November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brown, Ortiz Take Belmont Titles

Chad Brown earned his ninth consecutive leading trainer title at the Belmont Park Fall Meet, which concluded Sunday. Brown won 22 races during the 27-day stand. Jose Ortiz won 40 races to take the leading rider title for the first time.

“I’m just happy I can go out there and do what I love the most and be successful. I work very hard for it and I’m happy to be getting good opportunities,” Ortiz said. “It means a lot. Belmont is a great place to race and I think it’s the best jockey colony in the United States right now. It’s very tough. We have Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers and it’s hard to compete against them. They all can ride, they’re all talented and they all want to win, so to be in the position I’m in, I feel blessed I can go out there and compete at the highest level for those guys.”

Klaravich Stables was the meet’s leading owner with 13 winners.

New York racing moves to Aqueduct where the 18-day fall meet will open Friday.

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Oleksandra Works into Cup

Team Valor’s Oleksandra (Aus) (Animal Kingdom), who will be making her first start since winning the June 20 GI Jaipur S. when she goes postward in Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, worked six furlongs in 1:14.04 (1/3) Sunday at Belmont Park.

“She’s doing very well,” said trainer Neil Drysdale. “She doesn’t need speed because she’s very fast. She worked in company behind another horse and started a half dozen lengths back and finished well.”

Oleksandra has worked six times on the Belmont main track this month, including a trio of half-mile breezes in close succession, ahead of a strong five-furlong effort in 1:01.58 last week.

“That was because of the layoff to get her fit,” Drysdale explained of the work pattern. “We gave her some small easy works and then we’ve only done two serious works–this one and the last one.”

Oleksandra won the GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. over the Turf Sprint’s 5 1/2-furlong distance at Keeneland last October. The 6-year-old mare has made just two starts this term, finishing second in the May 25 GII Monrovia S. at Santa Anita before rallying from last to win the Jaipur last time out.

“She’s won down there [at Keeneland] and if it comes up a bit soft, she doesn’t mind,” said Drysdale.

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Almond Eye Claims Eighth Group 1 Win in Tenno Sho

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ephasised her status as one of the greats of the Japanese turf with a half-length score in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo on Sunday. The first back-to-back winner since Symboli Kris S (Kris S.) in 2002/03, the bay mare is the sixth horse to salute in seven Japanese Group 1s and the first Japanese horse to win eight Group 1 races worldwide on turf. Two-time G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) victor Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was second, with the G1 Takarazuka Kinen winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) third by a neck.

Caught two deep in fourth into the opening bend, Almond Eye relaxed as Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) galloped on an five-length lead. The field reached the final 800 metres with the 2-5 favourite maintaining her position in between horses and when they reached the head of the straight, jockey Christophe Lemaire cut her loose. Out in the four path, Almond Eye set sail for the longtime leader, passing Daiwa Cagney (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) just inside the quarter pole. Chrono Genesis and Fierement were also making similarly rapid progress farther out on the course, but Almond Eye, who passed Danon Premium inside the final 50 yards, held on for the victory. Fierement fought past Chrono Genesis late on for place honours. The pacesetter was another two lengths back in fourth.

“Today, the mare was relaxed before the start and we were able to break well,” said Lemaire, who was noticeably emotional-a rare occurrence for him-post race. “She showed a great turn of foot in the straight but ran out of steam a bit climbing the hill. The others were gaining on us but she didn’t give up. I have to admit, to win the eighth Group 1 title was a big pressure, but she didn’t let us down—her performance was awesome. Her future lay in the hands of the owner and trainer but I would very much like to ride her again.”

The Japanese Filly Triple Crown winner of 2018 claimed Japanese Horse of the Year honours after winning the G1 Japan Cup later that year. She also scored in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March of 2019 and returned to her homeland to take third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen that June. A winner of last year’s G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), Almond Eye ran an uncharacteristic ninth in her 4-year-old swansong, the G1 Arima Kinen in December. Kept in training this term, she saluted in the May 17 G1 Victoria Mile, but was runner-up in the June 7 Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo, her last start prior to defending her title on Sunday.

Pedigree Notes

Almond Eye is one of four Group 1 winners and 23 black-type winners for her sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn). The seventh of 10 foals out of her dam, and one of eight winners from eight runners, the 5-year-old is followed by the winning duo of Listed Anemone S. third Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), a 4-year-old filly, and 3-year-old colt Satono Esperanza (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn)’s latest foal is an unnamed juvenile by Rulership (Jpn).

The extended family under blue hen third dam Sex Appeal (Buckpasser) is riddled with Group 1 winners like champions and successful sires El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer) and Try My Best (Northern Dancer), GI Breeders’ Cup Mile victor Domedriver (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Bahamian Pirate (Housebuster) and GI United National S. hero Chinchon (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Italian highweight and sire Blue Air Force (Ire) (Sri Pekan) is also present, as is Brazilian champion and Group 1 winner Estrela Monarchos (Monarchos).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan

TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥289,600,000 (US$2,762,578/£2,134,219/€2,365,843), Tokyo, 11-1, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:57.80, fm.
1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 123, m, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (MSW & G1SP-Jpn,
                                $3,264,457), by Sunday Silence
                2nd Dam: Lotta Lace, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Sakae Kunieda;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥152,520,000. Lifetime Record:
HotY-Jpn, Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, Hwt. Older Horse-UAE, G1SW-UAE,
14-10-2-1. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fierement (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Lune d’Or (Fr),
by Green Tune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥60,720,000.
3–Chrono Genesis (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Bago (Fr)–Chronologist(Jpn),
by Kurofune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥38,360,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 2. Odds: 0.40, 16.40, 3.40.
Also Ran: Danon Premium (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), Jinambo (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Scarlet Color (Jpn), Win Bright (Jpn), Blast Onepiece (Jpn), Danon Kingly (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree

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Jackie’s Warrior on Track for Juvenile

J Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), likely favorite for Friday’s GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was among nine Steve Asmussen trainees aiming for championship weekend to work at Keeneland Sunday morning. The undefeated 2-year-old went four furlongs in :48.80 (9/25).

“He had a nice, easy half-mile,” Asmussen said. “I thought he moved well over the race track. The circumstances were excellent today. We’re very excited about running him on Friday.”

Sunday’s work was Jackie’s Warrior second over the Keeneland surface. He also went five furlongs in 1:00.20 (3/41) Oct. 25. The bay colt is now four for four following wins in the Aug. 7 GII Saratoga Special S., Sept. 7 GI Hopeful S. and Oct. 10 GI Champagne S.

“I think what gave us the most confidence was his Champagne, two brilliant races at Saratoga and for him to carry that over to another surface [at Belmont Park]–and he looked brilliant doing it,” Asmussen said. “This will be his first two-turn race. He is very speed-influenced in his pedigree, but physically and mentally he is doing exceptional.”

Assmusen has three horses pre-entered for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and, while Nashville (Speightstown) wore his Sprint towel while working three furlongs in :36.40 (2/10), the lightly raced colt is also pre-entered in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and is nominated to Saturday’s Perryville S. on the Breeders’ Cup undercard.

“Everything’s on the table.” WinStar Farm President and CEO Elliott Walden said of options for Nashville. “He’s an extreme talent. He’s only three. He’s only run twice. It seems like a big ask to run against the accomplished sprinters that he would have to run against. Not that he wouldn’t be capable. I think he’ll go a mile. I think he’ll use his speed to stretch out as well naturally. We’ll see how it goes. Great problem to have. Blessed to have him.”

Nashville was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ following an 11 1/2-length debut romp going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Sept. 22 and added a 9 1/4-length victory in a six-furlong allowance at Keeneland Oct. 10.

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