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Maker Records Another Claiming Success With Last Judgment In Challenger

Trainer Michael Maker has a history of turning mid- to high-priced claiming acquisitions into graded stakes winners and Last Judgment is just the latest to join that roll of success stories. The 5-year-old gelding by Congrats, claimed for $62,500 last October at Belmont Park, registered a 2 3/4-length wire-to-wire victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, the first of four graded stakes at the Oldsmar, Fla., track culminating with the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.

Ridden by Daniel Centeno, Last Judgment was never headed, setting fractions of :23.29, :47.41, 1:11.37 and 1:35.62 en route to a final clocking of 1:41.98 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track.

Last Judgment paid $4.80 as the 7-5 co-favorite in the field of five older runners. Modernist finished second, with the other 7-5 co-favorite, War Stopper, 1 3/4 lengths behind in third. War Stopper was followed across the finish by Letmeno and Jungle Fighter.

“It looked like he should be forwardly placed and that's how the race was run,” said Maker. “He seemed to be well within himself the whole way. He got into a nice rhythm and kept it going. We tried to chase Knicks Go in the Pegasus. I'll try to spot him more appropriately the rest of the year.”

Last Judgment won one of three starts since Maker haltered him for Michael Dubb, Steve Hornstock, Bethlehem Stables and Nice Guys Stables but was coming off a 12 3/4-length drubbing at the hands of Knicks Go as a 41-1 outsider in the Pegasus. He raced second behind the frontrunning winner that day before tiring in the stretch.

“Mike's instructions were to take the lead and he broke really sharp and made an easy lead all the way to the wire,” said Centeno. “(Letmeno) got a little close to me past the half-mile pole, but my horse grabbed the bit again and I knew I had plenty of horse left. It looks like he can run all day. It's nice when you get a lead like that and the horse is enjoying being out there all by himself.”

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Uncle Mo Filly ‘Trucks’ Home at Tampa, Becomes Rising Star

Sent off at debut odds of 19-10 for a purse-enhanced maiden at Tampa, Juddmonte homebred Lory (Uncle Mo–Principal Role, by Empire Maker) overwhelmed her rivals by 7 3/4 lengths to become a new 'TDN Rising Star.'

Clearly last into stride from the two hole, the bay quickly made up for lost time, accelerating all the way up into about fourth position as the field neared the entry to the far turn. Samy Camacho seized upon the opportunity to send Lory through an opening at the inside when pacesetting Summer Home (Outwork) began to get out about three furlongs for home, and Lory assumed control at the quarter pole. With a look over his shoulder, Camacho quickly ascertained that there was nothing that was going to trouble his mount and he geared her down for most of the final furlong, scoring by a margin that could have been into the double digits had she been allowed to extend whatsoever in the final stages.

Lory's dam was a four-time stakes winner and third in the G1 Nassau S. while under the care of Sir Henry Cecil in England and added a pair of graded placings for trainer Bill Mott once repatriated. The filly's second dam Interim (GB) (Sadler's Wells) won the 1995 GII La Prevoyante H. for Bobby Frankel and went on to produce GI Charles Whittingham Memorial S. winner Midships (Mizzen Mast) and GISP Staging Post (Pleasant Colony). Principal Role is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Roll Call (GB) (Into Mischief) and a British-bred yearling colt by Frankel (GB). Lory is bred on the cross over Unbridled responsible for Grade I winners Unbridled Mo and Outwork, and the Juddmonte braintrust went to $650,000 for an Uncle Mo colt out of the Empire Maker mare Lost Empire at Keeneland September in 2019.

3rd-Tampa Bay Downs, $30,000, Msw, 3-6, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.95, wf, 7 3/4 lengths.
LORY, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Principal Role (MSW & G1SP-Eng, MGSP-US, $238,766), by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Interim (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Intermission (GB), by Stage Door Johnny
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $18,000. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Chad C Brown. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

The post Uncle Mo Filly ‘Trucks’ Home at Tampa, Becomes Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Aqueduct, Tampa Derby Preps Feature In Saturday’s All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host an all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, featuring Kentucky Derby qualifiers from Aqueduct Racetrack and Tampa Bay Downs.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

The sequence begins at 4:25 p.m. Eastern at Tampa Bay with the Grade 2 Hillsborough, a nine-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares headlined by last year's Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational-winner Magic Attitude. The 4-year-old Galileo bay, trained by Arnaud Delacour for Lael Stables, will face steep opposition from Grade 1-placed opponents Micheline and Court Return.

Action then switches to the Big A for the Heavenly Prize Invitational [Race 8, 4:36 p.m.], a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares featuring a well-balanced field of eight. Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue, a 4-year-old Tapit chestnut trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, has won 2-of-3 starts at Aqueduct, including a score in the 2019 Grade 2 Demoiselle. Trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero sends pace threat Portal Creek, who just missed in the Grade 3 Go for Wand two starts back when second to Sharp Starr over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct main track at the Heavenly Prize distance.

The middle leg will see sophomore fillies contest 1 1/16-miles on the Tampa Bay turf in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks [Race 10, 4:55 p.m.]. Delacour and Lael Stables team up once more with the multiple stakes placed Be Sneaky, who makes her turf debut following a runner-up effort in the Suncoast on Feb. 6. Be Sneaky, an Into Mischief bay, is out of the Big Brown mare Bella Castani who won the 2013 Tweedside on the Belmont turf.

Four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle Domain Expertise, fresh off a third in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park; while Graham Motion will send out a pair of undefeated contenders in Mia Martina and Oyster Box, a royally-bred daughter of Tapit out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Dynaformer mare Starformer.

Kentucky Derby points will be on the line in the penultimate leg, the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham [Race 9, 5:07 p.m.] at a one-turn mile offering 50-20-10-5 points to the top-four finishers. Brown will send out a strong duo for Klaravich Stables in last-out Nyquist champ Highly Motivated and impressive maiden winner Crowded Trade. West Coast-based shippers include Freedom Fighter, runner-up last out in the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert; and Wipe the Slate, a maiden winner who will remove blinkers and cut back in distance while looking to make amends for an off-the-board effort last out in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Closing out the sequence is the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby [Race 11, 5:25 p.m.], which drew a field of 12 to contest 1 1/16-miles with 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line.

The Mott-trained Candy Man Rocket will look to build on an impressive one-length score last out in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs against returning rivals Hidden Stash [third] and Boca Boy [fourth]. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will saddle undefeated Helium, last out winner of the Display in October at Woodbine for his two-turn and dirt debut.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, March 6:
Leg A: Tampa Bay Downs-Race 9, G3 Hillsborough (4:25 pm)
Leg B: Aqueduct-Race 8, Heavenly Prize Invitational (4:36 pm)
Leg C: Tampa Bay Downs-Race 10, G3 Florida Oaks (4:55 pm)
Leg D: Aqueduct-Race 9, G3 Gotham (5:07 pm)
Leg E: Tampa Bay Downs-Race 11, G2 Tampa Bay Derby (5:25 pm)

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TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Coast-To-Cost Kentucky Derby Preps

Kentucky Derby points will be on the line Saturday as some of California's top three-year-old prospects go to post in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) from Santa Anita and TVG will have live coverage of the Kentucky Derby prep race as well as the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1), one of the premier races for older horses.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be anchoring the coverage from California with expert analysis and interviews while Mike Joyce and Simon Bray will contribute to the broadcast from home. The featured $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) has drawn a field of eight of the top older horses in the country including the undefeated Maxfield who will put his five-win streak on the line for trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Florent Geroux.

Kentucky Derby points will be available the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) which will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle two of the seven contenders including Life is Good, a bay son of Into Mischief who notched his first stakes victory with a win in the Sham Stakes (G3) in January. Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith will be aboard.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Florida and TVG's Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from Tampa Bay Downs as the track holds its marquee event – the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), the centerpiece of the twelve-race card. Trainer Bill Mott will send out Candy Man Rocket, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) to square off against eleven rivals in the Kentucky Derby prep race, which offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers. The card will also feature four other stakes races, three of which are graded including the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3) for sophomore fillies.

Gulfstream Park has twelve races on the schedule for Saturday and TVG's Caleb Keller will be trackside with insight and analysis throughout the card which features three stakes races including the $75,000 Hutcheson Stakes, a six-furlong contest that has an esteemed list of winners including Holy Bull and More Than Ready.

Aqueduct will host the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) on Saturday as the featured race on the ten-race card. The race has drawn a field of eight Triple Crown hopefuls including Freedom Fighter who has shipped to the East Coast for trainer Bob Baffert after a runner-up effort in the San Vicente Stakes (G2). Manuel Franco will be aboard the son of Violence. The Gotham Stakes (G3) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, TVG will be featuring racing from Fair Grounds, Oaklawn and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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