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Post by Evelyn on Jul 14, 2013 14:00:57 GMT -5
Shuvee (G2) or a second-level optional claimer? Huh? LOL
Eblouissante to return at Saratoga, possibly in Shuvee
Trainer John Shirreffs on Friday said Eblouissante, a half-sister to Horse of the Year Zenyatta, will make her long-awaited return to the races during opening week at Saratoga Race Course, either in the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap on July 20 or a second-level optional claimer on July 22.
"She has a work coming up, maybe tomorrow or the next day, and then we'll make a final decision," Shirreffs said. "It's been a while since she has run."
Eblouissante, who will carry the colors of the late Eric Kronfeld, is unbeaten in two starts but hasn't raced since clearing the first allowance condition on January 17 at Santa Anita. In April, the four-year-old departed California when Shirreffs brought a string of runners to New York.
"After she arrived here she has started to fill out," Shirreffs said. "She has grown a lot and has put on a significant amount of weight, so I'm really happy with the way she has developed over the last month. She looks strong.
"I think time is the most important ingredient in a horse's development. Their bodies need a chance to catch up."
By waiting for the Saratoga meet, Shirreffs will get to run Eblouissante around two turns as almost all of Belmont Park's route races are contested around a single turn. Both the Shuvee and the July 22 optional claimer are scheduled to be run at 1 1/8 miles.
"The dynamics of the two-turn races are entirely different from one-turn races," Shirreffs said. "I love two-turn races and prefer them to one-turn races, personally. I think they give horses a chance to get into the gate, go into the turn, relax, find position. There's a chance to use a few different gears."
Brisnet
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 14, 2013 14:48:21 GMT -5
Sorry but this is less interesting to me than when the Gorgeous Gray might be entered next LOL
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 18:08:59 GMT -5
Shirreffs said. "It's been a while since she has run."
He may not know his way to the entry box but at least he knows how to read a calendar!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 18:19:02 GMT -5
I don't BLAME anyone for tossing her out when/if she runs.
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Post by racinggal on Jul 15, 2013 21:27:46 GMT -5
I wonder if Samantha Nicole will garner this much attention? I hope so. She looked really good in the video clip. Does anyone know if Asmussen will be her trainer?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 6:09:20 GMT -5
One would hope so - after all she's a FULL sister to Rachel Alexandra, not just a half sister.
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 16, 2013 6:30:24 GMT -5
RG and Historian, God I hope he doesn't.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 17, 2013 23:46:37 GMT -5
Eblouissante Could Dazzle in Shuvee Return
Eblouissante, half sister of 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, will return to the races July 20 when she aims for her first career stakes win in the $200,000 84 Lumber Shuvee Handicap (gr. III) at Saratoga Race Course.
Off since extending her record to 2-for-2 on Jan. 17 in Southern California, the 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini is one of seven fillies and mares entered in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race, although she is one of several potential starters in the field cross-entered in other races.
Eblouissante, whose name means "dazzling" in French, did not make her debut until late in her 3-year-old season, posting an easy 4 1/4-length victory going 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic track at Betfair Hollywood Park. Two months later, she scored by 1 3/4 lengths at the same distance in an optional claimer at Santa Anita Park. After some minor issues, she has been training forwardly at Belmont Park since her arrival from the West Coast, most recently breezing seven furlongs in 1:27.18 July 14.
"After she arrived here she has started to fill out," said trainer John Shirreffs of the imposing filly who stands nearly 17 hands tall. "She has grown a lot and has put on a significant amount of weight, so I'm really happy with the way she has developed over the last month. She looks strong. I think time is the most important ingredient in a horse's development. Their bodies need a chance to catch up."
Eblouissante, who is also under consideration for an optional claimer around two turns July 22 at the Spa as well, drew post position 3 for the Shuvee with Junior Alvarado named to ride. She was listed at 4-1 on the morning line.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won last year's Shuvee with Awesome Maria, has entered Padua Stables' Authenticity, the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The 6-year-old mare, unraced in 2012, is 2-2-1 in five starts this year for Pletcher, including a victory in the La Troienne (gr. II) May 3 at Churchill Downs and a pair of seconds in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park and the Rampart (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.
"She's been extremely consistent," said Pletcher of Authencity, who was cross-entered in the Delaware Handicap (gr. I). "She's a very straightforward mare to train; push button. It's a drop down from a grade I, but it doesn't appear to be an easy race if everyone shows up. We're not anticipating they're going to give anything away at Saratoga; they usually don't."
Authenticity drew post 7 with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard. Drawing adjacent were the 1-2 finishers in the Allaire DuPont Distaff (gr. III) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, with winner Summer Applause in post position 6 and Sea Island directly inside.
Owned by Gillian S. Campbell, the 4-year-old Summer Applause won the Top Flight Handicap (gr. II) in March at Aqueduct Racetrack in her first start for trainer Chad Brown. She next finished fourth in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park.
"She's training well," said Brown of Summer Applause, who also was cross-entered in the Delaware Handicap. The filly was listed as the 2-1 second choice on the morning line for the Shuvee, with Javier Castellano named to ride.
Sea Island, who won an optional claimer at the Shuvee distance last summer, launched her 4-year-old campaign with a second in a turf allowance at Keeneland prior to the DuPont. Most recently she finished last of six over a sloppy track in the Mariensky overnight stakes at Belmont for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. At 10-1 on the morning line, the Phipps Stable color-bearer will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Rounding out the field are Flashy American, winner of the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows last time out; Moon Philly, fifth in the DuPont; and Royal Lahaina, winner of the Mariensky.
$200,000 84 Lumber Shuvee Handicap (gr. III, race 9, approximate post time 5:12 p.m.) F&M, 3YO&Up, 1 1/8 miles
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Royal Lahaina (KY), J. Ortiz, 115, R. Rodriguez, 15-1
2. Flashy American (KY), J. Rosario, 115, K. McPeek, 12-1
3. Eblouissante (KY), J. Alvarado, 114, J. Shirreffs, 4-1
4. Moon Philly (PA), C. Velasquez, 115, M. Trombetta, 15-1
5. Sea Island (KY), J. Lezcano, 115, C. McGaughey III, 10-1
6. Summer Applause (KY), J Castellano, 118, C. Brown, 2-1
7. Authenticity (KY), J. Velazquez, 119, T. Pletcher, 7-5
Bloodhorse
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cait
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Post by cait on Jul 20, 2013 13:47:01 GMT -5
Steven Crist's Saratoga graded stakes analysis: Shuvee Handicap
DRF
The Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday appears to be at the mercy of Authenticity, whose last two Beyer Speed Figures of 103 and 102 dwarf anything her rivals have posted. She achieved those figures amid contested paces in the La Troienne and Phipps, and today she appears capable of setting softer fractions on her own. Add in the likely absence of Summer Applause, who was expected to scratch in order to run in the Delaware Handicap, and you are probably looking at Authenticity as a very likely winner at a very short price.
Much of the race’s intrigue centers on the presence of Eblouissante, and while I’m as intrigued as the next fella by the presence of a half-sister to Zenyatta, I think she’ll be badly overbet because of her lineage. Without that connection to the 2010 Horse of the Year, Eblouissante would probably be 10-1 or 15-1 on the Shuvee morning line: She is making only her third start and her stakes debut and hasn’t been out since January. Instead, she was 7-2 on the morning line and could go off even lower in the absence of Summer Applause.
So it might pay to look at the exactas of Authenticity over the four others in the race and take a stand against the Authenticity-Eblouissante combo. I’m going to take a little shot trying to get 15-1 Royal Lahaina to run second or third.
Do keep an eye on the weather: There are scattered thunderstorms in the forecast, and here at Saratoga, that can mean a sudden shift to a sea of slop.
from crist's spa diary:
11:30 am: It's about 10 degrees cooler today than it was for yesterday's Opening Day sweatfest, but storms are supposedly on the way and they still haven't scratched all the main-track-onlies from the five grass races that begin the Saturday card.
We got about two hours of thunderstorms here last night starting around 9 p.m. but the ground is so dry that you'd hardly know it if you slept through it. The turf is still labelled "firm" and the main track was looking fast until they began sealing it here a few minutes ago. That seems a sensible precaution since there are no dirt races scheduled until 3:35 this afternoon, and that's a lifetime when it comes to Saratoga weather.
Still no rain yet and last night's storms don't seem to have slowed the turf course much -- statebred fillies went 8.5f in 1:42.14 in the opener and statebred maidens went 5.5f in 1:03.23 in the 2nd. The early turnout looks a little light for a Saturday but it's finally on the pleasant side of tolerable to walk around the place.
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 20, 2013 14:20:14 GMT -5
Rosie gets the mount since junior hurt his shoulder
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cait
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Post by cait on Jul 20, 2013 14:36:01 GMT -5
mack - now that caught my interest!
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 20, 2013 15:25:36 GMT -5
Can't beat authenticity. Mcpeek's horse looks interesting to me. Rosario gets off sea island and rides flashy american. Hmmm?
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 20, 2013 15:53:26 GMT -5
I will check back after the race in 25 minutes. Good luck to all whomever plays this race. I sure ain't leaving out the 2
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 20, 2013 16:22:44 GMT -5
Zen's sister is more sizzle than steak and its not the horse's fault. The betting public or lack thereof needs to realize they are comparing Michael Corleone to Fredo. She was way in over her head in this race. The Daddy is more pissed about the 2. Had her in my pick 4 and needed a win by her. Oh well, 2-2 ...
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Post by Evelyn on Jul 20, 2013 17:06:27 GMT -5
Maybe if she raced more often, Ebby would know how to behave pre-race LOL Rosie had her hands full.
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Post by racinggal on Jul 20, 2013 18:17:00 GMT -5
That was very disappointing. She certainly seemed to be out of sorts before the race.
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Post by mackdaddy on Jul 20, 2013 18:20:40 GMT -5
Gal, she was out of sorts when entered.
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Post by racinggal on Jul 20, 2013 18:28:32 GMT -5
Mack - That's probably true. She really didn't belong in a Graded race - yet!
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cait
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Post by cait on Jul 20, 2013 18:42:05 GMT -5
crist summed it up well:
" Eblouissante, who would have been double digits were she not a half-sister to Zenyatta, finished last as the massively-overbet 4-1 second choice in her first start since January."
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Post by mrdelmarwasmybitch on Jul 20, 2013 18:45:02 GMT -5
W.C. fields quote..................... do I really need to even type it?
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