Tag: Racing

After emerging late last year as a potential top-shelf long-distance horse, Next further confirmed that status on Saturday with a front-running score in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes at Belmont Park.

The 5-year-old Not This Time gelding was chased by post time favorite and last year's Brooklyn runner-up Warrant through an opening quarter in :24.37 and a half in :50.02, while Red Run and Calibrate followed in the second flight.

Under a cool ride by jockey Luan Machado, Next allowed Warrant to approach his throat latch through a mile in 1:41.62, and he had turned that rival away as they turned for the stretch, clocking 1 1/4 miles in 2:05.82. Machado kept his mount to task while clear down the stretch, and he crossed the wire 2 1/4 lengths ahead of a late-gaining Calibrate. Red Run carried on for third, 3 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up, while Warrant faded to fourth.

Next completed the 1 1/2-furlong race in 2:31.01 over a fast main track. He paid $8.70 to win.

William Cowans saddled Next for owner Michael Foster, who claimed the gelding for $62,500 out of a seven-furlong race at Keeneland last April. Next has never raced at a distance shorter than 1 1/8 miles since then, highlighted by a 18 1/4-length score in the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park and a 6 1/4 triumph in the G2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Next was bred in Kentucky by Silverton Hill Farm, out of the Awesome Again mare Bahia Beach.

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Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Emmanuel unleashed a furious outside rally from the back of the field into the stretch and overhauled pacesetter Filo Di Arianna in the final sixteenth to win the $200,000 Poker (G3) by a neck Saturday at Belmont Park.

The 4-year-old More Than Ready colt provided Irad Oritz Jr. his second straight graded win on the Belmont (G1) card following Elite Power's triumph in the True North (G2) two races earlier.

Chez Pierre finished third as the favorite, a half length behind Filo Di Arianna, who was attempting to go gate to wire but could not hold back the winner.

Emmanuel, last of six through for the a half mile, returned $14.40 after covering one mile in 1:34.25 on firm turf.

Filo Di Arianna led the field through the opening quarter-mile in :23.94, the half in :47.82, and three-quarters in 1:11.42.

Emmanuel, who started his 4-year-old campaign with consecutive Grade 3 wins at 1 1/16-miles in the Tampa Bay and the Canadian Turf, made a bid for a return winner's circle visit, as Ortiz, Jr. coaxed him with clear daylight to the outside in the final furlong. He passed three rivals in deep stretch and overtook Filo Di Arianna with plenty of speed in reserve.

The bay colt, sent off at 6-1 odds, was winning for the sixth time from 11 career starts and earned his fourth graded event for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher said the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1) on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) in November at Santa Anita, remains a possibility for Emmanuel's next start.

Filo Di Arianna was making just his second start of the year after returning from an eight-month layoff to run second in an optional claimer going 5 1/2 furlongs over Woodbine's all-weather track in April. With that first race back, trainer Mark Casse stretched out the 7-year-old, who appreciated the distance and has now finished first or second in nine of his 11 career starts (7-2-0).

Emmanuel, who was bred in Kentucky by Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, was produced by the Hard Spun mare Hard Cloth.

Poker Quotes

Todd Pletcher, winning trainer of Emmanuel (No. 6, $14.40): “He ran great at Pimlico [in the G3 Dinner Party] and seemed to come out of it well. We were targeting this race with Annapolis, but when he couldn't make it, it didn't look like this race was coming up a large field. So, I told Elliott [Walden, CEO of owner WinStar Farm], 'What do you think of taking a look at this race?' And he said, 'Let's take a look at it.' Once he drew in the race, we felt like he fit well and he was sharp and doing well.

“Irad [Ortiz, Jr. ] said in Baltimore, he was in the clear the whole way. It was a mile and an eighth and he was kind of pulling more than you'd like. Today, he was able to get him a little more settled and use that big run.

“He had no chance that day at Keeneland [when a distant seventh in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile], it was over at the break. But he's come back with two good races.”

On targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave H. on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile: “I'd think that's one of the races that's on the radar.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., winning jockey aboard Emmanuel (No. 6): “He broke good and I knew some horses had more speed than me. I just wanted to get him in a good spot. Last time, you see the fractions, they went a little quick [in the G3 Dinner Party]. He went fast and kept fighting that day from the eighth-pole. Today, he was perfect. The mile flat suits him perfect here at Belmont.”

Luis Saez, jockey of runner-up Filo Di Arianna (No. 7): “It was a good trip. Broke good, got into a great spot and tried hard. He was the speed in the race. He came from shorter [distances], and he broke sharply and was right there.

“He was very comfortable. Actually, when he came to the straight he really tried pretty hard. But in the end, got caught. He tried really hard.”

Flavien Prat, jockey of third-place Chez Pierre (No. 1): “I had a good trip. He jumped well out of there. I got myself outside of the leader. He relaxed well from there on the backside and he made a good move turning for home and then he just couldn't go by the horse in front and that was it.”

Winning margin: neck

Final time (one-mile, Widener turf course): 1:34.25

Fractions: 23.94, 47.82, 1:11.42, 1:22.69

Full order of finish: 6-7-1-5-4-2

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Aiming for a seventh consecutive trip to the winner's circle, Juddmonte's reigning champion male sprinter Elite Power track the early pace, then power to the lead in early stretch and drew clear to take the $250,000 True North (G2), the first of nine graded stakes on the Belmont Stakes card Saturday at Belmont Park.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old son of Curlin easily held back a late bid from runner-up Anarchist and covered 6½ furlongs in 1:15.65.

Strobe finished third.

Making his first start since a victorious trip to Saudi Arabia, where he won the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) Feb. 25, Elite Power had no trouble handling his five overmatched rivals Saturday and returned $3.50 for a $2 win ticket.

Elite Power capped his championship season last year on a five race unbeaten skein, including back-to-back efforts in the Vosburgh (G2) at Belmont at the Big A and the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland conclude the 2022.

Overall, Elite Power has seven wins from 10 career starts.

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Arnmore Thoroughbreds' Poppy Flower remained persistent into the stretch, overtaking five rivals in total and gaining the edge on pacesetter Bubble Rock in the shadow of the wire for a thrilling win by a nose in Friday's Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental at six furlongs on the inner turf for older fillies and mares in Friday's concluding race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Megan Jones, general manager and owner of Arnmore Farms, expressed delight in seeing the Kentucky homebred daughter of Lea and the Excellent Art mare Nisharora make the grade.

“We bred her, and raced the mare so this is very exciting, and this is her first foal so it's really thrilling,” Jones said. “Down the stretch we were cheering for her, but I didn't think she got there. [After they crossed the wire] we stayed sitting and then they showed the replay, and obviously, that was a nice surprise. That was amazing. When Poppy kicks, it's always unbelievable but it just didn't look like she got there, so we are thrilled.”

Poppy Flower, whose lone previous graded stakes appearance was a fifth-place effort in the 2021 Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont, saw Jose Ortiz give her a patient ride, tracking in fifth position as Bubble Rock, under Joel Rosario, led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter mile in 22.29 seconds and the half in 45.61 over firm going.

Out of the turn, Ortiz tipped out Poppy Flower, finding an open lane to the outside in picking off Bay Storm, Amy C and Goin' Good with a strong late surge. Zeroing in on Bubble Rock, Poppy Flower completed the comeback by stopping the clock in 1:08.53.

It marked the first win in three attempts in Poppy Flower's 4-year-old campaign following a third-place effort against optional-claiming company in April at Aqueduct Racetrack and a last-out runner-up finish in the License Fee last month at Belmont for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Bubble Rock finished three-quarters of a length ahead of the Flavien Prat-piloted Amy C for second. The favorite Bay Storm was fourth, with Goin' Good, Clitheroe, Messidor and Sarah Harper completing the order of finish.

“She tried hard and got a great trip,” said Mott, who notched his first career Intercontinental win. “He tipped her out in time, and she got there. I mean, she was rolling. She was going to be a half-length in front a couple of jumps past the wire but I wasn't sure she got there in time. That's a close finish. I wasn't sure she got there. She's one of those fillies that shows up every time, but today was an exceptionally good race.”

Poppy Flower, off at 6-1, returned $15 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $505,030 and moved to 4-5-2 in 14 career starts.

“She broke great. I felt like we had a good position,” Ortiz said. “I was following Flavien. When he made his move, I made mine outside of him and luckily we got the bob in the end. You see the form of this mare – she's there every time. There's not a day that she hasn't shown up. I think she'd run on anything. She's just a trier and she gives me confidence. I knew she was going to run great and it's nice to ride a horse you know is going to give you 100 percent. Bill got her doing great and the owner is just great. I'm just so happy for everyone.”

Bubble Rock, trained by Brad Cox, was coming off a win in the License Fee and has finished first or second in each of her last four starts dating to a win in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill Downs that concluded her 2022 ledger.

“She broke in front nicely with no speed today,” Rosario said. “I was just cruising. I had time to get her inside and she got beat right there on the wire. She ran her race.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont for the lucrative 13-race Belmont Stakes Day card, featuring nine graded stakes races led by the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 12. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Belmont Stakes Day beginning with America's Day at the Races on FS1 at 11 a.m. Coverage then shifts to FOX, where America's Day at the Belmont and Belmont Day on FOX will air from 3-7:30 p.m. America's Day at the Belmont Stakes will complement the FOX broadcast with parallel coverage geared to the avid and experienced horseplayer from 4-7:30 p.m. on FS1. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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