Tag: Racing

Chris Walsh's classy 3-year-old filly California Angel tops a field of 11 entered in Friday's 31st running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Mrs. Revere for 3-year-old fillies will go as Race 9 of 12 with a post time of 4:57 p.m. (ET). The turf event is scheduled to be contested in Lane 3, 24 feet from the inside rail. First post is 1 p.m. and the stellar “Black Friday” program also features the 148th running of the $750,000 Clark (G1) in Race 11.

Trained by George Leonard III, California Angel gained many fans before she contested last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

The daughter California Chrome finished 11^th, beaten four lengths in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Following her runner-up effort in the Allen 'Black Cat' LaCombe Memorial March 12 at Fair Grounds, Leonard gave the filly time on the sidelines until September when she finished a determined third in the Dueling Ground Oaks at Kentucky Downs. California Angel went on to finish fourth in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) and second in the Valley View (G3), both at Keeneland, the latter in which she started on just 12 days rest.

Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard in the Mrs. Revere, who won last year's Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland prior to the Breeders' Cup, and the duo will break from post No. 6 as she tries to add a second stakes victory to her record.

Trainer Kenny McPeek entered a trio of fillies in the Mrs. Revere: Lugamo Racing Stable's stakes-placed Lady Puchi, Gentry Farms' recent allowance winner Lovely Princess, and Dell Ridge Farm's maiden special weight winner Sweet Lady Ivanka.

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode all three fillies in their most recent starts and will be aboard Lovely Princess for the Mrs. Revere.

In her last start, Lovely Princess rallied from seven lengths off the early pace in a first-level allowance event at Keeneland for a one-length victory. The daughter of Twirling Candy earned an 85 Brisnet Speed Rating for her win. She'll break from post 7 in the Mrs. Revere.

Jockey Julien Leparoux will have the call on Lady Puchi from post 3 while Corey Lanerie will pick up on the mount on Sweet lady Ivanka out of post 5.

Another filly with a graded stakes victory on her résumé is Shortleaf Stable's Matron (G3) winner Bubble Rock.

Trained by Brad Cox, Bubble Rock scored a half-length win as a 2-year-old at Belmont Park in the Matron prior to her 12th-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. As a 3-year-old, Bubble Rock sports a 2 ½-length score in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, run over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park.

Bubble Rock will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 4.

The full field for the Mrs. Revere from the rail out (with jockey, trainer): Take a Stand (Declan Cannon, Vicki Oliver); She's Gone (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Lady Puchi (Leparoux, McPeek); Bubble Rock (Rosario, Cox); Sweet Lady Ivanka (Lanerie, McPeek); California Angel (Gaffalione, Leonard); Lovely Princess (Hernandez, McPeek); Fancy Martini (Luis Saez, Joe Sharp); Have A Good Day (Florent Geroux, Gustavo Delgado); Quality Star (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo); and Joyful Applause (Edgar Morales, Helen Pitts).

The post Leonard-Trained California Angel Among 11 Fillies Entered For Mrs. Revere appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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RED-TR Racing's Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Rich Strike will return to Churchill Downs and face six challengers entered in Friday's 148th running of the $750,000 Clark (G1).

The 1 1/8-mile Clark, which has been run every year since 1875 at Churchill Downs, will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. (ET). First post for the “Black Friday” card is 1 p.m. and also will feature the 31st running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) in Race 10. The 1 1/16-mile turf event will feature Chris Walsh's Grade 2-winning 3-year-old filly California Angel.

Rich Strike, the 80-1 upset winner of Kentucky Derby, has run four times since his historic victory on the first Saturday in May. The son of Keen Ice tested fellow 3-year-olds two times following the Derby, a sixth-place effort in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and a fourth-place finish in the million Travers (G1).

In his first try against older horses, Rich Strike finished a controversial second to Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas Classic (G2) Oct.1 at Churchill Downs.

Rich Strike returned in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland where he finished a troubled fourth after being forced extremely wide on the backstretch around faltering Epicenter, whose jockey Joel Rosario was pulling him up.

“After the Breeders' Cup we weren't originally thinking the Clark, but he came out of the race so good,” trainer Eric Reed said of Rich Strike. “In the Classic he was forced wide after Epicenter pulled up and he still managed fourth. He ran a good race and he's trained well (at the Mercury Training Center in Lexington) since then. We're excited to get him back to his favorite track here at Churchill.”

Although the Clark is the next target on Reed's radar for Rich Strike, he's already thinking ahead to 2023. The veteran conditioner stated Rich Strike could run in the Dubai World Cup (G1) March 25.

Jockey Sonny Leon will have the return mount on Rich Strike for the Clark and the duo will break from post No. 4.

Among Rich Strike's competition in the Clark are the top three finishers in the Hagyard Fayette (G2) Oct. 29 at Keeneland: Gary and Mary West's West Will Power, Juddmonte's Fulsome, and Willis Horton Racing's Last Samurai.

In the Fayette, West Will Power scored a 6 ¾-length front-running victory over his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Fulsome, who finished three-quarters of a length in front of the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Last Samurai.

West Will Power, a homebred son of Bernardini, began his delayed 5-year-old campaign in August at Ellis Park as the 5-2 second choice in the one-mile R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes. He finished a head behind fellow Clark runner Injunction. In his next start on Sept. 28, West Will Power won a 1 1/8-mile allowance event at Churchill Downs prior to his dominate victory in the Fayette.

Jockey Luis Saez will ride West Will Power from post 7.

Another top entrant in the Clark is Godolphin's three-time winner Proxy.

Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy was on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2021, posting runner-up finishes in the Lecomte (G3) and Risen Star (G2), both at Fair Grounds. The son of Tapit went to the sidelines following his fourth-place effort in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) April 10 at Keeneland. In his 4-year-old campaign, Proxy has yet to finish outside the top three with runner-up efforts in the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds and Blame Stakes at Churchill and third-place finishes in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and Stephen Foster (G2) July 2 at Churchill in his most recent start.

Jockey Joel Rosario will ride Proxy from the rail.

The Clark field is rounded out by J & J Stables and Nicholas Vaccarezza's Ack Ack (G3) runner-up Injunction and BBN Racing's recent allowance winner Trademark, a 3-year-old Upstart gelding.

The complete field for the Clark from the rail out (with jockey, trainer): Proxy (Rosario, Stidham); Trademark (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver); Injunction (Rafael Bejarano, Carlo Vaccarezza); Rich Strike (Leon, Reed); Fulsome (Florent Geroux, Cox); Last Samurai (Tyler Gaffalione, Lukas); and West Will Power (Saez, Cox).

The early National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for a high of 47 degrees Friday with a 30% chance of showers.

The post ‘We’re Excited To Get Him Back To His Favorite Track’: Rich Strike Headlines Compact Field Set For Clark At Churchill Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Serifos landed his first win at the highest level Sunday in the $3,381,000Mile Championship (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan while becoming the first 3-year-old to capture the event since 2018.

Sired by Daiwa Major, who won the Mile Championship in 2006 and 2007, Serifos, a multiple graded winner, came in off victory in the Fuji Stakes (G2) October 22.

Breaking from stall number 10 in the 17-horse field, Serifos traveled fourth from the rear and three wide on the backstretch and was unhurried under Damian Lane in shifting out wide into the lane while still near the rear. Closing fastest of all, he stormed down the stretch to grab the lead 50 meters out and won by a 1 ¼ lengths as the sixth wagering choice.

Time was 1:32.5 on turf rated as firm.

“I'm very happy, the horse was super today. He's very consistent and I knew he would improve after watching his videos. I wanted to show how really competitive he is. The pace was good, and he was a bit keen early, but I was always confident,” Lane said after the race.

Eighth choice Danon the Kid settled around seventh early, slightly dropped position rounding the final corners, met traffic but squeezed through horses to grab the lead. Appearing en route to victory, he was overtaken by the winner in the final strides.

The flashy white filly Sodashi, the second choice with Hayato Yoshida aboard, sat in fourth to fifth in the early going and persistently showed effort to rally for the lead in the straight. She failed to keep up with the top two finisher's late speed, however, but held off the fast-closing rivals by a nose for third place.

Race favorite Schnell Meister camped in midpack, struggled briefly for room in early stretch, and found his best stride late. He dug in through the final sixteenth and finished fifth.

Serifos, who is trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida for owner G1 Racing Co., is out of the Le Havre mare Sea Front. His breeder is Oiwake Farm.

The post ‘The Horse Was Super Today’: Late-Running Serifos Up In Time In Japan’s Mile Championship, White Filly Sodashi Third appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Chosen Vron, prominent from the start, took aim at the leader Big City Lights at the three-eighths pole, and then just outran him to the wire to score by 3 3/4 lengths at the finish of the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes Saturday at Del Mar.

Owned by a partnership headed by John Sondereker, who races under the name Sondereker Racing, The Chosen Vron, finished up the seven furlongs in 1:20.66, which was approaching the track record of 1:20 set by Solar Launch in 1990. West Coast newcomer Hector Berrios guided the flashy 4-year-old chestnut gelding for trainer and co-owner J. Eric Kruljac.

Even-money favorite The Chosen Vron paid $4.00 in a four-horse field that did not allow for show betting. Runner-up Big City Lights finished a head in front of third-place finisher Coalinga Road. None Above the Law completed the order of finish.

The Chosen Vron, by late California sire Vronsky out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, continued his beyond-solid career with his eighth triumph in his 12th start. The $57,000 winner's share in the California-bred test pushed his bankroll up to $522,678 and marked his seventh stakes victory. He was bred by Tiz Molly Partners.

CARY GRANT STAKES QUOTES

HECTOR BERRIOS (The Chosen Vron, winner) – “He went to the front so easily. He was running so freely today. He felt light. On the turn I had to put some pressure on the leader (Big City Lights), so I really go him running. And he just kept on going from there.”

J. ERIC KRULJAC (The Chosen Vron, winner) – “I was pleased with the way the race set up and I didn't tell Hector to do anything. He's been on him before. I just told him to have fun. It sure looks like he's getting back to his form. Just had to give him time and he's paying us back tenfold.”

The post The Chosen Vron Rolls To Victory In Del Mar’s Cary Grant For Cal-Breds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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