March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Clairiere, Travel Column Renew Rivalry In Fair Grounds Oaks

The score is tied at one apiece. Something will have to give when Clairiere and Travel Column meet for the third time in a row, this time with a lot more than the $400,000 that's on the line in Saturday's TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) at Fair Ground Race Course & Slots. The tremendously talented 3-year-old fillies meet again, with a berth into Churchill Downs' April 30 Kentucky Oaks Presented by Longines waiting in the balance, along with 170 qualifying points for the race, on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

The Oaks is a deserving supporting feature to the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and adds plenty of intrigue to a 14-race card that features eight stakes. Long on history, six of the last 16 winners of the Fair Grounds Oaks have gone on to double at Churchill Downs, with the last being Untapable in 2014.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Oaks drew a field of eight, though all eyes will be on Stonestreet Stables' homebred Clairiere (post 6 at 5-2 on Mike Diliberto's morning line, with Joe Talamo to ride) and OXO Equine's Travel Column (post 8 at 2-1 with Florent Geroux).

Clairiere pulled off a slight upset when she beat Travel Column in the local February 13 Rachel Alexandra (G2), winning a stretch duel by a neck for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the local Oaks three time and has pulled off the Oaks double twice, with Summerly in in 2005 and again with Untapable. Clairiere, a regally-bred daughter of Curlin out of the multiple grade 1 winner Cavorting, was making her seasonal debut and first start since running second to Travel Column in Churchill's Golden Road (G2) in November, in what was just her second lifetime start. Clairiere has closed from at or near the back in all three career starts, and in an Oaks without a lot of early pace, she will once again have to make up ground on Travel Column. Regardless, Asmussen is looking forward to renewing the rivalry.

“Rubber match, right, with two qualities fillies,” Asmussen said. “The trip worked out perfectly for us in the Rachel Alexandra. At a mile-and-a-sixteenth, I think the fillies are competitive. It's the same distance on Saturday. We feel really good about our prospects going forward.”

Travel Column lost nothing in defeat as the even-money favorite in the Rachel Alexandra for trainer Brad Cox, who won his first local Oaks last year with Bonny South and has won two of the last three Kentucky Oaks as well. Travel Column has every right to turn the tables on Clairiere, as she was forced to make first run and tired only slightly in what was also her first start since the Golden Road. It was in that 1-length win at Churchill that the Frosted filly came to national attention, as she encountered plenty of trouble early and late yet won going away in what was clearly a coming-out performance. Travel Column is 2-for-4 lifetime and Cox is expecting another forward move with a filly who should have a tactical edge on her main rival.

“I think she should get a good stalking trip from our post,” Cox said. “There's no pace in the race. We're not going to sit back there and give someone the race. We didn't win (the Rachel Alexandra) but we were very, very pleased with the comeback and we expect her to move forward off that return. She's a very, very good work horse and she's been training great since that race.”

Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie (post 4 at 4-1 with Luis Saez) is 2-for-3 in her career for trainer Tom Amoss, with all three starts coming at Fair Grounds. The daughter of Tapiture aired at 6 furlongs in her second start then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and again looked good, settling early then finding room along the rail to win a February 21 optional-claimer in the slop. Amoss and Politi teamed in 2019 with Serengeti Empress, who starred locally and went on to win the Kentucky Oaks. Li'l Tootsie has yet to show she can play on a stage like that, but Amoss still enters with plenty of confidence.

“To say that we are in deep water is probably true, but at the same time this is a filly who can handle deep water; she might be in the deep end of the pool but she's doing the backstroke,” Amoss said. “She's a good horse and she's one that can hold her own with any of the fillies in this country. That's not only a trainer's opinion, but it shows in the speed figures. The Ragozin number is very, very good.”

A pair of Gulfstream Park invaders add to the depth of what is the best Oaks prep to date. Shadwell Stable's homebred Zaajel (post 1 at 8-1 with Irad Ortiz Jr.) in undefeated in two starts for Todd Pletcher. The daughter of Street Sense won twice at 7 furlongs at Gulfstream, including the January 30 Forward Gal (G3), though she'll clearly have to improve in what will be her two-turn debut. Zaajel has settled just off a quick pace in both her runs, and with an inside draw in what is a paceless Oaks, could find herself on the lead in an attempt to give Pletcher his third Oaks win, to go with Unlimited Budget (2013) and Ashado (2004), who also went on to win at Churchill.

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Obligatory (post 5 at 5-1 with Jose Ortiz) is another who should be close in her two-turn debut for trainer Bill Mott. The Curlin filly didn't fire when a troubled fourth on debut at Belmont Park in October but put it all together in her next start February 7 at Gulfstream, when she stretched out to a one-turn mile and drew off with ease.

Franco Meli's homebred Il Malocchio (post 7 at 15-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) was third in Tampa Bay Downs' February 6 Suncoast in her seasonal debut and first start for trainer Kenny McPeek, while Brad King, Jim Cone, Scott Bryant, and Stan and Suzanne Kirby's Moon Swag (post 2 at 20-1 with Adam Beschizza) was a distant third in the Rachel Alexandra but is on the improve for trainer Brendan Walsh, and Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (post 3 at 15-1 with John Velazquez) was second in the local Silverbulletday in February for trainer Mark Casse but will try to bounce back from a well-beaten sixth in the Rachel Alexandra.

Additional Fair Grounds Oaks Quotes:

Amoss, Li'l Tootsie: Looking the field over, the one thing that captures your attention, there's no real pacesetter in the race. These horses are all stalk and jump on the lead twice. If you look at our last route race, which is a complete contradiction to the two sprints in terms of style, you have to ask yourself 'What are you going to get this time around from Li'l Tootsie?' I strongly believe she's going to be much sharper out of the gate and much more involved with what's going on early in the race. I'm not here to tell you that she's going to be the pacemaker, because that's not really that important to me, I think she's very capable of running well from anywhere on the track, I just believe that she's going to break sharper and be a part of that first wave of horses. I think her God-given athleticism will come into play.

I have a very good relationship with (Luis) Saez and his agent Kiaran McLaughlin, a former trainer, and we've had a lot of success with them. Luis won two grade 1's for me last year with Serengeti Empress and No Parole and when I found out he was coming into town, I told them I would support them all I can. I think he's one of the best riders in the entire country and I'm honored to have him on my horses.

She's got three races and a route under her belt. When you look at her in the paddock, she's a very good looking, athletic filly. She is also more feminine-looking than say, Serengeti Empress, so she doesn't need as much. She gets a lot out of her gallops, she's very enthusiastic in the morning, she loves to train. With what we've got coming ahead, I just don't feel like she needs to be set down hard anymore. We did that. We got to where we wanted to be. I'm very comfortable with how we've trained coming into the race and the time between races.

Walsh, Moon Swag: She runs well at Fair Grounds. She hasn't done anything wrong this winter and it's another chance to get some valuable black type. Realistically we are looking at running for a placing, but who knows. She'll be running at them at the end, and if there is a pace meltdown, we might get lucky. She's tricky temperamentally, but she's gotten better all the time. Three or four months ago you wouldn't have believed that she is where she is now with a live shot at a race like this. Since we've gotten to know her, she's found consistency through her routine. She just needs to keep progressing in her races and I can't see why she'd stop now.

The post Clairiere, Travel Column Renew Rivalry In Fair Grounds Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

With ‘Phenomenal Workouts,’ Risen Star Winner Mandaloun Leads Louisiana Derby Field

Mention Juddmonte Farms' homebred Mandaloun to trainer Brad Cox and the reaction is telling. And immediate. Cox is looking forward to showing the rest of the racing world what he's thought all along—that Mandaloun is one serious 3-year-old—when he starts as a strong favorite in a sterling renewal of Saturday's 108th running of the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Run at 1 3/16 miles, the Louisiana Derby will offer 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, on a 100-40-20-10 scale, and highlight a robust 14-race card that includes eight stakes overall, including the supporting feature, the $400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Mandaloun (post 6, as Mike Diliberto's 8-5 morning line favorite, with Florent Geroux to ride), a son of Into Mischief, burst on the national scene as a 2-year-old, easily winning both starts sprinting in Kentucky at short odds. Things didn't go as swimmingly in his 3-year-old debut, however, as he was third at odds-on in the local Lecomte (G3) in January, finishing behind winter rivals Midnight Bourbon and Proxy. Mandaloun was also making his two-turn and stakes debut in the Lecomte, and after taking a step back to look at the big picture, Cox wasn't as disappointed as maybe the betting public and Mandaloun's fan club was.

“You have to keep in mind it was his first start around two turns and first start in a stakes and he was a little bit wide the entire way,” Cox said. “I think he got a lot out of the race and moved forward off it. From a physical standpoint he looks like he's continued to develop.”

Cox also decided to make what would be a key equipment change after the Lecomte, as he put blinkers on for the Feb. 13 Risen Star (G2). Mandaloun trained brilliantly in the mornings with blinkers and backed Cox's high praise in the afternoon, when a much more polished colt turned the tables on both Proxy and Midnight Bourbon with an authoritative 1 ¼-length win, while earning the 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points that went with it. To Cox, the win and marked improvement was due to a combination of things.

“More than anything, it was just the experience of having the race going two turns under his belt,” Cox said afterwards. “I think the blinkers did help out. Florent immediately made a comment after the race. Much more focused in the post parade, more focused on his job. We didn't put a bunch of cup on him, just like a one-inch cup, but it seems to have done the trick to get him mentally over the top, mentally getting him where he needs to be.”

With the Risen Star behind him, and a berth in the Run of the Roses already assured, Mandaloun heads to the Louisiana Derby in a bit of an interesting position. Cox, who won the race last year with Wells Bayou, doesn't want to squeeze the lemon dry Saturday, even though there are a million reasons to do so. Mandaloun has continued to flourish in his training, highlighted by a March 6 bullet :59 1/5 drill going five furlongs over the track, which gives his trainer that much more confidence that he can pull off an elusive double that hasn't accomplished since Grindstone did it in 1996.

“His last two works have been phenomenal; we've done as much with him in the morning than we can do,” Cox said. “The goal is to get the job done on Saturday. He's going to have six weeks to recover, if he runs the way we hope he should, to point to the Kentucky Derby. There will be a period there where he can recover then hopefully, we can start cranking him up towards the end of April for the first Saturday in May.”

Godolphin's homebred Proxy (post 4 at 7-2 with John Velazquez) was a game second in the Risen Star and will try to emulate Mandaloun's path to victory, as he'll add blinkers for the meet's signature race. The son of Tapit has been a meet-long work in progress for trainer Mike Stidham, who has continually said the best is yet to come for a colt still on the improve. Proxy, who is 2-for-5 lifetime, broke his maiden and won an optional-claimer earlier in the meet before running second in the Lecomte, but after losing focus and dropping back entering the far turn of the Risen Star, only to re-break and salvage second, Stidham felt the time was right for a change.

“There were just a number of reasons why the blinkers were added,” Stidham said. “If you look at all of his races here at the Fair Grounds, in every race you can kind of see him doing a little erratic stuff, whether it be shying away, drifting out, or losing focus like he did in the Risen Star. You can't win Kentucky Derbies or Louisiana Derbies by doing that.”

Proxy has since worked three times with blinkers, which includes a Feb. 26 bullet 47 seconds flat four-furlong move. Stidham is confident the equipment change will have an impact, as will the elongated distance of the Louisiana Derby

“I felt like the works with blinkers, in company, he was definitely a little handier for the rider and more focused,” Stidham said. “We're finally getting these horses at our game; without a doubt the 1 3/16 miles is a big help. I'm welcoming the added distance and I'm hoping things go well here and then we get even more distance in Kentucky.”

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon (post 7 at 5-1 with Joe Talamo) will look to rebound after running third in the Risen Star, though he was beaten just 1 ¾ lengths in what was only slight regression after his strong Lecomte win for trainer Steve Asmussen. The son of Tiznow wired the Lecomte but settled in second in the Risen Star before tiring slightly late while showing plenty of versatility and backing up his biggest career win. Midnight Bourbon is 2-for-6 lifetime and gives Asmussen reason for excitement as he jumps back in to try Mandaloun and Proxy once again.

“I've always thought those three were very serious 3-year-olds, not just at the Fair Grounds but they are as good a prospect as you want to be around and I don't think they've done nothing to change anybody's opinion of that,” Asmussen said. “The addition of blinkers on the one (Mandaloun) and Proxy has been consistent, with the pedigrees they have, all three of them (including Midnight Bourbon) are capable, but at this point of your 3-year-old year, you either get better or you get beat. You've got to improve. What you've done (so far) is not going to be enough.”

Tom Durant's Run Classic (post 3 at 12-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) won a two-turn maiden special weight on the Risen Star undercard and will look to emulate history for trainer Bret Calhoun, who pulled the same double in 2019, when By My Standards broke his maiden on Risen Star Day and went on to win the Louisiana Derby. Calhoun knows it's a big ask, but he also knows he's got a son of Run Happy who is loaded with potential.

“We've been high on him for a long time; he's shown talent, he's performed up to expectations so far,” Calhoun said. “I know it's a big step forward, but we wouldn't be attempting this if we didn't think he was a pretty smart, good-minded horse”

Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, and William Strauss' Hot Rod Charlie (post 5 at 3-1 with Joel Rosario) adds plenty of California class to the equation, as he was second to 2-year-old champion Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in November for trainer Doug O'Neill. The son of Oxbow returned at 3 to be third behind the talented Medina Spirit in the Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita and invades for a barn that won Risen Star in 2007 and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in 2016 and 2017. Hot Rod Charlie is just 1-for-6 lifetime but owns a maiden win, to go with the Juvenile and Lewis runs, in what are his only three starts at two turns on the dirt. O'Neill's assistant Leandro Moro will be the trainer of record on Saturday.

Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds' O Besos (post 8 at 15-1 with Marcelino Pedroza) was fourth in the Risen Star, in what was his two-turn debut. The son of Orb won twice sprinting at the meet for trainer Greg Foley before stretching out in an encouraging effort that he could build on.

Wayne T. Davis' Rightandjust (post 2 at 20-1 with Colby Hernandez), was sixth after setting the pace in the Risen Star for trainer Shane Wilson, and owner-trainer Dallas Stewart and WinStar Farm's Starrininmydreams (post 1 at 20-1 with Luis Saez) was ninth, in what was his seasonal debut.

Additional Louisiana Derby quotes:

Stidham, Proxy: His last work, we weren't looking for anything special. He worked by himself and he was comfortable going easy fractions. He's run four times at the meet and I know I have a fit horse, so I wasn't looking for anything fast, just a nice even, steady work. I don't worry about the blinkers making him overly aggressive, since he's not that type of horse. Even with the blinkers, you have to make him do what he does. He's not a horse that is going to drag you out of the saddle.

We would love to win this race; it's an important race for the horse and for my own personal reasons. But the only thing I'm truly looking for is this horse to take another step forward on numbers. If that meant running a huge race and running second, I would accept that because obviously the ultimate goal is having a horse that is going to be competitive in the Kentucky Derby.

Calhoun, Run Classic: He's pretty much done everything right so far and it seems like he's moved forward since the last race. I can tell he's a little more serious about his works. He was just doing things on raw talent and ability early on and I don't how much he knew what he was doing. Now he seems more focused on the task which translates to him being even that much more impressive in the mornings.

It looks like a pretty honest pace. It looks like there are several of them in there that show pretty good route speed. My horse has the ability to get pretty good position early on. If they're going too fast, I think Brian (jockey Hernandez, Jr.) will be sitting off of it. The added distance is definitely a concern, but I think it's a concern for all of them. I understand pedigree-wise it raises some questions (for us) but physically he looks like this is what he's meant to do. In his last race, Brian made this horse finish up and gallop out quite a bit and I don't think we got to the bottom of the tank. In his recent works, he's come home pretty quick. He's got a high cruising speed and he accelerates pretty strongly late and gallops out pretty strong. He hasn't shown us any distance limitations in the mornings. Obviously, a mile-and-three-sixteenths is going to be a big test for him as well as some of the others.”

The post With ‘Phenomenal Workouts,’ Risen Star Winner Mandaloun Leads Louisiana Derby Field appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Kentucky EHV-1 Update: Two More Horses Found With ‘Trace Amounts’ Of Viral DNA In Nasal Swabs

E.S. “Rusty” Ford, equine operations consultant for the Kentucky Office of the State Veterinarian, released the following update on an EHV-1 outbreak in Woodford County, Ky., on Monday. The outbreak was first announced March 11 after one horse at a training center was hospitalized with neurologic symptoms. On March 12, five more horse horses tested positive.

The additional 24 horses in Barn B of the index EHV-1 affected premises were sampled on Friday due to potential exposure of indirect transmission (riders) having occurred prior to confirmation of the index case. Two horses from this group had a trace amount of EHV-1 DNA detected in the nasal swab and were removed from the barn and segregated on Saturday.

To date, 18 horses in index Barn A and 22 horses in Barn B have had one set of negative test (nasal swab and/or blood) . The last febrile horse was removed from Barn A and placed in isolation on March 10, 2021. There have been no clinical horses in Barn B since the start of the outbreak.

Five of the nine horses in the isolation barn have tested positive with the last fever reported on Friday March 12, 2021. All horses in isolation are being monitored by the attending veterinarian.

A second round of testing is being planned for the horses in barns A, B and Isolation.

The management and staff of the premises continue to implement enhanced biosecurity and health monitoring protocols including multiple daily temperature recordings. Additionally, these enhanced measures have been implemented at other sanctioned training facilities in Kentucky.

Staff from the Office of the State Veterinarian continue to closely monitor the situation.

Appropriate biosecurity and other safeguards are fully implemented at Turfway Park.

Updates will continue to be provided as information is learned.

The post Kentucky EHV-1 Update: Two More Horses Found With ‘Trace Amounts’ Of Viral DNA In Nasal Swabs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Here We Go Again: Can Anyone Beat Baffert in the Derby?

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley

The year changes and so do the names of the horses. But the story remains the same. It's no longer about beating a particular horse in the GI Kentucky Derby, it's about trying to beat the stable that has an unprecedented hammerlock on the race. Can anyone beat Bob Baffert?

After this weekend's results, it's looking more and more like that is going to be hard to do. Baffert already had the early favorite for the Derby in the ultra-talented Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who was bet down to a ridiculously low 2-1 in the Derby Future Wager. His win in the GII San Felipe S. had been the most impressive race run by a 3-year-old this year.

But now there is some competition. Concert Tour (Street Sense) ran away from seven rivals in the GII Rebel S. Saturday at Oaklawn, dominating quality horses like Caddo River (Hard Spun) and Keepmeinmind (Laoban). On paper, he looks a lot like Life Is Good. Both are unbeaten at 3-for-3, have won two stakes, and are coming off sizzling performances.

“From day one, we knew he was something special,” Baffert said of Concert Tour.

For good measure, Baffert finished second in the Rebel, a race he has won eight times since 2010, with Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile). About two and a half hours earlier, he unleashed another horse with monster potential. Triple Tap (Tapit), a half-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), romped in a maiden race at Santa Anita and will, no doubt, be heard from again.

Not that any of this was any sport of surprise. What we have now is a trainer who is feasting off of his own success. As Baffert wins more and more races with top 3-year-olds, more and more owners flock to him. As more owners flock to him, the better his stable gets. Lather, rinse, repeat.

He trains for an All-Star team of owners-Godolphin, Coolmore, Gary and Mary West, Juddmonte, WinStar and China Horse Club, SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, Stonestreet, Zedan Racing Stables. His barn is stocked full of the best bred, most expensive horses in racing. No one else's compares.

“You can't do it unless you gets the results and I worked hard at it,” Baffert said. “It took me years and years to get here. My program is to get young horses and try to get to the Classics and Breeders' Cup races with them. I don't train a lot of horses. I like to keep it as a very elite stable. We want to be in all the big races, all the big shows.”

But he is not going to rest on any laurels. The 2020 race to the Kentucky Derby proved that just about everything has to go right to win the Derby. Baffert won split divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby with Nadal (Blame) and Charlatan (Speightstown), Neither one made it to the Derby. Instead, Baffert came to town with two horses. After Thousand Words fell in the paddock and had to be scratched, Baffert was left with one horse. It just happened to be Authentic (Into Mischief)

“Last year I was really strong, but found out how quickly things can fall apart,” Baffert said. “So I try not to get too far ahead of myself. I was strong when I had Real Quiet (Quiet American) and Indian Charlie (In Excess {Ire}) and when I had Point Given (Thunder Gulch) and Congaree (Arazi). But these two (Life Is Good and Concert Tour) are really strong.”

Baffert has five horses among the Top 20 on the Derby points list and all five could make the race. It looks like Triple Tap won't be there. It would be very hard for a horse to make the race after debuting in mid-March. Baffert's 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) didn't make his first start until Feb. 18, but that extra month made a world of difference as it allowed Baffert to get in preps in March and April.

“Triple Tap is a little late to the party,” he said. “It would be a little tough to make the Derby. We want to develop him the right way. If the Derby was in September again, like it was last year, we could do it. I'll have to see how he is in a couple of weeks, but I don't want to do anything rash with him. I can see him winning a Grade I stakes. He's that caliber of a horse. I just want him to develop the right way.”

Baffert said he'd like to get an allowance race into Triple Tap and, since he doesn't think such a race would fill in California, he may wind up running him next at Keeneland.

Baffert will be shooting for his seventh win in the Derby, which would move him past Ben Jones as the winningest trainer in the race's history.

“I don't think about that,” he said. “You just want to get there with a horse that has a good chance. When you go with a horse that you think has a chance to win, it's exciting. If you go with a horse who has no chance of winning it's not exciting. It might be exciting for the owner but not for me.”

At Churchill Downs, he will meet a lot of worthy opponents, a list that right now includes Essential Quality (Tapit) and Greatest Honour (Tapit). So the race isn't over. Far from it. But beating Baffert, never easy, has never looked more difficult.

A Stellar Apple Blossom

The other big winner over the weekend was GI Beholder Mile winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). She looked terrific making her 4-year-old debut, easily beating back the challenge of six others, including the Baffert-trained As Time Goes By (American Pharoah). Her win sets up the potential of Swiss Skydiver-Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) II in the GI Apple Blossom S. at Oaklawn. In their first meeting in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Swiss Skydiver lost all chance when stumbling at the start. She will be out for revenge. Monomoy Girl will be out to prove that no filly or mare can beat her. Could be some race.

Aqueduct Over the Years

Up until 1976, when the inner track was installed, Aqueduct would always open in mid-March after a winter hiatus and New York horseplayers flocked to the track for opening day. Fifty years ago, the opening day crowd, on a Monday, was 40,025. One of the big stories on the day was the increase in price for the Morning Telegraph, which preceded the Daily Racing Form. The price was hiked from 75 cents to $1. But the Aqueduct subway special was still going for $1.

Opening day was splashed all over the New York Times sports pages, which noted that Aqueduct had about twice as many fans as did a heavyweight championship fight at Madison Square Garden. Good Behaving won the featured Swift S, paying $11.80. Angel Cordero, Jr., still around as a jockey agent, rode the winner.

The post Here We Go Again: Can Anyone Beat Baffert in the Derby? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post