. He's at the track almost every day. It would be nice to see him get that. I'm sure he'd have a special place for it [the trophy] to go.”

Maple Leaf Mel, bred by Joe Fafone, will exit post 5 in rein to Rosario.

Dual graded stakes-winner Red Carpet Ready [post 8, Luis Saez] makes her first start in the Empire State off a determined head score in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on May 5 for trainer Rusty Arnold, who also trained this race's namesake to a victory in the 2001 Grade 1 Test at Saratoga.

Owned by Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing, the daughter of Oscar Performance pounced from just off the pace under Luis Saez to narrowly fend off the resurgent pacesetter Munnys Gold, earning a field-best 92 Beyer for the effort.

The dark bay filly is 4-for-5 lifetime, including her first graded coup in the Grade 3 Forward Gal in February at Gulfstream Park. Her lone loss came in the Grade 2 Davona Dale in March, where she finished third, seven lengths behind the victorious Dorth Vader, who went on to finish a close second to Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. three starts later.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox will send out Juddmonte's undefeated Dazzling Blue [post 2, Flavien Prat] as she steps up to graded company for the first time with a 3-for-3 record.

The Into Mischief bay arrives off a facile optional claiming conquest on May 19 at Churchill, where she coasted to a frontrunning 8 3/4-length win in a six-furlong sprint. She graduated on debut by 4 1/2 lengths in November at Churchill ahead of a successful stakes debut in Fair Grounds Race Course's Letellier Memorial. All three of her wins have come in wire-to-wire fashion going six furlongs.

Belladonna Racing, Edward Hudson, Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable, Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve Hornstock and Twin Brook Stables' Vahva [post 3, Tyler Gaffalione] makes her return to the graded ranks after scoring an off-the-pace victory in a first-level optional claimer on May 5 at Churchill.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the daughter of Gun Runner earned her first victory against winners when pouncing from 2 1/2 lengths back and finding enough down the stretch to cross the wire first by a half-length over Undervalued Asset.

“She's doing really well,” said DeVaux. “We sent her out for a two-week vacation at Rebecca Maker's farm [after her last start]. If we're going to have a big summer, she just needed a little break. So, we sent her out and she came back and looked fantastic. She's trained forwardly since.”

Vahva will make her second start in graded company after finishing fourth in Fair Grounds' Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at a two-turn 1 1/16 miles. She earned a stakes placing one start earlier when third in the one-mile and 70-yard Untapable, also around two turns at Fair Grounds.

A $280,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Vahva is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Holiday Soiree, a graded stakes-placed mare who won the 2013 Shine Again sprinting six furlongs over Saratoga's main track.

“This [sprinting] seems to be more what she appreciates. We did try twice to go two turns and she just didn't seem to be really effective there,” said DeVaux.

Lady Sheila Stable's New York homebred Downtown Mischief [post 6, Jose Lezcano] was a last-out winner of the state-bred Bouwerie for trainer Linda Rice, adding to an open-company stakes score in the Cicada in March at Aqueduct. The Into Mischief bay has won 4-of-5 starts, with each victory coming in prominent fashion when either on or near the lead. Her only loss came in an off-the-turf edition of the Memories of Silver on April 29 going one-mile over a sloppy and sealed Big A.

Rice said Downtown Mischief's one-length Bouwerie win proved strong enough to warrant a start in graded company.

“She trained great into the Bouwerie and won pretty convincingly,” said Rice. “She's four for five now, won an open stakes so we're hoping to get some graded black type with her, whether it's a win or a placing.”

Completing the field are graded stakes-placed Interpolate [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown; maiden-winner Adeliese's Smile [post 4, Junior Alvarado] for conditioner Jose Jimenez; and graded stakes-placed Topsy [post 7, Jose Ortiz] for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Victory Ride is slated as Race 11 on Saturday's loaded 12-race card, which co-features 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 2, $350,000 Suburban in Race 5. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, 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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Whisper Hill Farm's homebred graded stakes-winner Charge It will stretch out in attempt of his second win of the year in Saturday's Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong main track route for older horses, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Charge It enters from an even fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10, where he mildly improved position under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez throughout before flattening out down the stretch and finishing 5 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Cody's Wish. The effort garnered a field-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It was a pretty salty field and I thought he held his own and ran well there,” said Byron Hughes, Pletcher Belmont-based assistant. “He came out of it in good shape and has been breezing well since. We'll see what happens.”

Charge It made his talents clear with a visually impressive 23-length coup in last year's Grade 3 Dwyer, earning a 111 Beyer in his last sophomore outing ahead of a seven-month respite. His campaign last year included a runner-up effort to White Abarrio in the Grade 1 Florida Derby before a distant 17th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, his lone start at the Suburban distance.

The son of Tapit boasts royal female bloodlines, with his second dam being the influential broodmare Take Charge Lady, a multiple graded stakes-winner who produced Grade 1-winners Will Take Charge, Take Charge Indy and As Time Goes By. She is also the second dam of Grade 1-winners Omaha Beach and Take Charge Brandi.

“Between his breeding and how he trains, it doesn't look like he has any kind of distance limitations,” said Hughes. “You can kind of throw the Derby out.”

This year, Charge It returned victoriously from his layoff with a 1 1/2-length optional-claiming victory in February at Gulfstream Park before finishing second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile and fifth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. He has worked twice since the Met Mile, most recently covering a half-mile in 48.60 seconds Saturday over the Belmont dirt training track.

Velazquez has the call from post 4.

A. Bianco Holding Limited's Tonal Impact [post 1, Jose Ortiz] streaks in off a pair of optional claiming conquests for conditioner Linda Rice. The 5-year-old Tonalist gelding was last seen rallying from fourth-of-6 to land a three-quarter-length triumph over Kinetic Sky in a local one-mile contest on June 15, garnering a 100 Beyer. That effort came on the heels of a similar score going nine furlongs over the same course on May 28.

Tonal Impact has not missed the board in nine starts since being haltered for $40,000 out of a win in November at Churchill Downs. He makes his stakes debut while in search of his fourth trip to the winner's circle this year, boasting a lifetime record of 25-8-3-5 and earnings of $425,826.

“He seems to really like the big sweeping turns at Belmont,” Rice said. “He's a big, tall, long-legged horse and he really seems to like the surface.”

Trainer Juan Alvarado will saddle Arindel's homebred Clapton in hopes of earning a second graded score after the Florida-bred son of Brethren took Gulfstream's Grade 3 Ghostzapper in April, just the second lifetime graded victory for Alvarado.

Clapton was a last-out third in the May 19 Grade 3 Pimlico Special won by Rattle N Roll, earning the placing with a stalking trip under regular pilot Emisael Jaramillo. He tracked in fifth-of-7 down the backstretch in the 1 3/16-mile route before making up ground in the turn and grinding down the lane to be defeated 4 1/4 lengths.

Clapton boasts a consistent 21-5-3-6 record with $452,890 in total purse earnings. Out of the Afleet Alex mare Alexandra Rylee, he is a full-brother to the stakes-placed Knox.

Jaramillo will be tasked with the ride from post 3.

Jordan Wycoff's Red Run [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione] attempts his first victory since being haltered for $50,000 out of a game second-place effort in March. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Gun Runner has placed in two stakes events since, including a runner-up effort in the 1 1/2-mile Isaac Murphy Marathon on May 3 at Churchill where he was bested a neck by Warrant.

Red Run's latest effort was a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Brooklyn on June 10 where he tracked in third throughout and put in a mild bid to preserve his position and garner graded black type for the first time in six attempts. He cuts back from the marathon distance for the first time since April when he finished third going one mile in his first effort off the claim.

Red Run is the first foal produced from the unraced Tapit mare Red House, making him a full-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed Red Route One. His second dam, the graded stakes-winner Fun House, also produced multiple graded stakes-winner Paddy O'Prado and Untapable.

Completing the field is Edward Potash, Brad Yankanich and trainer Jim Ryerson's Unbridled Bomber [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a four-time winner from 16 starts who was last seen finishing a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 5 here. The 4-year-old Upstart colt has won 1-of-3 outings this year, notching an impressive nine-length score in a third-level optional claimer traveling one-mile in April at the Big A.

The Suburban is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's loaded 12-race card, which co-features 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. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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

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A wide open field of nine sophomore fillies will pursue Grade 1 glory in Saturday's 45th running of the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational going 10 furlongs over the inner turf course at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Oaks Invitational kicks off 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.

Both Graham Motion and Chad Brown will send out a pair of formidable contenders, with the former saddling graded/group winners Mission of Joy [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione] and Speirling Beag [post 3, John Velazquez].

RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables' dual graded stakes winner Mission of Joy enters from a 1 1/2-length triumph in the Grade 3 Regret on June 3 at Churchill Downs, where she earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

This followed a troubled third in the Grade 2 Edgewood on May 5 at Churchill Downs, where the Kitten's Joy chestnut clipped heels in upper stretch, was tipped out a path wide and managed to grab third place. She captured the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs three starts back.

Mission of Joy spent the past few months training at Keeneland before shipping to Motion's primary division at Fair Hill Training Center, where she breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Sunday.

“She was unlucky at Churchill a couple starts back, but she sure made up for it last time,” said Motion. “She really had the worst of it when she stumbled that day. She came back well, and she shipped back from Kentucky in good order.”

Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, Mission of Joy is out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Mission whose half-sister Irish Mission was a dual Sovereign Award winner in Canada.

Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable and Haras d'Etreham's Speirling Beag defeated males when a narrow winner of the Group 3 Eyrefield in October at Leopardstown for her former trainer Jim Bolger. The daughter of Mastercraftsman made her sophomore debut for trainers Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti when fifth in the Group 3 Prix Penelope going 1 5/16 miles at Saint Cloud in France.

Motion said he is hopeful for some cut in the ground for Saturday's race.

“You wouldn't mind it with her, obviously. She certainly looks like the type to handle that. But the distance is something that she'll appreciate,” Motion said.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown will seek his seventh Belmont Oaks conquest when he saddles undefeated stakes winner Aspray [post 7, Flavien Prat] and graded-stakes winner Prerequisite [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]

Ran Jan Racing's Aspray, by Quality Road, made up 11 lengths to capture the last out Hilltop going one mile on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course. The half-length conquest came following a pair of 2 1/2-length wins at Tampa Bay Downs, including an off-the-turf maiden victory and a triumph against winners on the turf.

A Kentucky homebred, Aspray is out of the dual group stakes winning Galileo mare Up.

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite made a swift ascension from maiden to graded stakes winner as she enters her Grade 1 debut. The Upstart bay broke her maiden on May 7 at Belmont utilizing stalking tactics before going gate-to-wire in the Grade 2 Wonder Again on June 11 – the traditional local prep for the Belmont Oaks. She will look to join Brown-trained alumna Lady Eli [2015] and New Money Honey [2017] as fillies to sweep the Wonder Again-Belmont Oaks double.

The Belmont Oaks will have a touch of European flavor with Craig Bernick's Aspen Grove [post 9, Oisin Murphy] making the journey across the pond for trainer James Stack.

The Irish homebred Justify bay earned group-winning status when breaking her maiden at 66-1 odds in the Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF in August going one mile over good ground at The Curragh. She has not raced since finishing last-of-10 in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on May 28.

Bernick said Aspen Grove's Group 3 triumph gave him confidence that she could eventually stretch out in distance.

“Her win last year was going a mile as a 2-year-old. Usually, horses that can do that in Europe end up being 10-furlong horses,” Bernick said. “The trainer has always thought she would be a 10-furlong horse this year. This race is a natural place to try. I guess we'll find out if she's a Grade 1 or a Grade 3 horse on Saturday. There's things to like about her and we're fortunate to have Oisin Murphy to ride her as well.”

Aspen Grove is the first progeny out of the graded stakes placed More Than Ready mare Data Dependent, who is a half-sister to 2018 Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Skitter Skatter.

Trainer Horacio De Paz will saddle Michael J. Ryan's Irish homebred Be Your Best [post 6, Luis Saez], who seeks her first win since capturing last year's P.G. Johnson in September at Saratoga. The Muhaarar bay made her 2023 debut when seventh in Keeneland's Grade 2 Appalachian going one mile in April, but made amends with a late-charging second to Prerequisite in the Wonder Again.

Be Your Best breezed a half-mile in 51.65 on June 30 over the Belmont training track.

“She came back good and is doing well. She had an easy, maintenance breeze. She was hitting the ground really well – light on her feet with a nice, steady pull at the end wanting to do more than what she did,” De Paz said. “She enjoys training, so we don't want to overdo it. She ran pretty hard in her last race. The distance will probably suit her and it was nice to see her bring her form back. I'm looking forward to the next race.”

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will strive for his first Belmont Oaks conquest since Catch a Glimpse [2016] when he saddles Papilio [post 4, Javier Castellano] for owners D.J. Stable, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler and Parkland Thoroughbreds.

The Irish-bred daughter of Starspangledbanner was campaigned in her native country last year by Stack and made her North American debut when second in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on March 4 at Gulfstream Park. She enters off a troubled second-place finish in the Regret.

Papilio arrived at Casse Training Center in Ocala, Florida in December and immediately made a strong impression on her conditioner.

“As soon as we started training her, we could tell she was special,” Casse said. “I'm a little worried about the distance, but I think if Javier can get her covered up that will help. In her last start at Churchill, we were blocked and had nowhere to go for a little while and the winner got away on us. We tried to run her down, but she had given up too much ground. With a different trip, it would have been an interesting race.”

Trainer Kenny McPeek will send out Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Freydis the Red [post 8, Junior Alvarado] following a nine-furlong maiden triumph at sixth asking on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

The French-bred Saxon Warrior chestnut broke her maiden by 4 1/4 lengths after finishing behind Be Your Best as well as graded stakes-placed Free Look and Sabalenka through the maiden ranks.

Completing the field is Highlander Training Center's Strikingly Spun [post 2, Jose Ortiz], who enters off a strong runner-up effort against elders at allowance optional claiming level on June 11 at Belmont Park for trainer Joe Sharp. The Hard Spun chestnut previously defeated winners going nine furlongs on May 12 over the Churchill Downs turf.

The Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational, slated as Race 8 on the 12-race card, is one of four graded stakes scheduled for the penultimate day of racing at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet. The stakes-laden day also includes the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational; the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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

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