Tag: Racing

Cloud Nine Stable's Betsy Blue will see added ground as she seeks to begin her 5-year-old season on the right foot in Saturday's $100,000 Interborough for fillies and mares 4-years-old upward going seven furlongs over the main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Betsy Blue, who boasts a record of 20-9-7-2 and field-best earnings of $604,510, enters off a 1 1/4-length triumph in the six-furlong Garland of Roses on December 10 here. The daughter of Tonalist took to the rear of the five-horse field, moving off the rail into the stretch and collared pacesetter Beguine in the final strides to the wire.

Bred in New York by Blue Devil Racing Stable, Betsy Blue was claimed by Rice out of a Big A starter optional claimer for $50,000 in March 2021. Two starts later, she earned her first stakes conquest when capturing the Bouwerie that May at Belmont Park by 5 1/4 lengths.

She competed mainly against open company last year, including a six-length romp in August at Saratoga Race Course going the Interborough distance that earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. Following a close fourth in the state-bred Iroquois in October at Belmont at the Big A, Betsy Blue tried graded stakes company for the first time in the Grade 3 Go for Wand on Dec. 3 going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, finishing third beaten eight lengths.

“I think her kick is most effective at 6 1/2 furlongs,” said Rice, who captured the 2016 Interborough with La Verdad. “She likes a fast pace in front of her and then to just lay off it. But she's pretty versatile and gives you an effort every time whether it's a mile, seven or six [furlongs].”

Rice will also saddle Winning Move Stable's Piece of My Heart, who recently defeated local allowance company going seven furlongs on January 5. The 6-year-old Flat Out chestnut has finished no worse than second in her last four starts, including a runner-up effort behind Betsy Blue in September over the Ozone Park oval. Her last out triumph was her first victory since capturing Oaklawn Park's Gardenia in May 2020, when trained by McLean Robertson. Piece of My Heart was claimed by Rice for $62,500 following a fourth-place finish in July at Saratoga.

“I think the seven-eighths is a good distance for her. Six furlongs is a little short, she's always struggling to get going by then,” Rice said.

Betsy Blue will be piloted by Jose Lezcano from post 5, while Kendrick Carmouche picks up the mount aboard Piece of My Heart, who will leave from post 3.

Aveen Campion's Flight to Shanghai enters off a distant fourth in the Go for Wand for trainer Horacio De Paz. The 5-year-old Shanghai Bobby bay boasts a consistent 16-3-3-2 record, including a third-place finish in the two-turn Serena's Song in May at Monmouth Park for former trainer Jane Cibelli.

The Go for Wand was Flight to Shanghai's first start for De Paz, who said he was encouraged by the effort.

“She's been very forward and consistent in her training,” De Paz said. “The Go for Wand was a pretty good, honest effort on her part. If you consider the field of horses she ran against, it was a huge step up.”

Breaking from post 4, Flight to Shanghai will be piloted by Jorge Vargas, Jr., who rode Bella Aurora to victory in the 2021 Interborough.

Stoneway Farm's Kentucky homebred Miss T Too seeks her first victory since September 2020, entering off a pair of third-place finishes for trainer Michael McCarthy. The Into Mischief 6-year-old bay contested the all-weather surface at Turfway Park in a last out allowance event going six furlongs on December 15, which came after a five-furlong allowance tilt on November 10 at Churchill Downs.

Eric Cancel will ride Miss T Too from post 2.

Completing the field are six-time winner Self Isolation [post 1, Dylan Davis] and starter stakes winner Easy To Bless [post 6, Jackie Davis].

The Interborough is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Betsy Blue ‘Gives You An Effort Every Time,’ Tries Seven Panels In Saturday’s Interborough appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat; the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G3) presented by Qatar Racing, and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) presented by Pepsi will supported on the Jan. 28 program at Gulfstream Park by four other graded stakes with star appeal.

The $200,000 Inside Information (G2), a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares; the $150,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3), a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up; the $200,000 William L. McKnight (G3), a 1 ½-mile event for 4-year-olds and up on turf; and the $150,000 La Prevoyante (G3), a 1 ½-mile stakes for older fillies and mares on turf; will featured on the Pegasus World Cup Day undercard.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is represented on the Inside Information nomination list of 20 female sprinters by Juddmonte's Obligatory and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.'s Frank's Rockette.

Obligatory, who finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) with a wide rally from 12th, captured the Derby City Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs last spring after winning the Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Frank's Rockette, a durable multiple graded-stakes winner with earnings over $1.2 million, is coming off a 12 ¼-length victory in the Dec. 31 Sugar Swirl (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld's Midnight Stroll, who captured the 2022 Delaware Oaks (G3) and finished third last time out in the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland; Rodney Lundock's Maryquitecontrary, a rising star who extended her winning streak to four in a row with a dominating victory in the Dec. 31 Rampart at Gulfstream Park; Godolphin LLC's Famed, a late-developing daughter of champion Uncle Mo who is coming off a 6 ½-length victory in the She's All In Stakes at Remington Park for trainer Brad Cox; and the Todd Pletcher-trained graded stakes-placed duo, St. Elias Stable's Colorful Mischief and Stonestreet Stables LLC's Favor; are among the most prominent fillies and mares nominated to the Inside Information.

The Fred W. Hooper drew 36 nominations, including Pegasus World Cup invitees and expected starters Art Collector and Get Her Number, as well as reserve invitees Mark Breen's Endorsed, Dream Team One Racing Stable's Hoist the Gold and Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Ridin With Biden.

Mike Maker-trained Endorsed, who finished fourth in last year's Pegasus World Cup, is coming off a late-rallying optional claiming allowance score Dec. 22 at Gulfstream Park.

Dallas Stewart-trained Hoist the Gold, a 4-year-old son of Mineshaft, finished third in the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita last time out.

Butch Reid-trained Ridin With Biden, a 5-year-old gelded son of Constitution, has won back-to-back stakes at Parx, where he captured the Greenwood Cup (G3) last fall.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented by five on the Hooper nominations list: Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It, the 2022 Florida Derby (G1) runner-up who has been idled since winning the Dwyer (G3) by 23 lengths in July; Sumaya U.S. Stables' Pioneer of Medina, runner-up to Skippylongstocking in the Dec. 31 Harlan's Holiday (G3); Team Valor International LLC's Untreated, a multiple graded stakes-placed son of Nyquist who has been idle since finishing off the board in the Oct. 1 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs; Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's Wit, a graded-stakes winner on dirt who finished third on turf in the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar last time out and is invited to the Pegasus Turf; and St. Elias Stable's Dr Post, a comebacking multiple Grade 1-placed 6-year-old.

Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Grade 1 winner Highland Chief, trained by Graham Motion, is prominent among 31 turf performers on the McKnight nominations list. The 6-year-old Irish-bred captured the 2022 Man O' War (G1) at Belmont and finished off the board in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) last time out.

Alex Daigneault and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Abaan is also nominated to defend his two-length victory in the McKnight for Pletcher.

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker, the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning turf male who has banked more than $3.7 million, is the most recognizable turf starter on the nomination list.

Trainer Mike Maker has eight McKnight nominees, including Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Temple, who captured the Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream last season before finishing third in the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth and second behind Highland Chief in the Sycamore (G3) at Keeneland.

The La Prevoyante drew 16 nominations, including Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf invitee Steven Parkin's Lady Rockstar, a Brendan Walsh trainee who most recently finished second in the Suwanee River (G3) at Gulfstream.

Godolphin LLC's Adventuring, who captured the Ladies Marathon (G3) at Kentucky Downs and was third most recently in the Cardinal (G3) at Churchill Downs, represents trainer Brad Cox, who is scheduled to saddle Cyberknife for a start in the Pegasus World Cup, on the La Prevoyante list.

The $100,000 Carousel Club, a mile-and-70-yard overnight handicap for 4-year-olds and up, will also be featured on the Pegasus World Cup Day undercard.

The post Pegasus World Cup Day At Gulfstream Supported By Four Undercard Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Selective LLC's Chop Chop and Ike and Dawn Thrash's The Alys Look, both trained by Brad Cox, earned the honors of the ones to beat in Saturday's 31st running of the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La.

Installed respectively as the 8-5 favorite and 3-1 second-favorite in the morning line, the formidable Cox duo both have earned four Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. Contested over 1 mile and 70 yards, a field of seven have entered the 31st running of the Silverbulletday, which will go as race 12 of 14 with a post time of 5:30 p.m. CT. The top five finishers will earn Kentucky Oaks qualifying points (20-8-6-4-2).

Fasig-Tipton has been named the title sponsor of Fair Grounds' 2023 series for 3-year-old fillies. The Fasig-Tipton Tremé Triple consists of the Silverbulletday S. on Jan. 21, the Rachel Alexandra S. (G2) on Feb. 18, and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on March 25. The name of the race series is a tribute to the historic Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans that borders Fair Grounds Race Course.

Chop Chop made a dazzling run to finish second behind current Kentucky Oaks points leader Wonder Wheel (40 points) in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland. After breaking near the back and relaxing along the rail, she kicked into gear and began to maneuver through a field of 14. Bet to favoritism in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the daughter of City of Light struggled through a wide trip and finished last. She has not run since.

“After her run in the Alcibiades and how well she was training leading up to the Breeders' Cup, I wasn't surprised she was the favorite,” Cox said. “In that race, she went wide throughout and didn't get a favorable trip. It's tough to win when you're not in position turning for home going one mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland.”

Out of the Giant's Causeway dam Grand Sofia, Chop Chop was purchased for $230,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in 2021. She began her career winning her first two races on the turf, tracking the leader in each race no further back than three lengths with Rey Gutierrez as her pilot. Rosario took the reins in the Alcibiades and Juvenile Fillies and switched up tactics, letting her settle to the back.

“Chop Chop has been able to run well on both surfaces (dirt and turf), so I think she is a pretty genuine and honest filly who is fit and ready to roll,” Cox said. “She got ready fairly quickly. We backed off a little bit after the Breeders' Cup but she never left the barn. I knew I wanted to have her running by the Rachel Alexandra, but since she's a long, lean, scopy filly, it didn't take much to get her ready. Her works have been phenomenal, so I think she's ready to run a big race.”

With Florent Geroux aboard, Chop Chop will break from post No. 5. Brad Cox won the 2018 Silverbulletday with eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl – Geroux was aboard, and he's won the race three times.

Breaking her maiden in December at Fair Grounds, The Alys Look came back to run second to Pretty Mischievous in the locally run Untapable Stakes on Dec 26. After a tough trip through the slop at Churchill Downs in October, Cox decided to take the blinkers off hoping to relax the Connect filly, but after breaking sharply against a field void of early speed, Geroux kept her at the front for the wire-to-wire maiden win.

“It's not a big field, so I think we'll let her find her stride and maybe she'll be a little bit more forward than she was in the Untapable,” Cox said. “The way she's been finishing up at the end of her races, she'll have a shot.”

In the Untapable, The Alys Look settled nicely and made a wide run through the second turn to range up on Pretty Mischievous in the homestretch, but she was unable to run her down.

Geroux will pass the reins to Luis Saez. The Alys Look drew post No. 4.

One of the best stories of the Fair Grounds' meet to date has been the success of Patricia West. Training across the Louisiana circuit since 2010, West won the first stakes race of her career with A G's Charlotte in the Big World on opening day. Since then she has won six more races from 17 starters, including another stake with A G's Charlotte, and the Louisiana Futurity with Tom Galvin's Norah G, who enters the Silverbulletday and draws post No. 1.

Norah G has had difficulty getting away from the gates with alacrity in her three starts, but in the Futurity, a six-furlong sprint, she showed improvement.

“I thought her break from the gate was much improved from the first two tries, so we're moving in the right direction,” West said. “I feel she wants to go two turns. She's super smart. She'll overcome things. Nothing bothers her. That is a lot especially with fillies because they get themselves beat with their brains. She's the coolest cucumber in the barn, so I feel really good about her.”

Tabbed at 8-1 in the morning line, Deshawn Parker will climb aboard the Fast Anna filly who is a neck shy of being a perfect three-for-three.

Wing and A Prayer Racing's Hayunevano broke her maiden on the lead when stretching out for the first time. In the Untapable, she pressed Pretty Mischievous and held on for fourth, earning 2 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. The Goldencents filly out of the Munnings dam Classic Vision was a gift to owners Stewart Dimak and James Pittman.

“Before the sale at Ocala, the farrier nicked her hooves too close,” Dimak said. “They breezed her anyways, and of course she ran slow, making her unsaleable. So the breeder called me up and said 'I've got a filly who needs a job.' He sent me videos of her breezing with a colt, and I saw she was a monster. I said, 'well if she needs a job, I'm hiring.'”

Trained by Sam David Jr., who won the 1997 Silverbulletday (known then as the Davona Dale) with eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Blushing K. D., Hayunevano has been set at 8-1 in the morning line, draws post No. 3, and will be guided by Marcelino Pedroza Jr.

Trainer Jason Barkley doesn't look to have his first-time starters cranked and ready to win right out of the back, so when NBS Stable's Forest Chimes stunned a strong field on debut in December, he knew he had a runner. The son of veteran-trainer Jeff Barkley, Jason's go-to rider has been James Graham, but when Graham was committed to another mount, Jason turned to his dad's go-to jock, Corey Lanerie. Sent off at 13-1 on debut, the Tonalist filly by the Forestry dam Sequoia Queen passed four fillies in the second turn and pulled away to win by 7 1/2 lengths.

Here's the complete field for the Silverbulletday Stakes from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, and morning line):

1. Norah G (Deshawn Parker, Patricia West, 8-1);
2. Cotton Candy Annie (Mitchell Murrill, Armando Hernandez, 20-1);
3. Hayunevano (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Sam David Jr., 8-1);
4. The Alys Look (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 3-1);
5. Chop Chop (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 8-5);
6. Amber Cascade (David Cohen, Cherie DeVaux, 6-1);
7. Forest Chimes (Corey Lanerie, Jason Barkley, 4-1).

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