Tag: Racing

Under patient handling from Hector Berrios, Irish-bred Quattroelle surged late to take the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G2) by a half length Saturday at Santa Anita.

Trained by Jeff Mullins, Quattroelle got one mile over a turf listed as good in 1:35.74.

Unhurried behind a pedestrian pace set by Kitty Kitana to the far turn, the complexion of Buena Vista changed suddenly as Kitty Kitana, with Flavien Prat up, stopped three furlongs from home, enabling longshot Tik Tok Famous to get first run on the field around the far turn.

Fifth, about three lengths off the lead at the quarter pole, Quattroelle lengthened her stride as School Dance made a brief lead while joined to her outside by Nadette, who was unable to hold off eventual runner-up Macadamia at the rail and Quattroelle, who rallied five-deep to get up in time.

A winner of the Megahertz Stakes (G3) at one mile on turf Feb. 4 at Santa Anita, Quattroelle was off as the 3-1 second choice and paid $8.60 for the win.

A 5-year-old Irish-bred Mehmas mare, Quattroelle notched her second graded stakes win and her third overall. Owned by Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal, she picked up $120,000 for the win, boosting her earnings to $412,772 from an overall mark of 5-3-4 from 15 starts.

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Brazilian-bred Macadamia finished one length in front of third-place finisher Closing Remarks, who rallied from far back.

Fractions on the race were :23.32, L:47.96, 1:12.42 and 1:24.11.

BUENA VISTA STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

HECTOR BERRIOS, QUATTROELLE, WINNER: “Patience is what I had. When you know you have a good mare, you can just wait for the right time to make your move. She was ready to move on the turn. When you are the 'favorite', everyone is looking at you. I waited for that moment to move and she did the rest.”

TRAINER QUOTES

JEFF MULLINS, QUATTROELLE, WINNER: “Hector has really figured her out. It wasn't until her last race in the Megahertz that he decided to just be a little more patient and it worked.

“She came out of that race really well, and she's trained just as she's always had. We just knew. Today she just got a cleaner trip. Hector just sat there, and sat there, I thought, 'Man you gotta go sometime,' and she just kicked away. Hector is the key to this filly right now.”

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John Ropes' homebred Dorth Vader stalked heavily favored Red Carpet Ready into the stretch before drawing off to a 45-1 upset victory in Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The Davona Dale, a one-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies, is a key prep for the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) April 1, as well as a designated prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Michael Yates-trained Dorth Vader earned 50 points, virtually ensuring her a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate May 5.

The two-time stakes-winning daughter of Girvin out of the Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy was making her graded stakes debut in the Davona Dale.

Red Carpet Ready, the even-money favorite who was undefeated in three starts, set the pace along the backstretch under Luis Saez with Dorth Vader a few lengths back. Red Carpet Ready continued to show the way into the far turn after completing the first half-mile in :45.06. The favorite continued to show the way on the turn into the homestretch as Dorth Vader loomed boldly to her outside. The Yates trainee took over at the top of the stretch and drew clear to score by 4¾ lengths under Miguel Vasquez.

Dorth Vader ran a mile in 1:37.23 and returned $95.40 for the win. Guns n' Graces closed from far back to finish second, 2¼ lengths ahead of the tiring Red Carpet Ready.

Dorth Vader won back-to-back stakes, capturing the Juvenile Sprint for Florida-breds at Gulfstream and the Sandpiper in open company at Tampa Bay Downs, before finishing a disappointing sixth in the Gasparilla at Tampa Bay in her last start.

Red Carpet Ready won the first two races of her career by a combined 13 ½ lengths before capturing the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream by 2 ¼ lengths.

Davona Dale (G2) Quotes

Winning trainer Michael Yates (Dorth Vader): “I was confident in her. I thought she would run a really big race, because of the way she had trained. I kind of drew a line through the Tampa race. That's happened to me more than once. It rained really hard the day before and it was kind of a heavy track, so we just drew a line through it.”

“I was thrilled down the backside. I was worried when Tyler [Gaffalione, Leave No Trace's jockey] was lapped outside of her that they were going to be able to pinch her back, but as soon as I saw her ease through the hole, I felt really good.”

“I don't see why she won't [go two turns]. She ran a decent two turns as a 2-year-old in the stallion stakes. She wasn't what I would consider really prepared, but they don't move the dates, so you've got to go do it.”

(On his first graded-stakes win) – “It's a great feeling. It hasn't really sunk in yet, to be honest with you.”

“We're dreaming of it [Kentucky Oaks]. Why not? We nominated already to the [Gulfstream Oaks, April 1]. Right now, we're just going to enjoy today and see how she comes out of the race and move forward. We'll talk to Mr. Ropes about it, and we'll make a decision. She'll help us decide.”

Winning jockey Miguel Vasquez (Dorth Vader): “First of all, I'd like to thank God and thank the trainer (Michael Yates) for providing me with the opportunity; he told me to put her among the leaders in the pace from the start, so I gave her a long warm-up to get her interested from the beginning; I didn't have to use her much even though the pace was strong. I am really grateful.”

The post Road To Kentucky Oaks: Dorth Vader Springs 45-1 Suprise In Davona Dale, Gives Trainer Yates First Graded Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Mark D. Breen's Endorsed continued to show his affinity for Gulfstream Park as he won the $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) in an upset on Saturday.

The Gulfstream Park Mile for 4-year-olds and up was the fifth of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.85 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program anchored by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Endorsed beat Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Charge It, the 3-5 favorite, to the finish line. The two horses had engaged at the top of the stretch, but it was Endorsed and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who spurted ahead and defeated Charge It by 1 ½ lengths.

Endorsed ($13.80) won for the fourth time in nine career starts at Gulfstream; this was also his third straight victory. Trained by Mike Maker, Endorsed won the Fred Hooper (G3) in his first start of the year.

The 7-year-old Endorsed is a son of Medaglia d'Oro. He has seven wins in 34 career starts and has also finished second eight times and third in five other races.

Charge It, a 4-year-old son of Tapit, had earned the favorite's role in the nine-horse field after winning an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream on Feb. 5. That was his first start off a seven-month layoff.

The final time for the mile over the fast track was 1:35.25.

Third place went to Tami Bobo and Tristan De Meric's Simplification, who was making his first start since a seventh-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 28.

$200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) Quotes

Winning trainer Mike Maker (Endorsed): “It looked he was traveling well the whole race in perfect position and when it came time, he was the best horse.”

“I really think he likes it here. He had a really good winter here last year. He was fourth in the Pegasus. He's coming to hand right now.”

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Endorsed): “My horse broke alertly. I looked to my outside and [jockey] Irad [Ortiz Jr. aboard Nitrous Channel] wasn't pressing [Charge It] so I went ahead and let my horse run a little bit. He just kept gaining confidence and building on that and in the stretch he just put them away.”

“Going into the far turn I was about a half-length off [Charge It]. I let my horse out a bit and he just kept building on that. He gave me the confidence and I could feel him getting more confident. He put it all together today. It was a big effort. All the credit to [trainer] Mike [Maker] and his team. They really figured this horse out and he's proven it now.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Charge It, 2nd, beaten favorite): “[Jockey Luis Saez] said he ran well. He was just kind of under pressure most of the way and got a little bit intimidated. Then when he pulled him out he surged a little bit again but was a little bit green. It kind of reminded me of the way he ran in the Florida Derby last year. He's kind of still figuring things out. He's still a horse that's light on experience and hopefully some more races under his belt will help that.”

“We kind of talked about maybe coming back in the Oaklawn Handicap [G2, April 22]. We'll see. I don't think he did anything today to knock us off course for considering that.”

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Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Faith in Humanity, racing for the first time in more than five months, led from start to finish and withstood a late run from White Frost to capture Saturday's $150,000 Honey Fox (G3) for older fillies and mares by a neck at Gulfstream Park.

It was the second graded stakes win of the day for trainer Chad Brown following Mylady in the $150,000 The Very One (G3). Brown previously won the Honey Fox in 2019 with Precieuse and 2022 with In Italian.

Faith in Humanity ($12), last seen winning the one-mile Pebbles (G2) in mid-September at Aqueduct, broke sharply from her rail post and quickly established position on the lead through fractions of :23.83 and :47.59, pressed by 80-1 long shot Touch of Class. Faith and Humanity and jockey Joel Rosario turned for home in command and opened up, building enough cushion to ward off a dramatic closing bid on the far outside from White Frost, winner of the 2021 Sweetest Chant (G3) at Gulfstream.

The winning time was 1:34.12 over a firm turf course.

Princess Theorem, off at 40-1, held third over Fast as Flight with Brown-trained 8-5 favorite Speak of the Devil in fifth.

Honey Fox (G3) Quotes

Trainer Chad Brown (Faith in Humanity, 1st; Speak of the Devil, 5th): “When she drew the inside position there, it was pretty much set we were going to try to go to the lead if she broke well. [Jockey] Joel [Rosario], first time riding her, really executed it perfectly.”

“I wasn't going to run her here until about two weeks ago, and her last couple works really drove me to the race. I'm just so happy that she dug in there late. I honestly might have even been one work short but I put her in there. For her to dig in and hold on with a really nice filly running at her at the wire really showed me something today.”

“We really didn't map a race beyond this. You have the Jenny Wiley, which is a very prestigious race at Keeneland that we've had some success in, would be an obvious target. She has the whole season ahead of her and with these nice horses, you just try to keep them sound all year.”

Winning jockey Joel Rosario (Faith in Humanity): “It looked like she was really closing but I felt like I still had some horse underneath me. She was moving really beautifully and it was very nice. She was so relaxed on the lead, I thought she was going to run a big race at that point.”

“First time aboard her and the inside post was favorable at the mile distance. I was told to go for the lead if they let me, and she did the rest and ran a great race. She was relaxed the whole way, and I had the confidence she had plenty left in the tank to fend off the closer on the outside.”

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