Tag: Racing

In a race delayed by 11 minutes due to a late scratch at the starting gate, Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante shaped up as a potential match race in the totalizator board, as Jeff Bonde's California-bred Crazy Hot was sent off at 3-5 and Hector Palma's French-bred Becky's Dream loomed a stout second choice at 9-5.

Enter Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams' homebred Grand Slam Smile, who was vanned down from her Golden Gate Fields base on Wednesday morning with trainer Steve Specht. The third choice at 7-2, Grand Slam Smile shaded Becky's Dream to the top of the lane and with Crazy Hot looming large to her outside, the California-bred daughter of Smiling Tiger shook off Crazy Hot leaving the furlong pole. Kept to her task, she overhauled Becky's Dream under a hand ride from Frank Alvarado in the final 30 yards, prevailing by a half length while getting five furlongs in :58.41.

“Everyone was in the same boat at the gate, everyone (was) walking and waiting,” said Alvarado. “I was worried a little bit because it is hot and she had never been in this kind of heat, but she handled it pretty good.

“At the three-eighths pole, I went inside a bit and I thought I had it, the only horse that concerned me was Bonde's filly because she was outside and she put a little pressure (on us). I didn't want her to pass me and get dirt in my filly's face because she never had dirt on her face before…”

A four-length first-out winner in open company in a 4½-furlong maiden race on synthetic Tapeta May 14, Grand Slam Smile paid $9.40 for the win.

Out of the good-producing Grand Slam mare Royal Grand Slam, Grand Slam Smile, undefeated in two starts, picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $83,400.

“She handled the dirt just fine,” said Specht. “You never really know until you put them on it. Galloping versus running isn't the same thing and she seemed to handle it fine…I got a little worried when they got into the lane. I didn't want that outside horse to drop in on me. She got back up in there (between horses) and managed to run them down late. She ran a good race, I was happy. Del Mar is probably going to be our only opportunity. There are a couple of nice Cal-bred stakes there and she will be in them.”

Ridden by Tiago Pereira from the rail, Becky's Dream was pressed throughout and proved second best, finishing 5¼ lengths in front of the favorite.

Crazy Hot, who may have been comprised by delay caused by the late scratch of longshot Motet, appeared to be in a perfect stalking position under Geovanni Franco turning for home, but had little to offer the final eighth of a mile.

Motet, who was 30-1 at the time of the scratch, tried to sit down in the gate with jockey Kyle Frey, resulting in Frey being injured and taken off the track by stretcher.

According to track security, Frey was complaining of ankle pain and was taken to a local hospital for precautionary x-rays.

Fractions on the race, which was reduced to a field of four juvenile fillies, were :22.31 and :45.55.

The post Golden Gate Shipper Grand Slam Smile Prevails In Fasig-Tipton Debutante At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Overcoming trouble in the early going, Gary and Mary West's homebred Salute the Stars rallied stoutly through the lane and overhauled favorite Kingsbarns in the closing strides to win the $150,000 Pegasus, a prep for the $1-million Haskell (G1), Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Brad Cox, Salute the Stars was last of six from the gate after getting squeezed at the start and was rank around the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch. He moved into a stalking position in fourth off the rail once settled down on the backstretch and bided his time as Kingsbarns and pacesetter Subrogate battled around the turn and into early stretch. Kingsbarns shook off Subrogate in midstretch an appeared en route to victory, but Salute the Stars was ready to run and wore him down with ground-devouring strides, earning his first stakes win by a neck.

Salute the Stars paid $7.80 after covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.87.

Kingsbarns held for second and finished third Howgreatisnate was third, 2 1/4 back.

A Candy Ride colt, Salute the Stars came into the Pegasus off an allowance score, carded for the turf but shifted to the main track, May 14 in his season debut at Churchill Downs. He closed his juvenile campaign with a maiden-breaking victory on turf Aug. 27 at Ellis Park in his second career start.

Bred in Kentucky, Salute the Stars was produced by the Malibu Moon mare Star Sighting.

Pegasus Quotes

WINNING TRAINER – Trace Messina (assistant to Brad Cox): “We liked him a lot first time out. We were going back and forth, dirt or turf, and we said let's just run him on the grass. And then the race came off. It gave us the option to see what he was like on the dirt. Not against true dirt horses, but it was competitive field that day.

“I was not feeling good on the backside. He was too aggressive going into the first turn. On the backside, Joel did a good job getting him to relax. Even at the three-eighths pole I thought, 'He's not going anywhere.' But when he straightened out he got going. We'll see (on the Haskell). Obviously that's an option. We have a lot of 3-year-olds in this division. But that's a possibility for sure.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joe Rosario: “My first time riding him. It seemed seemed like he broke well. Maybe not exactly the way we wanted since we wanted him a little closer, but he kind of moved himself a little forward and I played with him a little bit until he settled down. After that, it looked like turning for home he kind of backed up a little bit. But give credit to my horse, he was able to put it all together again and grind late with that long stride he has. He straightened out and we got the job done. I thought we might not catch him. I looked like (Kingsbarns) was getting away.”

The post Salute The Stars Up Late To Deny Kingsbarns In Pegasus, Possible For Haskell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's Derby City Distaff (G1) winner Matareya headlines a field of six fillies and mares entered for next Saturday's 33rd running of the $225,000 Chicago Stakes (G3 at Ellis Park.

The Chicago Stakes will be run at seven furlongs on the main track and was carded as Race 9 of 10 with a post time of 3:55 p.m. (CT) First post is 11:45 a.m.

Matareya, a 4-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile trained by Brad Cox, is a two-time Grade 1-winning sprinter. Prior to her top-level victory in the Derby City Distaff, Matareya won last year's Acorn Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old. Matareya has one prior start at Ellis Park when she broke her maiden as a 2-year-old by 4½ lengths. Jockey Flavien Prat, who has been aboard Matareya for her last six starts, will be in the saddle from post No. 2.

Another Grade 1 winner that entered the Chicago Stakes is Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Society. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Society won last year's Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx. In her most recent start, the 4-year-old Gun Runner filly faded to ninth in the 1 1/16-mile La Troienne Stakes (G1) but will cut back in distance in the Chicago Stakes with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle from post 5.

The complete field for the Chicago Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Hidden Connection (Luis Saez, Bret Calhoun)

2. Matareya (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox)

3. Be Like Water (Brian Hernandez Jr., Vicki Oliver)

4. Stella Noir (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux)

5. Society (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen)

6. Drifaros (Martin Garcia, Teresa Pompay)

The post Matareya Set For Ellis Park Return In Chicago Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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