Tag: Racing

Fun to Dream, the 1-5 favorite, found herself in a serious horse race inside the eighth pole Sunday at Del Mar in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes as rival Taming the Tigress dug deep. But 'Dream' was up to the task and dug in even deeper to edge past her foe late and score by a head.

The two leaders brushed in the stretch, but the stewards saw no reason to put up the inquiry sign.

“I was thinking we'd go right to the front the way the track is playing, but I think we got bumped by the four (Big Novel) at the start and we had to go to a Plan B,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Fun to Dream's trainer and breeder Bob Baffert. “She does sit off of horses, that's why we took off the blinkers last time to get her to relax. She did what she needed to do. The other filly (Taming the Tigress) put in a helluva fight. Luckily she's a warrior and she wore her down.”

Fun to Dream, owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, and Connie Pageler, earned a first prize of $57,000 for her hard work in the California-bred race for fillies and mares, pushing her bankroll to $246,590 with her fourth victory in her fifth start.

Fun to Dream was ridden by Del Mar's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, who was completing a sweep of the track's trio of stakes over its three-day opening weekend. Baffert won his record 153rd Del Mar stakes.

“She didn't want to get beat,” Hernandez said. “There was some bumping in the stretch and after my filly got bumped, she got tougher. She tried harder. At the quarter pole she switched leads and we got to running. Then they came together some and my filly showed some fight. I like it. The other filly (Taming the Tigress) ran hard, but my filly did, too.”

The game Taming the Tigress is owned by Mia Familia Racing Stable and trained by Librado Barocio. Finishing third, almost six lengths behind was Harris Farms' All Dialed In.

Fun to Dream is a daughter of the late champion Arrogate, one of trainer Baffert's true stars. This past summer she won Del Mar's seven-furlong Fleet Treat Stakes for California-breds by almost 10 lengths. She covered the Betty Grable's seven furlongs in 1:22.14 and returned $2.40.

The post ‘She’s A Warrior’: Fun To Dream Digs Deep To Win Battle For Betty Grable At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Richard Rigney's Coppelia sat just off the right hip of pacesetter Palm Cottage, took the lead leaving the final turn, and kicked clear to win Sunday's $300,000 Dream Supreme, a listed stakes at Churchill Downs, by 2 ¾ lengths over Joyful Cadence. Multiple graded stakes winner Sconsin, in her final career race, finished third.

Ridden by Martin Garcia for trainer Phil Bauer, Coppelia ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:09.90 and earned her first stakes win.

“We wanted to see how she could handle things against the big girls and she proved she belongs right with them,” Bauer said. “This is huge for this filly being only 3-years-old and being black type. She's always trained well and has really put things together recently.”

Coppelia broke sharply from the gate but Palm Cottage quickly took over and led the field of six fillies and mares down the backstretch through a first quarter mile in :21.94. When Coppelia took command at the top of the stretch, she clocked a half mile in :45.69 as Joyful Cadence, the slight 2-1 favorite, and Sconsin, also at 2-1, loomed boldly from the outside. Coppelia, however, spurted clear in the stretch when she was asked for her best run by Garcia and drew away for the victory.

“We sat a great trip near the lead and she just keeps getting better,” Garcia said. “I think she's only going to get better next year.”

The win was worth $183,450 and improved Coppelia's career earnings to $390,201 with a record of 4-2-0 in 14 starts.

Prior to the Dream Supreme, Coppelia was a four-length winner of a second-level allowance at Keeneland on Oct. 26.

Coppelia returned $6.90 as the 2-1 third betting choice. Joyful Cadence, under Rey Gutierrez, finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Sconsin, with Tyler Gaffalione up. Club Car, Sharp Hero, and Palm Cottage completed the order of finish.

Coppelia is a 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time out of the Mineshaft mare Crespano and was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duigan and Crosshaven Bloodstock.

Sconsin, a winner in five of her 12 starts at Churchill Downs, earned $29,750 for her third-place finish and concluded her career with a record of 21-6-5-3—$1,020,287. She has a date to be bred to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

“She's headed to be a mom and I know she'll be a great mom,” said Sconsin's trainer, Greg Foley. “I'll miss her a lot at the barn. She's a tremendous mare and has given us so many thrills. I can't wait to train her babies. I can tell you between her and Gun Runner her first one should be really good looking.”

The Dream Supreme is named after the six-time graded stakes winner who won the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in 2001. Trained by Bill Mott, Dream Supreme won two Grade I sprints in her 16-race career and earned $1,007,680 between 1999-2001.

The post ‘We Wanted To See How She Could Handle Things Against The Big Girls’: Coppelia Gets First Stakes Win In Dream Supreme, Sconsin Third In Career Finale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hozier, owned by Ted Nixon's Storyteller Racing, went straight to the front and never looked back while winning Sunday's $292,500 River City at Churchill Downs by 3 ½ lengths over Starting Over.

The River City, which was not staged in 2020-21, returned to the Churchill Downs stakes schedule this year but was switched from turf to dirt because of wet conditions on the grass course following Saturday morning snow showers.

Hozier, who had back class on the dirt, including a second-place finish in last year's Rebel (G2), broke well from the rail and dictated the terms in the field of seven horses through comfortable fractions of :24.05, :48.05, and 1:13.59 as Starting Over tracked one length back in second. Starting Over drew even with Hozier off the final turn but jockey Julien Leparoux hadn't asked Hozier for his best run and the 4-year-old gelding kicked clear down the lane for the easy win in 1:51.67 for 1 1/8 miles.

Hozier, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, returned $11.90 for the victory as the 9-2 third betting choice. Starting Over, at 14-1 was second under Adam Beschizza while In Love finished third, another 2 ½ lengths under Gerardo Corrales.

English Tavern, Pixelate, 6-5 favorite Militarist, and Rupp N Ready completed the order of finish. Beatbox, Cellist, Max K.O., Street Ready, Accredit, Set Piece. and Field Pass were scratched.

The first stakes victory for Hozier was worth $181,900 and increased his earnings to $585,910. He boasts a record of 4-4-1 in 18 starts.

“He has some good speed and with all of the early scratches he was able to take advantage of that and get the lead early,” Leparoux said. “Rodolphe told me he can be a tricky horse to ride sometimes but he ran great today. He drug me around there and finished up well in the stretch.”

Hozier, a son of Pioneerof the Nile out of the Henny Hughes mare Merry Meadow, was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

“He ran a great race today and was able to settle well on the front end,” Brisset said. “It was a really big race for him and now we'll take him back home, see how he comes out of it and see what options we have next either dirt or turf.”

The post ‘It Was A Really Big Race For Him’: Hozier Sets Pace, Lands First Stakes Win In Off-The-Turf River City appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Joel Rosario notched his fourth win on the card by guiding Big Everest to a gate-to-wire score in Sunday's $135,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and William Branch, the 4-year-old The Gurkha gelding has now won four of five starts on the year.

“He showed some speed early and he got there. They had a hard time to come and get him,” Rosario said. “He handled the [soft turf] really well. There was one point in the race where it was pretty soft, but when he got to the backside, he was really comfortable and he never had trouble.”

Big Everest broke alertly from post 2 and took command through splits of :24.45 and :49.79 over the yielding going with Homer Screen in second and Shadow Sphinx saving ground in third to the inside of Pao Alto.

Rosario had Big Everest in-hand to the final turn as Trevor McCarthy gave Pao Alto his cue and Kendrick Carmouche angled Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader off the rail to launch his bid.

Big Everest held a two-length lead at the stretch call and continued to find more as Hall of Famer Javier Castellano cut the corner with Shadow Sphinx and dueled to the inside of Pao Alto. Shadow Sphinx put away Pao Alto and angled off the rail late in the lane and was gaining with every stride, but Big Everest had just enough to stave off his rival for the half-length score in a final time of 1:37.19.

Pao Alto, Decorated Invader, Airman and Homer Screen rounded out the order of finish. Sifting Sands, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Good Governance, Somelikeithotbrown.

Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Clement, said the race shape changed when the Tom Albertrani-trained Airman broke outward and settled near the back of the pack rather than pressing the pace, as expected.

“We were the controlling speed and I told Joel that would likely be the case,” Lorieul said. “He seems to run very well that way when he is in control. It seems as though they match up very well with each other.”

The victory completed a remarkable day for Rosario, who won earlier on the card with Neural Network [Race 1, $12.80], Violent Vixen [Race 3, $23.20] and Bold Journey [Race 5, $5.60]. He finished second [Candy Light, Race 6] and third [Jane Grey, Race 7] with his two other mounts on the nine-race card.

Big Everest finished sixth in last year's Allied Forces at Belmont Park in his only previous stakes attempt. He bested winners on three occasions this year, taking an allowance and optional-claimer at Belmont, along with a front-running optional-claiming score on September 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

“The whole fall we were pointing for this race and if there was going to be a stakes for him this year it was going to be this one,” Lorieul said. “After his last win, we said it was time for him to go to a stake. He's going to go for a rest and we'll see him next year.”

Castellano said the Mike Maker-trained Shadow Sphinx was game in defeat.

“I had a beautiful trip, I was just saving all the ground every step of the way,” Castellano said. “I like the way he did it and I like the way he finished. Unfortunately, there was not much pace in the race. The only horse with speed dictated the pace the whole way. But I'm very satisfied with the horse – he came running in the end and it was a good race for him.”

Bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud, Big Everest banked $74,250 in victory while improving his record to 10-5-1-1. Sent to post the even-money favorite, he returned $4.20 for a $2 win ticket.

The post Big Everest Goes Wire To Wire In Artie Schiller, Gives Rosario Fourth Win On Aqueduct Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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