Tag: Racing

AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady, put in a steady drive midway around the far turn, powered through the stretch to pass Davona Dale (G2) winner Dorth Vader, and pulled clear to a two-length victory in Saturday's $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

Ridden by Luis Saez for trainer Graham Motion, Affirmative Lady ($19) had placed twice previously in stakes, including second by a neck in the Demoiselle (G2) last December at Aqueduct. The Arrogate filly was coming out of a maiden special weight triumph going the Oaks' 1 1/16-mile distance Feb. 26 at Gulfstream, earning her a return trip to stakes competition.

“When she broke her maiden here five weeks ago, I thought it was really impressive and the timing was good,” Motion said. “I think she really wants to go further. I think she'll really appreciate a mile and an eighth, to be honest.”

The Gulfstream Park Oaks was worth a total of 200 qualifying points to the top five finishers for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5 at Churchill Downs. Affirmative Lady earned 100 points to seal her spot in the starting gate.

“There's a big race going a mile and an eighth in May, so we'll think about that,” Motion said. “Look, if she comes out of it OK, we have to [run]. That's what she wants to do.”

Saez, aboard for the first time, settled Affirmative Lady in fourth saving ground on the rail as 30-1 long shot Flakes was in front through a quarter-mile in :23.73 pressed by Jan. 1 Cash Run winner Infinite Diamond with Dorth Vader looming in the clear three wide. The order didn't change after a half in :47.63 when Saez tipped Affirmative Lady off the rail to split horses and get into the race.

“The plan with her was to try to break good, get close and save ground. When we were ready, she kept going,” Saez said. “I had a lot of horse. Graham did an amazing job with her. She did great. She ran huge.”

Dorth Vader forged a short lead at the top of the stretch with Flakes digging in on the inside, but set Affirmative Lady down for a drive once straightened for home and reeled in the front runners in the final eighth of a mile with plenty left to turn back a late run from Sacred Wish, who got up for second. The winning time was 1:44.69 over a fast main track.

“I'm thrilled, extremely happy,” Saez said. “Graham always does a great job with his horses, and that gave me a lot of confidence she would have the stamina at the end. She demonstrated she has a great future and a very good chance to win the Kentucky Oaks. She's versatile and knows how to settle nicely, which says a lot about her potential going longer.”

Sacred Wish, making just her third career start and first for trainer George Weaver, edged Flakes by a head for second to earn 40 Kentucky Oaks points. Flakes picked up 30 points, beating Dorth Vader by a neck for third.

“I liked the way everything fell in the race. I had to go a little wide and sacrifice a little bit with the outside post and she didn't break that sharp out of the gate. She stumbled a little bit but she recovered and I liked the way she was doing it all the way down the backside,” Javier Castellano, aboard Sacred Wish, said. “Her first time going two turns, she handled it well. She finished good. I'm very satisfied.”

Dorth Vader, breaking from outermost Post 8, now has 70 points after picking up 50 for her 4 ¾-length upset at odds of 46-1 in the one-mile Davona Dale.

“She broke out a bit and was very wide on the first turn,” trainer Michael Yates said. “We'll see how she comes out of this and see how she trains and go from there.”

Miracle, the 2-1 favorite, Infinite Diamond, 2022 FSS My Dear Girl winner Atomically and Just Katherine completed the order of finish.

Affirmative Lady was bred in Kentucky by Alastar Thoroughbred Co. LLC from the Stephen Got Even mare Stiffed.

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Affirmative Lady Kicks Clear In Gulfstream Park Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Kentucky homebred Law Professor made a triumphant return to New York to capture Saturday's $125,000 Excelsior, a nine-furlong test for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Rob Atras, the 5-year-old Constitution gelding entered from a distant third-place finish in the Razorback Handicap (G3) on February 18 at Oaklawn Park that the victorious Last Samurai exited to win the Essex (G3) at the Hot Springs, Arkansas oval and saw runner-up West Will Power come back to win last Saturday's New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds.

The Jose Lezcano-piloted Keystone Field won a three-way battle for the lead into the first turn with Miles D and Law Professor to mark the opening quarter-mile in :23.32 over the muddy and sealed main track. Law Professor, who initially took back to third after exiting post 2, advanced outside of Miles D to secure second position entering the backstretch as Keystone Field reached the half-mile in :46.90.

Law Professor ranged up to the outside of Keystone Field to take command late in the final turn with three-quarters elapsing in 1:11.69 as Miles D angled off the rail to launch his bid, but there was no catching the versatile dark bay, who crossed the wire a 4 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:50.34. Keystone Field stayed on strong down the lane to complete the exacta by four lengths over Miles D with the slow-starting Portos in fourth. Curlin's Wisdom, Forewarned and Bourbonic rounded out the order of finish.

Franco, leading rider at the recently concluded Big A winter meet, said he rode with confidence.

“I broke sharp and made sure I got my position going to the turn,” Franco said. “I saw those two horses [Keystone Field and Miles D] wanted to go, so I just stayed back and went around there and the horse did the rest. He was just dragging me all the way to the quarter pole and when I asked him, he was there for me.”

Atras said Law Professor, who impressed with a 7 1/2-length score in the nine-furlong Queens County on January 7 in his seasonal debut here, had excelled in his training at Belmont Park and enjoys racing out of his own stall.

“I think being back here definitely helped. He likes it here and seems to run his best races here,” Atras said. “Even though we didn't get the most ideal trip, Manny was able to work it out and he ran a big race. He trains well here. He can be a bit of a nervous horse and he was nice and settled in the paddock.”

Atras credited Franco, who was aboard for the Queens County score, with getting the sometimes temperamental Law Professor to rate.

“Manny took him back a little bit, which I think was a very smart move because the pace was pretty hot,” Atras said. “Then when he re-engaged, he wanted to be a little rank, but Manny settled him down real nicely. He knows the horse and he rode him perfect after that.”

Lezcano said the stakes-place Keystone Field, a distant seventh last out in the Razorback, performed admirably.

“I think it was kind of fast today, but we were going pretty good,” Lezcano said. “He gave me a good race and everything he's got. I think the best horse won the race.”

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.

Law Professor, who was produced by the Ghostzapper mare Haunted Heroine, banked $68,750 in victory while improving his record to 6-2-2 from 16 career starts. He paid $3 for a $2 win ticket.

The post ‘He Ran A Big Race’: Law Professor Scores Dominant Excelsior Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ten Strike Racing's Eyeing Clover, who won at first asking at Oaklawn Dec. 31, returned to the track to win Saturday's inaugural running of the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile.

Eyeing Clover was fourth early as longshot Rocking Rocket set the pace of :23.01 and :46.85 for the first half mile. The winner came up the rail entering the turn to inch closer to the leaders, was moved out by jockey Florent Geroux, and closed determinedly to win by one length over 6-5 favorite Gun Pilot. Cactus finished third.

The winning time was 1:39.45 for one mile on a track rated as fast.

Eyeing Clover, who was exiting a fourth-place finish in the Gotham Stakes (G3), improved his record to three wins from four starts while posting his first stakes triumph. The Lookin At Lucky colt out of the Forest Wildcat mare Floral Park, trained by Brad Cox and bred in Kentucky by Mike Abraham, has $230,650 in lifetime earnings. He returned $5.60 as the 9-5 second choice.

Hot Springs Stakes Quotes:

Florent Geroux, winning jockey, Eyeing Clover: “He broke very sharp, put me in a good spot. I let those two horses in front of me go, dictate (the pace). The first turn was a little bit messy to be honest. Nice trip down the backside, relaxed. When those horses in front of me started getting tired, I just took over and took command. He was brave. Steve's horse (Asmussen-trained Gun Pilot) was making a nice run and my horse held him off. … He ran good. A mile, to be honest, is probably about as far as he wants to go.”

The post Eyeing Clover Shakes Free In Hot Springs For First Stakes Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post