January, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Frank’s Rockette Returns To Winning Ways In American Beauty

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc's multiple Grade 2 winner Frank's Rockette lived up to her 1-2 odds and returned to the winner's circle after making a successful 2021 debut in Saturday's $150,000 American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. The 4-year-old filly was making her first start since taking on older males in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last November.

Breaking from post 7 under jockey Florent Geroux, Frank's Rockette raced just to the outside of 2019 American Beauty winner Amy's Challenge and stayed within easy striking distance through early fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 3/5 before edging clear of her rival to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Her final time was 1:10 over a muddy track. Wildwood's Beauty was third.

“She broke very alertly, which gave me a great option to be right there off the speed without any effort,” Geroux said. “And, from there, I was just continuing to get pressure on Amy's Challenge because when she's on the lead she can be very difficult to pass. I wanted to make sure I didn't give my filly too much to do down the lane. But she was very professional and when I asked her to go down the lane, she was all in and she gave me everything she had.”

Frank's Rockette, a homebred daughter of Into Mischief, improved her record to 7-4-0 in 12 starts and has now earned $696,103. She returned $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 as the heavy favorite.

“Nice to see her come off the bench,” trainer Bill Mott add via phone. “It's great. What makes it better is Mr. (Frank) Fletcher was there at his home track and he was there, so, you know I mean, that's like winning two. She ran on an off track there last year, but the bottom line is she ran into a very good filly (Kimari). Florent (Geroux) thought she handled it well enough today. Knowing she was second against a really good filly there last year, I felt she would handle it. Is it her favorite surface? Well, I don't know. But she certainly handled it well enough today.”

Frank's Rockette was saddled by Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl, longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Frank's Rockette shipped into Lukas' barn.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Oaklawn with a 1 p.m. first post.

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Express Train Breaks Through With San Pasqual Triumph At Santa Anita

C R K Stable's Express Train sat a perfect trip and rallied through the stretch to take Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths, with his next stop scheduled to be the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. Trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Express Train got 1 1/8 miles over a Santa Anita main track listed as “good” in 1:52.13.

A close fourth, about two lengths off of Tizamagician around the clubhouse turn, Express Train saved ground at the rail, angled out a quarter mile from home and rallied three-deep through the lane while finding his best stride late in a very impressive effort.

“The difference was the distance (of) a mile and an eighth and different horses,” said Hernandez, who had ridden Express Train to a second place finish behind top rated Charlatan going seven furlongs in the G1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26. “He loves going short and going long, so you can do whatever you want with him, he's a really nice horse.

“…There were three horses that tried to go to the lead and my horse relaxed pretty well behind them. … I was just waiting to (get into) the stretch to let him run, that's what (he) did. Around the turn before the stretch, I checked, I went outside and I was clear and he started running again.”

The second choice at 5-2 in a field of five, Express Train paid $7.20, $3.60 and $2.20.

“We knew there was plenty of speed in the race and it worked out fine,” said Shirreffs. “Juan fits this horse very well, show me a horse that he doesn't fit. When you speak to him, he exudes confidence. He's a rider. We'll stay home and run in the Big 'Cap (1 ¼ miles on March 6).”

A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, out of the Mineshaft mare I'm a Flake, Express Train notched his first stakes win in his eighth career start. With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $293,300 from an overall mark of 8-3-3-0.

Tizamagician, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, proved extra game, holding off even money favorite Idol by a neck for the place. Off at 5-1, Tizamagician paid $5.00 and $2.60.

Idol, unhurried early while an attentive last to the far turn, never threatened for the win, finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Zestful. Ridden by eastern-based Gabriel Saez, Idol paid $2.10 to show.

Although Saturday turned out to be a spectacularly sunny day with the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains serving as a backdrop, the track took on 2.4 inches of rain through noon Friday, resulting in slower times throughout the afternoon.

Fractions on the San Pasqual were 23.84, 48.74, 1:13.70 and 1:39.26.

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Record Holy Bull Day Handle at Gulfstream

Saturday's 12-race program at Gulfstream Park, topped by Greatest Honour (Tapit)'s powerful victory in the GIII Holy Bull S., set a new record for handle for the program.

Total handle on the afternoon was $21.87 million, eclipsing the previous record of $19.775 set in 2017 and surpassing last year's total handle by 20%.

“It was a wonderful day of racing, and we want to thank the fans and the horsemen for supporting our program,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Racing. “Congratulations to Greatest Honour and all of those who participated in making this a memorable afternoon. We look forward to more great racing in the weeks to come during our Championship Meet.”

The post Record Holy Bull Day Handle at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Medina Spirit Emerges With Narrow Victory In Robert B. Lewis Stakes

In a gutty gate to wire performance, Medina Spirit fought off all challengers to take Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by a neck and thus stamped himself a top tier Derby hopeful for Bob Baffert. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. and ridden by Abel Cedillo, Medina Spirit got 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.26 over a Santa Anita main track listed as “good” due to recent rains that deposited 2.4 inches of rain through noon on Friday.

Sent to the lead while head and head with Parnelli and Wipe the Slate into the clubhouse turn, Medina Spirit was pressed up the backside by Wipe the Slate, who was three quarters of length back three furlongs out. With a length advantage at the top of the stretch, Medina Spirit drifted out a bit and was immediately engaged by Hot Rod Charlie and Roman Centurian in a thrilling three-horse battle to the wire. Baffert's other entrant, Spielberg, finished fourth.

The top four finishers earned 10-4-2-1 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard

“He's a very game horse,” said Cedillo, who collected his third win on the day and who has now ridden the Florida-bred colt by Protonico in all three of his races. “At the quarter pole, I didn't know, but he looked around and when he saw those horses, he kept going. He didn't get tired at all. On the gallop out (after the wire), he was by himself.”

A close second to highly regarded stablemate Life is Good going one mile in the G3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 2, Medina Spirit was heavily backed as the even-money favorite in a field of six sophomores and paid $4.00, $2.80 and $2.20.

“That reminded me a little bit of Silver Charm (1997 Kentucky Derby winner),” said Baffert, who rung up his record ninth Lewis win today. “He had every reason to give it up late in the stretch (when) those horses came to him. I thought he was beat. I thought they were going to get by and he wouldn't let them by, he fought on.

“…We just have to keep him healthy. It's a really tiring track, he went real fast early, but he showed that he had the qualities there. It's nice to win the Robert B. Lewis because it means so much to me. I would have liked my other horse (fourth place finisher Spielberg) to run better than he did, but those things happen.”

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Medina Spirit, who is out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa, was sold for just $35,000 at public auction last July after being purchased for $1,000 as a yearling – both sales at Ocala Breeders' Sales Company. With today's winnings of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $95,200 from three starts.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Roman Centurian, an impressive 1 1/16 mile maiden winner on Jan. 3, was last early and rallied resolutely while caught five wide turning for home to best Hot Rod Charlie by a nose for second money. Off at 11-1 with Juan Hernandez, Roman Centurian paid $7.60 and $3.80.

A close second in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie ran huge off the bench, finishing 11 lengths clear of Spielberg. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Hot Rod Charlie was the second choice at 5-2 and paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 22.89, 46.61, 1:12.36 and 1:39.34.

Named in honor of the late Thoroughbred owner and philanthropist Robert B. Lewis, who along with his wife Beverly, owned two Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm in 1997 and Charismatic in 1999, the Lewis winner receives 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, with four to second, two to third and one point to the fourth place finisher.

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