Tag: Racing

The stakes are set for another season of live racing at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., with the 2023 spring season set for March 6 through May 17.

The 29-day season will have daily live racing every Monday and Tuesday, adding Wednesdays in April and May. Oklahoma-breds make up six of the eight stakes races worth $430,000. Average daily purses are estimated around $185,000, about a 10 percent increase from last year.

“With the exception of 2020, last spring's Thoroughbred meet resulted in the best overall handle in track history. In this time, we have found an audience that enjoys racing early in the week,” said John Lies, racing secretary, announcer and oddsmaker at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. “Starting earlier in the season is a gamble, but we are optimistic the schedule will be well received. The shift allows us to offer more opportunity to the horsemen.”

The new race schedule features the $55,000 guaranteed Miranda Diane Stakes on March 27, along with the TRAO Classic Sprint that also holds a $55,000 guarantee. April brings the $50,000 guaranteed Wilma Mankiller Stakes on April 17 and the Highland Ice Stakes on April 18. May holds the Will Rogers Stakes, Cinema Stakes, Cherokee Nation Classic Cup and More Than Even Stakes, each with a $55,000 guarantee.

For more information on the 2023 Will Rogers Downs spring racing season, visit https://www.cherokeecasino.com/will-rogers-downs/amenities/races.

Located 3 miles east of Claremore on Highway 20, Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs is northeast Oklahoma's home to on and off track betting, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred races, live entertainment, and more. For more information, visit www.cherokeecasino.com and click on the Will Rogers Downs tab or call (918) 283-8800.

The post Thoroughbred Season At Will Rogers Downs Kicks Off Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With the late money coming his way, Phil D'Amato's English-bred Motorious ran to it, as he overhauled morning-line favorite Brickyard Ride a furlong from home and waltzed to a 2¼-length win in the $100,000 San Simeon Stakes (G3) Sunday at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Motorious got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:11.34.

As expected, comebacking Brickyard Ride bounded to the early lead from his rail post and Motorious, who broke sharply from midpack, sat second in the run down the hill, two lengths back at the half-mile pole, but Prat engaged the leader at the dirt crossing and the two battled head and head to midstretch, where Motorious asserted his superiority.

“He broke well and I was able to get myself right behind Brickyard Ride, so I was pleased with that,” said Prat, who notched his second stakes win on the day. “Obviously, I can't let Brickyard Ride do his own thing in the first part, but I kind of wanted to get the jump on him and kind of surprise him. From that point, my horse was really brave and got to the wire.”

Second down the hill in the restricted Clockers' Corner Stakes Jan. 29, Motorious, the second choice on the morning line at 5-2, was off at 3-2 in a field of seven older horses and paid $5 for the win.

Owned by Anthony Fanticola, the 5-year-old British-bred Muhaarar gelding notched his second win from four hillside tries and got his first North American stakes win as well. Currently three for six with D'Amato in Southern California, Motorious is now 5-3-2 from 13 starts overall. With the San Simeon winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $204,944.

“Brickyard Ride is a very nice horse,” said D'Amato. “I thought maybe if we were going to have a chance to beat him, it would be off the layoff. We had a really nice post (Sunday), last time we had the one-hole and we were stuck inside. Flavien got him in the race and in the right position to get the job done and he did a masterful job.”

A joint third, about 3½ lengths off the lead at the dirt crossing, Anarchist rallied for second, finishing a half length in front of Brickyard Ride.

Idle since May 29, multiple graded stakes winner Brickyard Ride, the 2-1 morning line favorite, finished a half length in front of Whatmakessammyrun.

Fractions on the race were :21.46, :43.01, and 1:05.25.

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An attentive second to a moderate early pace, Michael Lund Petersen's Faiza took command turning for home en route to a facile 2¼ length win in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) Sunday at Santa Anita, giving Bob Baffert his record eighth victory in a traditional prep to the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

With Flavien Prat employing a hand ride the final sixteenth of a mile, Faiza got 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.66 as she remained unbeaten in four starts.

Although the Santa Ysabel is structured to award 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the winner, Faiza is ineligible due to a dispute between Baffert and Churchill Downs.  However, the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers will receive 20, 15, 10, and five points, respectively.

With Blessed Touch and Hector Berrios showing the way around the Club House turn, Faiza, who broke from the far outside in a field of five sophomore fillies, appeared to have her measured throughout and drew alongside mid-way on the far turn before taking control leaving the quarter pole.

Although ridden by Ramon Vazquez to a half-length score going one mile in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) Jan. 28 at Santa Anita, Prat, who had been aboard for a win in the Starlet (G1) at Los Alamitos Dec. 10 and a first-out maiden win sprinting Nov. 12 at Del Mar, was reunited with the daughter of Girvin.

Off at 4-5, Faiza paid $3.60 for the win.

“Obviously, a great post so she jumped well and got me into the race,” said Prat.  “She was travelling well all the way around.  I felt the pace was quite easy, so I could get myself going around the turn and she stretched her legs down the lane really well.

“It seems like she is getting better, race after race.  I think the distance is not a problem for her.  She's a filly that has stamina so there is definitely improvement.”

A $725,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase from Paul Sharp's consignment, Faiza is out of the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol and was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones. With the Santa Ysabel's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $402,000.

“She's got a great mind and she's by one of the hottest sires, Girvin, who is just unbelievable,” said Baffert.  “His progeny (Dorth Vader) won the Davona Dale (G2, Gulfstream Park) yesterday.  We are just lucky to have her. …”

Trained by Peter Miller, And Tell Me Nolies rallied four-wide turning for home and was clearly second best under Ramon Vazquez. She finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of Blessed Touch in third.

Off at 10-1 with Hector Berrios, Blessed Touch finished 2½ lengths in front of Justique.

Both Justique and fifth-place finisher Pride of the Nile, never threatened from off the pace.

Fractions on the race were :24, :48.32, 1:12.89 and 1:38.25.

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Faiza Stays Unbeaten With Santa Ysabel Victory But No Louisville Race For Baffert-Trained Filly appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stilleto Boy was doing well and on his way back to Golden Gate Fields one day after earning his first Grade I victory in the Santa Anita Handicap, trainer Ed Moger Jr. reported Sunday.

“Everything's great; couldn't be doing better,” Moger said via cell phone at around 8 a.m. (PT). “He's here with me on the van and we're about halfway home.”

Stilleto Boy, a 5-year-old Shackleford gelding, earned $300,000 for his neck victory in the Big 'Cap under Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, pushing his career bankroll to $1,711,675. In eight previous Grade 1 attempts, Stilleto Boy finished in the top-four on five separate occasions without a win. In last year's Big 'Cap he was third.

For Moger, the Big 'Cap was the second Grade 1 win in a career that's nearing five decades. His previous Grade 1 win came in the 2015 Matriarch Stakes with Stormy Lucy.

“I thought we had a really good chance going in,” Moger said of the Big Cap. “I've been training for 47 years and never thought I'd be in that position to have a top contender for the Santa Anita Handicap much less win it.”

While Stilleto Boy was the 5-1 fourth choice on the morning line, he floated up to 13-1 and paid $29.80 as the fourth-longest shot in a field reduced to nine with the scratches of longshots Parnelli and Scarlet Fusion.

Stilleto Boy is owned by Moger's brother, Steve Moger. They are already thinking about what's next for the 5-year-old gelding by Shackleford.

According to Ed Moger, Stilleto Boy will likely be making another trip outside of California. Earlier this year on Jan. 28 Stilleto Boy went to Gulfstream Park and ran third in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). Moger said both the $1-million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on April 22 and/or the $1-million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) going a mile at Belmont Park on June 10 are under consideration.

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