Tag: Racing

On Saturday morning, Hoosier Philly put in her first workout since returning to the Tom Amoss barn at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. The perfect 3-for-3 phenom continued her impressive ways, firing a :47.40 bullet –the fastest of 102 works going four furlongs.

“There were a few things that are important to note,” Amoss said. “The work was designed to be an easy ask, and that is exactly how she worked, despite the work looking really quick as a final time. You have to put that into perspective because she has a very high cruising speed. It was very, very similar to how she worked as a 2-year-old before we gave her time off, so we were happy with that.”

Amoss and Fair Grounds' clocker Mike Diliberto timed Hoosier Philly at five furlongs in 1:00 flat. The Into Mischief filly by the Tapit dam Tapella had her regular jockey Edgar Morales on board for her drill this morning.

“She was well within herself and made it look easy,” clocker Mike Diliberto said. “It looked like she was loping along, and then you looked at the time and it was like 'wow.'”

Owned by Gold Standard Racing Stable and bred by Candy Meadows in Kentucky, Hoosier Philly earned ten points towards the Kentucky Oaks with her Golden Rod (G2) romp at Churchill Downs in November. Prior to that she won the Rags to Riches Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths. She is currently in tenth place in the Oaks standings.

“I really like how enthusiastic she has been in her training over this past week,” Amoss said. “That's always been her way in the past. When she first came in, it probably took her a little bit of time to get reacquainted with the race track and what her job is, but she's been doing great. It's worth noting that she wore four bandages today for her work, and we'll likely do that for the next time she works as well, but it's totally precautionary, and I doubt we do that for the race. We're just taking a lot of precautions with her.”

Amoss has another 3-year-old standout in his barn, Curly Jack. The Iroquois (G3) winner has already earned 17 points toward the Kentucky Derby.

“He's doing super,” Amoss said. “(Curly Jack and Hoosier Philly) are different horses in regards to how you train them. Hoosier Philly is not going to need as much as Curly Jack will need to get ready to run. And you saw that today with her gallop out that was very strong past the wire. Curly Jack will come back likely mid-next week and we'll give him some competition. We'll pit him against another horse, and we're going to call upon him. We're going to ask him to finish up (strongly) in the work, and I'm looking forward to doing that.”

In his second work since returning to the barn, on Thursday, Jan 26, Curly Jack breezed four furlongs in :50.40 for trainer Tom Amoss (36th fastest of 48).

“The track had been slower the past two or three days, and it definitely sped up today (Saturday),” Diliberto said.

Michael McLoughlin's 3-year-old son of Good Magic is out of the Roman Ruler dam Connie and Michael.

Hoosier Philly has been targeting the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and Curly Jack, the Risen Star (G2). But Amoss reports today that it is not set in stone.

“We're not married to either of those two spots,” Amoss said. “But based on how they are doing and where they've progressed in their training, it's very likely (they start in those races).”

Slated for Saturday, Feb 18, the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton are the third of four local preps for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and the Longines Kentucky Oaks, offering up 50-20-15-10-5 points.

The post Undefeated Hoosier Philly Gets A ‘Wow’ From Fair Grounds Clocker In First Breeze Of Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Off as the even money favorite, Bob Baffert-trained Faiza saved ground early and took command a quarter mile from home en route to a half length score over Pride of the Nile in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Faiza remained unbeaten in three starts while getting a flat mile in 1:38.46.

Attentive to the pace, Faiza, a $725,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase last May, was third, 1 ¾ lengths behind pacesetter Sweet Trouble three furlongs from home and was all-out to hold off the late charge of the Doug O'Neill-trained Pride of the Nile who was gaining ground wide-out.

Idle since taking the G1 Starlet Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos Dec. 10, Faiza paid $4.00, $2.60 and $2.10 in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.

“I'd like to thank Bob Baffert and the owner for the opportunity and support,” said Vazquez, who was aboard Faiza for the first time today with regular rider Flavien Prat away to ride today at Oaklawn Park.  “I wanted to get out in the clear and put my filly in a good position.  She's a nice filly, when I asked her, she responded really well.  She's amazing.”

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Faiza is by Girvin out of the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol.  With the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $342,000.

A close fourth around the far turn, Pride of the Nile, with Juan Hernandez up, split horses a quarter mile out and despite lugging in some late, finished like a filly that will appreciate added distance.  Second to Faiza in the Starlet, Pride of the Nile was off at 7-2 and paid $3.40 and $2.60.

Customarily far back early, Justique rallied from last but never threatened the top two while finishing third, 2 ½ lengths behind Pride of the Nile.

The second choice at 2-1, Justique, with Victor Espinoza up, paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the Las Virgenes were 22.41, 47.04, 1:11.92 and 1:25.12.

The Las Virgenes is a Kentucky Oaks qualifying points race with 20-8-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers. However, because Churchill Downs Inc. has banned Baffert from participating at its tracks until this July, his horses are not eligible to earn qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby or Oaks, so only the second through fifth place finishers earned points.

 

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Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks, expertly handled by Andrew Wolfsont, drew off to an 8 1/2-length score to make the grade in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 5-year-old Tapiture gelding is now a perfect 3-for-3 for trainer Jamie Ness, entering from a pair of stakes wins under Wolfsont at Parx, taking the Let's Give Thanks in November and the Blitzen last out on January 4 over a sloppy and sealed main track.

“I knew it was a tough race, so I was extremely happy,” said Stephen Fox, managing partner of Double B Racing Stables. “I knew if he came out with his best, he would have more than a shot. It's three in-a-row now, all with Andrew on him. So, I'm very excited about him. I'm very, very happy to win a graded stakes and that I was here for it.”

Pirate Rick, racing on short rest from a sharp optional-claiming win here on Sunday, set the Toboggan tempo, marking the opening quarter-mile in 22.86 seconds over the fast main track with stakes-winner Little Vic tracking from second position and Repo Rocks saving ground in third.

Pirate Rick reached the half-mile in 45.76 as Little Vic loomed large to his outside and Wolfsont angled Repo Rocks off the rail late in the turn to launch a three-wide bid. Repo Rock, full of run, opened up by four lengths at the stretch call and surged clear of his rivals to stop the clock in 1:23.42 with Little Vic completing the exacta by 1 1/4-lengths over the late-running multiple graded-stakes winner Drafted.

Pirate Rick, Three Two Zone, Synthesis and Milton the Monster rounded out the order of finish. Double Crown, who is cross-entered Monday at Parx; and Wendell Fong, who is cross-entered Sunday at Laurel Park and Tuesday at Parx, were scratched.

The victory marked the first graded win for Wolfsont, who said the race set up perfectly for Repo Rocks.

“I knew the two pacesetters would be up front and I thought maybe one other would be there,” Wolfsont said. “I was hoping I would only be laying a couple lengths off like I was, so I was feeling very confident on the backside and in the turn. Once I saw the outside speed horse [Little Vic] making his move, I just said, 'I've got a lot of speed it looks like – it's time to angle him out and ask him.' As soon as I showed him daylight, he just took off. I felt like I moved too soon, but he just had so much horse and he finished well.”

Wolfsont boasts a 6-4-1-0 record aboard Repo Rocks, including a sharp optional-claiming score in April at Belmont Park.

“When I won on him at Belmont, he stumbled and then I got into him,” Wolfsont said. “I think since Jamie Ness has had him – this start and last start – he's been sharp out of the gate and that's helped. He's obviously finished strong as well.”

Repo Rocks picked up his first graded placings last year at the Big A for trainer Juan Vazquez with a runner-up effort to Drafted in this event ahead of a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap in March. The consistent sprinter moved to the barn of Gregory DiPrima and added a third-place finish in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud to his ledger in July at Belmont. He joined the Ness barn following an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler in October at Belmont at the Big A.

Little Vic, piloted by Carlos Olivero for trainer Juan Avila, captured the City of Laurel in November at Laurel Park and entered from a runner-up effort in the Gravesend here on December 30 when defeated a nose by Drafted.

“It was a fast pace, but my horse was running,” Olivero said. “He [Repo Rocks] just ran too fast for us.”

Bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, Repo Rocks banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 32-7-6-6. He returned $22.40 for a $2 win bet.

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Trainer Mike Maker managed to top his previous four victories in the $150,000 William L. McKnight (G3) presented by Davidoff Cigars Saturday by saddling the top three finishers in Saturday's 1 ½-mile turf stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Trinity Farm's 9-year-old Red Knight ($8.60) won the McKnight by a length over stablemate Value Engineering, who went off at 10-1. It was another length back to 45-1 long shot Wicked Fast with another Maker-trained horse, Temple, running fifth.

“Irad had Red Knight settled in the back of the pace. The pace was hot, which favored him. The rest is history,” said Maker. “I had a lot of confidence in him, The first time he ran for us, he hadn't run in a year and won. He likes to run fresh. He loves his job.”

The McKnight was the third of seven graded stakes on the 13-race blockbuster Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat program that includes the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) presented by Qatar Racing and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) presented by Pepsi.

Maker picked up his first McKnight win in 2017 and repeated in 2018. His runners finished first and second in the 2019 and 2021 editions of the race.

“One, two, three and five. We just missed the superfecta. Every horse ran a great race and I'm proud,” Maker said.

Red Knight, Trinity Farm's homebred son of Pure Prize, earned his 11th victory in 32 career starts. He spent the early years of his career with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and was transferred to Maker's care in 2022. He has three wins in five starts for Maker.

Bidding to repeat in the McKnight, the favorite Abaan, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, quickly grabbed the lead in the three-turn test and led the way early with a quarter-mile in 24.18 seconds. Agitare moved up to provide pace pressure and the half-mile was run in 48.27 with three-quarters going in 1:12.67.

Red Knight and others closers arrived in the stretch, moved into contention and surged to the lead. The winning time was 2:25.11 over a firm course.

“Thank God I had a good trip from tough post 11,” said Ortiz. “He's perfect for the distance because he relaxes very well. With five furlongs to go he started to gain ground on the outside and I just let him do his thing.

“This one's really special because my family is here,” Ortiz added. “My wife, my parents and my daughters are all here with me. They are my driving force, what keeps me going day after day, all supporting me 100 percent of the time.”

The post Red Knight Gives Maker Fifth McKnight Win, Leads Stable’s 1-2-3 Sweep Of Turf Marathon appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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