Tag: Triple Crown

Lugan Knight registered a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure for his game half-length score in Saturday's $150,000 Jerome, a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack. In victory, he secured the maximum allotment in the Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying race which offered 10-4-3-2-1 points to the top-five finishers.

Trained by Michael McCarthy for George Yager's BG Stables, the Kentucky homebred son of Goldencents outdueled graded-stakes placed Arctic Arrogance in a thrilling stretch drive to capture his stakes debut by a half-length on the stretch out. The top-five was rounded out by General Banker, Neural Network and Andiamo a Firenze.

“It was a great effort,” Yager said. “I didn't know what to expect, but he was very game. It was a one-turn mile, so he was OK.”

Yager, known to his friends as 'Big George', formed his namesake BG Thoroughbred Farm in 2014 in partnership with trainer Hector Palma. Located in Hemet, California, the 51-acre farm includes training and lay-up facilities and is home to 40-50 broodmares and a number of stallions including Capital Account and Originaire.

The Los Angeles native, a graduate of Cal State Northridge, has also worked as an actor and producer, including a role in the 1997 film L.A. Confidential based on the novel by James Ellroy.

Upcoming Kentucky Derby qualifiers at the Big A include the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on February 4 [20-8-6-4-2], the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham [50-20-15-10-5] on March 4 and the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino [100-40-30-20-10] on April 8.

Yager said he's not sure if Lugan Knight will want to stretch out beyond the one-mile distance his sire – a dual Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-winner – excelled at and will leave the race planning in his trainer's capable hands.

“That's up to Mike,” Yager said. “I'm very realistic. He may have his limitations as far as distance is concerned. I've been in this game awhile and I don't get too carried away.”

Lugan Knight is out of the winning Speightstown mare Sly Roxy, while his second dam is multiple graded stakes-winner Roxy Gap, who banked $952,790 in a 19-race career that included 2012 Sovereign Awards in her native Canada for Champion Older Mare and Champion Female Sprinter. The versatile Roxy Gap was a graded winner on synthetic and turf and graded-stakes placed on dirt.

Sly Roxy graduated on debut in July 2017 at Saratoga Race Course, drawing off to a 5 1/2-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for the Hall of Fame duo of jockey Javier Castellano and trainer Mark Casse. She followed with a fifth-place effort in that year's Grade 2 Adirondack, but failed to reach the heights of her talented dam.

“I bought her and she won first time out at Saratoga, but she lost her luster,” Yager said. “Since then, I've sold her – had I only known.”

Lugan Knight entered the Jerome from a trio of sprint efforts in Kentucky, graduating at second asking in October at Keeneland. He followed with a close third-place finish in an optional-claimer in November at Churchill Downs won by Victory Formation, who exited that effort to win the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.

Lugan Knight successfully stretched out to one-mile in the Jerome, a cagey affair, as NYRA's 2022 leading rider Dylan Davis allowed the colt to take command through moderate splits of 23.41 seconds and 47.70 over the good main track with Arctic Arrogance stalking from second.

Arctic Arrogance, who entered from a runner-up effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen, loomed large into the turn but Lugan Knight continued to find more and staved off his rival to notch the win in a final time of 1:37.77.

Yager said he also has high hopes for the McCarthy-trained Friendlypersuasion, a sophomore daughter of Arrogate, who graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf tilt in August at Indiana Grand ahead of a prominent fifth in the Grade 3 Pocahontas in September at Churchill Downs.

She was last seen posting a 10 1/2-length score in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on October 9 at Keeneland that registered a career-best 70 Beyer.

“She looked like she was going to be pretty good, but she got hurt,” Yager said. “She'll be back in a couple months.”

Friendlypersuasion, bred in Kentucky by Bridlewood Farm, is out of the graded-stakes winning Indian Charlie mare Brazen Persuasion.

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Although he was pressed through swift fractions to the top of the lane, longshot Reincarnate, one of three Bob Baffert entrants, was smooth as silk as he fended off all challengers to prevail by a neck in Sunday's $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Reincarnate got a flat mile in 1:35.87 and stamped himself a bona fide Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful as he provided Baffert with his record ninth Sham Stakes win while picking up 10 qualifying points for the Louisville classic, set to run May 6 at Churchill Downs.

A gate-to-wire maiden winner going one mile Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Reincarnate was pressed through fractions of :22.28, :45.57, 1:09.55, and 1:22.76 by highly regarded second choice Spun Intended, who dropped out of contention leaving the quarter pole and was pulled up a furlong out by Mike Smith.

Easily the biggest price of the Baffert threesome at 16-1, Reincarnate, who broke his maiden in his fourth start, paid $35 for the win.

“It looks like this horse is getting better with every race, the first couple of starts, he was a little green,” said Hernandez, who bagged his third win on the day and his meet-leading sixth stakes win. “Today, he broke really sharp and actually he surprised me. I had come up with a plan to stay behind the speed, make him relax and make one move, but when the gate opened, plans changed.

“I saw myself in front, so I just let him run. I felt the fractions were like a hard pace, but he was really comfortable. He's a really big horse, he has a big stride…He kind of waited for the other horses, but he's still learning how to run. When he got the lead, he tried to wait for company, but when he saw the other horse (runner-up Newgate) come to me, he saw him and fought back.”

A $775,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase from breeder Woods Edge Farm, Reincarnate, who is by Good Magic out of the Scat Daddy mare Allanah, is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, et al. With the Sham winner's take of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $142,400.

“He's the kind of horse that can run all day long,” said Baffert. “He broke great and Juan just kind of let him run away from there. They were all on their own, I didn't give anybody any instructions. I was watching Johnny (Velazquez, aboard third place finisher and heavy favorite National Treasure) and he was in tight the whole way…I think (Reincarnate) showed that distance is not going to be a problem for him once he (gets) the lead. I was surprised he that easy lead and he just kept going.”

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Newgate was last early and finished very well to be second by three-quarters of a length over National Treasure.

With Velazquez taking off the winner in favor of 3-5 post time favorite National Treasure, he too, gave a good account of himself, finishing 23 lengths in front of turf specialist Packs a Wahlop.

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Reincarnate 16-1 Sham Upsetter As Baffert Runners Take Top Three Spots appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Cyclone Mischief swept to a 5 ¾-length victory in Sunday's Race 9 feature at Gulfstream Park, where the Dale Romans-trained son of Into Mischief 'probably' will return in the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 4.

Sunday's one-turn mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds served as a prep for the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull on the road to the $1-million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

“This is a real racehorse. He's the real deal,” Romans said. “He's one of the best I've had in a long time.”

The Kentucky-bred colt was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who picked up the mount when named rider, Luis Saez, took off his last two mounts after being involved in a spill in Race 8.

Cyclone Mischief rated behind pacesetter Rudder's Men, who set fractions of :23.28 and :45.81 seconds for the first half mile with Mr. Ripple in close pursuit. On the turn into the homestretch, Gaffalione sent his mount between horses as the pacesetters tired, and the Romans trainee kicked powerfully through the stretch to score an impressive victory.

“I feel terrible. Thankfully, Luis is OK, but we were just in the right spot. Very tremendous colt. Big, powerful individual,” Gaffalione said. “He broke alertly, put himself in a great spot. Kind, he listens to you and, man, he's got some turn of foot.

“They told me that they had been working him behind horses and he seemed to be really thriving with that, so that was kind of the plan,” added Gaffalione after closing within five wins of the 2000-win milestone.

Litigate, who loomed boldly on the far outside entering the stretch finished second, just a nose ahead of a re-rallying Mr. Ripple. Cyclone Mischief ran a mile in 1:36.48.

“It was a perfect trip. We wanted to see if he would sit behind and he did,” Romans said.

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Undefeated stakes winners Post Time and Recruiter and Grade 3-placed Prove Right top 24 nominations to the $100,000 Spectacular Bid for newly turned 3-year-olds Saturday, Jan. 21 at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong Spectacular Bid, named for the Maryland-based Hall of Famer whose 26 career wins included the 1979 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1), is one of six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on the program.

It is the first in Maryland's series of stakes for sophomores leading up to the 148th Preakness (G1) May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, followed by the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile Feb. 18, $100,000 Private Terms at about 1 1/16 miles March 18 and $125,000 Federico Tesio April 15. Once again, the 1 1/8-mile Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Preakness.

Hillwood Stable's Post Time, by Frosted, ran his record to 3-0 with a 3 ¾-length triumph in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Dec. 3, his stakes debut, against fellow Maryland-bred/sired horses. His first two wins, by 8 ¾ combined lengths, came against open company.

Lynch Racing and Nick Sanna Stables' Recruiter is a Florida-bred son of Army Mule that won each of his three juvenile starts capped by the six-furlong James F. Lewis III at Laurel. He began 2023 with a 2 ¾-length score in the seven-furlong Parx Juvenile Jan. 3.

Trained and co-owned by James Chapman, Prove Right finished third after setting the pace in the Nashua (G3) last November at Aqueduct, and capped 2022 with a one-length optional claiming allowance victory sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 11 at Laurel. Last out he pressed the pace and wound up fifth in the Turfway Prevue on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Also among the nominees are Coffeewithchris, Post Time's stablemate Prince of Jericho and Riccio, the top three finishers from the seven-furlong Heft at Laurel Dec. 30; Maryland Million Nursery runner-up Heldish, third to Recruiter in the Lewis; and B West and My Blue Eyes, each riding two-race win streaks.

Morris Kernan and Jagger Inc.'s Maryland Million Lassie winner Chickieness, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Golden Gate Debutante winner Sally's Sassy and Robert Rutherford's We'll See, unbeaten in two starts, top 17 nominees to the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies.

The Xtra Heat is followed in Maryland's 3-year-old filly series by the $100,000 Wide Country Feb. 18 at seven furlongs, $100,000 Beyond the Wire going one mile March 18 and $125,000 Weber City Miss April 15. The 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss offers the winner an automatic berth in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at Pimlico.

Most popular among horsemen was the $100,000 Fire Plug for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs with 34 nominees including Daniel Abramowitz's Greeley and Ben, last out winner of the six-furlong Fall Highweight (G3) in November at Aqueduct; Factor It In, front-running winner of the six-furlong Dave's Friend Dec. 30 at Laurel, and fellow multiple stakes winners Alwaysinahurry, Beren, Double Crown, No Cents, Shake Em Loose, Threes Over Deuces and Repo Rocks, the latter third in the 2022 Jan Nerud (G2) at Belmont Park.

Tsunebumi and Sekie Yoshihara's 2022 Fantasy (G3) winner Yuugiri, a front-running allowance winner Dec. 30 at Oaklawn Park in her first race since the Kentucky Oaks (G1); Beguine, beaten a neck in the Fantasy; and multiple stakes winners Buy the Best, Disco Ebo, Dontletsweetfoolya, Fille d'Esprit, Malibu Beauty and Swayin to and Fro head 22 nominations to the $100,000 What a Summer for fillies and mares 4 and up sprinting six furlongs.

Rounding out the stakes action are a pair of $75,000 events for Maryland-bred/sired horses, each at one mile – the Jennings for 4-year-olds and up and Geisha for fillies and mares 4 and older.

Several horses from the Fire Plug are cross-nominated to the Jennings including 2021 Maryland Million Sprint winner Air Token and 2021 Robert Hilton Memorial winner Exculpatory, as well as stakes winners Galerio, Local Motive, Ournationonparade and Vance Scholars.

Fille d'Espit and Malibu Beauty are among 18 nominees to the Geisha, joined by such horses as Acadian Girl, a winner of four straight races by 19 ½ combined lengths; Intrepid Dream, riding a three-race win streak; and Sweet Gracie, third to Fille d'Esprit and Malibu Beauty in the Maryland Million Distaff.

The post Laurel’s Spectacular Bid Draws 24 Nominees, 3YO Stakes Kicks Off Maryland’s Lead-Up To Preakness appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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