Tag: Racing

She has had her dress rehearsal and now trainer Mark Casse has D. J. Stable's champion Wonder Wheel ready to roll Friday, opening day of Keeneland's 15-day Spring Meet, when she takes on six rivals in the $600,000 Ashland (G1).

Wonder Wheel finished second in the Suncoast (L) at Tampa Bay Downs in her season debut on Feb. 11.

“It was either run in the Suncoast (at a mile and 40 yards) and maybe be a little short or wait for the Davona Dale (G2) (on March 4),” Casse said. “I didn't want to cut back to a (one-turn) mile so she ran in the Suncoast and was maybe 85 to 90 percent fit. She had a wide trip, and she ran out of gas a little bit at the end.”

Wonder Wheel was purchased at Keeneland's 2021 September Yearling Sale for $275,000.

“She was on our short list, and she reminded me of Make Mischief, a filly (who earned more than $750,000) we did well with,” Casse said. “She was long-legged like Make Mischief. She's 17 hands and (many of the sons and daughters of Into Mischief) don't have that height.

“We broke her in Ocala, and she showed she was a cut above early on.”

Wonder Wheel is perfect in two Keeneland starts with victories last fall in the Alcibiades (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

“In the Alcibiades we didn't have the best horse, but we had the best trip,” Casse said of Wonder Wheel's nose victory. “She improved off that in the Breeders' Cup and I see a similar scenario where she will give her best effort in the Ashland. I expect her to win.”

In addition to Wonder Wheel, Casse will have runners in Friday's two other stakes: D. J. Stable's Webslinger in the 35th running of the $400,000 Transylvania (G3) and John Oxley's Determinedly in the 75th running of the $400,000 Lafayette.

“Webslinger had a tough trip in the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile Turf-G1),” Casse said of the race in which Webslinger finished 11th but was beaten only 4 lengths. “He was wide and with a little better trip, he would have been right there.”

Webslinger has a win and a second in two starts this year with the most recent start being a runner-up finish in the Colonial Liam (L) to Transylvania rival Dude N Colorado (GB).

Determinedly cuts back to a sprint in the seven-furlong Lafayette after running long this winter at Fair Grounds. “We are trying to find the right niche for him,” Casse said of Determinedly, who also raced on turf as a 2-year-old.

On Saturday, Casse will try to complete a possible Central Bank Ashland-Toyota Blue Grass (G1) double when he sends out Gary Barber's Classic Car Wash.

“After he won his second start (by 8½ lengths at Gulfstream Park), I told Gary that we can have a lot of fun with this horse because he overcame a lot that day,” Casse said. “He ran good in the Sam F. Davis (G3) (finishing third) and ran a big race in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) (finishing second to Toyota Blue Grass favorite Tapit Trice).”

Also Saturday, Casse will saddle Papilio (IRE) for D. J. Stable and Medallion Racing in the 35th running of the $400,000 Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association going a mile on the turf.

“She's a pretty good horse,” Casse said of Papilio, who joined his barn the first of the year after racing in Ireland as a 2-year-old.

Papilio came off a six-month layoff to finish second in her U.S. debut on March 4 in the Herecomesthebride (G3) at Gulfstream.

“I expected her to run a good race, and she did not disappoint in her first race going two turns,” Casse said.

The post ‘I Expect Her To Win’: Casse Has Champion Wonder Wheel Fully Fit, Ready To Roll In Ashland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hillside turf course specialist Amy C will look to bag her second graded stakes win of the Classic Meet when she takes on 10 rivals over Santa Anita's unique layout in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Amy C has won two straight and is a perfect 3-for-3 on the hillside turf course. Her wins down the hill include most recently the G3 Las Cienegas on Jan. 2 and the Senator Ken Maddy last October during the Autumn Meet.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli has been aboard for all three of Amy C's win down the hill and will again be in the irons Saturday. Bred in England, Amy C is a 5-year-old mare by Charming Thought. She made her first two starts in France before moving to trainer Chad Brown in New York where she was a one-time allowance winner.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta, Amy C has banked $248,385 with a record of 5-1-0 in 10 starts.

Also exiting a stakes win down the hill is Freedom Flyer, who pulled a 7-1 upset under Frankie Dettori in the restricted Wishing Well on Feb. 18. She went gate to wire to win by a neck over Big Summer, who also returns in the Monrovia for trainer Carla Gaines.

Freedom Flyer will again have Dettori up Saturday. Trained by Leonard Powell and owned by Marsha Naify, the 5-year-old Constitution mare has a record of 21-4-5-4 with earnings of $272,120.

Graded winners Leggs Galore and Canoodling each return from layoffs for their seasonal bows. With a record of 9-3-1 in 18 starts, California-bred Leggs Galore has been a consistent performer for D'Amato and owner-breeder William J. Sims. She has not started since a close-up second in the Oct. 15 California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course.

Leggs Galore, a 6-year-old Bayern mare, has a bankroll of $694,548. She will have regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez in the stirrups.

Canoodling has not started since a fourth-place finish last May in the G1 Gamely going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. Trained by Mike Puype, Canoodling also has a nose for the wire with a record of 8-1-2 in 17 starts. Her biggest wins were last year at Santa Anita in the G3 Wilshire and G3 Megahertz.

Owned by B4 Farms LLC, Canoodling is a 5-year-old mare by Pioneerof the Nile. She will have Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.

Also entered are Kirstenbosch and Awake At Midnyte, who are both exiting the G1 Beholder Mile on the main track here March 11.

Kirstenbosch was fifth in the Beholder Mile one start after winning the G3 La Canada at 1 1/16 miles on the main track here Jan. 15. She broke her maiden on turf going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita last April, but has never navigated the hillside turf course.

Kirstenbosch is a 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly for owner-breeder Keith Abraham and trainer John Sadler. Jockey Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for her last three starts, again has the call on Saturday.

Awake At Midnyte was sixth in the Beholder Mile for trainer Doug O'Neill. She has one previous start on turf, a second in the 2021 G3 Jimmy Durante going a mile at Del Mar. Awake at Midnyte is a 4-year-old Nyquist filly owned by Reddam Racing. She will have regular rider Mario Gutierrez in the saddle.

THE GRADE 3 MONROVIA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 12 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

1. Elm Drive—Ramon Vazquez—124
2. Awake at Midnyte—Mario Gutierrez—120
3. Canoodling—Juan Hernandez—124
4. Tom's Beauty—Hector Berrios—120
5. Stella Noir—Kent Desormeaux—120
6. Kirstenbosch—Kazushi Kimura—124
7. One Silk Stocking—John Velazquez—120
8. Amy C—Umberto Ripoli—124
9. Big Summer—Joe Bravo—122
10. Leggs Galore—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
11. Freedom Flyer—Frankie Dettori—122

First post time for a 12 – race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.

The post Hillside Turf Course Specialist Amy C Returns In Saturday’s Monrovia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Santa Anita's leading trainer with 30 wins at entry time Wednesday, Phil D'Amato would dearly love to notch his 11th stakes win in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes as his Irish-bred Gold Phoenix seeks his second consecutive graded stakes win of the current Classic Meet. With Japanese native Kazushi Kimura set to ride him back, Gold Phoenix heads a field of seven older horses at a mile and one quarter on turf.

The Whittingham is named for the legendary late HOF trainer, affectionately known as “The Bald Eagle,” who ranks second among all trainers with 203 Santa Anita stakes wins, which included a record 14 tallies in what was Santa Anita's signature turf stakes—the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap at a mile and three quarters with a hillside start.

In what appeared to be his best race to date, 5-year-old gelding Gold Phoenix burst through at the rail late under Kimura to win the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile by a neck on March 4, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Three for 10 with D'Amato stateside, Gold Phoenix, although winless in two tries at a mile and one quarter on turf, was a close third on both occasions, beaten 1 ¾ lengths seven starts back in last year's Whittingham and more recently, when beaten a neck three races back in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship here on Oct. 1.'

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify, Gold Phoenix stalked the early pace in last year's Whittingham and will likely do the same on Saturday. Off at 10-1 in the Kilroe Mile, he'll be a considerably shorter price in the Whittingham as he seeks to improve upon an overall race record of 11-4-3-3 and earnings of $675,257.

Idle since a troubled sixth, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in going a mile and one quarter on turf in the G3 San Marcos Feb. 5, English-bred Dicey Mo Chara would benefit from a lively pace with Juan Hernandez riding back. A half length winner of the G2 San Gabriel at a mile one eighth on turf Dec. 26, Dicey Mo Chara lacked room late in the 10-horse San Marcos and rates a huge look for owners Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal.

A classy 5-year-old gelding trained by Leonard Powell, Dicey Mo Chara, who has been graded stakes placed on three occasions, seeks his second graded stakes win on Saturday. With an overall mark of 18-4-4-3, he has earnings of $430,777.

In a very evenly matched lineup, D'Amato's Masteroffoxhounds, sixth, beaten 4 ¼ lengths by his stablemate Gold Phoenix in the Kilroe Mile, was second, beaten a neck two starts back in the San Marcos appears better suited going a mile and one quarter.

Owned by Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch, Masteroffoxhounds, a 6-year-old full horse by War Front, has two wins and three seconds from six tries at the Whittingham distance. A close second in last year's renewal, Masteroffoxhounds also seeks his second graded stakes victory.

With an overall mark of 23-4-4-5, Masteroffoxhounds has earnings of $590,542 and will be reunited with Umberto Rispoli, who last rode him two starts back in the San Marcos.

Claimed for $25,000 three starts back on Nov. 24 at Del Mar, trainer George Papaprodromou's Opry comes off a fast closing third in the San Marcos, a race in which he was beaten three quarters of a length when ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori, who rides him back on Saturday.

Owned by David Bernsen, LLC, Mark Gorman and Andrew Schwindt, Opry, a 7-year-old gelding by Declaration of War, was a Grade 3 winner on grass in New York at age two and will be seeking his second graded stakes victory nearly five years later on Saturday in his third start for Papaprodromou.

THE GRADE 2 CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 12 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

1. Opry—Lanfranco Dettori–120
2. Dicey Mo Chara—Juan Hernandez—124
3. Midnight Jostar—Kent Desormeaux—120
4. Oflee Naughty—John Velazquez—120
5. Oncoming—Hector Berrios–120
6. Masteroffoxhounds—Umberto Rispoli—122
7. Gold Phoenix—Kazushi Kimura–124

First post time for a 12-race card that will include five other stakes on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.

The post Kilroe Mile Winner Gold Phoenix Stretches Out For Saturday’s Charles Whittingham appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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