Tag: Racing

A total of eight stakes worth a combined $4.05 million will be run next Friday and Saturday during the first two days of Keeneland's Spring Meet. The following is a list of prospective entrants in those races compiled by Stakes Coordinator Baley Hare.

April 7 races. Entries taken Tuesday.

$600,000 CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND (G1) – Defining Purpose (trainer Kenny McPeek), Guns n' Graces (Chad Brown), Julia Shining (Todd Pletcher), Pride of the Nile (Doug O'Neill), Punchbowl (Brad Cox), Wonder Wheel (Mark Casse). Possible: Effortlesslyelgant (Norm Casse)

$400,000 KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA (G3) – Andthewinneris (Wayne Catalano), Freedom Trail (John Terranova II), Mi Hermano Ramon (Mark Glatt), Mo Stash (Vicki Oliver), Webslinger (Mark Casse) and Wonderful Justice (GB) (Brad Cox). Possible: Nagirroc (Graham Motion).

$400,000 LAFAYETTE – Corona Bolt (Cox), Determinedly (Mark Casse), Hurricane J (Paulo Lobo), Lugan Knight (Michael McCarthy). Possible: Damon's Mound (Michelle Lovell), Invulnerable (Joe Sharp).

April 8 races. Entries taken Wednesday.

$1-MILLION TOYOTA BLUE GRASS (G1) – Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown), Classic Car Wash (Mark Casse), Hayes Strike (McPeek), Major Blue (D. Wayne Lukas), Mendelssohns March (McPeek), Tapit Trice (Pletcher), Verifying (Cox). Possible: Raise Cain (Ben Colebrook), Scoobie Quando (Colebrook), Sun Thunder (McPeek).

$600,000 MADISON (G1) – Maryquitecontrary (Shug McGaughey), Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset). Possible: Caramel Swirl (Bill Mott), Goodnight Olive (Brown).

$400,000 APPALACHIAN (G2) PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION – Alluring Angel (GB) (Jorge Abreu), Be Your Best (IRE) (Horacio De Paz), Beautifulnavigator (IRE) (McPeek), Heavenly Sunday (Cox), Papilio (IRE) (Mark Casse), Pleasant Passage (McGaughey). Possible: Sabalenka (Whit Beckman).

$350,000 SHAKERTOWN (G2) – Caravel (Cox), Johnny Unleashed (Eric Foster), Mister Mmmmm (Catalano), Our Shot (Terranova). Possible: Oceanic (Jordan Blair), Stitched (Greg Foley).

$300,000 COMMONWEALTH (G3) – Heart Rhythm (John Ortiz), Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart), Long Range Toddy (Stewart), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward). Possible: Eastern Bay (Lynn Cash), Sir Alfred James (Cash).

The post It’s Almost Time For Keeneland: Prospective Fields For Ashland, Blue Grass, Six Other Opening Weekend Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Qatar Racing Limited, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables' Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner Caravel had her final tuneup Saturday morning for her 2023 debut in next Saturday's $350,000 Shakertown (G2) when she breezed a half-mile in :48.20 on Keeneland's all-weather training track with exercise rider Edgar Quinteros aboard.

“You can't do it any better than that,” Tessa Walden, assistant to trainer Brad Cox, said of the drill, fastest of four timed moves at the distance on the synthetic surface.

“We called an audible Friday and just galloped on the all-weather and pushed the work back a day,” Cox said Friday morning before heading to Oaklawn Park for the Arkansas Derby (G1).

Caravel, who in her most recent race defeated males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland, is scheduled to face males again in the Shakertown at the Lexington track.

“(The Shakertown) has been the plan for the comeback all along. I love the way she is training,” Cox said of the 6-year-old Mizzen Mast mare, who returned to the work tab Feb. 18 with the first of six works over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky prior to her work Saturday morning at Keeneland.

A 10-time stakes winner with four graded stakes victories, Caravel is undefeated in two Keeneland starts, capturing the Franklin (G3)  during the 2022 Fall Meet prior to her victory in the Breeders' Cup.

The prospective field for the Shakertown (with trainer): Caravel (Cox), Johnny Unleashed (Eric Foster), Mister Mmmmm (Wayne Catalano), Our Shot (John Terranova II). Possible: Oceanic (Jordan Blair), Stitched (Greg Foley).

The post ‘I Love The Way She Is Training’: Caravel Breezes At Keeneland Toward 2023 Debut Against Males In Shakertown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Wicked Halo, making her first start since a narrow third in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), was back in the winner's circle after an impressive victory in Friday's inaugural $250,000 Matron Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Favorite Wicked Halo, with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, was third early as Pretty Birdie battled with I'm the Boss of Me through early fractions of :21.15 and :44.25 for the first half mile. The winner dropped back to fourth and last around the turn for home, but was all fight through the stretch as she wore down second-choice Matareya, who assumed the lead entering the stretch. Wicked Halo drew off late to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:09.31 over a sealed track rated muddy.

“Talented group of mares and the exciting part is for her to come back running that fast,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “She finished off the year in spectacular fashion. I think she had four stakes wins and then was third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She got a little break off that. For her to come back and beat a filly the quality of Matayera in such a competitive fashion is very exciting.”

Wicked Halo, a multiple Grade 2 winning 4-year-old daughter of Gun Runner, improved her record to 7-0-4 from 12 starts and is now a millionaire with $1,032,700 in purse earnings. She returned $4 and $2.20 as the even money favorite. There was no show or exotic wagering after the scratches of Dealing Justice, Samurai Charm and Teddy's Barino.

Live racing resumes Saturday for a 13-race card highlighted by the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) and three other stakes races. The richest day in Oaklawn's history begins with a 12:15 p.m. first post. The Arkansas Derby is race 12 at approximately 6:24 p.m.

Stakes Quotes:

Winning trainer Steve Asmussen (Wicked Halo): “Talented group of mares and the exciting part is for her to come back running that fast. She finished off the year in spectacular fashion. I think she had four stakes wins and then was third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She got a little break off that. For her to come back and beat a filly the quality of Matayera in such competitive fashion is very exciting.”

“It's very exciting for her to start her 4-year-old season running as fast as she did. I don't think we should be surprised with that with the Gun Runners, knowing how he was. He was a fabulous 2-year-old, a great 3-year-old and an unbeatable 4-year-old. And I think the Gun Runners are showing as they age they also continue to get faster.”

(This was a great race for Oaklawn to come up with) “Absolutely. The timing of it is ideal for the Churchill Downs' (Grade 1) Derby City Distaff at seven-eighths” on Kentucky Derby day.

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Wicked Halo): “She had a very impressive season last year. Got a nice freshening. Everybody said she had been working great. She came out and ran a great race. Very impressive.”

Jockey Flavien Prat, second on Matareya: “She ran a good race. She broke well and I was in the pocket. Made a big move down on the inside. I thought I was home free and just got outrun.”

Jockey David Cabrera, fourth on Pretty Birdie: “Missed the break a little bit and she's a horse than you can't rate. Having the other one (I'm the Boss of Me) right next to her the whole way didn't help.”

The post Gun Runner Filly Wicked Halo Victorious In Return At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After winning his March 16 comeback at Oaklawn, trainer Kenny McPeek said Smile Happy would likely make his next start in the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 22.

Instead, Smile Happy is among seven older horses entered in Saturday's $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3). Probable post time for the Oaklawn Mile, which goes as the fifth of 13 races, is 2:32 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.

Smile Happy will be cutting back to a mile after capturing an allowance race last month at 1 1/8 miles, which marked his first start since finishing eighth in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

“I can't tell you I'm absolutely thrilled with the switch in the distance, but the horse is tricky to train,” McPeek said. “I would almost rather run him than trying to figure out how to get him to work out. We're still looking at the Oaklawn Handicap. He's a really nice horse to be around, but he's tricky to train. He'll gallop the wrong way real well and some days he gallops perfectly and some days he says, 'Not today.' A bit of a challenge, but high level talent. He's not the first horse that was ever like this. He won't be the last.”

The projected Oaklawn Mile field from the rail out: Smile Happy, Francisco Arrieta to ride, 121 pounds, 9-5 on the morning line; Necker Island, Mitchell Murrill, 117, 15-1; Hero Status, Cristian Torres, 117, 12-1; Silver Prospector, Tyler Gaffalione, 121, 8-1; Caddo River, Ricardo Santana Jr., 121, 4-1; Atoka, Mickaelle Michel, 117, 20-1; and Hopper, John Velazquez, 117, 7-5.

Smile Happy was among the country's leading Kentucky Derby prospects last year after winning both starts 2, including the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, by a combined 8 ¾ lengths.

After finishing second in two major Kentucky Derby preps to open his 3-year-old campaign, Smile Happy didn't run again in 2022 after being beaten 10 lengths by Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby. McPeek said he decided to stop on Smile Happy because of bone bruising and point the son of champion Runhappy to a 4-year-old campaign.

Smile Happy recorded a 1 ¼-length victory in his comeback, covering 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy track in a meet-best 1:48.95.

“Looks like he's well drawn in there,” McPeek said. “Looks like he'll be tough in there, but I do think I would rather have the extra eighth of a mile. But he's the kind of horse that could win anyway.”

After finishing second in 2020 (Improbable) and 2022 (Cezanne), Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert bids for his first Oaklawn Mile victory with Hopper, the Southern California-based program favorite.

Hopper, who removes blinkers, will be cutting back to a mile after finishing fourth in the $500,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) for older horses at 1 ¼ miles March 4 at Santa Anita. The Oaklawn Mile will be Hopper's first start outside California.

“Hopper, he's a big, strong horse,” Baffert said. “There's nothing here for a little bit in California. I want to see how he ships. It's a good purse and he's a two-turn kind of horse. I would have liked to have drawn on the inside there, but he's got a lot of speed for a big, powerful horse.”

Hopper recorded his biggest career victory to date in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles last June at Santa Anita. He also finished second, beaten a length by Newgrange, in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 28 at Santa Anita. The San Pasqual marked Hopper's first start since the Affirmed.

“The break is so important, being on the outside there,” Baffert said, referring to the Oaklawn Mile. “He needs to break well. Like I said, he has speed. He's quick. He's a super thick, massive horse, but he's light on his feet.”

Caddo River returns to stakes company after winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance race Feb. 25 at Oaklawn in his first start for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Caddo River, a homebred for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony, won the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile in 2021 at Oaklawn for trainer Brad Cox.

“Caddo, that's his thing,” Lukas said. “Let's put it this way: A mile is very much in his wheelhouse. I mean it really is probably, the little I've been able to evaluate him and everything, I think that's his best distance.”

Necker Island (trainer Chris Hartman) and Silver Prospector (Steve Asmussen) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in last year's Oaklawn Mile.

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