It isn’t often a Penn National shipper wins a stakes in New York, but Ujjayi did just that with style last Sunday in the Ruthless at Aqueduct.
The 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred filly outfought 4-5 favorite Miss Imperial after a vigorous stretch battle to win the seven-furlong race by 1 3/4 lengths. The victory likely punched her return ticket to Aqueduct for the $250,000 Busher Invitational in March.
Ujjayi’s first stakes win was significant for all of her connections.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kenny McPeek wears many hats, including one, apparently, as head scout. While McPeek runs Harvey Wallbanger on Saturday in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, he also will be able to check out the opposition on behalf of Signalman, his more highly regarded contender toward the 145th Kentucky Derby.
“It’s a very interesting group down here this year,” McPeek said. “The Holy Bull should prove a good gauge going forward, for our horse and the others.”
Queen of Beas proved her well-graded maiden win here last month was no fluke when rallying to an impressive and popular 2 3/4-length victory over the previously undefeated and regally bred Graceful Princess in Thursday’s co-featured seventh race.
Queen of Beas, a daughter of Flatter owned by Kingsport Farm, finished second when launching her career going six furlongs Dec. 13. She wheeled back three weeks later to earn a 92 Beyer Speed Figure when stretching to seven furlongs and winning her 3-year-old debut.
Fair Grounds on Wednesday announced it was raising purses for the remainder of the 2018-19 meet, which ends March 24. Maiden and allowance-race purses will be increased by $2,000, according to a news release, and all other races will have their purses boosted $1,000. The release attributed the increase to “stronger parimutuel handle as well as an increase in gaming revenue throughout the racing season.” Fair Grounds also operates a slot-machine casino attached to the racetrack as well as video poker parlors in the region.
Steve Asmussen’s stable at Fair Grounds is having a strong meet in New Orleans while sending horses out to successes at other tracks in the region – horses such as Midnight Bisou, who won the Houston Ladies Classic on Sunday. And from the look of recent Fair Grounds workout tabs, there is more to come.
Asmussen has gotten Limonite, most recently third Nov. 24 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, onto a regular breeze pattern and hopes to make the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 16.
Owner-breeder Chuck Fipke and trainer Dallas Stewart are headed back to Dubai.
A year after the mare Forever Unbridled finished fifth making her career finale in the $12 million Dubai World Cup, Stewart and Fipke plan to run Seeking the Soul in the 2019 World Cup on March 30.
“We got our invitation today,” Stewart said Wednesday. “The horse is happy and healthy. We’re excited to be going.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The streaking Mr. Buff could make his next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on March 23, trainer John Kimmel said Wednesday.
The New Orleans Handicap is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns, and Mr. Buff is 5 for 5 in such races, including a 5 1/4-length victory in last Saturday’s Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct for which he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The Jazil was Mr. Buff’s fourth consecutive victory, all in 1 1/8-mile races at Aqueduct.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With Our Braintrust no longer in his care, trainer Cal Lynch will not have a starter in Saturday’s $250,000 Withers Stakes. However, the Maryland-based conditioner plans to be in action Sunday at Aqueduct, when he starts Discreet Sister in the $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Discreet Sister, a daughter of Discreet Cat, is coming off a first-level allowance win on Dec. 16 at Laurel. She was equipped with blinkers that day, but Lynch believes stretching out from six furlongs to a mile was key.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez hopes all the talk about Brady this weekend won’t be limited to the Super Bowl.
On Saturday, Rodriguez will send out Not That Brady against six rivals in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. At 1 1/8 miles, the Withers should be a good measure of a horse’s ability to get a distance of ground and whether or not to continue down the path to the Kentucky Derby, at 1 1/4 miles. The Withers offers 17 Derby qualifying points to its top four finishers (10-4-2-1).
