Tag: Racing

Owned by Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners, Fluffy Socks put in a brave performance to capture Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The 9-2 second choice, Fluffy Socks and Irad Ortiz, Jr. bulled their way between rivals at the head of the lane and powered clear to defeat 4-5 favorite Spendarella by a length on the wire. Trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old daughter of Slumber ran a mile over the firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:35.53.

“Turning for home I waited as long as I could,” Ortiz said. “When she hit the clear she was full of power.”

Fluffy Socks paid $11.96 for the victory, her first since October of 2021. Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Fluffy Socks was named by Kumin's son. The mare is out of the unplaced Kitten's Joy mare Breakfast Time, and has now improved her record to five wins, seven seconds, and two thirds from 18 starts for career earnings of $994,580.

Well off the inside rail, Haughty set the early pace with favorite Spendarella about a length back in second and longshot Sharp Hero in third along the inside. Ortiz had Fluffy Socks in fifth, just behind stablemate and last year's winner of this race, Speak of the Devil. Haughty set fractions of :23.62 and :47.81 before keeping off the inside rail heading into the stretch. That left a spot open for Sharp Hero to try to make a bid on the inside, and forced Spendarella about four paths off the rail turning into the lane, with Speak of the Devil to her outside.

Ortiz waited for a clear path to open up, and managed to squeeze Fluffy Socks through a narrow gap between Spendarella and Haughty with an eighth of a mile to run. A strong rally kept Fluffy Socks running all the way through the wire, defeating Spendarella by a length. Speak of the Devil checked in third, while late-running Wakanaka finished fourth. Sharp Hero and Haughty completed the order of finish.

The post Fluffy Socks Splits Rivals, Powers Clear In Churchill Distaff Turf Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Godolphin's homebred Matareya took over from Travel Column at the head of the stretch and then prevailed through the stretch drive by a length over Wicked Halo to win the $750,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) for older fillies and mares, the first of nine stakes on the Kentucky Derby Day card Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, Matareya covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.87 over a fast main track. It is the second victory in the race for Prat, who won in 2016 aboard Taris.

Travel Column set the pace with Matareya just off her flank through an opening quarter-mile in :22.07 with Wicked Halo three wide and 1-2 favorite Goodnight Olive in fourth tucked in behind the top trio.

Matareya grabbed the lead at the head of the lane with Wicked Halo to her outside. As Travel Column began to retreat, Goodnight Olive split horses to move to third but never could get off the rail as she and Wicked Halo raced side by side in tight quarters.

Matareya is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile out of the Bernardini mare Innovative Idea. The Derby City Distaff is the second Grade 1 victory for Matareya, who improved her record to 6-3-1 from 11 career starts and boosted her earnings to $1,366,550 with Saturday's $460,350 check.

Matareya returned $12.12. Wicked Halo, with Tyler Gaffalione aboard, finished a length in front of Goodnight Olive under Irad Ortiz Jr.

It was another 3¼ lengths back to Hot and Sultry, who was followed in order by My Destiny and Travel Column.

DERBY CITY DISTAFF QUOTES

Flavien Prat, jockey, Matareya, winner: “We really liked our (post) position. That was a key to it. She broke sharp and I was able to get her right in the race.”

Brad Cox, trainer, Matareya, winner: “It was a very big effort. I'm very proud of her. Flavien (Prat) did a really good job of getting her into position. There were some really good fillies in there.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey, Goodnight Olive, third: “I was stuck, the entire way. I had no place to go. I couldn't get out of there. I had tons of horse, just no place to go.”

The post Matareya Takes Derby City Distaff, Champion Good Night Olive Hard-Luck Third appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Basking in the attention of her fans, Pretty Mischievous, the winner of Kentucky Oaks 149, enjoyed her morning in trainer Brendan Walsh's barn.

“We are very proud of what she has accomplished and it couldn't be more special winning this for Godolphin,” Walsh said. “There are some big races that we'll look at coming up, but no decision has been made on her next start.”

Breaking cleanly from the far outside post and piloted by Tyler Gaffalione, Pretty Mischievous made her winning move at the top of the stretch and fought off the late-flying Gambling Girl through the lane. The daughter of Into Mischief by the Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer is a Godolphin homebred, its first Oaks champion.

GAMBLING GIRL (second) – Repole Stable's Gambling Girl, second by a neck in Friday's 149th Kentucky Oaks, came out of the race in good order and will head up to New York in the coming week with trainer Todd Pletcher's string.

“She was just excellent after the race,” the conditioner said. “She came out of it well.”

Pletcher has won the Kentucky Oaks four times and now run second in “The Run for the Lillies” five times. The daughter of Dialed In picked up a check for $227,500 for her efforts and now has $484,910 in earnings after 10 starts.

THE ALYS LOOK (third)/WET PAINT (fourth)/BOTANICAL (13th) – Trainer Brad Cox reported that all three of his Kentucky Oaks runners were doing well Saturday morning although he had not had time to fully evaluate them yet. The Alys Look and Wet Paint, the favorite, finished third and fourth respectively, while Botanical was 13th, her first loss in her past five starts.

“So far so good,” Cox said. “They all came back sound. I have zero clue where we're going next. Botanical looked like she got a bad break. I really expected her to break well and be close. Wet Paint was fine. No real excuse. I thought The Alys Look ran well. Just a little disappointing when you have the favorite and don't get the result you want.”

DORTH VADER (fifth) – John Ropes' Dorth Vader was back at Barn 41 Saturday morning following her fifth-place finish in Saturday's Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

“We enjoyed our time here in Kentucky and are proud of her,” Michael “Bo” Yates said.

FLYING CONNECTION (sixth) – Brad King, Randy Andrews, G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis' Flying Connection, the pacesetter in Friday's Oaks, came out of the race fine and is slated to get a break.

“She is leaving today and will go to a farm for three weeks and then go to Ruidoso Downs (in New Mexico),” said Oscar Rojero, exercise rider and assistant to trainer Todd Fincher.

DEFINING PURPOSE (seventh) – Trainer Kenny McPeek said his filly, owned by Magdalena Racing, Collette Marie Vanmatre and James Ball, came out of the Oaks in good shape after finishing seventh.

“She is fine in the barn, eating well, with no problems,” McPeek said at his barn Saturday morning. “We'll nominate her to the Delaware Oaks, the Indiana Oaks and Iowa Oaks. Then we'll see which one best suits her.”

MIMI KAKUSHI (eighth) – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Mimi Kakushi is scheduled to leave Monday and return to Dubai and rejoin the string of trainer Salem bin Ghadayer.

Mimi Kakushi received a ground-saving trip under Mickael Barzalona just behind the leading trio until the far turn where she began to give way.

WONDER WHEEL (ninth) – After finishing ninth in Kentucky Oaks 149, D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel returned to the barn doing wonderfully.

“She came back great, cooled out, had playful energy,” David Carroll, the assitant trainer for Mark Casse, said. “She took a bump out of the gate, but she never ran.”

Connections are still deciding what is next for the champion 2-year-old filly from 2022.

SOUTHLAWN (10th) – Trainer Norm Casse reported all was well with Southlawn Saturday morning after the Oaks.

No immediate plans have been laid out for her next start.

AFFIRMATIVE LADY (11th) — AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady is scheduled to go to Keeneland on Sunday and then head to trainer Graham Motion's main based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland later in the week.

“She is good this morning,” said Alice Clapham, Motion's longtime assistant. “Johnny (jockey John Velazquez) said she broke well yesterday but then found herself at the back going into the first turn somehow.”

Breaking from post 13, Affirmative Lady shied from horses to her inside going into the first turn and was last in the field of 14 after a half-mile and never threatened.

PROMISEHER AMERICA (14th) – The day after finishing in the back of the Kentucky Oaks pack, Hoffman Thoroughbreds, Tom McCrocklin, and Medallion Racing's Promiseher America enjoyed her morning grazing in the clover pasture outside her barn.

“She is doing great,” Rodrigo Montecino, the assistant trainer for Ray Handal, said. “She broke good but at some point decided she didn't want to run her race.”

The Gazelle winner will head back to New York as connections figure out her next start.

The post ‘It Couldn’t Be More Special’: Walsh-Trained Pretty Mischievous Exits Kentucky Oaks Victory In Good Shape appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Following is a collection of quotes from riders and trainers of each of the 14 entries in Friday's Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, won by Pretty Mischievous.

Tyler Gaffalione, Jockey, Pretty Mischievous, winner: “It's amazing. I feel so blessed. The trip worked out perfectly. I stayed out her way and she took me the whole way. What an incredible filly.”

Brendan Walsh, Trainer, Pretty Mischievous, winner: “This is the kind of thing you dream about, to win a Grade 1, especially the Oaks at Churchill Downs, it's a long way from Cork in Ireland. It's indescribable, it's exactly what we're here for, and why these guys (Godolphin) breed these good horses, and why everybody works so hard.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., Jockey, Gambling Girl, runner-up: “She ran great. I had no excuses. We just missed. Two more jumps and we would have got it.”

Todd Pletcher, Trainer, Gambling Girl, runner-up: “She had a really good trip. He (Irad Ortiz Jr.) saved ground most of the way, angled out and she put in a great run.”

Javier Castellano, Jockey, The Alys Look, third: “I had a beautiful trip. I liked the way my horse ran. I sat behind the speed and saved all the ground on the first turn and then set up two-three wide on the backside. I travelled nice and comfortable. Turning for home, I thought I had a chance to win. She was a good third place today. She deserved it.”

Flavien Prat, Jockey, Wet Paint, fourth: “I got a good trip. It set up good for me. The track isn't as fast as Oaklawn and I think she was struggling on a bit on it. She made a move but not as good as at Oaklawn.”

Brad Cox, Trainer, The Alys Look, third, Wet Paint, fourth, Botanical, 13th: “It's always hard when you have a heavy favorite and you can't get the job done. But, at least two of three ran well. I need to take a look at the replay. I don't really know what happened. Botanical didn't get away very well. The Alys Look stayed on and ran really well. She got a good trip up the backside and was relatively close. Looks like you want to be close on this racetrack. Two of the three ran well. I have to go back and watch the replay to see what happened to Botanical. Flavien (Prat) said Wet Paint was traveling fine. He said when he cut her loose she wasn't handling the track real well. She finished up off class and off heart. But, probably not her favorite surface. She was struggling with it. A very good filly won it. We had fillies finish third and fourth. They showed up to run.”

Luis Saez, Jockey, Dorth Vader, fifth: “My filly tried hard. She gave 100 percent. The track has been fast today and yesterday, we broke right there and were in a great spot. The winner at the 3/8th came in hand and I wish my filly was like that.”

Michael Yates, Trainer, Dorth Vader, fifth: “She went pretty fast challenging on the lead and just got tired late.”

Florent Geroux, Jockey, Flying Connection, sixth: “I stayed clean on the lead. She broke well but just couldn't keep going and hold off the other fillies in the end.”

Todd Fincher, Trainer, Flying Connection, sixth: “She showed her guts. It was a very quick pace with pressure the entire way. Turning for home she continued to fight hard, but the pace took a toll on her. I'm very proud of her.”

Mickael Barzalona, Jockey, Mimi Kakushi, seventh: “She ran well. She did the maximum. She gave it her best shot.”

Brian Hernandez Jr., Jockey, Defining Purpose, eighth: “She was moving well. The only negative is she got bounced around a little bit around the first turn and that got her into the bridle so she was a little keen. Going around the second turn I wasn't able to put away the 12 (Dorth Vader), so she was always under pressure and it just got to her late.”

Greg Geier, Assistant Trainer, Defining Purpose, eighth: “Like Brian (Hernandez Jr.) said, he could never get her comfortable. She got bounced around a little bit.”

Joel Rosario, Jockey, Wonder Wheel, ninth: “He (trainer Mark Casse) wanted me to do something a little different. Take her back and then make one run. It looked like she was making a run but then she just steadied the last part.”

David Carroll, Assistant Trainer, Wonder Wheel, ninth: “Honestly, we're trying to digest the race right now, and will have to see what the jock says, and watch it again. Obviously, we're disappointed, but we're very proud of the race she ran.”

Rey Gutierrez, Jockey, Southlawn, 10th: “I was following Pretty Mischievous, and I thought I was in a great spot, following in the clear. I was so confident in her going into the race and it just didn't work out.”

Norm Casse, Assistant Trainer, Southlawn 10th: “It's still pretty raw right now. I'm not sure where she finished. I haven't even seen a replay. Watching it live it's very difficult to see what happened. We had a little bit of a rough trip. It just wasn't Southlawn's day today.”

John Velazquez, Jockey, Affirmative Lady, 11th: “We broke really good and we got a good position. The horses inside of me caused some traffic and that was it.”

Graham Motion, Trainer, Affirmative Lady 11th: “We didn't have a great trip. A couple of the horses inside carried her out wide. We got shuffled back a lot further than we had planned.”

Ramon Vazquez, Jockey, And Tell Me Nolies, 12th: “I got a very bad trip—it was tough. I was lucky to not get knocked down in the first turn. After that my filly didn't want to try any more.”

Chris Landeros, Jockey, Botanical, 13th: “She didn't break as sharp as we wanted and got tossed around the first 50-60 yards but that's racing. That's the way it goes. Sometimes you have to go to Plan B. We found our stride and were comfortable running down the backside and I had a spot to go on with her. She didn't take me there today. It's back to the drawing board.”

Jorge Vargas Jr., Jockey, Promiseher America, 14th: “She's a very nervous filly and right before we started loading on, she lost it a little a bit. The atmosphere here was pretty wild for us with her coming from Aqueduct. After that she was like not today.”

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