Tag: Racing

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado continued their exceptional run of form together in graded stakes when Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Caramel Swirl rallied to score an easy victory in Sunday's $175,000 Vagrancy (G3), a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Belmont Park.

“She ran really well, fresh today,” said Mott. “He [Alvarado] let her settle and get her feet under her and she came with a nice run. I was really pleased.”

The Vagrancy was the second graded score this weekend for Mott and Alvarado, who teamed up Saturday to win the Grade 3 Runhappy with Candy Man Rocket over at Belmont. The two have teamed for Grade 1 wins this year with Cody's Wish in the Churchill Downs Stakes and Art Collector in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, along with two other graded victories.

Caramel Swirl enjoyed the second graded win of her career, adding to a triumph in the 2021 Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland. She made her second start of the year after a six-month respite that ended with a fourth-place finish in the Minaret in February at Tampa Bay Downs. She completed her 4-year-old campaign last year with a game runner-up effort to Goodnight Olive in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

Breaking alertly from post 3, Caramel Swirl was unhurried by Alvarado as Rossa Veloce quickly established command to her inside and led the field of seven through an opening quarter-mile in :23.30 over the fast main track. Longshot Easy to Bless was asked to improve position midway down the backstretch and loomed on the outside in second as Dr B battled for third position between Funny How and Mosienko.

Approaching the turn, Caramel Swirl drifted back to last as Rossa Veloce clung to her lead in the turn after a half-mile in :46.60, keeping to task as Mosienko ranged into contention down the center of the track and appeared poised for a serious challenge. But Alvarado shook his reins exiting the turn while guiding Caramel Swirl five-wide to take dead aim at a stubborn Rossa Veloce.

Mosienko gave way and Alvarado needed only to give slight encouragement to Caramel Swirl for her to sweep past her pacesetting rival in the stretch and take charge just past the sixteenth pole, drawing away easily to post the 2 1/2-length victory over the oncoming Dr B, who found her best stride late after going widest of all in the turn.

Rossa Veloce finished three-quarters of a length behind Rossa Veloce for show honors with Mosienko, Midnight Stroll, Funny How and Easy to Bless completing the order of finish. Beguine was scratched.

Alvarado said he opted for a more patient trip after racing closer to the pace last time out when fourth in Tampa Bay Downs' Minaret.

“At Tampa, the track was extremely fast. She's a filly that likes to break, but she likes to get comfortable,” Alvarado said. “You have to let her find her rhythm and I was just playing the track that day, so I think I rushed her too much off her feet and she didn't like that. Today, she broke well again. I took a hold and let her get into her rhythm. When she hit the three-eighths pole, I knew she was already full of run. I had a lot of horse underneath me, so I just let her cruise along, tipped out and she did the rest.”

Alvarado has now ridden the daughter of Union Rags in 10-of-13 career starts, and said the mare continues to improve with every race.

“She's been developing great,” Alvarado said of Caramel Swirl, who is out of the Smart Strike mare Caramel Snap. “She's been a little unlucky with hiccups along the way, but she always comes back and tries her best. I think we're going to have an even better horse this year.”

Mott added that he would like to give Caramel Swirl another try at a top-level victory this summer at Saratoga Race Course in the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap on August 26, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” for the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park.

“Hopefully, we can run back in the Ballerina,” Mott said.

Caramel Swirl banked $96,250 in victory and improved her record to 13-5-4-2 with total purse earnings of $588,450. She returned $6.40 for a $2 win wager.

The Butch Reid Jr.-trained Dr B made her first start after a five-month layoff that came on the heels of an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Go for Wand in December at Aqueduct Racetrack. Irad Ortiz Jr., who earned a record 77th stakes victory in a single North American season when piloting Dr B to her Go for Wand victory, was aboard again in the Vagrancy and said he had to change his plans when Dr B did not make the lead.

“I had to wait a little longer than I wanted to,” said Ortiz. “I broke running but I couldn't make the lead and I couldn't hold my position in second, so I had to go to Plan B. There weren't too many options. I had to sit behind the speed and wait longer than I wanted to, but that's racing.

“She was running,” Ortiz added. “The winner is a nice filly, too. I think we're in good shape. It was a nice race for her coming back. She can improve off that for sure.”

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After a series of runner-up finishes, Anarchist broke through for his first stakes win with a splendid effort in the $152,100 Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) on Sunday at Woodbine.

Ridden by Luis Contreras for trainer Josie Carroll, the bay colt, who went off as the 5-2 choice in the six-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up, showed plenty of gumption down the lane to win by three-quarters of a length in his first test over the Toronto oval's Tapeta.

Breaking sharply from the outside post eight, Anarchist was joined on the front end by Arzak as the pair led the proceedings through early splits of :22.82 and :45.17.

The battle between the front-runners continued as the field made its way into the turn for home, with Anarchist eventually gaining the advantage. A length ahead at the stretch call, Anarchist and Contreras then braced for the challenges of a trio of rallying rivals but were easily able to fend off their pursuers in the late running. ​ ​

The final time was 1:08.96.

“He's a very strong and powerful horse,” praised Contreras. “I had no troubles in the race. He broke perfect. I had so much horse the whole way. He did really well. I'm so pleased.”

The 4-year-old son of Distorted Humor out of Vicarious Won, by Elusive Quality, arrived at the Jacques Cartier off four straight seconds, including the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on March 5 and the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes on April 22, both run at Santa Anita.

He debuted with a runner-up finish on March 27, 2022, at Tampa Bay Downs. He's also competed at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, and Ellis Park, where he broke his maiden last July.

“There was a lot of concern,” said Angelo Freda of Ilium Stables LLC, of Anarchist, who was trying the synthetic surface for the first time in race action. “I had to fight off a lot of people. But I had faith. I knew Josie was going to take care of him and I knew she would give him a run over the track and if he couldn't do it, she would have told me. I had confidence in Josie.”

Bred in Kentucky by Centaur Farms, Inc., Anarchist is now 2-5-0 from nine starts. He returned $7.70 for Sunday's triumph.

Ice Chocolat was second, followed by Old Chestnut, Candy Overload, Ironstone, Arzak, Ready for a Fight, and Red River Rebel.

The post Anarchist Holds Off Trio Challengers To Land First Stakes Win In Jacques Cartier appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After being sidelined nearly 14 months, multiple Grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel looked to be as good as ever on Saturday when rolling to a ¼-length victory in a classified allowance going six furlongs at Santa Anita.

On Sunday, trainer Mark Glatt reported the 5-year-old horse emerged from his comeback in good order.

“He's doing well. We're very happy with him,” Glatt said.

Dr. Schivel won in a sharp final time of 1:09.19 for six furlongs under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez. Left in his wake was last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) runner-up C Z Rocket, who hopped at the start under Ramon Vazquez and had to be hustled to put pressure on the eventual winner.

Dr. Schivel led C Z Rocket by two lengths after a half mile in :44.71 and extended his advantage through the stretch. He returned $3 for the win in a field that was reduced to three starters after scratches.

Glatt acknowledged the performance from Dr. Schivel may have even exceeded expectations.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “We expected him to win. It was a pretty cozy spot for a horse coming off a 14-month layoff, but maybe he did it a little easier than I thought given the circumstances.”

Dr. Schivel had not started since March 2022 when he was third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan Racecourse. As a 3-year-old in 2021, the son of Violence won the Bing Crosby (G1)  and Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) before an agonizing nose defeat in that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. As a 2-year-old Dr. Schivel won the Del Mar Futurity (G1).

Glatt said Dr. Schivel would likely make his next start outside of California before trying for a second win in the Bing Crosby this summer at Del Mar.

“We're in discussions, but he'll probably have to travel and then the Bing Crosby,” Glatt said.

Dr. Schivel, who is out of the Mining for Money mare Lil Nugget, is owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and William A. Branch, who bred him in Kentucky with Arnold R. Hill. He has a record of 6-2-2 in 11 starts with more than $1.1 million in earnings.

Dr. Schivel's victory was Glatt's third win on Saturday's card. He now has eight wins at the Hollywood Meet to tie with Phil D'Amato atop the trainer's standings. Glatt also won the second race with It's My House ($5.60) and the sixth race with Suzie Qzz Brother ($13.20).

“It was a great day. You don't have days like that very often in this business,” Glatt said. “Everyone ran well, but today is a new day. It starts all over.

The post Dr. Schivel Rolls To Victory Over C Z Rocket In Comeback appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Phil Bauer and owner Richard Rigney will not easily forget this year's Kentucky Derby Weekend after their 5-year-old mare Played Hard prevailed over 2022 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) heroine Secret Oath in the La Troienne (G1).

Now, Bauer has his eye on Played Hard's next goal, the $400,000 Fleur de Lis (G2) on Saturday, July 1 at Churchill Downs.

“She came out of the race in great shape especially with it being her first start of the year,” Bauer said of the Into Mischief mare. “She loves the track at Churchill and we have big goals for her this year. We accomplished one of those last week.”

Rigney, a Louisville entrepreneur, had a massive celebration in the Woodford Reserve Winner's Circle following the La Troienne May 5, and was joined by a number of friends and family members.

“We brought 60 people with us this year to the Oaks and Derby and all of them are super amazing people,” Rigney said. “We had people there from my kids, to ski instructors, to drivers from Los Angeles. We wanted them all to come together because I care about them so much. (Played Hard) ran so great. We are so thrilled. I'm glad my daughters Claire and Madison were here with me. It was a truly special day.”

The La Troienne was Bauer's first Grade 1 victory as a trainer. The former assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek was overcome with emotion after the race.

“I've dreamt of days like this,” Bauer said after the La Troienne. “I'm completely speechless and so thankful for Richard and (wife) Tammy for all of their support.”

Life was starting to get back to normal for Bauer on Sunday at Churchill Downs where his barn had a light day of training. Bauer made a brief appearance at the barn before he had to return home for Mother's Day to celebrate with his wife, Ashley, and their three kids Wyatt, Lincoln, and Caroline.

The La Troienne is one of six stakes on the July 1 program that will be headlined by the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1). The other supporting stakes are the $400,000 Wise Dan (G2), $225,000 American Derby (Listed), $225,000 Kelly's Landing (Listed), and $225,000 Tepin.

The post Bauer Eyes Fleur De Lis For La Troienne Victress Played Hard appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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