At Del Mar Racetrack in the $400,500 Eddie Read Stakes (G1T), Gabriel Charles, with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith riding, settled next to last in the seven-horse field for most of the race, came out of the final turn flying, barreled down the stretch to take the lead from Twentytwentyvision near the sixteenth pole, and then pulled away for a 3-3/4-length win.
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| Gabriel Charles, with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith riding, won the Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack on Saturday, July 18, 2015. (Photo by BenoitPhoto.com) |
Twentytwentyvision crossed the wire in second, 3-3/4-lengths ahead of third-place finisher, Finnegans Wake.
“I don’t think it rained on the turf course; only the main track. It was plenty fast,” said Smith. “My horse was so nice and comfortable; going along so easy. I was watching the competition up front, but I thought I could handle them. I was worried about that one in the back (Finnnegans Wake). I knew he was going to be coming and he’s run some big ones. On the turn, I gunned him (Gabriel Charles) to put a little distance between myself and the rest (of the horses). I guess I sure did. He was impressive.”
Rounding out the field of 3-year-olds and up was Power Red fourth, followed by Midnight Storm, Big Cazanova (Arg), who had the early lead around the track, and Maltes (Brz).
Owned by Sam Britt and Michael House, Gabriel Charles, who is by Street Hero-Star of Atticus, by Atticus, ran the 1-1/8th-mile turf race in 1:48.13 on a track rated good following some rain.
The 5-year-old Gabriel Charles had been out of racing between November 2013 and April 2015, recovering from a bowed tendon. He came into the Eddie Read off a third-place finish in the American Stakes (G3) on May 9 and a second in an allowance race on April 16. Both races were at Santa Anita.
“…He (Mike Smith) was perched up on him like they were going a two-minute mile and when he swung him into the clear I could see he had plenty of horse,” said winning trainer Jeff Mullins. “How many horse bow a tendon and come back and win a Group 1? We took our time with him and that was the key. We knew he had this caliber of talent, bit was a matter of keeping him healthy. We were worried about the turf course after the rain, but Mike said the course was great.”
Prior to his injury, Gabriel Charles had won the Del Mar Derby (G2) on Sept. 1, 2013, and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Preview Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 13, 2012.
It appears with his win in the Eddie Read, Gabriel Charles has returned to form. He now has four wins, four seconds and $584,400 in 10 career starts.
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Saratoga Snacks put on an impressive show at Belmont Park on Saturday.
With Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez riding, Saratoga Snacks broke from gate two, took the lead and went gate-to-wire to win the $100,000 Saginaw Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Empire Dreams.
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| Saratoga Snacks, right, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard, went gate-to-wire to win the Saginaw Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, July 18, 2015. (Photo by Coglianese Photos) |
Finishing third in the five-horse field of New York bred 4-year-olds and up was Gridley Here, followed by Notacatbutallama and Eye Luv Lulu.
Owned and trained by Gary Sciacca, 6-year-old Saratoga Snacks ran the 1-1/16th-mile dirt race in 1:43.98 on a track rated as good.
With the win, Saratoga Snacks, who is by Tale of the Cat-Near and Dear, by Red Ransom, now has nine wins, four seconds, four thirds, and $652,000 in earnings in 21 career starts.
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At Delaware Park on Saturday in the $750,250 Delaware Handicap (G1), Sheer Drama, who was ridden by jockey Joe Bravo, stalked race leader Frivolous for most of the race, then began to make his move going around the final turn, took the lead in the stretch and went on to a two-length victory.
Frivolous finished second by 3-3/4 lengths over America. Rounding out the seven-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up was Flashy American fourth, followed by Rosalind, Joint Return and Fortune Pearl.
Sheer Drama ran the 1-1/4-mile dirt race in 2:01.58 on a track rated fast.
Interestingly, in their last meeting on June 13 at Churchill Downs, Sheer Drama finished second to Frivolous in the 1-1/8th-mile Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2). This time around, the 5-year-old filly by Burning Roma-Riveting Drama, by Notebook, turned the tables and got the win.
“Winning a Grade 1 with her (Sheer Drama) is a big deal,” said winning trainer David Fawkes in a July 18 BloodHorse.com article. “This race played out just like the Fleur de Lis, but I knew the added distance would help us. I love when she was sitting second. It was picture-perfect.”
Owned by Harold L. Queen, Sheer Drama now has five wins, eight seconds, one third and $918,840 in earnings in 18 career starts.
As to her next race, Hawkes said in the BloodHorse.com article, “We’re not sure where she’ll go next and I’ll talk to Mr. Queen, but I would think we have to go to the Breeders’ Cup. It’s kind of like when her brother won a ‘Win and You’re in” race’ and we targeted the Breeders’ Cup. It was perfect.”
According to BloodHorse.com, her brother was Big Drama, winner of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). He was owned and bred by Queen, and trained by Hawkes.
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Tiz Shea D was a big winner at Indiana Grand Race Course on Saturday in the Indiana Derby (G2).
Ridden by jockey Jose Lezcano, the 3-year-old colt ran second behind Mr. Z for almost the entire race, then took the lead to an erratically-running Mr. Z down the stretch, and went on to a 1-1/4-length win.
Mr. Z held on to a head-length second-place finish over third-place finisher Divining Rod.
Rounding out the eight-horse field of 3-year-olds was Bold Conquest in fourth, followed by Island Town, Far Right, Alabaster and Deliverance Day.
Tiz Shea D, who is by Tiznow-Ender’s Sister, by A.P. Indy, ran the 1-1/16th-mile race on a dirt track rated sloppy (sealed) in 1:43.02.
Owned by Brous Stable, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, and trained by Bill Mott, Tiz Shea D now has two wins, two seconds and $460,056 in earnings in six career starts.
Also scoring a win at Indiana Grand Race Course on Saturday was High Dollar Woman.
Ridden by jockey Joe Rocco Jr., High Dollar Woman went gate-to-wire to win the Indiana Oaks (G2) by a length over Sweetgrass, while Oceanwave finished third in the nine-horse field for 3-year-old fillies.
High Dollar Woman, who is by Super Saver-Melissa Jo, by Fusaichi Pegauss, ran the 1-1/16th-mile dirt race in 1:43.49.
Owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, and trained by Steve Hobby, High Dollar Woman has three wins, one second and $201,945 in earnings in seven career starts.
(Information gathered from EquiBase.com, BloodHorse.com, DMTC.com and PedigreeQuery.com.)
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