February, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

One-Time $25,000 Claim Queen Nekia Earns Graded Status With Royal Delta Win

Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia benefited from a hotly contested early pace to earn graded-stakes credentials with a rallying victory in Saturday's $100,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 6-year-old Harlington mare, who finished a close third in last year's edition of the 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares after being claimed for $25,000 two starts earlier, also benefited from a ground-saving ride by Corey Lanerie to pull off a 29-1 upset.

Queen Nekia rated well off a strong pace contested by 3-2 favorite Mrs. Danvers and the Joseph-trained Gibberish, who set fractions of 23.31 and 46.48 seconds for the first half mile. Gibberish continued to turn back Mrs. Danvers's outside challenge into to the homestretch turn, but Eres Tu, the 2-1 second betting choice made a sweeping move around them entering the stretch and appeared on her way to her fourth straight win. The new leader seemed to stall upon getting a clear lead at the top of the stretch and suddenly came under attack from Queen Nekia, who kicked strongly along the rail and drew away by 1 ¾ lengths.

“It set up good. I saw a little pace on paper, and she broke really good. I was trying to get over to the rail, and then finally I just kind of let all the speed go and got back a little bit, probably a little bit further than I wanted to,” said Lanerie following his third victory of the day. “When I called on her, I had a lot of horse.”

Eres Tu finished second under Irad Ortiz Jr., 4 ¾ lengths ahead of Bajan Girl. Gibberish finished fourth and Mrs. Danvers checked in fifth.

Queen Nekia, who ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43,62, had most recently finished fourth behind stablemate Gibberish in the $100,000 Treasure Coast at Delta Downs Nov. 27.

“[For] both horses, since they ran together at Delta Downs, this has been the intended target – give them a freshening and train them together. Gibberish, I don't think she was at her best, plus I think the pace didn't help her,” Joseph said. “Queen Nekia finished third last year. She's a deserving winner. She's a filly that deserved a Grade 3. She's a filly we claimed for $25,000, and this makes her so much more valuable.

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Derby Points On the Line In Hyacinth

Sunday's live program at Tokyo Racecourse features the return of Group 1 action in the one-mile February S., but about 90 minutes earlier, the nation's 3-year-old set will compete for a Kentucky Derby points that are up for grabs in the $347,257 Listed Hyacinth S. over the same distance.

Nobutaka Tada's La Perouse (Jpn) (Pelusa {Jpn}) is the only member of the 11-strong field that was given an entry into the Triple Crown series at its first closing stage in late January. The homebred was well beaten trying the turf on his career debut last June, but won two of his first three starts on dirt against easier competition at Mombetsu on the National Association of Racing circuit. He proved that he could handle JRA company in his last start, a 2 1/2-length victory in a nine-furlong allowance at Nakayama Dec. 13. Leading rider Christophe Lemaire sees fit to take the call.

The Frenchman partnered with Takeru Pegasus (Jpn) (Dunkirk) in his three juvenile appearances, including a nine-length graduation over Sunday's course and trip Nov. 7 ahead of a runner-up effort to Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) in the first leg of the Japan Road to the Derby, the Nov. 28 Cattleya Sho (allowance). Yuga Kawada takes over from Lemaire.

Bakushin (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) was a 10-length maiden winner going seven furlongs over this strip Oct. 17 and added a Nov. 14 allowance before finishing fifth to Triple Crown nominee Alain Barows (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in the second leg of the series, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Dec. 16.

Ladybug (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}), one of three fillies in the Hyacinth, belied debut odds of 50-1 to score by five at Hanshin Nov. 14 and was a latest second in the Hyogo Junior Grand Prix at NAR track Sonoda Dec. 2.

The Hyacinth offers Derby points on a 30-12-6-3 scale.

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Rising Star Roman Centurian Works for San Felipe

'TDN Rising Star' Roman Centurian (Empire Maker), last seen finishing a neck second to Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the Jan. 30 GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita, worked Saturday at the Los Angeles-area track, getting five panels in 1:00.40 for trainer Simon Callaghan. The sophomore colt is scheduled to take on fellow 'Rising Star' and subsequent GIII Sham S. winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who bested him in their Nov. 22 debut at Del Mar.

A $550,000 Keeneland September yearling, Roman Centurian is being pointed to the GII San Felipe S., which is to be held Mar. 6 at Santa Anita. Regular rider Juan Hernandez rode the Don Alberto Stable and Qatar Racing Limited colorbearer in Saturday's work and will be aboard in the San Felipe.

“I was very happy,” Callaghan said. “It was a typical breeze for him. He moved good and finished up really well.”

Continued the trainer, “I think the San Felipe will reveal a lot, but again, Roman Centurian is a very good horse. I'm happy with him and looking forward to the race. It's five weeks from the Lewis to the San Felipe, so we're going to see some progression in our horse. There's lots of blue sky ahead of him.”

The San Felipe leads into the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3 and offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to the third-place finisher, and five to the fourth.

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Share The Ride Takes Inside Route To Victory In General George

Silvino Ramirez's Share the Ride soared through an opening along the rail entering the stretch and pulled away to earn his second career graded-stakes victory and give journeyman rider Victor Carrasco his first in Saturday's $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park.

The 45th running of the General George for 4-year-olds and up and the 69th edition of the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and older, both sprinting seven furlongs, co-headlined a Winter Sprintfest program of six stakes worth $900,000 in purses.

Originally scheduled for Feb. 13, Winter Sprintfest was pushed back a week after winter storms passed through the Mid-Atlantic region. Parx-based Share the Ride ($10.80) hit the wire in 1:22.85 over a fast main track.

Winner of the 2013 Eclipse Award as North America's champion apprentice, the 28-year-old Carrasco has battled through assorted injuries over his career, picking up his 1,000^th lifetime winner last January at Laurel.

“First of all I want to say thanks to the trainer and the owner. I can't even explain,” Carrasco said. “I've been through so much in my career [that] when I passed the wire, I could not believe it. But thank God we're here and thanks to Share the Ride, we got it done.”

Share the Ride, a gelded son of Candy Ride, won the six-furlong Fall Highweight (G3) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct to cap his 2020 campaign. He made his 6-year-old debut Jan. 16 at Laurel, leading into deep stretch before being caught at the wire and finishing second by a neck behind Wendell Fong.

Last time out, Share the Ride chased the pace on the outside and settled four third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths as the favorite, in the seven-furlong Toboggan (G3) Jan. 30 at Aqueduct.

“Everything came out like the plan we made. We're really happy,” Ramirez said. “He's a fast horse. He likes to run in front. He was a little behind last time. He didn't like it so much, so this time we were in front. That's the way he likes it.”

Arthur's Hope and jockey Alcibiades Cortez were eager for the lead and held it through a brisk pace of 23.20 seconds for a quarter-mile and 46.13 for the half, with Share the Ride in close pursuit. Arthur's Hope drifted out as the field approached the stretch and Share the Ride had plenty of room to roll once straightened for home.

Tattooed, upset winner of the one-mile Jennings Jan. 16 at Laurel in his previous start, split horses in mid-stretch to get up for second, two lengths ahead of 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki. It was another half-length back to multiple stakes winner Lebda in fourth.

Arthur's Hope, Informative, Chilly in Charge, Grade 3 winner Majestic Dunhill and 2-1 favorite Funny Guy completed the order of finish. Fortunate Friends was scratched.

“The instructions were to not go to the lead, to make sure that I sit second or third, and I tried my best to do that. When I saw Cortez on my outside, I just sat patient and waited and when we got near to the quarter pole and said, 'Go,' he responded well and we got the 'W,'” Carrasco said.

“To be honest I felt like he was never slowing down,” he added. “I was a little concerned by the sixteenth pole because I've been in that position before where you feel like to you them and then you get nailed at the wire. But I felt like I had enough from the sixteenth pole to the wire.”

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