UPI Horse Racing Roundup – December 8, 2014
December 8th, 2014By Robert Kieckhefer
UPI Racing Writer
The Claiming Crown produced some big payoffs in Florida while the third time was the charm in Japan for the winner of the Champion Stakes.
Meanwhile, some new talent surfaced in the early furlongs of the Kentucky Derby trail.
Woodbine wound up its season with the appropriately named Valedictory Stakes. And we welcome back Turfway Park, hoping for the best for the innovative but struggling northern Kentucky oval.
Welcome this:
Claiming Crown
The Claiming Crown races give horses that have run for a price in the past two years a chance at unaccustomed glory — and riches. As usual, the event attracted full and competitive fields for its third year at Gulfstream Park with tough handicapping challenges and some big paydays. Here’s how they rolled.
J B’s Unc got the better of a deep stretch battle with the favorite, Francois, to win the $110,000 Iron Horse Stakes by a neck. Feisty Albert was well back in third. J B’S Unc, a 6-year-old Cactus Ridge gelding, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.66 with Paco Lopez up for trainer Jorge Navarro.
Another Navarro trainee, Loverbil, was up just in time to nip pacesetting Quiz Whiz by a neck in the $110,000 Express. Lungs breathed some life into the trifecta, finishing third at nearly 100-1 odds and the favorite, Ribo Bobo, settled for fourth. Loverbil, a 5-year-old Not For Love gelding, ran 6 furlongs in 1:10.07 under Jose Lezcano.
St. Borealis overcame the widest post position and a tardy start to win the $125,000 Tiara for fillies and mares by 1 3/4 lengths over Rock On Baby. The favorite, Wild Swava, was third with an even effort. St. Borealis, a 4-year-old War Chant filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:43.80 with Rafael Hernandez in the irons. Mike Maker trains the filly for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
Best Behavior dueled her way to the lead in the $110,000 Glass Slipper for fillies and mares, then finally cleared to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Don’tcallmecharlie rallied from well back to be second, a neck in front of Pebble Beach Baby. Best Behavior, a 4-year-old Into Mischief filly, ran 1 mile in 1:37.80 with Edgard Zayas at the controls.
Buster Rose outfinished the favorite, Mr. Online, to win the $110,000 Canterbury Stakes at 5 furlongs on the grass by 1/2 length. Thomas Hill rallied from last of 14 to finish third. Buster Rose, a 6-year-old Pioneering gelding, finished in 55.96 seconds with Jeremy Rose aboard.
After some bumping and thumping in the stretch, Grande Shores got home first in the $110,000 Rapid Transit Stakes, beating Goodtimehadbyall by 3/4 length. A good time was not had by Stallwalkin’ Dude, who faded from the lead to finish third, then was set down to fourth for initiating the fisticuffs in the lane. Monty Haul was promoted to show money. Grande Shores, a 6-year-old son of Black Mambo, ran 7 furlongs in 1:23.19 with Zayas up.
Saffron Hall circled five-wide around the leaders in the $125,000 Emerald Stakes and got there first, beating Rose Briar by 3/4 length. Longhunter finished third after leading briefly. Saffron Hall, a 7-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.19 with Irad Ortiz warming up for Hong Kong with the winning ride. Saffron Hall and Longhunter are both trained by Maker for the Ramseys.
And in the finale, Catholic Cowboy stalked the pace in the $200,000 Jewel, got to the fore and held off the late charge of deep-closing favorite Page McKenney to win by 1/2 length. Cerro finished third. Catholic Cowboy, with Luis Saez up for trainer Nick Zito, went to the post at odds of some 18-1 and finished 9 furlongs in 1:49.70. The winner is a 4-year-old Heatseeker gelding.
Japan
Hokko Tarumae, third in the Japan Cup Dirt in 2012 and 2013, apparently was only looking for a more dignified name for the event before posting a win. With the event renamed this year the Champions Cup, Hokko Tarumae proceeded to victory, pressing the pace most of the way and leading from the 400-meters marker. Namura Victor mounted a late charge to finish second, 1/2 length back, and Roman Legend was third. Hokko Tarumae, a 5-year-old son of King Kamehameha, ran 1,800 meters or about 9 furlongs on the left-handed Chukyo Racecourse dirt strip in 1:51.0 with Hideaki Miyuki in the irons. The horse added his first JRA Group 1 victory to five at the highest level in National Association of Racing events at Japan’s regional tracks. Hokko Tareumae finished 16th in this year’s Dubai World Cup and was seriously ill after that event. But trainer Katsuichi Nishiura said he is healthy again “and I will be discussing the possibility of challenging the Dubai World Cup again with his owner.”
The only foreign starter in Sunday’s event, Imperative, finished next-last of 16 with Kent Desormeaux up for trainer George Papaprodromou. Desormeaux said Imperative quit running when he was checked in the first turn. “He was mad. He didn’t want to race anymore,” Desormeaux said.
England
Portamento had no trouble qualifying for the All-Weather Track Championship finals with a dominating win in record juvenile course time on Saturday over Wolverhampton’s Tapeta surface. The Godolphin Racing runner, trained by Charlie Appleby, won by 1 3/4 lengths under a “hands and heels” ride by Adam Kirby. Appleby said the 2-year-old colt by Shamardal likely will not run again until the Championship races on Good Friday.
2-year-olds
Golden Years was pure gold in Saturday’s $100,000 Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park, coming from off the pace to in by 7 1/4 lengths. Sizzling Quatorze was the best of the rest with Hear the Chatter third. Golden Years, a Not For Love colt, ran 7 furlongs on the sloppy track in 1:24.82.
Winning rider Victor Carrasco said trainer Rodney Jenkins ” told me just to make sure he broke well today. This horse has been training like a monster since his last race. He got out of the gate really good today and I knew the seven horse (Hear The Chatter) was the horse to beat, so I just stayed close to him, kept my horse out of trouble. He just carried me up to the other horse. At the top of the lane I looked back and didn’t see anyone coming close. I tapped my horse one time, he changed leads and said ‘let’s go’. I think when his races get longer, he will even get better.”
He now has three wins from four starts.
Catalina Red tracked the early speed in Saturday’s $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, then showed plenty of his own foot, charging down the lane to win by 7 1/4 lengths. Charlie’s Brother was the best of the rest, 3/4 length in front of Duke of Luke. Catalina Red, a Munnings colt with Daniel Centeno up, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.32, picking up his first win in his third start.
“We liked his first two races on turf,” said trainer Chad Stewart. But we always wanted to try him on dirt. I thought he should have won his last race. He had a rough trip and wasn’t leveled out really good.”
Stand and Salute took the lead in the stretch run in Saturday’s $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields and held the advantage, winning by 1/2 length over an onrushing Broughton Kitten. Sandor the Hound was third at a big price. Stand and Salute, a Florida-bred colt by Saint Anddan, ran 1 mile on the all-weather track in 1:39.26 with Russell Baze up. It was his second straight win. And yes, Broughton Kitten is another from the Ramsey string by Kitten’s Joy.
On the grass, Smokem Kitten shot out of the No. 12 gate in a maiden event Saturday at Gulfstream Park, led impressively throughout and won by 5 1/2 lengths. Call Me Crazy and Novak completed the trifecta. Smokem Kitten, another of the Ramsey bunch from their stellar stallion Kitten’s Joy, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:44.26 under Edgar Prado. It was his first trip to the races.
2-year-old fillies
My Fiona had to work for the lead through some fast early fractions in Sunday’s $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies. But once she got the edge between rivals, jockey Rafael Bejarano was able to get her home in front. Heat the Rocks finished 1/2 lengths back in second and it was another 1/2 length to Niassa in third. My Fiona, a Ghostzapper filly, ran 1 mile on a fast Los Alamitos strip in 1:37.46.
“She was pretty fresh today and I tried to make her as comfortable as I could,” Bejarano said “I knew (Heat the Rocks) was the one to beat. By the three-eighths pole I took a little hold and gave my filly a breather. She came back and was real game at the end.”
My Fiona already has four wins, a second and a third.
Another Munnings juvenile visited the winners’ circle in Maryland after a Saturday win. Lake Sebago rallied from next-last to take Saturday’s $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park by 2 lengths over Darling Sky. Pistolina came from last to finish third. Lake Sebago, out of the Borrego mare Aviva’s Pride, ran 7 furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:25.98 with Trevor McCarthy up.
“The blinkers have helped her a little bit,” said winning trainer John Robb. “She’s never run a bad race. She had run twice in the mud, so that was not a concern. She ran as expected. We expected her to come from off of it.”
Lake Sebago has three wins and two seconds from five tries.
R Sassy Lass stalked the pace in Saturday’s $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, rallied three-wide and got home first by 1/2 length over Coco’s Wildcat. The favorite, Innovative Idea, came from the back of the pack to finish third. R Sassy Lass, a daughter of Exclusive Quality, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.49 with Antonio Gallardo up. Owner Rich Averill said he thought R Sassy Lass was laboring heading into the stretch and might be lucky to hit the board.
“But she kept grinding away,” he said. “I’m not sure if the outside was where you wanted to be and she showed a lot of heart.”
It was her second straight win.
Los Alamitos
Tiz Midnight took the lead into the stretch in Saturday’s $200,000, Grade II Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares, was headed by Warren’s Vendetta at the sixteenth pole but came back to win by a head over that rival. Legacy was left well back in third. Tiz Midnight, a 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly, got 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.62. Victor Espinoza had the mount for trainer Bob Baffert. Espinoza said he was confident Tiz Midnight could repulse the threat in the stretch as long as she could see her rival.
Baffert added, “Victor rode a great race and she was all heart coming down the lane. That’s one thing about Midnight Lute. He really puts a heart into them.”
Tiz Midnight was coming off a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup and, before that, a second to Beholder in the Zenyatta Stakes.
Aqueduct
Expression was up in the final strides to win Saturday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses by 3/4 length over Winning Image. The favorite, Willet, finished third between the first two. Expression, a 5-year-old Invasor mare, ran 6 furlongs on the sloppy inner track in 1:13.25 with Manuel Franco in the irons.
“I was definitely concerned about a wet track,” said winning trainer Charlton Baker. “Her numbers have stayed the same but she’s never seemed to run her race. Today set up great. Two speed horses were going head-and-head, and she was sitting back.”
Woodbine
Turkish sat just behind the pace through the first 10 furlongs of Sunday’s $150,000, Grade III Valedictory Stakes, went by the early leader to a daylight lead and then held on to win by a neck. Royal Blessing was along to finish second but was set down to third for interfering with Pender Harbour, who was promoted to place money. Turkish, a 5-year-old Istan gelding, finished 1 3/4 miles on the all-weather track in 3:02.09 under Emma-Jayne Wilson as Woodbine wound up its season. Turkish has won two of three starts since being claimed for $40,000 in September.
“He really seems to have come into himself,” Wilson said. “Every time I ride him, three-eighths of a mile out I just get him going. He’s so big and so long, it takes a while to get his feet. As long as you give him a nice trip and get him moving, he’s tough to catch.”
Laurel Park
Lady Sabelia shot right out to a big lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes for fillies and mares and cruised home first by 7 3/4 lengths. Disco Barbie beat the rest, 3/4 length ahead of Disco Chick. Lady Sabelia, a 4-year-old daughter of Majestic Warrior, ran 6 furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:10.42 under Horacio Karamanos.
Eighttofasttocatch lived up to his name again in Saturday’s $125,000 Jennings Handicap, leading all the way to a 10 3/4-lengths win. Larry Le Roi was second, 1 1/4 lengths better than Concealed Idenitity. Eighttofasttocatch, an 8-year-old Not For Love gelding, ran 1 mile in the slop in 1:36.70 with Forest Boyce up.
Turfway Park
In a Jif was out front in a jiffy in Saturday’s $75,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes for fillies and mares and just held on at the end to win by a nose over Hitechnoweenie and another head from Shrinking Violet. In a Jif, a 4-year-old daughter of Saintly Look, ran 6 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:09.48 with Rolando Aragon in the irons.
Hawthorne Race Course
Luv Bandit reeled in 93-1 long shot Hope For Today in the final strides to win Saturday’s $75,000 Lightning Jet Handicap by a neck. The odds-on favorite, I Got It All, got show money with a belated bid. Luv Bandit, a 5-year-old Yonaguska gelding, ran 6 furlongs in 1:10.82 with Emanuel Cosme riding.
