Three-year-old racehorses take center stage on Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve weekend in Louisville, and the $1.25 million Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks May 5 is the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies in the United States.
Tag: Racing
Santa Anita: Adare Manor Leads Field Of Six In Saturday’s Santa Maria
Fresh off a sharp allowance score at one mile, Bob Baffert's Adare Manor heads a field of six older fillies and mares going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.
A gate to wire winner at odds of 1-2 on March 31, Adare Manor posted a solid 92 Beyer Speed Figure in what was her second start of the year. A runaway 13-length winner going one mile in the G3 Las Virgenes here on Feb. 6, 2022, she was then a close second as the 3-5 favorite in last year's G2 Santa Anita Oaks.
Subsequently second in the Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico on May 20, 2022, Adare Manor was well beaten in the G1 Cotillion Stakes Sept. 24 at Parx Racing near Philadelphia. Idle prior to her 4-year-old debut here on Feb. 18, a seven furlong allowance in which she ran second at 4-5 she'll be making her 10th career start on Saturday.
A 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, Adare Manor is owned by Michael Lund Petersen and will be ridden for the third time in a row by Juan Hernandez. With three wins and four seconds, she has earnings of $381,600.
Keith Abrahams' homebred Kirstenbosch, a game nose winner of the G3 La Canada Stakes three starts back on Jan. 15, will be handled for the fifth consecutive time by Kazushi Kimura, as he'll return from his base at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto to ride here on Saturday.
Trained by John Sadler, Kirstenbosch was most recently third, beaten one length in the G3 Monrovia at 6 ½ furlongs on dirt April 8 and she's well positioned to bring her best in the Santa Maria. Bred in Kentucky, Kirstenbosch is a 4-year-old filly by Midnight Lute out of the Belong to Me mare Llandudno.
With an overall mark of 12-3-3-2, she has earnings of $368,480.
Although her resume is light in terms of graded stakes experience, Sadler's Big Switch, most recently second, beaten a head by Adare Manor in a one mile allowance March 31, appears to be a solid fit in what will be her second graded stakes assignment.
Owned and bred in California by George Krikorian, Big Switch is a two-time statebred stakes winner making her ninth career start at age four. By Mr. Big out of the Malibu Moon mare Two Faced Moon, Big Switch, who is unbeaten in two tries at a mile and one sixteenth, will once again be forwardly placed with Joe Bravo back aboard.
With earnings of $339,924, she has four wins and two seconds to her credit.
THE GRADE 2 SANTA MARIA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 12 Approximate post 5:00 p.m. PT
- Kirstenbosch – Kazushi Kimura—122
- Adare Manor – Juan Hernandez – 120
- Big Switch – Joe Bravo – 120
- Smoothlikebuttah – Tiago Pereira – 120
- Mongolian Panther – Geovanni Franco – 120
- Bellamore – Ramon Vazquez – 120
First post time for a 12-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.
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Juniper’s Moon Could Give Tony Dutrow 2,000th Victory In Saturday’s Memories Of Silver
Team Spoor's graded stakes-placed Juniper's Moon will cut back to one mile in Saturday's $100,000 Memories of Silver for sophomore fillies over the inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack, as veteran conditioner Tony Dutrow is one victory away from a milestone of 2,000 career wins.
The daughter of late international breeding sensation Galileo enters from a third-place finish at 28-1 odds in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 11 going 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs. There, she displayed tactical speed and had the lead at the top of the stretch but was passed by respective one-two finishers Mission of Joy and Alpha Bella.
The effort, which garnered a career-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure, came one month following a triumphant maiden score at third asking going the Florida Oaks distance over the same course.
“She ran really well down at Tampa Bay. In her maiden, she was more than a little aggressive, but she still won and then I saw no reason whatsoever to not run her back in the Florida Oaks,” said Dutrow, who also saddles Fabulously Funny in a Thursday turf allowance optional claimer at the Big A. “She ran very, very well again, but was awfully aggressive and didn't help herself. But hopefully as she matures, she'll let it go, grow up and be less aggressive.
“Since she came back to Belmont at the start of the month, she's trained in the mornings the way you'd like her to,” Dutrow added. “She's been nice about everything and I'm very happy with how she's been training since coming back. Cutting back to a mile isn't perfect, but it works.”
Second on debut over the Aqueduct inner turf, Juniper's Moon was rerouted to dirt for her following start where she finished a well-beaten sixth. Her dam I'm a Chatterbox, by Munnings, was a three-time Grade 1-winning millionaire on dirt.
“Galileo was arguably as good as, if not the best stud we've seen in the last 20 years or so. To me, [Juniper's Moon] was nothing but turf from the time I got her,” Dutrow said. “We started her off on turf and she ran very well coming from out of it and finished up nice and well. I wanted to have 100 percent focus on her 3-year-old year and that's why we tried her on dirt in her second start since her mom was a dirt horse. She ran poorly, so we focused only on turf racing with her during her 3-year-old year.”
Bred in Kentucky by Carolyn Gray and Fletcher Gray, Juniper's Moon was a hefty $725,000 acquisition from the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Blandford Stud.
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride from post 6.
Siena Farm, Michael E. Kisber, Peter Deutsch and The Elkstone Group's Queen Picasso enters off a debut victory going 1 1/16 miles on March 5 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Christophe Clement. The bay daughter of Kingman stalked a slow pace from a close second and matched strides with pacesetting Soviet Excess in the stretch before digging in to win by a half-length.
“She's a nice filly who has trained very forwardly,” said Clement, who previously captured the Memories of Silver with Feel Glorious [2019] and Bubbles On Ice [2021]. “I'm looking forward to seeing her in stakes company. She was impressive breaking her maiden, and she always had been training very easily.”
Bred in Great Britain by D. Farrington and Canning Downs, Queen Picasso is out of the stakes-placed Danroad mare Aris, who also produced Group 1 winner Aclaim. She was purchased for $285,241 at the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Jose Ortiz will ride from post 5.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out two debut maiden winners in pursuit of a record-extending fourth Memories of Silver victory.
Klaravich Stables' Royalty Interest [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] enters from a ground-saving victory on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs, where the French-bred daughter of Le Havre tracked a close fifth down the backstretch before making a four-wide move around the far turn and powering home a 3 1/4-length winner.
Royalty Interest is out of the stakes-winning Shamardal mare Dusky Queen, who is a half-sister to stakes-winning millionaire Gifts of Gold and multiple graded stakes-placed Achnaha.
Richard Schermerhorn's Lady Beth [post 2, Flavien Prat] will make her first start on grass following a debut maiden victory over the Gulfstream all-weather surface on February 5. The Hard Spun bay stalked a close second down the backstretch before taking command around the far turn and drawing away to an effortless four-length score.
Bred in Kentucky by J.D. Stuart, P.C. Bance and Godolphin, Lady Beth is out of the multiple stakes-placed Makfi mare Boreale, whose fourth dam is undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign.
Commonwealth New Era Racing's Bulsara enters as the most seasoned filly with a 7-2-0-0 record, winning over all-weather surfaces both times. Fourth in the local Tepin in November, the Michael Trombetta-trained daughter of Klimt was triumphant at Presque Isle Downs maiden level in October two starts before defeating winners over the Turfway Park synthetic.
Breaking from post 4, Bulsara will be piloted by Joel Rosario.
Completing the field are Alexandria Stable and Carguys Racing's two-time winner Unified Alliance [post 1, Frankie Pennington] for trainer John Servis, and CJ Thoroughbreds' Hang the Moon [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche], who enters off a close fourth in Fair Grounds' Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial for trainer Michael Stidham. Unbeaten stakes-winner Downtown Mischief, Balpool and Crypto Mama have been entered for the main track only.
The Memories of Silver honors John and Joan Phillips' dual Grade 1-winning millionaire, who captured the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland in 1996 and the Beverly D. at Arlington Park in 1997. Trained by Jimmy Toner, the daughter of Silver Hawk also won prominent stakes in New York such as the 1997 Just A Game at Belmont and the Ballston Spa and Diana in 1998 at Saratoga. As a broodmare, Memories of Silver produced fellow Grade 1-winning millionaire Winter Memories – a black-type producing mare.
The Memories of Silver is carded as Race 2 on Saturday's nine-race program. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct spring meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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‘Getting Better By The Day’: Undefeated Kavala Returns In Prep For Woodbine Oaks
Trainer Bill Tharrenos sends out Kavala in Saturday's $125,000 Star Shoot, the first stakes race of the 2023 Woodbine Thoroughbred season.
The six-furlong Star Shoot, for 3-year-old fillies, has traditionally been a key prep for the Woodbine Oaks, slated for July 23, the first leg of the prestigious Canadian Triple Tiara series.
Kavala was claimed by Tharrenos for owner James William Fleming out of her first race, a maiden claiming event contested over 5 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta at Gulfstream on January 4.
“She got left at the gate, but she came running,” said Tharrenos. “I got lucky to win the shake because it was a two-way shake, so we're very glad things worked out.”
Six weeks later, the daughter of Mohaymen followed up her three-length triumph with a 1 ¾-length score at the same distance and same surface, once again with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons.
“Irad wanted to ride her back and she finished up strong again,” noted Tharrenos. “It was nice to see her come back with another big effort.”
Bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm, Kavala had her first test over the Toronto oval Tapeta on April 9, breezing four furlongs in :49.40. One week later, she covered five panels in :59.40, handily, with Rafael Hernandez in the saddle. On April 23, she breezed four furlongs on the Tapeta in :48.20.
Tharrenos, coming off a career-best year, highlighted by 36 wins and $1,049,418 (U.S.) in purse earnings, likes what he sees in Kavala, both on and off the racetrack.
The veteran conditioner is hoping she can step up in her first stakes appearance.
“We're asking her to do a lot, but she's coming into the race in really good shape,” said Tharrenos, who won eight races and notched 16 top-three finishes from 40 starts at Gulfstream Park this year. “I know we're going to run into some good horses here, but she's worked well and she's undefeated. She's still a little immature, but she's a 3-year-old who is getting better by the day. We'll take a chance in this race with a fit horse.”
Tharrenos, a two-time winner on April 22, opening day of the 2023 Woodbine meet, turned down an offer to sell the filly.
“We want to keep her. The sky is the limit, we hope. I had overheard, through the grapevine, that she was a tough filly to train because she had some attitude. I like the challenging ones, the horses you can dedicate a little more time to and bring out the best in them. I'll tell you this, she's a doll to be around. We're hoping for a big day on Saturday.”
Antihero, Fearless Angel, and Strokes (IRE), all trained by Mark Casse, along with Collecting Flatter and Dolce Sopresa, both from the barn of conditioner Josie Carroll, will also contest the Star Shoot.
Last year, Beautiful Empire, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, won the Star Shoot in a time of 1:08.70.
Jockey Luis Contreras won three straight editions of the race, in 2015 with Ancient Goddess, in 2016 with Treasuring and in 2017 with R Naja.
The Star Shoot is Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
FIELD FOR THE $125,000 STAR SHOOT
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Collecting Flatter – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Fearless Angel – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
3 – Kavala – Rafael Hernandez – Bill Tharrenos
4 – Dolce Sopresa – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
5 – Jill Jitterbug – Sahin Civaci – Ryan Walsh
6 – Blind Spot (S) – Tyler Conner – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
7 – Strokes (IRE) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
8 – Antihero (S) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
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