Tag: Triple Crown

Unbeaten Victory Formation is scheduled to make his two-turn debut in Sunday's $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Probable post time for the one-mile Smarty Jones, which goes as the eighth of nine races, is 4:10 p.m. (CT). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. The Smarty Jones will offer 20 points (10-4-3-2-1, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Owned by prominent North Little Rock, Ark., businessman Frank Fletcher and Spendthrift Farm, Victory Formation will be making his stakes debut after winning his first two starts this fall in Kentucky. He is the 6-5 program favorite for the Smarty Jones. 

“It's a good race,” said Brad Cox, who trains Victory Formation and fellow Smarty Jones entrant Angel of Empire. “I'm looking forward to getting Victory Formation around two turns. He's had two starts sprinting and performed very well. I think he's given us enough confidence to think he's going to be better going long, based off his pedigree and how he's finished up his races.”

Victory Formation, purchased for $340,000 last May at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale, is from the first crop of 2017 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tapwrit.

Victory Formation was a front-running 4 ¾-length winner going 6 ½ furlongs in his Oct. 21 career debut at Keeneland, then, pressing the pace, returned to clear his first allowance condition by a neck at six furlongs Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. (The Nov. 26 runner-up, Two Eagles River, is the 6-5 program favorite for the $150,000 Renaissance Stakes at six furlongs Saturday at Oaklawn.)

Victory Formation, who has been based this winter at Fair Grounds, is scheduled to break from the extreme outside, post 8, Sunday under new rider Flavien Prat. Mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole in the stretch.

“It's OK,” Cox said of the post. “I never normally don't get too involved with the post, just because it is what it is. It's where we have to play from and that's what we'll do.”

Kenny McPeek, who won the 2022 Smarty Jones with Dash Attack, is scheduled to send out Denington and Ten Days Later. Denington exits a fifth-place finish, beaten only 1 ½ lengths, in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Ten Days Later will be making his stakes debut after breaking his maiden at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 20 at Keeneland.

“Both colts are showing professionalism, talent,” McPeek said. “Good next step for both of them. They're both still eligible for first-level allowance as well. If they're competitive, great, if not we'll regress a little bit and go to (allowance) other than.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen also has two scheduled starters in supplemental nominee Communication Memo and How Did He Do That.

Communication Memo broke his maiden at one mile Dec. 16 at Oaklawn, becoming the first Oaklawn winner for his sire, Bolt d'Oro. How Did He Do That finished fifth in the $150,000 Advent Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 9 at Oaklawn in his last start.

Angel of Empire, a son of champion and 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire, will be making his stakes debut after recording two 1-mile victories at Horseshoe Indianapolis, including a Nov. 14 entry-level allowance score in his last start.

“He's proven around two turns,” Cox said. “He likes two turns, there's no doubt about that, and I think the longer the better. This race fit well on the calendar. We'll see if he's a horse that can fit on the Triple Crown trail.”

Western Ghent tries to rebound from a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“It's experiment time, as you might guess,” Lukas said.

C. J.'s Storm finished eighth in the Advent for co-owner/trainer John Haran.

No Smarty Jones entrant will race on the anti-bleeder medication Lasix, meaning all are eligible to collect Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28, $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25 and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 1.

The projected eight-horse Smarty Jones field from the rail out: C. J.'s Storm, Angel Rodriguez to ride, 117 pounds, 30-1 on the morning line; How Did He Do That, Isaac Castillo, 117, 12-1; Communication Memo, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 5-1; Western Ghent, Cristian Torres, 117, 30-1; Ten Days Later, David Cabrera, 119, 7-2; Denington, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 4-1; Angel of Empire, Joe Talamo, 117, 15-1; and Victory Formation, Flavien Prat, 119, 6-5.

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Victory Formation Looks To Keep Record Perfect In Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

G. Watt Humphrey's Laver will be looking to ace Sunday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park, where his dam, Centre Court, was a multiple graded-stakes winner over the turf course.

The one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man, the first stop on the Road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) for newly turned 3-year-olds, will be featured on the New Year's Day program.

“Centre Court was just about a millionaire, a Grade 1 winner at Keeneland, a graded-stakes winner at Saratoga. She was a lot of fun,” said trainer Rusty Arnold, who also saddled Centre Court for back-to-back Honey Fox (G2) victories in 2013 and 2014 at Gulfstream, “She's off to a very good start as a broodmare. She's the dam of Navratilova, who's a graded-stakes winner on turf. Hopefully, he'll come along and fill those shoes. We really like him. He's off to a good start, and we're excited about him.”

Although Laver seemed destined for a racing career on turf, the G. Watt Humphrey homebred colt made the transition to dirt after a pair of promising turf starts due to the lack of opportunities on turf during the fall in Kentucky.

“Centre Court was all turf. Everything she did was on turf and Navratilova, his sibling, was all turf. We thought that was what he was. His first two starts were on turf,” Arnold said. “Turf racing was kind of sketchy in Kentucky this fall, so it was hard to run on the turf unless you shipped out of town because of the condition of the turf at Churchill – they had problems with it – and Keeneland wasn't using theirs because they were protecting it for the Breeders' Cup.”

Laver, who finished second in his debut at Ellis Park and ran an even fifth in the $500,000 Juvenile at Kentucky Downs, made a four-wide move into the stretch to take the lead in his dirt debut at Keeneland before settling for second. The son of Bernardini came back to graduate in a one-turn mile maiden race at Churchill Downs, where he raced forwardly and held gamely to prevail while being equipped with blinkers for the first time upon the recommendation of jockey Luis Saez.

“That was Luis' idea. He thought he got a little lazy on him and thought that he could have won [his dirt debut]. I don't know if that's true or not. Luis said to add the blinkers and we did,” Arnold said. “It got him a little more into the race and he ran well, so we'll keep them on him. We ran him on the dirt and he ran well both starts. If you can keep them on the dirt, that's what you want to do. Until he changes my mind, we'll probably stick with that.”

Laver looks the part.

“He's probably a better-looking horse [than Centre Court]. He's a little bigger, a little bit stronger. He's a colt version of her. He's more correct. He's a gorgeous horse, actually,” Arnold said. “He probably looks more like his second dam, which is Let, an A. P. Indy. Funny thing, she was all dirt. She never ran on turf at all and produced Centre Court, who was all turf. We're hoping he takes after the second dam.”

Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Laver for the first time in the Mucho Macho Man, which drew a full field of 12 sophomores, including the Arnold-trained Fliparino.

Calumet Farm's Fliparino graduated at first asking in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs Sept. 22. The son of Honor Code finished a distant third in the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense (G3) following a stumbling start Oct. 30.

Martin Garcia is scheduled to ride Fliparino for the first time.

Vegso Racing Stable's Lord Miles is scheduled to make his stakes debut in the Mucho Macho Man while making only his second start. The son of Curlin is coming off a 5 ¾-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race Nov. 19 at Gulfstream.

“It wasn't a fast-run race by the numbers, but it was impressive to me,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He's trained forwardly since. That's one of the reasons he's going from a maiden straight to the stake. He's given us the confidence to do that.”

Lord Miles demonstrated the ability to overcome adversity in his debut.

“He had trained well up to the race. I was a little concerned about how he would break and all of a sudden, he broke on top. I was happy and then in a couple of strides he got outpaced and tasting the dirt, he started climbing. I said, 'Uh-oh.' He basically looked beat,” Joseph said. “By the quarter-pole. he made a run, but he didn't make a run that looked like he was going to win. All of a sudden, when he straightened out and kicked in, he really put the race to bed in a few strides.”

Joseph saddled Lord Miles for his debut with a lot of confidence.

“The way he trained with some 2-year-olds that won already, we thought he was fit enough and showed enough ability to win,” Joseph said. “That wasn't my thought at the three-eighths pole or the quarter pole, but that was the thought before the race.”

Lord Miles is out of Lady Esme, a half-sister Officiating, the Joseph-trained multiple graded-stakes winner, and a half-sister to the dam of champion 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Caledonia Road.

Edgard Zayas has the mount aboard Lord Miles.

Courtland Farms' General Jim is scheduled to return to dirt in the Mucho Macho Man following a trio of solid performances on turf. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, General Jim debuted with a third-place finish in a six-furlong maiden race on dirt at Saratoga and graduated in his second start on turf at Saratoga. He came right back to win an entry level allowance over the Keeneland turf Oct. 29. Most recently, the son of Into Mischief finished a solid third following an extremely wide start in a mile turf event at Aqueduct.

Luis Saez has the return call aboard General Jim.

Daniel Walters, Dennis Smith, Anthony Smith and trainer Rohan Crichton's Legacy Isle, who has won his two starts going away at Gulfstream; Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and William Branch's Baby Billy, an unlucky three-start maiden trained by Jack Sisterson; M Racing Group's Eyes On the King, a winner of two of three starts at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; and John Grossi's Racing Corp., Beast Mode Racing LLC and trainer Robert Falcone Jr.'s Mr Bob, runner-up in the Ed Brown stakes at Churchill Downs last time out; are among the most prominent entrants in the Mucho Macho Man.

Alex Andres LLC's Il Miracolo, Lea Farms LLC's Live Is Life, Aldana Gonzalez Racing LLC, Lisa Ballou and Steve Ballou's Dreaming of Kona, and Sherry Jehaludi's Wine Empire round out the field.

The post Royally-Bred Laver Will Try To Continue Dirt Progress In Sunday’s Mucho Macho Man appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainers have a lot of customary language to go to when describing their horses on a regular basis. One line that is thrown around a lot is:  “The horse will tell us when he's ready.”

Jace's Road was that horse on Monday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for trainer Brad Cox, who was also victorious with the colt Corona Bolt in the $100,000 Sugar Bowl and the filly Dazzling Blue in the $100,000 Letellier, both juvenile dirt sprints.

Jace's Road broke alertly and marched his way to a convincing 5 1/2 length win in the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes for 2-year-old colts.

“Believe it or not this wasn't really the goal after his last race at Churchill,” Cox said. “We kinda gave him some time off after that and then we came down here with him and he really put together a couple of nice works which told us he was ready to go.”

That last race was a disappointing eighth place finish in the G3 Street Sense over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs.

“I could tell in the paddock that day he just wasn't quite himself,” Cox said of his last start. “He's always trained well and only had that setback in late October. We needed something in this race; we have several colts who are trying to march toward the (Kentucky) Derby.”

The Gun Runner offered Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 10-4-3-2-1 basis.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables'  Quality Road colt earned 10 points to go with the three he earned finishing third in the Iroquois (G3), putting him in fourth on the qualifying leaderboard with 13.

Jace's Road benefitted from a sharp break inside his main rival Determinedly, who stumbled at the start as the 4-5 favorite. Jockey Florent Geroux cruised on the lead through moderate fractions of :24.46 and :48.18 for the half mile. Geroux had plenty left in the tank to complete 1 1/6-miles on a fast main track in 1:44.85.

“He broke super sharp,” said Geroux. “On paper it didn't seem there was much speed so I thought if my horse won the break then I would take it from there.”

Andrew and Rania Warren's Raise Cain, dismissed by the bettors at 23-1 odds, was able to make a sustained run down the stretch to get second by a head over Determinedly who fought back early to put pressure on Jace's Road but tired in the homestretch. They earned 4 and 3 Kentucky Derby points respectively. Also earning points were Hayes Strike (2, boosting his total to 7) and Andthewinneris (1).

“It looked like the 3 (Determinedly) had dead aim on us at the top of the stretch,” Cox said. “But I was proud of the way our horse responded and he is going to get plenty out of this race moving forward.”

Jace's Road, a $510,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment, is out of the Silver Deputy mare Out Post. He has two wins from four starts and $126,800 in earnings. He was bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables LLC.

Jace's Road, the 2-1 second choice, returned $5.40 for the victory. Behind Raise Cain, Determinedly, Hayes Strike, and Andthewinneris, it was Old Alliance and Mazing Mark who completed the order of finish.

Epicenter, the inaugural winner of the Gun Runner last year, went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby. He later won the Travers (G1) and is one of the favorites for 3-year-old championship honors. Rich Strike, who finished a non-threatening fifth, would later upset the Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1.

The post Jace’s Road Romps Gate To Wire To Win Gun Runner At Fair Grounds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Wildatlanticstorm, a two-time stakes winner and victor in the richest race for 2-year-olds at Remington Park, the $400,000 Springboard Mile, has been voted the Horse of the Meet for the recently completed 2022 Thoroughbred season.

The strapping chestnut, who crossed the scales at 1,235 pounds prior to his Springboard triumph, is owned by Jim Jorgensen of Thornton, Iowa. The colt by Stormy Atlantic from the Big Brown mare Imsortaspecial was bred in Iowa by his owner. Wildatlanticstorm is trained by Ray Ashford, Jr.

Wildatlanticstorm won three of four starts this season including wins in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Oct. 28 and an allowance score on Sept. 8, in addition to his Springboard victory. He was ridden by David Cabrera in all of his races except the Springboard. In the marquee race for 2-year-olds, Leandro Goncalves had the mount and put a beautiful ride on the colt to maximize his opportunity to succeed.

Wildatlanticstorm earned $335,298 over his four starts at Remington Park. He has accumulated $366,568 overall from six career starts with four wins and two second-place efforts.

Here's a look at the Parade of Stars, the champions from the 2022 Thoroughbred Season, as voted on by media and racing management.

Wildatlanticstorm – Champion 2-Year-Old Male

Wildatlanticstorm would have earned 10 points in the 2023 Kentucky Derby standings by winning the $400,000 Springboard Mile for 2-year-olds at Remington Park on closing night, but he raced on Lasix. That precluded him receiving any points in those standings, but that was trainer Ray Ashford's plan all along.

“We were going to see how he did in this race and if he showed he was good enough, we will have to take him off (Lasix) down the road in other Kentucky Derby point races,” said Ashford.

The 2-year-old colt was the first Iowa-bred to win the Springboard Mile in its 22-year history. The big red colt was almost undefeated at Remington Park this meet, winning the Springboard, the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes and an optional claiming $75,000/allowance race. His only loss was a runner-up finish in the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes when he lost by 1 3/4 lengths to Campfire Creed.

Olivia Twist – Champion 2-Year-Old Female

Olivia Twist's victory in the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes kept the 2-year-old filly undefeated after three starts for trainer Todd Fincher and solidified her vote in this category. She is a 2-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro), out of the War Chant mare Twinkling, and she handled the step up in class to stakes company with ease, winning the Trapeze, her first stakes race ever. The meet's top jockey Cristian Torres scored by two full lengths in that race after beating a field of allowance juvenile fillies by 15 lengths in her previous race. Owned by G. Chris Coleman of Farmington, N.M., she started her career with a maiden win at Remington Park on Oct. 19, sprinting five furlongs in :58.66, winning by 2 1/2 lengths.

Olivia Twist earned $60,000 from the Trapeze purse and improved to three wins in three tries for a bankroll of $100,149.

Rattle N Roll – Champion 3-Year-Old Male

Trainer Ken McPeek loved watching his 3-year-old colt win the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. Mike Mackin of Louisville, Ky., owns Lucky Seven Stable in conjunction with his three brothers and sister and they own Rattle N Roll. The stable is named for Mackin's parents and five siblings. Rattle N Roll made a strong run down the stretch, digging deep to hold off the late charge of Steve Asmussen-trained King Ottoman. Rattle N Roll finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of King Ottoman. In the Derby, jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., won aboard Rattle N Roll, a 3-year-old colt by Connect (Curlin), out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune. It was the colt's only race at Remington Park this year. Rattle N Roll earned $240,000 for the victory.

Hits Pricey Legacy – Champion 3-Year-Old Female and Champion Oklahoma-bred

This filly pulled off the biggest upset of the day on Oklahoma Derby Day in the Grade 3, $210,000 Remington Park Oaks, taking down Grade 1 winner Juju's Map. She cemented her place in these categories with a follow-up victory in the Useeit Stakes, versus Oklahoma-breds, on the Springboard Mile undercard. Juju's Map, who won the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland as a 2-year-old and then ran second to Echo Zulu in the Grade 1, $1.76 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, could do no better than run third to Hits Pricey Legacy, a multiple stakes winner at Remington Park. Owner-breeder-trainer C.R. Trout's barn centered around this filly the whole meet. The 3-year-old daughter of Oklahoma sire Den's Legacy (Medaglia D'Oro), out of the Concord Point mare High Price Hit, won three of four starts this meet, losing only in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff to another local champ, the older mare She's All Wolfe.

Trout of Edmond, Okla., said: “This filly means so much to us. Remington Park has always been my favorite track and it always will be.”

Hits Pricey Legacy improved her record to 10 starts, five wins, two seconds and two thirds for a total bankroll of $339,935 for the homebred. The filly has won $327,435 of that at Remington Park.

Rated R Superstar – Champion Older Male

Rated R Superstar won the $102,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial Stakes, the final stakes race of the season for older horses at Remington Park on the Springboard undercard, to secure the older male honor. The 9-year-old gelding races for Remington Park's all-time winningest owner Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. The son of Kodiak Kowboy (Posse), out of the Gold Case mare Wicked Wish, beat heavily favored shipper from trainer Brad Cox's barn, Caddo River (4-5). Rated R Superstar loves the Remington Park main track, winning for the third time here in only four tries. The Hawk Memorial was added to his Governor's Cup triumph on the first night of the season in August. It was the second consecutive Governor's Cup for Rated R Superstar. His record  overall is now 65 starts, 13 wins, 10 seconds and eight thirds for $1,781,280. On Remington Park's dirt surface he is now 4-3-1-0 for $278,000.

She's All Wolfe – Champion Older Female

It wasn't known at the time, but racing fans would see She's All Wolfe win for the last time at Remington Park in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff on Oct. 21. Trainer Donnie Von Hemel sent his mare out to win the $128,000 Distaff for the third year in a row. She was retired from racing in the days leading up to the Remington Park season ending.  She gave Von Hemel his 30^th Classics victory, the all-time lead for trainers in the series. She's All Wolfe finished one victory short of her dam (mother) She's All In in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff. Her mama won this race four times. Both mares are owned by Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla. He has won the Classics Distaff nine times. Richard Eramia was She's All Wolfe's regular rider this season as she won both of her Remington Park attempts. She was triumphant in allowance company against Oklahoma-breds a month before the Classics. The 5-year-old daughter of Magna Graduate (Honor Grades), out of the Include aforementioned mare She's All In, finishes her career with a record of 29 starts, 10 wins, six seconds and three thirds for $755,260 in earnings.

Flash of Mischief – Champion Sprinter

This 5-year-old colt by Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), out of the Political Force mare Flashy Campaign, won this category by winning the toughest open-company sprint stakes of the meet – the $150,000 David M. Vance Stakes. It was impressive enough for the top trainer of the meet, Karl Broberg, to send him to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., in November. Flash of Mischief ran second in his only other start of the meet, but he ran second to another Champion this meet, Rated R Superstar in the $175,000 Governor's Cup in August. The colt then broke through by 6 1/4 lengths in the Vance Stakes, on the Oklahoma Derby undercard on Sept. 25. Flash of Mischief is owned and was bred in Kentucky by Jerry Namy of Ft. Worth, Texas, and his record is now 23 starts, nine wins, five seconds and two thirds for $774,901.

Price Talk – Champion Turf Performer

Price Talk earned the award for his win in the richest open-company turf event of the season, the $100,000 Remington Green, on the Oklahoma Derby undercard Sept. 25. Owned by Gaining Ground Racing of Edina, Minn., Price Talk is trained by Brad Cox and was ridden to victory in the Green by Florent Geroux. The Green was the only start of the season at Remington Park for the 5-year-old gelding by Kitten's Joy from the War Chant mare Mayakoba. He has a record of 16 starts, six wins, two second and one third for total career earnings of $342,824.

Ernie Banker – Champion Claimer

Ernie Banker was successful and popular between two top barns this season at Remington Park. He started his local run on Sept. 1, finishing ninth over a sloppy track for owner End Zone Athletics and trainer Karl Broberg. He then won his next attempt on Sept. 23 and was claimed for $15,000 by owner Danny Caldwell, who sent him to victory six days later on Sept. 29 when Broberg claimed him back for End Zone Athletics at a price of $20,000. The 5-year-old gelding then won a starter allowance event on Oct. 12 and an allowance on Nov. 7 out of the Broberg barn to finish the season with four consecutive wins from five starts.

A son of Central Banker from the Prime Timber mare Tall Timbercowgirl, Ernie Banker was bred in New York by Andy Beadnell. He has a career mark of 25 starts with nine wins, three second and four thirds for total earnings of $258,542.

The post Springboard Mile Winner Wildatlanticstorm Voted Remington’s Horse Of The Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post