Tag: Racing

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio and Jeff Drown's Zandon, both Grade 1 winners on last year's Road to the Kentucky Derby, will face off in a competitive renewal of the $175,000 Westchester (G3) for older horses traveling a one-turn mile on Friday at Belmont Park.

The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained White Abarrio, winner of last year's Grade 1 Florida Derby, makes the second start of his 4-year-old campaign after a fever caused him to miss a start in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. He remained at Belmont Park to make his preparations for the Westchester over the last three weeks.

“He's doing really good,” said Joseph. “It took a couple days for him to bounce out of the fever, but he came back fine and is in good order right now. His rider, who has gotten on him his whole life, went up to Belmont with him and he knows him best – he said he's very happy with how he's been training.”

White Abarrio arrives at the Westchester from a dominant victory in a key seven-furlong optional claimer on March 4 at his home base of Gulfstream Park, rallying from fourth-of-10 to take command at the stretch call and draw off under Tyler Gaffalione. He defeated returning rival Weyburn, next-out winner of the Sir Shackleton, by 4 1/2 lengths with next-out starter allowance winner Collaborate finishing third. The effort was awarded a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Westchester will be White Abarrio's third start around a one-turn mile, his other two efforts an allowance victory in his first start for Joseph in October 2021 at Gulfstream and a game third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in December at the Big A.

Joseph said White Abarrio should relish the return to one mile.

“We're excited to keep him at one turn from now on,” Joseph said “I think his class as a sophomore allowed him to excel beyond a mile because he was ahead of those horses at the time. As he got older, I think he'll excel more at seven-eighths to a mile.”

White Abarrio first flashed his talents in his September 2021 debut with a 6 3/4-length victory for trainer Carlos Perez before being purchased privately and transferred to Joseph care. He earned back-to-back graded stakes victories in his first two sophomore outings, scoring a prominent victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and an off-the-pace coup in theFlorida Derby ahead of a 16th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The gray son of Race Day made his seasonal bow with a distant eighth in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream, but rebounded impressively when cutting back in distance to win his latest start. He has posted two works over the Belmont dirt training track, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:00.50 on Friday.

“He's tactical and hopefully he can put himself in a good spot,” said Joseph. “From there, we hope it all goes well.”

Paco Lopez has the call from post 4.

The Chad Brown-trained Zandon [post 7, Dylan Davis] breezed a half-mile in :48.88 Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track before scratching out of a Saturday allowance at Aqueduct and rerouting to this spot for his 4-year-old debut.

The dark bay son of Upstart was last seen finishing an even fourth in the Cigar Mile, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind the bunched up top trio of Mind Control, Get Her Number, and White Abarrio to close out his sophomore season.

Zandon put together a productive campaign last year, finishing third in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course ahead of a visually impressive 2 1/2-length score in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland where he rallied from last-of-11 at the three-quarters call and kicked clear down the stretch.

He went on to hit the board in four other graded events last summer, including third-place finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Travers, the latter of which garnered a career-best 105 Beyer. He finished a game second in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September three lengths behind the victorious Taiba.

Brown will also saddle the New York-bred Dr Ardito [post 3, Manny Franco], who brings a formidable six-race win streak into his graded debut for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner.

Owned by Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb, Dr Ardito's impressive streak dates to a second-out graduation in April 2021 going the Westchester distance at Aqueduct. He was away from the races for 10 months before returning victoriously at allowance level last February and following with two more allowance victories, including a half-length score against open company in May.

The son of Liam's Map, bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, was then given another lengthy respite before returning in January to earn an open-company allowance victory and make a successful stakes debut in the one-mile state-bred Haynesfield in February, landing a head triumph over multiple graded stakes-placed Bankit.

Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks, runner-up in the Carter, will look to regain winning form for trainer Jamie Ness after suffering his first loss since being transferred to his current conditioner in November.

The son of Tapiture raced in fourth-of-6 throughout the first two points of call under Andrew Wolfsont in the seven-furlong Carter, swinging five-wide in the turn and setting his sights on pacesetter Today's Flavor at the top of the stretch. The 5-year-old gelding gained ground with every stride, but could not outrun fellow closer Doppelganger and settled for second 1 1/4 lengths behind that foe while preserving place honors by a nose over returning rival Expressman.

“He came out of the last race fine and things are going well, so we should be ready to go,” said Ness. “We got a little wide trip in the Carter and he ran second when it wasn't his 'A' effort, so we've got to be happy about that. To still run second in a Grade 1 that day says a lot.”

Ness said he expects Repo Rocks will benefit from a return to one mile.

“A little more distance is better for him,” said Ness. “That might be his ideal distance. He's a big horse with a big stride.”

Repo Rocks posted a strong run of form for Ness heading into the Carter, notching four consecutive stakes scores that included a Grade 3 win in the Toboggan in January at the Big A and a follow-up win in the Stymie over the same course. He earned a field-best 111 Beyer for his Toboggan victory, pouncing from off the pace to win by a dominant 8 1/2 lengths.

Rpeo Rocks has worked back once at Parx Racing since the Carter, covering a half-mile in a swift :47.68 on Friday.

“He likes to train aggressively and he's responded well to that,” said Ness.

Ruben Silvera picks up the mount from post 8.

The aforementioned Expressman [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] is in search of his first stakes victory for owner St. Elias Stable and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of Liam's Map had a tough trip in the Carter when he was bumped and steadied down the backstretch while vying for position. He re-rallied under Jose Ortiz to swing four-wide in the turn and made a late bid down the lane to come up just shy of place honors.

Expressman earned a lofty 107 Beyer for his debut maiden victory in August at Saratoga Race Course where he led at each point of call and strolled home a 7 1/4-length winner. He has one additional win in four starts since, posting a hard-fought head victory in a February optional claimer at Gulfstream Park traveling nine-furlongs.

Completing the field are The Players Group's dual graded stakes-placed Bourbon Calling [post 1, Feargal Lynch], who has won three consecutive allowance tilts since being haltered for $32,000 by trainer Antonio Arriaga in November; Edward Potash, Brad Yankanich and trainer Jim Ryerson's four-time winner Unbridled Bomber [post 5, Mychel Sanchez]; and Chiefswood Stables' 2021 Grade 3 Gotham winner Weyburn [post 6, Trevor McCarthy], who posted a last-out repeat victory in Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton for conditioner Jimmy Jerkens.

The Westchester is slated as Race 8 on Friday's nine-race card, which co-features the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 4. First post is 1 p.m. (ET).

The post Grade 1 Winners White Abarrio, Zandon To Meet In Competitive Westchester appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Already with a slew of good horses and her first Grade 1 winner in the barn, trainer Brittany Russell has another exciting prospect on her hands in Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's undefeated 3-year-old filly Goodgirl Badhabits.

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Claiborne Farm resident sire Mastery continued to impress her connections with another popular, eye-catching optional claiming allowance victory Saturday at Laurel Park, a front-running 10¼-length triumph at odds of 1-5. Despite swerving right at the break, she was quickly in front under jockey Jevian Toledo and soon gone, completing seven furlongs in 1:24.47 over a main track rated good while in hand.

Her win came seven weeks and two days following her impressive debut run at Laurel, where she overcame a bobbled break to power home by 12¾ lengths, again in gate-to-wire fashion, in 1:05.39 for 5 ½ furlongs.

“I'm really excited about her. I've been excited about her since the first few times I breezed her,” Russell said Sunday. “The day we debuted her, I couldn't wait to run her. For her to train well in between the maiden run and follow it up again with a convincing effort like she did yesterday, it just solidified everything that we thought about her. There's never been a day we didn't love her.”

Goodgirl Badhabits, who was produced by the Vindication mare Dazzler, is a half sister to Dazzling Gem, a son of Misremembered, who ran third in both the 2016 Sir Barton at Pimlico Race Course and Louisiana Derby (G2) as a 3-year-old and captured the Clasico Jose Celso Barbosa Memorial, a Grade 1 race in Puerto Rico, as a 6-year-old in 2019.

Bred by Lisa Reynolds, Jennifer Feiner, and Woods Edge Farm LLC, Goodgirl Badhabits purchased by James Blake for $135,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Wood Edge Farm consigned her. She went unraced at 2 before joining Russell's Laurel string. She has earned $63,600 in her two starts.

“I didn't have her in the barn as a 2-year-old,” Russell said. “I think she was ready to come in and then she had a little setback on the farm, so they took care of her and gave her some time. Since she's been back in, she's been such a pleasure.”

Though circumstances led to the time between starts being longer than planned, Russell and the connections have no designs to rush into anything with Goodgirl Badhabits as they explore her options going forward.

“I always had the Miss Preakness in the back of my mind. I thought she was that kind. It was just sort of the timing,” Russell said. “I didn't want to run her back in four weeks when the first allowance came up and they ended up canceling and they brought the race back. We had to sort of wait for this race. She's a nice filly and she deserves time in between if we're trying to develop her and move forward into bigger races. It worked out just fine.

“You won't see her back in three weeks or anything for the Miss Preakness, but there's a lot of good races coming up. There's some races in New York we're going to probably take a look at,” she added. “I think ultimately we want to get her back to the racetrack, make sure she trains as good as she did before the race, and we need to determine if we want to try her a little further or keep her short. That's another thing we have to decide.”

The $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs May 19 is among 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.6 million in purses over Preakness weekend at Pimlico highlighted by the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles, also May 19, and 148th Preakness Stakes (G1), middle jewel of the Triple Crown, May 20.

The post ‘There’s Never Been A Day We Didn’t Love Her’: Unbeaten Goodgirl Badhabits Promising Filly For Russell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A Sunday roundup of the hopefuls for the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), set for May 6 at Churchill Downs.

AFFIRMATIVE LADY – AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady galloped a mile on the main track at Keeneland under Kevin Lundie for trainer Graham Motion.

Affirmative Lady will train at Keeneland early Monday morning before leaving by van around 9 a.m. for Churchill Downs.

AND TELL ME NOLIES – Peter Redekop's And Tell Me Nolies, who arrived at Churchill Downs on Saturday, walked the shedrow Sunday morning.

Winner of the Del Mar Debutante (GI) and Chandelier (GII), the Peter Miller trainee comes into the Kentucky Oaks off a runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

BOTANICAL, THE ALYS LOOK, WET PAINT – Trainer Brad Cox's trio of Longines Kentucky Oaks runners Botanical, The Alys Look and Wet Paint all galloped about 1 ½ miles Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

LNJ Foxwoods and Clearsky Farm's Botanical is likely to be one of the top choices in this year's Longines Kentucky Oaks and will be ridden by local jockey Chris Landeros

“She's very talented and she's already proved that this winter at Turfway when she was perfect from four starts,” Landeros said. “Keeneland's meet has proved to be a good steppingstone for the Turfway horses. They've run very well there and I think that shows the caliber of horses that stayed this winter at Turfway. That gives you a lot of confidence coming into the Kentucky Oaks.

“Brad (Cox) is very blessed at having all of these talented fillies in this year's race and even some that won't run in this year's race that have shown a lot of promise.

“I've been riding for 17 years now. I started when I was 17-years-old out west and my career has brought me to the biggest stage here at Churchill Downs. We've been here before but I'm glad I'm in this situation now with some more experience under my belt. I'm very anxious to get it going Friday.”

Jockey Flavien Prat will have the mount on likely Oaks morning line favorite Wet Paint while Luis Saez will pilot The Alys Look.

DEFINING PURPOSE – Following her “happy half” workout on Saturday of :47 for the four furlongs, the Ashland Stakes (G1) winner walked on Sunday.

Greg Geier, assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek, said she emerged from the breeze in fine shape.

DORTH VADER – John Ropes' Dorth Vader galloped about 1 ½ miles at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at Churchill Downs.

“She was a bit on her toes (Saturday) but that's kind of who she is,” trainer Michael Yates said. “I'll probably take her over to the paddock once or twice to get acquainted with things. We're very excited to be here this week.”

 FLYING CONNECTION – Brad King, Randy Andrews, G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis' Flying Connection had a walk day for trainer Todd Fincher.

Following training hours, Flying Connection had a paddock schooling session. Fincher said the Sunland Park Oaks (Listed) winner would go to the gate in the next couple of days.

GAMBLING GIRL/JULIA SHINING – Trainer Todd Pletcher's Kentucky Oaks hopefuls both jogged a mile and three-eighths Sunday morning during the special Derby/Oaks 7:30 to 7:45 training session. Repole Stable's Gambling Girl, who is guaranteed a spot in the mile and one-eighth headliner Friday, had Carlos Quevedo in the tack. Stonestreet Stables' Julia Shining, who is two horses away from making the 14-horse lineup, was partnered by Humberto Zamora.

“They both went well,” Pletcher said. “We're good.”

The trainer was asked for a possible Plan B for the Curlin filly Julia Shining should she not make it into the Oaks lineup.

“Possibly we'd consider the Black-Eyed Susan the day before the Preakness in Baltimore,” he said. “Or we might wait until the Acorn (Stakes) in New York at Belmont (Grade I, $500,000 June 9).”

MIMI KAKUSHI – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Mimi Kakushi was hand-walked in the Quarantine Barn a day after working a half-mile in :50.40.

PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS – Pretty Mischievous galloped on Sunday morning during the special Derby/Oaks 7:30 to 7:45 training period at Churchill Downs. Having put in her final preparatory work ahead of the Oaks on Thursday, the Godolphin homebred has been moving well under exercise rider Albino Martinez and keeping to her schedule as laid out by trainer Brendan Walsh.

“She galloped her normal one mile and a half today,” said Charlie Lynch, assistant trainer to Walsh. “She schooled in the paddock yesterday and it went very well.”

PROMISEHER AMERICA – Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom McCrocklin's Promiseher America is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs early Monday morning, traveling from her home base at Belmont Park.

Trainer Ray Handal has named Jorge Vargas Jr. to ride the daughter of American Pharoah in the Oaks. The Gazelle (G2) winner will be stabled in barn 42.

SOUTHLAWN – Robert Masterson's Southlawn had another routine 1 ½-mile gallop for trainer Norm Casse Sunday at 7:30 a.m

The speedy daughter of Pioneerof the Nile will be ridden in the Oaks by Rey Gutierrez.

WONDER WHEEL – After following up her final breeze with two easy days on the track, D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel galloped one mile and a half on Sunday morning. In good hands with assistant trainer David Carroll in the boot, Wonder Wheel entered the track at 5:40 a.m. in the Mark Casse barn's second set.

Carroll reported that Wonder Wheel moved well beneath him and is doing great going into the race. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) champion will keep to the same routine leading up to Oaks day.

Before becoming a trainer in 1992, Carroll worked as an exercise rider for Shug McGaughey. A brilliant exercise rider, Carroll accompanied the 1989 Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer through his morning drills.

ALSO-ELIGIBLE – Richard Bahde's Taxed (No. 15 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard) galloped a mile and a half under Santurino Vergara for trainer Randy Morse.

Morse said Taxed is likely to enter the Oaks as an also-eligible.

The post Kentucky Oaks Update: Wet Paint, Botanical Gallop At Churchill, Affirmative Lady To Ship To Churchill Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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By Declan Schuster

Golden Sixty stands alone as Hong Kong's most prolific Group 1 winner after his record-setting third FWD Champions Mile (G1) triumph at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Equal with Beauty Generation's mark of eight top-level wins before Sunday, Golden Sixty – trained by Francis Lui – added Sunday's success to his wins in 2021 and 2022.

Making it an unmatched nine Group 1s for the Australian-bred 7-year-old by Darley's Central Kentucky-based sire Medaglia d'Oro, jockey Vincent Ho also sealed a fourth Champions Mile win in succession to become the race's leading rider after breaking his deadlock with Brett Prebble.

“Thank you to all of the racing fans and, of course, I am really grateful to be on this horse again,” Ho said of Golden Sixty, who has won 25 of 29 career starts and tallied nine Group 1 victories. “He's such a superstar and I'm just very grateful and very happy for Golden Sixty of course. Now he looks around and enjoys the crowds and his home turf.

“We got a sneak through the inside, one off and sort of in second position. I told myself before this race to try and enjoy every moment with Golden Sixty because he is seven now and we don't know when he is going to retire but it's the best way to enjoy every single step with him.

“I'm nothing without him. All of the credit goes to Golden Sixty,” Ho continued.

Golden Sixty landed his third Group 1 victory this season in a time of 1:33.34 ahead of Beauty Joy and California Spangle, respectively.

“It's always my honor to be on him. I'm happy for the horse and happy for the crowds that come to support him. He's just an amazing horse,” Ho said. “He's going as well as ever. There's no sign of him dropping in performance.”

Stepping away cleanly under Ho, Hong Kong's two-time Horse of the Year (2020/21 & 2021/22) steadily stole ground mid-race and between runners before taking command with roughly 400 meters left to run.

“The only thing I can say is happy. He's such a good horse with a good fighting heart. He gives me confidence,” Lui said. “Vincent had his own plan, I didn't disturb him. Before the race, we didn't talk about how to run because he knows this horse well and I don't have to teach him.”

Speaking of longevity, Lui declared that Golden Sixty's future runs could be spaced even further apart and while a shot at Hong Kong's Triple Crown remains open in next month's G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400 meters) on 28 May, Lui expects Golden Sixty's next major target to be a third win in December's Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1).

“Now we just keep a little bit longer in between races, before we could keep racing – even some of the Group 3 races – but now we just pick the Group 1 races,” Lui said.

The official margin of victory was 1 1/2 lengths. Golden Sixty was sent off as a dominant  favorite.

Of runner-up Beauty Joy's effort, jockey Hugh Bowman said: “Delighted, no surprise to see him do that. He enjoyed that even tempo. It wasn't frantic, it was consistent, which is what he needs.”

California Spangle led the race early before fading to third under jockey Zac Purton: “He ran well, he just got annoyed the whole race. They were at him and he sort of didn't get a chance to switch off.”

Golden Sixty's previous Group 1 wins this season came in the Stewards' Cup (1,600 meters) and Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000 meters) – the first two legs of Hong Kong's Triple Crown.

Prior to Golden Sixty's Champions Mile three-peat, Ho bagged a first win in the race in 2020 aboard Southern Legend.

Golden Sixty's dam is the unraced Kentucky-bred Distorted Humor mare Gaudeamus.

The post Golden Sixty Lands Champions Mile At Sha Tin For Record Third Time appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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