Steve Laymon, who manages First Row Partners, was searching online for potential names for a daughter of Ghostzapper out of the Smart Strike mare Salty Strike. Not surprisingly, he started with the word “ghost.” The content that popped onto his screen was surprising, if not unsettling.
Tag: Racing
Chocolate Gelato Delivers Sweet Victory in Frizette, Major Dude Takes Pilgrim
Repole Stable’s Chocolate Gelato fought off a determined You’re My Girl coming out of the turn to win the $400,000, Grade 1 Frizette Stakes by a length on a sloppy main track at the
Sir For Sure Gets His Canadian Classic Win In Breeders’ Stakes At Woodbine
It was sweet redemption for the connections of Sir for Sure, who closed the curtain on this year's OLG Canadian Triple Crown with a command performance in the $400,400 Breeders' Stakes Sunday at Woodbine.
After a forgettable experience in the Prince of Wales, second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown, in which Declan Carroll fell off the son of Sligo Bay into the first turn, the jockey took to Twitter soon after and shared, 'We will live to fight another day.'
On a beautiful autumn afternoon at Woodbine, Carroll and Sir for Sure lived up to those words.
Gaston, who hadn't run in either the Queen's Plate or Prince of Wales, broke alertly and was joined by Duke of Love, winner of the latter race, on the front end, while Sir for Sure was eighth of nine through an opening quarter of :24.94 in the 1 ½-mile test over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
The lead pair were still tussling on the front end through a half reached in :49.09, as Carroll maintained a patient hand on the Plate Trial winner, the duo running comfortably along in seventh.
It was Gaston on top by a head after a mile, keeping that advantage after a mile and a quarter. Sir for Sure, sixth choice in the betting at 6-1, began to pick up the pace, and was a menacing presence in third.
A half-length in front at Robert Geller's stretch call, Sir for Sure began to power away from his rivals as stablemate, fellow Mark Casse trainee, Hall of Dreams, second in the Queen's Plate, came with a strong late run along the rail.
At the wire, Sir for Sure, bred and owned by René and Darlene Hunderup, was a 2 ¼-length victor.
Hall of Dreams completed the Casse exactor, while Lac Macaza was third. Dancin in Da'nile finished fourth but was relegated to seventh for interference in the stretch, elevating Gaston to complete the top four.
The final time was 2:28.88.
Kathryn Sullivan, assistant to Casse, was thrilled to see the bay gelding, third in the Plate to Moira, back on track.
“It's so exciting,” said Sullivan. “I'm almost in tears. I'm so proud of him. It was great to get him to come back and be able to run the race. That's all you want, is just your horse to go out there and run the race. And he got to do that today and we got to see how good he is. It's wonderful.
“These owners are so wonderful. They do everything. They're in the stalls mucking. They're so hands-on. Just a great win for them. So proud of Declan. He rode a great race. And I'm really proud of our other horse who was second. It was so exciting.”
For Carroll, riding in his first Breeders', it was an equally satisfying outcome.
Any disappointment over the Prince of Wales is in the rear-view mirror.
“In the first turn, it was very messy,” Carroll recalled. “I was between two horses. In the first turn, I felt my horse slip in behind and when he slipped in behind, I unfortunately lost my right iron and that's when my body unfortunately twisted, and I came off. But luckily today, he got to show how good he is.”
With the win, Sir for Sure is now 3-1-1 from eight starts.
Casse added a third Breeders' Stakes victory to his name. The dual Hall of Fame conditioner also won with Marchfield in 2007 and in 2018 with Neepawa.
Sir for Sure paid $14.80.
Kathryn Sullivan, assistant to Casse, was thrilled to see the bay gelding, third in the Plate to Moira, back on track.
“It's so exciting,” said Sullivan. “I'm almost in tears. I'm so proud of him. It was great to get him to come back and be able to run the race. That's all you want, is just your horse to go out there and run the race. And he got to do that today and we got to see how good he is. It's wonderful.
“These owners are so wonderful. They do everything. They're in the stalls mucking. They're so hands-on. Just a great win for them. So proud of Declan. He rode a great race. And I'm really proud of our other horse who was second. It was so exciting.”
For Carroll, riding in his first Breeders' Stakes, it was an equally satisfying outcome.
The post Sir For Sure Gets His Canadian Classic Win In Breeders’ Stakes At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Midnight Memories Dominates Zenyatta Rivals
Ridden aggressively by Ramon Vazquez, Midnight Memories pressed dueling leaders Awake at Midnyte and Soothsay leaving the half-mile pole, wheeled three-deep turning for home and marched to an emphatic 3 ¼-length win in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Bob Baffert, Midnight Memories got 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.07 and will likely be pointed to the $2-million Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
A gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at one mile on Sept. 4, Midnight Memories burst clear leaving the furlong pole in what appeared to be her best race to date. A winner of four out of her five starts, was off as the 8-5 favorite among five fillies and mares three and up and paid $5.20, $2.60 and $2.10.
Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Midnight Memories, a 3-year-old filly by Mastery out of the Midnight Lute mare Tiz Midnight, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $286,680.
Head and head for the lead for most of the trip, Awake At Midnyte held the place under Mario Gutierrez, finishing a neck clear of an onrushing Empire House. Off at 9-5, Awake At Midnyte paid $2.40 and $2.20.
Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, longshot Empire House rallied from last to just miss second money and paid $3.20 to show while off at 23-1.
Fractions on the race were 24.16, 48.26, 1:11.97 and 1:38.21.
JOCKEY QUOTES
RAMON VAZQUEZ, MIDNIGHT MEMORIES, WINNER: “I felt really good today. I concentrated on the race and told myself to do my best. From the beginning of the race, we took a nice position, and in the last quarter (Midnight Memories) ran really well.”
TRAINER QUOTES
BOB BAFFERT, MIDNIGHT MEMORIES, WINNER: “We have taken our time with her. The Mastery fillies seem to be slow coming around. We have had to be patient with her. She got into a nice rhythm today and when Ramon asked her in the lane, she took off. She is really improving. I'm not sure what the (Breeders' Cup) Dirty Dozen means, but we'll figure it out.”
ON THE BREEDERS' CUP POSSIBILITY: “We'll think it out. We have a few spots held on the plane. We just have to figure out who's going to fill those spots.”
ON THE BREEDERS' CUP POSSIBILITY: “We'll think it out. We have a few spots held on the plane. We just have to figure out who's going to fill those spots.”
OWNER QUOTES
PAUL WEITMAN, CO-OWNER/BREEDER, MIDNIGHT MEMORIES, WINNER: “I thought it was good, (Ramon Vazquez) did extremely good. She had a little problem coming out of the gate. She was like spinning her wheels, but he was patient with her, brought her up and turned for home fast.
“She's had a little tiny problem sometimes in the Paddock of acting up just a little bit, but today she was calm, and I watched her in the Paddock, and she was as calm as she could be. I think that is important that she doesn't get worked up.”
“She's had a little tiny problem sometimes in the Paddock of acting up just a little bit, but today she was calm, and I watched her in the Paddock, and she was as calm as she could be. I think that is important that she doesn't get worked up.”
The post Midnight Memories Dominates Zenyatta Rivals appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
