Tag: Racing

Douglas Scharbauer's Texas homebred Closing Act moved to a perfect 2-for-2 with an off-the-pace victory under Irad Ortiz Jr. in Sunday's $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Munnings added to a debut graduation by a neck on May 11 when sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs where she delivered a similar rallying performance under Tyler Gaffalione.

“She made a few mistakes first time out and we told Irad that we thought she'd be more forwardly placed and more professional, and she was,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen. “She got a lot out of her first race. Super proud of her today. She's really gone through a growth spurt this month and she's filling out and looks beautiful.”

Closing Act broke cleanly from the outermost post 5 to track behind the sharp-starting pacesetter Union Suit, who widened her advantage to one length midway down the backstretch and marked an opening quarter-mile in :22.33 over the fast main track while Golden Ghost rated in second and Closing Act went head-to-head with Donate Life for third.

Union Suit maintained her advantage in the turn as Golden Ghost and Donate Life dropped back with Closing Act advancing with purpose on the far outside under coaxing from Ortiz.. It was Closing Act's race to lose at the top of the lane as she overpowered her pacesetting rival and drew away down the stretch to post the 3 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:06.59.

Union Suit stayed on for place honors by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-running Living Magic with Golden Ghost and Donate Life completing the order of finish. Low Mileage was scratched.

Ortiz said he used his best judgement to decide when to ask Closing Act for her best run.

“She's nice. She broke pretty well with the field, but when close to the turn the inside horse [Union Suit] got a little advantage on me,” he said. “I couldn't clear anybody so I had to stay there. After that, I had to make her go a little early. It's only a 5 1/2 [-furlong race] so I couldn't do too much. I just made her go forward and she responded really well so I just kept going.

“She made the lead playing a little bit and got a little lost,” Ortiz added. “When she made the lead she was looking around and slowed down a little. So I had to make sure she kept going.”

Blasi said Closing Act, whose dam is the Master Command mare Evening Show, could be pointed towards the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity on July 1 at Lone Star Park next.

“We'll talk to Steve about what's next. She's eligible for the Sales Futurity—she is a Texas-bred—so we have options,” said Blasi. “But, you know what, we are really happy to get done what we got done today.”

Closing Act returned $3.40 for a $2 win ticket as the 3-5 mutuel favorite. She banked $82,500 in victory, boosting her total lifetime purse earnings past the six-figure mark to $124,500.

Manny Franco, rider of runner-up Union Suit, said the Graham Motion-trained filly gave her best effort in her stakes debut.

“My filly ran really well and was second-best,” said Franco. “She was straight-forward. In the gate she was a little bit hesitant, but after that, in the race, she was good.”

The post Texas-Bred Closing Act Powers To Astoria Win In Stakes Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite had just enough left in the tank to stave off the late rush of Be Your Best and claim victory in Sunday's $200,000 Wonder Again (G2), a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.

The top three finishers of the Wonder Again have each received an automatic invitation to the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on July 8 at Belmont. The 1 1/4-mile turf test is the opening leg in the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple, a series of three important graded turf stakes for sophomore fillies. Following the Belmont Oaks, the series continues with the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) at 1 3/16-miles on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course; and the 11-furlong Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3) to be held during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, Prerequisite passed her first test against winners on the heels of a second-out graduation going the Wonder Again distance on May 7 at Belmont. The bay daughter of Upstart was tenacious in victory, finding just enough late under Flavien Prat to become racing's latest graded stakes winner.

“I wanted to be [on the lead] if she broke well,” said Brown, who scored a repeat victory in this event for a record fifth Wonder Again triumph. “He [Prat] actually hustled her out of there to make that lead. I didn't want to leave it in the hands of another horse and possibly a slow pace to deal with in this race. So we established ourselves on the lead, the plan was to go or if she couldn't get there, at least attempt to and get the pace going a bit.”

Prerequisite emerged sharply from post 4 and bounded to the front of the seven-horse field in tandem with Spansive to her outside through the first turn, marking an opening quarter-mile in 23.67 seconds over the firm footing.

Prerequisite inched further away from Spansive as Thirty Thou Kelvin and Allamericanbeauty went head-to-head for second entering the backstretch. The field was well spread out with position remaining unchanged through a half-mile in 47.94 before the Manny Franco-piloted Be Your Best was brought wide and began making up ground approaching the turn.

Be Your Best swung four-wide in the turn to take dead aim at Prerequisite, who held her advantage as Spansive retreated after three-quarters in 1:11.80. Prat asked Prerequisite for more at the top of the lane and his horse responded, digging in gamely at the eighth pole with the oncoming Be Your Best gaining with every stride. But Prerequisite was all heart and kept on well enough to repel her challenger by a neck in a final time of 1:47.20.

The Brown-trained Revalita improved from sixth to claim show honors one length back of Prerequisite with Spansive, Allamericanbeauty, Thirty Thou Kelvin and Venencia, who was off slowly, completing the order of finish.

Prat, who was aboard for the filly's maiden win over impressive next-out maiden winner Highland Grace, said Prerequisite has ample courage.

“I hustled her out of the gate to get a good position and I found myself on the lead,” Prat said. “She was traveling well from there. She got really brave. Every time a horse came to her, she would dig in. It's a good sign that more distance will be fine.”

Brown added the July 8 Belmont Oaks could come under consideration for Prerequisite's next outing.

“It could be,” he said. “We'll see how she comes out of this.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, Prerequisite's dam is the Smart Strike mare Etsu. A $350,000 purchase by First Row Partners at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Mason Springs consigned her. She increased her lifetime bankroll to $163,000 with the $110,00 winner's share of the Wonder Again purse.

Prerequisite returned $16 for a $2 win wager.

Horacio De Paz, trainer of Be Your Best, said he was encouraged by what he saw from the daughter of Muhaarar in her second start off a five-month respite.

“Her first race back was just one to give her, so it's good to see that she came back against these horses. This was a tough race,” De Paz said. “I think [the Belmont Oaks] will be the plan as long as she comes out of it OK.”

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Mike McCarty's Gold Sweep swooped to an impressive nine-length score under Jose Ortiz in Sunday's $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who sent out juvenile filly Closing Act to victory in the Astoria earlier on the card, Gold Sweep delivered on the promise he demonstrated with a late-closing bid to finish second, by a neck, in his five-furlong debut on May 18 at Churchill Downs.

“He didn't get away real well first time out and just got a lot of experience out of the race. We knew watching him train that there was a lot more there,” said Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi. “We had enough confidence in him to bring him up here, and you saw how he performed today. It's been a nice weekend for us.”

Maiden winners Vitement and Ship Cadet dueled for the early lead with Gold Sweep racing in third position to their outside as the opening quarter-mile elapsed in 23.32 seconds over the fast main track.

Gold Sweep advanced without urging through the turn as Ship Cadet took over from a retreating Vitement after a half-mile in :45.65. The confidently handled Gold Sweep was in command at the top of the lane, and with a shake of the reins from Ortiz, he took off to graduate emphatically in a final time of 1:03.47.

The Irad Ortiz Jr.-piloted Ship Cadet completed the exacta by 1 1/4 lengths over Yo Yo Candy. Frosty the Giant, who broke a step slow, finished fourth with Jumpingjaggerflash and Vitement rounding out the order of finish. Jive was scratched.

Jose Ortiz, aboard Gold Sweep for the first time, said he was impressed with the colt's professionalism.

“We jumped out of there well from the gate. He put me into a lovely position and was so relaxed and easy. Passing the three-eighths, I was confident he was going to get it done,” he said. “I put my hands down and he was just a pro. At the quarter-pole, he was beautiful, and at the three-sixteenths, he switched leads and exploded.

“I showed him the whip a little just to ask him to get away and from that point on I just told him to finish the race,” Ortiz added. “I didn't encourage him a whole lot and he did it pretty easy. For a 2-year-old in his second race and a maiden, I think he's going to be pretty nice.”

Ortiz said he was proud of the performance from Ship Cadet, but tipped his cap to the impressive Gold Sweep.

“The winner was much the best and freaky-good today,” Irad Ortiz said. “I had a beautiful trip and broke so good with a perfect spot. Then I got pressure from the winner at the three-eighths pole, but he kept trying. He ran great.”

Gold Sweep could now target a start in the  $175,000 Sanford (G3) on July 15 at Saratoga Race Course.

“Possibly the Sanford,” Blasi said. “We'll talk to Steve and Mr. McCarty and see what we want to do.”

The $285,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase from the Indian Creek consignment is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Wonder Brew, while his second dam, Ginger Brew, took honors as Canada's champion 3-year-old filly after winning the 2008 Woodbine Oaks.

Bred in Kentucky by Joe Anzalone, Gold Sweep banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 2-1-1-0. He returned $3.60 for a $2 win ticket.

The post Gold Sweep’s Tremont Triumph At Belmont Caps Juvenile Stakes Double For Asmussen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has a dilemma to resolve and it's where to run his multiple Grade 1 winners Cody's Wish and Elite Power next on the road back to defend their respective victories in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in November.

Juddmonte Farm's Elite Power, the 2022 Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter, dominated the True North (G2) on Saturday's Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard. It was the 5-year-old son of Curlin's seventh straight win. Cody's Wish won his sixth straight race and overshadowed the competition in the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) with his 3 1/4-length triumph.

The Met Mile win gave Godolphin's Cody's Wish, also a 5-year-old Curlin horse, a guaranteed spot in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in November through the “Win and You're In” Challenge Series.

What will they do for an encore? It appears a battle royale between the stable stars could be shaping up at Saratoga this summer in the $500,000 Forego (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on August 26.

“They could possibly run against each other in the Forego. That would be the only race I could conceive,” Mott said on Sunday morning. “The timing of that race and the distance, it would be back to seven furlongs for Cody's Wish and up to seven eights for Elite Power. I could see it happening. I wouldn't rule it out.”

Elite Power is on track to the Spa's $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on July 29, providing all stays on course.

“I think the most logical for him is the Alfred G. Vanderbilt. It's a Grade 1 sprint at six furlongs and between that and the Forego up there you've got two good races. The Forego would be a possibility for Cody's Wish, too. It just depends on what we do with Cody's Wish next time. We'll have to work that out as we go along,” Mott said.

The $1-million Whitney (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on August 5 isn't out of the question for Cody's Wish either, according to his trainer, though his ideal distance seems to be one-mile.

“He's won several races at the mile distance. He's won at the one-turn mile and at a two-turn mile. He's never won beyond a mile. Those are some of the challenges that we face now with where we go and what race we're going to run in. That will be under discussion over the next month,” said Mott.

What is not up for debate is what winning the Met Mile means to Mott. This stallion-making race, one of the most prestigious among all run in North America, was one of the very few blanks on the Hall of Famer's incredibly impressive resume. Before Saturday he had saddled 13 horses in the Met Mile for a record of 0-0-3.

“We've been able to score in a lot of the bigger races, and the Met Mile was certainly one I've been really wanting to win for a long time,” Mott said.“Because I've spoken about it so often, I've said it over and over this is a race I wanted to win. I guess when the words come out of your mouth it's public knowledge you want to win it. Well, we got it done yesterday. It's a big deal for sure.

“For me, and to take nothing away from the Belmont Stakes because we did that already [Drosselmeyer, 2010], the Met Mile was something that had eluded me for years, and I've run some really nice horses in the Met Mile, and I'd never been able to connect as a trainer so I was thrilled,” he continued.“This is something I'd wanted to do and I'm glad it was Cody's Wish who carried us to the winner's circle. He's a very nice horse. He's a very good horse. He is a horse with the highest level of quality. He ranks right up there with some good ones.”

As for enjoying that embarrassment of riches in his barn, Mott laughingly said, “Yeah, because they'll all be retired soon enough. I'll be down to Mr. T [the stable pony] over there and looking for a race to win.”

Cody's Wish, Elite Power, and Poppy Flower, who gave Mott his first win in the Intercontinental (G3) on Friday's card, left Belmont Park early Sunday morning and were vanning to Mott's division in Saratoga.

“They all came back fine from their races. Everybody is doing good,” he said.

The post ‘I Wouldn’t Rule It Out’: Mott Stablemates Cody’s Wish, Elite Power Could Meet In Forego At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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