Tag: Racing

Trainer Wesley Ward, who has saddled 12 winners at Royal Ascot during his remarkable career, will be well represented at Gulfstream Park May 13 when he sends out Steve Cauthen's Holding the Line for a start in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and Stonestreet Stables LLC's Ocean Maid for a run in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

The Royal Palm Juvenile, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies, will each provide its winner with an automatic berth into one of six stakes during the June 20-24 Royal Ascot meeting, as well as a $25,000 equine travel stipend for shipping from the U.S. to England. The FTBOA will offer a $25,000 bonus, above and beyond purse money won, to a Florida-bred winner in addition to the winner's share of the purse.

Holding the Line, an Irish-bred son of Soldier's Call, is prominent in a field of 10 entered for the inaugural running of the Royal Palm Juvenile. Ocean Mermaid, a daughter of Kingman, will face 11 other fillies entered for the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

Holding the Line was purchased for $71,070 at the 2022 Tattersalls October yearling sale by Cauthen, 'The Kid' who rode Affirmed for a sweep of the 1977 Triple Crown before enjoying a highly successful career riding in Europe.

“He's a horse purchased over in England. Steve picked him out with the hopes he himself can get back to Royal Ascot. They had him there last year commentating,” Ward said.

Holding the Line is unraced due to the lack of turf opportunities for 2-year-olds at Keeneland this spring.

“There was only one race, and every trainer was allowed only one horse in the race if it oversubscribed. That entrant was Fandom,” Ward said.

Ward saddled Stonestreet Stables' Fandom for a 6 ¾-length triumph on turf April 27 to earn his way to Royal Ascot,

Holding the Line is well prepared for his career debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile.

“He's a beautiful colt. He improved in his workouts at Palm Meadows when he was down in Florida on the grass. He's bred top and bottom for the turf, so I'm anxious to get him on there,” said Ward by phone from his Keeneland base.

Holding the Line continued his training at Keeneland before shipping to Payson Park, where he breezed three furlongs in 37 seconds Saturday morning.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has been named to ride Holding the Line, who figures to face a stern test in his debut.

Trainer George Weaver entered Dew Sweepers LLC's Blast Furnace in the Royal Palm Juvenile, as well as unraced No Nay Mets, who was purchased for $335,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale.

Blast Furnace chased the Ward-trained Fandom at Keeneland in the April; 27 five-furlong maiden special weight race on turf before settling for second, No Nay Mets is a son of No Nay Never, whom Ward saddled for a victory in the 2013 Norfolk at Royal Ascot.

Edwin Gonzalez has been named on Blast Furnace, while Luca Panici has the call on Irish-bred No Nay Mets.

Arindel's Reaper, an impressive 5 ¾-length winner over Gulfstream's main track April 21, was entered to make his turf debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile. Emisael Jaramillo was given the call aboard the homebred son of Brethren. Arindel will also be represented by Tiberian Sun, an unraced homebred son of Brethren. Reaper and Tiberian Sun are two of four Florida-bred entrants eligible for the FTBOA bonus. Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Northshore Drive, who finished third behind Reaper, and Iron Horse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC's Mattingly, an unraced son of Bucchero, are also Florida-bred.

Xaverius Racing Corp.'s Praiseworthy, Gerald James and Hall Performance LLC's Shotgun Pro, and EAC Racing Stable LLC's Zaino, round out the field.

Ward had been waiting patiently for Ocean Mermaid to make her debut before entering the Great Britain-bred filly in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies.

“She's a turf filly. She was purchased at Tattersalls. Unfortunately, there has been only one turf race in America, that being a colt race. The filly race at Keeneland here was rained off the turf,” Ward said. “Looking for a race with this race in mind from the onset, we sent her down there and had a nice breeze at Payson at my barn there. She's ready to go.”

Ocean Mermaid breezed on turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, before putting in four workouts at Keeneland. She breezed three-furlongs in 37.80 at Payson Park Saturday morning.

The daughter of Kingman was bought by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables LLC for $252,546 at the Tattersalls October yearling sale.

“She was purchased to go to Royal Ascot. That was the whole reason for the purchase, as Barbara does each and every year. Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy goes over every year and picks out a few horses that look like Royal Ascot candidates,” Ward said.

Velazquez has the call on Ocean Mermaid.

Dew Sweepers LLC's Crimson Advocate goes into the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies off a promising debut at Keeneland April 26. The George Weaver-trained daughter of Nyquist raced wide and in traffic before finishing third in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on dirt.

Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Crimson Advocate.

Christian Cruz's She Has Class is the long entrant to have visited the winner's circle. The Javier Gonzalez-trained daughter of Khozan closed from off the pace to capture her debut in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race on Gulfstream's main track April 10.

She Has Class is one of four Florida-bred fillies eligible for the FTBOA bonus.

Gary Barber and D. J. Stable LLC's The Myth, an unraced daughter of The Factor trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse; Robin Kaiser's Bucchera, an unraced daughter of Bucchero trained by Laura Cazares; and Cornejo Racing LLC's Girvin Girl, an unraced daughter of Girvin trained by Carlos David; are the other Florida-bred entrants.

D. J. Stables LLC is also represented in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies by Fumblerooski, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam's Map trained by Joe Orseno.

Double D. Racing's Turf Rocket, a daughter of More Than Ready, is scheduled to debut for trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer, who enjoyed international success this season after saddling Sibelius for a victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Arindel's Kiss, Jeffrey Crooks' My Sweetheart Dani and Starry Night Racing's Scootaloo round out the field.

The post Trainer Wesley Ward Well Represented In Gulfstream’s May 13 ‘Road To Royal Ascot’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.

The post Mandella: Beholder’s Daughter Teena Ella Could Try Longer Distances Later This Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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