December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rideforthecause Debuts For McCarthy In Sunday’s Robert J. Frankel Stakes

Trainer Michael McCarthy has two new shooters and thus holds what appears to be a solid two-card hand in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel as Rideforthecause and Altea bring solid credentials to a field of 10 fillies and mares going a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf.

Most recently fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths as the 5-2 favorite in the G1 E.P. Taylor Stakes going a mile and one quarter on turf at Woodbine, Rideforthecause, a 4-year-old Ontario-Canadian-bred daughter of Candy Ride, took the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 12 and brings a record of 11-4-0-1, good for earnings of $291,226 to the Frankel. A Sam-Son Farm homebred, she was formerly trained by Gail Cox and will make her first start for McCarthy while ridden by Umberto Rispoli.

Based in New York with Chad Brown through the month of October, Altea, a 5-year-old French-bred mare, is winless in seven starts this year, and has but two wins from 23 starts. However, she has amassed earnings of $290,664 from an overall mark of 23-2-8-4. In what will be her first start for McCarthy, she'll be ridden by Abel Cedillo.

Eastern-based juggernaut Chad Brown also figures prominently as he'll send out Irish-bred Miss Teheran, a lightly raced 4-year-old filly who will be ridden by Joel Rosario. Most recently fifth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in an ungraded turf stakes going a mile and one sixteenth at Aqueduct Nov. 27, Miss Teheran, who was two for four as a juvenile in France, was unraced at three and will be making her third start this year in the Frankel.

Best suited from off the pace, Miss Teheran should handle the distance, as she shows a win going 1 3/16 miles on turf in her final French start on Dec. 5, 2018. With Rosario teaming with Brown, she should attract plenty of pari-mutuel attention.

George Krikorian's California-bred Mucho Unusual, winner of the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf two starts back on Sept. 26, figures prominently as she tries to rebound from a 12th place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 7.

Phil D'Amato's consistent Zee Drop, second two starts back in the G2 Goldikova Stakes here on Nov. 28, and Hall of Famer Ron McAnally's homebred She's Our Charm, beaten four lengths in the G1 Matriarch going one mile on turf at Del Mar Nov. 29, also rate solid chances on Sunday.

Named in honor of the late Hall of Fame trainer who passed away at age 68 in 2009, Bobby Frankel was a five-time leading Winter/Spring trainer at Santa Anita and he remains the track's all-time leader by races won with 917 and is third on the all-time stakes won list with 146. Frankel won the race's precursor, the San Gorgonio Stakes, a record seven times.

THE GRADE III ROBERT J. FRANKEL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Rideforthecause—Umberto Rispoli—125
She's Our Charm—Juan Hernandez—121
Never Be Enough—Tiago Pereira—123
Miss Teheran—Joel Rosario—121
Altea—Abel Cedillo—121
Meal Ticket—Tyler Baze—121
Colonial Creed—Mario Gutierrez—121
Posh Holly—Alexis Centeno—121
Zee Drop—Flavien Prat—121
Mucho Unusual—John Velazquez—125

Special early first post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 11:30 a.m. All of Santa Anita's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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David Cabrera’s Three Stakes Wins Lead To Jockey Of The Week Title

Remington Park's leading jockey, David Cabrera, won three stakes at his home track to be voted Jockey of the Week for Dec. 14 through Dec. 20. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Cabrera began his stakes triple during the Friday night card with trainer Kenny McPeek giving him a leg up on Jeweled Princess in the She's All In Stakes at one mile and 70 yards. Jeweled Princess advanced off the final turn to win by a head over fast closing Istan Council.

“She was not intimidated at all coming up the rail,” said Cabrera.

Cabrera then had the mount on Dipping In for trainer H. Ray Ashford, Jr. in the Useeit Stakes for Oklahoma-breds. The 3-year-old filly stopped the timer in 1:40.69 over a fast track to win the one mile contest on the dirt by a length, giving Cabrera his third of four wins on the card.

Trainer Kenny McPeek again gave Cabrera a leg up in the Trapeze Stakes at one mile on the favorite, Oliviaofthedesert. Riding the 2-year-old filly for the first time, Cabrera broke 10th in the field of 10. At the top of the lane, she pushed through an opening on the rail to just get up for the win.

Then on Saturday, Cabrera rode Oklahoma two-time Horse of the Year Welder in an open-company allowance contest, tying the all-time mark for most wins at Remington Park with 15.

“This horse,” said Cabrera, regular rider of Welder, “you have to let him do what he wants to do. If you try something different, he doesn't like it.”

Cabrera led all jockeys by number of stakes wins with weekly stats of 21-7-2-3 and $207,297 in purses.

The native of Mexico notched his 1,000th career win at Prairie Meadows in 2019. In addition to Remington Park, Cabrera rides regularly at Sam Houston Race Park, Lone Star Park, Prairie Meadows and Will Rogers.

Cabrera out-polled Eric Cancel who was leading jockey by purse earnings, Tyler Gaffalione who won the Grade III Mr. Prospector, Luis Saez, leading jockey by number of wins, and Ricardo Santana, Jr. who won two stakes races at Fair Grounds.

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Nashville and Charlatan Face Off in Malibu

Unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Nashville (Speightstown) has been nothing, but sensational in his three racetrack appearances thus far and he looks to take his career to the next level in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Romping by 11 1/2 lengths in the slop in his Saratoga unveiling Sept. 2, the $460,000 KEESEP purchase demolished a Keeneland allowance by 9 3/4 lengths next out Oct. 10. His Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen decided to take a more sensible route with his pupil and bypassed the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint in favor of the Perryville S. on the undercard at Keeneland Nov. 7. Nashville ran the field off their hooves right from the get-go, completing the six-furlong event in a new track record time of 1:07.89. That time was almost a full second faster than the BC Sprint, which Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) finished in 1:08.61.

Nashville faces another speedy son of Speightstown who has yet to be beaten to the finish line in Charlatan. A dazzling debut winner in Arcadia Feb. 16, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ made a mockery of a one-mile allowance at Santa Anita Mar. 14, coasting home to a 10 1/4-length victory. The $700,000 KEESEP acquisition crossed the line six lengths clear when taking his division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2, but was later disqualified for a lidocaine positive. Pointed towards the GI Belmont S. in June, Charlatan was knocked off the Triple Crown trail by an ankle chip that required surgery, but displays a speedy series of drills since returning to the Bob Baffert barn.

Baffert also sends out Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in this event. Runner-up in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby July 4, the $1 million KEESEP buy captured the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar Aug 1. A late scratch from the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5 after rearing up and flipping over in the paddock, the bay could only manage eighth when seeking redemption in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3.

GSW Independence Hall (Constitution) makes his second start for trainer Mike McCarthy after winning a Del Mar optional claimer Nov. 8. Rounding out the field is GI Bing Crosby S. victor Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) and Express Train (Union Rags), who was last seen finishing eighth when trying turf in the GII Twilight Derby Oct. 18.

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Mucho Gusto Returns in San Antonio

GI Pegasus World Cup S. victor Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) returns to action in Saturday’s GII San Antonio S. after 10 months on the sidelines. A three-time graded winner as a sophomore last term, the $625,000 EASMAY buy hit the board in both the GI Haskell Invitational S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. last summer. Closing out 2019 with a fourth as the favorite in the GIII Oklahoma Derby last September, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ was privately purchased from Michael Lund Petersen by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled with an eye on the inaugural Saudi Cup. The chestnut prepped for that with a dominant score in the Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 and was fourth to champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29. Given some time off as his Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert picked up some of the top trophies in the older dirt male division with Maximum Security and Improbable (City Zip), Mucho Gusto displays a bullet laden worktab leading up to this event, which his trainer is likely using as a prep for next month’s Pegasus.

The top three from the GIII Native Diver S.–Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby), Midcourt (Midnight Lute) and Combatant (Scat Daddy)–take a crack at the Baffert heavy hitter here. Combatant scored a career-high earlier this year with a neck success in the GI Santa Anita H. Midcourt is still awaiting a top-level score, but has placed in several Grade Is this term, including the Aug. 22 GI Pacific Classic and Sept. 26 GI Awesome Again S.

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