February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Risk Taking Adds to Big Day for Medaglia d’Oro in Withers

Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) added to a big Saturday afternoon for his leading sire, who just minutes earlier had been represented by promising GIII Las Virgenes S. winner Moonlight d'Oro, in Aqueduct's GIII Withers S.

Tracking from a midpack sixth as Jerome S. winner Capo Kane (Street Sense) showed the way through fractions of :24.02 and :48.71, the 9-5 favorite made his move on the outside along the home turn beneath Eric Cancel and blew away the frontrunner by midstretch to kick away an impressive 3 3/4-length winner.

Million-dollar KEESEP yearling Overtook (Curlin) did just that to Capo Kane late to grab second.

The Withers is a GI Kentucky Derby prep race awarding 10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers.

Risk Taking added blinkers and took a major step forward for a good-looking last out maiden victory at third asking over track and trip Dec. 13.

He finished seventh at 4-1 odds behind subsequent Pasco S. winner and GIII Sam F. Davis S. runner-up Nova Rags (Union Rags) sprinting in his Belmont debut Oct. 10, then switched to grass with an equally disappointing sixth-place finish going 1 1/16 miles over yielding going at Aqueduct Nov. 14.

“It's exciting to have a horse that can run a route of ground like this,” winning trainer Chad Brown said.

“He's always been one we thought highly of and even when Barry Eisaman had him in Ocala, he's always liked him. Everyone that's touched the horse has commented about how classy he was, the ability that he has and how he will get better with time and distance.”

On a potential next start in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 3, Brown added, “We'll nominate him to everything, but my first reaction would be not to take him out of New York. He's thriving there right now, so leave it be. I would not cut the horse back in distance from here to the Derby under any circumstances. The most logical spot would be to train him up to the Wood, but I won't make that decision until we observe the horse and I have a chance to over it with the owner, Seth Klarman.”

Pedigree Notes:

Leading sire list stalwart Medaglia d'Oro secured his second new graded winner in approximately 30 minutes when Risk Taking and Moonlight d'Oro scored on opposite coasts to bring his lifetime total to 76. They are two of their sire's five black-type winners of 2021 and 148 in his career. The nick of Medaglia d'Oro over a Distorted Humor mare has been nothing short of sensational, as the two have paired for a remarkable seven graded winners, including current Hong Kong star Golden Sixty (Aus), MGISW Elate, Breeders' Cup winner New Money Honey, MGSW Mrs McDougal, and now Risk Taking. The latter is the first stakes winner for his dam, who produced a colt and filly, respectively, the last two years by Gun Runner and who was bred back to Arrogate. A 2021 foal by the late Arrogate, one of Distorted Humor's best runners out of his daughters, would be inbred 3×2 to that veteran WinStar stallion. Run a Risk is a half-sister to three black-type winners (two graded) from the immediate family of MGSW & MGISP King Cugat (Kingmambo), but even more notable is her exceptional third dam, the great Phipps mare Con Game (Buckpasser). Con Game produced MGISW and leading sire Seeking the Gold (Mr. Prospector), GISW and sire Fast Play (Seattle Slew), and GSW & MGISP Stacked Pack (Majestic Light). Con Game herself was a half-sister to champion Queen of the Stage (Bold Ruler) and to Reviewer (Bold Ruler), sire of the immortal Ruffian.

Saturday, Aqueduct
WITHERS S.-GIII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 2-6, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.91, ft.
1–RISK TAKING, 118, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Run a Risk (MSP, $205,744), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Commodities, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Tricky Game, by Majestic Light
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($240,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-G Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Chad C Brown; J-Eric Cancel. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $182,530. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Overtook, 118, c, 3, Curlin–Got Lucky, by A.P. Indy. ($1,000,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael B Tabor, Mrs John Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Hill 'N' Dale Equine Holdings Inc & Philip J Steinberg (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $50,000.
3–Capo Kane, 120, c, 3, Street Sense–Twirl Me, by Hard Spun. ($35,000 Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $75,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $87,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR; $26,000 2yo '20 EASMAY). O-Bing Cherry Racing Inc & Leonard Liberto; B-Rising Star Farm LLC (CA); T-Harold Wyner. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 9.40, 3.10.
Also Ran: Royal Number, Eagle Orb, Civil War, Donegal Bay, Shackqueenking, Mr. Doda.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Get Smokin Sharp Off Layoff, Wins Tampa Bay Stakes

Making his first start since late November, Mary Abeel Sulllivan Revocable Trust's Get Smokin sat just off the lead for the first six furlongs, took command on the turn for home, then drew off comfortably to win Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, the Thomas Bush-trained 4-year-old gelded son of Get Stormy covered 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.75. He returned $10 for the win, his third in 12 starts and second graded stakes triumph.

Eons checked in second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, with a fast closing Admission Office a neck back in third, Talk or Listen fourth and 5-2 favorite Greyes Creek fifth in the field of 12 older runners.

Usually a front-runner, including his last start when fourth in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, Get Smokin settled into second when longshot Proven Strategies forged to an early lead. The latter went an opening quarter mile in :22.75, a half in :46.39 and six furlongs in 1:10.65.

Alvarado sent Get Smokin after the pacesetter into the far turn and the gelding spurted away from the field with a strong move at the top of the stretch. He hit the mile marker in 1:34.44 en route to his final clocking.

“I had to get out of there running,” said Alvarado. “He's a fast horse and he likes to be on the lead, but I knew (Proven Strategies) has a lot of speed too, so it wasn't necessary for me to keep going after him and go head-to-head. So I took a hold and my horse came back to me beautifully and relaxed so well. I knew the whole way around I had plenty of horse under me and by the three-eighths pole, when I put him outside and started picking it up, I had plenty of horse left. Turning for home, I was just a passenger and keeping him happy and he started picking it up on his own without me asking, so I knew I was in good shape.”

“We're thrilled,” Bush said. “We were worried about the speed in there and I knew that one horse (pace-setter Proven Strategies) would be a little bit of a thorn in our side today, but (Get Smokin) was ready today. We were pretty confident. (Junior Alvarado) rode a beauty for sure. Our horse was coming into it great, we gave him a little freshening after California and he has really responded since he got to Florida. He's been in the feed tub and we were really hoping he would run this race and he did. We're probably going to hold off on him and hopefully he will be ready for Keeneland. (Owner Mary Abeel Sullivan) lives in Vero Beach and just watched it on TV and she just called and is very excited. She will be 92 on Monday and is thrilled.”

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Curlin Filly Bosses Rivals in Suncoast

Favored at 9-5 while making her return to stakes company in Saturday's Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Breeze Easy's Curlin's Catch (Curlin) split horses decisively at the entrance to the home stretch and powered clear to score by daylight.

Beaten for speed in a scratched-down field of seven, the Ontario-bred raced slightly worse than midfield through the opening stages with a couple of rivals behind. Ridden quietly down the backstretch, she caught the eye when rallying between rivals three furlongs out, took an inside path into the lane and ran out a convincing winner. Pacesetting Be Sneaky (Into Mischief) set a moderate tempo and held for second ahead of Il Malocchio (Souper Speedy) in third.

A debut second two-turning over the Woodbine synthetic Oct. 11, the Sam-Son-bred filly was a low-odds fifth in the restricted Princess Elizabeth S. Oct. 31 before getting some time off. The $180,000 KEESEP yearling turned $440,000 OBSAPR breezer made her first appearance on the dirt in a one-mile event at Gulfstream Jan. 3, leading throughout to score by 2 3/4 lengths.

Curlin's Catch is one of three winners from six to race from her dam, Canada's Sovereign Award-winning juvenile filly of 2006. The winner, the 74th at stakes level for her sire, is bred on the very potent cross over A.P. Indy-line mares that has been responsible for the likes of champion Stellar Wind, other Grade I winners Global Campaign and Paris Lights and other graded winners Tenfold, Point of Honor and Malathaat. Catch the Thrill, who RNAd for $180,000 at KEENOV in 2018, produced a full-sister to Curlin's Catch in 2019. She was most recently bred to Curlin's Grade I-winning son Connect.

SUNCOAST S., $100,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 2-6, 3yo, f, 1m 40y, 1:40.89, ft.
1–CURLIN'S CATCH, 118, f, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Catch the Thrill (Ch. 2yo Filly-Can, SW, $290,167), by A.P. Indy
1nd Dam: Catch the Ring, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Radiant Ring, by Halo
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. ($180,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $430,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Breeze Easy LLC; B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Mark E Casse; J-Antonio A Gallardo. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $103,454. *1/2 to Chic Thrill (Smart Strike), SP, $159,375.
2–Be Sneaky, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Bella Castani, by Big Brown. O-Lael Stables; B-M Roy Jackson (KY); T-Arnaud Delacour. $20,000.
3–Il Malocchio, 118, f, 3, Souper Speedy–Egbert Bay, by Sligo Bay (Ire). O/B-Franco S Meli (ON); T-Kenneth G McPeek. $10,000.
Margins: 4HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.80, 4.80, 4.00.
Also Ran: Special Princess, Feeling Mischief, Roll Up Mo Money, Scenic Overlook. Scratched: Gulf Coast, Honorifique, Jade Empress.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Medaglia d’Oro Filly Last to First in Las Virgenes

The highly regarded Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) took her first steps toward the GI Kentucky Oaks for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella with an impressive, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita.

The good-looking, last out Los Alamitos maiden winner in her two-turn debut with a field-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure Dec. 13 was sent off as the 6-5 second-choice in this stakes debut.

She was content to trail the field of five beneath Flavien Prat as the Bob Baffert-trained favorite Kalypso (Brody's Cause), a last out winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. and runner-up in the GI Starlet S., led through fractions of :23.25 and :47.47.

Moonlight d'Oro caught the eye with a flashy, three-wide move as they approached the quarter pole and took care of business from there, powering clear in the stretch to win with authority.

The Las Virgenes carries 10-4-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Moonlight d'Oro faced the starter two previous times sprinting before earning her diploma. She gamely split horses in deep stretch after getting outsprinted early to finish an educational second as the 3-5 favorite on debut last summer at Del Mar Aug. 2. She also completed the trifecta going six furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 7.

“It turned out good,” Mandella said. “I was worried she got a little washy going to the gate, and she was a lamb over at Los Alamitos where she should have gotten upset. Sometimes you take them over to something like that and then the next time they're looking for the excitement.”

Prat added, “I was trying to see if I should stay inside or go around, and I decided to go around. She was there for me when I asked her to go. [Joel] Rosario was at the front and nobody was really bothering him, but when I came around the turn, I made that great move and tried to get some momentum out of it. She was traveling nicely behind horses, and I was very happy with how she ran.”

Winning co-owners MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm also campaigned recently crowned Horse of the Year and new Spendthrift sire Authentic (Into Mischief) in partnership. They are currently also represented by the MGSP 4-year-old Tizamagician (Tiznow), runner-up in last weekend's GII San Pasqual S.

Backed by B. Wayne Hughes's high-powered operation, the microshare partnership re-loaded at the yearling sales last fall, purchasing 14 head at Keeneland September for $3.355 million and another $850,000 on three yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Showcase.

For a feature on Moonlight d'Oro and her owners earlier this week, click here.

Pedigree Notes:

Among the perennial leading sires, Darley's Medaglia d'Oro notched his 75th graded winner with Moonlight d'Oro's Las Virgenes score, half an hour before adding his 76th with Risk Taking's GIII Withers win. The striking bay and triple Grade I winner is just shy of 150 career black-type winners with 148. His four-years younger stablemate in the Darley stallion barn, Bernardini, is Moonlight d'Oro's broodmare sire. The filly becomes the 44th stakes winner out of a Bernardini daughter and the second by Medaglia d'Oro. With zero inbreeding through her first five generations, Moonlight d'Oro is a half-sister to 2016 GII Adirondack S. placer Olive Branch (Speightstown), while her own dam is a full-sister to GSW Wilburn and SW & GSP La Appassionata, all by Bernardini, as well as a half-sister to GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa). Second dam Moonlight Sonata (Carson City) is a half to GISW Bevo (Prospectors Gamble) and to the dam of 2017 champion and $5-million seller Abel Tasman (Quality Road). Venetian Sonata's yearling colt is by Justify. She was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro.

Saturday, Santa Anita
LAS VIRGENES S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 2-6, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.01, ft.
1–MOONLIGHT D'ORO, 120, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($620,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Richard E Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, $163,040. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kalypso, 120, f, 3, Brody's Cause–Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon. ($240,000 Ylg '19 FTKJUL). O-David A Bernsen, LLC, Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Moraz, 120, f, 3, Empire Maker–Malvinia, by A.P. Indy. O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W McCarthy. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 1.00, 4.10.
Also Ran: Brilliant Cut, Honor America.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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