Welcome to 2023 Kentucky Derby Prospect Snapshots, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule from which the racehorses earn points toward qualifying.
Tag: Racing
Who to Follow at Cheltenham Festival
While there are many race series and big trainers in the United States, they don’t always travel across the pond and Cheltenham Festival has been devoid of U.S. horses and trainers. There is a reason that the spring meeting at the world-famous Cheltenham course is the crown jewel of jump racing and U.S. trainers and horses have struggled at times to break into the festival. This can be attributed to fluctuations in quality of horse and trainer being produced as the sport faces stiff competition from the likes of basketball and American football.
‘He’s Getting Better’: Hopkins Makes The Grade In Palos Verdes
In his second graded stakes assignment, Bob Baffert's Hopkins made it look easy on Sunday at Santa Anita, as he sat close to a fast pace and proved much the best in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3), winning by 2 ¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez while getting six furlongs in 1:08.80.
As expected, Straight No Chaser blasted off from his rail post and showed the way early under Edwin Maldonado, but Hopkins was in close attendance to his outside. Straightening for home, Hopkins got on terms and gained the advantage a furlong out in a dominant performance that gave meet leaders Baffert and Hernandez their ninth and 10th stakes victories, respectively at the meet.
“The race set up really good for us,” said Hernandez, who has been aboard for all seven of Hopkins career starts. “Straight No Chaser, he's a really good horse, he's really fast…I really like (Hopkins) a lot…He's getting better.
“I just played the break and I just watched the other horses. I saw the one (Straight No Chaser) broke really fast, he broke way better than me, and I broke better than the outside horses. So, I just let him go and sat behind him and waited for the quarter pole to ask my horse to go…When I asked him…he picked it up really well and he got the job done.”
Second, beaten a head in a six-furlong second condition allowance Jan. 15 at Santa Anita, Hopkins was off at 2-1 is a field of six older horses and paid $6.20 for the victory.
A 5-year-old horse by Quality Road out of the Salt Lake mare Hot Spell, bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Hopkins is owned by a partnership that includes SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al. His connections bought him from his breeder for $900,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale.
With the Palos Verdes winner's share of $120,000, Hopkins increased his earnings to $244,700 from an overall mark of 3-3-0 from seven starts.
Idle since finishing second in an ungraded seven furlong stakes at Laurel Park, Radical Right, in steady training at San Luis Rey Downs for trainer Peter Miller, made his Southern California debut today and was second best, finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of 2-1 favorite Straight No Chaser.
Early fractions on the Palos Verdes were :21.80, :44.10 and :56.40.
The post ‘He’s Getting Better’: Hopkins Makes The Grade In Palos Verdes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Prince Abama Upstages Favored Stablemate In San Marcos As Prat Signals Slump Is Over
Although his stablemate Masteroffoxhounds appeared to have Sunday's $200,000 San Marcos Stakes (G3) wrapped up, Irish-bred Prince Abama burst upon the scene in the shadow of the wire to prevail by a neck as Flavien Prat hoped to serve notice that his horrendous personal slump this winter at Santa Anita is history.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, Prince Abama, a 5-year-old Tamayuz gelding, got 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.42 on firm turf.
Midpack while under restraint and about three lengths off pacesetter Evan Harlan three furlongs from home, Prince Abama rallied five-deep through the lane and was up just in time as Prat notched his second stakes win and his eighth overall victory of the 18-day meet, with his first stakes win coming in Saturday's 10th and final race, the Thunder Road Stakes (G3).
“It is always great to get some winners,” said Prat. “I can't thank Phil enough for his support. He has been a great supporter of mine and I really appreciate it. I had a good trip, turning for home I had all my chances. I thought Masteroffoxhounds was going to be opening up and I was not going to be able to catch him, but my horse was really brave and (he) laid it down and did the job.”
Most recently fourth in the opening day San Gabriel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on turf Dec. 26, Prince Abama was off at 5-1 in a field of 10 older horses and paid $12.60 for the win.
Owned by Michael House, Prince Abama registered his second graded stakes win, and with the winner's share of $120,000, his earnings increased to $459,553 while he improved his overall race record to 4-4-1 from 12 starts.
“He's a very consistent horse, he fires,” D'Amato said of Prince Abama, who was produced by the Mr. Greeley mare Abama Lady. “Last time he kind of got stuck on the inside and Flavien jumped off of him and said, 'I didn't give him my ideal trip.' This time he made it a point to get him in the clear. I thought Masteroffoxhounds was home free, but Flavien laid it down and Prince Abama got the job done.
“He was slowly making up ground late, but Masteroffoxhounds was in full flight, I thought it was going to be really close and he just got the job done late.”
Masteroffoxhounds, who tracked the leader in second position to the quarter pole, took charge straightening for home, opened up a two-length advantage with a sixteenth of a mile to run and just missed in a huge effort.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Masteroffoxhounds was the 3-1 favorite and finished a half length in front of Opry.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Opry finished a neck better than D'Amato's Say the Word. D'Amato's fourth runner, French-bred Cash Equity, checked in last in the field of 1-.
Fractions on the race were :23.62, ;48.49, 1:14, and 1:37.61.
The post Prince Abama Upstages Favored Stablemate In San Marcos As Prat Signals Slump Is Over appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
