July, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Flat Out Speed, Night Ops Take Graded Stakes At Prairie Meadows

The two graded stakes presented on Sunday during the Prairie Meadows Festival of Racing in Altoona, Iowa, featured Iowa-bred filly Flat Out Speed registering a 9-1 upset in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks and solid favorite Night Ops proving too good for the competition in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap.

Alex Canchari made his move aboard Flat Out Speed in the run down the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, taking command from the early pacesetter, Lagoon Falls, then having enough left in the tank to hold off a late run from Aurelia Garland and jockey David Cohen. Ocean Breeze, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Martin Garcia, finished third.

A 3-year-old daughter of Flat Out trained by Lynn Chleborad, Flat Out Speed covered the distance on a fast track in 1:42.79 after fractions of :23.92, :47.48, 1:11.57 and 1:36.39.

The win was the fifth in six starts for Flat Out Speed, racing for Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC. Out of the Street Sense mare, Blue Gallina, Flat Out Speed was bred in Iowa by H. Allen Poindexter and Wynnstay LLC.

Flat Out Speed's only defeat came in an allowance race at Oaklawn in April, her first start of the year after an unbeaten campaign of three races as a juvenile at Prairie Meadows. Flat Out Speed was coming out of a 5 1/2-length win as a prohibitive favorite against Iowa-breds in the Bob Bryant Stakes on June 27.

Martin Garcia didn't leave Prairie Meadows empty handed, taking the Cornhusker aboard 7-5 favorite Night Ops for trainer Brad Cox and owner Steve Landers Racing LLC.

Third early behind pacesetter My Sixth Sense and Dunph most of the way, Night Ops made his move on the final turn and easily drew off, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.30. My Sixth Sense held second, with veteran Rated R Superstar rallying for third.

A 4-year-old by Warrior's Reward out of Bear All, by Kitalpha, Night Ops was winning for the sixth time in 18 career starts. A winner of the $350,000 Essex Handicap earlier this year at Oaklawn, Night Ops was coming off a ninth-place finish behind By My Standards in the May 2 Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.

Night Ops carried co-highweight 118 pounds under the handicap conditions of the race.

The Festival of Racing offered more than $450,000 in purses in eight stakes races on the Saturday and Sunday programs.

The post Flat Out Speed, Night Ops Take Graded Stakes At Prairie Meadows appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Los Alamitos Summer Thoroughbred Festival Wraps Up

An impressive stakes debut for Uncle Chuck, a successful return to California for Sneaking Out and a two-turn tally for Cezanne highlighted the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

The brief seven-day season concluded Sunday.

A son of Uncle Mo and the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, Uncle Chuck toyed with three rivals in the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby July 4 in his first start since a seven-length debut score June 6.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Uncle Chuck, who was purchased for $250,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, could make his next start in either the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes Aug. 1 at Del Mar or the Grade 1, $1 million Travers a week later at Saratoga.

The Los Alamitos Derby win – which was worth 20 points for Uncle Chuck towards a berth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby – was the fourth in a row for Baffert and his fifth in the seven years the race – formerly the Swaps Stakes when offered at Hollywood Park (1974-2013) – has been run at Los Alamitos. Besides Uncle Chuck, he's also won with Game Winner (2019), Once On Whiskey (2018), West Coast (2017) and Gimme Da Lute (2015).

A 4-year-old daughter of Indian Evening owned by breeders KMN Racing LLC and trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sneaking Out scored a 7-1 upset over heavily-favored Bellafina in the $201,000, Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes July 4.

The win was the fifth in 11 starts for the California bred and pushed her earnings to $431,441. It was the second win in the Great Lady M. for Hollendofer, who captured the inaugural running in 2014 with another Cal bred – Doinghardtimeagain for owner-breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.

A 3-year-old son of Curlin purchased for $3.65 million in March, 2019, Cezanne is 2-for-2 for Baffert and owners Michael Tabor, Michael B. Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and co-breeder St. Elias Stable after his win going a mile July 2. A stakes race could be next for the Kentucky Derby prospect.

Baffert topped the trainer standings with four wins, the 11th time he has either led or shared the title at Los Alamitos since thoroughbred racing returned in July, 2014.

Juan Hernandez, the leading jockey at the recently-concluded Golden Gate Fields meet who decided to move to Southern California at the end of last month, and Edwin Maldonado shared the riding title. Both won six races.

The wealth was spread during the two weeks of racing as 43 different trainers and 52 different owner/partnerships won the 57 races offered.

“I've always said some owners and trainers enjoy more success at Los Alamitos than either Santa Anita or Del Mar,'' said F. Jack Liebau, vice president of the Los Alamitos Racing Association. “I think this is important for the overall financial health of Southern California racing. Although some might disagree, I see it as a positive so many different connections were able to win races during these seven days.

“We also ran a pair of graded stakes during the two weeks and saw a couple of serious Kentucky Derby contenders in Uncle Chuck and Cezanne.''

According to Liebau, all sources handle for the meet, which was spectator-less due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was up approximately 25% over comparable dates in 2019.

The post Los Alamitos Summer Thoroughbred Festival Wraps Up appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Canadian Champion Curlin’s Voyage Wins Woodbine Oaks Prep In Frantic Finish

Canadian champion filly Curlin's Voyage nosed out 65-1 longshot Justleaveitalone in a photo finish to win the $125,000 Fury Stakes for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Patrick Husbands guided the Curlin–Atlantic Voyage filly to victory in the seven-furlong stepping-stone to the Triple Tiara, which kicks off with the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser over 1 1/8 miles on August 15.

Trying Woodbine's Tapeta surface for the first time and putting her perfect five-race win streak on the line, Infinite Patience, co-owned by Edmonton Oilers player Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and breeder William DeCoursey, set a pressured pace through panels of :23.74 and :46.59 with the maiden filly Justleaveitalone in hot pursuit.

Curlin's Voyage stalked the top pair along the rail then fanned three-wide on the final turn with fellow Josie Carroll trainee Avie's Samurai joining the fray in a four-across battle down the stretch.

Curlin's Voyage ultimately persevered, edging out Justleaveitalone by a head in a final time of 1:23.91, with Infinite Patience settling for third, one length behind after her gutsy effort. Avie's Samurai finished fourth with Mizzen Beau and Gun Society completing the order of finish.

“Going down the back, it was a lot of 'cat and mouse' game,” said Husbands, who has won five previous editions of the Fury – all with Mark Casse trainees – including last year's race with Speedy Soul.

“About the three-eighths pole, I had enough of this, I just had to get in gear and get the job done.”

Sent postward as the 6-5 favourite, the winner returned $4.60.

Curlin's Voyage was voted Canada's 2019 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for her $265,000 juvenile campaign in which she went 3-1-1 in six starts, including a pair of stakes wins over 1-1/16 miles (Grade 3 Mazarine and Ontario Lassie).

Husbands picked up the mount for her final start last year in the Ontario Lassie and also guided her to a runner-up finish in her sophomore debut in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes on June 13.

“To me, she's a better filly going two turns and we look forward to her next race,” said the Triple Crown-winning jockey.

Curlin's Voyage is co-owned by breeder Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing. She is eligible to the Oaks as well as The Queen's Plate (September 12), assessed as the 3-1 third choice in the Winterbook.

Carroll, who trained the 2006 Fury champion Gumboots, has won the Queen's Plate twice, with Edenwold (2006) and Inglorious (2011) — also the winner of the Oaks that year.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Thursday at the Toronto oval with an eight-race program beginning at 3:45 p.m. Racing Night Live will feature action from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET on TSN1 and TSN3.

The post Canadian Champion Curlin’s Voyage Wins Woodbine Oaks Prep In Frantic Finish appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Citing COVID-19 Concerns, Lone Star Park Halts Live Racing

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, abruptly cancelled Sunday's live racing program after the day's first race. An announcement on Twitter gave no indication when racing would resume.

“Due to an abundance of caution, all racing operations at Lone Star Park have been suspended due to COVID-19,” the statement said. “Racing will resume at a date to be determined.”

Officials at Lone Star Park could not be reached for further comment.

Multiple sources told the Paulick Report a positive test for COVID-19 has emerged involving an individual employed at the track who has regular contact with jockeys or their valets. An out-of-town rider who recently rode at Lone Star may also have tested positive after returning to his home track from Lone Star, a source said.

Track officials were said to be consulting with infectious disease specialists brought in by Global Gaming, the entity that owns Lone Star Park and Remington Park in Oklahoma.

Lone Star races on a Sunday through Wednesday schedule. Sources said it is doubtful the July 6 live racing program will be conducted. Entries have been taken for racing through next Sunday, July 12, and horsemen have been told to prepare to enter on Monday morning for the following Monday's racing on July 13.

When jockeys were notified of the cancellation of Sunday's program, they were advised not to exit through the track's grandstand, where simulcast wagering continued. They were not given instructions to self-quarantine.

Lone Star was forced to delay the start of its live meet until May 22. On June 10, Lone Star management was notified by officials that spectators would be permitted on-track as Texas became one of the first states to reopen its economy.

After an alarming spike in COVID-19 positive tests throughout Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott on July 2 issued an order requiring face coverings in public and giving local officials authority to limit the size of gatherings.

The post Citing COVID-19 Concerns, Lone Star Park Halts Live Racing appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post