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Queen Goddess Leads 1-2 American Oaks Finish For McCarthy After Race Moved Off Turf

In her first start on dirt, trainer Michael McCarthy-trained Queen Goddess handled the conditions with aplomb, as she dictated the pace throughout and took Sunday's $300,000 American Oaks by 2 ¾ lengths at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Queen Goddess got 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:04.72.

Originally designated as a Grade 1 on turf, the eventual graded status of the American Oaks will be decided in the coming days by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Comfortable and well within herself on the lead, Queen Goddess was challenged briefly approaching the furlong pole by her McCarthy stablemate Nicest, but Queen Goddess was simply too much on the day.

A close third in a second condition allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar Nov. 25, Queen Goddess was off at 14-1 in a field of 10 sophomore fillies and paid $31.20, $12.80 and $7.00.

“She showed me a lot today,” said Hernandez. “She broke really sharp. She came to run today because out of the gate, I felt that she was trying to run to get the lead and she got comfortable there and (the other horses) let me go. She held on to the lead pretty good. Around the quarter pole when she felt the other filly (stablemate Nicest), I actually felt her too, and in listening to the crowd, I could tell the other filly was coming so we started working really hard and she just kept going, she never stopped. She's a really nice filly.

“When you watch a lot of people like today, you just feel different, you feel good and I just wanted to win a race today on opening day. I'd like to thank Michael McCarthy and the owners for the opportunity, I really appreciate it.”

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and TOLO Thoroughbreds, Inc., Queen Goddess a Kentucky-bred filly by Empire Maker, picked up her first stakes win today and improved her overall mark to 6-3-1-1. With the winner's share of $180,000, she hiked her earnings to $303,080.

Off at 7-1 with John Velazquez, Irish-bred Nicest checked in 3 ¼ lengths in front of Fluffy Socks and paid $8.40 and $5.00.

With Mike Smith up, Fluffy Socks never threatened for the win but finished three lengths in front of longshot Ivy League. Off at 6-1, Fluffy Socks paid $4.80 to show.

The disappointment in the race was heavily favored Going Global. Off at 4-5 with Flavien Prat, she knifed her way into contention five sixteenths from home, but came up empty in the drive, finishing sixth in her first try on dirt.

Fractions on the race were 23.30, 47.62, 1:12.87 and 1:38.14.

The post Queen Goddess Leads 1-2 American Oaks Finish For McCarthy After Race Moved Off Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Queen Goddess Gate To Wire In American Oaks

Queen Goddess was trying dirt for the first time, but looked right at home with an easy wire-to-wire victory in the GII American Oaks–which was automatically downgraded after it came off the turf Sunday at Santa Anita. Kicked straight into the lead by Juan Hernandez, Queen Goddess assumed command after the opening furlong and cut out the running while racing a bit off the inside turning down the backstretch. Moving comfortably through a half in :47.62, the dark bay filly lobbed them along comfortably as she began to work clear into the final three-eighths of a mile. Stablemate Nicest tried to make a race of it in upper stretch, but Queen Goddess just kept on finding to lead home a one-two finish for trainer Michael McCarthy.

“She showed me a lot today,” Hernandez said. “She broke really sharp. She came to run today because out of the gate, I felt that she was trying to run to get the lead and she got comfortable there and [the other horses] let me go. She held on to the lead pretty good. Around the quarter pole when she felt the other filly–I actually felt her too, and in listening to the crowd, I could tell the other filly was coming–so we started working really hard and she just kept going, she never stopped. She's a really nice filly.”

Of his one-two finish, McCarthy said, “I was extremely disappointed when I heard the race was coming off the turf. All four owners decided to give it a shot on the dirt and I can't thank them enough. We'll see what's next for both these horses.”

Queen Goddess graduated over the Del Mar lawn in August and added an optional claimer at the seaside oval Sept. 4. She was well beaten while trying graded company for the first time when fifth over a yielding Keeneland course in the Oct. 16 GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She was most recently third in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at Del Mar Nov. 25.

Pedigree Notes:

Yeguada Centurion purchased Royal Story, in foal to Mendelssohn, for $125,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. Her Mendelssohn filly sold for €235,000 at this year's Arqana August sale. The winner's third dam, Just Reward (Deputy Minister), a daughter of Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold), produced Grade I winner Persistently (Smoke Glacken), as well as the dam of graded winner Stays in Vegas (City Zip).

Queen Goddess is the 38th graded winner for her late sire, Empire Maker, whose 2021 graded winners include GIII Bob Hope S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Messier, GIII Los Alamitos Derby winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Classier and G3 UAE Oaks winner Mnasek.

Sunday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN OAKS-GII*, $302,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m (off turf), 2:04.72, ft.
1–QUEEN GODDESS, 124, f, 3, by Empire Maker
1st Dam: Royal Story (SP), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Bauble, by Tale of the Cat
3rd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($285,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Tolo Thoroughbreds Inc; B-Tolo Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Michael W McCarthy; J-Juan J Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-1, $303,080. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nicest (Ire), 124, f, 3, American Pharoah–Chicquita (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Michael W McCarthy. $60,000.
3–Fluffy Socks, 124, f, 3, Slumber (GB)–Breakfast Time, by Kitten's Joy. O/B-Head of Plains Partners LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $36,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3 1/4, 3. Odds: 14.60, 7.10, 6.60.
Also Ran: Ivy League, Single Soul (GB), Going Global (Ire), Closing Remarks, Charges Dropped, Burgoo Alley (Ire), Core Values. Scratched: Eddie's New Dream. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
*Automatically downgraded when race moved from the turf.

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Flightline Imperious In Runhappy Malibu Romp

Flightline (Tapit), who had given hints of greatness while opening his career with two supremely easy victories, officially arrived with an eye-popping victory in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita Sunday.

For Bill Farish of co-owner Woodford Racing, the Malibu result confirmed the faith his team has had in the colt all along.

“We hoped to win this, but to do this against this kind of field, this was the real class test for him and I think he answered it the way we thought he would,” Farish said.

Off a touch slowly, the bay recovered and clicked off an opening quarter in :22.01 and a half in :44.48 while under an easy hold. Asked to lengthen once heads were turned for home, Flightline continued to widen on the front end without being asked a single question by Flavien Prat and coasted under the line 11 1/2 lengths clear of Baby Yoda (Prospective). The final time, over what was a dull strip during Sunday's program, was a spectacular 1:21.37, better than three seconds faster than the time recorded by Kalypso (Brody's Cause) in the GI La Brea S. a couple of races prior.

“I was in cruise control the whole race, galloping freely,” Prat said. “He was quite impressive. I wanted to get a good position and get myself into the race. My idea was to get out there running and see what happened. He has been brilliant so far. He really has been quite amazing.”

A $1-million graduate of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Flightline earned no-doubt 'TDN Rising Star'-dom with a 13 1/4-length romp on his local debut Apr. 24. Gone for some 4 1/2 months thereafter, Flightline resumed with a 12 3/4-length success in a first-level Del Mar allowance Sept. 5, prompting questions on whether a Breeders' Cup appearance might be in the offing. After some deliberation, connections demurred, opting to train up to Sunday's race.

“I've been stressing the last 20, 30 or 40 days getting ready for today,” trainer John Sadler admitted. “There is a lot of pressure on you, but it is the pressure you want. It's like the high school coach for LeBron. You know you have something special and he is much the best. This horse is there. You just don't want to screw it up.”

As for where his budding superstar might appear next, Sadler said, “The next race is up to the horse. We have to be true to the horse. We will chart the course from there. This horse is so brilliant. This is not an ordinary horse, this is a very special horse. We want to do right by the horse and all other things will fall into place.”

Pedigree Notes:

Feathered, who was second in the 2015 GI American Oaks, has a yearling full-brother to Flightline who RNA'd for $390,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and a weanling half-brother by Curlin. Her 2-year-old colt by Pioneerof the Nile was exported to Russia after selling for $100,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. Feathered, who was purchased by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm for $2.35 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale, was bred to Into Mischief this year. Flightline is the 95 graded winner for Tapit and the first out of an Indian Charlie mare.

Sunday, Santa Anita Park
RUNHAPPY MALIBU S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–FLIGHTLINE, 120, c, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Feathered (GSW & MGISP, $577,474),
                                by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Receipt, by Dynaformer
                3rd Dam: Finder's Fee, by Storm Cat
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
   WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,000,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Hronis
Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West
Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Summer
Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Flavien Prat.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $259,800. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Baby Yoda, 120, g, 3, Prospective–More Than Speed, by
More Than Ready. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Pantofel Stable, LLC,
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber & Jerold L. Zaro; B-Kathleen
Amaya & Alexandro & Raffaele Centofanti (FL); T-William I.
Mott. $60,000.
3–Stilleto Boy, 120, g, 3, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John Kerber & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $36,000.
Margins: 11HF, 1, 6 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 16.10, 19.10.
Also Ran: Triple Tap, Timeless Bounty, Team Merchants, Dr. Schivel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Flightline Imperious In Runhappy Malibu Romp appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Other Baffert,’ Kalypso, Takes La Brea As Odds-On Private Mission Fizzles

In a considerable upset, Bob Baffert-trained Kalypso burst upon the scene a furlong from home and motored to an authoritative 4 3/4-length win in Sunday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes, thus providing Baffert and John Velazquez with their third win in combination on Santa Anita's opening day in and for Velazquez, his fourth overall win on the day at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

With Livingmybestlife carving out the early pace from her outside post position, eventual runner-up Brilliant Cut engaged her at the top of the lane but neither were any match for the winner in the final furlong.

Third at the rail, about 1 ½ lengths off the lead at the quarter pole, Kalypso swung three-deep turning for home and seemed to re-break in deep stretch.

With Baffert's heavily favored Private Mission seemingly never getting untracked while finishing sixth at 3-5, Kalypso, idle since well beaten in a Grade II going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs April 30, was off at 8-1 in a field of seven sophomore fillies and paid $19.60, $9.00 and $5.00.

Owned by Rockingham Ranch, David Bernsen, LLC, Gainesway Stable and Chad Littlefield, Kalypso – a Kentucky-bred filly by Brody's Cause out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Cove – notched her second Santa Anita graded stakes win of the year and her third stakes victory from an overall mark of 9-3-3-2. With the winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $480,600.

Off at 20-1 with Jose Ortiz, the Doug O'Neill-trained Brilliant Cut paid $17.80 and $8.00.

Checking in third was the early pacesetter, Livingmybestlife, who finished a half length better than Eddie's New Dream. Off at 5-1 with Juan Hernandez, Livingmybestlife paid $4.80 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.11, 44.92 and 1:10.92.

“Bob and I talked about it. We thought there was a lot of speed in the race and we knew she had speed but I didn't want to be in a duel and not have anything to finish with,” said Velazquez. “I told Bob that if she has more speed, then I'm just going to let her go let her be in the lead. I wanted to give her a chance the first part of the race and everything was really easy until I got to the three-eighths pole. I kind of got on her a little bit and she bit into the bridle, so I said, 'alright we're going good'. At the quarter pole I pulled her to the clear and from then on it was pretty easy.”

“We turned her out after that Churchill Downs race (G2 Eight Belles in April, when she ran 12^th),” said Baffert. “We brought her back and she was fresh. That is what happens when you have two good fillies in the same race. The other didn't run good (Private Mission). She was not running at all. That's not her. Johnny V. got her (Kalypso) to relax. She has a tendency to go to fast. She was really relaxed today and she was one happy filly.”

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