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NEWS 
THE TEAM
THE METHOD
GETTING STARTED
FAMOUS HORSES
STATISTICS
ROSTER
LINKS |
Two weeks earlier, Team Valor acquired a half-interest in the Harlan’s Holiday filly, following an impressive maiden victory at Hollywood Park. In earning $90,000 for the triumph, the lithe filly earned valuable points for entry into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly in October at Monmouth Park. Second in her debut, the bay filly now has a record of 3 starts, 2 wins and a second. Team Valor also owns Tasha’s Miracle’s 3-year-old half-sister Early Vintage, who finished third in the Sweetest Chant Stakes at Arlington Park following the stable’s acquisition of today’s winner. Trainer John Sadler said “The plan today was for her to sit third to the stretch, but she broke so sharply, David (Flores) had to work a little to get her back. When she went to the lead around the turn, David just had to let out a notch because the filly was pulling him to the lead. “She's a very nice filly. We were surprised she didn't win the first time out, but she came right back and showed us what she could do in her second time out. We've always felt she would be better at a longer distance, so I'm happy to see her win at 6 1/2 [furlongs] and I'll be happier to see her at 7 furlongs [the distance of the Del Mar Debutante]. Being by Harlan's Holiday, she should be good at a distance. I asked David to work her three times on this track and he came out religiously and did that. He felt she was handling the track really well, so we went into it pretty confidently. She's nominated to the Del Mar Debutante [Monday, September 3] and that's where we're going.” Kim Lloyd, manager for Budget Stable principal Sydney Belzberg, said “She has a tremendous reservoir of stamina and we think that the farther she goes, the better she will be. This was a step in the right direction today.” Winning rider David Flores, who was seen walking in the paddock with a noticeable limp following being thrown from a horse on Monday, said “I was riding her with a lot of confidence today. She'd been training so well in the mornings and I thought she'd do well today. John (trainer John Sadler) didn't give me any special instructions. He knows I know her. He just said "Win on her". She was a little aggressive coming away from there but she settled down. Then she just got into a good cruise. I liked my position all the way and she ran her race. She's a nice one.” Flores stayed in California to ride Tasha's Miracle, even though trainer Bob Baffert asked him to go to Saratoga to ride Maimonides, a $4.6-million son of Vindication that broke his maiden today by more than 11 lengths. Ms. Cuvee Napa has now produced three stakes horses in Grade 3 winner Tasha’s Miracle, Grade 2-placed Deb’s Charm in Keeneland’s Alcibiades and Team Valor’s stakes-placed Early Vintage in the Sweetest Chant Stakes. Team Valor has now won stakes races with 9 different runners in 2007, of which 7 are Graded winners. Additional Press: From The Blood-Horse comes the following:
by Jack Shinar
Taking advantage of the extreme outside draw in the 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack test, the John Sadler trainee broke with the leaders, then settled in just off an honest pace while racing well off the rail for jockey David Flores. Under steady encouragement, she swept past pacesetting Elise Joe and even-money choice One Hot Wish while three wide on the turn for home and continued to draw away from her rivals. She registered a convincing 3 1/4-length victory while ridden out as much the best in a final time of 1:19 2/5. Tasha's Miracle becomes a major contender for the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) over seven furlongs at the end of the meet Sept. 3. Flores, who twisted a knee after a fall at Del Mar Aug. 6, said he had confidence in Tasha's Miracle coming into the race after working her in the morning. "She was a little aggressive coming away from there, but she settled down," Flores said. "Then she just got into a good cruise. I liked my position all the way and she ran her race. She’s a nice one.” Set Play had to settle for second for trainer Peter Miller and jockey Michael Baze, Del Mar's leaders in their respective divisions, one length ahead of Foxy Danseur and Alex Solis. One Hot Wish faded off the board after leading the opening quarter-mile in a quick :22 3/5, finishing seventh under Joe Talamo. Elsie Joe held the lead at the half-mile split of :46 2/5. Sent off as the second choice, Tasha's Miracle paid $6.40, $3.60 and $2.60. Set Play returned $6.40 and $4, rounding out a $32.40 exacta. Foxy Danseur was $2.80 to show. Sadler put three solid Polytrack drills into Tasha's Miracle since her stylish win on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track July 1 for Syd Belzberg's Budget Stable. "We were surprised she didn’t win the first time out, but she came right back and showed us what she could do in her second time out," Sadler said. "We’ve always felt she would be better at a longer distance, so I’m happy to see her win at 6 1/2 and I’ll be happier to see her at 7 furlongs. Being by Harlan’s Holiday, she should be good at a distance. "I asked David to work her three times on this track and he came out religiously and did that. He felt she was handling the track really well, so we went into (the Sorrento) pretty confidently. She’s nominated to the Del Mar Debutante, and that’s where we’re going.” Tasha's Miracle, a bay filly bred in Florida by Martin Stables Inc., is out of Ms. Cuvee Napa, by Relaunch. She earned $90,000 for the victory. American County finished a distant fourth, followed by Elsie Jo, Princess Susan M, One Hot Wish and Another Aleyna. One Hot Wish was favored off her only start, winning a maiden race over 4 1/2 furlongs in a world record :48.87 at Keeneland in April. “She didn’t run her race," Talamo said. "Just one of those days. You can’t always explain it.” Carbella, expected to take quite a bit of action after two stakes wins on the Northern California fair circuit this summer, was scratched.
by Mike Curry
The bay Harlan’s Holiday fillyseized command leaving the turn and powered clear to a 31?4-length score inher third career start. Trained by John Sadler for ownersBudget Stable and Team Valor, Tasha’s Miracle finished second inher career debut on June 2 at HollywoodPark. She entered off a 21?2-length victory in a 51?2-furlong maidenspecial weight race at Hollywood on July 1. ”She’s a very nice filly,” Sadler said. “We were surprised she didn’t win the first time out, but she came right back and showed us what she could do in her second time out.” Tasha’s Miracle broke alertly from the far outside post in the eight horse field and quickly moved ahead to challenge One Hot Wish, Set Play, and Elsie Jo for the lead from four wide through an opening quarterin :22.65. She reeled in Elsie Jo on the turn and surged to a clearadvantage at the top of the stretch. “She was a little aggressive coming away from there but she settled down,” Flores said. “Then she just got into a good cruise.” Runner-up Set Play moved up to challenge approaching the eighth pole but was no match for the victor, who completed 6½ furlongs in 1:19.59 on Del Mar’s all-weather Polytrack surface. Set Play was one length clear of third-place finisher Foxy Danseur. One Hot Wish, sent off as the 11-to-10 favorite, faded to finish seventh. Tasha’s Miracle improved to two wins and one second in three starts and increased her earnings to $126,800. Sadler said she will be pointed to the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante (G1) on September 3. Bred in Florida by Martin Stables, Tasha’s Miracle is out of the winning Relaunch mare Ms. Cuvee Napa.
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