February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Southwest Showdown Well Worth the Wait

Following a two-week delay as Mother Nature packed a powerful winter punch, a pair of 3-year-old heavyweights are set for round two in Saturday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park.

Recently crowned champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) capped a perfect, three-for-three season closing smartly into a hot pace after covering plenty of ground to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last out Nov. 6. The Godolphin homebred previously stalked and pounced with authority in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3. Regular rider Luis Saez will be aboard the 3-2 morning-line favorite, who has been assigned the rail in the field of seven.

“I don't think [the rescheduling] is a negative at all, as far as moving forward, with any of my horses,” said trainer Brad Cox, who will also saddle champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Sunday's postponed GIII Bayakoa S. in Hot Springs.

Two-time Grade I winner Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), favored at 4-5 while carrying a four-for-four record into the Juvenile, paid the price for racing prominently through ambitious fractions of :22.58 and :45.31 that day, and all things considered, ran well in defeat to stay on fourth in his route debut after leading at the stretch call. The bay's resume is highlighted by front-running tallies in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 7 and GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 10, respectively. He will be the one to catch in this second attempt around two turns.

Spielberg (Union Rags), the narrowest of winners two starts back in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, invades from Bob Baffert's Santa Anita base following a no-show fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30. Los Al Futurity runner-up The Great One (Nyquist), meanwhile, returned with a flashy, 14-length maiden victory and 92 Beyer Speed Figure for Doug O'Neill in Arcadia Jan. 23.

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Monmouth Releases 2021 Stakes Schedule Worth Over $6 Million

Monmouth Park is set to hold 53 racing days for its 2021 meet, highlighted by the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 17 and 45 other stakes races. The meet will open Friday, May 28, with the $100,000 Jersey Derby, and will run through Sept. 26. The New Jersey track will offer $6,150,000 in stakes races as it hosts its 76th racing season. A total of 46 black-type events will be contested at Monmouth, including 10 graded stakes and 10 New Jersey-bred stakes.

The $1-million Haskell, won last year by eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief), is traditionally the highlight of Monmouth's racing in New Jersey. Authentic earned the $1-million BetMakers bonanza bonus in 2020 by capturing a trio of races: the Haskell, the GI Kentucky Derby, and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The GI United Nations S. and three other graded races will also be held on the same day as the Haskell. The United Nations, worth $300,000 last year, will get a purse increase to $500,000 for 2021.

A local favorite, the annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, now in its 19th year, will be renewed Aug. 29. Featured on that card is the $125,000 Charles Hesse III H., plus two other stakes events.

Stall applications for the 2021 meet are due by Mar. 31. Visit monmouthpark.com for the entire stakes schedule.

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Monmouth Park Announces Stakes Schedule Worth $6.15 Million

Led by the Grade 1, $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park is set to offer $6,150,000 in stakes races when the track kicks off its 76th season on Friday, May 28.

This year's race meet, which runs through Sept. 26, will feature 46 total stakes, 10 graded events, and 10 stakes restricted to New Jersey-bred horses.

Last year's Haskell Day saw Horse of the Year Authentic capture New Jersey's most prestigious race en route to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic, earning the $1 million BetMakers bonanza by capturing all three events. This year's Haskell Day will once again feature six stakes races, including Monmouth Park's other Grade 1 event, the United Nations Stakes, which will have a purse boost from $300,000 to $500,000.

The 19th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes events, will be renewed on Aug. 29, with the $125,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap headlining that card.

Stall applications, which are due by March 31, are now available online at www.monmouthpark.com or in hard copy format in the Monmouth Park racing office.

The entire 2021 stakes schedule is:

Run Date	Stakes Name		Purse	Division	Distance

28-May-21	Jersey Derby		$100,000	3 YO	1 mile (Turf)
29-May-21	Mr. Prospector Stakes	Listed	$100,000	3 and up	6 furlongs
30-May-21	Politely Stakes		$75,000	F & M 3 and up	5 furlongs (Turf)
31-May-21	Spruce Fir Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	F & M 3 and up	6 furlongs
5-Jun-21	Monmouth Stakes	G3	$150,000	3 and up	1 1/8 miles (Turf)
6-Jun-21	Lady's Secret Stakes	Listed	$100,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/16 miles
12-Jun-21	Salvator Mile	G3	$150,000	3 and up	1 mile
13-Jun-21	TVG.com Pegasus Stakes	Listed	$150,000	3 YO	1 1/16 miles
19-Jun-21	Get Serious Stakes		$75,000	3 and up	5 furlongs (Turf)
20-Jun-21	Eatontown Stakes	G3	$150,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
26-Jun-21	Boiling Springs Stakes		$75,000	3 YO Fillies	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
27-Jun-21	Smart N Classy Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	F & M 3 and up	1 Mile
3-Jul-21	Regret Stakes		$75,000	F & M 3 and up	6 furlongs
4-Jul-21	John J. Reilly Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	3 and up	6 furlongs
10-Jul-21	Blue Sparkler Stakes		$75,000	3 YO Fillies	5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
11-Jul-21	My Frenchman Stakes		$75,000	3 YO	5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
17-Jul-21	TVG.com Haskell Stakes	G1	$1,000,000	3 YO	1 1/8 miles
17-Jul-21	United Nations Stakes	G1	$500,000	3 and up	1 3/8 miles (Turf)
17-Jul-21	Monmouth Cup	G3	$300,000	3 and up	1 1/8 miles
17-Jul-21	Molly Pitcher Stakes	G3	$250,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/16 miles
17-Jul-21	WinStar Matchmaker Stakes	G3	$150,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/8 miles (Turf)
17-Jul-21	Wolf Hill Stakes		$75,000	3 and up	5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
18-Jul-21	Jersey Girl Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	F & M 3 and up	1 mile (Turf)
24-Jul-21	Irish War Cry Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	3 and up	1 mile (Turf)
25-Jul-21	Tale of the Cat Stakes		$75,000	3 YO	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
31-Jul-21	Monmouth Oaks	G3	$200,000	3 YO Fillies	1 1/16 miles
1-Aug-21	Colleen Stakes		$75,000	2 YO Fillies	5 furlongs (Turf)
7-Aug-21	Tyro Stakes		$75,000	2 YO	5 furlongs (Turf)
8-Aug-21	Oceanport Stakes	Listed	$100,000	3 and up	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
14-Aug-21	Incredible Revenge Stakes		$75,000	F & M 3 and up	5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
15-Aug-21	Jersey Shore Stakes		$75,000	3 YO	6 furlongs
21-Aug-21	Philip H. Iselin Stakes	G3	$200,000	3 and up	1 1/16 miles
22-Aug-21	Rainbow Heir Stakes		$75,000	3 and up	5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
28-Aug-21	Miss Liberty Stakes	Listed	$100,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
29-Aug-21	Charles Hesse III Handicap	NJ Breds	$125,000	3 and up	1 1/16 miles
29-Aug-21	NJ Breeders Handicap	NJ Breds	$100,000	3 and up	6 furlongs
29-Aug-21	Eleven North Handicap	NJ Breds	$100,000	F & M 3 and up	6 furlongs
4-Sep-21	Red Bank Stakes	Listed	$100,000	3 and up	1 mile (Turf)
5-Sep-21	Sapling Stakes		$100,000	2 YO	1 mile
6-Sep-21	Sorority Stakes		$100,000	2 YO Fillies	1 mile
11-Sep-21	Rumson Stakes		$75,000	3 and up	5 furlongs
12-Sep-21	Presious Passion Stakes		$75,000	3 and up	1 1/2 miles (Turf)
18-Sep-21	Pinot Grigio Stakes	NJ Breds	$75,000	F & M 3 and up	5 furlongs (Turf)
19-Sep-21	Joey P. Handicap	NJ Breds	$75,000	3 and up	5 furlongs (Turf)
25-Sep-21	Violet Stakes	Listed	$100,000	F & M 3 and up	1 1/16 miles (Turf)
26-Sep-21	Smoke Glacken Stakes		$75,000	2 YO	6 furlongs

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TVG’s Weekend Programming Features Live Coverage Of Derby Preps

TVG's coverage of the road to the Kentucky Derby will continue this weekend with live, on-site coverage of key Kentucky Derby prep races from Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) featuring the return of Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality and the $300,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

TVG's Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park on Saturday with interviews, insights and analysis of the eleven-race card which features three stakes races including the $750,000 Southwest Stakes which will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and serves as a steppingstone to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10. The Southwest Stakes (G3) will feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Essential Quality for trainer Brad Cox. The Godolphin homebred son of Tapit is undefeated from three starts and will have Luis Saez in the irons as he faces six rivals including multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior.

Sunday at Oaklawn Park will mark the much-anticipated return of dual Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl for trainer Brad Cox. The six-year-old mare, freshened since a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), will face five rivals in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3). Florent Geroux will be aboard the daughter of Tapizar who was purchased for $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton in November by Spendthrift Farm.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue at Gulfstream Park on Saturday and the award-winning network will have Gabby Gaudet, Joaquin Jaime and Caleb Keller on-site with expanded coverage of the fourteen-race card which will feature nine stakes races. The Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of ten including the 9-5 morning line favorite, Greatest Honour for Shug McGaughey, III. The bay son of Tapit was last seen winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) in January and will have Jose Ortiz aboard.

Saturday at Gulfstream Park will also feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Vequist in the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The two-time Grade 1 winning filly will square off against eleven-rivals with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons.

TVG will also be live trackside at Santa Anita with Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton anchoring the coverage from California with a nine-race card. The featured event is the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for three-year-olds going one-mile on the turf which has drawn a field of six including Rock Your World for trainer John Sadler and jockey Umberto Rispoli.

There are also Kentucky Derby points on the line at Turfway Park on Friday night in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. The race will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and features a field of thirteen including the Canadian-bred Grade 1 winner Gretzky the Great, installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for Mark Casse.

In addition to racing from Oaklawn, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, TVG will be featuring racing from Tampa Bay Downs, Fair Grounds, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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