Tag: santa anita

Madone Makes Impressive Return In Senorita Stakes

In a roughly run race, jockey Juan Hernandez orchestrated a picture-perfect trip for comebacking Madone, as she saved ground throughout and unleashed an impressive turn of foot to take Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senorita Stakes by one length at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  Owned by Kaleem Shah, Inc. and trained by Simon Callaghan, Madone got a flat mile on turf in 1:35.17.

With favored Closing Remarks shuffled to the rear of an 11-horse field after clipping heels shortly after the start, longshots Stressed and Nimbostratus slugged it out on the front end, with Nimbostratus fairly running off with Heriberto Figueroa leaving the half mile pole.

All the while, Hernandez had Madone, idle since the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Juvenile Turf Nov. 6 at Keeneland, under a snug hold at the rail while a joint third around the first turn with  Sensible Cat.

Heading to the far turn, Hernandez was patient and when Nimbostratus drifted out turning for home, he shot the gap between her and Stressed and Madone responded with a solid late kick that kept both the original second place finisher Golden and Closing Remarks at bay late.

“I was telling Simon that this filly came to run today because she broke really sharp out of the gate,” said Hernandez, who collected his second stakes win on the day.  “She actually put herself in a really good position, behind the speed and then I was saving ground.

“Around the quarter pole, I was loaded.  I had a (lot of) horse and I was just waiting for some space to open and come through.  I found a spot and then I asked her, she kicked really well…She is a nice filly.”

Unbeaten in three starts at one mile on turf, two of them in ungraded stakes, Madone tasted defeat for the first time when eighth, beaten 5 ½ lengths at Keeneland on Nov. 6.  Ridden for the first time today by Hernandez, she was off as the 5-2 second choice among 11 sophomore fillies and paid $7.80, $4.00 and $3.20.

“We thought she was ready although, you never quite know,” said Callaghan.  “It's just easier to get them ready to run on turf than it is on dirt.  So we were confident her fitness level was where it needed to be and Juan gave a perfect ride.  She broke well, put herself in a good position, and she had a good turn of foot when it was needed, that was fun.”

A Kentucky-bred filly by the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Vancouver, Madone is out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Love Call.  In notching her first graded stakes win, Madone is now four for five and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $211,300.

Ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Golden was full of run while in behind horses at the top of the lane and finished very well to be second, a half length in front of Closing Remarks, but Golden was disqualified for taking the path of the original sixth place finisher, Javanica, a sixteenth of a mile out and was placed sixth.

An unlucky Closing Remarks, who rallied six-wide under Victor Espinoza turning for home, was moved up to second and paid $3.00 and $2.80 while off as the 9-5 favorite.

Wide throughout, Sweetest Angel, originally fourth, was moved up to third and paid $5.80 to show while off at 11-1 with Edwin Maldonado.

Fractions on the race were 23.85, 47.05, 1:10.88 and 1:23.08.

With the Senorita carded as the 10th and final race, a Kentucky Derby Day on-track crowd of 9,659 wagered $1.8 million, contributing to a robust Derby Day handle of $15,490,702.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.

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Bisphosphonate Complaint Issued Against Metz By CHRB

A complaint involving a banned bisphosphonate has been lodged by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) against trainer Jeffrey Metz, summoning him to a stewards' hearing.

According to a CHRB complaint dated Apr. 29, a positive for tiludronic acid was confirmed via split-sample testing from Camino de Estrella (Mineshaft), who finished sixth in the third race Sept. 27, 2020, at Santa Anita.

The now-7-year-old gelding was claimed that day for $20,000, and has finished no better than sixth in four subsequent starts for a four-way partnership that includes trainer Bill Spawr.

The complaint states that, “Tiludronic Acid is considered a prohibited drug substance Class 1 Penalty Category A,” which is the most severe classification.

However, tiludronic acid is not specifically listed as an individual substance on the CHRB's “Classification of Foreign Substances” list, which is modeled after the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

But a separate CHRB rule states that, “Any drug or its metabolite or analogue thereof found to be present in an official test sample that is not classified in Rule 1843.2 of this division shall be classified as a Class 1 substance and a Category 'A' penalty until classified by the Board.”

On July 1, 2020, the CHRB enacted Rule 1867.1, which broadly prohibits the administration of bisphosphonates to any horse within a facility regulated by the CHRB and also prohibits any horse from entering the grounds if it has been administered a bisphosphonate within the prior six months (effectively making the rule retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020).

According to the ARCI's ruling database, Metz has two medication violations within the past five years, one each for Class 3 (xylazine in 2018, fined $250) and Class 4 (triamcinolone acetonide in 2016, fined $300). Both occurred at Emerald Downs, where he has won four training titles, and on both occasions the stewards there cited Metz's lack of a history of medication violations in issuing penalties for those two offenses.

In California, the recommended penalties for first-time Class 1 violations by a trainer call for a minimum one-year suspension and a minimum fine of $10,000, although mitigating circumstances can be taken into consideration.

The complaint states that “the horse shall be disqualified and any purse money forfeited.” The complaint lists the owners of Camino de Estrella at the time of the positive test as Jeffrey West (Saratoga West), Scott Gruender (Horseplayers Racing Club) and Jeremy Hodges.

No date for a stewards' hearing was listed on the complaint.

The post Bisphosphonate Complaint Issued Against Metz By CHRB appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Friday’s Stronach 5 Features Four Tracks, Three Turf Races

An interesting sequence of five races from four tracks along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout will make up Friday's Stronach 5.

The Stronach 5 will include races from Pimlico Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields.

The action kicks off at 4:34 ET with Pimlico's eighth race, a 5 ½ furlong event for optional allowance claimers led by Colts Neck Stables LLC's Dalton, who returns from a five-month layoff after ending his juvenile season with a second-place finish against the multiple-stakes winner No Cents in the James F. Lewis at Laurel in November. A son of Kantharos, Dalton finished second by a nose in September in the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth Park. Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., Jevian Toledo gets the mount on Dalton, who has never been off the board in five starts.

Sky's Not Falling enters the race for trainer Mike Trombetta off a fifth-place finish on the turf at Gulfstream Park in his 3-year-old debut. The son of Seville finished third last summer at Saratoga in the Skidmore, second at Woodbine in the Ontario Racing Stakes and third in the Fitz Dixon Jr. at Presque Isle. Victor Carrasco will ride.

Exculpatory, who won his debut March 5 at Laurel for trainer Mark Reid, and Kwist, who broke his maiden at first asking in September for Claudio Gonzalez, return for their second starts.

The Stronach 5 continues with Gulfstream's ninth race, a 7 ½ furlong turf event for maiden fillies and mares. It's wide open with a 7-2 favorite in Maricopa, who drops slightly off a third-place finish. Kayla's Tune returns to the turf, drops from his last turf start, and gets Edwin Gonzalez.

Pimlico's ninth race, a five-furlong turf event for $12,500 claimers, serves as the third leg of the sequence. Algodonal leaves from the rail in her first start since November. The daughter of Afleet Alex closed out her 4-year-old year with her last five races moved off the turf to the main track.

The Stronach 5 heads west for the fourth and fifth legs of the Stronach 5. Santa Anita's third race, a maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies, has a 2-1 favorite in Circle of Honor, coming off a second-place finish against similar company April 4 for trainer Steve Knapp. Flag Salutes drops in from a restricted maiden special weight for trainer Carla Gaines. David Hofmans sends out Paynter's Love, who finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Circle of Honor last time out.

Golden Gate's third race concludes the Stronach 5. The mile turf event for 3-year-olds with a $20,000 tag has a 6-5 favorite in Qatar Racing's Space Odessey, a son of Malibu Moon beaten less than a length at Golden Gate April 2 after dropping into this condition from a $80,000 maiden claiming event at Santa Anita in February.

Friday's races and sequence

  • Leg One – Pimlico Race 8: (8 entries – 5 ½ furlongs) 4:34 ET, 1:34 PT
  • Leg Two – Gulfstream Race 9: (12 entries – 7 ½ furlongs turf) 4:48 ET, 1:48 PT
  • Leg Three –Pimlico Race 9: (10 entries – 5 furlongs turf) 5:10 ET, 2:10 PT
  • Leg Four –Santa Anita Park Race 3: (8 entries – 1-mile) 5:15 ET, 2:15 PT
  • Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields Race 3: (8 entries – 1-mile turf): 5:30 ET, 2:30 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Madone, Closing Remarks, Javanica Among 11 Facing Off In Senorita Stakes

A solid second to streaking Irish-bred Going Global in her last two starts, Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks heads an outstanding field of 11 sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

In what shapes up as an outstanding betting race on Kentucky Derby Day, Kaleem Shah's Madone, idle since the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Godolphin's graded stakes-placed homebred Javanica also figure prominently in a very deep field.

In a tremendous effort, Closing Remarks, a California-bred filly by Vronsky who is trained by Carla Gaines, saved ground throughout and matched strides with Going Global late to finish second, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at a mile and one eighth on turf at Santa Anita on April 3.  Going Global, who was off as the heavy 3-5 favorite, was free-running turning for home and prevailed in a thriller, after which track announcer Frank Mirahmadi noted, “Closing Remarks could not have run any better.”

The same could have been said regarding Closing Remarks' second place finish in the ungraded China Doll Stakes March 6, a one mile turf affair in which Going Global prevailed by three quarters of a length.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli in five out of her six starts, Closing Remarks will get the first-time services of Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza on Saturday, as Rispoli has engagements at Churchill Downs.  Out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks won the one mile turf California Cup Oaks three starts back on Jan. 16 and she brings an overall mark of 6-2-2-0 to the Senorita party.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Madone has been idle since running eighth, beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland Nov. 6.  Perhaps the biggest late threat in the Senorita, Madone was unbeaten in three starts, all at one mile on turf, heading into the Breeders' Cup.

A first-out maiden winner on July 31 at Del Mar, Madone then took the one mile Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 6 and in her final Breeders' Cup prep, rallied powerfully from off the pace to take the ungraded Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 4.  Ridden in all four of her starts by Flavien Prat, Madone, a Kentucky-bred filly by the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Vancouver, will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez on Saturday.

Javanica, a one mile maiden turf winner in her second start at Arlington Park on Sept. 18, was a sharp second, beaten a half length, in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at a mile on turf four starts back on Nov. 28 and returns to her preferred surface following a well beaten fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on dirt April 3.

Trained by Eoin Harty, Javanica was second, beaten a neck two starts back in the El Camino Real Derby on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields and rallied to finish second three starts back at Santa Anita in the one mile turf Blue Norther on Dec. 31.

By Medaglia d'Oro, out of Godolphin's Elusive Quality mare Shuruq, Javanica has a win and two seconds from three starts at one mile on turf and is 7-1-4-0 overall.  She'll be ridden for the first time on Saturday by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, who by all accounts, is back to his best in the saddle.

GRADE 3 SENORITA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 10   Approximate post time 5:45 p.m. PT

  1. Madone—Juan Hernandez—124
  2. Jibber Jabber—Geovanni Franco—120
  3. Nimbostratus—Tiago Pereira—120
  4. Closing Remarks—Victor Espinoza—124
  5. Tetragonal—Abel Cedillo—120
  6. Golden—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—120
  7. Sensible Cat—Tyler Baze—124
  8. Stressed—Mario Gutierrez—120
  9. Majestic Steps—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
  10. Javanica—Kent Desormeaux—120
  11. Sweetest Angel—Edwin Maldonado–120

First post time for a 10-race card on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday is at 12:30 p.m.  Grandstand admission gates open early at 7 a.m. and Infield gates open at 9 a.m.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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