Flat Out, who had not won a race since the 2011 Jockey Club Gold Cup, returned to his old form just in time to win the 2012 edition of that prestigious ten-furlong race in terrific fashion.
Ridden to victory by Joel Rosario, Flat Out was content to race back in the sixth position early on as Stay Thirsty led the way through moderate fractions of :23.49 and :47.21 seconds. Ruler On Ice and San Pablo were his closest pursuers, followed in fourth by Fort Larned. There was a gap of several lengths back to Hymn Book in the fifth position, followed closely by the eventual winner. Atigun, Ron the Greek, Fast Falcon, and Game Ball were the early trailers.
Rounding the final turn, Fort Larned made a run on the outside to challenge Stay Thirsty for the lead, but the latter colt turned him back at the top of the stretch and drew off to open up a clear advantage. However, Flat Out was surging hard on the far outside, gradually wearing down Stay Thirsty inside the final furlong to thrust his head in front right at the finish and win by a head in 2:01.44 seconds.
Fort Larned finished 5 1/2 lengths further back in third, while Atigun edged out Fast Falcon to complete the superfecta. Ron the Greek, Game Ball, Hymn Book, San Pablo, and Ruler On Ice completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Preston Stable and trained by Bill Mott.
-Keelerman
Showing posts with label Game Ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Ball. Show all posts
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Jockey Club Gold Cup Entries: Ron the Greek draws post 1
Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) winner Ron the Greek and Whitney Invitational (gr. I) winner Fort Larned are among the major names entered in the 94th running of the $1,000,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), to be run on Saturday at Belmont Park.
A "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been won in recent years by Eclipse champions Bernardini (2006), Curlin (2007, 2008), and Summer Bird (2009). In addition, 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame placed second in the 2010 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Thus, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has earned its status as on of the country's premiere races.
A field of ten has been entered for the ten-furlong race, with Ron the Greek expected to be sent off as the favorite. The five-year-old son of Full Mandate has been having a spectacular season, with victories in the Santa Anita Handicap and Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) stamping him as one of the leading older males of the year. A victory in this race could make him the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic, and bolster his chances of being named Horse of the Year.
His stiffest challenge is expected to come from Fort Larned, who defeated Ron the Greek in the Whitney Invitational (gr. I) a little less than two months ago. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the son of E Dubai possesses a great deal of tactical speed, which could prove to be quite an asset over the often speed-favoring Belmont Park main track.
Flat Out, winner of the 2011 Jockey Club Gold Cup and a stablemate to Ron the Greek, finished third in the Whitney and seems to be rounding back into form following a lengthy layoff. Likewise, 2011 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Stay Thirsty will be trying to find the winner's circle for the first time since last year's "Midsummer Derby", but needs to step up his game in order to do so, as his recent efforts have been somewhat disappointing.
Another colt looking to rebound is Ruler On Ice, who posted a shocking upset in the 2011 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). He has not won a race since then, but did rally to finish second in that year's Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational (gr. I). He enters the Gold Cup off of a runner-up effort in an allowance optional claiming race at Delaware Park.
Hymn Book is an intriguing contender, for he seems to be very fond of the Belmont Park main track and is a grade I winner, having won the Donn Handicap (gr. I) back in February. However, he hasn't won a race since, and most recently finished fourth in the Whitney.
Fast Falcon and Atigun finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) one month ago, and both should appreciate the distance of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Rounding out the field are San Pablo won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (gr. III) last time out, and Game Ball, a former claimer that most recently finished eighth in the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. I) on the turf at Saratoga.
Post Positions:
-Keelerman
A "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been won in recent years by Eclipse champions Bernardini (2006), Curlin (2007, 2008), and Summer Bird (2009). In addition, 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame placed second in the 2010 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Thus, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has earned its status as on of the country's premiere races.
A field of ten has been entered for the ten-furlong race, with Ron the Greek expected to be sent off as the favorite. The five-year-old son of Full Mandate has been having a spectacular season, with victories in the Santa Anita Handicap and Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) stamping him as one of the leading older males of the year. A victory in this race could make him the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic, and bolster his chances of being named Horse of the Year.
His stiffest challenge is expected to come from Fort Larned, who defeated Ron the Greek in the Whitney Invitational (gr. I) a little less than two months ago. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the son of E Dubai possesses a great deal of tactical speed, which could prove to be quite an asset over the often speed-favoring Belmont Park main track.
Flat Out, winner of the 2011 Jockey Club Gold Cup and a stablemate to Ron the Greek, finished third in the Whitney and seems to be rounding back into form following a lengthy layoff. Likewise, 2011 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Stay Thirsty will be trying to find the winner's circle for the first time since last year's "Midsummer Derby", but needs to step up his game in order to do so, as his recent efforts have been somewhat disappointing.
Another colt looking to rebound is Ruler On Ice, who posted a shocking upset in the 2011 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). He has not won a race since then, but did rally to finish second in that year's Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational (gr. I). He enters the Gold Cup off of a runner-up effort in an allowance optional claiming race at Delaware Park.
Hymn Book is an intriguing contender, for he seems to be very fond of the Belmont Park main track and is a grade I winner, having won the Donn Handicap (gr. I) back in February. However, he hasn't won a race since, and most recently finished fourth in the Whitney.
Fast Falcon and Atigun finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) one month ago, and both should appreciate the distance of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Rounding out the field are San Pablo won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (gr. III) last time out, and Game Ball, a former claimer that most recently finished eighth in the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. I) on the turf at Saratoga.
Post Positions:
| PP | Horse | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1 | Ron the Greek | 126 | Jose Lezcano | Bill Mott |
| 2 | Stay Thirsty | 126 | Ramon Dominguez | Todd Pletcher |
| 3 | Ruler On Ice | 126 | Alan Garcia | Kelly Breen |
| 4 | Hymn Book | 126 | John Velazquez | Claude McGaughey III |
| 5 | Fort Larned | 126 | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Ian Wilkes |
| 6 | Atigun | 122 | Mike Smith | Kenneth McPeek |
| 7 | Fast Falcon | 122 | Corey Nakatani | Nick Zito |
| 8 | San Pablo | 126 | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher |
| 9 | Flat Out | 126 | Joel Rosario | Bill Mott |
| 10 | Game Ball | 126 | Jose Espinoza | Naipaul Chatterpaul |
-Keelerman
Monday, August 20, 2012
POINT OF ENTRY WINS THE SWORD DANCER INVITATIONAL STAKES!
Point of Entry established himself as one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) when he absolutely dominated eight rivals in the $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. I) on Saturday at Belmont Park, drawing away with powerful strides to win the twelve-furlong turf race by four impressive lengths.
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Point of Entry was content to settle into third early on as Turbo Compressor and Center Divider led the way through moderate fractions of :24.89 and :49.45. Brilliant Speed, Newsdad, and Tahoe Lake were also racing in mid-pack, while Al Khali, Hailstone, and Game Ball were the early trailers.
Turbo Compressor and Center Divider continued to lead the way down the backstretch and around the final turn, setting fractions of 1:13.77, 1:37.90, and 2:02.13 to enter the final quarter mile still in command of the race. However, they were soon confronted by Point of Entry, who switched to the outside after saving ground throughout the race and set his sights on the front runners. With a burst of speed, he left the front-runners behind and finished up with a sub-:24-second final quarter mile to win the race in decisive fashion, drawing off under a hand ride to complete the race in the good time of 2:26.40.
Al Khali put in a good run to finish second best, but was never a threat to the winner. Brilliant Speed and Newsdad rounded out the superfecta, while Tahoe Lake, Hailstone, Center Divider, Game Ball, and Turbo Compressor completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Phipps Stable and is trained by Shug McGaughey. A son of Dynaformer, Point of Entry has now won four straight races, and six of thirteen overall. His earnings now stand at $934,490.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Point of Entry was content to settle into third early on as Turbo Compressor and Center Divider led the way through moderate fractions of :24.89 and :49.45. Brilliant Speed, Newsdad, and Tahoe Lake were also racing in mid-pack, while Al Khali, Hailstone, and Game Ball were the early trailers.
Turbo Compressor and Center Divider continued to lead the way down the backstretch and around the final turn, setting fractions of 1:13.77, 1:37.90, and 2:02.13 to enter the final quarter mile still in command of the race. However, they were soon confronted by Point of Entry, who switched to the outside after saving ground throughout the race and set his sights on the front runners. With a burst of speed, he left the front-runners behind and finished up with a sub-:24-second final quarter mile to win the race in decisive fashion, drawing off under a hand ride to complete the race in the good time of 2:26.40.
Al Khali put in a good run to finish second best, but was never a threat to the winner. Brilliant Speed and Newsdad rounded out the superfecta, while Tahoe Lake, Hailstone, Center Divider, Game Ball, and Turbo Compressor completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Phipps Stable and is trained by Shug McGaughey. A son of Dynaformer, Point of Entry has now won four straight races, and six of thirteen overall. His earnings now stand at $934,490.
-Keelerman
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
American St. Leger Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger Stakes, to be run on Saturday at Arlington Park. The 1 11/16th miles turf race has drawn a large and intriguing field of twelve, including Stars and Stripes Stakes (gr. III) winner Ioya Bigtime, 2010 Gran Premio di Milano (Group I) winner Jakkalberry, and the veteran stayer Helicopter.
1 Vertiformer
2 Helicopter
3 Lemonade Kid
4 Lumberyard Jack
5 Lake Drop
6 Suntracer
7 Game Ball
8 Jakkalberry
9 Lethal
10 Zuider Zee
11 Ioya Bigtime
12 Bridge of Gold
-Keelerman
1 Vertiformer
2 Helicopter
3 Lemonade Kid
4 Lumberyard Jack
5 Lake Drop
6 Suntracer
7 Game Ball
8 Jakkalberry
9 Lethal
10 Zuider Zee
11 Ioya Bigtime
12 Bridge of Gold
-Keelerman
Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. I), to be run on Saturday at Saratoga. The twelve-furlong turf race has drawn a very deep field of nine, led by United Nations Stakes (gr. I) winner Turbo Compressor, Man o' War Stakes (gr. I) winner Point of Entry, and 2011 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Brilliant Speed.
1 Al Khali
2 Point of Entry
3 Tahoe Lake
4 Newsdad
5 Game Ball
6 Center Divider
7 Hailstone
8 Brilliant Speed
9 Turbo Compressor
-Keelerman
1 Al Khali
2 Point of Entry
3 Tahoe Lake
4 Newsdad
5 Game Ball
6 Center Divider
7 Hailstone
8 Brilliant Speed
9 Turbo Compressor
-Keelerman
Saturday, July 14, 2012
POINT OF ENTRY WINS THE MAN O' WAR STAKES!
Point of Entry burst clear of the field turning for home and drew off with powerful strides to win the $600,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. I) this afternoon at Belmont Park by about four or five lengths.
Ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano, Point of Entry got off to a good start and settled into the second position early on, behind an extremely slow pace of :26.10 and :52.01 set by Center Divider. Tahoe Lake was racing in third along the rail, followed by Hudson Steele, Newsdad, Game Ball, and heavily favored Treasure Beach, a European shipper from the powerful barn of Aidan O'Brien.
The slow pace continued through three-quarters of a mile in 1:16.68 and 1:40.02, with Center of Divider and Point of Entry continuing to race 1-2. Rounding the far turn, Treasure Beach began to make a sweeping bid around the far turn, and appeared to be on his way to victory. However, in the homestretch, Point of Entry blew the race wide open with a powerful fifth quarter in :22.39 seconds, which enabled him to seize command of the race and continue on unchallenged to win the eleven-furlong turf marathon in 2:13.87
Center Divider held on to second over Tahoe Lake, while Newsdad rallied to be fourth. Treasure Beach, Hudson Steele, and Game Ball completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Phipps Stable and trained by Shug McGaughey.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano, Point of Entry got off to a good start and settled into the second position early on, behind an extremely slow pace of :26.10 and :52.01 set by Center Divider. Tahoe Lake was racing in third along the rail, followed by Hudson Steele, Newsdad, Game Ball, and heavily favored Treasure Beach, a European shipper from the powerful barn of Aidan O'Brien.
The slow pace continued through three-quarters of a mile in 1:16.68 and 1:40.02, with Center of Divider and Point of Entry continuing to race 1-2. Rounding the far turn, Treasure Beach began to make a sweeping bid around the far turn, and appeared to be on his way to victory. However, in the homestretch, Point of Entry blew the race wide open with a powerful fifth quarter in :22.39 seconds, which enabled him to seize command of the race and continue on unchallenged to win the eleven-furlong turf marathon in 2:13.87
Center Divider held on to second over Tahoe Lake, while Newsdad rallied to be fourth. Treasure Beach, Hudson Steele, and Game Ball completed the order of finish.
The winner is owned by Phipps Stable and trained by Shug McGaughey.
-Keelerman
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Man o' War Stakes Contender Profile: GAME BALL
Owner: Dorothy Gentner
Trainer: Naipaul Chatterpaul
Breeder: John C. Oxley
Jockey: David Cohen
RACE RECORD
Age 5
2nd Claiming
2nd Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
2nd Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
Age 4
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Claiming
8th Claiming
2nd Claiming
5th Claiming
1st Claiming
4th Claiming
Age 3
8th Claiming
7th Illinois Derby (gr. III)
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Claiming
Age 2
10th Maiden Claiming
PEDIGREE
LAST WORKOUT
July 8th: 5f in 1:03.01 over the Belmont Park Inner turf course
Trainer: Naipaul Chatterpaul
Breeder: John C. Oxley
Jockey: David Cohen
RACE RECORD
Age 5
2nd Claiming
2nd Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
2nd Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
Age 4
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Starter Allowance
1st Claiming
8th Claiming
2nd Claiming
5th Claiming
1st Claiming
4th Claiming
Age 3
8th Claiming
7th Illinois Derby (gr. III)
1st Allowance Optional Claiming
1st Maiden Claiming
Age 2
10th Maiden Claiming
PEDIGREE
| Pulpit | ||
| Sky Mesa | ||
| Caress | ||
| Game Ball | ||
| Saint Ballado | ||
| Balldo | ||
| I'll Redo It |
LAST WORKOUT
July 8th: 5f in 1:03.01 over the Belmont Park Inner turf course
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Man o' War Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $600,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. I), to be run on Saturday at Belmont Park. The eleven-furlong turf race for three-year-olds and upward has drawn an evenly-matched field of eight, led by the European shipper Treasure Beach, grade II stakes winner Newsdad, and the promising Hudson Steele.
1 Tahoe Lake
2 Center Divider
3 Point of Entry
4 Newsdad
5 Treasure Beach
6 Game Ball
7 Hudson Steele
8 Philly Ace
-Keelerman
1 Tahoe Lake
2 Center Divider
3 Point of Entry
4 Newsdad
5 Treasure Beach
6 Game Ball
7 Hudson Steele
8 Philly Ace
-Keelerman
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