William D. Graham | Horse Racing Free Tips

God Of Love Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Grey At Woodbine

Mark Casse went two for two in graded stakes Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. God of Love went wide on the far turn to find running room in the stretch and take the Grade 3 Grey Stakes by a length and a half.

In a crowded field of 12 on a snowy day at Woodbine, Churchtown was the fastest out of the gate, taking a one-length lead as the field approached the first turn. Down the backstretch, Churchtown maintained his lead with Stowaway, Ironstone, and Hicksy stalking. God of Love was next to last on the backstretch, jockey Rafael Hernandez keeping him on the outside of horses as they entered the far turn.

Four-wide into the stretch, Hernandez set God of Love down for a drive as Ironstone passed Churchtown in the Woodbine straight. In the race's final sixteenth, God of Love rallied past Ironstone and On Thin Ice to take the G3 Grey Stakes. Churchtown held on for fourth. Heat Merchant, Hicksy, Be Like Clint, International, Stowaway, and Shamateur rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over the all-weather course was 1:44.20. Find this race's chart here.

God of Love paid $11.60, $5.70, and $3.40. Ironstone paid $6.10 and $5.00. On Thin Ice paid $7.00.

Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, God of Love is by Cupid out of the Three Wonders mare No Wonder. He is owned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who purchased the 2-year-old colt from Golden Thoroughbreds Training and Sales for $100,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company March Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the G3 Grey, God of Love has two wins in four starts for career earnings of $208,993. God of Love's G3 stakes win gives sire Cupid his first graded stakes winner.

The post God Of Love Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Grey At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Truth Hurts Takes Bite Out Of Pumpkin Pie At Belmont

Chad Summers and J Stables' Truth Hurts rallied impressively up the rail to capture the first division of Sunday's $100,000 Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward contested over a sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Summers, and piloted to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr., Truth Hurts covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.99 for a two-length victory. It was the third career Pumpkin Pie victory for Ortiz, Jr., who previously won it in 2014 [Classic Point] and 2018 [Sower].

Breaking from post 5, Truth Hurts had to steady shortly after the start but Ortiz, Jr., remained patient aboard Truth Hurts while Victim of Love, Aunt Kat, and Starfront all battled for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.67.

Just inside the half-mile pole, Ortiz Jr., asked Truth Hurts to move closer to the leaders, all while saving ground on the rail. After a half-mile in :46.40, Truth Hurts moved into fourth as she began to pass tiring horses.

As the field entered the turn, Ortiz Jr., took advantage of an opening on the rail and overtook Victim of Love and Starfront. Truth Hurts, full of run, responded to right-handed encouragement from Ortiz, Jr., and held off the wide late rally of Never Enough Time.

The victory followed a pair of off-the-board efforts from Truth Hurts at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs,N.Y., including a close fourth in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss in July with Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

“I really didn't want to be on the rail,” said Summers. “Irad said he got squeezed coming out of there and went to Plan B. He rode her in the Honorable Miss up the rail and he said he knew she didn't mind being inside. He let her do her thing and it worked out well.”

Ortiz Jr., said he was aware that the race could develop into a speed duel between several horses.

“I knew some other horses had speed, but she's been up close before in sprint races,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I got some room to go on the inside. I asked her and she went forward and kept doing it. She responded really well.”

Summers said Truth Hurts, who captured an off-the-turf edition of the Perfect Sting in July at Belmont, will now target the one-mile $250,000 Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap on December 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“That's been the plan all along. Hopefully, we can get a little graded black type on December 4. A mile should hit her right between the eyes,” Summers said.

Rounding out the order of finish was Union Maiden, Honor Way, Starfront, Victim of Love, and Aunt Kat.

Truth Hurts returned $17.60 on a $2 investment. She improved her lifetime record to 13-4-1-1 and now has earned $262,075. Bred in Ontario by William D Graham, Truth Hurts is a daughter of Tonalist, out of the Distorted Humor mare Witty Gal.

Live racing returns Friday at Belmont Park with packed 10-race card which includes the $200,000 Ticonderoga for New York-bred fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf; the $150,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies going a one-turn mile; the $100,000 Awad for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf; and the $100,000 Atlantic Beach, a six-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post Truth Hurts Takes Bite Out Of Pumpkin Pie At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Truth Hurts Gets First Stakes Win In Perfect Sting At Belmont

Truth Hurts, trained and co-owned by Chad Summers with J Stables, registered a dominant victory in Saturday's $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes for older fillies and mares contested at one mile over a sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The eighth running of the Perfect Sting was originally scheduled for one mile on the Widener turf course before inclement weather forced the race to the main track, resulting in the scratches of Honey Cake, Princess Grace, Sunset Kiss, Madita, and 4/5 morning-line favorite Viadera.

Truth Hurts, entered for the main track only, added blinkers and the services of Belmont Stakes-winning rider Luis Saez to secure her first stakes win in her fifth attempt.

Multiple graded-stakes placed Piedi Bianchi broke alertly under Flavien Prat and marked the quarter-mile in 23.88 seconds and the half-mile in 47.54 under outside pressure from Truth Hurts on the sloppy and sealed main track.

Main-track only entrant Velvet Crush, the 3-5 mutuel favorite under Jose Ortiz, stalked the pacesetters from third position into the turn as Truth Hurts took over from Piedi Bianchi and established a three-length lead at the stretch call.

Truth Hurts, the longest shot on the board at 8-1, continued to find more down the lane and powered home a 5 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:37.48.

Piedi Bianchi completed the exacta, three lengths in front of Velvet Crush. Hogans Holiday, who trailed throughout, completed the order of finish.

Summers said the equipment change proved beneficial.

“She was getting better and better and we were just waiting for the right time to put the blinkers on her,” said Summers. “We put it on her last week and at that point, we were ready for an allowance race at Saratoga, but we saw the weather forecast here. We thought if it came off, we'd take a chance, and then we played the waiting game.

“My filly was ready, and we got the call around 12 or so that it was taken off the turf,” Summers added. “Everything worked out well. Luis was able to come in and it worked out.”

Saez said he felt confident throughout.

“She broke pretty nicely. She was right there behind the speed,” said Saez. “At the three-eighths [pole], she was very comfortable. She came out of the stretch and responded really well.”

The 4-year-old Tonalist bay graduated at first asking in December 2019 at Aqueduct Racetrack and followed with a smart optional-claiming win in January 2020 at the same track.

Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, Truth Hurts continued her 3-year-old year with off-the-board efforts in the Busanda Stakes at the Big A and the Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park ahead of a good third in the Bison City at Woodbine in September. Truth Hurts completed a busy sophomore season with an eighth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico.

A $35,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Truth Hurts notched her first win in four starts this season. She banked $55,000 in victory and returned $18 for a $2 win ticket.

Summers said Truth Hurts is rounding into form and will target opportunities at the Saratoga summer meet.

“We tried the Black-Eyed Susan and it was maybe a little too aggressive at that time,” said Summers. “We gave her some time off after that and it was just about getting her back into shape. She made some good moves.

“You lose the two-other-than condition now, but we'll regroup and go from here,” Summers continued. “With the prestigious meet in Saratoga coming up, there's always spots that are open, so we'll see once again if she belongs in that upper echelon as the racing gets tougher.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont with a 10-race Independence Day card highlighted by the $100,000 Manila Stakes in Race 9 and the $250,000 Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes in Race 10. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The post Truth Hurts Gets First Stakes Win In Perfect Sting At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post