Tag: Triple Crown

Classic Causeway, who turned in a dominating performance in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, is likely to return to the Oldsmar, Fla., oval for the Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, trainer Brian Lynch said Sunday morning.

“We're looking forward to coming back,” Lynch said from his Palm Meadows Training Center base, where Classic Causeway “looked happy and spunky” after his 3 ¾-length victory from runner-up Shipsational and 10 other 3-year-olds. “We think it will be the right move. He ran great over the track, and it was such a great day of racing we'd like to enjoy it again.”

Shipsational's trainer, Eddie Barker, said his colt is also being pointed to the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. Shipsational remains at Tampa Bay Downs, where he has been in training since December.

Classic Causeway, who is owned by his breeders – Patrick O'Keefe's Kentucky West Racing, LLC and Clarke M. Cooper – earned 10 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying points for his Sam F. Davis victory, moving him atop the standings with 16 points. Shipsational is 25th with 4 points earned Saturday.

The Kentucky Derby field is limited to 20 starters, with the standings through the April 16 Lexington Stakes used to determine the runners. The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby offers points to the first four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 scale.

The Kentucky Derby is May 7 at Churchill Downs.

Lynch said he was most impressed by Classic Causeway's ability to run comfortably down the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis despite being pressured from the outside by long shot Little Vic. After a 22.66-second opening quarter-mile, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., got Classic Causeway to relax somewhat through a second quarter in 24.01, enabling him to draw off from the field on the turn for home.

Classic Causeway's final time was 1:42.80, .36 seconds off the stakes mark set by Flameaway in 2018.

Classic Causeway, who was Grade 1 and Grade 2-placed as a 2-year-old, raced professionally throughout, seeming to be energized by the early challenge from Little Vic. “He is a very competitive horse who loves what he does,” Lynch said. “We are happy to have him on our team and not have to play against him.”

Shipsational, a two-time stakes winner in restricted New York-bred stakes last year, proved his worth under jockey Javier Castellano by surging past eventual third-place finisher Volcanic in deep stretch.

“I loved the way (Shipsational) finished,” Barker said Sunday morning. “He came out of the race absolutely super, he dove into his feed tub and he's been bouncing around. I think he is a horse who is going to keep on developing, and hopefully when the Tampa Bay Derby gets here we'll be ready to go.”

Shipsational is owned by Iris Smith Stable, LLC.

The post Top Two In Sam F. Davis Expected To Return In Tampa Bay Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Reylu Gutierrez will ride Barber Road in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds  at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Feb. 26, trainer John Ortiz said Saturday morning. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is Oaklawn's third of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Gutierrez had ridden Barber Road in four of his first five career starts, including a runner-up finish in Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby points race, the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile Jan. 1. Eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana rode Barber Road in his last start, the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 29, because Gutierrez was at Gulfstream Park to ride Chess Chief in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). Barber Road finished second in the Southwest, which was Oaklawn's second Kentucky Derby points race.

Although Gutierrez is based at Fair Grounds, he's already ridden six winners at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, including four for Ortiz in high end allowance or maiden special weights events.

“Reylu Gutierrez's got the mount back,” said Ortiz, who trains Barber Road for former Walmart executive William Simon (WSS Racing). “He is committed all the way through the Kentucky Derby. We really appreciate Ricardo's ride last time out, but we want to keep it loyal and committed to the owner. I think it's just better for the horse. Reylu's won with him twice.”

Barber Road returned to the work tab Feb. 8, covering five furlongs in 1:02.80. Barber Road breezed with stablemate Silent Disco.

“Just sat off the horse,” Ortiz said, describing Barber Road's work. “I think the other horse is doing pretty good right now and was more of a target. They both came home pretty strong and I was very happy to see Barber Road willing and strong and sharp as usual.”

Ortiz said Barber Road is scheduled to work five furlongs Tuesday morning and return with an easy half-mile leg “stretcher” Feb. 21, the day post positions are drawn for the Rebel. The Rebel will offer 85 points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Barber Road ranks 16th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard – the race is limited to 20 starters – with eight points after collecting four in the Smarty Jones and Southwest, according to Churchill Downs.

In addition to Barber Road, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said he will “definitely have something” for the Rebel, a race he's won a record eight times. Baffert won the 1 1/16-mile Southwest with unbeaten Newgrange, who beat Barber Road by 1 ½ lengths. Newgrange returned to the work tab Saturday at Santa Anita, covering 3 furlongs in :37.60.

Other potential Rebel starters include Smarty Jones winner Dash Attack for trainer Kenny McPeek, Southwest third Ben Diesel for trainer Dallas Stewart and Chasing Time, a 7 ¾-length first-level allowance winner at 1 mile Jan. 14 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Rebel is the final major local prep for the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 2.

The post Reylu Gutierrez To Regain Mount On Barber Road For Oaklawn’s Rebel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Blackadder defeated ten sophomore foes in the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif. With the victory, Blackadder earned an all-expenses paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, on May 21. The aforementioned Preakness incentive has been awarded to the winner of the El Camino Real Derby since 2018. Last year, El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer took advantage of the free berth and went on to win the Preakness for trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Flavien Prat.

Sent off as the second choice in the wagering at 7-2, Blackadder – ridden by Edwin Maldonado  – sat in midpack and saved ground on the clubhouse turn and around the far turn bend as longshot Nuestro Engreido set the pace with fractions of :23.46, :47.77 and 1:12.58.

At the quarter pole, Maldonado waited for a seam, found room in upper stretch, and Blackadder accelerated towards 3-5 race favorite Mackinnon, who had taken the lead at the furlong pole after one mile in 1:37.96. In the final furlong, Blackadder made up ground and, approaching the sixteenth pole, was level with Mackinnon. The two Southern California shippers battled to the wire, with Blackadder a neck in front at the finish.

Final time on the Tapeta synthetic surface was 1:50.34 for the nine furlongs.

Blackadder is trained by Bob Baffert, who picked up his third El Camino Real Derby victory with Saturday's win. Baffert won the 1996 edition with Cavonnier and the 2019 running with Azul Coast. Blackadder paid $9.60 to win, $3.80 to place and $3.00 to show. Mackinnon paid $2.60 to place and $2.20 to show, with Del Mo returning $4.40 to show.

“[Baffert] told me that if I'm gonna win, I'm gonna have to earn it because [Blackadder] is a bit lazy,” said Maldonado. “I wanted to be behind because there were three sprinters stretching out. I knew the pace would be fast, so I wanted to stay inside and then swing out when we got to the stretch. [Turning for home], there were too many horses outside of me, so I had to wait. I noticed that Mackinnon got the jump on me, but I was able to get through an opening, and [Blackadder] got it done.”

Mackinnon, who ran third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and was a multiple stakes winner last year at 2 in Southern California, settled for second under jockey Abel Cedillo. He was 3 1/2 lengths lengths clear of stablemate Del Mo, who checked in third. Il Bellator completed the superfecta, C'Mon Man was fifth, followed by Boise, Nuestro Engreido, Unraptured, Stormy Samurai, Meetmeattheclub, and Dr Pescado.

Seventeen Kentucky Derby points were also on the line, but with Baffert horses unable to earn qualifying points while the the trainer is under a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs, only the minor awards were earned. Mackinnon received four points, Del Mo two and Il Bellator one.

Updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard

With the victory, Blackadder increased his career earnings to $108,920. The son of Quality Road was bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm and purchased for $620,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He now sports a lifetime record of two wins from four starts. Blackadder is owned by the large syndicate group of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC.

Live racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday with an 8-race card. Sunday has an early first post time of 11:15 AM, so fans can enjoy the races and get home in time for “the big game.”

The post Blackadder Earns Preakness Berth With El Camino Real Derby Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twice graded stakes-placed before this Saturday, Classic Causeway returned from a two-month layoff to put in an impressive performance in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 3-year-old son of Giant's Causeway deftly handled early pace pressure and pulled clear from his rivals in the lane, winning by about four lengths as the 8-5 favorite under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway covered 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:42.80.

Classic Causeway races for his breeders, Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clark M. Cooper. The Davis victory earns him 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby; the colt already had six points, and the new total of 16 puts him at the top of the Derby leaderboard.

Breaking from the three-post in a field of 12, Classic Causeway was very sharp early to get inside position around the clubhouse turn. He was quickly joined by the drawn-in also eligible entry Little Vic on the outside, who remained at the eventual winner's throatlatch through fractions of :22.66 and :46.67.

Rounding the far turn, Ortiz sat motionless on Classic Causeway to allow Little Vic to draw even. When Ortiz went to work at the head of the lane, Classic Causeway burst clear from his rivals with ease. Racing a bit greenly down the stretch, first getting out then drifting back to the rail, Classic Causeway made it an easy victory by about four lengths.

Shipsational came from well off the pace to gain second, while Volcanic ran evenly to finish third. Strike Hard and God of Love rounded out the top five.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Classic Causeway is out of the multiple stakes-winning Thunder Gulch mare Private World. He won on debut at Saratoga, then ran third in the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and second in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. Overall, the colt has won two of his four starts for earnings of $331,100.

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