Tag: Racing

The speedy West Will Power headlines a strong field of 10 older horses entered in the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The Razorback goes as the ninth of 10 races, with probable post time 4:42 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. The Razorback is a major local steppingstone to the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 18 and the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 22.

The projected Razorback field from the rail out:

1. Long Range Toddy, Rafael Bejarano to ride, 115 pounds, 20-1 on the morning line;
2. Law Professor, Jose Ortiz, 120, 7-2;
3. Rated R Superstar, David Cabrera, 118, 15-1;
4. Ginobili, Ricardo Santana Jr., 119, 5-2;
5. Trademark, Martin Garcia, 116, 20-1;
6. West Will Power, Joel Rosario, 122, 2-1;
7. Last Samurai, Cristian Torres, 118, 10-1;
8. Hero Status, Mike Smith, 116, 12-1;
9. Keystone Field, Isaac Castillo, 115, 8-1; and
10. Caddo River, Gabriel Saez, 116, 15-1.

Program favorite West Will Power hails from the powerhouse connections of two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and Gary and Mary West, who bred and own the 6-year-old son Bernardini.

West Will Power, who will be making his 2023 debut in the Razorback, has a 2-2-0 record in four starts for Cox, highlighted by a front-running 6 ¾-length victory in the $350,000 Fayette Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 29 at Keeneland. He also led at every point of call in an allowance victory at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs.

“Looks like a good spot to get him going,” Cox said. “Hopefully, he gets a good trip and he should be tough. He's doing really, really well. The last few works have been phenomenal at the Fair Grounds. Looking forward to getting him started this year.”

West Will Power exits a runner-up finish in the $750,000 Clark Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs. West Will Power was beaten three-quarters of a length by Proxy after leading throughout most of the race. West Will Power has five published workouts this year at Fair Grounds in advance of the Razorback, which Cox won last year with Plainsman.

“We gave him just a little bit of a freshening after the Clark,” Cox said. “Thought that this race, with the purse and everything, made good sense.”

Southern California-based Ginobili returns to Oaklawn after a sparkling four-length victory in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 14. The Fifth Season was the first major local two-turn prep this year for the Oaklawn Handicap.

Ginobili has recorded three workouts at San Luis Rey Training Center since the Fifth Season for trainer Peter Miller. In his final breeze for the Razorback, Ginobili covered 6 furlongs in 1:12.80 Feb. 11. Miller said Ginobili is “fit” and “ready” after he galloped out seven furlongs in “1:25” and a mile in “1:38 and change” in last week's work.

“He's training super, really training well,” Miller said. “We're looking forward to it. It's a tougher race. He's got a lot of speed, but he doesn't need the lead. So, we can kind of let Ricardo play it the way it comes up. If someone goes crazy, we'll sit. If we get an easy lead, we'll take it. He's just a really, really good horse. Training really, really well, like he did for the last one.”

Ginobili is one of six graded stakes winners entered in the Razorback. Three of the projected starters are also millionaires.

“It's a tough race,” Miller said. “Brad's horse is tough. The horse coming from New York is a very nice horse, Law Professor. We're going to have to step up and run our best to win.”

Law Professor returns to Hot Springs after finishing ninth in last April's $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for Southern California-based trainer Michael McCarthy. Now with New York-based trainer Rob Atras, Law Professor exits a 7 ½-length victory in the $150,000 Queens County Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 7 at Aqueduct.

Law Professor's resume also includes victories in the $200,000 off-the-turf Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) in December 2021 at Santa Anita and the $400,000 Tapit Stakes at 1 mile and 70 yards Sept. 1 over Kentucky Downs' undulating, nonsymmetrical 1 5/16-mile European-style grass course. Law Professor, on a sloppy track, also ran second to the accomplished Life Is Good in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 1 at the Belmont At The Big A.

“He's got a little bit of gate speed, so I would like use it and get position,” Atras said. “From what I remember, that first turn comes up pretty quick. I think a sharp break and Jose getting him in position early is probably going to be key for him.”

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas bids for his 50th career Oaklawn stakes victory with millionaire Last Samurai and recent addition Caddo River.

In his last start, Last Samurai finished fourth, beaten seven lengths, in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. Last Samurai has done his best work at Oaklawn, where he has a 2-2-0 record from seven starts and earnings of $814,700.

Last Samurai, when with trainer Dallas Stewart, won the $150,000 Poinsettia Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles in December 2021 and last year's Oaklawn Handicap (G2). Last Samurai also ran seventh in the 2022 Razorback.

Caddo River, the 2021 Arkansas Derby runner-up for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony's Shortleaf Stable, was transferred from Cox to Lukas following a runner-up finish in a Jan. 21 allowance race at Oaklawn. Anthony also campaigned Plainsman.

Late-running Rated R Superstar will be making his sixth appearance in the Razorback. The millionaire multiple graded stakes winner finished fifth in the last two runnings after four-time Oaklawn leading owner Danny Caldwell claimed the now-10-year-old gelding for $50,000 Jan. 30, 2021, at Oaklawn.

Rated R Superstar exits a third in the Fifth Season, beaten 4 ¼ lengths, after being last of 10 in the opening half-mile.

“It is tougher than the other race,” Caldwell said. “I do, when I handicap the race, see a lot of speed. Of course, we get that extra sixteenth and a longer stretch, which makes a huge difference for us.”

Millionaire Grade 2 winner Long Range Toddy, trained by Stewart, moves back to a route in an attempt to snap a 27-race losing streak. Trademark exits a victory in the $300,000 off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs for trainer Victoria Oliver.

Keystone Field was a sharp allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 7 at Oaklawn for trainer Mike Maker. Hero Status, unraced outside Southern California, will be making his stakes debut for trainer Mark Glatt.

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Wingate Stables LLC's Kathleen O. will seek to extend her undefeated record in Gulfstream Park stakes intact Saturday, when the 4-year-old daughter of Upstart returns in the $150,000 Royal Delta (G3).

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey saddled Kathleen O. for three straight stakes victories during the 2021-2022 Championship Meet in the Cash Run, Royal Delta (G2) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).

The Royal Delta, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares, will headline a 12-race program at Gulfstream Park.

“She ran really good here last year, so I have no problem with the mile and a sixteenth or coming back to Gulfstream,” McGaughey said.

Kathleen O. rallied from far back to break her maiden in an Aqueduct sprint before kicking off here 3-year-old season with a dominating 8 ½-length triumph in the mile Cash Run at Gulfstream Park Jan. 1. The Kentucky-bred filly made another impressive rally to win the mile Davona Dale going away by two lengths. Kathleen O. established herself as a strong candidate for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she stretched out successfully around two turns to capture the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks by 2 ¾ lengths.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out nearly as well for Kathleen O. at Churchill Downs, where she dropped back to 12th in the early running of the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks before rallying to finish fifth, four lengths behind victorious Secret Oath.

“We got a little farther back than I wanted and we got in a little trouble in the lane and we only got beat [four] lengths for all of it, and most of that was the winner,” McGaughey said. “Obviously, things have to go right in a race like that. It was kind of disappointing. I'm still disappointed over it.”

Kathleen O. went to the sidelines following the Oaks and returned at Aqueduct Nov. 25 to finish a fast-closing second in the 1 1/8-mile Comely (G3), beaten by just a half length by Sixtythreecaliber.

“That horse just opened up on her. I thought we would catch her, but we didn't. I thought it was fine,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey reported that Kathleen O. couldn't be fitter for her 2023 campaign.

“This is a new year. We have a fresh horse, which is what I wanted. We've got one race into her back in November,” the Hall of Famer said. “We've got the whole year in front of us.”

Javier Castellano, the only jockey Kathleen O. has had during her six-race career, has the return mount for the Royal Delta.

Robert and Lawana Lowe's Classy Edition, who finished second behind Kathleen O. in the Davona Dale; and Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld's Midnight Stroll, a graded-stakes winner during her 3-year-old campaign, appear to be Kathleen O's most dangerous challengers.

Classy Edition, who is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, came off a nine-month layoff to score an impressive 5 ¼-length romp in a mile optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Jan. 11. The New York-bred daughter of Classic Empire launched her career with three runaway victories over state-breds before tasting defeat for the first time in the Davona Dale.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard Classy Edition's first four starts, is scheduled for a return to the saddle.

John Terranova-trained Midnight Stroll captured the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks (G3) before finishing third in the Charles Town Oaks (G3) and Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland during her sophomore season.

Edgard Zayas has the call for the daughter of Not This Time's seasonal debut.

Imaginary Stables' Don't Get Khozy, Beth Ford and David Meah's Jungle Juice, Gerald James and Hall Performance LLC's Soul of an Angel, and JPG 2 LLC, Mr. Pug LLC, and Team Equistaff LLC's Tap Dance Fever round out the field.

The post ‘This Is A New Year’: Unbeaten At Gulfstream, Kathleen O. Returns For Saturday’s Royal Delta appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's Grade 1-winning 7-year-old In Love (BRZ) will return to Turfway Park and face nine rivals that entered Saturday's 32nd running of the $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile Dust Commander will go as Race 6 of 8 with a post time of 8:25 p.m. (all times Eastern) First post is 5:55 p.m.

Campaigned by Paulo Lobo, In Love (BRZ) reached Grade 1 glory in the 2021 $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile. In his last start, In Love tested the Tapeta surface at Turfway for the first time and recorded a gutsy three-quarters of a length win in the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes under Gerardo Corrales. Overall, In Love sports a solid record of 20-6-3-3 with purse earnings of $865,138.

Corrales, who began Wednesday with a 24-23 win lead over Fernando De La Cruz in the rider standings, will be back in the saddle for the Dust Commander and break from post No. 9.

The Dust Commander field features six other stakes winners and among them is Rob Comestro and Jeff Ganje's 2022 Dust Commander winner Beatbox. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Beatbox was the 2 ¾-length victor of last year's Dust Commander when he was in the Bill Morey barn. Now with DeVaux, Beatbox enters the Dust Commander following a 1 ¾-length win in an allowance event at the Florence oval. Jockey Rafael Hernandez will retain the mount from the rail.

Another top competitor in the Dust Commander is Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's 2020 $500,000 American Turf (G2) winner Fancy Liquor. Trained by Mike Maker, Fancy Liquor also enters the Dust Commander following an allowance victory at Turfway. His win on Jan. 4 was the first since his half-length score in the American Turf. Orlando Mojica will have the call from post 5.

Here is the full field for the Dust Commander in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer):

1. Beatbox (Hernandez, DeVaux);
2. Mejthaam (Abel Lezcano, Jimmy Corrigan);
3. Lincoln City (Manny Esquivel, Stephen Lyster);
4. Harlan Estate (Declan Cannon, Whit Beckman);
5. Fancy Liquor (Mojica, Maker);
6. Price Talk (De La Cruz, Brad Cox);
7. Ocean Atlantique (Walter Rodriguez, Maker);
8. Camp Hope (Chris Landeros, Kenny McPeek);
9. In Love (BRZ) (Corrales, Lobo);
10. Accredit (Luan Machado, Pavel Matejka).

The Dust Commander Stakes is named in honor of the 1970 Kentucky Derby winner. Dust Commander was ridden in the Derby by Mike Manganello, a mainstay at Turfway Park during his career.

Fans can watch and wager on the Dust Commander and all the action from Turfway Park on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Turfway Park will begin another four-day racing week Wednesday-Saturday. Daily first post is 5:55 p.m. For dining reservations and more information about Turfway Park, visit www.turfwaypark.com.

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