The fields for the 14 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup World Championships really begin to come into focus in summer and fall and this regular feature will offer a snapshot profile of one of the previous weekend’s standout stars.
Tag: Racing
Ten Things to Know About the 2023 Saratoga Meet
There’s nothing quite like a summer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a small town nestled near the Adirondacks that comes alive each July as Thoroughbred racing returns to Saratoga Race Course. This year’s meet kicks off July 13, attracting many of the best horses, trainers, and jockeys, as well as avid fans and bettors, from across the country. Read on for 10 must-know facts about this year’s Saratoga meet.
Graded Stakes Winner American Apple Headlines Sunday’s Pea Patch Stakes At Ellis Park
KatieRich Stables' Grade 3-winning filly American Apple headlines a field of 11 turf sprinters that entered Sunday's third running of the $100,000 Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson, Ky.
The Pea Patch Stakes, run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, will go as Race 7 of 9 with a post time of 3:50 p.m. (all times Central) First post is 11:45 a.m.
American Apple achieved the most notable win in her career last season when she won Aqueduct's Matron Stakes (G3) at odds of 47-1. Trained by Daniel Leitch, American Apple has yet to find the winner's circle in her 3-year-old stand but was a game runner-up to Dance Macabre in the Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs and was defeated two lengths by Queen Picasso in the Soaring Softly Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will be back aboard from the rail.
Another stakes winner that entered the Pea Patch Stakes was Lilliesformillie. Owned in partnership by Kelly Bownes, Tom Van Meter, Randy Finegan, William Sparks, Jocelyn Morgan, Allen Nohsey Jr., Karen Arnold and Wayne and Cathy Sweezy, Lilliesformillie is 2-for-4 lifetime with a victory on New Year's Eve in the Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park. The Sarah Hamilton trainee is set to make her first start in five months in the Pea Patch Stakes with Jack Gilligan in the irons from post 10.
Here is the complete field for the Pea Patch Stakes in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):
1. American Apple (Corrales, Leitch)
2. Twice as Sweet (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh)
3. Daring Do (Walter Rodriguez, Wesley Ward)
4. Foolish (Luan Machado, Caio Caramori)
5. Erna (Rafael Bejarano, Pavel Matejka)
6. Condensation (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)
7. Isabel Alexandra (IRE) (Rey Gutierrez, Gustavo Delgado)
8. Mornin Boss (Ferrin Peterson, Rey Hernandez)
9. Twirled (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen)
10. Lilliesformille (Gilligan, Hamilton)
11. Zoom Erin (Brian Hernandez Jr., Joe Sharp)
The Pea Patch Stakes is named in honor of the soybeans that grow in the infield of Ellis Park. The late James C. Ellis popularized the infield crop when he took over as the namesake of the track in 1954. According to a 1960 article published by the Park City Daily News authored by sports editor Bert Borrone, “The late Colonel Jim Ellis thoughtfully grew soybeans in the infield so the bettor can sit back and look at the color of money.”
Just how prominent was the soybean crop in 1954? According to The Owensboro Messenger, the price of a bushel of No. 2 yellow soybeans was $3.15. The current price is around $14.80.
Jim Elkins of the Sun-Democrat stated in a 1961 article, “If you don't care anything about the betting or the horses, you might be on hand to observe the fine crop of soybeans growing in the track oval. Farm lovers tell me the 60 acre field of soybeans will net $5,000, which will probably be the biggest purse of the year at the Henderson horseyard.”
If fans want to “sit back and look at the color of money” they can do so by wagering on all the action from Ellis Park on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
The post Graded Stakes Winner American Apple Headlines Sunday’s Pea Patch Stakes At Ellis Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Saratoga Day Two: Accede, Randomized Get Class Relief In Friday’s Wilton
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will give two of his previous Grade 1 competitors class relief when Juddmonte's Accede and Klaravich Stables' Randomized seek their first stakes triumph in Friday's second edition of the restricted $135,000 Wilton going one mile from the Wilson Chute for sophomore fillies at Saratoga Race Course.
Both Accede and Randomized enter off unplaced efforts in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. going a one-turn 1 1/16 miles on June 9 at Belmont Park, finishing a respective fifth and sixth.
Accede broke to the outside of the eight-horse Acorn and bumped at the start with Goodgirl Bad Habits, who rushed up to even terms with Accede down the backstretch. Accede attempted an inside move nearing upper stretch but ultimately faded. Meanwhile, Randomized chased the pace while in between horses from fourth and retreated around the far turn.
Following a triumphant debut going six furlongs on March 16 at Gulfstream Park, Accede earned black type with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 5 at Churchill Downs. There, she chased a dueling Red Carpet Ready and Munnys Gold in the stretch drive and finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the respective one-two finishers.
Accede is out of the dual surface graded stakes winning Mizzen Mast mare Jibboom, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Giant Treasure.
“She got eliminated down the backside of the race,” said Brown of the Acorn effort. “A horse got left at the start and rushed up to the outside of her. It just totally messed her race up so it's one to draw a line through.”
Prior to her Acorn effort, Randomized earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure when emerging from an eight-month layoff to break her maiden March 31 going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. The daughter of Nyquist made her debut when a distant third in a six-furlong maiden sprint last July at Saratoga.
Randomized is out of the Elusive Quality mare French Passport, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Smooth Air. She was bought for $420,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
“She never could make the lead, didn't fire and ran flat,” Brown said. “She came back and worked great and I think some class relief here is in order for her. She's trained great since, so we'll see if she can get back into form.”
Breaking from post 4, Accede will be piloted by Flavien Prat while Randomized leaves from post 5 in rein to Irad Ortiz, Jr.
WSS Racing's Unsung Melody [post 2, Luis Saez] will make her sakes debut when stretching out past 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time for trainer John Ortiz. The Maclean's Music bay was a gate-to-wire winner at third asking going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park two starts before defeating older winners at the same distance on June 18 at Ellis Park.
Unsung Melody breezed a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on Saturday at Ellis Park.
“I worked her this morning and she worked really well. She came out of that last race in perfect condition,” Ortiz said. “We feel like we finally have her figured out and we're happy to be at Saratoga. We feel that the filly can and should eventually stretch out. She's long bodied, has tactical speed and a turn of foot. We're just taking a look at what we can do at Saratoga.”
Unsung Melody is out of the Bodemeister mare Narrow Sea. Her third dam Magical Flash produced Glinda the Good – the dam of 2017 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and leading second crop sire Good Magic. She was bought for $65,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Trainer George Weaver will saddle graded stakes placed Sacred Wish [post 3, John Velazquez] after finishing second against elders in a June 16 allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park. The Not This Time dark bay began her career at Oaklawn Park with trainer Lynn Chleborad, finishing third behind next out winners Punchbowl and returning rival Unsung Melody on debut in February before graduating at second asking the following month.
In her first start for Weaver, Sacred Wish was a late closing second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks behind Affirmative Lady.
Completing the field is R T Racing Stable's Just Katherine [post 1, Javier Castellano] for trainer Jose Jiminez. The Justify bay arrives from a third-place finish in a June 16 allowance optional claimer at Belmont where Sacred Wish was second.
The Wilton, which is restricted to 3-year-old fillies yet to win a stakes other than state-bred, is slated as Race 4 on Friday's nine-race program, which also features the $150,000 Coronation Cup in Race 9. 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/
The post Saratoga Day Two: Accede, Randomized Get Class Relief In Friday’s Wilton appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
