Tag: Racing

Jay Em Ess Stable's Kentucky homebred Full Moon Madness will look to make the grade in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua, a one-turn mile over the main track for juveniles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Michelle Nevin, the Into Mischief bay is out of the multiple graded-stakes winner By the Moon, who was campaigned by these connections to Grade 1 wins in the 2017 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course and 2014 Frizette at Belmont Park. Nevin also galloped his second dam, the multiple graded-stakes placed By the Light, who finished second in the 2008 Grade 1 Prioress at Saratoga and won nine stakes in a distinguished career.

Nevin said her familiarity with the family line is beneficial.

“It's a helpful thing, but you still have to look at them as individuals,” Nevin said. “He's a very nice looking horse and very athletic. He trains well. He's ran nicely all three times and he's just a baby that's coming along. I'm not comparing him in his day-to-day training with his mother. He's progressing and showing that it's time for the next step.”

Full Moon Madness made his first two starts at the Spa, finishing third on both occasions, including in a seven-furlong sprint on September 3 that runner-up Tapit's Conquest exited to win a maiden special weight route at Churchill Downs.

He added blinkers in his third-out graduation traveling 6 1/2-furlongs from the outermost post 6 over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A. That effort garnered a field-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Unfortunately, in his first and second starts he had the one-hole and that's a lot to overcome for a baby. But I thought he ran well and respectable,” Nevin said. “There were a lot of things that were different in his last race. He added the blinkers, but he also had a much better post position.”

Nevin also acknowledged that Full Moon Madness may have moved up on a wet surface that his dam excelled on, including scores in the slop in the Frizette and the 2017 Grade 3 Vagrancy.

“That was good,” said Nevin, with a laugh regarding the off going.

Nevin said the stretch out in distance shouldn't hinder Full Moon Madness, noting that they are not committed to making the lead.

“He handled seven-eighths just fine and this is just part of the steps that we'll have to try with him. He'll show us what he really wants to do,” Nevin said. “We don't know his style yet. He's only run three times, so all of these races are just stepping stones for us learning more about the horse.”

Manny Franco retains the mount from the inside post aboard Full Moon Madness, who breezed a swift five-eighths in 1:00.01 on October 23 over the Belmont dirt training track.

Rosedown Racing Stables' Champions Dream [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a $425,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, earned a 74 Beyer for his first-out graduation sprinting seven furlongs in September at the Spa.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the Justify grey followed with a distant fifth-place finish in the one-mile Champagne which was contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 1 here.

Champions Dream is out of the graded-stakes winning Tapit mare Dancinginherdreams, who captured the 2010 Grade 2 Pocahontas as a juvenile at Churchill Downs. He has breezed back twice, including a half-mile in 50.78 on Friday over the Saratoga dirt training track.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Gainesway Stable, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, Edward Hudson, Jr. and Lane's End Racing's Signator, a $1.7 million OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, will make his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

Signator has made his two career starts at Belmont at the Big A, closing to finish second in his September 16 debut traveling six furlongs before graduating one month later when stretched out to one-mile over a muddy track. Both efforts garnered a 73 Beyer.

He has posted a pair of bullet half-mile works over Big Sandy since, including a 47.69 effort on October 26 and a 49.20 breeze Wednesday.

“He's been training very well,” McGaughey said. “He came out of his maiden win very good and his work 10 days ago was good. He blew out yesterday in 49 and change. We're looking forward to running him.”

McGaughey said Signator benefitted from the stretch out in distance for his maiden coup.

“I think he wants to run a distance of ground. He'll run as far as you want to run him,” McGaughey said. “I hope he breaks good Sunday and gets a good position. He'll finish up well.”

The Tapit colt, out of the Seeking the Gold mare Pension, is a full-sibling to graded-stakes winner Thoughtfully, who captured the 2020 Grade 2 Adirondack at the Spa; and a half-brother to Annual Report, who won the 2015 Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano retains the mount from post 3.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's American Speed [post 6, Flavien Prat] will make his stakes debut off a gate-to-wire maiden score at second asking on August 31 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the More Than Ready colt closed to finish third in his August 6 debut traveling five furlongs at Horseshoe Indianapolis before making every pole a winning one last out when stretched out to one-mile and around two turns.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, American Speed is out of the graded-stakes placed Quality Road mare Top Quality – a full-sister to Boston Post Road, who won the Pumpkin Pie here last weekend.

Mr. Amore Stable's Torrone [post 2, Trevor McCarthy] made his first two starts at Monmouth Park, winning first up in a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint on August 12 over the main track ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Nownownow at one mile over firm turf.

Last out, the $75,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase finished a distant third in a 5 1/2-furlong optional-claimer contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 2 at Laurel Park.

Torrone, who add blinkers, breezed a half-mile in 47.63 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

By Twirling Candy, the dark bay's second dam is Jessica Is Back, who won the 2010 Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder.

Rounding out the field is Prove Right [post 5, Jose Ortiz], who is trained and co-owned by James Chapman with Stuart Tsujimoto. The Justify bay, a $15,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is the most experienced horse in the field with a record of 7-1-1-1 for purse earnings of

$92,070.

A maiden winner at second asking in June at Churchill Downs, Prove Right enters from a rallying second-place finish in a six-furlong optional-claimer on October 8 at Keeneland.

The Nashua is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race card, which also features the $150,000 Tempted in Race 3. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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 Full Moon Madness, Son Of Grade 1 Winner By The Moon, Makes Stakes Debut In Sunday’s Nashua appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Some 259 days since he last raced, and nearly two weeks after he was last entered, Hillwood Stable's fan favorite Cordmaker will make his long-awaited return with the chance to become a millionaire in Friday's feature at Laurel Park.

It will be the first start for the 7-year-old gelding, bred in Maryland by trainer Katy Voss and the late Bob Manfuso, since extending his win streak to four races with a 10th career stakes victory and first in graded company in the Feb. 19 General George (G3) at Laurel.

“It's a big day,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “He's doing really well.”

Jenkins entered Cordmaker in the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic Oct. 22 but, not being Maryland-sired, he was excluded from the field. He is the 7-5 program favorite in Friday's Race 8, an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the main track.

“He's ready to go,” Jenkins said. “He'll be a little keen, I'd guess. Nothing bad, though. He'll be all right. He's a cool old horse. He's awful nice to be around.”

Friday will be the 37th lifetime start for Cordmaker but first in nearly two years without jockey Victor Carrasco, who was injured in a spill on the eve of Maryland Million. Carrasco has been aboard for 11 straight races and has won 11 times in 27 tries together, nine of them stakes victories, including the General George.

Jenkins, a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, said it's common for horses to get accustomed to a certain rider over time, particularly when their racing career spans several years.

“They sure do,” the 78-year-old Jenkins said. “You can tell the difference, with Victor and that horse, especially. But, then again, I've seen other people ride him and he's done all right for them, too. We'll see.”

Richard Monterrey will become just the sixth jockey to ride Cordmaker during his career. Steve 'Cowboy' Hamilton and Alex Cintron both won, and Xavier Perez was the last to ride before Carrasco's streak, finishing third in the December 2018 Jennings at Laurel. Angel Cruz also rode in a July 2020 allowance, finishing fifth.

“He's Victor's horse,” Jenkins said, “[but Monterrey] rides good. It won't be much difference. That's the reason that I ride him. He does remind me of Victor in a lot of ways. It's not changing much when you switch to him.”

Cordmaker drew Post 7 in a field of eight that includes The Poser, third in the Maryland Million Classic the past two years; multiple stakes winner Local Motive; multiple stakes-placed Plot the Dots, racing first off the claim for trainer Norman 'Lynn' Cash; American d'Oro, a 9 ¼-length winner last out Oct. 13 at Laurel; Famished, most recently fourth in Laurel's Oct. 1 Challedon; Treasure Trove and the entry of Benandjoe and Excellorator.

“I didn't really look through it too much. We'll just see where we're at tomorrow,” Jenkins said. “I'm not going to scratch him no matter what happens. We'll see.”

With a purse of $62,000, finishing first or second Friday would push Cordmaker – sitting at $989,640 – over the $1 million mark in career earnings. Jenkins would love to reach the milestone on his home track, particularly considering the following he has gained throughout the Mid-Atlantic over the years.

“It makes me feel good for the owners and me, and of course I feel good for the horse,” Jenkins said. “It's amazing how much horses change their attitudes when they know the people like them.”

Cordmaker had raced in 17 of 20 months dating back to the summer of 2020 before his most recent down time, spent at Dark Hollow Farm in Upperco, Md. His longest stretch between starts is 280 days from September 2019 to July 2020, when he was fifth in a one-mile allowance. That absence was complicated by a pause in racing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Jenkins and Hillwood's Ellen Charles have yet to decide whether Cordmaker will return as an 8-year-old in 2023. Ultimately, the decision will be left up to the horse.

“I don't know. We'll see,” Jenkins said. “Tell you the truth, I let him call the shots. He's older than me.”

Post time for Friday's nine-race card is 12:15 p.m. Laurel will open its doors at 11 a.m. and offer advance wagering on Saturday's entire 12-race Breeders' Cup card from Keeneland.

Laurel will open its doors at 10 a.m. Saturday with a special 11:25 a.m. post for the first of 10 live races.

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