Tag: Racing

Kenny McPeek loved what he saw after breeder Colette Marie VanMatre sent Defining Purpose — the 8-5 favorite for Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks at Horseshoe Indianapolis — the trainer's way to get the filly started as a 2-year-old.

McPeek's enthusiasm increased with each passing day. So when VanMatre asked about getting some partners to join her in racing the filly, McPeek priced her at a total valuation of $100,000. It was only later that McPeek — himself among those buying into the filly through his Magdalena Farm partnership — saw that Defining Purpose had been bought back as a “short” yearling for $14,000 after not reaching her predetermined minimum selling price at Keeneland's 2021 January bloodstock auction.

Still, that didn't faze McPeek. After all, the Lexington product elevated his career by winning big races with horses purchased at bargain-basement prices. That list now includes Defining Purpose, whose owners were already out on their investment before the now 3-year-old filly won Keeneland's $600,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes, a Grade 1 race and one of the most important preps for the Kentucky Oaks.

“We got her in the spring of '22, put her in the routine and she fit right in,” McPeek said. “She immediately jumped into everything very professional and enthusiastic, a filly that showed quite a bit of natural talent. (VanMatre) said, 'Can you find me some partners?' We talked about how to value her, and I said, 'I think she's easily worth $100,000. At that point I did not know that she had been through an auction for 14 grand. I was flabbergasted to know she was a $14,000 RNA (reserved not attained), or I probably would have put people in cheaper.”

If anything, he said, “I thought I overpriced her. But I priced her on what I saw talent-wise, and she had quite a bit of talent – and obviously, that's panned out. Looking at it today, I probably underpriced her.”

A winner of $556,188, Defining Purpose recently was sold privately to Northern Farm, part of the Shadai Group that dominates Japan's breeding industry. The Indiana Oaks is her first start for her new owners. McPeek estimates the early investors made “20 times their money.”

After finishing sixth in Oaklawn Park's Honeybee (G3) in the slop, Defining Purpose and Hernandez won the Ashland at 20-1 odds.

“This is another one of those examples where you just never know where a good horse is going to come from,” McPeek said after the Ashland, whose field included the highly regarded runner-up Punchbowl, third-place Julia Shining and the 2-year-old filly champion Wonder Wheel.

Things didn't go Defining Purpose's way when seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, which attracted its strongest field in years. But McPeek expects Defining Purpose to rebound in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Oaks, where her main competition in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies likely is Pimlico's Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan winner Taxed, the 2-1 second choice. Taxed was stuck on the also-eligible list and unable to compete in the Kentucky Oaks when no horses were scratched. She had proved her mettle in finishing second twice at Oaklawn Park behind Kentucky Oaks favorite Wet Paint, including in the Grade 3 Fantasy.

Defining Purpose and Taxed faced each other three times over the winter in Arkansas, with Defining Purpose finishing in front of Taxed in two out of three meetings, including a victory in Oaklawn's $150,000 Year's End Stakes on Dec. 31.

“We spaced her race pretty for the Ashland,” McPeek said recently. “I thought that was a great run by her. Any time you knock down a Grade 1 with a 3-year-old filly — 2-year-old filly, any filly — it increases her value pretty dramatically. In the Kentucky Oaks, she didn't fire as we had hoped. But it was a tough race, certainly the best fillies in the nation.

“Since then, she's transferred ownership. She's now owned by Northern Farm, which is the Yoshida family, Katsumi Yoshida of Japan. We were approached about selling her and felt that the price was right. It worked for everybody. I'm excited for the new ownership, and the filly is doing super. This should be a good spot for her.”

The Indiana Oaks field in post-position order, with jockey/trainer and odds:

1. Cotton Candy Annie (Orlando Mojica/Armando Hernandez) 30-1;
2. Taxed (Rafael Bejarano/Randy Morse) 2-1;
3. Merlazza (Marcelino Pedroza Jr./Brad Cox) 6-1;
4. Flamand (Edgar Morales/Elias Lopez) 20-1;
5. Defining Purpose (Bria Hernandez Jr./Kenny McPeek) 8-5;
6. Lily Poo (James Graham/Michael McCarthy) 5-1;
7. Cloak of Mercy (Fernando De La Cruz/John Ortiz) 10-1;
8. Sandra D (David Cohen/Steve Margolis) 20-1.

McPeek also will saddle Texas Derby winner Hayes Strike in Saturday's $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby, drawing post 7 among the nine entries. New York's Gotham winner Raise Cain and 2-for-2 Georgie W are cross-entered in Saturday's $250,000 Iowa Derby.

Hayes Strike was third in the Ohio Derby (G3) in his prior start. Brian Hernandez Jr. rides both Hayes Strike and Defining Purpose.

“He's a one-run, closer type,” McPeek said of the Dixiana Farms homebred Hayes Strike, winner of three races, including Laurel's Private Terms Stakes, and $438,825. “He's the kind that grinds it out and then will make a run. I'm hoping we get some pace to set it up for him. But he's been rock solid and always runs hard. He's going to have to move forward a bit, and the race is going to need to set up for him — and that could happen.”

McPeek also is running Creative Minister, third in last year's Preakness Stakes, in the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial for 3-year-olds and up running a mile and 70 yards. That gray colt has run out $536,545 with a record of 2-4-3 in 12 starts. “He's never won a stakes, so I'd like to win a stakes with him,” he said.

Lovely Princess, second in Churchill Downs' Keertana Stakes in her last start, also pursues her first stakes triumph in the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

“We'd like to win a stakes with her, too,” McPeek said. “She's got quite a nice pedigree, a Twirling Candy filly, and running really well right now.”

Indiana Derby Day, the state's biggest day of horse racing, will be complemented by numerous activities, including a Virtual Reality Jockey Station, cigar rolling station to the first 500, $600 Indiana Derby Hat Contest, $2,500 Indiana Derby Legends Handicapping Contest, and a drawing for one $3,000 Megabet across the board on the Indiana Derby. A total of eight premier races are on the program featuring purses in excess of $1.1 million.

Doors open at 10:30 a.m. with ample seating both indoors and outside on a first come first serve basis. Free parking and free general admission offered to guests of all ages on the racing side. Reservations are still available in the Clubhouse by contacting Beth Litteral at (317) 421-8801. For more information, visit the website at www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing-promotion or follow the track on Twitter @HSIndyRacing.

The 21st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Live racing is held Tuesday through Thursday with Saturday racing added in during the summer months. First post Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. Thursday racing begins at 2:10 p.m. The Summer Saturday Racing Series includes five all-Quarter Horse dates July 1, July 22, Aug. 12, Sept. 2, and Oct. 7 beginning at 10:45 a.m. Indiana's featured event, the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby is set for 12 p.m. Saturday, July 8. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

The post $14,000 RNA Turned Grade 1 Winner: Indiana Oaks ‘Should Be A Good Spot’ For Defining Purpose appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Eda, the 19-10 favorite, is now a double graded stakes winner at Los Alamitos after holding off 19-1 shot Chismosa to win the Grade 2, $202,000 Great Lady M. on Tuesday's Independence Day program at the Cypress, Calif., track.

The narrow score came 19 months after a half-length victory in the Grade 1 Starlet during the 2021 Winter meet.

Owned by Baoma Corporation and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Eda, a 4-year-old daughter of Munnings, hasn't started often, but she has certainly made the most of her opportunities.

The Great Lady M. was her sixth win in a row and seventh in nine career starts and pushed her earnings to $592,600.

Positioned just outside 2-1 second choice Elm Drive for most of the journey, Eda, who is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, got the best of that rival deep in the stretch, then withstood the rally of Chismosa to prevail by a neck.

She completed 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.06 and returned $5.80, $4.40 and $3. Chismosa, who has three wins and a second in four races around one turn, paid $13.80 and $7 while finishing a neck in front of Elm Drive. The show price on Elm Drive, who also finished third in the 2022 Great Lady M., was $2.80.

Jockey Juan Hernandez, who has won both of the stakes races offered through the first seven days of the Los Angeles County Fair meet – he took the Bertrando with Kings River Knight June 24 – is now 4-for-4 aboard Eda.

“She broke quick and I let her get comfortable,'' said Hernandez. “When she started to feel the pressure she knew it was time to go. When she saw (Chismosa) on the outside she didn't want to get passed.

“She was very game and showed a lot of heart.''

The latest Great Lady M. success was the fifth for Baffert since daytime Thoroughbred racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014. His other wins were with Fantastic Style (2015), Marley's Freedom (2018-2019) and Gamine (2021).

“She's a fighter,'' said Baffert assistant Mike Marlow. “She showed that today, that's for sure.

“(Chismosa) made us work there at the finish. She's nice. She's good. That's six in a row. It's been over a period of time, but she's solid.

“I think she really likes what she's doing. She's matured and gotten a little stronger from last year.''

Jockey Edwin Maldonado tripled Monday, closing to within four wins of leader Martin Pedroza for most daytime thoroughbred victories at Los Alamitos.

Maldonado swept the early double with House of Magic in the first and Sunshine Journey in the second, then won the fifth aboard Mister Bold. He now has 123 local wins. Most of Pedroza's 127 victories came during the Orange County Fair meets between 1977-1991.

Ramon Vazquez, who led all three daytime meets last year, also had three wins Tuesday. He captured Races 6-8 with, respectively, Wegonahavagoodtime, Equipo A and My Destiny.

Heading into the final two days of the LACF season, Vazquez holds a 9-7 lead over Abel Cedillo in the jockey standings.

There's a three-way tie atop the trainer standings. Jesus Uranga, Peter Miller and Milton Pineda all have four victories.

Racing will resume Saturday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

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Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's dual graded stakes-winner Red Carpet Ready was set to make her Empire State debut in the June 8 Jersey Girl at Belmont Park, but had her plans derailed when poor air quality forced the cancelation of that day's card. With clearer skies one month later, the Rusty Arnold trainee is back on track for a start in New York in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont.

“She'll be leaving from Keeneland tomorrow afternoon and arrives at Belmont on Thursday morning,” said Arnold. “She's trained well and we had a little bit more of a gap than we wanted to have, but she's had three good, solid works here. She's happy and ready to go.”

The daughter of Oscar Performance flaunts the most graded stakes experience in the field of eight and was last seen posting a gutsy head score over resurgent pacesetter Munnys Gold in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 5 at Churchill Downs. There, she pounced from just off the pace under Luis Saez to take command at the top of the lane and battle back against her game foe, handing the Todd Pletcher trainee her first loss in four outings. She was awarded a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of any in the Victory Ride field.

Arnold said he is hopeful Red Carpet Ready's performance against a then-undefeated Munnys Gold bodes well for the challenge she'll face against undefeated competitors Maple Leaf Mel and the Brad Cox-trained Dazzling Blue in the Victory Ride.

“She ran well,” said Arnold. “Todd's filly was undefeated and she's going to hook two undefeated fillies in this race with Maple Leaf Mel and Brad's filly – they've never been beaten and we have. There's two very good fillies right there and a few other good ones as well. It's a lot tougher race than the one we didn't run in [the Jersey Girl].”

The talented dark bay has won 4-of-5 starts, including the Grade 3 Forward Gal in February at Gulfstream Park and the Fern Creek going the Victory Ride distance in November at Churchill. Her lone defeat came in the Grade 2 Davona Dale in March, where she finished third, seven lengths behind the victorious Dorth Vader, who went on to finish a close second to Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. three starts later.

“I think six and a half [furlongs] will actually suit her better,” said Arnold. “When she ran in the Eight Belles, she opened up a clear lead at the sixteenth pole and hung on in the end, but I think that's the end of how far she wants to go – six and a half won't be an issue.”

Red Carpet Ready's career has been laced with ups and downs that have shaped its trajectory, for better or worse. Arnold had planned to debut the filly on turf considering her pedigree's strong grass influence, but was forced to run her on dirt when Churchill canceled turf racing last fall. She relished a sloppy main track on debut in October, defeating a field of 12 by 10 lengths at odds of 36-1.

“I guess she surprised some people in her first start, but she had shown ability,” said Arnold. “I think the surprise was the surface. She's by Oscar Performance and at the time, there had not been a winner for him on the dirt. It's a little different now, but last fall people questioned her pedigree, not her ability. When she won, everyone – including myself – thought it was the slop and weren't convinced. But then she did it on fast dirt twice in a row and ran her big race in the Eight Belles.”

With the cancellation of the Jersey Girl being the latest unexpected turn in Red Carpet Ready's career, Arnold said he is hopeful it leads to a happy surprise on Saturday just as her affinity for the main track has.

“She was one of the good things that happened to us off of losing the turf,” said Arnold. “It's been a really weird year for her and she was going to run the last week at Churchill, but that was canceled. We had to decide to either wait for Ellis Park or go to New York. She was ready to roll so we decided to go to New York, and who would have thought it would be canceled by a fire in Canada? We've regrouped and I liked the timing of this race.”

The Victory Ride is named in honor of the filly Arnold trained to victory in the 2001 Grade 1 Test, a race slated for August 5 that Red Carpet Ready could target provided she gives a strong performance Saturday.

“I know stories don't mean anything in this business, but after having trained Victory Ride, it would be nice to win this race,” said Arnold. “This race started off as almost an overnight handicap and now it's worked its way up to a very nice prep for the Test. You'd like to have this [win photo] hanging there, but she's going to have to work for it. The Test is the ultimate goal, but like the old cliché, one at a time. She has to take this step to get to the next ones.”

Red Carpet Ready will emerge from post 8 in rein to Saez.

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Harold Lerner, Nehoc Stables, AWC Stables and Team Stallion Racing Stable's stakes-placed Mendelssohns March will be upset minded in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational, a 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomores at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trainer Kenny McPeek won this event last year with 26-1 shot Classic Causeway, who posted a gate-to-wire score over favored Nations Pride and second-choice Stone Age. This year, he returns with the improving Mendelssohns March, who enters from a close runner-up effort to returning rival Webslinger in the nine-furlong Audubon on June 3 at Churchill Downs.

The Mendelssohn colt graduated on debut in February via disqualification traveling one-mile over firm Fair Grounds turf. He made his next two starts on dirt, winning an optional-claimer at Oaklawn in March over sloppy and sealed conditions before finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Mendelssohns March returned to grass in May and finished ninth in the Grade 2 American Turf when defeated 4 3/4-lengths by Webslinger.

“He's coming off a really good run. We know it's a tough race, but we think he's going to like the added distance,” McPeek said. “He's acting like he's quite ratable. He started his career really well, 2-for-2. This is an ambitious spot for him, we realize that, but you're not going to get many opportunities to run a mile and a quarter.”

The $110,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Galileo mare Unappeased, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Sligo Bay.

“He's a beautiful moving horse,” McPeek said. “I bought him as a yearling and with a Galileo mare, how can you go wrong with that. I really thought he was one of my top 3-year-olds and this is an opportunity to prove himself at a high level.”

McPeek said Mendelssohns March, who will exit the inside post Saturday under Dylan Davis, has trained very well upstate at Saratoga Race Course over the Oklahoma trainer turf, working in company with Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's promising filly Freydis the Red.

The French-bred daughter of Saxon Warrior will make her stakes debut in Saturday's co-featured Grade 1, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational.

The 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies kicks off the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which is followed by the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3, $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 3, $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 16 going 11 furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Freydis the Red completed the exacta on three occasions before breaking through last out at sixth asking on May 29 in a nine-furlong maiden special weight over firm Churchill turf. The 4 1/4-length score garnered a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I think she's a filly that's getting ready to move forward and I think she's another one we'd like to try at a mile and a quarter,” McPeek said. “The expectations are high for her. She ran really fast in her last race and if she can replicate that and maybe move a little bit forward off the added distance – obviously black type is important – to get her Grade 1-placed would be a big deal.”

McPeek purchased the chestnut, out of the Shirocco mare Songerie, for $147,403 from the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.

“She was a real standout as a yearling,” McPeek said. “She was a little unlucky trying to get her maiden broke last year. But she really put it together in her last race.”

The late-running chestnut will exit post 8 under Junior Alvarado.

McPeek sent out a pair of multiple graded-stakes winning starters for Lucky Seven Stable in Saturday's Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Ellis Park with Rattle N Roll [2nd] and Smile Happy [5th] performing admirably in the nine-furlong route won by West Will Power.

“They both came out of it fine,” McPeek said. “Smile Happy wasn't very cooperative going to the gate. We may try blindfolding him going to the starting gate next time, but he's historically been tough to deal with. Rattle N Roll is a consummate professional.”

Rattle N Roll, a 4-year-old Connect colt, captured the 2021 Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland as a juvenile. He entered the Stephen Foster on a three-race win streak in Grade 3 events, taking the 1 3/16-mile Ben Ali in April at Keeneland, the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special in May and the nine-furlong Blame in June at Churchill.

He rallied from seventh in the Stephen Foster to finish a half-length in arrears of the winner, while earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure – his fifth consecutive triple-digit figure.

Smile Happy, a 4-year-old Runhappy colt, made the grade at second asking in the 2021 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. He entered the Foster from a sharp score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Alysheba in May at Churchill Downs, besting multiple Grade 1-winner Art Collector by two lengths with West Will Power in third.

McPeek said both horses will be nominated to the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, a nine-furlong rest for older horses on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

MJM Racing's stakes-placed V V's Dream, a 2-year-old Mitole grey, romped by 6 1/4-lengths in her May debut sprinting five furlongs at Churchill Downs. She followed last out with a runner-up effort to Brightwork in the six-furlong Debutante on Sunday at Ellis Park.

McPeek said he wants to stretch out the $190,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase.

“She's a filly that needs longer than that,” McPeek said. “She has a huge future. We'll probably sit on her until they run a mile and a sixteenth.”

Back Racing, Run for LaRoses and Magdalena Racing's Call the Cavalryovercame a bobbled start to graduate on debut in a five-furlong maiden special weight here on June 4.

McPeek said Call the Cavalry will target the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford, a six-furlong main track sprint for juveniles on July 15 at Saratoga.

The Florida-bred Khozan colt is out of the Songandaprayer mare Song and Delight, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Delightful Kiss and graded-stakes winner Delightful Mary.

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