starlet | Horse Racing Free Tips

Woodward, Cigar Mile Among Races Downgraded

The American Graded Stakes Committee released its list of graded stakes for 2023 Friday and it includes five races that were downgraded from Grade I status to Grade II races, including two of NYRA's more prestigious races for older dirt horses, the Woodward and the Cigar Mile H. Also dropping down from the Grade I to the Grade II level were the Clark S. at Churchill Downs, the Starlet S. at Los Alamitos and the Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita.

The Woodward was, perhaps, the most surprising inclusion on the list of newly appointed Grade II races. Twenty winners of the race have made their way into the Hall of Fame, including Kelso, Buckpasser, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Cigar. But the race has struggled somewhat in recent years as the NYRA racing department tried to figure out where it fit best on the calendar on how to juggle a glut of late summer-early fall races for the handicap division, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In 2006, the Woodward was moved from Belmont Park to Saratoga. The race was moved back to Belmont in 2021, trading places with the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which was switched to Saratoga. This year's Woodward was won by a top horse in Life Is Good (Into Mischief), but the race drew only four horses and the three challengers to Life Is Good were a fairly weak lot.

The Cigar Mile was inaugurated in 1988 and initially run as the NYRA Mile. Winners include Forty Niner, Cigar, Tonalist (Tapit) and Maximum Security (New Year's Day). This year's race did not come up particularly strong as Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) beat five others.

One race, the Stephen Foster S., was upgraded from Grade II to Grade I status. The race had been a Grade I through 2018 when it was downgraded. This year's winner was Olympiad (Speightstown).

A total of 97 Grade I races will be contested in 2023.

The committee reviewed 901 stakes races and assigned graded status to 440 of them, nine fewer than were graded in 2022.

Three races were upgraded to Grade II's, the Beaumont S., the Franklin S. and the Ladies Sprint S. Seven races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III status for 2023: the Sorrento S. at Del Mar; Dinner Party S. at Pimlico; Monrovia S., San Carlos S., San Marcos S. and Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Park; and Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. Four races were upgraded to Grade III status for 2023: the Manila S. at Belmont Park; Blame S. and Shawnee S. at Churchill Downs; and Music City S. at Kentucky Downs. Twelve races were downgraded from Grade III to Listed status for 2023.

The post Woodward, Cigar Mile Among Races Downgraded appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Impressive Debut Winner Faiza Supplemented to Starlet

Faiza (Girvin), named a 'TDN Rising Star' off an impressive debut score Nov. 12 at Del Mar, will be supplemented for $10,000 to the $300,000 GI Starlet Saturday at Los Alamitos. The Starlet, which is for fillies at 1 1/16 miles, is the first of four stakes events for 2-year-olds to be run during Los Al's six-day Winter Thoroughbred meet that opens Friday.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, who won the 2015 GI Los Alamitos Futurity with Mor Spirit (Eskendereya), and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Faiza cruised to a 3 1/2-length victory under wraps in her unveiling, covering six furlongs in 1:09.28. She was a $725,000 purchase earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Mid Atlantic sale.

Baffert–who has won the Starlet five times in a row with Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) in 2017, Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) in 2018, Bast (Uncle Mo) in 2019, Varda (Distorted Humor) in 2020 and Eda (Munnings) last year–may also start Doinitthehardway (Street Sense). Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Doinitthehardway the dark bay is a three-start maiden who has a pair of seconds and a third on her resume.

Entries for the Starlet will be taken Wednesday.

The post Impressive Debut Winner Faiza Supplemented to Starlet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Baffert To Saddle Three Of Six In Saturday’s Starlet

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will have three opportunities to win the Grade 1, $300,000 Starlet – the final Grade 1 of 2021 for 2-year-old fillies – for a fifth consecutive year Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The race at 1 1/16 miles is being offered locally for the eighth time after 33 renewals as the Hollywood Starlet (1981-2013) at Hollywood Park.

Post time is 12:30 p.m. The Starlet is the eighth of nine races and has an approximate post time of 3:58 p.m.

Baffert, whose streak of Starlet victories includes Dream Tree (2017), Chasing Yesterday (2018), Bast (2019) and Varda last year, entered Grace Adler, Eda, and Benedict Canyon in 2021.

Owned by Willow Grace Farm and Michael Lund Petersen, Grace Adler will be seeking the second Grade I success of her young career. The daughter of Curlin and the Newfoundland mare Our Khrysty dominated seven opponents by 11 ¼ lengths in the Del Mar Debutante Sept. 5.

The victory followed a debut win as the 2-5 favorite July 31. She has been idle since disappointing as the 9-10 choice in the Grade 2 Chandelier Oct. 1 at Santa Anita. She's banked $226,000.

Eda, a Munnings filly out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, is the most accomplished of the Baffert trio in terms of wins. She's 3-for-5 with a bankroll of $190,000.

Owned by Baoma Corporation, Eda enters off consecutive victories, taking the Anoakia Oct. 24 and the Desi Arnaz Nov. 13. The Starlet will mark her first start beyond seven furlongs.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Benedict Canyon has one win in three starts and was third in her two defeats. The daughter of Midnight Lute and the Medallist mare Bennie M defeated maidens Sept. 5 at Del Mar before finishing a distant third in the Anoakia. The earner of $59,880 has yet to try more than six furlongs.

Trained by Bob Hess, Jr. for David A. Bernsen LLC and Schroeder Farm LLC, Cairo Memories will be making her dirt debut after winning two of three on grass, including the Surfer Girl at one mile Oct. 3.

A Cairo Prince filly out of the Indian Charlie mare Incarnate Memories, Cairo Memories suffered her lone defeat when ninth of 14 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 5. She has earned $172,000.

Runner-up behind Eda in the Arnaz, Tonito's will stretch out for the first time for Anderson Farms, E R J Racing LLC, Reddam Racing LLC, John Fielding and Ryan Lloyd and trainer Doug O'Neill.

A Blame filly out of the Street Cry mare Cry Value. Tonito's rallied from well off the pace to win her debut on turf Oct. 23 prior to the Arnaz. She's banked $56,600.

Trainer Phil D'Amato, who won the 2015 Starlet with Street Fancy, will be represented by Desert Dawn.

Owned by breeder H and E Ranch, Inc., the daughter of Cupid and the Honour and Glory mare Ashley's Glory is the only member of the cast with a two-turn win on dirt. The Arizona bred graduated by 4 ¼ lengths when stretched to eight furlongs in her second start Aug. 26.

She's 1-for-4 with earnings of $114,00. In her most recent appearance, Desert Dawn finished last of six in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5.

From inside out, the field for the Starlet Stakes:

Tonito's, Mario Gutierrez rides, 120 pounds
Grace Adler, Flavien Prat, 120
Benedict Canyon, Edwin Maldonado, 120
Cairo Memories, Kent Desormeaux, 120
Desert Dawn, Mike Smith, 120
Eda, Juan Hernandez, 120

The post Baffert To Saddle Three Of Six In Saturday’s Starlet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Starlet, Los Alamitos Futurity Headline Winter Stakes Schedule At Los Al

Four stakes for 2-year-olds – including a pair of graded races – highlight the upcoming Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos.

The season is scheduled to begin Friday, Dec. 3 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 12.

The $300,000-guaranteed Starlet, a Grade 1 for 2-year-old fillies, will be renewed for the eighth time at Los Alamitos Saturday, Dec. 4, one week before the $200,000 Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Won a year ago by the Bob Baffert-trained Varda, the Starlet – like the Futurity – will be contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Among the nominees to the Starlet are impressive Del Mar Debutante winner Grace Adler, Dance to the Music, Elm Drive and Eda.

Nominees for the Futurity, which was won a year ago by Spielberg, giving Baffert his seventh consecutive win in the race, include Del Mar Futurity winner Pinehurst, Enbarr, winner of the local Capote Stakes, Pappacap and Rhetoric.

The other two stakes for juveniles will be run at one mile and are ungraded. The $100,000 Soviet Problem – for fillies – will be offered Saturday, Dec. 11 while the $100,000 King Glorious will be run Sunday, Dec. 12. Both are for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California.

Completing the stakes schedule is the Grade 3, $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies & mares (3-year-olds & up) at 1 1/16 miles. The Bayakoa will be run Sunday, Dec. 5.

The complete LACF Winter Thoroughbred Stakes schedule:

Saturday, Dec. 4 – The Starlet (Grade 1) – 2-Year-Old Fillies – One & One Sixteenth Miles – $300,000-guaranteed

Sunday, Dec. 5 – Bayakoa Stakes (Grade 3) – 3-Year-Olds & Up, Fillies & Mares – One & One Sixteenth Miles – $100,000-guaranteed

Saturday, Dec. 11 – Soviet Problem Stakes – 2-Year-Old Fillies, Bred or Sired in California – One Mile – $100,000-guaranteed

Saturday, Dec. 11 – Los Alamitos Futurity (Grade 2) – 2-Year-Olds – One & One Sixteenth Miles – $200,000-guaranteed

Sunday, Dec. 12 – King Glorious Stakes – 2-Year-Olds, Bred or Sired in California – One Mile – $100,000-guaranteed

The post Starlet, Los Alamitos Futurity Headline Winter Stakes Schedule At Los Al appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post