January, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cox Earns First Eclipse Training Title

It's hard to believe that as of the morning of Apr. 7, 2018, Brad Cox had yet to garner his first Grade I win. Later that afternoon, the Cox-trained Monomoy Girl would win the GI Central Bank Ashland S., thus propelling her to wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, as well as a 3-year-old filly championship.

Fast forward to 2020, the stalwart tempo continued with yet another championship run by the chestnut, who spent the entire 2019 season on the sidelines before mounting her epic return during a season gripped by a pandemic. And while Monomoy Girl once again proved to be a force for Cox in 2020, she was far from the only horse propelling the Cox team.

The latest renewal of the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, which punctuated an already impressive racing season for the 40-year-old, who tied Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella's record of four victories during one Breeders' Cup with victories by Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) (Longines Distaff), Knicks Go (Paynter) (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile), Essential Quality (Tapit) (TVG Juvenile) and Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) (Juvenile Fillies Turf). In addition to a sparkling performance at the Breeders' Cup, Cox earned his second Kentucky Oaks victory this season with Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), who landed the blanket of lilies at odds of 15-1. Also among horses to win at the graded level for Cox in 2020: Arklow (Arch), Factor This (The Factor), Beau Recall (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen), Shared Sense (Street Sense), Dot Matrix (Freud), Warrior's Charge (Munnings), Night Ops (Warrior's Reward), Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice), Bonny South (Munnings) and Wells Bayou (lookin At Lucky).

Rounding out the year second in earnings behind Steve Asmussen ($20,162,064), who had over twice the number of starters and made half as much money per start ($8,851 vs. $21,023), Cox ended 2020 with a 24% strike rate, finishing in the money 55% of the time.

The post Cox Earns First Eclipse Training Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Third Straight Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey

It's Irad Ortiz, Jr.'s world and we're all just living in it. The 28-year-old from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico who has grown up into a superstar before the racing world's eyes continued his dominance in 2020, leading to a third consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. While his total earnings dipped over $10 million from his 2020 sum, that can be almost entirely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the cancellation of much of the racing calendar through March and April and dramatic purse cuts that plagued the entire year, Ortiz was particularly cautious about the coronavirus, spending more than a month out of the saddle from Mar. 19 to Apr. 25. Nevertheless, he still paced all jockeys last year by banking over $23 million and once again proved his tireless work ethic by riding 1,271 horses despite his five-week break, a number that trailed just Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez among riders in the top 25 in earnings. Yet again leading the country in total wins, he also racked up 27 graded stakes wins–just one behind Flavien Prat for top billing–from 100 mounts and clearly led all jockeys with 52 stakes scores.

Following up on capturing his first GI Breeders' Cup Classic victory toward the end of 2019, Ortiz started 2020 off with a bang by piloting home Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. He added top-level triumphs in the GI Whitney S. aboard Champion Older Dirt Male Improbable (City Zip), GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Happy Saver (Super Saver), GI Breeders' Cup Sprint with Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and GI Hollywood Derby on Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}). In addition to Whitmore, he also scored with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to bring his career World Championships wins to an even dozen.

The post Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Third Straight Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Crispin Awarded Eclipse for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

Continuing the influx of Puerto Rican jockeys transferring their skills adroitly to racing in the mainland U.S., Alexander Crispin made a name for himself on the mid-Atlantic circuit in 2020. The 22-year-old, who studied at the famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron jockey school that produced John Velazquez, both Ortiz brothers, Manny Franco and myriad other successful Puerto Rican riders, Crispin first landed at Turfway Park in March and bounced around to Belterra Park and Indiana Grand before settling in the mid-Atlantic at Delaware Park in the summer. That's where he scored his first stakes victory aboard Singlino (Uncle Lino) in the $100,000 First State Dash Sept. 26, and he kept his momentum going at Laurel, finishing the year with over 100 total victories and more than $2 million in earnings, both second among all apprentices, while boasting a 19% strike rate.

The post Crispin Awarded Eclipse for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Vequist & Essential Quality Take Home Juvenile Championships

Vequist (Nyquist) cemented her status as the leader of what appeared to be an open division earlier in the fall with a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6.

The dark bay finished second in her July 29 debut at Parx, but her connections clearly had plenty of faith in her after that effort, sending her to Saratoga for the GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. She demolished the field that day, earning her diploma by 9 1/2 lengths and becoming her freshman sire's first Grade I winner. Second to Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) as the favorite next out in Belmont's GI Frizette S. Oct. 10, Vequist turned the tables on that rival next out at the World Championships at Keeneland, winning by two lengths at odds of 6-1.

Essential Quality (Tapit) started on his path towards the roses and stamped himself as the top juvenile male of the year with a perfect 2020 season. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant graduation in his Sept. 5 unveiling at Churchill Downs, the Brad Cox trainee scored another good-looking win in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3. The gray returned to that venue for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6, where he rallied from well back to register a 3/4-length victory.

Owned and bred by Godolphin, Essential Quality is out of GSP Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality), a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Folklore (Tiznow), whose own half-sister Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) is the dam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

The post Vequist & Essential Quality Take Home Juvenile Championships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post