By Frank Angst,
Gallant Stables' longshot Majestic Harbor launched a sustained move in the far turn, flew past fading favorite Game On Dude, and only added to his advantage in the stretch to post a 6 1/4-length victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (gr. I) June 28 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).
The upset victory at odds of 14-1 marked the first grade I win for Majestic Harbor and his Southern California-based trainer Sean McCarthy. In March, McCarthy notched his first graded stakes score when Majestic Harbor, a 6-year-old son of the late Rockport Harbor, won the Tokyo City Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita.
"The horse had a great week, a great 10 days," McCarthy said. "The 'T's' were crossed, the 'I's' were dotted, and you just hope that when you lead him over there, he fires—and he fired. I couldn't ask for a better trip; I couldn't ask for things to have been any better."
The victory also is huge for Majestic Harbor's dam, the stakes-placed French Deputy mare Champagne Royale. Earlier this year her Street Boss colt Danza won the Arkansas Derby (gr. I). Majestic Harbor was bred in Kentucky by Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm.
Going into the race, attention was focused on Game On Dude's efforts to join Lava Man as the second horse in the 21st century to win three editions of the Gold Cup, which had been contested as the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) until that track closed at the end of last year and Santa Anita took over the race.
Despite losses by Game On Dude in four of his past five starts going into Saturday's race, the popular 7-year-old Awesome Again gelding was sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field void of any other U.S. grade I winners.
After Game On Dude and jockey Mike Smith broke well from the inside post, they quickly were engaged by Fury Kapcori and jockey Gary Stevens. The horses and Hall of Fame riders briefly dueled before Smith opted to let Stevens take the lead and Fury Kapcori opened a clear advantage the first time under the wire.
With Game On Dude tracking from second, Fury Kapcori led through a half-mile in :45.39 and six furlongs in 1:09.80. Game On Dude launched his bid entering the far turn but Majestic Harbor, who had been tracking in third under Tyler Baze, would soon follow with his best and seize a half-length advantage at the quarter pole.
In midstretch Baze and Majestic Harbor opened up 2 1/4 lengths on Clubhouse Ride and only added to that advantage to the wire. Clubhouse Ride held second, hitting the board in a grade I race for a third time; while Imperative, who entered off a win over Game On Dude in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (gr. II), rallied for third to earn his first grade I placing.
As a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, the victory landed Majestic Harbor a spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) this fall at Santa Anita.
"To do this for Sean, it means a whole lot for the guy that stood by my side," Baze said. "He gave me an opportunity to ride this horse first time out. I've gotten to know him, learn about him and learn how to ride him and I never lost any bit of faith in him.
"From the first time I got on him, I told Sean, 'This horse will make you. We'll win the Breeders' Cup with him.' I'm just looking forward to that and now we're goin' fishing!"
Game On Dude finished fourth. Smith said the early duel was costly.
"I didn't want to be going that fast, but by the time we took back, we were already going real fast," Smith said.
Majestic Harbor completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.53 on a fast track. With the winner's check of $300,000 from Saturday's $500,000 race, he nearly doubled his career earnings to $655,764. He has six wins and 10 other placings from 23 starts.
Majestic Harbor paid $30.80 to win, $10.60 to place, and $5.40 to show while Clubhouse Ride returned $5.60 and $4. Imperative paid $4 to show.
McCarthy purchased his breakthrough horse for Gallant Stable for just $20,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of Brandywine Farm, agent.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85917/majestic-harbor-shocks-gold-cup-field#ixzz35zLAizAN
By Eric Mitchell,
Declassify took a big jump in status from allowance winner to grade I victor June 28 when he captured the $300,000 Triple Bend Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old son of Orientate won the seven-furlong event by a nose over gritty rival Cyclometer in a final time of 1:22.03 under jockey Martin Garcia (VIDEO).
"We always knew he was a grade I horse," said trainer Bob Baffert of Kaleem Shah's colt, who was purchased by Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock for $450,000 at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales April 2-year-olds in training sale. "We've been very high on this horse from day one, but he's had some minor issues so we've had to bring him along slowly. I really like the way he dug in today."
Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds bred the winner in Kentucky. Declassify is the first stakes winner and first graded stakes winner for his dam Mir Cat, an unraced daughter of Tale of the Cat .
Even-money favorite Sahara Sky was never a factor in the seven-furlong contest against five other rivals and finished last.
"I had an absolutely perfect trip," said jockey Joe Talamo, who rode Sahara Sky. "I wish I had an excuse but he just didn't fire today. Before the half-mile pole I knew I was in trouble because that's when I was starting to get after him and he just never did respond."
Declassify got a fast start out of the gate and was quickly at the shoulder of Cyclometer who set the early pace, taking the field through an opening quarter in a brisk :22.77. Not far behind Cyclometer and Declassify was 30-1 rival Indexical.
The two leaders continued to battle into the turn with Declassify managing to get his nose in front briefly after a half-mile in :45.50 and gaining as much as half a length over a stubborn Cyclometer as they rounded toward the top of the stretch. Coming out of the turn, however, Cyclometer regained the lead and deep into the stretch looked as if he would keep Declassify at bay.
Jockey Martin Garcia, however, kept the pressure on Declassify with several left-handed taps of the whip, and the colt responded with valiant effort, prevailing at the wire by a nose. The final time was 1:22.03.
"I thought I was beat at the top of the stretch," said Garcia. "My horse was trying everything, every step of the way. He never gave up. Cyclometer moved into me a little bit in the stretch and my horse was intimidated. He responded again though, he's such a good horse."
Indexical was 1 3/4 lengths back in third, followed by Drill and Wine Police.
Declassify paid $6.60, $3.80, and $3.40. Cyclometer paid $4.80 and $3.60, while Indexical paid $5. The $2 exacta paid $32, and the $2 trifecta paid $401.60.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85914/declassify-aces-status-jump-in-triple-bend#ixzz35zLbtCIl
By Frank Angst, J
Kathleen Rose would not let her win streak end without a fight but Parranda landed the final punch to score a neck victory in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (gr. IIT) June 28 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).
With the victory, Parranda added a third graded stakes win and fourth stakes victory to her splendid 2014 season while securing the first grade II win of her career. The 5-year-old daughter of English Channel now boasts six career stakes wins, all this season and last year.
In the Royal Heroine, Parranda broke from the outside post in the field of 10 turf females. With some nice handling by jockey Elvis Trujillo, Parranda eased over before the first turn to track early leader Kathleen Rose, who started from post nine.
Boasting three straight victories on the Santa Anita turf and five wins in her previous six starts, Kathleen Rose and Edwin Maldonado cruised through a quarter-mile in :23.72 but were engaged through a half-mile in :47.66 by Dutchessa and jockey Kent Desormeaux, who moved three wide. Those two continued their battle through the turn while Parranda inherited a nice tracking spot in third.
About three-quarters of the way through the far turn, Parranda launched her three-wide bid. She would briefly pass Kathleen Rose in the stretch but the 4-year-old Good Journey filly battled back for a narrow lead. Those two would battle into deep stretch with Parranda finally finding more in the final strides to secure the win.
Winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer credited Trujillo with a big assist in the win.
"Elvis rode a real good race, real smart, and helped us to win the race," Hollendorfer said. "We wanted to try and get out of there (the gate) and be tactical."
Parranda completed the one-mile race on firm turf in 1:35.27. Runner-up Kathleen Rose, a homebred for B&B Zietz Stables, secured the first stakes-placing of her career; as did Ran Jan Racing homebred Moulin de Mougin, who finished third.
"Yeah, I'm happy with today. I was comfortable that she could finish strong," Trujillo said. "I knew I had a lot of speed and I was going to move at the five-eighths. Desormeaux's horse (Dutchessa) being up there with (Kathleen Rose) really helped us today. I sat off those two and then moved."
Sent off the 2-1 favorite, Parranda returned $6.20 to win, $3.60 to place, and $2.80 to show. Kathleen Rose returned $5 and $4 while Moulin de Mougin paid $6.60 to show.
After winning just one of five starts in her first season of racing in 2012, Parranda now boasts 10 wins in 24 starts and earnings of $668,655.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85913/parranda-prevails-in-royal-heroine-stakes#ixzz35zMU74e9
By Claire Novak,
Rested since March, Peter Eurton trainee Sheza Smoke Show came off the bench and struck in her graded debut June 28, claiming the $100,000 Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 28 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).
Given a ground-saving rail trip by jockey Joe Talamo, the 3-year-old Wilko filly shifted out to make her bid in the two path down the lane and rallied for a 1 1/4-length score at odds of 10-1. The 3-1 favorite, Famous Alice, put in a good run three wide but could not close enough ground to threaten.
"It was a great ride on Joe's part, and congrats to the connections," Eurton said. "We decided to give her some time (after the March 8 China Doll Stakes). There was nothing wrong with her. We just thought at the time, we didn't want to face those (tough) fillies of Tom Proctor and Carla Gaines, and she was just kind of tailing off a little bit. I thought she needed some weight put on her, but we just kept her at the barn, and it turned out awesome."
Sheza Smoke Show was fifth in the China Doll after breaking her maiden going 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf at Santa Anita Jan. 4 and winning a one-mile allowance event there Jan. 31. She returned in the one-mile Senorita against a field of nine other sophomore fillies, all assigned 118 pounds.
"We really didn't talk about a plan," Eurton said. "We figured Joe, being inside in the two hole, he'd figure it out. She's got natural speed and it worked out great, a hole opened up."
Disregarded took the early advantage in the Senorita, getting a quarter in :23.53 and a half in :47.02, then carrying on to post three-quarters in :1:11.03 and seven-eighths in 1:23.06 before being overtaken late.
"I had a lot of horse, but I had to stay busy on her," Talamo said. "Once she was out front it seemed like she was waiting on other horses. She ran a great race and we had an absolutely perfect trip. I was able to save ground on both turns and I took her out that last part and I had a ton of horse. Peter just told me 'good luck' today. Coming off that long of a layoff and to have her in stakes winning shape, I really tip my hat to him."
Sheza Smoke Show ran one mile on firm turf in 1:35.34, with Famous Alice followed home by Morning Fix and the tiring frontrunner.
The upset winner returned $23.20, $10.40, and $6 while Famous Alice brought $4.60 and $3.40 with Morning Fix paying $4.60 at odds of 6-1. Miss Machiavelli, Sushi Empire, Burning Arch, Lemon de Oro, and Rovenna completed the order of finish after Disregarded. Clenor was bumped at the start and pulled up by jockey Tyler Baze entering the first turn, but walked off the course. My Monet scratched.
Sheza Smoke Show was purchased for $100,000 by Ryan Exline from the Secure Investments consignment at the 2013 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s selected sale of 2-year-olds in training last March, and races for a large partnership group that still includes Exline along with Jeff Biegler, Garrett Zubok, and others.
Bred in Kentucky by Butch Rice out of the A. P Jet mare Avery Hall, Sheza Smoke Show was a $25,000 yearling from the 2012 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale when consigned by Pope McLean and purchased by Our Stable. Her record stands at three wins and a third from six starts, with earnings of $138,438.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85918/sheza-smoke-show-returns-with-senorita-upset#ixzz35zM1r7TS
