Tag: Racing

There has been no need for a photo finish camera when Fun to Dream races. When she wins, she wins big and she'll try for another laugher in Sunday's $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar. It's the last of the opening weekend's stakes races and features a compact field of five California-bred fillies and mares going seven furlongs.

Bob Baffert's Fun to Dream has won three of her four starts and has been the favorite in all of them. The Arrogate filly comes into the race off a victory in an entry level allowance/claimer at Santa Anita last month. She went off at 2-5 that day and didn't disappoint, winning by four lengths in the end.

“She's doing really well,” Baffert says. “She's been a lot of fun. She's by one of my all-time favorite horses, Arrogate.”

Baffert is also co-owner and breeder of the filly. Fun to Dream has won her three races by a combined 20 ¾ lengths, breaking her maiden by 6 ¼ lengths and winning the Fleet Treat at Del Mar this past summer by 9 ¾ lengths. She's cutting back in distance from a mile and a sixteenth in her last.

“She ran one bad race where she came out (and was disqualified),” Baffert said. “I took the blinkers off her for her last race and stretched her out. I think she's better going two turns. We're limited on races, on where to run her. She's a Cal-bred and we thought we'd take advantage of our Cal-bred status. After this it's all open company from here on out.”

Baffert trained Arrogate, the 2016 champion 3-year-old male who died in 2020 during his third season at stud at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky. The son of Unbridled's Song won seven of 11 career starts as a 3- and 4-year old, including four consecutive Grade 1 races: the 2016 Travers and Breeders' Cup Classic, followed by the 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and Dubai World Cup.

Fun to Dream will likely be tested by Big Novel from the John Sadler barn. The 3-year old daughter of Mr. Big has finished in the money in all eight of her career starts, winning twice. She's run in Cal-bred stakes five times with three runner-up finishes but hasn't raced since April.

“She's a hard knocking filly,” Sadler says. “We gave her a little bit of a vacation after her last start. She was second down there (at Del Mar) last fall behind my other one, Big Switch, so we think she fits the conditions of the race and look forward to getting her started back.”

The Betty Grable goes off as the eighth of nine races Sunday. It's named after the late film star who was a box office sensation in the 1940's and a Del Mar regular in the '40's and '50's.

Here's the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Roman Empress (Drayden Van Dyke, 30-1); All Dialed In (Tyler Baze, 6-1); Fun to Dream (Juan Hernandez, 3-5); Big Novel (Flavien Prat, 8-5) and Taming the Tigress (Ramon Vasquez, 10-1).

The post ‘She’s By One Of My All-Time Favorite Horses’: Baffert Filly Fun To Dream Seeks Second Stakes Win In Betty Grable For Cal-Breds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Elkstone Group's Grade 2-placed Hybrid Eclipse, under a patient ride from Sheldon Russell, split horses in midstretch and went on to earn her second stakes win in Maryland this year in Saturday's $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go at Laurel Park.

The 12^th running of the 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares was the last of three stakes on a Harvest Festival program following the $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies and $100,000 James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds, both sprinting six furlongs.

Second to multiple Grade 1 winner Nest in her prior start, the Oct. 9 Prioress (G2) at Aqueduct, Laurel-based Hybrid Eclipse ($8) was entered but scratched from the Nov. 4 Turnback the Alarm (G3) by trainer Brittany Russell to race over her home track, where she is now 4-for-5 lifetime.

“It just seemed like the smart thing to do,” Brittany Russell said. “She loves this racetrack. She's done a lot of good here, so it was nice for her to come back and get win.”

Sheldon Russell found himself uncharacteristically far back on Hybrid Eclipse in the early going as New York shipper Baby Man went a quarter-mile in :23.20 and a half in :47.53, pressed by the 9-5 multiple stakes-winning favorite Malibu Beauty.

Hybrid Eclipse moved into contention after Malibu Beauty went six furlongs in 1:12.29 to take over the top spot, and Sheldon Russell was able to find room between the leader and Berate on the far outside to launch their bid, coming with a steady run to the wire to win by three lengths in 1:40.05 over a main track rated good.

“I was a little unsure, honestly, down the backside. Sheldon looked like he was chugging on her bit and I just wanted to see her kind of engage and run on the bridle and get comfortable,” Brittany Russell said. “Honestly, she really never did. He just kind of stayed on her and she responded. So, whatever it took to get it done, they made it happen.”

Berate stayed up for second, two lengths ahead of 30-1 long shot Champagne Toast. It was a neck back to Malibu Beauty in fourth followed by Click to Confirm, Timonium Distaff winner Breviary, and Baby Man. Grade 2-placed Beguine was scratched.

Hybrid Eclipse joined Brittany Russell in the spring after racing previously for trainer Linda Rice. The 4-year-old Paynter filly ran third in the Obeah at Delaware Park and won the July 2 Caesar's Wish at Laurel in her first two starts for Russell, after which she was purchased from the ELiTE consignment by Elkstone's Stuart Grant for $107,000 at the Fasig-Tipton's July Horses of Racing Age Sale.

“I had her for another client and when she went through the sale and Stuart purchased her, we had some expectations. She's doing exactly what we're hoping she would,” Russell said. “Stuart's been awesome. He's supported me. He's sent us a lot of horses and we've had a lot of bad with the good, so it's really fun to win a stake for him today.”

Bred in Kentucky by Alex Venneri Racing, Hybrid Eclipse is out of the Valid Wager mare Super Plan.

The Thirty Eight Go Go honors the two-time Maryland-bred champion bred and trained by Hall of Famer King Leatherbury. Eight of her 10 career wins came in stakes including the Gardenia (G2), Tempted (G3) and Maryland Million Lassie in 1987 and three consecutive runnings of the Geisha (1988-90).

Recruiter Secures Win In James F. Lewis III

Lynch  Racing and Nick Sanna Stables' Recruiter kept his perfect record intact with a third straight victory and first against stakes competition in Saturday's 11^th renewal of the James F. Lewis III.

Favored at 6-5 in a field of six, Recruiter ($4.60) gave jockey Angel Cruz his fourth win from five mounts. Two of them came as a replacement for Laurel's fall meet leading rider, injured apprentice and friend Jeiron Barbosa, also represented by agent Tom Stift.

“It's been a blessed day,” Cruz said. “It's my first time winning four races in one day, so I'm just happy. I want to thank my agent and all the owners and trainers for giving me this opportunity. It's a special day today.”

Recruiter, a front-running winner of his first two starts including a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Oct. 2 at Laurel, broke running and led briefly before 45-1 long shot Coffeewithchris slipped through along the rail and went the opening quarter-mile in :22.53 while stakes-placed Honeyquist, another projected pace player, settled in fourth.

Cruz confidently ranged up to the front after going a half-mile in :45.29 seconds and never looked back, finishing up in 1:09.70 over a main track rated good to win by 2 ¾ lengths. It was another 2 ¾ back to Honeyquist in second, with Heldish edging Coffeewithchris by a head for second. Tiz No Clown and Riccio completed the order of finish. Where Is Mike was scratched.

“My horse had more speed than Honeyquist. It was a matter of how he broke, and he broke really good so I took it from there,” Cruz said of the Army Mule colt. “It worked out perfect because I could sit off and settle my horse and that's what I did. He settled really good for me.”

Recruiter was bred in Florida by Beth Bayer. His dam is the Medaglia d'Oro mare Lady Halite.

The James F. Lewis III honors the late longtime Maryland horseman and first president of Maryland Million Ltd. He bred and/or campaigned a number of prominent runners in the region, led by 1974 Test (G2) winner Maybelline, Flirtation (G3) winner Heartful and multiple stakes winner Swift Attraction. His daughter, Lisa, is a multiple graded-stakes winning trainer based in New York and Florida.

Twice As Sweet Powers To Smart Halo Victory

Midwest-based Godolphin homebred Twice as Sweet, making her stakes debut racing for the first time outside Kentucky, collared favored pacesetter Dissolute on the far turn and powered through the stretch to a 6 ½-length triumph in the 26^th edition of the Smart Halo.

Ridden by Feargal Lynch for trainer Brendan Walsh, who was in Ireland Saturday, Twice as Sweet ($9) ran six furlongs in 1:10.48 over a main track rated good to earn her second win and first since graduating in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the grass at Ellis Park in August.

Second to subsequent stakes winner Key of Life in her prior start, an Oct. 7 optional claiming allowance at Keeneland, Twice as Sweet settled along the rail in second as Dissolute led through a quarter-mile in :22.53. Lynch moved up to the outside of Dissolute midway around the turn and was in command at the top of the stretch, drawing away for an easy win.

“She's a pretty nice filly, very straightforward. She ran into a good one last time. This filly does everything nice. She's turf or dirt,” Lynch said of the Kentucky-bred daughter of Candy Ride out of the Tapit mare Snowbell.

“I don't think she had a troubled trip. I think she just got forced a little bit wide last time,” he added. “Today it was ideal. She just gave me a lead into the straight and when I turned her loose she just went about her business.”

Miss Georgie held off 24-1 long shot Gormley's Gabriela by a neck for second with Diamondsifyoudo fourth, followed by Dissolute, Shiny Slam and Bound by Destiny, who entered the race with a 4-0 record including back-to-back stakes. Maryland Million Lassie winner Chickieness was scratched.

Smart Halo, by top Maryland sire Smarten, won the first race on the inaugural Maryland Million Day program in 1986, beating In the Curl by a neck in the Lassie to cap a perfect 3-0 campaign. Bred in Canada by E.P. Taylor and owned by Sam-Son Farm, Smart Halo was trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Jim Day.

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It was a sentimental win Friday at Churchill Downs for Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable's two-time graded stakes winner Mr. Wireless. Just days before his allowance victory, his co-owner/breeder John Kerber passed away at age 86.

Kerber, who died Nov. 5 in his native Iowa, was able to make one final trip to Keeneland in mid-October to see Mr. Wireless. Kerber co-owned and bred the 4-year-old Dialed In gelding with his wife, Iveta, and raced under the JIL Stable designation.

Mr. Wireless finished third in the Oct. 15 allowance race at the Lexington track but roared back Friday at Churchill for a close win as the 2-1 favorite.

With Deshawn Parker in the saddle, Mr. Wireless got his head down in front of pacesetter Here Mi Song and a fast-closing South Bend in the one-mile allowance event and returned $7.10. He improved his overall career line to 6-1-1 from 12 starts and earnings of $850,907. His record includes victories in the 2021 Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3) in back-to-back outings last summer.

“He was just a nice man who loved his horses,” trainer Bret Calhoun said of Kerber. “He'd been sick for a few years, and I think every time he'd have a horse run he'd seem to heal up. It was pretty amazing to see how his horses kept him going. A couple years ago we had some horses down at Oaklawn and one of his was running. His family had a hard time trying to even get him from Iowa down to Hot Springs. We wheeled him down to the apron to watch the race, and when we won I think he jumped out of that chair in the winner's circle and we could never get him back in it. I think we may have had a little divine intervention [Friday afternoon] to help Mr. Wireless get his nose down in front.”

Kerber managed Kerber Milling Company, along with his brother, Phil, who took over the business that was founded by their father, Fred, in 1922. The mill was later developed into a livestock feed company and was transformed to Hawkeye Sow System. According to his obituary, Kerber was able to watch the Breeders' Cup in the afternoon prior to his death.

Calhoun stated after Friday's race that Mr. Wireless, who was produced by the Arch mare Voussoir, is likely headed back to stakes company at the upcoming Fair Grounds meet.

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Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winner Set Piece was tabbed as the 2-1 morning line choice by morning line odds maker Mike Battaglia in Sunday's 43^rd running of the Grade 3, $300,000 River City at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The River City is one of three stakes events on the program. Run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the River City will go as the finale on the 10-race card at 5:35 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m. The card also includes the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine (Listed) and $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed).

Trained by Brad Cox, Set Piece would achieve millionaire status with a victory in the River City. The 6-year-old gelded son of Dansili (GB) has never won at the distance and last stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in the Arlington Million (G1) where he finished a disappointing fourth as the 2-1 favorite.

Set Piece has won 11 of 24 career starts and banked $919,573 in purse earnings. Most recently, Set Piece closed from 12 lengths off the early pace in the $1 million Turf Mile (G1) at Keenealnd but finished fourth by 1 ¾ lengths to Annapolis. Earlier this year, Set Piece won the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) and $200,000 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup (G3). Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount in the River City and break from post No. 11.

Here's the complete field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Hozier (Julien Leparoux, Rodolphe Brisset, 30-1); English Tavern (James Graham, Michelle Lovell, 20-1); Beatbox (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux, 20-1); Cellist (Corey Lanerie, Rusty Arnold II, 6-1); In Love (BRZ) (Gerardo Corrales, Paulo Lobo, 7-2); Militarist (Junior Alvarado, Carlo Vaccarezza, 30-1); Pixelate (Vince Cheminaud, Mike Stidham, 10-1); Max K.O. (Ricardo Santana Jr., Saffie Joseph Jr., 8-1); Street Ready (Luis Saez, Ian Wilkes, 8-1); Accredit (Rafael Bejarano, Pavel Matejka, 15-1); Set Piece (GB) (Geroux, Cox, 2-1); and Field Pass (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker, 10-1). Also Eligible: Starting Over (Adam Beschizza, Robert Falcone Jr., 30-1) and Rupp N Ready (Edgar Morales, Helen Pitts, 30-1).

The River City is scheduled to be contested in Lane 1 on the turf course.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

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