Tag: Racing

Juddmonte scored a graded stakes double Saturday at Churchill Downs when their venerable 7-year-old homebred gelding Set Piece collared pacesetter Get Smokin with a sixteenth of a mile to run and comfortably won Saturday's 87th running of the $206,750 Arlington Stakes (G3) by one length.

One race earlier, Idiomatic won the $224,750 Shawnee (G3). Florent Geroux rode both winners for trainer Brad Cox.

A multiple graded stakes winner across North America, British-bred Set Piece ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.42 to record his fifth victory beneath the Twin Spires and become racing's newest millionaire. His most notable triumph came in last year's $400,000 Wise Dan (G2).

Get Smokin, who also finished second in last year's Arlington, dictated the terms through comfortable early splits of :24.16. :48.96, and 1:13.31. Not exactly a setup, the closer Set Piece, was last in the field of the six older horses before he tipped out with a five-wide move at the top of the stretch. He charged home with a powerful late kick and drove past Get Smokin at the sixteenth pole under a hand ride.

“He's one of my favorite horses I've ridden,” Geroux said. “He has no early speed so it's always tough in bigger fields because you can't go super wide turning for home but if you stay too far on the inside you end up in trouble. He always tries hard and I'm so happy he was able to get a win today.”

Set Piece, off as the odds-on 3-5 favorite, paid $3.52 for the win. Get Smokin, a 15-1 outsider under Ricardo Santana Jr., was another three-quarters of a length back in third under Declan Cannon.

Classic Causeway, Royal Patronage, and Kentucky Ghost completed the running order. Tiberius Mercurius was scratched.

Set Piece earned $122,760 for the win and improved his career record to 12-2-2 in 27 starts with earnings of $1,068,683.

“He's a barn favorite of ours,” Cox said. “Juddmonte sent him over to our barn in North America a couple years ago and he's knocked at the door of a Grade 1 in the past. Today he rallied strongly against a pace that wasn't very fast at all. He loves it here at Churchill and we're very proud of his win today.”

Set Piece, a son of Dansili  out of the Kingmambo mare Portodora, was bred in Kentucky by his owner.

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Webslinger, owned by Leonard Green's D. J. Stable, showed his 22-1 longshot victory in the $500,000 American Turf (G2) on the Kentucky Derby card May 6 was no fluke as he rolled to a 1 ¼-length win over Mendelssohns March as the odds-on 3-5 favorite in the $225,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed) Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Webslinger, ridden by Javier Castellano and trained by Mark Casse, ran 1 1/8 miles over  firm turf in 1:49.87.

“I thought Javier gave him a beautiful trip in this race that was very paceless,” said David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “He's a horse that each time you run him he seems to get better. He's proven that in his last couple of efforts, but today's race was a bittersweet one. Lois Green, who was the matriarch of the owner's family, died earlier this week. She was a wonderful woman and our heart goes out to the entire Green family during this time. Hopefully, this win was able to give them a little bit of happiness during a difficult week for their family.”

Breaking from the outside in the field of seven 3-year-olds, Webslinger relaxed in fourth and in the clear behind Lazarus, who set the pace through fractions of :24.34 and :49.04. Around the far turn, Mendelssohns March was the first to challenge the leader as he slipped through an opening along the rail after six furlongs in 1:13.78. Soon thereafter, Webslinger made a four-wide move leaving the turn and swept to the front at the head of the stretch. He kicked on nicely down the lane for his second straight stakes win over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

“There wasn't a whole lot of speed in the race but he was traveling nicely throughout,” Castellano said. “He put himself in a good position turning for him and was able to dig in late. He's a very consistent horse and always seems to run well each time.”

The $136,520 first prize increased Webslinger's earnings to $860,320 from a record of 4-2-1 in 9 starts.

Webslinger paid $3.42 for the win. Mendelssohns March, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up and off at odds of 4-1, outfinished Desert Duke, who was a half-length back in third under Mitch Murrill.

Scoobie Quando, Sharar, J.P. Race, and Lazarus completed the order of finish.

Webslinger, a gelded son of Constitution out of the Hard Spun mare Arana, was bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

The Audubon is named after the historic Louisville neighborhood, which was named after after naturalist and famed bird artist John James Audubon. The neighborhood is near Churchill Downs.

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Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic, returning from her runner-up finish last month in the Ruffian (G2) at Belmont, controlled the pace from the gate and was never threatened en route to victory Saturday in the $225,000 Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old Curlin filly scored by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths over over Sixtythreecaliber while earning her first graded stakes victory. She  finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.13 on a fast track.

Frost Point, last of seven in early running, was up for third, another 1 1/4 lengths back.

With Florent Geroux riding for trainer Brad Cox, Idiomatic laid down fractions of :23.82 for the opening quarter mile, :47:87 for the half, and 1:11.81 for six furlongs. The mile went in 1:35.95 as the winner opened at two-length advantage in early stretch and then coasted across the finish line for her fifth triumph from eight career starts.

The Shawnee marked the fourth victory from five outings this season for Idiomatic, who won the Latonia going 1 1/16 miles at March 25 in her stakes debut Turfway Park prior to the Ruffian.

Kentucky-bred Idomatic ($6.40) is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed First Defence mare Lockdown, who is a full sister to 2014 champion older female Close Hatches.

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Favorite Bango, bidding to tie the all-time win mark at Churchill Downs, took charge entering the stretch and appeared en route to victory until Gunite wore him down with a sustained rally in the final furlong and drove clear to capture the $225,000 Aristides on Saturday.

A 10-time winner Bango at the Louisville track for trainer Greg Foley, Bango held on for second, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner, who covered six furlongs in 1:08.46 on a fast track. Tejano Twist was third after rallying from last in the compact field of five.

Gunite was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who was scoring his second stakes win of the day following his victory aboard Mission of Joy in the $200,000 Regret (G3) one race earlier on the card.

A 4-year Gun Runner colt, Gunite began 2023 with a victory in the King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn prior to his runner-up effort in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) in Saudi Arabia and his narrow third-place effort in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 25 at Meydan Racecourse in his start prior to Saturday's victory. Overall, he improved his career line to 8-5-2 from 17 starts and increased his lifetime earnings to $1,749,509.

Gunite ($3.80) is trained by Steve Asmussen for owner-breeder Winchell Thoroughbreds. His dam is the Cowboy Cal mare Simple Surprise.

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