Joseph Costello Wins NHC Qualifier At Horseshoe Indy

Joseph “Kevin” Costello of Downers Grove, Ill. bested a total of 127 entries to take home the top prize in the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Qualifier held Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Costello hit the Pick 6 at Gulfstream Park that placed him over the top for the top prize money of $3,000.

Costello had already qualified twice for the NHC Finals, the maximum number of seats for the final prize money in Las Vegas set for March 2024. So, his seat was allotted to the fifth-place finisher as the top four players advanced to the NHC Qualifier from the event.

Joining Costello to earn prize money was Pat Cronin finishing second and winning $2,000, Kevin Harrell who finished third and won $1,000 and Mark Myrick who finished fourth and won $500. Bob Mack was the fifth-place finisher and will join Cronin, Harrell and Myrick for a seat at the final held at Las Vegas March 15-17, 2024.

“I play in several tournaments each year, but not a lot,” said Costello. “I've played in this one at Horseshoe Indianapolis before. I like the format and it worked out where I had the day off to run down and play in it.”

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Program Trading Gives Brown, Klaravich Another Hollywood Derby

Denied as the heavy favorite at Colonial Downs by the undefeated Integration (Quality Road) in the GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby last time out Sept. 9, Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) got back on track to take his fourth win in five starts in the GI Hollywood Derby.

A winner of his first three starts, the Chad Brown trainee reached the pinnacle two starts back with a narrow victory over Webslinger (Constitution) on a lucky on-the-turf weekend in Saratoga in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 5. Given a rest after being run down late in that Virginia Derby, the Klaravich Stables entry shipped west to enjoy closing weekend at Del Mar and lined up opposite Webslinger once more as the 4-5 favorite.

From the far outer gate, Program Trading broke alongside his uncoupled stablemate Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the two Klaravich runners both took back off the early speed out of the chute as a trio of runners battled for first call. With just a single rival behind him, the favorite took his time through a :23.17 opening quarter as Charlie Appleby's Godolphin runner Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) paced the group. A group of five runners raced bunched together up the backstretch while the pair of Saratoga Derby runners were several lengths off the speed but the pack began to come together into the far turn as the half went in :47.19. Tipped out into the far turn, Program Trading picked it up under Flavien Prat as Redistricting blew the turn and was pulled up to his outside. Now suddenly with plenty of room to run, the bay quickly found himself third while three wide for the lead with a furlong to run. Webslinger fired a threatening shot close to home but Program Trading just held on to deny his rival once more by nearly the exact same margin.

“He was actually pretty relaxed before the race,” said Prat. “We had a good trip; the pace was pretty fair. He relaxed well, he had a good turn of foot. Luckily there was a horse in front of me that bolted around the turn so I had a clear path. As soon as I asked him to make a run, he was there for me. I think he will still improve. He has run well every time.”

With the win, trainer Chad Brown tied Charlie Whittingham with a fourth Hollywood Derby while owner Klaravich Stable picked up a record third win in the closing-weekend feature.

Pedigree Note:
Program Trading is one of two winners from two to race out of a half-sister to G2 Park Hill S. winner and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. runner-up Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and full-sister to Andrew Rosen's Fashion Fund (GB). His third dam was the 2002 champion 3-year-old filly in England, highlighted by a 4 1/2-length win in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Dreamlike is the dam of the a 2-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and a yearling filly by Pinatubo (Ire) who sold for 260,000gns at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and was exported to the United States. She last reported a weanling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).

Saturday, Del Mar
HOLLYWOOD DERBY-GI, $301,000, Del Mar, 12-2, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.82, fm.
1–PROGRAM TRADING (GB), 122, r, 3, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
                1st Dam: Dreamlike (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                2nd Dam: So Silk (GB), by Rainbow Quest
                3rd Dam: Gossamer (GB), by Sadler's Wells
(250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $695,250.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Webslinger, 122, g, 3, Constitution–Arana, by Hard Spun.
($45,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $25,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $45,000
RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR; $50,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-D. J. Stable
LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$60,000.
3–Silver Knott (GB), 122, g, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given
(GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles
Appleby. $36,000.
Margins: NK, 2 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.90, 3.80, 4.80.
Also Ran: Watsonville, Santorini, Reiquist, Redistricting (GB). Scratched: Maltese Falcon (Ire), Seal Team (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Hoist The Gold Tops Mineshaft 1-2 In the Cigar Mile

It may not have been a Grade I race this year, but the GII Cigar Mile H. came down to a horse with top-level class as Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) sped gate-to-wire to hoist the trophy ahead of a talented, full field.

One of a pair of horses in the field coming back from last month's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, Hoist the Gold took the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. two starts back with a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure Oct. 6. Consistently raced throughout his career, the 4-year-old entered the gate Saturday for the 26th time with eight of his nine starts this year in graded-stakes races.

Slightly chilly on the board at 8-1, the Dream Team homebred broke from the outside but possessed all the early speed and quickly moved down to race between Pipeline (Speightstown) and the lightly-raced Cascais (Into Mischief). But as the field of 12 came out of the Aqueduct chute and onto the main track, Hoist the Gold was left alone on the lead under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Allowed to run free on the lead with only Pipeline keeping in touch, the colt zipped through fractions of :22.41 and :44.88 as the rest of the field struggled to keep the leader in their sights. Velazquez stayed motionless on his mount into the lane, not even drawing his stick until the furlong marker as Hoist the Gold drew away in hand with only a late-closing Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) cutting into the winning margin late to make it a Mineshaft-sired exacta.

“What a race,” said winning trainer Dallas Stewart. “Johnny [Velazquez] picked the right race for us. He told us at Breeders' Cup, the horse doesn't like dirt in his face. He said, 'just let me ride him the way I want–run him a mile at Aqueduct and he won't get beat.' He was 100 percent right. At the eighth pole, he kicked in another gear and got in front of them some more. He made that separation and that's the sign of a good horse. I just hate that they took the Grade I away, but he showed he's a good horse and we'll take the $500,000 and head down the road.”

Pedigree Note:
One of 61 stakes winner for the Lane's End stallion, Hoist the Gold is one of three winners from three runners out of the winning Tapit mare Tacit Approval, herself a $320,000 2-year-old. Her other two winners were both fillies sired by Hill 'n' Dale's Mucho Macho Man. She foaled a Vekoma filly last year and reported another foal by Mucho Macho Man, this time a colt, earlier this year.

 

Saturday, Aqueduct
CIGAR MILE H.-GII, $500,000, Aqueduct, 12-2, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34.28, my.
1–HOIST THE GOLD, 121, c, 4, by Mineshaft
          1st Dam: Tacit Approval, by Tapit
          2nd Dam: Punch Appeal, by Successful Appeal
          3rd Dam: Okanagan Dawn, by Two Punch
($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Dream Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas Stewart; J-John R. Velazquez. $275,000. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 26-5-6-3, $1,119,547. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Senor Buscador, 123, h, 5, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by Desert God. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $100,000.
3–Castle Chaos, 116, g, 5, Palace Malice–Queen Victoria, by Flatter. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Sanford Goldfarb, Nice Guys Stables and Beast Mode Racing LLC; B-Dragon Slayer Stable (KY); T-Robert N. Falcone, Jr.. $60,000.
Margins: 4HF, 4 1/4, NO. Odds: 8.70, 3.80, 32.50.
Also Ran: Three Technique, Coastal Mission, Offaly Cool, Dr Ardito, High Oak, Pipeline, Accretive, Everso Mischievous, Cascais.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Good Magic’s Dornoch Proves Gamest In Remsen Thriller

While he still has a long ways to go to follow in his older brother's footsteps, Dornoch (Good Magic) proved he might just be up to the task with a game win in the GII Remsen S. to pick up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

The younger full-brother of this year's GI Kentucky Derby winner and recently-retired stallion Mage, Dornoch took three tries to break his maiden but did so impressively at Keeneland in a gate-to-wire 6 1/2-length romp Oct. 14. Already stakes placed before even breaking his maiden, the Danny Gargan trainee went off favored for his third-straight race at 8-5 for an ownership group that includes West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables.

Hustled from the gate, the bay secured a leading position into the first turn amidst a wall of challengers on both sides. Longshot Private Desire (Constitution), who was last from the gate, sped up alongside Dornach to issue an early challenge as the colts hit a quarter in :23.09. The duo was joined by another longshot as Billal (Street Sense) moved between runners to make it three across the track up front past the half in :46.97. Relaxed under a loose rein from Luis Saez, Dornach spun for home seemingly ready to run away with it until 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) came charging from the back of the pack in an attempt to make it a graded double for his sire. The pair hit the furlong pole together and Sierra Leone had all the momentum, putting the favorite back to second against the fence. But Dornach was tenacious to the inside and re-rallied from what appeared to be a sure-beat to get up in the final strides past his rival.

“Kendrick [Carmouche] told me, when he rode him at Monmouth, he said 'Danny, if I had more time.'”, said Gargan. “When he saw the horse go by him, he said he gets to playing around, which he bounced off the rail today and when he gets out there by himself he loses focus. He said if he sees another horse, he's going to run back to him and today he proved it. It was something that was always said but never proven until today, but that was pretty impressive because I thought the other horse went way past him. For him to dig in and fight back like that, especially after the half mile in 46 [seconds], three quarters in 1:11, he ran the whole race.”

“He's a pretty nice horse, but I feel like he's still learning,” added Saez. “When he kind of feels a little alone, he was a little lost. As soon as the other one [No. 7, Sierra Leone] came to him, he saw him and he want to beat him. I can't describe this. He wants to win the race.”

Pedigree Note:
From the second crop of Good Magic, sire of now 16 stakes winners, Dornoch continued the good fortunes for dam Puca. In addition to seeing Mage wear the roses in May, the graded-stakes placed daughter of Big Brown brought $2.9m post-sale from John Stewart last month at Keeneland November carrying a full-sibling to both Mage and Dornoch. Her first foal, Gunning (Gun Runner), placed in a pair of stakes herself. Puca is a half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}). Her yearling, a colt by McKinzie, sold for $1.2m in September at Keeneland to Mayberry Farm.

 

Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 12-2, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.30, my.
1–DORNOCH, 118, c, 2, by Good Magic
          1st Dam: Puca (SW & GSP, $299,406), by Big Brown
          2nd Dam: Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost
          3rd Dam: Rocktheboat, by Summer Squall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Luis Saez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $257,400. *Full to Mage, GISW, $2,507,450; 1/2 to Gunning (Gun Runner), MSP, $278,835. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sierra Leone, 118, c, 2, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Peter M. Brant; B-Debby M. Oxley (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
3–Drum Roll Please, 118, c, 2, Hard Spun–Imply, by E Dubai. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($295,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKJUL; $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Barlar, LLC (PA); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
Margins: NO, 4 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.70, 4.00, 8.20.
Also Ran: Moonlight, Where's Chris, Copper Tax, Domestic Product, Billal, Le Dom Bro, Private Desire.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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