rushie | Horse Racing Free Tips

Liam’s Map’s Rushie Too Strong in Pat Day Mile

Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby June 6 and behind Art Collector (Bernardini) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland last out July 11, benefitted from a bit of class relief and cutback in distance to break through at the graded level.

Away in good order from the outside stall, the grey settled fifth early but worked his way up to third and deep as Vertical Threat (Tapiture) set the pace from a hard-held Tap It To Win. Coasting up outside those two nearing the stretch, Rushie was roused to the lead at the three-sixteenths and ran out a convincing winner.

“I had the perfect trip,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “I was outside and took advantage of it. The way the race developed it was perfect, it was what I was looking for today. We sat two or three lengths off the pace and I kept track of those horses. When we turned for home, I asked him and the horse responded so well. I think the mile was perfect today for the horse. I’m glad we got it done.”

Rushie’s set of past performances is a who’s who of this year’s Triple Crown trail. He was a well-beaten sixth to Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) sprinting at Santa Anita last October, and resurfaced to graduate when stretched out to this distance (but around two turns) back in Arcadia Feb. 1. A distant second to brilliant ‘TDN Rising Star’ Charlatan (Speightstown) in a Mar. 14 optional claimer, he cleared his first-level allowance condition over GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy) at Oaklawn May 2 before his aforementioned graded tries, and had been under consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby.

“Part of me wanted to go with the Derby,” admitted trainer Mike McCarthy. “The horse was training well all along but I can’t thank the owners enough for supporting me. We ended up in the Pat Day Mile and were rewarded with a great effort. Hopefully this race sets us up for a solid fall campaign. I’m not sure which way we go from here. It’s been a long day and a tough day yesterday in the [GI Kentucky] Oaks [with fourth finisher Speech {Mr Speaker}], so we’re just going to savor this one and see what happens down the road.”

Pedigree Notes:
Rushie becomes the third graded stakes winner for second-crop sire Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song), who is also responsible for Thursday’s GIII Pocahontas S. runner-up Crazy Beautiful. He’s the first graded winner for Colonel John as a broodmare sire. Unraced dam Conquest Angel, a $300,000 OBS April grad and half-sister to Grade I-winning juvenile Peace and War (War Front), was carrying Rushie when she sold to Ocala Stud for $120,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November dispersal of Conquest Stables. Rushie is her first foal, and breezed in :21 3/5 at last year’s OBS March sale. Conquest Angel has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Uncaptured, a yearling filly by Jess’s Dream and a foal colt by Awesome Slew. She was bred back to Awesome Slew for 2021.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY LG AND E AND KU-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:34.41, ft.
1–RUSHIE, 118, c, 3, by Liam’s Map
                1st Dam: Conquest Angel, by Colonel John
                2nd Dam: More Oats Please, by Smart Strike
                3rd Dam: Miss Yiayia, by Gilded Time
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($70,000
2yo ’19 OBSMAR). O-Jim & Donna Daniell; B-Ocala Stud (FL);
T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Javier Castellano. $303,800. Lifetime
Record: 7-3-1-2, $493,151. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sonneman, 118, c, 3, Curlin–Zardana (Brz), by Crimson Tide
(Ire). ($375,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald
and Donna Adam); B-Arnold Zetcher LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $98,000.
3–Tap It to Win, 118, r, 3, Tapit–Onepointhreekarats, by
Medaglia d’Oro. O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL);
T-Mark E. Casse. $49,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.90, 25.80, 3.50.
Also Ran: Shashashakemeup, Echo Town, Vertical Threat, Digital. Scratched: Cezanne, No Parole. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Liam’s Map’s Rushie Too Strong in Pat Day Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Rushie Finds His Stride At Shorter Distance In Grade 2 Pat Day Mile

Formerly a contender for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, Rushie demonstrated a propensity for shorter distances in his decisive victory in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Jockey Javier Castellano kept the gray off early pacesetters Vertical Threat and Tap It to Win throughout the backstretch.

In his last start, a third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass, part of Rushie's finish could be attributed to his wide trip but in Saturday's race, his position sitting three wide throughout the Pat Day Mile did not take the bite out of his closing kick. Rushie and Castellano drew even with the early leaders and emerged from the final turn moving forward, holding off a late run from Sonneman at the wire.

Tap It To Win held on for third.

Rushie paid $7.80 to win. The final time for the mile was 1:34.41.

Michael McCarthy trains Rushie for Jim and Donna Daniell. He also has a third-place finish behind Honor A.P. in the G1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this summer.

Ocala Stud bred the son of Liam's Map and Colonel John mare Conquest Angel. Rushie was a $70,000 juvenile purchase by West Bloodstock out of the 2019 OBS March Sale, where he was consigned by Ocala Stud.

See the full chart here.

PAT DAY MILE QUOTES, courtesy Churchill Downs media office

Javier Castellano (winning rider, Rushie) — “I had the perfect trip. I was outside and took advantage of it. The way the race developed it was perfect, it was what I was looking for today. We sat two or three lengths off the pace and I kept track of those horses. When we turned for home, I asked him and the horse responded so well. I think the mile was perfect today for the horse. I'm glad we got it done.”

Michael McCarthy (winning trainer, Rushie) — “Part of me wanted to go with the Derby. The horse was training well all along but I can't thank the owners enough for supporting me. We ended up in the Pat Day Mile and were rewarded with a great effort. Hopefully this race sets us up for a solid fall campaign. I'm not sure which way we go from here. It's been a long day and a tough day yesterday in the Oaks (with Speech) so we're just going to savor this one and see what happens down the road.”

Manny Franco (rider, Sonneman, second) — “I'm really happy with the way he finished. Steve (Asmussen) has done a great job with him. I'm just happy with second. It changed the race (with the scratches of Cezanne and No Parole) because we thought there was going to be more pace in front. With the scratches, it wasn't too fast early.”

Steve Asmussen (trainer runner-up Sonneman and fifth-place finisher Echo Town): “The race didn't set up the way either one of them needed. Echo Town was kind of boxed in there, and then going too slow and then held up. Not ideal for him. Sonneman had trained really well and deserved the chance. But he'd have benefited from more pace as well. I think the two scratches really distorted the race.”

John Velazquez (rider, Tap It to Win, third) — “I thought he ran really well. I was hoping he held on for second but that's all he gave me. I was sitting perfect. I know the horse inside (Vertical Threat) had a little bit of speed so I could concede off him. He sat well, really nice and eventually when they came to me at the three-eighths pole I tried to hurry up and tried to keep my head in front of the other horse (Rushie) but he had too much horse.”

The post Rushie Finds His Stride At Shorter Distance In Grade 2 Pat Day Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plenty of Contenders in Pat Day Mile

One-turn mile graded races always attract intriguing fields, and Saturday’s GII Pat Day Mile S. for sophomores at Churchill is no exception. Favored on the morning line is the Coolmore contingent’s $3.65-million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy Cezanne (Curlin). A debut winner sprinting at Santa Anita June 6, he added a first-level allowance tally going this distance (but around two turns) at Los Alamitos July 2. The Bob Baffert trainee didn’t necessarily win like his 1-9 odds that day suggested he might, however, and then could only manage fourth–albeit while earning a field’s-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure–behind stablemate Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) and leading GI Kentucky Derby contender Honor A. P. (Honor Code) in the Aug. 1 Shared Belief S. With so much speed signed on to his outside, Cezanne will have to come out running and need some racing luck to work out a winning trip from the one hole.

No Parole (Violence) and Echo Town (Speighstown) have traded decisions in seven-furlong Grade I events this summer. No Parole ran away with the Woody Stephens S. Presented by Claiborne Farm on GI Belmont S. day June 20, besting Echo Town by 3 3/4 lengths. But Echo Town got the better of his foe when uncorking a powerful late rally in Saratoga’s H. Allen Jerkens S. Presented by Runhappy Aug. 1. No Parole faded to ninth that day.

Tap It to Win (Tapit), meanwhile, turned heads with a five-length allowance romp over a one-turn 8 1/2 panels at Belmont June 4. He wheeled back in sixteen days for the Belmont S., but couldn’t only manage fifth after setting the pace. He was second after a stalking trip in the Jerkens, and could find this distance a perfect fit.

Vertical Threat (Tapiture) scratched out of last Saturday’s GII Pat O’Brien S. at Del Mar for this, and gets tested for class after a 5 1/4-length score in the restricted Smiling Tiger S. July 25. Rushie (Liam’s Map) was third in both the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland going 1 1/8 miles. He broke his maiden at this distance, and his sire Liam’s Map took the 2015 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

The post Plenty of Contenders in Pat Day Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Serengeti Empress Headlines Derby City Distaff On Saturday’s Undercard

Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress, the 2019 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner who is coming off a victory in the Ballerina (GI) at Saratoga, heads a field of 10 fillies and mares in the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs.

The Derby City Distaff will go as Saturday's 12th race with a 5:17 post time.

The 14-race program begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) and will culminate the Derby that is scheduled for a 7:02 p.m. post time.

Other stakes are the Derby Day program are the the 34th running of the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI), the 35th running of the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII), the 96th running of the 500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) for 3-year-olds, the 29th running of the $500,000 American Turf presented by Smithfield (GII) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the grass, and the 39th running of the $200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (GIII) for 2-year-olds going a mile on the main track.

Trained by Tom Amoss, Serengeti Empress has won two of three starts at the 7-furlong distance with her lone loss coming to champion Covfefe in last year's Test (GI). Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will break from post position eight.

The field for the Derby City Distaff, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Mia Mischief (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118 pounds), Shesomajestic (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Wildwood's Beauty (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Bell's the One (Corey Lanerie, 120), Crazy Sexy Money (Crystal Conning, 118), Sally's Curlin (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Lady Kate (Florent Geroux, 118), Serengeti Empress (Gaffalione, 123), Bellafina (Mike Smith, 120) and Ce Ce (John Velazquez, 123).

Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord (IRE), winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) at Churchill Downs, heads a field of eight fillies and mares for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.

The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile is carded as the day's 11th race with a 4:39 post time.

Trained by Chad Brown, Newspaperofrecord returned to the races in June following an 11-month layoff to win the Intercontinental (GIII) and followed that effort up with a front-running score in the Just A Game (GI).

Javier Castellano has the mount on Newspaperofrecord and will break from post position four.

The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders and weights from the inside, is: She'sonthewarpath (Chantal Sutherland, 118 pounds), Daddy Is a Legend (Florent Geroux, 118), Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Newspaperofrecord (Castellano, 123), Harmless (Mike Smith, 118), Beau Recall (IRE) (Manny Franco, 118), La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118) and Belle Laura (Miguel Mena, 118).

L & N Racing's Echo Town, Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole and Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie head a field of nine for the Pat Day Mile.

The Pat Day Mile will go as the afternoon's ninth race with a 3:35 post time.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Echo Town comes into Saturday's race off a 3 ¼-length victory in the Allen Jerkens (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 1. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call and will break from post position two.

No Parole, winner of the Woody Stephens (GI) at Belmont before faltering as the favorite in the Allen Jerkens, is trained by Tom Amoss. James Graham, who rode No Parole to daylight victories in his first three starts, has the call Saturday and will break from post position seven.

Rushie, third in the Blue Grass (GII) and Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his past two starts, cuts back to a one-turn race for the first time since his debut last October at Santa Anita. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rushie will be ridden by Javier Castellano and break from post position nine.

The field for the Pat Day Mile, from the rail out with riders and weights, is: Cezanne (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Echo Town (Ricardo Santana Jr., 123), Shashashakemeup (Corey Lanerie, 118), Vertical Threat (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Digital (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Tap It to Win (John Velazquez, 118), No Parole (Graham, 123), Sonneman (Manny Franco, 118) and Rushie (Castellano, 118).

Multiple stakes winners Field Pass and Smooth Like Strait top a field of eight entered for the American Turf Presented by Smithfield.

The American Turf is scheduled as the eighth race with a 2:55 post time.

Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass, a two-time Grade III winner, comes into Saturday's race off a seventh-place finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. Prior to that, he had won the Transylvania (GIII) at Keeneland and the Audubon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Mike Maker, Field Pass will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and break from post position four.

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait has won his past two starts beginning with the War Chant here in May and then the La Jolla Handicap (GIII) at Del Mar. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait will break from post position five and be ridden by John Velazquez.

The field for the American Turf, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Taishan (Julien Leparoux, 118), American Butterfly (Joe Talamo, 118), Sugoi (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Field Pass (Gaffalione, 120), Smooth Like Strait (Velazquez, 120), Sunsation (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), King Theo (Corey Lanerie, 118), Fancy Liquor (Florent Geroux, 118).

The post Serengeti Empress Headlines Derby City Distaff On Saturday’s Undercard appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post