Tag: Racing

Secret Oath, among the country's leading 3-year-old fillies of 2022, is targeting the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G1) March 11 at Oaklawn for her 2023 debut, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday morning.

A homebred for Briland Farm (Robert and Stacy Mitchell), Secret Oath has been based at Oaklawn since early December. She blossomed at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, posting blowout victories in a New Year's Eve allowance race, Martha Washington Stakes, and the Honeybee Stakes (G3). After finishing third against males in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Secret Oath won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last May at Churchill Downs. 

Secret Oath concluded her busy nine-race 2022 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The 1 1/8-mile race was Secret Oath's first against older rivals.

“She's having a great, great month,” Lukas said. “Just light training. She's filling out to her frame, eating really well. Put on, probably, 35, 40 pounds the right way. Real pleased.”

The Azeri is the penultimate race in Oaklawn's series of two-turn stakes races for older fillies and mares. It concludes with the $1-million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 15. The Azeri and Apple Blossom are both 1 1/16 miles.

“Exactly,” Lukas said, when asked if the Azeri would be Secret Oath's prep for the Apple Blossom.

From the first crop of deceased champion Arrogate, Secret Oath has a 5-2-3 mark from 13 lifetime starts and earnings of $1,768,417.

The post Kentucky Oaks Winner Secret Oath Eyes Azeri For 2023 Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In a driving finish, Phil D'Amato's Classical Cat was all heart as he was up to win Friday's $100,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita by a half length. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 2-year-old colt by the Scat Daddy stallion Mendelssohn got a mile on turf in 1:34.38.

Alert from the gate, Classical Cat was third at the rail, about 1 ½ lengths off early leader Game Time around the Club House turn, maintained his rail position heading to the far turn while into the bridle, tipped out three-deep at the top of the lane and overtook First Peace to his inside late while holding off race favorite Nagirroc to his outside in an extra game performance.

“I had Nagirroc to my outside and obviously he was the horse to beat,” said Rispoli. “I was praying that Mike Smith (aboard First Peace) would go a little bit ahead of me at the quarter pole, which would give me a chance to find room between them.

“The horse helped me. I had a ton of horse underneath and when you have gas, you can go wherever you want. I think he won easily today.”

A one mile turf allowance winner here on Oct. 23, Classical Cat got late support and was off at 2-1 in a field reduced by a pair of scratches to six 2-year-olds and paid $6.60, $3.60 and $2.40.

Owned by Michael House, Classical Cat, who is out of the Not Bourbon mare Conquest Strate Up, Classical Cat, who was purchased for $65,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling now has three wins from four starts, his last two on turf. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $146,300.

“These are some nice horses here, this proves that he's a top class horse and can compete with these nice horses and other nice horses down the road,” said D'Amato. “…Down the road, we may make him maybe our Del Mar Derby kind of horse and go from there.”

First Peace, who sat second the entire trip, finished second by a half length over Nagirroc and paid $5.40 and $3.00 while off at 5-1.

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Graham Motion, Nigarroc, a Grade III winner two starts back at Aqueduct and most recently third in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4, had no apparent excuses at even money and paid $2.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.47, 47.09, 1:10.47 and 1:22.40.

$100,000, EDDIE LOGAN STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

UMBERTO RISPOLI, CLASSICAL CAT, WINNER: “I had Nagirroc to my outside and obviously he was the horse to beat. I was praying that Mike Smith (First Peace) would go a little bit ahead of me at the quarter pole, which would give me a chance to find room between them. The horse helped me. I had a ton of horse underneath and when you have gas you can go whenever you want. I think he won easily today.”

TRAINER QUOTES

PHILIP D'AMATO, CLASSICAL CAT, WINNER: “Flavien (Prat, aboard Nagirroc), looked like he tried to make the earlier move on Umberto, but Umberto was able to stay in there and this horse is just such a fighter. Once he got his head in there, he kind of slowly wore down the leader. These are some really nice horses here, this proves that he's a top class horse and can compete with these nice horses and other nice horses down the road.

“We try to train and put that (fight) in them but more times than not they either have it or they don't. We may have another race in a month, we will see, but down the road we want to make him maybe our Del Mar Derby kind of horse and go from there.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Michael House.

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Defining Purpose has been installed the 7-5 program favorite for the inaugural $150,000 Year's End Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the 1-mile Year's End, the ninth of 10 races, is 4:14 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. The card, the first in Oaklawn history exclusively for 2-year-olds, also features the inaugural $150,000 Renaissance Stakes at 6 furlongs.

The projected nine horse Year's End field from the rail out: Defining Purpose, David Cabrera to ride, 117 pounds, 7-5 on the morning line; Unifying, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 12-1; Taxed, Joe Talamo, 117, 20-1; Midnight Heiress, Angel Rodriguez, 117, 8-1; Charlee Mae, Nik Juarez, 117, 20-1; Take Charge Briana, Cristian Torres, 117, 6-1; Bluelightspecial, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 9-2; Need Some Money, Gabriel Saez, 117, 12-1; and Fabulous Candy, John Hiraldo, 117, 5-1.

The Year's End is the first major local prep for the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28. The Martha Washington is Oaklawn's first of three Kentucky Oaks points races. The series continues with the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 25 and the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 1. Those races are also 1 1/16 miles.

A $120,000 allowance race at 1 mile last New Year's Eve at Oaklawn – rebranded in 2022 as the Year's End Stakes – was won by Secret Oath, who captured the Martha Washington and Honeybee in her next two starts. After finishing third against males in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn, Secret Oath won the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) last May at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks is the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.

Defining Purpose, who has raced around two turns in all three career starts, broke her maiden by six front-running lengths Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs. Returning nine days later for trainer Kenny McPeek, Defining Purpose finished fifth, beaten 6 ¼ lengths, by the highly regarded Hoosier Philly in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Defining Purpose was only beaten 1 ¼ lengths for second in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod.

“We got ambitious with her in that last run at Churchill,” McPeek said. “There was a really good filly that won the race, of course. She acts like a filly with a lot of talent. She handled the wheel back and short rest at Churchill and this timing is really good for her. I think it's five weeks in between races. Like anything, we want to see if she's a black-type filly and if she's competitive, then we'll go on down that path – Martha Washington, Honeybee, Fantasy route. And if she's not, then we'll regress to (allowance) other than.”

Defining Purpose races for a trio of owners, including McPeek's wife, Sherri, and breeder Colette Marie Vanmatre.

Fabulous Candy returns to stakes company after an entry-level allowance victory at 1 mile and 70 yards Nov. 2 at Delaware Park for trainer Chelsey Moysey and owner Lewis Mathews of Bismarck, Ark. After breaking her maiden by 10 ½ lengths sprinting Sept. 2, Fabulous Candy stretched out to finish fourth in the $100,000 White Clay Creek Stakes at 1 mile Oct. 14. Those races were also at Delaware Park.

“I love her post position,” Moysey said. “Honestly, you can kind of put her anywhere and she's going to do well. I'm happy with the post. I think it's a lighter field than I was expecting. I think some of the better horses went other places. Not too thrilled about the weather, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be as bad, maybe.”

Take Charge Briana broke her maiden sprinting Sept. 4 at Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, but was pulled up and vanned off in the Golden Rod. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin returned with a half-mile work in :48.80 Dec. 11 at Oaklawn in advance of the Year's End.

“That's a good spot for her,” Lukas said. “A real good spot.”

Defining Purpose, Unifying, Take Charge Briana and Need Some Money will be racing on the anti-bleeder medication Lasix for the first time Saturday. Bluelightspecial removes blinkers for trainer Cipriano Contreras.

Unifying marked the first career winner for trainer Riley Mott, who went out on his own Nov. 1 after assisting his father, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, for eight years. Unifying, who broke her maiden Nov. 10 at Churchill Downs, will be Riley Mott's first career stakes starter.

The post ‘She Acts Like A Filly With A Lot Of Talent’: McPeek High On Defining Purpose In Year’s End Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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