Tag: Top News

Caravel on Track for Troy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On the Whitney Day card with three Grade I races, the GIII Troy S. is pretty easy to overlook.

Last year, though, two-time Breeders' Cup race winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) drew attention to the 5 1/2-furlong turf test, which he won by a head. On Aug. 5, Caravel (Mizzen Mast) will be the headliner in the 20th running of the Troy and, if the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint upsetter prevails, will be its first female winner.

Caravel prepped for the race Saturday on the Oklahoma turf training track with a half-mile in :48.88 under Kelvin Perez. It was the sixth-fastest of the 20 at the distance.

Trainer Brad Cox gave the breeze a solid review.

“Very good. She's always a great workhorse,” he said. “Great work this morning, so very pleased with what we saw out there.”

The gray 6-year-old Pennsylvania-bred mare brings a five-race unbeaten streak into the Troy. Starting with her victory at 42-1 in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, three of those wins have come against males.

While she was a very accomplished runner for breeder-owner-trainer Elizabeth Merryman winning seven of nine starts–topped by the GIII Caress S. in 2021 at Saratoga–and finishing third in the other two, she has really blossomed since last summer. Merryman sold a 75% stake to Bobby Flay in 2021 and they sold her for $500,000 to Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale. Madaket Stables subsequently became a partner. The 5-year-old was turned over to Cox, who tried her once against males without success in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint on the Kentucky Derby program.

Cox said he had no idea that Caravel was capable of what she has accomplished.

“She got really good starting last fall,” he said. “She's always been good, but she became dominant maybe.”

After Caravel won the GIII Franklin S. at Keeneland on Oct. 16, Cox and the owners decided to try her in the Breeders' Cup over the same course. She handled pace pressure throughout, won by a half-length and paid $87.78. This year she is three-for-three and has beaten males in the GII Shakertown S. at Keeneland and the GI Jaipur S. at Belmont Park.

“She stepped up. She's been able to defeat them three times now within the last nine months,” Cox said. “She's really good. She's happy. She likes Saratoga. I'm looking forward to getting a run into her here the first part of August.”

Cox said entering Caravel in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint was a gamble.

“We were taking a shot,” he said. “She had just come off a win at Keeneland in a Grade III. It was a big run. We were asking her to run back in three weeks. We were taking a shot. She was 40-something to 1 or whatever she was. When you run horses in races and when you're that price there's really no pressure.  There was no pressure and obviously the favorite that day [Golden Pal] missed the break. I don't know how things would have played out, but she's gone on to capture another Grade I since that against the boys and is undefeated since. She's got a nice win streak going and she gives us a lot of confidence throughout the entire year, really.”

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Valentine Candy Flashes Impressive Speed to Win Loaded Saratoga Maiden

by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra

On paper, Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga looked wide open and loaded with talent. All the major players had horses in the race, Wayne Lukas, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox , Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher, who had two starters in the six furlong maiden special weight event. The race figured to be fought all the way to the wire.

Instead it was the Asmussen horse, Valentine Candy (Justify), who ran them off their feet right out of the gate. Sent off at 5-2 and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. he exploded off the blocks and was three lengths in front in what announcer Frank Mirahmadi called “the blink of en eye.”

The fractions were 22.10 and 45.94, but Valentine Candy was still cruising on the lead as the field turned into the stretch. The Todd Pletcher-trained Protective (Medaglia d'Oro) made a solid late bid to cut into the winning margin, but it was a case of too little too late. The final time for the six furlongs run over a fast track was 1:11.74 and Valentine Candy won by three-quarters of a length.

“I had a good talk with Steve two days ago,” Santana said. “He said he really liked this horse. When the gate opened, he broke so fast. Then I just sat chilly with him. When turning for home, I asked him and he gave me a good kick. I have a lot of respect for Steve. Basically, he and his family are part of my family. Thanks to him, I am Ricardo Santana.”

Valentine Candy is owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt in partnership with Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Keith and Ginger Myers. He was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

“I love 2-year-olds and I loved the way he ran,” said Bill Heiligbrodt. “He ran like a Heiligbrodt, Asmussen, Santana horse, especially with the way he broke out of the gate. This is a really nice horse.”

“This was very exciting and we are excited about his career. We thought he would win and he did,” said Corrine Heiligbrodt.

 

Valentine Candy's dam is Taste Like Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), who won the GI Hollywood Starlet S. in 2013. The 2-year-old was bred by Pine Creek LP. He is her first to race in the States behind lone, elder half-brother King Happy (Street Sense), who campaigned in Europe. The mare most recently had a 2023 Mitole colt and hails from the extended female family of GSW Wonderwherecraigis (Munnings); MGISW Affirmed Success; GISW & G1SP Exbourne; and GISW Expelled.

The Heiligbrodts, Asmussen and Santana have gone down this road before with a quick, classy horse. After he broke his maiden in his third start at Oaklawn, the same connections went on quite the roll with Mitole (Eskendereya), a four-time Grade I winner who wrapped up the 2019 sprint championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Daily Grind (Medaglia d'Oro), a $1.35 million Fasig-Tipton August finished eighth for trainer Wayne Lukas and BC Stables LLC.

7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.74, ft, 3/4 length.
VALENTINE CANDY (c, 2, Justify–Taste Like Candy {GISP, $286,205}, by Candy Ride {Arg}) Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. O-L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC,  Keith and Ginger Myers; B-Pine Creek LP (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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‘Geaux’ Rockets to Haskell Victory

This year's GI Haskell was flattered by a GI Kentucky Derby winner in Mage (Good Magic), an undefeated $2.3 million OBS purchase in Arabian Knight (Uncle), in addition to this season's

GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Tapit Trice (Tapit), who realized a healthy $1.3 million at Keeneland last September. However, it was Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella who pulled the rabbit out his hat with Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), who sprang the upset when coming from off the pace to best the Derby winner at odds of 12-1 in the 'Win and You're In' test for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November.

As smart as that looks, the honest truth is that I'm 72 years old and I thought I'm not going to let this get away from me. I'm going to go again,” said Mandella, who was returning to the Haskell for the first time since winning the race with Dixie Union in 2000.

“There is no man better to have this horse in his hands than Mr. Mandella,” said Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who was winning his record fourth Haskell. “He's only going to get better. We saw that today. This was the deepest Haskell field I've seen in a long time. For him to perform that was is a credit to Mr. Mandella and his whole crew. Of course, Geaux Rocket Ride deserves all the credit, too.”

Smith explained, “I think Richard was very confident in this horse. I was, too. When I found out two or three weeks that I was going to get the opportunity to ride this horse, my agent called me from New York and I was in California I flipped out of my bed I was so excited. I just knew there was a lot of upside to this horse and room to get better.”

Geaux Rocket Ride was taken in hand by Hall of Famer Mike Smith from Post 1 as Awesome Strong (Awesome Slew) immediately assumed command, but was soon joined by the fleet-footed Arabian Knight, who was hustled into contention by Johnny Velazquez from their outside draw. Carving out an opening quarter in :22.80, even-money choice Arabian Knight overtook the 60-1 shot down the backside, throwing down a, equally confident-looking half in :47.11. Meanwhile, the Pin Oak Stud runner was camped out wide as a slew of challengers swarmed in on the front-running duo including Mage, who was covered up between rivals yet picking up momentum with every stride.

With Smith giving his charge the signal leaving the backstretch, Geaux Rocket Ride bore down on leading Arabian Knight as Mage continued drew ever closer while widest of all. With the trio entering the home turn in almost unison, Geau Rocket Ride and Mage inched ahead of the wilting favorite, and while it looked like this year's Derby winner would just roll on by, he found another gear and pulled away late to score by a two-length margin over Mage. Arabian Knight held on to round the  trifecta.

“When Arabian Knight went out to the front I was very happy that [Awesome Strong] went out there with him,” explained Smith. “He wasn't getting away with anything easy and on his own, which I wasn't going to let happen if someone else didn't do it. But I was glad someone else did my dirty work and I was able to tip out and just relax.”

Smith added, “I always felt like I had a lot of horse left, but you don't know. When you get to them, they might, too, so I was just happy.”

“This horse is super intelligent. When you have a horse that has a brilliant mind you just work together. It's so much easier. It's like slicing butter with a hot knife. He just moves when you tell him to move. He does everything he's supposed to do.”

As for the runner-up, trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. said, “This horse is very, very good. I think that five works, six works would have been better, but I had only four [going into the Haskell]. This race was very good for him. This sets him up going forward. It's a long year. There are many races more.”

Regarding the beaten favorite, Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Bob Baffert, explained, “It's quite possible that the long layoff caught up to him. He hasn't run since the end of January. He jumped out of there running and he was just third best today. We're starting the second half of the schedule [for 3-year-olds] and there are a lot of races left to run.”

Saturday's Haskell Day card drew 35,286 with on-track handle of $1,717,876.

Geaux Rocket Ride debuted with an eye-catching 5 3/4-length victory going six furlongs at Santa Anita Jan. 29 before coming home a respectable second to Practical Move (Practical Joke) in the 8 1/2-furlong GII San Felipe S. Mar. 4. Missing the GI Santa Anita Derby because of a fever, thus dashing any Derby aspirations, the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton July graduate once again found the winner's circle following Santa Anita's Affirmed S. June 4.

Pedigree Note:

Geaux Rocket Ride earns Candy Ride his 18th Group 1/Grade I victory. A full-sister to SP Mighty Mo, Beyond Grace is out of Flowers Athefinish, a half to Grade III winner Lotus Pool and Grade I placed Golden Larch. The 8-year-old mare produced a filly by Rowayton earlier this season and was bred back to Instilled Regard.

 

Saturday, Monmouth Park
TVG.COM HASKELL S.-GI, $1,017,500, Monmouth, 7-22, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.52, ft.
1–GEAUX ROCKET RIDE, 119, c, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
                1st Dam: Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo
                2nd Dam: Flowers Athefinish, by Grand Reward
                3rd Dam: Golden Petal, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Mike E. Smith. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $780,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mage, 122, c, 3, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown. ($235,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $290,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $200,000.
3–Arabian Knight, 119, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $100,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2, 2. Odds: 12.70, 4.30, 1.10.
Also Ran: Extra Anejo, Tapit Trice, Howgreatisnate, Salute the Stars, Awesome Strong.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Wet Paint Surges Late to Claim the CCA Oaks

Favored to earn her first taste of Classic glory in the GI Kentucky Oaks in May, Godolphin's Wet Paint (Blame) could only manage a fourth-place finish behind stablemate Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief). Fast forward through a runner-up effort in Ellis's Monomoy Girl S. last month followed by a trek to upstate New York, the bay finally bagged her own Grade I, taking Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

“She's a super consistent filly who always comes running,” said trainer Brad Cox, who won the 2018 renewal of the Oaks with subsequent champion Monomoy Girl. “Her run in the [Kentucky] Oaks was good and her last race at Ellis was probably better than it looked on paper running against a huge bias with no pace. I'm glad she stepped up and finally got that Grade I–that was big for her.”

GSW Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) stumbled dramatically leaving the innermost stall, spotting the field several lengths while 14-1 chance She's Lookin Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) and Sacred Wish (Not This Time) enjoyed cleaner starts and proceeded directly to the head of affairs. In the meantime, Wet Paint was unhurried in last, about four lengths off of She's Lookin Lucky, who registered a comfortable opening quarter in :24.67 as Sacred Wish and the awkward starting Southlawn pursued in second and third, respectively. Still content to linger out back through an equally modest half in :48.81, Wet Paint launched her bid heading to the quarter pole as Sacred Wish forged to the front and appeared to be en route to victory. Wet Paint, however, had other ideas. Fanned out several paths wide straightening for home, the 7-5 second choice slowly reeled in game leader in the final jumps and nailed her rival by a neck at the wire. Favored Gambling Girl was a long way back in third, finishing ahead of She's Lookin Lucky and Southlawn.

“She closes into soft paces like she did today, she closes into a fast pace,” said Cox. “This is her thing in regards to just kind of flopping out of the gate and finding her way and finishing up. I told Flavien [Prat] today, 'Just ride her like a turf horse.' He knows what to do and you don't have to tell him anything. That's really what it comes down to–just let her break and kind of find her way around there, and when she starts picking up, just keep her out of trouble.”

Added Prat, “Turning for home I thought I was going to win, at the eighth pole I was questioning it, and then she finally found another gear to get by that filly. We went slow and we really picked it up and the filly of George Weaver's kept on going, but she was able to get the win.”

Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) was scratched the morning of the race after sustaining a minor foot issue, via a Tweet posted by trainer Tom Amoss Saturday morning.

“Hoosier Philly was not herself this morning with a minor foot issue. Out of an abundance of caution, agreement with the state vets, & doing the right thing by her, she will be withdrawn from the CCAO. We look forward to getting back to the track in the future.”

On the board in two of three starts last season, Wet Paint kicked off the season with a win in Oaklawn's Martha Washington S. before adding wins in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Honeybee S. and GIII Fantasy S. ahead of her Classic bid.

Cox said Wet Paint will likely target the 10-furlong GI Alabama S. Aug. 19 at the Spa.

“That's the logical spot moving forward,” Cox said. “We'll talk it over with the Godolphin team, but I think a mile and a quarter is definitely something she's going to be able to handle based off her running style and showing today that she likes Saratoga.”

 

Pedigree Notes:
Wet Paint is one of 21 graded winners and 45 black-type winners for Claiborne's Blame, who also has six winners at the highest level. Three of those six Grade I winners are out of Mr. Prospector-line broodmare sires, making them inbred to that prolific Claiborne stalwart. Wet Paint herself is 4×4 to Mr. Prospector and her damsire, Darley's late Street Cry (Ire), is responsible for 140 stakes winners out of his daughters. The CCA Oaks winner is Blame's second Grade I winner at the Spa following Marley's Freedom, who won the 2018 Ballerina S.

A second-generation Godolphin homebred after Darley acquired the family from Stonerside, Wet Paint has a yearling half-sister by Medaglia d'Oro. Dam Sky Painter, who hails from the same family as 2020 GII Del Mar Derby winner Pixelate (City Zip) and whose third dam is four-time GISW Nastique (Naskra), most recently produced a filly by Not This Time Apr. 26.

 

Saturday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $485,000, Saratoga,
7-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.68, ft.
1–WET PAINT, 121, f, 3, by Blame
                1st Dam: Sky Painter (GSP, $169,755), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Skylighter, by Sky Mesa
                3rd Dam: Painted Lady, by Broad Brush
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-2-0, $1,057,175. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sacred Wish, 121, f, 3, by Not This Time– Indian Wish, by Indian Charlie. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher T. Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola; B-John Penn (KY); T-George Weaver. $100,000.
3–Gambling Girl, 121, f, 3, by Dialed In–Tulipmania, by Empire Maker. ($200,000 Ylg '21 SARAUG). O-Repole Stable; B-Gallagher's Stud (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 8HF, HF. Odds: 1.45, 10.80, 1.20.
Also Ran: She's Lookin Lucky, Southlawn. Scratched: Hoosier Philly.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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