July, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Starship Jubilee Defeats Sistercharlie In Ballston Spa Battle Of Champions

Blue Heaven Farm's reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee maintained her winning form, denying 2018 Champion Turf Female Sistercharlie a triumph off a layoff in the 32nd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Kevin Attard, the 7-year-old bay mare was never off the board in her last 11 starts, carrying a three-race win streak into the Ballston Spa after capturing the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf on January 18, the Grade 3 Suwannee River on February 8 (both at Gulfstream Park) and the Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Starship Jubilee broke awkwardly out of the gate under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano from post 5 and appeared a bit rank passing the grandstand while second to the outside of Call Me Love.

“The horse broke sideways and my [right] foot hit the door,” Castellano said. “It was painful. With the pain, I tried to rate the horse and I think I grabbed a little too much. It looked like the horse was keen, but she wasn't.”

Heading into the first turn, North Broadway controlled the pace leading by 5 ½ lengths through an opening quarter mile in 24.29 seconds and extended her advantage to 10 lengths through a half in 48.18 over a firm turf course.

Starship Jubilee settled in third, just a length ahead of seven-time Grade 1-winning champion Sistercharlie. Approaching the far turn, Starship Jubilee was in an all-out drive under Castellano and took command from North Broadway at the top of the stretch with Call Me Love to her inside in second. The two battled through the final furlong with Sistercharlie flattening in third, but Starship Jubilee came out on top in a final time of 1:41.76, defeating Call Me Love by a neck. Sistercharlie finished another 1 ¼ lengths in third.

Bramble Queen and North Broadway rounded out the order of finish. Main track only entrant Another Broad was scratched.

Starship Jubilee finished third in last year's Ballston Spa beaten a half-length to Significant Form and followed up with graded stakes victories at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Canadian and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor.

Castellano has piloted her to four of her stakes wins.

“I had to fight her a little bit. She's such a great horse; to beat Sistercharlie, she's one of the best fillies in the country,” said Castellano, who previously guided Dacita (2015) and Salve Germania (2009) to Ballston Spa victories. “I think we were in the right time and the right place to beat her today. I give all the credit to my horse.

“Finally, I decided to be a little more patient and relax the horse. The way the race developed was phenomenal,” Castellano continued. “I like the way she did it. We had to take on a number one horse in the country like Sistercharlie. I think it was the right time today and the right place to beat her, not to take anything from my horse. I'm very satisfied with the way she did it today.”

Attard watched the Ballston Spa from his home base at Woodbine in Ontario and was unable to attend Saturday's race to do restrictions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thought Castellano rode her perfectly,” Attard said. “[North Broadway] opened up and did the job they intended her to do and set the pace up for Sistercharlie. Going into the turn, Sistercharlie was flanking us the whole way and had dead aim on us. Coming around the turn to the quarter pole, I could see Johnny V start to go to work and she didn't look like she was picking up the bit yet and I thought if we could just stay ahead of her, at this point, we might be able to get the advantage. The favorite didn't kick in and the one horse [Call Me Love] kept battling back. It looked like we were safe and home, but the one wouldn't lay down and made it a good fight to the finish.”

Starship Jubilee was saddled by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“Shug and his crew did an incredible job helping me out,” Attard said. “Considering the situation with COVID this year, it was hard not to be able to send somebody with your own horse. But I was in great hands and that made the whole experience easier to handle. I'm looking forward to getting her home and evaluating what to do next.”

Unbeaten in four starts this year, Starship Jubilee, who returned $8.20 for a $2 win bet, enhanced her record to 36-18-5-while scoring an eighth graded stakes victory in the Ballston Spa and increased her lifetime earnings to $1,608,667. She was claimed for a frugal $16,000 in January 2017.

“I kept saying to the TV, 'give me a little more, mama,' and she did. She pinned her ears back and kept that horse at bay,” Attard said. “She's just a special horse. She's 7 and a lot of horses as they get older lose a step or two, but arguably, this horse has gotten better as she's gotten older. She has the will and desire to win and I'll probably never come across another horse as good as her.”

Bred in Florida by William P. Sorren, Starship Jubilee is by Indy Wind and is out of the unraced Forest Wildcat broodmare Perfectly Wild, whose dam was four-time graded stakes winner Perfect Arc.

Live racing returns on Sunday with a 10-race card which features the Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch over the Mellon turf course for 3-year-olds and upward. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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‘Settled Down’ Shirl’s Speight Impressive Winning Marine Stakes For Attfield

Charles Fipke's homebred Shirl's Speight put on another impressive show, this time in Saturday's $125,000 Marine Stakes (Grade 3), at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

After a head-turning debut in his career bow on July 4, Shirl's Speight, under leading rider Rafael Hernandez, was at the top his game again in the 1 1/16-mile Marine, for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Roger Attfield, the son of Speightstown came into the main track event off an eight-length score at seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Sent off as the even-money choice in the Marine, Shirl's Speight broke sharply from the outside gate and tracked pacesetter Untitled through early splits of :24.59 and :48.68.

The front-end battle continued through three-quarters in 1:12.34 as the duo further distanced themselves from their five rivals.

Shirl's Speight easily took control soon after, holding a three-length advantage at track announcer Robert Geller's stretch call, going on to record a victory that looked much easier than the 2 ¾-length margin at the wire.

Lucky Curlin, the 2-1 second choice on the tote board, was second, while Queen's Plate-eligible Dotted Line finished third. Untitled was fourth.

The final time was 1:43.42 over the Tapeta.

“Like I said before, he's a horse with a tremendous amount of ability,” said Attfield, who earned his record fifth Marine, and first since 1993 (Cheery Knight). “He just had that one race and he never learned anything from that race. He did get the experience from it, so today was going to be more interesting.”

The Hall of Fame conditioner felt confident in his horse's chances ahead of the race, and even more so after the race was underway.

“He settled down and rated. Once he got to the five-eighths pole, I was pretty sure he'd just keep galloping around there. He's a very nice horse, for sure.”

It was something Attfield discovered well before Shirl's Speight's early July debut.

“I've been excited about this horse from last year, to be honest with you. He was always the workmate with Mr. Hustle, who finished up as [2019 Canadian] champion 2-year-old, and he [Shirl's Speight] always looked like he might be the stronger of the two, and just sprinting. I said, 'He'll stay. This horse will stay.' I was pretty sure he'd stay. But I had to put him away because he got jarred up and he needed some time. I couldn't wait to get him back this spring because I've been thinking about this horse all winter.”

Shirl's Speight paid $4.10, $2.80 and $2.60, combining with Lucky Curlin ($2.80, $2.40) for a $13.10 (7-1) exactor. A 7-1-4 triactor (Dotted Line, $4.40 to show) was worth $38.95 for a $1 ticket, while a $1 Superfecta [7-1-4-6 (Untitled)] came back $108.70.

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Guarana Has Sights On Fourth Grade 1 In ‘Win And You’re In’ Ballerina At Saratoga

Following a gritty effort to win the Grade 1 Madison on July 11 at Keeneland, Three Chimneys Farm and Hill n Dale Equine Holdings' Guarana is scheduled to seek a fourth career Grade 1 triumph in the $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets on August 8 at Saratoga.

The seven-furlong event over the main track for older fillies and mares is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event and provides an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland.

“I think that's a logical target,” said Doug Cauthen, Vice Chairman of Three Chimneys Farm. “Like with all of them, we let them guide us there but it's definitely on the radar. Hopefully, she can have a good summer and fall.”

Trained by Chad Brown, Guarana boasts a consistent 6-5-1-0 record with three of her victories taking place against Grade 1 competition. In her most recent effort, the Ghostzapper filly commanded the pace early on and was confronted to the outside by Mia Mischief at the top of the stretch who appeared to be in winning contention at the three-sixteenths. Guarana refused to be denied and battled back along the rail to win by a half-length.

“I think she gained even more fans for her courage,” said Cauthen. “It's hard to get passed up and then come back. She was definitely more than game that day. She's really a very special filly and special to everybody here because she's a homebred and she's just brilliant.”

Following a sensational career debut last April at Keeneland, Guarana followed up by defeating Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park en route to a two-turn score in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at the Spa.

“She's multi-dimensional,” Cauthen said. “She showed that talent last year winning one turn races and winning going two turns at Saratoga as well.”

Guarana is out of the Distorted Humor broodmare Magical World whose dam was the 2005 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home. Her fourth dam was Grade 1-winner Maplejinsky, who produced Hall of Famer and 1994 Champion Older Female Sky Beauty.

“She's got a lot of the scope and the mare has plenty of scope and quality,” Cauthen said. “She [Magical World] is a Distorted Humor mare that's bigger than most Distorted Humor mares. Just quality and class that runs through the line.”

Fans of Guarana can look forward to seeing her Pioneerof the Nile half-brother debut later in the year. This year, her dam gave birth to a Gun Runner colt and is currently in foal to Quality Road.

“She has a Pioneerof the Nile 2-year-old with Chad that from all hopes is special, but he's got to go out there and prove it. I think he'll be a late summer, early fall horse if all goes well,” Cauthen said.

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Horologist Co-Owner Banned For Appearing In Winner’s Circle

Cameron Beatty, a co-owner of Horologist (Gemologist), has been banned from Monmouth Park for the remainder of the 2020 meet after he appeared in the winner’s circle following her win in the June 18 GIII Molly Pitcher S. Because of the coronavirus, Monmouth is not allowing owners in the winner’s circle or in the paddock.

Dennis Drazin, who heads the management team that runs Monmouth, said that, for now, the suspension means only that Beatty is not allowed on the premises. However, he said further disciplinary actions could be taken after reviewing whether or not Beatty has also been violating rules by going on the backstretch.

“We have rules and they have to be followed,” Drazin said. “We have strict COVID-19 protocols that we submitted to the state and they submitted them to the department of health and they were signed off on by the racing commission and the governor’s office. We were told we need to enforce our rules. Here you have an owner that decided to disregard the rules. He admits he disregarded the rules. It’s not like he says he didn’t know. He deliberately violated the rules.”

Beatty tells a different story, that he was not aware of the rules and was simply caught up in the moment after the horse he owns along with Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing and Abbondanza Racing, LLC, won an important race.

“[Monmouth Racing Secretary] John Heims told me that I put the sport of horse racing in New Jersey at risk,” Beatty said. “I didn’t intend to do that at all. I went down to the area of the winner’s circle and I was excited. They told me grab your horse and bring her into winner’s circle and I did that.”

Drazin was not sympathetic.

“He’s gone out he posted things on social media and seems to be blaming everyone but himself,” he said. “But he’s the one who violated the rules.”

Beatty, 28, acknowledges that he should have read up on the protocols in place at Monmouth, which are posted on the track’s website, but insisted he did not intentionally break any rules.

“I’m not the type of person who starts trouble or ever gets into trouble or breaks a rule,” he said. “I try to do the right thing when no one is looking.”

Beatty and Drazin also disagree on how the process unfolded. Beatty said he asked Heims for a hearing and that Heims told him not to bother because there was no chance the suspension would be overturned. Drazin says that Beatty declined to have a hearing.

“We first wrote to him and offered him an opportunity to come in and discuss it,” Drazin said. “He elected not to. He admitted he violated our rules and told John Heims to do what he had to do.”

“They said I wanted no part of a discussion or wanted no part of a hearing and that is completely false,” Beatty said. “It makes me sick to my stomach because Dennis Drazin is someone with a ton of authority and I’m just a little guy here. I’m trying to do right thing for the industry and Jersey-bred racing, which is one of the reasons we brought Horologist back, to give a Jersey-bred a chance to win a graded stakes. I want a hearing. I want to give my side of the story.”

Drazin said that, in the aftermath of the incident, he heard from several people that Beatty had been violating additional rules by sneaking onto the Monmouth backstretch, which could lead to additional sanctions.

“We’ve told him he’s not allowed here for the balance of the 2020 meet,” Drazin said. “Since he started posting things on social media, I have gotten a number of calls suggesting he’s been violating our rules and sneaking on to the backside. I don’t know if that is accurate or not. We’re going to have to have a hearing on that.”

Drazin added that an additional penalty could be that Beatty will not be allowed to race anymore horses during the meet.

Beatty said that because of the incident, Horologist is no longer being considered for the Aug. 30 Charles B. Hesse III H. for New Jersey breds.

“Me and my partners agreed after this happened that we’re not going to run here her in the Hesse,” he said. “This has put a bad taste in my mouth and makes me take a step back. I’m a big believer that the punishment should fit the crime. I didn’t commit a crime. It was just me, the jockey and the horse in the winner’s circle.”

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