Tag: Racing

Jockey Marcos Meneses wants fans to know how much he enjoys competing at Tampa Bay Downs and how thankful he is for the opportunities he gets from trainers and owners to ride good horses. He expresses gratitude to God for being able to ride at a high level.

Most of all, though, Meneses wants to let everyone within hailing distance know how excited he is to ride 2-year-old homebred filly Dorth Vader, who set a stakes record in capturing the 45th running of the $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes on Saturday at the Oldsmar, Fla. track.

“I love her. She is sweet and relaxed and doing everything perfect,” Meneses said after Dorth Vader rolled to a 2 ¼-length victory from Awesome Pic in a time of 1:09.35 for six furlongs on the fast main track, bettering Feeling Mischief's mark of 1:09.76 set in 2020. “She waited for me the whole time, and that is really good.”

In Saturday's co-feature, the 37th running of the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-old males, Kentucky-bred colt Super Chow showed what the pre-race fuss was about, repelling a dramatic stretch challenge from 33-1 shot Handsome Playboy to post a 2 ½-length victory. The winner's time under jockey Chantal Sutherland was 1:09.60, just .28 seconds off the stakes record set in 2014 by Catalina Red.

Dreaming of Kona finished a decent third, while posing no threat to the top two finishers. Now 4-for-5, including a victory on Oct. 29 at Keeneland in the Bowman Mill Stakes, Super Chow paid $3.20 to win as the (almost) prohibitive wagering favorite.

“I loved everything about the race,” said winning trainer Jorge Delgado, who watched the Inaugural from Gulfstream Park. “He has shown he can win anywhere – this is his fifth different track as a 2-year-old – and he has shown he is born to race. He loves his job.”

Breaking from the outside No. 7 post, Super Chow broke to the lead smartly and led the field on a merry chase to the far turn, where Pablo Morales set down Handsome Playboy for the drive. He reached almost equal terms with Super Chow, but Sutherland had kept plenty in reserve to turn back the long-shot bid.

“He tried hard. He gave me everything he had,” Morales said of his Florida-bred gelding. “It was a matter of whether the front-runner would stop or not and obviously he didn't, but my horse gave me a very nice try.”

Handsome Playboy is trained by Gerald Bennett, who owns him in partnership with his wife Mary. Gerald stayed home after undergoing hernia surgery earlier in the week, but Mary reported his spirits rose with their horse's effort.

Not really the sentimental types, Sutherland and Delgado took plenty of pride in Super Chow's talent and determination.

“It's amazing to be on a horse like this. He takes you places and makes you feel so special,” Sutherland said. “With good horses like that you're like 'Did I go too fast?' But when they accelerate around the turn. … He is such a professional. There is so much there.”

“When he felt the pressure from the other horse, he re-broke and kept going,” Delgado said. “Chantal did a great job getting a clean break and putting him in good position. And I'm very thankful for my team; they have my back all the time and worked hard to make this happen.”

Delgado said it is likely that Super Chow, a son of Lord Nelson out of Bonita Mia who is owned by Bill Cosgrove's Lea Farms, will return here for the $125,000, seven-furlong Pasco Stakes on Jan. 14. As a Kentucky-bred, he earned $30,000 for today's victory.

Back to Dorth Vader, who improved to 3-for-5 with the victory and paid $5.80 to win as the second wagering choice in the five-horse field. She earned $80,000, which included a $50,000 “win-only” bonus for a Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association-registered Florida-bred sired by an FTBOA-registered Florida stallion.

Dorth Vader is owned by Ocala horseman John Ropes, who bred her at his Rosegrove Farm in Ocala.

With a quarter of a mile remaining in the Sandpiper and pacesetter Lady Radler looking good on the lead, trainer Michael Yates thought Dorth Vader might be struggling to find her best footing for the stretch drive. Those concerns evaporated the moment Meneses asked her to go after pacesetter Lady Radler, as Dorth Vader responded with confidence and enthusiasm.

“I was a little nerve-wracked at the quarter pole, but she kicked on and did her thing. I thought she ran incredible,” Yates said after the daughter of Girvin out of Hardcore Candy surged past Lady Radler and kept Awesome Pic from threatening for the top spot. “She is a very consistent, nice filly, and Marcos was very patient on her.”

Lady Radler, the betting favorite, held on for third, 2 lengths ahead of Dreaming of Snow.

The Sandpiper was Dorth Vader's second consecutive victory in a stakes race, having taken the seven-furlong Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Oct. 29. Yates said he might run Dorth Vader back in the $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 14.

Meneses has ridden Dorth Vader in all but her first start. “I galloped her from when she was a baby and worked her in company the first time from the gate,” he said. “To me, she is a great filly.”

The post Dorth Vader Sets Stakes Record In Sandpiper, Super Chow Impresses In Inaugural At Tampa Bay Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hillwood Stable's Post Time, in his stakes debut, made a powerful last-to-first move around the far turn and kept his perfect record intact with an eye-catching 3 ¾-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile at Laurel Park.

The 41^st running of the Maryland Juvenile co-headlined a nine-race program with the 36^th edition of the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies, both for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting seven furlongs.

It was the third win in as many starts for Post Time ($4), trained by Laurel fall meet leader Brittany Russell and ridden in each of her races by Eric Camacho. The winning time was 1:23.98 over a muddy main track.

“It was a blast. He's such a racehorse,” Camacho said. “He's gotten better. He's getting better with time. You've got to watch out for him in his next race.

Green and quirky in his first two starts, which he won by 8 ¾ combined lengths, Post Time had his mind on business Saturday. He was unhurried after breaking from the rail and was last of seven as Johnyz From Albany, last out winner of the Maryland Million Nursery, posted a :22.26 quarter-mile.

Camacho, who won 787 races from 2004-2016 and now exercises horses for Russell, gave Post Time his cue and the gray or roan son of Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Frosted responded with a bold rush on the far outside to move into contention after a half in 45.81. Post Time powered through the stretch without urging from Camacho to surge past Johnyz From Albany and draw clear.

“I was next-to-last going into the turn, got him together and asked him for his best at the three-eighths pole. He circled the field, came up to Johnyz From Albany and just went right by him,” Camacho said. “I just went on with him. There was no playing around.”

Johnyz From Albany was second, 3 ¾ lengths ahead of Coffeewithchris. Tiz No Clown, Feeling Woozy, California Ghost and Tidewater completed the order of finish.

Hillwood's Ellen Charles purchased Post Time for $85,000 out of Fasig-Tipton's 2021 Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Milton Higgins III, he debuted Oct. 7 in a 5 ½-furlong off-the-turf maiden special weight sprint Oct. 7 at Laurel, returning 20 days later to capture an optional claiming allowance. Saturday was the first time he raced as the post-time favorite, narrowly over Johnyz From Albany.

Malibu Moonshine Eclipses Rivals In Maryland Juvenile Fillies

Happy Face Racing Stable's Malibu Moonshine, who broke last and trailed all but two horses in the early going, swept to the lead on the far turn and pulled away thorough the stretch for a two-length victory in the Maryland Juvenile Fillies.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for New York-based trainer Charlton Baker, Malibu Moonshine ($4.40) covered seven furlongs in 1:24.95 over a sloppy and sealed main track for her second win in as many starts. She captured her debut Sept. 11 at Pimlico Race Course, also over an off track.

“I think she handled the slop great today. Whatever she wins on, that's OK,” Baker said. “Definitely, I think the longer she goes the better she'll [be].”

Malibu Moonshine, scratched from the Oct. 22 Maryland Million Lassie with a fever, broke last from the rail and raced far back as Lassie winner Chickieness was sharp early and led through a quarter-mile in 22.26 seconds pressed by Skylar's Sister with 19-1 long shot Liquidator up close.

Cruz tipped Malibu Moonshine off the rail down the backstretch and she began rolling past horses once in the clear on the outside, moving to fifth following a half-mile in 45.81 seconds. The 2-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon forged a short lead at the top of the stretch and continued on chased by Fast Tracked, a Nov. 6 debut winner at Laurel, and Gormley's Gabriela, third in the Nov. 12 Smart Halo.

“Today, she overcame a lot,” Baker said. “The last time we entered her we had to scratch her the morning of the race because she got sick, and she never really got over it for about two weeks. We had to get her back, so she overcame a lot today.”

Fast Tracked was a clear second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Gormley's Gabriela. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Chickieness in fourth, followed by Skylar's Sister, Liquidator, Cynergy's Electra, Angel Art, Rowsie Express and Touisset. Bosserati was scratched.

The post Post Time, Malibu Moonshine Sparkle In Maryland-Bred Juvenile Stakes At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control will retire on top of his game after securing a trademark gutsy score in Saturday's $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the 6-year-old son of 2012 Cigar Mile winner Stay Thirsty entered his swan song a fresh horse out of a victory via disqualification on September 24 in the Parx Dirt Mile.

Mind Control crossed the wire a winner by less than one length on Saturday for the seventh time in his 29-race career, including for his former conditioner Gregg Sacco with a three-quarter length score in the 2018 Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course and a nose win in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial one year later at the same track.

Pletcher, who took over training duties of the talented bay last July, said he was in awe of the gritty effort from Mind Control.

“If you like horse racing, you've got to love this horse. He's cool,” Pletcher said. “He's done it consistently year after year at multiple distances. He's a great horse to be able to train. He's remarkably consistent and shows up every morning.

“When he broke well, I was happy and there was a moment in the first sixteenth of a mile where I wasn't so sure if he was liking the surface, which a couple of times in the past he hadn't cared for,” Pletcher added. “But then once he got into a good rhythm down the backside, I was confident. He's the type of horse that if you get into a battle with him, he's going to fight.”

Mind Control broke well from the outermost post 6 and tracked in second position as longshot Outlier led through splits of 23.26 seconds and 46.55 over the sloppy and sealed main track. The Luis Saez-piloted Grade 1 winner Get Her Number and fellow Grade 1 winner Zandon, the 3-5 mutuel favorite under Joel Rosario, advanced with purpose into the turn as Outlier gave way to leave room on the rail for another onrushing Grade 1 winner in White Abarrio.

Get Her Number had momentum as the field straightened away, but Mind Control would not relent as White Abarrio joined the fray with an inside rush. However, a determined Mind Control, as he has done so many times before, found the wire first and put his head down to stop the clock in a final time of 1:35.53. Get Her Number completed the exacta by a half-length over White Abarrio with the wide-rallying Zandon in fourth. Outlier and Double Crown completed the order of finish. O Besos was scratched.

In victory, Mind Control added to a ledger that includes additional graded scores at the Big A in the 2019 Grade 3 Bay Shore, 2020 Grade 3 Toboggan and 2020 Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap along with victories in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud last year at Belmont Park and the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in June at Monmouth Park.

It was a record-extending sixth Cigar Mile score for Pletcher, who enjoyed past success with Left Bank [2001], Lion Tamer [2004], Purge [2005], Stay Thirsty [2012] and Americanrevolution [2021].

Pletcher, who has lost a few stable stars to retirement this year, said he will miss leading Mind Control over, although his roster was bolstered by a winning effort from Julia Shining – a 2-year-old full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Malathaat – earlier on the card in the Grade 2 Demoiselle.

“It's what you hope to achieve, but when you lose Life Is Good, Malathaat, and Mind Control, it's hard to replace those types,” Pletcher said.

Velazquez, who won this event previously with Left Bank and Tonalist [2015], said he was concerned about the off going after guiding Mind Control through off-the-board efforts on sloppy tracks in 2020 in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Belmont and the Grade 1 Forego at the Spa.

“The first sixteenth of a mile, he broke good and I was like, 'Oh, please. Don't do this to me.' He seemed like he was going to go, but he came out of the bridle,” Velazquez said. “So, I passed the chute and kind of put him into the bridle and he got comfortable. I felt much better the way he was going towards the turn and when the other horse [Get Her Number] came to him, he got competitive. So then I felt like he was going to fight.”

Velazquez said when Get Her Number was unable overtake him with immediate effect, he knew his charge was in with a shout.

“When that horse put his head in front of me and didn't pass me, I was like, 'This is going to be a fight here,'” Velazquez said. “And sure enough, I went left handed on him, he responded and put his head in front and it was a really good fight to the wire.”

Saez, a two-time Cigar Mile victor, said he felt like a winner aboard Get Her Number at the head of the lane.

“I thought we were going to beat Mind Control easy, but he came back. He's a tough horse to get by. He always fights,” Saez said.

Velazquez, who has guided Mind Control to 10 of his 12 career wins, said he will miss his retiring friend.

“I've been around this horse for five years and he's been a really decent horse and shows up to the big dances with really tough horses – and he does it all the time,” Velazquez said. “I'm a little sad to see him go because he's one of the horses that kind of keeps me in the game and kind of looking forward to these kinds of races. He's gone, so I'll have to start looking for something else to keep me in the game.”

Bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, Mind Control banked $412,500 in victory while improving his record to 29-12-3-6 for total purse earnings of $2,185,834. He returned $8.30 for a $2 win bet.

The post ‘If You Like Horse Racing, You’ve Got To Love This Horse’: Mind Control Caps Career With Game Cigar Mile Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. secured a record 77th stakes win in a single season in North America when he guided Dr B to an easy victory in the $200,000 Go for Wand (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The win, which surpassed the record of 76 set in 2007 by the late Hall of Famer Garrett Gomez, was never really in doubt for Ortiz and Dr B. The pair broke on top and had the race sewn up in a matter of strides as they never looked back en route to a 4 1/4-length victory over a sloppy and sealed track in a final time of 1:35.18 for the one-mile distance.

“This is great. Amazing feeling,” said Ortiz, who won the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey from 2018-20. “It's amazing just to be a part of the story. [Garrett] Gomez did it in 2007 and he was a great rider, one of the best in the game. I'm so happy just to be a part of this. I love this sport. Thanks to everyone who has supported me; trainers, owners and my agent Steve Rushing.

“The speed has been playing well the past couple of days,” he added of his trip aboard Dr B. “She broke well. She had been sprinting before and I didn't want to take anything away. I just let her be herself and she was nice and relaxed. When I asked her, she was there for me.”

A remarkable season for the 30-year-old native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, featured a classic victory aboard Mo Donegal in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, along with Grade 1 scores on the NYRA circuit by Bleecker Street [New York], Chocolate Gelato [Frizette], Forte [Hopeful], Goodnight Olive [Ballerina], Life Is Good [Woodward, Whitney], McKulick [Belmont Oaks Invitational] and Nest [Alabama, CCA Oaks].

His NYRA dominance this season includes meet titles at Belmont spring/summer [48 wins], Saratoga Race Course [55], and Belmont at the Big A fall meet [35]. Ortiz also notched Grade 1 Breeders' Cup wins in November at Keeneland with Forte [Juvenile], Goodnight Olive [Filly and Mare Sprint] and Elite Power [Sprint].

Ortiz, who has led all North American riders in wins since 2017, is well on his way to continuing that streak, boasting 304 wins thus far in 2022 – more than 38 ahead of Vicente Del-Cid. He had banked $35,868,959 heading into Saturday's action, already surpassing his own single season earnings record of $34,109,019 set in 2019.

“This [record] is something that I didn't even know until a week before the Breeders' Cup,” said Ortiz. “I never tried to pay too much attention, I just ride and try to keep winning and whatever happens at the end of the year, we'll see how it goes. Thank God the last couple of years have been great.”

To her credit, Dr B continued her steady ascent up the ranks with an authoritative win in the Go for Wand for trainer Butch Reid Jr. and owners Cash is King and LC Racing. Last year, the bay filly finished second in an off-the-turf running of the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park and picked up a couple minor awards in a pair of second-level allowance races in the mid-Atlantic, but failed to really distinguish herself as a top sophomore.

That changed in a hurry when she won her 4-year-old debut on June 11 at Parx Racing and two starts later finished second to eventual Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive at Saratoga Race Course. After another victory at Parx and a pair of seconds against ungraded competition, Dr B finally netted her first stakes win on Saturday with Ortiz, Jr. aboard for the initial time.

“We love that New York money and it's worth that trip up the turnpike,” said Reid. “I didn't know if she'd maintain the fractions; I was a little surprised she was on the lead, but she broke so sharp. She's got a bit of a tender mouth on her and Irad just did a tremendous job and let her do her thing.

“It was fun,” Reid, Jr. said of Ortiz's record-breaking win. “I didn't even realize that we got 76 for him out at Mahoning Valley [with Disco Ebo in the Youngstown Oaks] and we got 77 for him today.”

Bred in Kentucky by Eico Ventures Inc., Dr B banked $110,000 in victory, while improving her record to 5-5-2 from 16 starts. She returned $8.30 for a $2 win bet.

Post-time favorite Bank Sting, a New York-bred filly trained by John Terranova for Hidden Brook Farm and Joseph and Anne McMahon, finished a clear second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Betsy Blue in third. Flight to Shanghai, Love in the Air, Exotic West, Tonal Vision, Battle Bling, W W Fitzy and Self Isolation completed the order of finish. Sharapova was scratched.

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