Tag: Triple Crown

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out the trio of Arabian Lion, Carmel Road and Fort Bragg as he seeks his eighth win in nine years in the Grade 2, $200,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday at Los Alamitos racecourse in Cypress, Calif. A field of five is entered.

The race at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds is the fourth of 10 races on the next-to-last day of the Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. Post time Saturday is 12:30 p.m. PT. Scheduled post time for the Futurity is 2 p.m. PT.

(The Los Alamitos Futurity is an official points race for the Kentucky Derby, offering 10-4-3-2-1 points to the first five finishers. However, because horses trained by Bob Baffert are ineligible to earn points as he is barred from participating in the 2023 Derby, only two runners will be eligible.)

Baffert, who won the first seven Los Alamitos Futurities offered since daytime Thoroughbred racing returned in 2014 with the close of Hollywood Park, had to settle for second with Messier in 2021. Slow Down Andy, trained by Doug O'Neill for owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam,  won by one length a year ago.

Owned by Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stables Inc., Arabian Lion will try two turns for the first time in his return to California.

A son of Justify and the Distorted Humor mare Unbound, Arabian Lion, who was purchased for $600,000 at the OBS sale in April, was a first-out winner Oct. 9 at Santa Anita, then was second as the odds-on favorite going seven furlongs on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard Nov. 4 at Keeneland. He's banked $66,600.

Owned by a large partnership that includes SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Carmel Road and Fort Bragg both have route victories on their resumes.

A son of Quality Road and the Unbridled's Song mare Inspired, Carmel Road defeated maidens by nearly nine lengths at eight furlongs Aug. 26 at Del Mar for his lone win in three tries.

In his most recent outing, the $650,000 yearling purchase finished far back in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity Oct. 8 at Keeneland. He's banked $65,100.

A $700,000 buy in October of last year, Fort Bragg graduated at the Los Alamitos Futurity distance as the 3-10 choice Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. The win came 25 days after he been disqualified from a victory and placed second as the 3-5 favorite.

The Tapit colt out of the Shanghai Bobby mare March X Press has earned $58,400 in three starts.

Trainer Tim Yakteen will seek his second stakes win of the Winter meet – he won the Soviet Problem Dec. 11 with Cast Member for owner-breeder George Krikorian – when he saddles Practical Move.

A son of Practical Joke and the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty owned by Amestoy, Practical Move stretches out again after finishing third in the Grade 3 Bob Hope last month at seven furlongs.

Purchased for $230,000 out of the same sale as Arabian Lion, Practical Move was the beneficiary when Fort Bragg was disqualified Oct. 10 in Arcadia. The bay has earned $74,200 in four races.

Completing the field is three-start maiden Tall Boy.

Trained by Leandro Mora for Calumet Farm, the Lookin At Lucky colt out of the Scat Daddy mare Madame Mayra has earned $20,000. In his most recent start, Tall Boy was a distant third behind runaway winner Spun Intended Nov. 26 at Del Mar. The Futurity will be his first attempt beyond 6 ½ furlongs.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Futurity: Tall Boy, Umberto Rispoli rides, 120 pounds; Carmel Road, Juan Hernandez, 120; Fort Bragg, Flavien Prat, 120; Practical Move, Ramon Vazquez, 120 and Arabian Lion, John Velazquez, 120.

The post Baffert Has Three Of Five Los Alamitos Futurity Entrants appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The $400,000 Springboard Mile headlines the final night of racing for the 2022 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park, on Saturday, Dec. 17. A field of nine entered the richest local event for 2-year-olds with Echo Again made the 9-5 morning-line favorite.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds of Las Vegas and trained by the sport's all-time leading trainer by wins, Steve Asmussen, Echo Again will be ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr. The colt by Gun Runner from the Tapit mare Teardrop, bred in Kentucky by his owner, seeks a rebounding effort in the Springboard. He was a well-beaten seventh, 14 lengths behind, as the heavy 3-5 favorite in the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 17.

Asmussen has previously won the Springboard six times, most recently with Shoplifted in 2019. Santana was up for that score and seeks his second win in the Springboard. Winchell Thoroughbreds seeks its first victory in the race.

The other entrant to the race that has not competed this season at Remington Park is Giant Mischief from the barn of trainer Brad Cox. An Into Mischief colt, out of the Giant Oak mare Vertical Oak, Giant Mischief is undefeated after two starts, but has yet to race against stakes company. He broke his maiden for Cox at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Sept. 22 by 1-1/2 lengths and then beat an optional $100,000 allowance/claiming race field by three-quarters of a length at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., stretching out from 5-1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs. The Springboard will be his first stakes race.

Giant Mischief is 3-1 on the morning-line and will be ridden by Florent Geroux who seeks his first win in the Springboard. He finished fifth in 2018 aboard Marquee Prince in his only other attempt.

Local stakes winners seeking more glory in the Springboard include Campfire Creed (5-1) and Wildatlanticstorm (6-1). The pair have taken turns against each other with Campfire Creed winning the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on Sept. 25, 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Wildatlanticstorm. Then in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Oct. 28, Wildatlanticstorm got up to win by a nose, catching his rival in the final stride at the line.

Ghost Hero, winner of the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Oct. 21 and the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Nov. 11, both against Oklahoma-breds, is going for a third consecutive stakes triumph in the Springboard. Trained by Jayde Gelner, Ghost Hero is 15-1 on the morning-line.

The top earner in the Springboard Mile field is Wildatlanticstorm with $126,568 to his credit. The Iowa-bred by Stormy Atlantic also leads the field in victories as he is the only entrant with three career wins.

Trainer Todd Fincher saddled Senor Buscador to win the 2020 Springboard Mile and will attempt his second win in the stakes with American Outlaw (15-1). The colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will change equipment for the Springboard Mile, going without blinkers for the first time.

The field for the Springboard Mile, by post position and program order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Echo Again: Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 9-5 (morning-line favorite)
2. Gunflash: Karl Broberg, Cristian Torres, 15-1
3. Campfire Creed: Danny Pish, Gerardo Mora, 5-1
4. Lil Sweet Thang: Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez, 12-1
5. Giant Mischief: Brad Cox, Florent Geroux, 3-1
6. American Outlaw: Todd Fincher, Jose Alvarez, 15-1
7. Ghost Hero: Jayde Gelner: Floyd Wethey, Jr., 15-1
8. Money Run: Steve Asmussen, Stewart Elliott, 12-1
9. Wildatlanticstorm: Ray Ashford, Leandro Goncalves, 6-1

The Springboard Mile is a qualifying points race for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. In order to gain the points, a competitor may not use the medication Lasix. Those not utilizing Lasix, can earn 10 points for winning, four for second-place, three for third-place, two for fourth-place and one for fifth-place. The horses in the Springboard not using Lasix are Echo Again, Gunflash and Campfire Creed.

The Springboard Mile is the final race of 12 on Saturday. There are five other stakes events immediately preceding the grand finale, including:

Race 7, $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, one mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 8, $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-olds, one mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 9, $100,000 Trapeze Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, one mile

Race 10, $100,000 She's All In Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards

Race 11, $100,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards

The first race on Saturday, Dec. 17 is 5pm. Racing begins Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 14-16 at 7:07pm. All times are Central.

Tracked by more than 172,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $311 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 features the $400,000 Springboard Mile, our top 2-year-old race on the final night of the season on Saturday, December 17. Remington Park also presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Echo Again Tops Nine Juveniles In Remington’s Springboard Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post