Prince Abama, Masteroffoxhounds Give D’Amato Strong Hand In San Gabriel

Trainer Phil D'Amato, who has become a dominant force on turf while relying heavily on Irish-bred imports, will send out likely post-time favorite Prince Abama, a 4-year-old Irish-bred gelding, in Monday's Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  One of six graded stakes on an 11-race opening day card, the San Gabriel has attracted a field of seven 3-year-olds and up.

Twice second from as many tries at one mile on turf, Prince Abama comes off a three quarter-length win going 1 1/2 miles on grass in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Nov. 25, a race in which he sat a close second and won as best at odds of 5-2 with Flavien Prat up.

With Prat reengaged, Prince Abama, who is owned by Michael House, should be plenty tough to beat on Monday.

D'Amato will also saddle classy turf veteran Masteroffoxhounds, a neck winner going 1 1/4 miles in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita two starts back on Oct. 1, just missed taking the G2 Seabiscuit Stakes in gate to wire fashion at Del Mar on Nov. 26, finishing third by a neck at 1 1/16 miles on grass under Mike Smith, who rides back in the San Gabriel.

Off the board in two tries at one mile on grass, Masteroffoxhounds, a 5-year-old full horse by War Front, is owned by Rockingham Ranch and is 20-4-3-4 overall.

A gate to wire winner of last year's San Gabriel, the George Papaprodromou-trained Bob and Jackie has been idle since well beaten over the course in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 5.  Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, a 6-year-old full horse by Twirling Candy, will be handled by regular rider Jose Valdivia, Jr.

GRADE II SAN GABRIEL STAKES

WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 12 noon PT

  1. Rip City—Edwin Maldonado—121
  2. Masteroffoxhounds—Mike Smith—125
  3. Dicey Mo Chara—Juan Hernandez—121
  4. Go On—Mario Gutierrez—121
  5. Bob and Jackie—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—121
  6. Prince Abama—Flavien Prat—125
  7. Flashiest—Joel Rosario—121

Special early first post time for an 11-race card that includes six graded stakes is at 11 a.m.  Admission gates open at 9 a.m.

The post Prince Abama, Masteroffoxhounds Give D’Amato Strong Hand In San Gabriel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘She Runs On Every Surface’: Weather Changes In Gulfstream Stakes Not A Concern For Miss Auramet

When Miss Auramet is in the Gulfstream Park entries, you won't find Eddie Plesa Jr. glued to the Weather Channel.

The notion of scratching the 6-year-old daughter of Uncaptured from Saturday's $100,000 Abundantia won't even cross the mind of the highly respected South Florida-based trainer should adverse weather conditions force the five-furlong stakes for fillies and mares to be taken off the turf and transferred to the Tapeta surface.

The Abundantia will co-headline Saturday's closing day program of the Sunshine Meet with the $100,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up. The 2022-2023 Championship Meet gets underway Monday.

Miss Auramet is an all-weather horse.

“She's a hard-knocking mare, isn't she?” Plesa said. “She runs on every surface, no ifs and or buts.”

Owned by David Melin, Leon Ellman and Plesa's wife, Laurie, the Florida-bred mare has demonstrated rare versatility during her 33-race career, during which she has finished first or second in 22 starts. Miss Auramet certainly has proven to be a crack turf sprinter, a multiple-stakes winner who has won seven times and finished first or second 12 times in 20 career turf starts. She has also won two of four starts on a fast dirt track and finished first or second in all five of her starts on an 'off' main track.

With the advent of Tapeta at Gulfstream last year, Miss Auramet has won once and finished second twice in four starts on the all-weather track.

“She's one of those horses that just goes out there and trains nice, doesn't give you any problems,” Plesa said. “It's like having a child in school. You have three or four kids, and this is the one that does what you ask it to do. There's never any issues, never any problems. You sometimes lose sight of that and that you're lucky to have one like that.”

Miss Auramet is a little particular about distance. She doesn't want to go any farther than five furlongs, but why even try to stretch her out when she has won seven of 15 starts at five-furlong on turf with five seconds, and three thirds.

After winning on Tapeta for the first time in a July 17 overnight handicap, she finished off the board on Tapeta for the first time while finishing fourth in a Sept. 11 overnight handicap, after which she was given a break.

“I gave her a brief vacation. She's back and she's training good,” Plesa said. “We're hoping she can run back to her past performances, and I think she can.”

Paco Lopez has the call aboard Miss Auramet.

William Werner and Triton Stable's Mamba Wamba and Silverton Hill LLC's Static Fire will represent trainer Brian Lynch in the Abundantia.

Mamba Wamba has won two of five starts since being imported from England, both victories coming at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Mehmas captured her U.S. debut in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf last December before running three more times and being turned out at the end of April. The Irish-bred filly returned from the layoff at Gulfstream Park, where she closed from off the pace to notch a 1 ½-length victory in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance that was transferred from turf to the Tapeta surface Dec. 1.

“She ran impressively first up and then I was never happy with her. We gave her some time off and she's come back better than ever,” Lynch said. “I'm really, really happy with her.”

Static Fire is coming off a 1 ¾-length optional claiming allowance win at six furlongs on dirt at Keeneland Oct. 13. The 3-year-old daughter of Speightster made a victories debut at five furlongs on turf at Saratoga in 2021.

“Static Fire is a very nice filly too. She is all speed and Mamba Wamba will come off the pace,” Lynch said. “It's the best of both worlds for a trainer.”

Edgar Perez has the return mount aboard Mamba Wamba, while Jose Ortiz has the call on Static Fire.

Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka's Miss J McKay is back to defend her title in the Abundantia, in which Miss Auramet finished off the board following what the Equibase footnotes call a 'brutal trip.'

The Christopher Clement trainee closed from seven at the top of the stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths under Tyler Gaffalione, who returns aboard the 5-year-old daughter of Hangover Kid Saturday. Miss J McKay is coming off a three-month layoff after four off-the-board finishes since winning the six-furlong License Fee at Belmont.

Jeanne Martin's Poseidon's Passion, a versatile daughter of Poseidon's Warrior, will enter the Abundantia off an overnight handicap victory on Tapeta at Gulfstream Oct. 13. The James Gulick trainee has been first or second in seven of 16 starts on turf, while finishing in the top two five times in seven starts on Tapeta.

Luca Panici has the return call.

Three Diamonds Farm's Phantom Vision, Soldi Stable LLC and Ohana Racing LLC's Ocean Safari, Gary Barber's Imagery, R. Larry Johnson's Spun Glass and Joseph Allen LLC's Stony Point round out the field

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Gulfstream: Turf Sprint Specialist Carotari Will Defend His Title In Christmas Eve’s Janus

William Branch's Carotari, a winner of three turf sprint stakes at Gulfstream Park the past few years, has returned to South Florida with high expectations from trainer Brian Lynch.

Carotari is scheduled to defend his title in Saturday's $100,000 Janus, a five-furlong turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up, will co-headline the closing-day program of the Sunshine Meet at Gulfstream Park with the $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf stakes for fillies and mares. The 2022-2023 Championship Meet gets underway Monday.

Carotari, who captured the Silks Run back-to-back in 2020 and 2021 at Gulfstream, went right to the front and never looked back while posting a 1 ¾-length victory in the Janus last December. The 6-year-old gelding went on to win the six-furlong Turf Sprint on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico and most recently won the five-furlong Laurel Dash on turf Sept. 24.

“He loves it down here. We gave him a freshening looking to set him up for a winter campaign, because we know he likes it down here,” Lynch said. “There's a series of stakes he's banged out over the years. He's doing really well and looking forward to Saturday.”

The son of Artie Schiller has been first or second in 16 of 28 career starts, including nine victories on turf.

“He's one of those horses that, each year, he gets better and better,” Lynch said. “He's always loved South Florida. Last year, he had a quarter crack after the Janus and missed the better part of the season down here. This year, he's healthy and doing well.”

Luis Saez, who was aboard for Carotari's Janus victory last year, will be aboard for a title defense.

Wingate Stables LLC's Cloudy, a 3-year-old turf sprinter trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, is slated to take on Carotari and other older rivals Saturday. The son Noble Mission has made his last four starts on turf with three victories after finishing off the board on dirt in his first two career starts.

Cloudy, who most recently won a second-level allowance at Keeneland Oct. 23, will be ridden for the first time by Tyler Gaffalione.

Colts Neck Stables LLC's Nothing Better enters the Janus in peak form, having won three of his last four starts, including triumphs in the 5 ½-furlongs Rainbow Heir on turf at Monmouth and the six-furlong Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct last time out.

Trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. has awarded the mount aboard the 5-year-old gelded son of Munnings to Irad Ortiz Jr.

Granadilla Stable's Dubai Key, a multiple group-stakes winning Argentine-bred, is set for a return to Gulfstream Park, where the son of Key Deputy won his first two U.S. starts. The Amador Sanchez trainee won a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta in his U. S. debut Nov. 13, 2011 before winning in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance on Tapeta Jan. 5. After winning a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf at Del Mar, he finished off the board in a pair of graded stakes at Del Mar and Santa Anita.

Hector Berrios has the return mount.

Nicholas Cammarano Jr.'s Scaramouche, who won the Gallant Bob (G2) on dirt two starts back and who has never run on turf; Just For Fun Stable Inc.'s Warrior's Pride, a multiple-stakes winner at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream; and JFG Thoroughbreds and Maritza Weston's Classicstateofmind, who captured the five-furlong Roar on turf at Gulfstream in the spring; are among the most prominent entrants in the Janus.

Averill Racing LLC and Winning Stable's Feast, R. Larry Johnson and R D M Racing Stable's Matta, Peace Sign Stables' Belgrano, Kerri Raven's Chess Master and Linda Juckette's Agent Peter Graves round out the main body of the field.

Also eligible for the Janus are George Sharp's No Angel, Rancho Alegre's Panther Island, Tracy Farmer's Chuck Willis and Princess Kathy Racing LLC and Red Rabbit Racing's Novgorod the Great.

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FanDuel Integrates Sports, Horse Racing into a Single Account

FanDuel announced Dec. 21 that its customers can now access both parimutuel wagering on horse racing and traditional sports book wagering with a single account after a successful soft launch last week.  With this launch, FanDuel Sportsbook becomes the first US sportsbook to offer this feature. The measure is part of FanDuel's ongoing investment in customer experience and its continuing commitment to introduce a new generation of audiences to horse racing. 

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