Tag: Triple Crown

Nice Guys Stables' Where's Chris, last out winner of the Nashua here, will look to double up on stakes scores in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen. The nine-furlong route for juveniles offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., who won the 2008 Kentucky Derby with Big Brown, said he's not adverse to doing a little Derby dreaming should Where's Chris impress Saturday.

“I like dreaming as much as anybody. If he runs big, we can keep dreaming. Why not?” said Dutrow, Jr.

The Twirling Candy dark bay outdueled the pacesetting Book'em Danno to post a three-quarter length win in the one-turn mile Nashua on November 5 here. It was another 5 1/2-lengths back to Billal, who also returns in the Remsen for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Where's Chris, a $20,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, stalked and pounced to a five-length score on debut in September here in a restricted six-furlong maiden tilt. He followed with an even third-place finish in an off-the-turf edition of the six-furlong Futurity on October 8 at Belmont at the Big A.

“That was a nice, little spot for him and he ran big that day,” said Dutrow, Jr. of the maiden score. “We really don't know what his best game is because he ran big that day and he ran big last time. Even in his second race, he ran a good race.

“I know we're trying two turns for the first time – which we're not afraid of – he's just doing good, and he's been doing good for a while now,” continued Dutrow, Jr. “So, we'll just hope that he's looking for two turns.”

Where's Chris is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed turfer Sea Queen, who won the nine-furlong Wonder Again here in 2014 ahead of a runner-up effort in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.

“We seem like we have a lot to look forward to here, especially that we're seeing he's showing up on the dirt which we were surprised by,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “So, we can't wait to try him on the grass one day.”

Isaac Castillo retains the mount from post 8.

Dutrow will send out a pair of contenders in Race 2 Saturday, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, in first-time starter El Capi [Post 1, Jose Gomez] and the promising Ignite the Light [post 6, Eric Cancel].

“I like both of them. We're very happy with both of these horses,” Dutrow, Jr. said.

Jay Em Ess Stable's Kentucky homebred Ignite the Light has made a pair of starts over the Big A main track, finishing fourth in his September debut sprinting six furlongs ahead of a close third last out when 1 1/2-lengths back of Sierra Leone on November 4 when traveling a one-turn mile. Sierra Leone is entered back in the Remsen.

“He's a family horse. I love being around him,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “He's doing good and we're happy with him. He might be a horse that wants to look for blinkers in the future – I don't know yet, I don't like doing that so quickly on horses. We'll play along with him, but we're very happy with both of these horses.”

Dutrow, Jr. said Ignite the Light should handle the slight cut back to seven furlongs.

“We don't know yet what his best game is and I don't have any problem running him seven-eighths with proper timing, which he has,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “We're still learning and so is he. So, we'll just learn together and see what his best game is going to be at the end of the day.”

Ignite the Light, by Into Mischief, is a half-brother to dual Grade 1-winner By the Moon. He is out of the graded stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare By the Light.

P and G Stable's El Capi, by Maclean's Music, is out of the Flatter mare Nightlife Baby, who is a half-sister to stakes-placed Eddington's Note. He has breezed extensively over the Belmont dirt training track, including a five-eighths gate breeze in 1:02 flat Saturday.

“El Capi drew the rail for his first start which we have to deal with, but he's doing good,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “We're very happy with him and he's been doing good for the last month and a half.”

Dutrow, Jr. has enjoyed a successful return to training this year, banking in excess of $5.1 million through a record of 100-21-16-16 led by Grade 1 victories from C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio in the Whitney at Saratoga and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

White Abarrio has stayed on at Santa Anita and is pointing to the Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

“He's doing great. I was with him [Wednesday]. He's happy as can be and so are we,” Dutrow, Jr. said.

The post ‘I Like Dreaming As Much As Anybody’: Rick Dutrow Could Be Back On Derby Trail With Where’s Chris appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The undefeated and stakes-winning 2-year-old gray colt Glengarry is expected to make his next start in the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park. The track's marquee stakes event for 2-year-olds takes place on the final night of the season, Friday, Dec. 15.

The Springboard Mile is the cornerstone race for 2-year-olds at this meeting where juveniles can earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points for finishing first through fifth. The winner gets 10 Kentucky Derby points with the progression going five points for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth.

Robert Yates, who does barn notes for Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., spoke to Glengarry's trainer, 68-year-old Doug Anderson, and he confirmed Remington Park was a strong possibility for the colt's next stop. Glengarry recorded a bullet workout Saturday, Nov. 25 at Oaklawn, covering five furlongs, breezing in 1:00.10, the fastest of 29 horses that went that distance that morning.

Glengarry, a juvenile son of Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief), out of the Tizway mare L.A. Way, is three-for-three to start his career, including two stakes wins.

“We have to see whether he can go that far (one mile) or not,” Anderson said. “I think that's a good spot (Remington Park).”

Glengarry, a $150,000 private purchase by an ownership group that includes Anderson, and Iowa residents Aaron Kennedy and Toby Joseph, broke his maiden by 5-3/4 lengths at first asking on Aug. 28 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. The gray colt was bred in Iowa by Highpoint Bloodstock. Glengarry followed up the first race with an even more impressive victory by 12-3/4 lengths on Sept. 30 in the $100,000 Iowa Cradle Stakes.

Jockey Ken Tohill was in the saddle for the first two wins. His third trip to the winner's circle was only by a half-length but may have been his most impressive thus far. It came at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., against open company in the $200,000 Bowman Mill Stakes with jockey Luis Saez taking over for Tohill. In three starts, Glengarry has earned $177,501. All three of the colt's wins have come at six furlongs. He went gate-to-wire in his first two tries and then sat second off the early pace in the Bowman Mill. Glengarry went off as the prohibitive favorite in his career debut at 1-5 and then was 7-5 in his second effort, his first stakes win. When he moved to Keeneland he was sent off at 5-2 odds, the second favorite.

Anderson and Kennedy have joined forces in the past with another stellar horse – Sugar Shock, a Candy Ride (ARG) filly that won the Grade 3, 2014 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.

As far as pedigree goes, there is evidence that Glengarry may indeed like a move around two turns. His sire, Maximus Mischief, won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in New York at 1-1/8th miles by 2-1/4 lengths in 2018. Maximus Mischief, a son of prominent sire Into Mischief, raced just four times but he won three of those for $225,700 in earnings.

Even though Glengarry's dam (mother), L.A. Way, only raced twice in her career with two fourth-place finishes, her sire, Tizway, was well-versed at a route of ground. Tizway, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Tiznow, won two Grade 1 races to conclude his career – the $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap at Saratoga in upstate New York in 2011 at 1-1/8th miles and the Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., that same year.

Anderson, a Hot Springs resident, began training in 1991 and is considering retirement. He has made 3,158 starts in his career, winning 475 races, running second 437 times and another 435 thirds for horses' earnings of more than $13.5 million.

The official nominations for the Springboard Mile close tonight and are expected to be released on Friday, Dec. 1.

The Springboard headlines a stakes-laden final program of the season on Dec. 14, also including the $75,000 Tapeze Stakes, the $75,000 She's All In Stakes, the $75,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial and a pair of races for Oklahoma-bred 3-year-olds, the $50,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes and the $50,000 Useeit Stakes.

Remington Park has provided more than $337 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park is home to the Springboard Mile, a Kentucky Derby points-qualifying race, on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Parking and admission are always free. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

The post Undefeated Glengarry Could Target Springboard Mile: ‘We Have To See Whether He Can Go That Far’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing and Pine Racing Stables' Dornoch will attempt to give trainer Danny Gargan a repeat victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, a nine-furlong route for juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Remsen, carded as Race 9, awards the top-five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points, respectively, towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs, and is one of four graded stakes slated for Saturday's stacked Cigar Mile Day card. The 10-race program also features the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in Race 10, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifier, in Race 7 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand in Race 8. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Dornoch arrives from a dominant 6 1/2-length victory at third asking with a gate-to-wire performance on October 14 at Keeneland, garnering an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. His graduation came on the heels of a close runner-up effort to Noted in the one-mile Sapling in August at Monmouth Park where he raced wide and was jostled near the seven-eighths mark.

“Last time, he broke good and was up there,” said Gargan, who saddled last year's winner Dubyuhnell. “He still goofed off at the end of the race. When he gets by himself, he plays around. He's real professional when he's with other horses. He looked around a little bit and didn't switch [leads] as fast because he's playing around. But it was a big performance and he ran fast.”

Gargan spoke volumes of Dornoch's Sapling effort, where he endured a troubled, wide trip under Kendrick Carmouche.

“I thought his second race was a crazy, big performance. He broke poorly and the horse inside him bolted and the next thing you know, he's wide in the first turn,” said Gargan. “Then he goes from [far back] down the backside, and in the turn for home, he had the lead. He moved way too soon. Kendrick said he had a ton of horse and if he had another sixteenth of a mile he'd have come back and beat the other horse. He just got green and was playing around.”

Since his maiden score, Dornoch has worked four times over the Belmont Park main track, including half-mile effort Saturday in 49.43 seconds.

Gargan added he expects Dornoch to relish a stretch-out after his strong showing at Keeneland.

“It's a short wire there at a mile and sixteenth and he galloped out all the way back around. He galloped way out that day,” Gargan said. “I don't think it [the distance] will be any problem at all. He's a big horse.”

Dornoch, a son of Good Magic, is a full-brother to this year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage and is out of the graded stakes-placed Big Brown mare Puca, who recently sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $2.9 million while carrying another full-sibling to Mage and Dornoch.

Luis Saez has the call from post 3.

Rose Petal Stables' Copper Tax [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] streaks in off five consecutive victories for conditioner Gary Capuano, most recently shipping out of Delaware Park for the first time to capture the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III on November 11 at Laurel Park. The son of Copper Bullet was bumped at the start and trailed farther off the pace than he had ever been in his six lifetime outings, but overcame the challenge to rally late and notch the neck score over Inveigled.

The James F. Lewis was the second stakes conquest for Copper Tax, who also won the one-mile Rocky Run in dominant wire-to-wire fashion two starts back, crossing the wire 6 3/4 lengths in front over the muddy and sealed going. Both his stakes victories garnered career-best 81 Beyers, and followed a pair of open-lengths restricted allowance romps at the at the Wilmington oval.

A $45,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Copper Tax is out of the stakes-placed Majestic Warrior mare Wilhelmina, a half-sister to multiple Venezuelan Group 1-winner Strength Mask.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out two contenders in the regally-bred debut winner Sierra Leone [post 7, Jose Ortiz] and second-out maiden-winner Domestic Product [post 2, Manny Franco].

Sierra Leone, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Peter Brant, made his highly anticipated debut on November 4 with a rallying 1 1/4-length score after bobbling at the start and racing five-wide in the stretch to sweep past Change of Command and complete the mile in 1:36.94.

The son of Gun Runner was a $2.3 million purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love. This third dam, the multiple graded stakes-winner Roamin Rachel, also produced 2004 Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy.

Brown said Sierra Leone trained well into his debut.

“Obviously, he's a highly-regarded horse because of his wonderful pedigree and his purchase price,” said Brown. “It's nice that he got his career started with a win right off the bat. He's a very promising horse and hopefully he takes to the two turns which he should.”

Klaravich Stables' Kentucky homebred Domestic Product was a winner at second asking on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A, taking a nine-furlong maiden tilt by 4 1/2 lengths with a prominent trip under Manny Franco. The son of Practical Joke improved greatly with a stretch-out after finishing fifth in a six-furlong sprint on debut in August at Saratoga.

“He stretched quite far out from his debut, so it wasn't ideal, but that was the race that was there and we went for it,” said Brown. “He came through, so I was quite impressed with him. He's stepping up, so it will be a good test for him.”

Sierra Leone and Domestic Product worked in company over the Belmont Park training track on Saturday, covering a half-mile in 48.40 seconds.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will also be represented by a pair of contenders as Moonlight [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Private Desire [post 10, Jose Lezcano] each vie for their first stakes victory.

Town and Country Racing and Madaket Stables' Moonlight enters from a closing runner-up effort over sloppy and sealed going in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Street Sense on October 29 at Churchill Downs where he made a bid from fourth down the stretch and came up 2 3/4 lengths shy of Liberal Arts. The son of Audible was making his stakes debut off a dominant second-out maiden conquest on September 28 at Belmont at the Big A when annexing a one-mile off-the-turf maiden by eight lengths and garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Stephen P. Brunetti, Jr.'s Private Desire looks to rebound from an even fourth-place effort last out in the one-mile Nashua on November 5 where he raced greenly at the seven-eighths and was wide into the stretch. The son of Constitution boasts a field-best 94 Beyer for a second-out graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on September 16 over the Big A main track. He finished fourth in a July 29 maiden at Saratoga where Dornoch also debuted and finished second.

Nice Guys Stables' Where's Chris [post 8, Isaac Castillo] will look to double up on stakes scores for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. after winning the one-mile Nashua by three-quarter lengths on November 5 here. The son of Twirling Candy stalked a half-length off pacesetting post-time favorite Book'em Danno in second before coming to even terms with his foe at the top of the lane. The pair drew off and dueled strongly down the stretch with Where's Chris coming out on top in a final time of 1:36.75.

A $20,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Where's Chris is out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Sea Queen, who finished second in the 2014 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on turf.

Completing the field are Nashua third-place finisher Billal [post 6, Junior Alvarado], who races with blinkers off for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and maiden winners Drum Roll Please [post 5, Javier Castellano] for trainer Brad Cox and Le Dom Bro [post 1, Jose Gomez] for conditioner Eniel Cordero.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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As the nation's premiere winter racing destination, Gulfstream Park annually attracts some of the best 3-year-olds in training as they prepare and compete with the Triple Crown series in mind.

No trainer has done it better in South Florida than Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, whose unparalleled success includes a record number of wins in both the Florida Derby (G1), Gulfstream's signature race, and its prep, the Fountain of Youth (G2).

Since 2007 Pletcher has won the $1 million Florida Derby, a 1 1/8-mile test that has produced a remarkable 59 Triple Crown race winners, seven times including back-to-back in 2014-15 and 2017-18 as well as this spring with 2022 champion 2-year-old male Forte.

Forte also gave Pletcher his record fourth victory in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, the first dating back to Scat Daddy in 2007. The 78th Fountain of Youth will be run March 2, 2024, four weeks before the Florida Derby is contested for the 73rd time, March 31.

“Gulfstream has always been a good program for us, for our later-developing 2-year-olds slash 3-year-olds,” Pletcher said. “It obviously has a very good Triple Crown prep program, and we've been fortunate to have some success over the years.”

Pletcher's primary winter base is in South Florida, with strings at both Palm Beach Downs and Gulfstream, where he won 18 consecutive Championship Meet training titles starting in 2004. The 2023-2024 Championship Meet will kick off Dec. 1.

Gulfstream's series of stakes for 3-year-olds begins New Year's Day with the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, a race Pletcher has won twice. He has also taken the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull (G3) twice including 2018 with Audible, who would go on to win the Florida Derby. The 35th Holy Bull is scheduled for Feb. 3.

Two of Pletcher's current young stars are Fierceness and Locked, both of whom figure to be in the mix for champion 2-year-old male of 2023. Repole Stable homebred Fierceness rebounded from a poor showing in the Oct. 7 Champagne (G1) with aplomb, powering to a 6 ¼-length upset at odds of 16-1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. It was just his third start, having graduated in his debut Aug. 25 at Saratoga.

“He ran super,” Pletcher said. “We were kind of perplexed by his Champagne after his successful debut and just kind of had to check him over and make sure everything was OK. Eventually he breezed so well we decided to draw a line through the Champagne and try again and thankfully he delivered the type of performance that he's capable of. We're obviously very excited about that.”

Fierceness finished as the third individual betting interest (29-1) in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager that concluded just before the Breeders' Cup. He wound up favored among 38 individual betting interests in the second future wager over Thanksgiving weekend (8-1).

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked began and ended Pool 1 of the Derby future wager as the top individual betting interest, and finished Pool 2 second to Fierceness, both times at 14-1. He broke his maiden at second asking Sept. 1 at Saratoga before winning the Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 7 at Keeneland and finishing third as the favorite in the Juvenile.

“I thought he ran deceivingly well in the Breeders' Cup. He was one of the few horses that was making up ground from off the pace,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately, he just got shuffled back a little too far and climbed a little bit from the kickback. Once he finally got out in the clear, he was finishing up very strongly and a couple strides away from getting up for second. We think he's a very talented colt that will appreciate the added distance and we're excited about his 3-year-old year.”

Pletcher also ran ninth in the Juvenile with Mike Repole's Noted, who has been first or second in four of five starts with a win in the Aug. 26 Sapling on the dirt at Monmouth Park. He was beaten a nose by Can Group in the Oct. 8 Bourbon (G2) on the Keeneland turf; Can Group is trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, whose winter base is Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

Among other Pletcher 2-year-olds turning 3 are Agate Road, winner of the Oct. 4 Pilgrim (G2) on the grass at Aqueduct and fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1); Be You, third in the Oct. 7 American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita; Oct 29 Street Sense (G3) runner-up Moonlight; and Private Desire, fourth in the Nov. 5 Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct. Nomos, fourth in the Aug. 31 With Anticipation (G3) on the turf at Saratoga, was eighth in his main track debut in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) Nov. 25.

“It's always an exciting time of the year, to kind of see where you are with your 2-year-olds turning 3 and hopefully have some other ones that haven't started yet that can step up,” Pletcher said. “We always look forward to the Gulfstream meet. It's always been a good for our program with the young horses starting to come around.”

Pletcher isn't the only South Florida-based horseman with promising 2-year-olds that may be seen at Gulfstream over the winter. Jose D'Angelo trains Bentornato, undefeated in four starts being pointed to a potential sweep of the Florida Sire Series in the $300,000 In Reality Dec. 2 at Gulfstream following victories in the Dr. Fager Sept. 9 and Affirmed Oct. 21. Bentornato also won Gulfstream's Proud Man in August.

Saffie Joseph Jr., who recently claimed his eighth consecutive training title at Gulfstream including back-to-back Championship Meet crowns, unveiled Peter Blum's homebred Mastery colt Merit, a popular 10 ¼-length maiden special weight winner sprinting seven furlongs Nov. 4.

Also exiting the Kentucky Jockey Club are Stretch Ride, who lost for the first time in his third start when third for 2018 Fountain of Youth-winning trainer Dale Romans, and Dancing Groom. Trained by Antonio Sano, winner of the Fountain of Youth in 2017 with Gunnevera and 2022 with Simplification, Dancing Groom broke his maiden at Saratoga and was third in the Champagne and sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, winner of the 2023 Holy Bull with Rocket Can, has Billal, who ran third in the Nashua; Parchment Party, unbeaten in two starts; and Knightsbridge, a 10 ½-length debut winner Nov 4. Trainer Danny Gargan's Dornoch, a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, was runner-up in the Sapling as a maiden, graduating Oct. 14 at Keeneland.

The Wine Steward is trained by Mike Maker, third in wins at last year's Championship Meet. Bred in New York, The Wine Steward won his first three races including the July 2 Bashford Manor at Ellis Park and Aug. 27 Funny Cide against state-breds at Saratoga before finishing second in the Breeders' Futurity.

Trainer Chad Brown has prospects in Champagne runner-up General Partner, sixth in the Juvenile; Domestic Product, a maiden winner second time out Oct. 27 at Aqueduct; and Sierra Leone, an Aqueduct debut winner Nov. 4.

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