February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Summer Romance Takes Next Step In Balanchine

Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut when winning a Yarmouth maiden by two lengths in June of 2019, and she followed that effort up immediately two weeks later with a six-length win at listed level in Newmarket's Empress Fillies' S. Put away for the winter after finishing third in the G3 Dick Poole S., Summer Romance found last year's Covid-delayed G1 1000 Guineas to be a bridge too far at first asking, finishing eighth of 15 behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but she made amends when taking the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom on the Derby undercard just a month later. Summer Romance's abbreviated summer campaign came to a close last year after she finished last of sixth in the G1 Prix Rothschild, and although she likewise failed to sparkle first-up at the carnival when fifth in the G2 Cape Verdi S. on Jan. 28, she was ready second time around and had no problem handling the extra furlong of Thursday's G2 Balanchine S.

Breaking on top, Summer Romance and James Doyle led the field of 10 fillies and mares by about a length down the backstretch. Stylistique (GB) (Dansili {GB}) put the pressure to her at the quarter pole, and Summer Romance responded to kick two lengths clear at the top of the lane. She had lengthened that advantage to four lengths approaching the final furlong, and though Stylistique battled back and Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {GB}) came flying late, Summer Romance was dominant enough to hit the wire 2 1/4 lengths the best.

Winning trainer Charlie Appleby said, “Last time she was fresh and went down to the post with her hood on and they took the hood off and she took [William Buick, rider in the Cape Verdi] on. Also in the pre-race and pre-lims, as you probably all saw, we saddled her out the back there and brought her down late, so she wasn't walking around the paddock. Obviously, she ran with the hood on this time, which has helped her. We ticked a few more boxes on the way in and obviously James gave her a great ride on the front end and she got a soft lead.”

Pedigree Notes

Summer Romance is the sixth foal out of Serena's Storm (Ire) (Statue Of Liberty), herself a half-sister to G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), multiple group winner and Group 1-placed Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal), and listed winner Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal). Serena's Storm previously produced the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and therefore Godolphin had to spend big to get Summer Romance from the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale in 2019, eventually giving €800,000 for her. Summer Romance was a profitable pinhook for Willie Browne, who had bought her for 300,000gns as a Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling. Serena's Storm's now 3-year-old filly Serena's Queen (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) was a winner last year, while this year she has a 2-year-old filly by Dark Angel (Ire) named Midnight Moll (Ire) and a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire). Summer Romance's third dam, Serena's Sister (Rahy), is a full-sister to the American champion and Hall Of Fame mare Serena's Song.

The post Summer Romance Takes Next Step In Balanchine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Empire Maker Filler Mnasek Dominates UAE Oaks

The second fillies' Classic of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, the 1900m (1 3/16 miles) dirt Group 3 UAE Oaks, was turned into a procession by Mnasek who scored a 6 1/2-length victory under Pat Dobbs, the pair far too good for six toiling rivals.

It was a third UAE Oaks success in six years for Dobbs, actually riding this filly for the first time in a race, and Doug Watson who also combined to land the race in 2016 with Polar River and Rayya two years later.

“She just goes out there and and tries hard,” said Watson. “We've done very little with her since she ran. She's a small filly and she has a lot of talent. We worked her in company out of the gate and that helped. Today she didn't enjoy being behind and when she was tipped out you could see it. She was the best filly. I don't know if they'll want to run her in the Derby, but who knows. Fair dues to Shane (Ryan, starter) and the gate crew. The did a great job helping us out. Obviously, she's a little funny in the gate and she broke great tonight. (The owners) should send her to America. That's her second win here. She's got a lot of options over there. If she stays sound and training like she is, she could win over there.”

Owned by Al Rashid Stables, the daughter of Empire Maker won her debut, over 1400m (seven furlongs), in December despite completely blowing the start. She was then very slowly away over 1600m (one mile) in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, staying on late to snatch second.

However, she broke on level terms this time and, once switched off the rail about 1200m from home, soon loomed as a massive danger to Godolphin's Last Sunset who hit the front, briefly, leaving the home turn. As soon as Dobbs said 'go' the race was over with Last Sunset losing second place close home to Nayefah who stayed on dourly having been held up in last.

“She's very brave,” jockey Pat Dobbs said of Mnasek. “She didn't enjoy the early part of the race, getting the kickback, but once she got out, she travelled super. She stays very well. She's a little bit light-mouthed, but she's got a big heart and is a lovely mover.”

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Stakes From Laurel, Aqueduct Highlight Coverage On America’s Day At The Races

Exciting live racing from Aqueduct Racetrack, Laurel Park, Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs will comprise nine hours of live coverage this weekend on America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports.

Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America's Day at the Races will air Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern on FS2, including live coverage on Saturday of the Grade 3, $250,000 General George and Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie from Laurel Park and the $100,000 Maddie May at the Big A.

The Runhappy Barbara Fritchie, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, attracted a field of eight led by popular Maryland-bred Hello Beautiful for trainer Brittany Russell. The 4-year-old Golden Lad filly, to be piloted from the outside post by Sheldon Russell, enters from a trio of wins in stakes company at Laurel Park including a last-out score in the What A Summer. Steep opposition will be provided by Sharp Starr, trained by Horacio DePaz for owner-breeder Barry K. Schwartz, who won the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap in December at Aqueduct.

The Grade 3 General George, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up, will feature Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's New York-bred Funny Guy. Trained by John Terranova, the 5-year-old Big Brown bay, bred in the Empire State by Hibiscus Stables, boasts a record of six wins and six seconds from 17 starts with purse earnings of $638,645. A wide-open field of 10 also includes 2020 Grade 3 Fall Highweight-winner Share the Ride; 2020 Grade 3 Bold Ruler-victor Majestic Dunhill; and 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash winner Laki.

America's Day at the Races will also feature live coverage of stakes action on the Laurel Park undercard including the Miracle Wood, John B. Campbell, Nellie Morse, and Wide Country.

Stakes action at the Big A on Saturday is led by the Maddie May, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomore fillies. The field of nine is headlined by OXO Equine's impressive maiden winner Brattle House, who is trained and co-bred by Christophe Clement. The Malibu Moon bay earned a 65 Beyer Speed Figure in her 5 1/4-length debut romp on November 22 at Aqueduct. She will have to fend of the multiple graded stakes placed Make Mischief, who completed the exacta in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 2 Adirondack last summer at Saratoga. Last out, Chris Englehart saddled the Into Mischief bay to an impressive score in her seasonal debut in an optional-claiming sprint on January 31 at the Big A.

Weekend coverage will also include live racing action from Tampa Bay Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course.

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel which boasts more than 64,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For the current broadcast schedule and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com.

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General George Favorite Funny Guy One Serious Racehorse

His name evokes a smile, and though he has yet to register a win against open competition, make no mistake – Funny Guy is one serious racehorse.

Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's Funny Guy is a five-time stakes winner against fellow New York-breds that owns six wins, six seconds and $638,645 in purse earnings from 17 lifetime starts.

The 5-year-old son of 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner Big Brown has fared well in the occasional foray into open company, including a runner-up finish behind Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in the Vosburgh (G2) last fall at his home base of Belmont Park.

Funny Guy is entered to make his graded-stakes return in Saturday's $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park, where he is the 9-5 program favorite against a field boasting seven other stakes winners including Grade 3 winners Laki, Majestic Dunhill and Share the Ride.

The 45th running of the General George for 4-year-olds and up and $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for females 4 and older, both sprinting seven furlongs, serve as the co-headliners on a nine-race Winter Sprintfest program featuring six stakes worth $900,000 in purses rescheduled from Feb. 13 due to weather.

Funny Guy has been at Laurel since last week under the supervision of Tonja Terranova, wife and assistant to trainer John Terranova. Though training has been intermittently interrupted by weather, John Terranova said Funny Got got in a “strong gallop” Wednesday morning.

“It's all good. We'll just do what we've got to do during the week,” he said. “I guess everyone else is in the same boat with the postponement. We'll just ride the wave.”

The General George will be only the second time Funny Guy has raced outside of New York. The first came in the 2019 Oklahoma Derby (G3), when he ran sixth behind Owendale, third in that year's Preakness, and runner-up Sleepy Eyes Todd, most recently fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park and running in Saturday's $20 million Saudi Cup.

“He's been great. He's honest, he does everything right. He's been a fun horse to be around,” John Terranova said. “He's versatile and just keeps coming back for more each time. He's had a couple little circumstances where maybe the track got to him a little bit or it just didn't set up quite right, but he's always given us a big effort.”

One start prior to last year's Vosburgh, Funny Guy wound up fourth by 2 ½ lengths in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga to Win Win Win, another veteran of the 2019 Triple Crown trail, and Grade 1 winner Complexity, the runner-up. The seven-furlong Forego was contested during a thunderstorm that rolled through at post time. In a sign of respect, Funny Guy was sent off as the favorite in the Forego and Vosburgh.

“The Forego was one of those circumstances with that horrific rainstorm we were in the middle of when they snapped the gate on us. Everybody rushed out to the track and it was an absolute deluge,” Terranova said. “You couldn't even see them. It was like running through a river. He was down inside, just buried in there. The track took away from a lot of performances on that afternoon.”

Funny Guy's stakes wins have come at distances from 6 ½ furlongs to the 1 1/8 miles of the Albany, which he captured by a neck in 2019 at Saratoga, earning him a shot in the Oklahoma Derby. Given some time off after that effort, he returned with back-to-back stakes wins in the one-mile Commentator and seven-furlong John Morrissey last summer.

In his 2021 debut, Funny Guy ran second as the favorite in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy Jan. 9 at Aqueduct, his first start since a neck triumph in the New York Stallion Series Thunder Rumble Nov. 22, also going seven-eighths at the Big A.

“The track was a little loose on him. He's a big, heavy horse and winter tracks, they get cold, they get cuppy, they get loose and dry,” Terranova said. “He doesn't really get his feet that far up off the ground so I think he struggled with it, having that quickness to him. It took it a little bit away from him the last start. Our jock said the same thing after getting off him.”

Funny Guy owns two wins and two seconds in five career tries at the General George distance, and is two-for-three on an off track. A second winter storm is scheduled to pass through the Laurel area Thursday into Friday morning.

“He's certainly doing well coming into this. We're just kind of like in this holding pattern, not much to do this week,” Terranova said. “He's doing great. We've been looking forward to this race. Wet or dry, he's been great. Everything's good.”

Terranova has shipped in to Maryland and left with graded-stakes before, taking the 2019 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) with Killybegs Captain. It was the trainer's most recent of more than a dozen graded triumphs.

“We've been lucky down there and very fortunate that we've had some good success with our horses,” he said. “Hopefully it continues with Funny Guy.”

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