Latest news with #John Velazquez
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
R.A. Hill Stable's Pop Idol Sings In Galway Stakes
R.A. Hill Stable's Pop Idol Sings In Galway Stakes originally appeared on Paulick Report. R. A. Hill Stable and trainer George Weaver's Pop Idol led from gate-to-wire to win Thursday's Listed $150,000 Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Maclean's Music bay was one of four contestants for Weaver as she made her first start since winning the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes in November over the Woodbine Tapeta while in the care of Katerina Vassilieva. She returned victoriously off the over eight-month layoff with a successful sophomore debut at odds of 17-1. "It seemed to me that she ran the best,' Weaver said. 'She broke running, and I told them all to go out there and try to stay out of each other's way and ride a natural race. She broke on the lead and kept going, saved ground."Everybody asked me about these fillies, and I said, 'Every one of them has a chance to win, I sincerely believe that.' If you like one at 7-2 or 4-1, well, here's one at 16 or 17-1,' Weaver added. Piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Pop Idol emerged alertly from the inside post and took early command while Magnolia Prime applied pressure from the outermost ninth post through an opening quarter-mile in 21.56 seconds on the firm Idol led in the turn while Magnolia Prime remained close along with a host of pursuers in behind, readying for their runs, including Delightful Flame and Weaver stablemate Regalton, as well as the Weaver-trained Laurice launching a wide bid and 2-1 favorite Love Cervere following suit on the extreme outside.'She was pretty strong in the first part, so I tried to rate her the best I can and save something for the end, and she gave it all,' Velazquez said. 'I was waiting the whole time. I was waiting until we turned for home to let her run, and she responded.'At the stretch call, through a half-mile in 44.61, Pop Idol still held a 1 1/2-length lead over the rallying favorite Love Cervere, but it looked like she had her work cut out for her as nearly the entire field was fanned out and in with a chance. Pop Idol, encouraged by Velazquez, responded along the rail and kept daylight back to Love Cervere and the oncoming Abientot, who emerged as a late danger under Dylan Davis from last. Abientot surged nearing the wire, but there was no catching Pop Idol, who won by one length in a final time of 1: Cervere was a half-length back of Abientot in third, finishing a nose better than the Weaver-trained New York-bred Silsbee. Laurice, Magnolia Prime, Make Haste, Regalton, and Delightful Flame completed the order of Beauty, Proud Starlet, Roja, Luna Louska, as well as main track-only entrants Hollygrove, Flat Out Time, and Stone Smuggler were scratched. Weaver said he was impressed by Pop Idol's showing off the bench."I thought she was a work or two short,' Weaver said. 'You have to take your opportunities with the 3-year-olds, especially the fillies, and pile up as much black type as you can and hope when they have to run against 3-and-up they can carry on their form. I was glad to win and feel bad none of the other ones hit the board, but it is what it is, and they all deserved a shot.'Dylan Davis said the dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained Abientot could use more distance. He piloted her to a third-place finish over course and distance last out in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup on July 11 here, and navigated her elusive stakes victory in the six-furlong G3 Matron in October at Belmont at the Big A. 'I enjoy riding her. She's good. She's not that big, but she's definitely fast. Five-and-a-half is just short for her, period, but she always comes with a great run, great heart, and a strong finish,' said Davis. 'I was a little wide last time I thought, chasing a little bit, so I tried to go inside and wait a little longer, and everyone was getting jammed up, so I ended up having to go back outside. I saved ground the whole turn, so it evened out pretty well. She ran great.'Pop Idol, bred in Ontario by Christine Hayden, is out of the G3-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Unspurned and was a $150,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. She banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 7-4-0-1 and returning $37.60 for a $2 win bet. Live racing resumes Friday with a 10-race card featuring the G2 Ballston Spa in race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Todd Pletcher Mulls Hopeful For Debut Winner Ted Noffey
Todd Pletcher Mulls Hopeful For Debut Winner Ted Noffey originally appeared on Paulick Report. Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey won the 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight opener on Whitney Day and has warranted consideration for the $300,000 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for juveniles, on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course. 'I think so, yes,' said trainer Todd Pletcher of the Hopeful. 'I thought that was excellent -- very good debut. He had been training well, and we were looking forward to a good effort.' The Into Mischief gray, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, stalked from the four-path through a half-mile in 46.35 seconds on the fast main track, taking the lead under a drive in upper stretch and holding off Criteria by 1 1/2 lengths under steady urging in a final time of 1:17.56. The performance earned a 76 Beyer Speed Figure, but what caught most handicappers' eyes was that the time was faster than the Saratoga Special (G2) two races later won by Ewing, who held off Sanford (G3) winner and fellow Rising Star Obliteration in 1:18.03. 'It was interesting to be faster than the stake,' said Pletcher. 'I thought he did everything the right way. He came out of it excellent.' Ted Noffey, named after a misspelling of Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey, was a $650,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale who is out of the two-time graded-stakes placed Old Fashioned mare Streak of Luck. Pletcher also updated on Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier's Fierceness, who was fifth as the favorite in the Whitney (G1), a nine-furlong test for older horses. The 4-year-old City of Light bay, piloted by Velazquez, sat third well behind longshots Mama's Gold and Contrary Thinking, gained entering the second turn while encountering some traffic and took the lead nearing the quarter-pole. He lost his advantage before the eighth pole as Sierra Leone went on to win by one-length over Highland Falls. 'He looked very good this morning,' said Pletcher. 'I thought it was a bit of a rough trip. He got parked out pretty wide on both turns and didn't finish quite as well as we hoped.' This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
National Post
21-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
No Time leads Casse parade in Woodbine Oaks
No Time had a good time at the Woodbine Oaks on Sunday. Could she have an even better time when Canada's biggest horse race rolls around? Article content The three-year-old filly was sharp in victory in the $500,000 Oaks, spearheading a 1-2-3 finish for trainer Mark Casse and placing herself squarely in the field for the King's Plate on Aug. 16. Article content Ridden by John Velazquez, No Time raced close to the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile race, tracking on the outside while stablemate Winterberry had command. Approaching the stretch, No Time was three wide but had found the gear she needed to take command early in the stretch and draw off at odds of 6-1. Article content Article content Winterberry was third while Casse's most-fancied runner, 2-1 favourite Shifty, ended second. Article content 'We knew there was going to be a lot of pace in the race so I wanted to see how it would develop,' Velazquez said. 'By the time we got to the half-mile pole, I just kept it nice and easy. I didn't want to make a premature move.' Article content 'The quarter-pole came and she found another gear.' Article content A daughter of Not This Time, No Time broke her maiden last September and opened her 2025 season with a win before finishing fourth in the Selene Stakes. The energy she had after the race proved to his hall-of-fame rider that the 1 1/4 miles of the Plate should be to her liking. Article content 'She galloped out very nicely,' Velazquez said. 'If she can do that again and she can relax in the early part of the race, she has a very good chance.' Article content The Plate gained another new contender one race earlier when Sedbury's Ghost emerged from a bunched pack to win the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes. Article content Ridden by Ryan Munger, Sedbury's Ghost was smartly taken near the back of the 10-horse field with a scorching pace up front. The pack closed up around the turn and Munger took his runner to the outside where he was able to get the lead in mid-stretch at odds of 7-1. Article content Article content Trained by Barbara Minshall, Sedbury's Ghost broke his maiden in his second attempt last year and started this season with a win before finishing fourth in the Marine Stakes. Article content 'He had a bit of a troubled trip in the Marine. I thought he could have won that,' Minshall said. Article content Second-place finisher Notorious Gangster, who won the Queenston Stakes earlier in the year, is also expected to go to the Plate along with third-place runner Scorching. Others pointed to the August 16 Plate are Marine Stakes winner Mansetti and U.S.-based runner Tom's Magic. Article content Two other stakes were run Sunday. In the $200,000 Canadian Stakes, Ready for Shirl made a strong late charge to nail favourite Gimme a Nother and post a 6-1 upset. Article content The win gave jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson a high point in an otherwise tough year. The veteran rider recovered from a late-season injury during the winter to make it back to the races in June. She's had a couple of small mishaps since but she was at her best Sunday. Article content 'It's fun to be back in the tack. It's fun to be back in the winner's circle. It's fun to be here,' Wilson said. Article content And in the $175,000 Connaught Cup, 9-1 shot Cruden Bay overtook heavily favoured Kehoe Beach in mid-stretch for a decisive score and a repeat of the stake he won a year ago. Fraser Aebly rode the seven-year-old gelding for trainer Don MacRae. It was Cruden Bay's eighth career score in 24 starts.
