Tag: Racing

Town and Country Racing and Repole Stable's multiple stakes winner Cairo Consort, who earned graded credentials in dramatic fashion last time out, returns Saturday seeking her third straight victory in the $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile Herecomesthebride for 3-year-old fillies on the grass is the fourth of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.85 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race card anchored by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Post time is 11 a.m. EST. The Herecomesthebride is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 3:01 p.m. EST.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who previously won the Herecomesthebride with Pico Teneriffe in 1999 and Con Lima in 2021, has rarely had a more astonishing victory than that of Cairo Consort in the 1 1/16-mile Sweetest Chant (G3) Feb. 4 at Gulfstream. The Cairo Price filly threw her head in the air as the gates opened, spotted her rivals several lengths and trailed the field before uncorking a steady run through the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought it was a remarkable effort last time, when she got away the way she did, for her to be able to overcome that and do what she did and get up and win,” Pletcher said. “I think we learned a little bit about her and how she wants to be ridden. Obviously, we'd like to break with the field but then let her settle and make a run like she did that day.”

The Sweetest Chant was just the second start for Cairo Consort – winner of the 6 ½-furlong Catch a Glimpse last summer at Woodbine – since being purchased for $875,000 in November following her third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). She won the one-mile Ginger Brew Jan. 7 at Gulfstream first time for her new connections.

Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for each of the last two starts, and gets the return call from Post 7 in a field of 12. Pletcher credited Ortiz – both recently named Eclipse Award champions for 2022 – for his ride in the Sweetest Chant.

“It was just horrible timing. She turned her head right when they sprung the latch. But, Irad rode an intelligent race. A lot of times riders will try to make up those lost lengths right away, where he just took his time and patience paid off,” Pletcher said.

“I think she's really putting it all together. Irad had commented in the previous race that when she made the lead she kind of idled a bit so he thought there was more in the tank that day,” he added. “I'd say after the last race that he was right.”

Pletcher will also be represented by Three Diamonds Farm's Tituba, a daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Good Magic that will be making her turf and stakes debut out of a front-running neck triumph in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight Jan. 29 at Gulfstream, her second career start.

“It's a big step for her,” Pletcher said. “Just sort of looking at our options we felt like she's got some turf in her pedigree. She'll need to make a move forward, but we felt like it was worth a try.”

Julien Leparoux has the call on Tituba from Post 11.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse won back-to-back editions of the Herecomesthebride with Catch a Glimpse in 2016 and Dream Dancing in 2017. He returns this year with D.J. Stable, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Papilio, bred in Ireland and entered to make her U.S. debut. She won two of five races at home last year and was sixth in a pair of group stakes, her most recent start coming in the seven-furlong Moyglare Stud (G1) Sept. 11.

Trainer Chad Brown is also a two-time winner of the Herecomesthebride, finishing first with Cambier Parc in 2019 and Dayatthespa in 2012, and entered the French-bred duo of Anna Karenine and Revalita to make their North American debut. Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Seventh Sense Stable and e5 Racing Thoroughbreds' Anna Karenine posted two wins from five starts in France, where Revalita went two-for-three.

C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms' Blind Spot returns to South Florida for her sophomore debut after running ninth in the 1 1/16-mile Jessamine (G2) last fall at Keeneland in her first try on turf. She won two of her first three starts, each at Gulfstream, including back-to-back victories capped by the Our Dear Peggy going a mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta.

“She ran OK in the race at Keeneland,” Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “Her training has been good. She's not an overzealous work horse and we need to get her back started. So, this is a good spot to get her back started and see where we are.”

Regular rider Edgard Zayas will get a leg up again from Post 5.

“It's a good draw. Hopefully she can tuck over and save some ground and Edgard can ride his race from there,” Joseph said. “It's a very competitive race and she'll have to improve a lot to get a piece of it, but we want to give her a chance.”

Also entered are American Rockette, fourth in the Spinaway (G1) and Frizette (G1) last year and yet to race on turf; 2022 Untapable winner Danse Macabre, third last out in the Oct. 8 Matron (G3) at Aqueduct; Malleymoo and 2022 Tepin winner Sweetlou'sgotaces, respectively sixth and ninth in the Sweetest Chant; Moonage Daydream, last out winner of the Stewart Manor against New York-breds in November; and Riding Pretty, an optional claiming allowance winner sprinting 7 ½ furlongs Jan. 12 at Gulfstream.

The post ‘I Think She’s Really Putting It All Together’: Cairo Consort Goes For Third Straight Win In Herecomesthebride appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Charge It, who has produced flashes of brilliance during his six-race career, is scheduled to make a highly anticipated return to action Saturday in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile.

The one-turn mile for 4-year-olds and up will be one of nine stakes (eight graded) contested on Saturday's 14-race program that will be headlined by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2).

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Charge It returned from a seven-month layoff to an optional claiming allowance Feb. 5 at Gulfstream, covering 1 1/16 miles in an impressive 1:41.96.

“It was great to get him back. He had been training super into that, and I thought it was a big effort,” Pletcher said.

The 4-year-old son Tapit had been idle since capturing the July 2 Dwyer at Belmont Park by a dazzling 23 lengths.

“We're trying to figure out a program. We considered some out-of-town options, but we figured he has run well at Gulfstream. and it would make an easy ship from Palm Beach [Downs],” Pletcher said. “We're thinking maybe down the road a race like the Oaklawn Handicap [April 22] could fit his schedule. We felt like this would be a good segue.”

Charge It graduated by 8 ½ lengths at Gulfstream in his second career start last February before overcoming a starting gate issue to finish second behind White Abarrio in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) in April. The Pletcher trainee finished off the board in the Kentucky Derby (G1), in which he encountered some traffic, before rebounding with his spectacular showing in the Dwyer.”

Charge It is scheduled to meet eight rivals in the Gulfstream Park Mile with Luis Saez back aboard.

“I think he's a really special horse on any surface, but he does like Gulfstream, so it's good to know that,” Pletcher said.

Trainer Michael Maker has signed up Mark Breen's Endorsed for a start in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

Endorsed enters the race off a pair of solid victories, including 2 ¾-length score in the one-turn mile Fred Hooper (G3) on the undercard of the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream.

Endorsed finished fourth in the 2022 Pegasus World Cup before checking in third behind next-out Speaker's Corner and Fearless in the Gulfstream Park Mile.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call aboard the 7-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro.

Tami Bobo and Tristan De Meric's Simplification, who ran the race of his career a year ago at Gulfstream while capturing the Fountain of Youth, is scheduled to make his first start since finishing off the board in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). The Antonio Sano-trained son of Not This Time, who finished a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), is winless in his eight starts since his Fountain of Youth score.

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the Fountain of Youth, returns to the saddle.

Arindel's Octane and Stonehedge LLC's Dean Delivers, a pair of gritty Florida-breds who have enjoyed success in open company, are scheduled to seek graded-stakes credentials in the Gulfstream Park Mile.

Octane, a 4-year-old son of Brethren, enters Saturday's race off a second-place finish behind Endorsed in the Fred Hooper. The Carlos David trainee, who won two legs of the 2021 Florida Sire Stakes series, has been in the money in nine of 10 career starts.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Octane.

Dean Delivers, who has been in the money in 10 of 12 career starts, finished made a six-wide sweep to enter contention in the stretch run of the Fred Hooper before settling for third. In his previous start, the son off Cajun Breeze finished second behind Dubai-bound Sibelius in the Mr. Prospector (G3).

The 4-year-old gelding, who finished a close second in last season's Swale (G3) before finishing fifth after setting the pace in the Fountain of Youth, will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez Saturday.

OGMA Investments LLC and Michael Iavarone's O Captain, the third-place finisher in last year's Fountain of Youth who has been on the sidelines for ninth months; Carrie Brogden's Steal Sunshine, who finished third in the Mr. Prospector (G3) last time out, David Fawkes Racing Inc.'s Noble Drama, a durable multiple-stakes winner with more than $800,0000 in earnings, and R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Nitrous Channel, a lightly raced son of Nyquist who hasn't finished worse than second in four starts, round out the field.

The post ‘Really Special’ Charge It Continues Comeback In Gulfstream Park Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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