Tag: Racing

QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean has the chance to add his name to an illustrious list of horses to have completed the Group 1 double of following up in the St James's Palace Stakes, one of the 35 races in the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Before he can stand in the record books alongside the legends that are Brigadier Gerard and Frankel, Chaldean must see off eight rivals, including another Coolmore challenger in Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington as well as unbeaten but Group-race unknown Cicero's Gift.

Isaac Shelby, narrowly beaten in the French 2,000 Guineas and Mostabshir, who would be a fourth winner in ten years in the race for his trainer John Gosden, make this year's St James's Palace a race to savour.

Chaldean's trainer Andrew Balding has been happy with his Classic winner after his Newmarket preparation was anything but traditional. Frankie Dettori was unseated out of the stalls to leave the riderless Chaldean to chase home Issac Shelby in the Greenham at Newbury.

Balding said: “He took the Guineas race well and his work has been stepped up in the last fortnight.”

Asked about the relative merits of the three Guineas, Balding added: “The English Guineas is usually the strongest and Chaldean won it impressively this year.”

Chaldean would also make it a hat-trick of 2,000 Guineas/St James's Palace doubles with Coroebus last year and Poetic Flare in 2021 achieving the same feat. Last year's top-rated juvenile Little Big Bear and Doncaster Futurity Trophy winner and subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin ran lacklustre races behind Chaldean at Newmarket and Coolmore puts up Classic winner Paddington this time.

Aidan O'Brien, who has won this race eight times, would be making it six with Irish Guineas winners – Black Minaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Henrythenavigator, Mastercratfsman and Gleneagles.

O'Brien said: “We have been happy with him since The Curragh. His three runs this year have been good and he is progressive.”

Ryan Moore, who was praised by O'Brien for his ride in a tactical race at The Curragh, said: “I'm looking forward to riding him. He has been improving through the year but he needs to improve again.”

Brian Meehan, who won this Group 1 with Most Improved in 2012, had made entries in the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup and July Cup for Isaac Shelby but feels a mile is his metier.

“I really think he has a huge future and I really think it is at a mile even though we gave him the sprint entries,” said the Manton-based trainer.

“He is much more relaxed in his work since Paris and you can see him maturing. He's an exciting horse to have but there is nowhere to hide at this level.”

Cicero's Gift is the unknown quantity, untested even at lower Group-race level but that has been by design with a late developer, who only made his racecourse debut last autumn.

He made an immediate impression in beating an odds-on favourite of the Gosdens in October and started this year with an all-weather win at Wolverhampton before a runaway success at Goodwood.

Trainer Charlie Hills, who also runs QIPCO 2000 Guineas fourth Galeron, said: “We did toy with the idea of running Cicero's Gift in the Guineas as well but wanted to keep a low profile with this race in mind.

“He took a bit of time to come to hand last year and is going to get better with age and experience – he might get further in time as well.

“He's a good-looking chap, improving with each race but he is going into a Group 1 which will be a different experience.”

Royal Scotsman, third in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Charyn and Indestructible, who were further behind at Newmarket, and impressive York novice race winner Mostabshir complete the field.

The post Royal Ascot: Chaldean Must See Off Eight 3-Year-Old Rivals In St. James’s Palace appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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