Horse Racing

‘A Big Character’: World Record-Holder Pay Any Price Returns Saturday At Gulfstream


Pay Any Price wins the Tamiami H. on Sept. 16, 2018

Averill Racing LLC and Matties Racing’s Pay Any Price is scheduled to make a return to action off a seven-month layoff in Saturday’s $100,000 Janus, one of six stakes on Gulfstream Park’s 11-race program.

Pay Any Price has won 14 of 20 career starts on the Gulfstream Park turf course, over which the popular gelding set a world record for five-furlongs while winning the 2017 Silks Run in 53.61 seconds.

“He’s doing really good. I’m excited about the way he’s been training,” trainer Georgina Baxter said. “I love him. He’s a big character. He’s quirky but we love him for it.”

The 9-year-old gelded-son of Wildcat Heir will be seeking his ninth career stakes win in the five-furlong Janus. He captured the Crystal River Stakes in his last start before the layoff.

“We gave him the time off this summer. We thought he earned it. He never really left the barn,” said Baxter, who will also be represented by Asterace Group LLC’s Faction Cat, who finished third in the Claiming Crown Canterbury in his last start. “But he enjoys his racing.”

Emisael Jaramillo is scheduled to ride Pay Any Price.

Mr. Amore Stable LLC’s Vision Perfect defeated Pay Any Price in last season’s Janus, in which he got the jump on the record holder and showed the way throughout. The Jason Servis-trained son of Pollard’s Vision has been winless in four starts in 2019. Paco Lopez has the mount.

DARRS Inc.’s Extravagant Kid, who finished second in last season’s Janus, has gone on to have a banner season, during which the 8-year-old gelding finished first or second in six of seven starts, including three graded-stakes placings.

Trainer Brendan Walsh named Tyler Gaffalione to ride the son of Kiss the Kid, who has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite, ahead of 3-1 Vision Perfect and 7-2 Pay Any Price.

Gelfenstein Farm and Albert and Michelle Crawford’s Archidust will seek his fourth stakes victory in five starts Saturday. The Jorge Navarro-trained 3-year-old son of Verrazano won the My Frenchman at Monmouth Park in his first turf start and the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga against fellow sophomores. After finishing fourth in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3) at Kentucky Downs, Archidust defeated older rivals in the OBS Sprint over Ocala Training Center’s synthetic track. Hall of Famer John Velazquez is scheduled to ride Archidust for the first time Saturday.

Trainer Steve Klesaris and Jay Young’s Tiger Blood, Well Spring Stables’ Fixed Point and Linda Riznick’s Running for Riz, a main-track-only entrant, round out the field.

Girls Know Best to Defend Title in $100,000 Abundantia

Briton Stable, Brian Chenvort and trainer Eddie Kenneally’s Girls Know Best has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for her title defense in Saturday’s $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf stakes for fillies and mares.

Girls Know Best led throughout on her way to victory in the 2018 Abundantia before heading to the sidelines for 8 ½-month layoff. The 5-year-old daughter of Caleb’s Posse, who also won the 2018 Ladies Turf Sprint over the Gulfstream turf, returned to action to win a Sept. 15 optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs. She raced against graded-stakes rivals in her next two starts, finishing third in the Franklin County (G3) and fifth in Sen. Ken Maddy (G3) at Santa Anita.

Jose Ortiz has the call on Girls Know Best.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Escapade and Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Nathan McCauley and Bethlehem Stables LLC’s Travieza will also participate in the Abundantia off start at Santa Anita.

Jonathan Thomas-trained Escapade finished sixth in the Maddy, a length behind Girls Know Best, while the Jason Servis-trained Travieza won an optional claiming allowance in his final start for trainer Doug O’Neill. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount on Escapade, while Irad Ortiz Jr. has been named on Travieza.

Thoroughbred Acquisition Group Inc.’s Violent Times, an optional claiming allowance winner at Saratoga who went on to finish sixth in the Franklin County; Gary Barber’s Eyeinthesky, a winner over the Gulfstream turf last season before going on to win the Galway Stakes at Saratoga; and Richard Ravin, Patricia’s Hope LLC and trainer Larry Rivelli’s Jean Elizabeth, who captured the Ontario Fashion (G3) over Woodbine’s synthetic surface; are among the most high-profile Abundantia entrants.

Shivam Maharaj Racing LLC’s Speed Star, Go-To-Toga Racing LLC’s Miss Gossip, Barry Ostrager’s Rocky Policy, Six SandBaggers Stables’ Miss Deplorable, GV21 Entertainment LLC’s Lady Magica, Cheyenne Stables LLC’s Factorofwon, Baccarat Racing LLC’s Baccarat Fashion (main track only) and Voodoomon Racing’s Ambassador Luna (also eligible) round out the field.

Limari Runs Seeks Fresh Start in $75,000 Via Borghese

Don Alberto Stable’s Limari is scheduled to make his first start for trainer Thomas Albertrani in Saturday’s $75,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.

The graded stakes-placed daughter of Medaglia d’Oro will also make her Gulfstream debut in the 1 3/16-mile turf stakes, which drew a well-matched field of 10 fillies and mares.

Limari has won four of 11 career starts, but hasn’t been victorious in her last five starts. A four-race winning streak was snapped in a close-up third-place finish in the Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill Downs in June.

The 4-year-old filly most recently finished seventh after setting the pace in the Nov. 28 Cardinal (G3) over a yielding Churchill Downs turf course.

Limari will be ridden by Luis Saez, who has ridden nine winners in the last two racing days at Gulfstream, including five winners Thursday.

Three other Via Borghese entrants made their most recent starts in graded-stakes races – Team Valor International’s Pivotal Connections (4th in the G3 Long Island at Aqueduct), Speedway Stable LLC’s Candy Store (6th in the G3 Athenia at Belmont) and A & A Farms’ A. A. Azula’s Arch (6th in the G3 Maple Leaf at Woodbine). A. A. Azula’s Arch won the Maple Leaf in 2018.

Trainer Christophe Clement will send out Candy Store and West Point Thoroughbreds, Hubert Honore and Robert Masiello’s Chipolata, a multiple stakes-placed 4-year-old filly.

Kiyoshi Maekawa’s Touriga, a multiple graded-stakes winner in Brazil, is graded stakes-placed but winless in four starts in the U.S. for trainer Graham Motion.

Joseph Allen LLC’s War Cabinet, Cheryl and John Banner’s My Sistersledge, Edith Dixon’s Raining Lemons, and Robert Slack’s Lucky Long round out the field.





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