Tag: Racing

The $100,000 Steady Growth, a 1 1/16-mile main track stakes for Ontario-sired stakes 3-year-olds and upward, headlines the final live race card of the 2022 Thoroughbred season, Sunday at Woodbine.

Multiple stakes winner Dun Drum, a 6-year-old son of Bold n' Flashy, brings a record of 6-2-4 from 31 starts into his latest test.

Owned by Joan Addison, Janet Black and Barbara Brown, the gelding finished fourth in last year's running of the Steady Growth.

Trained by Ian Black, Dun Drum's successes include stakes wins in the 2018 Kingarvie, 2019 Vice Regent, and this year's Overskate.

“He's been very good to us, especially this year,” said Ian Black. “I knew his best chance would come in an Ontario-sired race, the Overskate, and he certainly ran a great race. We were looking for opportunities to run him, and we ended up running him in a mile and a quarter race [on August 14], which surprised me that he won that day. And then two races later, he won the Overskate, at 7 ½ furlongs on the Inner Turf, so that is pretty versatile stuff right there. After the Overskate, Emma [jockey, Wilson] came back and said, 'I love this horse.' We all do.”

Wilson, in the midst of another strong campaign at Woodbine, has long been a fan of the dark bay.

“I really do [love him],” said the lifetime winner of 1,784 races. “He's such a character. The best way to describe it is that you're not friends with everybody at school, you're not friends with everybody at work, but there are some people you get along with and Dun Drum has that personality for me. I just really enjoy competing with him and being around him. He's so enthusiastic about his job and he's so genuine. Whenever he goes out training, there are times where you say, 'Okay, settled down, buddy.' But he's not bad, it's just that he loves this sport. It explodes out of him and you almost have to bottle him in a little bit. He just tries so hard. You see that every time he races. It's awesome. He's so fun.”

Dun Drum launched his career with a third in a 6-furlong main track race at Woodbine on September 15, 2018. One race later, he broke his maiden, before a second in the Frost King Stakes and a win in the Kingarvie.

“We've loved him from day one,” said Black after the Kingarvie. “Any other 2-year-old we worked him with, he worked as well as or better than. He was fairly precocious, so I was always a little concerned about the two turns, but the only thing was when he started running, he did relax in his races. It wasn't like he wanted the lead or anything like that, which makes it easier.”

The savvy veteran, who has $328,672 (U.S.) in lifetime earnings, has shown a penchant for rebounding well from an off-key outing over the years.

Dun Drum, who arrives at Sunday's race off a fifth in a 1 ¼-mile trek over the Tapeta, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.00 over the Woodbine Tapeta on November 26.

“He's got a great attitude,” praised Black. “He loves to do it. He's just a nice, happy horse. You have to be thrilled with him and he's in good order. As for what his best distance is, I don't know anymore. He won that mile and a quarter on the main track and the 7 ½ on the turf. He's just a wonderful horse to have in your barn. He's so kind. He has his head out, looking at you, thinking he's going to get a mint every time you go by.”

Regardless of the distance, Wilson has long known what to expect from Dun Drum.

“In some ways, earlier on in his career, we were trying to figure out what the best distance was for him. As a 2-year-old, he was successful short and then he stretched out, and did well. Then some of his best races came against the top sprinters at Woodbine. I remember there was a race [2020 Shepperton] where I took a run at [multiple stakes winner and sprint champion] Pink Lloyd with him. He gave me everything he had to try and catch him, and it was probably one of his best efforts. Whether Pink Lloyd was fully extended or not, I don't know, but it was a top-notch performance at a sprint distance. And then he goes a mile and quarter this year and has success. That versatility really lends itself to his personality and how fantastic he is at being a competitor.”

First post time for the 14-race card is 12:55 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE $100,000 STEADY GROWTH

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Dun Drum – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black

2 – Grandson – Jose Campos – John LeBlanc, Jr.

3 – Lac Macaza – Rafael Hernandez – Julia Carey

4 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

5 – Benlion (S) – Christopher Husbands – Suzanne Drake

6 – Full Extreme – Omar Moreno – Kevin Attard

7 – Avoman – Justin Stein – John Charalambous

8 – Candy Overload (S) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

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Saffie Joseph, Jr. said White Abarrio, who finished third in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets on Dec. 3, will target the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup on January 28 at Gulfstream Park.

The Grade 1 Florida Derby-winning son of Race Day was beaten only a half-length after battling to the inside of Mind Control and Get Her Number in the stretch. The effort, which was his first going one turn since last October, registered a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure. He entered the Cigar Mile off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby.

“I was very, very thankful to see him run back to his top form. I thought the Pennsylvania Derby was a sneaky good race,” Joseph, Jr. said. “This race, he ran top numbers and was beaten by a good horse in Mind Control. At the top of the stretch, I thought we had a chance to kick on, but we hit a flat spot and horses like Mind Control are hard to get by. Overall, it was a good run and we were pleased with the effort.”

Meanwhile, after a triumphant effort around two turns against fellow state-breds in the Empire Classic on October 30, Flanagan Racing's Dr. Blute will cut back to a one-turn mile for next Saturday's $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds 3-years-old and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Dr. Blute, a 4-year-old Not This Time gelding, had never been past seven furlongs until joining Joseph's barn over the summer. Following a third on debut for Joseph, Jr. going six furlongs in July at Saratoga, he stretched out to one mile out of the Spa's Wilson Chute, finishing a narrow second to dual stakes-placed Best Idea.

“You always got to like the cutback with a horse that has speed. He handled two turns last time and he's obviously proven himself at a mile,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We're very happy with how he's doing. He had some good breezes so far and he'll have one more work coming into the race. He seems to be arriving in good order, so hopefully he can keep his good form up.”

Dr. Blute was campaigned by John Kimmel through his first seven starts, which included a triumphant debut in February 2021 over a sloppy and sealed track at the Big A.

Bred in the Empire State by Hidden Lake Farm and Axle Ahlschwede, Dr. Blute is out of the Friends Lake mare Truss, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Khancord Kid – the dam of 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold.

Joseph, Jr. said he also plans on running Wynwood Thoroughbreds and Make A Run Stable's Forces Sweetheart, a six-length winner on debut at Gulfstream Park, in the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for eligible New York-sired 2-year-old fillies on the same day.

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The Equibase profile of Ignacio Correas IV, specifically the top horses he's trained, is littered with South American imports, notably millionaire Argentine-bred Blue Prize, who concluded her career with three consecutive victories, including the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in 2019 at Santa Anita.

Blue Prize was a Group 1 winner in Argentina before continuing her career in the United States, where, in one of earlier races, she finished seventh in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older females at 1 1/16 miles in 2018 at Oaklawn.

Two years earlier, Correas finished third in Oaklawn's $350,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles with Idolo Porteno, who was making his North American debut after winning two Group 1 races in Argentina.

The Kentucky-based Correas returns to Oaklawn, this time with another South American import, in search of his first career victory in Hot Springs. Correas will send out Chilean-bred Le Da Vida, unbeaten in two United States starts, in the $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes for females, 3 and up, at 1 mile.

First post Saturday is 12:30 p.m. (Central), with probable post time for the Mistletoe, the ninth of 10 races, 4:14 p.m. The card also features the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes.

The projected seven-horse Mistletoe field from the rail out: Coach, Joe Talamo to ride, 124 pounds, 2-1 on the morning line; Ice Orchid, David Cabrera, 124, 5-1; Lovely Ride, Cristian Torres, 121, 8-1; Will's Secret, Rafael Bejarano, 124, 10-1; Lisette, Martin Garcia, 119, 20-1; Le Da Vida, Vince Cheminaud, 121, 8-5; and Semble Juste, Francisco Arrieta, 121, 10-1.

Le Da Vida (7 for 15 overall) is the program favorite based off two sharp allowance victories this fall in Kentucky and strong efforts in Group 1 and Group 2 company earlier in her career in South America.

“That filly was very good in Chile,” said Correas, a native of Argentina. “The last race in Chile, I think, she finished second running a mile against the colts. She's always been very good. She ran in a lot of races against the colts and hit the board. She was a good filly in Chile, no doubt.”

Le Da Vida is 2 for 2 since moving to Correas following a runner-up finish in the $80,000 Fernando Moller Bordeu (G2) last April at Hipodromo Chile.

Le De Vida, a 5-year-old daughter of Gemologist, a Grade 1 winner in the United States, captured a 1-mile allowance race Sept. 15 at Churchill Downs by three lengths and a 1 1/16-mile allowance race Oct. 29 at Keeneland by 2 ½ lengths.

“She adapted herself very well,” Correas said. “A big part of that is the owner (Masaiva Corp.) let me take me take the time that they need, the adaptation process, to run them when they're doing well. They let you take your time.”

Correas said he also considered running Le Da Vida in an allowance race Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs – closing day of its fall meeting – but opted for the Mistletoe because it meant more time between races.

“I usually spend my winter in Kentucky now, so I ship a lot,” Correas said. “I talked to (Oaklawn racing secretary) Pat Pope like a month ago and asked him about this race. He recruited me, actually. He called me about this race. I said that was probably my plan, to come to this race. I've aimed for this race for like, at least, four or five weeks.”

Correas, 0 for 17 in his Oaklawn career, said another robust performance Saturday could make Le Da Vida a candidate for races like the Azeri or Oaklawn's signature two-turn event for older females, the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), in 2023.

“We need to see how she'll adapt herself here,” Correas said. “If she runs a good race, I don't see why not. That's one of the reasons that we brought her here, to see if she liked it.”

The Mistletoe also features Oaklawn stakes winners Coach for trainer Brad Cox and Will's Secret for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Coach exits a disappointing fourth as the favorite in the $300,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) at 1 mile Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs. Will's Secret finished third behind Le Da Vida Oct. 29 at Keeneland.

Chilukki runner-up Ice Orchid returns to Oaklawn after breaking her maiden and running second behind future Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles last February. Ice Orchid (physical setback) was withdrawn from Kentucky Oaks consideration following the Honeybee. She returned with three strong efforts this fall in Kentucky, including a 1 1/8-mile allowance victory Oct. 23 at Keeneland for trainer John Ortiz and John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, the winningest owner in Oaklawn history.

Ortiz said the Mistletoe is Ice Orchid's first audition for the Apple Blossom.

“The key goal when you have a 3-year-old is to make it to those classic races,” Ortiz said. “This is one that has shown potential that she can be a classic horse. When she ran at Churchill, we had an option of an allowance or this Grade 3. Kind of convinced them to go ahead and run in the stakes race and it paid off. We've got to find out if she's going to continue to be a graded-stakes filly. The one-turn mile kind of got her, I think, but I think she'll improve going two turns here.”

Oaklawn's first major 2023 prep for the Apple Blossom is the $150,000 Pippin Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 7. The Apple Blossom is April 15.

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Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto, a Group 1 winner in Chile, came with a steady run through the stretch to catch pacesetter Mish and hold off late-running Clapton and earn his first North American victory Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by Hector Berrios for trainer Amador Sanchez, Super Corinto ($3.60) covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:43.25 in his second starts since coming to the U.S. He was caught late in running second behind Noble Drama in a similar optional claiming allowance going one mile Nov. 12 at Gulfstream.

“He needed more distance,” said Berrios, aboard for his prior start as well as his victory over well-regarded O'Connor in the 1 3/8-mile Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile (G1) April 30. “I tried to go to the lad but [Mish] he got there first.

“To me he needs more distance because he's one-paced. Maybe in the Pegasus World Cup it will be different,” he added. “He needed more speed in the race. At the half-mile [pole] I was asking for more and I thought maybe I'd finish second, but he kept coming and ran like a good horse.”

Mish showed speed from the rail and led through a quarter-mile in 23.78 seconds and a half in 47.73, while Berrios settled Super Corinto in second while in the clear three wide. Super Corinto closed the gap after Mish went six furlongs in 1:11.50 and straightened for home with sights set on the leader, forging a short lead inside the sixteenth pole.

“I was not expecting to run so close to the lead, but as the horse broke very well [Berrios] decided to chase the leader more closely,” Sanchez said. “I think the horse runs better when he rallies from the middle to the back of the field, but I am very pleased with the way the horse responded today.”

Clapton stayed up for second, followed by Mish, Klugman, Laughing Boy and Jesus' Team, who grabbed a quarter coming out of the starting gate and was never a factor.

Sanchez said he will point Super Corinto to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles Jan. 28 at Gulfstream. O'Connor, an impressive winner Oct. 16 at Gulfstream in his U.S. debut, is also headed that way.

“If the horse gets the invitation, he will run,” Sanchez said.

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