Tag: Racing

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will have three opportunities to win the $300,000-guaranteed Starlet – the final Grade 1 of 2022 for 2-year-old fillies – for a sixth consecutive year Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The race at 1 1/16 miles is being offered locally for the ninth time after 33 renewals as the Hollywood Starlet (1981-2013) at Hollywood Park.

Post time is 12:30 p.m. The Starlet is the last of nine races and has a scheduled post time of 4:30 p.m.

The Starlet is the first half of a special daily double – $1 minimum wager – that also includes the 50th running of the $750,000 Champion of Champions later that night.

The 440-yard quarter horse race attracted a field that includes seven Grade 1 winners, including two-time Champion of Champions winner Apollitical Pence and 2021 American Quarter Horse Association World Champion Danjer.

Baffert, whose streak of Starlet victories includes Dream Tree (2017), Chasing Yesterday (2018), Bast (2019), Varda (2020) and Eda last year, entered Faiza, Doinitthehardway, and Fast and Shiny.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Faiza was supplemented to the Starlet for $10,000. A $725,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipon Mid Atlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in May, the daughter of Girvin and the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol toyed with six opponents in a stylish debut Nov. 12 at Del Mar.

Under jockey Flavien Prat, Faiza won by 3 ½ lengths as the 4-5 choice, completing the six furlongs in 1:09.28. Lily Poo, the runner-up in the race, was a next out graduate. Faiza's victory was worth $42,000.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Doinitthehardway is a three-start maiden who has been second twice and third once. In her most recent race, she was runner-up behind heavily-favored Ice Dancing going eight furlongs Nov. 25. The Street Sense filly out of the Awesome Again mare Virtuoso has banked $39,600.

Pegram, Watson and Weitman also own Fast and Shiny, a daughter of Bernardini and the Lion Hearted mare Spotted Heart. She has one win in four starts and earnings of $66,500. She returns to the dirt – the surface on which she scored first time out Aug. 7 at Del Mar – after consecutive off the board finishes on turf.

Trained by Doug O'Neill for West Coast Stables LLC, Pride of the Nile will try the main track for the first time after three outings on grass. She's 2-for-3 on the turf, breaking her maiden at one mile Oct. 2 at Santa Anita before repeating at the same distance six weeks later in an optional claimer at Del Mar.

A Pioneerof the Nile filly out of the Hard Spun mare Into Minnie, Pride of the Nile has earned $85,800.

Blessed Touch will race beyond seven furlongs for the first time in her career for trainer Tim Yakteen and a partnership that includes Pierre Amestoy, Jr., Jean Amestoy and Leslie and Roger Beasley.

The Girvin filly out of the Street Boss mare Blushing Touch is 1-for-3 with a bankroll of $58,200. She finished second behind Justique in the Desi Arnaz Nov. 19 in her stakes debut.

Second at 24-1 behind And Tell Me Nolies in the Grade 2 Chandelier Oct. 8, Uncontrollable will try for her second win in four starts for Repole Stable and trainer Michael McCarthy. A California bred daughter of Upstart and the Include mare Behavioral, Uncontrollable has earned $111,750.

Completing the field is Classymademoiselle, who was last of seven when 49-1 in the race taken by Pride of the Nile Nov. 12. Owned by Javier Perez and trained by Jorge Periban, the Malibu Moon filly out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Brush Strokes has one win – via disqualification – in six starts and has earned $61,440.

From inside out, the field for the Starlet Stakes:

1. Doinitthehardway, Ramon Vazquez rides, 120 pounds;
2. Classymademoiselle, Tiago Pereira, 120;
3. Faiza, Flavien Prat, 120;
4. Fast and Shiny, Abel Cedillo, 120;
5. Uncontrollable, Mike Smith, 120;
6. Pride of the Nile, Juan Hernandez, 120; and
7. Blessed Touch, Drayden Van Dyke.

The post Baffert Will Saddle Three Of Seven In Saturday’s Starlet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sonata Stable's Jesus' Team could be expected to step up his game in his second start off a 15-month layoff in Thursday's Race 8 feature at Gulfstream Park, which would seem to be necessary if the popular overachiever is going to defeat Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto.

Amador Sanchez-trained Super Corinto, a Group 1 winner in Chile, is set to make his second start in the U.S. in Thursday's 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance. The 4-year-old Argentine-bred son of Super Saver made a strong showing in his first appearance in a one-turn mile optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Nov. 12, making a five-wide sweep to the lead into the stretch and coming up just short of holding off multiple-stakes winner Noble Drama.

“Super Corinto is doing well for this race,” Sanchez said. “I'm expecting a strong performance. He's a very good horse.”

Super Corinto won four of six starts in Peru, where he started his career, and Chile, where he finished second behind multiple Group 1 winner O'Connor in the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) before upsetting the Chilean star in the Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile (G1) in his final South American start. That triumph took on more significance upon O'Connor's sparking Oct. 16 U.S. debut at Gulfstream Park, where he rated off the pace before pulling away to a six-length victory in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is pointing O'Connor to the Dec. 31 Harlan's Holiday (G3) hoping for an invitation to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream. A Pegasus invitation is also Sanchez's ultimate goal for Super Corinto.

“I'm hoping to get an invitation for the Pegasus if the result from this race is positive,” said Sanchez, who will also saddle Royal Luck, a Group 2 winner on turf in Chile before finishing fifth in his U.S. debut at Mountaineer Park. “But I'll run another race before the Pegasus if necessary. Super Corinto is a horse who ran better when running more frequently in comparison to when he was coming off a layoff.”

Hector Berrios, who ventured to Chile to ride Super Corinto in his final two starts there, rode him in his U.S. debut and has the return mount Thursday.

Jesus' Team, who finished second in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup and the 2020 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) behind Knicks Go, the eventual 2021 Horse of the Year, was sidelined while fighting for his life after being afflicted with salmonella and laminitis. The son of Tapiture made an unlikely return to racing at Gulfstream Nov. 12 in a one-turn mile optional claiming allowance, in which he was never a factor.

“He came out of the race very well,” D'Angelo said. “I knew he needed a race because he was away a long time from the track. I really like the way he is training now. He had a very good breeze from the gate Saturday.”

With a race under his belt and stretching out around two turns, D'Angelo expects Jesus' Team to show marked improvement Thursday.

“He wants to go long. He likes the [two-turn] distance,” D'Angelo said.

Luis Saez, who was aboard Jesus' Team for his second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and his subsequent victory in the 1 1/8-mile Claiming Crown Jewel, returns to the saddle.

Jesus's Team is 5-1 and Super Corinto is rated second at 2-1 in the morning-line behind 9-5 favorite Mish.

The Joseph-trained Mish will be seeking his first victory around two turns while racing for the first time since finishing off the board in the July 4 Hanshin at Churchill Downs. In his previous start, C2 Racing Stable LLC's 5-year-old gelding finished second in the Steve Sexton Mile (G2) at Lone Star Park following three straight blowout wins at Gulfstream.

Klugman, Laughing Boy, Clapton and Brooklyn Strong round out the field.

The post Pegasus Prep? Jesus’ Team Meets ‘Super’ Rival In Gulfstream Allowance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Four-time stakes winner Tyler's Tribe was preparing to work Saturday morning at Oaklawn when his maintenance breeze was unexpectedly delayed several minutes because outriders were trying to corral a loose horse on the track.

Kylee Jordan, the regular rider of Tyler's Tribe, improvised during the delay just after the second surface renovation break, steering the gelding into the Larry Snyder Winner's Circle across from the finish line to chill.

An omen?

“I hope so,” Jordan said.

Five weeks after a noteworthy hiccup in a previously spotless career, Iowa-bred sensation Tyler's Tribe tries to return to the winner's circle in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters Friday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the 5 ½-furlong Advent, which highlights the first of a record 68 scheduled racing dates at Oaklawn in 2022-2023, is 3:46 p.m. (Central). First post 12:30 p.m., with the Advent going as the eighth of nine races.

The projected nine-horse Advent field from the rail out: Count de Monet, Santo Sanjur to ride, 117 pounds, 15-1 on the morning line; C. J.'s Storm, Nik Juarez, 117, 30-1; Too Much Info, Cristian Torres, 117, 12-1; How Did He Do That, Isaac Castillo, 119, 12-1; Tyler's Tribe, Kylee Jordan, 124, 3-5; Happy Is a Choice, David Cabrera, 117, 9-2; Frosted Departure, Francisco Arrieta, 124, 15-1; Alto Road, Luis Quinonez, 117, 20-1; and Wild Mule, Angel Rodriguez, 119, 6-1.

Co-owned and trained by Tim Martin of Hot Springs, Tyler's Tribe won his first five career starts, all dirt sprints at Prairie Meadows in Iowa, by a combined 59 ¾ front-running lengths before the wheels fell off in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Tyler's Tribe led early, began to back up on the turn, was eased in the stretch and then vanned off after bleeding. On a scale of 1 to 5, Martin called the bleeding incident, “a 5.”

“It was bad,” Martin said.

Tyler's Tribe was racing without Lasix for the first time last month (it is prohibited in the Breeders' Cup), but will be able to compete on the anti-bleeder medication Friday.

Martin said he also considered Tyler's Tribe for the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 1 at Oaklawn, but decided to pass because Lasix is prohibited in Kentucky Derby points races.

An appearance in the Advent, Martin said, was contingent on a clean endoscopic examination following Saturday's breeze. Tyler's Tribe, in his second local work, covered 3 furlongs in :37.60 over a good-rated surface. He also worked a half-mile in :50.20 over a muddy strip Nov. 25.

“Two times I scoped him,” Martin said Wednesday morning. “I worked him twice and scoped him twice and he was good. If he had anything, I wouldn't run him. But he's clean and looked good.”

From the first crop of millionaire Grade 1 winner Sharp Azteca, the physically imposing Tyler's Tribe crushed his competition at Prairie Meadows. He won his 4 ½-furlong debut June 20 by 16 ¾ lengths and toppled open company in two stakes races, including a 15 ½-length romp in the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Aug. 27.

Tyler's Tribe earned a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure for his runaway victory in the 6-furlong Prairie Meadows Freshman. That speed rating, through Tuesday, ranked as the co-eighth-highest in the country this year for a 2-year-old in a sprint race, according to Daily Racing Form. Tyler's Tribe owns other Beyers of 90, 89 and 86, figures that also tower over his Advent rivals.

“I like him,” said Martin, who races Tyler's Tribe with Iowan Thomas D. Lepic. “I like him wherever he's at (post position). He gets out really good, so I like him in the race. There's a lot of speed, but we're speed. He's fast on dirt. He acts like he handles the track really good.”

Tyler's Tribe, a $34,000 yearling purchase, has earned $306,294 for Lepic and Martin, the latter seeking his first career Oaklawn stakes victory in open company. Martin, in 2017, saddled Racer to victories against state-breds in the $100,000 Nodouble Stakes and $100,000 Arkansas Breeders' Stakes. Martin has 144 victories overall at Oaklawn, the first coming in 1984.

The Advent is the first of a record 45 stakes races scheduled to be run during the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting that ends May 6. Corresponding to a December opening for the first time in Oaklawn history, the Advent debuted in 2021 and was the first stakes race for 2-year-olds at Oaklawn since 1973.

The post Tyler’s Tribe Back On Lasix, Favored For Friday’s Advent Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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