Ben Ali Sun G3 150K | PaddockPros

Jon
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Ben Ali Sun G3 150K Apr 18, 2013 23:07:01 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Apr 18, 2013 23:07:01 GMT -5

Shug supplemented Boisterous - watch the board! This is a very good field of 7.

Seven set for deep edition of Ben Ali

Multiple Grade 2 hero and Keeneland stakes scorer Successful Dan, plus Grade 1 winners Golden Ticket and Richard's Kid, highlight a deep field of seven entered for Sunday's 83rd running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Ben Ali at Keeneland.

The 1 1/8-mile Ben Ali served as the launching pad for Wise Dan's Horse of the Year campaign in 2012. Successful Dan and Wise Dan are half-brothers and Charles LoPresti trains both Morton Fink homebred geldings.

Sidelined by a ligament strain since last summer, Successful Dan will make his seven-year-old debut over a surface on which he never has lost. The son of Successful Appeal is four for four on Keeneland's Polytrack, including a tally in the 2010 Fayette, and Successful Dan successfully returned from a layoff 12 months ago at Keeneland, posting an easy win over optional claiming rivals. He went on to establish a track record at Churchill Downs in his next outing, completing 1 1/16 miles in1:41.04 while defeating an excellent field in the Grade 2 Alysheba.

Successful Dan will break from the rail post with regular rider Julien Leparoux.

Golden Ticket enters the Ben Ali off a fourth-place finish in the Skip Away at Gulfstream Park on March 30. Trained by Ken McPeek, the four-year-old Speightstown colt dead-heated with Alpha for the victory in last summer's Travers. James Graham will ride Golden Ticket, who drew post position 3.

Richard's Kid could appreciate the return to Polytrack given that he won the Pacific Classic twice at Del Mar. Third in the recent Tokyo City on dirt at Santa Anita, the eight-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid will be looking to snap a seven-race losing skein. Trainer Doug O'Neill has secured a new rider in Rosie Napravnik and Richard's Kid will break from post 5.

Boisterous was supplemented to the race for Shug McGaughey. A five-time graded stakes winner on turf, the six-year-old son of Distorted Humor will be making his 2013 debut and first start on a synthetic track on Sunday. Keeneland's leading rider, Joel Rosario, picks up the mount and Boisterous will start from the far outside post.

Stephanoatsee, a fast-closing second in the Strub at Santa Anita two starts back, will look to rebound from a disappointing last-place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap. Joe Rocco rides for trainer Graham Motion. A pair of likely longshots, Hattaash and Son of a General, complete the field.

www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35992&from=656

Last Edit: Apr 18, 2013 23:09:42 GMT -5 by Jon

Jon
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Ben Ali Sun G3 150K Apr 18, 2013 23:09:25 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Apr 18, 2013 23:09:25 GMT -5

From Equibase:

Race 8 - 4:42 PM Double-Exacta-Trifecta($.50 min)-Superfecta($.10 min) STAKES Ben Ali S. (Grade III)

Purse $150,000. For Four Year Olds And Upward. By subscription of $100 each, which should accompany the nomination or by Supplementary Nomination of $7,500 at time of entry (includes entry and starting fees). $750 to enter and an additional $750 to start, with $150,000 guaranteed, of which $90,000 to the owner of the winner, $30,000 to second, $15,000 to third, $7,500 to fourth, $4,500 to fifth and $3,000 to be divided equally among sixth through last. Weight: 123 Lbs. Non-winners of a Grade I or II stakes over a mile since October 27, allowed 3 Lbs.; a Grade III stakes over a mile or two races over a mile other than maiden, claiming or starter since October 5, 5 Lbs. The maximum number of starters for the Ben Ali will be limited to fourteen. In the event that morethan fourteen pass the entry box, the fourteen starters will be determined at that time with preference given to graded stakes winners (in order I-II-III), then highest earnings in 2012-2013. Starters to be named through the entry box by the usual time of closing. Keeneland will present a trophy cup to the winning owner. Closed Wednesday, April 3, 2013 with 35 nominations. One And One Eighth Miles. (All Weather Track)
PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Successful Dan (KY) 7/G L J R Leparoux 118 C LoPresti
2 Stephanoatsee (KY) 4/R L J Rocco, Jr. 118 H G Motion
3 Golden Ticket (KY) 4/C L J Graham 118 K G McPeek
4 Son of a General (KY) 5/H L R Albarado 120 D R Vance
5 Richard's Kid (MD) 8/H L R Napravnik 118 D F O'Neill
6 Hattaash (KY) 6/G L K J Desormeaux 118 C L Bettis
7 Boisterous (KY) 6/H L J Rosario 123 C R McGaughey III

Owners: 1 - Morton Fink ; 2 - My Meadowview Farm (Leonard Riggio) ; 3 - Magic City Thoroughbred Partners (Carter Stewart) ; 4 - Carl F. Pollard ; 5 - Kenney, D., Triple B Farms (Boghossian), Westside Rentals.com, et al ; 6 - KFCB, LLC (Kenneth E. Fishbein) ; 7 - Phipps Stable (O. M. Phipps, et al.)

Breeders: 1 - Mort Fink; 2 - My Meadowview LLC; 3 - WinStar Farm LLC; 4 - Hermitage Farm LLC; 5 - Fitzhugh, LLC; 6 - Dolphus C. Morrison; 7 - Cynthia Phipps

cait
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Ben Ali Sun G3 150K Apr 21, 2013 17:01:28 GMT -5

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Post by cait on Apr 21, 2013 17:01:28 GMT -5

LoPresti looks better and better as a trainer!

Successful Dan Comes Back Running in Ben Ali
By Jack Shinar

pace and held off the pursuing Boisterous in the final furlong to post a one-length victory in the $150,000 Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III) April 21 at Keeneland.

The winner is the older half brother to 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won last year's Ben Ali in a track record 1:46.63 for 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack. Charlie LoPresti trains both Dans for owner/breeder Morton Fink.

Seven-year-old Successful Dan, limited to 12 lifetime starts in his career by recurring ligament troubles, improved his record at Keeneland to a perfect 5-for-5. The victory was the eighth overall for the Kentucky-bred son of Successful Appeal out of the Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux, 4-5 favorite Successful Dan set dawdling fractions (:25.03, :50.18, 1:16.05) en route to a slow winning time of 1:51.14.

"He has tremendous heart. He's got a lot of talent, and his injuries here lately haven't been very bad," LoPresti explained. "It wasn't that hard to get him back to this race. Julien has breezed him these past two times, and he's told me he was as good as ever. And Dr. Larry Bramlage checked him and gave him a clean bill of health."

The big bay gelding had not raced since June 30, when he ran second to Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Fort Larned in the Cornhusker Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Prairie Meadows.

Leaving from the rail, Successful Dan took the early lead from Son of a General, who stayed close for the opening quarter mile. Successful Dan would take command after that, leading by about two lengths.

Successful Dan left Son of a General in his wake rounding the final turn as Boisterous, stalking on the outside for Joel Rosario, took up the chase from fourth. Successful Dan had a big advantage at the top of the lane and maintained a two-length edge to mid-stretch. After receiving some encouragement from Leparoux Successful Dan held sway in measured fashion as Boisterous, the 2-1 second choice, attempted in vain to close the gap.

"I've just got so much confidence in him," Leparoux said. "I just let him run his race. They let me go very slow the first part of it, and I knew at that rate nobody could catch him."

Boisterous was 6 1/4 lengths clear of Southern California invader Richard's Kid, third with Rosie Napravnik aboard.

Successful Dan, who missed the entire 2011 season with his suspensory injury, had posted a strong series of works for the Ben Ali. He now has five graded stakes victories to his credit and overall earnings of $746,608.

LoPresti said Successful Dan could possibly come back in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 15 at Churchill Downs. It could mean a redirection for Wise Dan. LoPresti is also considering Wise Dan for the Foster after his victory earlier in the Keeneland meet in the Maker's 46 Mile (gr. IT).

"He loves Churchill. We'll see how he is after this race," LoPresti said of Successful Dan. "We might have to rethink what we do with Wise Dan. If not that, we might just freshen (Successful Dan) and take him to Saratoga."

Successful Dan carried 118 pounds, five fewer than the runner-up, and paid $3.60, $2.40, $2.10. Phipps Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Boisterous, making his first appearance of the year for trainer Shug McGaughey, returned $3 and $2.10 and was part of an exacta worth $8. Richard's Kid paid $2.60 to show.

Son of a General, Hattaash, and Stephanoatsee completed the order. Golden Ticket scratched.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/77698/successful-dan-comes-back-running-in-ben-ali#ixzz2R8bd4pEj

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