Tag: Racing

Right at home at the marathon distance of about 1 3/4 miles on turf, trainer Richard Mandella's Brazilian-bred Planetario enjoyed a perfect ground-saving trip in Santa Anita's $100,000 San Juan Capistrano (G3) on Sunday, responding with an emphatic 4½-length win in course-record time.

Ridden by Hector Berrios, Planetario got the distance on the downhill turf in 2:48.08.

Well in hand out of the gate, Berrios had Planetario a relaxed fourth, about nine lengths off pacesetter Opry as the field crossed under the wire the first time around. Saving every inch of ground to the far turn, Planetario advanced toward both Opry and Birth of Cool and with those two tiring, Berrios tipped three deep turning for home and Planetario burst clear in the middle of the course en route to his first U.S. win.

“We were just trying to keep him fit and build his wind up,” said Mandella who notched his second win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, with his first coming in 1993 that season's eventual  Horse of the Year Kotashaan.

“We also had the concern that he ran so well last time (second in the San Luis Rey Stakes [G3] on May 13), it raised the question of 'Did you leave something on the racetrack that day?' Obviously, he didn't, he gained from it.

“This is what racing should be about. Thoroughbred racing should be something like this, and to not push this race and not build it up is a mistake in my mind.”

Stretching out a quarter mile from the San Luis Rey, Planetario, a two-time Group I winner in Brazil who was making his third start for Mandella, was off 5-2 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $7.40 for the victory.

“My horse ran very comfortably,” said Berrios, fourth in the closing date jockey standings with 21 wins and second by stakes-with five added money tallies. “I was just waiting for the favorite (second-place finisher Offlee Naughty) to make his move and I think that was to our favor.

“I put him behind Joe Bravo's horse (Birth of Cool) and he relaxed a lot. Today, he was a way different horse than he was in his last race. He ran so strong, he left me surprised.”

Owned by his breeder, Red Rafa Stud Inc., Planetario, is a 5-year-old horse by Il Doge out of the Crimson Tide mare Aerospera. His career record stands at 6-1-0 from 11 starts, and with the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his lifetime earnings to $110,548.

The even-money favorite ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Offlee Naughty was last for most of the trip, loomed dangerously at the rail leaving the three-furlong pole but was outrun around the turn while getting shuffled back. Undeterred, he found his best stride late and rallied strongly for the place, finishing a nose in front of longshot Rimprotector.

Ridden by Kyle Frey, Rimprotector sat third for most of the trip and finished evenly as the longest shot in the field at 21-1 odds.

Irish-bred Duvet Day, the lone filly in the lineup, finished a length back in fourth with Juan Hernandez aboard.

Fractions on the San Juan Capistrano were :24.42, :48.80, 1:13.77, 1:40.71, and 2:07.40.

Sunday was Santa Anita's 28-day Hollywood Meet's closing day. Live racing will return to Arcadia, Calif. with opening day of the 2023 Autumn Meet on Friday, Sept. 29.

The post Planetario Sets Santa Anita Turf Course Record In Marathon San Juan Capistrano appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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J and N Stables' homebred Mz Big Bucks made every pole a winning one under Jose Gomez to capture Sunday's co-featured $150,000 Cupecoy's Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Michelle Nevin, the War Dancer bay is a full sister to last year's Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint winner Dancing Buck, who was conditioned by Nevin for the same connections in partnership with Diamond M Stable to make the grade in that six-furlong event held in October at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

“They both broke their maiden on an off track and came back on the grass,” noted Nevin, regarding similarities between the siblings. “She broke so sharp [today] and he [Gomez] looked so comfortable, I was feeling pretty good about it.”

Mz Big Bucks broke alertly from post 10 and engaged in a three-pronged duel for the lead with Maggie T and Little Linzee, eventually taking command to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.11 seconds over the firm going.

Maggie T and Little Linzee dropped back to stalk Mz Big Bucks down the backstretch as the half-mile elapsed in :46.17 with Stolen Future, the lukewarm 5-2 mutuel favorite, tracking from fourth position. The Katie Davis-piloted Little Linzee loomed large late in the turn, but Mz Big Bucks had plenty in reserve and kicked away to a three-length lead at the stretch call. Little Linzee continued to chase the length of the lane with the late-running Red Moon launching her bid down the center of the course, but there was no reeling in Mz Big Bucks, who posted the two-length score in a final time of 1:21.88.

Little Linzee completed the exacta by three-quarters of a length over Red Moon with Midtown Lights, Joeybignose, Camp Akeela, Bea Bea Kaz, Stolen Future, Les Bon Temps, Dream On Cara and Maggie T rounding out the order of finish.

Gomez, the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2022, said he felt confident dictating terms.

“It seemed like nobody wanted [the lead], so I took it and we led every step,” said Gomez, who notched his second stakes score of the meet. “I kept feeling her running and going. On the grass, there's always closers coming to get you, but I peeked over and didn't see anyone coming so I said, 'Oh yeah, we got it.'”

Mz Big Bucks made her first two starts under Gomez in six-furlong state-bred sprints, finishing fourth in her April debut over the Big A turf in a race won by returning rival Stolen Future and following with a gate-to-wire score over next-out winner Loon Cry here on May 4 in an off-the-turf event conducted over a muddy and sealed main track.

“Last time, she was on the lead as well so I just let her come out of there,” Gomez said. “I knew there was speed in the race, so I just wanted to play the break and she broke like a rocket. I came right down onto the rail and tried to slow her down as much as I could, and she felt like a winner every step of the way.”

The hard-luck Little Linzee was disqualified from a narrow nose victory and placed second behind returning rival Les Bon Temps in the last-out NYSSS Park Avenue on April 23 over the Aqueduct main track.

Davis said Little Linzee, who graduated in her July debut over the Saratoga Race Course turf, relished a return to the green for the first time since an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Matron in October at Belmont at the Big A.

“She was coming into this race really fresh with some excitement. Around the barn, she wanted to knock down the walls,” Davis said. “She ran really well and really enjoyed the grass course. I think we have a future with her. She's a great filly.”

Mz Big Bucks, who J and N Stables bred in partnership with Elizabeth Jameson, banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 2-0-0 from three career starts. Her dam is the Catienus mare Frivolous Buck.

Mz Big Bucks returned $21 for a $2 win ticket.

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This is how a trainer would draw up the ideal scenario for a closing turf sprinter in a stakes race: Three horses dueling through blazing early fractions while his horse sits behind the trio waiting and chilling.

Or, as trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. put it: “You're talking about the dream trip here.”

Grooms All Bizness took full advantage of a perfect set-up, rallying from off the pace and then digging in to hold off 9-10 favorite Our Shot by three-quarters of a length to win Sunday's $100,000 Get Serious Stakes before Father's Day crowd of 27,170 at Monmouth Park.

The winning time for the five furlongs over a firm turf course was a snappy :55.46, in large part because Full Disclosure, Just Jeremy, and That's Right grilled each other into submission through an opening quarter in :20.90 and a first half in :43.70.

“That's what you want to see with a closing sprinter,” said Duarte, whose horse sat off that duel.

Sent off at 6-1 in the field seven 3-year-olds and up, Grooms All Bizness notched his first career stakes win in his fifth stakes try. All four of the 4-year-old colt's lifetime wins have been sprinting on the turf at Monmouth Park.

Jockey Angel Rodriguez was also able to get the jump on Our Shot, who was closing fast on the inside. It was another two lengths back in third to Alogon as the three early duelers finished off the board.

“I was in the perfect position,” said Rodriguez. “My horse broke good and I was just sitting there watching that speed duel. I know my horse. I knew he would run good. He keeps getting better.”

Owned and bred by Colts Neck Stables, the Kentucky-bred son of Fed Biz out of Bride to Be, by Candy Ride, has two wins and a second in his three starts this year and a 4-3-1 record from 11 career outings and lifetime earnings of $248,775.

“He ran good,” said Duarte. “I love this mare (Bride to Be). She produces very good horses. She was very good herself.

“This was a really good effort. We're very happy. We kind of found his liking running-wise. He has been thriving through the racing. He's been getting better. So we were very eager to run in this spot because we felt he would run a good race. And he does like Monmouth Park.”

Grooms All Bizness paid $14.00 to win.

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The Scherr Boys' Necker Island found an opening along the rail at the head of the lane and nailed pacesetter Yes I Am Free just before the wire to win Sunday's $225,000 Mighty Beau Stakes (Listed) at Ellis Park.

Ridden by Mitchell Murrill and trained by Chris Hartman, Necker Island covered 5½ furlongs on dirt in 1:03.64. The Mighty Beau Stakes was taken off the turf when officials from Ellis Park discovered a broken sprinkler head just prior to Sunday's first race. Officials determined the course would not dry out in time for the Mighty Beau opted to move the race to the main track.

Florida-based Yes I Am Free set the early fractions in the Mighty Beau under jockey Emisael Jaramillo. The duo completed the opening quarter mile in :23.09 while Necker Island sat in third, just inside Charcoal. At the head of the lane, Murrill found an opening at the rail and began to ask Necker Island for his best stride. Necker Island was able to collar Yes I Am Free just before the wire for a neck victory

Necker Island was sent to post as the 9-5 second choice and returned $5.74 for the win.

The Mighty Beau was Necker Island's eighth-career victory from 34 starts. His victory in the Mighty Beau boosted his career earnings to $996,357.

Necker Island is a 6-year-old son of Hard Spun out of the Mr. Greeley mare Jenny's Rocket. He was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

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