Tag: Racing

Following a third-place finish at the Grade 1 level last time out, Philip My Dear came from out of the clouds to land in the winner's circle in Sunday's running of the $251,600 Cup and Saucer Stakes at Woodbine.

Contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the 1 1/16-mile feature showcasing Canadian-bred 2-year-olds drew 12 hopefuls (Mo Tourist was scratched), including 9-5 choice Philip My Dear, who broke from the outside post.

It was an early scramble for the lead, as multiple horses, including Philip My Dear, flashed early speed. Sooner Lunar and British Artillery eventually emerged as the pacesetters. Kazushi Kimura, aboard the bettor's choice, decided to pull his horse back and settle into eleventh spot through an opening quarter reached in :23.32.

Sooner Lunar, at 44-1, was a head in front of British Artillery through a half timed in :46.25, while Kimura was content on maintaining a patient hand with Philip My Dear, the duo sitting ninth as the field made its way into the turn for home.

A host of hopefuls began to make inroads on the leaders, including the trio of Philip My Dear, Stayhonor Goodside, supplemented to the race, and Battle Strike, all looking like serious contenders for top prize midway down the lane.

At the wire, it was Philip My Dear, furthest to the outside, crossing the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Stayhonor Goodside, who was another three-quarters ahead of Battle Strike. Sooner Lunar stayed on for fourth.

The final time, over firm ground, was 1:41.61.

“He's definitely talented,” Kimura said of the rookie colt who has endured traffic troubles multiple times in his early career. “Today, we got the 13-hole, which was a little bit wide. I just set up behind and trusted my horse, and I knew for sure he was going to kick it. I was confident when I was sitting in behind because he was so comfortable.”

“After the first two races, we told Kimura today to just break and pull him back, and make one run,” said owner Rajendra Maharajh (Raroma Stable Inc.) “It seems like he loves to go through traffic, so you got a lot of traffic today. But he ran a great race today, and I'm really proud of him and Kimura.”

It was the third win, to go along with a third, in four starts for the son of Silent Name out of Involuntary, by City Zip. Bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, he was a $100,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase from Hidden Brook.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Philip My Dear won his first two engagements, including the turf Soaring Free on August 20. Philip My Dear arrived at the Cup and Saucer off a third in the Pattison Summer Stakes (G1) on turf September 17 at Woodbine.

“The idea was to get him back and save ground,” noted Attard. “He broke so sharp and when I saw him suck back that much, I said, 'Whoa.' It was a little more than I was anticipating, but he's just got such a great, explosive turn of foot. He seems to thrive in traffic. He's just been a nice colt and a nice horse to have in the barn. Obviously, he seems to be the leader in his division right now, which is something we try to achieve every year.”

The dark bay could make his first start on the Tapeta in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity on November 6 at Woodbine.

“I don't see why not,” said Attard, of Philip My Dear being able to handle the surface. “He's training really well on it. Obviously, he has to be in good order and come out of this race in good shape. Raj and I will discuss that. He's breezed exclusively on synthetic and we kind of thought highly of him just breezing off the synthetic before we ever ran him on the turf.”

Philip My Dear paid $5.60.

The post ‘He’s Definitely Talented’: Philip My Dear Rebounds To Win Woodbine’s Cup and Saucer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Nice Guys Stables' King Cause may have been the oldest horse in a 10-horse field, but the 7-year-old son of Creative Cause pulled off a 14-1 upset to land his first graded stakes victory in Sunday's $150,000 Knickerbocker (G3) at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Ridden  by Kendrick Carmouche for trainer Mike Maker, King Cause made his 33rd lifetime outing in the Knickerbocker, arriving from a close runner-up effort in a September 14 handicap at Kentucky Downs. The win was his third this year, adding to an optional-claiming score two starts back at Del Mar and a stakes win over synthetic in the Kentucky Cup Classic in April at Turfway Park.

Breaking sharply from post 4, King Cause was rushed up to the front by Carmouche to establish command exiting the chute, claiming a one-length advantage over last year's Queen's Plate winner Safe Conduct with multiple graded stakes winner Pixelate in third through an opening quarter-mile in :25.33 over the firm turf.

The field bunched up into the first turn, causing Eons to steady, but King Cause remained well clear to lead the field to the half-mile call in :50.90. With the field separating more down the backstretch, Safe Conduct and Pixelate inched closer as Field Pass was ready to make his move on the outside from fourth position. King Cause came under light coaxing from Carmouche through three-quarters in 1:14.87 and began to draw away from his rivals, maintaining a steady rhythm as the field rounded the final turn.

King Cause, under right-handed encouragement from Carmouche, sprinted down the lane with a clear advantage and held off the all-out duo of Pixelate and Safe Conduct, posting the two-length victory in a final time of 1:50.06 for 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course.

Pixelate was game to the wire and got up in time to nail Safe Conduct by a nose and secure place honors. Field Pass finished a neck back in fourth with Public Sector, Lonesome Fugitive, Eons, Pao Alto, Dynadrive and L'Imperator rounding out the order of finish.

Steve Spielman of Nice Guys Stables said he believed in his horse.

“He was in good form and his numbers fit here. We thought he had a good shot,” said Spielman. “He's had some bad racing luck, but the horse always puts a good effort in. He likes to be on the front end and he got the right trip and Kendrick did a great job. He got the right fractions and he's tough when he's on the lead at the top of the stretch.”

Spielman said that King Cause is no stranger to beating the odds, recalling how the dark bay overcome an illness that almost claimed his life after a win at Saratoga in August of 2020.

“He ships well. He's an amazing horse. He got real sick awhile back and we saved his life. He was out for over a year and he's paid us back in spades,” said Spielman. “I've got to thank Burleson Farm for putting all this time into keeping this horse alive. He had a rare infection that they couldn't get rid of. It was right after the Saratoga race. This horse has come back and rewarded us. He's the gift that keeps giving.”

Now an eight-time winner from 33 starts, King Cause had previously contested seven graded events but failed to hit the board, his best finish a fourth in the 2018 Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby. This year, the veteran gelding has held good form, finishing in-the-money in 6-of-9 starts, including his two stakes victories and a troubled third-place finish in the Bensalem Match Series in June at Parx. Since joining Maker last September, he has hit the board eight times from 12 starts.

Carmouche, who rode King Cause in the Bensalem Match Series, said he was appreciative for the opportunity to ride him again.

“I'm just glad Mike Maker gave me a shot back on this horse,” said Carmouche. “In Philadelphia, I rode this horse and got bottled up a little. I thought he should have won then.

“Coming into today's race, [there was] not a lot of speed,” Carmouche added. “I figured let me break sharp and see where I'm at. Those guys took a hold, and I was able to walk as slow as I can and make myself a winner. He exploded home. After those fractions, you have to expect him to come home fast.”

Bred in Kentucky by Bret Jones, King Cause banked $82,500 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $601,228. He returned $32.80 for a $2 win wager. His dam is the Street Cry mare Street Mate.

Jose Ortiz, aboard the Mike Stidham-trained runner-up Pixelate, said he knew King Cause was a threat after riding him to a victory at the Big A last November.

“Mike's instructions were to break running and be as close as I could,” Ortiz said. “I felt I was following a good horse [King Cause]. I rode that horse one time here and he loved it. I was happy with my position throughout the race, but the winner was much the best today and I was second best.”

The post ‘We Thought He Had A Good Shot’: King Cause Cruises Wire To Wire In Knickerbocker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Champion Channel Maker and fellow millionaires Arklow and Red Knight plus Grade 1 winner Highland Chief headline a deep field of 12 plus four also-eligibles entered Sunday for Friday's 28th running of the $300,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going 1½ miles on the turf.

The Sycamore will go as Friday's ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET. First post on the 10-race program is 1 p.m.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's $3.6 million earner Channel Maker returns to Keeneland, where he won the Elkhorn (G2) in April in his 2022 debut. Trained by Bill Mott, Channel Maker is a four-time Grade 1 winner who finished third here in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

Luis Saez, who was aboard for the victory in the Elkhorn, has the call Friday and will break from post six.

Donegal Racing and Joseph Bulger's Arklow, a six-time graded stakes winner and earner of more than $3 million, will be looking to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10. Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow will be ridden by Joel Rosario and break from post one.

Trinity Farm's Red Knight, who achieved millionaire status with his victory over Arklow in the Kentucky Turf Cup, is trained by two-time Sycamore winner Mike Maker. Gerardo Corrales, who was aboard for the Kentucky Downs victory, has the call Friday and will break from post position two.

Fitri Hay's Highland Chief will attempt to give trainer Graham Motion his fourth victory in the Sycamore. Winner of the Man o' War (G1) at Belmont in May, Highland Chief will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position four.

The field for the Sycamore, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Arklow (Rosario, 121 pounds), Red Knight (Corrales, 125), Admission Office (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Highland Chief (Velazquez, 125), Accredit (Rafael Bejarano, 121), Channel Maker (Saez, 125), Mira Mission (Julien Leparoux, 121), Temple (Umberto Rispoli, 125), British Royalty (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121), Balthus (Manny Franco, 121), Another Mystery (Florent Geroux, 123), Cellist (Corey Lanerie, 123). Also-Eligible: Highest Honors (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Shawdyshawdyshawdy (Adam Beschizza, 121), Time for Trouble (Joe Talamo, 121), Keystone Field (Rey Gutierrez, 121).

The post Channel Maker, Arklow, Red Knight Set To Meet Friday In Keeneland’s Sycamore appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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