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Juvenile Happy Soul Much The Best In Thursday’s Astoria

Gayla Rankin's Happy Soul was hustled out of the gate by Hall of Famer John Velazquez and never relinquished control en route to an 11 1/2-length score in Thursday's $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park on Day One of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the bay daughter of Runhappy entered from a similarly dominant score on May 13 at Belmont when 11 3/4-lengths the best in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

Velazquez urged the $50,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase from the gate and quickly established command as American Bound, under Luis Saez, applied pressure to her outside through an opening quarter-mile in 21.92 seconds on the fast main track.

Happy Soul extended her advantage into the turn through a half-mile in 45.74 as Constitution Gal moved up along the rail into third. In hand and in command at the top of the lane, Happy Soul enjoyed a 6 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and continued to fine more en route to a facile score in a final time of 1:05.69.

Constitution Gal completed the exacta by 1 1/4-lengths over She's So Shiny. Rounding out the order of finish was American Bound and Midsummer Nights. Mainstay was scratched.

Velazquez said he had to ask the speedy filly from the moment the latch sprung.

“She fell asleep in the gate. She wasn't paying attention,” said Velazquez. “I had to use her coming out of there, which normally I don't want to do with [Wesley Ward's] horses because they go so fast, but I had to do it.

“Once I got out of there, I got into the position she wants,” he continued. “I just let her take her speed wherever she wanted to go.”

Ward said the improving filly will step up to graded company next out in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on August 8 at Saratoga.

“She was 1-9, so obviously we were in the right spot,” said Ward. “We'll have to step up in class and company next. She'll get back to Keeneland and prepare for the Adirondack at Saratoga.”

Bred in Kentucky by Harris Training Center, Happy Soul banked $87,000 in victory. She paid $2.30 for a $2 win ticket.

Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival continues Friday at Belmont with an 11-race card, featuring five stakes, including the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares; the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at two miles on the Widener turf for older horses; the Grade 2, $300,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses; the Grade 3, $300,000 Bed O' Roses, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares; and the $150,000 Tremont for juveniles. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Runhappy’s Happy Soul Dominates Astoria S.

Happy Soul was hammered down to 1-9 favoritism off a dominant graduation at this oval and ran to the money with another devastating performance in the Astoria S. at Belmont Friday. Shooting out to a clear lead, the Wesley Ward trainee zipped through a :21.92 opening quarter with no looming threats. Turning for home alone as the half went in :45.74, the bay poured it on in the lane to win for fun by eight lengths in 1:05.69. Constitution Gal (Constitution) was the runner-up. Second to her male stablemate Nakatomi (Firing Line) on debut in the slop at Keeneland Apr. 14, Happy Soul made a mockery of a five-panel event against her own sex here May 13, earning her diploma by 11 1/2 lengths.

“I was a little apprehensive to run her here, we entered with caution,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “If she drew the one hole or something, we may have opted out. But looking at the field, I thought it would be a good place to get a stakes win and increase the value for the owner. She hadn't had a race from her last race to this race, which I wasn't that concerned about. She was galloping beautifully.”

As for what's next, the conditioner said, “She'll get back to Keeneland and prepare for the GII Adirondack [S. Aug. 8] at Saratoga.”

“She fell asleep in the gate. She wasn't paying attention,” pilot John Velazquez said. “I had to use her coming out of there, which normally I don't want to do with [Wesley Ward's] horses because they go so fast, but I had to do it. Once I got out of there, I got into the position she wants. I just let her take her speed wherever she wanted to go. I was just worried a little bit out of the gate. I just put her on her game and let them chase her.”

Happy Soul is the second black-type winner for second-crop sire Runhappy. Cowgirl Lucky's only produce since the winner is a 2021 colt by Good Magic. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

ASTORIA S., $144,000, Belmont, 6-3, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.69, ft.
1–HAPPY SOUL, 122, f, 2, by Runhappy
                1st Dam: Cowgirl Lucky, by Stephen Got Even
                2nd Dam: Energise, by Woodman
                3rd Dam: De La Devil, by Devil's Bag
($50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Gayla
Rankin; B-Harris Training Center, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward;
J-John R. Velazquez. $87,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0,
$148,500. *1/2 to Calgary Caper (El Corredor), GSW, $335,895.
2–Constitution Gal, 120, f, 2, Constitution–Spring Island, by
Spring At Last. ($45,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $195,000 2yo '21
OBSMAR). O-Gary Barber; B-Ledgelands, LLC (Shelley Ritter) &
Andrew C Ritter & Constitution Syndicate (KY); T-Mark Casse.
$30,000.
3–She's So Shiny, 120, f, 2, Capo Bastone–Sky Ay Ay Ay, by Sky
Mesa. O-Marc Ricker; B-Davaadorj Purevragchaa (KY);
T-Alberta Davies. $15,000.
Margins: 11HF, 1 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.15, 8.70, 14.50.
Also Ran: American Bound, Midsummer Nights. Scratched: Mainstay.

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Runhappy’s Following Sea Romps at Belmont

3rd-Belmont, $85,560, Alw, 6-3, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.28, gd, 6 1/2 lengths.

FOLLOWING SEA (c, 3, Runhappy–Quick Flip {SW}, by Speightstown) repeated his 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation with a facile romp against allowance company at Belmont Friday. Disqualified from second and placed third on debut at Santa Anita Mar. 6, the Spendthrift homebred stormed home to a 5 3/4-length victory next out at Oaklawn Apr. 10, leading home a Runhappy one-two over next-out Hot Springs maiden romper Happymac. Pointed for Pimlico's GIII Chick Lang S. following that effort, he was withdrawn from consideration for that event and instead transferred from Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher during Preakness week after the former's GI Kentucky Derby hero Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for betamethasone. Hammered down to 4-5 favoritism in this field scratched down to four, Following Sea kept Wudda U Think Now (Fast Anna) honest from a close-up second through a swift first quarter in :22.03. Drawing even as he hit the half in :44.79, the bay dispatched his foe in early stretch and cruised clear with ease to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Following Sea's stakes-winning dam Quick Flip is a half-sister too SW & MGSP Qahira (Cairo Prince) and SW Stormin' Lyon (Storm Boot). Spendthrift purchased the mare with Following Sea in utero for $230,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale. They bred her back to their super sire Into Mischief and the resulting filly, a 2-year-old named Gimmick, summoned $450,000 from Mike Ryan at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale. She failed to get in foal to Lord Nelson for 2020, but had a Hard Spun colt on St. Patrick's Day this year. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $115,520.Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Ward Sends Daylight Maiden Winner Happy Soul To Astoria

Juvenile stakes action in New York this year commences on Thursday when a field of six freshman fillies assemble for the 109th running of the $150,000 Astoria going 5 ½ furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Astoria, named after a town in Queens, is one of three stakes events carded for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 3-5. Joining the Astoria on Thursday's card will be the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs over the inner turf and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental for fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward going seven furlongs over the Widener turf.

Trainer Wesley Ward, a two-time Astoria winner, will send out Happy Soul who impressed in her second career start with a decisive 11 ¾-length victory travelling five furlongs on May 13 at Belmont Park, registering an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by Gayla Rankin, the daughter of medication-free second crop-sire Runhappy was second on debut to stablemate Nakatomi, who targets the Astoria's counterpart race – the $150,000 Tremont on Friday. The bay filly was never in doubt last out as she extended her advantage throughout the journey.

“She's a nice filly and ran a good race. It looks like she can still grow into a nice frame,” Ward said. “She's doing great. She won so easily the other day that we figured we would give this a shot. She is a good-training filly.”

Bred in Kentucky by Harris Training Center, Happy Soul is out of the Stephen Got Even mare Cowgirl Lucky. She was bought for $50,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by James M. Herbener, Jr.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was in the irons in both starts and will return in pursuit of his fifth Astoria score from post 4.

Terry Hutto's American Bound gave freshman sire American Freedom his first winner and could give the 2016 Runhappy Travers runner-up his first stakes winner as well when breaking from post 6 for trainer Joe Sharp.

American Bound was a 1 ½-length winner over the Keeneland main track on debut before finishing fifth over a sloppy and sealed track in the Kentucky Juvenile on April 28 at Churchill Downs.

American Bound was a frugal $15,000 acquisition from this year's OBS Winter Sale, where she was consigned by Sharon Biamonte.

Jockey Luis Saez will return to the irons.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will saddle Gary Barber's Constitution Gal in her first start over the main track.

The gray or roan daughter of third-crop sire Constitution was a distant third to Royal Ascot bound Twilight Gleaming in her debut, which took pace over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will guide Constitution Gal from post 3.

Constitution Gal was bought from Parrish Farms consignment barn for $150,000 at this year's OBS March Sale. She is the first offspring out of the unraced Spring At Last mare Spring Island.

Mainstay, a half-sister to 2-year-old Champion Filly Vequist, will exit post 2 under Frankie Pennington in her career debut. Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., Mainstay is by Astern and out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore.

Rounding out the field are Midsummer Nights [post 5, Manny Franco], and She's So Shiny [post 1, Mychel Sanchez].

The Astoria is carded as Race 7 on Thursday's nine-race program at Belmont Park. First post is 3:05 p.m.

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