Tag: Racing

Gainesway Stable's Spendarella, a winner of four of five starts including the Del Mar Oaks (G1), headlines a field of eight for the 38th running of the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) for fillies and mares racing over the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs.

The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile will go as Saturday's fifth race with a 12:36 p.m. post time.

Trained by Graham Motion, Spendarella will be making her first start since the Del Mar Oaks in August. Her lone setback came at Royal Ascot last June in the Coronation (G1). Tyler Gaffalione has the mount Saturday and will break from post five.

To be successful in her 2023 debut, Spendarella will have to get past a trio of Chad Brown-trained runners that includes 2022 race winner Speak of the Devil (FR).

Owned by Peter Brant, Speak of the Devil returned from a nine-month layoff to finish fifth in the Honey Fox (G3) last month. Flavien Prat, who was aboard for last year's 2 ¾-length victory in this race, has the call Saturday and will break from post position two.

Other Brown entrants include Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Tim and Anna Cambron and Team Hanley's Haughty and Head of Plains Partners' Fluffy Socks.

Unraced since winning the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga in August, Haughty will be making her Churchill Downs debut. Third in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, Haughty will be ridden by Jose Ortiz and break from post three.

Fluffy Socks, a two-time graded stakes winner and six times graded stakes placed, will be making her first start since finishing fourth in the Rodeo Drive (G1) at Santa Anita in October. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will exit post seven.

The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders and weights from the rail out, is:

1. Sharp Hero (Jareth Loveberry, 118 pounds),
2. Speak of the Devil (FR) (Prat, 118),
3. Haughty (Jose Ortiz, 120),
4. Wakanaka (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 120),
5. Spendarella (Gaffalione, 120),
6. Sister Lou Ann (Luis Saez, 118),
7. Fluffy Socks (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118),
8. Freedom Speaks (James Graham, 118).

The post Grade 1 Winner Spendarella Faces Chad Brown-Trained Trio In Churchill Distaff Turf Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A well-balanced field of 14, headed by Saratoga Special (G2) winner Damon's Mound, passed the entry box Monday for the 99th running of the $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) for 3-year-olds racing on the main track.

The Pat Day Mile will go as Saturday's eighth race at Churchill Downs, with a 2:46 p.m. post time.

Owned by Michele and Cliff Love, Damon's Mound debuted here last July with a 12 ½-length victory before going to Saratoga before his victory in the Special. Trained by Michele Lovell, Damon's Mound returns to the dirt after his 2023 debut on turf at Keeneland last month.

Gabriel Saez has the mount and will break from post 13.

Three other graded stakes winners are in the field: Michael McLoughlin's Curly Jack, Courtlandt Farms' General Jim and Calumet Farm's Tall Boy.

The field for the Pat Day Mile, with riders and weights from the rail out, is:

1. Kangaroo Court (John Velazquez, 118 pounds),
2. Tall Boy (Rey Gutierrez, 120),
3. Lugan Knight (Manny Franco, 118),
4. Midnight Rising (Luan Machado, 118),
5. Echo Again (Florent Geroux, 118),
6. Frosted Departure (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118),
7. Fort Bragg (Joel Rosario, 118),
8. Bourbon Bash (Flavien Prat, 118),
9. General Jim (Luis Saez, 120),
10. Curly Jack (Edgar Morales, 118),
11. Gilmore (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118),
12. Gun Pilot (Tyler Gaffalione, 118),
13. Damon's Mound (Gabriel Saez, 122),
14. Freezing Point (Corey Lanerie, 118).

The post Hometown Favorite Damon’s Mound Tops Field Of 14 For Pat Day Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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First Row Partners and Team Hanley's champion Goodnight Olive puts her seven-race win streak on the line Saturday at Churchill Downs when she takes on five rivals in the 37th running of the $750,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main track.

The Derby City Distaff, the first of nine stakes races Saturday, will go as the fourth race with a 12:04 p.m. post time.

Trained by Chad Brown, Goodnight Olive closed her 2022 campaign with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), a victory that clinched the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter. Goodnight Olive made her 2023 debut a winning one in the Madison (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland, also at seven furlongs. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post two.

The field for the Derby City Distaff, with riders from the rail out, is:

1. Hot and Sultry (Joel Rosario),
2. Goodnight Olive (Ortiz Jr.),
3. Wicked Halo (Tyler Gaffalione),
4. Travel Column (Gerardo Corrales),
5. Matareya (Flavien Prat),
6. My Destiny (Rey Gutierrez).

All starters will carry 123 pounds.

The post Champion Goodnight Olive Faces Five Rivals In Derby City Distaff appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's Cody's Wish, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), makes his 2023 debut Saturday when he tops a field of 11 entered for the 88th running of the Churchill Downs (G1) for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the main track.

The Churchill Downs will go as the day's 10th race with a 4:31 p.m. post time.

Trained by Bill Mott, Cody's Wish won his final four starts of 2022 with one of those victories coming in the Forego (G1). Junior Alvarado has the mount and will break from post seven.

Topping the list of challengers to Cody's Wish is 2022 Florida Derby (G1) winner White Abarrio. Owned by C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., White Abarrio comes into the Churchill Downs off his first sprint start since the fall of 2021, a 4 ½-length victory going seven furlongs on March 4 at Gulfstream Park. Paco Lopez has the mount and will break from post one.

Trainer Peter Miller has two entrants in the race: Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele's C Z Rocket and Gary Barber's Get Her Number.

A two-time runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), C Z Rocket returns to Churchill Downs for the first time since the summer of 2020. Eighth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in March in his most recent start, C Z Rocket will break from post two and be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Get Her Number was third at Keeneland in last month's Commonwealth (G3). Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post five.

The two horses that finished in front of Get Her Number in the Commonwealth, Nathan Hayden's Hear Mi Song and Dream Team One Racing Stable's Hoist the Gold, also return in the Churchill Downs.

The field for the Churchill Downs, with riders from the rail out, is:

1. White Abarrio (Lopez),
2. C Z Rocket (Prat),
3. Here Mi Song (Alex Achard),
4. Hoist the Gold (Luis Saez),
5. Get Her Number (Rosario),
6. Tejano Twist (Chris Landeros),
7. Cody's Wish (Alvarado),
8. Fortin Hill (Gerardo Corrales),
9. Sir Alfred James (Rafael Bejarano),
10. Endorsed (Tyler Gaffalione),
11. Steal Sunshine (Irad Ortiz Jr.).

All starters will carry 123 pounds.

The post Fan-Favorite Breeders’ Cup Winner Cody’s Wish Will Make 2023 Debut In Saturday’s Churchill Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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