Archive for the ‘Stakes Results’ Category

By Ray Paulick
Belmont Park offers five Grade 1 races today, beginning with the Beldame (you remember, the race where TVG boosted the purse in hopes of getting Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, connections for neither of which appeared to take very seriously). I’ll be writing a live blog providing results of Belmont’s races (following the Beldame is the Vosburgh for sprinters, the Flower Bowl for fillies and mares on turf, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational for male turf horses, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which pits the top-class 3-year-olds Summer Bird and Quality Road against Macho Again, who nearly caught Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward Stakes. I’ll provide some of the other day’s graded stakes activity from Hawthorne, where the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup is being run, as the serious final prep races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships get under way.

(All photos by Eric Kalet.)

Here is a link to today’s Belmont Park Equibase charts.

Post time for the Beldame is 3:23 p.m. Eastern.

The rains came midway through the Belmont card, and though the main track was still called fast when Music Note entered the gate as the 1-5 favorite in the Beldame, it was a very wet, fast track. Music Note may have had a few nervous moments, as track announcer Tom Durkin said, when she was pinned down on the rail in the long run down the backstretch while tracking pacesetter Unbridled Belle.  But jockey Rajiv Muragh, moved the daughter of A.P. Indy to the outside around the turn and she wore down Unbridled Belle to get the win by 2 1/4  lengths, covering the distance in 1:48.49.  Unbridled Belle (who set soft fractions of :24.24, :47.99 and 1:11.66) held second, with Copper State third and Captain’s Lover fourth in the five-horse field. Captain’s Lover and Unbridled Belle were coupled, and Captain’s Lover and John Velazquez did their best to keep Music Note down on the rail, but Captain’s Lover couldn’t keep up after five furlongs.

Music Note was winning for the seventh time in 11 starts for Godolphin. This was just her third start of the year, following a fifth-place finish in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park and a victory in Saratoga’s Ballerina. She finished third behind Zenyatta and stablemate Cocoa Beach in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff). The Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly paid $2.50 for the win.

Couple of college football notes: Michigan State upset previously unbeaten Michigan, 26-20, in overtime. Alabama crushed the University of Kentucky Wildcasts 38-20.

3:58 p.m. … The rain at Belmont has gotten worse, making it tough to even pick up the horses on the television feed. Good luck Tom Durkin, though the fact the Vosburgh is a four-horse field makes it a lot easier for him.

Kodiak Kowboy got up in the final strides to beat odds-on favorite Fabulous Strike by a half-length in the six-furlong Vosburgh under Shaun Bridgmohan. The 4-year-old son of Posse owned by Rick Porter Fox Hill Farms and Tom Simon’s Vinery Stables was back in the care of trainer Steve Asmussen for the Vosburgh after being transferred from Asmussen to Larry Jones a little over a year ago.

Fabulous Strike got a stalking trip, settling just off the pace of Go Go Shoot, with Munnings in third and Kodiak Kowboy the trailer. Go Go Shoot went a quick opening quarter-mile in :22.33 over a very rain-soaked track. Fabulous Strike moved to the lead on the turn under Ramon Dominquez, but Kodiak  Kowboy was beginning his rally before straightening out for the stretch run. He appeared to have all the momentum, but hesitated when he was getting the muddy kickback from Fabulous Strike. Bridgmohan shifted Kodiak Kowboy to the outside and he quickly regained his best stride and went on to win by a half length. Munning was third after never really threatening.

This was the 10th win from 22 starts for Kodiak Kowboy and the second in a Grade 1 race, following his victory earlier this year in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. He had finished second to Pyro in the Forego and third behind Fabulous Strike and Go Go Shoot in the Aflred G. Vanderbilt Handicap in his previous two starts. Kodiak Kowboy ran third for Jones in last year’s Vosburgh.

Kodiak Kowboy covered the six furlongs on a sloppy main track in 1:10.08 and paid  $11.60.

4:15 p.m. … When Matt Carothers sings Happy Birthday to Ken Rudulph on TVG, that can mean one of two things: mute button or HRTV. We’ll go for the latter. I have a feeling I’m not alone.

4:30 p.m. … Congrats to Equibase for putting together a useful late changes/scratches service. I won’t ask what took so long. Here is the link to Belmont’s late changes. Presious Passion wasn’t listed as a scratch from the Joe Hirsch last time I looked, but that was the word from the television talking heads.  Carribean Sunset has been scratched from the Flower Bowl, while Gio Ponti’s entrymate Winchester and Ready’s Echo have been scratched from the Hirsch.

The rains are still falling heavily at Belmont Park as the field of fillies and mares heads toward the gate for the Flower Bowl.

4:40 p.m. … Julien Leparoux gave the ever-consistent Pure Clan a perfectly timed ride in the Flower Bowl, getting up in the final sixteenth of a mile, then pulling away to beat Criticism by 2 3/4 lengths over a boggy Belmont turf course. Queen of Hearts was third and Moneycantbuymelove fourth.

Leamington took the early lead in the Flower Bowl, putting up very slow splits of :26.81 for the quarter, :53.81 for the half-mile and 1:20.43 for six furlongs on the soft turf, with Criticism tracking her. Leparoux had  Pure Clan in good position in fifth, then rallied on the final turn and took dead aim at Criticism and jockey Javiar Castellano. 

It was the eighth victory in 15 starts and 14th 1-2-3 finish for the Lakland Farm runner trained by Bob Holthus. The daughter of the Storm Cat stallion Pure Prize was coming off a third in the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington and had one previous Grade 1 victory in last year’s American Oaks on the Hollywood Park turf course. Pure Clan was never a factor in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly &  Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

Final time of the 1 1/4 mile Flower Bowl was 2:12.43 after a mile fraction of 1:46.63. It was a bog out there, but Pure Clan didn’t seem to mind it one bit.

5:08 p.m. … It’s true that you don’t see the Phipps Stable silks at Thistledown that often, but the trip by Gone Astray from Belmont Park to Cleveland was well worth it as the son of Dixie Union sat off the early pace set by War Fighter, moved to the lead at midstretch and drew away impressively by 2 1/4 lengths. The Shug McGaughey-trained colt was coming off a big win in the Pennsylvania Derby. Gone Astray covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.56 War Fighter was second, with Ice Road third. Gone Astray was the 2-5 favorite.

5:15 p.m. … Gio Ponti looked like a winner in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational when he cruised up alongside pacesetter Interpatation at the top of the stretch, but the Bobby Barbara-trained 7-year-old gelding by Langfuhr found a second wind in the final furlong and rerallied to beat Gio Ponti by 1 3/4 lengths on an extremely soft turf course.

Robbie Albarado rode the winner, who was getting just his sixth career win from 50 starts for owner Elliot Mavorah. He set all the fractions of :26.01, :54.22, 1:22.20 and 1:48.77 for the opening mile After a mile and a quarter time of 2:14.59, Interpatation completed the 1 1/2 miles in 2:41.22, about 17 seconds slower than the course record.

Interpatation hadn’t finished in the top three in his last seven starts. His last in the money finish came when second to Grand Couturier in the 2008 Joe Hirsch Turf Invitational. Gio Ponti, on the other hand, came into the Joe Hirsch off four consecutive Grade 1 victories, but the 1 1/2 miles of the race and the soft conditions may have exposed the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat’s distance limitations, as he had never raced farther than 1 3/8 miles. 

Interpatation paid $89.50 on a $2 wager to win. Telling, the original third-place finisher, was disqualified and placed fourth behind Grand Couturier for interference.

5:30 p.m. … Awesome Gem and David Flores ran down Nite Light to win the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup going away at Hawthorne Park, giving West Point Thoroughbreds the first leg of a big potential parlay that could culminate with a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup only a few minutes from now with Macho Again. Going Ballistic was third and You and I Forever fourth in the mile and a quarter Gold Cup, a Grade 2 event. 

5:50 p.m. … The rain  has subsided as the field entered the gate for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which begins midway around the clubhouse turn on this 1 1/2 mile oval.  

Summer Bird and Quality Road put on a show, racing together the length stretch while well off the rail, but Summer Bird prevailed by one length to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy dirt track. Pacesetting Tizway was third, with Macho Again never really getting untracked and finishing fourth.

Summer Bird only has four career victories to his credit, beginning with a maiden win at Oaklawn Park in March. But the son of Gainesway stallion Birdstone, owned and bred by Drs. K.K. and Devi Jayaraman and trained by Tim Ice, has built quite a resume with the other three victories, all Grade 1–the Belmont Stakes in June, the Travers in August, and now the Jockey Club Gold Cup in early October–to make him the clear leader for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old male division.

Kent Desormeaux allowed Summer Bird to settle off the early pace set first by Tizway through the opening quarter mile in :24.96 and then by Quality Road through a half mile in :49.73 and six furlongs in 1:13.12.  Sensing that Quality Road might have it too easy on the front end, Desormeaux moved Summer Bird toward the lead before hitting the far turn, and engaged Quality Road in earnest when the pair hit the top of the stretch, the mile in 1:37.62. With Summer Bird on the outside, the pair raced together to the final sixteenth, when Summer Bird edged away gradually for the win, the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.51 on the sloppy track. 

There were plenty of  other races on the day that I didn’t blog about, but George Jacob and Jill Baffert’s Misremembered won the Grade 2 Indiana Derby, which offered a $500,000 purse. Victor Espinosa rode the winner, a son of Candy Ride. Giant Oak finished second, a half length back, with Karama third. Win Willy, the slight favorite over Misremembered, finished fifth.

 JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP QUOTES

By Ray Paulick
Rallying eight or nine wide into the stretch under Mike Smith, Richard’s Kid ran down Einstein in the final yards to post a 24-1 upset in the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sunday. Favored Rail Trip finished third, Parading fourth and second choice Colonel John was fifth in the Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds and up going 10 furlongs on Polytrack. Bob Baffert trains the winner, a 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid out of the Broad Brush mare Tough Broad. He was purchased earlier this year by Arnold Zetcher after racing in Maryland for Robert Meyerhoff and  trainer Richard Small.

“He loves this track,” Baffert said on TVG after the race. “I bought him for the synthetics, and he likes it.”

Richard’s Kid came into the Pacific Classic as one of the most lightly regarded starters in an 11-horse field that included multiple Grade 1 winners Einstein and Colonel John, along with Hollywood Gold Cup winner Rail Trip, 2008 Gold Cup winner Mast Track, and Global Hunter, winner of this year’s Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap on the Del Mar Turf.

Tres Borrachos outran Mast Track to get the early lead, setting fractions of :23.16 for the opening quarter mile, :47.42 for the half mile and 1:12.53 for six furlongs. Richard’s Kid lagged second from the back, about 15 lengths off the lead. Approaching the far turn, Garrett Gomez tried to move Colonel John toward the leaders on the inside, but as the field rounded the turn, he was shuffled back, losing valuable position before reaching the stretch. 

As Colonel John was forced to retreat behind a wall of horses,, Einstein and Julien Leparoux were making a four wide move around the turn, then surged to the lead down the stretch, looking like a winner until Smith and Richard’s Kid came flying on the outside. It was a tough loss for Einstein, the Brazilian-bred by Spend a Buck who was racing for the first time in the colors of Frank Stronach’s Stronach Stable, which purchased the 7-year-old a week before the race.

The margin of victory for Richard’s Kid was a neck. He completed the 10 furlongs on Polytrack in 2:02.39 after a mile clocking in 1:37.37.

The win was the sixth from 19 starts for Richard’s Kid, who was bred in Maryland by Meyerhoff’s Fitzhugh LLC. His lone stakes victory before the Pacific Classic came in the ungraded John B. Campbell Handicap at Laurel in February, when he defeated eventual Grade 1 Whitney winner Bullsbay. He ran twice for Baffert and Zetcher, finishing seventh in the Eddie Read and second, beaten a nose by Unusual Suspect, in the Cougar II Handicap going 1 1/2 miles on Polytrack Aug. 5. Two bullet works since that race had him on edge for the Pacific Classic.

Baffert was asked on TVG if the Breeders’ Cup Classic would be in order for Richard’s Kid. “Of course,” he said. “Win and you’re in, right?”

Click here for video of the Pacific Classic and here to see the official chart.

Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick’s 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro kept her perfect 2009 record intact, winning for the eighth time this year, defeating males for the third time, and making her first venture in the older horse category a successful one.

While the margin of victory was the smallest of her 11 career victories (from 14 starts), the now-almost certain pick for Horse of the Year was under pressure every step of the way in the 56th running of the Woodward. First it was the 2008 Belmont Stakes winner, Da’ Tara, who pushed Rachel Alexandra through a sizzling opening quarter mile in :22.85 seconds and a half in :46.41. Then it was Past the Point, who forced Jackson’s two-time Horse of the Year Curlin to the limit in last year’s Woodward. Past the Point ranged up alongside, as Rachel Alexandra ran the first six furlongs in 1:10.54.  And then Whitney winner Bullsbay came up to challenge as the field rounded the final turn.

Borel sat chilly on Rachel Alexandra to the top of the stretch, then inside the three-sixteenths pole asked her for everything she had, first going to a right-handed whip, giving her two taps on the right flank, then switching to the left hand, hitting her five times, then switching back over to the right hand, striking her a dozen times or more with every stride she took to the wire.

Macho Again raced far back early as the trailer, saved some ground into the stretch and then closed resolutely. Robbie Albarado appeared to have to straighten out the son of Macho Uno as he was leaning in on Bullsbay inside the eighth pole, losing some momentum, but the wire came just in time for Rachel and Borel. Bullsbay finished third. Asiatic Boy, who made a wide move while appearing to be a threat around the final bend, finished fourth, and he was followed by It’s a Bird, Past the Post, Cool Coal Man, and Da’ Tara, who was eased.

Rachel Alexandra covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.29, after a mile clocking in 1:35.48. She carried 118 pounds, getting an eight-pound age and sex allowance from her older male rivals. Steve Asmussen has trained Rachel Alexandra to her last four victories, taking over from Hal Wiggins after Jackson and McCormick bought the filly following her 20 1/4-length win in the Kentucky Oaks. She then reeled off wins in the Preakness Stakes over Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont, and the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park against colts. She had race previously for her breeder, Dolphus Morrison. Rachel Alexandra was produced from the Roar mare, Lotta Kim.

Rachel Alexandra tossed Calvin Borel in the post parade but didn’t get loose from the outrider. Borel had taken his left foot out of the stirrups as Rachel Alexandra was tossing her head started to brush with the outrider’s pony. Just then, she threw her head up and down and appeared to catch Borel in the head with her nose, throwing him to the ground. He quickly remounted, and Rachel Alexandra didn’t seem to lose her composure in the incident.

Rachel Alexandra paid $2.60 to win as the heavy favorite.

Rachel Alexandra joins a roster of legendary Thoroughbreds to have won the Woodward, which until 2006 had been run at Aqueduct or Belmont Park. Among the previous winners of the race were Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Alysheba, Easy Goer, Holy Bull, Cigar, Ghostzapper, and Curlin. With the record she has compiled — 11 wins in 14 starts and earnings of $2,948,354 – Rachel Alexandra easily deserves to mentioned in the same sentence as any of them.

Click here to see a video of Rachel Alexandra’s historic Woodward victory. 

Click here for the official chart.

The Woodward attracted a crowd of 31,171, many of whom wore “Rachel” buttons given away by the New York Racing Association.
 

Rachel Alexandra absolutely destroyed her  male opposition in Sunday’s $1,250,000 Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park, coming from just off the pace of Munnings, taking command on the turn for home, and romping home to a six-length victory for Calvin Borel, who is now a perfect-eight for eight on the Medaglia d’Oro filly now carrying the colors of Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and trained by Steve Asmussen.

Rachel Alexandra paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite.

As expected, Munnings, coming off that impressive win sprinting in the Tom Fool, went right to the front under John Velazquez and set fractions of :22 4/5 for the opening quarter mile, :46 2/5 for the half-mile and 1:09 4/5 for six furlongs. Borel had Rachel Alexandra just off his right hip, and Summer Bird was close behind in third, along the rail. Papa Clem raced close up in fourth.

On the turn, however, Borel let Rachel Alexandra extend her stride and she was quickly in front. When the field hit the top of the stretch, it was really only a matter of how big her margin of victory would be. She galloped to the wire in yet another incredible performance that may be the equal of her 20 1/4 Kentucky Oaks victory (her last start for trainer Hal Wiggins and breeder Dolphus Morrison, after which she was purchased by Jackson and Harold McCormick) or her 19 1/4-length victory last time out in the Mother Goose. This was her second victory over colts and geldings, following her one-length Preakness win over Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Jess Jackson said he didn’t know where Rachel Alexandra would go next either, saying, “We’ll see how she comes out. Her next race will be decided by us when she tells us.” Jackson did say the Breeders’ Cup at Oak Tree on a synthetic track is not an option, though he does want to face the unbeaten, reigning filly and mare champ Zenyatta. “We’re not going to the Breeders’ Cup,” Jackson insisted. “I’ve said that from the beginning and I mean it. I’d like it on a neutral course and I don’t like synthetic tracks.”

While there is plenty of racing remaining in 2009, Rachel Alexandra has clearly becoming the pro-tem leader in the race for Horse of the  Year. She has won all seven of her starts this year–four of them Grade 1 and two Grade 2–and is now 10 for 13 lifetime.

The Haskell topped a big weekend for Asmussen and Jackson. On Saturday, Asmussen saddled Soul Warrior to an upset victory over Mine That Bird in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and took the Jim Dandy at Saratoga with Jackson and Gulf Coast Farm’s Kensai. Kensai looks to be the favorite for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga later this month–unless Jackson and Asmussen opt to run Rachel Alexandra. That seems unlikely, however, since the filly may be better at 1 1/8 miles and the Travers is run over 1 1/4 miles, longer than she’s ever been.

Rachel Alexandra, produced from the Roar filly Lotta Kim, became the second filly to win the Haskell, joining 1995 winner Serena’s Song.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
Saturday was a huge afternoon for trainer Steve Asmussen as he won both major races for 3-year-olds, taking the $500,000 Jim Dandy by 2 1/4 lengths  with Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms’ Kensei only a few minutes after Zayat Stables’ Soul Warrior got up in the final strides to win the $750,000 West Virginia Derby by a neck, upsetting Mine That Bird and Big Drama.

Soul Warrior, a 3-year-old colt by Lion Heart, caught a game Big Drama in the shadow of the wire, outfinishing Mine That Bird, who trailed the field early and commenced his move under Mike Smith with about a half mile to go. Big Drama, as expected, set all the early fractions, going :23.73, :46.56, 1:10.45 and 1:37.13. He held a clear (up to lengths) and uncontested lead throughout, but the speedy son of Montbrook tired late and was unable to hold off the late run of Soul Warrior. Final time was 1:51.46.

In something of a surprise, Big Drama was made the 4-5 favorite over Mine That Bird, who was the even-money second choice. Soul Warrior was a 23-1 outsider who paid $48 to win. The Grade 2 West Virginia Derby was his first stakes win and third win overall from seven starts. He previously finished second in the Iowa Derby for Asmussen.

Dale Beckner rode Soul Warrior, picking up the mount from Miguel Mena on race day. West Virginia Derby chart.

Kensei was the co-second choice in the Jim Dandy behind Charitable Man. The son of Mr. Greeley was coming off a 3 1/4-length win in the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont July 4. In the Jim Dandy, Edgar Prado allowed Kensei to sit just off the pace set by Warrior’s Reward, contested the lead after a half-mile and drew off down the lane. Warrior’s Reward held second, followed by Charitable Man, the 6-5 favorite. Final time for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track was 1:47.90 after fractions of :23.43, :47.50, 1:11.55 and 1:35.42.

Kensei was winning for the fourth time in seven starts. Jim Dandy chart.

Rachel Alexandra could complete a weekend trifecta for Asmussen with a win in Sunday’s $1,250,000 Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park. The big weekend is coming just two weeks after he was handed a six-month suspension from the Texas Racing Commission for a positive test for a metabolite of lidocaine in a horse that won at Lone Star Park one year ago. The suspension was appealed and Asmussen was granted a stay.

JIM DANDY QUOTES, COURTESY OF NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION MEDIA OFFICE:

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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