December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘He’s Matured Beautifully’: Undefeated Maxfield Returns To The Races In Saturday’s Tenacious

A potentially lucrative and prolific 2021 campaign gets underway in the twilight of 2020 when Maxfield makes his long-anticipated return to the races in Saturday's $75,000 Tenacious Stakes at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. Run as the finale, the 1 1/16-mile Tenacious is the last of six $75,000 stakes run as part of the 13-race Santa Super Saturday card. Clearly, the eyes of the racing world will be focused on Fair Grounds as the undefeated Maxfield makes his first start since May.

Godolphin LLC's homebred Maxfield (post 6 at 8-5 on the morning line with Florent Geroux to ride) has had plenty of heartaches sprinkled in amongst a perfect 3-for-3 lifetime record for trainer Brendan Walsh. He was forced to miss the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a minor foot injury and then got derailed off the Kentucky Derby trail soon after his win in Churchill's May 23 Matt Winn (G3). The 3-year-old son of Street Sense came out of a June 10 workout with a condylar fracture of his right front cannon bone, which prompted his connections to scrap any thoughts at a run in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

“We always thought he'd be a nicer 3-year-old, so to come back the way he did, then to lose him for the Derby was terribly disappointing,” Walsh said. “But at least we're getting another go with the horse. It would have been a terrible shame if we didn't get him back and he couldn't show what we think he's capable of.”

Maxfield broke his maiden on debut at Churchill in September 2019 and turned around a month later to win Keeneland's prestigious Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 5 ¼ lengths. He didn't resurface until the 2020 Matt Winn and now reappears in the Tenacious. With just three races in a stop-and-start career, Maxfield has plenty of upside as a lightly raced colt. He's worked eight times since late October, most recently logging 4 furlongs in :48.80 on Nov. 13 at Fair Grounds.

“He came out of his work great and we're looking forward to Saturday,” Walsh said. “We're happy what he's done. It (the Tenacious) was in my mind for a while, with the timing, and I think Fair Grounds will suit the horse, with the long straight and all. We haven't gotten anywhere near the bottom of him yet. He's as good as ever; he's matured beautifully, physically-speaking.”

Maxfield figures odds-on in a Tenacious that drew seven runners, though he spots recency to several, including Courtlandt Farms' Sonneman (post 5 at 3-1 with Ricardo Santana Jr.), who enters off a rousing optional-claiming win Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old son of Curlin has run five times for trainer Steve Asmussen after beginning his career with trainer Mark Hennig. He was the runner-up in Churchill's Pat Day Mile (G2) three back in September before running second in a Keeneland optional-claimer in October. Sonneman is 3-for-9 lifetime and has a plenty of early tactical speed that will enable him to get first run on Maxfield.

Lothenbach Stables Inc's Captivating Moon (post 3 at 9-2 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) won the local “off-the-turf” Buddy Diliberto Memorial on the Santa Super Saturday card last year and he is cross-entered in the race again this year. The 5-year-old son of Malibu Moon is winless in seven starts this year for trainer Chris Block but he has faced some tough competition. He was fourth to Silver Dust in the local Mineshaft (G3) in February before running second to By My Standards in the New Orleans Classic (G2) here in March. Captivating Moon is 4-for-26 lifetime and would be a stretch danger should he start.

Completing the Tenacious field from the rail out: Cool Bobby (12-1 with James Graham), a potential pace-setter for trainer Cherie DeVaux; G M B Racing's Locally Owned (post 2 at 5-1 with Miguel Mena), who enters off an optional-claiming win November 11 for trainer Al Stall Jr.; Wayne T Davis' Mocito Rojo (post 4 at 8-1 with Jack Gilligan), who won the Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill in 2019 for trainer Shane Wilson but is just 1-for-8 since; and Al Rashid Stables LLC's Dinar (post seven at 12-1 with Shaun Bridgmohan), a close fourth two-back in Churchill's Ack Ack (G3) for DeVaux.

The post ‘He’s Matured Beautifully’: Undefeated Maxfield Returns To The Races In Saturday’s Tenacious appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Argentine Group 1 Winner Mirinaque To Make First Start For Wesley Ward In Queens County Stakes

Parque Patricios Racing Stables' Mirinaque will attempt to parlay a strong runner-up effort against graded stakes company into his fourth start in North America in Saturday's $100,000 Queens County for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Argentinian-bred son of Hurricane Cat will make his first start for trainer Wesley Ward, who took over training duties from Maria Munoz.

Mirinaque arrives off a sharp second-place effort at 33-1 odds in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Marathon on Nov. 6 at Keeneland, where he secured a stalking position along the rail, made a four-wide move around the far turn and briefly took command just inside the eighth-pole.

Mirinaque was unable to fend off Rocketry's devastating late turn-of-foot, finishing one length back in the 1 5/8-mile route, but still earned black type for the first time in the United States.

A G1 winner in his native country when taking the one-mile Polla de Potrillos in September 2019, Mirinaque made his first start in the country on Aug. 22 when fifth to Maximum Security in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, and subsequently shipped to Keeneland for the G2 Fayette on Oct. 10, where he finished eighth.

“Maria asked if I could take over the training when she went back to Argentina,” Ward said. “She was stabled in our barn at Keeneland and I got to know her going into the Fayette.”

Ward said that Mirinaque began flourishing in his training when being introduced to some new surroundings and moved to Ward's barn located right next to Keeneland.

“I have a tobacco barn that's adjacent to Keeneland. It sits up on the hill where the breeze blows through it,” Ward said. “That's where all my Royal Ascot horses go; all my horses going to Europe all stable there. Horses that go up there seem to relish it a lot and demolish their feed tub and that's really what happened to this guy. We look forward to hopefully a good run. He ran well last time.”

Mirinaque recently worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Dec. 11 at Keeneland.

“I kept sending word to Maria that the horse was doing better,” Ward said. “He's stayed in the same stall. He's had some great breezes and he's been doing great. He ran wonderful on Breeders' Cup day and is carrying it into this race.”

Jockey Dylan Davis will ride from post 2.

Multiple stakes-winner Forewarned has attempted victories in some of the most marquee races on the NYRA circuit, but will gain class relief in his next New York endeavor.

Owned by trainer Uriah St. Lewis' Trin-Brook Stables, Forewarned has earned more than a half-million dollars through a 31-8-4-4 record.

Forewarned was unplaced in last year's G1 Whitney and G1 Woodward at Saratoga, as well as the G1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, but returned to New York in June with a third-place finish in the G3 Westchester at Belmont Park.

Foreward was a distant fifth last out in the listed Richard W. Small on Nov. 28 at Laurel Park, and two starts ago was a repeat winner of the 10-furlong Best of Ohio Endurance at Mahoning Valley Race Course.

“He's training well. I think he has a very good shot,” said St. Lewis. “The biggest thing is that he likes the distance. The mile and an eighth is good for him. He relishes longer distances. This horse likes any kind of surface, so as long as you give him distance. I'm pleased with him.”

Jockey Eric Cancel rides from post 6.

Trainer Orlando Noda will saddle Danny California in an attempt for a second stakes triumph. Bred in New York by West Point Thoroughbreds and 3C Thoroughbreds, the 5-year-old chestnut son of Afleet Alex won the Miner's Mark on Sept. 11 at Belmont Park, his fourth triumph in 11 starts this season.

Danny California arrives at the Queens County off a week's rest, having run a distant fifth in the Alex M. Robb against his Empire State-bred counterparts.

Breaking from post 1, Danny California will be ridden by jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr.

Completing the field are Empty Tomb [post 3, Manny Franco], Backsideofthemoon [post 4, Jose Lezcano], Musical Heart [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche] and So High [post 7, Andre Worrie].

The Queens County is slated as Race 9 on Aqueduct's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

The post Argentine Group 1 Winner Mirinaque To Make First Start For Wesley Ward In Queens County Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Orphaned, Bottle-Fed Filly Court Return Headlines Saturday’s Via Borghese Stakes

Ivan Dalos' stakes-winning homebred filly Court Return, beaten a neck in the E. P. Taylor (G1) last time out at Woodbine, will race south of the border for the first time in her career facing eight rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.

The fifth running of the 1 3/16-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass serves as a supporting stake to the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), which features a lineup led by Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Mind Control and defending champion Diamond Oops.

Post time for the first of 11 races is 12:05 p.m.

Trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, Court Return is a younger half-sister to multiple Grade 1 turf winners Channel Maker and Johnny Bear, both Sovereign Award winners in Canada. The 4-year-old filly has run exclusively at Woodbine, with 10 of her 12 lifetime starts coming on the grass.

Court Return has breezed once on the turf at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, since arriving in South Florida. She is out of the late Horse Chestnut mare In Return, the Sovereign Award winner as Canada's champion broodmare of 2018. The same year, Dalos was voted champion breeder.

“She shipped down very well and seems to be training forwardly,” Carroll said. “We're very excited about her. She is the last foal from that mare. The mare died shortly after giving birth, so [Court Return] was actually orphaned and bottle-raised. Mr. Dalos doesn't have any more out of that mare, so he's counting on her.”

Court Return debuted in September 2018 and needed eight tries to break her maiden, graduating in a maiden optional claimer last November. The daughter of Court Vision became a stakes winner in her second start of 2020, rallying for a 1 ¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search.

“Mr. Dalos bred this whole family and they all develop late in their careers. I think this is a filly that's just now starting to come into her own,” Carroll said. “I think she was just one that needed to mature. She's just a filly that needed some time and Mr. Dalos was very patient with her.”

Carroll stepped Court Return up to graded company off her stakes victory, and she finished third in the 1 1/8-mile Canadian (G2) Sept. 12 after getting away slowly. Stretched out to 1 ¼ miles for the E. P. Taylor, Court Return was again tardy from the gate but came with a strong rally only to fall just short of winner Etoile.

“I felt really good going into the race. That was certainly her best performance yet,” Carroll said. “I think the rider did a good job of not letting her get out of touch too much with the field, which is a danger with her. Sometimes they let her get too far back. You really sort of have to nudge her to stay in touch with the field, so that when she does make her run she is in a position to get there.”

Two-time Championship Meet leading jockey Luis Saez will get that assignment Saturday from Post 3.

“She gets away slow and that's just her,” Carroll said. “It just takes her a while to get into gear. She's never forwardly placed.”

Christophe Clement won the inaugural Via Borghese with Paige in 2016, and the trainer has Stone Farm homebred Traipsing for this year's edition. The 4-year-old daughter of Grade 1 turf winner Stroll comes back three weeks off a runner-up finish to stablemate Mutamakina after setting the pace in the 1 3/8-mile Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct.

“It's back a little bit quick, but she arrived at Payson Park well and she looks well. I think she's a nice mare,” Clement said. “Because it is a little bit quick we'll monitor her doing the week and as long as she's doing well we plan on running.”

Traipsing will be trying stakes company for the third time in what will be her eighth start; she finished sixth in the 1 1/8-mile Treasure Coast in June at Gulfstream in her stakes debut. Robby Albarado is named to ride from Post 2.

“She's very versatile. You can do whatever you want with her. She can be forward or she can come from out of it,” Clement said. “She's good enough that she can be versatile and she's a very good mover, which makes her even more efficient going longer.”

Gulfstream's 16-time training champion Todd Pletcher entered the pair of Always Shopping and Cap de Creus. Gainesway Stable's Cap de Creus is winless with four seconds in seven career tries at Gulfstream, and ran fourth in last year's Orchid (G3). The 4-year-old Tapit filly was fifth last out in the 1 ½-mile Zagora Oct. 31 at Belmont Park.

Repole Stable's Always Shopping won the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G2) on the dirt in 2019, finished off the board in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and didn't race again for 11 months, returning in April. Three of her last five races have come on the turf, winning the 1 1/16-mile Monroe Sept. 7 at Gulfstream and most recently running second by a head in the 1 ½-mile Dowager (G3) Oct. 18 at Keeneland.

Rounding out the field are 2020 Ginger Punch winner Kelsey's Cross, third to Always Shopping in the Monroe; Great Island, winner of two straight making her stakes debut; Gun Society, second to Court Return in the Eternal Sunshine; Cambeliza and Lady Panda.

The stakes is named after the daughter of Seattle Dancer trained by Angel Penna Jr. who won 11 of 22 starts, including Gulfstream's Suwannee River (G3) and the Hialeah Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap.

The post Orphaned, Bottle-Fed Filly Court Return Headlines Saturday’s Via Borghese Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Diamond Oops Set For Clash In Saturday’s Mr. Prospector

Mr. Amore Stable LLC's Firenze Fire, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables LLC's Mind Control, and Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and partners' Diamond Oops are set for a highly anticipated clash in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The trio of multiple graded stakes-winning veterans will headline a deep field of 12 sprinters for the 66th running of seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up on an 11-race card that will also feature a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Kelly Breen-trained Firenze Fire, who was scratched from the Dec. 5 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct due to a sloppy track, is coming off a third-place finish at Keeneland in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he rallied from 11th to just miss catching C Z Rocket for second in the six-furlong race won by Whitmore.

“Whitmore was able to get through. We were just behind him, but it closed up on us and we couldn't get there. He ran a great race. He always does. He tries all the time,” Mr. Amore Stable's Ron Lombardi said. “The slop is obviously difficult for him. That's what led to the decision to skip the Cigar Mile and ship him to Florida.”

The homebred 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior, who has earned $2.2 million while winning 12 of 30 career starts against top-class company, had previously captured the Vosburgh (G2) at Belmont Park by 2 ¾ lengths.

Firenze Fire, who captured the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park during his juvenile campaign, has been an enduring sprint star while capturing graded stakes in each of the next three years, including three in 2020. Since joining Breen's stable in March, his only two poor showings in six starts came over sloppy tracks.

Firenze Fire is scheduled to run at Gulfstream Park for the first time in his career.

“He's won on seven tracks. Of his 12 wins, seven have been at different tracks,” Lombardi said. “I think he likes a harder surface better than a softer surface, so I think Gulfstream will serve him well.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

Greg Sacco-trained Mind Control was also scratched from the Cigar Mile due to his dislike for sloppy tracks. The 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty won Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga in each of his first two years of racing, capturing the Hopeful at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens at 3.

Mind Control kicked off his 2020 campaign with back-to-back graded-stakes victories at Aqueduct in the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool (G3) but is winless in five subsequent starts. After finishing eighth in the Carter (G1) over a sloppy Belmont track, the Red Oak homebred turned in a strong third-place finish behind Volatile and Whitmore in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga. In his last three starts he finished off-the-board over a sloppy Saratoga track in the Forego (G1); finished third in the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth; and was a disappointing ninth in the seven-furlong Lafayette at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

“It's been a little bit of a hard luck year. He started out the year super and then COVID hit. The Carter got pushed back and he hit the slop and he hates the slop. We ran him back in the Vanderbilt and he ran super. We were back on track and we hit the slop again,” Sacco said. “We brought him back to Monmouth to give him an easier race to give him a confidence booster. He got a rough trip that day and got checked back on the backstretch. The race at Keeneland, a horse gave way right in front of him and Johnny [Velazquez] had to snatch him up. We've been sort of a victim of circumstances this year.”

Hall of Famer Velazquez has the return call aboard Mind Control.

Patrick Biancone-trained Diamond Oops is coming into the Mr. Prospector off an even sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), in which he finished 4 ½ lengths behind Whitmore and a length behind Firenze Fire after breaking from an outside post position.

“He came back good,” Biancone said. “He got a bad draw that day, but he came back good.”

The versatile Diamond Oops, who won last year's Mr. Prospector, went into the Breeders' Cup off back-to-back victories in the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (G2) and the Phoenix (G2) over Keeneland's main track. In 2019, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was Grade 1 stakes-placed in back-to-back starts on dirt (Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga) and on turf (Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland).

“He's just a good horse,” Biancone said.

After winning the Mr. Prospector last year, Diamond Oops came back to finish a credible fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January.

“We go one race at a time,” Biancone said. “We're going race by race. We'll see how we go. It's a long way. We'll see. I cannot say, 'yes.' I cannot say, 'no.'”

Julien Leparoux has the call aboard Diamond Oops.

David Bernsen LLC and Jeffrey Lambert's Lasting Legacy also enters the Mr. Prospector after running in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, in which he was beaten by 6 ¾ lengths in a ninth-place finish after being claimed for $80,000 out of his previous race. The 6-year-old son of Tapizar finished second behind Diamond Oops in the Mr. Prospector last season.

Trainer Bob Hess Jr. named Paco Lopez to ride Lasting Legacy.

Thumbs Up Racing LLC's Sleepy Eyes Todd enters the Mr. Prospector off a victory on the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup card, having captured the Lafayette by 1 ½ lengths after closing from 12th. True Timber, who finished second, came back to win the Cigar Mile. The Miguel Silva-trained 4-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado had won the Charles Town Classic (G2) two starts prior. Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Sleepy Eyes Todd for the first time Saturday.

R. A. Hill Stable's Majestic Dunhill finished seventh in the Fall Highweight (G3) at Aqueduct in his most recent start but rates consideration Saturday off a victory in the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont in his previous start. Trainer George Weaver awarded the mount aboard the 5-year-old son of Majesticperfection to Joe Bravo.

Shadwell Stable's Haikal, who captured the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct last year for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, is scheduled to make his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher Saturday off nearly a 10-month layoff. Luis Saez is slated to ride the 4-year-old son of Daaher for the first time.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow, the winner of the Sept. 6 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream, is scheduled to seek his fifth victory in eight starts over the Gulfstream strip in the Mr. Prospector. The Terri Pompay-trained son of Into Mischief will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.

Rounding out the field are Wind of Change, Last Judgment, Ebben and Zenden.

The post Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Diamond Oops Set For Clash In Saturday’s Mr. Prospector appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post