Tag: Racing

Ready for the Lady, under Emma-Jayne Wilson, roared home to take the $154,200 Singspiel Stakes (G3), run Sunday at 1 3/8 miles on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Collective Force broke sharply and was sent to the lead early in the Singspiel, followed by even-money choice King Vega and Elusive Knight, while Ready for the Lady, 14-1 on the toteboard, was last of six.

Collective Force was 1 ½ lengths on top through a quarter in :26.72. A headstrong King Vega was second to the outside while Elusive Knight was a head back in third.

Still on top by 1 ½ after a half in :52.27, Collective Force braced for a bid by King Vega, while Ready for the Lady wasn't quite ready to join the pacesetters, remaining in sixth spot.

As the field worked their way off the final turn, King Vega took over the lead, but was immediately confronted by British Royalty to the outside in early stretch, as Collective Force dug in along the rail, while Wilson and Ready for the Lady still had plenty of work to do.

With the wire drawing ever closer, Ready for the Lady finally hit his best stride late, wearing down his rivals with a strong turn of foot to notch a three-quarter length triumph in a time of 2:18.12 over good going.

British Royalty was second, Collective Force third and King Vega finished fourth.

“He just keeps coming,” said Wilson. “I was confident that he'd suit the distance and very optimistic about the ground – it had some cut to it – but he traveled over it nicely. I had to motivate him quite early and build and build, but I'll tell you, when we straightened, he had dead aim on them and he was just flying. I was impressed.”

It was the first stakes win and second victory from eight starts for the Charles Fipke homebred. The 3-year-old More Than Ready colt arrived at the Singspiel off a maiden-breaking effort on July 23.

Fipke, who watched his Shirl's Speight finish a troubled fourth in Saturday's $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1), was elated with today's outcome.

“I have to say it was a brilliant ride. She did such a wonderful job. Roger did a wonderful job of training too.”

For Attfield, who won five straight editions of the race, from 2009-13, it was his ninth career Singspiel title.

Focus, he noted, has been a big key in the Kentucky-bred's turnaround.

“Actually, he was a horse that he was so studdish last year, he just didn't have any desire. I knew there was ability there, but he wasn't putting it out.

“All of the sudden he started to do better better and put his mind to it a little bit more and allowed me to train him a little bit harder. This was kind of an interesting experiment almost because I wasn't going in this race originally. I knew that a mile and three-eighths was probably a better race for him than the allowance race. When I heard it that it rained here, I thought that would help him too.”

Ready for the Lady, who was produced by the Perfect Soul mare Perfect Lady, paid $30.60.

The post ‘He Had Dead Aim On Them And He Was Just Flying’: Wilson Guides Ready For The Lady From Last To First For Singspiel Upset appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Klaravich Stables' Faith in Humanity topped a trifecta of Chad Brown-trained horses in Sunday's $150,000 Pebbles (G3), a one-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The victory marked a record-extending fifth Pebbles score for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner, who also saddled runner-up Gina Romantica and third-place Bahamian Club.

The Manny Franco-piloted Faith in Humanity, a French-bred daughter of Lope de Vega, posted a gate-to-wire score and avenged her last-out defeat to Gina Romantica in the restricted Riskaverse on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

Franco said he knew that Gina Romantica would come calling late in the lane.

“I was worried about that one because she beat me last time and I knew that was the horse to beat, but at the same time I had a good feeling going to the three-eighths pole because I knew I had horse,” Franco said. “I knew they'd have to run hard to get me. The turns are pretty good for the horses being near the pace.”

A debut winner in July at Monmouth Park ahead of the Riskaverse, Faith in Humanity led the field through splits of :24.13, 49.55, and 1:13.65 over the firm going from post 4, as A Mo Reay tracked in second position with Breeze Easy saving ground in third.

The pacesetter opened up a 2 1/2-length lead at the stretch call as the Flavien Prat-piloted Gina Romantica came with her wide bid, easily surging past A Mo Reay to take aim at the leader. Gina Romantica fought gamely down the lane but Faith in Humanity continued to find more, staving off her stablemate for a half-length score in a final time of 1:36.36.

Gina Romantica completed the exacta by three-quarters of a length over Bahamian Club with the late-running Majestic Glory, A Mo Reay, Miss Carol Ann, Golden Rocket, Sail By and Breeze Easy completing the order of finish. Howdyoumakeurmoney, Lia Marina, Saratoga Chrome and Wonka were scratched.

Franco said his filly was traveling easily on the lead.

“She was so nice and comfortable on the lead with her ears up,” Franco said. “I think that was the key, that she relaxed for me. I had a lot of horse under me when I asked her to go.”

Prat said Gina Romantica, who rallied from deep to win the 1 1/16-mile Riskaverse, may have been hampered by her outside post.

“I got myself as close as I could from that post and then there was a slow pace,” Prat said. “The leader is actually a good filly, she kicked home and we just ran out of ground.”

Brown, who won three races on Sunday's card, has captured the Pebbles previously with Partisan Politics [2015], Rubilinda [2017], Stella di Camelot [2018] and Blowout [2019]. Earlier on Sunday's program, Brown sent out Klaravich Stables' Expected Value [Race 1] and Peter Brant's Veronica Greene [Race 3] to maiden special weight scores.

Bred in France by Ecurie Des Monceaux and Lordship Stud Limited, Faith in Humanity was produced by the  Fastnet Rock mare Sharavana. She banked $82,500 in victory, while improving her record to 2-1-0 from three starts. The Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale purchase returned $13.80 for a $2 win ticket.

The post ‘I Had A Lot of Horse Under Me When I Asked Her To Go’: Faith In Humanity Romps Gate To Wire For Franco In Pebbles appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Creative Minister, the third-place finisher in the Preakness Stakes (G1) this spring, is expected for the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sunday, Sept. 25, at Remington Park.

Trainer Ken McPeek conditions the son of Creative Cause out of the Tapit mare Tamboz for owners Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing.

Creative Minister was beaten by Early Voting in the Preakness by 3 1/2 lengths. He was only 2 1/4 lengths behind Epicenter, the Preakness runner-up who has since stamped himself as the top 3-year-old in the country.

The Oklahoma Derby, a race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles, is set for the only Sunday of the meet. A total of eight stakes races are scheduled for the richest afternoon of the season – the cornerstone Oklahoma Derby, the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, the $150,000 David Vance Stakes for sprinters, the Flashy Lady Stakes, the Ricks Memorial Stakes, the Remington Green Stakes on the turf, the Kip Deville Stakes for 2-year-olds, and the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Creative Minister has yet to win a stakes race in his seven career starts but has been competitive with the best sophomore runners in the country. An indication of that is his $426,045 bankroll even though he is still eligible for non-winners of three races lifetime.

Another horse from the McPeek barn who is possible for the Oklahoma Derby is Rattle N Roll. The colt Connect out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune is coming off a win in the St. Louis Derby at the old Fairmount Park, now known as FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing. He won that race by 4 1/2 lengths. Earlier in the year, Rattle N Roll ran third to Cyberknife in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Brad Cox, who has saddled the three most recent winners of the Oklahoma Derby, is expected to ship Home Brew in for this year's edition. This son of Street Sense out of the Tapit mare Omnitap has won four of seven starts in his career with his top wins coming in the Oaklawn Stakes in Hot Springs, Ark., and Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. He won the Oaklawn Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on April 23 and scored by 6 1/4 lengths in the Pegasus on June 18. Cox trains the colt for owners Gary and Mary West.

Cox previously won the Oklahoma Derby with Owendale in 2019, Shared Sense in 2020, and Warrant last year.

Some of the other Oklahoma Derby prospects expected are:

• A. P.'s Secret – A colt by Cupid is trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., who won the Springboard Mile last year with Make it Big. A.P.'s Secret ran fourth in the Wood Memorial (G1)  this spring while on the Triple Crown trail. He is owned by Anthony Gentry.
• Great Escape – A colt by Midnight Storm is coming off a win in the Canadian Derby (G3) for trainer Robertino Diodoro. The win came over the Century Mile track in Edmonton, Alberta. That was his first stakes triumph.
• Red Knobs – Another colt that Diodoro could send to the Oklahoma Derby. This son of Union Rags,  like his stablemate Great Escape, has had some success in Canada. He won theManitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs, beating Great Escape. He then came back and ran second to him in the Canadian Derby the next out. The Manitoba Derby was at 1 1/8 miles, like the Oklahoma Derby, and the Canadian Derby was run at 1 1/4 miles.
• Maximum Impact – A colt by New Year's Day won an allowance race at Laurel Park in Maryland on Aug. 7 and is looking for his first stakes win for trainer Norman Cash and owner Built Wright Stables.
• King Ottoman– A colt by Curlin,  won the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie on May 30 is seeking his second stakes triumph for racing's all-time winning trainer, Steve Asmussen. The Hall of Fame conditioner sent King Ottoman out to a third-place run in the Indiana Derby (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 9 before he finished fifth in the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park on Aug. 6.

The post-position draw for the Oklahoma Derby will be conducted on Thursday morning, Sept. 22, in the Remington Park racing office.

The Oklahoma Derby program will cap the only five-date race week of the season. Remington Park action will take place Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 21-25. The first race nightly is at 7:07 p.m. (CT), with the Oklahoma Derby card on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The post McPeek-Trained Creative Minister, Rattle N Roll Among Possibles For Oklahoma Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jay Em Ess Stable's Miles Ahead finished in front of pacesetter Isolate and closer Necker Island to prevail by the slimmest of margins in a three-horse photo in Saturday's $265,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs.

Miles Ahead ran six furlongs in 1:09.02 under jockey Martin Garcia, who piloted the winner for trainer Paul McGee and owner Samantha Siegel.

Isolate was a tough-luck runner-up as he made all of the running early on. He led the field of eight older horses through fast fractions of :21.34 and :44.15 as Miles Ahead tracked from fourth and relaxed from sixth.

Miles Ahead was urged throughout but was able to sustain his grinding charge. After attempting a bid along the inside, he altered his course to the outside of Isolate as they approached the sixteenth pole and surged in the final yards to prevail in a tight three-way head bob.

“The more I asked of him late the more he found,” Garcia said. “The race set up really well for us and in deep stretch (Isolate) kind of came in front of us but I was able to draw alongside and he dug in to hold him off.”

Miles Ahead won for the 12th time in 25 starts and the $165,315 payday jumped the Kentucky-bred's career earnings to $644,503. It was his third career stakes win and first outside of Gulfstream Park. A year ago, he won the Smile Sprint (G3). In February, he defeated Drain the Clock by a neck to win the $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint. Previously, Miles Ahead finished a hard-luck second in the July 2 Kelly's Landing at Churchill Downs.

“We gave him a break after the Kelly's Landing and aimed for this spot all summer,” McGee said of the 5-year-old son of Competitive Edge out of the Awesome Again mare Jennie R.. “He was training well coming into this race and fired a big effort off the break.”

Miles Ahead, who was bred in Kentucky by  Nicholas M. Lotz and Betsy Kelley, paid $7.46 as the 5-2 third betting choice. Isolate, the 8-5 favorite ridden by Joel Rosario, finished a nose to the good of Necker Island with Francisco Arrieta in the saddle.

After the noses, it was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Manny Wah in fourth, who was followed by Top Gunner, Baytown Bear, Robo Man, and A C Expressway.

The race is named for the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, which opened for regular hours of operation in March 2021. The Louisville Thoroughbred Society is Louisville's only on-site wagering by Churchill Downs in the heart of Louisville's metropolitan scene. The premier club for Thoroughbred enthusiasts is open for private membership applications, and reservations for special events are being accepted. For more information, visit www.thelouisvillethoroughbredsociety.com.

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