Mage, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner, headlines the potential starters in the May 20 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course 48 hours after the colt won the 149th run for the roses.
Tag: Racing
Mandella: Beholder’s Daughter Teena Ella Could Try Longer Distances Later This Year
Trainer Richard Mandella reported all appeared well with Spendthrift Farm's homebred Teena Ella the day after she became the first offspring of Hall of Famer Beholder to win a stakes race.
In Saturday's Senorita (G3) on Santa Anita's hillside turf course, Teena Ella seized the lead near the eighth pole under Edwin Maldonado and gamely held off a late charge from 21-1 longshot Tom's Regret to win by a neck.
“She showed a lot of courage,” Mandella said Sunday morning. “That horse that ran second ran a hell of a race, but she held on.”
By War Front, Teena Ella has now won two of three starts since being switched to the turf. Her lone defeat came in her prior start on March 26 in the Angels Flight down the hill. In that race, Teena Ella lost ground when veering out at the dirt crossing and was beaten just a half-length by Fast and Shiny. They met again on Saturday, with Fast and Shiny flashing her customary early speed as the 2-1 favorite, but this time she faded to fifth in a six-horse field.
All five of Teena Ella's starts have come sprints. Mandella said he expects she will try longer distances later this year.
“By Del Mar we'll stretch her out,” said the Hall of Fame trainer.
Teena Ella is the third foal out of Beholder, a four-time champion who last year was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame. Her first two foals, Karin With an I and Q B One, were a combined 0-for-6 while with Mandella at Santa Anita.
Beholder's fourth foal, an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Spendthrift Farm sire Bolt d'Oro, arrived at Mandella's barn on Saturday, the trainer said.
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Bubble Rock Stalks, Then Pounces To Win License Fee At Belmont
Shortleaf Stable's Kentucky homebred Bubble Rock made an off-the-pace rush under Joel Rosario to score a half-length win in Sunday's $150,000 License Fee, a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for older fillies and mares, at Belmont Park.
Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Bubble Rock rebounded from a narrow defeat last out to Gam's Mission in a one-mile allowance on April 16 over the Keeneland green when making her seasonal debut off a nearly five-month respite. The 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready out of the Giant's Causeway mare Reef Point notched the third stakes score of her career, adding to wins in the Grade 3 Matron at Belmont as a juvenile and the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill Downs.
Bubble Rock emerged well from post 7 and was tucked into the two path to race in sixth as Yuugiri, who made her turf debut, bounded to the front to lead the field of nine through an opening quarter-mile in :21.66 over the firm turf. Hot Fudge and post-time favorite Star Devine moved within striking distance of Yuugiri as the field rounded the turn with Rosario swinging Bubble Rock to the outside to make her bid for the lead after the half-mile elapsed in :45.33.
Bubble Rock was full of run exiting the turn and into the stretch, racing four-wide and brushing slightly with Imagery before putting her head in front at the eighth pole. The Jose Ortiz-piloted Poppy Flower tracked behind Bubble Rock throughout and made up ground late in the lane, but could not collar her foe in time as Bubble Rock reached the wire first in a final time of 1:08.61.
The Cox-trained Goin' Good, who skimmed the rail down the backstretch and was tipped two-wide by Manny Franco mid-turn, ran on to pick up show honors by one length over Messidor. Imagery, Hot Fudge, Star Devine, Minaun and Yuugiri completed the order of finish. Spun Glass was scratched.
Rosario, who rode Bubble Rock in her last two outings when traveling one mile or farther, said a stalking trip was key on the cutback to outrun the other closers.
“They were going quick. It looked like I was in a good spot, and she did everything I asked her to do,” said Rosario. “She put me there nicely and ran a really nice race. I had horse and I had to wait to start moving forward. She has a nice kick – a nice turn-of-foot – in a sprint, I have to wait and then try to get the jump on the other ones.”
Bubble Rock banked $82,500 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 12-5-3-1 with $618,943 in total purse earnings. She returned $8.30 for a $2 win ticket.
Arnmore Thoroughbreds' Poppy Flower, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, also made her second start of a layoff after finishing a close third in an April 14 optional claimer at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Ortiz, who has ridden Poppy Flower in 10 of 13 starts, said he was pleased with the effort from the multiple stakes-winning daughter of Lea.
“Rosario was travelling well every step of the way, so I was very patient behind him,” said Ortiz. “I think that was the difference in the race – I had to wait for him to make his move. But he was the only horse moving good from the back of the pack, so I wanted to follow him every step of the way. When I found him at the half-mile, I said, 'this is my guy. He's traveling so well.' The last quarter was very fast and I was second best today. I'm very proud of the filly. She always tries.”
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Mi Hermano Ramon Up In Time To Score First Stakes Win In Singletary
Longshot Wizard of Westwood would've made his namesake proud as he relaxed and controlled Sunday's $100,000 Singletary Stakes but just missed as favored Mi Hermano Ramon was able to get up and win by head under Umberto Rispoli.
Trained by Mark Glatt, Mi Hermano Ramon got 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.70.
Although he bobbled slightly leaving the gate, Wizard of Westwood was quickly in control under Abel Cedillo through fractions of :23.96, :49.05, 1:13.17, and 1:37.21 and he enjoyed a one length edge a furlong from home over a group of four pursuers.
Allowed to idle midway around the turn, Mi Hermano Ramon, under confident handling, found himself fifth, with about 3½ lengths to make up turning for home with modest fractions to overcome.
“He is obviously a really good horse and if you look back at his race at Keeneland…Webslinger (third in the Grade 3 Transylvania going 1 1/16 miles on turf at April 7 at the Lexington track) came back and won at a big price Saturday at Churchill Downs (Grade 2 American Turf),” said Ryan Glatt, assistant to his father, Mark. “…If you really look at the form, you can pick this horse out. It was a slow pace today, but he got the job done.”
Fourth, beaten three lengths in the Transylvania, Mi Hermano Ramon was off at 3-2 in a field of six 3-year-olds and paid $5 for the win.
Bred in Kentucky by Red Baron's Barn, Mi Hemano Ramon is a chestnut gelding by Creative Cause out of the Suances mare Sassy Suances. Owned by his breeder along with Rancho Temescal and raced exclusively on turf in all five of his starts, Mi Hermano Ramon posted his first stakes win and his third overall victory. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $169,700.
“I was surprised a little bit when Game Time (one of three Michael McCarthy trainees and the eventual fourth place finisher) took back today,” said Rispoli, who was aboard for the first time. “…I had a ton of horse underneath me and I was just trying to put him in the clear. Credit to the barn, to Mark and everybody.”
In a gallant effort, Wizard of Westwood, off at 7-1 finished a half length better than his stablemate Escape Artist.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Escape Artist finished three-quarters of a length in front of Game Time, who was the second choice in the race at 2-1 with Juan Hernandez.
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