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Abreu back at Breeders’ Cup with Jody’s Pride

by NYRA Press Office

·     Abreu back at Breeders’ Cup with Jody’s Pride

·     Summers expects plucky Clapton to be a factor in G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic

·     Straight Arrow registers 95BSF in $250K Empire Classic conquest

·     Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet Week 2 stakes probables

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-based trainer Jorge Abreu stood in a busy Santa Anita barn Wednesday morning watching Jody’s Pride cool out from a gallop over the main track as she prepares for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Friday at the Arcadia, California, oval.

The bay filly’s entry comes five years after the 49-year-old conditioner finish third in the 2018 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs with Stellar Agent.

“I had a lot of butterflies the first time, and it’s still the same this time. It’s emotional to be back here again,” said Abreu. “I feel really proud and glad to be here. It’s been an unbelievable atmosphere.”

Abreu once again brings a talented contender as Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable’s undefeated Jody’s Pride takes a swing at the big leagues on the heels of a dominant score in an off-the-turf edition of the of the six-furlong Matron on October 8 at Belmont at the Big A. There, the daughter of American Pharoah stalked in fourth early before making a winning move at the half-mile pole under Flavien Prat and drawing clear to a 3 1/4-length score that garnered a 72 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She handled the dirt pretty good in her two starts,” said Abreu. “The only check mark she has to check is, can she get two turns? She’s been getting over the track, is eating well and acting good.”

The Matron was intended to be the filly’s turf debut after a romping 10 1/2-length debut score in another off-the-turf event with Prat up at Saratoga Race Course, but remained in the race when it came off the turf. Abreu had preferred to run Jody’s Pride in the one-mile Juvenile Fillies Turf, but her turf debut will have to wait for another day as she landed too far down on the entry preferences to make it into the Fillies Turf.

Abreu added he is pleased to have Prat return to the irons on Friday as Jody’s Pride emerges from post 2 [15-1 ML].

“We’ve got the two-hole, so I’m just going to let Flavien play the break – he knows what to do,” said Abreu. “I really like that he wanted to stay on her, and that means a lot. He could have picked up any other mount here. That makes me feel good.”

For Abreu, a win in the Breeders’ Cup would be especially meaningful after training for seven years now and saddling close to 200 winners. Should Jody’s Pride win the Juvenile Fillies, it would also mark Abreu’s first graded stakes victory after hitting the board 17 times at that level.

Additionally, Jody’s Pride looks to further the legacy of her mother, the Parkland Thoroughbreds-owned and Abreu-campaigned Jody’s Song, who showed great promise when undefeated in two starts but was retired due to a bowed tendon after her second race.

While winning the prestigious 1 1/16-mile test would be a defining moment in Abreu’s career, the native of the Dominican Republic said just participating in the Breeders’ Cup is a milestone on its own.

“I feel like a winner just being here,” said Abreu. “This is a homebred and I trained her mom. I thought I was going to bring her to the Breeders’ Cup, so it’s like redemption to bring her filly here.”

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Summers expects plucky Clapton to be a factor in G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic

There were so many roads RRR Racing’s dual graded stakes-winner Clapton could have travelled following his private purchase this summer with an eye towards the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March at Meydan Racecourse.

The goal was never to reach Saturday’s Grade 1, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park, but a series of strong performances - including a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course and a last-out win in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic on September 30 at Churchill Downs – convinced New York-based trainer Chad Summers the 1 1/4-mile test is the right spot.

“Our plan was to go to the Dubai World Cup - that's always been the plan. It's just been a natural progression for him and we just let him take us here,” Summers said. “When we bought him, we ran him in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and let's see what we can learn about him. He ran a sneaky good race that day as wide as he was turning for home into the slow fractions.”

The 4-year-old Brethren colt, campaigned through 22 starts by trainer Juan Alvarado for his breeder Arindel Farm, was a half-length winner of the Grade 3 Ghostzapper in April at Gulfstream Park. He was purchased privately by Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi’s RRR Racing out of a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Suburban in July at Belmont Park and subsequently joined up with Summers at the Spa.

Clapton chased moderate fractions in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and rallied seven-wide from the top of the lane to finish 2 1/4-lengths back of the victorious Bright Future, who nosed out Proxy – and he will face both those runners again on Saturday.

“We had the best closing half-mile that day and we got the best sheet number of anybody,” noted Summers.

Summers had a number of options to consider with Clapton following that effort, including the Grade 1 Awesome Again taken by frontrunning Slow Down Andy at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 Woodward at Belmont at the Big A, which was won by returning Classic contender Zandon.

He legged jockey Joel Rosario up on Clapton for a five-eighths breeze in 59.32 on September 15 over Big Sandy and was pleased with the veteran rider’s report.

“I love Joel Rosario and I trust him with my life,” said Summers of his affinity for the rider, who guided his New York-bred hero Mind Your Biscuits to consecutive scores in the 2017-18 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. “After the breeze, I asked him what he thought and he said, ‘1:01?’”

When Summers told Rosario the horse breezed a bullet, he received a wide-eyed response.

“He said, ‘That’s a serious horse,’” recalled Summers. “That's what we wanted to hear. It was affirmation. My team does a great job and they were singing the horse’s praises, but to have Joel hop aboard and give us that feedback was important.”

After reviewing the three potential next starts – and lining up riders all three tracks – Summers landed on the nine-furlong Lukas Classic where he hoped a projected hot pace would set up well for the late-running Clapton.

With Cristian Torres up, Clapton tracked 10 lengths back in seventh as Five Star General and Grade 1-winner Americanrevolution dueled through a half-mile in 46.66 seconds. He advanced to sixth after three-quarters in a sharp 1:10.83 and continued to edge closer, traveling six-wide into the lane to be second behind Trademark at the stretch call. Clapton took aim at the leader and dueled gamely to the wire to prevail by a head with one last bid in a final time of 1:48.79.

“Not often in this game do things go according to plan, but the Lukas Classic unfolded literally how we dreamed that it would,” Summers said. “He ran to expectations and got up in a good running of the race.”

The winning effort again left Summers considering options for Clapton, including the Grade 2 Clark on November 24 at Churchill or overseas Group 1 bids in the Japan Cup on November 26 or the Maktoum Challenge in January at Meydan.

“His first day back to the track gave us those signs that he was doing really well and feeling himself,” Summers said. “He galloped strong on the bit and seemed to be enjoying himself.

“So, if he takes us there, he takes us there,” Summers recalled of his Breeders’ Cup aspirations. “It's a $150,000 entry fee to run there and there's other factors - including with an eye on Dubai.”

One of those factors included assessing the potential pace of the Classic in which 3-1 morning-line favorite Arabian Knight, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic winner, and gate-to-wire Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby-victor Saudi Crown are expected to battle for the lead.

Summers said he is hopeful others might join the fray heading into the first turn, including Grade 1 Whitney champ White Abarrio and Group 2 UAE Derby-winner Derma Sotogake, who is a son of his former charge Mind Your Biscuits.

“I think we'll see more speed from Derma Sotogake - his best race this year was the UAE Derby when he went gate to wire. In the Kentucky Derby [6th], I think he was a bit of a tired horse and we didn't see his best effort. I would imagine he would be forwardly placed off the long layoff,” Summers said. “And White Abarrio won the Whitney in frontrunning fashion, so I would expect him, off the layoff, to be a little bit aggressive, too. There should be enough speed in there between those four that hopefully somebody doesn't get loose.”

Clapton, who was on the outside looking in after pre-entries were announced, posted a half-mile breeze in 48.60 October 28 at Santa Anita with Antonio Fresu up, working outside an unplanned rival early and to the inside of a straggling horse near the wire.

“He put away the company early and that horse jogging next to the rail at the end of the breeze could have been a scary situation, but Antonio expertly maneuvered him around him,” Summers said. “Those things are going to happen in a race and going a mile and a quarter, we'll probably have a horse or two stopping in front of us there, too.”

Clapton, who will exit post 7 under Tyler Gaffalione, said the work was enough to convince him the horse could have writers crafting “wonderful tonight” headlines on Saturday evening at Santa Anita.

“It's what we wanted to see and he’s taken to the track well,” said Summers, who watched Clapton blow out down the lane Wednesday. “We didn't need to see speed - we're not going to win this race on speed, we're going to win this race on tactics and stamina. He had a really good three-quarters, seven-eighths gallop out and he didn't want to pull up. Everything is going in the right way.”

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Straight Arrow registers 95BSF in $250K Empire Classic conquest

Laura Barrish’s Straight Arrow emerged from two week’s rest to earn a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in his stakes debut when capturing Sunday’s $250,000 Empire Classic for New York-breds 3-years-old and up going nine furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Mike Dini, Straight Arrow now sports a consistent 7-4-1-0 record and entered the Empire Classic from a nine-length triumph in an off-the-turf one turn mile state-bred allowance optional claimer at Belmont at the Big A on October 15, where he defeated graded stakes-placed Shadow Dragon.

The 4-year-old son of Arrogate earned a career-high 101 Beyer for the performance.

Straight Arrow has already shipped down to Dini’s winter division at Tampa Bay Downs, where he will engage in light training en route to his next start.

Dini will take a wait-and-see approach with the talented New York-bred and said he could target open allowance company at Gulfstream Park for his next start.

“He’s down in Florida and he’ll probably go to the track [Friday]. I gave him some days off after shipping,” Dini said. “He was bad about training when I got him, so we’re trying to give him a little break, but not stop on him. I’m looking at maybe a race at Gulfstream where state-breds don’t count. I’m not sure where we’ll go yet. We ran him back in two weeks, so we’ll see how he comes back.”

Straight Arrow did not make his first start until his 2023 season, breaking his maiden at second asking going six furlongs in July at Monmouth Park before shipping to Saratoga Race Course to defeat state-bred winners in August.

Dini noted Straight Arrow’s immaturity, but said he has developed well during the latter part of his season.

“He’s grown out of it because we gelded him,” Dini said. “We’ll just train him easy and wait for a race.”

Bred in the Empire State by Patricia Generazio, Straight Arrow is out of the Numerous mare Lulu’s Number and is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winning turf sprinter Disco Partner, who stands at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York for a $4,000 stud fee.  

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Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet Week 2 stakes probables

Saturday, November 11

G2 Red Smith

Probable: Faraday (Chad Brown), Francesco Clemente (Brown), Limited Liability (Shug McGaughey), Marwad (Nader Mubarak), So High (Naipaul Chatterpaul), Solider Rising (Christophe Clement)

G3 Pebbles

Probable: Implicated (Chad Brown), Sacred Wish (George Weaver), Silver Skillet (Christophe Clement), Startup Mentality (Brown)

Sunday, November 12

G3 Long Island

Probable: Amazing Grace (Christophe Clement), Atomic Blonde (Clement), Avenue Neil (Clement), Idea Generation (Chad Brown), R Calli Kim (Brendan Walsh)

$150K Artie Schiller

Probable: Bring Me A Check (Patrick Reynolds), Emaraaty (Chad Brown), Sky’s Not Falling (Mike Trombetta), Smokin’ T (Shug McGaughey)