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Three-Day Pick 6 Carryover Of $235,000 On Tap Wednesday At Belmont

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The Pick 6 went unsolved for the third straight day Sunday at Belmont Park, triggering a three-day carryover of $235,671 when live racing resumes on Wednesday.

Sunday’s Pick 6 sequence kicked off with longshot Swamp Rat (No. 6) upsetting Race 5 at odds of 24-1 returning $51.50 for a $2 win wager. Have Another (No. 3, $4.20) followed in Race 6 with long-priced winner Stolen Pistol (No. 7, $21.80) winning Race 7. Post-time favorite Still Krz (No. 5, $6.50) hit the wire first in Race 8 with Oscar Performance (No. 3, $8.10) capturing the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker in Race 9. Battle Joined (No. 2, $18) took the day’s finale.

A consolation payout of $1,588 was awarded to bettors who has five of six winners.

Wednesday’s Pick 6 sequence will begin with Race 4 with a scheduled post time of 3:09 p.m. ET.

Wagering on the Pick 6 is available through NYRA Bets, on-track, and Belmont Café, as well as simulcast facilities across the country.

The post Three-Day Pick 6 Carryover Of $235,000 On Tap Wednesday At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Oscar Performance Ties World Record Time In Poker Triumph

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On Saturday at Belmont Park, Amerman Racing’s Oscar Performance made his long-awaited return a memorable one, driving to a 1 ½-length victory in the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the Widener turf course in a record-setting time of 1:31.23.

Oscar Performance’s final time was .40 seconds better than Elusive Quality’s nearly 20-year-old mark of 1:31.63, set with a six-length win in the Poker on July 4, 1998. The Brian Lynch trainee also tied the world record time for a mile on the turf set by Mandurah on June 6, 2010 at Monmouth Park.

The race was the first for Oscar Performance, a 4-year-old ridgling by Kitten’s Joy, since he tired to a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 4 at Del Mar. As a 2-year-old, Oscar Performance won the Grade 3 Pilgrim before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and, last year, proved himself the top sophomore on the grass with three straight wins in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge, the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and the Grade 1 Secretariat.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Oscar Performance broke well and settled in fifth behind a sharp early pace set by Black Tide, who led the field of eight through an opening quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds and a half in 44.73 under pressure from Voodoo Song and Ballagh Rocks. Ortiz angled the multiple Grade 1 winner to the outside of the pack and asked for run with three furlongs to go. Oscar Performance responded with a steady charge past rivals, turning for home with the lead and comfortably holding off a late run from Made You Look.

“All the credit to Brian,” said Ortiz, who has been aboard Oscar Performance since his debut. “I was working him, but he had him ready. Today, he said go a little faster and his last work, he told me to do a nice steady job. He was on point and ready to roll today. I’m so happy that he’s back. He’s one of my favorite horses. I won my first Breeders’ Cup on him. I’m very emotional right now.”

Voodoo Song was another length back in third, followed by Fire Away, Ballagh Rocks, Force the Pass, Black Tide, and Vulcan’s Forge completed the order of finish.

Sent off as the 3-1 second choice, Oscar Performance returned $8.10 for a $2 win wager. Saturday’s win boosted his career record to seven wins and a third from 12 starts for $1,967,632 in total earnings.

“Great performance,” said Lynch. “Absolutely thrilled with his comeback effort. He did it with authority and came back with a very fast time. That’s a longstanding track record to break so to have him do that off the layoff makes you look forward to the rest of the year. I thought they were cooking early and he was in a good location. Jose got him to the outside and as they rounded the turn it looked like he was moving and he’s such a talented horse.

“We’ve taken our time with him and good horses overcome a lot of things and he overcame the layoff today and was ready to run a very spectacular race,” he added. “We’re lucky enough, we know he can go a bit further, but the mile is a distance he’s very quick at so it’s probably something we will concentrate on.”

The post Oscar Performance Ties World Record Time In Poker Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Fields Assemble for Royal Ascot Day 1

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Ante-post favourite Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won the G1 Lockinge S. narrowly over Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) at Newbury in May, is one of 15 horses declared for the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. The straight-mile Group 1 is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Royal meeting and another fascinating renewal is in store. Trainer Aidan O’Brien also has Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for that contest.

Godolphin has claimed this prize a record eight times and Sheikh Mohammed’s operation has a major contender for this year’s renewal in Saeed bin Suroor’s Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was last seen running out a brilliant winner of the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March, while Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) and Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) represent France and America, respectively.

Ten colts stood their ground in the G1 St James’s Palace S. later on the card, led by the undefeated listed hero Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for John Gosden. G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas bridesmaid Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas victor Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) will also take part. The next three home in the Irish Guineas, US Navy Flag (War Front), Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Threeandfourpence (War Front) are aiming to give Aidan O’Brien an eighth renewal.

Group 1 winners Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from the yard of Charlie Hills and U.S. invader Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) who ships in for Wesley Ward, will clash in the five-furlong G1 King’s Stand S. on Tuesday. A two-time winner at the Royal meeting, the latter ran second in the Listed Giant’s Causeway S. last out at Keeneland on Apr. 14. Another American chance is Bucchero (Kantharos) for trainer Tim Glyshaw, who finished fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar last November.

Godolphin’s Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) steps forward, as well as a quartet from Ballydoyle in Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Battle of Jericho (War Front), Declarationofpeace (War Front) and G3 Albany S. heroine Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}).

Bernardini Filly Stays Unbeaten Under Twin Spires

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9th-Churchill Downs, $58,981, Alw, 6-17, (NW1X), 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.68, ft.
PRAY FOR LESLIE (f, 3, Bernardini–C J’s Leelee {MGSP, $172,463}, by Mizzen Mast) earned a solid 86 Beyer Speed Figure for a six-length debut romp over track and trip May 10, and was 3-2 to remain unbeaten against a group of mostly older foes. Immediately to the front and clear, the bay cruised through splits of :23.14 and :46.31 as her competition lined up to challenge approaching the stretch. Pray for Leslie threatened to run up the score from there, but Quick Quick Quick (Tiago) made a race of it late and cut the winning margin to about a half-length. The winner is a half to C J’s Awesome (Awesome Again), SP, $328,302. Her 2-year-old full-brother now named Justhitthe Wire was a $75,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned $410,000 OBS April acquisition by agent Mike Ryan after a :10 2/5 move. Dam C J’s Leelee, graded stakes-placed on both the local lawn and main track, produced a Speightstown filly last year and a colt by the same sire this term. She is a half to GISW Capo Bastone (Street Boss). Sales history: $170,000 RNA Ylg ’16 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $67,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Carl Gessler, Jr.; B-Carl Gessler Jr. & Danny Wiginton (KY); T-Albert M. Stall, Jr.