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Rock Your World Packs Stretch Punch To Snare Pasadena Stakes

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He may be green as grass, but that’s where his promising future lies.  Rock Your World, who stretched out off an impressive debut, rallied powerfully late and left no doubt about who was best in Saturday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita, as he prevailed by a widening  2 ¼ lengths under Umberto Rispoli at the Arcadia, Calif., track.  Trained by John Sadler, the 3-year-old colt by Candy Ride got a flat mile on turf in 1:34.39.

A joint second with favored Cathkin Peak, about 2 ½ lengths off pacesetter Commander Khai heading into the clubhouse turn, Rock Your World maintained his position up the backside and was one length off the lead three furlongs out with Cathkin Peak shuffled back a bit to his inside.

Turning for home, it appeared it would boil down to Rock Your World with Rispoli and Cathkin Peak with Flavien Prat, as they lined up two and three wide outside Commander Khai, but Rock Your World belatedly kicked into high gear a sixteenth out and the Pasadena was over as Rock Your World hit the wire full of run in an effort that suggests he’ll relish added real estate.

“This horse is still really green,” said Sadler.  “It’s funny, we schooled him yesterday morning at 9:30 in the paddock, no problem.  Today, when we put the saddle on him, tight as hell!  He’s got lessons to learn, but he’s got a lot of talent.  He was very game and he galloped out super.  We love that about him.”

A 1 ¾ length maiden winner going six furlongs on turf Jan. 1, Rock Your World was the actual second choice at even money in a field of five sophomores and paid $4.20, $2.40 and $2.20.

“To be honest, I was afraid because the horse couldn’t find his stride,” said Rispoli.  “He’s so big I was trying to get him ready to switch leads at the top of the stretch, so he missed a couple of strides.  That’s the reason Flavien came (inside) and had that little room to come through, (I) just opened the gap for him.”

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC and David Talla, Rock Your World was bred in Kentucky by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Debra.  Out of their Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, Rock Your World fetched $650,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

With the winner’s share of $60,000, Rock Your World has earnings of $96,600 from his two wins.

Irish-bred Cathkin Peak, who broke his maiden for trainer Phil D’Amato in his Southern California debut Nov. 29 and who came off a one length win in the one mile Eddie Logan Stakes here on Dec. 27, was the actual even money favorite by just $2,990 under Prat and paid $2.20 and $2.10 while finishing one length in front of Red Flag.

A winner of the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes two starts back but a disappointing fourth as the 4-5 favorite in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity, the John Shirreffs-trained Red Flag ran a much improved race and overhauled Commander Khai by a neck on the wire.  Off at 7-1 with Ricardo Gonzalez up, Red Flag paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.08, 46.72, 1:10.41 and 1:22.44.

The post Rock Your World Packs Stretch Punch To Snare Pasadena Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Antoinette Proves Tough Cookie On Front End In The Very One

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Jockey Jose Ortiz put Antoinette on the lead at the start, and the Godolphin homebred filly by Hard Spun was never headed, winning the Grade 3, $125,000 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Antoinette proved 2 1/4 lengths the best, paying $9.20 as the tepid 7-2 favorite in the field of nine fillies and mares going 1 3/16 miles on firm turf. She covered the distance in 1:53.70 after clicking off easy fractions of :23.98, :49.11, 1:13.24, and 1:36.67.

Belle Laura finished second, a neck ahead of Sister Hanan, with Tuned a head back in fourth and War Like Goddess finishing fifth.

The victory was the fourth in 11 starts for Antoinette, who hasn’t raced since an eighth-place finish in the G3 Valley View Stakes at Keeneland  last Oct. 18. Prior to that she ran second to Magic Attitude in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, one month after winning the Saratoga Oaks in similar wire to wire fashion.

Saturday was a big day for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin. In addition to Antoinette’s victory, a pair of homebred runners won rich graded stakes at Oaklawn: Mystic Guide winning the G3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap and champion Essential Quality winning the G3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes in his 2021 debut.

The post Antoinette Proves Tough Cookie On Front End In The Very One appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Candy Ride Colt Remains Unbeaten in Pasadena

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PASADENA S., $100,000, Santa Anita, 2-27, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.39, fm.
1–ROCK YOUR WORLD, 120, c, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Charm the Maker (MSW & MGISP, $340,290),
          by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Charm the Giant (Ire), by Giant’s Causeway
3rd Dam: Olympic Charmer, by Olympio
($650,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Hronis
Racing LLC & David Michael Talla; B-Ron McAnally & Deborah
McAnally (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Umberto Rispoli. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $96,600. *Full to She’s Our Charm,
GSP, $144,598.
2–Cathkin Peak (Ire), 124, g, 3, Alhebayeb (Ire)–Drumcliffe
Dancer (Ire), by Footstepsinthesand (GB). (€0 RNA Wlg ’18
GOFNOV; €17,000 Ylg ’19 GOFSPT). O-CYBT, Sterling Stables,
LLC and Michael Nentwig; B-G. Kinch (IRE); T-Philip D’Amato.
$20,000.
3–Red Flag, 120, c, 3, Tamarkuz–Surrender, by Stormy Atlantic.
($50,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $220,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP).
O-Jerome S. & Tina Moss; B-Elaine MacPherson (KY);
T-John A. Shirreffs. $12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, NK. Odds: 1.10, 1.00, 7.70.
Also Ran: Commander Khai, Harlan Estate. Scratched: Mac Daddy Too.
Rock Your World captured his six-panel debut in Arcadia Jan. 1 and was favored at even-money to repeat in the one-mile Pasadena S. Saturday. The $650,000 KEESEP buy kept close tabs on the leader Commander Khai (Twirling Candy) from second through a half in :46.72. Shaken up approaching the bend, Rock Your World was confronted by Cathkin Peak (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}) and a brief duel ensued, but the chalk still hadn’t hit his best stride. Rock Your World turned on the afterburners in the final sixteenth, powering clear to win as he pleased.
The winner’s dam, Charm the Maker, is also responsible for Grade III placed She’s Our Charm (Candy Ride {Arg}) in addition an unraced juvenile colt by that sire named He’s Our Maker. After foaling a Curlin filly in 2020, the sister to Grade II winner Liam The Charmer (Smart Strike) was bred back to Candy Ride. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Candy Ride Colt Remains Unbeaten in Pasadena appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Casse Will Appeal Herecomesthebride DQ

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After Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) was disqualified for causing interference in the $100,000 GIII Herecomesthebride S. Saturday at Gulfstream, trainer Mark Casse said he would appeal the decision.

“I have the paperwork right here and I am filling it out,” he said just a few minutes after the race.

On the far turn, Spanish Loveaffair got tangled up with I Get It (Get Stormy) and the two appeared to clip heels, which caused I Get It to bounce off the inner rail. It was not exactly clear whether or not I Get It’s rider Miguel Vasquez went for a hole that was not there. The stewards reviewed the race for about 10 minutes before making their call.

Tyler Gaffalione was aboard Spanish Loveaffair, who crossed the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front. I Get It crossed the wire fourth, but was elevated to third because of the disqualification. Spanish Loveaffair was placed fourth.

“I’ve been through a lot of DQ’s in my life and have appealed a few. But it’s been about 10 years since I’ve done that,” Casse said. “I don’t want to be a crybaby and I take my lickings. But I thought Vasquez moved into a spot he probably shouldn’t have been in. There’s no question that they clipped heels, but he initiated the contact. Our opinion is that she should not have been DQ’ed.”

Spanish Loveaffair is a half-sister to GI American Oaks winner Spanish Queen (Tribal Rule).

“Do you know what this race meant to her value as a broodmare?” Casse said. “If they hadn’t taken her down she would be a half-sister to a Grade I winner who is a Grade III winner herself at Gulfstream Park. The DQ cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

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