Finish. Caption: Harry Hernandez guides Daffodil Sweet ($7.40) to victory in the $39,400 Molly Pearson Stakes for owners Jody Peetz & Chris Stensile and Trainer Niccolo Troiani. Daffodil Sweet covered the 6 furlongs in 1:09.47. Copper Charm finished second, Harking third. | DAFFODIL SWEET Molly Pearson Stakes Turf Paradise Phoenix, AZ March 11, 2022 Race #04 Purse $39,400 6 Furlongs 1:09.47 Jody Peetz & Chris Stenslie, Owners Niccolo Troiani, Trainer Harry Hernandez, Jockey Copper Charm (2nd) Harking (3rd) $7.40 $4.80 $3.00 Order of Finish - 1 Win, 2 Place, 7 Show, 6 4th Please Give Photo Credit To: Coady Photography |
Two grass stakes will highlight the eight-race card this Friday at Turf Paradise.
The $60,000 Turf Paradise Turf Stakes for 4-year-olds and up and the $60,000 Glendale Stakes for fillies and mares will be the main attractions, with the Turf Stakes attracting a field of 10 and the Glendale a full field of 12. Both stakes will be run at 1 1/16 miles over the greensward. Turf Paradise Turf Stakes Trainer Michael McCarthy, who just shipped in to win this track’s Queen of the Green Stakes with Brooke (CHI) on Jan. 14, is sending over Caribou Club, a graded stakes winner and grass ace who’s won 10 of 30 career turf races. The son of City Zip’s lifetime bankroll of $751,248 leads all entrants. The Robertino Diodoro-trained Tiger Dad, who won the Luke Kruytbosch Stakes Nov. 26 then followed with a game second in the Walter Cluer Memorial Jan. 14, signaled his readiness with :47.3, 4-furlong workout Feb. 4. Two regally bred turf horses Giant Payday (Giant’s Causeway) a winner of his last three races among medium-priced claimers and My Indy (English Channel), winner of three of his last five starts in optional claiming company are also entered. The Glendale Ten of the 12 entrants have multiple turf victories on their records which should make for a competitive race. Three of the standouts are the Vladimir Cerin-trained Norma Jean B., the Ian Kruljac-trained Quiet Secretary and the McCarthy-haltered Global Brand. California invaders came, conquered and returned home with trophies as Majestic Eagle took the $60,000 Walter Cluer Memorial Stakes and Brooke (CHI) the $60,000 Queen of the Green Stakes Friday at Turf Paradise.
The Neil Drysdale-trained Majestic Eagle ($8.40) took the Walter Cluer with Tiger Dad second and Zoffarelli third in the field of nine. The winner, owned by Rave Green Racing and ridden by Harry Hernandez, covered the 7 ½ furlongs over the turf in 1:28.56. The top three finishers race primarily on the west coast. El Tata Stables’ Brooke ($3.60) with Drayden Van Dyke aboard won the Queen of the Green with longshot Cover Version second and My Crafty Gal third in the field of seven fillies and mares. The Michael McCarthy-trained Brooke traveled the 7 ½ furlongs over the grass in 1:29.06. California-based trainer Neil Drysdale will send forth the probable favorites in both the $60,000 Walter Cluer Memorial and the $60,000 Queen of the Green Stakes Friday (Jan. 14) at Turf Paradise.
The Cluer, named after Turf Paradise’s founder, drew a field of nine, 4-year-olds and up for the 7 ½ furlong turf test. Drysdale’s 9-year-old Majestic Eagle, with black type credit in his 14 in-the-money performances resume, is sure to head forward the post time favorite. Likewise, Drysdale’s lightly raced 4-year-old filly Shore Break (IRE), is expected to draw attention among the 10 fillies and mares entered in the Queen of the Green Stakes, also at the 7 ½ furlongs on the grass. Overnight purses will get a 30% hike while the stakes program will receive a $1 million infusion as Turf Paradise prepares to kick off its 125-day meet, running from November 5 through May 7, 2022, with racing conducted on a 5-day a week basis, Monday through Friday. “The increases are a result of State and Federal subsidies for horsemen’s purses,” said track general manager Vincent Francia. Last meet, a 79-day session, paid out $105,000 per day in purses. This upcoming meet will see $130,000 paid out per day. Both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses will benefit from the increases. In the stakes division, the track’s premier sprint race, The Phoenix Gold Cup, and marquee turf race, the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, have been raised from $75,000 to $100,000. The Arizona Oaks and Turf Paradise Derby have been raised from $50,000 to $75,000. Fifteen additional stakes have been boosted to black type status of $60,000. Access the PDF file below for a complete list of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Stakes.
REGARDING TP RACING vs ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF GAMING
Turf Paradise has filed suit challenging the Arizona Department of Gaming’s determination that Turf Paradise does not qualify for an Event Wagering Operator License. We are highly disappointed that the Department denied the license application primarily on its determination that Turf Paradise is not the owner of an “Arizona professional sports franchise,” despite the fact that the Department has – for years – publicly stated that Turf Paradise is “one of Arizona’s first sports franchises.” https://gaming.az.gov/racing/history. Since 1956, Turf Paradise has been one of the premier destination racetracks for the highest-level professional thoroughbred and quarter horse racing in the nation. By denying Turf Paradise’s license application while permitting others to operate sports betting throughout the State, the Department is threatening the very existence of the horse racing industry in Arizona. Our suit is aimed at correcting this terrible injustice and maintaining the status quo regarding the licensing process and roll-out of event wagering activities until our suit is resolved. |
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