February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Fun To Watch Him Run’: McGaughey Sees Big Future For Greatest Honour

Powered by ground-devouring strides, Courtlandt Farm's Greatest Honour galloped past pacesetter Drain the Clock nearing the finish to capture Saturday's $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park with speed to spare.

“It's kind of fun to watch him run,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday morning after reporting that all was well with Greatest Honour, who was settling back in at his winter home at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla.

Greatest Honour finished the 1 1/16-mile stakes for Triple Crown hopefuls at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track in a manner that hardly told the story of his journey to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle. The dirt that covered the son of Tapit as his pictured was being taken was much more telling of challenges the homebred colt had to overcome in order to come through for the bettors who had made him their even-money favorite.

Although he was getting dirt kicked in his face as he raced in traffic well behind pacesetting Drain the Clock along the length of the backstretch, Greatest Honor was hardly about to play the role of a 90-pound weakling. Once he found running room to his outside on the far turn, the McGaughey trainee flexed his considerable muscle and powered his way to a 1 ½-length victory under Jose Ortiz.

“I knew we were in trouble. I was kind of waiting to see how it unfolded. You know, I'm not one to give up until it's time to give up. I knew things weren't going the way we wanted them to go,” McGaughey said. “They weren't going that fast in front of us. I saw what was happening and I felt like if we could get him to the outside we'd have a chance. That's exactly what happened.”

Greatest Honour's gutsy victory in the Fountain of Youth was considerably more testing that his 5 ¾-length romp in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream.

“The Holy Bull – everything went perfect. [Saturday], he didn't get anything perfect and he came back and won,” McGaughey said. “He was doing something he didn't want to do – to run a mile and a sixteenth over this racetrack with the short pole. I'm just glad I don't have to do that anymore.

“I was on the fence whether I wanted to run him back going a mile and a sixteenth here or not,” he added. “I decided that the way he worked last Sunday, it was time to go. Now, we have longer races in front of us. I still think his future is in front of him.”

Greatest Honour is being pointed to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n Dale Farm at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream. McGaughey is hoping that Greatest Honour will follow the example set by Orb, whom he saddled for victories in the 2013 Fountain of Youth, 1 1/8-Florida Derby and the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby (G1).

Greatest Honour virtually earned his way into the Kentucky Derby field with his victory in the Fountain of Youth, which offered 50 qualifying points for the May 1^st Derby. He currently sits atop the standings with 60 points.

McGaughey also reported that Performer exited his third-place finish as the favorite in the $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) in good order.

“I think he was fighting the racetrack a little bit,” said McGaughey, whose trainee had captured the Fred W. Hooper (G3) in his previous start. “I think it's one of those things that it just wasn't his day.

The post ‘Fun To Watch Him Run’: McGaughey Sees Big Future For Greatest Honour appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Study: Tongue Lesions Common In Finnish Trotting Horses

A Finnish study has found that 83 percent of Standardbred racehorses and 90 percent of Finnhorse racehorses have tongue lesions caused by bits, reports The Horse.

The study used 261 racehorses on four Finnish tracks and found that 84 percent of the horses had moderate to severe mouth lesions. However, only 2 percent of the horses had blood that could be seen without opening the horse's mouth.

All horses at the track were required to have an exam when the horse finished racing. The research team classified the horses into four categories based on the number, extent and severity of bruising and open wounds in the horse's mouth,

Researcher Dr. Kati Tuomola concluded that all bits could cause mouth lesions, including unjointed bits and Happy Mouth (bits with a rubber-wrapped mouthpiece) bits, whether or not blood was apparent on the horse. Bit type is the most significant factor affecting mouth lesions, with the worst lesions associated with the single-joint Crescendo bit, which places pressure on small surface areas. Horses that were raced in mild, unjointed bits had lesions on the bars of their mouth.

The study team found no relation between the severity of lesions and the horse's race placings or if the horse broke stride. The team concluded that horses that race well aren't exempt from welfare concerns. The scientists also note that 16 percent of the study horses had no oral lesions, so it is possible to race without harming the horse's mouth.

Arkansas Derby Or Blue Grass Next For Champion Essential Quality

Champion Essential Quality emerged in good order from his victory in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Saturday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., the unbeaten colt's trainer, Brad Cox, said Sunday morning.

Essential Quality received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 96, a career high, for his 4 ¼-length victory in the Southwest, Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races. The odds-on favorite under Luis Saez, Essential Quality ($3.80) covered 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy track in 1:45.58. The gray son of Tapit was making his first start since clinching an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

“Big performance off the layoff,” Cox said. “Hopefully, we can take another jump or two forward, I think, in order to win the Derby. Hopefully, he has it in him. It was a very nice race yesterday.”

Essential Quality, a homebred for Godolphin LLC, will return to his winter base at Fair Grounds to begin major preparations for his final Kentucky Derby prep, Cox said, although he's “not sure” when the colt will leave Hot Springs. Cox said the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 3 at Keeneland and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10 at Oaklawn are the most likely next-race targets.

“We'll get with the Godolphin team, between Jimmy Bell and Dan Pride, and come up with a plan,” Cox said. “I'd have to say either the Blue Grass or the Arkansas Derby. That's about the only thing, really, that makes sense. If something happens as far as weather goes, I guess you could probably look at the Florida Derby. But in this region of the country, I think the most logical spot would be the Arkansas Derby or the Blue Grass.”

Cox has never had a Kentucky Derby starter, but he has three live contenders two months before the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.

In addition to Essential Quality, Cox trains Caddo River, record-setting winner of the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 22 at Oaklawn, and Mandaloun, winner of the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 13 Fair Grounds.

Caddo River, a homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, is scheduled to make his next start in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn. Mandaloun is ticketed for the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) March 20 at Fair Grounds.

“It's all coming together like we kind of envisioned it a couple of months ago,” Cox said. “But we've got two more months, and on the Derby trail that's a long way.”

Mandaloun (52) ranks second on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, according to Churchill Downs. Essential Quality earned 10 points for his Southwest victory and is No. 3 with 40. Caddo River (10) is No. 18.

The Rebel will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters. Caddo River collected 10 points for his 10 ¼-length victory in the Smarty Jones. The Louisiana Derby, Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby are all 170-point races (100-40-20-10).

“He needs to run in a race with some points,” Cox said of Caddo River. “Obviously, Essential Quality had 30 going into yesterday. Picked off 10, so 40 is obviously a good number, with another chance at a 100-point race at some point. Mandaloun is at 52. He's in good shape. Obviously, he'll get a chance at his 100-point race. Caddo River's the one that's going to have to step up in a points race and pick off some points.”

Caddo River had been training at Oaklawn before Cox said he moved the colt to Fair Grounds Feb. 11, just as harsh winter weather was beginning to envelope Hot Springs. Oaklawn lost eight live racing dates and 11 days of training because heavy snow and arctic temperatures. The Southwest was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 15 before being postponed twice. Caddo River has recorded three published workouts at Fair Grounds, including a five-furlong bullet (:59.60) Feb. 20.

“He'll stay down there,” Cox said, referring to Caddo River's final major Rebel preparations.

Two other scheduled Rebel starters are Keepmeinmind for trainer Robertino Diodoro and unbeaten Concert Tour for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Keepmeinmind had been scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the Southwest before weather-related training setbacks led Diodoro to opt for the Rebel. Keepmeinmind returned to the work tab Friday morning at Oaklawn, working five furlongs in 1:03.20 under regular rider David Cohen. The track was rated sloppy.

“Very strong gallop out,” Diodoro said. “He was rolling on the gallop out.”

Unraced since a last-to-first victory in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs, Keepmeinmind has recorded seven workouts this year at Oaklawn. Prior to breaking his maiden in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Keepmeinmind finished second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Keepmeinmind was beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Essential Quality in the Breeders' Futurity and two lengths by Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Diodoro had another close look at the champion Saturday, this time as a highly interested spectator.

“The winner is a very nice horse,” Diodoro said Sunday morning. “The way the track and the weather was, I'm kind of glad we didn't run. Not saying that couldn't happen in three weeks, either. Hopefully, not. The track has taken a beating here the last couple of weeks. No one can stop Mother Nature.”

Southwest runner-up Spielberg came out of the race in “great shape,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday morning. Lukas and assistant Sebastian Nicholl have been caring for the Baffert-trained Spielberg since he was flown Wednesday from Southern California to Arkansas. Baffert said next-race plans are pending for Spielberg, who overcame a horrific start to finish 4 ¼ lengths ahead of multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior.

“There's not a plane for a little while there,” Baffert said. “I haven't really mapped out anything. I wanted to see how he handled that track and all. I'm very happy with the effort. He shipped well. He behaved himself. Other than the gate, everything went well.”

Baffert has won the Rebel a record seven times, including last year's running with Nadal. Concert Tour (2 for 2) broke his maiden Jan. 15 at Santa Anita and won the $200,000 San Vicente (G2) Feb. 6 at Santa Anita. Nadal's resume was exactly the same entering the Rebel.

Keepmeinmind (18) and Spielberg (17) rank sixth and seventh, respectively, on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard. Concert Tour has never run in a Kentucky Derby points race.

The post Arkansas Derby Or Blue Grass Next For Champion Essential Quality appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Off Big Maiden Win, Collaborate In Mix For Florida Derby; Drain The Clock Cutting Back

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old colt Collaborate, an eye-catching maiden winner on Saturday's Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth day program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., may have run himself onto the Triple Crown trail.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday morning that the sophomore son of Into Mischief, also bred by Three Chimneys, is likely to make his next start in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27.

The Florida Derby offers 170 qualifying points (100-40-20-10) to the May 1 Kentucky Derby (G1), as do the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct and Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland, both run April 3. All three preps are contested at 1 1/8 miles.

“The Florida Derby is at home and he just has to walk out of his stall,” Joseph said. “I talked to the owners briefly yesterday and it will probably be between the Florida Derby, the Wood or the Blue Grass, but the Florida Derby will be the front-runner.

“Off [Saturday's] race, we're probably going to take a chance somewhere,” he added. “We feel like he's a Derby horse. I know we're a little behind schedule, but with the ability he has he can probably overcome it.”

Collaborate broke sharply and set a measured pace under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, going in splits of 23.72 seconds, 46.57 and 1:11.12 before beginning to edge away from his 10 rivals. He hit the stretch six lengths in front and kept rolling to win by 12 ½ at the end in 1:36.35 for one mile over a fast main track.

“We weren't surprised. That's hard to say with a horse winning like that but that's the horse we thought he was,” Joseph said. “The first time out, we got him beat. It hurt to get him beat first time out, because we thought he was that good, but you always have to look at the positive in each scenario and the first time I thought he gained valuable experience.”

Collaborate also went off as the favorite for his debut, a six-furlong maiden special weight Feb. 6, where he endured traffic issues after getting away poorly and wound up sixth though beaten just 1 ¼ lengths.

“He was off a tad slow, took a lot of dirt, had to split horses, had to wait, [but] I thought the experience first time out was priceless,” Joseph said. “It hurt getting him beat, but if you draw the positives from the race it was priceless experience and it carried over to yesterday. He stretched out to a mile for the first time and he got a fairly easy race which, in hindsight, I don't mind because his first race I thought was a pretty hard race on him.”

Joseph made his Triple Crown race debut last fall with John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic. Runner-up in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Matt Winn (G2) and Haskell (G1), he finished eighth in the Derby and ninth in the Preakness.

“It's very exciting to have the owners that we have providing these horses to us. We're thankful,” Joseph said. “The horses will make good trainers and we've got some really quality horses now and we're thankful for each and every one.”

Fountain of Youth (G2) Runner-Up Drain the Clock Cutting Back
While impressive maiden-winning stablemate Collaboarate earned the chance to stretch out for a shot at the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Drain the Clock isn't expected to join him.

Joseph said Sunday that Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock, himself a sharp winner of the seven-furlong Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream in his graded debut, would remain at shorter distances for now.

Drain the Clock set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream, his first attempt around two turns, and nearly pulled off the upset before getting reeled in by Holy Bull (G3) winner Greatest Honour.

“Talking to the owners briefly after the race, initially I think we're going to step back and keep him at one turn. We tried it and I think he handled the mile and a sixteenth, but I don't think we're going to try to push it,” Joseph said. “I think we have a really good horse. I feel like we have a Grade 1 horse and he's probably going to be best at one turn, so most likely we're going to stick to one turn.”

The Fountain of Youth was the first loss for Drain the Clock in a race where he finished. He broke his maiden and beat winners in an optional claiming allowance last fall at Gulfstream and Gulfstream Park West, respectively, before losing his rider on the backstretch of the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs. He returned to South Florida and opened his 3-year-old season with a win in the Jan. 3 Limehouse that set him up for the Swale triumph.

Drain the Clock ran splits of 23.66 seconds, 47.18, 1:11.51 and 1:37.45, taking a 2 ½-length lead into the stretch before Greatest Honour, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, closed stoutly on the outside to win by 1 ½ lengths. Drain the Clock, second choice in the wagering behind the winner, was two lengths clear of 18-1 long shot Papetu in third.

“He looked like a winner at the quarter pole but he got run down by a horse that has a lot of stamina and excellent ability in Shug's horse. A credit to Shug for the job he's done with that horse. We lost nothing in defeat. You like to win if you can but if any horse runs like that, you walk away thankful and happy,” Joseph said. “He's doing well. He ate pretty good last night and seemed to cool out well.”

The post Off Big Maiden Win, Collaborate In Mix For Florida Derby; Drain The Clock Cutting Back appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post