Tag: Racing

Juddmonte's 7-year-old gelding Set Piece, a multiple graded stakes winner across North America, tops a field of seven turf specialists that entered Saturday's 87th running of the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The Arlington is one of six stakes events on the “Stephen Foster Preview Day” card. Run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Arlington was carded as Race 9 of 11 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. (ET) First post is 12:45 p.m. The stakes-laden program at Churchill Downs also will feature the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3, $225,000 Regret Stakes (G3), $225,000 Shawnee (G3), $225,000 Aristides (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed).

Trained by Brad Cox, the 11-time winner Set Piece made his return to the races May 4 at Churchill Downs when he finished a fast-closing third in the Opening Verse Stakes under jockey Florent Geroux. The British-bred Dansili dark bay is a four-time winner beneath the Twin Spires, most notably in last year's $400,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), which will be run one month from the Arlington at Churchill Downs. Set Piece drew post No. 7 in the Arlington and will once again be ridden by Geroux.

Others entered in the Arlington include Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper's Belmont Derby (G1) hero Classic Causeway and Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners' multiple graded stakes winner Get Smokin.

Here's the complete field for the Arlington from the inside out (with jockey and trainer): Get Smokin (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mark Casse); Kentucky Ghost (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Classic Causeway (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Tiberius Mercurius (Luis Saez, Mike Maker); Harlan Estate (Declan Cannon, Whit Beckman); Royal Patronag (John Velazquez, Graham Motion); and Set Piece (Geroux, Cox).

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Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll, who was victorious one week ago in the Pimlico Special (G3), is slated to return to Churchill Downs and face seven rivals entered in Saturday's fourth running of the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3), the featured race on “Stephen Foster Preview Day.”

The 1 1/8-mile Blame can be used as a prep for the $1-million Stephen Foster (G1) that will be run four weeks later at Churchill Downs. The Blame was tabbed as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (ET). First post is 12:45 p.m.

Along with the Blame, the program also will feature the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3), $225,000 Regret Stakes (G3), $225,000 Shawnee Stakes (G3), $225,000 Aristides Stakes (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed).

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Rattle N Roll is a Grade 1-winning son of Connect. Rattle N Roll was well meant as a 2-year-old following his victory in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. At age 3, Rattle N Roll targeted the Road to the Kentucky Derby but did not qualify for the “Run for the Roses.” Following the first Saturday in May, Rattle N Roll tallied victories in the American Derby, St. Louis Derby and Oklahoma Derby (G3).

Now a 4-year-old, Rattle N Roll began his campaign with a fourth-place finish in the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds but returned to the winner's circle one month later at Keeneland in the Ben Ali Stakes (G3). On Black Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico, Rattle N Roll scored in the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special when he rallied from eight lengths off the pace to defeat Speed Bias by a nose.

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was named on the seven-time winner Rattle N Roll for the Blame and will break from the rail.

The Top 4 finishers from the Ben Ali were entered in the Blame. Giddyup Stables and Tom Lambro's Call Me Fast finished as the runner-up, only 1 ¼ length behind Rattle N Roll in the April 22 contest. The 4-year-old gelded son of Dialed In is a three-time winner and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux from post No. 4.

Call Me Fast crossed the line a half-length better than Sumaya U.S. Stables' Pioneer of Medina. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt recorded his first graded stakes victory three months ago in the Mineshaft (G3) at Fair Grounds. Pioneer of Medina will be ridden by Luis Saez, who was aboard the 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile in the Mineshaft, from post 7.

Lothenbach Stables' five-time winner Happy American was defeated 4 ¾ lengths by Rattle N Roll in the Ben Ali. The 5-year-old gelded son of Runhappy tallied his lone graded stakes victory four months ago at Fair Grounds when he charged from 5 ½ lengths off the pace to win the Louisiana Stakes (GIII) under jockey James Graham. Trained by Neil Pessin, Happy American drew post 6 in the Blame and will once again have the riding services of Graham.

Another classy horse that entered in the Blame is Godolphin's Santin, who won multiple Grade 1 races at Churchill Downs on the turf. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Santin scored a neck victory in the 2022 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs and returned to Grade 1 glory in the Arlington Million in mid-August beneath the Twin Spires. The Blame would be Santin's first start on dirt with 12 prior races coming on turf or Tapeta. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride Santin out of post 5.

The complete Blame field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Rattle N Roll (Hernandez, McPeek); Masqueparade (Corey Lanerie, Al Stall Jr.); Barber Road (Rey Gutierrez, John Ortiz); Call Me Fast (Leparoux, Michael Puhich); Santin (Gaffalione, Walsh); Happy American (Graham Pessin); Pioneer of Medina (Saez, Pletcher); and Cooke Creek (Adam Beschizza, Jeremiah O'Dwyer).

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Following an impressive Keeneland allowance score in his 2023 debut, George Sharp's Front Run the Fed will target the $400,000 Jaipur (G1) for 3-year-olds and upward going six furlongs on the turf on June 10 at Belmont Park.

The Jaipur offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Santa Anita.

The 7-year-old son of Fed Biz displayed an impressive turn of foot in his last effort, chasing a torrid pace from 10th-of-11 down the backstretch and weaved his way through traffic in the stretch drive under Reylu Gutierrez to win by one length. The bay horse completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.23 and garnered a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Caio Caramori said Front Run the Fed puts in his best effort with time in between races. He made his 2022 debut off a nine-month layoff to win the Van Clief in July at Colonial Downs.

“He always runs well off a layoff,” Caramori said. “I like the way he's coming into this race. We gave him plenty of time between that race and this race as well, so I'm expecting a big effort. The plan is to go for the Jaipur and then regroup after that.”

Front Run the Fed breezed a half mile in :50 May 23 at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington in his first work since his Keeneland win on April 22.

Caramori would ultimately like to point Front Run the Fed to the $1-million Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2) on September 9 which is also a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event. He finished a respective fourth and seventh in last two runnings of that event for Caramori and was second in the 2020 edition when conditioned by Chad Brown. Sharp purchased the six-time winner at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Horses of Racing Age Sale for a sale-topping $440,000.

“The major objective is the million-dollar race at Kentucky Downs. He loves that track so we're trying to get there and get the best trip possible,” Caramori said. “We may come back to New York at some point again over the summer and then end up at Kentucky Downs and hopefully California for Breeders' Cup at the end of the year.”

Gutierrez is expected to retain the mount for the Jaipur.

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Trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer said that last-out Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) winner Sibelius will be entered in Saturday's $225,000 Aristides, a listed six-furlong sprint for older horses at Churchill Downs, but will keep tabs on the $250,000 True North (G2) on June 10 at Belmont as a backup option.

“He's stabled here at Keeneland and [the Aristides is] only up the road [at Churchill Downs]. We'll have a look at the race and see what post position we get and how the race is shaping up,” O'Dwyer said. “If we like what we've got we'll run him there, but we'll still keep the True North in mind.”

Owned by Jun Park and Delia Nash, the 5-year-old Not This Time gelding is a perfect 2-for-2 this year, taking the Pelican in February at Tampa Bay Downs ahead of a rallying nose score over Switzerland in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

O'Dwyer, who was aboard Sibelius for a half-mile breeze in :50 flat on Saturday at Keeneland, said the chestnut is thriving since returning from overseas.

“He's done great. We gave him some time off and let him relax and put all his weight back on,” O'Dwyer said. “We jogged him at Keeneland for a week and he was jumping out of his skin, so he went back to galloping. He's had three breezes since and his fitness level is good and his energy level is good. He's bright, happy and content. That's all we want. Happy horses run for you and he seems pretty happy right now.”

O'Dwyer said he was pleased with the Saturday work.

“He's a fun horse to ride. I just wanted a smooth, relaxed breeze. If you put certain riders on him, he'll roll in :46 every time on the bridle if you let him,” O'Dwyer said. “I let him have a nice gallop out and get a bit of air in his lungs. We know he's a very fast horse, but we wanted to make sure that foundation is still underneath him.”

Sibelius boasts a record of 7-3-3 from 19 career starts and purse earnings in excess of $1.6 million, and O'Dwyer said the gelding's form has improved not only with the addition of blinkers last spring here, but also through maturity.

“He was a bit shy. A bit insecure, I guess. We put the blinkers on him and they helped him and racing helped him,” O'Dwyer said. “He started getting more mature and more confident. He took a few good races before the penny dropped on what he was going to be. He just needed that racing experience to mature into the horse he is right now.”

Sibelius posted impressive Beyer Speed Figures last year through wins in the Lite the Fuse [106] at Pimlico and Mr. Prospector [96] at Gulfstream Park while racing forwardly, but he found a new dimension under Ryan Moore last out in Dubai.

“He missed the break and sat in behind a bunch of horses and he went down the inside,” O'Dwyer said. “Before that, I'd be telling you he'd need to be on the lead or close to the front and in the clear to run his best race. But that's one thing about horses, you can say one thing and they'll do another. They always keep you guessing.”

Bred in Kentucky by Taylor Brothers Properties, Pollock Farms and Patrick H. Payne et al., Sibelius is out of the Pulpit mare Fiery Pulpit, who is a half sister to graded stakes winner Clamorosa.

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