Tag: Land Over Sea

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Parlay The Pennsylvania Way At Parx

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The party is in Pennsylvania this weekend!  As we inch ever closer to the 2016 Breeders’ Cup, much of the talent has gone north for the biggest day in racing that Pennsylvania has ever created.  Parx Racing will host 12 races on Saturday, 9/24/16, including 3 stakes, the Gallant Bob Stakes, the Cotillion Stakes and the Pennsylvania Derby!  A fan and friend attended Parx this time last year and shared her photos above.

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Parx Racing and Casino is located in Bensalem, PA.  The track originated in 1974 and it was called Keystone Racetrack until 1984.  At that time, the name changed to Philadelphia Park until 2010 and then the name was changed again to Parx, as it is today.  The combination of the stakes races, that take place at Parx this Saturday, will make PA Derby Day, the biggest purse day ever for this track.  I met To Honor and Serve this past June.  He won the PA Derby in 2011 and he holds the record finish time at 1:47:1.   He is now a stallion at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY.

Gates open at Parx at 10 A.M. EST with the 1st race posting at 12:25 P.M..  Race 9 is the 1st stakes race of the day.  It is the 25th running of the Grade 3, Gallant Bob Stakes, with a post time of 4:14 P.M.  The Gallant Bob was inaugurated in 1979.  It is a 6 furlong dirt race with a purse of $300,000.  12 horses are entered, listed by post:

  1. Full Salute
  2. Yellow Chips
  3. Mind Your Biscuits
  4. Threefiveindia
  5. Navy Hymn
  6. Noholdingback Bear
  7. Counterforce
  8. Awesome Speed
  9. Cocked and Loaded
  10. Cardio Cowboy
  11. Klingon Warrior
  12. Who’s Out

 

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Race 10 posts next, at 4:55 P.M.  This is the 50th running of  the Grade 1, Cotillion Stakes.  The Cotillion was 1st ran in 1969.  The 1 and 1/16th mile (8.5 furlongs) dirt race is for 3 year old fillies.  It carries a purse of $1 million dollars.  I’m a Chatterbox won in 2015.  6 fillies are entered.  Keeneland’s September Yearling Sales Graduate, Carina Mia will race.  Her banner as is the former winner’s, are shown in the photo above.  The full field is listed by post position:

  1. Carina Mia
  2. Cathryn Sophia
  3. Disco Rose
  4. Land Over Sea
  5. Songbird
  6. Queen Esther

Songbird is the favorite.  She is undefeated in 10 starts, 9 of which were graded stakes wins.  She earned the 2015 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 Year Old Filly.  That same year Songbird won the 14 Hands Winery BC Juvenile Fillies race.

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Finally, race 11, posting at 5:45 P.M., is the 40th running of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby!  Inaugurated in 1979, this year’s PA Derby has it’s largest purse ever at $1.25 million dollars.  The race is 1 and 1/8th miles (9 furlongs) on dirt for horses age 3.  Frosted won in 2015.  12 horses are entered with the favorites being more Keeneland September Yearling Sales Grads, Exaggerator and Nyquist.  The two have raced against one another 6 times prior.  Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist, won the 1st 4 times.  Preakness winner, Exaggerator, has won the last 2 in the ongoing duel.  The entire field by post is as follows:

  1. Awesome Slew
  2. Exaggerator
  3. Summer Revolution
  4. Connect
  5. Cupid
  6. Wild About Deb
  7. Gun Runner
  8. My Man Sam
  9. Nyquist
  10. Sunny Ridge
  11. Discreet Lover
  12. Hit It Once More

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There are still a few days left in the Keeneland sale where I have had the privilege of attending on several sessions.  The sale ends Sunday, September 25th.  I hope that the pictures I captured of the 2016 yearlings will be the Thoroughbreds that go on to race in favorite prep races for the BC like those happening at Parx this weekend.  I will keep posting on the events I can make it to, like the sale, and I would appreciate some feedback from those who can make it to races I won’t be at this time, like the PA Derby Day.  KY bred horses have won the PA Derby more than horses from any other state.  I’m attending something pretty huge on Monday.  Any guesses?  I’ll let you know after I make the trip!

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Observations On The Oaks

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It’s just a few days now until the Bluegrass State hosts the 142nd running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks!  Friday, 5/6/16 at 5:49 P.M. EST be sure to watch the run for the lillies at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.

The Kentucky Oaks is a 1 and 1/8 mile (9 furlong) race on a dirt track at Churchill for 3 year old fillies.  Competition began with the Pocahontas race on 9/12/15 at Churchill Downs and ended with the Beaumont at Keeneland 4/17/16.  30 races are qualified to provide the points needed to receive a nomination for the KY Oaks.  14 horses have been selected with an additional “also eligible” horse.  Post positions have been drawn and the field is as follows:  Post position. Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Owner

  1. Terra Promessa/Ricardo Sanatana Jr./Steven M Asmussen/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
  2. Weep No More/Corey Lanerie/George R. Arnold/Ashbrook Farm
  3. Lewis Bay/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Chad C. Brown/Alpha Delta Stables
  4. Go Maggie Go/ Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Mike Tarp
  5. Dream Dance/Brian Hernandez Jr./Neil J. Howard/Stoneway Farm
  6. Mo Kat/Flaven Prat/Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stable
  7. Mo d’Amour/Joel Rosario/Todd Pletcher/King of Prussia Stable
  8. Royal Obsession/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen
  9. Paola Queen/Emisael Jaramillo/Gustavo Delgado/Grupo 7 C Racing Stable
  10. Venus Valentine/Shaun Bridgmohon/Thomas M. Amoss/Rosemont Farm LLC
  11. Rachel’s Valentina/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Stonestreet Stables, LLC
  12. Cathryn Sophia/Javier Castellano/John C. Servis/Cash Is King LLC
  13. Land Over Sea/Mario Guiterrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing LLC
  14. Taxable/Mike Smith/Steven M. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
  15. “Also Eligible”Dothraki Queen/Gary Stevens/Kenneth G. McPeek/Magdalena Racing

Terra Promessa has had 5 career starts and won her last 4 races including two Grade 3 races, The Honeybee and the Fantasy Stakes.  She is sired by Curlin.

Weep No More raced for her first time at Churchill but she broke her maiden at Tampa Bay and has not lost a race since then.  In 4 of her 5 career starts she has won including her last race, the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes.  In that race she beat Rachel’s Valentina and Cathryn Sophia.

Lewis Bay has always been 1st or 2nd place in her 5 career starts.  Her last 3 races were all Grade 2.  In her final race, the Gazelle Stakes, she beat both Royal Obsession and Mo d’Amour.

Go Maggie Go has only raced twice.  That being said she is undefeated and the only horse in the Oaks with that title.  She beat Paola Queen in the Grade 2, Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Dream Dance has raced 9 times before.  She has finished all over the board but has the experience of  4 graded stakes and she did win her last race, an allowance, at Keeneland.

Mo Kat is one of 2 Uncle Mo sired fillies in the Oaks.  The Kentucky Derby is heavy with Uncle Mo progeny as well.  She has had 7 starts and though she has not won since her maiden she has placed or showed in 3 graded stakes.

Mo d’Amour is the other Uncle Mo offspring in this field.  She has raced 6 times with 3 wins and 2 times in 3rd.  Two of these races were graded stakes.

Royal Obsession has had only 4 starts but has won twice and been 2nd in another race.  She has been beaten by Venus Valentine before in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Lewis Bay in the Gazelle.

Paola Queen has 5 races behind her.  It took her the 1st four times to break her maiden but then she jumped right into a second place finish in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.  Maybe her time has come?

Venus Valentine has been 1st, 4th or 5th in her last 5 of 6 races.  She was the winner of the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra however.  In her other graded stakes race, her last race, she came in 5th.

Rachel’s Valentina is the favorite.  Her dam is Rachel Alexandra, winner of the 2009 KY Oaks.  No Oaks winning dam has ever foaled an Oaks winning filly.  This could be the 1st time? In her 4 career starts she has won twice and placed twice.  Her last 3 races have all been graded stakes races.  Pictured above is from her 2nd place finish behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies races. Land Over Sea and Dothraki Queen finished behind her.

Cathryn Sophia won her 1st of 4 races but in her 3rd graded stakes she was 3rd in a tight finish with Weep No More and Lewis Bay.  She probably still has what it takes.

Land Over Sea is trained by Doug O’Neill who also trains the KY Derby Favorite, Nyquist.  She is experienced with 8 starts.  7 times she has finished in the top 3.   Her last 3 races were all graded stakes.  This horse has the practice and she won her last time out at the Grade 2, Fair Ground Oaks.

Taxable has only 3 starts to her name.  She broke her maiden at Churchill.   She shares her trainer, Asmussen, with Terra Promessa.  Taxable was 2nd behind Terra Promessa in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes.

Finally, should there be a scratch, Dothraki Queen may get a chance at the Oaks.  She has raced 6 times before.  Her first race, after her maiden, put her on the path to the Oaks.  She won the Pocahontas, the 1st of 5 stakes races but she has never been 1st since and in her last race, the Appalachian stakes, she was 8th.

Fun Facts:

  • Lovely Maria won last year
  • Rachel Alexandra has the largest winning margin at 20 1/4 lengths
  • The 1st race was May 19, 1875
  • The official drink is the Grey Goose Oaks Lilly
  • The Song is My Old Kentucky Home
  • The flower is the Stargazer Lilly, the winner will be blanketed in these
  • The Charity is “Bright Pink”, to raise funds for fighting breast and ovarian cancer
  • The prizes: a sterling silver statue kept at the Kentucky Derby Museum and engraved with all the winners names, 12 Julep Cups to share and purse money
  • The purse is 1 million dollars
  • The color is pink
  • The channel to watch is NBCSN from 12:30 to 6 PM EST
  • Race 1 of the 13 race card at Churchill posts at 10:30 A.M EST

Enjoy the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby Post positions were announced as I was writing this.  That story shall follow tomorrow.  Keep Thoroughbred U bookmarked as a quick reference for the information you may need.

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Nyquist Loves and Leaves Keeneland

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Over all too soon.  Yesterday was the closer for Keeneland’s Spring Meet.  Live racing took place from April 8-29, 2016.  I was there for the final day of racing and it was too much of a good time to be sad that it was all about to end.

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Keeneland’s meet was quite a success story with plenty of excitement and quality races, horses, owners, trainers and jockeys.  The handle was up over 23% versus last Spring and the attendance was up over 4%.  I had the pleasure of attending 6 times and the weather was quite pleasant each of those days.  Keeneland credits the appeal of the Breeders’ Cup, that they hosted in October, with the returning fans and Thoroughbreds.  They also believe that having Nyquist, the 2016 Kentucky Derby favorite, living and training on the grounds added a special attraction.  I certainly agree.  Nyquist had his last Derby prep work at Keeneland on closing day and then shipped to Churchill Downs today.  He is featured in most of the pictures throughout this post.  I watched him work once again prior to the races yesterday.  He breezed a mile in 1:41 with Mario Gutierrez on board.

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45 horses that participated in the Breeders’ Cup in October returned to Keeneland this meet to race or train.  Ralis is seen in the top photo with Nyquist.  Other BC horses on the grounds this meet were Tepin, Ready for Rye, Barbados, Rachel’s Valentina, Nickname, Camelot Kitten, Ma Can Do It, Limosine Liberal, I’m A Chatterbox, Dacita, Azar, Thrilled, Private Zone, Land Over Sea, Bradester, Green Mask, Riker, Recepta, Holly Boss, Dothraki Queen, Fioretti, Gilding By, Red Rifle, Salama, Shinning Copper, Curlina, Right There, Grand Arch, Siding Spring, Catch A Glimpse, Wavell Avenue, Stopchargingmaria, Sheer Drama, Undrafted, Brody’s Cause, Da Big Hoss, Something Extra, Swipe, The Great War, War Envoy, Twilight Eclipse, Super Majesty and Tourist.

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As for the people who help make this sport awesome, many big names were present this meet.  Javier Castellano was the leading jockey with 17 wins.  He won that title last Spring as well.  Ken and Sarah Ramsey are owners who won 9 races at Keeneland this meet. They are Keeneland’s leading owners for the 17th time.  The leading trainer was won by Michael Maker, his 4th time earning this title.  Many more Hall of Fame, Eclipse Award and Graded Stakes winning jockeys, owners and trainers were in attendance for this Spring as well.

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I really had a great time at Keeneland, as always.  I am really going to miss the track that won’t have live racing again until October.  I thought that watching Nyquist work was a real joy.  I appreciate that the horse’s connections and Keeneland were kind enough to share the experience.  I wrote a story about a prior work a few weeks ago

My Eye On Nyquist

I hope Nyquist wins the Kentucky Derby next week on May 7th.  The success of American Pharoah has me eager for another Grand Slam.  Nyquist is a champion and he looks ready to win.  The 20 horse field won’t be finalized until Wednesday, 5/4/16.  Look for me to bring you the information you may need for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

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