Tag: Racing

Trainer Rodolphe Brisset is contemplating a return to Aqueduct Racetrack for two-time winner Royal Spa in the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle on April 8. The nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies offers 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Royal Spa was a first-out winner despite lunging at the start in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden sprint on November 18 at Churchill Downs just 15 days prior to fourth-place effort in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 3 going nine furlongs at Aqueduct.

The Violence dark bay, a Breffni Farm Kentucky homebred, defeated winners going six furlongs last out on March 2 at Oaklawn Park. There, she broke alertly away from her inside post under Ricardo Santana, Jr. and saved ground behind the top flight of runners before shooting through an opening along the rail and powering home a 1 3/4-length winner. The effort garnered a career-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We came back sprinting just because we were short a couple of works. She was fit enough. We just felt like sprinting was a better spot for her than a mile and a sixteenth off the layoff,” Brisset said. “Ricardo did a great job because she had the one-hole and she actually broke cleanly that time. She put herself in perfect position to win the race. The rail opened and she exploded on the inside and won pretty easily.”

Brisset spoke of the desire to get his filly in the gate for the Kentucky Oaks on May 5 with either the Gazelle or the Grade 3 Fantasy on April 1 at Oaklawn Park as her likely next target.

“We want to give her the opportunity to qualify for the Oaks. If she's good enough, I don't know yet. If she wants to go that far, I don't know either. But the only way to find out is to run,” said Brisset, who previously sent out Oaks contenders Positive Spirit [DNF, 2019] and Yuugiri [13th, 2022]. “I thought her first race was pretty good. I got pretty aggressive running her back in two weeks off the win going from six and a half [furlongs] to a mile and an eighth. We were trying to get some black type. We like her and we thought she would be competitive against that group that day.”

Brisset said the biggest improvement Royal Spa has made from two to three has been her effectiveness from the gate.

After her troubled debut maiden victory, she broke slowly again in the Demoiselle before being hustled by Joel Rosario to second position into the first turn. She raced an even second down the backstretch before launching a bid in upper stretch, only to be passed by the top-three runners – Julia Shining, Affirmative Lady and Gambling Girl – inside the eighth-pole.

“In her maiden she broke terrible and in the Demoiselle she didn't break well either,” Brisset said. “Joel kind of used her and ended up taking her back after using her because the speed on the outside was forcing her. It wasn't the smoothest trip and at the quarter-pole turning for home, she dug in pretty well and only gave up her place at the eighth pole. It was a lot to ask of her. We gave her some time and she changed physically. She put some weight on and grew. I've been able to breeze her a couple of times myself at Oaklawn.”

Brisset went on to speak highly of Royal Spa's sire Violence, who is also the sire of last year's Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and leading Kentucky Derby hopeful Forte as well as Grade 3 Gotham-winner Raise Cain. Violence, a Grade 1-winning son of Medaglia d'Oro, also produced one of Brisset's first graded stakes winners in Talk Veuve to Me.

“He was a good stallion his first few years and slowed down for a couple years, but he's coming back pretty strongly,” Brisset said. “He was a very good racehorse and he gives you a very pretty horse. He can give you any kind of horse.”

Royal Spa is out of the graded stakes placed Mineshaft mare Bodacious Babe, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Sippican Harbor.

The post ‘We Want To Give Her The Opportunity’: Brisset Targeting Aqueduct Oaks Prep With Two-Time Winner Royal Spa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Never better at age five, trainer Eric Kruljac's brilliant California-bred gelding The Chosen Vron seeks his 10th career stakes victory as he heads a field of five older horses in Sunday's $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's Camino Real Hillside Turf Course.

The Sensational Star is a part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses.

A 1 ¼ length winner of his only hillside start, the California Flag Handicap four starts back on Oct. 16, The Chosen Vron was nothing short of sensational in taking his most recent assignment, the one mile dirt Tiznow Stakes versus statebreds on Feb. 20 by 6 ½ lengths, a race in which he earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

With two graded wins at age three ranking high among his nine stakes victories, The Chosen Vron has 10 wins from 14 overall starts and earnings of $672,678. By Vronsky out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron has won five out of his last six starts, all stakes and all in combination with Hector Berrios. Bred by Tiz Molly Partners, The Chosen Vron is owned by Sondereker Racing, LLC, Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.

A two-time stakes winner and second in last year's Sensational Star, classy Indian Peak will try to regain his winning form as leading rider Juan Hernandez takes the hillside call. Winless in his last eight starts, all stakes, Indian Peak's last win came nine starts back with Hernandez up in the 2021 California Flag Handicap.

Trained by Peter Miller and idle since a troubled 11th going one mile on the Del Mar Turf in the restricted Wickerr Stakes on July 24, Indian Peak has a steady series of main track drills at Santa Anita. With plenty of speed signed on in Sunday's Sensational Star, Indian Peak will likely lag early and make a run, as he did in winning the Cal Flag in October of 2021.

A 6-year-old gelding by Comic Strip out of the Roar mare Ms. Booty, Indian Peak was bred in California by Dr. and Mrs. William Gray and is owned by Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable. With an overall race resume of 28-6-5-2, he has earnings of $431,122.

A for the remaining three Sensational Star runners, none are stakes winners but all appear to be well positioned for top performances, including the Andy Mathis-trained Kings River Knight, who comes off a solid fourth place finish going 1 1/8 miles on turf here in the California Cup Turf Classic here Jan. 7, and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Phil D'Amato's Jack Sixpack, owned and bred by Nick Alexander, comes off a pair of statebred allowance victories on turf and dirt and will try the hill for the first time with Kyle Frey.

Idle since a game nose victory in an open allowance going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar July 22, trainer Cesar DeAlba's Fast Buck has won three of his last five starts and could show the way early with Edwin Maldonado at the controls in his first stakes assignment.

THE $100,000 SENSATIONAL STAR WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

1. Jack Sixpack—Kyle Frey—122
2. Kings River Knight—Flavien Prat—122
3. The Chosen Vron—Hector Berrios—124
4. Indian Peak—Juan Hernandez—124
5. Fast Buck—Edwin Maldonado–122

First post time for an 11-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.

The post Never Better At Age 5, The Chosen Vron Seeks 10th Stakes Win In Sunday’s Sensational Star appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Built Wright Stables' millionaire Eastern Bay, emotional winner of the General George (G3) Feb. 18, returns to Laurel Park chasing his 20th career victory in Saturday's $75,000 Not For Love, a six-furlong sprint restricted to older Maryland-bred/sired horses.

The 9-year-old Eastern Bay had run second in each of his first three graded-stakes attempts – the 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel and 2022 Vosburgh (G2) and Bold Ruler (G3) at Aqueduct – before breaking through in the General George, his first race in 3 ½ months. The win came on a day honoring late jockey Avery Whisman, who rode Eastern Bay to three wins in 2019-20.

Eastern Bay came back to be fourth by two lengths, two necks out of second, in the six-furlong Tom Fool (G3) March 4 at Aqueduct. Overall, he has won 19 of 54 starts, including 15 of 41 at Laurel. He finished off the board in the 2018 and 2019 Not For Love for prior connections.

“He was two lengths out of it last time and coming. We felt like he still ran very big,” owner-trainer Norman 'Lynn' Cash said. “We're so proud of him. The race before, with the whole emotional weekend, I've never seen him up so close that early. He just had so much energy. He's like, 'All right I'm racing again, here we go!' He was just running like crazy.

“He's just a great horse,” he added. “He's probably running the best of his career right now, which is pretty amazing considering where he's been and the fact that he's 9 years old.”

William Humphrey, who earned his first graded victory in the seven-furlong General George, returns to ride from Post 5 in a field of 10.

Cash also entered Going to the Lead, exiting a three-quarter-length optional claiming allowance triumph going 5 ½ furlongs March 4 at Laurel. In his last try in restricted company, the 7-year-old gelding was third in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial in November.

Bender winner Alwaysinahurry, fourth in a one-mile allowance Feb. 12, returns in the Not For Love and is joined by fellow stakes winners Kenny Had a Notion and Karan's Notion and stakes-placed Coastal Mission, Backnthewoods and Breezy Gust.

C J I Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm's Al Loves Josie, third in the Star de Naskra and City of Laurel in 2022, chases his third straight victory and first in a stakes in the Not For Love. The 4-year-old gelding, beaten by stablemate Alottahope in the Star de Naskra and Robert Hilton Memorial, has won back-to-back allowance sprints at Laurel, each by 3 ½ lengths.

“He's a colt that has jumped up and done very well. He's really come around the last two or three races,” trainer and co-owner Jerry Robb said. “He was always chasing the other horse I had and now he's replaced him. He's missed a little bit of training between races because we've had a lot of sick horses in and out of Laurel. I didn't get to breeze him like I would but he seems to be doing fine now.”

A son of Mr. Prospector, the late Not For Love was named Maryland's champion stallion a record 13 times and was the first stallion in Maryland history to surpass $6 million in progeny earnings in a single year (2008). As a broodmare sire, he is represented by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. He died at age 26 in 2016.

While his multiple Maryland-bred champion and last year's winner Fille d'Esprit is on a well-earned vacation, trainer Jerry Robb will send out the pair of Award Wanted and Street Lute seeking a second straight victory in the $75,000 Conniver for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 4 and up.

Robb captured the Conniver back-to-back with Anna's Bandit in 2018 and 2019. Claimed for $10,000 in August 2020, Fille d'Esprit won the Conniver during a 2022 season where she went five-for-13 in 2022, all her wins coming in stakes, and was third in the Barbara Fritchie (G3) to be named Maryland-bred champion sprinter, older female and Horse of the Year.

“We're very proud of what she's done,” Robb said. “She's a very nice filly. They're few and far between to have a claim like that.”

Robb claimed No Guts No Glory Farm and Erica Upton's Award Wanted for $16,000 out of a Feb. 21, 2021 win at Laurel and the 6-year-old mare has hit the board in 18 of 24 subsequent starts, seven of them wins, including the Jan. 21 Geisha. Last out, she ran second to Hybrid Eclipse in the Feb. 18 Nellie Morse.

“I had her at Delaware all last year running and she did pretty good, but when she got back to Laurel it was like a 10-point difference in her numbers. She just jumped forward tremendously. Her last three races have been off the chart,” Robb said. “I think that's what she wanted.”

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, 5, is an eight-time stakes winner, five of those coming at Laurel, the most recent in the 2021 Wide Country. She made only four starts in 2022 and was fifth in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Feb. 4 at Laurel, her first race in seven months.

“I think she got quite a bit out of that race, but that was six weeks ago. I've breezed her in between. She needs to run more but it's tough to find races for her,” Robb said. “She was fine, she's just always been tough to get fit. I thought she was fit the last time but obviously she wasn't. We'll see if this time she can improve off that.”

Mens Grille Racing's Response Time won back-to-back 5 ½-furlong sprints 20 days apart last month at Laurel for trainer Hamilton Smith, who won the 2003 Conniver with Gazillion. The 5-year-old mare has made one prior stakes start, running fourth in the 2021 Miss Disco.

Also entered are multiple stakes-placed Quiet Imagination, exiting a sixth in the Feb. 18 Fritchie; My Flicker; eight-time winner Mavilus; Combat Queen, who had a three-race win streak snapped last out in a six-furlong optional claimer Feb. 20 at Laurel; and Summer Odds.

Named the top handicap mare of 1948 following a season that included wins in the Beldame, Comely, Vagrancy and Brooklyn handicaps, the latter over Hall of Famers Gallorette and Stymie, Conniver was bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt. She retired in 1949 after 15 wins from 56 starts.

The post General George Winner Eastern Bay Returns In Not For Love; Robb-Trained Stablemates Top Conniver appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Brittany Russell didn't have to think twice when owner George Sharp reached out a couple months back to ask if the Maryland's two-time defending trainer of the year had room for one more horse.

“It was really cool, actually. George called me and said, 'Hey I'm thinking of sending you a horse,' and I said, 'Please tell me it's Hot Rod.' He started laughing and said, 'Yeah,'” Russell said. “It's mostly because he's Maryland-bred and George has a lot of horses. Hot Rod should be here. He should be in Maryland, so that's primarily why he sent him back.”

Now 5, Hello Hot Rod is entered to make his return to stakes company Saturday in the 35th running of the $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel Park, one of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses headlined by the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Beyond The Wire for 3-year-old fillies.

Also on the 10-race program are a pair of $75,000 stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses, the six-furlong Not For Love for 4-year-olds and up and seven-furlong Conniver for fillies and mares 4 and older.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Ellen Charles' Hillwood Stable, Hello Hot Rod's breeder, won the Johnson for 4-year-olds and up going one mile with Cordmaker in 2019 and 2021. By Mosler out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now, Hello Hot Rod is a half-brother to retired multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful, who Russell also trained.

Purchased for $10,000 as a yearling, Hello Hot Rod raced four times for co-owners Russell and Dark Horse Racing, the first three at Laurel, where he won back-to-back starts under Russell's husband, champion jockey Sheldon Russell, in the fall of 2020 before being sent to New York to open his 3-year-old season in the January 2021 Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct.

Hello Hot Rod earned his lone stakes victory in the Winkfield and nine days later fetched $335,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky mixed sale and was moved to Midwest-based trainer Shawn Davis. Though he came back to be fourth in the Federico Tesio at historic Pimlico Race Course, Hello Hot Rod raced in Ohio, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas before rejoining Russell in January.

“After we sold him I cried for like 24 hours and Sheldon said, 'Why did you sell that horse?' We did so well in the sale, but I couldn't get over it. We did so well with him and he was just so nice to have around,” Russell said. “He's just a really cool horse. Having him back in the barn, he's right in the first row of stalls and when you walk in he's one of the first horses you see. He knows he's home.”

Hello Hot Rod won two of 12 starts after being sold, successive allowance triumphs last fall at Remington Park, and was off the board in a pair of stakes before returning to Laurel to be third in a one-mile allowance Feb. 12, contested over a muddy and sealed main track. He drew Post 3 in a field of eight for the Johnson and will be ridden by Jorge Vargas Jr.

“He really grew up. He's always been a real classy, laid-back type and he's still like that. He's a little more racy now, though,” Russell said. “When the guys gallop him in the morning he takes a hold. He's a lot of horse to sit on. He might have been a little more laid back early on when we had him as a 2-year-old, but he's also figured the game out. He's seen a lot of places and traveled a lot of miles.”

Sterling Road Stables and LBR Racing Stable's American d'Oro defeated Hello Hot Rod in the Feb. 12 allowance and cuts back in his first stakes attempt since finishing sixth in Laurel's Richard W. Small and Robert T. Manfuso to end 2022. Thomas Coulter's Nimitz Class won the Manfuso and 1 1/16-mile John B. Campbell Feb. 18 at Laurel and returns looking for a third straight stakes victory.

Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs and Jagger Inc.'s Ournationonparade, winner of the 2022 Maryland Million Classic first off the claim for trainer and co-owner Jamie Ness, will attempt to turn the tables in the Johnson. The 6-year-old gelding ran second in the Campbell and Small and third in the Manfuso and one-mile Jennings Jan. 21.

“He's run second a couple times, he'll like the [distance and] he's doing fine. He's Maryland-bred so I like to try to run him there,” said Parx-based Ness, who leads Russell in wins, 27-22, at Laurel's winter meet. “He fires every time and when he gets beat he just gets beat by a better horse that day. I expect the same kind of effort from him again.”

Built Wright Stables' Double Crown is looking for his first win since a 42-1 upset of he one-mile Kelso (G2) last October at Aqueduct. In his two most recent races, he was third in a one-mile allowance Jan. 30 at Parx and sixth in the Campbell.

“He looked like he was in good position on the backstretch coming up and then nothing. He just flattened out,” owner-trainer Norman 'Lynn' Cash said. “He's not running the best that he's run. We'll see. I think he's a horse that, just like with the Kelso, he kind of came out of the blue and I think that's him. You keep putting him there and one of these days the race will come back to him and he'll be there.”

Treasure Trove, also owned and trained by Cash, American Patrol and Rough Sea complete the field.

The Harrison E. Johnson honors the Bowie-based trainer who died at age 45 in the crash of a plane he was piloting from Saratoga to Virginia. A native of Adelphi, Md., his best horse was 1973 Hopeful (G1) winner Gusty O'Shay, named that year's Maryland-bred 2-year-old champion.

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