GIOVEDÌ 15 DICEMBRE 2016. America: Verso la Pegasus World Cup del 28 Gennaio a Gulfstream Park. California Chrome sabato in pista a Los Alamitos
In America intanto ci si prepara alla grandiosa giornata del 28 Gennaio a Gulfstream Park, con la disputa della prima edizione delle Pegasus Stakes G1 da $12 milioni di dotazione. A tal proposito il tracciato di Los Alamitos ha aggiunto una corsa stakes nel calendario per consentire al campione locale California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) di rifinire la condizione e prepararsi al meglio a quello che potrebbe essere l’ultimo appuntamento della stagione del sauro che ha fatto sognare il mondo intero con la sua storia. California correrà sabato le Winter Challenge Stakes di Los Alamitos ed ha pescato il 10 di steccato. Gli avversari sono Howdy (Sundarban), Wrightwood (Elusive Quality), Presidentsky (Vronsky), Point Piper (Giant’s Causeway), Ain’t Misbehavin (Elusive Warning), Lucky J Lane (Lucky J.H.), Avanti Bello (Include), Unusual Meeting (Unusual Heat), Papacoolpapacool (Temple City), Air Pocket (Smart Strike) e Ground Rules (Smart Strike).
Se tutto procederà come deve, California al termine della corsa si preparerà al viaggio verso Gulfstream Park il 6 Gennaio prossimo, dove continuerà e finalizzerà la preparazione.
Intanto uno dei papabili rivali della Pegasus World Cup G1 potrebbe essere il cavallo della Starlight Racing che si chiama Neolithic (Harlan’s Holiday), che ha vinto proprio ieri una condizioanta a Gulfstream Park dominando da favorito e da front runner per 9 lunghezze con frazioni di :23.28 e :45.97, con il 3 anni che ha passato il miglio in 1:35.28 e tempo finale di 1:41.58, vicino al record della pista di 1:40.97. IL VIDEO QUI. Allenato da Todd Pletcher, al momento non figura nell’antepost per la Pegasus World Cup G1 dove invece il favorito è Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) a 2,1, mentre California è proposto a 2,6. Gun Runner (Candy Ride) e Connect (Curlin), rispettivamente per Steven Asmussen e Chad Brown, sono a 10/1 mentre Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper) per James Jerkens figura a 26/1.
Weekend Stakes Rundown: Chrome’s CA Sendoff
Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend’s biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week we have California Chrome in his Southern California swan song, a trio of grade III races at Gulfstream Park, and more. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the hyperlink for each race.
Saturday, Dec. 17
1:30 p.m.—$100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park
Trainer Kelly Breen has mixed emotions about running multiple graded stakes winner Stonetastic in the Sugar Swirl. On one hand, the 5-year-old is the horse to beat in the sprint race for fillies and mares. On the other, the Sugar Swirl could be the mare’s last race before starting her next career.
Sugar Swirl S. (gr. III)
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 17, 2016, Race 4
- 6f
- Dirt
- $100,000
- 3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
- 1:30 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Dearest (KY) | Edgard J. Zayas | 118 | Gilberto Zerpa | 9/5 |
| 2 | 2Danessa Again (KY) | Jesus M. Rios | 114 | Gilberto Zerpa | 12/1 |
| 3 | 3Sky Gold (KY) | Emisael Jaramillo | 119 | Jorge Navarro | 10/1 |
| 4 | 4Winning for Sarah (FL) | Tyler Gaffalione | 117 | Jena M. Antonucci | 15/1 |
| 5 | 5Stonetastic (KY) | Paco Lopez | 121 | Kelly J. Breen | 7/5 |
| 6 | 6You Bought Her (FL) | John R. Velazquez | 119 | David H. Hinsley | 7/2 |
2 p.m.—$100,000 Rampart Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park
Heading the field is Cheyenne Stables’ graded stakes winner Genre, who comes into the one-mile test off a third-place finish in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 9. The 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini won the Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. III) over a sealed, sloppy Monmouth Park surface July 31, when she defeated stablemate and fellow Rampart entrant, Eskenformoney.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 17, 2016, Race 5
- 1m
- Dirt
- $100,000
- 3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
- 2:00 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Tormenta de Oro (FL) | Luca Panici | 121 | Patrick K. Marcondes | 30/1 |
| 2 | 2Caboclo do Rio (CHI) | Jorge Ruiz | 119 | Angel Quiroz | 20/1 |
| 3 | 3Curlin’s Approval (KY) | Emisael Jaramillo | 114 | Martin D. Wolfson | 5/2 |
| 4 | 4Screaming Skylar (KY) | Edgard J. Zayas | 117 | Jorge Navarro | 6/1 |
| 5 | 5Inside Out (KY) | Tyler Gaffalione | 117 | Martin D. Wolfson | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Genre (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 123 | Todd A. Pletcher | 9/5 |
| 7 | 7Eskenformoney (KY) | Javier Castellano | 117 | Todd A. Pletcher | 3/1 |
3:01 p.m.—$100,000 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park
Trainer Todd Pletcher is throwing both quality and quantity at the Harlan’s Holiday. The barn of the seven-time Eclipse Award winner is attempting to corner the market in the 1 1/16-mile race at Gulfstream Park, sending out three of the field’s seven entrants in graded stakes winners Stanford, Madefromlucky, and Keen Ice, who famously defeated Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers Stakes (gr. I).
Harlan’s Holiday S. (gr. III)
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 17, 2016, Race 7
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $100,000
- 3 yo’s & up
- 3:01 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Stanford (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 119 | Todd A. Pletcher | 2/1 |
| 2 | 2Madefromlucky (KY) | Luis Saez | 119 | Todd A. Pletcher | 3/1 |
| 3 | 3Joshua’s Comprise (FL) | Andre R. Ramgeet | 117 | Barry R. Rose | 40/1 |
| 4 | 4Awesome Slew (FL) | Joel Rosario | 120 | Edward Plesa, Jr. | 6/1 |
| 5 | 5Hy Riverside (FL) | Jesus M. Rios | 119 | Antonio Sano | 15/1 |
| 6 | 6Keen Ice (KY) | Javier Castellano | 117 | Todd A. Pletcher | 9/5 |
| 7 | 7Applicator (KY) | Leonel Reyes | 114 | Mikhail Yanakov | 30/1 |
7:28 p.m.—$180,000 Winter Challenge at Los Alamitos Race Course
California Chrome will be the overwhelming favorite in what will be his only race at the track where he has done the majority of his training. From the remaining entries, there is only one other graded stakes winner—Point Piper. The 6-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway won the Aug. 14 Longacres Mile Handicap (gr. III) at Emerald Downs and followed that effort up with a fourth-place run in the Kelso Handicap (gr. I), a sixth-place finish in the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), and a runner-up in the Native Diver Stakes (gr. III).
Sunday Dec. 18
2:45 p.m.—$100,000 Gravesend Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Stallwalkin’ Dude, who has eight more wins than the next-closest entry in the field, has a graded stakes victory to his credit this year, capturing the Oct. 29 Bold Ruler (gr. III) at Belmont Park. The 6-year-old City Place gelding has been successful at the Gravesend distance, finishing second by one length to Joking in the Oct. 1 Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, December 18, 2016, Race 8
- STK
- 6f
- Inner track
- $100,000
- 3 yo’s & up
- 2:45 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Summer Revolution (KY) | Rajiv Maragh | 115 | Rudy R. Rodriguez | 5/2 |
| 2 | 2Stallwalkin’ Dude (FL) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 124 | David Jacobson | 9/5 |
| 3 | 3Drama King (NY) | Angel S. Arroyo | 122 | Rudy R. Rodriguez | 15/1 |
| 4 | 4Loki’s Vengeance (NY) | Jose L. Ortiz | 122 | Michael E. Hushion | 12/1 |
| 5 | 5Green Gratto (NJ) | Kendrick Carmouche | 122 | Gaston Grant | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Spring to the Sky (KY) | Michael J. Luzzi | 116 | Bruce R. Brown | 30/1 |
| 7 | 7All Star Red (KY) | Jose Lezcano | 116 | Rudy R. Rodriguez | 10/1 |
| 8 | 8Life in Shambles (KY) | Manuel Franco | 120 | Steven M. Asmussen | 4/1 |
6:28 p.m.—$100,000 King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course
California Diamond will stretch out to a mile for the first time as he aims for his fifth stakes win of 2016. California Diamond won his only previous start at Los Alamitos, in the Barretts Juvenile Sept. 18. The Barretts Juvenile was the second of the Harbor the Gold colt’s stakes successes, following the Santa Anita Juvenile, and preceding the Speakeasy and Golden State Juvenile.
fonte Bloodhorse.com
