Tag: Racing

Kevin Attard trainees Courtly Ro and Fashionably Fab will chase top prize in Saturday's $125,000 Fury Stakes Presented by Stella Artois, at Woodbine.

A key prep on the road to this year's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser (July 23, at Woodbine), the seven-furlong main track Fury, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, has attracted nine hopefuls.

Courtly Ro, a daughter of Cairo Prince, will make the first start of her sophomore season for owner Raroma Stable.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm, the grey filly went 1-0-1 from four starts in 2022. She broke her maiden in her second outing, a half-length score at seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

She capped off her campaign with a seventh in the Natalma (G1T) on September 17 and a fifth in the 1 1/16-mile main track Princess Elizabeth in October.

“Courtly Ro hooked some tough ones in the last two races of her 2-year-old campaign, but I think they served as important learning experiences for her,” said Attard, who won last year's Fury with eventual Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate winner, and Canada's horse of the year, Moira. “We're hoping that she will continue to move forward in her sophomore season.”

Attard is pleased with how Courtly Ro has been prepping for her third straight stakes appearance and second consecutive Tapeta engagement.

“She had a good winter and we've given her a steady work tab getting ready for this race. She's just a nice filly with a great attitude.”

His other hopeful is Terra Racing homebred Fashionably Fab, a daughter of Silent Name (JPN).

After a third in her career bow last September, the dark bay reeled off three straight scores, including a maiden-breaking 11 ¼-length romp in a seven-furlong Tapeta race next time out. She made it two straight trips to the winner's circle after a three-quarter length victory at 6 ½ furlongs on November 3 before a season-ending triumph in the six-furlong main track Shady Well Stakes on December 9.

“One of the first things that comes to mind with Fashionably Fab is the consistency she's shown,” said Attard. “She's a filly that can handle any challenge and doesn't get fazed by something new. I think another impressive thing is her ability to dig in down the lane. Whenever she's engaged by a rival, she steps up and enjoys the challenge.”

Attard, who has posted 685 career wins, is ready to get things rolling with the filly who has earned $124,273 (U.S.) to date.

“She had a really nice winter and we're looking forward to seeing her get things underway for her 3-year-old campaign.”

Dual hall of fame trainer Mark Casse, who will be represented by Elysian Field, Me and My Shadow, and Ticker Tape Home, has won six editions of the Fury, including four consecutive runnings from 2011-14.

The Fury is slated as race nine of 10. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 FURY STAKES PRESENTED BY STELLA ARTOIS

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Tito's Calling – Luis Contreras – Ross Armata, Jr.

2 – Speed Trap – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll

3 – Canadian Sweetheart – Eswan Flores – Renico Lafond

4 – Elysian Field – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

5 – Ticker Tape Home – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

6 – Me and My Shadow – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

7 – Courtly Ro – Ryan Munger – Kevin Attard

8 – Fashionably Fab – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

9 – Anam Cara – Jose Campos – Sarah Ritchie

The post Woodbine Oaks Prep: Attard Pair Ready For Fury Stakes Challenge appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Kentucky homebred Warrant will look to double up on stakes scores in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Brooklyn, a 12-furlong main track marathon for older horses, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old Constitution chestnut finished second to Fearless in this event last year and has already posted a pair of wins this campaign, including a prominent neck score over returning rival Red Run last out in the 1 1/2-mile Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Warrant has breezed back twice, including a five-eighths effort in 1:00 flat on June 3 over the Churchill main track in company with graded-stakes winning stablemate Angel of Empire, who will contest Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

“He ran well in the Brooklyn last year. Hopefully, he steps up and can get the job done this year,” Cox said. “He's coming off a big run at Churchill and he's been working heads up with Angel of Empire the last few weeks and they've been great company for one another. He's set up for a big effort.”

Warrant, who made the grade in the 2021 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, will exit post 7 under Flavien Prat.

Flying P Stable, R.A. Hill Stable and Flying Partners' multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Lone Rock [post 8, Javier Castellano] won this event in 2021 by 11 1/4-lengths for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

The 8-year-old Majestic Warrior gelding, a 16-time winner from 44 starts, added the 13-furlong Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to his ledger in November 2021 at Del Mar. He finished a game second in his seasonal debut in the 12-furlong Temperence Hill in April at Oaklawn Park but was a non-factor when last-of-6 last out in the Isaac Murphy.

Jordan Wycoff's stakes-winner Red Run [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione] will look to turn the tables on Warrant after making a late bid to miss by a neck last out in the Isaac Murphy for trainer Mike Maker.

The 4-year-old Gun Runner colt is a full brother to Red Route One, who will contest Saturday's Belmont Stakes. He is out of the Tapit mare Red House, who is a full-sister to 2014 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Untapable and a half-brother to multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Paddy O'Prado.

Maker said the pedigree was a significant factor in the connections decision to claim Red Run for $50,000 out of a runner-up effort in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on March 12 at Oaklawn Park.

“He's a Gun Runner and I felt he wanted a lot more distance,” Maker said. “He was unlucky to lose last time. He ran hard and came running, he just couldn't get to the winner.”

Red Run won the Texas Turf Mile last January over firm footing at Sam Houston, but has yet to hit the board in five graded attempts including on dirt, turf and synthetic.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, a five-time Brooklyn winner, will saddle the lightly-raced optional-claiming winner Bright Future [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable.

The 4-year-old Curlin colt, a $350,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, has made four career starts, all at a distance of one-mile that includes two wins at Gulfstream Park.

“It's an interesting experiment with a horse that shows some talent. He really gives us the impression that he's looking for more distance,” Pletcher said.

Bright Future is out of the graded-stakes placed Bellamy Road mare Sophia's Song, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Tax Refund.

Michael Foster's Next [post 5, Luan Machado] captured the 13-furlong Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Keeneland for trainer William Cowans, registering a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

His graded breakthrough came on the heels of an 18 1/4-length romp in an off-the-turf edition of the 12-furlong Cape Henlopen in September at Delaware Park. The 5-year-old Not This Time gelding has won three times since being haltered for $62,500 last April at Keeneland.

A talented field of 11 stayers includes recent Temperence Hill winner Calibrate [post 9, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Jamie Ness; graded-stakes placed Forewarned [post 6, Dexter Haddock], who is approaching the $1 million mark in earnings for owner/trainer Uriah St. Lewis; graded-stakes placed Portos [post 1, Trevor McCarthy] for conditioner Tom Morley; four-time winner Code Runner [post 11, Reylu Gutierrez] for trainer Caio Caramori; three-time winner Centavo [post 10, Omar Hernandez Moreno] for conditioner Naipaul Chatterpaul; and three-time winner Alfio [post 3, Luis Saez], who makes his stakes debut for trainer Anthony Quartarolo.

The Brooklyn is slated as Race 6 on Saturday's lucrative Belmont Stakes Day card. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Belmont Stakes Day beginning with America's Day at the Races on FS1 at 11 a.m. Coverage then shifts to FOX, where America's Day at the Belmont and Belmont Day on FOX will air from 3-7:30 p.m.

America's Day at the Belmont Stakes will complement the FOX broadcast with parallel coverage geared to the avid and experienced horseplayer from 4-7:30 p.m. on FS1. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Warrant ‘Set Up For A Big Effort’ In Marathon Brooklyn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lael Stables' Chez Pierre headlines a competitive field of seven in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Poker for 4-year-olds and up contesting one mile on the Belmont Park Widener turf course on Saturday, Belmont Stakes Day.

The 38th running of the Poker, slated for Race 5, is one of nine graded stakes on a loaded card that is highlighted by the 155th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 12. First post for the 13-race card is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.

Chez Pierre made a big statement by drawing away to a 3 1/2-length win in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile last out on April 14 at Keeneland, earning a 106 Beyer that is unsurpassed by anyone in the Poker field.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, he will bring a 3-for-3 record going one mile into the Poker, which started with his North American debut win against optional claimers in March over the Tampa Bay Downs course and a 5 1/2-length win in his stakes debut next out in the Henry S. Clark in April at Laurel Park.

“A mile, a mile and a sixteenth is probably right,” Delacour said. “He can run seven furlongs too – he's got enough tactical speed to run a bit shorter if we want to. But at the moment, I think the mile is just perfect for him.

“The Belmont mile is a little different and it's almost like an extended sprint,” he added. “He's tactical enough to hopefully run well on that kind of track. I think at this stage, he can do both two turns or one turn.”

The 5-year-old French bred son of Mehmas won his last three races in his native country for Francis-Henri Graffard before shipping over to the United States. After making just one start in 2021, Chez Pierre was able to race for the first time since crossing the Atlantic and has won three of his four starts for Delacour, including a last-out win over runner-up Modern Games, the winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November in his previous race.

“We're excited. He's always shown potential,” Delacour said. “He had a few issues we had to deal with – nothing major, but a few setbacks. We always thought very highly of him and we are just very happy that the last time in the Maker's Mark Mile that he could show his true potential. He's definitely an exciting horse. When he's running well, he's right up there at the top of the division. Modern Games might not have been on his best game or needed the race coming back, but that race was very solid and everyone who ran in that race came back to run solid races.”

Flavien Prat will be in the irons for Chez Pierre out of post 1.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will send out Phipps Stable's Dreams of Tomorrow [post 4, Manny Franco], who returned from a three-month layoff to run seventh in the Appleton in April at Gulfstream Park.

With that first contest back, Dreams of Tomorrow posted a two-length win in an optional claimer last month at Belmont going 1 1/16 miles and will now look to make his first graded stakes appearance since running fourth in the 2021 Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga.

“So far, so good. I think the time off sort of helped him a little bit and I think he got a perfect ride by [Manny] Franco [in his last-out allowance win],” McGaughey said. “The little infirmities he's always had are maybe behind him and he liked the firm turf. I wonder maybe a mile, a mile and a sixteenth is his best distance. Down in Florida when I ran him [in the Appleton], he was wide the whole way. I think kind of taking it easy with him over the winter sort of helped him.”

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch's Filo Di Arianna [post 7, Luis Saez] showed a propensity for going longer sprint distances last year, winning the Grade 2 King Edward at the Poker distance in August at Woodbine.

After an eighth-month layoff, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse saw the Brazilian-bred son of Drosselmeyer make his awaited 7-year-old bow with a runner-up effort in a 5 1/2-furlong optional claimer over Woodbine's all-weather track.

“I thought he was really good last out,” Casse said. “It was a little shorter than he likes and he drew the one-hole, which didn't help. He ran well though. This will be a tougher race, but the distance of the Poker should be to his liking.”

Emaraaty hasn't raced since winning the Grade 3 Bernard Baruch in September for trainer Chad Brown. After a nine-month respite, the British-bred son of Dubawai can make the first start of his 8-year-old year, with jockey Jose Ortiz on the call from post 2.

Brown will also saddle ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables and Dave Kenney's multiple graded-stakes placed Mackinnon [post 3, Joel Rosario] out of a prominent runner-up effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Hill Prince, while making his debut for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer on October 22 at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old American Pharoah colt enjoyed a terrific 2-year-old campaign for trainer Doug O'Neill, winning the Del Mar Turf Juvenile and Zuma Beach at Santa Anita en route to a closing third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.

Three Diamonds Farm's Anaconda [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione] found success over the Belmont turf last time, capturing the seven-furlong Elusive Quality on May 6. Including a win in a seven-furlong Kentucky Downs turf sprint in September, the now 6-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile has registered three victories in his past eight starts with a pair of runner-up efforts and a third-place finish in that span.

“It was nice to see him win because he had been knocking on the door and he deserved it,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “I thought he started to turn a corner going into his Kentucky Downs race, and after that, he showed signs he would be good enough to be a graded stakes horse.”

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's multiple graded-stakes winner Emmanuel [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] has thrived since switching to the turf and capturing the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge in frontrunning fashion last June for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The 4-year-old More Than Ready colt added a pair of Grade 3s to his ledger in Florida this year, taking the Tampa Bay in February and the Canadian Turf in March at Gulfstream Park. He enters from a close third in the Grade 3 Dinner Party on May 20 at Pimlico.

Bourbon Calling is entered for the main-track only.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Belmont Stakes Day beginning with America's Day at the Races on FS1 at 11 a.m. Coverage then shifts to FOX, where America's Day at the Belmont and Belmont Day on FOX will air from 3-7:30 p.m. America's Day at the Belmont Stakes will complement the FOX broadcast with parallel coverage geared to the avid and experienced horseplayer from 4-7:30 p.m. on FS1. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Off ‘Very Solid’ Win In Maker’s Mark Mile, Chez Pierre Leads Field Of Seven For Saturday’s Poker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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