Category: News

Kenny Had a Notion Digs Deep to Win Spectacular Bid

Louis Ulman and H. Neil Glasser’s Kenny Had a Notion, a juvenile stakes winner on both turf and dirt, dueled from start to finish with a stubborn Maythehorsebwithu before prevailing by a neck Jan. 16 in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Laurel Park.

The inaugural seven-furlong Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs were among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Saturday program that launched Maryland’s 2021 stakes calendar.

Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Dale Capuano, Kenny Had a Notion ($8) led all the way to snap a two-race losing streak with his third career stakes win. The winning time was 1:23.98 over a fast main track.

“He’s been showing a lot more speed the last few races. I think a lot has to do with him maturing and getting himself together,” Capuano said. “We’re very pleased with him.”

Kenny Had a Notion was pressed by Maythehorsebwithu from the outset, the two running in tandem through a quarter-mile in :23.14 and a half in :46.47, briefly joined in the chase by Shackqueenking. The top pair began to edge away once straightened for home and set the stage for a battle through the lane with Kenny Had a Notion, racing along the rail, refusing to budge under relentless pressure.

Maythehorsebwithu, who beat Kenny Had a Notion when second in the First State Dash Stakes over a sloppy track last fall, was two lengths ahead of Shackqueenking in second. Tiz Mandate finished another length back in fourth, trailed by Erawan, Nobody Knew, Scotch Rock’s, and Wicked Prankster.

Kenny Had a Notion won the 5 1/2-furlong Jamestown Stakes on the Laurel turf in October and now has also won at six and seven furlongs on the main track. He ran sixth after displacing his palate in the Nov. 14 James F. Lewis III Stakes, underwent a procedure to correct the problem, and came back two weeks later to be second beaten a neck in the Dec. 26 Heft Stakes.

“He’s run well at six and seven (furlongs), so I think we’ll stretch him out at some point,” Capuano said. “He’s game. He seems to carry his speed at seven, so it’s exciting. We’ll see how far he takes us.”

Kenny Had a Notion was bred in Virginia by Althea Richards out of the During mare Darting, and was a $20,000 purchase by Capuano from Scott Mallory’s consignment to the 2019 Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s yearling sale in Timonium, Md. He improved his career record to four wins and a second from seven starts, with earnings of $211,125.

Mucho Gusto, Charlatan, 3 Others Are Heavy Favorites At Pegasus World Cup

Courtesy of the Reporter Times
Mucho Gusto

Mucho Gusto is invited once again by Stronach Group to run for this year’s Pegasus World Cup. He’s the current winner of the said racing game and will defend his title in the next few weeks. This colt is trained by Bob Baffert, who has already recognized a Hall of Fame Trainer producing the top racehorse talents since then.

After his win at Pegasus last year, Mucho Gusto skipped the Derby trials and missed both the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup. He took part in Saudi Cup and San Antonio Stakes, where he both landed in fourth place.  Today, he is now one of the Pegasus’ favorites as he defends his title, facing another tough batch of competitors

Mucho Gusto Retired Due To Soft Tissue Injury; Stud Plans Pending

We are very sorry to learn this – but are super proud of him and look forward to his babies!
by  | 01.05.2021 | 9:52pm

Mucho Gusto, under Irad Ortiz Jr., in the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after the 2020 Pegasus World Cup

Mucho Gusto, the winner of the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Grade 1), has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury training toward a defense of his title.

Trainer Bob Baffert said the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man came up with the injury Tuesday morning. News of the retirement was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.

“He galloped this morning, and afterwards we noticed some heat in the pastern,” said Baffert. “Ultrasound showed a small issue in the ligament in the pastern area. With soft tissue problems like this it takes months of rest and you don’t know if they’re going to be the same when they come back. The good thing is we caught it early.”

Mucho Gusto retires with six wins in 13 starts for earnings of $3,953,800. After winning on debut at Los Alamitos’ Thoroughbred meet, the horse won the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, then finished second to Improbable in the G1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity to finish his juvenile season.

He started his 3-year-old campaign on a winning note in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, then ran third in the G3 Sunland Park Derby. Mucho Gusto skipped the Triple Crown races, instead going on to win the G3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes and G3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita before shipping east to finish second in the G1 Haskell Invitational Stakes to Maximum Security and third to Code of Honor in the G1 Travers Stakes. His season finished with a victory in the G3 Oklahoma Derby.

Mucho Gusto spent his first two seasons racing for owner Michael Lund Petersen, who purchased him for $625,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. Petersen sold the horse privately to Saudi Prince Faisal Bin Khaled following his Oklahoma Derby score.

Mucho Gusto kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a 4 1/2-length triumph in the Pegasus World Cup, then tested the Saudi Cup, where he finished fourth. After a 10-month layoff, Mucho Gusto made his final career start in the G2 San Antonio Stakes, where he once again finished fourth.

“I gave him all that time off to have him fresh for these races (the Pegasus and Saudi Cup),” said Baffert. “He really likes that track (Gulfstream). He ran huge in the Haskell, but his biggest race was the Pegasus. And I thought for a second he was going to win the Saudi Cup. He’s sort of been the barn favorite.”

Bred in Kentucky by Teneri Farm Inc. and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon, Mucho Gusto is out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Itsagiantcauseway.

Stud plans for Mucho Gusto are still to be determined.

MSP JUS LIVELY adds win #5

JUS LIVELY (Paddy O’Prado) won his 5th race in allowance company at the Fair Ground. Recently he added his third stakes placing, running 3rd in the $150,000 LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S. at the Fair Grounds. Last out he just missed the win by a head in the B-Connected Stakes run a 7 furlongs at Delta Downs. Last year he ran 2nd in the Cresent City Derby at the Fair Grounds.  The newly turned 5 year old colt is a homebred for Pine Knoll Farm and is trained by Steven M. Asmussen. He has won 50% percent of his starts + 3 stakes placings.
Lifetime: MSP, 10-5-2-1, $174,900.

Stakes placed IRISH HUSTLE wins again #6 – reclaimed from an AOC by Tom Amoss

IRISH HUSTLE  (Data Link) was a member of the Gallop Group at Fasig Tipton Gulfstream. She broke her maiden in February at the Fair Grounds. After some time off, she ran 2nd in allowance company at Evangeline Downs. Next again at Evangeline and racing a mile, she was unhurried early and then cleared the field for win # 2. Next she has added black type to her pedigree page running third in the Elge Rasberry S. She rallied to annex win # 5 – this one an AOC race at the Fair Grounds. She was claimed  away from Tom Amoss out of this race but was reclaimed  by Tom Amos following this win – her 2nd in a row. She is owned again by  Larry J. Romer.

JUS LIVELY adds more black type in the LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S.

JUS LIVELY (Paddy O’Prado) added his third stakes placing, running 3rd in the $150,000 LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S. at the Fair Grounds. Last out he just missed the win by a head in the B-Connected Stakes run a 7 furlongs at Delta Downs. Last year he ran 2nd in the Cresent City Derby at the Fair Grounds.  The 4 year old colt is a homebred for Pine Knoll Farm and is trained by Steven M. Asmussen. He has won 50% percent of his starts + 3 stakes placings.
Lifetime:9 4 2 1 $143,100