Tag: sweet life stakes

Urban Appears Filly To Beat In Down-The-Hill Sweet Life Stakes

In a race in which all 10 entrants will be trying Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course for the first time, the Simon Callaghan-conditioned Urban, fresh off an impressive maiden score, appears to be the filly to beat in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Trainer Graham Motion's French-bred Ouraika, who comes off a solid second in an allowance race at Aqueduct, ships in from Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and helps to make the Sweet Life a very deep and competitive affair.

Add in Phil D'Amato's Kitty Kitana, who was a solid second to the top choice in her U.S. debut and punters will have plenty of pari-mutuel options on Saturday.

Off as the 2-1 favorite going 6 ½ furlongs out of Santa Anita's turf chute on Jan. 8, Urban was attentive to the early pace without being asked, swung off the rail two-wide turning for home and prevailed the three quarters of a length while appearing to win with deceptive ease under Flavien Prat, who rides her back in the Sweet Life.

Owned by Gainesway Stable, LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing, Urban, who has now sprinted four times on grass, will be making her initial stakes appearance. A $375,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase in May of last year, Urban, who is by Quality Road and is out of the Sky Mesa mare Moonlight Sky, has a win, a second and two thirds and has earnings of $75,920.

A winner of one of her three starts in her native France at age two, Ouraika made her U.S. debut going a mile and one sixteenth on grass in an ungraded stakes at Belmont Park on Nov. 6. Off at 8-1 in a field of nine juvenile fillies, she finished an even fourth, beaten seven lengths. Wheeled back in a six furlong turf allowance at Aqueduct Dec. 3, Ouraika pressed the pace and finished a much improved second, beaten a half length.

With Juan Hernandez appearing to have taken off recent one mile maiden turf winner I Got a Gal to ride Ouraika, look for her to be well supported in her Southern California debut. Owned by Michael Dubb and Madaket Stables, LLC, Ouraika was favored in two out of her three French starts, including a 3 ½ maiden win four starts back versus 12 rivals going seven furlongs on grass July 11.

Second in a field of 14 juvenile fillies in her debut going seven furlongs on synthetic Sept. 24 in Ireland, English-bred Kitty Kitana rallied from off the pace to finish second, beaten three quarters of a length by Urban in her U.S. debut going 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute Jan. 8.

Although Urban appeared to win in better than looked fashion, Kitty Kitana was certainly not asked for her absolute best and would appear to have considerable upside with John Velazquez taking over on Saturday. Owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables, LLC, Kitty Kitana will try to put a win alongside her two seconds in what will be her third career start.

THE GRADE 3 SWEET LIFE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Ellamira—Tyler Baze–124
  2. Ouraika—Juan Hernandez—120
  3. I Got a Gal—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Half Past Twelve—Kyle Frey
  5. Dolly May—Ryan Curatolo—120
  6. Baby Steps—Mike Smith—120
  7. Kitty Kitana—John Velazquez—120
  8. Impeached Alexander—Ricardo Gonzalez–120
  9. Urban—Flavien Prat—120
  10. She's So Shiny – Drayden Van Dyke – 120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Going Global Makes Stylish U.S. Debut In Sweet Life Stakes

In her first stateside start, Irish-bred Going Global unleashed a furious stretch rally to take Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita by a widening half length under Flavien Prat.  Trained by Phil D'Amato, Going Global, who had been idle since Nov. 11 in her native Ireland, got six furlongs on turf in 1:07.68 at the Arcadia, Calif., oval.

Unhurried but in contention while about 6 ½ lengths off the lead at the half-mile pole, Going Global, in an eye-catching move, was able to save ground while full of run at the rail around the far turn, shifted into the four-path a furlong out and blew by front-running Five Pics Please in the shadow of the wire in a most impressive effort.

“I watched her last race and you could see she could run,” said Prat.  “Phil talked to me this morning and said they really liked her.  She's a little tough, likes to do things her way, but she was very professional.”

Purchased for $16,900 at public auction as a yearling, Going Global, who registered a 1 ¼-length win versus 13 rivals that included males on Nov. 11, had a steady series of drills on Santa Anita's inner dirt training track and paid $19.80, $9.60 and $6.60 while off at 8-1 in a field of 12 sophomore fillies.

“We were trying to point for an allowance race for the last couple weeks and it didn't come,” said D'Amato, who registered his sixth stake win of the meet.  “It was one of those things.  She trained well enough to where I thought she merited a chance in here.  So, either run or wait a while until the allowance goes.  Luckily, we were able to get Flavien here and a beautiful trip.

“I think the sky is the limit for this filly.  Flavien hinted that she could definitely use some more ground, so we'll definitely look at the two turn stakes schedule here and go from there.”

Owned by Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, Going Global, a filly by Mehmas out of the Invasor mare Wrood, now has two wins from five overall starts.  With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $68,792.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Five Pics Please set fractions of :21.65, :44.16 and :55.85 and held second by three quarters of a length over Nimbostratus.  Off at 9-1, Five Pics Please paid $10.40 and $7.00.

French-bred Nimbostratus, with Joel Rosario up, paid $5.40 to show and finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 9-5 favorite Majestic Steps, who had no apparent excuses.

Note:  Prat also went on to win Sunday's eighth and ninth races, giving him four on the day and 27 for the meet, putting Prat and Umberto Rispoli in a tie for the lead.

Racing resumes with an eight-race Presidents Day holiday card on Monday with a 12:30 p.m. PT first post.

The post Going Global Makes Stylish U.S. Debut In Sweet Life Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Irish Imports Majestic Steps, Going Global Headline Sunday’s Sweet Life Stakes

An impressive winner of her U.S. debut going six furlongs on turf on Jan. 2, trainer Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Majestic Steps figures tough right back among a competitive field of 12 sophomore fillies going the same distance out of Santa Anita's turf chute in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes.

D'Amato will also be represented by another Irish-bred in the Sweet Life, Going Global, who has been idle since defeating 13 rivals in open company going seven furlongs on synthetic Nov. 11 in Ireland. Although she's an unknown, she gets the services of Flavien Prat, which will likely ensure she gets ample pari-mutuel attention.

A four length maiden winner over the course on Jan. 2, trainer Simon Callaghan's impeccably bred Freedom Flyer rates a huge chance in what will be her sixth start. Another very interesting commodity is John Sadler's speedy Five Pics Please, who shipped in from Mountaineer Park and sped to a three quarter length gate to wire allowance tally here on Jan. 10.

Owned by Michael House, Majestic Steps did everything right in breaking her maiden here in her fifth career start Jan. 2. Mid-pack early as a field of nine fillies came out of the turf chute, she was in tight quarters between horses at the 3 ½ pole, knifed her way through while into the bridle, cut to the rail and appeared to idle a bit while awaiting room three sixteenths out.

With Umberto Rispoli at the controls, she unleashed an impressive turn of foot and like so many of D'Amato's turf runners, made a successful transition from a steady series of training track drills to a big performance sprinting on turf. Off at 8-1 in her U.S. debut, she figures to be a much shorter price in the Sweet Life, which will be her first group or graded assignment.

With a consistent diet of dirt drills on Santa Anita's inner training track to her credit, Going Global looms a huge question mark in this deep and competitive field. Owned by Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, Ray Pagano and John Rochfort, Going Global was off at 16-1 in her maiden win over synthetic on Nov. 11 and it'll be interesting to see how the betting goes in her U.S. debut.

A $450,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase last April, Freedom Flyer, who is by Constitution out of the Carson City mare Rebuke, was off as the 5-2 favorite in a field of 10 going six furlongs on turf Jan. 2 and registered a resounding gate to wire score under Ricky Gonzalez, who rides her back. Owned by James D. Branham and Marsha Naify, Freedom Flyer has been off the board just once in five starts and should be well supported in the Sweet Life.

Richard Mandella's Pizzazz, who has routed on turf in her last four starts, including a close fourth in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar two starts back on Nov. 28, would appear to have a big shot with Mike Smith riding back. A Bass Stables homebred daughter of War Front, she comes off a disappointing fourth in the one mile turf Blue Norther Stakes here on Dec. 31 and is one of several who figures to be rolling from off the pace.

Owned by Desert Sun Stables, Five Pics Please, who had not raced on turf in her previous three starts, was dismissed at 29-1 in her Southern California debut, but she sped to the lead with Rispoli and never looked back although she was tiring late. A Kentucky-bred daughter of the Indian Charlie stallion Cinco Charlie, she's out of the Congrats mare No Pictures Please. With Rispoli opting to stay with Majestic Steps, Sadler will look to Tyler Baze to execute a potential front-running heist.

Doug O'Neill's Plum Sexy, who closed much ground to be third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Five Pics Please on Jan. 10, would appreciate a fast pace and looms dangerous at a price with Heriberto Figueroa back aboard. Owned by C T R Stables, LLC, Wonderland Racing Stables, Bob and Sheila Bambauer and Steve Rothblum, Plum Sexy was a first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs on turf here and subsequently showed early speed before finishing eighth in the Jimmy Durante Stakes on Nov. 28 at Del Mar. With a hot pace likely, look or Plum Sexy to be back off the early pace on Sunday.

THE GRADE 3 SWEET LIFE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

  1. Nimbostratus—Joel Rosario—122
  2. Freedom Flyer—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
  3. Going Global—Flavien Prat—122
  4. Go Greta—Juan Hernandez—122
  5. Squared Shady—Edwin Maldonado—122
  6. Royal Address—Mario Gutierrez—124
  7. Five Pics Please—Tyler Baze—122
  8. Pizzazz—Mike Smith–122
  9. Majestic Steps—Umberto Rispoli—122
  10. Magical Thought—Ruben Fuentes—122
  11. Plum Sexy—Heriberto Figueroa—122
  12. I'm So Anna—Jessica Pyfer–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

The post Irish Imports Majestic Steps, Going Global Headline Sunday’s Sweet Life Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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