Eclipse Active at Keeneland and Santa Anita this Weekend
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners will be well represented on the racing front this weekend. Charlie Em (GB) will race at Santa Anita in an Allowance race on Friday. Practising (GB) will run in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes G3 and Norastone in the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes both at Santa Anita on Saturday. Patrioticandproud will also race Saturday at historic Keeneland.
Charlie Em (GB), a four-year-old daughter of Kheleyf, won the Senorita Stakes G3 last May at Hollywood Park under the baby blue and black silks of Eclipse. While she has not visited the winners’ circle since, Charlie Em (GB) has faced the starter in seven stakes races finishing third in the Autumn Miss Stakes G3 and the Torrey Pines Stakes. She also finished fourth in two stakes. Under the tutelage of Paddy Gallagher, this filly looks well-spotted in this one mile and one-eighth grass test on Friday. Going as the sixth race at Santa Anita, she will be ridden by Corey Nakatani at 3:30 local time.
Practising (GB) will run Saturday at Santa Anita in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes G3 going as the seventh race at 3:00 local time. This three-year-old daughter of Rail Link (GB) won at Santa Anita in January coming from off the pace going one mile on the grass so she should enjoy the stretch out to one mile and one-eighth over the turf course in this spot. Practising (GB) will have the meet’s leading rider, Rafael Bejarano, on her back. Under the care of Paddy Gallagher, she’ll be making her third start off an extended layoff so one would think she is ready for a top effort.
Norastone, a winner of her first two starts in Pennsylvania, will take advantage of her state-bred conditions by running in the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes on Saturday. Going as the sixth race at Santa Anita, the distance is six and one-half furlongs over the dirt course at 2:30 local time. This three-year-old daughter of Kafwain has won at both six and seven furlongs so the six and one-half should fit her perfectly. She’ll be ridden by Edwin Maldonado. Norastone, trained by Todd Pletcher’s long-time assistant Michael McCarthy, will probably show speed coming out of the one hole and as we all know, the shortest distance around the track is on the rail!
Patrioticandproud, the first to race and to win under the Eclipse Thoroughbred baby blue and black silks back in October 2011, has been a hardy campaigner going under the gun seventeen times under the direction of Mark Casse. During that time, he has won four times including the Toronto Cup Stakes and placed in the Autumn Stakes G2, Singspiel Stakes G3 and the Victoria Park Stakes. Patrioticandproud won over the Keeneland Polytrack surface last April. Not having run since last August, he will travel seven furlongs in the seventh race at 4:17 EDT on Saturday. Jose Lezcano will ride.