November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tamarkuz Colt Red Flag Cruises To Bob Hope Victory At Del Mar

The million-dollar yearling Spielberg went off as the odds-on favorite, but it was Red Flag – who “only” cost $220,000 at the same Kentucky sale – flying home the winner Sunday in the seventh edition of the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar.

Red Flag, from the first crop of the Speightstown stallion Tamarkuz, battled early with his more-expensive rival, but assumed command under Victor Espinoza approaching the quarter pole and drew out under a hand ride to an easy 7 1/4-length triumph. The victory was worth $60,000 from the $100,500 purse and pushed the youngster's earnings to $94,100 after three starts. He covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.56.

Red Flag is owned by Tina and Jerome Moss of Los Angeles and is trained by John Shirreffs. The chestnut colt's green and pink colors were familiar ones to those who followed the amazing career of the champion mare Zenyatta, co-owned by Jerome Moss and trained by Shirreffs.

Finishing second was Eric Homme's Uncle Boogie and third was Reddam Racing's Ambivalent. Spielberg, who is owned by a group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables and others, and went off at 3-5, finished fourth nearly 10 lengths behind the winner.

Red Flag paid $23.40, $9.60 and $9.40 across the board. Uncle Boogie returned $6.00 and $5.60, while Ambivalent paid $6.60 to show.

“John (trainer Shirreffs) said, 'You know him (Espinoza broke his maiden on him last out on Oct. 10 at Santa Anita), go ahead and see what you can do with him.' He broke running and he wanted to go. He seemed to be more professional today than last time. He's still a baby and he was fooling around before. Be he was good today and did all the right things. He'll go farther, for sure. With the way he ran today, why not?”

“I didn't really expect that kind of performance,” said Shirreffs. “I was hoping to get a placing. He broke his maiden from way off the pace and he's been doing better and better in the mornings, but he's not a brilliant work horse. So this was a pleasant surprise. You always hope but you never know. He's gone from 5 1/2-furlongs to seven, so it looks like he'll be able to go longer. It's special because (owners) Mr. and Mrs. Moss were here today and got to see him run.”

Leading rider Abel Cedillo and leading trainer Peter Miller won the nitecap together with Magical Thought ($20.60) and stayed on top in each of their categories after eight days of the current 15-day session. Cedillo now has 13 firsts and Miller has seven. Cedillo was the top rider at last fall's Bing Crosby meet and Miller has won four different versions of the “second season” at Del Mar.

Del Mar will return to action on Friday with first post at 12:30 p.m.

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Duopoly Records Front-Running Victory In Winter Memories At Aqueduct

Klaravich Stables' Duopoly surged to the front and never relinquished the lead, going gate-to-wire while holding off game longshot High Opinion in deep stretch for a three-quarters of a length score in Sunday's $100,000 Winter Memories for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

One of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, Duopoly, who was coming off a fifth-place effort in her stakes debut last out in the Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View last month at Keeneland, broke sharp from post 5 under Irad Ortiz, Jr., leading the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.75 seconds and the half in 50.15 on the inner turf coursed labeled good.

With Vigilantes Way giving close pursuit, Duopoly continued to lead, with three-quarters going in 1:14.52, and continued to pace the field out of the final turn, being kept near the rail when straightening for home. In the stretch, the Animal Kingdom filly responded to her jockey's urging as Vigilantes Way pressed her from the immediate outside while High Opinion made a valiant charge from the three-path.

High Opinion pulled into second and continued to challenge, but Duopoly completed the 1 1/16-mile course in a final time of 1:44.80 to notch her third win in five career starts.

“She relaxed and went so well,” said Ortiz, Jr., who registered his day's third win. “She went into the first turn pretty well and when we got to the backside, she started getting out a little bit, but I didn't panic because I knew she could do it and I knew she would keep going. I just rode her with patience, relaxed and didn't try to fight her too much. Turning for home, I asked her, and she had plenty left.”

Off at 5-2, Duopoly returned $7.90 on a $2 win wager. The $160,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale improved her career earnings to $128,034.

“There wasn't too much speed in the race today, so we wanted to take advantage of that,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “We know she's fast, so I let her break out of there and she was comfortable. She did it pretty easy.”

Woodford Racing and Team D Stable's High Opinion, the longest shot in the field at 25-1, rewarded trainer Tony Dutrow's decision to elevate her to stakes company following her last-out win on October 10 at Belmont, finishing a half-length in front of Vigilantes Way for second.

“The filly ran very well. I was expecting a big run from her,” said Eric Cancel, the rider aboard High Opinion. “Her last performance was really good. Today, she stepped up in the game and ran very well. I had a nice trip. I tried to follow the winner, and everything worked out well. We didn't win, but I'm very happy with the way that she ran. She's a pretty brave filly. She kept on fighting and never gave up.”

Speaktomeofsummer, Selflessly [also trained by Brown], Crystalle and Faccio Io completed the order of finish. Thankful, entered for the main track only, was scratched.

Live racing resumes on Thursday at the Big A with a 10-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m.

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Hard Spun Colt Runs Them Off Their Feet for ‘Rising Star’ Badge at Churchill

Caddo River (Hard Spun), a promising runner-up in a live-looking maiden race last out, went to the front and widened throughout for a dominant, ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy graduation Sunday at Churchill.

Second on debut Sept. 5 at Saratoga, he filled the same slot after dueling on a scorching pace Oct. 11 at Belmont and was pounded down to 3-10 to break through stretching out to a mile here. Away in good order, the homebred made the lead on his own power and dictated terms through sharp splits of :22.38 and :44.59. Scooting further clear after straightening for home, he slammed the door by mid-stretch and coasted home 9 1/2 lengths to the good. Alejandro (Curlin) completed the exacta.

The victor, named for a river in Arkansas, has a yearling half-sister by Into Mischief and his thrice graded stakes-placed dam produced a Nyquist colt this term before being bred back to Hard Spun. Second dam It’s True Love was a SW as well.

8th-Churchill Downs, $83,789, Msw, 11-15, 2yo, 1m, 1:35.22, ft, 9 1/2 lengths.
CADDO RIVER c, 2, Hard Spun
1st Dam: Pangburn {SW & MGSP, $338,480}, by Congrats
2nd Dam: It’s True Love, by Yes It’s True
3rd Dam: Lovin Spoonful, by Dixieland Band
Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $76,092. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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Into Mischief Mare Tops Keeneland November Sunday

Able to Smile (Into Mischief) (hip 2509), a 4-year-old broodmare prospect, topped Sunday’s seventh session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when bringing a final bid of $135,000. I’ll Need a Little Luck was the name on the ticket for the gray filly, who was consigned by Indian Creek. Out of Grade I placed Teamgeist (Arg) (Mutakddim), Able to Smile is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner House Rules (Distorted Humor), as well as to multiple Grade I placed Win the Space (Pulpit). A $385,000 Keeneland September yearling, Able to Smile won once in seven starts on the racetrack.

“Able To Smile was a beautiful broodmare prospect, she was very popular showing and we were hopeful she would be one of the top offerings on the day,” said Indian Creek’s Sarah Sutherland. “She was a standout physically and on paper and would have held her own earlier in the sale as well. We are delighted with the sale.”

Able to Smile was one of two mares to bring six figures on the day. John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa purchased the 6-year-old mare Stormy’s Song (Unbridled’s Song) (hip 2450) for $125,000. She is out of Stormy Tak (Stormy Atlantic), a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Lady Tak (Mutakddim).

The Army Mule partnership purchased Stormy’s Song for $102,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale. She sold in foal to Army Mule and was followed into the sales ring Sunday by her weanling colt by that Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion, who was the session’s top-priced foal when selling for $80,000 to Castleton Stables. The weanling was bred by Elevage II and St Elias Stables and both mare and foal were consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency.

A total of 265 horses sold Sunday for $5,235,300. The session average was $19,756 and the median was of $12,000. While only 305 of the 410 catalogued head went through the sales ring Sunday, 265 sold for a buy-back rate of just 13.11%.

“The session was very good to us,” Sutherland said. “It felt similar to the second week of [Keeneland] September. I don’t think you can expect fireworks, but you can sell horses very comfortably if you are fair and realistic.”

Through seven sessions, Keeneland has sold 1,512 horses for a gross of $140,214,700. The cumulative average is $92,735 and the median is $42,000. The buy-back rate stands at 22.18%.

The November sale continues through Wednesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

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