Tag: Racing

Michael Dubb and Gandharvi LLC's Battle Bling went wire-to-wire under Kendrick Carmouche to score her first graded victory in Friday's Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm, a nine-furlong route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Rob Atras, Battle Bling made her third appearance in graded company after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 La Troienne in May at Churchill Downs and a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap in July at its namesake track. The daughter of Vancouver has a perfect in-the-money record at Aqueduct, which now stands at 5-2-3-0 after her gutsy neck victory.

“She's remarkable,” said Atras, who scored his fourth career graded stakes triumph. “It's great to have a filly like that in the barn, who just shows up every time. I'm very grateful.”

Battle Bling, sent from the outermost post 5 at odds of 9-5, broke the best in the compact field as Exotic West leapt up and unseated rider Mike Luzzi from the inside post. Battle Bling was undeterred by the commotion and quickly established command over her three rivals through an opening quarter-mile in 25.80 seconds over the fast main track.

W W Fitzy tracked closely in second down the backstretch with post-time favorite First to Act along the rail in third and the Hector Diaz, Jr.-piloted Nostalgic bringing up the rear through a half-mile in 50.75. Battle Bling remained in command approaching the turn as W W Fitzy dropped back with Nostalgic putting in a strong run in the three-path.

Battle Bling completed three-quarters in 1:15.74 and was 3 1/2 lengths in the clear at the stretch call, but Nostalgic made up ground with every stride and chipped away at her foe's margins as the two drew away from an all-out First to Act. Battle Bling had enough left in the tank to fend off the outside bid of Nostalgic, crossing the wire first in a final time of 1:53.60.

It was another 13 3/4 lengths back to First to Act with W W Fitzy completing the order of finish. Exotic West, who was collared by the outrider, and Luzzi walked off under their own power. Hybrid Eclipse and Coach were scratched.

Battle Bling entered the Turnback the Alarm from a prominent victory in the Twixt on October 1 at Laurel Park and a handicap victory in September at Colonial Downs in similar fashion, a change from her previous off-the-pace style. Carmouche said being forwardly placed has helped the 4-year-old filly.

“They were coming, but they were coming too late,” Carmouche said. “She ran awesome. I tried to pull the trigger a little bit early at the quarter-pole because I wanted to get away from them. I didn't want her to hang on me. Rob and Brittney [Atras, assistant trainer] have this horse right. I'm just glad that Mike Dubb and Rob gave me the shot to do what I want on her and ride her the way I want. The last couple times, being close to the pace, she's more productive.”

Battle Bling stretched out an extra sixteenth from her last two outings, and Atras said he knew the distance would be demanding.

“I saw the 1:15 and it seemed like she was getting away a little bit, but I could see the four [Nostalgic] was coming,” Atras said. “I knew it wasn't over because a mile and an eighth is still a mile and an eighth and Aqueduct can be a tiring track.”

Battle Bling has proven to be an astute claim for her connections, finishing first or second in all but one of her nine starts since being haltered for $62,500 out of a close second in a December optional claimer at the Big A. Her run of form includes a neck victory over Miss Leslie in the Ladies in both her stakes debut and her first start off the claim, as well as runner-up finishes in the Heavenly Prize Invitational, Top Flight Invitational, and Obeah, all of which came with a margin of defeat of three-quarter lengths or less.

Bred in Kentucky by Royal Oak Farm, Battle Bling banked $82,500 in victory to boost her total purse earnings to $618,117 through a record of 21-6-8-1. She returned $5.80 for a $2 win wager.

Diaz, Jr., who rode the Grade 1-placed Nostalgic for the first time, said his filly was game in defeat.

“She was the best horse and she ran huge,” said Diaz, Jr. “We just had bad luck that nobody pressured the horse in front – she was just walking and she still almost ran her down. A jump after the wire I was in front. I'm happy with her effort. She ran good.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Aqueduct with a 10-race card, including the $120,000 Atlantic Beach in Race 4 and $120,000 Stewart Manor in Race 7. First post is 10:50 a.m. Eastern. Doors will open at 10 a.m.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Battle Bling Goes All The Way In Turnback The Alarm appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twin City, trained and co-owned by Stuart Simon, will take aim at top prize in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity, Sunday at Woodbine.

The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta event for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds is a significant race on the road to the 164th running of the Queen's Plate, the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Grade 2 $175,000 Autumn Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up, is also part of the 10-race card.

Simon, in search of his first Futurity triumph, will send out Twin City, a bay son of Klimt-Minnie Apple Is. The bay, bred by Frank Di Giulio Jr., has one win and three seconds in four starts.

The victory came in his most recent outing, a maiden special weight event at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine Tapeta. Under regular rider Gary Boulanger, Twin City tracked the pace, before he took the lead and held on to win by a neck in 1:45.50.

“He can be on or off the lead, a long way back, come between horses or go around… you can do whatever you want to do with him,” said Simon. “Whatever the situation dictates, he's always up for the challenge. Last time, there was a horse going fast on the lead, and he tracked him and then took over the lead and shook off a couple of on-comers.”

Prior to the maiden-breaking score, the gelding finished second in his debut, a 5 ½-panel sprint on the Toronto oval main track on July 17.

On August 28, Twin City loaded into the gate for the Simcoe Stakes. A furious rally from well back resulted in a second-place finish, just a neck behind the winner. One race later, on September 18 in a 1 mile and 70-yard race on the Tapeta, he posted his third consecutive runner-up finish, only a head behind the winner.

Simon, who co-owns with Brent, Russel and Roy McLellan, prefers to see the glass as half full when it comes to the narrow losses.

“He's just really genuine and really smart,” praised the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner who has 854 career wins. “He's been a really nice, consistent horse. We've been very happy with all of his starts. Last time, it was nice to see him get rewarded. He does everything right.”

Twin City is coming to the final race of his first-year campaign in good order.

“He's doing really well. Win, lose or draw, this is it for him. We're going to give a nice couple of months off in Ocala. He's shown no effects running four times as a 2-year-old. He's very sound, very happy and seems to be doing really well. He deserves that nice vacation in Florida and then we'll start training for what could be an exciting and promising 3-year-old season.”

Other Coronation Futurity starters include trainer Kevin Attard's fivesome of Dream Jereem, Lookinassah, Philip My Dear, Renegade Serenade, and Velocitor. Dual hall of fame trainer Mark Casse sends out the trio of Battle Strike, Gran Spirited, and Stayhonor Goodside. Conditioner Michael De Paulo will saddle Cool Kiss and J'adoro.

Ayrshire Lad won the first running of the Coronation Futurity in 1902. The late Avelino Gomez won four straight (1964-67) editions of the race, a feat duplicated by Sandy Hawley (1973-76). The last horse to notch the Futurity-Plate double was Norcliffe in 1975-76.

Eleven horses, including Treason, will load into the gate for the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes, at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods and MSK Racing Ventures, LLC, the 4-year-old son of Constitution-Cougarstown heads into the 1 1/16-mile race off a monster effort at Woodbine on September 4.

Sent off at 9-5 in the 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race, Treason was 4 ½ lengths in front after the first quarter, nine on top at the stretch call and 16 ½ ahead of his nearest rival at the wire. The final time over the Tapeta was 1:41.51.

“We liked him, he had been training well and we felt he would take to synthetic being a Constitution,” said Jaime Roth, of LNJ Foxwoods. “But no one can ever imagine that kind of performance. I was a little nervous when he broke because it seemed like he might be running off a little bit, but when he got into that beautiful stride, it was great to see. We were expecting a great effort, but definitely not like that.”

Trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, the bay, bred in Kentucky by Ramspring Farm, won at first asking last June in a mile turf race at Belmont, a 25-1 upset over firm ground.

Treason was then eighth, fifth and fifth again in his next three starts, his final start of the 2021 campaign coming on September 23.

He marked his return to racing, nearly one year later, with the eye-catching score six weeks ago at Woodbine.

“We had gelded him and then gave him time before we sent him up to Josie,” said Roth. “We really felt that having him gelded would be beneficial as it is in a lot of cases. He was a little tough to handle, so we knew that would be huge.”

Now, Treason, who worked 4 furlongs, breezing, in :51.80 over the Tapeta on October 31, will attempt to carry that momentum into his first stakes engagement, one Roth believes he is ready for.

“I got a pretty big response from Canadian racing after that win,” recalled Roth. “I got a lot of phone calls from the people I care about. I don't think he necessarily has to run back to that performance. You never know, especially after running such a huge race. I think Josie did a great job with spacing of the races. I would hope that he keeps his mind focused and runs well again, something in line with what he did last time. He doesn't have to win by 20. I just want to see a horse that comes off that win not too tense and does his job. I think he will. He's been training well. Definitely excited to see him run.”

Roth and her family will have another reason to cheer this weekend.

Olympiad, a son of Speightstown, will take on seven rivals, including much-heralded Flightline, in the Grade 1 $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Saturday at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old bay colt has won eight of 12 career starts, including five graded stakes victories, highlighted by the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga. He's won from seven furlongs to 1 ¼ miles, earning more than $2 million to date.

Bred by Emory Hamilton and sold for $700,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2019, Olympiad is owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

Olympiad has won six of seven starts this year, including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 3 at Saratoga.

He'll take on a star-stacked field, including unbeaten 3-5 morning line choice Flightline.

“Olympiad got there Sunday, and it was a smooth trip,” said Roth. “Hopefully, he runs a big race. When I got to see his training saddle cloth for the first time – not that I don't appreciate what he's done this year – it was a moment where you said, 'Wow… we're in the Breeders' Cup Classic.' I love my horse. He's six for seven this year and there was that weird, funky effort [fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney in August] on a hot day. Other than that, he's been perfect. I know who we have to beat, but we'll give it our all.”

First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

$250,000 CORONATION FUTURITY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Dream Jereem – Slade Jones – Kevin Attard

2 – Twin City – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon

3 – Stayhonor Goodside – Eswan Flores – Mark Casse

4 – J'adoro – Leo Salles – Michael De Paulo

5 – Renegade Serenade – Jose Campos – Kevin Attard

6 – Cool Kiss – Sahin Civaci – Michael De Paulo

7 – Twowaycrossing – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

8 – Lookinassah – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard

9 – Sammy Stone – Patrick Husbands – Catherine Day Phillips

10 – Gran Spirited – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse

11 – Velocitor – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

12 – Battle Strike – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

13 – Philip My Dear – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

14 – Opposites Attract – David Moran – Michael Trombetta

(AE) 15 – Greystone – David Moran – Breeda Hayes

$175,000 GRADE 2 AUTUMN

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Harlan Estate – Leo Salles – Kevin Attard

2 – Novol Sol (BRZ) – Patrick Husbands – Saffie Joseph Jr.

3 – War Bomber (IRE) – Sahin Civaci – Norm McKnight

4 – Mighty Heart – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

5 – Frosted Over – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

6 – Who's the Star – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

7 – Riptide Rock – Slade Jones – Sid Attard

8 – Treason – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll

9 – Money Printer – Rafael Hernandez – Larry Attard

10 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

11 – Candy Overload – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

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