Tag: Racing

Juddmonte's homebred Whitebeam upstaged odds-on favorite In Italian in the final stride to win Saturday's $485,000 Diana Stakes (G1), the first top-level stakes of the Saratoga season, by the slimmest of margins. Her victory marked the eighth win in the race for trainer Chad Brown.

Ridden by Flavian Prat, Whitebeam stalked from third early as In Italian, trying for a second consecutive win in the race, set the tempo. Roused nearing the quarter pole Whitebeam battled for the lead outside of In Italian through the final furlong and surged powerfully nearing the finish line to best that rival by a nose.

Irish-bred Fev Rover, the only runner in the field of five not trained by Brown, finished third, a half length behind In Italian. She is trained by Mark Casse.

Whitebeam, a 4-year-old British-bred daughter of Caravaggio, returned $17.60 after covering the 1 1/8-mile turf test in 1:48.33 while making her Grade 1 debut. She improved to five wins from nine career starts, including her breakthrough stakes victory in the Gallorette (G3) May 20 at Pimlico in her previous start, and boosted her lifetime bankroll to $396,308 with the Diana's winner's share of $275,000.

The post Whitebeam Denies Favored Stablemate In Italian In Thrilling Diana Surprise appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Todd Pletcher began Saturday of opening weekend at the Saratoga in style, debuting promising juvenile Pirate, a half brother to Preakness (G1) winner National Treasure, in the first race, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight.

The son of Omaha Beach coasted to a three-length victory in front-running fashion under Irad Ortiz Jr. and completed the trip in 1:04.89.

“He got away alertly, but they put a lot of pressure on him early. I thought it was a good performance and very professional like he's been since we got him,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said the $300,000 Hopeful (G1) going seven furlongs on Sept. 4 at Saratoga is a logical option.

“We'll play it by ear. Normally we'd wait for the Hopeful, but we'll see how things go,” Pletcher said.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Pirate was a $350,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Bridie Harrison consigned the dark bay or brown colt out of Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro. His second dam, Proposal, produced multiple stakes winner Inspired – the dam of graded stakes-placed Carmel Road. He hails from the female line of Mahubah, who was the dam of the mighty Man o' War and is great-great grandam of 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault.

The post Gate-To-Wire Debut Winner Pirate, Half Brother To National Treasure, Possible For Hopeful appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice breezed a half-mile in :49.15 over the Belmont Park main track on Saturday in preparation for the $1-million TVG.com Haskell Invitational (G1) on July 22 at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Haskell winner Todd Pletcher, the son of Tapit was a last-out third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10.

“He just did what he normally does which is work well and gallop out strongly. He was moving great. It was everything we wanted to see,” Pletcher said of Tapit Trice, who won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and then the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland prior to finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in his start prior to the Belmont.

Luis Saez will ride Tapit Trice in the Haskell.

The post ‘He Was Moving Great’: Tapit Trice Breezes Toward Haskell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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