Tag: Racing

Favored Dance to the Music broke sharply and was head and head with runner-up Violent Runner prior to gaining the advantage in deep stretch, taking Saturday's $100,000 Desert Stormer Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita by one length.

Trained by Mark Glatt and ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, Dance to the Music got six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:10.45.

Second in last year's Desert Stormer, Dance to the Music, a 4-year-old filly by Maclean's Music who sold for $575,000 at the 2021 OBS spring 2-year-olds in training sale, was second in the  Del Mar Debutante (G1) seven starts back on Sept. 5, 2021, but had been winless in her last four starts. On Saturday, she was making her second start off a nearly six month freshening.

“It's always nice to win a stake, especially with a filly that is Grade 1-placed,” said Glatt. “She needed that win for residual value, we gave a lot of money for her, so I'm just happy for the owners. She kind of tailed off on us a little bit, we had to do a little throat surgery on her and tried the turf last time.

“That was kind of a disaster, so I'm just glad she was able to find a spot to kind of get some confidence back and get going in the same direction. I thought she would make an easy lead in here and I didn't think (Violent Runner) would even come close to her, at least early on. She kind of tied into Dance to the Music down the backside and I was kind of worried about that because she's won races when she's made an easy lead, but I think she just proved to be the best filly (today).”

Owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Dance to the Music was a well beaten ninth off the bench in a second condition allowance at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf Feb. 20, but was nonetheless off at 6-5 in a field of four older fillies and mares and paid $4.40 for the win.

“She showed a lot of heart and Mark brought this filly ready to win this race,” said Hernandez, who notched his meet-leading 11th stakes win. “I felt it out of the gate. She broke really fast and when horses break like that, you know they want to win the race. I just let her be happy and around the quarter pole, I just asked her to pass the inside horse and she responded well and kept going.”

Out of the Congrats mare Beautified, Dance to the Music picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $229,080 while improving her overall race record to 3-2-0 from nine starts.

Claimed out of a $40,000 win going seven furlongs here on Feb. 5, Violent Runner ran gamely in defeat for trainer Steve Knapp, who just missed his fourth win of the afternoon. Sent hard from the rail under Edwin Maldonado, Violent Runner finally caved approaching the sixteenth pole and checked in 4 ¼ lengths clear of Stella Noir.

The Desert Stormer was reduced to a field of four when Phil D'Amato's 6-5 morning line favorite Elm Drive was scratched this morning due to what was described as a “warm foot.”

Fractions on the race were :22.30, :45.27, and 57.80.

Hernandez came right back to the Runhappy Winner's Circle in the ninth and final race on the day, winning aboard the Librado Barocio-trained Lamplighter Jack, giving him a natural hat trick to finish off the Saturday program.

The post Dance To The Music Gets Clear Late In Santa Anita’s Desert Stormer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Woodslane Farm's Wolfie's Dynaghost remained a perfect 3-for-3 over the synthetic surface with a convincing 2 ¼-length victory Saturday in the $299,600 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic on the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) undercard at Turfway Park.

Ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Wolfie's Dynaghost completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.09 on the synthetic surface.

Wolfie's Dynaghost broke sharply from the starting gate and sat second into the first turn, just outside of Two Birds. Velazquez and Wolfie's Dynaghost poked their head in front at the half-mile pole and never gave up the lead. At the top of the lane, 9-1 longshot Verstappen attempted to make a run at the Wolfie's Dynaghost but proved to be second best.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Wolfie's Dynaghost returned $7.08 for the win. Verstappen, ridden by Declan Cannon, was second, and King Cause finished third, four lengths back.

Multiple Grade I winner Santin had a troubled beginning and checked in fourth followed in order by Founder, Two Birds, Richiesgotgame, Wentru, Camp Hope and Ocean Atlantique.

Wolfie's Dynaghost improved his career mark to 7-2-4 from 19 starts with solid purse earnings of $586,805. The talented 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper was bred in Kentucky by his owner.

Idiomatic Notches First Stakes Win In Latonia Stakes

Juddmonte's 4-year-old filly Idiomatic held off a late charge of Kate's Kingdom to notch her first career stakes victory in in the $245,000 Latonia Stakes.

Jockey Chris Landeros was aboard the Brad Cox-trained Idiomatic in the Latonia Stakes and the duo completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.50.

Idomatic sat in second in the opening stages of the Latonia Stakes, 1 ½-lengths behind leader Grand Ave Girl. Into the first turn, Grand Ave Girl skittered an opening-quarter mile in :23.39. Landeros continued to rate Idiomatic up the backside, about one-length behind Grand Ave Girl's half-mile clocking of :47.63. Around the far turn, Idiomatic overtook a tiring Grand Ave Girl and was able to hold off the late charge of Kate's Kingdom for a two-length victory.

It was another three-lengths back to Bellamore who finished ahead of Il Malocchio, Purrfect, Bali Belle, Grand Ave Girl and Candy Raid.

Idiomatic returned $7.06.

Kate's Kingdom, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., finished second, and Bellamore was third.

“She's a big filly and covers a lot of ground with her stride,” Landeros said of Idiomatic. “She was very comfortable and I think could run all day. She's won at a mile-and-a-quarter and one-mile at this meet. It shows how versatile she is.”

Idiomatic improved her overall record to 4-0-2 from six starts and purse earnings of $297,970.

Idiomatic is a 4-year-old filly by Curlin out of the First Defence mare Lockdown. She was bred in Kentucky by her owner.

Longshot Rarified Flair Holds Off Ocean Pointe In Rushaway

It was bombs away in the $250,000 Rushaway Stakes where Magdalena Racing, C&H Diamond Racing, David Menard and Al Riccio's Rarified Flair made his 3-year-old debut a winning one at odds of 29-1.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Landeros, Rarified Flair recorded his second lifetime victory in a final time of 1:45.45 for the 1 1/16-mile distance.

Rarified Flair had a slow beginning in the Rushaway and was forced to eighth early in the field of 12 3-year-olds. Moon Landing and John Velazquez took early command of the Rushaway field into the first turn and cruised a quarter-mile in :23.73. Up the backside, Moon Landing was joined to his inside by a keyed up Worthington and the duo completed a half-mile in :48.73. Meanwhile, Moon Landing continued tracking the early pace in seventh, about five lengths off the pace.

Around the far turn, while the leaders continued to battle one another, Luan Machado and Midnight Rising made a bold, four-wide rally and took the lead at the quarter-pole. Moon Landing was tipped five-wide in the stretch by Landeros and surged past Midnight Rising inside the sixteenths pole.

“Kenny (McPeek) was confident in him today and so was I,” Landeros said. “We broke in a little bit of a tangle but I let him take his time to get his feet underneath him. He traveled well after the start and came with his run in the stretch. I'm very proud of his effort.”

Bettors were rewarded if they backed Rarified Flair who returned $61.78. Longshot Ocean Pointe, who went off at odds of 35-1, completed the exacta  Santorini, the 2-1 post time favorite, finished third.

Midnight Rising lost the photo for third by a nose to round out the superfecta. He was 2½ lengths clear of Itzos followed by Worthington, Unified Weekend, Quadra Island, Moon Landing, Ironsides, Reckoning Force and Roja Redemption.

Rarified Flair is a 3-year-old son of Honor Code out of the Arch mare Truth. He was bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm.

Eye Witness Remains Undefeated With Animal Kingdom Victory

Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor's talented 3-year-old Eye Witness notched his second career victory with an impressive five-length score in the $178,500 Animal Kingdom Stakes.

Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Eye Witness covered the 6 ½-furlong distance in 1:11.76.

It was a fairly non-eventful journey for Eye Witness as he sat second in the early stages of the Animal Kingdom Stakes behind front-running Olazabal, who covered an opening quarter-mile in :22.26. Around the far turn, Ortiz continued to track Olazabal through a half-mile in :46.54. At the head of the lane, Eye Witness quickly took command of the race and drew off in hand in the final Florence furlong.

“I knew he'd handle the surface well after breaking his maiden here last time,” Ortiz said. “That was only his second start. Today, I let him break and just do his thing up the backside. I had a lot of horse the entire way around there.”

Eye Witness was bet down to the heavy 3-5 favorite and returned $3.42 for the win.

Olazabal held second under Gerardo Corrales, and  Brazen Boy finished third.

Moon Strike and Tiger Paw completed in the Animal Kingdom order of finish.

Eye Witness is a son of City of Light out of the Mr Greeley mare Gracilia. He was bred in New York by Anlyn Farms.

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LNJ Foxwoods and Clearsky Farm's Botanical kept her undefeated streak at Turfway Park intact with a 2½-length victory in Saturday's $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks.

Botanical's victory in the Bourbonette Oaks also gave her rider Chris Landeros his third stakes victory on the Jeff Ruby Steaks program. Landeros earlier won the $250,000 Rushaway Stakes with Rarified Flair and $250,000 Latonia Stakes aboard Idiomatic.

Trained by Brad Cox, Botanical completed the 1 1/16-mile Bourbonette Oaks in 1:44.47 on all-weather track.

Botanical earned 50 points for her victory in the Bourbonette Oaks – a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying event. Her stablemate Flashy Gem earned 20 points, while non-Kentucky Oaks nominees Thirty Thou Kelvin received 15 points and Miss New York tabbed 10 points. Fifth-place finisher Ag Bullet added five points.

Botanical broke well at the start of the Bourbonette Oaks and was immediately taken to the lead under Landeros. Botanical easily completed a quarter mile in :24.58, and Landeros kept her well-rated up the backside through a half-mile of :48.51. At the three-sixteenths pole, Botanical was joined briefly to her outside by her stablemate Flashy Gem but easily kicked clear in deep stretch.

“I can't really tell you exactly what made her who she is today but she seems to be getting better with every race,” assistant trainer Tessa Walden said. “I think anytime you get in a race like the Kentucky Oaks you will go there. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Thirty Thou Kelvin completed the trifecta followed by Miss New York, Ag Bullet, Always At Ease, Shewillghostu, Renegade Rebel, Bolivie, and Medaglia Forever.

Botanical was the even-money post time favorite and paid $4.06 for the win. Flashy Gem, under John Velazquez, was second, seven length in front of  Thirty Thou Kelvin, ridden by Gerardo Corrales.

Botanical is a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of the Blame mare Daisy. She was bred in the Bluegrass State by Clearsky Farms and Godolphin.

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