Godolphin, which campaigned 14 North American graded stakes winners, including four Breeders’ Cup winners, repeated as leading owner by earnings for 2022, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., established single-season earnings and stakes wins records as the leading jockey according to final statistics released Jan.
Tag: Racing
2023 Kentucky Derby Hopeful Snapshots: Victory Formation
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. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 6, 2023, at Churchill Downs.
‘She’s A Pro’: Amy C Scores Graded Stakes Breakthrough In Las Cienegas
Quick into stride from the gate, Phil D'Amato's British-bred Amy C attended the pace and rallied to take Monday's $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3) by 1 ¼ lengths and thus remain unbeaten in three tries down Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Amy C, a recently turned 5-year-old mare, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hill in 1:12.76 over a course listed as good.
About two lengths off dueling leaders Burgoo Alley, Freedom Flyer, and Royal Address at the dirt crossing atop the stretch run, Amy C tipped out four-deep and accelerated to her second consecutive hillside turf stakes victory.
A 1 ½ length winner of the ungraded Senator Ken Maddy Stakes off the hill on Oct. 29, Amy C was off as the 2-1 favorite among a field of eight older fillies and mares and paid $6.60 for the win.
“This filly, she's a pro,” said D'Amato, who also saddled Lady Edith and Burgoo Alley, who finished fifth and sixth respectively. “She loves it down the hill. Umberto said she switches leads crossing the dirt before he can even think about it, which is a great thing. Hopefully, we've got some nice races to look forward to here at Santa Anita.”
Owned by Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, and Robert LaPenta, Amy C notched her first graded stakes win and now has five wins from 10 overall starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, the daughter of British Group 1 winner and former Darley stallion Charming Thought out of the Exceed And Excel mare Alzahra increased her earnings to $248,385.
“She knows how to cross the dirt, put her feet from the grass to the dirt, to the dirt to the grass,” said an ebullient Rispoli. “She's very professional and I'm very glad to be on a horse like this.
“When I found myself out of the gate there was a second that Joe (Bravo aboard Royal Address) was to my inside, and Frankie (Dettori aboard Freedom Flyer) was coming with Flavien (Prat aboard Burgoo Alley), and I thought to myself, well the pace isn't going to be fast, so I was happy to be close. Around the turn, I was just trying to be in the clean way, just to make sure that I give everything without excuses and the horse helped me and we won, so we were right.”
The longest shot in the field at 54-1, Lady Jae, who was last at the half-mile pole, rallied between horses under Ryan Curatolo to edge Freedom Flyer by a nose for second.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Freedom Flyer finished a head better than Countess Rosina for third money in a blanket finish behind the winner.
Fractions on the race were :21.61, :43.65 and 1:06.49.
The post ‘She’s A Pro’: Amy C Scores Graded Stakes Breakthrough In Las Cienegas appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
‘I’m Hoping For Even Bigger Things In 2023’: Powell-Trained Air Force Red Could Get First Top-Level Test In Kilroe Mile
Air Force Red added to a strong start to the meet for trainer Leonard Powell when scoring a front-running victory in Saturday's Joe Hernandez (G2) on the downhill turf course.
It was a second straight stakes win for Air Force Red and first at the graded level. On Monday, Powell reported the 4-year-old Air Force Blue ridgling was doing “extremely well.” Next up will likely be a tilt in the $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) on March 4.
“I thought he ran really well and that finished up a nice 2022 for him,” Powell said. “I'm hoping for even bigger things in 2023.”
Air Force Red is owned in partnership by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Holly Golightly. Two races after Air Force Red's 7-1 upset in the Hernandez, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners added a second graded stakes win on the day when Queen Goddess took down the Robert J. Frankel (G2).
Air Force Red, winner of the restricted Lure Stakes going a mile at Santa Anita in his previous start Oct. 29, improved his record to 5-0-0 from 10 starts and $354,100 in earnings. Furthermore, the win in the Hernandez over Grade I winners Smooth Like Strait and Hit the Road among others ran his record to 3-for-4 on the hillside turf course. Notably, the 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in the fall will also be contested on Santa Anita's hillside turf course. Is that a realistic goal for Air Force Red?
“I think so,” Powell said. “In the spring, we are going to stretch him out again because the big races here are at a mile. I think that's what we'll do through the spring and re-assess after that. But everything is in play.”
Air Force Red's win in the Hernandez, which came under leading jockey Juan Hernandez, put a bow on what's been a career-best season for Powell. The 46-year-old Frenchman finished 2022 with $2.1 million in earnings and five graded stakes wins, which includes Dicey Mo Chara's tally in the San Gabriel (G2) on opening day.
As for Dicey Mo Chara, his win in the San Gabriel provided a free berth in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. That race is under consideration for the Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal color bearer, Powell reiterated Monday.
“I haven't talked to the ownership yet, but everything is still possible,” he noted.
The post ‘I’m Hoping For Even Bigger Things In 2023’: Powell-Trained Air Force Red Could Get First Top-Level Test In Kilroe Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
