Tag: Racing

Moira, who recorded three wins from five starts in 2022, including victories in the Queen's Plate (now known as the King's Plate) and Woodbine Oaks, will make her 4-year-old debut in Saturday's $150,000 Belle Mahone (G3) Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack. Nine fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta in race eight on the card.

Also on Saturday, Baby No Worries will make her second straight start at Woodbine when the 4-year-old takes on 10 filly and mare rivals in Saturday's $175,000 Royal North (G2T), the first turf stakes race of the 2023 season.

Trained by Kevin Attard for owners X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing, Moira was crowned Canada's Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly at the Sovereign Awards ceremony earlier this year.

Moira captured the Fury Stakes and Woodbine Oaks before an impressive seven-length score over males in the $1 million Plate, in which she shattered Woodbine's 1 ¼-mile synthetic-track record.

“There are a lot of things that stand out from last year,” said Attard. “Watching her win the Oaks and Plate, and doing it the way she did, was so impressive. And to see the outpouring of affection from fans meant the world to all of us. And to see her efforts recognized at the Sovereigns was extremely humbling.”

The daughter of Ghostzapper completed her campaign with two grade 1 engagements, demoted from second to eighth in the E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) for interference, and finishing fifth in her year-end start in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.

The bay breezed five furlongs on the Tapeta in 1:01.00 on May 27.

“We're all excited to see Moira start her season,” said Attard. “She's obviously a very special and extremely talented individual. She had a great winter and she's looked sharp ahead of this race. She's continued to mature, and hopefully she can start things off on a winning note.”

Bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, Moira won the 2021 Princess Elizabeth Stakes in her debut and followed it up with a second in the Mazarine (G3) to conclude her 2-year-old season.

“There are a lot of compliments I could come up with, but in some ways, I don't know if I have the words to share just how special she is,” praised Attard.

Champion rider Kazushi Kimura will be aboard for the Belle Mahone.

Other starters include multiple stakes winner Il Malocchio, Godolphin homebred Purrfect, and multiple graded stakes winner Souper Hoity Toity.

$150,000 BELLE MAHONE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Moira – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

2 – Batyah – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

3 – Souper Hoity Toity – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Sister Seagull – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Catherine Day Phillips

5 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler

6 – Missy Greer – Declan Carroll – Danny Gargan

7 – Purrfect – Ryan Munger – Michael Stidham

8 – Saratoga Vision – Jeffrey Alderson – Alexander Patykewich

9 – Keyflower (FR) – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

A bay daughter of Mr Speaker-Pajama Bottom, trained by Tim Girten, Baby No Worries finished third in the Whimsical Stakes (G3) last time out, rallying to net the show award in the six-furlong main track race for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, on May 13.

“I was happy with it,” said Girten. “She made a good run. She got pinched at the start, but I don't think that affected her too much because of her style of coming from off the pace. The winner (Our Flash Drive) is an impressive horse, but we're going to chase her again.”

The Chan E Brook Stables' miss will now test out the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course (at 6 ½ furlongs) for the first time in what will be her 16th lifetime start.

“She has developed really nicely into a very mature 4-year-old,” praised Girten. “She's really maturing, growing up and progressing. She's very quiet and pleasant around the barn. She keeps to herself, not a horse that demands attention. She can be protective of her stall space, that, 'This is my house' type of attitude. She's got a confident presence about her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Cave Brook Farm, Baby No Worries is 3-3-4 from 15 starts, with her latest victory coming this January at Turfway Park when she came from last of 12 to post a half-length score in the six-furlong allowance race.

Purchased for $20,000 (U.S.) at the 2019 Keeneland Association November Breeding Stock Sale, Baby No Worries debuted with a pair of third-place finishes at Presque Isle in the fall of 2019.

She broke her maiden the following June, in her fifth start, also at Presque Isle. The bay made it two straight one month later at the Pennsylvania oval.

Baby No Worries finished 10th in her only grass try, a one-mile race on December 4, 2021, at Tampa Bay Downs.

“We did run her that one time on the turf as a 2-year-old. I believe she handled the surface fine. I did stretch her out that day, but this turf is very important. If she handles the turf well as well as the Tapeta, it opens up so many more options. And I think the course will suit her.”

Girten came away impressed after his first up-close look at the E.P. Taylor course.

“When I was there for the Grade 3 race, you use the walkway to get to the main track, and it looked absolutely fantastic. To see the thickness and the firmness of the turf, it looked like one of the best turf courses I've ever walked on. It looked beautiful.” ​

Other hopefuls include multiple graded stakes-placed Bay Storm, who will have John Velazquez in the irons for trainer Jonathan Thomas, and seven-time winner Adaay in Asia (GB), making her North American debut.

$175,000 ROYAL NORTH STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Imagery – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

2 – Bay Storm – John Velazquez – Jonathan Thomas

3 – Demodog – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

4 – Millie Girl – Declan Carroll – Catherine Day Phillips

5 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

6 – Sweet Enough (GB) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

7 – Owen's Tour Guide – Jose Campos – William Armata

8 – Baby No Worries – Antonio Gallardo – Tim Girten

9 – Ambassador Luna – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

10 – Adaay in Asia (GB) – Kazushi Kimura – Christophe Clement

11 – Forest Drift – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

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California-based Dr. Schivel, a 5-year-old Violence bay trained by Mark Glatt, could stretch out beyond seven furlongs for the first time in the Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park.

The Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Santa Anita. Dr. Schivel is also nominated to the Grade 2, $250,000 True North at 6 1/2-furlongs on the same card.

“It's under consideration,” Glatt said of the Met Mile. “It's a one-turn mile, so it's a bit of a stretch out but not a two-turn stretch out. It depends how each race ultimately shapes up.”

Owned by Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and co-breeder William A. Branch, Dr. Schivel finished third in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 26, 2022 at Meydan Racecourse but returned victorious off a 14-month layoff to win a six-furlong allowance sprint on May 13 at Santa Anita that garnered a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

With Juan Hernandez up, Dr. Schivel defeated fellow millionaire C Z Rocket – who finished second next out in the Grade 2 Triple Bend at Santa Anita – by 4 1/4 lengths.

Glatt said he was proud of the strong return effort and praised the bay's class and consistency which has produced a record of 11-6-2-2 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million.

“We were obviously happy with the return performance. He's been perfect [since],” Glatt said. “He usually shows up with his very best and he's just a class act to be around. When you lead him over there, you have confidence he's going to give you a top effort.”

Dr. Schivel was a Grade 1 winner at 2 and 3 at Del Mar when he captured the 2020 seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity and defeated older horses in the following year's six-furlong Bing Crosby. He was a close second to Aloha West in the 2021 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, also at Del Mar.

Glatt noted the importance of the Metropolitan Handicap as a stallion-making race.

“We all know what the Met Mile does for potential stallions. It's a signature race that's very important if he should win it,” Glatt said. “If he should win either race, he'd be a graded stakes winner on both the East Coast and West Coast, so all of those things are important for him down the road eventually.”

Dr. Schivel is out of the Mining for Money mare Lil Nugget, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Ultra Blend.

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The marquee night of the 2023 Thoroughbred season takes place Saturday with the Louisiana Legends card at Evangeline Downs. The 10-race card features six stake races for Louisiana-bred runners, with each stake worth $100,000. The 91 total entries also include a pair of 2-year-old races for potential future Legends night runners.

In addition to the excellent card that was drawn, Evangeline Downs has many other attractions for race fans. Prior to the races, jockeys will be available for pictures and autographs in a meet and greet from 4:30-5:00pm and jockeys will be tossing t-shirts from the winner's circle after each stakes race. Family night staples including face painting and balloon animals for the kids are also planned for the evening. There will be many food vendors with specialty foods and treats in the paddock area as well.

The stakes action starts in the fifth race on the card with the Turf Distaff at the distance of one mile. A G's Charlotte, a stake winner earlier in the meet on the main track, is the morning line favorite. Fort Polk and Wholelottamo, both recent winners, look to be a couple of the primary contenders.

The Mademoiselle looks to be a competitive affair with fan favorites Snowball and Free Like a Girl entered in the race for fillies and mares at 5-1/2 furlongs. Each of those runners has a win at the current meet. Flashy Meg captured the Creole Lady Stakes earlier in the season and could be an upset candidate. Wupkar and First I've Seen could also attract some attention from the wagering public.

The Cheval, for 3-year-olds at one mile, looks like a wide-open race with a field of nine. Macho Beanie defeated Allnight Moonlight earlier in the meet in the Ragin Cajun by just a neck. Five of the other runners won their previous start, including Calibrachoa Kid, Z's Guitar and Kajun Karma.

The Soiree will test 3-year-old fillies at the distance of one mile. Star Moment was installed as the 5/2 morning line favorite off her recent win in the Cajun Miss. New Destiny and Louisiana Liberty will look to turn the tables after chasing Star Moment home in their earlier meeting. An interesting runner in the field is Sixth Anniversary, who tries the main track for the first time. Her previous 11 starts have been on either turf or synthetic surfaces.

A highly contentious field of 11 runners will square off in the Legends Turf at the distance of a mile and a sixteenth. Carlea's Dream is the morning line favorite with his recent efforts against open company. Budro Talking and Big Chopper look to draw interest at the windows with their consistent current form. Deer Crossing and Blue Cheese are winners at the current meet and could pose outside chances in a race that could be a handicapping puzzler.

The Legends Sprint will close out the card with a loaded field traveling 5-1/2 furlongs. All nine of the entered runners have some success over the surface, as they all have been victorious over the oval. Big Chopper is the morning line favorite at 5/2, but is cross-entered in the Turf, so that could open other possibilities for favoritism. Black Sword captured the King Creole in his most recent trip and has leading rider Vicente Del-Cid aboard. Mike J, Bertie's Galaxy and Bootsie's Galaxy could also merit consideration.

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will be awarding two $1,000 scholarships during the evening. Students are encouraged to attend the races and enter the drawing, with the winners to be selected after the fifth race. First post time Saturday will be 5:30pm Central Time.

For more information on racing at Evangeline Downs, visit the track's website at www.evdracing.com and on Twitter @evdracing. The racing calendar for 2023 season features racing Thursday through Saturday until the end of the meet on August 12.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features live horse racing, exciting casino action, the Fan Duel Sportsbook and fun dining experiences. Evangeline Downs is located in Opelousas, Louisiana, off I-49 on Cresswell Lane at Exit 18.

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