Tag: Racing

Twin Creeks Racing Stables Kentucky homebred Law Professor, last out winner of the Excelsior at Aqueduct on April 1, breezed a half-mile in :49.36 Sunday morning over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special (G3) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

“He came out of the race really good, I was really happy with him. He worked an easy half-mile today,” trainer Rob Atras said.

The 5-year-old Constitution gelding equaled a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure in the nine-furlong Excelsior. With Manny Franco up from post 2, Law Professor raced to the inside of Miles D and eventual pacesetter Keystone Field into the first turn before getting off the rail to stalk from second position. He took command at the five-sixteenths and drew clear to a comfortable 4 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:50.34.

“There were a couple anxious moments last race into the first turn where we thought we'd have the lead and two horses wanted to go after him,” Atras said. “Manny had to tap the breaks a little and then he got him outside and he was a little bit rank, but he did a good job to get him to settle down and into a rhythm.”

The Excelsior score came on the heels of a distant third-place finish under Jose Ortiz in the Razorback Handicap (G3) in February at Oaklawn Park that the victorious Last Samurai exited to win the Essex (G3) at the Hot Springs, Arkansas oval and runner-up West Will Power returned to capture the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Atras said Law Professor, who shipped to Oaklawn six days before the race, never truly settled in at the busy facility and this time will arrive at Pimlico on top of the race.

“Oaklawn wasn't Jose's fault. The horse was too worked up and he couldn't get him to relax, I don't know if anybody could that day,” Atras said. “He likes to run out of his stall and I know he'll have to ship a little bit, but it's not like we have to change his whole routine. He'll just ship for the race and come right back.”

Franco, who is expected to retain the mount for the Pimlico Special, is a perfect 2-for-2 aboard Law Professor, including a win in the nine-furlong Queens County at Aqueduct in January.

Law Professor spent his first 10 starts in the care of trainer Michael McCarthy, taking the off-the-turf 2021 Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2). He made a winning debut for Atras in September at Kentucky Downs, scoring a half-length victory in the restricted Tapit over turf ahead of a game second to multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good in the Woodward (G1) on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A. He closed out his 2022 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November at Keeneland.

The post Law Professor On Target For Pimlico Special appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Gaslight Dancer swept to the lead at midstretch and held off a late bid from Two of a Kind to win the $250,000 Palisades for 3-year-olds by 1½ lengths Sunday at Keeneland.

Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Gaslight Dancer covered the 5½ furlongs on a turf course rated as good in a stakes record time of 1:02.71. Slipstream established the previous standard of 1:02.80 last year.

Gaffalione gave Gaslight Dancer a ground-saving trip in fourth in the run down the backstretch as Bushido raced to an uncontested lead with No Nay Hudson and Crispy Cat in closest pursuit.

Gaslight Dancer moved off the rail on the far turn, swept four wide into the stretch for a clear run at the leaders, and took over at the eighth pole to win his 2023 debut.

Sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to close his 2022 campaign, Gaslight Dancer earned $141,438 for the victory that increased his bankroll to $282,554. His career line improves to 2-1-0 from five starts.

Gaslight Dancer is a Kentucky-bred son of City of Light out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Raindrops Droptops. He was bred by Springhouse Farm. Maker bought Gaslight Dancer for $260,000 at the OBS spring 2-year-olds in training sale, where Julie Davies consigned him. The bay colt is campaigned by Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Skychai Racing LLC, and Angelo Carlesimo.

Gaslight Dancer returned $15.34 for win. Two of a Kind, ridden by Julien Leparoux, finished 2¼ lengths in front of third-place finisher Chiringo under Irad Ortiz Jr.

It was another neck back to Crispy Cat, who was followed in order by favored Private Creed, No Nay Hudson, Fadethenoise, Bushido, Golden Nugget, Storm Daddy, Damon's Mound, and Olazabal.

Palisades Quotes

Mike Maker (trainer of winner Gaslight Dancer):

On Gaslight Dancer's improvement from age 2 to age 3 in his first start this year: “Looks pretty good. I know last year he was pretty headstrong. (Today) he looked like he settled nice, saved ground and kicked home. Last year, he was all out wanting to go for the lead. I still think he'll stretch out to a mile.”

Tyler Gaffalione (winning rider): “First off, all the credit goes to (trainer) Mike (Maker) and his team. They sent him over here ready to run. He broke alertly, got a nice spot on the fence. We were able to work ourselves out, and he really kicked home nice.”

Julien Leparoux (rider of runner-up Two of a Kind): “He had a good trip from the one hole. We saved ground around the turn. Just second best today, but he ran a great race for his first time on the grass. He's got some talent. I'm happy with the way he ran.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of third-place finisher Chiringo): “Beautiful trip. Break was good, but I couldn't keep up. I don't have that type of speed so I just sat on him and let him relax. He was closing for sure.”

Joel Rosario (rider of fifth-place finisher and beaten favorite Private Creed): “He broke well out of there. They kind of looked like they ran away from me at the first part of the race. He tried really hard, just looked like it was a fast race today.”

The post Gaslight Dancer Wins Palisades In Stakes Record Time At Keeneland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Flurry Racing Stables and Hoffman Family Racing's Key of Life held off Interpolate by a diminishing neck to win the 38th running of the $400,000 Beaumont (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select for 3-year-old fillies on a windswept Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, Key of Life covered the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet in 1:27.32 over the fast main track. It is the second consecutive victory in the race for Cox and Prat, who teamed to win the 2022 renewal with Matareya.

Key of Life was fastest out of the gate and ran unopposed on the lead through fractions of :22.24 and :44.87 for a half mile. On the far turn, Stonewall Star and Opus Forty Two attempted to close the gap, but the filly with the momentum was Interpolate, who was launching a bid from fourth.

Key of Life maintained a clear advantage of 2½ lengths at midstretch and had just enough in the tank to hold off Interpolate at the finish.

Now 3-for-3 at Keeneland, Key of Life earned $241,800 with the victory and increased her earnings to $633,275 while improving her career record to 5-0-3 from eight starts. Key of Life is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Mo Town out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Longride to Wisdom.

Key of Life returned $2.94 for the victory. Interpolate, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., finished 6¼ lengths in front of Stonewall Star, the third-place finisher under Luis Saez.

It was another 3¾ lengths back to She's On the Rocks with Opus Forty Two, Shoplifter, and Fun and Feisty completing the order of finish.

Key of Life was bred by Moreau Bloodstock International Inc. Flurry Racing purchased her for $350,000 at the 2022 OBS Spring 2-year-olds in training sale, where Top Line Sales consigned her.

Beaumont Quotes

Brad Cox (trainer of winner Key of Life): “She's very fast away from (the gate) and she's obviously got a lot of speed. She likes Keeneland a lot. I like Keeneland and she likes Keeneland; she's three-for-three here. I'd like to congratulate (owners) Staton Flurry and Greg Hoffman (of Flurry Racing Stables and Hoffman Family Racing, respectively). This was a last-minute decision, so I want to commend those guys. I called them Tuesday and told them I was looking at this race. She was at Oaklawn, so it was a last-minute decision to bring her here and it worked out well. She had no graded black type, so that obviously was appealing. This (win) added a lot to her value and we're very proud of what she was able to accomplish today.”

On making a last-minute decision when the horse has to ship several hundred miles: “You've got to have a van ready – that's Number 1. Listen, at the end of the day it was a race I thought she fit with, basically handicapping who we thought may go, and obviously the public showed she was the favorite. It worked out. The last eighth of a mile (I was) sweating it out. I don't know how much farther she wants to go or if she wants to go any farther at all. I think she's probably better at three-quarters, 6½ (furlongs), but we're glad to get the victory today.”

Flavien Prat (winning rider): “She jumped pretty well and she has a ton of speed, so I was able to get myself on the lead and from there she got the job done. (Trainer) Brad (Cox) did a great job getting her ready. She really dug in (when Interpolate came to her outside in the stretch). But as soon as the other horse got close, she really dug in and gave me another gear to get us to the wire.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up Interpolate): “I broke good, sat there a couple lengths off the speed. I tried to wait as long as I could and just got beat in the end. The winner kept fighting – she was game.”

Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Stonewall Star): “Good trip, perfect. We were following the winner, but at the top of the stretch the winner kept going. Happy with the way she ran.”

John McKee (rider of fourth-place finisher She's On the Rocks): “Good trip. The horse was honest, just got beat by some better horses today.”

The post ‘It Was A Last Minute Decision To Bring Her Here’: Key Of Life Holds On For Gate-To-Wire Beaumont Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chiefswood Stables' homebred Weyburn is aiming towards a return to graded stakes action in the $175,000 Westchester (G3) going a one-turn mile on May 5 over the main track Belmont Park.

Weyburn, a 5-year-old Ontario-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile, sprung a 46-1 upset in the Gotham (G3) in 2021 at the Big A going the Westchester distance for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. He went winless the rest of his sophomore season before being transferred to trainer Brendan Walsh, capturing last year's seven-furlong Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park.

After making one start for trainer Rachel Halden when sixth in the King Edward (G2) over turf at Woodbine, he returned to Jerkens' barn at Palm Meadows for the winter. In his first start off a seven-month layoff, he finished second to Grade 1-winner White Abarrio in a March 4 allowance event going seven furlongs at Gulfstream before securing a repeat triumph in the Sir Shackleton last out on April 1.

“He really picked our heads up, that's for sure,” Jerkens said of the last-out stakes conquest.

Jerkens spoke of his desire to keep Weyburn going one turn this season. At two turns while under Jerkens' care in 2021, Weyburn was a close second to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mandaloun in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park and was fourth beaten three lengths in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial.

“That's the spot we're looking at,” Jerkens said of the Westchester, which he won in 2006 with Sir Greeley. “He seems to be better around one turn. Two-turn races seem to confuse him a little bit. He ran really well against Mandaloun at Monmouth, but since then he never really got it together going two turns. He runs spotty and he just never figured it out. He ran well in the Wood, the track was just really tiring that day.”

Weyburn breezed a half-mile in :48.11 Thursday over the Belmont training track. The move was the second fastest of 62 recorded works at the distance.

“He worked well. He went a little faster than I wanted,” Jerkens said. “You usually see that when they come back from Florida. They perk up a little bit. He did it easily enough.”

Jerkens said he was impressed by Weyburn's optional-claiming effort when 4 1/2 lengths behind White Abarrio, earning the place position by a neck over Collaborate, who exited that event to earn a 95 Beyer in a Gulfstream allowance win.

“He usually runs very well fresh and he did that day,” Jerkens said. “White Abarrio is a really good horse and he caught up to him, but the pace wasn't all that fast and White Abarrio had plenty left. I love the way he hung on for second. When a horse spurts away like White Abarrio did, they kind of lose heart a little bit. But he kept going for second. It was a really good race and then he came back and won. He needed that little break after the race in Canada. You still never know how they're going to be after being stopped and started again, but he did pretty well right well right when he got to Florida from the farm.”

Weyburn is out of the A.P. Indy mare Sunday Affair, who also produced graded stakes winner Yorkton. His third dam is Grade 1 winner Maplejinsky who produced Hall of Famer Sky Beauty. He sports a record of 4-3-0 from 15 career starts and earnings of $528,994.

The post ‘He Seems Better Around One Turn’: Weyburn Likely For Westchester appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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