Tag: Racing

The eight races that make up this year's Fall Turf Festival at Del Mar are beginning to take shape and the potential group of East Coast and Midwest invaders make up an impressive lineup. The first race, the G3 Red Carpet, was drawn Saturday and will be run on Thanksgiving Day.

The G2 Hollywood Turf Cup is scheduled for Friday. It's attracted the attention of several top-name trainers who have nominated horses for the 12-furlong turf event.

Trainer Bill Mott has nominated Mooney Love. Christophe Clement is considering shipping Soldier Rising and Brendan Walsh may bring G3 Dowager winner Temple City Terror.

The G2 Seabiscuit, run on Saturday, rounds out the first weekend's portion of the Fall Turf Festival. The out-of-towners nominated for the race include G1 Arlington Million winner Santin from the Brendan Walsh barn; Brad Cox' Set Piece; Christophe Clement's City Man; Victoria Oliver's Kentucky Ghost, and Wootton Asset from the Graham Motion barn.

Del Mar Racing Secretary David Jerkens said it's nice to see the pre-Covid interest in the Fall Turf Festival from so many out-of-town trainers.

“From what we've seen in the Turf Cup and the Seabiscuit, it looks like we're on par with most years in terms of out-of-town interest,” Jerkens said.

The Fall Turf Festival offers something that's hard to come by this time of year in horse racing, graded stakes turf racing.

“Where the races are located and the time frame,” Jerkens said in regards to the appeal of the Festival. “Obviously, at the end of the year turf opportunities back east are limited so it fits a certain time when there's not as much competition. Plus, Grade 1's in early December, there's not too many of them on the turf.”

And Del Mar will feature two elite-level events during the Turf Festival, the Hollywood Derby and the Matriarch.

“That's pretty much where this Turf Festival is designed on the calendar,” Jerkens continued. “It's our good offerings but also a reflection of just a lack of opportunities elsewhere.”

Most of the out-of-town trainers will ship in their horses days before the race.

“Brad Cox is coming to the Seabiscuit with Set Piece and they'll arrive Sunday,” Jerkens said. “Shug McGaughey and Todd Pletcher are looking at the Hollywood Derby and Chad Brown for the Matriarch so we'll have some household names.”

The Fall Turf Festival continues into the closing weekend at Del Mar, featuring no less than five graded stakes on the turf; three on Saturday, December 3 and two more on Sunday, December 4. The Saturday races consist of the G3 Jimmy Durante for 2-year old fillies, the G1 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds, and the inaugural $100,000 Stormy Liberal turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Then on Sunday, closing day of the Bing Crosby meet, the Fall Turf Festival concludes with the G3 Cecil B. DeMille for 2-year olds and the  Matriarch for fillies and mares.

Post time will be 12:30 p.m. (PT) except on Thanksgiving Day when the racing begins at 11 a.m.

The post Del Mar’s Fall Turf Festival Attracts Some Big Name Trainers, Shippers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Conditioner David Donk will have two chances to capture his first $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship with Thin White Duke and Yes and Yes in Friday's six-furlong outer turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“I always say, 'If I'm going to lead one over, I'll lead two over,'” said Donk. “It's a common partnership, and they have different [running] styles, so that works out well.”

Breeder Phil Gleaves, Steven Crist, Ken deRegt, and Bryan Hilliard's Thin White Duke, a New York-bred Dominus gelding, enters from a determined optional claiming victory traveling six furlongs on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A under a well-timed ride from Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Thin White Duke rallied from 5 1/2 lengths off the pace after being bumped at the start and needed every bit of the stretch to make a winning drive, but secured a half-length victory over Prime Factor in a final time of 1:08.64 over good footing. The win came after an even fifth-place finish behind returning rival Dancing Buck in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A.

“He's really developed that turn of foot, which is really nice,” said Donk. “He's doing really good and he's certainly been a fun horse to have.”

Thin White Duke, who was initially trained by Gleaves before he retired last year, has posted three wins for Donk, including a nose score over Dancing Buck in the Lucky Coin in September at Saratoga Race Course. His lone graded-placing came when defeated a neck by multiple graded stakes winner Golden Pal in a thrilling renewal of the Grade 3 Troy in August at Saratoga, finishing a neck back of runner-up True Valor, who was headed by Golden Pal at the wire.

Thin White Duke earned his other two stakes coups as a juvenile with back-to-back triumphs against state-breds in the Funny Cide at Saratoga and in the Aspirant at Finger Lakes Racetrack. He boasts a record of 5-3-5 from 20 starts and earnings of $495,001.

“He was a really good 2-year-old, so he showed ability [early on],” said Donk. “He gives us a lot of hope for next year and he's had a great year. It will be really fun to bring him back next year.”

Jose Ortiz has been tasked with the ride from post 6.

Yes and Yes, bred and owned by Gleaves with Joseph R. Straus Jr. and Hugh Fitzsimons, will look to find the winner's circle after two on-the-board finishes against stakes company. The 6-year-old son of Sidney's Candy was a last-out third in the Belmont Turf Sprint, finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind the Michelle Nevin-trained Dancing Buck after stumbling at the start and rallying from sixth.

“He's had a slight break and freshening, but he's done well,” said Donk. “He stumbled really badly at the start, so it cost him position. Not that he would have beat Michelle's horse, but he would have made a more tactical race. It will be interesting to run him back.”

Like his stablemate, Yes and Yes began his career with Gleaves and moved to the care of Donk last year. He is in search of his first stakes victory in his sixth attempt, his other efforts this year, including a game finish in the Da Hoss in September at Colonial Downs where he was elevated to second after crossing the finish line third.

Yes and Yes will leave post 10 with Jorge Vargas Jr. in the irons.

Breeder J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable's New York-bred Dancing Buck will look to double up on stakes scores for trainer Michelle Nevin after his last-out triumph in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint on October 1.

The 4-year-old son of War Dancer enters from an impressive five-length victory where he led at every point of call in the six-furlong sprint contested over yielding footing, driving strongly down the stretch under Manny Franco to earn the first graded win of his career. The effort garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The consistent dark bay has been on the board in 5-of-6 starts this year, including a narrow nose defeat to Thin White Duke in the aforementioned Lucky Coin on September 2. His other two victories this year came in a seven-furlong first-level allowance in June at Belmont Park and an optional claiming sprint in July at the Spa.

Out of the multiple stakes-placed Catienus mare Frivolous Buck, Dancing Buck is a close relative of the Nevin-trained stakes winner Our Last Buck. He has amassed over $431,000 in earnings through a record of 6-3-1 from 14 starts.

Manny Franco retains the mount from post 12.

Calumet Farm's Gear Jockey enters from a close fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Woodford sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on October 8 at Keeneland in his first start off a four-month respite for trainer Rusty Arnold. Under the guidance of Luis Saez, Gear Jockey tracked in second off the pace set by Golden Pal and battled on gamely down the lane, fading slightly and securing the fourth-place finish in a dead heat with returning foe Bad Beat Brian. The pair finished a half-length back of Artemus Citylimits, who was nosed out of place honors by Oceanic.

Gear Jockey, a 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy, earned his first graded placing as a maiden with a close third-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Bourbon in 2019 at Keeneland before posting another close third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf that November at Santa Anita, finishing one length behind the victorious Structor.

The bay horse broke his maiden in his ninth lifetime outing in January 2021 at Gulfstream Park, one start before coming up a half-length shy in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at the Hallandale Beach oval a month later. He went on to post two more victories at allowance level and finished third in the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga Race Course before earning his first graded win in the Grade 3 Turf Sprint last September at Kentucky Downs.

Ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano, Gear Jockey was given a prominent trip and sat a half-length off pacesetter Bombard before unleashing his bid in the turn to take a two-length advantage at the stretch call of the six-furlong sprint. Gear Jockey extended his margin down the lane and crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths the best in a final time of 1:07.90.

Gear Jockey is still in search of his first win since, but earned another graded placing when third in the Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland.

Lezcano has the call from post 9.

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's New York-bred Run Curtis Run will also look to double up on stakes scores after a last-out victory in the Carle Place on October 23 at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Summer Front entered from three consecutive runner-up finishes at stakes level and put it all together with a last-to-first rush to claim the 1 1/2-length victory under Jose Ortiz.

Bred by Larry Goichman, Run Curtis Run earned graded placings this summer with runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Quick Call at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Franklin-Simpson in September at Kentucky Downs. He earned his other stakes victory as a juvenile in the state-bred Rick Violette over Saratoga's main track.

Run Curtis Run will emerge from post 11 in rein to Kendrick Carmouche.

Completing the field are Voodoo Zip [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Bad Beat Brian [post 2, Christopher Emigh], Nathan Detroit [post 3, Eric Cancel], Anaconda [post 4, Paco Lopez], Nothing Better [post 5, Horacio Karamanos], Chewing Gum [post 7, Javier Castellano] and Scuttlebuzz [post 8, Junior Alvarado].

Prime Factor, who adds blinkers, is listed as an also-eligible. Jaxon Traveler, Happy Farm and Greeley and Ben are entered for the main-track only.

The Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship is slated as Race 8 on Friday's nine-race program, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely for sophomore fillies traveling nine furlongs [Race 7]; the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf [Race 6]; and the $100,000 Notebook for state-bred juveniles sprinting six furlongs [Race 4]. First post is 12:20 p.m. (ET).

The post Donk To Send Out Thin White Duke, Yes And Yes In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Winngate Stables' dual graded stakes winner and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks alumna Kathleen O. resumes serious business against a field of seven other sophomore fillies in Friday's 73rd running of the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Comely winner Shug McGaughey, Kathleen O. has not raced since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Oaks, arriving at the prestigious event unbeaten in four starts.

The daughter of third crop sire Upstart bragged triumphs in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on March 5 at Gulfstream Park and her two-turn debut in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks one month before facing a deep Oaks field that included reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu, Grade 1-winner Nest, and graded stakes winner Secret Oath. Following a bad break, Kathleen O. was 13 lengths back in 12th through the first point of call and made up enough ground to finish fifth beaten four lengths by Secret Oath over the wet fast main track.

Kathleen O. has progressed well since her run in the Kentucky Oaks according to McGaughey, who breezed the filly a half-mile in :48.07  over the Belmont Park training track on Sunday.

“Her works have all been very good. She worked a half this morning very well, :48 and change, 1:01 and change to get her ready,” McGaughey said. “I'm looking forward to getting started. I gave her some time and brought her back and she's done everything right so far.”

Kathleen O. returns to the Big A for the first time since a come-from-behind debut victory last November over a muddy and sealed main track, where she went from sixth-to-first in the last two points of call. She followed this effort with a New Year's Day triumph in the one-mile Cash Run at Gulfstream Park.

“She was kind of a tall, lanky filly early on, so I gave her some time and all her races have been good. Her maiden race at Aqueduct in the mud was a good race,” McGaughey said. “She came back in the stake on New Year's Day, and the Davona Dale, and Gulfstream Park Oaks and all that got her ready for the Kentucky Oaks. She didn't get the best of breaks. She got in a little trouble and didn't get to run our race that day. She only got beat four lengths. I'm looking forward to getting her back on the road and I think we'll have a fresh horse.”

McGaughey said he would “definitely” keep going through the winter with Kathleen O., and mentioned the Grade 3, $150,000 Royal Delta on February 18 at Gulfstream Park as a possible target into her 4-year-old season.

“She'll come down to Payson Park and I'll find a spot at Gulfstream for her sometime after the first of the year and take it from there,” McGaughey said. “I'm thinking about maybe the Royal Delta that's there at Gulfstream and there's some other spots out of town that could fit, or something back in New York.”

Kathleen O., bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Bridlewood Farm, is the first progeny out of the stakes-placed Blame mare Quaver, whose second dam is multiple graded stakes producer Pretty N Smart. Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables at the 2021 OBS April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Kathleen O. was bought for $275,000 with McGaughey signing the ticket as agent.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has piloted Kathleen O. in all five of her lifetime starts, and retains the mount from post 4.

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Falconet will attempt to keep a highly consistent record afloat while seeking her first graded stakes triumph for Hall of fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The Uncle Mo bay, out of the Grade 1-winning Summer Bird mare Birdatthewire, enters the Comely off a pair of runner-up efforts at stakes level, earning black type in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks on July 9 at Prairie Meadows and the Seneca Overnight on September 24 at Churchill. Both races run at a two-turn 1 1/16 miles.

“She was very game last time. It was a tough beat. I don't think she's a must-have-the-lead type, but she has natural speed, so we'll take advantage of that,” Pletcher said. “She's doing excellent. I think she'll handle [nine furlongs] well and she's been training forwardly. We've been pointing to this race for a little while.”

Never worse than second in five lifetime starts, Falconet broke her maiden in her two-turn debut on April 21 at Keeneland before cutting back to a one-turn mile to defeat winners at Churchill Downs six weeks later.

“She's done well. She's mentally matured a lot and has become more and more professional. She's matured nicely,” Pletcher said.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Falconet for the first time when she breaks from post 7.

LC Racing, Cash is King, and Gary Barber's heavily seasoned Morning Matcha enters the Comely off her lone layoff in 16 lifetime starts for trainer Butch Reid Jr. The Pennsylvania-bred, New York-sired Central Banker bay was most recently second at 48-1 odds behind Society in the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 24 at Parx Racing two starts following a 10-length allowance romp at the Bensalem oval.

The durable Morning Matcha brags field best earnings of $632,390 while hitting the board 13 times, six at stakes level. Her lone stakes victory took place in Parx's Main Line on March 8.

Paco Lopez, the rider in her last three starts, will retain the mount from post 6.

Reid will also saddle LC Racing and Cash is King's Pistol Liz Ablazen, a last-out 9 1/2-length winner of her two-turn debut on October 25 at Parx Racing. The Daredevil filly, who will make her first start outside of Parx, showed front-running dimensions for the first time in her most recent effort, which was contested over a sloppy and sealed main track.

Frankie Pennington ships in to pilot Pistol Liz Ablazen from post 1.

Racing and breeding powerhouse Godolphin will be after their third Comely conquest with Kentucky homebred Nostalgic, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro captured the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8, the final local prep for the Kentucky Oaks, in her most recent victory. Following a troubled 10th in the Kentucky Oaks, Nostalgic earned a Grade 1 victory when a distant third to Nest in the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course. She enters off a runner-up against elders in the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm on November 4 at the Big A.

Nostalgic will attempt to become the first filly to capture the Gazelle-Comely double since New York-bred Saratoga Dew in 1992.

Breaking from post 5, Nostalgic will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.

KimDon Racing's Tizzy in the Sky makes her stakes debut for trainer Jose Camejo following two decisive triumphs at Aqueduct. The dark bay or brown Sky Kingdom filly showed front-running dimensions in her third out maiden victory, where she defeated next-out winners Signal From Noise and Inventing by 5 3/4 lengths on September 23. She arrives off a 9 3/4-length triumph against winners going the Comely distance on October 28.

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 8.

Completing the field are MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Sixtythreecaliber [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche], who bested Falconet in the Seneca Overnight, and Rigney Racing's dual winner Skratch Kat [post 3, Manny Franco].

The Comely honors the James Butler homebred filly who defeated males in the inaugural Fall Highweight Championship – then run as the Autumn Highweight – as a 2-year-old. The Comely is carded as Race 7 [3:14 p.m.] on Friday's nine-race program, which also features the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island, the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, and the $100,000 Notebook. First post is 12:20 p.m. (ET).

The post ‘I Think We’ll Have A Fresh Horse’: Kathleen O. Set For Return In Comely appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Town and Country Racing's Temple City Terror will look to double up on graded scores in Friday's $300,000 Long Island (G3), an 11-furlong inner-turf test for fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Long Island, slated for Race 6, is part of a stacked nine-race card also featuring the $175,000 Comely (G3) in Race 7, the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship in Race 8, and the $100,000 Notebook in Race 4. First post is 12:20 p.m. (ET).

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 6-year-old Temple City dark bay was purchased for $600,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland  November Breeding Stock Sale. She made the grade last out in the 12-furlong Dowager (G3) on October 23 over firm footing at Keeneland. With Tyler Gaffalione up, Temple City Terror was 10 lengths off the pace in eighth position at the first point of call but swept to the lead through the final turn en route to a comfortable three-length score.

Walsh said Temple City Terror, who breezed back a half-mile in :49.80 November 17 over the Churchill Downs main track, has exited that effort soundly.

“She's done great from that race,” Walsh said. “She's improving as she's getting older. She's been a great servant and had a great year. She ran great last out at Keeneland and she's a long way from being finished yet. Friday will be a big test, but hopefully she can come through that as well.”

Temple City Terror, who boasts a record of 6-5-5 from 28 career starts and purse earnings of $696,218, successfully defended her title in the 12-furlong Keertana in May at Churchill Downs. She followed with an off-the board effort in the Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) in July over soft going at Delaware and a runner-up effort to multiple Grade 1 winner War Like Goddess in the Glens Falls(G2) in August at Saratoga Race Course. Temple City Terror entered the Dowager from a close fourth in the Flower Bowl (G2) in September at the Spa.

Temple City Terror often races from double-digit lengths off the pace, but Walsh said the mare is capable of being closer if needed when exiting post 2 under Jose Ortiz, who guided Maxfield to a pair of Grade 1 scores for the veteran conditioner.

“A lot depends on the pace,” Walsh said. “She does like to have pace in front of her and when there's something to run at, she comes on very well at the end of her races. We'll let the pace of the race decide it. Jose is a great rider and has been very lucky for me down through the years and we're delighted to have him on.”

Trainer Chad Brown entered a trio of contenders in search of his third Long Island score in graded stakes winner Rocky Sky [post 4, Manny Franco], Group 2 winner Kalifornia Queen [post 5, Jose Lezcano], and graded stakes-placed Capital Structure [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.].

Peter Brant's Rocky Sky, a 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Rock of Gibraltar, enters from a 1 1/4-length score over Capital Structure in the Fasig-Tipton Waya (G3), contested October 2 over 11 furlongs of yielding Big A turf.

Initially campaigned in her native Ireland, Rocky Sky debuted for Brown in August 2021 with an off-the-board effort in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) and did not return until her current campaign. She was a close second in March to stablemate Bleecker Street in the Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs in her only previous graded outing this season.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, First Row Partners and Michael J. Caruso's Kalifornia Queen, a 5-year-old Lope de Vega chestnut, made her seasonal debut last out with a third-place finish in the Athenia (G3) at nine-furlongs on September 24 at Aqueduct.

The German-bred joined Brown in 2021 and posted a record of 1-1-2 from six starts, including a close third in the 10-furlong E. P. Taylor (G1) contested over yielding going at Woodbine. Kalifornia Queen captured the 2020 Gestut Rottgen Diana Trial (G2) at Hoppegarten for her former conditioner Hank Grewe.

Klaravich Stables' Capital Structure, a 5-year-old Lope de Vega chestnut, boasts a ledger of 3-2-1 from 10 starts and purse earnings of $218,915. She captured an 11-furlong optional-claimer in July over firm footing at the Spa ahead of a sixth-place finish in the nine-furlong All Along in September at Pimlico. She closed from last-of-6 to complete the exacta in the Waya.

Rounding out the field is the multiple stakes-placed Tic Tic Tic Boom [post 3, Andrew Wolfsont] for trainer Alan Bedard and stakes-placed Big Time Lady [post 1, Jose Gomez] for trainer Chris Englehart.

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