Tag: Racing

D. J. Stable's Webslinger closed with a furious outside rally and was up in time to narrowly deny Far Bridge and Major Dude in a 22-1 upset in the $500,000 American Turf (G2) Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Under Javier Castellano, the Constitution colt trained by Mark Casse prevailed in a desperate four-horse charge to the finish, winning by a nose from runner-up Far Bridge on the rail. In between them, Major Dude finished third, a half length behind Far Bridge, while pacesetter Mo Stash, who faded in the closing stages as he valiantly tried to lead gate to wire, hung on for fourth, another length back in the 13-horse field.

Webslinger, who tracked from midpack early, paid $47.34 after completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.54 on firm turf. He came into the American Turf following a third-place finish in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) April 7 at Keeneland but tallied his first graded win Saturday with a determined effort. His career line stands at 3-2-1 from eight career starts.

Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth L. Ramsey and Sarah K. Ramsey, Weblslinger was produced by Arana, by Hard Spun. Offered by Blue River Bloodstock at the 2022 OBS June 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age sale, he sold to D. J. Stable for $50,000. The $285,200 winner's share of the American Turf purse increased his lifetime bankroll to $$723,800.

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Their trip in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile wasn't the smoothest one, but General Jim and jockey Luis Saez prevailed anyway to win with a closing effort on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 6. The pair got out of the gate cleanly but were squeezed back, then jostled by Freezing Point leaving the chute of the dirt track. They had to sit wide for much of the mile while Damon's Mound led the way, swinging out going into the turn and coming into the stretch at least four wide. Fort Bragg, who had lurked just behind Damon's Mound, took over the lead on the turn and battled to the inside of a closing General Jim, but by the wire, General Jim prevailed by a narrow margin.

Shug McGaughey trains General Jim for Donald Adam's Courtlandt Farms.

Freezing Point, ridden by Corey Lanerie for trainer Joe Lejzerowicz, pulled up abruptly on the backstretch of the race. According to American Association of Equine Practitioners on-call veterinarian Dr. Alan Ruggles, Freezing Point walked into the equine ambulance under his own power and is being transferred to an equine medical center for evaluation. The extent of any injuries is unknown as of this writing. Lanerie rode back to the front side in the ambulance but appeared to be uninjured.

Fort Bragg was second, followed by Gilmore. The final time for the mile was 1:34.43, with fractions of :22.41, :45.00, and 1:21.61.

General Jim paid $12.04, $6.26, and $4.76. Favored Kangaroo Court was eleventh. See the full chart here.

McGaughey brought General Jim to this start off a solid one-length win in the G3 Swale at Gulfstream Park in early February.

General Jim was bred in Kentucky by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock and Centerline Breeding, and is by Into Mischief. He is out of Curlin mare Inspired by Grace. He was a $850,000 yearling at Keeneland September, where he was consigned by Indian Creek.

PAT DAY MILE QUOTES

Luis Saez (jockey, General Jim, winner) – “When he got a good spot at the half mile pole, we knew we had a chance to win the race. He has plenty of talent. It was an existing stretch duel and Joel (Rosario) is a pretty tough to ride against but we finally got the jump. We decided to make a change after his last couple of races (and add blinkers) and I don't think he would have won without (wearing) blinkers. It makes a big difference.”

Don Adams (owner, General Jim, winner) – “It was a magnificent win. To win on day like today is truly special. He's become a nice horse, very special. He's won two in a row now and hopefully we'll see good things down the road. We'll let Shug (McGaughey) decide what's next for him.”

Joel Rosario (jockey, Fort Bragg, second) – “Turning for home it looked like we were going to win. That other horse ran a big race. He did everything I asked him to do and I guess he just ran second best today.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (jockey, Gilmore, third) – “I went a little wide on the turn but he still kept coming. He's a nice horse but he got beat by two nice horses and he never gave up.”

 

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Frankie Dettori's farewell tour has well and truly started, with the Italian guiding Juddmonte's Chaldean to QIPCO 2000 Guineas (G1) success on a wet day Saturday on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket.

Some would've wondered what might've been for Dettori when he hit the post earlier in the card, losing out by a head aboard Saga three races earlier on the card for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Coronation Day. However, Chaldean's persistence in the Group 1 gave Frankie a fairytale 2000 Guineas victory on his last year in the saddle.

The pre-race talk had been largely about Aidan O'Brien's Auguste Rodin, who went off favorite, but he didn't live up to his 'Triple Crown' potential when finishing 12th of a field of 14. Oisin Murphy and Hi Royal finished second, 1 3/4 lengths back, with huge odds of 125-1, shared most of the running with the winner, before the Juddmonte horse stormed clear of the field. Royal Scotsman, who raced keenly, ran an enormous race to finish in third place, another half length back in the 14d-horse field.

Time for the one-mile trip was 1:41.64 on turf rated as soft.

A jubilant Dettori saluted the crowd on his way into the Winners Enclosure, before delivering his iconic flying dismount.

Chaldean, by Juddmonte's 2011 Guineas victor Frankel out of the Dutch Art mare Suelita, gave Dettori a fourth 2000 Guineas victory.

“It [the emotion] has really hit me now – I've got a lump in my throat. It's incredible.” Dettori said.

It's safe to say Chaldean's prep didn't quite go to plan, when chucking off Dettori when leaving the stalls in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury. It didn't look to have an effect with the colt completing an across-the-card double for trainer Andrew Balding.

The farewell tour is well and truly underway and Dettori will be looking for a famous Guineas double as he takes the ride on Lezoo in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday.

Chaldean was bred in Great Britain by Whitsbury Manor Stud.

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Just hours before saddling Two Phil's in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Larry Rivelli and owner Patricia's Hope established some serious momentum on Saturday afternoon when Nobals led every step of the way to win the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs as the longest shot on the board.

The 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding was hustled out of the gate from the inside post under jockey Gerardo Corrales, and after briefly doing battle with Bad Beat Brian, Noble Reflection established himself as Nobals' primary challenger on the outside. Those two ran past the opening quarter in :22.03 seconds with Nobals carrying the advantage by a head.

Nobals and Noble Reflection continued to battle through the turn, and Corrales took advantage of his inside position to put distance on his foe as they passed the quarter pole, and eventually set a half-mile time of :44.48 seconds.

Under right-handed urging from Corrales, Nobals pulled away from the field in the stretch, stretching out as far as 2 1/2 lengths from the rest, but Motorious unraveled a ground-saving move through traffic under jockey Flavien Prat that saw him emerge from the other contenders with momentum to challenge the leader. Motorious made up most of the ground as Nobals approached the wire, but he ultimately finished three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Go Bears Go was the best of the rest in third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up.

Nobals completed the 5 1/2-furlong race in 1:02.45 over a firm turf course. He paid $78.42 to win with the field's highest odds.

The Twin Spires Turf Sprint was the seventh win in 14 career starts for the well-traveled Nobals, who has competed at eight different tracks over the course of his career. Saturday's race was the first graded victory for the gelding, who had previously won stakes races over the all-weather main tracks at Arlington Park, Turfway Park, and Woodbine.

Nobals' upset score was the first graded win of the year for Corrales, and the second for the owners and trainer, with the first being Two Phil's Derby-securing triumph in the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks in March at Turfway Park.

Nobals was bred in Kentucky by Dr. John A. Chandler, out of the winning Empire Maker mare Pearly Blue. He was purchased for a bargain $3,500 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. His earnings now stand at $725,074.

Quotes supplied by Churchill Downs notes team:

Gerardo Corrales (jockey, Nobals, winner) – “This is a nice horse. He was a runner all the way. Mr. Rivelli (trainer Larry Rivelli) told me that I could do it and he wished me good luck. For me, this is the biggest purse ($500,000) that I've ever won. It's exciting.”

Larry Rivelli (trainer, Nobals, winner) – “We were all coming down, and figured that we would throw him into a race, and see how he'd do. I thought he was going to run good, I wasn't sure if he was going to win.  His last race (at Keeneland) was a throwout. He was acting up in the gate and got off to a bad start. I schooled him all week, he didn't act up in the gate all, so I told the kid (Corrales), 'Let's go.' That's the way the horse likes to run. I knew he was going to show up, but I wasn't sure if he could beat this quality. I told the jockey, go no matter what. You go out there and make the lead, and he said, 'Yes, sir'.”

Flavien Prat (jockey, Motorious, second) – “We had a good trip. He broke OK and was traveling well. He made a good kick and for a second I thought I was going to be the winner.”

John Velazquez (jockey, Go Bears Go, third) – “I got a good trip. He broke well and got a good position. I had to wait a little bit at the 3/8th pole with a horse in front of me but when I got through, he ran well to the finish.”

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