Tag: Sconsin

Shedaresthedevil Returns In Locust Grove; Sconsin, Bell’s The One Rematch In Open Mind

Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stables and Big Aut Farms' 2020 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) hero Shedaresthedevil headlines Saturday's 37th running of the $400,000 Locust Grove (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Run at 1 1/16-miles, the Locust Grove could be used to launch fillies and mares to a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million Longines Distaff (G1) on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. The Locust Grove is carded as Race 10 with a post time of 10:42 p.m. First post is 6 p.m. The race shares the Saturday night spotlight with the $300,000 Iroquois (G3), $300,000 Pocahontas (G3), $300,000 Open Mind and $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society.

Shedaresthedevil, the 15-1 upset winner of last year's Kentucky Oaks, has been perfect in four starts beneath the Twin Spires. Trained by Brad Cox, Shedaresthedevil surpassed $2 million in earnings with a victory in last month's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar. Shedaresthedevil began her career at Churchill Downs in 2019 where she had a 3 ¼-length debut win for trainer Norm Casse. Following a three-race stint with California-based conditioner Simon Callaghan, she was transferred to Cox in early 2020.

The now 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil is 3-for-4 to start her 2021 campaign including a one-length score in the $500,000 La Troienne. Jockey Florent Geroux has been aboard Shedaresthedevil for her last eight starts and will be reunited with the eight-time winner Saturday from post No. 7.

Also entered in the Locust Grove is last year's $200,000 Falls City (G2) winner Envoutante. Owned by Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm and trained by Kenny McPeek, Envoutante finished second to Shedaresthedevil in the La Troienne. Following that race, Envoutante was victorious in the $150,000 Shawnee. The 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo has been away from the races since June 26 when she finished third to arguably the nation's top Distaff contender Letruska in the $300,000 Fleur de Lis (G2).

Envoutante has recorded five victories through 13 starts with stout purse earnings of $571,438. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount from post 5.

The field for the Locust Grove from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Crystal Ball (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset)
  2. High Regard (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver)
  3. Lady Kate (Adam Beschizza, Eddie Kenneally)
  4. Matera (Ricardo Santana Jr. Cox)
  5. Envoutante (Hernandez, McPeek)
  6. Our Super Freak (David Cohen, Cherie DeVaux)
  7. Shedaresthedevil (Geroux, Cox)

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One and Fred Schwartz' Sconsin, two of the top prospects for this year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), are set to duel once again in Saturday's $300,000 Open Mind (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Saturday's Open Mind was carded as Race 3 of 11 with a post time of 6:56 p.m. It is the first of five stakes events on the card and shares the spotlight with the $300,000 Iroquois (Grade 3), $300,000 Pocahontas (G3), $400,000 Locust Grove (G3) and $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society.

Three months ago, Bell's the One and Sconsin faced one another in the $110,000 Roxelana where Bell's the One scored the three-quarters of a length victory at odds of 2-1. Trained by Neil Pessin, the accomplished mare Bell's the One has recorded nine victories from 19 lifetime starts and topped more than $1.1 million in purse earnings with her victory in the $200,000 Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga.

The six-furlong Honorable Miss was the first time in Bell's the One's career she was the post time favorite. Jockey Corey Lanerie, who has ridden Bell's the One in 14 prior starts, has the mount Saturday from post No. 5.

Four-time winning filly Sconsin, trained by Greg Foley, was made the 7-5 favorite in the Roxelana but was passed in deep stretch by Bell's the One. Sconsin's 2021 campaign has included a victory in the $150,000 Winning Colors (G3) by 3 ¼ lengths under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Her most recent start was a fourth-place finish behind Gamine in the $500,000 Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga. Gaffalione has the call from post 2.

The Open Mind field also includes two-time stakes winner Mundaye Call and Honorable Miss pacesetter and third-place finisher Ain't No Elmers.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Mundaye Call (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
  2. Sconsin (Gaffalione, Foley)
  3. Ain't No Elmers (Adam Beschizza, Bret Calhoun)
  4. Jungle Juice (IRE) (Alex Achard, Anna Meah)
  5. Bell's the One (Lanerie, Pessin)
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Tamaroak Partners' homebred Bango will attempt to score his seventh victory beneath the historic Twin Spires in Saturday night's fist running of the $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs.

The Louisville Thoroughbred Society, named for the downtown Louisville-based private club that opened its doors in March, was carded as Race 7 at 9:05 p.m. The first of 11 races will begin at 6 p.m.

Trained by Greg Foley, Bango has recorded six of his eight lifetime scores at Churchill Downs. Bango will enter Saturday's six-furlong affair following three-consecutive victories in the $150,000 Aristides, $110,000 Kelly's Landing and $75,000 Good Lord. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard Bango for his narrow victory in the Kelly's Landing, has the call from post No. 5.

Another accomplished sprinter that will enter the Louisville Thoroughbred Society with a three-race win streak is Griffon Farms and trainer Michelle Lovell's homebred Just Might. The seven-time winning son of Justin Phillip spent the summer at Colonial Downs in Virginia where he was victorious in the $100,000 Da Hoss Stakes on turf and $100,000 Chesapeake Stakes on dirt. His last victory at Churchill Downs came in June when he defeated six rivals in the $110,000 Mighty Beau at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.

Just Might's regular jockey Colby Hernandez is riding Saturday at Woodbine so Rafael Bejarano retained the mount from post 3.

The full field for the Louisville Thoroughbred Society from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Dennis' Moment (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans)
  2. Endorsed (Julien Leparoux, Mike Maker)
  3. Just Might (Bejarano, Lovell)
  4. Derby Date (Adam Beschizza, Jack Sisterson)
  5. Bango (Gaffalione, Foley)
  6. Mighty Mischief (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen)

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‘Extra Special For Our Whole Family’: Foley Chasing First Grade 1 Win With Sconsin

Trainer Greg Foley has no doubt that Lloyd Madison Farms' homebred Sconsin, who is named for the owners' home state of Wisconsin, is ready for her close-up. What he's not so sure about is how the 4-year-old filly will appreciate the Saratoga setting.

When Sconsin lines up in the gate for the $500,000, Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, which is a “Win and You're In” event for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, against six other top-flight filly and mare sprinters it will be her first race at Saratoga.

“Some horses like it and some don't. That's my main worry of any,” said Foley. “But she's doing great, and she looks really, really good. Whether she handles the track is the main concern. That's what you hear about all the time, whether a horse will handle the racetrack or not. Hopefully, she'll like it.”

Another concern is the presence of Gamine, the reigning champion Female Sprinter, 2020 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner, and four-time Grade 1 winner who's only defeat in nine starts came in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. The winner of the Grade 1 Longines Test here last year is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

“This is definitely a tough race, especially with the champion in there,” Foley said in referring to Gamine.

Gamine is blessed with blistering speed, which she uses to her full advantage. Foley expects nothing less in the Ballerina.

“I see one with a lot of pace, and that's Gamine. Other than her I don't see any pace. She's definitely the speed. I was hoping to see a little more speed entered in here to go with her early. I don't know that there is,” he explained. “We're not going to change our game plan too much. We're going to sit and finish, and if we can't get to her, we can't. We're not going to send her away from there trying to go with Gamine. That would be ridiculous on our part. We're sure not going to get anything that way. Hopefully, somebody else can go with her and help us out. We'll see what happens.”

Sconsin, by Include out of the Tiznow mare Sconnie, performs best when rating off the pace. She employed that running style when second to Gamine in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in May and when second to the Grade 1 winning Bell's the One in the Roxelana Stakes on that same track in her last out in June. Sconsin, the winner of the Grade 2 Eight Belles last year, also at Churchill Downs, was fourth in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

“She's a good filly. She's run with the best and run well with them. We beat Bell's the One [winner of the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at the Spa July 28] in a prior race at Churchill and she came back and beat us, and that filly is an awful good filly and she showed you all here that last month,” said Foley. “She's been training great, and really, she could not be doing any better. She looks great and she is ready to go. I'd be surprised if she doesn't run a good race. It will take a good race [against this group] but I think she's sitting on one.”

Sconsin signaled her readiness on August 21 when she fired a bullet four furlongs breeze in :47 flat at Ellis Park in Kentucky. The work was the fleetest of 62 horses going the same distance that morning.

“I've had her at Ellis, just kind of baby-sitting her down there this summer with this race in mind the whole time. I'm trying to win a Grade 1 with her. She's won a Grade 2 and she deserves this chance,” said Foley.

Not only would a Ballerina victory be the first top level score for Sconsin, it would be the first as well for Foley, who has made 8,730 starts for 1,446 wins through August 26, according to Equibase. Moreover, winning a Grade 1 race at a NYRA track would neutralize some sibling rivalry as his sister, Vickie Foley, won the lone Grade 1 race of her long career with Hog Creek Hustle in the 2019 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park.

“Winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga, wouldn't that be something?” said Foley, who is especially close with Vickie and shares barns with her at the Kentucky tracks. “It would definitely be something extra special for our whole family.”

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Bell’s the One Is Number One In Roxelana

Bell's the One showed her love for the Twin Spires Saturday in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 5-year-old mare, trained by Neil Pessin and ridden by Corey Lanerie, went four wide on the race's final turn and ran down Sconsin in the stretch to win the Roxelana by a three-quarters of a length.

In a field of six, Sconsin, who won the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes in her previous start, went into the gate as the favorite with Bell's the One as the second choice. At the break, longshot Jungle Juice grabbed a short advantage, but Four Graces and Julien Leparoux took over the lead with Jungle Juice and Sconsin tightly packed behind her. Bell's the One ran fifth in the tightly bunched field, Lanerie moving his mare to the outside as the field entered the final turn. As Sconsin and Tyler Gafflione passed Four Graces to take the lead, Lanerie positioned Bell's the One to Sconsin's outside and set her down for a drive in the stretch. Gafflione moved Sconsin to the rail, but her time at the front was brief as Bell's the One had more than enough left to grab the lead for the good. Sconsin held on to second place with Miss Mosaic third. Four Graces, Shesomajestic, and Jungle Juice rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

The Roxelana is Bell's the One's first win in three starts in 2021. Her previous wins at Churchill Downs include the 2020 G3 Winning Colors and the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff. Sired by Majesticperfection, Bell's the One is out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare Street Mate. Bred by Bret Jones, the 5-year-old mare is owned by Lothenbach Stables. She was sold by Brereton Jones to Lothenbach Stables for $155,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Yearling Sale.

Corey Lanerie knew Bell's the One was ready for her race with Sconsin. “Today I let her run a little bit out of the gate because I didn't think the pace would be too fast. Then, I was sort of in the pocket (inside of Sconsin) and I didn't really like my spot because I know she needs to be outside of horses. I took her back from there to make sure I got first run at Sconsin. You could tell she was ready to run a big race and Neil had her ready to go.”

Neil Pessin has his sights set on Breeders' Cup for Bell's the One. “The last four or five days you could tell in her training she was ready to run a big race. She got a much better trip today than in her last start. Now, we'll look to get her ready for the Breeders' Cup. She'll likely run in the (Breeders' Cup) 'Win and You're In' at Keeneland (Grade II, Thoroughbred Club of America). I'm not sure yet if I'll run her once before then or not. We'll wait and see but the goal is the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year.”

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Sconsin Using Overnight Stakes As ‘Final Hurdle’ Before Grade 1 Ballerina

Lloyd Madison Farm's multiple graded stakes-winning filly Sconsin has not traveled very far from her own stall throughout her 12-race career but trainer Greg Foley is hoping with a successful result in Saturday's $110,000 Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, the four-time winner can ship to Saratoga for the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (Grade 1).

“Churchill is home, we always prefer to run our horses out of their own stall and her track record here all made this race very attractive,” Foley said. “We had a tentative summer plan for her by working backwards from the (Aug. 28) Ballerina and so far she's handled everything we've thrown at her with flying colors. The Roxelana is the final hurdle before we have to go on the road.”

Sconsin, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Include, recorded three of her four lifetime victories beneath the Twin Spires including a convincing 3 ¼-length score in last month's $150,000 Winning Colors (G3). She finished second to top filly and mare sprinter Gamine in the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Saturday's 6 ½-furlong Roxelana is carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). The program will get underway at 12:45 p.m.

The complete field for the Roxelana from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

  1. Shesomajestic (Joe Talamo, Michelle Nihei, 20-1)
  2. Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, Ben Colebrook, 12-1)
  3. Four Graces (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes, 7-2)
  4. Bell's the One (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin, 7-5)
  5. Sconsin (Tyler Gaffalione, Foley, 1-1)
  6. Jungle Juice (IRE) (Adam Beschizza, Anna Meah, 30-1).

Fans can catch the Roxelana, along with the entire 11-race program, on “America's Day at the Races.” The action is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2. Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

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