Tag: ten strike racing

Warrior’s Charge Makes His 2021 Debut In Thursday Allowance At Oaklawn

If Warrior's Charge wants to stick around for major stakes race next month at Oaklawn, he'll have to make his case Thursday for co-owners Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables and trainer Brad Cox.

The multiple graded stakes winner will make his 2021 debut in the eighth race, a one-mile allowance for older horses that carries a hefty $107,000 purse. The speedy 5-year-old son of Munnings hasn't started since finishing eighth in the $100,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) Sept. 26 at Churchill Downs.

“It's obviously the starting point for the year,” Clay Sanders, a founding partner in Ten Strike, said Tuesday morning. “Probably not exactly the distance or race we wanted, but if we could get a stake race at Oaklawn the two options were the Oaklawn Mile or the Oaklawn Handicap. If we want to consider the Oaklawn Handicap, we didn't want to run him not having a prep race. Going a mile and an eighth off the bench is pretty tough. We'll give him a start and kind of see where he is fitness-wise. He's not 100 percent cranked, but we'll see where we're at.”

The $400,000 Oaklawn Mile is April 10. The $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) is April 17.

Warrior's Charge was among Oaklawn's leading two-turn older horses last year after winning the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles and finishing second in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2). Following a subpar performance in the Ack Ack, Warrior's Charge was sent to Florida horseman Paul Sharp for a break. Sharp's farm is the go-to vacation spot for horses connected to noted bloodstock agent Liz Crow, who is also Ten Strike's stable manager. Ten Strike privately purchased then-unraced Warrior's Charge from his breeder, Al Shaquab Racing, after Crow watched the horse train at McKathan Brothers Training Center in Florida.

In 12 career starts, the consistent Warrior's Charge has compiled a 5-1-3 record and bankrolled $836,310. Warrior's Charge also finished fourth in the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) – beaten 2 ½ lengths – in 2019 and fourth in the $500,000 Met Mile (G1) – beaten two lengths – July 4 at Belmont Park. Warrior's Charge faded to eighth in the Ack Ack after dueling through a demanding :44.85 half-mile.

“We think he was a little over the top, as far as he'd been in training for over a year,” Sanders said. “Obviously, we wanted to go to the Breeders' Cup with him. Obviously, off that result we didn't feel confident going into the race and even at that point, we didn't know Brad had Knicks Go. Exit an allowance race and then kind of showed himself (winning Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile). Probably in hindsight, it (Ack Ack) wasn't the right spot because it was a one-turn race and there was a ton of speed in the race. He went out crazy fast and just didn't have anything left in the tank. Brad had kind of mentioned after the race that he wasn't training as sharply as he was earlier in the year. We wanted to give him a break there so we would have at least some shot of making Oaklawn.”

Warrior's Charge rejoined Cox's Fair Grounds division in January and has had seven published workouts there since Feb. 5, including three 5-furlong moves this month. Warriors Charge arrived Monday in Hot Springs.

“We'd liked to have made the Essex or the Razorback, but time just got a little short on us and didn't get him ready in time,” Sanders said.

The Razorback and Essex are two major local steppingstones to the Oaklawn Handicap, a race Cox said he covets. Cox has never won the Oaklawn Handicap.

Memphis, Tenn.-based Ten Strike offers fractional ownership on its syndicate side (founding partner Marshall Gramm and Sanders are the claiming arm) and “probably 35 to 38” have a share in Warrior's Charge, Sanders said. The majority of the owners are from Arkansas, Sanders said, meaning a victory in the Oaklawn Mile or Oaklawn Handicap would be a big deal for them, too.

“But then you include family and spouses and friends – you saw the winner's circle for the Razorback,” Sanders said. “It gets pretty big pretty quick in Arkansas.”

Sanders, a Mountain Home, Ark., native, said adding a Grade 1 victory to the resume of Warrior's Charge is a goal this year since it would boost his value as a stallion prospect.

“The tricky part with this horse is that probably a mile and a sixteenth is like his optimal distance,” Sanders said. “They don't have any Grade 1's at a mile and a sixteenth, so a mile and an eighth is probably at the tail end of his. But it wouldn't even be crazy at maybe a mile and a quarter, if he could get out on a slow pace, some of these five-horse fields, maybe he could walk the dog on the front end. Those are the things we'll kind of explore.”

In addition to the Razorback and powerful front-running maiden- and first-level allowance victories at the 2019 Oaklawn meeting, Warrior's Charge (via disqualification for stretch interference) captured the $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) Aug. 22 at Monmouth Park.

Warrior's Charge is the 8-5 program favorite Thursday, with Florent Geroux named to ride from post 6. Also entered are Mailman Money, My Sixth Sense, Home Base, Guest Suite and Final Jeopardy.

Probable post time is 4:40 p.m. (Central).

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Lucky Move Avenges 2019 Loss To Mrs. Orb In Bay Ridge

Ten Strike Racing's Lucky Move overtook Mrs. Orb in deep stretch, rallying from last to outkick the even-money favorite by a half-length in Sunday's $100,000 Bay Ridge for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Lucky Move, the winner of the Empire Distaff Handicap on October 24 at Belmont Park going 1 1/16 miles, handled the stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the seventh running of the Bay Ridge, notching her second consecutive victory. The result was the reversal of last year's 1-2 finish in the Bay Ridge, when Mrs. Orb bested Lucky Move by a nose.

The Juan Carlos Guerrero trainee broke sharp from the inside post under Kendrick Carmouche but stayed off pacesetter Singular Sensation's early speed as she led the compact four-horse field through an opening quarter-mile and the half on the fast main track.

Out of the turn, Singular Sensation kept the lead under Manny Franco near the rail, with Mrs. Orb giving close pursuit before gaining temporary command from the outside. But Carmouche, who urged Lucky Move up from the rear of the field, continued to press his charge as she thundered home in the stretch, getting the edge in the final jumps to hit the wire in 1:56.54.

“It was a different result this year. I had that nose in mind from last year when I lost this race,” Carmouche said. “I knew it was going to be slow up front. I just had to sit, wait and bide my time. My horse ran very well. Juan Carlos Guerrero had this horse ready to run.”

Off as the 6-5 second choice, Lucky Move returned $4.40 on a $2 win bet. The veteran Lookin At Lucky mare, bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables, capped her 6-year-old campaign by improving her career earnings to $429,759.

“You don't worry about [the pace]. You just got to sit and wait as long as you can to make them run and let them run home the last eighth of a mile,” Carmouche said. “She had me in a good spot the whole way around. No excuses today. I just had to get the job done.”

Mrs. Orb, ridden by Dylan Davis, finished second for the fifth consecutive race, besting Singular Sensation by 1 ½ lengths. Firenze Freedom completed the order of finish.

Owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and trainer Michael Miceli, Mrs. Orb added another runner-up effort to her ledger, joining her efforts this year in the Critical Eye, Union Avenue, Empire Distaff Handicap and the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm in her previous start on November 7 at Aqueduct.

“She was nice and relaxed,” Davis said. “She always tries hard. It's just a timing thing with her. She locked eyes with the five [Singular Sensation] and just barely got by. She's a steady grinder. Once she gets there, she kind of steadies up a bit.”

Sky Kitten and Kilkea were scratched.

Live racing resumes on Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Into Mischief Yearlings Highlight Opening Session Of Fasig-Tipton October Sale

A pair of yearlings by leading sire Into Mischief stole the spotlight during the first session of the 2020 Kentucky October Yearlings sale on Monday in Lexington, Ky.

A well-related filly by Into Mischief topped the session when sold for $300,000 to Willis Horton Racing (video).

The bay filly, offered as Hip 202 by Wynnstay Sales, agent, is out of the stakes placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Kid Majic, making her a full-sister to two-time Canadian champion Miss Mischief. Hip 202 is also a half-sister to current stakes-placed winning filly Mind Out (Tapit) and to Rosemonde (Indian Charlie), dam of current multiple Grade 1 placed winner Rowayton, also by Into Mischief. Kid Majic herself is out of stakes winner Call Her Magic, who produced Grade 1 winner J P's Gusto and Magic Appeal, dam of champion and graded stakes winner Letruska. Hip 202 was bred in Kentucky by H. Allen Poindexter.

The session's top colt, also by into Mischief, sold for $260,000 to Juddmonte Farms from the consignment of Lane's End, agent (video).

Offered as Hip 24, the bay colt is the second foal out of the More Than Ready mare Golden Cropper (AUS). That mare's first foal Tete a Tete (Malibu Moon) is a winner this year at two. Golden Cropper is out of Australian group stakes winner Sliding Cube, making her a half-sister to Group 2 winner Rubick. The immediate family includes champion and three-time leading sire Redoute's Choice and additional Group 1 winners Manahattan Rain, Platinum Scissors, and Shoals. Hip 24 was bred in Kentucky by Mt Brilliant Farm & Ranch.

Four other yearlings sold for $200,000 or more during the session, including:

  • Hip 342, a colt by Maclean's Music out of Microburst (Awesome Again), sold for $240,000 to Mike Ryan, agent from the consignment of St George Sales, agent. Out of a half-sister to 2018 Grade 1 Champagne Stakes winner Complexity, Hip 342 was bred in Kentucky by Susan Moulton.
  • Hip 282, a colt from the second crop of Liam's Map out of Locked On (Bodemeister), sold for $220,000 to Ten Strike Racing/Rick Kueber from the consignment of Castle Park Farm (Noel Murphy), agent. From the immediate family of champions Weekend Trip and Heavenly Prize, Hip 282 was bred in New York by Loch Grove Farm.
  • Hip 324, a filly by record-breaking champion first-crop sire Uncle Mo out of Manda Bay (Empire Maker), sold for $200,000 to Nice Guys Stable from the consignment of Denali Stud, agent. A half-sister to Grade 1 placed Voting Control was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm.
  • Hip 91, a colt from the first crop of champion Arrogate out of Hero's Amor (Street Hero), sold for $200,000 to Marc Tacher from the consignment of Woods Edge Farm (Peter O'Callaghan), agent. The first foal out a multiple stakes-winning full-sister to stakes winner Threefiveindia, Hip 91 was bred in Kentucky by Elevated Bloodstock and Raxon Cho.

During Monday's session, 248 yearlings sold for $8,393,800, good for an average of $33,846. The median was $15,000.

The Kentucky October Yearlings sale resumes Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.

Results are available online.

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Warrior’s Charge Wins Iselin Via Disqualification

Trainer Brad Cox knows full well how tough graded stakes victories are to come by, so he will take the one by Warrior's Charge via disqualification in Saturday's Grade 3 $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park and move on.

With the stewards ruling that first-place finisher Pirate's Punch came in and intimidated Warrior's Charge late in the race at the Oceanport, N.J., track, Cox's horse earned the second graded stakes victory of his career after being placed first.

The 1 1/16-mile Iselin, reduced to a four-horse field after scratches, was essentially a two-horse race with Pirate's Punch, ridden by Jorge Vargas, Jr., and Warrior's Charge, handled by Paco Lopez, running neck and neck around the racetrack.

Pirate's Punch took a slight advantage in mid-stretch before starting to come over inside the sixteenth pole, with Warrior's Charge battling along the rail.

With 30 yards to go, Lopez stood straight up in the irons and effectively stopped riding, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind the Grant Forster-trained Pirate's Punch. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Bal Harbour.

Final time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:43.37.

“He (Pirate's Punch) came in on me pretty good,” said Lopez. “I had to steady because of him. I had to completely stand up and stop riding. He came over. I think the stewards did the right thing. I had to completely stop riding my horse. I think my horse was still trying hard.

“I think if had a little room he would have come back to win because he's a fighter. You can see on the head-on how it bothered us and why I had to stop riding. That hole was there and then it closed very quickly when that horse came over on us.”

Gulliver Racing's Phil Bongiovanni, co-owner of Pirate's Punch, saw it differently.

Warrior's Charge, who started his 4-year-old campaign by winning the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, earned his fifth victory in 11 career starts. The son of Munnings-Battling Brook by Broken Vow is owned by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables LLC.

“Paco had the horse where he needed to be, up close or on the lead,” said Cox. “Pirate's Punch took off after us and I thought we were able to battle back and get in front of him but I'm not sure he ever did, even though he hung in there with him. Maybe we were going to come back. Obviously the stewards thought we were. We were fortunate to come out on the front end of this. The horse that crossed the wire first ran a tremendous race. I honestly thought he was a horse to contend with and he obviously was.

“It's strange, because a couple of more jumps and we're probably third. It was an unfortunate way to win a race, I guess you could say. But we'll take. Now we'll see how he comes out of it.”

Cox said his ultimate goal with Warrior's Charge is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7. He hopes to find one more race before then.

“He will ship back to Kentucky tomorrow and we'll see how he is,” he said. “I think we'll look at one more race (before the Breeders' Cup Mile) but we'll see how he comes out of this first.”

Warrior's Charge paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite, dueling with Pirate's Punch through fractions of :24.10 for the opening quarter, :47.46 for the half, 1:11.17 for three quarters of a mile and 1:36.61 for the mile. They were never separated by more than a half-length until the incident in deep stretch.

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