Horse Racing: Albertrani targets Gazelle and Remsen in Thanksgiving weekend
This Thanksgiving weekend has something special to offer the fans of thoroughbred horse racing. Quality races have been scheduled throughout the United States, featuring the best racehorses of the country. While trainer Derek Ryan will be trying his luck
with Musket Man in the Cigar Mile on Saturday, trainer Tom Albertrani will be sending out his colts in a pair of races that will be held on Saturday.
His first racehorse will be running in the Grade I Gazelle. The race will be run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles and carries a purse money of $ 250,000. It is open for fillies of age three. Meanwhile, one of his other trainees Buffum will be taking part in
the Grade II event, the $ 200,000 Remsen open to colts and geldings of age two. Both the races will be run over the same distance and around two turns.
The daughter of Graeme Hall, Belle of the Hall has started six times and has won four of these meets. However, she has not yet participated in a race which was run over a distance of seven furlongs. In one of the races that the filly contended, she was the
last place finisher in a field of nine racehorses. This was the Charles Town Oaks around two turns. After this loss, she returned to the track and won the 6 ½ furlong Catinca Stakes that was run at Belmont on the 27th of October, this racing season.
The champion filly ran through the five furlongs over Belmont’s main track in a time of 1 minute and 01.60 seconds, one day before the actual meet.
The great trainer Albertrani said, “We couldn’t figure out why she ran as poorly as she did at Charles Town, but she came out of that race good and trained fine after that, and she came back with a win in that overnight stakes.”
He went on to say, “She worked well this morning, so we’ll give her another try and then see how she does and go from there.”
According to her trainer, Belle of the Hall is capable of handling long distances as she started late in the Grade I Test over a distance of seven furlongs at Saratoga race course and yet finished in the third spot.
As far as Buffum is concerned, Albertrani said that the two year old displayed his potential when he won his debut event that was the one-turn mile run at Belmont on the 30th of October. Buffum is the son of Bernardini who was also Albertrani’s
trainee for the 2006 Preakness Stakes and Travers. The two year colt was brought for $ 1.2 million while still a yearling.
Talking about Buffum, Albertrani said, “He was very impressive in his maiden race. We like what we saw that day. It is a big jump up, but at this time of year we’ve got to make some decisions and see where we stand with him.”
“He’s a little bit on the smaller side, but he’s got the same athletic ability that Bernardini showed us,” added Albertrani while comparing Buffum with his sire.
Buffum will be encountering another son of Bernardini, known as To Honor and Serve. He will be sent out to the field as 2 for 3 in the Remsen Stakes.
According to the famed trainer Todd Pletcher, Curlinello is kept from taking part in the Remsen because of his fractured cannon bone. The colt is currently resting in Spring Farm in Virginia, which is owned by Edward P. Evans.
On the other hand, Stud Muffin will make an effective comeback in the Tinchen’s Prince Stakes. The race will be run on Thursday and carries a purse money of $ 60,000 over a distance of one mile. The winner of the 2008 Empire Classic, Stud Muffin will contend
a race after his nine-month layoff from the sport.
This is also the first race that Stud Muffin will contend under the care of his new trainer Tom Bush. Before Bush, he was racing under the training of David Duggan.
Discussing Stud Muffin’s development over the past five months, Bush said,
“He was a heavy, heavy horse and pretty difficult to handle. He’s lightened up and is a lighter-framed horse. Looking at him, he looks pretty fit, but on dirt they tend to need one. He is very enthusiastic and sharp in his training.”
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