Tag: Racing

Three Diamonds Farm's multiple graded-stakes winning New York-bred Cross Border has made his last three starts over jumps, but will return to the flat in Friday's Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile Widener turf test for older horses, at Belmont Park.

The 9-year-old English Channel ridgling made five starts for trainer Keri Brion dating to September, including his last three over hurdles led by a maiden score traveling 2 1/16-miles in March at Aiken ahead of a distant fourth last-out in a 2 1/2-mile handicap over soft ground on April 29 at Charlotte.

Cross Border recently rejoined the barn of Mike Maker, who conditioned the dark bay from 2019-August 2022, and has posted a trio of works over the Belmont dirt training track including a half-mile effort in 52 flat this morning.

“He's the same old Cross Border. He's a sound, hickory horse,” Maker said.

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs, Cross Border captured back-to-back editions of the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green in 2020-21. The ultra-consistent Cross Border sports a ledger of 49-12-8-6 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million.

He will be in search of his first win in 10 attempts over the Belmont green, having hit the board on four occasions.

“It looks like a tough spot to make his comeback, but we'll see,” Maker said.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Cross Border from post 12 as part of a stacked 13-horse field that includes European raiders Siskany and High Definition.

The post Millionaire Cross Border, Winner Over Jumps, Returns To Flat For Belmont Gold Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 1 Preakness winner National Treasure and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Kentucky homebred Red Route One put together their final serious preparations for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes with breezes Monday over the Belmont Park main track.

Under sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, National Treasure was amongst the first horses to visit the track following the renovation break. With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, the son of Quality Road went five furlongs in 59.55 seconds over the fast main track before galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, National Treasure has now worked twice over Big Sandy after breezing a half-mile in 50.62 seconds on May 30.

Baffert's chief assistant Jimmy Barnes was on hand for the work and expressed satisfaction with the move.

“He worked very well this morning,” Barnes said. “It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race.”

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, National Treasure was fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby prior to his Preakness conquest.

A debut maiden winner in September at Del Mar, National Treasure finished a respective second and third in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita and Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland – both Grade 1 events. He was a $500,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Treasure.

Red Route One posted a half-mile work in 50.20 seconds Monday over Belmont Park's dirt training track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the chestnut son of Gun Runner stepped onto the track just after the first renovation break and was walked down part of the stretch before turning back the other way and making his way to the backstretch to begin his exercise. He completed the work under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 60s.

“I thought he went beautiful,” said Toby Sheets, Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant. “It was nice and fluid and he came back with good energy. I'm very happy with him. We wanted to be out on the track before it got really busy.”

It was the second work Red Route One has posted at Belmont since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. He logged a similar half-mile breeze in 50.85 over the Belmont main track on May 29.

Sheets said he has been pleased with the way Red Route One has come along over the past two weeks.

“He's doing everything right and I have no complaints,” Sheets said.

In the Preakness, Red Route One rated in sixth, six lengths off the moderate pace set by returning rival National Treasure and improved to fourth position by the three-quarters call, but could not reel in the runaway pair of Blazing Sevens and National Treasure as they battled down the stretch to the wire. Red Route One finished 4 3/4 lengths back of the victorious National Treasure, who completed the 1 3/16 miles in a final time of 1:55.12.

Red Route One entered the Preakness from a narrow victory over fellow Belmont Stakes hopeful Tapit Shoes in the nine-furlong Bath House Row on April 22 at Oaklawn Park. He finished second in both the Grade 3 Southwest and Grade 2 Rebel earlier this year at the Hot Springs oval and earned a Grade 1 placing when third in the Breeders' Futurity in October at Keeneland.

The post Belmont Stakes: National Treasure, Red Route One Both Breeze Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It might not be quite as longstanding of a tradition as white carnations adorning the Belmont Stakes winner, but the weekend of the final jewel of the Triple Crown has consistently seen trainer Chad Brown enter formidable contenders to the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game, at Belmont Park.

After saddling five winners in the race's previous six editions, Brown will send out Peter Brant's In Italian and Speak of the Devil in Friday's 30th running of the one-mile Widener turf contest for older fillies and mares on the eve of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The Just a Game, named in honor of Brant's 1980 American Champion Female Turf Horse, is one of five graded stakes on Friday's 11-race card, joining the Grade 1, $600,000 New York for older fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf; the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. for sophomore fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the main track; the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup for 4-year-olds and up going a marathon two miles on the Widener turf; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental for older fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the inner turf.

Brown, who shares the record of five Just a Game wins with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, won last year's edition with Regal Glory en route to honors as Champion Female Turf Horse.

He will send out four-time graded stakes-winner In Italian, who commenced her 5-year-old campaign the same way she tore through her 2022 year by posting a three-length victory in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley going 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf in April.

“She looks good. She's at her best right now. We've been down this road before with a top horse like her,” Brown said.

The British-bred daughter of Dubawi has registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in four consecutive starts, encompassing Grade 1 wins last year in the Diana at Saratoga Race Course and the First Lady at Keeneland, the latter earning a 104 figure that was matched for her runner-up effort to Tuesday by one length in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at the same Keeneland track to close her year.

Brown said he appreciates Brant's decision to bring back In Italian for a 2023 campaign.

“Peter loves running his horses and if they're sound and healthy, he'll run his mares through age five,” Brown said.

In Italian has finished on the board in all 10 starts, compiling a 6-3-1 record with a field-high $1.635 million in earnings. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the call from post 1.

Brant also owns Speak of the Devil, who ran fourth in last year's running of the prestigious race at Belmont. The French-bred mare did not race again in 2022 following the Just a Game but started her 6-year-old year with a fifth-place effort in the Grade 3 Honey Fox in March at Gulfstream Park before earning black type with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May.

Brown said Speak of the Devil would appreciate a bit of moisture in the ground Friday after racing on firm footing in Kentucky.

“She seems to be a little bit sensitive for her ground, so if it comes up a little soft with a little more give, she'll be more effective. Most of my horses didn't handle the Churchill ground,” Brown said.

Flavien Prat will be in the irons from post 5.

Gainesway Stable's New York homebred Spendarella outkicked Speak of the Devil by one length for second in the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill and will have a rematch in making her Empire State debut for trainer Graham Motion.

After some weather-related challenges postponed Spendarella's 2023 bow, the 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie was able to get back on track and was bested by winner Fluffy Socks by one length, earning a personal-best 95 Beyer while moving to 4-2-0 in six career starts.

Motion said she ran well enough to win but was happy she progressed from her impressive workouts following a layoff of more than eight months since suffering a slight setback last fall.

“I thought she was very tenacious. It's tough to come back from that kind of a layoff against that kind of company,” Motion said. “Since then, she's worked well. She breezed well last week and we went easier on her in her last work. It was a good work and I've been pleased with her.”

Spendarella recorded another workout at Motion's Fair Hill, Maryland base on Friday, going five furlongs in a minute flat over the all-weather training course.

“In her last race, I was initially a little disappointed that she was second because she was training really well,” Motion said. “But looking at it now, it was the best figure that she's run and she's done well since the race. Hopefully, having a race will help her moving forward.”

Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 3.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Wakanaka closed her 4-year-old season with a win in the Fall Harvest in November at Keeneland.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott put her against high-caliber competition to start 2023, beginning with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park before a fourth-place effort in the Distaff Turf Mile against a contingent of familiar faces she'll race against again in the Just a Game.

After consistently showing a propensity to stalk the speed of the race, Mott said the inclusion of fast early speed could be beneficial.

“She's doing well. A bit of pace helps her,” Mott said. “I'm sure it's going to be a tough race.”

Jockey Joel Rosario drew the assignment and will break from post 4.

Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Fergus Galvin's New Year's Eve [post 2, Luis Saez], who finished third last out in the Grade 3 Modesty going 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill turf, will return to Belmont for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The 4-year-old Kitten's Joy filly's only previous appearance on the Belmont turf came in an eighth-place effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational last July in the 1 1/4-mile test. But New Year's Eve followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational and was third in the Tom Benson Memorial in March at Fair Grounds before returning to graded stakes company.

The Just a Game is slated as Race 4 on Friday's 11-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

The post Just A Game Favorite In Italian ‘At Her Best Right Now’; ‘Tenacious’ Spendarella Should Move Forward appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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