Tag: Racing

Florida Derby (G1) winner White Abarrio breezed five furlongs over Gulfstream Park's main track Friday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat Jan. 28 at the historic Hallandale Beach racetrack.

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's 4-year-old son of Race Day, one of 12 horses on the Pegasus World Cup's list of invitees released Wednesday, was timed in 59.16 seconds, the fastest of eight workouts recorded at the distance.

“He went very well – his last quarter was 22-and-4 [seconds]. He had a very strong finish – just what we were looking for,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He's in good order right now.”

The morning exercise was White Abarrio's third breeze at Gulfstream since finishing third in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct. The flashy gray colt was withheld from last Saturday's Harlan's Holiday (G3), a Pegasus World Cup prep won by the Joseph-trained Skippylongstocking. Joseph-trained O'Connor finished fourth.

“[White Abarrio's] best races come when he is fresh. He runs well fresh. Probably one of the reasons is that he puts so much into his works, you can get him fit with works,” Joseph said. “He's not a horse that's heavy that needs a race.”

White Abarrio, an athletic colt who won the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream two months before winning the Florida Derby, has impressed his trainer with his physical presence.

“He's never been this strong. It's probably the best he's been in his life,” Joseph said. “That was the way he was three weeks before the Cigar Mile.”

White Abarrio was joined by stablemates Skippylongstocking and O'Connor on the invitation list for the Pegasus.

“We're thankful to our owners for the opportunities. We're thankful to be in a position like this,” Joseph said.

The post ‘He’s Never Been This Strong’: White Abarrio Impresses Trainer With Pegasus Breeze appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Messrs. C.T. Crowe & N. Jonsson's 5-year-two-time defending champion Jet Dark (SAF) is slated to face the undefeated Charles Dickens (SAF) in Saturday's 1-mile R1.5 million L'Ormarins King's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town. The race winner will earn an automatic berth into the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. One race prior to the King's Plate, Mrs. S. Viljoen's 5-year-old mare Captain's Ransom (SAF), the 2022 Equus Horse of the Year, leads the 1 1/8-mile R1 million Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) for a free starting position into the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

The Cartier Paddock Stakes will be televised live on FanDuel Racing at approximately 8:35 a.m. ET, and the L'Ormarins King's Plate will be televised on FanDuel TV at 9:10 a.m. ET.

Now in its 17th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, on Nov. 3-4.

Eleven horses have been entered for the 162nd running of the King's Plate. Jet Dark, trained by Justin Snaith, won last year's race, (previously named the Queen's Plate) by 2 ½ lengths over Kommetdieding (SAF). Jet Dark, a son of Trippi out of the Jet Master (SAF) mare Night Jet, has won eight of 17 starts, which included closing out last season with a successful title defense in the HKJC World Pool Champions Cup (G1) at Greyville at Durbanville on July 30, defeating Kommetdieding by a neck. Jet Dark began this season by taking the Cape Mile (G3) at Kenilworth by 1 ¾ lengths on Nov. 5.

Jet Dark, though, faces a formidable test from another son of Trippi in Drakenstein Stud's 3-year-old homebred Charles Dickens, a winner of all six of his starts since his first race in April 2022. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Charles Dickens won his first Group stake in his fourth start, capturing the 7-furlong Cape Classic (G3) at Kenilworth on Oct. 22. He returned over the course on Nov. 27 and won another 7-furlong allowance before making his most impressive performance to date, coming from far back on the extreme outside to take the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas by 4 ¼ lengths at Kenilworth on Dec. 17.

Drakenstein and Bass Robinson have also entered the 4-year-old Trip of Fortune (SAF), a winner of three of his last four starts. His most recent victory was a 1 ½-length triumph in the World Sports Betting Greenpoint Stakes (G2) on Dec. 3.

The 5-year-old Kommetdieding (SAF), third in the Greenpoint as the 4-5 favorite, is nicknamed “Cape Comet.” He is owned by Ashwin Reynolds and trained by the father-daughter duo of Henry Crawford and Michele Rix. A son of Elusive Fort (SAF), Kommetdieding turned the tables on Jet Dark after losing last year's Queen's Plate by defeating his rival next time out in the 1 ¼-mile World Sports Betting Cape Town Met (G1) but did not win any of his remaining next six starts, including the close loss in the Champions Cup.

Australian-bred Al Muthana, trained by Ricky Maingard, has won seven times in 17 starts, including the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge at 1 mile on June 11 at Greyville by a half-length.

Captain's Ransom Towers over Rivals in Cartier Paddock Stakes

Six-time Group 1 winner Captain's Ransom is the one to beat in the Cartier Paddock Stakes, which drew eight fillies and mares. A winner of 13 of 16 starts for trainer Justin Snaith, Captain's Ransom won last year's Paddock Stakes by a head over Chansonette (SAF), with Marina (SAF) finishing third. Captain's Ransom won three more Group 1 races last season, including a victory over male rivals in the Mercury Sprint at 6 furlongs at Greyville on July 30. She returned to the races on Nov. 16 with a 2 ¼-length win in the 7-furlong Bet With Tab Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth.

Mauritzfontein, and Messrs. M.W. Bass, F. Green, and Byn's 5-year-old Marina (SAF), trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, has won 10 races in her career and has finished first or second in her last four starts.

A daughter of Silvano (GER), Marina followed a second-place finish in the Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes (G1) at Greyville on July 2 with a 2 ¼-length triumph in the Gold Bracelet on July 30. She opened the new season in November by finishing second in an allowance race at Kenilworth but came back on Dec. 17 to win the 1 1/8-mile Hollywoodbets Victress Stakes (G3) by 1 ¼ lengths.

The Hollywood Syndicate's 3-year-old Make It Snappy (SAF) comes into the race with a Group 1 score in just her fourth start, taking the 1-mile World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas on Dec. 3 by 1 ½ lengths at 6-1. That was the third win in four starts for the daughter of Dynasty (SAF), who is trained by Brett Crawford. Make it Snappy broke her maiden in her second start in October at Durban and captured a 1-mile allowance race by 3 lengths at Kenilworth on Nov. 19 prior to winning the Fillies Guineas.

Drakenstein Stud's 4-year-old Rain in Holland (SAF), South Africa's Champion 2-year-old Filly in 2021, also has a Group 1 win among her nine victories. Trained by Sean Tarry, Rain in Holland, by Duke of Marmalade (IRE), captured the 1 1/8-mile Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (G1) by 3 ¼ lengths at Turffontein in Johannesburg last March, which was her second victory during a four-race winning streak. She finished the streak with a 1 ¼-length win in the 4racing Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (G2) on April 30 also at Turffontein.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for the winners of Saturday's races to start in the World Championships. Breeders' Cup will also provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.

The post Two Breeders’ Cup Berths On The Line Saturday In South Africa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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