August, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

A ‘Remarkable Horse,’ 9-Year-Old Gelding Pure Sensation Retired

Patricia Generazio's homebred Pure Sensation, a 9-year-old Zensational gelding, was retired following a seventh-place finish in Saturday's Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Out of the Disco Rico mare Pure Disco, the popular grey retires with a record of 38-14-5-7 and purse earnings of $2,004,050.

“He's been amazingly consistent over the years. He was a very fast horse from the beginning and he will be a tough guy to replace,” said trainer Christophe Clement. “He was a very straightforward horse and very kind. He traveled all over the country. He ran last year in the Breeders' Cup and was the favorite in the race. It's extraordinary how long he lasted at the top level. It's a credit to Mr. and Mrs. Generazio and their breeding program.”

A multiple graded-stakes winner, Pure Sensation enjoyed tremendous success at Parx where he captured the Grade 3 Parx Dash three times [2016-17, 2019] and the Grade 3 Turf Monster on four occasions [2015, 2017-19].

Pure Sensation graduated at third asking in October 2013 at Belmont Park and was stakes placed twice in a productive juvenile campaign. He notched his first stakes win in the 2014 Quick Call at Saratoga and made the grade in September 2015 when taking his first Turf Monster.

In June 2016, Pure Sensation bested his fellow Generazio homebred and eventual stablemate Disco Partner by a neck in the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont. A year later, Disco Partner, this time under the care of Clement, turned the tables on Pure Sensation with a neck win in the 2017 Jaipur.

“What's special about the two of them is that they helped each other,” said Clement's son and assistant, Miguel. “One would be on the lead, and the other would be closing.”

Pure Sensation and Disco Partner would square off on seven occasions, with the latter earning a 3-2 edge on wins. Disco Partner was retired to stand at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York at the end of last season.

Clement noted the two long-standing gray turf sprinters will be missed on the track, but he said Pure Sensation may get to enjoy a new career at the racetrack.

“I'm not sure what Mr. Generazio would like to do yet, whether he wants him retired to the farm or if we can use him as a pony at the track because he would be a very popular pony if I can take him with us to Payson Park,” said Clement. “He's a remarkable horse. He was a stakes horse as a 2-year-old and he competed for seven years. This year I couldn't get him back to form but he is healthy and sound and he looks well.”

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Shekky Shebaz was elevated to second after being interfered with in the stretch run of the Troy by Imprimis, who was disqualified from the top slot and placed third.

Shekky Shebaz finished third in the Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park in his first start since being transferred to Clement's care and the veteran conditioner, currently tied for most wins [15] with Todd Pletcher at the Spa summer meet, said he was pleased with the 5-year-old Cape Blanco gelding's effort.

“He ran well. It was a better race than his first time with us Monmouth,” said Clement. “He finished very well. He got in trouble but still he was game and he tried. As long as he keeps going up, the Lucky Coin at the end of the meet would be a logical spot for him.”

The $85,000 Lucky Coin, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 4-year-olds and upward is slated for September 6.

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3-D Printer Makes Equine Neck Replica To Train Veterinarians

Similar to doctors in human medicine, veterinarians spend hundreds of hours honing their skills in laboratories before they begin practicing in the field. Learning how to administer joint injections is no different. The equine neck has a complex set of muscles and vertebra, but a new 3-D printer is making it easier for vets to learn how to precisely place ultrasound-guided injections.

Veterinary students typically learn how to do this procedure on equine cadavers, which have a limited shelf life and also have a delay in getting injection results to learn what may have been done incorrectly. To see if 3-D models might be a useful teaching tool, Dr. Alex zur Linden, radiologist and Ontario Veterinary College researcher, joined Dr. John Phillips, an engineer and director of 3D printing in the University of Guelph's Digital Haptic Lab.

Watch a video on how the 3-D models are created below.

Once a CT scan of an equine neck is complete, computer software will highlight the part or parts of the scan that will be printed. The printing takes between three and six hours. The team tested 13 different materials and printers to determine which one best simulated real bone using ultrasound; six of the materials worked for simulating bones or joints.

The model vertebrae were then embedded in ballistics gel that simulated the soft tissue around the bones. The models give vet students the ability to practice procedures with instant feedback; they're also efficient and reusable. Once the lab is complete, the model can be melted down and used again.

The research team is hopeful that the models will become a resource for the scientific community and spur the creation of other3-D models for horses and other animals.

Tagg: Tiz The Law ‘Did Everything A Good Horse Ought To Do’

Sackatoga Stable's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers winner Tiz the Law was bright eyed the morning after a 5 1/2-length victory in Saratoga Race Course's marquee race, where he registered a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure.

Just shortly after training concluded for the morning, trainer Barclay Tagg was at his barn on the backstretch of the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., track standing next to the garland of carnations that had been draped around the now four-time Grade 1 winner's neck on Saturday.

Tagg said his star 3-year-old colt was in good order.

“He looks fine,” Tagg said. “I was very pleased with the way he ran. He did everything a good horse ought to do and did it perfectly.”

Patiently guided by regular pilot Manny Franco, the son of Constitution was forwardly placed early as Uncle Chuck set a moderate pace up front, took charge nearing the quarter-pole and drew off in style. The scenario played out exactly the way Tagg envisioned it.

“I pictured the horse being at his best laying second or third in the two path just off the leader and I figured the leader would be [Bob] Baffert's horse [Uncle Chuck]. We discussed that and that's exactly what he did,” said Tagg.

Tagg praised Franco for being an ideal pilot aboard Tiz the Law.

“They work well together, they know each other and it's a good combination,” Tagg said.

After becoming the first New York-bred to win the Belmont Stakes in 138 years, Tiz the Law became the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Travers since Thunder Rumble in 1992.

Tiz the Law will now point to the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on September 5 at Churchill Downs, which Tagg won with Sackatoga's Funny Cide in 2003. Tiz the Law is atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 372 qualifying points.

Tiz the Law will see a quicker turnaround than what he's used to entering the “Run for the Roses” off four weeks' rest. Tagg said that the horse should have no problems with the timing.

“There's nothing I can do about it, but I don't think it will faze him at all,” Tagg said.

Unbeaten in four starts this year, Tiz the Law won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park en route to a win in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes before taking the Runhappy Travers.

Following a career debut win at the Spa against New York-breds last August, exactly one year prior to his Runhappy Travers win, Tiz the Law won the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park. His only loss in a seven-race career came when finishing a close third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs over a sloppy track.

“He seems to terrorize the competition when he makes his move,” Tagg said. “Every race I've seen, even the first one, has been great. He came off that turn, and I thought 'They're going to run by him like he's standing still' and then I look again and he's three in front. It was the same way yesterday. I thought, 'Get into him, Manny' and he just kept running, running, running.”

Tagg credits much of the success with Tiz the Law to how hands-on and detail-oriented his team is with the horse, including barn foreman Juan Barajas Saldana and assistant trainer Robin Smullen.

“That's our job to make things go smoothly,” Tagg said. “We've been fortunate with him. We've been hands-on every step of the way. He doesn't go out of the stall without Juan, he doesn't go out to the track without Juan. Robin rides him and I lead him and warm him up and then I pick him up when he pulls up and we bring him back to Juan and Juan brings him back to the barn. It might be boring for the horse, but it's pretty safe.”

Tagg said that Tiz the Law will likely have two breezes prior to the Kentucky Derby.

“He'll gallop every day,” Tagg said. “He'll have about 10 days before we breeze him again. We'll probably only be able to get two breezes in him before we go out there. We'll go out there a week ahead of time.”

Tagg praised Sackatoga Stables founder and operations manager Jack Knowlton for being a patient owner and a great partner over the years.

“Jack is the greatest. If every owner could be like Jack, it would be a great life,” Tagg said.

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Liam’s Map Filly Navigates Traffic to Garner Rising Stardom at Ellis

Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) worked her way out of a tough spot in the lane to blow away the field in Sunday’s Runhappy Debutante S. at Ellis and earn the ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod. The grey was one of now three good-looking debut winners for Ken McPeek so far this meet when she ran to 19-10 favoritism going long on the lawn July 5, and she was the public’s tepid pick in this full field to handle a different surface and sharper trip. Sluggish at the start and ridden along by Rafael Bejarano to steadily advance down on the fence, Crazy Beautiful caught the eye while traveling strongly from midpack heading for home after a :45.46 half. Initially guided wide to go around a wall of horses into the stretch, she bounced twice off of Xtrema (Exaggerator) and had to find a Plan B. Bejarano guided his mount back down to the inside as the horses who were occupying that part of the track were backing up, and Crazy Beautiful kicked on willingly to blow away her foes with good-looking strides while stopping the clock better than a fifth of a second faster than the boys went in the Runhappy Juvenile S. Longshot maiden Mania (Run Away and Hide) was second, and looked briefly like she might just inherit the victory as the stewards took some time to review an objection lodged by Xtrema’s rider against Crazy Beautiful.

“My horse was much the best in the race,” Bejarano said. “I was in perfect position. Behind horses she was fine. But as soon as you got close to the horses, she kind of got excited, angry because of the first time dirt in her face. Last time she was on the turf. I came out a little bit, but [Extrema] pushed me in and tried to make me look bad. This is going to be a really good horse.”

McPeek added, “She trained like a good thing from the beginning. I was a little nervous because she hadn’t run on the dirt yet. But it looks like she’s just as good on that as she was on the turf.”

McPeek said Crazy Beautiful would most likely run next in the GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Sept. 3, but would also be nominated for the Sept. 7 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies as a grass option.

The winner’s SW and GSP dam sold for $20,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale carrying a Midnight Lute filly and was exported to Saudi Arabia.

RUNHAPPY DEBUTANTE S., $99,179, Ellis, 8-9, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.71, ft.
1–CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, 120, f, 2, by Liam’s Map
              1st Dam: Indian Burn (SW & GSP, $236,158),
                                by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Christmas Affair, by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Anna Lisa Beth, by Topsider
($250,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Phoenix
Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek; J-Rafael Bejarano. $58,245. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$80,445.
2–Mania, 118, f, 2, Run Away and Hide–Taptap I’mgone, by
Tapit. ($4,500 RNA Ylg ’19 KEEJAN). O-Robert S. West, Jr., Bob
Grayson, Jr. & Pavel Matejka; B-Robert West Jr., Millford Farm
& Mike Riordan (KY); T-Pavel Matejka. $18,950.
3–Fabricate, 120, f, 2, Speightster–Counterfactual, by Scat
Daddy. ($75,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Hidden Brook Farm &
Denholtz Stables; B-Greydawn Stables & Machmer Hall (KY);
T-Ian R. Wilkes. $9,475.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 2.50, 24.80, 4.00.
Also Ran: Xtrema, Hipnotizada, Wholebodemeister, Puye Timing, Lacey Boss, Seguro, Yogurt, Maci’s Jamming, Tourrista. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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