Graded Stakes ‘Triple’ Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend

A graded stakes trio, led by the GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita, will kick off Memorial Day weekend on Saturday afternoon.

The lightly raced 5-year-old Bruce Chandler homebred Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) looks for his third straight victory for trainer George Papaprodromou following a 1 1/2-length score over the re-opposing Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) in the GIII San Carlos S. last time Mar. 11. Spirit of Makena is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The field of seven also includes last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up and popular 9-year-old gelding C Z Rocket (City Zip), an earner of more than $2 million.

Santa Anita's nine-race program also features a field of seven turf sprinters–led by last out Siren Lure S. winner and 9-5 morning-line favorite Whatmakessammyrun (We Miss Artie)–in the GIII Daytona S.

A field of six 3-year-old fillies, meanwhile, will line up in Belmont's GIII Soaring Softly S. going seven furlongs over the widener turf course. Christophe Clement will saddle Moyglare Stud Farm homebred and 6-5 morning-line favorite Love Appeals (Speightstown), who enters off a sharp optional claiming win sprinting over the Aqueduct lawn Apr. 27.

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Conclude Takes The Hill In Desert Code S.

Conclude (Collected) earned his first black-type victory at The Great Race Place on Sunday afternoon after finishing a debut second when he sprinted over the Santa Anita turf Jan. 21 and then when he broke his maiden over that surface Mar. 4 by 4 1/4 lengths. However, the chestnut colt missed the board as the short-priced favorite when he tried the Hillside for the first time in the John Shear S. Apr. 9.

Sent off as the 8-5 second choice here, Conclude made the front with the 1-1 chalk First Peace (Funtastic) tracking him closely from second. Setting some stiff fractions of :21.25 for the first quarter and :42.50 at the half mile, the Phil D'Amato trainee traversed the dirt and clinging to the fence began to duel with his adversary. Squaring up, they went back and forth all the way to the wire, but it was Conclude who owned the well-timed bob to secure the victory.

“Hat's off to Billy Koch and Gary Fenton [of Little Red Feather Racing], they have been really good supporters of mine,” said trainer Phil D'Amato. “It was good to have a nice weekend with them, especially getting this horse back on track. We had high expectations for him when he broke his maiden and he had a legitimate excuse last time, but you still never know until they [prove it]. I thought he [came with] a top effort today.

When asked where Conclude might land next, D'Amato said, “We will see, maybe a mile with this horse. I've got to get him to relax a little bit more. Like Juan said, he's just a little rambunctious in the gate. I think if we can get him to relax and settle down, a mile is within his scope and we'll see from there.”

Out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Believe You Can, the winner is a half-brother to SW Believe In Royalty (Tapit) and his full-sister Birdy Num, who sold for $1 million at the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2017 to the Don Alberto Corp. and who produced Montastical (Uncle Mo), who went for $425,000 last year at the OBS Spring auction to Grace Diamond. Believe You Can's last produce is a yearling filly by Nyquist.

DESERT CODE S., $100,500, Santa Anita, 5-21, 3yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:11.25, fm.
1–CONCLUDE, 120, c, 3, by Collected
1st Dam: Believe You Can (GISW, $1,280,324), by Proud Citizen
                2nd Dam: El Fasto, by El Prado (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Taegu, by Halo
($140,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Brereton C. Jones; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $119,600. *1/2 to Believe in Royalty (Tapit), SW & GSP, $194,385.
2–First Peace, 124, c, 3, Funtastic–Peace Opportunity, by Point of Entry. ($15,000 Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $65,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Rancho Temescal LLC, Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rodney E. Orr; B-Christopher L. Baker & Mullikin Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $20,000.
3–Ransomware, 120, c, 3, Ransom the Moon–Thalias Fire, by Philanthropist. ($1,500 Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $32,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $19,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Agave Racing Stable, Kevin Knuckley and Steven A. Lehman; B-Snipe Racing LLC, Steve Lehman & Or Wilke (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000.
Margins: NO, 1HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.70, 1.10, 17.50.
Also Ran: Mas Rapido (GB), Valiancer, Acquired Class.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Weekly Stewards And Commissions Rulings, May 9-15

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, 2022, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

California
Track: Santa Anita
Date: 05/12/2023
Licensee: Timothy Miller, owner
Penalty: Suspended license
Violation: Failure to appear for a hearing
Explainer: Owner Timothy Miller (DBA: ATREIDES RACING, LLC), having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards at Santa Anita Park on May 11, 2023, is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear), pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility  $2,084.55 to  KC Horse Transport, Inc.).  Suspension to commence May 19, 2023.

Florida
The following was taken from the ARCI's “recent rulings” webpage.
Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 05/5/2023
Licensee: Eduardo Azpurua, trainer
Penalty: Suspended license
Violation: Failure to meet financial obligations
Explainer: Violation – Default Judgement obtained for outstanding financial obligation for services received from Northwest Distributors, LLC. License is SUSPENDED until Respondent has fully satisfied all outstanding financial obligations in the amount of $9910.85 plus interest, and proof of such payment is received by the Commission.

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 05/4/2023
Licensee: Ramon Minguet, trainer
Penalty: Fifteen-day suspension, $500 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer:  Violation = 3-hydroxylidocaine (a metabolite of lidocaine). “MOONCAPTURE” *Purse due from Owner – Soler & Soler

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 05/4/2023
Licensee: Diley Dakin, trainer
Penalty: $1,000 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Violation = Dexamethasone. “PRINCIPIA” *Return of Purse due from Owner – Proper Fix Racing Stables

New York
Track: Belmont Park
Date: 05/11/2023
Licensee: Todd Pletcher, trainer
Penalty: Ten-day suspension, $1,000 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Having received a report from the NYS Gaming Commission Equine Drug Testing Laboratory of the finding of Meloxicam in the post-race sample taken from horse “Forte” (#2), which finished 1st in the 11th race at Saratoga Race Course on September 5, 2022, trainer Todd Pletcher is fined the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars and suspended ten calendar days.  Having appealed a stay has been granted.
Furthermore, the Stewards order horse “Forte” disqualified from any part of the purse and the purse redistributed as follows:

  1. (#4) Gulfport
  2. (#6) Blazing Sevens
  3. (#5) Mo Strike
  4. (#3) Bourbon Bash
  5. (#1) Western Ghent

During your period of suspension, you shall not directly or indirectly participate in New York State pari-mutuel horse racing. You are denied the privilages and use of the grounds of all racetracks, you are forbidden to participate in any share of purses or other payment. Every horse is denied the privilages of the grounds and shall not participate in pari-mutuel racing in New York State, that (a) is owned or trained by you, or by any individuals who serves as your agent or employee during your suspension: or (b) for which you during your suspension are directly or indirectly with training, including any arrangements to care for, train, enter, race, invoice, collect fees or other payments, manage funds, employ or insure workers, provide advise or other information or otherwise assist with any aspect of the training of such horses. Read more about the story here, including on the connections' appeal.

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal, except for the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.
One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.
Violations of Crop Rule
Horseshoe Indianapolis
Isaias Florentino Ayala – violation date May 9; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
Mckenna K Anderson – violation date May 11; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
DeShawn L Parker – violation date May 11; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Santa Anita
Abel Cedillo – violation date May 13; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes
Drayden Van Dyke – violation date May 14; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Penn National
Vladimir Diaz – violation date May 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes and three-in a row
Edilberto Rodriguez – violation date May 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

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Breeders’ Cup Offers 80 ‘Win and You’re In’ Races in ’23

Breeders' Cup Ltd issued a rundown of the 2023 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In schedule, which consists of 80 races in 11 countries. Each winner will receive automatic qualifying positions, with fees paid, into a corresponding race in the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Horses from around the globe will qualify through the Win and You're In program, now in its 16th year, for the 40th running of the World Championships. Consisting of 14 Grade I races and purses and awards totaling $31 million, this year's Championships will be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.

The first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race of the year in the United States will be the May 29 GI Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, a qualifying race for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

Thirty-nine international races will complement the North American season as the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is hosted at premier racetracks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru and South Africa.

After a successful restructuring in 2022, the 2023 series in the U.S. will again feature a regional qualifying program to balance divisional competition across the country. In 10 of the 14 race divisions, there will be one Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race per region, identified as East, Midwest, and West. The exception to the regional format will be the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic division, which will have six domestic qualifying races. New this year, all North American Challenge races must be graded to be included in the series.

Breeders' Cup has allocated $5,120,000 in free entry fees for this year's Challenge Series and will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for all Challenge Series race winners. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.

In addition, Breeders' Cup will provide a $10,000 travel allowance for all starters within North America that are stabled outside of California, and a $40,000 travel allowance to the connections of all Championship starters based outside of North America.

There will be eight automatic berths awarded for the $6 million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Lemon Pop became the first horse to qualify for this year's Classic when he won the Feb. 19 February S. at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan. The next automatic qualifier in the division will be the July 1 GI Stephen Foster S. at Churchill Downs.

The international portion of the series began Dec. 17 when the The Punisher (ARG) captured the G1 Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini at Hipodromo de San Isidro in Argentina to gain the first automatic starting berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf.

The complete 2023 schedule is available at www.BreedersCup.com/races/challenge-series

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