Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

BATTIER DEBUTS FOR ECLIPSE WEDNESDAY AT BELMONT PARK IN BIG APPLE

TALE OF THE CAT COLT UNITES WITH RED HOT JOEL ROSARIO GOING 7 PANELS

TODD PLETCHER SADDLES SOPH FOR FIRST TIME IN $85,000 GYGISTAR STAKES

BAY UPSTART DRAWS PINE IN CONTENTIOUS 5-HORSE STAKES AT BIG SANDY

Battier will make his initial start for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Todd Pletcher on Wednesday afternoon.  The $85,000 Gygistar Stakes will be the launching point for a campaign the colt’s new connections are hopeful will posture him for major 3 year-old races for the remainder of his sophomore season and beyond.

Pletcher has turned to the world’s hottest jockey, Joel Rosario, to pilot Battier from post 1 of a salty cast of 5 colts lined up to do battle over the demanding 7-furlong layout at Big Sandy.  Post time for the Gygistar, which is carded as Race #2, is1:36pm ET.

“Battier is clearly a talented colt,” Pletcher confirmed.  “We’ve been impressed with his 2 workouts since we’ve had him.  He is a very high energy sort, so we’ve done some things to see if we can harness that high level of energy in his gallops, which we’re starting to see some improvement on.  We’ve also been working with him on his gate and paddock schooling and while he’s not totally where we want him to be, he is headed the right direction on that front as well.”

Pletcher continued, “The Gygistar is not an ideal spot, nor did Battier draw an ideal post, but we view this race as a proper starting point to kick on into races like the Dwyer next month and then onto Saratoga beyond that.  He’s facing some serious horses, Declan’s Warrior in particular, so we’re not thinking this is a must-win scenario by any means.  We’ll be looking for a solid performance and commensurate result capable of moving forward into our bigger goals.”

Eclipse President,Aron Wellmanchimed in, “I agree with Todd’s assessment of the Gygistar in that we’re not feeling total pressure as though this is a must-win kind of race.  That said, it is a winnable race and even more importantly, it’s a race we can use as a building block for frying bigger fish.

Wellman concluded in stating, “There’s no arguing that Declan’s Warrior stands out in this field.  He’s got all the credentials and he’s a bona fide top notch late-running sprinter.  This race is made to order for him and it will take a massive performance by someone else in the lineup to deny him the spoils.  While Lezcano will have the luxury of calling his shot from the 5-hole,Rosariowill be faced with the challenge of making every move a winning one, as he’s handicapped by the draw.

“This really is a rider’s race,” Wellman said.  “There’s not much analysis that can be done.  We have a sensational jockey on our team and we will leave it to him to ride the race as he sees fit.  It’s exciting to get Battier going and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.”

The Gygistar will be televised live on TVG and HRTV and can be viewed live online at www.tvg.com, www.hrtv.com or www.twinspires.com.  

Courtesy: Paulick Report

KEENELAND PRESENTS AMERICAN GRADED STAKES STANDINGS: ‘ECLIPSE’-ING THEIR RIVALS

by Mary Schweitzer 

Only two graded stakes were on the docket last weekend, on opposite sides of the country. The G2 Peter Pan Stakes was the feature at Belmont Park on Saturday, while 3-year-old fillies went to the post at Betfair Hollywood Park in the G3 Senorita Stakes. While there may have been just the two graded stakes, the results still had an impact on the American Graded Stakes Standings.

With her victory in the Senorita Stakes, Charlie Em became the third graded stakes winner of the year for her owners, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Trained by Patrick Gallagher, the daughter of Kheleyf notched her first stakes victory in what was her North American debut. Charlie Em now sports a record of four wins from nine lifetime starts, with earnings totaling $75,678.

The dominating victory by Freedom Child in the G2 Peter Pan propelled sire Malibu Moon to the top of the AGS leading sire list. The son of A.P. Indy has four stakes winners that have captured seven graded stakes victories. That edges Malibu Moon past Street Sense, who has also sired four winners, but has six stakes wins.

MISS LUCKY SEVENS TO MAKE HER STAKES DEBUT FRIDAY IN $100,000 HILLTOP

WAYNE CATALANO SENDS SPUNKY BIG BROWN FILLY TO BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

ROSIE NAPRAVNIK MUST CALL ON ALL SKILL TO NAVIGATE FROM 11-BOX ON SOD

ECLIPSE LOOKS TO MAKE BLACK-EYED SUSAN DAY MONUMENTAL BACK-TO-BACK

Miss Lucky Sevens got her connections’ collective blood pumping good and strong in the wake of her scintillating sophomore debut when victorious while sprinting on the Poly last month at Keeneland.  The juices will be flowing again at 6:22pm ET on Friday when the spitfire daughter of Big Brown makes her foray into Stakes-land in the $100,000 Hilltop at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland.

As if venturing into Stakes company wasn’t a tall enough order, the challenge became all that much more significant at the post position draw on Sunday when Miss Lucky Sevens’ name was assigned to post 11 of 11 fillies set to traverse 1 1/16-miles on the greensward at Pimlico.  Rosie Napravnik, who seems to have formed a synergistic bond with her red-headed counterpart, will be tasked with navigating a journey from the 11-hole, which is capable of landing Sevens in the winners’ enclosure. 

“We tinkered with the idea of heading to Woodbine, but I feel a whole lot more comfortable going to Pimlico,” Wayne Catalano explained.  “Besides, you need a passport to go to Canada and I aint got one,” Cat-Man half-joked.  “Even with the outside draw, I like the race in Baltimore.

“Sevens is doing real good right now and that race really set her up nice,” Cat elaborated.  “We’ve gotten 2 solid, stamina drills into the filly and she’s coming into the race the right way.  She’s happy and she’s training with a lot of energy.  She’s ready.”

Eclipse President, Aron Wellman added, “Admittedly, my heart sank pretty deep into my stomach when I learned that Sevens drew the 11-hole.  I began to put the wheels in motion to head to Toronto, but as Wayne and I delved deeper into the race and the Pimlico turf course layout, our concerns dissipated.  It’s not an ideal post, but with Sevens’ tactical speed and Rosie’s strong mind and soft touch, we envision them having ample opportunity to secure good position heading into the Clubhouse turn without having to expend too much energy in the process.

“There’s not a whole lot of speed in the race, so it appears entirely plausible that Sevens will naturally outfoot a lot of the fillies inside of her and Rosie should be able to file over and tuck in without having to sacrifice much effort or ground early on,” Wellman said.  “The main thing is that she’s coming into the race very, very well and if she can manage a trip, we think we’re showing up to Baltimore with a filly capable of making some noise in the Hilltop.  We had a terrific day here last year when In Lingerie scored in the Black-Eyed Susan and we hope to land another big win this year.”

The Hilltop will be televised live on HRTV or streamed online at www.xpressbet.com, www.twinspires.com or www.tvg.com.  

Charlie Em upsets Senorita in American debut

Courtesy: brisnet.com Benoit Photo Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners swooped to acquire Charlie Em on the heels of her close third in a listed stakes at Hannover last November, and the Kheleyf filly provided a return on that investment at the first opportunity. Making her U.S. debut for Paddy Gallagher in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,500 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park, the 9-1 chance drove to the lead in the stretch and held off the late charge of 3-5 favorite Scarlet Strike by a head. Charlie Em was forwardly placed by Garrett Gomez in the early going, stalking Disko Dasko through fractions of :23 2/5 and :47 on the firm turf. Kyriaki was poised on the outside in third, and moved in tandem with Charlie Em as they accosted the leader at the six-furlong mark in 1:10 4/5. Leaving the far turn, however, Kyriaki flattened out, while Charlie Em sustained her bid and took command after seven furlongs in 1:22 4/5. Scarlet Strike, who had been biding her time farther back, then arrived on the premises. Although gradually gaining late, the favorite could not quite catch the winner, who stuck her neck out determinedly for the wire. Charlie Em completed the grassy mile in 1:35 and rewarded her supporters with $21.40, $6.20 and $4.60. “That was a pretty good race for her first time in this country,” Gomez said. “They told me she was a little nervous, and to be patient with her. She broke really well. I uncovered her with a half-mile to go. I had to keep grinding on her, but she kept staying. Today was the first time I was on her.”

Benoit Photo

“I tried to get in,” jockey Rafael Bejarano said of his trip aboard Scarlet Strike, “but they kept pushing me out a little bit. From the outside post, I had to go wide. There really wasn’t much I could do.”

Scarlet Strike crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-placer Kyriaki, who edged Need You Now by a nose. Next came Lilbourne Eliza, Disko Dasko and Showgirl Form. Sweet Red Cat was scratched.

Trainer Peter Eurton was pleased with Kyriaki’s performance, especially considering her excitable temperament.

“I’m ecstatic about getting her placed in a Grade 3,” Eurton said. “How can I ask for more? She still has some anxiety problems. When she got close to the gate, maybe 100 yards, you can see she wears her feelings right on her sleeve. In time, she’s going to learn to relax.”

Charlie Em’s first career stakes victory nearly tripled her bankroll to $75,678 and advanced her scorecard to 9-4-1-1. Originally trained by Richard Fahey in England, the $11,295 Doncaster October yearling purchase was unplaced in her first three attempts, but improved her position each time. She received class relief in a nursery at Catterick last July, where she broke through with a neck score.

After a runner-up effort in another nursery at Newcastle, Charlie Em was dropped into a claimer at Wolverhampton, and got up in time in a tight finish on the Polytrack. She was claimed out of that August 31 contest for£11,000 and transferred to Brendan Powell. In her first start for new connections, Charlie Em bolted up by 4 1/2 lengths in an October 22 nursery at Pontefract. She went to the Continent to try stakes company in the November 4 Campanologist Cup at Hannover, and just missed in a three-way photo.

“I’ve had her probably since November or December,” Gallagher said. “It took her a little while, but she came around in the last five weeks. She got rid of her winter coat and started acting and training nice. She breezed a couple of times on the (Hollywood Park) grass and seemed to go nice.”

Charlie Em could run next in the June 8 Honeymoon Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf, according to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners President Aron Wellman.

Bred by Highfield Farm in Great Britain, Charlie Em is out of the stakes-winning Pivotal mare Miss Meggy. The immediate family has few headliners, but further back, one finds Group 1-winning Irish highweight Namid, multiple Group 3 victress Noelani, Irish champion filly Seaway Chase, and the sire Portlaw