Gulfstream

Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer (Speightstown) looks to find his way back to the winner's circle Saturday in Gulfstream's GIII Fred W. Hooper S. Opening his 2019 account with a trio of victories in New York, he capped that perfect season with a win in Aqueduct's GIII Discovery S. Nov. 30. Winning a muddy optional claimer at Belmont Oct. 17, the chestnut checked in third as the favorite in a sloppy renewal of Aqueduct's GI Cigar Mile Dec. 5. The second and third-place finishers from this venue's GIII Harlan's...

5th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 1-9, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.28, ft, 9 1/4 lengths. CANDY MAN ROCKET (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Kenny Lane, by Forestry) faded to seventh in his career bow in the slop at Churchill Downs Nov. 22 and received Lasix for the first time in this second attempt. Breaking on top, the 7-1 shot was overtaken by Jeebar (Frosted) and settled to stalk from second through a :22.79 opening quarter and :46.11 half-mile. Sweeping to the front entering the lane, the bay charged clear with ease to win for fun...

3rd-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 1-9, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.92, ft, head. LAMUTANAATTY (c, 3, Into Mischief--Gypsy Lou, by Elusive Quality) opened his account with a game maiden victory on debut at Gulfstream Saturday. The slight 5-2 favorite was off a tad slowly after brushing the gate from his inside draw as Dr. Duke (Ghostzapper) caught a flyer. The Shadwell colorbearer made up for it quickly, however, and was along to sit a pressing second off that one from the outside. Traveling smartly on the far turn, Lamutanaatty was in control of the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency SIX-FIGURE MEDAG COLT MAKES FIRST START AT TAMPA 3rd-TAM, $27.5K, Msw, 2yo, 1m 40yds, 1:12 p.m. Godolphin's NEW DAWN (Medaglia d'Oro), a $600,000 KEESEP buy, will face the starter for the first time Saturday at Tampa. She is out of SW Wait Til Dawn (Giant's Causeway), who is a full-sister to GSW Excited, who in turn is the dam of SW & MGSP Thrilled (Uncle Mo). This is also the family of MGISW Spain (Thunder Gulch). TJCIS PPs   PLETCHER UNVEILS PRICEY 'CHROME' COLT 5th-AQU,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MOTT UNVEILS GODOLPHIN BLUEBLOOD 11th-GP, $50K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5fT, 5:11p.m. Godolphin homebred CANDY JAR (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes her career bow in this spot for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Her dam Alluring Miss (Shamardal) is a half-sister to late MGISW millionaire and top sire Scat Daddy (Johannesburg); GSW & GISP Antipathy (A.P. Indy); and stakes winners Grand Daddy (Johannesburg) and Lovestruck (Tapit). Her third dam is Grade I winner Likeable Style (Nijinsky II). TJCIS PPs

The Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series is returning to Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 23, 2021. Launched in 2017 as part of 1/ST's mission to modernize the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing, the Pegasus World Cup has evolved into a Championship Invitational Series featuring two Grade I stakes races with a combined $4 million in purses. The GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, run on the dirt at 1 1/8 miles, offers a $3-million total purse. The GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, run on the turf at 1 3/16...

Karl and Cathi Glassman's Restofthestory became the first winner for her freshman sire Jess's Dream (Curlin) with a dominant score at Gulfstream Friday. Purchased for $95,000 at the OBS Spring Sale after breezing in :21 2/5, she finished second in her Aug. 8 unveiling here and was hammered down to even-money favoritism to improve this time. Seizing the early advantage, the dark bay ticked off splits of :22.54 and :46.15, cruising home to win as she pleased by 5 3/4 lengths. Mastering Bela (Cairo Prince) completed the exacta. Jess's Dream...

Throughout the sport, the coronavirus has meant adjustments, For most jockeys, that includes no longer being able to use the "hot box" to take off weight. For several racetracks and racing departments, that has meant a concession to the jockeys in the form of raising the scale of weights. But will these temporary solutions become permanent when life returns to normal and might eliminating the saunas in jockeys' quarters ultimately prove to be a solution that helps riders stay healthy? These are questions already being discussed. The saunas, which many...

A surge in positive Coronavirus tests among jockeys was met on Tuesday with a flurry of new movement-related restrictions at Thoroughbred tracks from coast to coast in an effort to keep the pandemic from spreading further. For the industry in general, any sizable spike in COVID-19 positives among participants will almost certainly trigger another wave of racetrack shutdowns. But for jockeys specifically, the balance of maintaining safety under pandemic precautions often comes down to treading a fine line between protecting one's health versus protecting one's livelihood. Since the end of...

While it seems that some trainers cannot have enough time off between races, Patrick Biancone will go against conventional wisdom Wednesday at Gulfstream. He has entered Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a $55,000 allowance race he will use as a prep for the GI Belmont S. run just 10 days later. "What, you never heard of Woody Stephens?" Biancone joked. Stephens was never shy about running horses back on short rest and in 1982 won the GI Metropolitan H. with Conquistador Cielo on a Monday and then the Belmont five...

UNDERSTANDING TAKEOUT Ogden Mills Phipps, former chairman of both The Jockey Club and New York Racing Association and a legendary owner and breeder, heartily advocated for lower takeout nearly five decades ago. In December 1976, Blood-Horse outlined the Phipps plea, a source of great concern given the rising competition in the New York market. "With continuing declines in track attendance and mutuel handle, Thoroughbred racing is faced principally with twin threats, witnesses at an Aqueduct hearing stressed. There are the existing off-track betting structure, which has hurt track management and...

2nd-Gulfstream, $44,000, Msw, 5-9, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :52.63, ft. HYPERFOCUS (c, 2, Constitution--Discreet Meating, by Hat Trick {Jpn}) became the 50th worldwide winner for his second-crop sire, who scored both of his top-level victories at Gulfstream for winning trainer Todd Pletcher. Sent off at 5-2 in this career bow, the $100,000 KEESEP purchase raced off the fence in mid-pack as Breakthrough (Nyquist) and Peppi (Cajun Breeze) dueled through a swift first quarter in :22.07. Aggressively ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the bay ranged up outside the top two turning for...