Tag: Racing

Godolphin homebred Wadsworth earned his first stakes victory on Saturday after uncoiling a determined outside rally at the top of the stretch and wearing down pacesetter Mo Stash to win the $225,000 American Derby (Listed) at Ellis Park.

The American Derby is one of six stakes on Ellis Park's Saturday program that is headlined by the $1-million Stephen Foster (G1).

Well positioned off the early pace in fourth under Florent Geroux, the Quality Road colt posted his third win from eight career starts for trainer Brad Cox and entered off a runner-up finish in the Ceasars Handicap My 17 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Prior to that, he was fourth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the Tapeta March 25 at Turfway Park in his stakes debut.

By Quality Road out of Godolphin's Grade 1-winning turf mare Dickinson, by Medaglia d'Oro, Kentucky-bred Wadsworth covered the American Derby's 1/16 miles on turf rated as good in 1:40.96. He returned $4.50 as the favorite.

Mo Stash broke on top and set fractions of :24.20 for the opening quarter mile, :48.49 for a half mile, and 1:11.17 for six furlongs with Gigante in close attendance in second. Swung out to the five path to rally, Wadsworth drifted out a bit off the turn but was ready to run. Closing in on Mo Stash with each stride, he dueled briefly with the leader in midstretch and got by late in a one-length triumph.

Mo Stash, the 8-5 second choice, hung on for second, two lengths to the good of Desert Duke, who checked in third.

The post Wadsworth Notches Stakes Breakthrough In American Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Undefeated in two starts in 2023, Elm Drive will return to the scene of her blowout debut win when she takes on eight other fillies in the $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes Tuesday at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

A Grade 2 at 6 ½ furlongs, the Great Lady M. is the final of nine races on the special Fourth of July program at the Orange County track. Post time is 1 p.m. PT and scheduled post time for the main event is 5:05 p.m.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing and trained by Phil D'Amato, Elm Drive, a daughter of Mohaymen and the Indian Charlie mare Lets Dance Charlie has begun her 4-year-old campaign with victories in the Grade 3 Monrovia – which was rained off the turf – April 8, then captured the Mizdirection – on grass – six weeks later.

Successful in half of her 10 starts with a bankroll of $408,140, Elm Drive cruised home by eight lengths at Los Alamitos on June 26, 2021, then returned last year to finish third in the Great Lady M.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has won the Great Lady M. four times since 2015 – Fantastic Style (2015), Marley's Freedom (2018-2019) and Gamine (2021) – entered Eda for Baoma Corp.

A 4-year-old Munnings filly out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, Eda was successful in her return to the races April 26, defeating Teddy's Barino by a head as the 9-10 favorite in a $78,316 allowance at Santa Anita.

The win after a layoff of more than 13 months was her sixth in eight starts and pushed her bankroll to $472,600. She's 1-for-1 locally, having captured the Grade 1 Starlet in 2021.orp

Trainer Steve Miyadi and owner-breeder Nick Alexander, who won this race in 2022 with Becca Taylor, will try to go back-to-back with Rose Maddox.

A 4-year-old gray daughter of Grazen and the Unusual Heat mare Heat the Rocks, Rose Maddox has won five of 15 and earned $327,782. Worse than third only twice, she was most recently second in the Fran's Valentine at one mile on turf, defeated by a half-length by Eddie's New Dream.

Trainer Doug O'Neill is scheduled to have two starters – Awake At Midnyte and Vegas Magic.

Owned by J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC, Awake At Midnyte, a 4-year-old Nyquist filly out of the Union Rags mare Midnight Union, was fourth as the favorite in the Monrovia, defeated by two lengths by Elm Drive.

A $320,000 purchase as a 2-year-old, Awake At Midnyte has won twice in 13 starts and banked $382,175.

A 3-year-old daughter of Good Magic and the Rockport Harbor mare Heidi Maria, Vegas Magic hasn't raced since finishing 10^th of 13 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Owned by a partnership that includes Omar Aldabbagh, Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman, Vegas Magic went 3-for-5 last year – topped by a 14-1 upset in the Grade 2 Sorrento last Aug. 13 at Del Mar – and earned $243,200.

Both Awake At Midnyte and Vegas Magic will be making their Los Alamitos debut.

Dance to the Music will be seeking her second consecutive graded stakes win for Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal and trainer Mark Glatt as she makes her initial start at Los Alamitos.

A 4-year-old Maclean's Music filly out of the Congrats mare Beautified has been idle since winning the Grade 3 Desert Stormer March 25. The win as the 6-5 choice was the third in nine starts for Dance to the Music, who has earned $229,080.

Chismosa will be cutting back in distance after finishing third in the Melair May 28, a race prohibitive favorite Ceiling Crusher won by 17 lengths.

Owned by breeder Jaime Renella and trained by Rafael DeLeon, the 3-year-old Clubhouse Ride filly out of the Cal Dreams mare You Can Dream is seeking her first win of 2023 after going 3-for-3 last year. Two of her victories came in the CTBA and Generous Portion – stakes restricted to California bred s – at Del Mar. She's earned $209,000.

After cashing at 5-1 in a starter allowance sprint on turf June 2, Real Fire will make her first start at Los Alamitos for owner Les Blake and trainer Steve Knapp.

The 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss and the Stroll mare Hinder is 3-for-12 with earnings of $118,060. In two earlier tries on dirt, Real Fire finished third and second in consecutive maiden races last year.

Pammy's Ready, who has made 15 of her 16 starts on turf, will compete for the first time since finishing sixth of seven in an optional claimer down the hillside layout at Santa Anita April 22.

Owned by breeder Rockingham Ranch and now trained by Librado Barocio, the 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready has won twice and banked $207,700. Her only start on the main track was a runner-up finish in a maiden race at one mile over a sloppy surface Dec. 27, 2021.

From inside out, the Great Lady M. field:  Elm Drive, Ramon Vazquez rides, 124 pounds; Eda, Juan Hernandez, 124; Rose Maddox, Hector Berrios, 119; Real Fire, Abel Cedillo, 119; Pammy's Ready, Kyle Frey, 119; Chismosa, Tiago Pereira, 114; Awake At Midnyte, Mario Gutierrez, 119; Vegas Magic, Antonio Fresu, 114 and Dance to the Music, Edwin Maldonado, 124.

The post Elm Drive, Eda Among Nine Contesting Holiday Renewal Of Great Lady M. At Los Alamitos appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

When last seen at Gulfstream Park, Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boi rallied from off the pace to capture the Smile Sprint (G3) by a length. His professional score came as no surprise to bettors, who had made the Jorge Delgado trainee their 4-5 favorite.

One year later, Gulfstream fans aren't likely to support Willy Boi at the mutuel windows or on their XpressBet apps with nearly as much enthusiasm for Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3), considering the 5-year-old gelding hasn't visited a winner's circle since last year's triumph in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Although Willy Boi did finish third in the A. G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga in his subsequent start, the Florida-bred gelding has gone winless in his six races since last year's Smile.

“He's always been training well in my opinion. He hasn't changed, I know he hasn't had the best results in his last few starts, but he's keeps acting the same and doing the same as last year when he was having more success,” Delgado said. “I haven't lost any hopes in him. I'm hoping he can rebound at some point and be the horse he was last year.”

Willy Boi hasn't raced at Gulfstream since his Smile score, which was preceded by a dominating 5 ¼-length victory in the Big Drama stakes at Gulfstream. His past fondness for the Gulfstream Park surface encouraged Delgado to ship the son of Uncaptured back to South Florida from Monmouth Park.

“That's the main reason we sent him there. We know he loves the track. He's been super on that surface,” Delgado said.

Rated at 8-1 on Saturday's morning line, Willy Boi will seek a return to form that propelled him to victory last year.

“It was his career-best race against a good group of horses, and he did it in good fashion,” Delgado said. “Hopefully he can do the same this year.”

Jose Batista has also ventured from Monmouth Park to ride Willy Boi.

Stonehedge LLC's Dean Delivers has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Whether or not the 4-year-old gelding can come out of the 6-furlong 'Summit of Speed' headliner with a victory, bettors will be confident that the Michael Yates trainee will give it his all.

Dean Delivers has finished first or second in 11 of 15 career starts, which include a third-place finish, two fourth-place finishes and one fifth-place finish.

“He's danced every dance. He's an exciting horse to be able to train. He's a lot of fun,” Yates said.

Dean Delivers was graded stakes-placed twice during the Championship Meet, finishing second in the Harlan's Holiday (G3) behind Sibelius, who went on to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in his next start; and third in the Fred Hooper (G3) behind Endorsed, who went on to win the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), in which the Yates trainee finished fourth.

“When he runs, the next day he's tired. He's given you his 'A' game. He's a good sound horse. I think we've figured out what he wants to do between races. He doesn't require a lot of breezing,” Yates said. “He just keeps marching out there day in and day out and lets you know when he's getting sharp. We just try not to do too much with him and stay out of his way.”

Dean Delivers was sharp for his most recent start in the Big Drama, in which the son of Cajun Breeze closed from off the pace and drew away to a 3 ¾-length triumph.

“Looking back on it, I would say he got a little bit of class relief in his last race,” Yates said. “I think he put together a winning race.”

Emisael Jaramillo, who was aboard Dean Delivers for the first time, has the return mount Saturday.

The post Smile Sprint: Willy Boy Hoping To ‘Rebound’ On Home Track, Favored Dean Delivers Always Gives His ‘A’ Game appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Forte resumed serious business on Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track, working a half-mile in 50.40 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

With exercise rider Hector Ramos aboard, Forte went to the training track following the 9:30 a.m. renovation break and breezed in company with graded stakes winner Major Dude, who is a probable contestant for next Friday's Grade 3, $250,000 Manila at Belmont. The move was Forte's first since finishing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 10.

“We were just looking for an easy work back and I thought that was accomplished today,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes. “I thought he was moving well within himself. He looked comfortable and happy. You couldn't ask for anything more than that at this point.”

Forte won Gulfstream's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4 and Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1. He entered the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs as the morning-line favorite, but was scratched the morning of the race with a bruised foot.

Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice breezed a solo half-mile in 48.03 seconds over the training track Friday with exercise rider Fernando Rivera in the irons. The move was the Grade 1-winning millionaire son of Tapit's second work since finishing third in the Belmont Stakes.

“I thought he breezed really well,” Hughes said. “It was a good gallop out for him. He looked pretty sharp today and came out of the Belmont in good shape. He's maybe a little sharper now this time of year than he was last year. But that's what you see in these Tapits. It seems like the older they get, the sharper they get.”

Tapit Trice won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs and the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 8 at Keeneland en route to a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Following Forte's breeze, last year's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest took another step towards her 2023 debut, going five furlongs in 1:01.22 in company with Too Boss over the training track. Owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, Nest has consistently breezed over the training track since mid-May.

“I think she's progressed well with each breeze,” Hughes said. “She seems to be getting fitter and fitter and responds well to the breeze. With each breeze you can tell that she gets a little sharper every week.”

The post Belmont Runner-Up Forte Records ‘Comfortable And Happy’ Breeze; Tapit Trice ‘Pretty Sharp’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post