Tag: Racing

Silk Racing Co.'s Equinox showcased intimidating speed in dominating the 15-horse field of graded winners in the $3,757,000 Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse.

Following last year's victor Efforia to capture the race as a 3-year-old, the sophomore Kitasan Black colt marked his first win in his first attempt against older foes and in claiming a Grade 1 race in his fifth career start, which makes him the fastest to do so in Japan Racing Association history.

Equinox registered two wins out of as many starts in his 2-year-old season, including the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G2), and was runner-up in earlier this year two jewels of this year's Triple Crown: the Satsuki Sho (G1) (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April and the Tokyo Yushun (G1) (Japanese Derby) in May, by a length and a neck, respectively.

Additionally, he provided Kitasan Black—a seven-time Grade 1 winner, including the 2017 Tenno Sho (Autumn)—his first Grade 1 winner as a sire.

The colt also posted the third Grade 1 victory for trainer Tetsuya Kimura, who landed this year's Satsuki Sho with Geoglyph, while jockey Christophe Lemaire pocketed his 42nd JRA Grade 1 win—his latest was the Yushun Himba (G1) (Japanese Oaks) with Stars on Earth—while adding another Tenno Sho (Autumn) title following wins with Rey de Oro (2018) and Almond Eye (2019 and 2020).

Sent off race favorite, Equinox was reserved 10th from the front while Dubai Turf (G1) victor Panthalassa, under jockey Yutaka Yoshida, took the early lead as expected and set a rapid pace running about five furlongs in :57.4.

Following Panthalassa, who expanded his huge lead to 15 lengths by the third corner, Equinox was seen still near the rear of the field coming out of the last turn. It was from there he unleashed a spectacular and fastest drive down the straight picking off his rivals one by one. After pulling away from a stubborn Jack d'Or 100 meters out, he finally swooped past the tiring pacesetter in the final strides to notch one length victory.

“I'm happy that we were able to catch Panthalassa,” Lemaire said. “When I saw him way in front of us after turning into the straight, the huge gap did worry me a bit, but my colt gave his best and displayed an incredible turn of foot. If he comes out of this race safe and well, he has every chance to do well in the Japan Cup (G1) or the Arima Kinen (G1). This was his first G1 win but definitely not his last.”

Fourth pick Danon Beluga settled behind the race favorite in 11th, ran strongly with the second-fastest final three-furlong drive to threaten on an inner route and while failing to keep up with the winner's speed or catching the runner-up he was able to secure third place in overtaking Jack d'Or right before the wire.

Equinox, bred by Northern Farm from the King Halo mare Chateau Blanche, is the first race favorite to win a Grade 1 flat race since Efforia's victory in the Arima Kinen last year.

The post Favorite Equinox Uncoils Spectacular Rally For Tenno Sho (Autumn) Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Norman 'Lynn' Cash is still relishing his first graded stakes triumph with Double Crown, who ran down heavy favorite Baby Yoda in deep stretch and sprung a 42-1 upset in the Kelso Handicap (G2) Saturday at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Double Crown was claimed by Cash for $40,000 in June following a narrow runner-up effort at Churchill Downs. He arrived at the Kelso off a fourth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Millions Classic one week earlier at Laurel Park.

“It's amazing. Seven days earlier, we ran fourth in the Maryland Million,” Cash said. “It was just a hair too long for him also. We thought the one-turn mile would be a good spot for him. I would rather put them in good spots and travel than stay and have mediocre or poor spots. I had a five-horse field [on Saturday] and I was hoping to just catch the board. But that horse, he just kept coming.”

Cash plans on pointing his newly crowned graded stakes winner to the $750,000 Cigar Mile (G1) on December 3 at Aqueduct but said he also could spin the horse back in two weeks for the $135,000 Artie Schiller going a two-turn mile on the turf.

“We'll come back for the Cigar Mile. We won't be the favorite again, and I'm sure there will be some big boys coming for that race. But anything can happen,” Cash said. “There's a turf mile in two weeks and we might look at that. That would give us two weeks there and three weeks to the Cigar Mile, which I think would time perfectly.”

Double Crown, a 5-year-old son of Bourbon Courage, earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for his Kelso score. A two-time stakes winner as a 3-year-old for his previous trainer Kathy Ritvo, he was a respective third and second in the Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park and Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

Cash was a nose away from doubling up on graded stakes scores Saturday with Eastern Bay, who finished second in the Bold Ruler (G3), coming up a nose shy of the resilient Runninsonofagun.

Eastern Bay, an 8-year-old son of E Dubai, was previously second to Elite Power in the Vosburgh (G2) October 8 at Belmont at the Big A. He was one of three Bold Ruler aspirants trained by Cash, who also had Steinbeck [sixth] and Jalen Journey [seventh] in the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and upward.

“That horse is an amazing horse. He's a 8-year-old and just a hard knocker,” Cash said of Eastern Bay. “He's always there and always coming. Just a nice, deep closer. I had Steinbeck in that race, too and 300 yards up the stretch I thought he might've been a winner. He's younger and just coming on, but he ran a big race, too. Eastern Bay though, he's always there.”

Cash said a return to Aqueduct is likely in the cards for Eastern Bay, who could target the $175,000 Fall Highweight (G3) going six furlongs on November 26.

“He's run twice in two monster races up there and ran second. We'll be there,” Cash said. “I was actually the favorite in the Fall Highweight last year with Sir Alfred James and he did not like Aqueduct. But Eastern Bay, in all likeliness, will be up there for the Fall Highweight.”

The post Trainer Cash Still Savoring First Graded Win, Mulls Possible Next Starts For Kelso Victor Double Crown, Veteran Eastern Bay appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Not a bad day. Trainer Phil D'Amato notched three graded wins on Saturday—two at Santa Anita and one at Keeneland, as well as one other stakes at the Arcadia, California track.

D'Amato capped his banner day with Rhea Moon, who charged home to take the $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) by 1 ¼ lengths at Santa Anita, site of three of his stakes wins.

With his biggest victory Saturday at Santa Anita coming with Irish-bred Going Global in the Goldikova Stakes (G2), D'Amato's second stakes win on the card came with English-bred Amy C in the listed Senator Ken Maddy before capturing his third in the Autumn Miss. Across the country at Keeneland, D'Amato won the Bryan Station Stakes (G3) with Irish-bred Balnikhov.

With Juan Hernandez collecting his second stakes win on the day in the Autumn Miss, Rhea Moon got one mile on turf in 1:34.44.

Unhurried in the run to the first turn, Rhea Moon sat seventh in a field of 11, about six lengths off longshot Lucky Girl as the field straightened for their run up the backside. With Hernandez biding his time, Rhea Moon inched into contention mid-way around the far turn, swung five-deep approaching the furlong pole and drew clear while unthreatened by an onrushing Nadette late.

A one mile turf allowance winner on Aug. 21, Rhea Moon, who had two wins from five stateside starts with D'Amato, was off at 6-1 and paid $14.60.

Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing, LLC, Rhea Moon, in getting her first stakes win, picked up $60,000, increasing her earnings to $191,831. Winless in a pair of starts in Ireland, she's now 3-3-2 overall from eight starts.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, French-bred Nadette flew from far back to finish second by three quarters of a length over D'Amato's Kitty Kitana.

Fractions on the race were :23.36, :47.36, 1:11.17, and 1:22.97.

AUTUMN MISS STAKES (G3) QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES
JUAN HERNANDEZ, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “I felt the pace was a little faster but when I came back and saw the fractions it wasn't fast at all. My filly she relaxed well and was waiting for me to ask her to go to win the race.

“I love to ride horses, this is my job and my passion, so I'm going to keep riding all the horses I get well.”

TRAINER QUOTES
PHILIP D'AMATO, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “This filly really turned the corner. Juan figured her out. She was very impressive at Del Mar and we had this race in mind after that performance. She was slowly developing. We had to space her out to recoup. The way she won today, she came with that run like she can run all day. The American Oaks might be next for her.”

OWNER QUOTES
GARY HARTUNIAN, ROCKINGHAM RANCH, RHEA MOON, WINNER: “I like to have two horses in every race. I was rooting for Pammy's Ready until about the quarter pole and then here comes Rhea Moon. She comes home in like :22 and change and she can fly, so I just said, 'J.J. don't let her stop coming down the stretch. If you have to go wide, go wide but just let her leave it all on the track.' and he did.”

The post Rhea Moon Rolls Late For Autumn Miss Triumph To Give Trainer D’Amato Third Graded Win Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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