Tag: Racing

Third choice Stunning Rose, second in her previous Grade 1 attempt in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), put a stop to Stars on Earth's bid to secure Japan's Triple Crown for fillies in the Shuka Sho (G1) Sunday at Hanshin.

Stars on Earth was aiming to become the seventh filly Triple Crown winner in her autumn comeback after recovering from chip fractures in both forelegs.

Debuting in last June as a 2-year-old, Sunday Racing Co.'s Stunning Rose, a King Kamehameha filly, broke her maiden in her second career start but was third at best in her following three graded stakes starts.

Two wins in her 3-year-old debut, the Kobushi Sho and the Flower Cup (G3), the latter becoming her first graded victory, was followed by a runner-up effort in the Japanese Oaks and another graded victory in the Shion Stakes (G3) before registering her first Grade 1 title Sunday.

Trainer Tomokazu Takano scored his second Shuka Sho victory since winning with Shonan in 2014 and fourth JRA Grade 1 title while Ryusei Sakai who made his jockey debut in 2016 landed his first career Grade 1 victory in the race and 10th graded win overall.

Stunning Rose broke sharply and positioned nicely behind the leaders and two-wide in fourth along the backstretch. Making headway 600 meters out, she shifted out slightly entering the short stretch and wasted no time pinning Art House and Sound Vivace in the stretch while holding off a fast-closing Namur and Stars on Earth to a half-length victory.

Stunning Rose covered the approximate 1 1/4 miles on good to firm turf in 1:58.06.

“I was able to assess the filly's maneuverability the last time I rode her and I was able to position her near Art House during the trip,” Sakai said. “Her response at the straight was way much better than her last start and although I was aware of the horses coming strongly from behind, I felt her power under me would carry us to the wire in front.”

Namur was rated in midpack, made headway along the outside with 600 meters to run, circled wide into the homestretch, and showed a good turn of speed while having to make up ground to finish second.

Race favorite Stars on Earth missed a beat coming out of the gate, was pinched back and had to race near the rear up to the final corner where the Duramente filly split horses and get into contention inside the final furlong. While displaying the fastest finishing speed, she was short of reaching the top two, finishing a nose behind Namur, in her failed bid for Triple Crown glory.

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Delta Downs hosted the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy Stakes for state-bred 2-year-olds on Saturday night as the track closed out another race week in Vinton, Louisiana. The race was won by Kevin Stedman's Late September under jockey Jose Rodriguez.

The bay colt was making his first start for Stedman and trainer Jose Camejo, who had to wait a while to celebrate in the winner's circle as a jockey's objection was lodged against him by C. J. McMahon, the rider King's Lute, who finished second. After several tense moments the claim of foul was disallowed and the win was made official.

Late September was making his first start in four months in the Legacy following at trip to Royal Ascot and was facing state-bred company for the first time. Fresh and ready to run, he broke sharply and settled back into fifth position early in the seven-furlong test around two turns.

The pace was set by Bisping who traveled the opening quarter mile in :22.73 and reached the half-mile mark in :47.24. The pacesetter, and 2-1 co-favorite along with Late September, was challenged by the eventual winner as the field entered the second turn but he could not repel the challenge. Bisping would go on to finish fifth in the field of nine.

When Late September entered the final furlong he was put to the test by King's Lute, who had rallied stoutly from the back on the pack. The pair came together in the upper stretch before Late September pulled clear to finish one length to the good of his rival at the finish line.

The Boss Soss checked in third, another 5 3/4 length behind the runner-up.

Late September finished the trip in 1:28.13 over a fast track.

The win by Late September was the second of his four-race career. He earned $60,000 for the effort and now has a bankroll of $97,870.

Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms LLC, Late September is a son of Munnings out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Hello Maggie May. Stedman purchased him this summer in Lexington for $60,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of All Ages Sale, where Grovendale Sales consigned for the complete dispersal of Dew Sweepers LLC.

In his previous start, Late September finished last of 17 runners in the six-furlong Coventry Stakes (G2) June 14 at Royal Ascot for Dew Sweepers and trainer Rusty Arnold. Prior to his trip abroad, he broke his maiden May 20 at Churchill Downs after finishing fourth in his career debut in April at Keeneland.

Late September returned $6.

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Kentucky-bred Hazelbrook added a second graded win to her record when holding back the closing bid of runner-up Beyond Mybudget to win the Ontario Fashion (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Woodbine.

The 4-year-old Bayern filly, ridden by Jason Hoyte for trainer Lorne Richards, scored by three-quarters of a length and covered six furlongs on the all-weather main track in 1:08.38. She returned $3.10.

Beyond Mybudget outfinished Imagery for second by 1 1/2 lengths.

Hazelbrook, who has raced exclusively at Woodbine, won two sprint stakes in the older filly and mare division this season– the Hendrie (G3) July 24 and Sweet Briar Too Stakes Aug. 21—and entered off a runner-up finish favorite Lady Speightspeare in the Seaway Stakes Sept. 17 at the Toronto-area racetrack. She was ready to win Saturday.

Hazelbrook, who races for the True North Stable of Keith Jones, has a 4-1-0 record from five starts this year and improved her overall record to 6-1-1- from nine outings. The $90,000 winner's share of the Ontario Fashion's $150,000 purse boosted her lifetime bankroll to $321,657.

Indian Creek sold her as a weanling to Jones for $50,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Bred by Mike Bilbrey, her dam is the Bernstein mare Zaphia.

Richards said that Hazelbrook's success on the racetrack has been achieved despite intestinal problems that have plagued her since she was a 2-year-old.

“For want of a better description, it's like a colitis,” he said. “She's got scarring and inflammation on her intestines, and stomach lining, and we don't know what's it's caused from.

“She's had some kind of trauma somewhere along the line. She's had three trips out to Guelph (the nearby University of Guelph's esteemed veterinary clinic) since we've had her here. Luckily, she hasn't gone this year.”

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