| SIERRITA Cactus Flower Stakes Turf Paradise Phoenix, Arizona December 10, 2016 Race #02 Purse $25,000 6-1/2 Furlongs 1:18.52 Linden Hatch & Brent Stapley, Owners F.C. Frazier, Trainer David Lopez, Jockey Myrna Lou (2nd) Mobiledixie (3rd) $5.00 $2.80 $2.10 Order of Finish - 6, 2, 4, 3 Please Give Photo Credit To: / Coady Photography |
The best of the state breds delivered as favorites winning all four of the Arizona bred stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
$25,000 Cactus Flower Trainer F.C. Frazier took the top two spots with 3-2 favorite Sierrita ($5.00) with David Lopez up pulling away to a 4 ¾ length win in the final sixteenth of a mile from stablemate Myrna Lou. Mobiledixie finished third in the field of six fillies and mares. Sierrita, a daughter of Top Hit, covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.52 for owners Linden Hatch and Brent Stapley for her fourth victory in 13 career efforts for earnings of $43,198. $36,513 Az Breeders’ Futurity Triple AAA Ranch’s first-time starter Kingsley ($4.40) ground down the pace-setting Bring On the Bling with an eighth of a mile to the wire. Top Hat Wildcat edged out Bring On the Bling for the place in the field of six 2-year-old fillies. Scott Stevens was aboard Kingsley, also a daughter of Top Hit, and covered the 6 furlongs in 1:14.26 for trainer Kory Owens. Kingsley earned $19,398 for her first lifetime victory Triple AAA Ranch was winning this race for the third time in 21 runnings, having notched victories in 2011 with Sallyana and Rockin On in 2003. $37,833 Az Breeders’ Futurity, Colts & Geldings In a dominating performance, the 1-9 prohibitive favorite Yo Y Me ($2.20) literally walked away from his six rivals, winning as he pleased by seven daylight lengths. Sedona Sunrise finished second with Top Rocket third in the field of seven 2-year-olds. Trained by Kevin Eikleberry and ridden by the trainer’s son Ry, Yo Y Me covered the 6-furlongs in 1:11.45. Owned in partnership by the trainer, William Matthews and Lloyd Yother, Yo Y Me, a son of Dixie Chatter, was scoring his second stakes score and third win out of seven efforts for earnings of $107,854. To note: Rounding off show pool - $144,000 out of $161,000 bet to show was wagered on Yo Y Me. $25,000 Cactus Wren The fourth of the favorites, Tamara Metzen’s Rockin Home ($5.60), with Larren Delorme in full urging, surged away from a cavalry charge in the last 20 yards to claim a length victory over Coolidge who was a half-length ahead of Ride Hard Kowboy in the field of eight older horses. Trained by David Van Winkle, the consistent Rockin Home, who won this race in 2014 and a son of Rocky Bar, covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.58 to claim his seventh win in 27 starts for earnings of $175,083. Note: Triple AAA Ranch bred three of Saturday’s four winners. A quartet of stakes races for Arizona breds will occupy half of the eight-race card Saturday at Turf Paradise.
The track continues with its 5-day a week live race schedule – Saturday thru Wednesday – until the Christmas Holidays. Post time is 12:40 pm. The Four Az Bred Stakes The $25,000 Cactus Flower, Fillies and Mares, 3-year-olds and up, 6 ½ furlongs. The $38,035 Az Breeders’ Futurity, Fillies, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs. The $39,410 Az Breeders’ Futurity, Colts & Geldings, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs. The $25,000 Cactus Wren, 3-year-olds and up, 6 ½ furlongs. The Cactus Flower Although the field size is compact of six – evenly split between three and four year-old fillies – the race comes up highly competitive. Eight-time winner Myrna Lou will dominate attention with her $160,000+ in earnings and her 18 in-the-money performances in 31 starts. The lightly raced stakes winner Lieutenant Margie will be making her key second start of a layoff. Though she’s been off since July, Mobiledixie’s work tab indicates she may be ready to fire a winning effort off the bench. Az Breeders’ Futurity, Fillies Only one of the six juveniles has broken her maiden, Top Hat Wildcat, who went on to be stakes placed, after finishing a well-beaten second in the November 5 ATBA Sales Stakes. Of interest is the first-time starter from the prodigious Triple AAA Ranch, Kingsley. Bred to be a good one – Top Hit out of French Debutante – Kingsley began her preparatory workouts at Oaklawn Park and continued them at Del Mar, including a bullet work November 13, of :48.1, best of 21, from the gate. Az Breeders’ Futurity, Colts & Geldings The highly talented, Kevin Eikleberry-trained Yo Y Me figures to be the post time favorite, given his race record: 6 starts, 2 wins, 3 seconds and one third. This includes a victory in the Nov. 5 ATBA Sales Stakes. The son of Dixie Chatter was purchased for $17,000 out of the 2015 Arizona Breeders’ sale. His current bankroll stands at $86,858. Triple AAA shows up again with another first-time starter: the colt, Kickenit. The son of Uh Oh Bango has recorded no less than a dozen works, also at Oaklawn and Del Mar, for his maiden debut. The Cactus Wren The fullest of the stake races with nine entrants has attracted a competitive cast of nine dominated by the prolific sire Rocky Bar. The Rocky Bars include, Rocked Twice, winner of seven of 23 starts; JP Rocker, victorious in six of 24 efforts and Rockin Home with six wins in 26 efforts to his credit. The one thing these three have in common, outside of the fact each has won a stakes races is, they like to play the game on the lead. This race has an over-abundance of speed, which will insure an honest pace. It may also suggest the possibility of a closer getting up in the final strides. With that in mind look for Ride Hard Kowboy, winner of the Nov. 26 Walter Cluer Stakes at one mile (turf); or the well-traveled Coolidge, or the quickly improving Hawkeye Gold.
Hip Ninety Three inherited victory in the $30,000 Queen of the Green while Ride Hard Kowboy took the photo-finish in the $30,000 Walter Cluer Memorial Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
Queen of the Green Following a furious stretch battle between momentary winner Ronda Rocks and Hip Ninety Three, the Stewards posted the Inquiry Sign and then reversed the order of finish, ruling that Ronda Rocks bore out in the stretch, costing Hip Ninety Three the chance of victory. Ronda Rocks, who put in a valiant effort, was placed second and Eyeadreamin third in the field of 11 fillies and mares. Owned by Brent Stapley and Linden Hatch, Hip Ninety Three ($7.60) under Andrew Ramgeet covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:35.31. The 4-year-old Hip Ninety Three, who won this race last year for trainer F.C. Frazier, now has won six of 22 efforts for earnings of $113,483. Walter Cluer In a three-horse rush to the finish, it was last year’s runnerup, the 8-5 favorite Ride Hard Kowboy ($5.20) that was a neck better at the wire to Charlie Again who had a neck on the French- bred Aventador who finished third in the field of 12 older horses. Ridden by Scott Stevens for owners Turner Shiew and Robert Morgan, Ride Hard Kowboy covered the one mile over the lawn in 1:35.00. Trained by Molly Pearson, the 4-year-old Ride Hard Kowboy was winning for the sixth time in 20 efforts for earnings of $155,711.
Turf Paradise’s post-Holiday treats will be the $30,000 Queen of the Green and $30,000 Walter Cluer Stakes on Saturday.
Thanksgiving weekend will offer live racing Friday, featuring $1 Day specials like Grandstand Admission, hot dogs, soda, popcorn and ice cream. Saturday’s double stakes feature will also offer free Sweatshirts to the first 4,000 fans, free multiple inflatables for the kids and live music. Sunday is Fiesta Sunday, featuring Mexican food and live music. Post time all three days is 12:40 pm. The Queen of the Green attracted 11 fillies and mares while the Walter Cluer Memorial, named after Turf Paradise’s founder, will host a full field of 12 colts and geldings. Both races are for 3-year-olds and up and both will be run at one mile on the turf course. Queen of the Green The talent runs deep with the femmes, staring with Eyesdreaming. The precocious 3-year-old daughter of multiple stakes winner Ez Dreamer goes for her third consecutive victory after coming off her first stakes tally, the Chandler Handicap, on November 6. Hip Ninety Three, who won this race last year, returns to racing following a two-and one-half month respite. The 4-year-old filly, a daughter of Harlington, has won half of her eight outings on the local lawn. Peppy Miller, reenergized after a five month freshner, has turned in a solid worktab for her return, including a bullet 5-furlong, :58.3 work Nov. 16. Colinda Dawn, who beat the boys in the Colorado Derby, finished fifth in the recent City of Phoenix Handicap Nov. 5 The Molly Pearson-trained French Alps ships in from southern California and will be making her first start over the local grass course. The Walter Cluer Silvanus, who rattled off five straight wins last season while climbing the climbing ladder, returned to the races Oct. 22 to finish second beaten three-quarters of a length after a less than stellar start.. The 7-year-old came from off the pace that day which is contrary to his front-end running style. Look for a better start in the Cluer. Empire Knight has not finished out of the money in his last seven starts. Claimed by O.A. Martinez from Robertino Diodoro in his last start, Empire Knight’s earnings stand at $252,903 to lead all entrants. Diodoro’s hopes will go with Blue Bomber. The multi-purpose 5-year-old has won at various distances on the grass, from 7 ½ furlongs to 1 7/8 miles. Ride Hard Kowboy, who finished second in this race last year, will be making his second start following a seven-month rest. Co Ferment, who won four straight at Arapahoe Park, will be making his Turf debut for the up and coming young trainer, Stetson Rushton.
The two favorites left little doubt as to why the bettors felt they were sure winners as
Constellation romped in the $30,000 City of Phoenix Stakes and Kaabraaj followed suit in winning the $30,000 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise. The tip off with Constellation was listed in the program as the 3-year-old filly is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, a trainer who competes and wins in Grade 1 competition. The second tip off was the nearly $60,000 bet to show on the filly. Constellation ($2.60) was cross-country-ing from New York’s Aqueduct to the trainer’s home base in California. Given that the filly, an $800,000 2-year-old purchase at the Ocala Sales, had not raced since March, the City of Phoenix Stakes set up as an easy comeback for her seven-month freshner and her first start and win against older company. Ridden by David Flores (substituting for Alex Solis), Constellation allowed BCZ Middleton to set the early pace, and then pulled away from that one without breaking a sweat to win by 5 ¼ lengths. BCZ Middleton held the place with Queen Kate finishing third in the field of six fillies and mares. Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Constellation covered the six furlongs in 1:09.52 for her fourth victory in seven efforts and earnings of $299,464. The Luke Kruytbosch Kaabraaj and Eswan Flores followed a nearly identical race pattern to victory as Constellation by tracking a pace setter, in this case Rockin Home, and then with little effort slipped away to a 6 ¼ length victory. Storm Power finished third in the field of six older horses. Owned by Warlock Stables and trained by Jeff Metz, Kaabraaj ($4.20) raced the 6 furlongs in 1:08.58 to capture his sixth victory in 19 outings. The 4-year-old Kaabraaj now has earnings of $135,620.
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