Tag: Racing

Racing as a team the final quarter of a mile, Juan Hernandez, aboard Conclude, kept even money favorite First Peace and Mike Smith at bay by a scant nose in Sunday's $100,000 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-olds at about 6½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Conclude got the trip in 1:11.25.

Beaten 5½ lengths by First Peace as the 3-5 favorite down the hill in the ungraded John Shear Stakes April 9, Conclude broke like a shot and went immediately to the front with First Peace in close attendance, one length back five-sixteenths of a mile from home, and although he got on terms with the winner, First Peace could never quite gain the advantage in a thrilling finish.

“Today, Phil brought this horse ready to win this race,” said Hernandez, who was aboard the winner for the first time today. “In the post parade, this horse was feeling really good. I had a really good break out of the gate, so I went to the lead.

“After the clean break, I had a clean trip too and we got the win at the wire. I felt the outside horse (First Peace) when he came to me, he wanted to pass me but when I asked my horse, he responded and was fighting all the way down the stretch. He didn't want to get beat today.”

A 5½-furlong maiden turf winner two starts back, Conclude, who is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and his breeder, Brereton C. Jones, was off at 8-5 in a field of six sophomores and paid $5.40 for the win.

“Hat's off to Billy Koch and Gary Fenton (of Little Red Feather Racing), they have been really good supporters of mine,” said D'Amato. “It was good to have a nice weekend with them, especially getting this horse back on track. We had high expectations for him when he broke his maiden and he had a legitimate excuse last time, but you still never know until they (prove it). I thought he (came with) a top effort today.

“We will see, maybe a mile with this horse. I've got to get him to relax a little bit more. Like Juan said, he's just a little rambunctious in the gate. I think if we can get him to relax and settle down, a mile is within his scope and we'll see from there.”

Bred in Kentucky, Conclude is by Collected out of Jones' homebred Proud Citizen mare Believe You Can, winner of the 2012 Kentucky Oaks (G1). With the win, the colt picked up $60,000, increasing his earnings to $119,600 while getting his second win from four overall starts.

(D'Amato also teamed with Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables on Saturday at Pimlico Racecourse with their Beer Can Man, who took the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint).

Trained by Mark Glatt, First Peace did everything but win in a big effort and 1 ½ lengths in front of Ransomware.

Also trained by D'Amato and ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Ransomware, the longest shot in the field of 17-1, was last at the half mile pole and finished well to be third by 2 ¼ lengths over British-bred Mas Rapido.

Fractions on the Desert Code were :21.25, :42.50 and 1:05.07.

The post Conclude Nips Favorite First Peace In Desert Code Thriller appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Mistical Curlin splashed to an eye-catching 19-length maiden score to close out Saturday's rain-soaked 11-race card at Belmont Park.

Trained and co-owned by Gustavo Rodriguez with Andrew Gurdon and Anil Poyah, the 4-year-old Curlin colt broke alertly under Jose Lezcano and was hustled to the lead in the one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and upward.

The chestnut marked off splits of :22.68 and :45.90 over the sloppy and sealed main track while racing wide down the backstretch before angling in through the turn and opening up by 5 1/2-lengths after three-quarters in 1:10.84. Mistical Curlin enjoyed a 12-length advantage at the stretch call and was kept to task by Lezcano as he graduated in his 12th career start in a final time of 1:35.90. He registered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He was training very good. He ended up running good and he was loving the slop, too,” said Rodriguez, who is the older brother of fellow Belmont-based trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Mistical Curlin, the second longest shot on the board at 11-1, returned $25.40 for a $2 win bet and triggered a Pick 6 carryover as the only uncovered combatant in the six-horse field.

Rodriguez said he noted a potential trend late in Saturday's card which saw five wire-to-wire winners in the final seven races.

“We were watching all the races yesterday and if you broke on top and stay there, they win,” Rodriguez said. “So, I said to Lezcano, 'Let's try to break good and if you get the lead and get comfortable then stay there. If someone tries to hook you, then stay back.' But he broke like a rocket. He ran beautiful.”

The $375,000 purchase  by Ken McPeek's agency at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Showcase, Mistical Curlin is out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Game Plan mare Mistical Plan, who won the 2008 Grade 1 Princess Rooney at Calder Race Course. Mistical Plan posted a record of 18-5-1-2 for purse earnings of $816,790, racing exclusively in stakes company following her debut maiden score in August 2006 at Santa Rosa. She also captured the 2007 Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks en route to a prominent fifth-place finish in that year's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks – her lone start over an off track – won by Rags to Riches.

Mistical Curlin was haltered for $20,000 at sixth asking out of a runner-up effort in a nine-furlong maiden tilt at Saratoga Race Course. He has hit the board in two other starts since while Rodriguez developed the colt, who he said has overcome bleeding issues.

“We always look for horses to claim and one of my owners, Anil Poyah, asked me to look at the horse,” said Rodriguez, who oversees a stable that fluctuates between 15-20 horses. “We took a look and ended up dropping on him and we got lucky – it was a four-way shake.”

Rodriguez said Mistical Curlin exited his memorable maiden win in good order and will target a starter allowance event next.

“He can run a mile to a mile and an eighth with no problem,” Rodriguez said. “He's a big, beautiful horse. He ran big, so we're going to give him at least four or five weeks.”

The post Mistical Curlin Wows In Maiden-Breaking Romp After Connections Note Late Trend appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twin City, who has come out on the losing end of a photo finish in multiple races, flipped the script in the $116,000 King Corrie Stakes on Sunday at Woodbine.

After settling for second in four races last year, three of them by the slimmest of margins, the son of Klimt out of Minnie Apple Is, by Harlan's Holiday, came out on top in the seven-furlong Tapeta race for 3-year-olds, nosing out 3-5 choice Wico in yet another tight finish for the bay gelding.

Keen Flatter broke sharply as did Twin City and the pair went on to lead their six rivals through an opening quarter in :23.88. It was status quo on the front end through a half reached in :47.28.

Making the turn for home, the lead duo was confronted by Wico, who arrived on the scene full of run. Twin City, in between his rivals, was urged on by jockey Gary Boulanger as the pace noticeably quickened.

Midway down the lane, a game Keen Flatter grudgingly gave way and it set the stage for a showdown between Wico, in front by a head at the stretch call, and Twin City, with neither giving an inch as the wire approached.

It was a head bob at the finish, with the hard-luck Twin City finally netting his first stakes win for trainer Stuart Simon and fellow co-owners Brent, Russell and Roy McLellan. The final time was 1:23.02.

Boulanger and Simon were ecstatic to see their sophomore come out on top.

“He's a pretty good colt,” said Boulanger. “He broke really hard and Stu says, 'Ride him like you know him.' Him being so close [to the pace] didn't concern me because he's so manageable and ratable. I was confident from the five-eighths pole. Stu did a tremendous job. He's always been a special colt and last year as a 2-year-old, he had a couple of unlucky races where he probably should have won with some racing luck. First thing I said to Stu was, 'We finally got the photo our way.'”

“He's had tough luck with photos and close races,” echoed Simon. “You want to see his number up before you head over.”

Simon is hopeful his talented sophomore can continue his path to the King's Plate, slated for August 20 at Woodbine.

“He'll have no problem getting two turns and further. We'll see where this takes us now. We've etched out a game plan and we'll see where we go after this one. It will definitely be two turns.” ​ ​

It was the second win, to go along with four seconds from six starts for the sizable bay bred in Ontario by Frank Di Giulio, Jr. Twin City's first victory came in a maiden special weight event at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta on October 13.

Twin City, who was bred in Ontario by Frank DiGiulio Jr., paid $23.10 for Sunday's win.

Wico, Keen Flatter, Stayhonor Goodside, One for Chap, Classic Dancer, Velocitor, and Dream Jereem rounded out the order of finish. ​

The post Twin City Prevails In Tight Finish In King Corrie; Connections Eye King’s Plate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's U.S. reigning champion turf male Modern Games recorded his fifth win at the highest level, and first in Great Britain, Saturday as he unleashed his trademark scintillating turn of foot to take the Lockinge Stakes going one mile at Newbury.

The Eclipse Award-winning colt had already proved himself as an outstanding performer on the international stage for Charlie Appleby, with top-level wins in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, 2022 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), Woodbine Mile, and Breeders' Cup Mile.

After breaking on terms from his high draw, Modern Games raced in mid-division down the stands' side, with Mutasaabeq leading the 12-strong field down the center of the course.

Modern Games, a half brother to this season's 1,000 Guineas heroine Mawj, still had plenty of work to do as the runners racing with Mutasaabeq appeared to hold sway entering the final quarter-mile.

Chindit took over from Mutasaabeq soon after but Modern Games went through the gears passing the furlong-pole to hit the front with just under half a furlong to race, despite Chindit attempting to bite the Godolphin runner.

Modern Games took control in the closing stages, hitting the line strongly under William Buick to win by 1 1/2 lengths and provide Godolphin with a record ninth Lockinge Stakes success.

Berkshire Shadow was third in the 12-horse field.

“I am delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Godolphin, and all the team back at Moulton Paddocks. Modern Games deserved this – he was already a four-time G1 winner but it's a huge feather in his cap for him to do it on home soil,” trainer Charlie Appleby said of Modern Games, a homebred son of Dubawi out of Modern Ideals, by New Approach.

“There was strength in depth in the field, and they went a good gallop. I said to William [Buick] to try and keep Modern Games up in the van and keep him interested. He is an older horse now, so you need to keep the interest there, while it also gives him a target. It wasn't the easiest thing to do but William gave him a fantastic ride. Horse and jockey know each other so well now, and William knew when to deliver his challenge.

“Modern Games started his career off with the likes of Native Trail and Coroebus, so he was going out in the mornings with some star milers. We have seen Modern Games winning the French Guineas and out in North America, and I thought finishing second to Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes was a huge race. He was one of the few horses who put Baaeed under the pump and I felt he gained a lot of recognition in the UK from that point onwards.

“We will head to Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) now. We will keep an eye on the Sussex Stakes (G1) afterwards and see what the three-year-olds are achieving through the summer. Ultimately, we would like to head back to America to try and win at the Breeders' Cup for a third time.”

An earner of more than $3.5 million, Modern Games has a 8-4-1 record from 18 career starts. He entered the Lockinge off a runner-up finish in the Marker's Mark Mile Mile (G1) April 14 at Keeneland in his 2023 bow and capped his championship season by winning the Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 5 at the Lexington track.

The post WATCH: U.S. Champion Modern Games Takes Lockinge At Newbury As Runner-Up Bites Jockey appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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