Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Wednesday, March 31
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Wednesday's meetings at Southwell, Ludlow, Kempton and Hexham.
Month: March 2021
Godolphin Wields Rising Star Duo in Saturday’s Derby Preps
Godolphin has been riding a high since annexing last weekend's GI Dubai World Cup with homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and the operation looks to assert its dominance in the sophomore division Saturday with a pair of TDN Rising Stars, defending juvenile champion Essential Quality (Tapit), slated to run in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Aqueduct's GII Wood Memorial contender Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro).
Essential Quality earned his Rising Star status courtesy of a four-length victory sprinting six panels at Churchill Downs last September before handling his step up to graded company with aplomb, taking the 8 1/2-furlong GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in October and tied up a championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 6.
“I think one of his better races might have been his maiden race,” said Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell. “We needed a race just to get him started. [In his debut], he showed athleticism and speed going short and won by daylight. He then jumped right into the deep end and won the Futurity and Breeders' Cup. Not many can do that and that's really what sets him apart. He's quite versatile and athletic and with a very good mind. When you put all those things together, it can occasionally get you these kinds of results.”
Drawing post 4, the Feb. 27 GIII Southwest S. winner will be partnered by Luis Saez, aboard for his last three starts in addition to last weekend's World Cup winner Mystic Guide. Bell indicated that trainer Brad Cox outlined a 3-year-old pre-Derby campaign soon after the Breeders' Cup, and the Derby pre-amble would consist of only a pair of preps, including the Blue Grass, which was targeted largely because of its timing and the colt's obvious affinity for Keeneland.
Standing in stark contrast to Essential Quality, who has already cemented his spot in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, stablemate Prevalence will have to earn his stripes in top company to earn a ticket to Louisville. Earning Rising Star billing following a flashy 8 1/2-length win going seven panels at Gulfstream Jan. 23, the homebred followed-up with another victory while adding a furlong against optional claiming company at the Hallandale oval Mar. 11.
“A lot of time you get that 'wow' first performance and they go back over for the second race and it's not always the same result,” said Bell. “They are a little more tuned in to what it's all about. In fairness, it was his lifetime second start. That was one of the blessings we had coming back in an allowance race. He had good experiences in both races and he learned something in both races. That's what gives us a little more confidence about stepping into graded stakes and stepping up in distance. Both his races were learning experiences and progressive steps that served us well.”
Since his latest win, the Brendan Walsh trainee returned to work a bullet four furlongs, the fastest of 30 moves at the distance, at Palm Meadows Mar. 28.
“He came out of his last work with a bullet. He went in :47.60 and galloped out as easy as you can–it said it all right there,” explained Bell. “From Brendan's perspective, he's an easy horse to read, you know where he's at and what he's feeling. The timing of the Wood Memorial was good timing for him to make that next progressive step.”
Asked whether it might be too tall of an order for such an inexperienced horse, Bell added, “The hope is for the horse to tell us what we are going to do next and we felt this is the opportunity to do that. He's going to need to be able to travel and he's going to be facing stiffer competition. Certainly, he's been brilliant at the short distance races, but what does he look like going a mile and an eighth? When the race is over, he will have answered all of those questions which will point us in one direction or another. And that's really what we want to do. We want to let him show us what he is or isn't capable of at this stage. It's a progression.”
And what would it mean for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the entire Godolphin team to finally get the chance to hoist the blanket of roses on Derby day?
“It's hard to imagine because it's such an illusive place to get to,” said Bell. “It is one of the most prestigious races, or the most prestigious race, in the world in many people's minds. And it is what everyone who has a talented 3-year-old colt at this time of the year points toward. [Sheikh Mohammed] is so philosophical about these types of races and opportunities that, in time, patience will prevail and if it's meant to be, it will happen. The great news is that there has never been an ounce of pressure. It is just that everyone would like to see it happen. From His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, he is above all an astute horseman and understands probably better than we do. He is just excited to have opportunities and even more excited that a couple of these are hombreds as well. He makes it very easy because he is very understanding and has a great outlook on things.”
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Aqueduct Winter Meet Generates $350 Million
Edited press release
The 2021 Aqueduct winter meet, which ran from December 10, 2020 through March 28, 2021, generated all-sources handle of $349,962,356 a 4.3 percent increase over the 2018-19 winter meet, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Tuesday.
Originally scheduled for 56 days of live racing, adverse weather conditions forced the cancellation of four cards during the 2021 winter meet. NYRA subsequently added two live race days to account for the cancellations, resulting in a 54-day meet.
Average daily handle over the 54 days of live racing was $6,480,784, a 15.9 percent increase over 2018-19, when the meet was contested over 60 days of live racing.
In accordance with New York State guidelines instituted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the 2020-21 winter meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of owners and essential employees in attendance.
On-track handle, which includes wagering from New York residents utilizing NYRA Bets, was $24,891,692.
The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the 2019-20 Aqueduct winter meet, forcing the cancellation of live racing from March 20-29. In addition, the 2020 Aqueduct spring meet was cancelled in its entirety due to the pandemic. Live racing on the NYRA circuit resumed at Belmont Park on June 3, 2020.
In January, the first floor of Aqueduct became a New York State vaccination center, where more than 100,000 doses have been distributed to New Yorkers to date.
The 11-day Aqueduct spring meet begins on Thursday, April 1, and continues through Sunday, April 18. The spring meet is highlighted by the 96th running of the GII $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on Saturday, April 3.
The Wood Memorial will air on NBSCN as part of a live national broadcast beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET and scheduled to include the GII $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass from Keeneland and the GI $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park.
Prior to the NBCSN broadcast, national television coverage of the Wood Memorial Day card from Aqueduct can be found on FS2 beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
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Houston Showcase Night: Trio Of Stakes Races Close Out Thoroughbred Season
Sam Houston Race Park will close out its 2021 Thoroughbred racing season on Saturday, April 3 with three stakes and the presentation of the end of the meet awards to the leading owner, trainer and jockey. The newly formed Houston Showcase Night is a trio of stakes: two on the Connally Turf Course and a seven furlong test on the main track.
Saturday's card gets underway at 6:45 pm (Central).
A compact but potent field will compete in the $75,000 Bucharest Stakes, which will run as the fourth race of the card. Two rivals from the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint, which took place on January 31, will meet again, this time at the distance of seven furlongs.
Sky Ride, a Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride, closed powerfully to dead-heat with Hollis in the Stonerside. The 4-year-old gelding, trained by J.R. Caldwell for owner Triple V Racing LLC, was ridden by Leandro Goncalves, who notched his 2,000th career win here last Saturday night. The finish was memorable for the winners and the Houston Racing Festival fans.
Caldwell has no issue with the added distance for Sky Ride, and will also test the waters with Good Scout, who has won his last two starts at Sam Houston Race Park for Farmer Fillies Racing.
“Sky Ride is a closing sprinter and should be within striking distance at seven furlongs” said Caldwell. “Nitrous is the horse we fear the most, but fans better watch out for Good Scout.”
Nitrous, a 5-year-old son of Tapit, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC finished second behind Sky Ride and Hollis in the Stonerside. Stewart Elliott has the return call aboard the stakes winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The gray, who has earned $555,716 in 19 starts, will break from post position five. Asmussen also trains Mike McCarty's Gold Street, a 4-year-old colt by Street Boss, who ships in from Oaklawn Park and will be ridden by Reylu Gutierrez.
“He's a Winchell homebred and seven-eighths of a mile suits him,” said Asmussen of Nitrous. “I look forward to running Gold Street as well. He had success at the stakes level at Oaklawn.”
Dr Boehrer, owned and trained by Clifford Dodson, returns off a third-place finish in the $100,000 Spirit of Texas and Trumps Revenge, who completed the trifecta in the $100,000 Star of Texas for Ken Pullen and Christie Love, will also run Saturday night.
The stakes is named in honor of the late Thoroughbred sprinter Bucharest, owned by Israel Flores and trained by Amos Laborde, who set three track records at Sam Houston Race Park, including the lightning fast six furlong time of 1:08.88 on May 11, 1994, as well as his 1:12.29 seven furlong clocking on May 4, 1996.
The popularity of the Connally Turf Course at Sam Houston Race Park has grown in unprecedented fashion this season, so it's no surprise that the interest in the $75,000 Miss Houston Turf was very strong. Twelve fillies and mares, and two also eligibles, will compete at the distance on one mile in what appears to be a wide-open contest.
Raven's Cry (IRE) will be a force if she draws in from the also eligible list. The 4-year-old daughter of Raven's Pass has won three of her eight turf starts for owner Martin S. Schwartz. She's trained by Eclipse Award winning condition Brad Cox and will be ridden by Diego Saenz.
Asmussen will test the turf prowess of Palio Flag, a 4-year-old Curlin filly owned by Stonestreet Stables LLC. She will be making both her turf and Sam Houston Race Park debut after allowance victories at Churchill Downs and most recently, Oaklawn Park. Stewart Elliot will ride the chestnut filly with Ty Kennedy guiding Asmussen's other entrant, Miss Perfecta. She ran second in the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet Turf here on February 27 for owners Tyree J. Wolesnesky and Jose Silva, Jr.
“Palio Flag is a quality filly,” stated Asmussen. “With Curlin in her pedigree, I expect her to take to the turf. Miss Perfecta is an accomplished turf mare (with five wins from eight starts on the grass).”
Love Partnership Interests LP's Valentines Day, at 21-1, was third in the $75,000 Jersey Lilly on January 31 for trainer Bret Calhoun. He feels that the 4-year-old daughter of Summer Front, will take a step forward on Saturday night. Lindey Wade will guide her from post eight.
“This filly has been one of those gradual improving types,” said Calhoun. “We always thought she wanted to go longer. Lindey has been her regular rider and will try to get her to settle and make a late run. This is a solid group of fillies and it's nice to see the full fields and interest in Sam Houston this year.”
Another experienced turf mare is Curlin's Journey who returns to action for trainer Dallas Keen with jockey Sophie Doyle in the saddle.
Quick Quick Quick looks to be strong contender in the Miss Houston Turf for trainer J.R. Caldwell and rider Leandro Goncalves.
“She was stakes-placed at Remington Park and we got her to settle this meet at Sam Houston,” commented Caldwell. “She tries hard every time and has tactical speed. A mile and one-sixteenth might be a little out of her range, but I think she will have success going a mile.”
Caldwell, whose runners are in the money here at a lofty 57% clip, wanted to convey a compliment regarding the 2021 Sam Houston Race Park meet.
“I want to thank the Sam Houston management and the Texas Thoroughbred Association for their efforts this year,” said Caldwell. “Owners have come out of the woodwork for me, wanting to run here. We will go to Lone Star Park and then Remington Park, but we are already pointing for next year at Sam Houston!”
The $75,000 Bayou City Stakes for 3-year-olds will also be contested on the final night of the Sam Houston Race Park live racing season. Eight are entered in the mile and one-sixteenth turf feature, which will run as the eighth race on the card.
Drivehappy has been an impressive winner in both of his starts this season at Sam Houston Race Park, breaking his maiden on January 28 and drawing off by four lengths in an allowance win one month later. Owned by Holly and David Wilson, Siena Farm LLC, Gary Stevens and Asmussenequine.com, the son of Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Runhappy is trained by Steve Asmussen.
“He won his last two-turn race and I felt this was a good opportunity to step into the stakes ranks against 3-year-olds,” said Asmussen. “(Former top jockey and racing analyst) Gary Stevens and the Wilsons have brought many new owners to partnerships and that is great for our sport.”
Drivehappy's main rival looks to be Royal Prince, who exits a victory in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 27. Owned by Steve Landers, LLC, the 4-year-old colt by Cairo Prince has won two of his five starts for trainer Brad Cox. Top Louisiana-based jockey Diego Saenz has the call and will break from the rail post as the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Scotty Caroom's Holy Vow brings a two-race turf win streak into the Bayou City. The Kentucky-bred son of Private Vow is trained by Scott Young with Sophie Doyle back aboard. I'm Money, who ran third to Drivehappy last month, is also entered. The son of Bayern is owned and trained by Travis Short.
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