Tag: woodbine

Weekend Lineup: Breeders’ Cup Berths Up For Grabs In Stephen Foster, Fleur De Lis

The Grade 2 Stephen Foster is the headliner of a stakes quartet on Saturday's 11-race program at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., while the Grade 1 Just a Game, featuring the seasonal bow of champion Uni (GB), is one of four graded stakes on the Belmont Park lineup in Elmont, N.Y.

The Stephen Foster will be broadcast on NBC as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. The one-hour broadcast, which will begin at 5 p.m. ET, also will include the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis. The winner of the Stephen Foster will get an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic while the winner of the Fleur de Lis will receive a berth to the Distaff.

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will air through Sunday on FS1, FS2 and MSG+. Also featured on Saturday's broadcast is the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown Racecourse for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles, which has been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. The top-four finishers will receive points worth 20-8-4-2 for entry to the field for the Kentucky Derby, rescheduled for September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saturday June 27 (all times Eastern)

4:22 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on FS1

Reigning 2-year-old champion male Storm the Court seeks his first victory since taking the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile when he starts in the Ohio Derby against 14 challengers. Trained by Peter Eurton, Storm the Court is winless in three starts this season including his most recent run, a sixth-place effort in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. The son of Court Vision captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November at Santa Anita Park en route to earning the Eclipse Award for divisional honors.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TDN062720USA8-EQB.html

4:32 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park on FS1

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Grade 1-winner Come Dancing will look to rebound after a rare off-the-board performance last out when she headlines Saturday's Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap. Trained by Carlos Martin, Come Dancing finished 12th in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom going 1 1/16-miles at Oaklawn Park.The daughter of Malibu Moon now returns to sprinting, where she excelled in 2019, highlighted by a dramatic come-from-behind win in the Grade 1 Ballerina in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL062720USA7-EQB.html

4:42 p.m.—$175,000 Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Malakeh, a 5-year-old daughter of Harbour Watch (IRE), goes after her third straight score in Saturday's Nassau Stakes. Bred by Gestut Gorlsdorf, the bay mare will make her first start in Canada when she goes postward in the one-mile E.P. Taylor Turf Course engagement that has drawn seven hopefuls. After a polished performance to close the curtain on her 2019 campaign last August at Saratoga, Malakeh opened up her current season with another win, a gutsy neck score over firm going at Churchill Downs on May 22.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO062720CAN8-EQB.html

4:43 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS1

Stonestreet Stables' eye-popping 8 ¾-length maiden winner Cazadero leads a field of seven promising 2-year-olds in search of graded stakes glory in Saturday's 119th running of the Bashford Manor. Cazadero, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, dazzled in his debut on May 29 at Churchill Downs under Ricardo Santana Jr. Cazadero, a homebred son of Street Sense, sported an impressive work tab entering his maiden race which included a swift half-mile move in :46.40 from the gate at Keeneland. Since his debut, Cazadero has been stabled with Asmussen's string at Churchill Downs.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD062720USA8-EQB.html

5:04 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Trainer Graham Motion will saddle a pair of graded stakes winners as part of a seven-horse field of older fillies and mares in the New York Stakes going 1 ¼ miles on Belmont Park's inner turf. Among Motion's trainees is Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s Mean Mary, who has started her 4-year-old campaign with consecutive graded stakes wins in front-running fashion. The Kentucky homebred went gate-to-wire to win the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 La Prevoyante in January over the Gulfstream Park turf and followed with another winning effort on the course by leading a 12-horse field through every point of call in the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL062720USA8-EQB.html

5:15 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC

Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, is ready for her showdown versus champion Midnight Bisou, the No. 1-ranked horse in the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, in the Fleur de Lis – a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Distaff Division” race. The speedy Serengeti Empress led every step of the way in last year's Kentucky Oaks and was a convincing 6 ¼-length winner of the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park March 14. Midnight Bisou, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, has been nothing short of spectacular throughout her 20-race career. The now 5-year-old mare won seven straight graded stakes last year en route to earning the Eclipse Award for champion older dirt female and began her 2020 campaign by running second against males in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 29.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD062720USA9-EQB.html

5:36 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Robert Baron and WinStar Farm's Grade 1-winner Promises Fulfilled returns off a more than eight month layoff to headline the True North Stakes going 6 ½-furlongs. Promises Fulfilled, who will ship up to New York from Kentucky, has trained forwardly at Churchill Downs, including a bullet five-eighths breeze in 59 seconds flat on June 13 and a similarly speedy effort in 59.20 Saturday on the Churchill Downs main track. He sizzled to a front-running score in the 2018 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga Race Course and boasts a record of 17-7-0-3 with purse earnings of $1,455,530.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL062720USA9-EQB.html

5:47 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC

G M B Racing's Grade 1-winner Tom's d'Etat will take on Allied Racing Stable's multiple-graded stakes winner By My Standards and recent Blame Stakes hero Owendale in Saturday's 39th running of the $500,000 Stephen Foster – the centerpiece of the penultimate day of Churchill Downs' 27-day Spring Meet. Tom's d'Etat has won four of his last five starts including a 3 ¼-length score in last year's Grade 1 Clark Handicap. The now 7-year-old son of Smart Strike enters Saturday's Stephen Foster following a hard-fought victory in the April 11 Oaklawn Mile. Another top older horse that entered the Stephen Foster is last year's Grade 2 Louisiana Derby hero By My Standards. Trained by Bret Calhoun, By My Standards returned as a 4-year-old in February at Fair Grounds with a convincing three-length victory in the Grade 3 New Orleans and he enters the Stephen Foster following a 1 ¾-length win in last month's Grade 2 Oaklawn Stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD062720USA10-EQB.html

6:08 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on FS1

Trainer Chad Brown will bring a strong hand of cards to the table when he saddles turf champion Uni, Grade 1-winner Newspaperofrecord (IRE), and two-time graded stakes winner Regal Glory in pursuit of a fourth consecutive win in the 27th running of Saturday's Grade 1 Just a Game over the Widener turf course. Uni, the reigning champion turf female, will make her 2020 debut in the Just a Game, having not raced since taking last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park, where she became the sixth female to score a win in the race. Newspaperofrecord arrives at the Just a Game off a wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 over the Widener turf, where she recorded swift fractions but still had enough left in the tank to draw off to a four-length victory.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL062720USA10-EQB.html

6:20 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS1

Godolphin's two-time stakes-winning filly Micheline will be in search of her first graded stakes victory in Saturday's 51st running of the Regret Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies. Micheline, trained by Mike Stidham and ridden by Joe Bravo, scored a 2 ¼-length victory in last month's $75,000 Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old filly by Bernardini broke her maiden in her second-career start last year in the $106,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD062720USA11-EQB.html

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‘He Knows How To Win’: Pink Lloyd Wins 20th Stakes In 8-Year-Old Debut

Canada's reigning three-time Champion Male Sprinter Pink Lloyd kicked off his eight-year-old campaign with a record fourth straight victory in the $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes and recorded his 20th stakes win overall on Thursday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Jockey Rafael Hernandez, who partnered with Pink Lloyd for his previous 1:08.05 track record victory in the 2018 edition of the Jacques Cartier, was reunited with the chestnut gelding for the 67th running of the Grade 3 six-furlong sprint.

Pink Lloyd, carrying 124 pounds, stalked three-wide just off the lead through fractions of :22.23 and :44.53 before taking over command down the stretch to score by two lengths in 1:09.61. Malibu Secret finished second off a ground-saving trip ahead of Not So Quiet while pacesetter Circle of Friends completed the finish order in the compact field of four.

“He broke well, he did his thing,” said Hernandez. “He's older, he knows how to win. He can come from anywhere, he just does his thing. He showed up today. He's one of the best, he does his job. He don't give up, never.”

Hernandez, who has competed against Pink Lloyd in 20 prior starts, noted it was nice to be aboard for the win instead of chasing the revered Old Forester gelding.

“That's right, you know how many times I've tried to figure out how I can put my horse in different positions to try to beat him,” said Hernandez. “The only way I can [win] is when I'm on him.” 

Bred in Ontario by John Carey, Pink Lloyd now boasts 23 wins from 28 starts lifetime with his purse earnings soaring over $1.8 million for his Entourage Stable ownership group.

Hall of Famer Robert Tiller's beloved trainee now counts the Jacques Cartier grand slam among his impressive list of accomplishments.

“This is one of the greatest sprinters that's ever raced in Canada and I think his record speaks for itself,” said Tiller of the six-time Sovereign Award winner, who was named Canada's Horse of the Year in 2017. “He really has a lot of heart, a lot of desire. He wants to do it, he loves winning and I don't know if there will ever be another one like him… not for me, that's for sure. 

“A lot of hard work at the barn, there's a lot of details that go along with him. But when you're standing here like this, it all works out. He's such a champion, such a sweetheart and I love him dearly.”

Sent postward as the overwhelming 1-5 favourite, Pink Lloyd paid just $2.50 for a $2 win ticket. There was no place or show wagering.

The field was reduced to just four starters with Dixie's Gamble scratched, making it one of the smallest fields that Pink Lloyd has faced.

Often scaring away the competition, he's conquered small four-horse fields on three other occasions but has successfully competed in a field as big as 12 horses when winning last year's Jacques Cartier Stakes. His initial Jacques Cartier win in 2017 was his first stakes victory and the start of an unprecedented 11-race win streak.

Essence Hit Man won three consecutive editions of the Jacques Cartier Stakes from 2011-2013.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Friday afternoon. Post time for the seven-race program is 1 p.m.

The post ‘He Knows How To Win’: Pink Lloyd Wins 20th Stakes In 8-Year-Old Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Malakeh Seeking Third Straight Victory In Woodbine’s Nassau Stakes

Malakeh, a five-year-old daughter of Harbour Watch (IRE), goes after her third straight score in Saturday's Grade 2 $175,000 Nassau Stakes, at Woodbine.

Bred by Gestut Gorlsdorf, the bay mare will make her first start in Canada when she goes postward in the one-mile E.P. Taylor Turf Course engagement that has drawn seven hopefuls. Trained by Graham Motion, who won last year's Nassau with Secret Message, the ultra-consistent Malakeh will shoot for the natural hat trick on Saturday.

After a polished performance to close the curtain on her 2019 campaign last August at Saratoga, Malakeh opened up her current season with another win, a gutsy neck score over firm going at Churchill Downs on May 22. Both victories came at the mile distance.

“I think we've decided that this is what she likes to do, distance-wise,” said Motion, who is closing in on 2,500 career wins. “I don't see why [Woodbine turf] wouldn't suit her. I'm sure it's in great shape.”

After a third-place debut at Chantilly in March 2018, the British-bred, owned by Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables and Michael Kisber, headed to Germany for her next four engagements. Malakeh broke her maiden in her second German start, an efficient head score in the one-mile Henkel Stutenpreis on April 29, 2018.

She made her North American debut last April, finishing second, just a head back of the winner, in the one-mile race at Keeneland. In her next start, on May 24 at Belmont, Malakeh won by a neck at 1 1/8-miles. She arrives at the Nassau with a 4-3-2 record from 10 starts.

“She's so honest,” praised Motion. “To be truthful, I couldn't believe when I ran her in the allowance race at Keeneland that she was beaten. It turns out she was beaten by a pretty serious filly [Juliet Foxtrot]. So, I was very confused about her form right away because I liked her so much, that I couldn't imagine her not sailing through that condition. But it's funny how things work out. She's never run a bad race, really. She's very consistent and hard-trying.”

It was something that Motion discovered early on.

“When she was working in Florida last winter, she was very impressive.”

The Nassau is the first leg of Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series, which offers $75,000 in bonuses to the top performers based on points accumulated in the designated graded turf routes for fillies and mares.

The series also includes the $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (Grade 2, on August 15), the $250,000 Canadian Stakes (Grade 2, September 12) and the $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Grade 1, October 18), which will serve as the series' final leg.

Eight horses have won the Nassau twice, including Eternal Search (1982-83) and Bold Ruritana (1995-96). Augustin Stable took a division of the 1985 edition with Annie Edge, who won the Grade 2 New York Handicap one year earlier.

The Nassau, Woodbine's first turf stakes of the meet, is Race 8 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$175,000 Nassau Stakes (Grade 2)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Nantucket Red – Gary Boulanger – Ashlee Brnjas

2 – Another Time – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

3 – Amalfi Coast – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

4 – Lunar Garden – Justin Stein – Stuart Simon

5 – Elizabeth Way – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

6 – Malakeh – Kazushi Kimura – Graham Motion

7 – Eyeinthesky – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

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NHL’s Nugent-Hopkins ‘Excited,’ ‘Nervous’ To Watch Undefeated Filly Infinite Patience In Fury Stakes

The 2019-20 NHL season hasn't resumed yet, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is already part of an impressive win streak.

Although he won't be on hand at Woodbine Racetrack on July 5 to watch the 65th edition of the $125,000 Fury Stakes, a key prep on the road to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (slated for August 15), Nugent-Hopkins will be well represented on the racetrack.

Infinite Patience, a daughter of Sungold, co-owned by the Edmonton Oilers forward, puts her perfect five-for-five record and champion status on the line in the seven-furlong main track race for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies.

Nugent-Hopkins will be glued to his laptop when the action gets out of the gates.

“I'm excited and I'm nervous, to be honest,” the 27-year-old told Woodbine. “I've sent a mare to Seattle and then Edmonton. I've never sent any to Toronto before. The Tapeta [at Woodbine], it's a little different [than the dirt track at Hastings], so that's the only real hesitation I have. We don't have that many options anymore. There aren't a whole lot of stakes races in Vancouver or even in Edmonton, and they don't start until the end of July. She's been training so long and she's ready to go. We'll take a shot out there and see what happens.”

William DeCoursey, who bred the filly, sold a share in the filly to Nugent-Hopkins, who races under the R. N. H. Stable banner.

DeCoursey also campaigned Infinite Patience's dam Montero, a stakes winner with 11 victories and more than $205,000. Montero is the dam of multiple stakes winner Raider (Stephanotis).

After breaking her maiden last July courtesy of a 9 ¼-length romp at Hastings Racecourse, Infinite Patience won the British Columbia Cup Debutante Stakes, a CTHS Sales Stakes, the Sadie Diamond Futurity, and most recently, the Fantasy Stakes (October 13, 2019).

The bay filly, who won the five races by a total of 35 ½ lengths, was named B.C. Horse of the Year and B.C.-Bred Horse of the Year in 2019, collecting five (Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in both the Open and B.C.-Bred categories and Champion Sprinter) awards in all.

Nugent-Hopkins, who hails from Burnaby, B.C., is thrilled to be along for the ride.

“She's very impressive and last year was so great. I'm pretty lucky to have partnered with her breeder. It's really been fun.”

What race has impressed him the most so far?

It's not a particularly easy question for the centerman to answer.

“Her second race, the Debutante Stakes, it was a tremendous effort. After her maiden race, that's when I approached her owner and breeder, and we partnered together. So, for that first stakes race, that was my first race with her. She won by 11 ¼ lengths in a pretty quick time. That was very impressive. So was her effort in the [1 1/16-mile] Fantasy. She broke the stakes record [1:44.16] in that one, so that would probably be the one that stands out the most.”

The first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft comes by his love for racing naturally. His grandfather was a breeder in British Columbia, and the forward's parents, Roger and Deb, have a long association with Thoroughbreds.

Nugent-Hopkins bought his first racehorse about seven years ago. His first win as an owner, on June 13, 2015, was delivered courtesy of Zenya, a British Columbia-bred daughter of Salute the Sarge. Crossing the line second, the chestnut was elevated to first after the winner was taken down after interference in deep stretch.

Aside from Infinite Patience, other top horses Nugent-Hopkins has owned include Yukon Belle and Sanawar. In 76 starts, his starters have won nine races and earned 23 seconds and 17 thirds.

His first start at Woodbine will come in the Fury.

“I've been to Woodbine once with my parents when I was young,” said the alternate captain.

In less than two weeks time, he'll be there again, so to speak.

Only this time, he'll be represented by a starter in a key race leading up to the Woodbine Oaks.

Nugent-Hopkins is looking forward to seeing how his stable star, trained by Barbara Heads, stacks up against other talented three-year-old fillies.

“She can relax if she needs to, which she showed in the Fantasy. It will be really fun. I'll definitely be watching online. I'm pretty reserved… my dad is the one who is a little more vocal and gets into it. But I'm still pretty nervous about it. I just want everything to go okay for her, and make sure that she's comfortable out there. If it doesn't work out, then we can always bring her back here.”

As for what's in a name, Nugent-Hopkins has a great story to share about how his top-shelf filly came to be known as Infinite Patience.

“It's funny. My partner, he named her after his wife, he told me. He said for them to have been together for so long, she needs to have infinite patience. Actually, the horse's nickname is 'Irony,' because she's not patient. She's not super high-strung, but she wants to go, she wants to do it, and she doesn't want to wait around too much.”

Nugent-Hopkins would love to see that for the sixth time.

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