Posts Tagged ‘winstar farm’
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
WinStar Farm put its home-court advantage to good use Wednesday night, beating a team from Darley and Fasig-Tipton 55-48 to win the first annual WinStar Charity Basketball Tournament and raise more than $10,000 in college scholarship funds for Dara and Chase Mullins, whose father, David Mullins (pictured below), died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer at the age of 51. Mullins, an Irish native who came to the United States in the mid-1970s, operated Doninga Bloodstock.
 The eight-team tournament, held in the indoor gymnasium at WinStar over the last week, was the brainchild of the farm’s president and CEO, Doug Cauthen, and Elliott Walden, WinStar’s vice president. Funds raised for Dara and Chase Mullins are being administered by the Race for Education, a 501(c)3 organization created in 2002 to help children of equine industry families realize their dream of a college education. It also supports students wishing to study in pursuit of equine or agricultural careers.
“It’s amazing the amount of support we’ve received for this event,” said Elisabeth Jensen, president and executive director of the Race for Education. “Each of the teams put up $500 to enter, and we raised another $7,000 this week.”
It’s not too late to contribute to the fund. Click here to make a donation to support the Dara and Chase Mullins scholarship fund.
Dara Mullins, 20, is attending Miami (Ohio) University, although she took the fall semester off after her father’s death in August to carry on the Doninga consignment at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Her 13-year-old brother, Chase, also worked the sale. The two Mullins children had the assistance of some of her late father’s many friends in the industry.
The eight teams participating in the WinStar Charity Tournament came from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Claiborne Farm, Lane’s End, Pin Oak, Taylor Made, Three Chimneys, along with the two squads that played in the finals. Jensen hopes to attract 16 teams to the tournament next year, and also has plans to create a soccer tournament for area horse farm workers. Both events will benefit the Race for Education’s general scholarship fund.
 WinStar jumped off to a big early lead over a fatigued Darley/Fasig-Tipton team, which only a few minutes earlier had completed a remarkable come-from-behind overtime victory over Taylor Made to make the finals. WinStar won their semi-final game earlier in the evening over Hagyard.
The Darley/Fasig-Tipton team never gave up, however, putting in a torrid third-quarter rally to tie the game, but WinStar shut them down in the final quarter and pulled away down the stretch for a comfortable win.
Trinity Davis, an assistant resident manager for WinStar, led all scorers with 19 points. Walden scored 18, showing a good touch from the outside and using his muscle to dominate in the paint.
None of the players will ever make the top 10 highlights on ESPN’s SportsCenter, but everyone who participated in the WinStar Charity Tournament is a superstar for his (or her) efforts on behalf of Dara and Chase Mullins.
Among those on hand for the action was Joe B. Hall, the legendary longtime coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Hall is one of three men to have both played on and coached an NCAA championship team.
“I’m here scoutin’ for Billy Clyde,” Hall quipped during one of the semi-final games, a reference to Kentucky’s current basketball coach, Billy Clyde Gillispie. “By the looks of these fellas, though, they might be better suited playing for Coach Brooks (Kentucky’s football coach).”
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Tags: billy gillispie, Claiborne Farm, dara and chase mullins, darley, david mullins, doninga bloodstock, Doug Cauthen, elisabeth jensen, elliott walden, fasig-tipton, hagyard equine medical institute, horse racing charities, joe b. hall, Lane's End, Paulick Report, pin oak, race for education, Ray Paulick, rich brooks, taylor made farm, Three Chimneys, trinity davis, university of kentucky basketball, winstar charity basketball tournament, winstar farm
Posted in Industry Organizations, People | 5 Comments »
Sunday, November 30th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
When IEAH Stables bought an interest in 2007 Remsen Stakes winner Court Vision from WinStar Farm earlier this year, the son of Gulch had the look of a Derby horse. He eventually lived up to that billing, though his Grade 1 Derby victory came not on the dirt at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May but on the Hollywood Park turf on the last Sunday in November. Under Ramon Dominguez, who earlier in the day won the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes with Godolphin Racing’s Cocoa Beach, Court Vision made an eye-catching run from last at the top of the stretch to win the Hollywood Derby by three quarters of a length, defeating Cowboy Cal and Midships.
Trained by Bill Mott, Court Vision covered a mile and one-quarter on firm turf in 2:01.43 as the 7-2 second choice in the betting. It was his fifth win in 12 starts and first in a Grade 1 event.
After winning three of four starts as a 2-year-old, Court Vision regressed somewhat on the road to the Triple Crown, finishing third in both the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. After a disappointing 13th behind IEAH’s Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby, Mott switched the colt to turf, where he finished fourth in the Colonial Turf Cup and an unlucky second, beaten a nose, in the Virginia Derby, both races at Colonial Downs.
Back on dirt in the Travers at Saratoga, Court Vision was never a factor when sixth behind WinStar’s Colonel John, then ended his six-race losing streak with a victory in the Jamaica Handicap on turf at Aqueduct (the first time Dominquez rode him).
Muny set the pace from the outside post position in the Hollywood Derby, going a half mile in :49.41, six furlongs in 1:13.40, and a mile in 1:37.56. Cowboy Cal overtook the frontrunner in midstretch, but didn’t have enough to withstand the fast-finishing Court Vision, who caught him in the final strides. Midships closed well to get third. Based on Court Vision’s position at the one-mile call on the Equibase chart, he flew home his final quarter-mile in about 22 3/5 seconds.
Bred in Kentucky by the W.S. Farish and Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, Court Vision was produced from the Storm Bird mare Weekend Storm, a half sister to leading sire A.P. Indy.
Video of the Hollywood Derby.
Earlier in the Hollywood Park Turf Festival program, favored Cocoa Beach rallied in the stretch to catch the front-running second-betting choice Precious Kitten and win the Matriach by three-quarters of a length. Juddmonte Farms’ Visit was third.
Cocoa Beach, second to Zenyatta in her last start, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, was trying the grass for the first time since her maiden victory in Chile in January 2007. She was purchased by Godolphin last year and sent to Dubai, where she won two of four starts and was third in the UAE Derby. The 4-year-old daughter of Doneraile Court won her first two American starts, including the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont Park, before running second in the Breeders’ Cup on the synthetic Pro-Ride track. She is trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Cocoa Beach covered the mile on firm turf in 1:35.49.
Matriarch chart.
Video of the Matriarch.
Video of the Hollywood Turf Festival graded races.
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Tags: Beldame, Big Brown, bill mott, Cocoa Beach, colonel john, court vision, cowboy cal, Doneraile Court, dubai, farish and kilroy, Godolphin, gulch, hollywood derby, IEAH, jamaica handicap, kentucky derby, ladies' classic, matriarch, midships, muny, Paulick Report, precious kitten, ramon dominguez, Ray Paulick, remsen, saeed bin suroor, uae derby, visit, William S. Farish, winstar farm, zenyatta
Posted in California, Horse Racing | Comments Off
Saturday, September 27th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Curlin passed Cigar to become North America’s all-time earnings leader and first $10-million horse with his second consecutive victory in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy Belmont Park track on Saturday afternoon.
Ridden by Robbie Albarado, Curlin raced in midpack early as Wanderin Boy set the pace under Alan Garcia — his fractions in :24.67, :48.79, 1:13.08, and 1:36.70. Curlin ommenced his rally on the turn, swung out wide at the top of the stretch and wore down Wanderin Boy late to win by three-quarters of a length. Merchant Marine was third, 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Mambo in Seattle was fourth, followed by Ravel, Stones River, A.P. Arrow and Angliana. Time of the race on a sloppy track was 2:01.93.
(VIDEO), (CHART)
The win, worth $450,000, was Curlin’s 11th in 15 lifetime starts (all as a 3- and 4-year-old in 2007-08), and moved his earnings to $10,246,800, surpassing Cigar’s previous record of $9,999,815.
Curlin, a 4-year-old son of Smart Strike out of Sherriff’s Deputy, by Deputy Minister was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm. He is owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and the Midnight Cry Stable of Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion, is trained by Steve Asmussen. Curlin began his career racing for Midnight Cry and was trained by Helen Pitts. An 80% interest in Curlin was purchased following his maiden win by Jackson, Satish Sanan and George Bolton, but Jackson eventually bought out those partners and now owns 80%.
There is great speculation about whether Curlin will face Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but Jackson would not commit to the race during a teleconference earlier this week. He indicated Curlin could race two more times this year, leaving the door open for the Breeders’ Cup and a possible subsequent appearance in either the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in late November of the Japan Cup Dirt at Hanshin race course in Japan in early December.
"As to going out to Santa Anita, we’ll probably load him up, but first we’ll have to get him adjusted," Jackson said. "But it is up to him whether he likes the track and the surface. So those are concerns we still have. But we’ll consider it now that we’re past this hurdle. That’s the next prospect for us, and we’ll give it every bit of attention."
Albarado never appeared to use the whip on Curlin, who seemed to lose ground down the backstretch, but quickly moved into contention when asked by his rider. "Robby was really comfortable down the backside," Asmussen said. "I think he knows who he is on, and he let it sort out in front of him. He lost a little bit of position on the backside when Robby decided he didn’t want to be that wide. He immediately moved up in the bridle and came into the stretch the way you wanted him to be. He looked fabulous through the stretch."
"I can’t say how proud I am to be part of what’s just happened," Asmussen said. "To make history — the all-time money-winning horse in North America — it’s very special. The job that (assistant) Scott Blasi and (exercise rider) Carmen Rosas have done with him on a day-to-day basis enabled him to maintain the consistency. For him to be able to carry the weight of expectation, I’m very proud."
The 3-year-old Kingmambo colt Mambo in Seattle, a narrowly beaten second in the Travers Stakes to Colonel John, was never a factor in the Gold Cup.
Results from Saturday’s other major Breeders’ Cup prep races from Belmont Park, Turfway Park, Oak Tree at Santa Anita and Hawthorne. Updates from each race as they are run.
KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE FILLIES (Turfway Park): Sugar Mom made a late run in the two-turn mile race to make it three straight wins on synthetic tracks for the owner-trainer combination of Frank Calabrese and Wayne Catalano. First stakes win for daughter of Monarchos out of Plenty of Sugar, by Ascot Knight. Winless in first three starts at Churchill Downs, including her last for a maiden claiming tag of $30,000. Complicity finished second, a length back, with Saxxy Rose Lee third and favored Bold Union tiring to be fourth. Time for the mile was 1:37.86.
KENTUCKY CUP SPRINT (Turfway Park): Fatal Bullet completely dominated his rivals as the 6-5 favorite, setting fast fractions and pulling away in the stretch for an impressive7 3/4-length victory in track-record time 1:08.03 for six furlongs on Polytrack. This was the seventh win in 10 starts for 3-year-old Red Bullet gelding out of Sararegal, by Regal Classic. Owned by Bear Stables and trained by Canadian Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet was coming off stakes victories on Polytrack at Woodbine and Tapeta track at Presque Isle Downs. Silver Sword and No Advantage finished second and third, respectively. Baker said it’s on to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Fatal Bullet.
KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE (Turfway Park): West Side Bernie rallied into the stretch and pulled away by three lengths under Stewart Elliott. The 2-year-old by Bernstein out of Time Honored, by Gilded Time, is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Kelly Breen and owners Lori and George Hall, having broken his maiden by 1 ½ lengths at Monmouth Park Aug. 28. He covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.22 as the 9-5 favorite, with Retap and Gresham finishing second and third.
KENTUCKY CUP DISTAFF (Turfway): Getting their second stakes win of the day, Bear Stable, trainer Reade Baker and jockey Eurico Da Silva teamed up for a four-length victory with Bear Now (Tiznow–Controlled, by In Excess), who sat just off the pace of Devil House, moved to the lead at the head of the stretch and drew off by daylight. Unforgotten rallied late for second, with Devil House holding third. Bear Now, eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, has won three of six starts this year, her two previous wins coming on Woodbine’s Polytrack. She covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.37. Baker said he would give Bear Now another chance in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff).
KENTUCKY CUP CLASSIC (Turfway): Well-traveled Zanjero pulled away in the final furlong to win the Kentucky Cup Classic by 1 1/2 lengths under Shaun Bridgmohan. Trained by Steve Asmussen and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Zanjero was winning for the sixth time in 18 starts. He is a 4-year-old by Cherokee Run out of Checkered Flag, by A.P. Indy. Extreme Supreme finished second, followed by Canela and 8-5 favorite, Honest Man. Time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.27. Owner Ron Winchell said Zanjero will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Oct. 25.
BELDAME (Belmont Park): Godolphin’s Cocoa Beach wore down odds-on favorite Ginger Punch, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning older filly and mare to make it two straight in the U.S., following an easy win in the ungraded Love Sign Stakes at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Chilean-bred daughter of Doneraile Court out of Visionera, by Edgy Diplomat, raced four times in Dubai over the winter, including a third-place showing in UAE Derby, after beginning career unbeaten in four starts in native Chile. She is trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Ginger Punch was second, beaten a half length, after setting fractions of :24.61, :48.18, :1:12.26; and 1:36.76. Final time was 1:49.50 on a sloppy track.
FLOWER BOWL INVITATIONAL STAKES (Belmont): Alan Garcia coaxed Dynaforce to a four-length wire-to-wire victory over heavily favored Mauralakana, who was gunning for her fifth straight win. The 5-year-old daughter of Dynaformer was winning on U.S. soil for the first time in four starts after racing in France for owner-breeder John Chandler.Mauralakana made a bold early run going into the far turn under Kent Desormeaux, but the Bill Mott-trained Dynaforce had too much in reserve, winning by daylight after setting fractions of :26.23, :52.87, 1:19.22 and 1:43.45. Comminque was third in the four-horse field. Time for 1 ¼ miles was 2:07.59 on a yielding track.
VOSBURGH (Belmont): Black Seventeen shipped in from California for trainer Brian Koriner to score a major upset over defending champion Fabulous Strike. The 4-year-old son of Is It True out of Fuzzy Navel, by Strike the Anvil, won the Carry Back Stakes at Calder in July for his only previous stakes win. Black Seventeen raced just behind a three horse duel (Fabulous Strike, J Be K, First Defence), moved to the lead in the stretch, and overtook Fabulous Strike late. Kokiak Kowboy rallied late to get third.
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC INVITATIONAL (Belmont): Alan Garcia guided Grand Couturier to a 10 1/4-length victory, his second Grade 1 turf triumph in a row for trainer Robert Ribaudo and owner Marc Keller. The 5-year-old son of Grand Lodge out of Lady Eigar, by Sadler’s Wells, comes off a victory in the Sword Dancer over Better Talk Now Aug. 16 at Saratoga. Grand Couturier won last year’s Sword Dancer and then finished sixth behind English Channel in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Interpation edged Summer Patriot for second. Kent Desormeaux, aboard Interpation, filed a complaint against the winner alleging interference on the turn, but it was not allowed. Precious Passion set the pace in the Hirsch, with slow fractions of :24.97, :50.52, 1:16.84, and 1:42.35 for the opening mile of the 1 1/2-mile event. Strike a Deal took a brief lead with a quarter mile to go, the 1 1/4 miles clocked in 2:09.07, but Grand Couturier charged past to win in hand, getting the distance on yielding turf in 2:34.84.
CLEMENT L. HIRSCH MEMORIAL TURF INVITATIONAL STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Making just his second start of the year, Peachtree Stable’s Red Giant (by Giant’s Causeway) set a new track and world record of 1:57.16 for 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita turf while edging Out of Control by a head. Transduction Gold was third. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Red Giant was winning for the sixth time in 12 starts. Last year he won the Virginia Derby and was second in the Secretariat Stakes. In his 2008 debut at Saratoga, Red Giant took the Fourstardave by a neck Aug. 3.
LADY’S SECRET (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Zenyatta tracked from last in the four-horse field under Mike Baze, swung wide into the stretch and pulled away down the stretch under a hand ride to win by 3 1/2 lengths — her eighth straight without a defeat. Pacesetter Hystericalady was second, with Santa Teresita third. The daughter of Street Cry out of Vertigineux out of Kris S, is trained by John Shirreffs and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss. She was odds-on to win her sixth consecutive graded stakes and eighth overall and will be a solid choice in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic Oct. 24 at Santa Anita. Time for the 1 1/16 miles on the new Pro-Ride synthetic track was 1:40.30.
ANCIENT TITLE STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Cost of Freedom made the first run under Tyler Baze, getting the lead at the top of the stretch, and then holding off the late charge of 9-10 favorite, Street Boss, to win by a half-length in 1:07.53 for six furlongs (fractions were :21.27, :43.57, :55.50) . In Summation was third. Cost of Freedom was a $50,000 claim by Gary and Cecil Barber in late July at Del Mar. Formerly owned by Harris Farms and trained by Carla Gaines, he is now under the care of John Sadler. A 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Cee’s Tizzy out of Freedom Dance, by Moscow Ballet, Cost of Freedom has now won six of 10 starts, but the Ancient Title was his first stakes victory.
OAK LEAF STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Making her 4-5 odds look generous, Stardom Bound overwhelmed her 11 2-year-old filly rivals, rallying from far off the pace to win by 3 1/2 lengths over pacesetter Palacio de Amor. The gray daughter of first-crop sire Tapit (out of My White Corvette, by Tarr Road) broke behind the field and was allowed to settle near the back of the pack by Mike Smith as Palacio de Amor set fractions of :23.32, :46.37, 1:10.61 and 1:35.90 for the opening mile. Stardom Bound swung widest of all into the stretch and easily moved to the lead under a hand ride, completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.44. Oro Blanco was third. The winner, owned by Charles Cono and trained by Christopher Paasch, broke her maiden in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante after running second in a maiden race and second in the Sorrento Stakes — all at Del Mar. The Oak Leaf was her first race around two turns.
YELLOW RIBBON STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): John Velazquez registered career win No. 3,999 aboard Wait a While for Arindel Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher, racing from just off the pace, taking command in mid-stretch and holding Vacare at sway to win by about three-quarters of a length. Black Mamba was a fast-closing third. Final time for the 1 1/4 miles on firm turf was 1:59.16 after fractions of :24.53, :47.83, 1:12.31, and 1:35.63. Longshot Live Life showed the way for the first six furlongs, then gave way to Solva, Velazquez used Wait a While’s good tactical speed to overcome the No. 10 post position, and raced just off the lead before moving to the front. This was the 12th win in 23 starts and pushed Wait a While (a 5-year-old by Maria’s Mon, out of Flirtatious, by A.P. Indy) over the $2-million mark in career earnings. It Wait a While’s first Grade 1 victory since taking the Yellow Ribbon in 2006.
GOODWOOD (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Using new off-the-pace tactics, Aaron Gryder guided7-10 favorite Well Armed to a one-length victory over Tiago. Rating in third position most of the way as Mast Track and Informed volleyed for the lead, Well Armed swung to the outside at the head of the stretch, drifted out with a furlong to run, but switched leads and kept to his task to get the win for trainer Eoin Harty. Final time was 1:47.11 for the 1 1/8 miles. Albertus Maximus finished third.It was the sixth victory in 19 starts for Well Armed, and his first in a Grade 1 race. He won the San Antonio and San Diego Handicaps (both Grade 2) going wire to wire earlier this year. Well Armed is a 5-year-old gelded son of Tiznow out of Well Dressed, by Notebook. Harty said Well Armed would be pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, along with another WinStar runner in his barn, Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes winner Colonel John.
HAWTHORNE GOLD CUP (Hawthorne): Richard Migliore gave Team Valor’s Fairbanks a perfect trip in the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup, racing just off the pace, moving between horses on the turn for home, and drawing away down the stretch for an easy 2 3/4-length victory as teh 7-10 favorite. Magna Graduate finished second, with Wayzata Bay third Fairbanks (by Giant’s Causeway out of Alaska Queen, by Time for a Change), was winning for the sixth time in 18 starts. He is trained by Todd Pletcher.
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Tags: aaron gryder, Add new tag, Alan Garcia, Beldame, bill mott, Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup Challenge, breeders' cup classic, breeders' cup preps, Breeders' Cup Win and You're In, cee's tizzy, charles cono, christopher paasch, cigar, clement hirsch, Cocoa Beach, cost of freedom, Curlin, Doneraile Court, Dynaforce, eoin harty, fairbanks, Fatal Bullet, Flower Bowl Invitational, Frank Calabrese, gary and cecil barber, ginger punch, Godolphin, goodwood, grand couturier, grand lodge, Horse Racing, is it true, jess jackson, John Chandler, john sadler, john velazquez, Kentucky Cup, Kentucky Cup Sprint, Kentucky Juvenile Fillies, lady's secret, mauralakana, monarchos, Oak leaf, Paulick Report, polytrack, Ray Paulick, Reade Baker, Red Bullet, robbie albarado, stardom bound, steve asmussen, street boss, Sugar Mom, tapit, team valor, tiago, todd pletcher, tyler baze, wait a while, Wayne Catalano, well armed, west side bernie, winstar farm, Yellow ribbon, zenyatta
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Curlin, Horse Racing | Comments Off
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Garrett Gomez capped a huge weekend Sunday at Del Mar, winning the $1-million Pacific Classic aboard Peter Vegso’s Go Between, who wore down Well Armed in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by a neck. Mast Track finished third and Zappa was fourth in the 18th running of the mile and a quarter contest, whose winner gained an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic by taking one of the "Win and You’re In" challenge races.
(VIDEO)
(DEL MAR’S SUNDAY EQUIBASE CHARTS)
Gomez won Saturday’s $1-million Travers Stakes at Saratoga by a nose aboard Colonel John for WinStar Farm, then beat WinStar, the owner of Well Armed, in the Pacific Classic.
Barcola took the early lead in the Pacific Classic under Corey Nakatani, setting fractions of :23.40 for the quarter-mile, :47.36 for the half, and 1:12.20 for six furlongs. Well Armed sat to Barcola’s outside flank for most of the running, with Surf Cat to his inside. Go Between was taken well off the early pace, racing third from last in the field of 10 older horses (after the scratch of McCann’s Mojave due to a minor injury).
When the field straightened for home, the mile clocked in 1:37.06, jockey Aaron Gryder moved Well Armed to the front, but Go Between was in full stride out in the middle of the track, circling the field and steadily cutting into the lead. The 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Point Given caught Well Armed inside the sixteenth pole and began to edge away for the win, his eighth in 26 starts. Time for the 10 furlongs on Polytrack was 2:01.18.
The winner is a well-traveled horse who has excelled on turf and synthetic tracks for Vegso and Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott. He won the Grade 3 Fayette on Keeneland’s Polytrack last October and the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita on Cushion Track in January. He was narrowly beaten by Heatseeker in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and second to Mast Track in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup June 28 (also on Cushion Track) in his most recent start. Between those two races, Go Between finished second in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Ben Ali.
Go Between trained up to the Pacific Classic at Churchill Downs.
It was the fourth Pacific Classic victory for jockey Gomez and the first for Mott, who is best remembered at Del Mar for bringing Allen Paulson’s Cigar to the 1996 Pacific Classic in search of his record 17th consecutive victory. But Cigar’s streak ended that day when he was upset by the Richard Mandella-trained Dare and Go. This was Mott’s first Pacific Classic runner since 1996.
Go Between earned $600,000 for owner-breeder Vegso, the publisher of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" inspirational book series. It boosted his lifetime earnings to $2,783,880. Go Between paid $7.60 for the win as the 5-2 favorite.
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Tags: bill mott, chicken soup for the soul, cigar, dare and go, Del Mar, garrett gomez, go between, mast track, pacific classic, Paulick Report, peter vegso, Ray Paulick, well armed, winstar farm, zappa
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Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
By Ray Paulick
WinStar Farm homebred Colonel John won Saturday’s Grade 1 Travers Stakes by a nose in a head-bobbing finish with William S. Farish and Mrs. William Kilroy’s Mambo in Seattle. Pyro, the 7-2 favorite, finished third, 5 1/4 lengths back, with Harlem Rocker fourth in the 139th running of the $1-million "midsummer classic" for 3-year-olds.. Time of the race on a fast track was 2:03.20 for the mile and a quarter on a fast track.
(VIDEO)
(Today’s Saratoga charts)
Colonel John, breaking from the two post, saved ground as Belmont Stakes winner Da’ Tara set all the fractions under Alan Garcia, the opening quarter-mile in :23.91, the half-mile in :48.06 and six furlongs in 1:12.12. When the field turned for home, Gomez had to alter course sharply behind Da’ Tara, then went to his outside, taking the lead inside the furlong pole. Mambo in Seattle, under Robbie Albarado, was forced to take the overland route, rallying from well off the pace but avoiding a scrum to his inside at the head of the stretch that may have compromised the chances of Harlem Rocker and Pyro. The Kinbmambo colt ranged up alongside Colonel John nearing the sixteenth pole, and the two raced to the wire together. Colonel John appeared to be edging ahead, but Mambo in Seattle made one final, valiant run, losing the victory in a head-bob. The official margin was a nose, but the photo finish showed it to be no more than an inch.
The victory was Colonel John’s first on a traditional dirt track. He had previously won four of eight starts, all on synthetic tracks, including three stakes. He came into the Kentucky Derby off a half-length victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, and was the 9-2 second choice behind Big Brown at Churchill Downs. The son of Tiznow out of the Turkoman mare Sweet Damsel was never a factor that day, finishing sixth, 14 1/4 lengths behind Big Brown. He skipped the rest of the Triple Crown, then returned to action with a third-place finish behind Tres Borrachos July 12 in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Colonel John did all of his serious preparation work before the Travers on Polytrack at Del Mar for his trainer, Eoin Harty. The win could set up a rematch between Colonel John and Big Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park, which will be contested on that track’s new Pro-Ride synthetic surface.
The winner paid $10.40 and earned $600,000 to increase his earnings to $1,468,830.
IN THE GRADE 1 NETJETS KING’S BISHOP, a race for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs that immediately preceded the Travers, Team Valor International and Vision Racing’s Visionaire, benefited from a hot pace and rallied from last to first to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths under Alan Garcia.
Gentleman James, Golden Spikes and 8-5 favorite J Be K threw down fractions of :22.39 and :44.73 for the opening half mile, with J Be K taking a narrow advantage when the 10-horse field turned for home, and it looked like anyone’s race. Desert Key, had to await room on the inside, then found an opening to gain the lead in the final furlong, but Garcia had Visionaire picking ‘em and mowing ‘em down on in the middle of the track after rallying widest into the stretch.
The son of Grand Slam hit the front in the final 70 yards and drew off, with Desert Key holding second by a nose from I’m So Lucky. The winner, bred in Kentucky by Eaton Sales co-owner Reiley McDonald and trained by Michael Matz, paid $15.60 for the win after covering seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.94.
The win was Visionaire’s fifth from 10 starts and second starts victory, following a win in the Gotham at Aqueduct in March. Visionaire ran fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes and 12th behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby.
SHADWELL STAALE’S IRISH-BRED SHAKIS won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch by three parts of a length over War Monger, with Operation Red Dawn finishing third. The 8-year-old by Machiavellian was ridden by Alan Garcia and is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. He covered nine furlongs on firm turf in 1:46.78.
Tags: colonel john, eoin harty, garrett gomez, mambo in seattle, Paulick Report, pyro, Ray Paulick, saratoga, shakis, team valor, travers, visionaire, winstar farm
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